Open Case File [COMPLETED]

The Best Laid Plans

Why did I write this? Cause I wanted to really utilize the effect of flipping POVs.

Enjoy, Noodle! Or don't, I really don't care at this point I'm still going to keep writing these.

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Carter woke to the soft murmur of Donovan's voice. She twisted in the bed to face him but found him sitting on the edge of the mattress, his back to her. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as she slowly registered what he was saying.

"Yes," he said. A pause. "I know, I'm not worried."

There was a soft lilt to his tone that made Carter frown, wondering who he could be talking to.

"The Thinking Cup Cafe," Donovan said. "I'll see you there." A beat. "Me too."

Without even seeing his face, Carter knew there was a tiny smile on his lips. It filled the simple statements with warmth. Who in the world was on the other line? It wasn't a tone Donovan used that often and not to anyone Carter could think of. Donovan hung up.

"Who was that?" she asked.

Donovan started and turned around. "Hey, you're awake." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Morning."

He rose and rounded the bed, heading for the bathroom. Carter followed him and propped herself up on her elbow.

"Who was on the phone?"

"What?" He glanced down at his phone. "Oh! It was...Brock. I'm going to shower then go out for breakfast. I know you like to sleep in so I figured I wouldn't wake up for something like breakfast."

Carter simply nodded and Donovan walked to the bathroom. Warm tone, whispering, startled, evasion, avoidance. All the signs pointed to one thing. Well for anyone else they pointed to one thing, to Carter it was something completely different. She almost laughed.

Donovan worked so hard to act like he wasn't being obvious that he was being completely obvious. After all, Carter knew the type of undercover roles he'd taken. He could walk into a mafia lair and they'd believe he was one of them. So Donovan acting out of sorts was like he was waving a sign about what he was trying to do.

Considering what day it was Carter thought about calling him out, telling him his plan was a bust. Instead, she lay back down, deciding to play along. After all, she was curious to see what he had planned.

Donovan returned from his shower and headed into their closet. Carter watched him as he inspected a couple of shirts before deciding on one. Another obvious action. He paired the nice blue polo shirt with one of his newer pairs of jeans.

"You look nice," Carter commented when he reentered the room, wanting him to think she noticed for the reasons he wanted.

Donovan laughed. "Carter, you think anything besides sweats and a t-shirt is nice. But thank you. I'll be back later."

When he left without kissing her goodbye, Carter stared at the ceiling, knowing that if she didn't follow Donovan she'd put a wrench in his plans. Part of her felt just lazy enough that not leaving the bed felt like a good idea. But after a few minutes in which she realized she wasn't going to fall back asleep, she tossed the blanket aside.

As she finished getting ready by throwing up her hair into a messy bun, she was almost annoyed with how he'd given her the location of where he was going for breakfast. Did he think she needed her hand held in order to find her husband? It was kind of insulting.

The Thinking Cup was more of a restaurant slash cafe with its large dining area mixed with a section of couches and armchairs. It was the perfect place to go for brunch. Or be somewhere where no one was likely to notice you among the dozens of other people. Carter entered and stepped out of the path of the doorway, scanning the tables.