Cavendish had not intended to leave Dakota behind. He truly did care about his partner. He just got sidetracked by his job and responsibilities. He wanted to help people and get the appreciation that he deserved for it. It wasn't that he needed glory and to be revered, but he was a hard worker and he dedicated his life to his work. It was a terrible feeling to work so hard only to be disregarded and pushed to the side.
Dakota didn't really care about such things, although maybe that wasn't completely fair to say. Cavendish always thought that Dakota was laid back and didn't care about serious matters, but he was starting to realize that wasn't completely right. Dakota may not care about getting recognition from their bosses, and he didn't have any desire to go down in history as being a hero, but he cared about what his friends thought of him.
Like anybody else, Dakota wanted respect and acknowledgement. It was so easy to forget that sometimes, and Cavendish knew that he wasn't good at giving Dakota the recognition that he so clearly deserved. He knew that he took his partner for granted. Dakota just always seemed fine, right up until the moment that he seemed to completely fall to pieces, and it was all Cavendish's fault.
What complicated things was that while Cavendish thrived on words of recognition, he relied on actions to show how he was feeling. Cavendish knew that different people had different ways of showing and wanting to receive affection, but the problem was that he and Dakota were the exact same. Dakota also had a hard time talking about emotional things in a way that was truly sincere, and he showed how he was feeling with his actions instead.
While they both preferred words of recognition and affection, they could both appreciate actions. It was just problematic that they both had a tendency to hide the actions that they did for each other.
Before Cavendish found out about the Isle of Lost Dakotas, he'd noticed his secrecy and fatigue. He'd known that his partner had been keeping secrets from him, and it had hurt that his partner couldn't trust him. Cavendish had taken his hurt out on Dakota, treating him more harshly as a result. He understood Dakota better now that he knew the truth, and he appreciated everything he'd done for him, and without that layer of distrust their relationship grew stronger.
And then Cavendish left.
He truly did do it at least partially for Dakota. He felt that going rogue was his chance to finally do something to force their boss to recognize him, but he knew that it was risky. He thought that if his plan failed then he would be fired at the very least. Dakota didn't deserve that. He was content in their job, but he would have followed Cavendish if he'd been asked, because he'd already shown that he would go to the ends of the earth for him.
Dakota had sacrificed so much for Cavendish. He didn't want this sacrifice to continue, but at the same time he didn't want to let go of his ambition, so he had left.
He'd thought that Dakota understood, and that the two of them were fine now, but it was clear his partner was suffering. Cavendish had tried to tell himself that Dakota's fatigue and increased apathy was just a lingering effect of being on his own, and given time he would get better.
After hearing Dakota's comments that morning about being left behind, Cavendish was wondering if he was truly as forgiven as he'd thought. He wondered if Dakota's worsening mood was his fault.
He wanted to get this assignment over with as soon as possible, and only partly to prove what he was capable of. Mostly Cavendish just wanted to have the chance to sit down with Dakota and finally talk about where they stood as partners and what he was supposed to do to fix things.
When Cavendish got eager, he got reckless, and he never learned his lesson. He'd been so anxious to complete this assignment and get answers that he'd left Dakota behind yet again. He hadn't even thought twice about it. Cavendish believed that the people who followed them and attacked Dakota had done so for a reason. They had seemed to know who Cavendish and Dakota were, which meant they knew who they were in this particular dimension.
It had probably been a long-shot, but Cavendish had believed that his alternate self would have the very answers that they were looking for. Cavendish couldn't imagine a version of himself who didn't want to work for the B.o.T.T., and surely he would be more than happy to provide answers to himself. It just seemed like such a perfect solution.
So Cavendish had hurried off to chase after the hooligans, just to get some answers about what they knew about this dimension's version of himself. He didn't consider himself an intimidating person, but when the youths realized that he was following them they seemed concerned for their very lives. When he'd eventually caught up to them they were more than happy to tell him everything he wanted to know.
It was a little disconcerting when they begged him to not harm them, as though Cavendish would ever be capable of doing such a thing. He didn't stop to think too much about it. He had a job to do, and it was a job that Dakota didn't seem too interested in at all. If Cavendish finished what they'd been sent to do then he could just return to his partner's side and they could go home.
Cavendish followed the instructions he'd been given by the hooligans, only to find himself at a dead-end. It was an abandoned warehouse that looked like it hadn't even been touched in years. Cavendish investigated the place, just in case, before coming to the conclusion that it was just as abandoned as it looked. He realized belatedly that the youths he'd spoken to had just told him the first thing they could think of. They didn't truly know where to find this dimension's version of himself.
Cavendish groaned in irritation and began to make his way back to the street that he'd left Dakota at. He felt a little bad for leaving his partner behind when Dakota had specifically asked him not to leave, and he'd learned just today that he was still upset at being abandoned in the first place. If following this lead had given him results, then it would all be worth it and there would be nothing to feel bad about.
Cavendish returned to the street and faltered in his steps. Dakota wasn't here. He looked in every nearby café, and checked every nearby street, in case he got the street wrong or his partner had gone somewhere to wait for him. He searched for more than half an hour before he had to admit that he wasn't here.
Cavendish didn't know where to go. He'd never even considered the possibility that Dakota wouldn't be right here waiting for him. Yet again he'd taken his partner's loyalty for granted.
Cavendish checked his watch, feeling a rush of panic when he saw that they'd been in this dimension for nearly two hours. The portal would open in another hour, and not only did he not know where to find the answers that they'd been sent here for, he didn't even know where his partner was.
He knew there wasn't really a danger of Dakota being stranded in this dimension. If Cavendish returned home without him then Bob Block would see to it that they brought him home. What he was truly worried about was the trust and partnership between them. Dakota had already expressed his concern about being left behind, and if Cavendish proved him right then their already strained relationship might shatter completely.
He wanted to look for his partner, but he didn't know where to even start. The closest thing he had to a lead was the old B.o.T.T. headquarters. Dakota hadn't been interested in this assignment, but he knew that Cavendish was dedicated to their job. What if he'd thought that Cavendish had left him behind to continue the job without him, and decided to go after him instead of anxiously waiting?
When he got to the old headquarters he was surprised to find that his old access codes were able to get him inside. He had half expected the headquarters to be abandoned, but there were active agents walking around. Most of them were strangers to him, but he recognized some of these people. Why would the people working to get rid of time travel employ time travelers?
Everybody looked confused to see him, some people seemed suspicious, but nobody questioned him. It was odd. Cavendish approached one of the agents that looked respectable and maybe a little higher ranking.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for someone and I'm hoping you could help." Cavendish said. "I'm looking for my partner." If there was time after he found Dakota, they could do their job. Finding his partner was definitely his number one priority right now. They could always come back here and try again later.
The agent's eyes widened. "Vinnie wandered off again?"
Cavendish blinked. "You know Dakota?"
The agent's eyes narrowed slightly. They looked like they were studying Cavendish. He couldn't help but feel like all eyes in the room were on him.
"Give me a moment." The agent said stiffly. They looked to one of their companions. "Watch him." The agent left the room, leaving Cavendish with a dozen agents watching his every movement. The minutes passed before the agent returned. They pointed at Cavendish.
"You, come with me." The agent said. He didn't hesitate to do as he was told, though he didn't do it without question.
"Am I being brought to my partner?" Cavendish asked. He had the bad feeling that they knew he was once a time traveler, and they were arresting him or something along those lines. He wasn't worried, just because the portal back to his own dimension would take him home in an hour. He would be fine. He just wanted to know that Dakota was well and within his reach.
The agent revealed nothing. He brought Cavendish into a dim, spacious room. He couldn't see anything in here. The agent stepped out of the room and closed the door behind them, leaving Cavendish alone. He tried to open the door, only to find it locked. He was trapped, but he didn't feel like he was a prisoner.
Cavendish reluctantly sat down on one of the soft chairs in the room. It was much softer than he preferred, but it was the type of chair that Dakota liked. He seemed to enjoy sinking right into the furniture.
Cavendish was only sitting for a moment when the door opened again and a familiar figure walked into the room.
"Oh, you're-" Cavendish blinked. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, but he hadn't expected to run into himself here.
"I'm the version of you that actually knows how to treat his partner." The other version of Cavendish said. He sounded furious, which was alarming. Cavendish had never considered himself an angry person.
"I actually came here looking for my partner." Cavendish said. "Did he come here?"
"My people brought him here." The other Cavendish said. "Your partner is safe, though I doubt you truly care."
"Of course I care." Cavendish said indignantly.
"No, you don't." The other Cavendish said confidently. "If you did, you wouldn't have left Vinnie on his own when he was hurt."
He tried to defend himself. "There were extenuating circumstances."
"The circumstances are irrelevant." The other Cavendish snapped. "Do you have any idea the danger you put him in by leaving him on his own? This dimension is not safe for Dakotas. You're not a fool. You were attacked. Your partner was hurt. You should have known better."
"Dakota can take care of himself." Cavendish said.
"You're his partner." The other Cavendish said. "He shouldn't have to take care of himself." The other man slowly began to pace the room. It was odd how confident and closed off he was. "And from what your Vincent told me, it's clear that this is far from the first time that you've left him to his own devices.
Honestly, how many times in one day would Cavendish hear how much he had messed up with leaving his partner? He knew that it hadn't been his smartest move, but he'd thought they'd moved past it. Was he the only person who seemed to think that he'd been forgiven? Why didn't Dakota talk to him, but was apparently willing to talk to another version of himself?
"I don't have to explain myself to you." Cavendish said. He would be more than happy to talk to Dakota, but not to another version of himself. He knew himself, and he knew that he had a tendency to jump to conclusions. Once he was convinced that somebody was bad, it took a lot of persuading for him to change his mind. He didn't have the time or patience to deal with that today.
The other Cavendish stopped in his pacing, his back to him. His posture was impossibly stiff. He released a slow breath. "You see, that's where you're wrong. Vinnie is everything to me, and everything I do is for his sake, and that applies for all versions of him. If I suspect that anybody is a threat to him I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even from other versions of myself."
Cavendish wasn't often afraid of people, not truly. He may be intimidated by them, but he'd never feared for his safety. Talking to this other version of himself was the exception, because he knew exactly what lengths he would resort to. When he put his mind to something, he wasn't to be dissuaded. If this other version of Cavendish had decided to dedicate himself to Dakota the same way that he was used to dedicating himself to his work, then he might be in trouble.
"Look, can I speak to Dakota?" Cavendish asked. They were running out of time.
The other Cavendish was still for a long moment before he sighed. "I'll think about it, and I'll let your Vinnie decide."
"Can you at least tell me if he's well?" Cavendish asked desperately. The other Cavendish relaxed ever so slightly.
"He had a panic attack and he's a little overwhelmed about this whole situation." The other Cavendish said. "But he's calmed down now and he's with my Vinnie." He paused for a moment. "Perhaps he'll feel better after he sees you're okay. I think he's concerned that I'm going to do something."
"Would you?" Cavendish asked. The other version of himself smirked ever so slightly. It was not an expression that Cavendish usually made. How different from himself was this man?
"That depends on how much of a threat you are." The other man said. He left the room and Cavendish was left on his own to try to figure out just what had happened.
He was used to people underestimating him. Other agents, his bosses, even himself. The only person who didn't seem to underestimate him was Dakota, and that had never been enough for him. He'd always done everything he could to convince people to respect him and take him seriously.
For the first time in his life Cavendish was left trying to figure out just how to convince somebody that he wasn't capable of all that they seemed to think he could. He didn't like to be underestimated, but it was much more important that it was understood that he wasn't a threat to Dakota.
He may not be a perfect partner, and he was trying really hard to figure out how to improve, but as flawed as he was he wouldn't ever intentionally hurt Dakota. Even if their relationship was a little complicated at the moment, Dakota had to know this. There had to be at least some trust still between them.