The timeline may be off in this, I forget which episode it was that Auggie showed up at Annie's. I believe it was right after she got back from Russia, so all the events should line up. Written by request of irishpixie823. And forgive me, I've never written A Squared before... Hope y'all enjoy it & please review!

"Walker? You there?" Auggie yelled, thumping his hand on the wooden doorframe of the backyard gate. He waited, but there was no response. Sighing, he slid down to the ground, sitting up against the gate. He put his cane down and rubbed his eyes, the whole day's frustration hitting him with the gentility of a brick wall.

He wasn't going to say it was her fault, because he had been engaged to Parker. He didn't control what she did, and if she was with Eyal right now, it didn't matter. He hadn't been available for the last few months, he had been busy. But he knew that his head was clear, and that he wanted Annie to know how he felt. That he needed her.

He had tried - and failed - to get beers with her at Allen's too many times to count in the last couple months. He knew she was lying when she said she was going to California to visit her nieces. She didn't want to let him in, even after the whole Simon Fisher debacle. She had turned cold, and put up a wall that even he couldn't break down. Revenge was the only thing driving her, and she was blinded by everything else. So in a sense, neither of them could see what was happening.

Auggie felt himself losing Annie, but he didn't know how to stop it. He couldn't ask Joan for advice, because the second he admitted out loud how he felt would be the second he really could lose her. And Joan and Annie were on the outs, again. The two women he cared about most were at odds, just another problem dragging the DPD atmosphere.

He remembered the hospital, and how broken Annie had been. When he smelled Lena's perfume and put all the pieces together, he was burning with rage. All he could think of was what would happen if Annie didn't wake up. All the things he would never say to her, and the hole it would leave in his life.

But it was the last time he could do this – the heartache, the missed opportunities. He had imagined this exact moment in his mind – showing up at her door, saying something witty and charming….

He sighed. He had to do it. He had to call in the big guns. A few seconds later, his phone was dialing.

"Hey. Sorry to call so late but I need some advice. Allen's in ten?"

He hung up and then called a cab. Not being able to drive sucked ass.

xxxx

He was already seated with a beer when his companion arrived. He smiled.

"Joan. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, and your safe passage necklace gave you away."

Joan laughed and shook her head. She sat down next to him, put her hand on top of his, and signaled to the waiter for another beer.

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew which necklace I'm wearing."

He smiled with all the charm he could muster. "Lucky guess."

"So, Auggie, why am I here?," Joan asked softly. It was 10:30 pm, and she was wearing yoga pants and a cerulean blue sweater, with her hair in a messy bun. She wasn't the type to jump out of bed (where, on this night, she had been snuggled up with Arthur, doing a crossword puzzle) late at night, unless it was an Agency emergency. But for Auggie, she'd do just about anything.

"I wasn't ready to admit this to anyone, not even myself," Auggie started.

"..But you're in love with Annie," Joan finished, an air of smugness in her face. Her beer was brought to her, and she took a large, satisfying sip.

Auggie smiled and nodded. He knew that just like he could identify people by their perfume, Joan could read faces. A glance at your face, and she would know how you were feeling before you even decided to acknowledge it.

"I showed up at her house, and she wasn't there."

"And? She could be at a bar, she could be in a hotel. Auggie, would you want to live there right now?"

His face stayed neutral as he took another sip of beer.

"Ahh, her not being there made you question yourself," Joan said. She took another sip of beer, an "I-so-nailed-it" grin on her face.

"What!?," Auggie exclaimed. 'This is ridiculous! I had on my poker face!"

"Oh, Auggie, I've been able to read your poker face for years," Joan said smugly. "Nothing gets past me."

"Okay," he said, challengingly. "Then what do you suggest?"

"You feel very strongly for her, and if you have faith in those feelings, you should tell her. Loving someone and never saying a word is much harder than her saying no, and you trying to be her friend. The more you bottle up, the more it hurts."

Auggie and Joan were silent for a moment. After a few moments, Auggie sighed. He was thankful for Joan's female perspective, but that didn't change the magnitude of what he was about to do.

"Hey, take it slow," Joan murmured. "I can literally see the wheels turning in your head. Maybe just start by asking for drinks, somewhere nicer than here."

Auggie laughed, and Joan joined him. He nudged her shoulder, and she nudged back.

"It will all work out," she whispered, taking his hand again.

Auggie smiled. "Thanks, Joan. I hope so."