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

[posterboymarine]

He rolled his eyes at her, then shook his head. "Explode every time. Now, rest. You are sleeping for two."

[neverwrongagent]

She smacked weakly at him. "I meant big...heads. Not our, er, your little one. And my...whatever." She shook her head. "You know what I meant. Good explosion. Very good." Oh, she would sleep, and soon, she was fading fast. She nodded. "Sleep. Yes. We sleep." She meant him, but her hand still strayed to her belly as her eyes closed.

[posterboymarine]

He watched her hand settle and smiled. Then he closed his eyes and sighed, settling against her and hugging her loosely.

[neverwrongagent]

The deeper she fell asleep, the closer she tried to get until she was half on top of him. Only then did she finally drift off. It was like she needed to keep him protected, which was ridiculous considering she was half his size and slightly off balanced by pregnancy. It didn't keep her from trying.

And then came the dreams, vibrant, detailed dreams of what their life might be. Every image made her twitch in her sleep.

[posterboymarine]

Her twitching kept him closer to awake then he normally was. But he wanted to be able to wake her if she needed, so he was contented. Maybe they were both protecting the other.

[neverwrongagent]

After a while, the twitching stopped. It helped that he kept such a steady grip on her. The dreams didn't stop, though, not at all. They became more vibrant, more real. She saw them in the house, settled there. She saw a child with his height and her coloring. She couldn't tell the gender though, it was still too young to tell from the back. Either way, it was still young. Only just past learning to walk. All she really knew was that they were happy. Very happy.

She curled tightly against him and held on tightly as though she could somehow convey that through the hug.

[posterboymarine]

He groaned roughly at her hug, then shifted her slightly to keep breathing. Then he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes again.

[neverwrongagent]

The kiss settled her, but it didn't end the dreams. They were all unnaturally vivid and all happy. When she slowly woke, she wasn't sure which part threw her more. She'd had vivid dreams before, usually when starting a downward spiral, but those weren't like this. She shifted in his arms, resting her hand lightly on her belly. Maybe it was the spawn's fault.

Looking over at him, she contemplated waking him, but decided to go to the bathroom instead. He looked so peaceful.

[posterboymarine]

He felt her get up and shifted so that he was laying on his stomach. He didn't wake all the way up, though, instead settling in to keep sleeping. Sleep was good. Sleep was nice. She needed to come back soon, though, or he was going to get cold.

[neverwrongagent]

She watched him from the bathroom door, unconsciously licking her lips until she noticed the slight shiver. Shaking her head, she crawled back in and immediately pressed close against him. She slid a leg up onto his hips and even pulled herself a little up onto him. She moaned happily at the heat of him, pressing even closer to share her heat with him. She kissed his shoulder as she settled.

[posterboymarine]

He rumbled softly as she settled against him, warming him up. They should do this all the time. He'd sleep so much better that way.

[neverwrongagent]

All he had to do was tell her that and she'd do her very best to stay close. At least as long as she could still reach. As she got drowsy again, she lightly caressed his chest, occasionally letting her nails drag. Before she got serious about abusing him, she drifted off.

[posterboymarine]

He started to wake up about the time she started to doze off, so he got the opportunity to watch her. He brushed his fingers over her arm, a faint smile playing over his lips.

[neverwrongagent]

Because he was more gentle with her, it took her a little longer to wake. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled faintly before she was fully aware he was watching her. "At least you look happy to see me." She smiled back, then shifted close and wrapped an arm around him. "Morning." She blinked. "Is it morning?"

[posterboymarine]

He glanced toward the window and shook his head. "Go back to sleep." Not that he wasn't happy to see her, but she needed her rest.

[neverwrongagent]

She frowned deeply, but still snuggled close to him. "Not sleepy." Which she promptly gave lie to with a big yawn. "Much. But awake is nicer if you're awake, too." She glanced up at him, trying to gauge how awake he was.

[posterboymarine]

He peered at her with one eye, then grinned. "Do you want me to be awake?"

[neverwrongagent]

She slowly met his eyes, clearly considering it, finally she nodded. "Yes. I think awake would be okay if you were with me." Everything was okay with him. She smiled slightly. "If you've slept enough."

[posterboymarine]

He rubbed her back, pulling her firmly against him. "I'm good for now. What would you like to do now?"

[neverwrongagent]

She cuddled against him happily. "As little as possible?" She smiled faintly. "Not much to do until we know. Learn the town. Learn each other better. Sleep." All those things sounded damn good, really.

[posterboymarine]

He rumbled softly and rubbed her back a little more firmly. "So many decisions." He wanted to hear her make more of her little noises.

[neverwrongagent]

She laughed softly. It really wasn't much. Of course sleep was an iffy thing for them both. "Let's pick one to start with. Then tomorrow we'll do the other one." She gave him a look. "And in between, we do the third."

[posterboymarine]

He laughed softly at that. Any way he tried to organize that in his head worked, except for maybe learning the town as the middle thing. Shifting, he rolled closer to her. "What should we do today, then?"

[neverwrongagent]

She shook her head as she watched him do the math on that. Her arms wrapped around him as he moved closer so he couldn't get away easily. "I think we should leave town for tomorrow. Figure we'll hear on the house some time today and there's no point looking for things near the house until then." Not that it really made a damn bit of difference, but it sounded good and it kept them close together and hopefully naked.

[posterboymarine]

"So, you're saying you want to sleep?" The fact that he was teasing her dripped from every word and his grin.