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.

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[neverwrongagent]

Leave them alone in a room, really alone, for too terribly long and there was sex. Hell, leave them alone in a car and they went at it. It was kind of sweet, if you looked at it right. She chose to look at it that way.

She got him into the pizza shop and ordered them some slices and sodas. They settled in a booth, sitting together on the same side. She put her head on his shoulder. "What about a dog?"

[posterboymarine]

He kissed the top of her head. They were playing the part of a very much in love couple to a tee, which was amusing, considering that he was rolling.

"Dog. Hmm. Well, since I probably can't work, I see no reason not to get one."

[neverwrongagent]

He probably could, but they'd have to be in town for a while and be careful about where. Most likely under the table. Of course, God knew what she'd do. They'd figure that out, too. She had an odd faith in them. "Nice big one. Very protective that sheds everywhere."

[posterboymarine]

He had to laugh at the idea of that. It would be amazing. "It'll need a good name. Like Heinrich or something."

[neverwrongagent]

Carrie picked that moment to take a sip of her drink which she then sputtered everywhere. She shook her head firmly. "Not that. What if it's a girl?" Of course, that would be funnier. Still, nothing that stuck out would be best.

[posterboymarine]

"A girl? Sunny." He handed her a napkin with a grin. "What? Heinrich is a great name for a dog."

[neverwrongagent]

She kind of liked the name Sunny. It sounded so hopeful. "Sure, for a Kraut dog..." She burst out laughing, thinking of the ridiculous Neo-Nazis they'd run into. "I just can't do it. Sunny works."

[posterboymarine]

He kissed her forehead. "It's a very gender neutral name." He laid his head against hers and sighed, even though his leg was still bouncing under the table. Outward appearances and all.

[neverwrongagent]

She had no trouble picturing a retriever mix of some kind. Big, active. Someone to keep him company. "I like it." She put her hand on his leg, not pressing him to stop, just giving him the contact. "It all sounds so normal."

[posterboymarine]

He expected the press and when it didn't come, he smiled gratefully. He was able to focus on eating, finally, which helped some. The pizza tasted interesting, good. But not like pizza normally tasted. That was definitely the drugs.

[neverwrongagent]

She plowed through two pieces before coming up for air. Then she nibbled on the third. Normally she went days without eating much and then gorged on one day, but she'd been eating pretty regularly. It felt weird.

Of course they were talking about setting up house and getting a damn dog. No wonder he'd folded. They'd been through so much and they were still thinking about normal things like that.

[posterboymarine]

He did not manage nearly as much food, since each bite required actual work convincing it to stay down. The soda was good, though.

After he'd finished one piece and a good part of another, he sat back and sighed softly. Now he was beat, and wired. It was like combat fatigue all over again.

[neverwrongagent]

She could see the pain in him. She'd made a study of all the varieties of pain that showed on his face. It would never go away completely. She finished eating and sat staring at the remains. It looked good enough to have another piece, but her stomach was doing sudden flips.

"Promise me we can sleep for hours when we get back?"

[posterboymarine]

His laugh was maybe a touch more bitter than he intended. "You can sleep. The best I can do is promise I won't go anywhere." He kissed her hair. "We should take the rest of this with us. I might eat it later."

[neverwrongagent]

She nodded slightly, although she didn't much believe him about the eating. The not sleeping was more reasonable. Her only idea for relaxing him some didn't seem too likely with him about to jump out of his skin, but maybe she was wrong.

She didn't let them tarry on the way back. She wanted to be behind closed doors again. Someplace at least a little bit safe. It was always better when it was just them.

[posterboymarine]

Someplace safe was also someplace claustrophobic. Once the door was closed and locked, he shivered hard and stared at it for a few moments before shifting his focus to her. Her being there made it better. He just needed a little more distraction.

As he toed his shoes off, he held his hand out for her. He needed that contact very badly before things took a turn for the paranoid.

[neverwrongagent]

She was more than willing to hold hands, but she wanted to do it lying down in the bed. She'd like to do it naked, but she thought they should work up to that for it to really help. She pulled him back slowly, smiling at him. "I'd like to get a great big bed. Something with presence."

They'd had so much that was half assed. And motel beds. They needed something real.

[posterboymarine]

He chuckled softly as she pulled him along. "Something we want to be in?" They'd only spent two night in her bed the entire time they'd been together. The rest of the time, when there'd been a bed at all, it had been someone else's. Motels, the cabin, nothing that was theirs.

"Something no one else has been in?"

[neverwrongagent]

She groaned happily at both ideas and nodded firmly. "Something so big and comfortable we can spend entire days in it. I'll cook the day before so we only have to get out to pee." She might be romantic, but there were certain practicalities. "With big pillows and puffy blankets."

[posterboymarine]

He closed the small distance between them and kissed her. "And a dog that insists on sleeping between us."

[neverwrongagent]

She burst out laughing. What stunned her was that she could picture it so easily. Such a simple, happy image and she could see them there. All they needed was to be left alone. "Nothing that sheds. Much."

[posterboymarine]

The laugh made him smile more. "Wait, you said it had to shed a lot. You need to make up your mind." He was standing right in front of her and he encouraged her hand to his hip. Then he brushed his fingers against her hair. As long as she kept him focused, the urge to move was easier to ignore. And as long as she could laugh, he could ignore the pain.

[neverwrongagent]

She shook her head firmly. "I realized I only wanted it to shed on you, but if it's in the bed? No way." She put her hand where he wanted, but it didn't take long for it to snake around behind him where she squeezed gently. "It better be even tempered. Something that doesn't mind loud noises in the night."

[posterboymarine]

That got a snort. "What about loud noises during the day?" The squeeze had made his eyes flutter briefly, and he kissed the top of her ear on the off chance it might get her to squeeze again.

[neverwrongagent]

She could think of better places for him to kiss, but they'd need to take some things off first. "During the day it can see we aren't hurting each other. Still, it'll have to learn." Not that they tended to be that loud when they went at it. Not really. Maybe that would change when they had a space that was really theirs.

She groped him again, gently massaging him. "Love touching you."