Chapter 20: Hartford, Connecticut - February 2015

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Teyler leaned against the wall of the hospital that was their home for the night, the remainder of the team two floors above, preparing for the distribution that would be made in the morning. His current spot guarding the front entrance would be almost peaceful if it wasn't for the foul order emanating from the cafeteria. But at least the position allowed him to remain out of earshot from Danny. His team leader had taken one look at their passenger before assigning Cruz both corpse disposal and overnight watch.

After reaming both Teylor and Rick out for letting Caroline come along.

Not that Teylor was surprised by Green's anger. He had broken an unspoken understanding by dating Danny's sister, and Danny was rightfully pissed about it. Still, that wasn't what Teylor found himself brooding about as he stood there in the dark. He knew Danny well enough to guess that, at the end of the day, the guy would come around. Caro, on the other hand, was much less predictable. And her refusal to speak to him for the entire trip from Norwalk to Hartford was not a good sign.

Obviously something was wrong, but whether her reticence was due to Miller's presence or because she was too angry to speak or some other reason completely, Teylor had no idea. What he did know was that a quiet Caro was not a good thing. Of all the moods that he had seen her in over the past few years, passive was not on the list.

And yet...did he even know Caroline Green anymore? He would never have predicted her actions back in Cornwall, the events of the past few months clearly changing her in ways that he could only guess.

Had he found Caroline alive, only to learn that the woman he loved was gone? Just another casualty of the pandemic that destroyed everything in its path?

Still, Teylor had seen a spark of the old Caro when she flat-out refused Commander Garnett's direction that she travel to New London with the rest of the Cornwall survivors. Her request that Teylor and Rick bring her north to meet up with the team, and her brother, was less a question than a demand, followed as it was by the casual observation that she was going with or without them. In that moment, Teylor recognized the woman before him. Her spunk, her boldness, her absolute certainty that she was doing the right thing, all so familiar. As usual, Caro was a conundrum, tying him up in knots without lifting a finger.

A creak on the stairs alerted him to someone's approach.

"I was with someone else."

As an opening line, it certainly caught his attention, Teylor's world shifting as he took in the five simple words. He glanced to his left, watching as Caroline slowly approached, her green jacket wrapped around her shoulders, her arms folded across her chest.

Of all the possibilities he had considered, Caro moving on with another man wasn't one of them. Although, that certainly explained her reticence earlier. Given his earlier indiscretion, he should probably be thankful that she was letting him down privately, rather than dumping him in front of his entire team. Ignoring the desire to punch a wall, Teylor reminded himself that he had gotten what he wanted.

She was alive.

That would be enough.

It would have to be.

"Should I be expecting a wedding invitation?"

For a moment Caro appeared puzzled. Then a look of pure disgust crossed her face. "God no. If I ever see him again I plan to put a bullet between his eyes."

For most women that would have been a meaningless threat. But with Caro, Teylor gave it fifty-fifty. He raised an eyebrow. "Trouble in paradise?"

Caroline's voice was flat. "He was one of them. The Massachusetts alliance."

The Massachusetts Alliance. Local warlords, not the first they encountered on this trip, and probably not the last. Then something that Danny said earlier came to mind. Teylor narrowed his eyes. "Do I know him?"

"Maybe," Caro replied, staring into the darkness rather than looking at him. "Danny's friend Tom. He came to visit a few times."

Tom. One of Green's oldest friends. A man that Danny, and therefore Caroline, had known from infancy. A natural person for her to turn to in a crisis, but one who betrayed both his friends. No wonder Caroline seemed so different, so broken. She had been deceived in the most horrible manner by someone she trusted implicitly.

Teylor felt a sting of jealousy. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Caro shrugged, turning towards the entrance, head tilted upwards as though she was watching the stars. "So, did you?"

"Did I what?"

Idly Teylor wondered if Danny knew were Caroline was. Most likely. The guy might be pissed at his sister, but he also wasn't going to let her wander off by herself in the middle of the night. Which meant they could be interrupted at any time.

"Sleep with somebody else."

Teylor snorted. "Not exactly a lot of available women running around the Arctic."

"My brother managed to find a wife," Caro pointed out, drawing a laugh from Teylor. "And I am certain that there were plenty of grateful women in St. Louis."

"There were," Teylor teased, drawing out the moment. "But to answer your question, no, I didn't."

"Why?"

Only Caro. Only Caro would ask. Any other woman would be overjoyed to find out that her boyfriend - or ex-boyfriend, whatever he was now - stayed faithful despite the circumstances. After all, what was the point in denying yourself when there was an eighty percent chance that the woman in question was dead? St. Louis might not have been Vegas, but the same rules applied. What happened in St. Louis stayed in St. Louis.

Teylor considered lying, but what was the point? He laid out all his cards when he kissed her on that road. There was no backtracking now. "Because none of them were you."

Silence fell, and Teylor waited, for a moment feeling like he was back in Norfolk, Caro's mantra playing through his head. We don't have that kind of relationship. Then Caro hiccupped, the sound followed by a gasp, and Teylor realized that she was crying. He stepped towards her, laying a hand on her sleeve. "Hey. You okay?"

Turning, Caro stared at him, her tear-streaked face barely visible in the moonlight. And for a moment Teylor expected her to inform him, in her pointed way, what an absolutely idiotic question that was. Of course she wasn't okay. Then, without warning, Caro threw herself at Teylor, burying her head in his chest, her tears turning to sobs as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

Five minutes passed, then ten, and Teylor saw Burk peaking around the corner of the staircase, no doubt sent by Green to locate his sister. Teylor shook his head slightly, careful not to dislodge Caroline, and Carlton backed away as quietly as he came. That should earn them a few more minutes, assuming Danny didn't decide that Teylor was responsible for Caro's mood and come barging in.

Thankfully, nobody else appeared and the storm passed as quickly as it started. Caro eased away, although she kept her hands on Teylor's chest. She smiled up at him crookedly, her eyes red and swollen. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."