A long time ago someone pitched me the idea to write an AU story where Auggie is deaf instead of blind. I thought the idea was cool, but I just couldn't make the story flow and I gave up on it. A while back I mentioned this to EmeraldEyedPhoenix and she loved the idea and suggested we could work together on this story. She gave me the basic idea for the premise and I wrote a rough draft. It has gone back and forth between us a few times and now the first chapter is ready for posting. We both have busy schedules, so I don't know how often we'll be able to update. It will probably be a few weeks between the chapters. We hope you enjoy this version of Annie and Auggie.

DISCLAIMER: The usual stuff... I don't own Annie or Auggie or any other element from Covert Affairs.

-Chapter 1-

Annie Walker loved her job at Linguistic Endeavors. Ever since she was in elementary school she'd loved learning new languages and visiting different cultures. Her father's job had taken the family all over the world and by the time Annie graduated from high school she was fluent in four languages. When she graduated from Georgetown University with a Masters degree in linguistics, she was fluent in another three and could get by in an additional five or six. She'd been recruited by Linguistic Endeavors straight out of Georgetown and loved the variety of her job. Her main job was translating documents, but she regularly went out to interpret on-site. The on-site interpreting was her favorite part of her job.

Friday afternoon, Annie was about to log off her computer when a new email appeared in her inbox. It was from Arthur Campbell; the CEO of the company and it was marked as important. The subject line said: "Introducing our new Head of IT". Annie quickly opened the email and read through it.

My name is August Anderson and I'm the new Head of IT here at Linguistic Endeavors. I'm 32 years old and grew up in Glencoe, Illinois. I graduated from Gallaudet College here in DC with a Masters degree in Computer Science in 2006. Since college I've worked in the IT field.

To save you, and me, from frustrating (and potentially embarrassing) situations I want to be clear about some things right from the start.

I'm completely deaf, can't hear a thing. And no, hearing aids wouldn't help. I don't speak, but I'm good at reading lips. Please make sure you're facing me and speak clearly when you speak to me. Usually I'll reply with a written note, but generally, if you don't know sign language, the most efficient way of two-way communication with me is likely to be email or the inter-office IM system.

I'm looking forward to getting started with my job here and to meet you all. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Best regards,

August Anderson

There was a picture attached to the email and Annie clicked to open it. Suddenly her screen was filled with the face of a smiling man. He was definitely handsome in Annie's book; chiseled jaw, dark brown eyes and wavy dark brown hair that curled along the collar of his light blue shirt and down his forehead. What really caught her attention were his eyes: dark brown and expressive.

"Who's that?" A familiar voice startled Annie slightly; it was her co-worker, Samantha.

"Oh…that's the new IT guy, August Anderson. Didn't you get his email?"

"Never bothered to read it, figured I'd drop by his office and say hi when he starts on Monday."

"That might be a bit tricky."

"Huh?"

"He's deaf-mute. Can't hear and doesn't speak. Unless you know sign language you're better off sending him an email."

"Oh…"

"It's in the email. I guess that's why he sent it; to let people know about his disability and hopefully make things easier us to interact with him. And him with us"

"I see. Well, are you ready to get out of here and head over to Allen's for a few?"

"Definitely! It's Friday and I could definitely use a drink. Heck, I deserve it since I managed to clear my inbox today and, for the first time in ages, I can start the new week without a backlog of stuff to deal with."

Monday morning Annie was running late. A car crash had kept her stuck in traffic for almost an hour and she rushed through the halls toward her desk. Just as she rounded a corner she crashed into a person. The folders he'd been carrying went flying and Annie was mortified to see papers everywhere. She quickly squatted down and tried to gather up the papers for him.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry. There was a car crash and then I was stuck in traffic and I'm running so late. But I should've been paying attention to where I was going. Man, I've really made a mess for you here…"

A hand on her shoulder stopped her rambling and she looked up into August Anderson's face. He looked at her with a confused expression on his face and it dawned on her that he hadn't heard a word she'd said. Annie quickly got to her feet and apologized again. He appeared a bit insecure, but smiled and shrugged as he took the papers she'd scooped up from her hand. Annie apologized again and this time she signed "Sorry" when she said it. A look of surprise and what Annie could only describe as happiness, spread across August's face and shone through his deep brown eyes. He quickly signed something back to her but it was way to fast for her to get it. She put a hand on his arm. "Whoa! You're getting way ahead of me now. I only know a few phrases and the basic alphabet." she said as she made sure to face Auggie and speak clearly to make it easier for him to read her lips.

He pulled a small notepad and a pen out of his pocket and wrote something. Then he held it out for her to see while he offered her his right hand.

"Better than nothing. I'm August Anderson, I go by Auggie."

Annie pointed to herself and tentatively spelled out her name in sign language before taking his offered hand. "Nice to meet you. I'd better get going. I'm running really late." He smiled and nodded then continued down the hallway toward the IT department. She couldn't help admiring his backside a bit; he was wearing a pair of dark jeans that fit him perfectly, a white shirt and a tailored vest. She noticed his narrow waist and broad shoulders; he probably spent quite a few hours a week in the gym.

Auggie couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face when he walked down the hallway after his encounter with Annie Walker. He'd been nervous about starting his new job for a while; he never knew how people would react to his deafness and communication was always a challenge. He'd attended special schools for the deaf from kindergarten and all the way through college where everyone knew how to sign and being deaf or hearing impaired wasn't a big deal. Out in 'the real world' it was a different story. He generally managed okay, better than he'd anticipated when he left the safe confines of college, but starting a new job was always nerve-wracking. That Annie knew a bit of sign language was a pleasant surprise and he hoped he'd get to know her better. He wondered what she did and what department she worked in.

A week later Annie was stressing to meet a deadline. It was a major assignment for one of their biggest clients and when her boss had given her the assignment she'd emphasized how important it was to meet the deadline. The document was big and contained much tech jargon and it took more focus and work than normal to work through it. She was about done with about two thirds of it when her computer screen suddenly went black. She tried all the tricks she knew short of pulling the power cord out to no avail. The computer remained dead and her work all but lost. With only three hours left until the deadline, a wave of panic washed over her. She picked up the phone and dialed the extension for the tech-support office. All she got was a message that the crew was at a seminar and to contact the head of IT, August Anderson, via the IM system if it was urgent. Annie slammed the handset back into the cradle with a frustrated sigh and raked a hand through her hair. What on earth was she going to do now?

Contacting Auggie via the inter office IM was out of the question since her computer didn't work and it wasn't like she could call him either. She'd seen him in the hallways a few times and a couple of days earlier he'd seen him eating lunch alone. Annie had considered joining him, but he was reading some paperwork as he ate and she figured he was busy and didn't want to intrude. She was also slightly hesitant about it because she wasn't sure how they'd go about communicating. She knew a little bit of sign language; a few basic signs and the alphabet. She'd learned when her roommate at Georgetown dated a guy that was severely hearing impaired for a few months. At one point she'd considered signing up for an ASL class, but she'd been too busy with her Masters thesis and had never got around to it later. Now she wished she'd taken the class. With a sigh she got up from her desk and walked down the hallway toward the IT department.

Auggie was busy. His new job was definitely more challenging than his previous one, but he liked it. What he didn't like was that he felt pretty isolated; he knew it would take his co-workers a while to adjust to him and learn the most efficient ways to communicate with him, but it still stung to eat lunch alone every day and not be invited along for end-of-the-week beers with his coworkers. He hoped they'd warm up to him soon.

A whiff of grapefruit caught his attention and he looked up to see the woman that had bumped into him in the hallway on his first day. Annie. She looked anxious and almost like she was at the verge of tears. He gestured for her to enter and she sat down on the edge of one of the chairs in front of his desk. Auggie quickly grabbed his notepad and wrote; "What's wrong? Anything I can help you with?" and slid it over to her. She smiled tentatively and wrote something before she slid the pad back to him.

"My computer stopped working. The screen went black and it won't turn back on. I have a deadline and I'm afraid I've lost all of my work."

Auggie looked up at her when he finished reading. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. He smiled reassuringly and wrote her another note. "I'll take a look at it. Just show where your workstation is."

He followed the shapely blonde (he'd found himself admiring her from afar for a while now; he was deaf, not blind after all) to her workstation. She offered him her chair and he took a seat. She still looked like she was about to burst into tears any moment so he passed her a note reassuring her that he'd do everything he could to save her work. She smiled wide, a smile he was fast beginning to appreciate, and perched on the corner of her desk as he got to work.

Half an hour later, her computer was back to life and her work was almost all intact as well. She thanked him profusely verbally and with the "thank you" sign. He brought up a blank word document on her screen and replied that it was his pleasure and was on his way back to the server room before she could reply.

An hour later the inter-office IM system popped up on his screen, signaling a new message. He quickly clicked to open it.

Anne C. Walker: Hi Auggie. I just wanted to thank you again for your help today!

August Anderson: No problem, Annie. Like I said, it was my pleasure. It's my job after all. :)

Anne C. Walker: Still, I wouldn't have made my deadline if not for you. Do you have any plans for lunch?

August Anderson: No, not really. Figured I'd hit the food court and check out today's offerings.

Anne C. Walker: The food court in the building is surprisingly good, but there are some great cafés in the area too.

August Anderson: Meet you by the elevators at noon?

Anne C. Walker: Sounds good to me. See you there. :)

Please let us know what you think in a review. :o)