Curled up in bed watching cartoons with Farrah, Carrie let out a heavy sigh, checked the clock radio to her right.

"They should be back soon with some food, Farrah. I know you're hungry."

"Yes. I want the chips," Farrah grumbled.

"Yeah, you and Nemo or Boo both," Carrie snorted. Even though Brody had been joking about her wanting a hot fudge sundae with sardines, she'd woken up craving a mint chocolate chip and banana milkshake and later, had a hankering for chili cheese fries topped with sauerkraut.

She'd texted both Brody and Maggie to tell them, but had a feeling by the time they returned with the food she'd have an appetite for something new or even more unusual.

"They hungry too?"

"Yeah. You want to take a walk to the vending machine with me?" she asked as Farrah nodded. Jumping off the bed, she helped Carrie to her feet right as the door swung open.

"Agh, finally!" Carrie exclaimed.

"Sorry we're late. Had a long wait at the counter," Brody said, taking his shoes off as Carrie snatched the paper bag from Maggie's arms. Setting it on the small corner table, she removed the takeout containers.

"Nemo or Boo is hungry," Farrah explained.

"You got my texts, right?" Carrie asked.

"One order of chili cheese fries with a side of sauerkraut, and a mint chocolate chip and banana-"

Seeing her face go as green as the mint chocolate upon mentioning it, Brody sighed.

"What about the fries?" he asked as Maggie picked up the milkshake. Taking a sip of it she grimaced, handed it to Brody.

"Maybe salvageable if we scrape off the chili, nix the sauerkraut too," Carrie sighed, sitting back on the bed. Taking the lid off the container of fries, Brody did his best to fix them to her specifications.

"You want vending machine?" Farrah asked between bites of pancake.

"No. Thank you though," Carrie said sullenly. Taking the fries back from Brody she forced herself to choke down a few.

"You gotta eat something, sweetie," Maggie coaxed. "I ordered some eggs with a side of home fri-"

Frustrated, Carrie shook her head, flopped back against the bed pillows.

"I swear I was starving until I saw the food. And smelled it," she groaned.

"Was it this bad when you were pregnant with Ruby and Josie?"

"I had the opposite problem. I wanted to eat everything in sight," Maggie scoffed. Sitting on the bed she handed Carrie her side of wheat toast.

"Maggie,"

"It's dry. You have no excuse."

"Fine."

Meanwhile, standing in the corner finishing the milkshake, seeing the less than thrilled looks all three Mathison women were wearing, Brody knew the sooner he put the plan he'd concocted in the car into action, the better.

"Alright, everybody get up. C'mon," he said. Clearing the empty or untouched takeout containers, he tossed them in the trash.

"What?" Carrie grumbled.

"We've got the rest of the day before you're back on assignment, right?" Brody asked as she frowned, looked at him quizzically.

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing. It's a beautiful day, and rather than spending it in this crappy motel room the four of us-"

"Five," Farrah interjected.

"Sorry, the five of us, are gonna get outta here and do something fun."

"What? What will we do?" the girl asked eagerly as Carrie shrugged, sat up.

"I think there's a movie theater not too far from-"

"Nah, not fun enough," Brody declared as Maggie took out her phone, started scrolling before smiling broadly.

"Well, this looks pretty fun and it's happening not too far from here."

"Yeah?" Brody asked as he glanced at her phone.

"A carnival?"

"Yeah, I saw them setting it up this morning on the drive over," Maggie said as Farrah frowned.

"Why I no see?"

"You were snoring in the backseat."

"Ah," the girl said, taking the phone from Brody as Carrie shifted closer to her so she could see the screen too.

"Yeah, looks like there's gonna be food and games, rides. This fun enough for you, Marine?" Carrie asked with a smirk as Farrah frowned, looked down and away from everyone.

"Farrah? You alright?"

"Is there parade?" the girl asked softly as Carrie and Brody's smiles faded entirely.

"No, sweetheart. No parade this time."

"Guys, we don't have to, it was just a suggestion, I-" Maggie stammered.

"No it's okay, Maggie. It's alright," Brody said. "Like Carrie said, there's not a parade this time, brat. But with the games and food and rides, there may be a lot of people. Are you okay with that?"

After a beat Farrah looked up, chewed her lip.

"I want to play games, and eat food and ride rides. I just-"

"What?" Carrie asked, smoothing the tip of Farrah's braid between her fingertips.

"I don't want to get lost," the girl whispered as Brody knelt down to her level.

"Well, we can make sure that doesn't happen."

"Yes?"

"Definitely. Instead of just Carrie there to hold your hand, I'll be there. Your aunt Maggie will be there. That's three people making sure you have fun, that nothing bad will happen."

"Four," Farrah corrected as Carrie smiled.

"Yeah, and think of it this way, too. With Nemo or Boo on board, Carrie's too big for you to lose sight of her," Maggie said.

Rolling her eyes, Carrie swatted her with a pillow.

"Too big?" Farrah repeated as Brody held up his hands.

"Hey, I'm staying out of this one," he laughed.

"Ha ha," Carrie scoffed as Farrah grinned, cuddled close to her.

"Okay. We go. You too big to lose."

"Well I can't go with you at all unless I get cleaned up and find something new to change into," Carrie said, gesturing to the flannel shirt of Brody's she was still wearing.

"I can take care of that. Be right back," Maggie said, walking out the door to her car in the lot while Brody ducked into the bathroom, did his best to reattach the downed curtain rod.

"Farrah, you're sure you're alright going to the fair?" Carrie asked. "If you don't want to or if you're afraid, just say the word and-"

"No, I want to. I won't lose you, you won't lose me," Farrah chirped. "I call JJ though. Ask if he want to come with Pete?"

"Yeah, I...I think that's a good idea. Hey, Brody?"

"Hang on! I almost...damn it! Son of a-"

Hearing a loud clang, Carrie rolled her eyes.

"I don't need the curtain up! I do need your phone though."

"What?"

"I go tell him," Farrah said, getting off the bed only to jump at another loud clang and muffled swearing.

"And I help," she sighed, walking into the bathroom right as Maggie walked back inside, handed Carrie a shopping bag.

"What's this?"

"A bunch of my old maternity clothes that I kept forgetting to drop off for you," Maggie said as Carrie smiled, started rifling through the bag.

"There's also a few things folded there at the bottom of the bag. Remember you told me to go on a little shopping spree after your sonogram?"

Nodding, retrieving a set of pale green onesies, a matching fleece blanket and the tiniest socks she'd ever seen, Carrie laughed, shook her head in disbelief.

"I figured green wouldn't spoil the surprise if Brody happened to see. And that's just a hint of what's to come when the girls and I finally throw you a baby shower."

"Maggie, you didn't-"

"Are you kidding? I needed to see your reaction to the tiny socks, if nothing else," Maggie smirked, right as a loud cheer was heard from behind the bathroom door.

"It up, we fix! We fix!" Farrah exclaimed, skipping out of the bathroom with Brody following behind her.

"It should hold, at least til after we check out," he said.

"Let me be the judge of that," Carrie said, brushing past him into the bathroom. Seeing the curtain looking relatively intact she turned the tap on, waited for the water to heat up.

"And I texted Quinn. No answer yet though."

Sitting at the foot of the bed Brody frowned, scrolled through his messages again as Maggie stifled a laugh, shook her head.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just you sitting there, checking your texts. You look like Ruby waiting to hear back from the boy she asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance," she teased, getting Carrie laughing as Brody rolled his eyes.

Reaching over from the bed he pulled the bathroom door shut tight.