You have to read the previous 10 parts for this to make a lick of sense.

Also if you want the names of those who asked for this chapters I can pass them onto you. Murder them, not me.

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Donovan felt his blood growing hotter and hotter as the op leader continued to talk. Everyone in the room nodded and went along with what he was saying. Donovan wanted to strangle the man, how he could be so heartless?

When he glanced across the table at Carter, she appeared completely at ease. How was she fine going along with this plan? How could she put herself in danger after what happened a few months ago?

"That's when Agent Owens will approach the subject and confirm they have the product. Once she alerts us, we'll take them down. Understood?" Agent Ramirez said.

Murmurs of agreement went around the room but Donovan couldn't keep his anger in any longer.

"No," he said.

The single word silenced the team of agents as they all turned to him. Carter narrowed her eyes and he could almost hear her telling him to shut up.

"What's the problem, agent?" Ramirez said.

"The problem is you are sending Agent Owens into the headquarters of a gang unarmed and bugged. If they suspect anything or find the camera, she gets a bullet to the head before we can breach."

Ramirez threw Carter a look but she didn't see it, her glared pinned on Donovan.

"Agent Owens can handle herself," Ramirez said.

Donovan stood, his anger roaring inside him. "I'm not letting this happen."

Carter shot to feet. "Agent Keller, a word."

The bite in her tone made everyone in the room shift, casting Donovan hesitant glances.

"Excuse us," Donovan said to Ramirez, his tone equally as chilly.

The pair left the ops room and found a secluded corner. Carter spun on Donovan, fury burning in her eyes.

"How dare you humiliate in front of everyone!" she snarled. "You had no right to say that."

Donovan balled his fists, matching her rage.

"I don't care if you feel humiliated, I'm not letting put yourself in danger."

Carter looked like she wanted to hit him.

"You don't get to decide that!"

"I'm your husband! I get to decide whatever I need to to keep you safe!"

In flash, Carter's anger turned cold and she stepped closer to him.

"You are my husband, but that does not mean you control me."

"I have no intention of controlling you, but stopping you from doing something that could get you killed, yes I'm going to fight with all that I have to make sure you don't take part in it."

Carter growled in frustration. "How can you be so idiotic! This is my job, this is what I'm supposed to do, I need to do this!"

With that admittance, Donovan understood.

"You have nothing to prove to them. You already came through the worst."

Carter dug her nails into her palms and Donovan saw how her hands shook.

"That is exactly why I need to prove it, they need to know I'm not broken, that I can still do this." She lifted her chin, challenging him. "And you are not going to stop me."

Donovan hated her in that moment, hated the stubbornness that he once loved because now that stubbornness was working against him. He understood her need but didn't care. He was the one who'd had to live through her frozen and beaten down state. He was the one who worked tirelessly to bring her back to herself. And now, she carelessly planned to walk into danger again without any regard for the hell he'd gone through.

She set her jaw and Donovan knew her well enough to know he would lose this battle.

"Fine," he said. "You'll be on the case."

Carter nodded stiffly, even as her shoulders eased a fraction. When they stepped back into the ops room, everyone swiveled to them, their conversations dying off. Donovan knew half of the talk had to be about them.

"You have the matter settled?" Ramirez asked.

Carter reclaimed her seat.

"Yes."

Donovan remained in the doorway. "My emotions are too strong that they will impair my judgment. I'm asking to be removed from this operation."

Carter snapped her head to him, shocked at his announcement. If he couldn't keep her from this op then he wouldn't be a part of it. Part of him hoped that without him there she would back out as well. They were a team to the end.

But Carter faced Ramirez who glanced between Carter's determined mouth to Donovan's crossed arms.

"Very well, you are excused," he said. "Everyone else gear up, we leave in fifteen."

Donovan left before Carter could even get out of her chair. He wouldn't tell her to be safe, she was going into enemy territory where every man carried a gun and itched to use it. Safety was an illusion. She knew this and still because of her pride she would walk into the lions' den.

Donovan descended the stairs to the locker room and training area. After changing, he grabbed a pair of boxing gloves and headed towards a dummy mannequin. Only two other people were there, office hours gone and the building mostly empty. Donovan rolled his shoulders and slammed his fist into the dummy's head. He pummeled the mannequin, trying to release his anger.

But as time ticked on all he could think about was the van pulling away, Carter sitting in the back. The team reaching the building, Carter dressed as a junkie getting out and walking towards the gang's den. Each image appeared vivid in his mind. So vivid he could almost see the glint of light on the gun as it was pointed at Carter's head.

Growling, Donovan ripped off the gloves and raced out of the training area. He stormed up the stairwell, his footsteps ricochetting around him. He burst into the office and sprinted down the hallway, crashing into the tech room. Mason jumped in his chair.

"Dude!" he said, wiping his shirt where he'd spilled coffee on himself.

Donovan didn't say anything, he went to the bank of computers, searching for the one that held Carter's viewpoint.

"Where is Carter's camera?" Donovan asked.

"It's being run to the computers in the van," Mason said.

"Pull them up."

"I'm not your monkey you can ask to dance."

Donovan turned on Mason with slow deliberation, his anger simmering beneath the surface. Something in Donovan's face showed this and for once Mason didn't comment, he did as he was told.

"There you go."

Donovan watched the proceedings, every muscle tense. For his part, Mason said nothing, clearly not as stupid as he looked. Minutes stretched into years as events unfolded. Through the search of her, Donovan stopped breathing, but the camera, disguised as a spike in her ear, went unnoticed.

Everything went according to plan. The drugs were shown and the FBI swarmed the place. Even with knowing that Carter was perfectly alright, Donovan didn't feel relaxed. All it meant was that Carter would think she was right, that not listening to him had been the right decision. That her stubbornness was worth it.

But it wasn't. Not to him.

"See," Mason said, somehow sensing Donovan's tension. "Our girl is perfectly fine."

Donovan glared at Mason and walked out. Gathering his gym bag from the lockers, he left the building. He didn't even think as he drove as if his mind already knew where he was headed.

When he knocked on Brock's door, his brother took a minute to get to it.

"Donovan," Brock said, frowning. "What's up, man?"

"I'm crashing on your couch."

He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to see Carter. He didn't want to be in the same place as her. He might have gone about it the wrong way, but she hadn't cared enough to hear him out, to take the time to understand his side of things. Understand his fear for her. She only thought of how she could be the strong one, the girl who could handle anything.

As Donovan moved to step inside, Brock held his hand up, stopping him. Donovan stared at his brother and Brock stared right back. For a second, they regarded each other. Brock shook his head.

"No, you have a problem with your wife, you go deal with it like a man."

"You can't be serious?"

"I'm extremely serious, you deal with your issues, and don't you even think about going to Link's. I'll call him and tell him to lock the door."

Donovan almost hit Brock but realized Brock would mostly likely hit him back. Furious, Donovan left. He didn't go home. Instead, he drove around the city without a thought for where he was going. When it was late enough that he knew Carter would be asleep, he pulled the car into the parking garage beneath their apartment building.

He cracked the front door open slowly, not wanting to wake her. When he didn't hear anything, he slipped inside and locked the door. Gently placing his gym bag on the floor, he stepped out of his shoes and fell onto the couch. He crossed his arms, facing the back cushions.

A second later, the bedroom door opened and Carter walked into the living room.

"It's nice to know you care I'm still alive," she said.

Donovan clenched his jaw so hard he thought he might crack a tooth. Care that she was still alive... He wanted to yell at her for mocking him for all the fear he held for her. Yell at her for belittling what he'd gone through. But he did nothing.

"Are you coming to bed?" she asked.

Her tone told him how stupid she thought his actions were.

"No."

"Fine."

Carter stormed off but reappeared a second later. A pillow hit Donovan in the shoulder and a blanket dropped on top of him.

"Pleasant dreams, you stubborn Marine," she said, leaving and hitting the bedroom door shut.

Donovan punched the pillow into the right form before laying his head on it then kicked the blanket into the right shape. He closed his eyes but didn't expect sleep to come, his emotions too riotous.

But eventually, sleep overtook him.

When he woke the next morning, it was to the smell of coffee and the clatter of pans. The noise was too loud for it not to have a meaning behind it. Donovan threw back the blanket and stood up. Carter paused in her banging endeavors to smile sweetly at him.

"Morning, husband," she said. "I thought I might make you breakfast and clean the house. You know like a good little wife should. Maybe later I'll darn your socks for you or knit you a sweater."

Donovan's anger returned so fast and so hot he thought it might burn him.

"Stop!" he said. "Don't you dare try to turn this into me thinking you're somehow weak and unfit to be an agent. I didn't want you to go in that op because it's barely been eight months since you were nearly beaten to death. I'm sorry if I have more concern for your well-being than you do!"

"I'm perfectly fine-"

"But you weren't! I lost you! I lost you in a way that I never imagined I could and I feared I would never get you back. Every bruise you wore hurt me just as much. Seeing you broken killed me. So yes, I didn't want you in danger yet.

"Not because I don't believe you can't do it, but because I didn't think I could handle it. Make a joke if you want, it seems I'm the damaged one here." He shook his head disdainfully, his flash of anger dimming. "But you didn't care about how I felt, you had to prove you were strong. And I guess you did, you won."

Donovan walked away from her, heading into the bedroom. Grabbing clothes, he went to shower, taking his time, not wanting to deal with Carter. But he knew he couldn't spend all day in the bathroom and eventually came out. In the living room, he found Carter sitting at the table. A plate of food and a mug of coffee lay before an empty chair.

Donovan almost didn't accept the peace offering, but at Carter's subdued expression, he pulled out the chair. He ate in silence and when he sat back with his mug, Carter talked.

"I didn't want to think about it," she said. "I didn't want to think about what the whole incident cost you because if I did I felt like it would make it twice as bad. I know I broke. I know that I failed to be strong enough to withstand the pain-"

Donovan was out of his seat before he could even think about it, kneeling in front of Carter, cupping her face.

"Don't," he said. "Don't you even think about beating yourself up for what you went through. No one would ever be strong enough not to crack under the torture you were put through."

Carter didn't look at him. "I should have thought about what you went through as well." She covered his hands with her own. "Forgive me for not seeing your pain. For being selfish. Please forgive me for not listening, not realizing what it would feel like for you to see me in danger. I should have seen it."

Donovan gathered her into his arms, kissing her over and over again. She held onto him and he felt all his anger melt away.

"Of course," he said. "As long as you forgive me."

She tilted her head up. "You got me through the worst time in my life, I always will." She held his face in her hands. "I don't want to lose my partner."

"I don't want to lose you."

She let out a breath.

"Then we'll take this one op at a time."

Donovan still felt himself wanting to shield her from every dangerous situation in the world, but he knew he couldn't. He loved her because she was strong. The world needed her strength to help fix it. It needed both of them, together.

"One op at a time," he agreed.

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Hey there noodly Noodle!
(Admit it, you're a noodly noodle!)

There you have it, a legit fight between Carter and Donovan, what did you think? 🗯💬💭

I know that you hate to see them fight hit they had to be normal in some way! And we'll at least they apologized and made up, so yay!

Also, you did ask for this. You wanted a chapter where Donovan was human. This is what you got. So you only have yourselves to blame.

Cote, comment, follow!

Oh my gosh its so cute and fluffy I'm gonna die!!