Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Once and For All

If you are a theater geek and you don't immediately think of Newsies when you see this title than what are you doing with your life!!

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Carter sat at her desk, typing in a report. Behind the glass wall of her office, she heard the rumblings of employees discussing work as well as gossip, the thumping of hurried footsteps, and the tapping of keys as emails, reports, information, and everything in between was being written.

The door to the office opened and Carter barely glanced over as Brock stepped inside. When he took a seat on the edge of her desk, Carter continued typing, knowing that he would talk without invitation.

"Carter, I think it's time to settle this once and for all," he said.

Carter typed on. "Fine, but you won't like it. James is my favorite brother."

"You can't be serious?"

"You're right, I'm not. It's Clint."

"Carter."

"Fine, it's you. But if the others say that I've said it's them just know they're lying."

Brock snorted. "You're cute."

Carter threw him a devilish smile. "I know, it's why your brother married me."

Shaking his head in amusement, Brock eyed her desk. On top of it was an odd assortment of nicknacks. Each one had been a gift from Donovan to mark the places they had gone. Her favorite was the one Brock snatched up, a male surfer figurine - that looked a little like Donovan - that he had bought Carter on their honeymoon.

"Speaking of my brother," Brock said, setting the figurine down. "That's why I'm here. Did you know that Clint and James are in town?"

Finally, Carter stopped typing and leaned back in her chair, arms crossed.

"You're joking, right? When all of you are in the same city Donovan becomes a whole different person. It's like his sorority sisters are in town and he plans to swap gossip over frilly pink drinks. He talks nonstop about it. It's so constant that if I didn't like all of you, I might hate you."

"What can we say, we had his heart long before you did."

"Fair point. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Brock picked up a hula girl - a present from their stopover in Hawaii.

"I think it's time that we see who would actually win in a fight between you and Donovan."

Carter raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, that doesn't seem like it would be detrimental to my marriage at all."

"Come on, we all know that both of you want to see who is better and your relationship is strong enough that you would survive this no matter who won."

The thought was intriguing. But there was one major issue.

"Brock, you understand that my husband still has this thing called an ego, right? Despite growing up with you all trying to rip it from him."

The edge of Brock's lips curled in triumphant. "So you believe you would win?"

Carter leaned forward on the desk, staring up at her brother-in-law.
"Brock, I have been married to your brother for four years, been with him for twice as long. I know every aspect of him. I know him so well that there are times I know what he will think before he does. I don't tell him his thoughts because that would annoy him. So do you think I don't know his flaws and weaknesses enough to beat him?"