Okay here's the latest. Just laying groundwork for some stuff in this chapter. Take as you will. And thanks muchly Bookworm, lipamo and EpicStelena for the reviewage! More to come soon. :)
"Danny what the fuck is going on?", Saul asked curiously. This was the first he'd seen of him since he'd woken up, and seeing how rattled the younger man was had him on edge.
"Look I'm sorry I just fucking barged in here. I didn't even ask how you were doing or bring flowers, a fruit basket.", Danny said guiltily, running a hand through his hair as he paced. "I just really needed to talk to you and-"
"Galvez, for Christ's sake!" Yelling to get his attention, Danny swallowed hard, looked at him. "Just relax. Settle down. And don't sweat it about the fruit. Flowers would've been nice though.", Saul smirked.
"Take a seat. Talk to me."
Pulling the chair out Danny nodded, perched on it. "I'm having some issues, Saul. With Lockhart."
"What's going on? You're the goddamn Director. He can't pull you around by the nose."
"He can't but he's fucking trying to.", the younger man muttered. "Look, I know I have your backing but Lockhart's a senator with influence at the Agency, and he's trying to weasel his way back into it. He's got clout and right now all of it's going towards ousting me."
"Ousting? What the fuck are you talking about? He doesn't have the authority to-"
"No he's just questioning mine until he gets it.", he said bitterly. "The prick undermines me every chance that he gets. He meets with high ranking colleagues behind my back and now everybody's questioning me. All because I didn't roll over and drool when he offered to step back in and take over. I'm don't mean to whine and unload all this on you, I just-"
"Danny, it's alright. You're not whining and you've got a right to unload. Lockhart's a prick.", Saul shrugged, removing his glasses and wiping a smudge off them with a corner of the bedsheet. "And trust me he's not the golden boy at the Agency that he makes himself out to be. I know that better than most.", he sighed as Danny nodded.
"I'm sure. You knew him before he switched gears and got into politics, right?", he asked, getting a nod that made him feel slightly more comfortable about making his request.
"Saul, do you have something on him? Anything I could use to try and discredit him?"
"That's a basket of snakes you have no goddamn business poking around in.", Saul cautioned as Danny scoffed, reached for and opened his briefcase.
"Well I started poking around anyway.", he said, handing Saul a file folder. "I tracked down this sealed file about an op he was somehow involved with. Digital and hard copy. It's partially blacked out but I'm running it through some scanning software a buddy gave me. Seeing if any of it can be retrieved."
"Goddammit, Galvez. You're pushing into Carrie territory here."
"I'm desperate, Saul. ", Danny sighed. "This guy is going to destroy me unless I destroy him first. He's power-mad and thinks he's superior. I'm not about to give into him."
"Well it's no secret I think you're running the ship better than Lockhart could ever dream to. But these files were redacted for a reason. You're the last person who ought to be-"
"I'm the fucking Director, Saul."
"Who can't afford a scandal. ", Saul reminded. "Especially not after the stunt that Carrie pulled."
"You'd help her take Lockhart down if he was threatening her position."
"I absolutely would.", he said simply. "And what's to say I'm not gonna help you?"
"You will?"
"Of course. I didn't lobby for you to be my successor so some self entitled schmuck like Andrew Lockhart could interfere and get in your way. I'm just saying I'll review the files. See what they're all about. It'll give me more to do around here besides sit around and let my brain rot. Besides, I'm curious."
"Okay, they're all yours.", Danny said, standing up. "You'll let me know though if you find..."
"Of course. Off book though of course."
"Of course."
After Danny thanked him again, stepped out, leaning back in bed Saul thumbed through the folder, removed one of the sheets of paper from it. Slowly reading it, squinting he put his glasses back on, then frowned. "What in the...son of a bitch."
Reading the papers more thoroughly, doing his best to read between the lines he understood why this case file had been sealed, redacted, and stuffing it into his nightstand drawer, wished he hadn't seen the damn thing at all.
Sitting in her room reading, hearing a knock Carrie sat up in bed, grinned when Maggie poked her head in the door.
"Hey!"
"Hey! I thought you were coming by tomorrow."
"I know but I was running some errands and have some time before I have to get the girls at school.", she said, pulling one of the chairs over by her bed. "How are you?"
"I'm good.", Carrie shrugged, smiling. "I know it's only been a week but being here's helping a lot."
"Good. That's the whole point. I heard you paid someone a visit this morning."
"Yeah. I did."
"How did it go?", Maggie asked curiously, trying to hide her nerves.
"It went as well as it could have. Saul seemed to understand. Still felt surreal though even talking to him about it. Explaining it all was just..."
"You did what you had to do, Carrie. And better you explained it now and got it over with."
"Yeah. Anyway, what's going on with you. What errands did you have to do?"
"Well, went and got some save the date cards made up."
"Wait...what?"
"Here's the template. What do you think?", Maggie asked eagerly, handing her one of the model cards. Seeing the date Carrie snorted, looked at her in surprise.
"You scheduled the wedding for the seventh."
"Yeah, I did."
"You picked my fucking birthday to get married on?", she laughed in disbelief.
"Well if you celebrated your fucking birthday then I would've chosen a different date.", Maggie said simply.
"So what, the rehearsal's the day before?"
"We can throw a party for Farrah too. It'll fall when you have your weekend pass, then you'll be able to be there to celebrate. We all will. Unless you're not okay with it and I have to-"
"No, I'm okay with it. Really."
"Good, these save the date cards weren't cheap.", she laughed as Carrie took a closer look at it.
"You picked turquoise for the color of them."
"Yeah. The white font looked good on that background. Since when are you so interested in color choice?"
"Nothing it's just, Mom liked turquoise. Dad always said it matched her eyes so her jewelry box was fucking filled with it. Remember?"
"Not really.", Maggie said curtly.
"You know the other day in group they had us talk about our families. Any positive moments, memories. I told them about that time at the cabin when Mom found that snake in the clearing, put it in Dad's boot as a prank?"
"You mean the one that tried to bite him, right?", she scoffed.
"Maggie..."
Rolling her eyes Carrie set the card down on the nightstand. "I thought you'd want to know what they have me talk about in here!"
"I do, sweetie."
"Well they bring up your parents a lot when you're in fucking therapy.", she snorted.
"I'm surprised I haven't been sat down with a shrink about her.", Maggie muttered, crossing her arms.
"You don't miss her at all, do you?"
"Carrie, you know I hate talking about-"
"Well I hate making pasta art with Olivia across the hall but I'm fucking doing it once a week.", Carrie spat, shaking her head.
"And I've been thinking about Mom too. Lately it's been difficult not to.", she sighed, resting her hand on her stomach. Realizing Saul had been right about her starting to show.
"Well I'm going to talk to Abby. She shouldn't be talking about her with you in group or one on one if it's upsetting you so much."
"It's not fucking upsetting me! It's upsetting you!"
"You think it shouldn't?!", Maggie exclaimed.
"Maggie...I'm sorry. But I don't hate her as much as you!", Carrie admitted. "If Mom left because of Dad, I...I don't like it but I understand. It eats you up! What he and I have, I..."
"Do you really think that I don't know that!", Maggie snapped, taking her aback. "But I stuck it out! I stayed! She didn't. And she's not going to just come back and tell you it was all some misunderstanding, Carrie! She's not going to help plan your wedding or throw you a baby shower or be there to hold your hand in the delivery room! And the sooner you let that sink in the better off you'll fucking be."
"Maggie..."
"Why did you bring her up? Why did you ...I wanted to talk to you about your maid of honor dress and flowers and what kind of goddamn wedding cake to have. What the hell made you bring her up?!", Maggie choked out.
"Because I fucking wish that she was back!", Carrie exclaimed, but regretted the admission when Maggie's eyes iced over.
"Well she won't be. So I suggest you try and get used to it.", she said harshly as she grabbed her purse and stormed out. Colliding with a volunteer and her magazine cart on the way out.
Shaking her head, the slim, tall brunette got up off the floor before walking over, peering in the window of Carrie's room. Seeing her curled up on her side in bed she bit her lip, mulled walking in only to hear footsteps, feel someone tap her shoulder.
"Look lady. If you plan on volunteering here you need to make stops on every floor. Not just this one!", a guard barked, taking a newspaper and chocolate bar off her cart as he walked off. Unwrapping, then dropping the candy wrapper he nearly slipped, fell on it.
Amusement in her blue-green eyes the woman snorted, shook her head as she strode past him with her cart.
"You fucking moron."