Here is the second part.

Thanks to karivalentina and Lipamo for your reviews.

Thanks to Terzima for the translation.

Still with Brody.

Enjoy your reading.

A New Life

Part 10-2

"Where's Carrie?"

"Asleep."

"I want to see her."

I was already walking away from him, my sight hurting from just seeing him. He grabbed my arm, I pushed him back.

"Don't you ever touch me again!"

I remembered the interrogation too well. He let go and raised his hands in a mock peace sign, his gaze was dark as hell. I didn't trust him, it was instinctive, he represented a threat, like Saul but in a different way. In a few seconds I sensed the problems stemming from his presence and the risks it involved.

"Let me tell you just one thing, Brody: leave her alone."

I faced him, livid.

"It was you who answered the phone a few days ago," I realized.

"Yes, it was. I got here a week ago much to Saul's annoyance, he thought his little secret was well kept but I'm better than that."

"Anyone else knows?"

"Of course not."

"Why did you come? Why put her in danger?"

He laughed scornfully.

"Seriously? I'm the one who's putting her in danger? Who are you kidding Sergeant Brody?"

I was sick and tired of being called that way. I was sick and tired of people interfering in my life, of being judged, of being deprived of what I cared for.

"She always refused to tell me what happened," he continued, "the reasons for her unexplained pains. I finally know the bottom line thanks to you. And I understood you were a threat for her and a dead weight."

I seethed inside, because he was right.

"I can't," I said eventually.

"You can't what?"

"Let them down."

"We'll take her back, it's best for her."

Oh no! No! No! No! I had to keep calm.

"What does Carrie think?"

"She's fine with it."

Liar!

"I'd call that into question."

"You have some nerve! You made her life hell and you're pretending you know what she's thinking?"

"I know she loves me, I know she knows I love them both."

"You call that love? It's anything but love, when you love someone, you don't bring misery into their lives."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?"

There was some kind of demented sparkle in his eyes, he was a dangerous guy.

"You can't take her back to the US," I ignored him, "it's impossible, and too risky."

"Risky for you, not for her, she can disappear over there and start a new life."

"And you'll be around to help her?"

That idea had just struck me. He squinted without answering which increased my unease.

"Yes, I'll be there for her."

"She won't live that kind of life, not without me," I countered.

"You're quite presumptuous," he shortly sniggered and turned dead serious again.

"And even with me by her side," I continued, "I'm not even sure she can. So if you have it all figured out, tell me who'll handle her condition? How can I be sure my daughter won't be in danger?"

I was going too far, I didn't care. He turned pale as if I had hit him.

"How dare you?" he growled.

He came so close that I felt his breath on my face.

"I won't leave Carrie or my daughter behind," I opposed doggedly. "You'll have to kill me to part me from them."

"Don't tempt me."

He turned around.

"We're not done. I want to see her," I insisted.

He turned halfway.

"If you love her as you say you do, leave her alone, don't come and see her, we'll take care of her and the baby. In one or two years they'll be leading a normal life and they won't have to be on the run and hide all the time."

He started to walk, leaving me in full doubt.

Was I so selfish as to deprive them of a normal life?
No. Of course not.

I stared at the building feeling like my heart was being torn out. I could only walk back to the car, devastated.

"You're back already?"

When I saw Saul I wanted to crush him.

"You knew it, asshole!"

He raised his head from the newspaper, stared at me through the open window.

"You saw Quinn too."

"I didn't see Carrie!"

I launched into an enraged monologue, gesticulating, going in circles around the car, angry as hell again. He went out of the car, sat on the hood and crossed his arms.

"What happened?"

"Are you kidding me?"

I had stopped short, yelling like a madman. I needed a scapegoat to appease my growing hatred.

"You had it all planned! You just fucked with me!"
"How was that?"

"So why all those arrangements if it's to eventually pull us apart, why not let me die over there?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're going to take them away and what am I supposed to do? Tell me! What'll I do without them? Might as well finish me off in right now."

I lost all strength, crushed by pain.

"Are you done?"

I didn't bother answering.

"I'm not taking Carrie anywhere."

"That's not –"

"What he said doesn't matter. I won't do it because she won't survive it, not as long as you're alive."

"What? You plan to kill me? You want a rope to hang me from a bridge?"

A nightmare I often had.

"No, it wasn't my goal, but I'll ask you something."

"What?"

"Do you really think you'll be able to take care of her? Carrie's life has never been easy, you know."

"I know. But I'll deal with it."

"Really? And you also think you can keep her at home, doing nothing, you don't think it'll drive her crazy?"

I resented being quizzed like this.

"We've talked about it."

"And?"

"And nothing, we know it'll be hard, but that's what she wants."

"What about you? What do you want?"

I didn't need to do a lot of thinking to answer.

"I want her to be happy and if she wants to go, I'll let her."

A lump formed in my throat.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

I stared at him, wary.

"When she understands the mistake she's doing, I want you to let her go back to her country with her daughter and I'll do what's necessary for her to regain a sense of normalcy."

"So that was it from the start? A vile compromise?"

The dream I'd had about him came back to me, becoming a potential reality.

"Carrie's stubborn, the only means to have her back was to give in to her demand and wait until she realizes her mistake herself."

I pinched the bridge of my noise, breathing as calmly as I could.

"Don't be so surprised."

"I shouldn't be. Carrie has such a great deal of respect for you, she's so wrong."

"I'm her friend, she knows it."

"Her friend only?"

For the first time in a long time, I saw him frown.

"Don't follow this path or you'll regret it."

"I already do. I want to see Carrie."

Surprisingly, I won my case.

The area around the clinic was rather empty. We crossed different pathways to building C, then walked down a long corridor painted in plain pastel colors and stopped at a door. I couldn't wait any longer so I got into the room without knocking, ignoring Quinn's acerbic protests, suppressing my desire to jump on him because I was only interested in the woman lying on the bed.

"Peter," Saul hissed, "out. Now!"

They glared at each other but I was past them already, Carrie was asleep, I walked around the bed, took the patient data sheet hung at the foot of the bed. There was a false name and data I didn't understand. Then I sat in an armchair, close to her, to wait for her to wake up, taking my hat off. She was so pale, not serene even in her sleep. Her hair was shorter and dyed darker, it hardened her features. I expected to find machines beeping around her but there wasn't any.

Quinn was outside with Saul, I heard them vaguely behind the door. I noticed a photo frame on the bedside table, unfamiliar faces around Carrie. I took it mechanically, guessing the father figure, guessing also her sister and nieces. She held them close against her in a protective and motherly manner, showing how she would be as a mother. My heart sank again, she was happy in that family picture.

I put the frame back on the table, stood in front of the window and lost myself in the sight of the autumnal horizon, thrusting my hands in my pockets, suddenly freezing. I was fighting my demons, time and again, and I supposed that I would be until the end of times.

I didn't need to turn my head to know she was awake. I sensed her gaze on me, it was systematic. I turned around slowly not to scare or surprise her. She wavered between joy and sadness, bright-eyed.

"Is that you? For real? I'm not hallucinating?"

I closed the gap between us and sat by her side, caught her hand and squeezed it. I caressed her hair, soothed by that simple touch. So was she apparently.

"How are you doing? And the baby?"

"We're fine. I'm just tired and under stress apparently."

She was downplaying things.

"I was so worried, worried sick."

"I was against the idea of being far from you, you know it, right?"

I nodded.

"Its' just that the baby –"

"I know, I know. I feel so bad, you've no idea."

"I should've been more careful, I promise to stop acting without thinking – well, I'll do my best," she joked.

"Don't be a fool, I was supposed to watch over you."

"And I over you."

"It's my responsibility to protect you both," I insisted.

I put my hand on her belly bump that showed despite the blankets. She watched me intently.

"So you've seen the ultrasound?"

"Dozens of times."

She gave me a tender smile, which warmed me up completely.

"Go ahead, say it."

I showed my perplexity.

"Say it, I allow you to."

I understood and suppressed a smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"No kidding. Come on, Brody, I know you're dying to do it."

"If you insist, see, I told you it would be a girl."

"There was a 50-50 chance, it was easy."

"You're a sore loser."

"Always have been."

It was good to share again this feeling of complicity that bonded us. Good to feel myself again.

"And what did you feel when you saw her?"

"It made me fall head over heels in love for her."

She turned her face, deeply moved. Her chin trembled, her brows furrowed, her tears were about to fall. And then she turned back to me, gave me a large and trusting smile.

"I'd like to go out, walk a little, can you help me?"

"You have the right to get up?"

"I'm not made out of sugar, and it's good for me to walk a little; with Quinn, we often go for a walk. We walked this morning, then I had breakfast and I was drained."

I tensed at the name of that good-for-nothing.

"Where is he by the way?"

"Gone with Saul."

At least, that's what I hoped. I helped her to stand up, she was already dressed, she showed me the closet in the corner.

"Would you please take my coat?"

In the corridor, she leaned on my extended arm, I was relieved not to see the two pains in the ass. We walked slowly, passing the occasional resident or nurse's aid, the silence disrupted by the dim sound of television seeping from the rooms.

"Saul and you got along ok?"

"Ok. We acted civilized."

"I was expecting your call, you know," she said tentatively when we reached a coffee machine in an empty waiting hall.

"I called you but you're not the one who answered."

She frowned, waiting for more detail.

"I called you one week ago, I think Quinn picked up. He didn't say a word but –"

She fumbled in her pocket for a coin, visibly irritated.

"Fuck, what about minding his own business! It'll cost him plenty!"

Her finger wavered between the various choices of coffee.

"Don't drink coffee."

She grumbled but complied, and took hot chocolate.

"Gives me the runs," she mumbled.

I couldn't help but smile. She joined me at the window that looked onto the outside.

"Sorry, too much information," she apologized.

"It's hard for you, I know. Staying in bed, being dependent, in pain, in the unknown."

She swallowed her hot chocolate and threw the cup into the trash can. She sat in my lap and put her arms around me, forehead to forehead.

"When you're here, it all becomes secondary."

She stroked my cheek, kissed me again and again, until I forgot the world around us.

"I almost lost my mind when you didn't call me," she confessed between two passionate kisses.

"Me too. My only opportunity to talk to you and that asshole wasted it."

"I won't let anyone stand between us again and feed me bullshit."

I cupped her face in my hands to watch her with wonder.

"I'm happy to hear it."

"I'm so eager to start our new life, there's no words!"

"It won't be easy, are you sure that's what you want?"

She lost some of her peace of mind.

"I'm fucking scared, yeah, I'm scared to fail but I want to try. I didn't think I'd be passionate about anything else than my job, I thought I'd grow old alone, but you're here with me and despite your weaknesses and fears, you're ready to fight, and you see – I'm happier than I've ever been."

More to come when I can.