Hey. This is probs gonna be a tearful mess (for you and me) so just hold on. You'll probably be okay. Sorry if this sounds like that one scene in the Deathly Hallows (you'll know which one) but I actually just realized about halfway through writing this that it sounds similar. Bear with me.
Characters: Wash, Freelancers, Carolina
Summary: Wash gets a chance to say goodbye.
Setting: Some time during Season 13, I think? Idk
Disclaimer: Yeah, no.
Wash tossed and turned in his sleep. York, Connie, North, South, Maine, Wyoming... the words echoed in his head on a reel, never ending. He could see the way the died in his head, their last breaths dedicated to telling him just how terrible he was. Each one died over and over, with him having no way to save them, telling him over and over how they hated him and that it was him that should be dead.
York was getting shot by Wyoming. Delta popped and and said to Wash, "You have failed to save Agent New York. There was a 75% chance of you being able to save him." York's voice came over the radio, spiteful and bitter.
"You really are the worst fighter on the team. It's your fault that I'm going to die. I hate you, Wash." Wash cried out, trying to convince York that he tried to save him and not to go, but York died with his statement still standing.
North always looked more disappointed than anything. "You didn't stop the Meta. You teamed up with the thing that killed me. You killed my sister. You failed. I'll never forgive you." And he shook his head before the Meta snuck up behind him and stabbed him. Wash screamed.
South had her eyes narrowed and was laughing, her helmet off. "You're too weak. Anybody else would be strong enough to save us, strong enough to forgive me, but you shot me. You're too weak." She spat, her voice like venom. A small drip of blood snuck down her face from her hairline, and she slipped to the ground with a laugh dying on her lips.
Maine would always growl, his words saying things like, "You failed." Wash could hardly stand these. In the end, Maine would turn into Sigma and disappear like an A.I.
Wyoming would just laugh at him and leave.
CT's was the worst. She looked him dead in the eyes every time. "You didn't join me against the Director. You had Epsilon implanted in your brain, and you weren't brave enough to do anything like I did. It's your fault that I'm dead and everyone else will be." Wash cried out, reaching out for her hand, but she always slipped away and left him, sneering. "You could never be good enough to be with me." She always fell to the ground as she walked away, and when Wash always ran to see if she was okay, she was dead with a grim smile on her face.
It replayed, over and over and over and over again, the most painful thing he had ever endured. He fell to his knees, hands clutching his head as he struggled to stop his mind from doing this to him. His hands and his breathing shook in the dream, grappling against dream and reality and bringing him to a scream.
The last thing he saw in the dream was CT's faint smirk.
He shot up in bed, hands shaking and gripping the sides of his head. He couldn't stop shaking, and he bit his lip and let out a small sob. They were dead because of him. He would never, ever see his friends again.
His fault.
The space around his eyes got fuzzy, as if it were being invaded by tiny black spots, and his tunneled vision became grey. He put his hand on the wall for support, still shaking. The moonlight streaming in from the window faded in and out, in and out of focus. He wanted to worry, but he couldn't bring himself to. After a few seconds, his breath faded from him and he slowly swayed and fell back down to his bed, asleep though unwilling.
Everything around him was coated with a white mist, and in the middle was a bright light. He squinted for a moment at the light, before six silhouettes blocked out the light slightly. They got closer and closer until Wash realized who they were.
His friends. His dead Freelancer friends.
They got closer until Wash could see each of them clearly, all of them giving him curious gazes (what he could assume were, at least) through their helmets.
Wash trembled for a moment before breathing, "Guys?"
York's voice, which Wash hadn't heard in so long, replied. "We're here, Wash." Wash bit his lip again.
"You're - you're really here?" Connie nodded. He noticed that she was the only one without a helmet. "This isn't fake?" She gave a soft smile, not at all like the one in his nightmare.
Wash looked around, trying to keep himself from breaking down. "Why am I here?"
North answered this time. "We wanted to say goodbye, bud. And we needed to let you know that everything that has happened to us isn't your fault. And that we don't hate you." Wash let out one bated breath, trembling more. North began again."Keep on going, brother. You can do it." He gave a weak smile
South looked to either side of her, seeing who wanted to step out next, and when everyone moved their heads as if to say, 'Go on,' she stepped forward. She sighed. "Wash. I'm so sorry, for - for shooting you in the back, and being such a bitch, and everything that I've done to you. I realize now. And I forgive you for killing me - I really do, Wash." Wash looked down, trying to keep the tears from flowing. His clenched hands relaxed a bit.
As South came back into the line, Wyoming stepped forward. "I'm sorry, mate. I'm terribly sorry for how everything played out. Good luck." Wash nodded a little, trying to get a hold of himself.
Maine was next. Wash braced himself for the words of his former best friend. Maine, his voice finally back in death, spoke with real words instead of like the growls in Wash's nightmare. "Look, I'm sorry for how Sigma took over me and destroyed everything. I'm sorry for what I've done to you. And you're doing really well, Wash. Keep going." Wash vaguely wondered why everyone else was apologizing to him, when he was the one who should be sorry, but he drank in the last words of his best friends.
This time, York moved forward. Wash took in a deep breath as York spoke. "Keep fighting, little bro. You can do this." Wash nodded. "I wish I could be down there fighting with you, but... I can't, so just stay strong for the both of us. For the two of you. And... tell Carolina that I ... I love her, and goodbye." Wash gave a sad smile for his two friends, lovers estranged in death.
Last was the one he was both dreading and waiting for. Connie. She stepped forward, her helmet in her hand by her side. "Wash." She spoke softly and sweetly, and Wash exhaled softly. "I'm so sorry for how everything ended up. I wish... I wish I could have figured out some way, any way to do it differently." She brought her gaze up to his eyes. "I miss you, Wash."
Wash lost his composure, and ran forward, encasing her in his arms. She sighed quietly, and put her head on his shoulder as he pressed her close to her, taking in her every detail and the feeling of being able to hold her just one more time. He put his head down on hers and they rocked back and forth a little, eyes closed but tears forming.
She pulled away and joined back in the line of his friends, even though he didn't want her to leave. His voice broke a little as he pleaded. "Please don't go." They all fixed him with small, sad gazes and shook their heads slightly - sorry, but no. "But - but what am I supposed to do without you?" They all looked at him kindly.
"We're always with you, David. We're always here." Wash wasn't exactly sure who said it, and why they addressed him with his real name, but he took in another breath before asking the question that was on his mind.
"How do I know that this was real? Is this fake, and was my nightmare real?" Connie looked at the others for a moment before stepping forward.
"Because of this." And she softly pressed her lips to his before the world went black.
Wash woke up abruptly for the second time that night, and drew out a shuddering breath before putting a hand to his lips and slowly sitting up.
His lips were still tingling from her kiss.
He looked around for one second before he saw something (well, things) out of the ordinary.
Every one of his new friends were sitting in his room, in a chair or on the floor or by his bed crying. He looked confused for one second before Carolina, her head rising up with obvious tear tracks on her face and lips trembling, tentatively asked, "Wash?"
The Reds and Blues that were in the room all turned to look at him, the tear tracks on their faces evident as well. Tucker waited a half a second before launching himself onto Wash's neck and screaming, "Wash!" Wash almost collapsed back onto the bed. He did that when Caboose jumped on top of the two and started yelling about something.
Wash moved back for a second and was able to wheeze out a, "What happened?"
Simmons, who had been sitting with his head in his hands answered. "We heard you, uh, screaming, so Carolina came into your room and found you, uh... dead."
Wash, fingers back on his lips, blinked before looking at Carolina and saying slowly, "I saw them." Carolina, and everyone else for that matter, looked at him strangely.
"What?"
He repeated his statement. "I saw them. The Freelancers." A small smile grew on his features before he let out a giddy cry and sat all the way up, Tucker and Caboose tumbling off of him. "I got to talk to them - to say goodbye! North, South, Wyoming, Maine, Connie, York - all of them!" Carolina blinked when he said York, but he bounded out of bed and hugged her, picking her up out of her chair and spinning her around. "I got to see them again!"
She was surprised at Wash but gave out a laugh before instantly imploring, "What did they say?" Ignoring the confused look on the Reds and Blues faces, he instantly launched into his story and told her what each of their friends said, word for word.
He hesitated when he got to York, but a quick look in Carolina's eyes and he continued. "York said to keep fighting, and that he wished that he could be here with us. And he..." he drew in a breath. "He said that he - he loves you, and goodbye." Carolina froze and closed her eyes, taking in a shaking breath. A small tear dripped out of the corner of her eye but she smiled a little.
She looked up at him shyly. "If - If somehow, you ever get to see them again like this - tell him that I love him too." The Reds and Blues all drew back at this statement, confused and absolutely shocked that the mean lady could possibly love somebody, but the two ignored them as Wash continued with what Connie said.
Carolina looked at him skeptically as he finished, and then carefully said, "Not that I don't believe you, but - how do you know it was real?" Wash smiled and whispered the answer in her ear, his lips still tingling from her final goodbye.
