Only one chapter left! This one's a touch short, though in my defense last week's chapter was a monster to make up for it a bit. But this is it! Next week will be the end of yet another part of this series and I'm just filled with so many emotions knowing that! Thank you all for joining me on this ridiculous, hilarious journey together.

And special thanks to analiarvb, thatgothamguy, cobaltqueen, icefrozenover, Yin, notatroll7, Enmuse, a-taller-tale, and secretlystephaniebrown for the feedback and support!

Double Time
Chapter Twenty-Three: Official Business

Out of the many, many things Washington expected to wake up to, humming from a woman was not one of them.

Things were fuzzy at first, his eyes felt sore like they had swollen past his sockets. And he finally felt the tug of bandages and casts. But there was a warmth and security beyond it all that made him want to wake up more. Made him want to see what the source of the humming could have been.

And even already being met with the unexpected, Washington managed to find a way to be surprised. Opening his eyes completely, adjusting for the bright light, Wash found himself laying in a cot of a very sterile looking room. And, to the biggest surprise of all, he found himself completely surrounded.

To his right, Tucker sat in a chair, completely asleep with Junior sprawled across his lap. The Reds were strewn across the left side of the room, half out of costume and most sprawled out on the floor. The teenagers were patched up mildly, laying in a heap across one another behind Tucker and Junior's chair. And sitting on the windowsill, back to back, a powered down Church and a snoring Tex leaned against each other with Caboose at their feet.

In truth, Washington was more stunned by the sight than anything else. Through his haze and shock, there was something warm and intangible overcoming him at the sight.

He moved to sit up, get an even better look at the room and start at least the process of getting bearings together when the soft hum he had awakened to immediately stopped. Wash tried to come his neck toward the origin of it but before he could quite manage it with the crick in his neck, a gust of wind met his face.

Blinking, Washington sat completely up, fully awake.

And for his troubles, Wash was met with the sound of clicking heels in the adjacent hall picking up speed on the way to his room. Then another gust of wind hit Wash's face, but that time it ended with a familiar redhead standing at the side of his bed Tucker and Junior weren't on.

"See, I told you I'd get you as soon as he was awake," Carolina said very matter of factly.

The clicking heels brought to the doorway Doctor Grey – the eccentric woman from before with healing powers. "I never doubted your vigilance, dear," Grey said kindly. She was also speaking in what must have counted as hushed tones because she saved most of the bombast she had introduced herself to Wash with before. And in the process, didn't wake most of the company surrounding Washington.

Most of the company having also been those with Wash at the tower.

Eyes widening, Wash looked around to make a quick head count. "The explosion! Did everyone make it out okay?"

"My, aren't we the genuine article!" Grey said in a soft laugh. "So much immediate concern for others. You hardly see such theatrics anymore."

That, of course, answered no concerns of Wash's so he looked to Carolina instead.

"It all worked," she assured him. "Your ridiculous plan to pull together all your resources on truly ridiculous people somehow managed to save the day, the city, democracy, and everyone's lives at once," Carolina crossed her arms and smirked at him. "I'll be honest, I'm genuinely impressed by all of it. And by you."

Smirking some of his own, Wash achingly rubbed the back of his neck. "It helps when you're lucky enough in your life to meet amazing people."

"All of which would just be pieces of a puzzle no one else could've seen the answer to without your guidance and leadership," Carolina assured him. She shook her head fondly. "Where'd you learn to pull people together like that?"

For a moment, pride swelled in his chest. But for Wash it didn't last long, not when he remembered just where he learned that amazing, wondrous trait from.

Looking over his shoulder toward Tucker, Washington tok a deep breath, the smile on his face small and genuine.

"I learned it from my boyfriend," he said so saccharine that there wasn't any need for Carolina to let out the disgusted noise that she did anyway. Wash was aware of the type of sap that he was.

"Tomorrow can you do something about that too?" Carolina asked the doctor. "His blood sugar is off the charts with all the corn syrup he's been gargling."

"I believe it's beautiful, but yes, I will heal him of all physical ailments in the morning," Grey assured them both.

Washington paused then looked toward Grey, eyebrows furrowed. "You have powers to heal people right?"

"That is correct, Mister Washington," Grey responded delightfully.

"Then couldn't you just heal me now?" Wash asked, looking over himself, covered in bandages and left wrist in a cast.

"Oh, silly, then you'll never learn to stop putting yourself in front of explosions!" Grey laughed.

"Is that ethical?" Wash asked, amazed and put off by the answer.

"Ha, oh, Mister Washington, you are rather humorous for a repeat patient," Doctor Grey laughed, turning to head out the door. "I look forward to the many, many times we're sure to see each other in your continuing adventures!"

Watching after the doctor, Wash couldn't help but blink a few times. He then glanced toward Carolina. "I'll be frank with you, she's kind of terrifying."

"I like it," Carolina said firmly. She shifted her weight and looked down, her mouth working itself into a thoughtful frown. "Wash," she said softly.

"Yeah?" he asked in return.

"I… Well. I don't know how to say this but…" she looked toward him, her bright green eyes shining. "Thank you. Thank you for… well, rolling with the punches and trusting me when you didn't know if you should or not. Letting me be a part of your little… thousand piece puzzle here. It felt… nice. Felt right. In a way I've not really been able to find since Freelancer."

Taken aback, Wash tilted his head to the side, immediately flinching at the crick it gave his neck. "Carolina… I don't know half of what's happened or what exactly you even mean, but… You once put me on your team. I hope you'll let us accept you into ours."

Carolina glanced at him, a little reluctant. But the vulnerable expression quickly disappeared and she nodded over Wash's shoulder. "We'll talk later, alright, Wash? Looks like someone super worried about you wants a turn."

Before Washington could object, there was a streak of blue and a gust of wind, and then Carolina was completely gone from sight. Leaving only confusion in her wake.

Still, Wash turned around and swelled up with emotion yet again when he tuned to see a wide awake Tucker sitting in his chair, trying to not wake Junior while also fighting the urge to leap up, given the quiver of his buckled knees.

"Hey," Wash said breathlessly.

"You idiot," Tucker said flatly. "You're only supposed to get in explosions with me. I thought we totally settled that with Omega and Wyoming."

"Well, I have every intention of not getting into another one without you. Or with you for that matter," Wash joked. "I can't have my boyfriend breaking his other arm. That really limits my enjoyment of an afternoon."

"Shut up," Tucker laughed, shifting Junior enough that he could lean over the cot and meet Washington halfway for the kiss the hero hadn't realized he needed since the start of the whole Felix and Locus mess. It was just right and meant to be and full of love in all the ways that Wash had never found or even looked for before.

And it was theirs. Together.

Just like their worries and dangers were now theirs together.

Wash pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against Tucker's.

"You thinking this is just the beginning?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah, I do," Wash replied quietly. "Good and bad. And I want to make sure that, for as much as I can control it, it'll be for good."

Tucker huffed a laugh. "Oh? And where are you going to get the superpower to do that?"

"I know people," Wash smirked against Tucker's cheek. "It's the extra superpower I learned I had."

"Sounds fake," Tucker nuzzled him as he laughed, "but okay."

They rested face to face against each other for a moment, basking in each other's warmth.

When the moment ended with a disgusted noise from the window.

"Compulsory, I'm telling you!" Tex all but shouted.