Sorry for this update being so delayed. In the spirit of two days after Valentine's Day I included a Carrie/Brody "deleted scene" I guess is the word in this segment. Takes place during the finale post cabin/pre memorial. If you're a fan of them I hope I did them justice. If you're not, well feel free to skim the italics section. Also as far as Quinn goes, I'm a fan of the character (not necessarily for Carrie but a fan all the same) and think he does have more to say/do in this fic, slightly less volatile stuff, so he'll be back down the line along with others. But yeah, take this segment as you will. Sorry for the marathon author's note. Please please review!
Docking her phone, Carrie switched on the speakers surrounding it and let the music permeate the room. Shutting her eyes she leaned back, hoping at the very least she'd drift back as well...
They were in bed at her house, her draped comfortably over his chest as he stroked her hair. If she were any more content she'd start purring.
"So what's this I hear about you being funny?", she teased, sitting up so she could see his eyes. They were bluer when he was happy.
"I thought that had been established.", Brody smirked.
"You mean with that circus act of yours back at the cabin?"
"You don't like my juggling?", he asked, looking at her in a sad puppy dog kind of way.
"I like a lot of things about you. But the clown thing?", clicking her tongue Carrie shook her head.
"No good?"
"Nope."
"Guess the carnival won't be where I take you on our first date.", Brody scoffed as her eyes widened in surprise.
"Our first-"
"Well I figure if I'm gonna land that cabin boy job I'll have to win you over the old fashioned way."
"Yes since I'm such an old fashioned girl."
"A girl I happen to love.", Brody let slip.
Biting her lip Carrie backed up, wrapping the bed sheet around her.
"What happened to being careful?", she asked sharply.
"Carrie.."
"Brody. You said-"
"I know what I said. And you don't need to say anything back or make any decisions yet. You don't need to say a fucking word. Not after the way I talked you out of saying anything at the cabin."
"Well I want to get one fucking word in now, okay?"
"Okay."
"You know how I feel about you. I know how you feel about me. I want to just, give into that. But..."
"But it's not that easy."
"With you and me nothing is easy.", Carrie frowned, curling back up on his chest as he smoothed her hair.
"I know. You said you still needed to think.", Brody recalled.
"And I want to talk to Saul about things too. That's if I fucking hear from him anytime soon. If I wasn't so pissed at him for it I'd be worried.", she frowned. As did Brody, knowing that Saul wouldn't want to talk so much as try and talk Carrie out of having anything to do with him.
"Did talking with your sister earlier help at all?", he asked, thinking it best to change the subject.
"Maggie worries. She always, worries. And the fact I hadn't kept her updated on you and me didn't help matters."
"She only knows me as the son of a bitch who confronted you in that parking lot.", he said bitterly.
"She knows more now. I do too."
"I can't imagine rehashing all the shit we'd been through was a fun time."
"Ranked about the same as the Nuremberg trials.", Carrie smirked getting him laughing.
"But my niece actually helped shed some light on things."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah.", she smiled sitting back up.
"I was telling Maggie about everything at the cabin, and she, Josie, came over to give me a hug. She asked me why I looked so happy."
"What did you tell her?"
"I said I'd spent some time with a friend of mine."
"A friend?", Brody smirked.
"A good..friend.", Carrie grinned. "And she said I should see them again."
"Because you looked so happy?"
"I didn't just look it. I was.", she smiled before her face went solemn.
"You'd think that would be enough."
Cupping her face in his palm, Brody gave her a soft smile.
"Hey, it's a start. More than I could've hoped for from you after everything that's.."
"Hey, don't. Don't go there.", she said firmly.
"Lets just try and be here for now. Okay?"
Shrugging Brody nodded, leaning back against the bed pillows as quiet crept in.
"Well if being here involves us lying here awkwardly staring at your ceiling, I'd rather be someplace else."
"Where? Prom?", Carrie teased. Thinking back to another time things between them had taken an awkward turn.
"Actually..."
With a sly grin Brody shifted out of her arms and out of bed. Slipping into his boxers and jeans.
"Yes, Sergeant?", Carrie smirked, curiously watching him cross the room to her closet.
Grabbing her robe hanging off the back of it, he switched on her clock radio and jazz echoed through the room.
"Brody?"
Nodding for her to sit up he helped her into the robe, then taking her hand helped her to her feet.
"How about a dance?", he asked with a grin.
"A dance?"
"Hey, I can be old fashioned too."
Turning to slip on his shirt, he went to button it but Carrie stopped him.
"No..don't.", she said softly as he turned back around to face her.
Looping her arms up around his neck, his settled around her waist as they swayed back and forth to the slow song.
"So, could you see us doing this on a first date?" Carrie asked, smiling up at him.
"In more appropriate attire? Absolutely."
"Prude.", she teased leaning into his chest. Laughing, Brody's chin came to rest on top of her head.
"How about tomorrow? After that fucking memorial..", he said bitterly. Leading her to back up enough to reach up, cupping his face.
"It's a short service, Brody.", Carrie reassured. "You go, pay respects to the family, shake a few hands. Then take a seat close enough-"
"To see you but not close enough to attract attention to us. I know this."
"One look from you and we'll leave. You have my word."
"What about you though? Tomorrow if you manage to get a hold of Saul.."
"We'll talk. I'll talk to him, I'll do my best to figure this out. Figure me out. Figure..us out. But even if I don't..you're not supposed to know exactly how you feel about someone on the first date, right?", she asked getting him smiling.
"Right. So its settled, you..me, tomorrow night. The Ashford. You wearing that dress over there in your closet."
"Which one?"
"The one that'll get every guy in the place wishing they were me.", Brody grinned as Carrie nodded, snuggling closer to his chest.
"I love you, Brody."
"I love you too, Carrie...Carrie? Carrie!"
"What?", she jumped. Opening her eyes to see Galvez looking down at her.
"You have a nice dream?"
"Danny, what the fuc-"
"The debriefs in ten minutes, Carrie!"
"Oh..shit. Shit!" Flustered she stood up, turning the music off before rifling through her briefcase.
"It's okay. The boss is allowed to be a minute late."
"I fucking fell asleep!", she spat.
"Hey, happens to the best of us. Just be glad I thought to stop by here before I went to the conference room."
"Shit..", running a hand through her hair she came to another realization.
"Farrah. Where's Farrah?!"
"She's fine. She's still in Saul's office."
"But Saul's at the debrief."
"That's why Max is watching her."
"Max? As in Virgil's weird little brother, Max?
"I stayed in there for awhile. Kept an eye on them. Farrah's insistent on making him talk."
At this Carrie laughed.
"Interrogator in the making?"
"She's acting like a tourist in London would with the guards at Buckingham Palace. Telling jokes, flitting around to pester him, make him crack up."
"Has she succeeded?"
"Not yet but she's determined. Trust me, she's occupied."
"You're sure?", Carrie asked warily. "No..no I'm going to check on her. See for myself."
"Carrie we're already running behind."
"But.."
"Don't worry. If your report is as quick as you said we'll be done before you know it.", Galvez assured as Carrie nodded and followed him into the hall, locking her door behind her.
"By the way Quinn told me he won't be at the debrief. He'll just review the notes afterwards."
"And Saul okayed that?"
"He said it was probably for the best, considering.."
"Fuck.", she spat. Embarrassed that their confrontation had all but forced Quinn out of the meeting. But relieved she didn't have to deal with him at the present moment as she and Danny entered the conference room.
Meanwhile in Saul's office, Farrah was getting bored. She'd done everything she could to make Max smile and laugh and talk. But he was so occupied on his computer he was unfazed by her efforts. Noticing his wallet that had fallen on the floor with a dollar folded in it, she grinned. Tempted to grab the bill and use at the vending machine down the hall. Remembering her pinky promise to Carrie though she frowned, stamping her foot. Until she remembered she could give the dollar back later.
Grabbing a post it note she scribbled IOU on it, stuck it to the wallet and slipped out of the office without so much as a look from Max.
Feeling a little like a spy sneaking past the offices, wondering if Carrie would be proud of her, Farrah turned the corner to the vending machine and seeing no one else around, ran over to it.
Threading the dollar through the slot she eyed a Hershey bar and grinned, punching in the code for it. The candy swung, set to fall to the bottom of the machine, but then got stuck.
"No, my candy!", Farrah yelled tapping the glass.
"My candy! Let go!"
When it didn't budge she hit at and kicked the machine in frustration. Not hearing footsteps coming up behind her...