Six Years Later (Alternate Universe)

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This is connected to the previous alternate universe chapters. If you haven't read A Different Time and Alternate Universe Continued you NEED TO!
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Carter zipped up her duffle bag and gazed around her room. Despite only having packed clothes, there was something about the room that already felt empty. She glanced at her diploma hanging on the wall. She hadn't felt it necessary to hang it, but Captain had and she decided not to fight it. After all, it might be something to cheer him up while she was away.

Hoisting the duffle back onto her shoulder, she left, closing the door behind her. As she stepped into the living and dropped the duffle onto the floor, a knock came on the front door. She crossed the room and opened it.

Standing on the other side, dressed in a nice pair of slacks and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up was Donovan Keller. Looking, though she didn't know how it was possible, more attractive than the last time she saw him.

Smiling, Carter rested a hand on the doorframe.

"Donovan Keller," she said. "What brings you to my doorstep?"

Donovan checked his watch. "Six years, right?"

"I do like a man who is on time." And one so good looking. "What do you have planned for this date of ours?"

"The gun range and afterward possibly dinner."

Carter arched an eyebrow. "Possibly dinner?"

"It all depends on how well you do at the gun range. I'll know if you're worth buying dinner for."

Carter laughed, she knew there was a reason she was drawn to him. Six years hadn't seemed to change that.

"And if we have this dinner it will be an official date. How do you feel about dating your former boss's daughter?"

At this, Donovan smirked all confidence and teasing blue eyes.

"I have spent six years proving to your father that I'm a man worth trusting. I know that if I asked him right now he'd approve of me marrying you."

"You seem confident about that. Why don't we test that theory."

Carter backed away from the door, allowing Donovan a chance to enter the apartment.

"Captain," Carter called out.

A door down the hall opened and a moment later her father walked into the living room. Seeing Donovan, he smiled and approached him, hand outstretched.

"Donovan," he said. "Good to see you."

"Likewise, Steve. I'm here to ask for your approval to marry Carter."

Man, Carter liked a man who didn't shy away. Captain laughed, but not in a mocking way.

"Donovan, I have watched you for six years do an amazing job. If Carter accepted you and you were serious about her I would be more than happy to give my blessing."

Donovan shot Carter a look of challenge. One she found she liked, a lot.

"Captain, I feel like you shouldn't be so eager to give away your only daughter."

Her father crossed his arms ponderously. "Do you want me to threaten to shoot him?"

Carter shrugged. "It would be nice."

Facing Donovan, Captain stared him down. "Hurt my daughter and I'll shoot you."

"Understood, sir," Donovan said.

Carter sighed. Donovan wasn't at all intimidated, what a waste of breath.

"What do you two have planned for tonight?" Captain asked, turning genial again.

"Gun range, dinner, then the courthouse," Donovan said easily.

"Am I dressed for the occasion?" Carter asked, holding out her arms for Donovan's inspection.

Donovan eyed her simple t-shirt, jeans, and Converses. "You look perfect to me."

She could get used to this man.

"Great, let's go."

After shaking her father's hand again, Donovan opened the door for her and led her out. As they drove off, Donovan glanced at Carter.

"I noticed the duffle bag in the living room," he said. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yup, for a few months, so you'll have to make this date interesting or I might forget all about you."

"You remembered our date for six years but a few months will erase me completely? Interesting."

Carter grinned out at the passing landscape.

"Where are you going that it's likely you will forget me?" Donovan asked.

"Quantico."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"I guess it will be hard to forget me then."

Carter narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you make that out?"

"I'm headed to Quantico in the morning as well."

Now that was an interesting and very appealing turn of events.

"We'll be there together. It will be nice to have-"

"A friend?"

"I was going to say competition but sure friend works as well."

The look Donovan shot her said he was ready for anything she could throw at him.

Donovan parked the car in the gun range parking lot and they entered the familiar building. Geared up with earphones, protective glasses, target sheets, guns, and three clips each, they found an open stall towards the far side of the room. Donovan crossed his arms and leaned back against the partition.

"Let's see what you got," he said.

Carter couldn't deny enjoying the tone of challenge, life was too boring when played without a little competitiveness. After setting the target sheet, she took her stance, loaded the first clip, and fired. The instance the first clip emptied, she released it, loaded the second, and kept firing. She didn't stop until her third clip was emptied as well. She laid down her gun and called the target sheet back.

When all Donovan could do was stare at the winky face she'd created in the center of the sheet, she beamed. It looked like she would get that dinner after all. Donovan's eyes when they met hers said he wanted to buy her more than dinner. Huh, an engagement ring was something a person purchased, wasn't it?

Before he could say anything, she took his gun and placed it in his hands.

"You made me into a show pony, it's time to see what you got," she said.

Laughing, Donovan easily accepted the challenge.

Carter didn't watch the target sheet as Donovan got ready to fire, instead she watched him. His stance was loose but not careless. Confident but not cocky. He handled the gun like it was an extension of himself. And Carter had to admit, he looked good with it. She wasn't sure she'd seen anything quite as attractive.

Completely lost in checking Donovan out, Carter missed the three clips he went through. She only snapped out of her attraction when he faced her. He smirked as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. The target sheet whizzed back to them and Carter burst out laughing. In bullet holes were written two words: Marry me.

"I can't decide until I see what type of place you take me for dinner," she said.

"Fair enough."

The restaurant Donovan chose was on the more high-class level but wasn't so over the top that Carter felt uncomfortable being there. They were shown to a table and Carter decided she approved of the choice. It said Donovan wasn't afraid to spend money on her but the warm-toned decor and low lighting said that he knew she'd still feel at ease in there.

"What will you have tonight?" the waiter asked.

"All that showing off made me hungry," Carter said. "I'll have a Caesar salad with a hamburger, medium rare, with fries."

"That sounds good," Donovan said. "I'll have the same."

The waiter took their menus and left them.

"Okay, speed data intake. Family and history," Carter said.

Donovan jumped into talking about how he grew up on a Marine base with three older brothers. Homeschooled. Graduated high school at sixteen. Done college by twenty. His father knew the President and so Donovan had a connection to the Service.

"A brilliant man as well as attractive," Carter said. "Almost doesn't seem fair to all those other poor guys who only have one of each."

Donovan smiled but didn't comment. "Now you. Family, history."

Mother left when she was fourteen. Raised by Captain which meant self-defense, punching bags, gun assembling quizzes, training courses. Private high school. Graduated top of her school in high school as well as college. Majored in criminology with a minor in psychology.

"Brilliant, intimidating, and attractive," Donovan said. "Now who is the one who is unfair?"

The bill paid for, they left the restaurant, stopping at an ice cream place before heading back outside to stroll towards the Mall.

"Flaws," Carter said.

"I have a highly competitive spirit," Donovan said, understanding her shorthand. "That's due to growing up with so many brothers. I have a savior complex, I feel the need to protect people to the point where it's overbearing at times. People need to fight their own battles. I snore but not as bad as my brother James. I'm a neat freak due to my Marine father. I've lived on my own since I was really young so I struggle with letting others in."

"Well done. Also, the snoring is noted."

"I would ask for your flaws but clearly you are perfection."

"You forgot to add flatterer to your list of flaws."

"Noted. Okay, flaws?"

Carter took a scoop of her ice cream and ate it as she assembled her list. It was depressingly long.

"I'm blunt to the point of being mean at times. Arrogant in areas that I excel in. Superior due to being smarter than most people, which drives others crazy and I know I'm awful for. Insecure about myself which leads to me putting up a wall with most people. Also, I find most people annoying, which means I'm impatient a lot."

Donovan nodded, not at all phased by the list of grievances. As they made it to the Reflecting pool, they tossed their empty ice cream cups into a trash can and continued their meandering pace. The sun dipped in the horizon, slipping colors into the smooth water.

"I would ask for your good qualities but I know them," Carter said.

"You do?"

"My father has talked about you once or twice in the last six years," she said. "I know you're loyal, determined, hard-working, thoughtful, and generous."

"And I know you're fierce, protective, soft-hearted, though you don't show it a lot, vulnerable with people you trust, and loyal."

"He talked about me?"

"So much."

Carter smiled at this. There really was no one like Captain. But as far as she could tell there also wasn't anyone like Donovan.

"Hobbies," Donovan asked, taking a seat on the Washington Monument steps.

Carter settled down beside him, not bothering to leave much room between them.

"Boxing, running, guns," she said. "And..."

Donovan raised his eyebrows prompting hers.

"Well, this will either make or break us depending on your reaction."

"This should be good."

Carter cleared her throat, aware that what she was about to say would sound ridiculous. It already sounded stupid in her head.

"I play...I play the ukulele."

Donovan simply stared at her, surprised. Well, at least he didn't laugh, that got him a few points.

"At fifteen so much of what I did was focused around learning to fight and handling guns. My step-mom Maggie, though she wasn't at the time, suggested I learn something that would fill my soul. She brought me a ukulele and said it might also give me patience."

"How many times did you almost break the ukulele?"

"I think twenty in the first week."

Donovan smiled. Carter sighed, she really could get used to that sight.

"What about you?" she asked, nudging his shoulder with hers.

"I like crosswords and I read constantly. I don't even know how many books I've read at this point. Thousands. I'll read anything."

"A nerd. Huh, never saw that one coming."

Donovan stood and held out his hand to Carter. She accepted it. Instead of letting it go, Donovan laced his fingers through hers as they walked. She didn't mind, didn't mind at all.

"I say we get this one over with," Carter said. "Previous relationships."

"Not any to speak of. Most of the girls I liked had crushes on my older brothers. In college I was way too young for any of the girls to be attracted to me, being a minor for half the time. Working in the Service I didn't want to be distracted so I didn't try. What about you?"

Carter shrugged. "One but it wasn't worth it."

"Seriously?"

"I dated Mason but realized dating wasn't worth it."

"Also you have the whole guarded thing going on."

She laughed. "True. In college, I wasn't interested in wasting brainpower on a guy. And I used you as an excuse to turn down dates."

"How so?"

"I said there was someone else. They didn't need to know that that someone else was still a few years out of my reach."

Donovan stopped walking and faced Carter, his eyes filled with a hundred emotions. All of them tied to her. Carter inched closer to him.

"Donovan," she said quietly. "If you don't kiss me now, this will be the end of this relationship."

Chuckling, he cupped her face and leaned in. "There's that impatience you spoke of."

Carter grabbed the front of his shirt and brought his lips to hers. What started out rushed morphed into something slow and curious. He tasted like mint chocolate chip ice cream.

When he pulled back, it took Carter a moment to get her bearings. She opened her eyes and found him looking at her in a way that she never wanted him to stop.

"Now I want to do that again," she said.

Grinning, Donovan slid his arms around her waist and kissed her again, lifting her onto her toes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his hair.

The drive back to Carter's apartment was quiet. A type of quiet that meant simply the company they kept was enough to make the world feel wonderful. Carter leaned her head against the door, letting the wind play across her cheeks. Donovan reached out and locked his hand with hers. She smiled into the night.

When he pulled up to the apartment, Carter didn't want to move, happy in this bubble they'd created.

"Can I drive you to Quantico tomorrow?" Donovan asked.

"No, I gave that honor to Captain. But I will see you there."

She leaned over and kissed him.

"I can't wait," he said.

Carter climbed out of the car and ascended the steps, pausing at the front door to look back at. Donovan stood outside the driver's side, gazing up at her. Sending him a final smile, she slipped inside. Captain looked up from his place on the couch. Maggie laid curled up beside him, her head resting in his lap, fast asleep.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

Carter knew she still wore a smile but didn't care.

"I think I might be in love with your future son-in-law."

"Carter-"

She laughed as she walked to her room. "Can't take it back, Captain. You've already given us your blessing."

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What up Wombat!

Gotta say this version of Carter and Donovan move fast! But they were cute.

What did you think of it? 🗯💬💭

Also Carter plays the Ukulele in this universe?! What the ducks! That's not the Carter we know! I have to say I like our original Carter.

Well that wraps up this universe. I hope you found it amusing because I had a blast writing it!

Random note: would you buy a copy of Open Case File is I published it?

(It would have to be condescend but it would be in a physical form) 

Let me know.

Also vote, comment, follow


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