Okay sorry for the delay with this update. It's a longer one though to make up for things, and I had some fun writing it. Anyhow, enjoy, please review. More to come soon!
"Are we here yet? Are we here?", Farrah repeated in the backseat. When she'd woken up this morning Carrie was already out of bed, and had eaten, dressed, and packed up their bags. She hadn't said much, but Farrah figured she was just being quiet so as not to give away any hints about the surprise.
"Are we there yet, Farrah. And no, not yet. Just be patient.", Carrie sighed as she continued to drive. She'd been up early, feeling wired after sleeping horribly. Even her music hadn't been enough to get her mind off what she'd heard last night (and luckily hadn't heard since).
Unlike her though, Farrah had slept soundly and it was clear who was the more lively of the two of them.
"Carrie?"
"Yes Farrah?"
"Is surprise, cabin?"
"How did you figure that out?"
"Lots of trees! Like you said."
"Okay, you got me. Yes, that's where we're going."
Relieved to look over her shoulder and see Farrah smiling, looking excited, Carrie turned onto the thruway exit for the cabin. Already starting to feel better about taking Brody's advice.
"Carrie?"
"Yes?"
"What do we do at cabin?", Farrah asked eagerly.
"Well, you remember how I told you about the waterfall?"
"Yes!"
"I thought we'd hike there if it's nice out, and over to this clearing Maggie and I used to go to with all these wildflowers. I can show you the lake too."
"Can I swim?"
"You don't know how to swim, Farrah."
"You teach?"
"Well, I'll think about it.", Carrie sighed as she bit her lip. Just thinking how perfect Brody would be for that job.
"Carrie?"
"Yeah?"
"Is this it?", Farrah asked curiously, though she was pretty sure she was correct after the car stopped.
The second it was parked she unlocked her door, jumped out before Carrie could stop her.
Before Carrie noticed another, unfamiliar, car parked not far away.
"What the...Farrah! Farrah stay on the porch, okay! Stay there!", she ordered.
Getting out of the car, leaving it unlocked in case they needed to get away quickly, she made sure her canister of pepper spray was in her purse.
She didn't think packing her gun was necessary with one readily accessible at the cabin, but was starting to regret that decision. Not recognizing that car had her on edge.
"Carrie?", Farrah whispered, hiding behind her after she joined her on the porch. Watching as she reached in her bag for her spray, slowly pushed open the screen door.
Adrenaline kicked in as she noticed the dim lights, heard muffled sounds and a distinct "what the.." coming from the direction of the couch. Her finger was on the spray trigger right as two shadowy figures poked their heads out from under the sofabed sheets. One of them letting out a shrill scream.
"Carrie!"
"God what the...damn it, does she have pepper spray! Get that shit away from me!"
"Maggie?! DANNY?! What the...Jesus Christ!"
Pulling Farrah towards her so the girl's face was pressed into her hip, Carrie's free hand flew to her eyes.
"You've got to be kidding. Are you two decent?!"
"Almost!", Maggie squeaked, mortified as she hurriedly buttoned her top.
"Carrie? I look yet?", Farrah asked, her voice muffled against the denim.
"Damn it. Hold on Farrah!", Danny groaned as he jumped out of bed, frantically searching for his boxers.
"Fu...fudge, you two!", Carrie groaned, shaking her head as she uncovered, rolled her eyes.
"Just get it together here okay, I just can't believe that you...whoa! Oh, shit!"
Quickly turning away after seeing Danny's not entirely covered ass, she stifled a laugh at the Snoopy print boxers he'd apparently located.
"They were a gift, Carrie."
"From someone who hates you?", she snickered as he shot her a glare. Meanwhile Maggie plopped her head in her hands, not sure if she should laugh or cry.
"Anyone de...decent?", Farrah asked, still trapped against Carrie's right thigh. Realizing that, she released her, getting a puzzled frown in return.
"What you not let me see?"
"Something you're not going to see until you're twenty five.", Carrie snorted.
"So uh, Farrah, want to go for a walk?", Danny offered as he finished buttoning his shirt. Nodding, Farrah looked pleadingly up at Carrie.
"Please?"
"Fine, go ahead. Just stick close to Danny, okay?"
"Yes, yes.", she grinned, hugging her before walking up, taking Danny by the hand.
Once alone, Carrie turned to Maggie with a smug, knowing, approving smile.
"Alright, go ahead. Just say it!"
"I don't even know where to begin!", she laughed, sitting in the recliner across the way.
"How long has this been going on? I mean the two of you were hanging out at the hospital, wait..wasn't he just discharged? How did you two...with his shoulder?"
"He made it work."
"I bet he did.", Carrie smirked, while Maggie blushed eight shades of red.
"Seriously though, when did the two of you start-"
"This was the first time. I swear. We've just been spending a lot of time together since..."
"Since what?"
"Since I pepper sprayed him at your house.", she said sheepishly.
"What?!", Carrie laughed.
"He pulled his gun on me! I just reacted accordingly."
"How the fuck did you go from pepper spraying him to...this? And you two being so close at the hospital?"
"Well, we kind of bonded. During the whole thing with Farrah and you, he was really sweet."
"And sexy, smart, strong. Licensed to carry a gun..."
"Hey, don't get any ideas.", Maggie cautioned, a jealous flicker in her eyes, getting Carrie laughing.
"Don't worry. A certain former congressman has me occupied for the moment. Besides, you're the better sister, remember? You're better for Danny than I could've ever been. He's realized this. You should be happy. At least as happy as you were before I barged in on your romantic weekend in front of the fireplace."
"You mean the freezer at this point. It's only ninety degrees out." she groaned, fanning herself.
"Well a little sweat never hurt anyone. Clearly.", Carrie smirked getting a look, and a suppressed smile.
"I'm sorry though, this is just too-"
"I know, it's crazy. I'm crazy."
"No, I'm crazy. You're just in love.", Carrie teased, but her smile was sincere.
"Carrie, I'm not...we're, not..."
"C'mon Maggie. You forget I know you. This whole thing, this is something I would do."
"Something you've done.", Maggie corrected, getting a look.
"It's not something you do. You're not spontaneous. You don't just run off for a weekend and hook up with someone! Not unless you're so head over heels you can't even think straight."
"You've got a point, I'm certainly not thinking straight. And if you think I expected this, anything like this to happen you're wrong."
Mystified, Carrie shook her head.
"You bring a guy up to a secluded cabin in the woods and don't expect sex? And I'm the crazy one?"
"Hey, maybe I am just as much. I don't even know what I'm doing! What I've turned into since..."
"What you've turned into?"
"Yes! Carrie, I'm not some teenager who can get away with this sort of thing! I work at a hospital! I have two girls to raise."
"They're with Dad I take it?"
"I didn't even give him any notice.", Maggie sighed guiltily as she stood up, stripped the sheets off the bed then put the quilt down over the mattress. Needing to do something to distract herself.
"I just came back to the house, packed a bag, told the girls I had to work the night shift and left! After Danny was discharged I just, drove him here."
"Well I don't think you dragged him here by force.", Carrie chuckled, but barely got a smile as Maggie continued remaking the bed.
"What the hell is wrong with me!"
"Maggie...", Shaking her head she got up from the recliner, walked Maggie back to the bed and nodded for her to sit down before joining her.
"Nothing is wrong with you. You're a grown woman, he's a consenting adult. You're allowed to do this sort of thing."
"But you just said, I don't do this sort of thing. I don't, Carrie! I didn't even do this with Patrick!"
"Maybe because Patrick was a prick?"
"He's the father of your nieces.", Maggie reminded.
"He's still a prick. Reproducing doesn't change that. He has two terrific girls and walked out on them before Ruby was four. If that's not proof he's a good for nothing asshole then-"
"Okay, okay. I've heard all of this from you before, remember?", she sighed.
"I remember Dad and I telling you and you refusing to listen. That first Thanksgiving you brought him home for? I told you the fucker hit on me in the kitchen and you screamed at me, stormed out with him before dessert."
"Alright, I know. I was a idiot."
"Note the past tense. Trust me, Danny's one of the good ones. He'd have to be to get this far with you so fast."
"We did have dinner after he was discharged."
"Yeah? Where'd you take him?"
"He took me to that new French restaurant. I drove but he paid. And got us two bottles of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries."
"Your favorite! Fuck, Maggie that is obnoxiously sweet.", Carrie smiled.
"So when are you going to tell the girls?"
"Yeah. I've been avoiding that. Everything's happening so quickly with us. But I feel like I have to be ready to walk down the aisle with him before I clue the girls in. I don't want them getting attached and then have everything fall apart."
"What makes you say things are going to fall apart? Trust me, you introduce Danny to those girls, he'll be damned if he loses any of you. Look at him and I with Farrah. I think he really wants to be that superhero dad. Ruby and Josie may want it too."
"Okay, you're thinking so far ahead here it's starting to scare me.", Maggie snorted.
"I know, talk about role reversal."
Shaking her head Carrie leaned back against the pillows, stretched out her legs.
"Okay, changing the subject. You brought Farrah up just to get away from things?"
"Brody suggested it. Said her and I needed some time to ourselves."
"Well look Danny and I will get out of your hair. I need to get back to the girls anyway and, Brody's right. The two of you earned a little R&R. You especially.", Maggie frowned seeing the bags under her sister's eyes.
"What's that look?"
"What are those bags? Carrie! How much sleep have you gott-"
"Not enough. I know.", Carrie snapped, getting a look.
"Last night, Farrah was scared so I let her spend the night in my room. I sang to her."
"Aw, Carrie..", Maggie smiled.
"Don't 'aw Carrie' me. This was not an 'aw' moment. It was followed by a fucking freak-out moment."
"What do you mean?"
"I told her goodnight in Arabic. She told me goodnight back, and then she called me Mom!", Carrie hissed, getting a broad smile in return.
"Oh! Really?"
"Yes, why are you smiling? This isn't something to smile over. This is something that had me so freaked I couldn't shut my eyes.", she sighed, folding her arms over her chest.
"Carrie c'mon, you had to expect this sooner rather than later. Look how close the two of you are! And after everything that's happened the past few days?"
"It was just her saying it. It made it real."
"Are you saying what you two have together isn't real?"
"No! No I'm not, I love Farrah, you know I love Farrah! I just..."
"You're just scared. She threw a name at you, a label, something else for you to be."
"Something by all rights I shouldn't be."
"Hey, that's not true. That is not true."
Maggie said firmly, taking Carrie by surprise before they heard the screen door and Farrah rushed over to them.
"Carrie I see the lake! I want to swim! Please, please, please!", she begged, climbing up onto the bed.
"Okay, okay. Later, I promise.", Carrie laughed as Maggie smiled, got to her feet and walked over to Danny.
"You and I should probably head back. It's getting late and I promised the girls I'd be home to tuck them in.", she said as he nodded, squeezed her hands.
"Fine, but Carrie? We call dibs here next weekend."
"Well we'll just have to see about that.", Carrie teased as she and Farrah got up. Said their goodbyes.
"You sure you're alright though, you have your meds, everything you need?"
"Positive. Now, go. Be sickeningly adorable.", she grimaced as Danny rolled his eyes, slipped an arm around her sister before they walked out.
Afterward she turned to Farrah, took her hand.
"C'mon, it's time for your official tour."
...
Alternating between sitting on the couch and pacing, Brody checked his watch for the eighteenth time. He'd made sure he finished his work and triple checked with the imam that it was alright for him to leave for the weekend, then packed himself a bag. Now he just was left to wait, impatiently, for Quinn to come through and get him to the cabin. He hadn't gotten a hold of Carrie to let her know, but hoped she'd be good with the surprise.
Deciding pacing wouldn't do much good, since he'd already eaten dinner he got himself a drink, went into his room and flipped on the TV. Hoping something would distract him from the loneliness of being back in this apartment by himself, for the first time since the parade.
As chaotic and dramatic and angst filled as her short stay had been, it had been worth it just to spend time with her again. To hold her, make her dinner, make her laugh. He was counting the hours til he was back with her and Farrah at the cabin, and just wanted to know why it was taking hours. Why Peter Quinn got off on being so damn cryptic.
Between the booze, his boredom, and the scant amount of sleep he'd had the past four days, it didn't take long for Brody to drift off until he heard a clicking sound, muttering, footsteps.
Cautiously he stood, made his way to the front as he fumbled around for the light switch on the wall. Not finding it he kept walking, trying to see through the darkness before he felt it. A sharp punch to his gut that brought him to his knees.
"AGH! What the fuck!"
"Hey, first instruction. Don't ask questions."
The threat followed by a punch to his nose, next thing he knew Brody was in even more blackness, He felt suffocated and wished to God he didn't know why. With the bag over his head and his hands tied back (his left more severely, as if he needed more of a hint who was behind this) he was strongarmed out the door, and what he assumed was down the hall and into the elevator.
He could hear the distinctive "ding" when the car stopped at the right floor, then heard the doors open and shut before he felt a humid breeze. He was outside, in what he could only guess was the back parking lot.
Then he heard the sound of a car door and unfamiliar voices.
"Did you grab his stuff?"
"Who needs stuff for a fucking cabin in the woods? Let him rough it."
"Fine, help me get him in the back."
Realizing quickly the back meant the trunk, Brody rolled his eyes behind the bag as the car sped off.
In what he could only hope was the direction of Carrie's cabin and not some abandoned hunting lodge. Knowing the man responsible for his capture that could very well be his destination.
Cursing out Quinn, at himself for not asking fucking questions, taking fucking instructions, his scarred hand throbbed in angry agreement.