Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Shutting Out (Part 1)

At her desk, Carter started typing, breaking down why the team had gone to the warehouse in searching for evidence of drug deals. Ran into a gang and got into an altercation. As Carter wrote out the fight, she found against her shaking fingers as she typed.

She knew the look of anger in someone's eyes, the hard glint of it. But desperation was new. It was something almost manic. She'd seen it in the eyes of the man who lunged for her. It said he'd do anything to survive, including taking her life without a thought.

Carter stopped and raised her hands, they shook. She flexed her fingers willing the tremors to go away, trying to force the memory out of her mind. Shaking out her hands, she finished the report.

As she did, Donovan appeared at her desk.

"Do you want to grab dinner?" he asked.

No, she didn't. What Carter wanted to do was curl up in his arms and cry from the fear of what she'd faced. She swallowed the thought.

"I don't feel like eating out. I think I'll head home."

"Want me to drive you?"

Carter hesitated, then accepted.

In the car, Carter braced herself for more of Donovan's probing questions. But to her surprise, he didn't say anything. They traveled in silence. Carter stared out the window, not sure if she liked the quiet or not. It felt different than the ones they usually shared.

Donovan pulled up to the curb outside her apartment building and Carter opened the door. She paused and looked back, planning to ask Donovan to come up. They could order food, watch a movie. Carter would curl into his arms and he'd hold her, making her feel safe again.

But Donovan had his phone out and was typing a message.

"If you want," Carter said. "We could get take out."

Donovan glanced up. "Actually, I asked Brock if he wanted to grab dinner." His phone dinged. "He's down. Have a good night."

Carter climbed out of the car and shut the door. She watched Donovan drive away. In her studio apartment, she felt the emptiness around her. Kicking off her shoes, she got into her bed, wrapped her blanket around her. But it wasn't the same, she wanted Donovan but he wasn't there.

******

The next day as Carter walked into the cafeteria of the Bureau, she spotted Donovan talking to a fellow coworker. Carter approached them. Donovan saw her, nodded once but turned back to his companion. The casualness of his greeting and lack of expression startled Carter.

She walked passed the pair and grabbed a cup for coffee. After filling it, she turned around, planning to wait until Donovan was done to talk to him, but she found he was no longer there.

Carter stood there, feeling thrown by Donovan's disregard. She'd faced smaller things than this altercation and he'd always checked in with her.

Pushing away his strange action, Carter decided to get to work. She met with her team and they reviewed what intel they'd received the previous day. Brock dismissed everyone to their assignments, but stopped Carter as she headed out of the conference room.

"How are you doing?" he asked, glancing at her neck.

Her neck only stung. A pain that was easily ignored. The internal scar left behind and Donovan's odd distance weren't as easy. But that wasn't something she would talk about with her team leader. Even if that leader was Brock.

"It's minor," Carter said. "Feels weird when I eat but nothing more serious than that."

"I'm glad to hear it."