Stockholm \Moriarty\AWKIF BK2\

11

Float On by Modest Mouse is song Clarice listens to in the airport.

Clarice stared off into space and watched the people walk by, her body jolting when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She met Jack's worried eye and pulled out an earbud, raising her eyebrow. "I got the stuff you asked for," he said quietly.

Clarice grabbed her electronics and the bag Jack held, switching their places and giving him a kind smile. "Trash these." Jack nodded and ran off just as Janice returned with three coffees.

"I found these" -- she tossed Clarice a small bag of tracking devices -- "I'd lose the tech."

"Jack just got me a new set," Clarice replied, holding up the bag.

"God, so what happened?" she asked in a quiet tone as she leaned forward on the table between them.

"I trusted someone I shouldn't have... You were right." Janice's face expressed pure confusion and Clarice couldn't help but smile. "I do have horrible taste in men."

"Too bad Jackie isn't into you still," Janice laughed, her blue eyes alive. "He could've done you some good." Clarice laughed and remembered just how much she had missed the American twins.

"He wouldn't be able to handle my crazy. I still don't understand how you can." Jack returned to the table and grabbed his coffee, giving the girls an odd look.

"Who we talking about over here, ladies?" he asked with a small grin.

Janice scrunched up her nose in her brother's direction. "Not you." Clarice stood and grabbed her coffee, smiling at the two.

"I've got something to drop off and then we can board. I won't be long." Clarice had already taken her phone from the box and activated it and as she was walking away from the two, she had downloaded the Pandora app and put on an American rock station.

She had grown a taste for it when she was last there. As she walked, she tapped her thighs to the instrumentals and began scanning people for a look at their tickets. She aimlessly wandered about, bobbing her head to distract from her eyes that were moving back and forth faster than one would think humanly possible.

The song helped lift her mood some and she cleared her throat, preparing her American accent as she mumbled some words to herself. When she was pleased with her voice, she approached a prissy looking woman going through her bag. Clarice took a sip of her coffee and collided with the woman's shoulder, spilling the beverage all over the woman's things.

"Shit!" Clarice hissed as she pulled her earbuds away. "I am so sorry, I'm such a klutz."

"Stupid kid," the lady muttered as she watched Clarice dab her belongings with tissue. She dramatically turned away, so Clarice smirked and slipped the bag under the woman's clothes.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again as she tossed the napkins. She placed her earbuds back in place as she walked back to the twins, twisting one around her ear. With a nod of her head, both rose and followed her to board. "How've you two like London?" she asked after a moment.

"So the American Carly is back," Janice noticed, playing with a bit of her long hair.

"Give me the California sun and we've got a deal," Clarice chuckled.

"Who'd you condem?" Jack asked in a serious tone.

"Some snooty bitch that called me a kid. If she's lucky, Moriarty will just kill her. He'll be plenty pissed when he realizes it isn't me," Clarice muttered with a glare.

"I've so missed your everlasting sense of vengence," Janice tutted, linking her arm with Clarice's.

"Good. I've got plenty more stories to tell you two once we're safe."

\\

Clarice and Janice slept in the back seat of an old Chevy as Jack drove, his gaze consistantly glancing back of the two. "You know," the blonde mumbled, peaking open an eye and meeting his gaze in the rearview mirror, "your sister said you were through with your little fad with me."

"Yeah. I met a girl a couple months ago and we're going strong." Clarice smiled and turned her gaze to her closest friend. "She's been better. Watching you like a hawk, but better." Janice stretched in her sleep and pressed her face into Clarice's stomach. Her's was a touch Clarice had long missed. She had a certain attachment to this girl that would never make sense to her. "But you can't leave her again. You don't have to stay, but take her with you."

"You know I can't promise anything," Clarice sighed, running her fingers through Janice's dark locks. If she had to be honest with herself, she felt half sane around Janice.

"Just make an effort. That's all I'm asking." Clarice held Jack's eye and nodded, turning back into Janice's touch and falling asleep soon after.

\\

Janice laid her head in Clarice's lap as they relaxed in the bedroom they spent many mornings in. A CD was playing lightly in the background and the room smelled heavily of pot, but this atmosphere was comfortable and familiar and it brought a sense of peace to Clarice; she feared she'd never find this feeling anywhere else.

"Speak," Janice commanded, bringing a joint to her lips.

"I've missed you. I've missed this," Clarice hummed, watching the way Janice traced the tattoos on her upper left forearm.

"Why didn't you return any of my messages?" Janice asked as she sat up properly.

"I couldn't compromise you. Especially with the people I've been working with. It wasn't worth the risk." Clarice held her cheek and smiled when Janice settled in her lap. "I know you learned all that you can about them."

"I was worried," Janice justified, her hands smoothing over Clarice's sides. "Didn't help when you kept yourself with Moriarty."

"He was just another man, someone who was out to hurt me. I'll kill him before I let him set a hand on you," Clarice promised, holding a tight grip on Janice's thighs.

"How do you make crazy look so good?" she wondered aloud.

"It's a gift," Clarice chuckled, kissing Janice slowly.