﹙ —❀— ﹚ ˑ ˑ ˑ 𝑒𝑑. / fuck! she should've known something like this would happen, should have anticipated THE LIKELIHOOD of carter intervening with some asshole dude who can't take no for an answer hitting on his sister- even though said sister was more than capable of handling herself. she's leaning against the truck outside the station with her arms crossed, booted ankle crossed over booted ankle and her index finger tapping on her elbow, when he walks out the door. he catches sight of her and beelines her way, but before he can even open his mouth, she's pushing away from the truck door and jutting her head to the passenger side. " get in. " ellie groused, her expression like her mother but her tone like her father as she pulls open the driver's side door and climbs into the cab. " you're welcome, by the way- " for paying his bail, for waiting till sun-up for the sheriff to let him out, and for pulling him off last night before he KILLED the guy. ellie reached over for carter's hand, forcing him to lift it up so she could inspect the damage to his knuckles. " jesus, carter. what were you thinking? " it's rhetorical. she knows what he was thinking. and it's nice, to feel protected. her mama grew up with brothers and ellie had always wondered what it would be like. she just didn't think it'd lead to a night in county jail. " ... you shouldn't've have done that. "