What a healthy marriage looks like

Back together again

Mick could hear explosions outside, but he didn't know if that made him feel better, or worse. Grey Mann came in through one of the interior doors and approached him, "Well, it looks like your wife is here. She's making a big ruckus, but what I don't see is my australium!" Mick growled, "Don't you dare fuckin' touch her!", "Oh, I won't- but I'm not playing games here Mr. Mundy! I need that australium to-" BOOM... A hole blasted its way through Grey's chest, out his australium fueled spinal-implant, and he collapsed on the ground, twitching and sputtering. Mick looked up at where the sniper-bot had been, but instead of a robot it was Caroline. She practically glowed as she lowered her rifle and waved at him. God, he loved that woman. She carefully made her way down and before she even touched the ground, Mick ran over and scooped her up, "Bloody hell, am I glad to see you!" Between peppering him with kisses, Caroline managed to get out, "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried- Are you okay? Do you need the Medic-?", "I'm fine, Lynn, I'm okay. Are you okay?" She nodded a bit frantically as tears pricked at her eyes and she hugged his neck, "I'm okay now...", "Oh, darlin'... It's alright, you found me- Look! I'm okay!", "I know- I know... It's just been a long night..." Mick sighed, "You can say that again... What do you say we get outta this dump and-" He looked up and Spy was standing a little bit away, watching them. Mick nodded at him politely, "Spy.", "Sniper." Just then, Miss Pauling and the rest of them bust down the big warehouse doors. After a moment to process, Miss Pauling shouted, "Caroline! What the fuck? I specifically told you to not run in by yourself!" Still in Mick's arms, Caroline glared at her, "It worked, didn't it?", "You could have gotten killed! Or gotten him killed! What the fuck-", "Ladies!" Engie interrupted, walking between them, "This conversation can wait until after we get back. Sniper, you alright?", "Better than ever, mate", "Great, then let's get out of here." They started to leave, but Mick stopped them, "Wait. There's a little girl here, Grey's daughter. We can't just leave her." They paused, then Saxton Hale piped up, "Oh, that little brat Olivia? Of course we can." Beside him, Maggie gave him a hard look, "Sax-", "What? She took Mann Co. from me!", "Is that still all you care about, after all these years?", "Maggs-" She moved away from him and towards Caroline and Mick saying, "It's nice to see you again, Caroline." Caroline nodded at her, "It's nice to see you too, Maggie.", "So, where is the little dear?" Mick looked around, then indicated towards the interior doors, "I think I saw them go in there." Maggie moved over to the doors, followed by Saxton and Miss Pauling, while Mick carried Caroline in the opposite direction. She asked, "You don't want to help?" They heard screaming and crying from the interior room and he shook his head, moving outside, "Naw, I'll let them sort that out." She smiled a little, but didn't protest as they slipped outside. Outside was carnage. Dead bots and empty shells of all sorts littered the pavement so thickly that it was hard to walk through. Mick managed though as Caroline pointed in the direction their van was parked and he carried her in that direction, "How'd you get in through all this?" She smiled, "Me and Spy took the scenic route." and she pointed up. He paused, "You went up on the roof?!", "We did!" She said excitedly as he continued walking, "But I thought you were scared of heights?", "Eh, a little, but it turns out I'm more scared of losing you..." She kissed his forehead and he squeezed her tighter. He found the van and set her down so he could hop in the back, then he helped her up and settled himself onto the bench. Caroline took off the holster for Mick's Remington 700 and placed it gently on the floor so she could cuddle up next to him. Seeing this, Mick pointed it out, "Oh, you used mine. How'd the old girl treat you?" She shrugged, "It's a lot lighter than my M70, and it's got a bit more kick, so I kinda overcompensated. Believe it or not I was aiming for his head...", "Hey, you killed the bastard. That's what matters-", "Hallo freund! Oh- and freundin!" They looked up as Heavy and Medic opened the back door to the van. The two hopped in with them and Medic moved over to sit right in front of Sniper, "So, how are you feeling? Did they treat you too roughly?", "I'm really fine. They didn't do nothin' but knock me out the first time." Medic nodded, "You look fine, perhaps exhausted, but that's to be expected." He turned to Heavy, "Do you have a sandwich, bärchen?" Heavy blushed, pulling out a sandwich and handing it to him while mumbling, "Ne ispol'zuyte eto imya pered nimi..." Medic took it and laughed, "Apologies, mein schatz..." before handing it over to Mick. Caroline looked between them confused, then looking at Mick, who shrugged before ripping the sandwich in two and giving her half. She ate it gratefully as Maggie and Saxton piled in. Then Engie and Pyro hopped in the front and they were on their way. Mick asked Maggie, "What happened to the kid?" She sighed, "The poor girl was beside herself. She just clung to Miss Pauling and cried. Poor dear." Saxton grumbled, "You forgot the part where she screamed like a bloody bandshe and attacked you.", "She's in emotional distress, Sax!", "She's an evil little grub who's complicit in all this!" They started arguing as Caroline and Mick gave each other a look. Besides the shouting, the drive back wasn't too bad. Mick swiped Caroline's hair off her face and she looked up at him. He smiled at her and she smiled back, holding his hand against her cheek. He asked her, "Were you too worried about me?", "Of course. All I got was a ransom note, I had no idea what they were doing to you.", "I know that must have been scary... They didn't hurt me or nothin' though, I promise.", "Good... and it was. Scary, I mean..." He waited for her to elaborate, but she just took in a breath and said, "But I know you were worried about me, even though you should've been worrying about yourself." He chuckled, "Of course I was worried about you. You're my wife. I knew you were gonna try to save me.", "Oh really?", "I knew you were.", "Well, did you think I'd show up on the catwalk like that?", "...I knew you were gonna save me. The how is a different story.", "Oh, were you hoping I'd bust in through the front door?" He held her against him, "I was hopin' you'd be safe." She held his arms that were wrapped around her, "Well, you say I saved you, but Spy did most of the work.", "Spy?", "Yeah. He kept me safe, made sure I didn't do anything stupid, then he took out that robot so I could shoot Grey from the catwalk." He hadn't really thought about it up to that point, but it made sense that Caroline had help. He'd have to thank Spy for that one of these days- If he could ever get past his own dislike of the man. Mick squeezed his wife a bit closer to him and said, "I'm just glad you're alright, darlin'.", "Me? I'm glad, you're alright. You're the one that got kidnapped.", "Yeah, but I ain't the one that went on a whole rescue mission. I was just stuck in a chair.", "Yeah, but you would have done the same for me.", "Oh, in a heartbeat." He said and kissed her head. It had been a hell of a night, and Engineer was kind enough to just drop Mick and Caroline off at her apartment, promising to bring her car over in the morning. They said their goodnites and drove off, leaving the two of them to walk up the stairs by themselves. Mick turned the door handle but it was unlocked. Caroline cringed, "Shit, I forgot." Mick smiled at her, "I can't imagine why.", "Shut up, you dork." Mick laughed and opened the door, "Remember that time I left the door unlocked and you came in swingin' you're shotgun at me?", "...Yeaah. I do." She chuckled, blushing slightly. He went to say something else when he saw the inside of her apartment. His eyes went wide and he closed the door, quickly pulling her into a hug, "Darlin'... I had no idea..." She shrugged, burying her face in his shoulder, "It's fine.", "It's not though. You must have been- I'm so sorry, Lynn." That comfortable numbness that had been holding her together for the last few hours cracked and a few tears escaped down her face. He smoothed her hair down and said, "I'll be right back. Stay here." before moving into her apartment, returning quickly with his keys. He locked her apartment and led her back down the stairs to his Landrover, where he opened the back door and ushered her inside. Once they got up into the loft and got settled, he held her tightly and she wobbled out, "I'm sorry-", "It's alright, Lynn. We'll have it cleaned up tomorrow." She nodded, trying to hold in all the things she'd kept herself from feeling, but the shell had been cracked and there was no putting it back together. Seeing this, Mick just held her closer and said, "It's okay darlin', tell me. You can say it." She hesitated for another moment before hiccuping out, "...It reminds me of when my dad- w-when my dad-" She choked and Mick finished for her, "It reminds you of when your dad was killed?" She could only nod and Mick squeezed her tighter as she shook. He rubbed her back gently and soothed, "I know...", "It's just- I got home and you weren't here and I saw the blood and I thought- I thought-", "You thought the same thing happened to me...", "I tried to be strong- I fucking tried, but I was so fucking scared and I just kept remembering last year and- God I'm so fucking useless!", "Caroline, no-" He pulled back to look at her face, "You're not useless." She shut her eyes tight, "I know, but- but I feel useless... If I was just more careful, I could have-", "There is nothing more you could have done. Caroline, listen to me- You did what you could and that's what matters. I never doubted you would find me, and you did! And you were brave- so, so, brave! And I'm so very proud of you, my love!" She sniffed and opened her eyes to look at him. He smiled at her so warmly he was like the sun itself. She looked away and whispered, "If I'd have just paid attention I could have known-", "But you didn't- You didn't know and you couldn't have known. Not now, not a year ago." She covered her mouth as something between a sob and a hiccup came up her throat and he crushed her in his embrace. She sobbed out, "I know- I know you're right! I know I can't fix what happened! I know I did what I could, but I still feel... I still feel like I could have done more..." He smoothed down her hair and said gently, "You remember what Kim said?" It took a moment to stop crying so hard, but once she managed to calm down, she answered him, "...Yeah... It's called survivor's guilt...", "Yes, and...? What you feel is not necessarily what's true..." Caroline sighed, "She actually said, 'my feelings are not a reflection of my environment but a reflection of me.'", "Same difference," She gave him a look and he just grinned. She cracked a smile despite herself, and sighed into his embrace. He asked, "Is it time to make another appointment?", "No... Maybe? I don't know...", "We don't have to decide right now. Just rest darlin'. It's been a- fuckin' hell of a night.", "You can say that again." Caroline grumbled, cuddling closer to him. They were both exhausted, so it didn't take long before they eventually fell asleep, both of them holding the other closely.