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]

She rubbed his leg under the table, watching him with a small smile. The whole trip so far, which should have been a tense, miserable mess, had turned out to be kind of fun. Admittedly, that was a statement of the crazy they both carried with them, but it also said a lot about how they were together. Once they let go and trusted each other, once they were there for each other, it was good. It was really good.

"I'll drive, but you have to entertain me." They were in the middle of nowhere, she'd given up looking for decent radio a while ago.

[posterboymarine]

He nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Not sure I can handle another hour behind the wheel, even with the lovely distractions."

[neverwrongagent]

Now she was tempted to make him drive. That sounded lovely. Really lovely. She gave him a little smile that clearly told him she was thinking of just how she could abuse him. Then she sighed softly. "Of course, that does mean you get to distract me. Or try to."

She closed her eyes for a long minute, thinking of just what he could do to distract her.

[posterboymarine]

He laughed without opening his eyes. "I accept your challenge."

Their waitress returned and set the to go boxes and their check on the table. He asked for one more refill before she left.

[neverwrongagent]

She groaned loudly. She was in so much trouble. Instead of trying to backtrack any, she sipped her coffee and looked down at the table, stuck again by how nice it all was.

When her coffee was done, she excused herself for a much needed pit stop before they got on the road. In the bathroom she caught herself in the mirror and was surprised to realize she was smiling.

She went back out, still smiling.

[posterboymarine]

When she came back out, he winked at her. "I'll let you get this." He touched the check, then stood and made his way back to the head.

He didn't need to look in the mirror to know that he was happier than he'd been in a while. It was not the situation, that was a bit tense. No, it was definitely the company, which had been the case with them for the entire time he'd known her.

He came back out and smiled at her, holding out the keys to her.

[neverwrongagent]

She was laughing with the clerk when he came back to her. She took the keys from him with a flourish, swinging them on her finger. Holding onto their good mood seemed like the best plan. She got settled in the car, adjusting the seat for the height difference. Their next car needed to have an electric adjuster, she decided.

Then she took another look at the map. They were getting there. One more night. One night when they could really sleep, maybe make love. They they'd be there. They'd be safe. Which was nonsense, of course, but they could start working on building safe. She reached over and caressed his cheek lightly.

[posterboymarine]

He leaned into her hand and smiled. "Let's go."

Once they were back on the road, he took over navigator duties and got them headed towards a side road. He then reached over and rubbed her thigh, slow and teasingly gentle.

[neverwrongagent]

She really did try not to groan when he touched her, but it didn't work very well. Not well at all. She exhaled deeply and worked to stay concentrated on the road. No more getting lectures from cops. She didn't do so well with those at the best of times.

She dropped her hand onto his, rubbing up near his wrist. "You feel good."

[posterboymarine]

His hand moved further up her leg and he squeezed her thigh. Then his fingers brushed against the crotch of her pants. "So do you."

[neverwrongagent]

"Wicked, evil man." She said that in tight bursts as she tried not to buck against his hand. She shook her head. "I have training. I do." She was clearly trying to remind herself, not convince him. "When we land, I'm keeping you in bed for three whole days."

[posterboymarine]

His fingers brushed over her crotch again, then he slid his hand away. "I'm not evil." He might have been trying to convince himself of that, since it did hit a nerve.

[neverwrongagent]

He should have been able to tell from her tone that she meant nothing more than a tease. Of all the things she might have called him, even when she thought the worst of him, that was never one. Messed up, criminal, but never evil. He'd been hurt too badly for that.

She reached for his hand, bringing it up so she could kiss the back. She held him there for a while, rubbing her lips against him. "Sweet. Delicious." She laughed. "And now I make you sound like a cupcake."

[posterboymarine]

"I'm certainly not a cupcake." He finally relaxed and smiled at her. "I guess I'm not sure what I am anymore."

[neverwrongagent]

She looked him over for a long moment, then grinned. "Strawberry shortcake." She had this image of him, first in the bonnet and pinafore, which almost made her drive off the road. Then of him covered in strawberries and whipped cream, which was much nicer. She purred softly at that one. "Whipped cream. Yes, need to get that."

She shook her head. "You're a good man trying to start over."

[posterboymarine]

The whipped cream comment made him give her a very skeptical look. Then he shook his head slightly. He just had no idea what to think of her sometimes. It was pretty entertaining, really.

Then she had to go and say something nice about him. He smiled and brushed his fingers over her cheek. "I'm glad you think so."

[neverwrongagent]

She was a deeply, deeply unpredictable woman. He should be used to that by now. She rubbed against his hand, purring louder. "I do think so. Wouldn't be here if I didn't." She was going to build a life with him, a real one, so she'd better think so.

"So, we need a town with lakes, with houses on lakes." She thought for a long moment. "Maybe a small college. Easier to hide with the turn over of population." Easier to get work, too.

[posterboymarine]

Unpredictable did not even begin to cover it. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I really think we should check out Scottsbluff. It's really the ass end of nowhere."

His hand returned to her thigh and he rubbed lightly.

[neverwrongagent]

She nodded. That's where they were headed. If it was big enough to hide in, it probably had a community college. Maybe. Or something that would work. It just sounded so normal. "Could you describe it another way? Please?" She shuddered a little. "That sounds so...unsanitary."

[posterboymarine]

"It's about 50 clicks past nowhere?" He smiled and rolled his eyes at her. "Better?"

[neverwrongagent]

She burst out laughing. "Marginally. But only that." She shook her head at him. "I just want it to be pretty. I want to live somewhere pretty."

[posterboymarine]

"Virginia is pretty." He hoped Scottsbluff would be, too. He'd lived in enough shit. Pretty would be very good.

[neverwrongagent]

She nodded. "This won't look like that, though. Flatter in most places. I think." She had no real idea what it looked like. Just little pictures in the guide book. "I'm sure we can find something. We're clever."

[posterboymarine]

"And on the run." He leaned over and kissed her shoulder. Then he settled back, his hand still rubbing at her thigh, slowly working higher again.

[neverwrongagent]

She held out for a long time before she shifted her legs a little to encourage him to move up and touch her more. Or at least more intimately. She did manage to hold out on the groan, though. "I'd say like Bonnie and Clyde, but we look better." She glanced at him. "And we'll end better. Much better."