Wash looked down. "Honestly Carolina? No, I've never been ok and I'm pretty far from it right now, and I'm not doing well about holding it together. There is just so much shit going on and the day isn't even done yet."
She was stunned. Wash had never been so blunt with her or so open about how he felt, she had never heard him so helpless. It was time, she repaid him for helping her on Illinois' island. Gripping his leg tighter, she nodded to the other side of the ship, "Look at them David, Caboose found us on his own and he's happy with a new AI friend. Tucker is alive and well and took my hit pretty damn well. He survived threatening freelancer headquarters and we are all together! The only people we are missing are the reds and it's just a matter of time until they find us and you know it."
Wash relaxed, letting his head rest against the wall of the pelican. He sighed, letting out a slight chuckle, "I never thought hard-ass Carolina would comforting me." Before she could take her hand off his leg to hit him for his comment, he slips his hand on top of hers, holding on to her with the same amount of force she was holding his leg. "Thank you, Carolina," he laughed again, "I seem to be saying that a lot today." She wasn't really holding out well herself, she was just doing what needed to be done. When she was done, then she would deal with everything that was going on inside of her head. "You know you can talk to me too right, Carolina?" It's like he knew she was jumping down her own rabbit hole, that's how they could tell when the other was in trouble they knew how it felt. "Thank you, that really means a lot."
York had been watching them the whole time while talking with Tucker. When he saw them hold hand he couldn't hold it back anymore, "Damn, that was fast." Tucker looked at him confused because it had nothing to do with the pilot chick he was telling York about. He followed his gaze to Carolina and Wash, "Oh, bout damn time. I can collect my money when the reds show up now. Score!" North looked at him funny, "Money?" Tucker cocked his headn "Oh yea, we all have a long-term bet on when and how Wash and Carolina are gonna admit they have feelings for each other or hook up. It had to be both because some of us didn't think they were capable of an actual relationship. I said it would take one of them having a near death experience. Sarge surprisingly gave a really long complicated, kinda sweet romantic gesture that Wash would do ending of course in a 21-shotgun salute. Donut said Wash would write something lyrical and sweep her off her feet. Caboose says Carolina will buy Wash a cat."
"He's always wanted one."
"Shut up Caboose!"
"I'm just saying it makes perfect sense."
"Griff thinks we'll just figure out they've been having sex just cause they got bored. Simmons freaked out and never made a bet because he couldn't handle the pressure. Then Lopez put $5,000 on...let me find it here he wrote it down for me. He only speaks Spanish so I had him write it down. The only reason I let him in the bet is because he had that much money." Tucker pull out a piece of paper, "Ah here we go...anyone know Spanish?"
York sighed raising his hand and taking the piece of paper from Tucker. While he still wasn't happy seeing Carolina with someone else especially the rookie, the fact that all of their friends had placed bets not on if but how and when they would get together it made him feel slightly more at ease for some reason. Maybe that something obvious had to be there for them to notice and be confident about to make such bets? Who knows, his job wasn't to psychoanalyze himself. He turned his attention to the piece of paper, the only reason he learned Spanish so well is to pick up chicks. He read the letter, "Knowing our fucking luck we will somehow be sent back in time. Either right before or right after one of them will be hurt causing them to worry about losing the other. Knowing this even when seeing old loves they will still cling to each other and hopefully with the blessing of the old loves they will be allowed begin their relationship. You make me hate my life. This is the obvious answer. Give me your money. Idiots." York just looked at Tucker dumbfounded and asked, "Who is this?"
"Oh that's the red's stupid Spanish speaking robot Lopez that can apparently see the future. Damn it...We lost Caboose, even with all our meddling"
"Aww we lost?" North just looked at them confused, "Meddling? You guys tried to hook them up?"
"No, no, no. That wasn't the question it was the how that was the question. Like Caboose kept showing Carolina cute pictures of kittens for sale, Donut tried to teach Wash calligraphy, which was hilarious by the way, meddling like that." York looked back at the note Lopez wrote and shook his head, a freaking Spanish robot made him feel better. He put the note in his armor before Tucker could grab it, "What the hell man!" Tucker screamed. York just shrugged, "I'm gonna make sure my little Spanish friend gets his money."
"Aw you suck monkey dick York, big fat monkey dick." York just laughed these guys didn't seem half bad.
They felt the pelican land and 479nr walked to the back, "Well we're here...in the middle of a box canyon." Caboose just jumped up and ran out the opened door, "Yay we're home! Where are our bases?" Wash sighed, letting go of Carolina's hand, gently patting it as he got up to go help explain things to Caboose. She couldn't help but laugh, baby sitting them was basically their job but those guys were something else in a fight though. She thought back to the fight on Earth, Wash had missed it but they were actually amazing, she had to remember to tell him about that later.