"We're just going to talk, right?" Janine said calmly, looking at the group of people spread out in her living room, on the patio, doors open, standing in the kitchen against the island. "No one is going to gang up on her. She just pulled into the driveway and she's expecting me and Trent."

"She doesn't see the cars, not our problem." Brock said.

Janine looked at Jason who was sprawled in the lazy-boy. Elbow supported on the arm of the chair, his cheek was slouched against his cupped hand, the other tapped his fingers on his knee that bounced in agitation. He was trying to keep it together but boy-oh-boy, was he ever on edge.

She was glad Ray and Trent had decided to confront Stella as a team, with the women present. In the mood Jason was in, had he met Stella on his own, whatever wall was nearby wouldn't have survived the onslaught of Jason's fists.

She sighed. Trent had brought Clay home two days ago. Janine couldn't believe Stella had thought he was okay to be left home alone while she went to work. The man was groggy and disoriented and though he got up on his own, his balance and judgement was off and whenever he reached over his head, he landed on his ass.

Jason had hit the ceiling. It wasn't just Stella he was mad at – over. Whatever had happened on their last mission had him blowing up at the slightest disagreement. When Trent had called him to tell him he'd brought Clay to their house, he'd come over and while Clay had been asleep on the sofa, Jason had been fine. But, oh, once the kid had woken up and it became evident Clay couldn't tell them where he was or how he'd gotten there, Jason had had a fit.

Stella had sent several texts to Clay's phone, that was in Trent's possession, saying she'd arrived safe, thanked him for asking with sarcastic emoji's and said she would see him the next day around 4. She'd drive back after her last class. She had not asked how he was doing. Neither Trent nor Jason had bothered to respond.

Finally, after none of her texts had been returned, Stella had called Clay's phone and Jason had answered. And well, here they all were - waiting to ambush Stella for leaving Clay home alone and not calling anyone.

Fun times.

Stella saw all the cars, most were parked on the street, but she recognized the black pick-up in the driveway. It was Jason's. She sighed as she got out of the car. So, he must have more to say to her. He'd been short and abrupt when he'd answered Clay's phone. Hadn't let her speak to Clay. Had simply said Clay couldn't come to the phone right now and asked where she was.

That's when she remembered she was supposed to call someone, anyone, if she had to leave Clay alone. Damn. Oh well, not a big deal. Least, she didn't see it as one. She was here to pick Clay up and take him home. She wouldn't have to spend any time here, hopefully wouldn't even have to speak to Jason, would thank Janine for calling her and be on her way with Clay.

She walked up the sidewalk, climbed the three steps to the front door. Before she could ring the bell or knock, the door opened. She expected Janine, but it was….uh…..aah…..had she met this man before?

"Stella." Eric frowned at her. He didn't invite her in or step aside to allow her entry.

"Uh, yes. Um, hi."

"Eric, let her in." someone called from inside the house.

Aah, Eric. Must be Eric Blackburn. Bravo's Lieutenant Commander. Clay talked about him often without revealing really any details about the man.

He didn't move for another few seconds. She waited, but no one came to greet her or make him let her in. He finally turned and walked away, leaving the door open and her standing on the porch. Feeling nervous, she entered the house and closed the door behind her. This was not going to go how she expected.

"Hello Stella." Janine smiled, but it was weak and she didn't welcome her.

"Did I interrupt a party?" Stella glanced around. She knew just about everyone except for three of the women….no, wait, she did know two of them. Or at least, Clay had pointed out who they were when they'd been at the house of the leader from Echo team after his, um, death. "Sorry, I'll just…is Clay ready?"

No one said anything.

Finally Janine stepped forward. "Stella, I know you came here expecting to pick Clay up and take him home, but you can't." She paused with a sigh when someone said, 'not happening' and 'that's not gonna happen' and 'like hell' and put a hand up when Stella opened her mouth to question her. "We aren't having a party. Everyone in this room is connected to Clay and his job on Bravo. I don't want you to feel ganged up on, but we want to talk to you."

Stella frowned. Oh, she wasn't liking this one bit. "About what?" Oh yeah, this was so ganging up on her.

"Not calling someone when you went and left Clay home alone." Sonny said.

"You can't do that." Brock added.

"You don't get to do that." Ray clarified. Every man in the room nodded their agreement.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." She held her hands out, shrugged with a small smile. To her, it wasn't such a big deal, but it was dawning on her to these people, it was. It was a very big deal. "My department called, asked if I could cover for a professor."

"You tell them no." Jason interrupted. "Or you pick up a phone and you call or text anyone in this room and tell them you have to go and Clay will be alone."

"Someone will either go stay with Clay or pick him up and take him home with them." Ray said. "He wasn't medically cleared to be left alone Stella."

"Why?" She was truly curious. "He was home, wasn't going anywhere."

And here we go!

Jason was pissed. Was he angry? Oh yeah. Furious? Livid? Enraged? Outraged? He was seething and Ray knew how quick Jason could turn violent when in a mood like this. But, despite that, it was best to leave him alone and let him rant….even if he was ranting at a woman. Nothing and no one on this green earth would ever move Jason to strike a woman over a verbal argument.

Had it been a man…well…..

"….a life, a job. I have to go to work….." Stella was saying. Oh good, she was angry too. Tears wouldn't go over well with Jason, not this time.

Lisa, Mandy, Alana, the three women in the world who knew Jason best yet in different ways simply sat and divided Skittles into colors.

Naima, Janine, Eric's wife Betty and Brock's fiancée, Katie sat quietly on the patio with iced tea and cookies.

No one had brought their kids. All were at Alana and Jason's house with Emma babysitting.

"No one gives fuck what you do!" Jason exploded. "You were given a direct order and you disobeyed! No one asked you to give up your life and sit home to wait and take care of him. You were asked to make a god-damn, fucking phone call. If you have to leave him, call someone. It's that simple! A college education didn't make you smart. You're pretty damned stupid."

"That's uncalled for! And I didn't disobey!" Stella shot right back, "Because I don't take orders from you or anyone else!"

A phone hit the wall next to her head with such force, it cracked before it hit the floor.

"Me, Trent, Brock, Sonny, Ray, Eric, Lisa, Janine, Naima, Alana, Lisa. Hell even Mandy or Eric's wife or Brock's fiancée. Every god damn number is in that phone. Naima would pack up two kids to go stay with him. My fifteen year old daughter would take a cab it she had to, but you, hell, you can't even make a fucking phone call."

"I have a career Jason. I'm not going to just sit home and wait for the times he's able to be home." Stella was shouting back. "Yeah, he's home, so what, I still have to go to work!"

"Able? ABLE? Everyone works Stella! No one is telling you not to. All we asked you to do was not leave him alone!"

"Asked? You didn't ask. You ordered me and I don't take orders from your or anyone, not even Clay. My job is important. I teach and guide the youth who will soon lead this country." Stella felt her knees begin to shake. She thought someone would have stepped in to perhaps calm Jason down, his wife maybe, but nope. Apparently, everyone agreed with him. "He was medically cleared to come home, he wasn't required to remain in the hospital, I went to work, I didn't do anything wrong."

Jason spun around, hands in his hair has he hopped. He whirled back on Stella so quickly she didn't even have time to flinch. His open palm slapped the wall so close to her head, her hair blew. Good, Ray thought, he hasn't taken to throwing punches. Yet.

"You aren't the only one with a job Stella! He has a one too. A job. Do you get that? Do you? He protects your everyday way of life. He protects us. Did you know that? Do you have any idea what he does? Do you want to hear it? Let me tell you, he kills people. His ass goes high and he shoots people in the head. He blows their god-damn heads off because I want kill shots. And it's his job to do what I want, what I tell him. Men, women, age doesn't matter, if they're a threat, he kills them. He's a sniper. His job is to keep us alive while we complete whatever mission we're on. He has our backs. You like sleeping at night? You like feeling safe? How old were you in 2001? Even a teen-ager yet? Do you remember where you were? Do you have any idea what he does any god-damn given day? What he goes through? How he feels? God damn you! My kids are not going to lose their dad because you had to go teach today's future leaders!"

She stared, blinked, stared. Okay, yeah, those blunt words were a shock.

"So yeah Stella, if I give you an order NOT to leave him alone," the words 'you miserable bitch' didn't leave his tongue, but his men and Eric all knew he bit back the words. "You call someone if you have to go out. It doesn't matter if he's hurt or just emotionally shot to hell. You be there for him. You table your social calendar and you curl up in the chair and you watch him stare blankly at the TV. 'Cause that's your job, it's what you do."

Clay didn't tell her what he did when on a mission. He didn't talk about it, claimed he couldn't. So no, she didn't know. Neither did she know what her leaving Clay home alone had to do with Jason's kids losing their father.

"It's hard." Ray said quietly. "It's a job that is manageable, he can deal, we all can, we all manage, but no matter how good you are, how well you're trained, there's' gonna be that time, that job, that thing, that just tears you up."

"If you can't be here for him, then you gotta let us know, so we can be." Sonny added. "And we will be."

Just what was he insinuating?

"I can order him to remain in the hospital." Eric spoke up. "Hate to do it, no one likes being there, but if we can't trust you, I can't let you be the one to take care of him." He paused. "I won't. Too many lives depend on it."

She frowned. What the hell did that mean?

"Not all pain is visible." Brock said. "He's not always gonna talk to you, it's on you to know when he needs you or needs a night home or needs to be by himself."

Wait, they were talking about Clay coming home with a head injury and she leaving him alone, weren't they?

"You blew my trust." Trent shook his head. "When we tell you not to leave him alone, it's for his own good, and ours. We depend on him so we can all come home safe to our families. I need to know if he's dizzy when he gets up or complains the TV is too loud when it's not. We need to know he has his head with him. When he's high on over-look, I need to know he can see straight. No one is safe if he's in pain or dizzy or sensitive to sound or light or smell. I can't expose myself or Sonny if I can't depend on the kid to blow a hole in the enemy's head."

"You don't just date the Seal." Betty smiled at her. "You date the whole team."

She nodded, thoroughly chastised.

"You just don't get it." Jason said. "This is a team. We," he made a circular motion to include everyone in the house, "Are a team. As long as you're in Clay's life, whether or not you want to be, you're a part of it. Either you take care of him, put him first, make him the priority or I'll make your life miserable."

"Jason." Alana murmured.

"Don't." His hand went up to silence her. "Just don't. There is no defending her. Not in this. She had choices. She knew them. I told her on the phone. Eric told her when we landed. Brock told her when he helped Clay walk in the sun. Sonny told her when he opened the car door. Trent told her when he buckled Clay into his seatbelt. I gave her one job. Don't. Leave. Him. Alone."

Stella chewed her lip, took a deep breath. There it was. Her whole problem.

"I'm not yours to command. You can't give me a job and expect me to blindly obey."

Ohohohohoh, Ray was out of his chair, around the table and over the sofa in a single leap. Sonny met him at Jason's side and together they pushed Jason back from going nose to nose in Stella's face. They weren't scared he would hit her, they both knew he wouldn't, but both feared he'd punch the wall since he couldn't punch her. And Trent's walls were plaster over brick under drywall. Angry as he was, he'd break both the wall and his hand.

She found herself behind Eric. Whether she moved there on her own or he stepped in front of her, she couldn't recall.

"I damn well can. Go ahead Stella. Keep pushing me." Jason dared. "He doesn't get to choose. Do you get that? He will follow orders. I guarantee you, you won't like it when we're home and he has a hangnail, 'cause you aren't going to get to see him."

"You or me? Is that it?" She demanded. "You'll make him choose? That's a threat?"

"Wow." Ray had stayed out of it until now. He liked Stella, saw her side, agreed that Jason and Trent had an overbearing tendency to coddle the kid. They might be rough and abrasive about it, but yeah, they were over-protective. "It's not about Jason Stella. It's about a job he trained for. He went through pain and trauma and humiliation to get this job. You don't put years of training and dedication into something so hard then throw it away because your girlfriend of a couple months butts heads with your boss. Jason would never make Clay choose, but you keep pushing and Clay will."

"You left him, he called Trent." Brock said. "All you had to do was call someone, anyone. You don't want to talk to us, fine, send a text, wait for a reply. Someone would have gotten back to you in less than a minute. No one lives more than 20 minutes away from him. We know people in the building. At most, the text back to you would have said 'on our way' and you could have left."

Stella stared at the floor, felt all eyes in the room on her. Some judged, none were sympathetic, one set – Janine's, said 'I told you so'. She was not going to find anyone in this house to take her side. She still thought she hadn't done anything wrong. Clay was an adult, he wasn't on medication, he wasn't sick, he wasn't hobbled by a broken arm or leg. There was no reason he couldn't be home alone and look after himself.

Unless…..she frowned…unless he was hurt worse then they'd led her to believe.

"He said he was okay. He said he was cleared by your doctor to fly home. You told me he was okay to go home."

"I told you he couldn't go home alone." Jason said through clenched teeth. "I told you not to leave him alone. I ordered you not to leave him alone. I was clear. It was not open to interpretation."

"He wasn't even home a day Stella." Janine was between her and Jason, reached for her hand. Stella blinked at the betrayal. Even Janine was siding against her? "He's male, he's an ass. He won't admit weakness to a female. None of them will. What he says and what he needs are not going to be the same."

"Did you tell him you were leaving when he was awake and coherent?" Betty asked gently. "How long after you left did he call Trent? Do you know? Anything could have happened during that time."

"I thought I did." Stella felt small. "It shouldn't matter. He was…"

"I don't think you did." Betty continued. "Or he would have asked you to call someone or drop him off somewhere."

Alana reached for Jason's hand, when he took it, she tugged him until he followed her from the room. Stella relaxed in relief, God, he made her tense.

Alana almost made it from the room with Jason…..almost.

"Are we clear here?" Eric asked, all authority. His wife patted his arm. "We fly out on the 12th. Trent, take him to see doc on the 11th, anytime is fine, base hospital."

"Um, what? Why?" Stella frowned. "I can take him. Trent doesn't need to double back."

Eric looked at Stella. Man, she just didn't get it.

"To get medical clearance to fly out on our mission. Get the stitches out." Ray explained. "He has to be cleared Stella. We just can't take him, hop on a plane and fly to our next job. Doesn't work that way."

"I'll drive him. No need for Trent to drive over, pick him up and then bring him back. Makes more sense for me to take him."

"You want me to trust you?" Jason surged back in, shaking off Alana's hand. "Trust you? Let you take him? You're not getting anywhere near him. What happens the day of his appointment and you have to go teach a class? Do you let him drive himself? Send him in a cab? Not like we can depend on you to call one of us."

"Jason." Ray sighed. He understood his boss's anger. Felt it himself, but none of this was helping Stella understand what she'd done wrong. And why it was wrong.

"Clay will be here Stella." Eric said. "He's staying with Trent until they fly out on the 12th." He paused. "If the doc doesn't clear him to return to duty but says he can fly, we'll take him with us. If the doc says he can't fly," Eric looked at Betty who nodded. "And can't stay home alone, Clay will stay with Betty and continue to report to work at base under the supervision of Adam while we're gone."

"No." Stella replied instantly. "No, he's not staying here and he won't be going home with anyone but me." She argued, then bit her lip. "I mean, why?" She shook her head. "So, he gets the stitches out and the next day, he just, flies off to who knows where?"

"It's not a suggestion." Eric told her rudely. "It's what's going to happen."

"Because. You. Left. Him. Alone." Sonny rolled his eyes. "Trent can drive him to work every day, you go toddle off and teach your kids."

"I won't," she began, then stopped. She did have work, and though she'd try, she couldn't promise her hours would coincide with Clay's. She didn't get it. She really didn't. Clay was expected to report to base every day and go to 'work', whatever that was, when they were home. She had no idea what he did at base every day. He didn't tell her. Shooting practice, working out, running drills, things like that she guessed.

So, if he was okay to go to work, why wasn't it okay for him to be home alone? Would she ever understand? She was beginning to suspect she wasn't supposed to. She was supposed to blindly follow orders and keep her mouth shut. She sighed. She wasn't sure she could do that.

"You disobeyed a direct order, you don't get away with doing that." Jason was tired, tired of arguing, tired of banging his head against a brick wall trying to get through to Stella. "My men get punished for doing that."

"We need to know he's good to go when we take him with us." Trent said. "We can't leave here, bound for bumfuck nowhere with him if we don't know how he is. We depend on him Stella, we rely on him to protect us. I can't have him staggering around because he missed a doctor's appointment and scratched itchy stitches instead of pulling the trigger or didn't take his medication or experienced symptoms he doesn't remember but whoever he's with would notice."

"He's not on any medication."

"Not the point!" Jason yelled. "Trent's not talking just about this time! He means next time, and there will be a next time. IF YOU'RE TOLD NOT TO LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU DON'T LEAVE HIM ALONE ! It's that simple! I can't make that any clearer!"

"You've proven we can't depend on you." Sonny said.

"You can't punish me." Stella backed up. "You can't make….I don't…."

"Oh no, you're right. I can't make you do anything. I can't make you follow or obey orders. But I can make him." Jason gave her a sick smile. "He doesn't get a choice. He comes home hurt, you don't get to take him home."

"You can't do that."

"I can do whatever I want."

Every single person in the room looked at her. They all wore the same expression. And they were all on Jason's side, backed him up completely.

"We all want our men to come home safely." Naima said quietly. "They come home bruised and dirty and sore and in a sling or with a limp, but they come home. Clay helps ensure that they do."

"Because it's his job?" Stella asked sarcastically. "What about him? Do you care about him? Or just what he can do for you?"

"Oh, now that right there, pretty lady, is bullshit." Sonny stood up, shook off Lisa's lame attempt to restrain him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Them be fighting words and you're looking for an ass kicking." He stalked her, but she held her ground. "Which, were you a man, you'd be getting."

"You can go wake him up, say good-bye." Trent broke in, nudging Sonny aside with a hip bump. "You can call him, but he's staying here until we fly out."

"With or without him." Brock added.

She wondered if Clay would choose to stay if she asked him to leave with her. She wondered if he'd be allowed. Orders came from Jason and Eric and those orders were for Clay to remain here with Trent.

"Don't be asking the boy to leave with you." Sonny warned. "Don't put him in that position. Until you're in mud on your belly, sand in your eyes, wet, sweating, freezing, pissing your pants 'cause you can't move or get up until junior gets high and the people trying to kill you lose their head, you don't get to make him choose."

Stella looked around the room. Lisa's look was not friendly. Mandy's was, well, hostile. Betty and Katie showed patience, but clearly sided with their spouse and fiancée. Naima was hard to read but when she caught Stella's direct gaze, she titled her chin and turned away. Okay, then, so, only Janine was going to talk to her.

"Come." Janine said.

Stella didn't want to pull an attitude with Janine, but it was hard not to. Janine would be the one taking care of Clay for the next week. No, she wouldn't lie next to him in bed or hold him when his head hurt or the stitches pulled, but she would be the one offering comfort and asking what he wanted for dinner, was he warm enough, did he want ice or a heating pad or another blanket. And it irked her. It did. She didn't want to hear it was her own fault. She didn't think it was.

"Or you can just leave." Trent said.

Janine shot him a look. "You guys, enough." She put an arm around Stella's shoulders. Not a hug, but a show of support. "Last I looked, he was asleep. Probably still is, he's used to Jason ranting."

Stella went with her. She did want to see Clay, didn't want to wake him though. She'd like to just sit and wait for him to wake up on his own, ask him to go home with her, but that wasn't an option and she wasn't welcome here.

"You know," Eric handed his wife her purse, it was time for them to go. "The time is going to come when Jason meets Ash Spenser. I want to be there when that happens."

"If you think I'm gonna stop Jason from going after him, think again." Sonny said.

"What he said." Ray nodded.

"I don't see Clay leaving Stella." Betty warned. "He's going to take her side a time or two, you're all going to have to learn to accept her."

"Don't push it." Ray opened the door for his commander and his wife to leave. "We're working on it, but she's gotta meet us half way."

"Keeping her from Clay this week is mean." Betty told them.

"She brought it on herself."

"It's her first time with him coming home hurt."

"No, it's not."

"Betty, not gonna win this one." Eric herded her towards the door.

"Oh, I'm on your side. The boy is in no condition to be doing anything for himself. I'm just saying, she has to learn, and you all need to be patient."

"Buh-bye Mrs. Blackburn." Sonny waggled his fingers.

She gave him a friendly smack and left with Eric. Brock, Katie, Mandy, Lisa and Sonny soon followed. Ray and Naima not long after and Trent started collecting bottles and plates and cups. Janine came to help.

"That didn't go well." She remarked. "Jason was brutal."

"Brutal? Hell Jan, he is the team sniper. We depend on him. If he isn't healthy, if he falls in the shower and cracks his jaw or doesn't eat right, or drink enough – you know how Eric freaks out about dehydration – he's not gonna be the top of his game and we can't go into action knowing that. She has to step up or step out. Taking care of him, takes care of all of us. No different than any one of us."

"She isn't a military wife Trent." Janine said patiently. "And Bravo did plenty of jobs with only Ray as your sniper." She dumped trash, opened the dishwasher door. "And you won't have to worry about him being at the top of his game if he falls in the shower and cracks his jaw. He won't be on the mission with you."

"It's an expression used to make a point." Trent huffed. "And she's a military girlfriend. She can have her career. No one is saying she can't. But she doesn't get to come first. He does. We do. Hell Alana and Jason are separated, likely heading for divorce and where was she today?"

"She learned her lesson. She made a mistake. Next time she has to go out and leave Clay alone overnight, she will call someone."

"Next time will be a long time coming." Trent said. "We bring him home hurt again, she's not getting him. Do you have any idea how long it's going to take for Jason to get over this?"

Janine was quiet, stacking dishes in the dishwasher. A long time. Jason didn't forgive easily, never forgot. Yes, Stella had been stupid. It would take her awhile to come around and see that being a Navy girlfriend, fiancée, wife was not about her and her man, but about her, her man and his team. Her social life, her work commitments, her job would always come in second. She could have both, but she would never come first.

"You can blame Clay for some of this." She pointed out. "He can tell her more about his job than he does. She'd understand more then."

"He will, they get serious."

She whapped him with a dish towel. "I'm beginning to understand your ex-wife better."

"She on her way out?"

"Good God, Trent, give them five minutes."

"Jason is still here."

Janine nodded. "Right. I'll hurry her along."