Alright well here's the latest. Not much movement but I'm setting up for some future stuff. Please bear with me. Thanks so much Bookworm, lipamo, and zarqa so glad I'm holding your interest! More to come soon. :)
Cutting over to Saul's room, Abby bit her lip, guiltily approached Carrie who was curled up in bed asleep. Reaching over she shook her shoulder, knowing the blonde hadn't gotten much sleep, but also knowing waking her up for this would be to her benefit.
"Carrie? Honey, wake up."
"What the...Abby? What-"
"C'mon, you have to get up."
"Why?" Carrie muttered. "What's-"
"It's an emergency. C'mon!" Abby exclaimed as Carrie quickly climbed out of bed, followed the older woman down the hall.
"Abby, what's going on? Can I help? I-"
"Just be quiet and come with me!" Abby ordered, dragging Carrie by the arm to the side door leading out to the grounds.
"Jesus Christ, Abby! Why did you-"
Once outside, getting her answer almost immediately, Carrie's expression went solemn, deadly serious.
"Abby. What is she-"
"Saul asked to see her, honey."
"I told you! I didn't want her to fucking know that I'm-"
"She doesn't have to, Carrie!" Abby sighed. "But she knows that Saul's here. That's why he agreed to this in the first place!"
Crossing her arms Carrie bowed her head, scoffed. Furious that her one request since this fucking thing started had been completely overruled by people she trusted.
"And what story does that leave me then? I just happened to be passing through?" she scoffed. "Fuck, I have to fucking lie to her!"
"Well how did your little meeting with her and Frances at the motel get explained away?" Abby retorted as Carrie let out a snort, not having a sufficient comeback at the ready.
"Look, if you don't want to see her you don't have to. But Saul requested a visit and thinks you should be there for it. He said with everything you're dealing with it would be good for you. And I signed off on it because I felt the same. I mean little Farrah's fine sitting over there with Saul. But I think she'd be even better if you joined them."
"Abby..."
"C'mon. Going over there, her giving you a big hug? Sitting on your lap?"
"You don't play fair," Carrie scoffed.
"Never claimed to. Go on now. You can even miss group if you do."
"Okay now you're just trying to bribe me."
"Trying and succeeding through, right?" Abby grinned as Carrie rolled her eyes. Arms still folded over her chest she bit her lip, approached the bench where Farrah and Saul were sitting.
"Hey Farrah. Looks like someone's here to see you," Saul smiled, motioning behind him as Farrah turned, squealed before jumping off the bench, running to and throwing herself at Carrie who knelt down, pulled her into a hug.
"Hey you," she sniffed. Glancing up at Saul he gave her a watery smile.
"Come, you sit with us," Farrah commanded, getting up before helping Carrie up, over to the bench.
"I miss you both so I sit between," she said firmly. Laughing, Carrie sat down, then watched the girl squeeze to sit in the gap between her and Saul.
"So, what have you been up to since I saw you last?"
"I stay with Mag and Dan now," Farrah said. "They bring me here."
"Why are you with them instead of with Quinn?" Carrie asked curiously.
"He and J.J need to see J.J's grandma. They stay over at her house."
"Quinn made sure to get you to Maggie's house first though, right?"
"Yes. He make sure. But I no like having to move," Farrah sighed as Carrie slipped an arm around her, bit her lip guiltily.
"Farrah, I hate that you keep getting bumped around so much."
"Bumped?" she frowned.
"Moved around. That you're going from Quinn's to Maggie's," Carrie clarified. "But it's almost over, okay? You have my word."
"I miss Nick," Farrah sniffled, hiding her face against Carrie's arm.
"Yeah, I know."
Holding her closer Carrie looked over pleadingly at Saul, hoping he'd change the subject and try and switch gears here. Nodding he softly smiled.
"You know, Farrah snuck up behind me earlier the same way you did just now."
"Yeah?" Carrie laughed.
"She was quiet. Careful not to get caught or noticed. She was good."
"As good as I was getting to the safe house in Beirut?" she asked.
"Just about, yeah," Saul laughed.
"What is safe house?" Farrah asked curiously, looking between Saul and Carrie.
"Well, it's a special house or building that only a few people know about," Carrie answered. "It's where spies go to try and regroup or rest during a mission. They may have colleagues or assets they need to meet up with there too."
"You meet up with ass?"
"Asset, Farrah," Carrie corrected as Saul stifled a laugh.
"You've met up with some of the former too though," he smirked. "Remember that arms dealer from your first stint?"
"Ugh, don't remind me," she groaned as Farrah frowned at them both, not understanding.
"Anyway, when Carrie was in Beirut, she had to outrun and outsmart all these guys that had were coming after me and her. But she had to be sneaky and smart about it. Like you were just now when you snuck up on me," Saul said.
"She even caused a scene in a marketplace to get away, get the bad guys to leave her alone. She had to make sure nobody was following her before she could go to the safe house," Saul said as Farrah gasped, wide eyed.
"You have to fight?"
"Sort of," Carrie shrugged. "I knocked down one of the men who was after me in the middle of a marketplace, but I made it look like he'd fallen down and needed the crowd to help him up. It gave me time to get away."
"Were you scared?"
"A little, yeah," she admitted. "Being a spy can be scary. But if you've been doing it a long time and you're with people you can trust, you don't worry so much."
"You and Bear trust?" Farrah asked, getting a nod.
"Yeah. We do."
"You two friends that spy!" she smiled, looking to Saul. "Like Carrie and Fran, yes?"
"Fran?" Saul asked.
"Carrie's friend! She spy. She look like her," Farrah answered before shifting onto the lawn, opening the picnic basket she'd brought along for them. While she was occupied rummaging through the pile of plastic wrapped sandwiches and bags of chips, Saul frowned, moved closer to Carrie.
"Carrie...", he hissed. "What the fuck was she-"
"Saul, relax. Fran, Frances, is that volunteer here. The one who helped me escape."
"So why did Farrah think she was a spy?" Saul asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.
"Because I told her that's how we met! That it's how we knew each other. She thinks I'm on assignment now. Remember?" she asked as Saul nodded in understanding.
"Right. Right."
"Why do you still look so freaked out?" Carrie snorted.
"Nothing, it's nothing," he insisted. Skeptically frowning at him Carrie shrugged, asked Farrah to hand her the picnic basket.
"I take ham and cheese. You get turkey," Farrah said.
"Why didn't you take the peanut butter instead? That's your favorite."
"Because Bear like it," she grinned, handing Saul his sandwich.
"I'm more than happy to trade if you-"
"No, it yours," the girl insisted as Saul thanked her, took a small bite before setting it down.
"You no hungry?"
"Not exactly. I'll save it for later though," he said, his stomach still in knots after hearing about Carrie's encounter with "Fran". The fact Farrah even sounded to be catching on. "She spy. She looks like her!"
All Saul could hope was Farrah's theorizing ended there, but given who her foster mother was who the fuck was he kidding.
...
Meanwhile, watching the entire scene from a distance Abby smiled, waved across the way to someone. Then glared when he didn't obey her.
"Get over here! Now!" she hissed as Brody rolled his eyes, approached her. Seeing Carrie, Farrah and Saul on the picnic bench he snorted, crossed his arms.
"When you had Zahira call me you made it sound like the goddamn building had burned down," he spat, feeling like an idiot for speeding back to town like he had all so he could crash a picnic lunch. One he felt he was intruding on even watching from a distance.
"That little Farrah is the most precious thing, isn't she?" Abby gushed. "She told me when I walked her over here that she wanted to sneak across the lawn. Be a spy just like Carrie. I think that's what the three of them have been talking about."
Nodding, Brody guessed she was right given how in her element Carrie looked. Sitting with Saul, swapping stories, sharing what secrets they could with the girl who worshipped the clandestine ground they'd both walked on.
She looked happy. Happier than Brody had seen her in weeks, and he couldn't blame her. She was talking about the job and the life she'd fucking loved, succeeded at. The one he'd yanked away from her within months of them meeting. Looking down, away from it all he bowed his head.
"Brody...? Did you hear-"
"Yeah, Abby. I did," he said, nodding. "You're probably right. Farrah asked me to tell her about every fucking non-classified mission of Carrie's I knew about. She loves hearing about that part of her life."
"She wants to be an adventurer too, huh?"
"Yeah. Just like her mom," Brody said solemnly. "Look, I should really get back."
"No, Brody. Now c'mon. Carrie would love to see you!" Abby insisted as he sighed, turned towards her.
"Abby, I-"
"I know that Farrah and Saul being here boosted her spirits. But seeing you would-"
"Abby, I can't! Okay!" he yelled, then took a breath, rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"I'm sorry, I just...I can't. Like you said, she's got Saul, Farrah. She doesn't need me. Not now, not like this."
"Brody..."
"I'm serious Abby. I really have to go," he sighed. "Just tell me, Carrie and the baby. They're okay, right?"
Seeing the concern, fear in his eyes Abby sighed, nodded. "Carrie had an appointment the day you dropped her off. Dr. Addison said the baby's progressing normally, everything's fine. They both got a clean bill of health."
"Good. That...that's good."
"The kicking's started up too, you know," Abby smiled. "You've got a soccer star in there."
Nodding, Brody managed a watery smile before glancing over towards the bench. Saw Farrah nibbling her sandwich, listening attentively to Saul while she sat on a content looking Carrie's lap.
"Do me a favor. Please don't tell her I was here."
"Brody I-"
"Abby, please. I'm begging you."
Seeing the pained but pleading look in his eyes, against her better judgement Abby nodded.
"I won't say a word to her. I swear," she said as Brody nodded, thanked her, and after glancing at Carrie once more, quickly walked back to the same door he'd come in through.