Okay, once again thanks for the reviewage and gentle persuasion to keep pushing ahead with this. :D This update was another tough one, especially the last portion of it. Please let me know what you think! More to come soon. :)
After getting off the phone with Maggie, Brody went to check on Carrie when his phone buzzed. The caller ID flashing an unfamiliar number. Against his better judgment, he picked up.
"Hello?", he answered in his near perfected British accent.
"For fuck's sake will you cut that out? Lose that thing already!"
"Nice to hear your voice too, Quinn.", Brody scoffed.
"How did you even get this number?", he asked.
"I have my sources."
"Shit, I don't even want to know."
"Good, it's better that way. How's Carrie?"
"Well, she's talking."
"Good...that, that's good.", Quinn said, a hint of relief in his voice as he stirred his coffee.
He'd been walking around and driving all night searching until finally his exhaustion got the better of him. Instead of going home though he went to the cafe Danny and Carrie had brought Farrah to. Ordering breakfast and keeping a lookout. He didn't feel right going home, and doubted he'd be able to relax anyway.
"Listen, she's got a theory about Farrah."
"What kind of theory could she have? You saw her, she was completely out of it after the parade."
"Before she went completely out of it she could hear Farrah. She said she was yelling but then not yelling for her."
"Yelling, but then not yelling. Wow, that's uh..that's really something.", Quinn sighed, leaning back in the booth. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he swore under his breath.
"Look I know what you're thinking, I know. But Carrie thinks Farrah stopped yelling because she saw someone she knew. She's convinced someone Farrah trusted was responsible for taking her."
"Well answer me this then, who would Farrah trust enough to go off with aside from Carrie or someone from Langley? I'm sorry, that theory makes absolutely no sense."
"Farrah's got a brother, Quinn. An older brother she drew a picture of recently. We think his name's Khaliq."
"And..?!"
"And I'm waiting to hear back from a colleague of mine-"
"I'm sorry, how the fuck does someone like you have colleagues?", Quinn interrupted.
"A colleague of mine who may have seen him!", Brody emphasized through clenched teeth.
"Who may have?" Quinn groaned, rolling his eyes.
"Hey it could still be something to go off of. What have you come up with, anything?"
"Virgil called the cops and sent that brother of his out looking. But no, we've come up with nothing yet."
"Well do me a favor-"
"Do you a favor? You're not dead, Brody. That's your favor!"
"Do Carrie a favor then!", Brody growled.
"Fine, what?"
"Look into this brother thing. It could be nothing but it could be a lead."
"Fine, I'll look into it."
"Thank you. So, is there any other reason you called me?"
"No, I just wanted to hear that accent one more time.", Quinn spat sarcastically.
"Quinn, I really don't have time for-"
"How's Carrie, really? How is she holding up?"
Hearing the concern in his voice, Brody resolved to keep his snark in check.
"She's been better, Quinn. Underneath all the theorizing she's doing she's scared out of her fucking mind." Literally, he thought to himself.
"What about the PTSD you mentioned, has that worn off?"
"Yeah, but she's still not.."
"Yeah, I figured. But at least you got her talking. That's something."", Quinn said solemnly.
"I'm keeping an eye on her, Quinn. I'm not letting her out of my sight.", Brody assured before turning around, and paled when he didn't see Carrie at the bulletin board.
"Good, keep it that way. And remember what I mentioned yesterday. Still applies."
"Your threat's coming in loud and clear, Quinn. Good bye."
Hanging up, rolling his eyes, he went to look for Carrie.
"Fuck, Danny I have to go but please pursue this."
"Wait, Carrie I don't-"
"If I could get to my fucking car I'd go home and find the drawing myself but I can't! And I trust you! Check Farrah's bulletin board, her bureau, under her bed. The spare key's under the welcome mat. When you find the completed sketch call me back as quickly as you can."
"But Carrie-"
Before he could get another word in she hung up her phone. Running a hand through her hair as she tried to take slow breaths.
"That's a terrible spot for a hide-a-key, you know.", Brody said, giving her a sheepish smile as she whipped around, brushed past him to the dry erase board. Frowning, he followed her.
"Who were you talking to just now?"
"It doesn't matter, it..it's finished. Besides there's so, so much more to be focusing on. Finding a fucking pen for starters-"
As she rifled through papers, other drawings to find her green marker for the dry erase, shaking his head Brody spun her to face him, holding her by the shoulders.
"Carrie, right now all I want you to focus on is getting better."
"What are you talking about, getting better? I'm fine, Brody! I'm better then fine. We're working together to find Farrah, and we will find her, I can feel it!"
"And what's going to happen when we do? She's going to see you like this?"
"See me like what?!", Carrie asked quizzically as Brody sighed, rubbed her shoulders he still was holding.
"You're not you right now, Carrie. I'm trying but I can't keep up. You're talking too fast. You're running around here after you fucking broke in this morning!"
"Yes but I had to Brody. I needed someplace to work and this was it! It's ideal, idyllic! I-"
"I know you needed to work. I wanted to help you, that's why I came here. But, I can't do a thing if I can't follow you and damn it, right now it's like I don't even know you!"
"Are you kidding, of course you know me!", Carrie insisted.
"Brody you know me better than anyone's ever wanted to, ever would, ever will! We've discussed, debated, deliberated. And it's decided. I love you, and you love me!" Smiling she reached up, stroked his face.
"You love me."
"Yeah I do. And because I do, I can't watch you like this, Carrie. I can't.", he said sadly as her smile faded to a confused, fearful look. His words slowly sinking in as she backed up.
"Look I'm gonna help you through this though, okay? I swear."
"But the work, all the work...I can't lose that! That won't happen again!"
Carrie spun away from him but then turned, looked at him questioningly as she tensed up. Nervously she backed up, moved away from him as her mind jumped back.
"Sergeant Brody called."
"I..I don't know what you mean..."
"I think you do."
"This chart! It is very important, it is very meaningful!"
"What is wrong with her?"
"I am about to SOLVE this fucking thing!"
"Strip it."
"Hey? Hey what is it, what's-"
Moving around him to the boards Carrie turned, stood in front of them like she was guarding them.
"What are you doing?", he asked as she glared.
"Carrie seriously what-"
"You...you are not taking this away from me. Not again." she said coldly.
"Take what away, what are you talking about?"
Utterly confused, Brody was at a loss until he got a closer look at her eyes and froze.
She was staring him down the exact way she had in his hotel room, with that powerful, defiant, in control, take no prisoners look in her eyes.
But looking closer he saw pain there too. The same he'd seen from her those two plus days he was shackled to that table. When she'd gotten her turn in the interrogation bunker, sat back in the chair across from him, made her own confession.
Because of you I questioned my own sanity. I had myself committed to a mental institution.
I lost my job too. I lost my place in the world. I lost everything.
Looking at the board, back at her, guiltily Brody sighed, tried to speak.
"Carrie I'm not...that won't. I won't let it. I mean it. Not after everything's that's happ-"
"You let it happen before! ", Carrie cried.
"You caused it, created it, controlled it, you sent them in to confiscate...", her voice cracking she shook her head, blinked back tears.
"They took it all! They took everything from me!"
"That won't happen again Carrie. Never again.", he insisted. He wanted to go up and hold her shoulders, hug her, something. But he didn't feel worthy and just stood still.
"Look, I know what I took from you, and it's nothing I can just put back. That first weekend at the cabin, for some bizarre reason you and I found trust between us. I felt it and so did you. But as quick as we found it, we broke it.
We broke each other, almost beyond repair. And then I went ahead and broke you down more.
I know you said that since we 'got to there' it doesn't matter, but it does. I need you to know how sorry I am.
That I can't, don't blame you when you lash out like this, look at me the way you are right now because you're fearing the worst. I know I've given you every reason to.", Brody sighed as Carrie slowly moved closer to him.
"So maybe I deserve it. How right now you're giving me every reason to fear you again."
"What?", she asked softly, even though she was sure he was referring to her current state and bowed her head.
"Brody..."
"You didn't take your meds last night, Carrie. You lied to me. Played me like a fucking violin." he said bitterly.
"I may not be able to blame you for not putting all your trust in me, for being afraid of me. But in spite of what I've done, don't put me in the same position you're in. Don't make me constantly wonder about or question you. I worked past that and I can't go back. You're it for me, you understand? If I can't trust you, I can't trust anyone!"
Bowing his head now, Brody didn't see her move closer to him, didn't look at her until he felt her still trembling hand cup his face.
"You..you can trust me. I give you my word. You can.", Carrie said, gently kissing him as if to seal her words before she pulled back and walked over to grab her purse, taking out the Altoids container.
Retrieving the two pills she made sure he saw her take them, then looked over to see him looking at her.
He was stunned, but more relieved than anything and showed so when he walked up.
Pulled her into an almost too tight embrace. Holding her like he'd just woken up from a nightmare.
"Shh..it's okay..it..it's okay", Carrie stammered, but fought to keep her breathing in check, her voice calm as she held him just as tight.
"Ev...everything's fine. Everything's fine."