Okay, okay here is it the third part. This goes with Rear Window and Closed Doors. So make sure you've read those. Now here we go!

***********************************

"Oh my gosh stop staring at it so long," Bridgette said. "I know he's not the best looking but he's really kind and funny. Like last Friday I was coming out of chem lab and..."

Carter listened as Bridgette told a story of how her crush, Edwin, picked up a book she'd dropped. For all Carter cared, Edwin could have looked like a pineapple with googly eyes attached to it and it wouldn't have mattered. What mattered was the way Bridgette lit up when talking about him. The way she got this giddy tone to her voice.

In high school, Carter had spent hours analyzing the tones of girls in the locker room when they talked about their crushes. She'd then watch which would actually get together. From there she'd note who lasted and who didn't. The ones who didn't last were who spoke with an awed, dreamy tone. They usually felt honored to have the guy even look at them as if it were a prize. The ones that lasted were the girls who spoke easily and almost as if there was this bubble of laughter inside them.

Hearing the way Bridgette spoke of Edwin, she had a feeling it was who he was that had drawn Bridgette's attention. The kindness he showed and the humor that made her laugh easily. Carter didn't need to know anything else to hope the best for her step-sister. Her happiness was all she wanted.

"So some of my friends have decided that we're going to the movies tomorrow night and invited him and his friends. You have to help me pick out what I'm going to wear, okay?"

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be in that area but I will do my best."

"Thank you."

Bridgette let out an excited squeal and wrapped her arms around Carter's waist. Just as quickly she pulled back.

"Wait, you're an Agent, you're not going to like tail me to make sure nothing happens, right?"

"The thought hadn't crossed her mind."

And it hadn't but once planted there, Carter didn't think it was the worst decision. She liked movies, she would be interested in going to see one randomly tomorrow night. And if it happened to be the same one as Bridgette and her friends, that was a bizarre coincidence.

Bridgette laughed. "You could if you wanted to. I wouldn't let anyone know what you were doing."

Carter tapped Bridgette's nose. "It's cute that you'd think you'd even be able to spot me."

"I could totally spot you! I know what you look like and that you were planning to tail me."

Carter simply smiled and Bridgette grabbed her arm, shaking it. "I could! You're pretending I couldn't but I totally could. Just watch, tomorrow you'll tail me and I'll instantly spot you."

"Sure you will."

Bridgette looked ready to defend herself when Mason poked his head in. He paused as he saw the two sisters sitting close together with their legs curled up on the guest bed.

"We have a call from the Director," Mason said.

Bridgette sighed and let go of Carter's arm. "Back to work?"

"Back to work."

Carter climbed off the bed.

"Ask him if you can have tomorrow night off. There's this movie showing that I think you might like."

"Ha. Ha."

Bridgette grinned like she was the funniest person in the world. But to Carter, she didn't have to be to make her want to smile in response.

As she walked with Mason back to Bridgette's room, and their base of operations, she felt him giving her looks. But she didn't feel like answering his looks, so she stared ahead and said nothing. Closing the door behind them, Mason settled into the pink swivel chair and Carter took the edge of the bed, tucking one leg beneath her.

"Hello, Director Townsend," Mason said.

Carter settled in for the usual update and orders from the director but what he said made her freeze. Their work had been exceptional and they had all the information they needed. Carter and Mason were ordered to come home.

"You have everything you need?" Carter asked, even though that had been the first sentence the director said.

"We do. I'll have flights booked for you tonight so you can come home. Write up your final reports and I'll see you back at the Bureau. Good work."

Townsend hung up and neither of them spoke. Carter stared out the window at the view she'd become familiar with the last two weeks. Two weeks, only two weeks, and yet it felt like so much longer.

"It's surprising, isn't it?" Mason said.

Carter broke from her lost daze, to focus on him. "What is?"

"How easy it is to get attached to someone?"

"You don't get attached," Carter said.

"No, I don't but I watch how people do it all the time. I didn't expect it of you, honestly."

At this pronouncement, Carter raised her eyebrows surprised. "Oh. And why is that? Because I'm so cold and closed off."

"Naturally."

Mason grinned and Carter rolled her eyes but felt the little bit of levity Mason had created quickly vanish. Leaving. She would be leaving tonight. She'd never lost sight that her presence in the house was due to her job. But connecting with Bridgette had meant that the job had a bonus to it. One that made her forget that it had a deadline.

"They need to be told," Carter said, woodenly.

"I could do it," Mason said. "If that would help."

Carter held Mason's gaze and felt the strange bond they'd formed being stuck together in a situation where Carter's past had her emotionally vulnerable. Instead of ignoring the reality she was going through, Mason had been an unexpected source of support.

It was possible Carter was in a Stockholm syndrome situation with Mason, having to be forced to be around him so much and mistaking that for something deeper. But if that were true it would go away once they got back to their normal lives. It would all go back to the way it was.

But it wouldn't. Not entirely, Carter had found she had a step-sister and she didn't hate. In fact, it had been one aspect that had made being in the house a little easier. And now she had to leave and go back to DC.

Carter stood up. "Thank you for offering but I'm going to tell them."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Mason nodded but he looked at her with clear concern and that spurred Carter on more than anything. She could do this. Her job had come to an end and she needed to notify the occupants. She could do this.

When she stepped into the hallway, she heard Bridgette's bright voice and knew she was on the phone with one of her friends. From the short excited sentences, they were talking about the next night. The event Carter would no longer be tailing Bridgette to.

Turning away from Bridgette's open door, Carter descended the stairs. She found her mother in her office. Knocking on the door frame, her mother looked up and gave a small welcoming smile.

"Are you free?" Carter asked.

"Yes. Come in."

Carter claimed the chair across from her mother. Though in the time Carter had been there they'd found a comfortable understanding of boundaries, looking at her mother, Carter still felt traces of pain and hurt she felt towards her mother.

"I wanted to let you know that we have finished our assignment and we will be leaving tonight," Carter said.

Her mother blinked in surprise. "Oh. Bridgette is going to be so disappointed."

Though Carter knew that this was the biggest concern between both of them, she couldn't help feeling the sting of the statement. Her mother's first thought was for her other daughter. And her statement wasn't about losing time with Carter.

From the time spent observing her mother the past two weeks, Carter could say there was a change in her. The statement could not have been meant as hurtful, but it didn't change that what they had wasn't a mother-daughter relationship. What they had was an understanding that they needed to let the past be in the past. But that didn't mean they figured out what the future looked like.

"She will be," Carter said. "Though there wasn't much choice in the matter, thank you for letting us take over your house for the short period."

"Of course. It's been nice having you here." Her mother fidgeted, pressing her hands into her thighs. "Umm... about Bridgette. I know you have to leave but do you think... I know she's a step-sister but these past two weeks she's... You mean a lot to her."

"I know. What I will do... I haven't decided yet."

"Of course. Whatever you decide please know that you're always welcome back here."

Welcomed back to a place that held hurt but also happiness. Carter didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, she stood.

"We'll be leaving tonight," Carter said.

"Okay."

For a moment, Carter remained there, looking at her mother. Neither spoke but Carter didn't know what could be said. What was done was done and their lives were no longer connected.

Carter left and ascended the stairs, knowing that she had to tell Bridgette. When she reached the guest room, she found Bridgette lying on her stomach, scrolling through her phone, kicking her legs back and forth, a tiny forgotten smile on her face.

"Hey," Carter said.

Instantly, Bridgette lifted her gaze and beamed. "Guess what! So Tenly said she heard from Ginger who was talking to Dustin while he was hanging out with Edwin and Edwin said that he was looking forward to tomorrow night! Do you think it's because of me? Tenly thought it was." Bridgette covered her face with her hands and buried it in the folds of the comforter. "What if he is excited because of me? That makes me so nervous I want to throw up." She raised her head, wispy strands of her blonde hair making a halo around her sweet face. "What do you think? Thank goodness you'll be tailing me. I'll feel better knowing you're there."

Carter felt her heart sink in her chest. Two weeks and this girl found comfort in Carter.

Part of Carter wanted to go back in time and never let Bridgette know the truth. She would leave this girl and even if they talked occasionally, it would never be the same. But the past couldn't be changed and all that could be done was to move forward.

"Bridgette, I won't be there tomorrow," Carter said gently.

"I know you won't 'be there'," Bridgette said, using air quotes. "Because I won't see you, but I'll know. And I still think I could spot you."

"No," Carter said, moving closer. "I won't be there because my assignment has ended." She waited as Bridgette shifted from joking to serious. She slowly pushed herself up, resting back on her ankles. "Our mission is completed. I will be leaving tonight."

Bridgette stared at her for a long moment then burst off the bed, throwing her arms around Carter.

"What! No! You can't leave! I just got you. You can't leave."

Carter felt her heart tighten and glanced at the door, seeing Mason standing there. He gave her a sympathetic look then moved on. Carter eventually hugged Bridgette back.

"Please tell me you're not going," Bridgette said. "Please."

"I'm sorry."

Bridgette pulled back quickly, staring at Carter. "But you'll come back a lot right? The trip between DC and New York isn't that bad. And I can come to you. I mean even for short weekends. I'll do my homework on the train in case you're worried it would affect my school. It will be fine. We can just figure it all out."

Carter put her hands on Bridgette's shoulders, cutting off the tsunami of words.

"We will figure it out," she said, quietly. "Getting to know you has been the best part of this assignment. You're not going to lose me."

Tears weld up in Bridgette's eyes. "You promise? Like really promise because I like having a sister."

A catch caught in Carter's throat and she swallowed hard. "I've liked it too. We will figure out what to do. I promise."

Bridgette wiped at her face. "Okay. What time do you leave? We can hang out until then."

"I don't know the exact time but I have to write up my final report and pack."

"Oh." Bridgette gnawed on her lip in thought. "Can we do a family dinner? We haven't had one since you've been here. And I mean just us. Mason's not even your husband and so... can it just be us?"

A family dinner with Bridgette, their mom, and her dad. The thought of it made Carter want to back away but with Bridgette's big, teary eyes silently pleading with it felt impossible to dent the girl a simple request.

"I'll see what time my flight is. And depending on that, we can have dinner together."

Bridgette brightened and Carter accepted another hug before extracting herself. In Bridgette's room, she collected her computer to type up her report and sank into a chair.

"It's official," Carter said. "I'm a pushover."

"I know," Mason said without looking up from his work. "The same thing happened to me when I met Link. Siblings are the worst. They make you feel all soft and gooey and nonsense like that."

Carter smiled at the matter-of-fact way Mason spoke and went to work, she had a sister waiting on her after all.

*****

"I know I should be saying I'm sorry that the FBI couldn't get you a flight that wasn't extremely late at night but I'm not sorry," Bridgette said, basically bouncing up and down as she spoke.

"Yes, I can see you're devastated for your sister," Carter said, shaking her head while smiling.

Bridgette stopped her bunny impression, eyes wide and frozen on Carter.

"What?" Carter asked.

"That's the first time you've called me your sister," Bridgette said softly.

Realizing that's what she'd said, a still damaged part of Carter wanted to take it back. To remove the connection that already felt too strong to break. But the part of her that felt like it could heal and move on, soothed the other side of her.

"Do you want me to take it back?" Carter teased.

Bridgette flung her arms around Carter. "Never. You can never take it back. It's on the record and can never be removed."

"Good to know," Carter said.

At the sound of footsteps, Carter looked up at the stairs to find her mother descending, her attention on them. For a person who could read anyone, Carter felt at a loss how to decipher her mother's expression. Maybe there were too many emotions playing out for a few distinct ones to come across.

"Are we ready to go?" Darrell asked, coming into the foyer.

Bridgette released Carter to bounce over to her father, hooking her arm with his. "We are. And it's an official family dinner since Carter has just claimed me as her sister. And it's on the record so it can't be taken back."

Darrell met Carter's gaze and his expression was easy to read. He felt gratitude towards Carter. She nodded her head towards him in response.

"Well then," Carter's mother said. "Let's go enjoy our family dinner."

Carter felt her heart twinge at her mother saying the words but smiled at Bridgette, reminding herself what this dinner meant to her.

"Have fun," Mason said peering down from the second story. "Bring me back some fries."

"Will do," Carter said. "Don't get into trouble while we're gone, okay?"

Mason let out a short laugh. "Yes, I'm the one that causes trouble. Not you, whose middle name is trouble."

"Just behave," Carter said.

Mason raised two fingers. "Scouts honor."

"You were never a boy scout."

"No, but your husband is one and I've spent enough time around him I feel like I've absorbed enough of his vibe to be counted as one."

Rolling her eyes at his idiotic comment, Carter waved carelessly at him and headed towards the door with the family. Once they hit the sidewalk, Bridgette took her spot beside Carter, linking their arms.

"This is what I'm thinking. You don't have social media. I looked you up. You create an account so we can follow each other and know what the other is up to."

"That's inadvisable with my job."

"I know that. I mean you can have a fake name and never post your face but just, I don't know, photos of what you're watching or what you're eating. I just don't want to feel like I don't know that you're doing okay, you know."

"I'll think about it. We can always call and text."

"Yeah, but I've seen how busy your job makes you and that's on a boring assignment like a stakeout. I figured calls and texts might not always be consistent. This way you could keep me posted without having to find chunks of time to talk."

"And you are going to have a boyfriend soon so that would mean your time is limited as well."

Bridgette playfully tugged Carter's arm. "Don't jinx it. We're barely even talking to each other."

"Oh, but tomorrow night you'll go to the movie and win him over."

Bridgette grinned but bit her lip, trying to contain her giddiness.

"What's your strategy for sitting next to him?" Carter asked.

"I didn't have one. Should I?"

"Do you want him as your boyfriend or not?"

"Yes." Bridgette became serious. "Okay, what's our strategy?"

As they walked to the restaurant, Carter broke down the different tactical maneuvers Bridgette could play out to give her the best chance of claiming a spot next to Edwin. By the time they reached their destination, Bridgette had absorbed as much as she could and Carter gave her a 50/50 chance of accomplishing her goal.

When the host greeted everyone but Carter by name, Carter felt a shift in the dynamic. This was their place, their family dinner restaurant. Though she saw they all worked to include her, it was more and more apparent that she was not part of the family. Jokes were told and laughed about for a second before being explained to Carter. Memories were shared with names that she did not know of. Through it all, Carter smiled, laughed, and joined in.

But as the meal went on, she felt the divide. The reality was that her mother had created a new family. One that even though she was with it at the moment, didn't include her. She'd gotten close to Bridgette, but their worlds, and lives were not the same.

Carter perfectly hid the ache in her chest at watching the easy back and forth between the family. After all, she'd learned to hide her pain early on in life. Though she knew she was growing and healing from her past, it didn't mean that it stopped hurting at times.

When Bridgette suggested getting ice cream at a place nearby and was happily accepted by both parents, Carter made her excuse to head back early.

"Oh, but you have to come! It's so good! Please," Bridgette said, holding Carter's arm.

Gently, Carter extricated her arm. "Bring me back some. I have a few things I need to finish up. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll get you my favorite flavor. Once you taste it you'll have to visit often just to get more of it."

Carter smiled but it took force. "Then don't eat mine on the way home."

Bridgette laughed as they split ways.

Carter walked in silence for a block before she pulled out her phone.

"Hey."

Just the soft, kind tone of Donovan's voice made Carter let out a breath, the tightness in her chest easing a fraction.

"Hey," she said, her voice coming out rough.

"If you're going to cry I'm getting my keys and come to you right now."

Carter laughed the seriousness in his tone helping her swallow down the thickness in her throat.

"No. I'm not going to cry," she said.

Donovan waited a beat as if testing whether that was true or not. "What do you need?"

"I need to come home."

"And you are."

Carter nodded but said nothing. That night she would leave this strange bubble where she had a sister every day, alongside an odd peace with the mother she thought she'd never be at peace with. But back in DC was the life she created for herself. A life she loved.

But what that life would be like now with having gained a sister, Carter couldn't completely imagine.

"You're not talking," Donovan said. "I don't know what that means."

"I don't know myself, truthfully," Carter said, climbing the stairs to the house.

"You can talk at home. It might be that later on something will hit. This wasn't an easy mission."

"No, it wasn't. It was-"

Carter cut herself off as she stepped inside the house and spotted something on the floor. Nudging the door closed with her heel, she leaned down and picked up the item. It was a gold ring. More accurately it was a wedding ring. Specifically, it was Mason's wedding ring.

Carter lifted her gaze to the second floor as if expecting Mason to appear at the railing. But he wasn't there. And there was no sound coming from the second floor.

"Mason!" Carter called out.

No answer came.

"Carter?" Donovan asked.

Carter looked at the wedding ring in her palm. "Donovan, something is wrong."

**********************************************************************

NO! NO YOU DO NOT GET TO YELL AT ME!

Do you know how annoyed I am with this cliff hanger! You think you're annoyed! I'm ten times more annoyed! I'm so annoyed I'm stealing you annoyance and making it my own!

I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLIPPIN DONE WITH THIS SAGA!!! WHY IS IT STILL GOING! AHHHH!!!

You might think I'm joking but I'm freaking not. I didn't plan for it to go on this long but CLEARLY I HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER!!!

Okay, I'm done using caps. You can tell me your thoughts or share your annoyance as well if you want. It won't match mine, just so that's clear. 🗯💬💭

I know what you're thinking, don't even try to deny. You're thinking: Joy it's your story, you have control over the cliff hangers. Don't try to get out of this blame.

Well! Yeah! I expected to end the saga with this chapter but it just kept getting longer and longer and what I was going to go into was going to be so long that it would be better as its own chapter than me trying to rush through it, so I needed to end it some point. So No! This was not my fault. I'm trying to not leave you on this cliff hanger longer than the last ones.

So yeah... it's not completely my fault. Like 70% my fault.

Well, that's that. Till the next cliff hanger- I mean complete chapter.

Vote, comment, follow but only if you're annoyed with me. For you sadist who enjoy cliff hangers, you don't get to do anything.

Shout out comments from Finding A Reason (Zander's POV)

☺️

😂 I couldn't help it.

Yeah... that is my fault.

Purple hearts make me go ☺️🥰

I mean those are some good summed up thoughts.

Let this panda soothe both our frustrations at cliff and his stupid hanger.