Disclaimer - I do not own Homeland. That pleasure belongs to Showtime. No copyright infringement or money making scheme intended. This is purely for reading enjoyment.

Shockey – Thank you for staying with. It just seemed so Carrie and so Frank.

A/N Some dialogue from "Semper I", "the Weekend" and "the Choice" included. Belongs to Gansa and Co.

Thank you to everyone for reading. I hope you have enjoyed. This is the last chapter…let's see who gets the last word in the Mathison family.

December 12, 2014

"You, okay?" Maggie questions her with a frown, her face full of concern as she lifts the last of the bags out of the car.

"It wasn't dull." Carrie hears Brody's voice in her head. She allows herself a small smile before answering Maggie."It's just last time I was here, two years and two days ago to be exact…well", Carrie looks from Maggie down to Frannie who is trying to extract her hand from hers. Carrie grips her hand tighter and looks back at Maggie.

Maggie looks from Carrie to her niece and back again. There is a faint hint of a smile on her face. "Well we haven't been here in between then and now. So, you can definitely change the bed sheets."

Carrie laughs as Maggie follows the loud voices of Ruby and Josie who are already inside the Cabin. Carrie feels a tugging on her arm and looks down to once again find her daughter trying to escape her hold. Ever since she had discovered the ability to stand and walk on her own two feet, Frannie had been desperate to get up and go at every opportunity.

"We'll get the firewood", Josie shouts as she and Ruby come hurtling out of the Cabin. Frannie, who had been trying to pull Carrie inside the Cabin, now tries to pull Carrie after her cousins. She always wanted to follow them everywhere, especially Ruby.

"Be careful", Carrie shouts after Ruby and Josie. She lifts Frannie up judging it the best way if she wants to get inside. Frannie stares at her with sad eyes and starts crying.

"Oh, no. Don't you do that to me!"

"Do what?", Maggie asks.

"She's giving me the sad eyes because I won't let her go with Josie and Ruby for the firewood."

Carrie shuts the door and lets Frannie's hand go. She shakes her head as her daughter immediately stops her crying and sets off in exploration, her mother's eyes following her around. Carrie leaves Maggie to unpack the food. She finds Frannie pulling herself up on to the sofa.

"So, how do I apply to become your cabin boy?"

"Oh, that's a coveted spot."

"Naturally."

"Full-time? Live-in."

"Do the cooking, do the laundry."

"I do hate laundry."

"Keep the lady of the house stimulated. Intellectually."

"You're hired."

"Hey!", Maggie lightly prods Carrie on the arm. "Hey."

"What?", Carrie asks still not completely with her. Still there with Brody.

"Are you sure you are ok?", Maggie asks again.

Carrie looks around and there isn't anywhere in here where there isn't a reminder. She sees Frannie sitting on Maggie's lap, the biggest reminder of all and knows she wouldn't be without her now.

"I'm alright, Maggie. Just having a moment."

Maggie remains unconvinced.

Carrie sighs. "Maggie, really I'm fine. I'll fix up the bed while you sort dinner."

Carrie places Frannie in her walker so that she can get on with changing and making up the bed. Every once in a while she could feel Maggie's eyes on her. She tries to quell her irritation. She understands Maggie's concern, but she is actually ok. Better here at the Cabin than back home in close proximity to the TV, radio and printed news. She'd gone to Langley earlier that morning to pay her own silent respects before it became busy. Before the service. That she couldn't handle. Not when it is Brody's face and name still being plastered all over the place like he's the devil incarnate.

Carrie could remember various times she had overheard mothers cooing at the cuteness of their own child. Bragging on and on about things they had done and how gorgeous they were. She'd often found herself scoffing and becoming irritated at having to listen to their bluster. However, as she laid out Frannie's clothes for tomorrow's adventures she found herself unable to refrain from grinning, because she just knew Frannie was going to be cuteness personified in the outfit.

"What are you grinning at?", Maggie asks, curious.

Carrie points to the ensemble already laid out in wait for Frannie, a gift from her Grandpa for her first birthday. Her little hat, rain jacket and boots. Carrie picks up the bag that accompanies the outfit to put in diapers and anything else Frannie might need on a long day out. It is too big for Frannie to carry herself just now, but it is undeniably hers. Virgil said her father had told him it had to have her name on it. There could be no mistaking it for Ruby or Josie's not when it says 'Lewis Junior' on it.

Maggie grins, "I guess maybe we should be organised for tomorrow as well. The earlier we are out, the longer we have."

"Yeah, could take all day to get to Missasouri."

Maggie throws a cushion at her. "Now, I know you're doing that on purpose." Carrie chuckles and Maggie adds, "and it certainly could take all day if you are left in charge of the Compass."

"Hey!", Carrie argues and throws the cushion right back at Maggie, hitting her square in the face.

Ruby and Josie join in and laugh with Carrie.

"Careful, you three! Or I'll just feed me and Frannie", Maggie tries to look serious, but fails miserably and only prompts the three of them to laugh harder.

"You want a hand with dinner?", Carrie asks once she'd calmed down enough to speak.

"No. It will be ready in about 30 minutes. You two", she points at Ruby and Josie, "can set the table." Ruby and Josie groan, but do as they are told.

Carrie wraps Frannie in her heavy blanket and takes her outside. Darkness is beginning to creep up on them as she walks them purposefully towards the lake.

"What you looking at?"

"A star."
"Wait an hour. You'll see thousands."
"I just need one."

Carrie hugs Frannie closer. She is standing staring up at the sky waiting just as Brody once had until she distracted him. There are no stars just yet, but she can wait.

"Don't leave me like this. All alone in the rain!"

"You'll be fine."

She remembers the smile that crept over her face as she assured him he'd be ok. That first spark, but now he's the one who has left her.

"Live. Don't dwell." Her father's words invade her mind when she needs them. Stopping her from engaging in brooding that would dampen her spirits.

She still misses Brody, but Maggie had been right. She'd been hanging onto the idea that she shouldn't be able to keep going without him. She'd been able to let go of her dad far easier than she could ever have imagined, but then he hadn't gone in the same traumatic way Brody had.

Footsteps interrupt her thoughts. "Dinner is ready", Maggie says coming to stand beside her and Frannie.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking at the stars."

Maggie looks up at the sky where stars are now forming. "You should bring her back out after dinner. There will be thousands more by then."

Carrie smiles at Maggie and then looks up at the sky. "She just needs two."

Maggie shrugs her shoulders and begins to walk back up to the Cabin, shouting behind her, "last one in is doing the dishes!"

Kissing the crown of Frannie's head and staring up at the black sky now glittering with twinkling stars, Carrie whispers to her,"say good night to Daddy and Grandpa."

Frannie stares at her mother for a few seconds and then points to the sky, "bye, bye."