Alright here's the latest. This chapter pained me to write but it's setting up for some stuff. More stuff. AGH. This beast of a fic is gonna be the death of me I swear. Anyway thanks so much lipamo and Bookworm, and Shockey glad I caught your interest! Hope you have fun catching up. :)

Sitting at the table in the visitor's lounge, anxiously drumming her fingers Carrie's eyes kept darting between the wall clock and the double doors. There were a few other tables and everyone was seated with someone aside from her. Her nerves were through the roof that he'd mixed up the times or was stuck in traffic and wouldn't be able to see her until tomorrow. She wanted to jump out of her skin and probably would have until...

"Carrie!"
Quickly walking to the table as she stood up, when he reached for her she all but jumped in his arms. Threw her's around his neck.

"It's really good to see you.", she sniffed as he nodded. Holding her close he brushed his lips on the top of her head. Then getting a throat clearing from a guard he reluctantly pulled back. Sat in the chair across from her.

"How are you?", he asked, reaching to squeeze her hand, running his thumb over the back of it.

"I'm alright. I...I'm alright.", she choked out.

"Hey! Hey..." Reaching for her face he thumbed away a tear before it fell.

"Sorry. Fucking hormones."

"Shit, at least you have an excuse.", Brody snorted, wiping his eyes with the heel of his free hand.
"Really though, how are you?"

"Had an interesting morning. Let's just leave it at that.", Carrie shrugged, twining her fingers with his.

"Leave what at what? Carrie, talk to me."

"When I was on the phone earlier with you there was just this creep practically hanging onto my every word.", she said as Brody's jaw clenched.

"Well did you tell him to back off? Where is the prick? You want me to talk to him?"

"Brody...", Carrie warned.

"Listen I know you can take care of yourself but if some asshole thinks he can just-"

"Brody I dealt with it. And I've dealt with worse!", she reminded as he nodded, swallowed hard.

"I know. I know you have. I apologize, it's just-"

"I know. But I'm fine, I promise. Besides he's not even the strangest person I've seen in here."

"Yeah, I bet there's a lot of interesting characters around.", Brody said, eyeing the others in the room with interest.

"Supposedly a woman across the hall from me bashed in skulls for a living. Or at least got some thrill from beating the shit out of people."

"Jesus. How many people are we talking?"

"She critically injured at least five. Killed two or three?"

"So why the fuck is she here and not in prison?",

"Supposedly all the people she went after were perverts or assholes who deserved beatdowns. Over privileged rich folks or corrupt government officials, law enforcement. People who thought they were above the law and could do whatever the fuck they wanted."

"You're saying she's got a vendetta against government and law enforcement and she's across the hall from you?!", he sputtered in disbelief.

"Brody she doesn't know I was with the CIA. Nobody in here does."

"You're sure? What about the press conference you-"

"They don't show the news here if they can help it. It can be a trigger to some people. Set them off.", Carrie sighed.
"All it does is make me feel even more cut off from the real world."

Shaking his head now it was Brody's turn to sigh.

"You know I'm liking the idea of you being here less and less each time I see it. See you."

"Well you did put me in here once.", Carrie thought to herself but held her tongue.

"You've only been here twice.", she reminded.

"Well, that was enough."

"Jesus, it's not like you have to come!"

"Are you kidding?", Brody scoffed. "You think not coming before was fucking easy for me?"

"What do you mean, not coming-"

"I tried to visit you, Carrie. After Estes told me about your treatment, the ECT, I got in my car and tried to drive here. Until Berenson stopped me in the parking lot. He must've seen the look on my face because he told me if I set foot on the hospital grounds security would arrest me."

"Fuck.", Carrie breathed.

"He said I'd already fucked up your life enough. And I knew I had. So I resigned myself to never seeing you again and focused on being a fucking Congressman. It was easier. Staying bitter about what you'd done rather than acknowledge the bullshit I'd put you through."

Rolling his eyes, feeling disgusted with himself Brody untwined their fingers.

"Shit, maybe I ought to start seeing shrinks. They like a good challenge, right?", he laughed bitterly as she squeezed his hand, felt her eyes well up.

"Brody..."

"Hey, I was only half serious about the shrink thing."

"No, it's not that I just. I had no idea you'd tried."

"I figured I didn't succeed so why bother mentioning it. And I'm sure if I had I just would've upset you. Undone any progress you'd made."

"Maybe. I mean back then...I'd have probably kicked you out."

"If I'd been you I'd have definitely kicked me out."

"Nice to see we're in agreement.", Carrie softly smiled before quiet set in. Slowly she traced the scar on the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Earlier, when I said you didn't have to come...I didn't...I only meant if it bothers you being here. I understand if you don't-"

"It's fine, Carrie. I'm fine. For Christ's sake, last thing you ought to be worried about is my fucking comfort level. Though I understand why you won't let Farrah come here."

"It'd be too much, I couldn't...", Chin wobbling she swallowed hard, tried to keep it together.

"How is she? Has she adjusted to being with you?"

"Yeah. She has. We have a nice routine in the morning. She gets out of bed five minutes before we have to be at the mosque and she eats her breakfast in the car."

"Brody!"

"I'm kidding, Carrie. Its only happened twice."

"Twice more than it fucking should have.", Carrie snorted. "Tell me about that friend of her's I heard on the phone. J.J."

Swallowing hard, remembering the promise he'd made Quinn, Brody chewed his lip, spoke.

"He's a good kid. Been coming by most afternoons after we're done at the community center."

"Isn't he in school?"

"He's getting tutoring now at the center and I'm guessing he's gonna enroll next September as a new student. But yeah, he and Farrah play video games or we go to the park, the movies. You'd like him a lot, I'm sure."

"What does he look like? Tell me about his family."

"Christ, Carrie. He's just an eight year old kid. Why the interrogation?"

"Forgive me Sergeant but it's what I do! Especially when this kid is Farrah's new best friend.", Carrie said firmly.

"You know, God help that girl when she gets asked out on her first date. God help her boyfriend actually.", Brody snorted, trying to lighten things but from the look in Carrie's eyes he knew she wasn't backing down.

"Why don't you want to talk to me about him?"

"Carrie I never said that I didn't-"

"Is there something about him I should know?"

"No! He's a good kid, Carrie. You think I'd let Farrah spend so much time with him if he wasn't?", Brody asked defensively.

"Then tell me more about him. C'mon, Brody.", she said pleadingly. "Look I'm not asking because I think there's some deep dark secret. I just need details, I need something. I'm missing out on my daughter making a new best friend. I'm not going to the movies or the park or playing games with them. You are! You're there and I'm missing out. I'm missing out on everything.", Carrie said, fighting to keep her voice from cracking.

"Hey...hey.", Bringing her hand to his lips Brody gently kissed it.

"You're not missing out on as much as you think, okay? A few movie and pizza nights aren't gonna amount to much in the end, and you'll be back in the thick of it with us soon. I swear."

"I know..I..I know.", Carrie sighed, wiping her eyes with her free hand and deciding for her own sake to switch subjects.

"So has Quinn been helping you out with Farrah? He said that he would, I just..."

"Yeah, he's been there. The day she and J.J met Quinn came by the house, had pizza with us."

"Jesus. Him there with two kids running around? That had to have been an interesting evening.", she snickered as Brody bit his lip, glanced at their hands.

"Brody?"

"Sorry, what?", he asked, giving her a put on smile as she frowned.

"You want to tell me what's going on with you?"

"Nothing, Carrie!"

"You're still hiding something, conflicted about something. I saw it the second you sat down!"

"Well no sooner did I sit down did you say you were being harassed so-"

"I told you I'm dealing with it!", Carrie snapped, catching the guard's eye in the process.

"Look, first Farrah feels like she can't tell me something and now here you are tight-lipped. I know something is going on. And if it concerns her or you, I have a fucking right to know!"

"It's a long story, love."

"Well we'll have time if you stop avoiding the subject and tell me!", she spat as Brody glanced around the room, saw more people come in and others still present. Following his eyes, Carrie was about to call him on it before he spoke.

"It is a long story, Carrie. One I promised that I wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't what? Tell me because I'm in here?!"

"No! Jesus, it has nothing to do with us being in here!"

"You mean me being in here.", Carrie corrected bitterly.
"Fuck. We don't have a room to ourselves so you feel like you can't talk to me."

"Hey I wasn't just making small talk earlier!", Brody snapped.

"Or you were just trying to get my focus on something else.", she retorted.

"Carrie, if this was something earth shattering that you needed to know, I'd break my promise and fucking tell you!"

"Your promise to whom?"

"If I tell you that I may as well tell you everything.", Brody scoffed.

"Look, earth shattering or not I fucking want to know!"

"For Christ's sake! Can't we just change the fucking subject!", he asked, exasperated as Carrie glared at him.

"If there's one thing that's worse than being stuck in here it's not being able to know what I'm missing out there!", she hissed.

"Carrie, stop pressing this. Please. If I could tell you I swear to God I would."

Shaking her head, after dropping his hand she leaned back in the chair, crossed her arms.

"Carrie...c'mon. What's going on is complicated, alright? I don't want to start anything, upset anyone!", Brody exclaimed getting a snort, arched brow.

"Start anything? Upset anyone? Well, you're doing a bang up job of that. Really, just..fantastic fucking work."

"Carrie..."

"Just go. Leave."

"Love, c'mon."

Looking down, away from him she crossed her arms more protectively around her as a guard walked over.

"Sir the patient's asked you to-"

"I know! I...I know.", Brody growled, standing up as the guard helped Carrie to her feet, led her towards the double doors.

"Damn it. CARRIE!", he yelled after her before the doors shut, while another guard approached him, glared.

"Son of a...I know! I know! For Christ's sake!"

Shoving the chair out of his path he stormed out the other exit, not catching Dominic's smirk as he stood, left the lounge as well.