The next morning Carrie woke up on the living room couch, after sleeping an hour or two at most. The snippet of Maggie and Danny's conversation she'd overheard kept replaying in her mind. Her tears had subsided but now anger had set in at their words. Of all the people out there she never expected her longtime colleague and her sister to question her ability to care for Farrah.

They were concerned over her situation with and concern for Brody, afraid it was interfering with and taking away from her relationship with Farrah, placing the girl in the middle of the drama.

But Carrie knew better. She knew Farrah had come to care for Brody before knowing he and Carrie were involved, and that keeping the girl in the dark about him would just upset and cause her more pain. So instead of feeling apologetic or guilty, Carrie was agitated and insulted. Far from in the mood for a big family breakfast.

When Farrah came downstairs and tapped her on the shoulder, shook her completely awake, in spite of everything Carrie couldn't help smiling. Rolling over she reached over, squeezed the girl's hand.
"Hey. How'd you and Calvin sleep?"
"Good. You?"
"Okay I guess.", she sighed sitting up.
"Look I know we said we'd eat breakfast here but we should try and eat fast, okay? Otherwise you'll be late for the community center."
"Okay I eat fast. C'mon Cal we eat fast.", Farrah giggled, skipping over to the kitchen with the cat at her heels.

Feeling stiff from being on the couch all night, Carrie stretched her neck as her nieces ran downstairs.
"Auntie Carrie! Farrah's new cat slept on our bed all night! He's so cute!" Ruby grinned.

"Can you talk to Mom and Danny about us getting one, please?", Josie chimed in, jumping to sit next to Carrie on the couch.
"I'll see what I can do.", Carrie laughed as Ruby went over to the kitchen. Josie stayed seated though, frowned up at her curiously.

"Aunt Carrie, are you okay?"
"Yeah, Josie. Why?"
"You didn't come back to our room last night. I woke up and you'd left."
"I know, pumpkin. I just couldn't get to sleep up there, that's all.", Carrie admitted. Still getting a concerned look that broke her heart.

"Josie?"
"Are you sad again? Like you were after all those people died and you came to stay with us?"
"I'm not as sad as I was then, honey. I'm not.", she assured, now feeling some guilt set in.

After the bombing and the miscarriage, when she'd taken those two weeks off, one of them she'd spent holed up in the guestroom. Maggie had insisted she go back on her meds and her depression had kicked in hard. She barely ate and spent all day in bed listening to her music. Too exhausted to even cry.

Finally one night she forced herself to go downstairs, get something to drink. But she saw Ruby and Josie getting a midnight snack, and how frightened they were over the state she was in. The next morning Carrie resolved to do something about it, get better for their sake if not her own.

"Are you not as sad because of Farrah? And your friend?"
"Which friend do you...oh, you mean Brody?"
"Yeah! Farrah said he was with you guys at the cabin."
"Yeah, he was."
"Can Ruby and I meet him? Farrah says he's fun and tells dumb jokes and has red hair. Like Ron!"
"Ron..."
"Weasley. From Harry Potter, Aunt Carrie!", Josie groaned, looking exasperated as Maggie yelled for them from the kitchen.
"We'll be right there.", Carrie yelled back as Josie stood, helped her to her feet.
"I think Brody would like Danny.", the girl chirped.

"I think the more important question is, do you like Danny?", Carrie asked, curious but desperate to get off the subject of Brody for a minute, maybe more.
"Yeah! We had so much fun making chili with him. He wore his pink apron and danced around to the Cup song. He's so funny too."

"Yeah. Danny's been a friend of mine for awhile. I'm glad you and Ruby and your mom like him so much."
"We do. And Mom kissed him good night the other night so I think she really likes him."

Josie grinned before going into the dining room. Ruby was pouring Farrah some orange juice and Maggie walked in with butter and syrup.
"Okay everyone sit down and eat. Aunt Carrie's got to drop Farrah off at the community center soon."

"Here, you all can get started on these."
Danny said, bringing out a plate of waffles. Eagerly the girls came after the stack with their forks but Carrie held off. Catching Maggie's eye.

"Carrie, aren't you hungry?"
"The girls can have their pick first.", she said coolly. "Wouldn't want to look self-serving or anything."
"Carrie.."
"Is there still that fruit salad in the fridge?", she asked, getting a nod.
"I'm just gonna go grab that, okay?"

"No, sit. I got it.", Maggie insisted, going into the kitchen and opening the fridge.
"Hey, what else do you-"
"Bring this out front okay? I'll finish up in here.", she said, handing Danny the bowl.

"Now wait, hang on! I've got a good system going in here. I'm in the zone. Seriously look at these waffles. Restaurant quality, am I right?"
"Danny, take this to my sister!", Maggie said firmly as he nodded nervously, went out to the dining room.

"Here you go, Carrie."
"Thanks.", she said coolly, taking the bowl from Danny as he surveyed things, checking that everyone had what they needed.
"So how we doing out here?"
"We good.", Farrah said, mouth full of waffle.
"Farrah, swallow please."

Quickly doing so the girl smiled shyly.
"Sorry."
"Carrie, there's another batch still if you change your mind."

"Thanks but I'm fine. Farrah, before we go I want you to triple check that you have all your stuff. We haven't got time to make a trip back."
"Hey, if she forgets anything I can always bring it to Langley with me.", Danny offered.

"I'm reminding her now so she won't forget.", Carrie said. She spoke calmly but the underlying ice in her voice was unmistakeable.
"Okay, I was just trying to-"
"I'm fine, Danny. I'm fine, Farrah's fine. I just want that known, okay?", she snapped.
"Consider it known.", Danny said, eying her warily.

"Okay this is the last batch monkeys. Make it last."
Maggie said, setting the second plate of waffles down before spearing one with a fork, putting it on Carrie's plate.
"Jesus. Really, Maggie?"
"Sweetie, you should really eat somethi-"
"I'm okay!"
"No, you're not.", Maggie hissed.

Rolling her eyes when Carrie did, she pulled her out of her chair and away from the table.
"For Christ's sake!"
"Look, are you going to tell me what's wrong or are you going to make me guess?"
"As if you don't know.", Carrie spat, getting a sympathetic look.

"Listen, I know a lot is riding on today but-"
"Yeah, a lot is. My career and personal life are hanging by a fucking thread. But I'm dealing with it. I have been. And if you think for one second my relationship with Farrah's become less of a priority because of it.."

Mouth agape, Maggie looked on warily.
"Carrie what made you think that-"
"You did. And don't even try telling me I heard you and Danny wrong. Listening in is part of my goddamn job description."
"Well, whatever you did listen in on, you misunderstood, I-"

"Bullshit.", Carrie hissed. "I heard everything I needed to."
"Carrie, I just said..look all of this now, with Brody.. things are just. Look tell me Farrah's not affected, that you're not consumed with it all to the point that she's-"

"What? Neglected? Shut out? May as well not have me at all!", she spat bitterly as Maggie sighed, bowed her head.

"You know I may have Dad's fucked up mind and judgment, but don't go diagnosing and treating me for having Mom's just yet. I haven't got a CVS run planned anytime soon.", Carrie growled, taking her sister aback.
"Carrie, I-"

"As far as Farrah being affected? No shit, of course she is. She cares about Brody, and she cared about him before knowing he and I were ever involved. I may hate the fact that she's hurting and that she's in this with me but she is now. If I'm consumed, it's because she is just as much.

So go ahead, call me a shitty excuse of a guardian for letting it all happen, letting her and I get up to our fucking necks in something we can't control but care about.

But know that all this with Brody, however much we care about it, however much I do, it doesn't come remotely close to how much I care about Farrah. And she knows that. I thought you did too."

"Carrie, I never-"
"We should go. Apologize to Danny for me. His waffles looked good."

Turning on her heel Carrie went upstairs, grabbed Farrah's backpack from the guestroom along with Calvin's carrier. Coaxing the kitten inside it, she scanned the guestroom for anything Farrah left behind. Not seeing anything she went back downstairs where Farrah was standing in the foyer. Looking nervous.

"Carrie? You okay?"
"I'm fine, honey. I just don't want us to be late. Did you say goodbye to Ruby and Josie?"
"Yes. And Dan and Maggie."
"Good. Let's get going then."

"Carrie...", Maggie called after her. Reluctantly she turned, looked over her shoulder.
"You have to know that I don't, I never said that you were like.."

"Okay, Maggie.", she said curtly before following Farrah out the door.

Watching them leave Maggie shook her head in disbelief.
"Damn it!", she spat, prompting Danny to pull her into a hug.
"I can't believe she overheard us."

"She misunderstood though. I mean you don't really think she's a bad mother, right?"
"No, I don't. She's amazing with Farrah. It's just like I said, everything with Brody. God, if he doesn't turn up today, Carrie's going to be."
"I know. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Carrie will turn to you for help, we both know it. You're her sister and she loves you."
"Yeah well, she loves Brody too."

Shaking her head Maggie made her way back to the dining room, leaning on Danny's shoulder the walk there.
"So help me, he better not fuck it all up."