Tonight's episode got me thinking about what could have happened if the fight between Wash and Tucker had gotten any farther. Just a thought as always. Enjoy

"Blue team was just fine before you came along, what are you worried about?" Tucker snapped. Wash was really started to get on his nerves and he wasn't about to take any more of this bullshit. Training, cleaning the base, more training, clean the base some more, deal with Caboose and that stupid pet of his, and then, guess what? More fucking training! It was retarded and he was sick of it!

"It's just a feeling, I can't explain it," Wash told him. Tucker rolled his eyes.

"Really? 'Cause I bet I can, you're a paranoid, x-special ops guy who's used to being betrayed on a weekly basis. Not much of a riddle Wash. Hey, next do you want to figure out the mystery of why Caboose isn't the team treasurer?" Tucker said in a sarcastic tone. He saw Wash clutch his rifle tighter. Oh, so Wash was getting to the end of his patience.

"Oh, so we're going there?" Wash said, a spite in his voice that Tucker had only heard once when Carolina had aimed the pistol at his head a few months ago.

"Oh, i already went there, and I took pictures," Tucker snapped backed.

"Ooh, girl!" Caboose said in the background. Tucker rolled his eyes again, stupid Caboose. Always saying something stupid when they were discussing something seriously.

"Well I can't say I'm surprised, Lavernius," the venom used in his name made Tucker wince. "You just always have to get the last laugh. Mr. Quick Witted and Mr. Sarcastic. If you spent as much time training as you do mouthing off you could beat Freckles at arm wrestling." Tucker glared at Wash.

"Yeah? Well jokes on you because Freckles doesn't have arms, he has guns," Tucker snapped back. Caboose went to say something but Wash was quicker.

"Oh yeah? Well at least he knows how to use them! I bet the only reason your little rat isn't around is because you couldn't teach him how to aim." Tucker blinked, confused.

"Rat? When did I have a-" Tucker stopped mid-sentence as he realized who Wash was talking about. His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in anger. At that moment Simmons started heading towards them but before he said anything Tucker aimed his gun up at Wash. "You take that back you asshole. Take back what you said about Junior!" Simmons stopped and stared, Caboose turned to look at them and backed up a bit.

"I'd say make me but we all know you can't," Wash said, his voice lifeless and cold. Tucker was shaking in rage as he aimed his weapon at Wash, stepping closer. "Like I said, you are weak, you don't know how to fight and you can't defend yourself! That's why all this has happened, if you knew how to fight this never would have come to be and that thing you call a son would still be here!"

"Shut up shut up SHUT UP!" Tucker lowered his gun and in one swift movement punched Wash in the jaw. Wash grabbed his wrist and twisted, getting him to cry out in pain as he did so. The reds landed in their warthog and Sarge started on some stupid speech but his voice caught in his throat as Wash kicked Tucker in the gut. The two fighting were ignorant of the others around them. "You asshole!" Tucker ducked under Wash's next punch and hit him in the gut. He then gave him a firm uppercut to the jaw. "You're no different than the others!" He kicked him back onto the ground. "You're a Freelancer and you'll never be anything else!" Wash looked up at Tucker as he stopped attacking. Tucker was thankful for the helmet covering his face and hiding the tears on his cheeks. "And to think I actually started to look up to you."

Then there was a silence, a thick and very uncomfortable silence. Caboose was now hiding behind Freckles' right leg and peeking out at Wash and Tucker, not quite sure what was going on or what to do. Simmons stood with mouth agape at what he had just seen while Grif and Sarge shared an unsure look at what they had just witnessed. Meanwhile, Tucker and Wash stared at each other.

"Tucker, I-"

"No! Fuck you! You're a heartless asshole Freelancer and you'll never be anything else!" Tucker screamed, then turned and ran. Wash stood up and went to call after him again but his voice died out, because he didn't know what to do. He glanced around to see everyone standing there, staring at him.

"What the fuck just happened?" Grif questioned. Simmons looked over at Grif.

"I think he insulted Junior," Caboose said. Everyone looked back at Wash.

"Not cool man. Not. Cool," Grif said. Simmons nodded in agreement and sat in the passenger seat of the warthog. Wash turned to Caboose, who was still hiding behind his robotic pet. "See ya later, asshole." With that Grif turned the wheel and the warthog sped away.

"Caboose, I-" Wash stopped as Caboose walked into the base without a word, Freckles following loyally behind. Wash closed his mouth and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Somehow, he knew something like this was going to happen. But he didn't see it happening like this. Goddamn it, why did he have to make the comment about Junior? That was a dick move and he knew it! Wash tossed his gun to the ground with a yell and sighed heavily. He might not be able to fix this one.

AΩ

Tucker sat on part of the broken ship, looking out on the canyon. He could see pretty much everyone up here. All the way from blue base to red base, it was a really cool view. He came up here on the few breaks he got and he loved it. He could just sit and watch everything going on and not be bothered. But right now he didn't care about that, all he could think about was the fight he had with Wash. He had meant what he said of course, he really had started to look up to him. Well, that bit of him was crushed now along with whatever hope he had of seeing his son again.

"I'm sorry." Tucker looked over his shoulder to see Wash standing there, everything from his chest up hidden by the shadows. Tucker huffed and looked away, brushing some hair out of his face. "Hey, I know how you feel." Tucker didn't believe him and wanted to say so but for once actually kept his mouth shut. "Really, I do. I have one too, a little girl back home named Amanda. She'd be twelve now." Tucker felt his shoulders relax and he glanced over his shoulder a bit. "She's never met me, and I don't know if I'll ever see her. So, I know what it's like. I'm sorry, I never should have said that."

"Yeah well, you're still an asshole," Tucker said. He smirked a bit. "But you're an all right asshole." Wash shook his head and Tucker looked back away. "I guess I can forgive you, just leave my son out of our arguments from now on, ok?"

"Deal."

"Hey, how'd you find me up here anyway?" Tucker asked. "I thought only I knew about this." Wash snickered.

"I could hear you laughing at Grif and Simmons from inside the base. You aren't very quiet ya know," Wash told him, walking over towards him. Tucker shrugged.

"Eh, I can't deny that. But it's pretty hard not to laugh when all they do is shove each other back and forth and get into slap fights all day." Wash laughed a little at that and sat down. Tucker glanced over as he set his helmet next to his. He swore he felt his heart stop for a moment before he braved a look up at him. Wash looked older then he sounded and had a few scars, the one he really noticed was the one lining his jaw. "Hey, Wash?" Wash grunted and looked over at him. Tucker looked away, kicking his feet back and forth. "What I said back there, I meant it. I really do look up to you. You're...really, cool. For a Freelancer anyway." Wash chuckled and ruffled Tucker's hair in a fatherly way as he stood up.

"You aren't to bad yourself kid, for a simulation trooper." Tucker looked up and watched as Wash left, a smile creeping onto his face. Tucker never knew his dad, the only memory he had was when he left him in the pouring rain and never even looked back. He had done pretty well for a street rat, signing up for the military as soon as he reached legal age just to get off the streets. He really did like Wash, he was pushy but some part of him, no matter how small, liked it that way. Tucker chuckled and turned back to watch Caboose try and train Freckles.

And that's a wrap! I'm working on the next chapter for Monsters Under the Bed as fast as I can guys, so sorry for the long wait! Really, really sorry! Also, working on a Deadpool fanfic. BEcause he's awesome

Deadpool: YUP!
me: Hey! Get out of here! *shoos him back through the fourth wall* heh, sorry about that. He might do that from time to time. Anyway...

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

Petchricor, QotG, signing off ;)