It's not as long as you want it to be but if I made it longer it wouldn't be as impactful. Still, I hope you like it.

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The moon was hidden overhead as Carter ducked into the alley. She skirted the building and avoided the puddles of questionable substance. With her hood pulled up and dressed in all black, she looked to be nothing more than a shadow.

She glanced back at the alley entrance before hoisting herself onto a dumpster. From there she launched herself at the fire escape. The metal gave a faint creak on impact. She quietly ascended the levels. At the fourth floor, she climbed over the railing, carefully edging onto a narrow ledge that wrapped the building.

Keeping her breathing even, she inched her way away from the fire escape, using the uneven surface to find grips. Painstakingly, she around the corner and found the window she knew to be there. She pried the screen away and gently pushed the window up.

With no visible access point to the window, it was kept unlocked. Something she would reprimand the owner about. No visible access didn't mean there wasn't one. At least in this case it played into Carter's plans.

The interior was dark as Carter crept inside. It was a neat bedroom with a large bed and nightstands that showed there were two occupants to the room. Worn out from the dangerous path to the window, Carter sank into the armchair to wait.

She didn't have to wait long.

From behind the bedroom door, she heard the sound of another door opening and the patter of footsteps. She listened as the footsteps wandered for a bit before heading to the bedroom. When the door opened, a man walked in, his form outlined by the light in the living room beyond.

He didn't notice the shadow in the armchair.

He flipped on a light switch and took his time removing his suit jacket and laying it on the bed. Carter sat motionless, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. She waited until he'd locked away his gun before speaking. No need to die twice.

"Hi, Brock," she said.

Brock whipped around. Carter pulled back her hood, her actions careful so as not to scare him. She stood with the same slowness. All the while Brock stared at her, frozen.

"Carter," he said. "You're..."

"Not quite."

Before she could react, Brock crossed the room and crushed her with a hug. She hugged him back.

"We all thought..." Brock stopped himself. "How is this possible?"

Carter pulled away. "You were all in danger. It was the only way."

Brock nodded. He was FBI after all.

"Carter, Donny is-"

Carter held up her hand, her throat tightening.

"I can't...You can't tell me. If I know, I might go to him and he's still in danger." She gripped his arm. "I need someone I can trust. Will you help me?"

Brock squeezed Carter's shoulder. "Of course, little sister."

*****

Carter pushed through the doors of the gym, the sound of clacking metal and pounding footsteps echoing around her. Everywhere she looked it seemed every machine was in use. It was the perfect time to come, no one would notice one more person among the dozens.

Carter cut her way through the maze of machines towards the wall of weights. Muscle men and women stood or sat, each of them repping for others as much as themselves. In a corner, one man looked like he repped for a completely different reason.

Carter hung back for a second, watching. James looked more worn out than she'd ever seen him. His usually jovial countenance was marred with sadness. Even as he lifted the weights, she saw how there was a weariness in the motion. It was like half his mind was somewhere else.

It felt strange seeing the happiness stolen from him. She didn't know if it was the loss of her or Donovan's current state. Even without knowing the details of Donovan's current state, she could guess it was affecting the brother he was closest to.

When James set down the weights and bent over his knees, Carter approached. As she neared, James straightened. He locked eyes with Carter in the mirror and stopped moving. Carter closed the distance, coming to stand right in front of him.

When he blinked, a couple of tears spilled down his cheeks and he grinned.

"I might never forgive you for this," he said.

"Probably not."

James hugged her, lifting her off the ground. When he let her go, he hurriedly swiped his face like he wasn't sure why there was wetness there.

"When did you tell, Donny?" he asked.

The question hurt Carter but she packed away the pain. Just as she had for the last month. It was the only way she was surviving each day. She knew if she let herself feel or dwell on Donovan or Kennedy for too long she'd break apart.

"This isn't over," Carter said. "People are still watching him. I can't..."

James nodded. "Okay, tell me what I need to do."

*******

Carter stood in the darkness in the pristine kitchen. Beyond was a two-bedroom apartment tidy but not immaculate. Instead, there were signs that a family lived there. Boxes of toys sat pushed against the walls. The pillows were haphazardly tossed on the couch. Cup rings marked the glass coffee table. Picture books were stacked on top of an armchair.

Carter waited, absorbing the homeyness of it all, trying not to miss her own home. But she did. So much that she lived with a constant ache in her chest. Still, the reasons why she couldn't return kept her from crumbling under the want of it.

The front door opened and Clint walked inside. He slipped off his jacket and hung it on the peg beside the door. He stepped out of his shoes and nudged the door shut. He didn't bother with turning on any lamps, instead, he walked into the kitchen.

The light from the refrigerator lit him up as he opened it.

"So," he said. "What took you so long?"

Carter grinned as Clint took out a water bottle and pushed the fridge door closed.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

Clint lounged against the counter. "I've been watched for the past three weeks. A couple of days ago those tails stopped following me. I expected to see you sooner."

"I needed to make contact when Eva and the kids were with staying with her parents. Which they do every other weekend."

Clint nodded and his acceptance of it all almost made Carter laugh with how different it was from Brock and James'.

"Is wasn't supposed to be this long, was it?" Clint asked.

Carter swallowed, all her amusement sucked away.

"No. Our timeline was two weeks max. We've hit some bumps. And now, I need your help."

Clint set down the water bottle. "Okay, when do we start?"

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Hi there beautiful!

(Cause you are, whether you choose to believe it or not)

I know it was shorter but what did you think? 💬🗯💭

Honestly I love the bond Carter has with the Keller Brothers! And it's fun how different it is from Donovan's bond with them.

Okay! I want to take a poll, which Keller Brother is your favorite!

👉Brock

👉Clint

👉James

👉Donovan

Vote, comment, follow!

Today I'm posting a Carter Quiz on my Instagram (joymoment) story if you want to take it!

The Keller Brothers!