Okay here's the latest. I'm foreseeing this as another chapter that's gonna take on a life of it's own. Yikes. Anyway, take as you will, more to come soon. And thanks muchly to all my reviewers!
"Alright, are you full or am I gonna have to get you a third helping?", Carrie asked, arching a brow at Farrah across the table. They'd made spaghetti and salad after Maggie and Danny left, and she was stuffed, but the girl across the way from her looked ready for more.
"Are you kidding?"
"I walk..I hike, a lot! Makes me hungry!"
"Well, that's true. But, if you eat more spaghetti are you going to have room for cupcakes?"
"Cupcake! I forget about cupcake."
"How could you forget about cupcake?", she scoffed.
"Look, help me with the dishes and then we'll have dessert."
"I wash?"
"No. I wash, you dry."
Handing the towel to her Carrie started scrubbing their plates.
"So tonight, swim?", Farrah asked.
"Tomorrow. It's supposed to rain tonight. Besides, I have to make sure I have a bathing suit here."
"I have one?"
"I'm pretty sure I packed it."
"Ah, okay."
Taking the dish from her, Farrah struggled to get a good grip on it before drying it. Once done she frowned at the cookie sheet resting on the counter top, holding slices of charred garlic bread.
"What we do with this?"
"Oooh, forgot about that. Now and earlier. I'm sorry, you did such a good job making it and I let it sit in the oven too long.", Carrie said apologetically as she dumped the bread in the trash.
"It okay.", the girl shrugged.
"Where did you learn to make garlic bread anyway?"
"Nick brought us to cafeteria. Teach us in kitchen!"
"Wow. Well, you learned quicker than I did."
"He teach you to cook too?"
"He tried.", Carrie smirked, reflecting on the tomato incident. But when she looked down to hand Farrah another dish, she noticed the glum look on her face.
"Farrah? You okay?"
"Yes."
"Oh c'mon. I know that look does not mean okay."
Leaving the remaining dishes to soak, Carrie took Farrah by the hand. Walked her to the living room where they sat on the sofa.
"You didn't get that look til I mentioned Brody."
"Brody?"
"Damn!", she scolded herself.
"Nick! I meant Nick."
"Why is Nick...Brody?"
"Well, that's his last name. And that's what I call him."
"I call him that too?"
"That depends. What do you like calling him?"
"Nick. But, Brody good too?"
Frowning Farrah bit her lip.
"I think about it."
"Okay, take all the time you need. I'm just glad you two get along."
"Yes.", she grinned.
"You know he's got a daughter too. She's older than you, but he can't really spend lots of time with her right now."
"Oh. He spend time with me then!"
"You'd like that, huh."
"Yes."
"Yeah, I would too."
Leaning back into the cushions Carrie slipped an arm around her. Farrah took the hint and snuggled closer.
"It's just tough because he works at the community center and he's needed there right now. But you'll see him there soon and in the meantime, you're stuck with me. Is that okay?"
"I guess."
"You guess? What do you mean you guess?"
Laughing, Carrie started tickling her but this time Farrah didn't stick around to take it. Sliding off the sofa she took off outside, then ran around the cabin leaving Carrie to chase her.
Once losing her, Farrah ran back inside and hid in the kitchen. Hearing Carrie come back inside, she realized she hadn't found her yet and giggling, stayed ducked down in her hiding spot. Then noticed the cupcakes on a plate on the counter top, importantly the one with lots of sprinkles.
Grinning, she stood just enough to reach the dish, and grabbed the cupcake before she felt a grip on her wrist.
"Gotcha!"
"No..no fair. My cupcake!", Farrah protested as Carrie dropped her wrist. Then grabbed her own cupcake and ran into the kitchen to sit next to the girl on the floor.
"Yours that has more sprinkles. How is that fair?"
Using her finger to swipe some icing off Farrah's cupcake, Carrie got a look.
"Hey!"
Retaliating, Farrah copied her gesture, leading Carrie to swipe frosting onto the girl's nose.
Soon enough more was on their hair and faces than the cakes themselves, and between the sugar and their actions they were laughing so much it hurt.
"Okay...okay...truce! Truce.", Carrie begged between giggles as she lay sprawled out on her back, struggling to sit back up.
"What..what is truce?", Farrah asked her once she had.
"A break, a rest, a reprieve. Call for peace."
"Okay. Peace truce."
"Yes. Peace truce."
Shaking on it, Carrie nodded for the girl to help her up off the floor. Once standing, she led her over to the bathroom and they brushed their teeth, then took turns getting changed.
After Carrie got dressed, went out to the living room and got a fire going, she turned down the bed. Then heard a crack of thunder outside that sent Farrah running to her, near tears.
"Hey...hey it's okay. It's just a thunderstorm that's all."
"It loud! Scary."
"Yeah, it can be sometimes. But it's pretty far away from us."
"Yes?"
"Yeah, my dad taught me how to figure it out. See, look. The lightning just flashed so start counting until you hear the thunder. One..two..three..four.."
Counting to twenty before Farrah jumped, clung onto her, Carrie lightly laughed.
"That storm is still a ways off. Four miles between you and it."
"Four?"
"Yeah. I promise it won't get to you. I won't let it."
Squeezing her tight she lifted her, brought her over to bed before tucking them both in.
"Okay, you have Merriweather?"
"Yes."
"You warm enough, comfy?"
"I good."
"Okay, good."
Kissing her on the cheek, Carrie flipped off the nearby lamp, shut her eyes only to realize it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. Rolling her eyes, she made sure Farrah was asleep before slipping out from under the covers. Then snuck onto the front porch with her phone.
It was windy and the rain was coming down in sheets. Sitting in one of the chairs she was content to listen to her music, watch it fall steadily. Maybe if she got lucky it would relax her.
...
Waking up when the van lurched to a stop, Brody's eyes opened and he almost panicked until remembering where he was, who'd landed him here. Pushing past the anger and claustrophobia he forced himself to breathe, remembered the reason he'd listened to Peter Quinn in the first place.
Hearing the trunk open he was helped out by one of the two goons, until he was shakily standing outside the van.
"Okay, get this fucking thing off of me or I swear-"
Before he could finish the threat the bag was yanked off his head. In just enough time for the rain to start up again, soak his hair.
"Great. Just great. Quinn must be laughing up a storm right now.", he spat.
Turning around he realized he was talking to himself, as the van door slammed shut and the driver sped off.
Realizing he was Carrie's cabin, but also drenched and without the bag he'd packed, Brody groaned, shivering as he made his way towards the porch. As his phone that he'd happened to leave in his pocket suddenly went off.
"Hello?"
"Brody. You arrived safe I take it?"
"Jesus, fuck. Quinn where do you get off? Beating me up, bagging my head, throwing me in the trunk of a fucking van?!"
"I had to make sure you wouldn't try anything stupid, like dodge us."
"Try and dodge...why would I do that?!"
"Why have you done half of the things you've done? Let's not forget you're still a fugitive."
"A fugitive who you sent after Carrie to...ugh, forget it! I'm not going to waste time arguing. But for the record you've got a twisted way of getting even."
"Even?", Quinn scoffed.
"You call this getting even. I call this a goddamn gift. You're at the cabin aren't you?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Yeah, exactly. You're there. But consider your trip a taste of what's to come if you fuck up, with Carrie and by extension with Farrah. They're the only reason you're not in a packing crate bound for Siberia instead."
"Siberia?"
"Cold. Homeland for tigers, husky dogs. You'd learn to like it I'm sure."
In spite of everything Brody couldn't help laughing in disbelief.
"Okay Mr. Answer For Everything! What am I supposed to tell Carrie when she sees your goon's handiwork? Haven't seen the damage myself yet but I'm sure I'll have some bumps and bruises to explain."
"Fine. You fell down, walked into a goddamn wall."
"Damn it, Quinn!"
"I don't know. You're creative. Come up with something for yourself."
"How about I just tell her the truth.", Brody smirked.
"And how about I tell my friends to go back? Let them start the work I'll get there to finish."
"You're not going to kill me. Who else would banter with you in the middle of a fucking thunderstorm when there's a warm cabin not ten feet away?"
"Try a complete moron. The one who didn't think to pack a bag for said cabin."
"I did pack one! That your goons decided wasn't worth bringing!"
"Well, enjoy roughing it then."
"I'm sure since your little plan worked out you're enjoying yourself right about now."
"Well, guess he's not a complete moron after all.", Quinn snickered before hanging up, as Brody rolled his eyes. Doing the same before jogging towards the porch.