After parking the car, making their way to the fairgrounds, a curious and excited Farrah dragged Maggie off towards the first striped tent she saw.
"Hey, wait up!" Carrie yelled after her. Rolling her eyes, she tried to hide her frustration that the normally quick clip she walked at felt slowed to half speed ever since she'd reached her third trimester.
Looking back over her shoulder, she was pleased to see Brody had at least opted to stick close to her. Until she realized it was because he was texting and walking.
"You know..."
Waiting until he reached where she was standing Carrie reached out, grabbed his arm.
"Hey!"
"This day's going to be a hell of a lot less fun if you're fixated on a screen the whole time we're here."
Sheepishly, Brody apologized, put the phone in his back pocket.
"I just wanted to let Quinn know we got here. That Farrah wanted to-"
"See him. I know. I'm starting to think she's not the only one," Carrie said with a smirk.
"Look, you were the one who told me to be civil to the guy!"
"Before I found out he was my competition."
"Is that right?"
Taking her now by the arm, Brody spun Carrie back against a nearby tree. Moved in as close as her bump allowed before kissing her, a little too heatedly given the setting. When she was forced to pull back and catch some air he grinned, nipped at her ear.
"Fuck. Brody-"
"Couldn't have you feeling threatened."
Feeling her scratch lightly at his scalp he dropped soft kisses down the curve of her neck. Earned a whimper that egged him on right before his phone rang.
"Son of a-"
"Answer it," Carrie groaned. "We're not in a clearing and we already locked up the car," she said, smirking as Brody reluctantly backed up, retrieved his phone.
"Quinn, hey," he greeted as Carrie motioned for him to put the phone on speaker.
"Hey. Saw your texts. I'm sorry but I don't think today is gonna work out."
Lying back on the now bare mattress in his now empty guest room, Quinn swallowed hard before he put his phone on speaker. Picking up the flask resting next to him he took a swig.
"Shit. Are you sure? Farrah was hoping you and J.J could meet up with us. She was looking forward to it."
"Yeah. It would've been nice. Just...wasn't in the cards."
"Well, let us know when you can, alright? I know Farrah really wants to see J.J again."
"I know. I...I understand. Trust me," Quinn muttered, taking another sip from the flask.
"Also, real quick. I'm putting together a bachelor party for Danny. It'll be tomorrow night."
"Who the fuck appointed you to be our social coordinator?"
"Didn't see anyone else stepping up to the plate," Brody said. "Look, it'll be at Carrie's place around eight. Nothing over the top, just burgers, beer. Maybe some video games."
"Wow, quite the triple threat," Quinn scoffed.
"Yeah, it sure sounds kid friendly, if nothing else," Carrie chimed in, earning a look from Brody.
"You know this isn't the first time I've planned one of these things."
"Guess I should be grateful you're not in charge of the bachelorette, too," she teased.
"Guys, I'm still on the goddamn line here," Quinn snapped as Carrie's smile faded. Any amusement she had at pushing Brody's buttons gone after hearing the tone in the sniper's voice.
"Shit. Sorry, Quinn."
"How the fuck are you even talking to me right now, Carrie?" he asked, frowning as he sat up in bed, took another sip of vodka.
"Well, I'm on speaker phone, on this invention called a cellphone that-"
"It's Wednesday."
"Yeah. So?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought a weekend pass was designed to fall on a goddamn weekend."
"There were extenuating circumstances," Carrie sighed. "Saul didn't fill you in?"
"No. Should he?"
"Well it's moot now. It's resolved."
"How exactly? Has the psych ward let you out for good behavior?"
"It's resolved, Quinn," she said sharply, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"But if you're that desperate for details, I'll fill you in at the rehearsal dinner."
"Great. I'll be there with bells on," Quinn scoffed before hanging up abruptly.
"Jesus," Carrie scoffed, shaking her head. "How long has he sounded like that?"
Shrugging, Brody squeezed her hand and twined their fingers.
"I don't know. The last time we talked was right when the press started trailing me. When he gave me the heads up they were on your lawn."
"God. It feels like that happened years ago," Carrie said with a shudder.
"And you said Farrah and his son haven't seen each other lately? Even at the community center?" she asked.
"I'll check with the imam but I'm pretty sure he'll just confirm our suspicions. Anita's trying to get her and J.J some distance," Brody said as Carrie bit her lip, moved her free hand to rest on her bump.
"Do you have any way to get a hold of her yourself?"
"I have her contact info from when we were dealing with Lawson. I just don't think it's my place to say anything."
"But if you have any sway with her at all, then-"
"Carrie..."
Dropping his hand she stopped walking, turned to face him.
"You're telling me you're not concerned? That you're not even going to try and-"
"Try and what? Interfere in Peter Quinn's personal life? Earn a matching scar for my right hand?"
Brody exclaimed as she rolled her eyes.
"Look, I've gone to bat for Quinn with Anita before. Whatever's happened now though in regards to J.J is between the two of them. And with all their history, the baggage there. The last thing I want to do is stick my nose in and make things worse."
"Okay, I get that," Carrie sighed. "I just...the way he sounded on the phone just now."
"Yeah. Sounded like he'd had a few."
"More than a few. Not like I'm one to talk," she scoffed.
"Look, if it'll make you feel better I'll stop by his place tonight after I drop you off. Check in on him."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Brody assured her as she gave him a soft smile.
"I mean he probably won't let me even walk in the fucking door."
"That's if he even opens it."
When Carrie started walking again, folded her arms over her chest Brody looked on solemnly. Eased his arm around her shoulders before kissing the side of her head.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what?"
Looking straight ahead but feeling the knowing look he was giving her, Carrie sighed, attempted one last deflect.
"We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves today, aren't we?"
"Still have a bit of a hike before we get to the Tilt A Whirl," Brody pointed out.
Rolling her eyes Carrie leaned into his touch a bit more.
"When I told you before that Quinn helped me out with Farrah."
"Yeah?"
"Well there was a point, one night, when I thought there was going to be distance between her and I. Because of Khaliq."
"Wait, what?" Brody asked, stopping short as Carrie slipped out from under his arm. Turned to face him.
"After you missed the Langley meeting and Saul had been shot, that night Dana called me and Quinn was at my house?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Hours before that, he and I had Khaliq in custody at Langley. We were trying to get him to confess to what happened to Saul. I thought we had him on the ropes, until he came back at me about..."
"About what, Carrie?" Brody asked, trying not to sound as on edge as he felt.
"The foster agreement Saul helped negotiate. Our visas, paperwork, everything that allowed me to leave Baghdad with Farrah. Khaliq researched Saul's contact who made it happen, and found out she wasn't exactly above board."
"Mother fucking…"
"In the bunker he used it as a threat. Said if he had to that he'd come forward with what he found out. Try and use it against me."
"Against you where? In fucking court?"
His fear morphing into full blown rage, Brody backed away before pacing back and forth. The only thing he could think to do to avoid punching something.
"Brody-"
"You're telling me the brother who kidnapped, who nearly killed…"
Running a hand over his face he shook his head.
"That fucker was going to try and sue you for-"
"Yes," Carrie cut in, blocking his path.
"He considered it, until Quinn stopped him."
"How? What the fuck did he-"
"All I know was that he handled it. I wasn't really concerned with how he went about it so much as his promise the plan would fucking work," Carrie scoffed.
"Thank God it did," Brody sighed, feeling his blood pressure slowly begin to return to normal.
"I wasn't intending to not tell you. I just-"
"Carrie, you trusted that it was taken care of. If you still thought Khaliq posed any kind of a threat you'd have told me about it."
"Yeah, I would've," she said assuredly as he stepped closer, pulled her into a hug.
"That whole night was just something I was happy to block out."
"I bet. It's over now though, love," he murmured against her hair as she held onto him tighter.
"You get though now where I'm coming from with Quinn," Carrie asked after a beat, taking a step back.
"Even if he hadn't helped me out with Farrah, I wouldn't want him to have to lose-"
"I know. Trust me, as someone who has..."
Trailing off Brody shook his head.
"I'll do what I can for the guy, Carrie. I swear."
Smiling, taking him at his word, Carrie twined their fingers before they started walking again.
"So you really want the Tilt A Whirl to be our first stop?"
"Hey, I'm open to suggestions. Maybe we can stop off for a snack first?"
"If you think deep fried Oreos and corn dogs are going to jumpstart my appetite, you're wrong, Sergeant."
"Fine, cotton candy and giant pretzels it is."