Alright here's the latest. Again, not much movement but it's setting up for some things. Thanks muchly Bookworm for reviewing (and for making me cry and drown in feels with your latest update).
Anyone else though checking out this fic if you could just drop me a line, let me know if you like it, love it, are sick and tired of it? Feedback's what's kept me going this long and any of it is appreciated. :) Anyway, here goes nothing.
Once outside the courtroom, Brody looked ahead of him, down the surrounding hallways until he spotted her in a deserted corridor. Arms braced on a drinking fountain with her head bowed as she took deep breaths.
Swearing under his breath he jogged over, then cleared his throat so as not to startle her.
"Hey."
"Fuck.", she sighed, wiping her eyes that were already red and puffy.
"Carrie..."
"I'm fine. I just didn't want Farrah seeing me like this. She's already upset enough, I..."
"Farrah's okay. She's with Danny and Maggie, pestering Quinn. She's fine. You on the other hand..."
"Brody I just said-"
"Yeah, I heard. Doesn't mean I'm buying it."
Rolling her eyes Carrie walked away from the water fountain then back towards it, arms crossed. Brody let her pace a few more times but eventually walked up, blocked her path.
"What the, goddammit! I don't-"
"Carrie..."
Chin quivering she bowed her head to try and hide it, then squeezed her eyes shut against new tears starting to form.
"Hey..."
Pulling her close Brody rubbed her back, before she broke down sobbing against his chest. The last time he'd heard her cry like this had been Farrah's kidnapping and in his office at the Gettysburg shooting. Though all the stress she'd been under the past week warranted more than a few tears.
Walking her over to a nearby bench he simply held her, stroked her hair. Not sure of what he could even say to console her and thinking words would be cold comfort to her anyway.
Eventually her tears subsided and she stayed put in his arms. Curled up with her eyes closed against his damp shirt as she listened to him breathe, felt him rub slow circles on her back.
Afraid she'd fallen asleep Brody cleared his throat, spoke.
"Any better?"
"Well I don't feel worse.", Carrie shrugged, sitting up before grimacing.
"I must look like hell though."
Meeting his gaze she arched a brow as he swallowed hard, chewed his lip.
"You don't want me to answer that.", he said nervously as rolled her eyes, reached into her suit pocket for the makeup compact. Opening it she shuddered and immediately closed it.
"Shit, you're right."
Putting the compact back in her pocket she felt paper and smiled, retrieved the post-it notes.
"Hey, I know those!", Brody chirped as she smirked, rolled her eyes.
"They were sweet. Thank you."
"They were fun to write. Maybe that's something else I can be."
"Cheesy romance writer? Post-it novelist?", Carrie teased, slipping the notes back in her pocket.
"Hey, beats plenty of alternatives."
"That's true.", she sighed, leaning back against his chest.
"Can we just say screw the whole psych ward thing? Run off to Nepal? I'm sure Farrah wouldn't mind."
"Of course not. She's adventurous. No, I'll go back to the house, pack some bags. You get some more fake passports made up.", Brody said.
"The sad thing is I actually would.", Carrie laughed bitterly as he rubbed her back.
"Yeah, me too.", Brody sighed. After a beat Carrie spoke again.
"Hey, do me a favor. Remind me what I did for a living?"
"You were an intelligence officer, worked to capture terrorists. Probably made them cry in the interrogation room. Confess to every nefarious thing they dared to do."
"So four months in psych. Not that big a deal, right?"
"No. Not at all.", Brody smiled as she sat up. Leaning in to kiss her he heard throat clearing behind him.
"C'mon lovebirds. Gotta get going.", Maggie sighed as Brody stood, helped Carrie to her feet as Farrah stood shyly with her back against the wall.
Walking over Carrie knelt to her level, smoothed her headscarf.
"I'm going to call you as much as I can, alright? Tell you what I'm up to."
"Yes?"
"Pink swear.", Carrie smiled, blinking back tears as she linked her pinkie with Farrah's, then pulled her close.
"It's only four months, okay. It'll go by fast. Here."
Reaching into her bag she pulled out a green sparkly marker.
"All the days I'm gonna be gone I asked Maggie to circle on the calendar in your room. Before you go to bed put an x on the day with this. That way you can keep track. And I'm gonna do the same thing with the calendar I have. Only I use this pen."
Showing the purple marker to Farrah she laughed as the girl grinned.
"My favorite!"
"Yeah. Here though, I want another picture.", she said, holding out her left hand as Farrah smiled, uncapped her pen. Settling on a daisy, once finished, her chin quivered again as Carrie pulled her into another hug.
"I love you more than anything. You know that, right?"
"Yes.", Farrah sniffled as Carrie held her tighter, kissed her cheek.
"You stay brave for me, okay?"
Nodding, Farrah clung on tighter before Carrie finally broke the hug, wiping her eyes as she stood up.
"C'mon, Dad wants to talk to you for a second.", Maggie said, walking her over to Frank who had been hitting at the vending machine, angry that it wasn't working.
"Dad, please! I have snacks back at the house.", she grumbled.
"Just this damn machine! Piece of goddamn garbage doesn't even work.", he grumbled before turning to Carrie. Seeing the state she was in he knew he had to keep it together.
"You'll be fine, sweetheart.", he said, hugging her.
"Don't let any of those fuckers mess with you."
"Dad..."
"I mean it. They'll try to. Everyone in that joint's up to something. But you won't let them get to you, right?"
"Right.", Carrie nodded.
"That's my girl. That's my girl."
Seeing Brody standing nearby Frank stepped aside, went to kick the faulty vending machine in frustration, but seeing the escort officer approaching thought better of it, made his way to the entrance doors.
"I'm sorry folks but we're running short on time."
"Here, let me go through the documentation with you and her lawyer once more.", Maggie said, dragging the officer off so as to buy Brody a few more minutes.
"I wish I could ride over there with you. I mean I know we aren't married but for Christ's sake, I..."
"Brody I'll be fine, okay? I..I'll be fine.", Carrie said, holding the side of his face and thumbing away a tear before it slid down his cheek.
"Hey, enough of that. If you start than I'm going to start!", she said, placing her hands on his chest.
"Look I'll get visitation privileges soon. If they try and fight me I'll insist."
"I know. I know."
"This is the right thing, alright?"
"Yeah, okay."
"What, you don't believe me?"
"Just wish it didn't hurt so much.", Brody sighed, feeling embarrassed at how raw and emotional he sounded, but knowing if he put up a front she'd be able to see straight through it anyway.
"Yeah. Me too.", Carrie sighed, leaning against his chest while he tightened his hold around her waist.
"You take care, okay. And you call me. If you need anything in there I'll work something out, get it to you."
"I know. K...keep me updated on Farrah though, okay? I mean it. I want to know everything. She gets a fucking paper cut I want to hear about it."
"I know. And you will.", Brody sighed, kissing the top of her head right as the officer walked back over. Hearing the footsteps/throat clearing, Carrie glanced up, clutched Brody's shoulder as he kissed her lips, the side of her face.
"I love you so much, I-"
"I know.", Carrie interrupted, pulling back slightly and squeezing his hand.
"I know."
Blinking back tears she managed a soft smile. Held his hand as long as she could while walking before having to let go.
Watching as the guard and Maggie walked her off, swallowing hard Brody struggled to keep in check, knowing Danny would be bringing Farrah by any second.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder though he turned, saw Quinn standing near instead.
"What's going on? Danny was supposed to bring Farrah by to-"
"Farrah said she wants Frank and Danny driving her back to Carrie's. I'll give you a ride over though, all your shit is in my car anyway."
"But I was supposed to bring her to the community center, I-"
"Not for another two hours, technically.", Quinn said as Brody tensed up, then saw Danny walking Farrah towards the front doors.
"Hey, brat.", he smiled, getting to her level as she tightened her grip on Danny's hand.
"Look I thought Quinn could drive us over to the community center. We can get going on the picnic I told you about."
When Farrah shook her head no, backed up, Brody ran a hand over his face warily, stood back up.
"Hey man it's fine. We'll all meet up back at Carrie's, regroup and go on from there, okay?", Danny said, in a nervous, upbeat sounding voice. His eyes pleading with him to play it cool.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan.", Brody said, forcing a smile as he looked down at Farrah and she looked away.
"Alright then. After you, Farrah. Dunno about you but I'm sick of this place.", Danny said, taking her hand and walking her out while Quinn approached a still, somber, almost shellshocked looking Brody.
"Hey, I'm with Galvez. Let's get the fuck out of here before someone remembers you're a goddamn former fugitive.", he said firmly, guiding him out the main doors to his car.