Islay was beautiful. Caroline was blown away by the beauty of her new home, and thrilled that she got to be a part of building the Statesman presence on the island. They were officially a global organization, and she couldn't be happier. She was especially pleased when she looked to the seat beside her and saw Harry. They had been driving for a few hours, leaving the sprawling metropolis of Glasgow behind them and getting closer and closer to their destination with each passing minute. She reached over to take his hand and smiled when he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"We're almost there, love..."

He whispered, and she felt her excitement flutter in her chest. She squeezed his hand, smiling up at him.

"I know. I can't wait, Harry. There's so much I can do here, and it doesn't hurt that I'm closer to you than I ever thought I would be."

He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"That is a perk I also was not expecting."

Suddenly, Caroline's glasses vibrated in her lap. She quickly moved to put them on, smiling when she saw Champ's silhouette in front of her.

"Hey, there darlin'. You ready to get started?"

He asked, and she smiled, shaking her head in assent.

"Yeah, I am. Can't wait to get there and hit the ground running."

She noticed that his face fell a little bit, and she realized the real reason he was calling. She swallowed, squeezing Harry's hand.

"Champ...you don't think he'll come here, do you?"

She rolled her eyes when he chuckled at her.

"If I thought he wouldn't come after you, Vodka would be flying back to Louisville right now. Gin would be back in New York, and Ginger-Ale's cocktails would be staying right where they are. However, they are not. They're coming to you because I think you're in danger, and they will stay until I know you aren't. Do you understand, Caroline?"

She swallowed hard, his stern tone leaving no room for argument. Looking to Harry, she said the only thing her gruff superior wouldn't argue with.

"Yes, sir."

Champ then began drawling on about this and that. She'd be a bald-faced liar if she said she was paying any attention to what he was saying, though. She had been sucked down a rabbit hole of bad memories.

She had just gotten home from a long night of work. Slinging drinks at the local bar was not her ideal job, but she needed to keep at it if she had any hope of paying for medical school. She unlocked the door and was surprised to find that her boyfriend was still awake. He usually didn't wait up for her. She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him from behind, pulling him back into her chest.

"Hey, baby..."

She said, enjoying the familiarity of his body in her arms. His response was not what she expected. Without any notice, he took her by the wrist, spun her around in front of him and slammed her against the wall. She could smell the whiskey he drank that night on his breath, and she mentally prepared herself for whatever came next. He leaned down, essentially nose to nose with her and snarled in her face.

"You really thought I wouldn't find out?"

He said, and she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Colt, I don't know what you're on about. I went to work and came home, just like normal."

He chuckled, the stink of the alcohol on his breath making her choke.

"Oh please...I know you've been flirting with the distillery manager when he shows up at the bar. I ain't stupid."

She almost laughed but realized that that would do absolutely nothing to improve her situation.

"Seriously, Colt? He's sweet on one of my co-workers and every time we've ever spoken, it was to talk about how he could get her to date him. He knows I'm off the market. Hell, everyone within a 45-mile radius of here knows that."

She said, trying to appease him. She wasn't lying, but would it penetrate through the fog of his drunkenness?

She found out almost immediately that the answer was no. Suddenly and without warning, his fist slammed into her ribs, knocking the wind out of her lungs and slamming her even harder against the wall.

"Liar! Smithson saw it with his own eyes!"

She cringed inwardly at the name. Smithson was the bottling manager at the Statesman Distillery and he was the meanest drunk around If Smithson was telling him something and Colt believed it, he was even dumber than she thought. His hits kept raining down until she had no choice but to slide down the wall to protect herself. It didn't stop him from swinging at the wall, however, as she felt pieces of plaster falling into her hair. Abruptly, he stepped back from the wall, almost as if the haze of his drunkenness left him so he could see what he had done.

"Oh no...Caroline..."

He said, leaning down to try and look at her. She was afraid, fight or flight having kicked in a long while ago. It hadn't worn off and when she touched him, she slapped his hand away. The look on his face almost had her believing he regretted his actions.

"Oh, baby girl. I'm so sorry. Please, let me help you."

She shook her head no, trying to stand up and move away from him, but he was so broad that he blocked her only escape route, leaving her no choice but to accept his help. He grabbed her wrist and held on tightly as he brushed the plaster out of her hair.

"I'm a jealous fool, Caroline..."

He whispered as he ran his finger over her bottom lip. He wasn't wrong about that, she thought. Eventually, the tender moment came to an end. Colt looked around the room, seeing the gaping hole in the wall and all the plaster that had hit the floor as a result. Looking to Caroline, his eyes narrowed and he pointed to the broom behind her.

"Clean it up."

He said as he turned away and sauntered into the bedroom. As always, she did what he asked.

She was shaken from her sad memories by the sound of Merlin's eager voice in her ear.

"Agent Scotch, are you there?"

He said, and she chuckled.

"Yes Merlin, I'm here. What can I do for you?"

She asked. She was unique in that she was the only Statesman agent patched into the Kingsman system. Her relationship with the surviving members of the fledgling agency apparently granted her the privilege, and she was glad for it. Ginger-Ale was great, but Merlin was much better. The Scotsman spoke up.

"I've traced the signal for a pair of Kingsman issue glasses belonging to an agent we believed to be dead to the distillery. The signal is labeled Morgana."

She had heard about Morgana. Merlin's second in command and something a little bit more if Eggsy was to be believed.

"Send me her photo and I'll keep an eye out for her. Any aliases I should be aware of? She could be hiding out as an employee."

Merlin chuckled.

"Yes. She has a few. Emily Harrison, Regina Morgan, and Pauline Schriver. If she were to use any, however, I believe she would use Emily in this instance. It's more discreet."

She shook her head in assent.

"Should I read in Agent Galahad on this side mission of yours, Merlin?"

The Scotsman said no.

"I read him in first. He knows to keep an eye out, as do the rest of your contingent."

She smiled, despite her nerves. Merlin was a man who was very good at his job, and that simple fact made her life much easier. They fell into a companionable silence until Vodka's southern drawl announced that they were approaching the distillery.

"You ready to get started Agent Scotch?"

He asked, and she detected more than a little bit of pride in his voice. She smiled, even though she knew he couldn't see it, and looked into the face of the love of her life, who was sitting beside her. Squeezing his hand, she answered the man's question.

"More than, Agent Vodka. Let's get going."

Vodka pulled the car to a stop outside the distillery, got out and opened the door for her. With her best friend in front of her and the love of her life behind her, she was ready to face anything. She looked quite the character in her dark wash jeans, canvas work shirt, and ponytail, but no one who could see them was complaining, so she took it as a good sign.

Nothing would stop her now.


You'd better believe that Merlin is getting some love in this story. More on that to come soon. - KLM