What a healthy marriage looks like

From 10 to 100

As the mercenaries prepared a couple vehicles for the raid, Caroline moved over to Mick's locker and, with the help of Spy, popped it open. She gingerly took out his Remington 700 and checked it. Spy watched her do this and asked, "Do you know how to use that?" She pulled back the slide to check for any obstructions as she said, "It's not my preference, but I can work with it." From down the hall, Miss Pauling moved over saying, "No, no, no. You're staying here.", "The fuck I am." Caroline said as she strapped the holster across her back. Pauling shook her head, "This is personal, you'll be a liability." Caroline shrugged, "Maybe, but I'll be a worse liability if you leave me here." Pauling opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, thinking about that. Spy chuckled before Pauling retorted, "You do realize it's possible he could die, right?", "Of course I do, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit around here while my husband still has a chance." Pauling turned to Spy, "Back me up on this." Spy shrugged and Engie called from down the hall, "It's O' one hundred, come on!" Pauling growled, "Ugh! Fine, but you're gonna do exactly what we say, when we say it and not run in all 'guns blazing'. Got it?.", "Got it..." Caroline said and put the rifle on her back. Pauling led them back down the hall and Spy leaned down to say quietly, "But when you do, be wise about it." She gave him a smile and he pat her shoulder encouragingly. They moved into the garage and Pauling asked Engie, "Any sign of Maggie or Saxton?", "Not yet. How long should we wait?" Pauling looked out into the dark New Mexican desert and said, "We'll give them until 1:25, then we're leaving." He nodded and got back to organizing the supply effort. Caroline turned to Miss Pauling and adjusted the strap on her shoulder, "How can I help?", "Yooou- You can sit over here and stay out of the way until we're ready to leave." Pauling said as she led her over to a bench and sat her down. Caroline was indignant, "What? I can help-!", "I'm letting you come, period. Be grateful for that ." and she walked away. Caroline glared at her, but she stayed on the bench, watching everyone else work. Then Spy sat down next to her. She side-eyed him and said, "Don't you have something important to be doing?" Spy side-eyed her back and lit a cigarette, "That's what I'm doing. I'm keeping an eye on you.", "Look, I know when I came in I was all- you know, crying and stuff, but I'm not fragile. I can take care of myself.", "I know-", "I just went through a lot- I was in shock, but now I'm just pissed and ready to fuckin kill whoever the hell that Gray bastard is and get my husband back!", "I know .", "You say 'you know' like you know, but you're still here babysitting me so obviously you don't!" He gave her a hard look and she realized she took it too far, "... Sorry.", "I think..." Spy said, offering her a cigarette, "This anger is you hiding how upset you still are.", "Of course I'm upset! They kidnapped my husband!" She said taking it, letting him light it for her, "But I'm not so demure and fragile that I'm just gonna sit here and fuckin' cry about it all night." She took a drag before coughing violently, "Fu-ck, I haven't smoked in forever-" At that, Spy remembered that strange little comment she made when they met, "A few weeks ago you said you were cutting back. Did you mean that you quit?" Caroline shrugged, "Not intentionally... I smoked before- before I met Mick, and then we started dating and I just kinda stopped." She looked at the cigarette in her hand for a long moment, then she went to take another drag when Spy plucked it from her and dropped it on the floor, putting it out. "Hey! I didn't say I wouldn't take it!", "Caroline, it is okay to be upset." She was taken aback by that, "I'm not- I mean I am, but-", "Do not bury how you feel under your anger. Don't- don't pretend you are unbreakable in the face of devastation, because you're not. No one is." She blinked at him for a moment then said, "...I feel like you were talking about yourself there." He looked away, "Perhaps, but it was meant for you." She nodded, "...Do you want to talk about it?", "Do you?", "...No." He nodded and sat back, watching the others work. She looked at him and sighed... He may have been right. Caroline wanted to be strong for Mick, but now that she was forced to stop and think, that proactive anger was dispersing and all she was left with was an awful, aching dread gnawing her up inside. Well, dread and exhaustion. The adrenaline had made her forget that she had worked late and, despite Mick's concern, she hadn't eaten anything either. In hindsight it was pretty dumb, but she supposed if she'd known earlier Mick was going to get kidnapped this all could have been avoided. She yawned, feeling her eyes getting heavy, and Spy put an arm around her. She leaned into him and with nothing else to do, she fell asleep..