Running away from home. Just like kids.

[neverwrongagent]

Briefings with Saul were getting more and more tense. Carrie could feel the strain on all of them as a real, palpable thing. Beside her, no one had ever had much faith in Brody, which was largely her fault. How could she explain her change of heart without explaining it was exactly that. What was harder was not telling him about how bad it was. Every time she was vague it was a physical pain.

The final straw was a heated conversation about what they would do if he were found out, revealed to be on a mission. They had escape plans, but it was clear very few people in that room gave a damn if they worked. Or if they even existed. She'd been through hell for the man they were dismissing like so much dross and all because... She wasn't that sure why because at this point. It was about Saul, really, and she knew that. That's why when he made a passing comment that made it sound damn like he'd made his decision and Brody didn't figure into it at all, she felt her stomach lurch so badly she almost had to leave the room.

She didn't go to him that night, that would be stupid. She waited a day, all of which was spent wondering when she would throw up. She got there late, just before dark, and sat back to watch the men finish up before meal break. He looked good. Better than when she saw him last, even.

Comments

[neverwrongagent]

Given that she usually hit the ground running and didn't stop to eat until late afternoon, that would be marvelous and she groaned her appreciation around her pizza. Still chewing, she responded. "I tend to cook all day once a week. Cook and freeze things I forget I made."

[posterboymarine]

"Guess I'll have to be the one to remember, then, won't I." He winked, then finished his slice and reached for another.

[neverwrongagent]

She laughed and nodded. "Might help. And I redecorate. A lot. Move things around, loose things. Drives my sister batty." She licked her lips, trying not to think of her sister much. "I'll try not to do that too much."

[posterboymarine]

He chuckled around his bite and shook his head. "You can redecorate all you want. Except for the office. That has to stay." He thought for a moment. "Or you can only redecorate the office. You pick."

[neverwrongagent]

She raised an eyebrow at him, then shook her head. "Office is off limits. I'll start with the baby's room. Give her something new to look at." She shuddered very slightly, the way she did every time she thought about the kid. "It'll be fun."

[posterboymarine]

He caught that shudder and shook his head. "Eventually, you'll get used to the idea." Hopefully before the baby was born. It would make things easier.

[neverwrongagent]

It would likely come when she could feel the baby moving, which would give her time. She rolled her eyes at him. "You've done this before. And you grew up assuming you WOULD do it. Not me. This is all alien." Alien was a good word.

[posterboymarine]

He took a few moments to finish his slice, then he set the box aside and turned to fully face her, his leg bent up under him. He reached out and took her hands, kissing each of them. "You are not your father and I am not your mother. I'm not going to leave you."

[neverwrongagent]

She stared at him for a long moment, surprised by his comment. Not the insight, he was good with people. More that he'd risked making it out loud. She nodded slowly. "Dad's gonna be pissed at me." She shrugged. "Because he's worried."

[posterboymarine]

"I know, babe." He kissed her hands again. "And, maybe, someday, you'll be able to reassure him that you are okay."

[neverwrongagent]

She brought one of his hands up so she could kiss it, lips resting against him for a long moment before she sighed deeply. If he was right, that would make a huge difference. It would get worse for her after the baby came. She pushed that thought further back again and kissed his hand again. "This is our life now. I'm okay with that."

[posterboymarine]

He smiled. When she said things like that, he was able to forget that they were on the run. He shifted up on his knee and leaned toward her, after a kiss to reassure her.

[neverwrongagent]

She shifted the pizza out of the way so they could curl against each other properly, all without letting go of his hand. It was awkward, but it made her smile. At her core, Carrie was a romantic. She latched onto causes and people strongly. He was both, but that wasn't why she loved him. It was the way he kept her in the moment. Grounded her. She settled against him with a sigh. "I was thinking about baby names." She groaned. "Just hit me over the head, would you?"

[posterboymarine]

He settled against her, his arm around around her waist. "What kind of names?"

[neverwrongagent]

She shrugged, not really sure she wanted to discuss it. "Wild ones. Fancy ones. Our names are so basic." Not that she disliked her first name. Or his. But they had a new name now, also very mainstream, and she yearned for something a bit more. "Talk me out of Ophelia. Or...Cordelia."

[posterboymarine]

He pressed his face against her shoulder and laughed softly. "Those would make horrible boy's names."

[neverwrongagent]

She smacked him, because that was the only reasonable response. Then she kissed his head softly. "Should probably go with something like....Mark?" She shuddered. "Daniel?" That wasn't so bad.

[posterboymarine]

He stared at her for a moment, then smirked. "Why all the Bible names, baby? Trying to convert me?"

[neverwrongagent]

She stared right back, then laughed. "Sorry, only a little random, unconscious bigotry, not any attempts at conversion." She leaned in and kissed him lightly. "I would never do that, Brody. Never." Her own beliefs were casual agnosticism at best. But she would never ask him to give that up. Not after everything he'd been through. Of course, he'd have to practice at home, but that wasn't so bad. "You'll have to hide it again, but never from me."

[posterboymarine]

He could still remember her initial response to his torture pit conversion, so her comment rang only slightly hollow. Still, he wasn't going to question her. "I never got to stop hiding it."

[neverwrongagent]

To say the situation was different now was an understatement. They didn't have much left to them of who they were. She wasn't going to take something away from him if she didn't have to. And she didn't want him lying to her. She sighed softly. "Maybe you shouldn't. Everyone would expect you to. Hide in plain sight." They might ping searches, but being open and having a child would throw them off lists.

[posterboymarine]

He thought about it for a few minutes, then shrugged. "Need a better feel for the town first."

[neverwrongagent]

She nodded, then let the subject drop. They could deal with later. It needed to be something that was safe for him. She knew that. "Shouldn't take long. We should subscribe to the local paper. That kind of thing."

[posterboymarine]

He nodded, nuzzling her neck. "SHould make sure we have a house, first."

[neverwrongagent]

She snorted softly. "We will. The offer was fair. I bet we hear tomorrow." She reached to caress his cheek. "I'm not... I don't know, I'm not worried about it. Other things, sure, not that."