Almost coming to a close and full of pain as a result :D

Thanks for the feedback to powerfulpomegranate, tuckalinas, agentfrisk, lieutenant-charles-palomo, i-stole-orions-heart, thetyeee, staininspace, Yin, and Beawolfs_Pen on AO3 and tumblr!

Caboose Alone
Chapter Ten: Best Intentions

There were many things Carolina expected when she opened her barack door, and Kimball had not been one of them.

"Hello, Agent Carolina," Kimball said almost softly.

"I already told you I'm not going," Carolina said stiffly back. When the general didn't budge, Carolina crossed her arms and stood her ground. "None of us are going. We don't need to be a part of this."

"That's not what Doctor Grey is telling us," Kimball said.

"It's honoring the people who need to be honored," Carolina snapped. "The people that were on that ship."

Kimball's stare was expectant and tired. Like a woman twice Kimball's age. "Hewas on that ship,too," she said, as if every time Carolina and Washington looked at Caboose they didn't think the exact same thing. "It's been six months. Someone has to let him put these things to rest."

Gritting her teeth, Carolina hissed, "Goodbye, General."

"Carolina," Kimball responded simply before turning and walking off on her own.

Biting down on as much of her fury as she possibly could, Carolina slammed her door without completely taking it off its hinges.

Absolutely enraged, Carolina stormed to the other side of her room and turned over an end table on her way to the window. She glared out into the makeshift capital, not even tempted to turn her gaze the way of the memorial.

She had almost been expecting it when she heard the door open again behind her.

Grabbing the first throwable object around, Carolina pivoted and readied to throw. "I swear to–"

Her remaining words caught in her throat as she saw Wash on the other end of the room with his hands up defensively. He waved his fingers slightly. "It's me."

She didn't apologize but she did lower the lamp and nod to Wash. He lowered his hands.

"They want Caboose at the ceremony," she informed Wash, like he hadn't probably heard from the hall.

He nodded. "Then I'll ask him," Wash said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Should we put that on him, though?" Carolina asked. "He's just been getting better recently."

"That's why," Wash replied. "Because he's getting better. Because he doesn't need us for every breath anymore. We have to help that continue."

Carolina narrowed her eyes. "You sound like a shrink."

Washington rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he said sarcastically.

Keeping her head high, Carolina finally relaxed. "Okay," she agreed. "You want to ask him?"

"I wouldn't mind," Wash replied before standing still and looking at Carolina expectantly.

Carolina furrowed her brows in response. "What?" she asked.

"Generally to tell people something, I need to know where they are," he said.

"You don't know where Caboose is!?" she demanded.

Immediately tensed, Wash straightened up."No. I thought he was with you."

"I haven't seen Caboose all day. Why would you think he was with me!?"

"Because that's what he told me!" Wash yelled back. "Are you telling me neither of us know where he is!?"

On cue, there was a loud rumble of feet stomping down the hall in a mad dash. Carolina and Wash both turned to face the door as it grew louder on the way towards them.

Soon enough, the sound was joined by a chorus of "Running running running running!"

Caboose passed the door, splinted arm flailing against his chest in its sling as he stormed by.

"There he is," Carolina said, tracking him for as long as they could watch him.

Wash gave her a look before rushing to the hall. "Caboose! Stop!" he yelled as he went after the lumbering soldier. "Doctor Grey was very specific about not moving your arm for another week! Caboose!"

Ordinarily on her own time, Carolina would have let Washington tackle this one on his own. However, ordinarily, Kimball would not have put her on edge nor would Wash have even given second thought to putting any of them up to exhaustive ceremonies for bad reminders of everything they had lost.

And even beyond all of that, there was a sinking feeling she simply could not shake that something was wrong.

So, her feet carried her without any further thought or suggestion. And they were carrying her fast.

It didn't take long before she was completely on the other side of the barracks, by the armory, and closing in on the sounds of a room being torn apart.

She slowed to a stop by Washington's side in the doorway. He had his hands on his hips and a stern, but confused, look on his face as he watched armor and equipment get tossed about.

"Tell me what you're looking for, Caboose, and I'll do my best to get it," Wash pleaded,

They both ducked as a toolbox flew over their heads.

Carolina looked to Washington. "Why aren't you stopping him?" she asked pointedly.

Wash gave her an exhausted, tired look she had not seen in a few weeks before he nodded to Caboose. "Does he look like he's very stoppable today?" Wash asked. "He's… in one of his moods."

A part of Carolina almost dared to ask what Wash meant by the statement, but she looked at Caboose and saw the raw determination on the former simulation trooper's face for herself.

That, coupled with what they knew about Caboose's strength meant he wasn't going anywhere by usual means of restraint.

Which meant Carolina needed to try something different.

Reluctantly, Carolina made her way to Caboose's side, making a point to not look back at Wash's reaction as she did so. She stood close, arms crossed as she looked behind him.

"Caboose," she said softly.

His head shot up and he turned to look at her, face in a wide grin. "Agent Carolina!" he bellowed. "Oh, it's good to see you! You won't mind at all! Not like Agent Washington." Caboose leaned back toward Carolina and whispered in a voice that was hardly quieter than his usual tone, "Agent Washington minds too much. I think that's why he gets so cranky. He has so many minds, at least one of them is bound to have a headache."

Blinking in complete confusion, Carolina shook her head. "Mind? What are we minding, Caboose?"

"I'm curious what Carolina doesn't mind and I do, too, Caboose," Wash said more guardedly as he stepped up. His arms were crossed heavily against his chest.

Carolina shared a tense look with Wash as Caboose rummaged one last time, coming up with–

Her heart plummeted. Carolina felt her entire body freeze up, go rigid.

It took everything in her to not turn on her heels and book it as she looked at Caboose and the domed helmet in his hands.

The Meta's helmet – even if it wasn't the authentic of the past, even if the cracks and dents still existed in a reality where someone's very real head was battered an beaten inside it as opposed to her thoughts and dreams where it was whole and complete – was looking at her with all the ferocity and hatred she felt right back for it.

She turned and stepped back, had to get away from it. The anger that flared up so quickly was making her dizzy.

Washington stepped in, the tightness in his voice doing nothing to hide his feelings for the moment.

"Caboose, this is not a toy, this isn't… it's not something we should play with orthat Carolina and I want to see," he explained, frustration seeping in. "We're not… That helmet…"

Someone died in that helmet is what's not immediately said.

Tucker died in that helmet is what every inch of Wash's shaking body is saying without words.

But Caboose is typically immune to the subtleties and instead grinning still at Carolina in a way that makes her want to react even more poorly than usual. He is so sure that she is going to support whatever maddening logic he is carrying through here, and it was beginning to be apparent even to Wash that there was something more to that feeling than Caboose's simple perspective.

Her former Freelancer teammate began looking between Carolina and Caboose, his eyes narrowing.

"It's for our little friends," Caboose explained. "Delta, Theta, and the others. And Sigma! He's the one that says that they can all fit together like a puzzle and that'll make them Church again! Duh. I thought you would know that."

Immediately, Carolina's mouth went dry.

"Oh… god," she whispered under a breath she didn't take.

By the time she looked to Washington, he was already pale, and already righteously furious.

"Caboose!" he managed to sputter out. "You can't… No. Absolutely not.Absolutely fucking not. You listen to me, you…" He shook his head violently before moving forward, grabbing Caboose's shoulders forcefully and slightly shaking them. "Caboose! Don't you remember the Meta? Don't you remember what happened to him? Didn't you see the way being the Meta killed him slowly bit by bit!? Didn't you see he was no longer a person?"

Indignant, Caboose scoffed back. "I don't see what that has to do with mine and Agent Carolina's friends, Agent Washington–"

Turning on his heels, Wash looked at Carolina like she was carrying the plague. His eyes were burning at her.

"You," he said bitterly.

"Wash, let me explain–" she began only for him to hold up his hand and stop her.

"Delete them," he demanded. "Delete them right the fuck now. I knew it was a mistake to have them around. I knew it was a mistake to pretend you gave a damn about taking care of Caboose all this time. I just… I thought better of you. I won't make that mistake again."

Not since she was a child had Carolina felt words so cutting and so demoralizing. Her mouth opened slightly but she couldn't even think to form a response.

In that moment, in Wash's eyes, Carolina could see he hated her.

"I will not let Caboose get hurt by your need for revenge," he snapped finally.

"You just don't want me to have friends besides you!" Caboose yelled, surprising them both and bringing theirs sights back to him.

Caboose was actually shaking with anger himself.

"You're not my only best friend, Washington!" Caboose growled. "All my friends are dead, all I want is some more!"

Looking lost, Wash tried to reach for Caboose again. "Wait, Caboose, just listen to me–" he tried only for Caboose to tear away from him and race out of the room.

Washington glared at Carolina before bolting himself.

She stood still, feeling like she had just been gutted.