My dear readers-This takes place after what I'm going to call The Slut-Whore Reporter Gets Her Just Desserts. Auggie finally found the leak (who it is in this story, I won't take the time to specify. I hope it is Jai. I really dislike him.)

The setting is Annie's place; she has realized that she loves Auggie and trusts him more than anyone else she has been able to.

So, my dear readers, I present this small tale, unrelated to any of my others. Love from, Miss Claire. Xxxx

Feeding the Flames

Auggie got out of the cab where it dropped him off at the bottom of the driveway leading to the guesthouse in which Annie resided. It was about 1 a.m. and he had just finished a debriefing at Langley. The Hern matter was finally over and done with.

He felt dirty after sleeping with her. Not because he was doing it for information, but because she was such a tramp.

And he loved someone else.

A someone else he was getting worried about because he smelled fire.

"Annie?" he asked loudly as he shuffled down the driveway, his cane tap tapping across the concrete. Why was there a fire?

"Back here Auggie!" he heard her call back, speech a little slurred.

Obviously this was a controlled burn and she was drinking.

He finally made it around the back and could hear Annie, or who he believed to be Annie, thanks to the swishing noise of liquid in a container.

"What's up, sunshine?" he asked her. He squeezed her should before running his hand down her arm to the bottle. The familiar burn accompanied the shape of the bottle as he took a swig.

"I don't feel like sunshine right now. I've been in a mood. But that's okay. I'm doing a good thing. Maybe."

"Why only maybe? What are you doing?"

Annie moved to sit on the ground with a thump, dragging her best friend down with her. She took another swig from the bottle before giving it to him to drink some more from.

"I am burning all of this because I don't need Ben anymore. I've found somebody better, somebody that I know won't pull a stupid stunt like that jerk did."

Auggie's heart fell. Now he would never get a chance with the woman who had made his heart feel all flippy and other adjectives girls would use. That was the whole reason he had gone over there-to tell her the Hern op was done and to ask her out to dinner.

Auggie jumped when he felt Annie's hand grab his and squeeze. "What's the matter?" she murmured.

"Nothing. Just some stuff going on."

He felt the air move by his face milliseconds before Annie's hand landed on his cheek and turned his head so he would be looking at her if he could still see.

"Liar."

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," he said with a sigh.

"Now I know it's about me. Spill, mister."

"No."

Annie stood up and tried to pull him up with her. All this up and down, both physically and emotionally was tiring Auggie out entirely too much.

He snapped.

But not in a bad way.

He counteracted the force she was exerting to pull her down on top of him. She was somewhat straddling his Indian style seating. His hands went up to capture her face between them and his thumb automatically started petting her cheek bone without conscious thought.

"Auggie…" she breathed.

He shushed her and ran his fingers through her hair a couple of times before running them over her bottom lip.

"Oh Annie."

And he kissed her.

It was amazing, like fireworks and bombs exploding and drowning in chocolate all rolled in one. And just before the kiss deepened, they broke for air.

"I love you," they said at the same time before Annie collapsed on top of him.

And dammit if that fire didn't flare, consuming both of them. But they were creating their own fire.