Chapter 21: New London, Connecticut - February 2015

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Teylor stepped into the hotel lobby, his gaze instantly drawn to the petite brunette across the room despite the crowd between them. Caro was speaking with a group of people who Teylor recognized from Cornwall, still wearing the same button down flannel shirt over well-worn jeans that she was wearing yesterday. Since their arrival at Norfolk, Teylor had learned firsthand how fortunate he was to have regular access to running water and sewer, a washer and dryer, and a safe spot to store his belonging. The crew bunks might be cramped and lack any sort of privacy, but the accommodations were practically palatial compared to the barn where Caro had been living for the past few months.

The people currently milling around the room were all refugees, fleeing their homes in the hope that New London would offer a better life. A place safe from both the virus, and from the warlords who had taken advantage of the power vacuum to stake a claim. They were on their way to achieving the first, the contagious cure spreading throughout the state even as they spoke, but the second was far harder. The arrival of the Nathan James gave people hope that a return to stability was coming. But for every threat that the Nathan James neutralized, another seemed to appear. Tomorrow's planned mission was nothing more than a surgical strike against the Massachusetts Alliance, a reminder to everyone that the United States government continued to exist. Still, once the immediate threat was over, the Nathan James would move on, leaving the residents of New London - leaving Caro - to deal with whatever came next on their own.

Knowing the dangers that Caro still faced was almost as bad as the uncertainty of not knowing whether she was alive. And yet, asking her to leave New London felt wrong. These people were Caro's friends, her neighbors, people she had known since infancy. During the worst of the virus they stayed together, fighting for survival. Teylor watched as she interacted with the group from Cornwall, listening as she answered questions and gave directions, wondering whether Caro had truly changed, or whether this was simply a side of her that he had never seen.

From the moment they met, Caro had been a part of Teylor's life. Whether or not the guys knew the extent of the relationship, they all knew Caro. She knew them. She knew Lejeune. She knew Norfolk and Jones and the Nathan James. But the opposite wasn't true. Caro had always kept her life back in Connecticut private, sharing little with Teylor, leading him to believe that she had few attachments. And now he was seeing a glimpse of that life, and realizing just how wrong his assumptions had been. This was Caro's home. Leaving these people would be like walking away from Green and Burk and Miller.

How could he ask Caro to do something that he was unwilling to do himself?

Which, of course, led Teylor right back to the reason he was here. The only way he could think of to help.

"Ready to run that errand?" Tex clapped a hand on Teylor's shoulder, zooming in on the source of Teyor's distraction. Tex cast an amused glance in Caro's direction. "Actually, I have an idea."

Before Teylor could stop him, Tex was weaving easily through the crowd. Figuring out what he was doing a moment too late, Teylor took off in pursuit. But, unlike Tex, he struggled to move through the space, seemingly waylaid at every turn. Which meant that, by the time he arrived, Tex and Caro were already deep in conversation.

"Nolan!" he snapped, drawing the attention of several people in the vicinity. "The exit is the other way."

Caro frowned, opening her mouth, but Tex beat her to the punch. "Lucky for us we got a whole group of volunteers here willing to help. More hands are always better, eh, Cruz?"

Teylor's intended protest died before it was born. Tex might be a pain in the ass, but that didn't mean he was wrong. The more supplies that they could haul per trip, the higher the chances were that any of them would get to sleep tonight. After all, Captain Chandler might have approved this supply run, but he was also clear that it was to be done on their own time. "Any of you armed?"

Several nods, including Caro. Teylor narrowed his eyes. "Remember that we are in friendly territory. Check twice before pulling out a weapon and three times before you actually shoot anything."

"I don't want to get shot in the ass again because someone freaks out over a rat," Tex added, drawing a few chuckles.

Exiting the building proved just as difficult as crossing the lobby had been, as they were pushing against a flood of people trying to enter. Being one of the few buildings in the are with power meant that the hotel was a natural draw. Commander Garnett had gotten the hotel - and the hospital across the street - running on generators, but that was only a temporary fix. Hence the double purpose for their upcoming trip north. Recover the closest power plant and land a blow to the heart of the Massachusetts Alliance.

Focusing on the present, upon reaching the street, Teylor arranged the eight civilians into pairs, giving each a couple of trash bags and a flashlight. Three blocks over they reached their destination, a Costco store that remained relatively well-stocked. The perishables were long gone, of course, and the food had been picked over. But it was a treasure trove of clothing and personal hygiene items.

"Take whatever you want for yourselves, and then grab an assortment of stuff to bring back to the hotel," Teylor directed. "Just no alcohol."

Tex chuckled as he set down the bottle of scotch that he was holding. "Damn. And that was Macellans."

Three trips later, the Costco was beginning to look stripped and the hotel lobby was beginning to take on the appearance of a PX. Teylor checked his watch, twenty-three hundred. He could get almost six hours sleep if he went upstairs now.

"Tey!" Sliding a backpack over her shoulder, Caro jogged across the lobby to where he stood at the base of the stairway, her hand settling on his arm. "That was a really nice thing to do for us."

"I'm shipping out tomorrow." The words spilled out, Teylor unsure of how to tell her that he was leaving.

Caro drew in a sharp breath. "I thought the James was here for another week."

"She is," Teylor replied, his eyes glued on her face. Was that disappointment he saw in her eyes? "My team has ... a different operation."

"I see," Caro murmured. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know yet."

"I see." The words were no more than a sigh. Caro turned her head, staring out into the lobby, her thumb stroking across his sleeve.

"My commission's up in about nine months," Teylor said slowly, not wanting to push, knowing that the virus - that Tom - had changed things between them. That they were not the same people who said goodbye ten months ago. That they might not want the same thing anymore - might never want the same thing again. But he couldn't just leave. Couldn't go with things so unsettled. "I could come back. Maria's always said she wanted to live somewhere cold. Connecticut fits the bill."

"Mmmm." Caro paused. "Danny asked me to go back with you. Said nurses are in pretty short supply."

Teylor felt his heart jump. That's all he really wanted, wasn't it? For her to be safe? To be able to fall asleep each night without wondering where she was and whether she was still alive, even if it wasn't with him? He fought to keep his tone neutral. "They are."

Lips firming, as thought she had made up her mind about something, Caro turned back towards him. "I heard that Chandler assigned the crew rooms."

"He did," Teylor confirmed.

"Are you really going to make me sleep in the lobby when you have an entire room all to yourself?" Caro asked, the corner of her mouth curling up.

Despite knowing that Commander Garnett had, in fact, assigned space to everyone in the Cornwall group, Teylor grinned. "I suppose the gentlemanly thing to do would be to give you my room and sleep down here."

"I don't think we need to go that far." Tugging on his sleeve, Caro maneuvered through the doorway into the stairwell. They were halfway up the first flight when she spoke again. "What would you say if I asked you to stay?"

"When have I ever told you no?" Teylor intended the retort to be light, teasing, but the words came out far too somber. The past hung between them, the memory of all the times that Teylor asked, and Caro said no.

Caro stopped, turning towards him. "Then I'm asking you to stay, Teylor. Please."