So yeah, here's the latest. This chapter's also kinda long but I had some fun with it, hope it'll be a fun read. Thanks muchly to indigo and also lipamo for the reviews! Very much appreciated. More to follow soon. :)
After getting cleaned up, changed and grabbing a few more things for Farrah, hoping her headache would dissipate at some point Carrie made her way downstairs. Shaking her head when she saw Quinn at the base of the steps. Holding a to-go mug of coffee and what appeared to be some granola bars.
"Spartan much?", she smirked, taking the coffee but turning her nose up at the bar.
"I thought you said we were eating."
"I know it's no egg white omelet but we're already running late.", Quinn said, stepping outside as she followed, then turned to lock the door.
"Which is why they invented something called a drive-thru!"
"The only one on the way to your sister's house is a McDonald's. I've never eaten an Egg McMuffin in my life. Don't plan to start now."
"Like you couldn't deal with some extra fucking calories. Just go on another mid morning jog.", Carrie snorted, getting into the passenger seat.
"Don't scoff. Running helps focus your energy. Clears your mind. Probably beats electroshocks by a goddamn long shot."
"How the fuck would you know?!", she snapped as Quinn bit his lip, mentally cursed himself out.
"I apologize. That was out of line."
"It's alright. Hangovers leave me too sensitive for my own good.", Carrie shrugged, sipping her coffee.
They drove in silence for a few minutes more, until Quinn turned off at the exit before the one for Maggie's house.
"What are you doing? The exit's not for another ten-"
"Yeah, I know."
"So where the fuck are you taking us?"
Not getting an answer Carrie looked on befuddled, until he pulled into a beat up parking lot surrounding an even more beat up diner.
"We made good time, no traffic, so I figured we'd make a quick stop."
"Quinn it's already.."
"If we order fast we'll be in and out in twenty minutes. C'mon, you said you were hungry."
Too mystified to question things, Carrie followed him into the diner. Once seated at the counter he grabbed her a menu, placed his order with the waitress before she could even question it.
Stunned at his choice, all Carrie could do was laugh, shake her head.
"Okay, so an Egg McMuffin is off the table, but a powdered sugar Belgian waffle is acceptable?"
"We split it. Cuts the calories by half and still cures your hangover."
Quinn said matter of factly as the waitress poured them both coffees, eyed him curiously.
"Fourth time in here this week, honey?"
"You make a good waffle.", he shrugged, getting grins out of Carrie and the waitress both. Earning them both glares as he sipped his coffee.
Carrie just smirked until the waitress returned with the giant waffle, that looked more like carnival food than anything else. Eyes widened slightly she nodded for Quinn to divvy it up.
"So you've been here four mornings in a row? That's a lot of hangover."
"Hey about you focus on getting rid of yours?", Quinn snapped.
"Fine.", Carrie shrugged, cutting into her half of the waffle.
"Remind me to bring Farrah here sometime. She'll go wild."
"I'm sure she will.", Quinn said before checking the time, then nodded for the waitress to bring the check. Even though Carrie had only eaten two bites.
"Hey!", she exclaimed.
"If I eat this any faster it'll wind up all over your passenger seat."
Rolling his eyes Quinn grabbed a take out container and shoveled the remaining waffle into it. Even the uneaten portion of his half before putting a plastic fork in the box too, handing it all to Carrie.
"Here. Now you can finish at whatever fucking pace you want."
Once in the car, Carrie continued to eat and Quinn drove a little faster towards Maggie's. Once he could breathe a little easier seeing they'd still arrive on time, he turned and stifled a laugh seeing Carrie scarfing down the waffle. Getting powdered sugar all over her face.
"What was the last thing you ate that could count as a meal?", he asked.
"You mean our liquid one last night didn't count?", she teased as he gave her a look.
"I don't know. Vending machine trail mix?"
"From where, the hospital? That had to be stale as shit.", Quinn snorted.
"Yeah well, didn't think to set aside any that Brody had..."
"That Brody what?"
"Never mind.", Carrie sighed, continuing to poke at the waffle until finally finishing it when they reached Maggie's.
When Quinn turned to unbuckle his seatbelt, he laughed out loud seeing powdered sugar striped across Carrie's chin and up her cheek, dotting her nose.
"What?", she snorted as he laughed again, then reached over, ran a finger across her cheek.
Instead of jerking back, scoffing or swearing at him, Carrie gave him a soft smile. Leaned in closer as if to kiss him.
"Carrie..", Quinn cautioned. Eyes darkening as he frowned, pulled back.
"What?", she asked, surprised at the look on his face.
"Goddammit.", he spat. Rolling his eyes he got out of the car as Carrie's eyes narrowed. Unbuckling she slammed the door, followed his lead.
"Hey!"
"Go inside and get Farrah. We're already running late."
"What the fuc...hell, is your problem?!"
"What, you're editing yourself?"
"Well dropping F bombs in the middle of the suburbs isn't exactly tasteful.", Carrie hissed, getting a look.
"And trying to jump me in my car is?"
"Jump you?! I wasn't."
"Forget it. Just get Farrah."
Quinn said dismissively, turning away from her as she rolled her eyes, walked up the driveway in a huff.
...
Knocking loudly at the door, after Maggie let her in Carrie barely acknowledged her, or Danny standing close by. Just ran upstairs to the guest room right as Frank left the kitchen.
"What the...was that Carrie?"
"She just went upstairs, Dad. Wanted to see Farrah."
"Well, guess we should be grateful she wants to see anyone.", he pointed out as Maggie sighed, put an arm around Danny as they all retreated to the kitchen.
"Farrah? You awake?", Carrie asked, softly knocking as the girl shot up in bed, scrambled out of it towards her.
"Carrie!"
"Hey..it's okay, it's okay.", she soothed, hugging her.
"I missed-"
"I know, I missed you too."
After holding her for a few minutes more, Carrie was the first to pull back.
"You get a good night's sleep?"
"Yes. Like logs."
"You mean you slept like a log."
"I sleep like logs."
"Close enough.", Carrie laughed, shifting to a sitting position on the rug before pulling Farrah onto her lap.
"Last night. At work, you...you talk to Khal-"
"Yes I did. So did Quinn actually."
"Pete?"
"Yes, Pete."
Shifting on her lap to face her, Farrah gave her a small, shy smile.
"Is he okay?"
"Yeah. He is."
"I yell at him, at park, I..."
"Honey it's okay. You were upset, so was he. It's over though."
"What about Khal.."
"You and I will talk about him later, okay? There's a lot that happened and a lot you should know. Just, right now lets focus on one thing at a time. Getting you to the community center for starters, that is if you still want to-"
Farrah didn't answer her, instead started pawing through Carrie's purse that looked unusually overstuffed.
"I brought you something to change into. Tell me what you think.", Carrie asked, pulling herself to a standing position using the bedpost.
Curiously Farrah reached into the purse, pulled out a shopping bag containing a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a purple hooded sweatshirt with silver stars all over it.
"This new!"
"Yeah. I bought it for your birthday but thought I'd give it to you now. Do you like it?"
"Yes!", Farrah cheered, throwing her arms around Carrie's waist, then thanking her.
"You're welcome. Now go on, get dressed. I'll be downstairs."
Biting her lip Carrie went downstairs, walking into the kitchen before looking at Maggie sheepishly.
"I'm sorry I just, sprinted past you. I just.."
"It's okay. It's fine.", Maggie assured, giving Carrie a hug as she sniffed, pulled back.
"Jesus, I just can't stop crying.", she said, embarrassed.
"It's okay. It's been a rough few days."
"Any news about Saul?"
"No there's not. I just called.", Quinn said, leaving the study.
"What the..."
"It's chilly out there, Carrie. I couldn't just leave him to sit in your car.", Maggie defended.
"You make it sound like he's a puppy or something.", Carrie scoffed, pouring herself some coffee.
"He did give you a ride over here. I was just being polite, I-"
"Don't. It's fine, Maggie. Really.", she sighed, taking a small sip of the beverage as Quinn frowned, checked his watch.
"It's getting late. We should probably get Farrah to the community center before going back to your house to get your car."
Nodding, after Maggie got her a to-go cup for her remaining coffee, told her to call if she needed anything, Carrie smiled, thanked her and walked over to the base of the staircase. Yelling upstairs for Farrah. When the girl didn't answer or come down right away she cursed, started pacing back and forth.
"You're gonna run a rut through the rug if you're not careful.", Quinn quipped, approaching her as she rolled her eyes.
"If I'd said that to you last night you'd have laughed for a straight minute. Maybe longer."
"Well last night we were drunk off our asses.", Carrie reminded.
"Didn't mean we didn't have fun."
Rolling her eyes again, this time more playfully she couldn't hide her smirk.
"Quinn..."
"I'm sorry if I upset you back at the car. But if I thought our fucking each other wouldn't have any strings or consequences or create all this squishy emotional bullshit between us, we'd have banged at least twelve times by now."
"Twelve times?"
"More or less. Either way we'd have fun.", Quinn acknowledged before biting his lip.
"But you know we'd also feel like goddamn fools after the fact. I figure you've felt fooled enough lately."
"Got that right.", Carrie snorted, folding her arms over her chest. After a beat Quinn spoke up again, smiled softly.
"You're the closest thing to a friend that I've had in awhile. I'd rather not fuck that up."
"Well, neither would I."
"Good. So we're on the same page."
Nodding, Carrie returned his smile.
"Yeah. We are."
"Good. Now can we track down your kid and get the fuck out of here?"
"Shit. Yeah, Farrah?!"
"I coming, I coming!", Farrah yelped, scrambling down the steps before jumping off the second one from the bottom. Landing on the rug with a flourish.
"Ta da!", she cheered, arms up in the air as Carrie rolled her eyes, scooped her up.
"Hi Pete!"
"Hey kid. Are you alright?", Quinn asked, getting a nod, shy look.
"I okay.", Farrah said. Curling up on Carrie's shoulder the remaining walk to the car.
...
The drive to the mosque started off unusually quiet. Even though he was driving, Quinn tried to cheer Farrah by reaching into the backseat, retrieving a quarter from her ear.
Seeing though the magic trick wasn't having its usual effect, and that in trying to do it Quinn had almost driven off the road twice, Carrie unbuckled, demanded he stop the car.
Getting out she climbed into the back seat. Slipped an arm around Farrah who seemingly wasn't okay at having to separate from her at the community center.
"Farrah, you'll be fine. Really. You'll get to see Zahira and all your friends."
"No Nick."
Farrah sniffed as Carrie sighed. Tried to ignore the look Quinn now had overhearing that.
"Today's the art show though, right? That'll give you something to look forward to."
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Why not just try and stay for a little while. At least find out if your painting won a prize or not."
"But..I don't..."
"Look, if you get really upset and want to leave, just find Zahira and have her call my cell. I'll come right over and get you."
Feeling more at ease hearing that Farrah nodded, curled up closer to Carrie.
"Okay."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. I..I okay."
"You're very, very brave Farrah. Do you know that?"
"Brave like you?"
"Yeah, brave like her.", Quinn piped up, pulling the car up outside the community center.
Shrugging Carrie gave him a small smile, unbuckled her's and Farrah's seatbelts. C'mon. I'll walk you in."
"Quinn, You'll wait?", she asked, getting out of the car with Farrah as he snorted, rolled his eyes.
"No. You're hitchhiking."
"Fuc..."
Editing herself just in time, waiting until Farrah walked around and ahead of her Carrie slipped a hand behind her back, raised her middle finger.
Shaking his head, Quinn exited, locked up the car.
"Fine. No hitchhiking but I get to go in."
"Why?", Carrie frowned.
"Let me see where the kid goes each day. I'm curious."
"Fine.", she shrugged as Farrah grinned, ran back to grab Quinn's hand, then Carrie's. Then kicked her legs up as they walked so they were forced to lift her up by her arms.
When they went to let her down she shook her head, kicked again.
"Again! Please?"
"Should we?", Carrie asked, arching a brow at Quinn.
"Well she said please, didn't she?", he grinned, lifting Farrah again but higher this time. Forcing Carrie to compensate and lift along with him, to her annoyance.
"Jesus, you're going to pull my arm out of the socket!"
"Well fine, if you're just going to whine about it."
Letting Farrah down, in one fluid fast motion Quinn set her on his shoulders., then jogged the rest of the way to the front entrance.
"Hey! Slow down, I'm in fucking heels!"
Carrie yelled.
Rolling his eyes, Quinn stopped and let Farrah down with a flourish before bowing. Getting her giggling, then blushing.
"Thank you Pete.", she said bashfully.
"You're welcome.", Quinn said, taking her hand again as Carrie caught up to them both.
"C'mon. Show me around a little.", he requested as Farrah giggled. More than happy to oblige.