Chapter 10 - Epilogue

It took another week, but the team was finally back home in the States, much to the joy of their respective families and significant others.

Ray, Sonny and Trent were given the all clear health wise (emotional, mental and physical). And after having a heart-to-heart moment when the others were up for it, all six members of Bravo were finally back on the same page. No one outside of those SEALs know what what spoken behind the closed door of the room the met in. No one else needed to know.

With Bravo out of commission until the other half of their team finished healing, Ray, Sonny and Trent spent time running with other teams. It was hard being apart, but there was no use in letting three tier one operators sit idly by when their skill-set could be utilized. Plus, it passed the time and kept them sane while their brothers recovered.

Jason was still going through breathing treatments, which he swore he didn't need. But seeing as he still got winded walking from the car to a building, he eventually gave up his argument. In the time he wasn't operating, he taught a few classes for Green Team, and supervised a couple of ops his brothers were apart of. It was hard, being on the sidelines like this, but he was making progress. Until he got the all clear from the docs, he'd do his part where he could.

Clay ended up needing another surgery on his shoulder to fix ligament damage that was put off until they were back in Virginia. Once he started therapy, things were going well, but a small setback pushed his recovery time. It wasn't enough to deter his efforts going forward and with each passing session the therapist marveled at the progress he continued to make. The guys noticed that Stella was surprisingly supportive. Maybe she learned her lesson, and finally figured out what it took to love a SEAL. Only time would tell.

Brock had the most difficult hill to climb. For the first few weeks he had to use a walker to get around since the damage done to his right side caused prolonged numbness in his right leg. Old man jokes aside, it was literally the only way he could get from one room to another. His toughest challenge was getting off the multitude of pills he was prescribed, as he worried he would become an addict. With the help of his brothers and his sister, and even Cerberus in his own canine way, he did it. Therapy helped him work his way from a walker to a cane, and eventually, he only had a slight limp. By the time he was walking Cerberus (who was elated to have his partner back), the limp was gone and he felt like himself for the first time in ages.

As Mandy and the CIA later discovered, Grizo was in bed with the pirates. The intel Jason grabbed from the ship was a treasure trove of intel, no pun intended. It likely held more than the simple drive Bravo was originally sent after. From a map of where stations were located to the names of potential targets and investors, is was more than what the CIA needed to take Grizo down. Mandy knew there was nothing she could say or do to show the team how grateful she was. Still, she would find a way to let them know somehow.

Nearly four months had passed since the GOPLAT incident, but Bravo Team was whole once more. They walked into the briefing room, talking about anything from the latest hockey game to how to make the perfect rack of ribs. Once they were all seated around the table, Blackburn clears his throat and gets things going.

He looks at each man, from Jason to Clay, and a feeling of pride raises in his chest. He knows what this team went through, what they overcame to get back to this point. And Eric was so damn proud to be their commander, even if they were the cause of him balding so damn early.

"As some of you may have heard, Bravo has been tasked with going after Grizo." there was a resounding cheer as the team clapped their hands or banged their fists on the table. This was big. No one would say the words, but it was a revenge mission through and through. "We only have a small window of opportunity to grab him, so we need to be on top of everything. Ellis?"

Mandy starts going over a slide of pictures as she explains the intel the CIA had been going over the last four months. There was a lot of information there, but the guys were ready and itching to get back into the field as a team.

Jason watches his men closely. Ray is giving input when asked. Sonny comments on how there is no water this go around, but before he can celebrate, Trent mentions the various species of spiders they'll have to watch out for. Brock and Clay are laughing, share a fist bump after making a bet as to how long it will take for the Texan to walk into a web.

Everything, no matter how crazy it seemed, was back to the way it should be.

"Hayes?"

Jason looks up as Eric calls his name. "Yeah?"

"You got anything to add?"

He looks at his team and smiles. "We're back, baby."

FIN

AN: And another story is in the books. A big thank you to all who have followed this wild ride. The support of this fandom is amazing and I love sharing my stories with you all.

I have about a month of freedom left before I go back to university, so I'll see how many more fics I can throw your way during that time. I have a lot of WIPs to go through, so if you aren't already keep an eye on my Brothers Collection since I'll post more one-shots there as I (hopefully) finish them. Or who knows, maybe I'll whip another multi-chapter story out of thin air. *shrug*

Thanks again! XxX