Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Leaving (Part 5.5)

As you can see this is part of the Carter Broken Saga that means it will not be an easy breezy chapter. I'm just warning you.

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Donovan rolled over, naturally stretching out to find Carter. When he found nothing but an empty space beside him, he sat up, his heart speeding up. He stared at her side of the bed, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. The blankets were rumpled and tossed aside.

He looked to the door and saw a thin strip of light glowing at the base. He checked the time and saw it was only eleven. Carter hadn't even slept for an hour.

Rubbing his eyes, he stood and crossed to the door. He noticed the bathroom door open and a single light on. He found Carter but found he couldn't move past the doorway. All he could do was watch her.

Expressionless, she stood before the mirror, holding up the bottom of her tank top, revealing the bruises and scars on her torso. She lightly traced each fading bruise then touched the scars where her ribs had healed. Dropping her shirt hem, she fingered the faint scar on her arm where a bullet had grazed her. Finally, she shifted and found the scar where a bullet had entered her body.

Each mark cut into Donovan. He felt them all as if he'd lived through them. He felt them in a way he knew time would never heal completely.

He stepped into the light.

"Carter."

She flinched and he swallowed hard. The girl she was before would have known he was there the whole time.

"I need to get out of here," she said quietly, still staring at her reflection.

"Okay."

Donovan walked back into their bedroom, flipped on the lights, and grabbed his phone. He sent out a single message to everyone: We're leaving. I don't know where we're going yet.

Dumping his phone on the bed, he went into the closet and found a duffle bag. Efficiently, he filled it with enough clothes for a week, added three books, and zipped it up. By the time that was done, his phone was flooded with responses.

James:
Man, what's going on?

Clint:
Is Carter okay? Did something happen?

Brock:
Do you need me? I can come over.

Steve:
Donovan, is she okay?

Maggie:
Oh no, is she all right?

Mom:
Sweetheart, what's going on?

Commander:
Son, tell me what's going on?

Link:
What? You are? For how long?

Mason:
Here is the address to my family's house in the Hamptons.
Also here is the outer gate code.
The house gate code.
The code to the lockbox with the key in it.
And this is the house security code.
By the time you get there the fridge will be fully stocked.
Let me know if you need anything else.

Donovan opened the attachment and put the address into his phone, finding the drive only to be five hours. They had a place to go. With that settled he took a minute to answer all the other messages, letting them know what was going on.

He slung the strap of the duffle bag over his head and picked up one of his hoodies as well as a pair of shoes. Carter hadn't moved from the mirror. Only now she wasn't looking at her reflection but stared at her wrists where the faint marks of the ropes could still be seen.