Alright finally managed to get this uploaded on my snow day from work. Thanks crazy blizzard!
And much thanks to patigerr and Bookworm for the reviewage and to everyone else keeping up with this fic. More to come soon!
Seven or so minutes later Carrie heard footsteps, turned to see Farrah in her purple pajamas sleepily rubbing her eyes, hair tousled and half out of its braid.
"Morning, Farrah."
"Morning.", she yawned.
"Are you ready for breakfast?"
Nodding, Farrah rubbed her eyes again, sat down at the table.
While Dana finished up with the pancakes, Carrie walked over and sat in the chair next to the girl. Almost immediately Farrah climbed onto her lap, snuggled against her shoulder while Maggie, Danny and the girls came downstairs.
They were buzzing around, chattering, conversing with Dana but Carrie wasn't paying attention to anyone besides her still too quiet daughter. Since Farrah was still sitting on her lap after the pancakes were served, she decided they'd share a plate.
"Carrie? Carrie?!"
"Huh? What?", she muttered, spearing some pancake on one of the forks before handing it to Farrah.
"I asked if you knew where Brody was.", Maggie repeated, pouring some coffee as Danny and Frank served themselves, then opted to watch TV with the girls in the living room.
"Looks like you have your answer.", Carrie said, nodding to the front door as it swung open.
Cutting up the rest of the pancakes with her fork, she was too fixated on the plate in front of her to pay attention to the man who'd just walked in.
"Hey brat. You sleep alright?", Brody asked.
"Yes.", Farrah shrugged as he pulled out a chair, sat next to her. Then reaching over, he grabbed a blueberry off her plate and tossed it up in the air. Catching it in his mouth before chewing it. The trick got Farrah giggling, and put a ghost of a smile on Carrie's face but little else.
"Here, Dad. Stop eating her's.", Dana snorted, shoving a plate at him as he thanked her but only took a few bites.
"Still too full from last night I think.", he sighed, looking to Maggie as Carrie frowned, looked between them.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Brody and I finished off that cheesecake last night. We sat in here for awhile. Talked.", Maggie answered as Carrie nodded, looked sheepish.
"Oh."
"Talk about what?", Farrah piped up.
"We talked about what kind of food I should get for the picnic this afternoon.", Brody smiled.
"That's where I was earlier. Drove over to the store, picked it up."
"Well, now we know!", Carrie snapped as she and Farrah cleaned their plate. But she regretted her harsh tone seeing the confused, nervous frown on the girl's face.
"Farrah, I..."
Eyes welling up Carrie swallowed hard, looked to Brody apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I didn't..."
"No, don't. It's alright.", Brody said, reaching over to squeeze her hand. A silent apology and plea on his end that they focus on the good and the great about last night, not the bad and downright ugly.
Twining her fingers with his in agreement, Carrie nodded right as Farrah shifted off her lap, set her plate on the counter then excused herself. Mumbling about needing to brush her teeth before running into the foyer, up the steps.
"Fuck. Fuck!"
"Carrie...Carrie, look at me. It's alright.", Maggie soothed as Carrie stood up, paced.
"Just try and calm down, okay?'
"Calm down? I have a hearing I have to be at in less than an hour and Farrah's fucking furious with me!"
"She's not furious. She's afraid."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?!", she scoffed. Wiping her eyes as she leaned back against the island in the center of the kitchen.
"Look, I can try and talk to her if you want...", Dana offered.
"Yeah, I can go with her.", Brody added.
"See if maybe she-"
"Why?! She's not going to want to talk to either of you!", Carrie snapped before looking down and away. Ashamed.
"Carrie, they were just trying to help-"
"I know, Maggie. I...I know."
"Look, Farrah may be upset right now, but maybe her talking with one of us could help. Everyone in this house cares about her. She needs to know she's not going to be all alone in the world after you go away."
"And she will know that, eventually. But right now she's not going to respond, be receptive. You would all just be wasting your fucking time."
Excusing herself, Carrie went upstairs and knocked on the shut guestroom door before entering. Saw Farrah sitting on the foot of the bed, looking down sadly at her packed suitcase.
"Farrah? You okay?"
Nodding, the girl looked up, wiped her eyes. It didn't take Carrie being a trained spy to know it wasn't the truth.
"It's alright if you're not.", she assured, sitting beside her on the bed.
"No. You say I brave. I..I be brave.", Farrah said stubbornly, turning more towards her as Carrie bit her lip. Moved closer to smooth her braid.
"Honey, I don't want you trying to feel something that you don't. If you're afraid or upset it's alright. It's okay! I won't be angry, annoyed. I just want you to be honest."
When Farrah shrugged, looked away, blinking back tears Carrie shifted closer still, tried to keep it together.
"If I had to be completely honest I'd tell you that I'm upset. I'm a little afraid too.", she admitted as Farrah gasped, looked up in surprise.
"Yes?"
Nodding, Carrie's tears fell faster than she could wipe them away, and she shook her head, lightly laughed. Out of embarrassment and just to keep from breaking down all together.
Nervously chewing her lip, when Carrie covered her eyes, swore under her breath, Farrah knew it was her turn to move closer and climbed onto her lap. Knelt so she could reach her arms up and around her neck.
"It okay. It okay.", Farrah soothed, rubbing Carrie's back as she cried.
"I see you soon. You say so. I see you soon.", she reminded, pulling back slightly. Getting a small nod.
"Yeah. You will.", Carrie sniffled.
"Look, as soon as I can I'm gonna call you, alright? You have my word I'll figure out, find a way to do that.", she promised, remembering the discreet lock-picking kit Virgil had given her ages ago and how it'd be useful for accessing locked offices after hours.
"I see you though. I see you soon.", Farrah insisted as Carrie nodded, not wanting to let on that five months wasn't exactly a short stint.
Not wanting to interrupt the moment but knowing he had to, Brody knocked, opened the door.
"It's time, love.", he said softly, poking his head in the guestroom.
"Okay, I...okay."
Nodding Carrie pulled Farrah into another hug. Squeezing her eyes shut against more tears.
"I see you soon."
"I know. You know I love you, right?", Carrie asked, still holding Farrah as she nodded.
"Yes. I..I love you too.", she said softly. Nodding, Carrie forced herself to pull back right as the door creaked open more.
"Hey, listen brat."
Walking over to the bed Brody knelt to Farrah's level, reached to rub Carrie's shoulder.
"Maggie and Frank and Danny and I, we're all gonna head out with Carrie. But Dana said she'll stick around, stay with you and the girls."
"And Calvin?", Farrah asked. Snorting, Brody held up his bandaged arm.
"Yeah, and Calvin.", he scoffed.
Rolling her eyes, Carrie went to stand up right as Farrah stood up on the bed, threw her arms around her tightly. Reciprocating, Carrie lifted her up.
"I love you, habibti."
"uḥibbuk", Farrah echoed, and said again she'd see her soon before Carrie set her down, quickly stepped out.
Swallowing hard Brody wiped at his eyes, bent down and set his hands on Farrah's shoulders.
"So you keep an eye on Dana and the girls for me, okay?", he teased, getting as much of a smile as the girl could manage.
"I'll see you later for our picnic, okay."
"Okay.", Farrah sniffed before Brody hugged her too, then stood and grabbed Carrie's suitcase. Stepped out.
Watching, then following Brody as he left, peering down the hall, once she saw him and Carrie descend the staircase, walk out the front door Farrah darted back into the guestroom, shut the door behind her.
"Okay truth or dare.", Ruby smirked as Dana chewed her lip, took a moment to decide.
"Truth."
"How many boys have you kissed?"
"Just kissed?", she scoffed.
"Yeah!", Ruby said eagerly as Dana sighed, shook her head.
"Sorry. I forgot I'm hanging out with the just out of middle school crowd."
"Hey guys, should we go see how Farrah is?", Josie asked, nervously looking up the steps.
"Shit, I forgot she was up there."
"And she says I'm immature.", Ruby muttered as Dana ran upstairs, knocked on the guest room door.
"Hey, Farrah? You want to come downstairs? Watch a movie or something..."
Trailing off when she opened the door and saw the room was empty, running over to the bathroom, Ruby and Josie's room, then back in the guestroom, Dana was in too much of a state to see the window overlooking the backyard was opened just a crack.
"How's the temperature, guys?", Maggie asked, glancing over her shoulder to the backseat of the minivan at Carrie and Brody. Then to Frank in the passenger seat.
"It's fine, Maggie. Thanks.", Brody said gruffly, twining his hand with Carrie's over the center armrest as she continued staring out the window, practically off in her own world.
"So is Danny supposed to meet us all down at the courthouse or what?", Frank asked.
"He's getting Max and Virgil and Quinn at Langley first. Then he'll swing by."
"Fancy black op freelancer types can't get their own ride over?", he muttered, pressing the button to open the window a crack, then pressing it again to close it. Getting Maggie glaring.
"Danny figured us all carpooling would be for the best."
"What's that noise?", Brody frowned.
"It's just Dad being four years old with the window, Brody."
"Hey, watch it.", Frank snapped.
"No, I don't think that was it."
Looking over to Carrie, Brody sighed when she didn't acknowledge him. He wondered if she even heard him.
"Well this van's as old as the hills. Something probably needs to be tuned up or replaced. It's probably nothing.",
Maggie shrugged, hitting the gas slightly as Farrah tensed up, curled up in a smaller, more motionless ball in the trunk of the van.