The idea for this story came from this scene in the story "One Dark and Stormy Night" by SD (which is a great story that I highly encourage you to read) :

"Feels stupid to be so pleased with myself over using the bathroom and finding the kitchen."

Annie heard his watch clink on the island as he leaned across it toward her. She could finally smell his cologne, and she tried to focus on it so she could follow his movements later. "I'll tell you a secret, Annie Walker. There are days, even now, when I go somewhere new, or somewhere I haven't been in awhile, and getting to the bathroom and back still feels like a triumph."

Annie mulled this over, a little surprised. "I guess I just take it for granted that you're such an expert none of this phases you anymore."

"That's a bigger compliment than you know." He said quietly. Annie could hear the sincerity in his voice, as his hand grasped hers across the island. "Right after it happened… I would never have believed I could do this."

"I wish I'd known you then."

Auggie wondered what she meant. He could imagine her wanting to have met him before his injury, but right after? Even his closest friends and family hadn't enjoyed being around him then.

"Why's that?"

"I could have been your cheerleader. Told you how successful I knew you would be." She paused. "Like you've done for me ever since I started at the company."

It got me thinking; what if Annie had known Auggie before he was injured and was his "cheerleader" through rehab? Figured it would be fun to try writing it and here's the first chapter. I hope the characters are not too OOC.

This story is AU - the first paragraph kind of outlines things, so I'm not going to repeat it in the AN.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, Annie or Auggie.

-Chapter 1-

"Annie, a word in my office," Joan said as she passed Annie's desk in the bullpen. Annie quickly got to her feet and followed her boss. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about it, being called into Joans office either meant a lecture or a particularly grueling mission. Annie didn't think she'd done anything to require a lecture from her boss, so it was probably the latter. She tried her best to hide her nerves. Annie had graduated from The Farm two years ago and until four months ago she'd usually been partnered up with Auggie Anderson on the trickier missions. Auggie was a few years older than Annie and he'd been with the agency for about five years and according to Joan he was the perfect partner for a rookie. Annie had seen why on their first mission together and they'd grown pretty close, they were best friends. Annie was pretty sure she wouldn't have survived the first months at the Agency without Auggie tucking her under his wing, guiding her through the complicated world of the CIA. After a rough breakup with his girlfriend, forced by the CIA, Auggie had taken a leave from the Agency and re-enlisted with the Army and was currently with Special Forces in Iraq. Annie missed him and worried about him. After he'd left she'd realized that she cared for Auggie as more than a friend, but because he'd been in a relationship since she'd met him she hadn't really allowed those feelings to surface. She'd been satisfied with having him as a partner and best friend.

"Annie, I have some news for you, please sit down," Joan said as he gestured towards one of the chairs in front of her desk. Annie did as she was told, her eyes were wide with worry.

"What's going on Joan?"

"Auggie's been injured in Iraq. I don't have the specific details, all I know is that he is on his way from Landstuhl in Germany to Walter Reed as we speak."

"Oh my God," Annie gasped, burying her face in her hands. It had been her worst nightmare. She remembered the conversation she had with Auggie right before he left. She'd told him about her worries and he had brushed her off, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at her, telling her to leave the worrying to his mother. She'd tried her best, but it was always in the back of her head.

"Annie, he'll arrive at Walter Reed this afternoon and I plan on going there to see him right away. I'll let you know as soon as I know more."

"When can I see him?" Annie wanted to jump into her car and drive to Walter Reed so she could be there for Auggie.

"I don't know Annie. I don't even know what his injuries are, I just got a message that he was hurt and on his way back to the US."

"I understand, thanks for telling me Joan," Annie did her best to not fall apart; she was beside herself with worry. Having grown up as an army brat Annie knew that when people were shipped back to Walter Reed it usually meant that their injuries were more than just a scratch.

The day Annie was at her desk, trying to focus on a translation, but her mind kept wandering to Auggie. She'd been watching her phone all night and all morning, hoping that Joan would call her with some news, but she hadn't heard a word. A hand on her shoulder startled her. It was Joan.

"Annie, come with me," she said as she headed up the stairs toward her office. She opened the door and allowed Annie to enter before she closed the door. Again she gestured for her to take a seat and Annie sat.

"I promised to inform you when I'd learned more about Auggie's condition and I'm keeping that promise on one condition; what I tell you will not go outside these walls. It's confidential and I'm only telling you because Auggie insisted that you should be informed. He wants you to know the truth, not some third hand rumor that's bound to start floating around soon."

"Understood. Joan, what's going on?" Annie's voice was pleading.

"Auggie's entire unit was killed by a bomb in Iraq, Auggie was injured while trying to warn them. He's got a few scratches and a dislocated shoulder. He's also blind, permanently blind."

"He's blind?" Annie gasped with shock. "Can't they do anything? Surgery or something?"

Joan shook her head. "No, the damage to his optical lobes is too severe. There's nothing that can be done to restore his sight."

"What happens next? Can I go see him?"

"He'll be at Walter Reed for a few more days, then he'll be transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Visitor's hours starts at 5 p.m. You can see him tomorrow."

Annie heard the dismissal in her voice and got up from her seat. "That's completely understandable. Thanks Joan."

The next afternoon Annie was nervously walking down one of the hallways at Walter Reed, carrying a gift bag with a stuffed Saint Bernard puppy in one hand. Getting Auggie balloons, a card or even flowers was out of the question; so she'd struggled a bit in the gift shop before the stuffed puppy caught her eye. She remembered telling Auggie once that he was her Saint Bernard; cute, reliable and always bringing her booze when she was feeling down. She figured he needed his own Saint Bernard now. She rounded a corner and entered the hallway that led to Auggie's room. Moments later she was standing outside the door, she lightly knocked. A muffled "come in" hit her ears after a second. She opened the door and saw Auggie lying on the bed, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He sat up and turned his head toward the sound of her footsteps, with a questioning look on his face.

"Hey Aug. How are you?"

"Annie?"

"Yeah, it's me." Annie made her way across the room and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting my best friend silly." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "You didn't answer my question Auggie, how are you?"

Auggie shrugged. "What do you think? I'm blind Annie, and there's nothing that can be done to fix my eyes," he said, his voice barely audible. A tear rolled down his cheek while he braced himself for the pity party she would probably throw him any second.

"Joan told me. It totally sucks Auggie," She moved to sit on the edge of the bed and put her arm around him. After a few minutes of just sitting there in silence Annie released him and sat back on the chair, still holding Auggie's hand. To Auggie's surprise and relief her voice wasn't laced with the pity he'd heard in pretty every familiar voice for the last few days, Joan being the exception of course.

"Hey, I brought you something." Annie grabbed the gift bag off the floor and handed it to Auggie. Realizing he couldn't see it she tapped it against his hand. He grabbed it hesitantly and carefully withdrew the stuffed puppy.

"You got me a teddy bear?" he asked, carefully exploring the soft stuffed animal with his hands with a puzzled look on his face.

"Nope, it's a Saint Bernard. You're my Saint Bernard and I figured you could use your own now. You know, they're cute, dependable and always there for you. I doubt he'll bring you booze though, but I've got that covered."

A small smile crossed Auggie's face. "Thanks Annie. Beats the 'Get well' cards." He nodded towards a pile of cards on the bedside table as he put the Saint Bernard down on the bed next to his thigh.

"Have anyone read them to you?"

He shook his head. "Didn't wanna bother the nurses with that."

"Would you like me to read them to you?"

He nodded. For the next few minutes Annie read the cards to him and described what they looked like. Once in a while a tear rolled down Auggie's cheek and Annie could see that he was struggling to keep himself together. He didn't want to fall apart in front of her. As she finished the last card she out the pile back on the bedside table and sat down next to Auggie, who had moved to sit on the edge of the bed, and pulled him in for a hug.

"I have no idea what you're going through, I'm not even going to pretend that I can imagine it, 'cause I can't, but I'm here for you. Do you have any idea about what happens next?" she asked as they broke the embrace.

"Rehab. They keep pushing me to go to the Hines VA hospital in Illionis, claiming it'll be good to be close to my family. I don't know, I still have a couple of days to decide, but I think I'd prefer somewhere in the DC area."

"Is your family here in DC now?"

"My parents are flying in today, they should be here soon. My brothers couldn't care less, none of them wanted another brother and we're not exactly close."

"Oh, if your parents are coming I should get going, I don't wanna intrude."

"Please stay 'til they get here," Auggie said in a small voice. "I don't wanna be alone." He hated to admit it, but he was as scared as he'd ever been before and her presence calmed him. It was also a huge relief that she acted just as 'normal', she was just being Annie and she didn't have that catch in her voice that everyone else had.

"Sure Aug, no problem. I haven't got any plans. Hey, did you hear that Stu in Tech Ops finally hooked up with the Starbucks barista he's been head over heels with forever?"

"He finally worked up the courage to ask her out?" Auggie let out a small laugh. Stu had been talking about asking the barista at Starbucks out forever.

"Yep, or I think it was more liquid courage. He was pretty plastered over at Allen's a few weeks ago and with some encouragement from the other Tech Ops guys he finally took the plunge."

"I suspected as much, he's so damn shy it's painful. Anything else going on?"

"Nah, not much. I went on the most tedious mission in history a few weeks ago, thought I'd die out of pure boredom."

"Oh?"

"Just retrieving some intel from an asset in Copenhagen and I spent almost a week hanging around my hotel, just waiting for the asset to contact me. Joan was about to call it off when he finally came through."

"Sounds pretty boring. I guess I'm probably done at the Agency, don't really see what good a blind guy will be to the CIA." Auggie's mood dropped again, his head hung and his shoulders slumped.

"Don't say that Auggie. And don't worry about that just yet. Focus on your recovery and rehab. Take one step at a time."

"It's easier said than done Annie."

"I know, but just try. You'll be fine, things might change, but no matter what happens you'll still be Auggie. Just don't loose yourself."

Auggie didn't answer at once; he just sat there on the bed, still holding Annie's hand. "I'll try," he finally said quietly.