The Center (Houdini and Nurse_K)

"A problem?" she asked nervously, shifting a little on the bed. She glanced down at Gui, almost as if to make a point that their fragile, delicate baby was right there. She stroked his hair gently and gave him a little kiss on the head, "You mean go on the run?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Why, Carlos?" but then she realized that she shouldn't want to know why and she shook her head, "Nevermind why. I don't think Gui could do that, babe. He's just barely two months,"
 
Carlos squinted and frowned at Elsa. He really didn't want to lose this woman. And he didn't plan to, for good. But right, now, it didn't seem like there was a choice, besides getting arrested. He’d let her go and get her back later, once he figured something out. "Okay," he grumbled. "Than I gotta ask you and Gui to leave. There's some dangerous shit going down," he explained. "Don't come back around here 'til I call you," he warned. "I'm only doin' this 'cause I care about you and Gui," he explained, still angrily, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her and patting her knee.
 
"Leave?" she repeated, her voice cracking a little. She was more upset about this than she thought she would be. She swallowed hard and blinked a bunch of times, looking away from him as she tried to hold tears back. She nodded, resignedly. "I understand. But...I can't work. Gui's still too little. I don't have any money. I could get my old apartment back, but...I don't know how I'm going to pay for anything,"
 
Carlos stood up, and walked over the closet. He was getting a little emotional himself, which he never thought he'd do over a woman. But this was his son and his baby-mama. His overriding emotion, though, was still anger at Brendan. He didn't believe that Brendan had the cojones to pull this, after all he'd done to discourage him. Pulling down a ceiling tile, he felt around next to his gun, and pulled out a wad of money. Peeling off twenty $100 bills, he handed them over. He hated to give Elsa that kind of money when Brendan was going to try to scoop her right up, but he had a reputation to uphold. "Here," he offered, handing it over. "This ain't gonna be for long. Don't get an apartment. Just stay at a decent hotel. Call me if you need more. Soon as the danger is over, I'ma call you back up." Brendan was really going to have to pay for this, he thought to himself. "But wait here a minute. I gotta go talk to a guy for a second."
 
Elsa slid off the bed when Carlos handed her the money. She stared at the money for a moment. Two thousand dollars. That was insane. She laid Gui down in his crib gently and walked right up to Carlos, stroking his cheek gently. She nodded and went up on her tiptoes, kissing him tenderly, almost lovingly. She pressed her forehead against his for a moment and then pulled away. "Okay. I'll wait for you," she said softly as she backed up to the bed and sat down gingerly on it.
 
Carlos forced himself to smile when Elsa kissed him. But then, he didn't have to force himself any more. Her kiss made him just have to smile. She had that much of an effect on him. "Okay," he said, holding her by her soft waist, and running his hand around her back, rubbing there softly. He put on a t-shirt and walked downstairs and out the door.

Daniel, who'd been keeping a close eye on the house, hopped out of the car immediately and met Carlos halfway. He didn't want his 'partner' to be identified unless it was necessary. "So, what's the verdict?" he demanded of Carlos. "I'ma do it," Carlos spat at him. "But I don't like it one bit," he added. "If I was you, I'd watch my back. You, your partner, and Brendan," he threatened, saying Brendan's name as derisively as he could. "Files," Daniel reminded him. "I have a lot of friends who may or may not know about them, and my conversation with you," he told Carlos as a warning. "If Brendan can't contact Elsa by four o'clock this afternoon the report's getting turned in." Carlos growled and spat at the feet of the 'narc', before storming back up towards his house and upstairs. Daniel shook off his wing-tip shoe, hopped back in with Brendan, behind the tinted windows, slipped his shades back on, and roared off.
 
Elsa had pulled out her duffel bag and was packing her clothes when Carlos came back upstairs. She knew that they were going to have to move fast and she didn't want to risk a delay that would cause problems. But when he came into the bedroom she stood and sprinted to him, throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tightly. "Will...will you drive me to a hotel, babe?" she murmured softly, her eyes closed against his chest.
 
Carlos hugged Elsa back, resting his chin on her head. He held her like that for a few moments, before pulling away and looking her in her light brown eyes. "Yeah, sugar," he agreed. "But trouble could go down here in an hour or two, and I might have to get outa town," he explained. "So we better get going," he added reluctantly, squeezing her head down into his chest. He led her down the steps, picking up Gui so she could carry her bag. He placed Gui in the carseat once outside, and then went back up in the house to get the small crib, jamming it in the rear hatch. "So what part of town you want a hotel in?" he asked once they were in the car, curious if she'd request to be near Brendan.
 
Once they were all packed up in the car, Elsa felt a little heavy. Gui's crib was stuffed in the back, her duffel bag and his baby bag were in the backseat along with Gui in the car seat. His stroller was folded up. All of his toys were there too. And Gui, of course, was asleep. He was only fussy when other people wanted sleep, it seemed. "Nearish to the mall," she said definitively, "That way I can get to the grocery store and get whatever else me and Gui might need," the mall wasn't especially near Brendan. Ten minutes away, maybe, but there were plenty of hotels closer to him that she could've chosen.
 
Carlos nodded in agreement. The mall was hard to argue with. He wouldn't want her staying alone near his neighborhood, anyway. He didn't say much during the short drive. He was mostly thinking about how he could get back at Brendan. He wanted to leave and murder Brendan right after he dropped Elsa off, but he knew he couldn't do that. He wondered if he could pay the cop off more than what Brendan was paying him. He didn't have as much cash on hand as he'd like others to think, so that might be tough. Finally, they pulled up at a chain hotel, which seemed like a decent enough one. It was on the same road as the mall, only a short bus ride away. "How's this?" he muttered? "Why don't you check in, and then I'll help you bring up the crib?" he suggested. "It won't be good if I get seen with you." He was doing his best to make it seem like every step was perilous for him, that was the only way he could really sell this, he thought.
 
She nodded and leaned over, giving him a long kiss. She was taking this a lot harder than she thought she would. It was undeniable that she was going to miss him. How had that happened? Carlos raped her. He forcibly impregnated her. And yet she had a huge sweet spot for him now. Tears started to well up in her eyes again so she quickly got out of the car, unstrapped Gui from his seat, and went inside the hotel. She checked in for a week's stay. She went back outside and grabbed the baby bag and her own bag, that was as much as she could carry in one trip. "I'm in room 354" she said to Carlos as she turned to go back inside so that he could bring the rest in. She went upstairs to the room, slid the card in the slot and the door opened automatically. She dumped the bags on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, awaiting Carlos.
 
Carlos leaned over and kissed Elsa back across the front seat, and waited there until she checked in. Once she came back, he took the crib and carried it up, laying it in the hall outside room 354. He made a second trip and got the stroller and toys, and pushed open the ajar door this time, setting them down, and bringing the crib in next. This was sad, he thought. It was a clean room, but so sterile. It had none of the feel of home that his house had. None of the leftover scents of Spanish cooking. None of the familiar stains on the carpet and chips on the furniture. He couldn't believe he was leaving her as some kind of prey, to be descended on by that prick Brendan. Sitting down on the bed, he put his arm around Elsa's waist. "It's not gonna be for long. I promise," he said, determination in his voice. "Just long enough to make sure my babies is safe."
 
Elsa watched silently as Carlos brought all of the baby's stuff into her new room. Her hotel room. When Carlos sat down next to her she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. "I can't call you?" she asked sadly, closing her eyes once more. She was excited to see Brendan later, but she almost felt like her heart was cracking. She had come to be very attached to Carlos. He protected her, he gave her money. He was the father of her child. "Guess I'll be alone for awhile. Just me and Gui, stuffed in this room." she sighed, "If that's what needs to be...then okay."
 
Carlos wasn't sure what to say about the calling. He'd liked it when she called him at the Center, but that was because he had not other human contact. Now if she called him, he was going to want to see her. And fuck her. "Uh... just wait a few days 'til things settle down. You can call me if you have time after that. But if I don't pick up, there might be a good reason. Just be patient," he encouraged her. "Take good care of Gui, okay?" he added, running his hand up her neck and onto her cheek, leaning in and closing the distance between his dark face and her light one, and pressing his lips against hers.
 
She nodded just before he leaned in to kiss her. When he finally did, she opened her mouth and invited his tongue into her mouth. When he didn't act on that immediately she pushed her tongue against his lips until he opened them, searching for his tongue until she found it. She extended her one free hand and held the back of his head in it, pulling him closer to her. She must have held him there in that kiss for at least a minute until she finally pulled away. "I'll miss you," she said softly.
 
Carlos let Elsa take the initiative on this kiss, not feeling his usual dominant self. He felt like he was the one being kicked around and abused here. He slowly opened his mouth and allowed Elsa's warm tongue inside, meeting it with his own. He wrapped his arm around her neck and drew her face closer to his, their foreheads lightly touching as they drew each others heads in. Finally, after letting his tongue explore her mouth for what seemed like a long time, he pulled away, taking her hand briefly in his own. "I'ma miss you, too, mama," he promised. Leaning over, he kissed Gui on the forehead as well. "An’ you too," he said, before turning and walking out.
 
After Carlos left Elsa wasn't sure what to do. She set Gui down in his crib and he slept softly, but Elsa felt lost. She laid back on her bed, not bothering to try to organize the mess of all of their stuff strewn about the room. She knew that Brendan would want her to call him as soon as possible, but right now she didn't feel like it. She felt that it would be wrong for her to call him when she was in such a dejected mood. She needed to be ready to be with him when she called him, and she wasn't ready yet. She dug out her phone and plugged it in, figuring that he would call her sometime anyway.
 
Brendan went out with Joe (That was his real name, not Daniel) after the episode with Carlos and had a good-spirited lunch together. They had both been insanely nervous earlier, but it was a rush to pull this one over on Carlos.

He was dying to call Elsa, but knew she'd need a little time to get away from Carlos. Finally, once they'd returned the rental car and Joe left to go home, he called Elsa up, heart pounding as he waited for her to pick up. What a relief it was to be able to call her, since even if she still happened to be with Carlos at the moment, there was nothing he could do about it anyway.
 
Elsa glanced over at her phone as it started to buzz. She stared at it for a couple of moments, picking it up just before it went to voicemail. "Hey Bren," she said softly, a small smile spreading across her face. She was glad to be able to talk to him without the worry that Carlos would come in and smack her for contacting him.
 
Brendan almost thought she wasn't going to pick up. Maybe something went wrong? Maybe she was just still with Carlos and didn't want to make waves? But then his whole body tingled when he heard her sweet voice. "Hey! Elsa!" he almost shouted. "It was amazing. Did you see how great the plan worked?" he asked, almost starting to ramble before he caught himself and paused, a big grin on his face. "How are you, anyway?” he asked, a little more reflectively. “Where are you at?"
 
"I'm alright," she said a little passively, trying her hardest to be happy. But she was feeling the same way now that she felt during those first few days without Brendan. After they'd broken up. She felt so empty. She knew, or at least sincerely hoped, that it would fade away, but how was she going to interact with Brendan until it did? "I'm at a hotel. Carlos put me up in it. I'm staying for a week."
 
Brendan knew why Carlos would put her up in a hotel. He didn't know she'd been part of the plan. But he didn't know why Elsa would want to stay a week. He assumed she'd come stay with him. She'd been staying with Carlos, after all, who he viewed as a far more despicable person. "Oh, okay," he acknowledged. "Well, I'm dying to see you, to put it mildly," he admitted with a little laugh. "How about we all celebrate with some dinner? Me, you, and Gui," Brendan suggested.
 
She laughed a little, her mood brightening when he said he was dying to see her. "You should bring over some food. Gui's been cranky, I don't want him to cause a fit out. Pepperoni pizza?" she asked hopefully, "Just like old times?" she added just as an extra incentive for him to do it. "I'm at the Hilton Grand. Room 354."
 
Brendan laughed when she talked about 'old times.' He thought about all those afternoons when they were sneaking around at the Center, having nice take-out meals together, instead of making her eat the slop she was supposed to have. "A pepperoni pizza with you sounds like the best meal in the world right now," he said in agreement. "I'll be right over." He called his favorite pizza place as soon as he hung up, and headed out the door five minutes later, after a reflective glance at his bedroom, the same one they'd shared for a while, what seemed like ages ago. In twenty minutes, he was at the hotel room door, balancing a large pizza box, a bottle of iced tea, and a long-stemmed red rose, which he awkwardly presented to Elsa with a big smile as soon as she opened up, stumbling in and setting down the food.
 
She fixed her hair a little bit after she got off the phone with him, not that it mattered. She opened the door when he got there, grinning at the silly rose. "Hi Bren," she beamed at him, feeling a lot better now that he was actually there with her. She was hungry too. She had gone down to reception and gotten a few paper plays and cups for them. She flopped down on the big bed and took herself a slice, patting the bed next to her. "Come sit,"
 
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