So, rewrite! Not much has changed, but I still think it's worth it to read what I have written. If you wanna know more, look on my profile. Let you know all the details there. :) Read on.
I, Annie Walker, was one of the best new recruits to enter the CIA in almost ten years. I could tail like a ghost, complete a pass with the slightest touch, and I could convince a Swiss nun to turn against her own country. Not that I had, whatever the rumors. But no amount of CIA given skill could keep me from planning ways to kill my sister and make it look like it was for the good of the country. I was barely containing my anger as it was. Danielle had gone too far.
"I don't understand why you're so angry, Annie. We had to invite him over for dinner. He's new to the firm and the partners wanted Michael to welcome Eric to town."Danielle said as I let one of the dinner plates drop in the sink and felt, more than saw, Auggie wince at the sound.
"That I understand. Micheal's on the fast track and so he has to do what they want, but I highly doubt that trying to set me and Eric up was in any way what the partners were intending." I grabbed another cleared plate and dropped that, too, into the sink with a clatter. "And you kept doing it even after I told you that when he and I had dated in College it ended badly." Danielle scrapped the last of the nights leftovers into a container before slipping it into the fridge.
"What could have happened that was so terrible you wouldn't consider dating him again?"
"Well," Auggie interjected before I could answer, "as adventurous as the great Annie Walker may be, apparently she has a thing against latex. More specifically, the kind used for bondage." Danielle stopped what she was doing and looked at Auggie with amusement all over her face.
"And how do you know this?"
"She told me, how else?" Auggie smiled in the general direction of my sister.
"Annie, you do realize that you haven't been on a date in almost three years?" Danielle asked.
"Well, I work a lot." I grabbed another plate and this time, having calmed down, set it in the sink without causing any frightening noises.
"That's right. You spend all of your time at the Smithsonian, on business trips, or hanging out with Auggie; No offense-"
"Non taken," Auggie nodded kindly at Danielle. I briefly wondered if I could change his status to Terrorist in the CIA's system without the Tech noticing.
Danielle closed the dishwasher with a sigh. "Annie, I just...I know how happy I am with Michael and the girls, and I see you everyday trying to hide that look in your eyes-"
"What look." This was getting ridiculous. "I have no look."
"The look that says you would trade it all – the traveling, high profile job, the sharp business suits that make you look like the office sex kitten - for what I have; and I want you to have what I have. To be as happy as I am. A husband, kids, and a permanent home." Danielle walked over to where I stood leaning against the counter. "You are just so stubborn some times that I feel like the only way you will let someone in is if they are shoved at you."
"Well, you're wrong. So stop shoving. Come on, Auggie, I'll take you home." I moved around the counter and grabbed Auggie's arm, steering him towards the front hall.
"Annie-" Danielle's voice halted my steps. "I just want you to stop holding on to some stupid bracelet and move on. Mom-" I turned sharply to face my sister.
"Don't bring her into this."
"But Annie-"
"No. Don't you dare bring her into this." I could feel the tension in Auggie's body coming off him in waves.
"I know you feel like she doesn't understand you, but Annie, have you ever really given her the chance?" Danielle wiped down the counters as if the conversation we were having was about the weather and not the still painful relationship that I had with my mother. My anger flared to a new height and I fought hard to try and squelch it.
"Can't all be mom's precious daughter who could never do wrong. I'm the disappointment who can't do anything right, remember? Come on Auggie." And while I would have preferred to end that statement by slamming a door or stomping out of the room, I left at a normal pace, holding on to Auggie's arm as we left.
The Drive to Auggie's apartment played out in silence. My mind filled with memories from my childhood and my teen years; Of times when I wanted to be exactly like my older sister Danielle, not only because I loved her, but also because maybe, just maybe, my mother would learn to love me more.
"Are you OK?" Auggie's voice was low and calculating. He was trying to test the waters of my mood without sending me into an emotional tailspin that would probably end with us in a car accident. "She shouldn't have used Moira against you. I know how tough your relationship is."
"I'm fine," I lied as I maneuvered my car up to his apartment building.
"Liar." I opened my door, walked around the car, and soon Auggie and I were taking the steps up to his apartment. "People like to think that they know all the facts, Annie. They like to think that they are doing all they can to help those that they love to be as happy as they are."
I sighed before talking. "She's going about it in the wrong fashion. Right now she is just being annoying and making me mad." Auggie smiled a little before unlocking his door.
"You're not there when she harasses me with questions about why I'm not dating anyone and," his voice turned soprano in an attempt to imitate my sister, "'Auggie, why don't you date Annie? You two get along almost better than Micheal and I do. Would the Smithsonian Allow that? After all, you're a contracted Technition and not an official employee?'" I gasped in horror. My bad mood was quickly changing as I tried to keep back my laughter.
"Tell me she didn't Auggie. Tell me that you are making that up." A bubble of laughter erupted from me as Auggie's face showed obvious signs that he was serious. "Oh Auggie, I'm so sorry. I'll tell her to stop that right away. It's bad enough when she does it to me."
Auggie pushed his door open wide enough for me to see the boxes piled all about the room in strategic mounds.
"I don't mind really. It gives me the feeling of being on the job again when I have to lie to her and tell her that the Smithsonian frowns upon interoffice relationships or when I have to tell her that the Office and Exhibit Tech Department keeps me too busy to date." His smile faltered slightly before he continued. "Plus, I can tell that she is just trying to make me happy. To know that she thinks well enough of me to be worried about my happiness is touching. You're lucky to have someone that cares about you that much." Silence echoed off the bare walls of his apartment before he smiled again. "Are you still going to go looking for a place with me on Saturday?"
"Unless there is a National Emergency." I smiled back at him knowing full well he couldn't see it.
"See you at work tomorrow Annie."
I watched as he closed the door.
The next day I practically had to use Farm tactics to elude my sister before leaving for work. She had come to the guest house door and knocked for a good fifteen minutes before leaving a fresh cinnamon roll. I had to giver her credit. She was trying to say that she was sorry and this was her way of doing it. I could have just let her say sorry and worked passed this fight, but my pride still had something to prove.
It had been a relatively slow day at the DPD. Joan had sent me out on a simple brush pass that for once, was simple. The rest of the afternoon I alternated between filing paperwork and ignoring the many calls that Danielle sent my way. So when six o'clock rolled around, I sat at my desk with a secure internet line searching for a new apartment for Auggie with said unhappy tenant seated next to my desk. Auggie had decided to stay with me conversing until his computer finished sweeping and decoding the new hard drives I obtained during the pass.
"I just don't understand how it's taking Stu this long to go to K street and pick up our order. Neither of us has eaten a thing today. I could have gone home and fixed something and been back by now." Auggie complained as I smiled.
"Tell me again why you are moving out of a rent controlled apartment that has a floor plan perfect for you and a beautiful view for me?" I clicked on one of the many search results and looked at the price before moving to click on the pictures offered.
"The waste plant they put in a couple miles down the road is starting to mess with the aesthetics of the place, same goes with the noise of my new neighbors. And honestly, I really don't care about the view. The only benefit it had was that you like to have dinner with me just so you can have a nice dinner on the Potomac whenever you are in the mood for something fancy and you decided to buy a new pair of heals instead of paying for an evening at La Vue de Fleuve-"
I made to sound a protest, even if he was right, when he held up a hand in a preemptive strike. "Don't pretend that it's not true." He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "Besides, I have been in that apartment since before the accident. The lease is up in three weeks; figured a change of scenery would be nice."
I snorted at his pun and continued my search on the computer. Several minutes later Stu came bounding through the DPD doors sputtering apologies.
"Sorry, there was a massive accident on the freeway. Multiple cars." As Stu walked by my desk I could see Auggie try and reach out for his order only to get air as Stu swerved out of his way and continued walking. "No way. Joan gets her order first or else I get another week in the file room. She has been taking heads off all week."
Auggie groaned. "I'm starving! How are you functioning Annie?"
"I've been sitting here trying not to get light headed while trying to find you a new home." Not seeing anything that I would consider renting, let alone a thirty-two year old blind CIA tech operative, I shut down my computer for the evening. "I guess we are going to have to see what the real estate agent has to show us tomorrow."
Auggie rose from his seat and stretched a little. "Should we go undercover? Maybe pretend that I am just ignoring the agent instead of admitting that I am blind. See how long it takes them to figure it out?" I stood up and, swaying only slightly, wrapped my arm around his and started to move us along to Auggie's office.
"If this is the way you act when you're blind, what must you have been like as a sighted teenager-" My comment was cut short by the ringing desk phone next to my computer. My Smithsonian line.
"It's probably Micheal calling again because I wont answer Danielle's phone calls. Hold on a minute Auggie?" He smiled his understanding as I moved and picked up the phone.
"Annie Walker, Acquisitions."
"Hello, Ms. Walker? This George Washington Hospital. Do you happen to know a Micheal or Danielle Brooks?" my forehead creased in frustration. Danielle must have resorted to her own special brand of theatrics so I would take her calls.
"Did Danielle put you up to this? I'm still mad at her so tell her I have to work late and I will see her when I get home." I hung up the phone in irritation and started to walk back to Auggie when the phone rang again.
"Seriously, tell her that I'm not-"
"Ms. Walker, my name is Nurse Kline from George Washington Hospital. Can you please tell me if you know a Micheal or Danielle Brooks?" An air of authority tinged the woman's voice and sent shivers down my spine. I sucked in a large breath of air.
"I-I know Danielle. She's my sister. What is this about?" I looked over at Auggie to see a worried expression on his face as he slowly inched my way.
"Ms. Walker, I am sorry to inform you that your sister and her family were involved in a car accident this evening. Ms. Walker, Danielle and Micheal Brooks both died on the scene-" As she talked I could feel my chest muscles tightening with an intense pain. My lungs were closing on me.
"What? I'm sor-sorry. I don't..." I could feel my mind reaching for any amount of air it could get but my tight chest and lungs were making it hard for me to breathe as I listened to the Nurse's continued talking.
"-Nieces are currently in our Children's ward. They need a family member with them right now. Could you please come down to the hospital immediately?" I dropped the phone on my desk and slowly backed away. My lungs were closing more. I could feel my face flame up with the lack of oxygen. Auggie grabbed my phone and spoke.
"This is August Anderson, I work with Annie, what is this regarding?...Yes...I will make sure that she gets down there tonight...and Chloe...okay. Katia is with...room 315...yes...yes...thank you Nurse." Auggie placed the phone back on the receiver and turned to put his hands on my shoulders.
"Annie? You need to get your breathing under control." I could hear what he was saying, make out the way his lips formed the words as they left his mouth. All of it made sense. But I just couldn't get my lungs to work the way they were supposed to. My breathing became more erratic, causing panic as I fought to take in air. I was hyperventilating. I slowly started to lower myself to ground as I struggled to get my lungs to work the way they should.
"Take deep breaths Annie. Annie!" I could feel the world start to spin, the edges of my vision going gray, working to take my sight all while I tried madly to breath. Auggie's raising voice was bringing people out of their offices.
"JOAN!" Auggie's voice rang out across the DPD as my lungs finally failed to supply any new air and the office around me went black, dropping into Auggie's arms as I fell.