Because it was asked for and your wish is my never ending delight. (Also it's part of the Carter Faking Her Death saga)

Also it's kinda short, sorry about that. If you have an issue take it up with management.

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Mason pressed his hands into the countertop, watching as the coffee dripped into the pot. The house remained quiet around him, Yvette visiting her parents for the day. Though he'd never say it, Mason found Yvette's decision to visit her parents only four days after he settled back into their house a bit odd.

But that was fine. His wife could do what she wanted. He was simply happy to be back in their bed. The cabin in the woods had been terrible. Also keeping Carter company for long stretches of time could get to a person. Best to be home.

Mason's phone beeped behind him and he snatched it up.

Carter: He's on his way over.

In an instant, Mason cataloged how fast he could pack all the necessary things he needed and escape the house.

Could he use the back door as a further precaution against being seen and tracked? He'd have to leave his phone, which could be traced. Could he get to his car in time? But his license plate could be tracked as well. What was the likelihood that he could steal a car and make it far enough away before police noted the stolen plates?

Someone knocked on the front door and Mason swore.

Sure Carter had warned him, but without an adequate amount of time.

He hated her. Forget what he admitted in the cabin to her, he took it all back. He hated Carter Owens.

When Mason peered through the peephole, his heart seized in his chest. How could one man look so utterly terrifying while simply standing there?

For a second, Mason debated again whether it was worth the risk of running to the back of the house and escaping that way.

"Mason."

Even through the door, Mason heard the tone of command in Donovan's voice.

There was no escaping this. There had to be a way to escape this. There wasn't. He knew this.

Swearing violently in his mind, Mason opened the door.

"If you're going to punch me can you give me a warning," Mason said. "I feel like not knowing would hurt more."

Donovan stepped inside and Mason stepped back.

"I'm not going to punch you, Mason."

"You aren't?"

"I'm not certain if I'm going to punch you or not."

Why did that feel more disconcerting to Mason than if Donovan had announced that he was going to punch Mason? Maybe it was the fact that if Donovan didn't know, when he made up his mind the punch would come out of nowhere, possibly while one of them was speaking.

Ten minutes, Owens couldn't have given him ten minutes warning that Donovan was on the hunt.

"Yvette isn't here," Mason said.

Why'd he admit that? So Donovan knew murder was an option because there'd be no one to walk in on the crime.

"I know," Donovan said.

He knew? If he knew that...

Planned, all of this was planned. Owens and his wife had orchestrated all of this.

He knew he never should have married a beautiful smart woman. That was his downfall, falling for a woman who knew what needed to happen to make relationships mend and made it happen.

"I'm going to get coffee," Mason said, leaving Donovan.

Whatever was about to happen, he might as well be well caffeinated for it. Somehow death would probably look better with a mug in his hand.

"Do you want a cup?" Mason asked as he heard Donovan follow him.

"Sure."

Mason poured out two mugs worth and slid one across the kitchen counter to Donovan. Was it a tactic to keep Donovan on one side of the kitchen island and Mason on the other? Well, work with Owens long enough you know when to use a natural barrier to your advantage.

"What are you here for?" Mason asked.

Donovan took a sip of his coffee and stared into the mug, his countenance not calm but not angry either.

It was the first time Mason faced Donovan since Carter had returned from being dead for the past two months.

Knowing his wife was alive, Mason expected Donovan to come out of his depression, but he hadn't.

Donovan had changed.

For as long as he'd known him, Donovan was this presence, this force that made people straighten up and take notice. He wasn't arrogant, which annoyed Mason because it made him more admirable. He simply held himself with a command that could be felt without realizing it.

But the man standing before Mason...

Donovan was no longer the Donovan Mason knew.

He seemed to have shrunk without changing in size. Something about him seemed... Lost... Broken.

Seeing that almost made Mason want to get punched in the face, it would be aligned with who Donovan had been.

Not that Mason relished the thought of a punch to the face but it would be better than seeing a man who had been shattered by the loss of his wife. That type of bond scared him. If Donovan, someone he knew as strong and dependable could break like this, what would ever happen to Mason if he lost Yvette?

Mason shoved the thought away, not his moment.

"Donovan?" Mason asked.

Donovan finally raised his head. "Was there another way?"

"No. There wasn't. Believe me, I tried to find one." Mason gripped his mug handle. "Faking her death..." Donovan closed his eyes for a moment as if the pain of it was still too rare. "It was the only way. We thought it would only have to be for two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"Yeah, it was never supposed to be as long as it was. I tried... I tried to find who was the mole in the Bureau faster but..."

Donovan started at Mason as if even that small fact was completely new to him. How much had Carter shared and not shared? Knowing her, she probably wanted to erase the past couple of months and never think of it again. He knew that's what he wanted to do.

"I need you to tell me the whole story," Donovan said.

"Okay, but let's sit down for this."

Mason moved to the living room and took a seat in an armchair across from the couch from Donovan with a coffee table between them.

Though Donovan didn't look like he would leap across the table to surprise attack Mason with a punch, Mason decided at least the leap would give him a moment's notice before the blow landed.

After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Mason laid out the story for Donovan, starting with the basic details of the O'Malley case then the threatening photos, the realization that the photos must have come from someone inside the FBI, the decision to fake Carter's death to protect everyone, their mission that followed and the process that took much longer than they realized.

"Did you ever... Did she ever think of... Of telling me?"

"Every single minute," Mason said. "If we hadn't known you were being closely watched, we would have but... You and Kennedy were still in danger."

Donovan nodded and contemplated his almost empty mug. Mason didn't say anything. What was there to say? Carter might have done everything to protect her family but in doing so had, in a way, broken them. Broken him.

"You know..." Donovan glanced at Mason, waiting for the end of that sentence. "It killed her. Every day she wasn't with you, Kennedy. It killed her like her death... impacted you."

Donovan nodded again but Mason sensed that he might not believe him. Knowing Owens, Mason figured she hadn't shown him what Mason had seen every day, the frustration, the guilt, the homesickness, the fear, the sadness.

"I'm going to say this," Mason said. "Because you might not think of it. But it... It might help if you had someone to talk to. Though I love your wife-"

Donovan jerked his head up and Mason held up his hands, leaning back. "Okay, rephrasing that, though I mildly tolerate your wife, revisiting what she put you through isn't something she's going to know how to do. Though she'd never admit it, and I'm loath to do so, we're somewhat similar."

At this, Donovan raised his eyebrows mockingly and Mason felt a strange sensation of hope at that look. The extremely annoying man he slightly disliked for being so perfect was still there somewhere.

That was reassuring.

For Owens, not himself. If Donovan was less than that would be relieving...

No it wouldn't. He wanted that annoying perfect version of Donovan back just as much as Owens, even if it was so he could make fun of him to Carter.

"Okay," Mason said. "We're extremely similar. That's why I know it might help if you talked to someone. Neither of us know what you faced. I saw you... But I knew Owens wasn't... I knew the truth. I can't imagine how hard it was for you. And maybe having someone to listen to could help. It's a thought."

It was the only good thought Mason had. He hadn't been trained or equipped with how to handle the husband of the person you helped fake their death. There was no handbook for that.

Donovan studied Mason for a long while. "Mason Douglas suggesting I go therapy."

"Yeah, I know. These last two months have changed us all."

Despite Mason's joking tone, Donovan sobered and the glimpse of his former self seemed to vanish. They sat there, neither saying anything for a long while.

"Thank you, Mason," Donovan said.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry we couldn't find another way."

Donovan nodded and then stood. Mason followed him as he headed towards the front door. After opening it, Donovan paused, halfway out. He looked back at Mason.

"Thinking of punching me?" Mason asked.

"No. You tried to tell me... To encourage me not to give up and... Thank you for trying."

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

"You did what you had to. I'm glad... I'm glad she wasn't alone."

Donovan left and Mason closed the door behind him. Dragging his hand through his hair, he returned to the living room and sank onto the armchair.

He hadn't been punched but somehow, as Mason sat there, he left it would have hurt less than the pain of seeing Donovan still a shadow of himself.

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Whatto... Yeah my mind is blanking on a nickname for you, some strange dessert or animal that could be insulting but because it's coming from a place of love is, in fact, endearing.

Now here's the spot where I ask you to leave your thoughts. 💬🗯💭

Wow makes it sound like I'm giving a museum tour!

And up ahead we have a collection of Joymoment acting completely bonkers while still managing to make you smile even though she makes zero sense.

Following that is a comment about the chapter and the interesting dynamic between Mason and Donovan which slowly dissolves into a question about life and whether Joy is insane or merely genius because she doesn't control her characters.

The next room holds utter chaos of the postmodern variety where the brain cells are stretched to their breaking point as they try to untangle the string of random thought that has proceeded from the mind of the author.

As you leave through the gift shop, don't forget to purchase a vote, comment, follow.

As always, we hope you've enjoyed your tour through the Author's Note museum. Do come again, this author is always opening up new exhibits.

😂 okay that was kinda fun, don't know if you enjoyed it but if you didn't clearly I was doing something right because most museum tours are a bit pokey in pace.

Comments that I loved from the previous chapter: Making It Right

Haha gosh I have that feeling a lot

I never realized this but it's so true, an ex is always the bad guy for some reason.

Because Donovan is a puppy needing some love.