Okay here's the latest. Sorry for the delay with this update, but thanks so much EpicStelena and lipamo for the feedback, and also Shockey and Bookworm for the feedback/fics! Proper reviewage is forthcoming but both your latest chapters were fabulous as usual. :)
Also fyi, I'm going out of town for a few days, not going to have my laptop while I'm gone so if updates/reviewage are sparse on my end, that'll be the reason. Tried not to leave things on too much of a cliffhanger here though. Enjoy/take as you will. :)
Once seated in the arts and crafts room, Dominic looked incredulously at Carrie as she tore open a box of popsicle sticks.
"Okay, you mind telling me what had you so freaked out you dragged me in here? Not that I objected or anything.", he said slyly, getting a glare in return.
"I was trying to help you, asshole. You were about to pick a fight with a hardened criminal."
"I appreciate you trying to protect me but things weren't going to get out of hand."
"Yeah well, don't be so sure of that.", she scoffed. "Hand me that fucking glue, will you?"
Doing as asked Dominic watched her intently.
"Why shouldn't I be so sure?"
"I can't say. No details, remember? Just stay away from the redhead."
"I'm sorry details might come in handy here. Can't you at least give me a hint?"
Rolling her eyes, after looking around to see nobody was paying them any mind, she leaned across the table, lowered her voice.
"I used to have ties with government intelligence. There was a man speaking with her earlier who's in a branch of it that nobody likes to talk about. That nobody should talk about. He's bad news. That's all I can say. And so fucking help me if you tell anyone else.."
"I won't. I...I promise. How bad?"
"Just trust me, okay? If this guy was chatting with that woman the last thing you want to do is get on her bad side. He wouldn't have been here to see her unless they had a professional history. That much I know."
"Shit. She was shooting me quite the snake-eye earlier."
"Yeah, she was. That's why I'm warning you. You didn't have to bring me that folder but you did. And I appreciate it. This is my showing that."
"Thank you.", Dominic smiled, studying her as she laid out some of the popsicle sticks. When she reached in the box for more he reached in too, let his hand brush up against hers.
"Hey! There's another box, get your own.", she snapped, quickly removing her hand as he apologized.
"You know I really appreciate the tip, Carrie. I'd assume not get the shit beaten out of me before I get my day-pass issued."
"Day pass? How the fuck did you arrange that?"
"My lawyer pulled a few strings.", Dominic answered, a sly smile playing across his lips.
"Listen, you did me a favor so let me return it. Is there any drawings of your own, maybe a note you'd like to pass on to your little girl? Farrah?"
Eyes darting up from the sticks to meet his, Carrie went tense. Strangely uncomfortable with the way he'd said Farrah's name.
"Why the fuck would you do that?", she snorted. "You finally have a day in the outside world and you want to spend it playing delivery boy?"
"Like I said, just trying to return the favor."
"Well I appreciate the offer but no. That's not necessary.", she said, refocusing on stacking sticks.
"C'mon. What's the problem? Whatever I give her would be coming from you. A little note just saying you're okay and you miss her?"
Even though it sounded innocuous, an innocent, friendly gesture on his part, Carrie couldn't shake the feeling in her gut that something was off and shook her head.
"Dominic please, let's just drop it."
"Look, you have any idea how much I'd kill for someone to do this for me? For my kid?"
"Wait, you have a kid?!"
"My son. Well, stepson, technically. His mother and I were about to be married when she was killed in the line of duty."
"Jesus. I'm so sorry, that's awful.", Carrie said sadly as he nodded, chewed his lip.
"It still hurts like a son of a bitch. The one thing that got me through was I had to be there for the kid. I was teaching him soccer. Tutored him in math. I really came to care about him."
"Yeah I know what that's like, believe me.", Carrie said softly.
"I promised his mom I'd look out for him and I was planning to until..."
"Until what?"
"Her mother interfered. Said that I was unfit to care for her grandson because of my history. She dredged up how I'd done a stint in here, used it against me in court. Then she took off with him."
Knowing how close she'd come to enduring that with Farrah and Khaliq, Carrie looked on with pure sympathy in her eyes.
"Shit. I'm really sorry, Dominic."
"Don't apologize. Wasn't your fault.", he shrugged.
"You know I didn't mean to pressure you about getting something to Farrah. I just thought about the best favor someone could do for me in here."
"It's not like I don't appreciate it, it's just...my mindset."
"Mindset?", Dominic frowned.
"Those ties I mentioned having earlier? Let's just say I'm not the most forthcoming person because of them."
"Even around friends?", he asked.
"I'm not used to having many of them either.", Carrie said sheepishly as he smiled.
"Well maybe we could be each others."
Not sure exactly how to respond to that, she was almost relieved when a nurse walked in the rec room. Told her she had to take her meds.
"I'll be right back."
Nodding, Dominic smiled, watching her leave, unaware he was being watched as well.
"Hey.", Nicki spat, approaching his table and curling her hands over the edge of it, bending so she was eye-level with him.
"What the hell do you want?", Dominic spat as she stared him down venomously.
"I want you to know that I know what you're up to, you sick fuck. And that listening in on you just now made me want to fucking puke. Seriously, I almost did in that potted plant."
"I don't know what you're-"
"Watch yourself.", Nicki hissed.
"In here accidents happen all the goddamn time. Especially to little shits like you who think 'cause you've got deep pockets and bought off judges that you can get away with fucking murder. I'm onto you, Lawson. You think Blondie over there's gonna be able to protect you forever? You think once she finds out what I know about you she won't come after you too? You're a psychopath and a fucking pervert. And now it's time you pay for that, I-"
"Get the fuck away from him!", Carrie growled.
"Making threats in the goddamn art room, who the fuck do you think you are?", she snarled as Dominic got up, stood behind her.
"Threats? Who's making threats? We were just talking.", Nicki insisted as Carrie rolled her eyes, hit one of the call buttons to page a nurse.
"Now why the fuck would you go and do that, Blondie.", the redhead spat. Standing up she approached Carrie before recognizing her as more than a random blond patient.
"Holy shit. You're Mathison, right?", she asked, wondering why Dar Adal hadn't mentioned that detail to her.
"What's it to you?"
"Carrie goddamn Mathison. You were one of our top spooks, right?"
"I don't know what you mean.", Carrie covered as Nicki smiled knowingly.
"C'mon, takes one to know one.", she said, arching a brow. "You're special though. One of those, gifted, brilliant, goddamn genius types."
"I don't know! I've never been tested or anything!" Agitated, Carrie went to hit the call button again but Nicki jumped in front of, blocked her path.
"Look, even the most intelligent intel officer can make some non-intelligent fuck-ups. So I'm gonna warn you. You being with this prick? Big fucking fuck-up.", Nicki warned as a nurse came in the room, along with a burly guard who grabbed her by the arm.
"Big fucking fuck up Mathison! Grandpa and his little lapdog Quinn won't be happy about this! Trust me on that!", she got out, then started cursing out the guard as he hauled her off to her room.
Meanwhile the nurse turned to a now pale Carrie, who Dominic had helped into a nearby chair.
"I just wanted to let you know someone was trying to get a hold of you, Miss Mathison. Said it was urgent I get you a message."
"Who? What was it?"
"It was from a PQ? He wanted me to tell you, this is all for your own good. Ask 'cabin boy'."
"What?!", Carrie spat, taking the slip of paper from the nurse with the same message scrawled on it. Crumpling it up she threw it across the room, swore. Scaring the younger woman out of the room.
"I can't believe he did this. What the fuck!"
"Okay, I'm gonna need more here.", Dominic said, watching curiously as Carrie stood up and paced, ran a hand through her hair.
"They don't think I can fucking take care of myself! For God's sake, I'm a goddamn grownup! I don't need protecting or hand holding or to be fucking coddled. I don't need some black ops bitch of a bodyguard assigned to look after me! Watching my every fucking move!"
"Wait, you're saying that woman was sent in here to-"
"To keep me from being harassed, harangued..whatever the hell Brody believes is happening to me in here and has asked Quinn to handle on my fucking behalf. The goddamn son of a...I can't fucking believe him!"
"You sure Red isn't just here because she's a nut like the rest of us?"
"Why would I get a message saying this is all for my own good?!", Carrie questioned.
"No, she was sent here to stay with me. Watch me like I'm some fucking child. And they figure since she's ex CIA that we'll fucking bond or something. Fuck!"
"Okay, c'mon, lets get out of here.", Dominic said, seeing as they were starting to attract attention. Walking her out he turned down the corridor to get to their floor.
Seeing the hall was basically empty, not ready to go back in her room yet, Carrie leaned back against the wall and slowly sank onto the floor. Put her head in her hands before he sat next to her.
"You know on the bright side, you must be pretty cared for by those guys if they went so far as to send in a bodyguard for you."
"I don't need them to take care of me. I don't need anyone to take care of me! I'm a grown woman, I've been in firefights in fucking war zones before. All I asked was for them to take care of Farrah for me. But if they're this preoccupied with keeping things from me, keeping me protected who knows how much she's being looked after!", Carrie cried as Dominic slipped an arm around her. Against her better judgement, she didn't fight him off.
"Maybe it'd help if you got a hold of her. Let her know at least you're not too preoccupied in here to pay her mind."
"Your offer's still on the table?", Carrie asked curiously, wiping her eyes.
"It never left."
Standing, Dominic smiled, helped her to her feet before she led him over to her room. Grabbing a pen she tore out a sheet of paper from her journal, sat on the bed before scribbling her address down on the sheet. Chewing her lip she folded the paper up, handed it to him.
"I still don't know how the fuck you'll be able to get over there and give her anything."
"What were you planning to give her?", he asked as Carrie softly smiled.
"I wrote her a story. Just a short children's book with pictures. I was going to give it to her for her birthday but I got it finished earlier than I expected."
"Can I see it?"
Nodding, going into her dresser drawer only to remember she'd locked it up, swearing she crossed over to her closet, went to retrieve the key from the small safe before hearing a knock on the door.
"Miss Mathison? You have another call."
"Jesus. If it's someone going by PQ tell him I-"
"It's actually from someone named Farrah? Abby saw it was from her and patched it through. You can take it in her office."
Beaming, Carrie all but ran out the door and down the hallway, leaving Dominic standing semi-awkwardly with the nurse.
"Oh, Mr. Lawson as long as you're here. Your day pass came through. Six hours today all for yourself."
"Thank you, ma'am. Thank you so much.", he said gratefully, perching on Carrie's bed as he pocketed the pass, then unfolded the slip with the address written on it. Smirking now he looked from it to the framed picture on the dresser of Carrie holding Farrah.
"Six whole hours. Whatever will I do."