Another random idea I got from Tucker complaining about training. This is placed in earlier season 11 (kinda). Enjoy

Tucker groaned and winced as he sat up in bed. His entire body hurt from yesterday's training and he really wished Wash would stop pushing him so much, his body just couldn't take all the strain. He reached a hand back and rubbed his neck with a slight wince from the screaming protest his muscles gave him. He sighed and gently rolled his neck around, wincing with every single pop that sounded quietly. He heard a shifting behind him and he sighed, Caboose was waking up and that meant whatever moment of peace he had was now gone. He hung his head and winced with a loud grunt as he raised his head again in pain.

"Tucker? You ok?" Tucker response was to merely shake his head, wincing from the protest of his muscles. "Sore?" Tucker nodded and rolled his neck again, grunted as a loud pop sounded and he knew for a fact that Caboose heard that.

"Ow," he mumbled and sighed. He closed his eyes and took in how much his entire body ached, he felt like he was falling apart and man was it painful. It felt like that time those bullies beat him up in high school because he flirted with the popular girl. Yeah, that was fun. Tucker snickered but stopped and winced as his body protested to the shaking of his shoulders. Tucker's eyes shot open and he jumped as he felt someone sit on the bed behind him. "Hey, what are you-ow! Watch it!" Tucker glared over his shoulder at Caboose as he tossed Tucker's hand over his shoulder. Caboose gave him the glare of a five year old and gently turned his head back around.

"Hold still!" Caboose snapped. Tucker blinked in surprise at the tone, Caboose tone was never harsh or snappy so it made Tucker sit there simply because he was surprised at this. He tensed as Caboose started to rub his back. Tucker winced. "Relax, stupid. If your tense it wont help." It took awhile but Tucker somehow managed to relax as Caboose rubbed his back and neck, loosening his muscles and taking away most of the pain. When he bent his head forward and gave a firm twist, a pain shot through Tucker's body and he jerked.

"OW! Damnit, what the hell was-" Tucker stopped mid-sentence and rolled his neck around, hearing no popping sound and without feeling any pain. "Huh, cool." He glared at Caboose. "But don't ever do it again." Caboose chuckled and nodded, turning Tucker's head back around and rubbing his back some more. "How are you so good at this, man? I mean, seriously, you are really fucking good at it." Caboose shrugged.

"My mom taught me," he answered. Tucker nodded and grunted as Caboose put on some more pressure to his shoulder blades. "I learned a lot of stuff from my mom. And of course my sixteen sisters."

"Sixteen, sisters?" Tucker asked slowly, unsure of what he just heard. After getting a nod and a 'mhm' from Caboose, Tucker snickered. "Did you have any brothers?"

"Nope," Caboose responded.

"You poor soul," Tucker said, shaking his head with a smirk. "Lucky though, probably better at talking to girls than any other guy. Hey, think I could sleep with one of 'em? OOF!" Tucker grunted as a pillow hit him directly on top of his head. He turned to see Caboose glaring at him. "Is that a no? Oof! Hey! Quit it!" Tucker grabbed his own pillow and wacked Caboose straight to the face, making him fall backwards onto the ground. "Ahahahaha! Sucker! AH!" Tucker yelled in surprised as Caboose shoved him and he fell onto the ground as well. "Geez, protective, huh? Probably not a good idea, though I might still try if I met one. OW!" Tucker winced as a pillow hit him right in the face.

"Asshole!" Caboose shouted. Tucker blinked as the word came from Caboose's mouth and he watched as the younger soldier stormed out of the room. Caboose hadn't sworn since he met him, so this wasn't normal. Had he said something wrong? Tucker sighed and got to his feet, putting the pillows back before going to find Caboose. When he did finally find him, Caboose was sitting on top of the base. Once he got up there Tucker walked over to him, stopping as he heard him sniffle. Oh great, he made him cry. Way to go Tucker, way to fucking go.

"Hey, you ok?" Tucker asked as he sat down beside him. Caboose glared and scootched away from Tucker. "Dude, I was just kidding, I'm not gonna try and sleep with one of your sisters." Caboose looked away.

"Not like you could anyway, unless you're attracted to the dead," Caboose muttered. Tucker winced. Shit, he had basically insulted his dead sisters. Brilliant Tucker, brilliant! He sighed and looked at the ground, kicking his feet lightly back and forth.

"Dude, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't know, I swear. I never would have brought it up otherwise." Caboose grunted and looked away. "I betchya miss 'em." Caboose nodded and sniffled. "If, uh-if it means anything, I know what it's like. I lost my dad when I was really little. I didn't know him, so I suppose it's not really-Caboose?" Tucker frowned as the rookie started to cry. Tucker scootched over to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Hey now, come on. Chin up, it's ok." Caboose shook his head.

"No it's not," he said in a squeaky voice. He rubbed his eyes and sniffled. "I know-I know that lots of other people lost their families too, and I'm not the only one from Reach and-"

"Whoa whoa, hold up, Reach? You're from Reach?" Tucker said, surprised at this news. Caboose nodded. Tucker winced as this and hugged Caboose close, letting him cry on his shoulder. "Caboose, I am so, so sorry. That is fucked up man, you never deserved that." Tucker found himself pitying Caboose more than anything. Caboose was a sweet kid and even though he claimed he hated Tucker all the time he wouldn't let Tucker die if he had a chance to stop it. Tucker sighed and rubbed Caboose's back a bit with his hand.

"Tucker?" Caboose said through a sob.

"Yeah, buddy?" Caboose wriggled in his grasp and Tucker loosened his grasp so Caboose could back up a bit and wrap his arms around Tucker tightly, catching the soldier off guard.

"I love you." If it had been anyone else that sentence would have creeped him out, but it wasn't anyone else it was Caboose and that made a huge difference. Tucker hugged him back and ruffled his hair up with a chuckle.

"Love ya to, lil' buddy." Caboose grumbled and swatted away Tucker's hand that ruffled his hair up. The two stood and went back inside the base, getting some breakfast while Tucker cursed the training that lay ahead of him. Though he rejoiced when Wash told him he could rest for the day and train tomorrow. Tucker and Caboose spent the day throwing rocks at Simmons and Grif and getting them to argue with each other for hours. Though once the two Reds spotted them they found rocks being tossed at them like crazy as they ran away yelling back at them in anger.

AΩ

When the sun finally set Tucker lay on his bunk fast asleep. But he was awoken by a soft whimpering beside him. He blinked and sat up, looking over to see Caboose gripping his blankets tightly and shaking in a cold sweat. He flipped his head over to see Wash asleep without any idea of what was happening. Tucker looked back at Caboose as he mumbled and whimpered in fear. He tossed the blanket aside an walked over, shaking Caboose gently.

"Caboose, wake up," he whispered. The sleeping figure stayed asleep and Caboose shoved his face into his pillow. Tucker sighed and shook him again, a little harder. "Come no, Caboose. Wake up." No response. Tucker gave him a firm shake and whispered in a slightly harsh voice, "Caboose!" Caboose's eyes shot open and he sat up, gasping for breath as if he had resurfaced from underwater. "Caboose, are you ok?" Caboose shook his head with gritted teeth and Tucker glanced over at Wash, who was still asleep. "Come on." He picked up the younger man and carried him out of the base, sitting him down on the grass. Once there Caboose gripped onto Tucker and sobbed.

"It was awful!" he mumbled against Tucker's shoulder. "The Meta was here, and he killed everybody, and he was after you and me, and-and..." Tucker patted his back as Caboose cried. "It was so scary, he stabbed you with his knife, and you told me to run, and I ran...and-and, he was gonna kill me!"

"Shh, hey, it was just a bad dream," Tucker assured him. He held Caboose out with his hands on his shoulders. "The Meta isn't here, everyone's perfectly fine, and see?" He gestured to his chest. "No knife hole or anything anywhere. Everything's fine, it was just a dream." Caboose nodded and whipped his eyes. He halted his movements and stared at Tucker with wide eyes. "What?"

"Where's Washington? The Meta killed him first, is he ok?" Tucker opened his mouth to speak but another voice came first.

"Is who ok? And what are you two doing out here?" Wash asked with a yawn. Caboose looked up at him.

"Washington!" he shouted as he ran up and hugged him. Wash blinked and looked up at Tucker for answers.

"Nightmare," he answered. Wash nodded and looked down at the crying Caboose. Tucker sighed and walked over. "It was about the Meta attacking." Wash nodded again. Tucker looked down at Caboose as he sobbed as he thought about the nightmare. What if the Meta was alive and he did come here? What if someone else came and tried to kill them? "Hey, Wash."

"Yeah, Tucker?"

"Thanks." Wash blinked, confused.

"For what?" Tucker sighed.

"For everything. Ya know, just being here I suppose. Training me no matter how irritating I can be. I guess, it really does have a purpose. And I just-thanks." Caboose looked up at Tucker, who gave him a small smile. "And you too lil' buddy, for sticking around with us assholes." Caboose smiled and hugged Tucker tightly. He let go and looked at Tucker and Wash expectantly. "No. Hell no, I'm thankful, but I'm not hugging him." Caboose pouted.

"Sorry, Caboose. But I'm with Tucker on this one," Wash agreed. Caboose sighed and looked down, giving his best sad glance upward at them. "I swear to God he practices that." Tucker nodded in agreement. "But the answer is still no." Caboose didn't let up, even whimpering a little. Both groaned and looked at each other. Tucker sighed.

"Fine. Just, get it over with," Tucker mumbled. He tensed as Wash hugged him, surprised by how much taller Wash actually was compared to him as his head just reached his chest. Tucker wrapped his arms around him softly, gripping a little tighter after a moment. Despite how often he made cracks about woman and all the stuff he did, Tucker had never actually been hugged before. Not like this at least. He had hugged Caboose before, obviously, but this was more fatherly and wasn't something Tucker had actually experienced, having never known his father.

"Uh, Tucker, you ok?" Tucker blinked and realized he had been hugging Wash for quite awhile now. He cleared his throat and backed up.

"Yeah, fine. Just got lost in thought there for a minute," he said, clearing his throat again. After a moment of awkward silence Tucker shivered and rubbed his arms. "Ok, is anyone else cold?" Caboose nodded.

"Come on, let's go," Wash motioned for them to follow as he headed inside. They did so and followed him all the way back upstairs. Caboose hiccuped and both turned to look at him. He blinked with a funny smile and looked up at them.

"I'll be back," he said, turned, and walked back downstairs. Wash chuckled and turned his head as Tucker sat back down on his bunk, rubbing his face.

"Hey," Wash said, sitting on his own bunk across from him. "You sure you're ok?" Tucker looked up at Wash and smiled with a soft nod. "You sure? You protested against it, then hugged me for about two minutes." Tucker looked away and grumbled. "Come on, tough guy. Talk to me." Tucker rolled his eyes and glared at Wash. He sighed.

"I-uh, I never actually knew my dad." Tucker looked away slowly, not wanting to see what Wash's expression was as he continued. "And, well, I've never actually been hugged like that before. I guess I just-I don't know...I guess that...for the first time, in a long time...I actually felt, safe." Tucker had never felt so retarded and emotionally exposed before, he didn't like it. He made a note to avoid stuff like this as much as possible. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he was pulled into another embrace with arms around his shoulders.

"Lavernius, you are always safe," Wash told him. Tucker smiled softly and hugged Wash back, gripping tightly. Tucker could have sworn he felt Wash kiss him on top of his head but he could never be completely sure as Wash let him go and he sat back down. They looked over as Caboose trotted back up the ramp and into the room. "Ready for bed there champ?" Caboose nodded and walked over to bed, getting under the covers. Wash stood up and walked over, patting Caboose on the head. "Remember, the Meta isn't gonna getchya, ok? Tucker and I will make sure of that."

"Yeah, with how Wash is training me, I'll be able to kick his ass," Tucker said as he lay down and pulled the blanket over him. Wash chuckled and walked over to his own bunk. There was a long moment of silence as they three slept. Happy with the events. But then-

"You might be to sour to do it though," Caboose said. Tucker blinked in confusion and there was a pause. "I meant sore." Tucker and Wash burst into laughter as Caboose corrected himself. "What?"

"Nothing Caboose," Wash said, chuckling. "Go to sleep.

"Ok!" Caboose said cheerily and rolled over to go back to sleep. Wash and Tucker looked at each other and smiled with soft snickers before going to sleep themselves. Wash thought he could never have a home again, that he was lost without a family forever. But then he met the Reds and Blues, and that idea was shattered to pieces as he found a new family. And he found that home was wherever they were, even if it was in the middle of nowhere in a box canyon after a spaceship crash.

Some things just don't change.

And that's a wrap! Yeah. It's midnight. I'm going to bed now. But I had to get this out of my head or else I never would have been able to sleep. Ya know how it is. ^-^ Anyway,

thanks for reading, please review, and have a bow chicka bow wow day

Petchricor, QotG, signing off ;)