This is spying. Isn't it FUN?

[neverwrongagent]

Brody attending the meeting Walker had so casually mentioned turned into a three ring circus. More than one person involved was convinced the whole thing was a wild goose chase, including Carrie occasionally. If she hadn't seen Walker as up close and personal as she had when they were first rescued, she could have been convinced. Maybe sending Brody to a regular meeting for returning vets who were also Muslim was just a kind of fuck you from a man who felt he'd been betrayed by a brother soldier. Or it could be something much more sinister. The problem was, no one could really figure out what that sinister was supposed to be. Carrie continued to maintain that Brody had no idea what was going on.

The questions Brody faced right after the meeting ranged from if he knew any of the people there already to how was he planning to overthrow the US government. When the questions headed that way a majority of the time, Carrie called foul and got Brody out of there. With full understanding of the irony involved, they had decided that the cover that would work best with his family was that he was working with other vets on integrating back into the world. Carrie would have felt a lot worse about that if it was just being used to cover up them fucking around. She still felt pretty shitty about it given how much stress it was putting on him.

They took their own cars back to her place. She got there before him and immediately opened a fresh bottle of wine, leaving a full glass on the counter for him, then she went upstairs to change into something decidedly less official looking.

Comments

[posterboymarine]

They were both so obviously retreating that he felt his own heart breaking some. He turned his attention back to the food, to give both of them some space.

[neverwrongagent]

She could feel it too, but for her it was this thing that always happened. It wasn't that her heart didn't break some, it was that she was used to it. Once the little table was set, she poured them both more wine and opened a second bottle for the table. She knew all the time they spent together would be like this, back and forth emotionally.

She sat back at the table with a sigh. "Go for a walk with me after we eat?"

[posterboymarine]

He brought the food over and dished out, then he joined her at the table. "I would like that." He'd had enough time to settle some, so he held his hand out for hers.

[neverwrongagent]

She was so distracted by holding his hand that she didn't really finish eating, not that she usually finished a meal anyway. Thinking about touching him was more important. She even brought his hand up so she could kiss the back once. After that, she went back to rambling some, talking about places they could walk and how she and Maggie would pack backpacks for the day.

When he was done eating, she helped clean up just as much as they absolutely had to. "Damn it, I just thought of something."

[posterboymarine]

He listened to the rambling with a grin and even managed most of the cleaning up. Then she stopped him with her comment. "What's that, love?"

[neverwrongagent]

She blinked a little at his endearment, then shook it off as she tugged at the borrowed shirt she wore. "We have to get dressed." In theory she could get away with just putting on her shoes, but it was a little chilly for that.

[posterboymarine]

He smirked at that. "Yes, we do." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "We'll take a blanket."

[neverwrongagent]

"Not my best planning moment." She wasn't in any hurry to stop the kisses, but she finally pulled away. "I just won't put on any underwear." She pointed out where there were more blankets, bigger ones than the one she'd been wearing around the cabin. "And we should set the fire up so it's ready to light when we get back."

Regardless of what they got up to in the woods, her plans for when they got back included curling up in front of the fire.

[posterboymarine]

"You are insatiable, aren't you." He winked at her before patting her on the ass. "Go get dressed. I'll set the fire up."

[neverwrongagent]

"I am, actually." It was part of her more manic cycles, not that she was going to put it that way, but there was an irony to the fact that she controlled them by expending her energy that way. "Going to have to make sure you work out regularly. Carb load."

She went into the other room and found her jeans and a sweatshirt, tossing his shirt back onto the couch, then got to work on the fire. "Should we bring wine?"

[posterboymarine]

He rolled his eyes as he pulled on his shirt. "Okay, I'll get the wine and a blanket." Before she could do that, too, he started gathering up the items and rolling them in a blanket sling. Then he tied it off and stood waiting for her.

[neverwrongagent]

"What? I like to be prepared." She smacked his ass in payback as they headed out the door. Her mood was swinging back toward the positive at full speed. They were going to be outside, that was always good.

She grabbed his hand and lead him around the lake on a path she'd walked hundreds of times. It was all so familiar to her that she almost didn't see it.

[posterboymarine]

She might have not seen the path, but he did. He tried to take it all in, trusting her to lead him to wherever they were going.

"This is nice. I'm surprised you don't come up here more."

[neverwrongagent]

"That would be because I'm a workaholic. Dyed in the wool." She groaned softly. "Down right pathological, really." Now there was a moment of absolute truth she could give him. "Even when I'm in the States I spend more time at work than any normal human should."

[posterboymarine]

"That's not healthy, you know." NOt that he was one to talk. But hey, maybe she'd listen to him, even if he didn't listen to himself.

[neverwrongagent]

She snorted happily. "That's what they tell me, but it doesn't seem to sink in." She shrugged. "I'm good at what I do. And it's important." Important enough that she was dangling the man she had pretty much admitted to loving on a string in the hopes of catching bad guys.

[posterboymarine]

And she was really crazy if she thought he didn't know he was being used as bait. Broken didn't mean stupid. Still, so far it was worth it.

"Can't do it if your not well."

[neverwrongagent]

She stopped mid-step and watched him. "Do you think I'm not well? I mean, I know I'm pushing it, pushing you, but..." She shook her head. "Because I know my limits."

She sighed. "I'm not always so good with everyone else's."

[posterboymarine]

He held up a hand in defensive. "Didn't say that." He looked at her another moment, then looked down.

[neverwrongagent]

"Sorry. Fuck, sorry." She came up to him and put a hand on his hip. "See, this is what I mean. You didn't say that. I'm sorry." She ducked her head some so she could try and catch his eye. "You're trying to take care of me. Of us. And I suck at letting people do that."

[posterboymarine]

Brody was starting to feel somewhat demoralized, given that everything he was saying was being taken the wrong way. But he was trying.

He caught her eye and smiled slightly.

[neverwrongagent]

The smile got him a light touch on the cheek, then a gentle kiss. "Show me how?" She swallowed hard. "Show me how to let someone take care of me?" She'd tried to take care of him, even as she had to use him. She wasn't super great at that, either.

[posterboymarine]

He leaned into the touch. "Okay." Then he straightened. "Show me your favorite spot."

[neverwrongagent]

"I can do that." She took his hand again so she could lead him through a barely visible trail that branched off the path they were on. It led through the woods to a clearing just off the lake. It wasn't bit, but the canopy of trees cleared just enough to show sky.

She stood in the middle of it, looking up. "This is why I knew where that rooftop was."

[posterboymarine]

He joined her and looked up, smiling. "I can see that." He untied the blanket and laid it out, then flopped down on it. He was still very much on edge and off kilter, but he was determined to try.