Let me explain about this fic. First of all, you need to go to this site. http:/lockerzDOTcom/s/115979721

Replace the word dot with an actual dot.

I'll give you all a moment with on this.

You're welcome.

Anyway, there was no WAY the bunnies would not write something inspired by that!

Right now it's rated T….might go higher on the rating. Not sure yet.

Probably a two shot…might be three. Reviews are great motivators!

Photographs & Memories – Chapter 1

They were headed to his apartment. He was changing out of a shirt that had lost a fight with a cup of coffee. After that, they were headed for a much needed drink. It had been a long day that only capped off a long week. Neither one really wanted to go out, but they both wanted a drink.

"Do you want me to wait here?"

"No, come on up. I don't like the idea of you sitting in a car alone at night like that."

She gave a snort of laughter at his chivalry. His hand on the door of the car stopped.

"Why is that so funny?"

"Auggie, I just came back from a hellacious mission in Istanbul. And you are worried about me sitting in a car outside your apartment? Really."

"First of all, you had my voice in your ear and quite a few back ups in place over there. Here you are a pretty woman sitting in a parked car alone. I don't want my neighbors to think you're a hooker."

His face was blank as he spoke. She knew then his reasons would remain his. It was a decent cover-up, but a cover-up none the less. His first response had been less thought out. She smiled and allowed the chivalry. He would protect her always, even in a quiet neighborhood in Virginia.

"OK, but don't take too long. I am dying for a drink."

They were in his apartment now. Her natural curiosity led her around really examining some of the art on the sparsely decorated room. His voice called from his room.

"In a hurry? Who's the lucky man? Don't forget you promised to take me home."

"No one. I don't really even want to see anyone. I just need a drink and don't you think sitting in my sister's pool house with a shot of tequila sounds too depressing?"

He reappeared, pulling a dark grey t-shirt down over his narrow, well defined waist. She enjoyed seeing him in his apartment. He used no cane and moved with even more confidence. It was almost a little window into what he was like before an IED took his sight.

"I know the monochromatic palette works for your life now, but did you ever wear colors? Trying to picture that."

"Funny. If you don't mind just hanging here, we could solve both questions."

"What questions?"

"Sitting in your sister's pool house for a quiet drink and what I used to look like in bright colors."

"OK, Auggie, this has been too long a week. Spell it out man."

"If you really don't feel like seeing people, we could hang here, call for a pizza maybe and I have a bottle of Patron. If you are really nice and pay for the pizza, I will find a picture of me wearing something other than black, white and grey."

"You were too much of a gentlemen to let me sit in a parked car, but will make me pay for dinner. Inconsistent!"

"Chivalry is cheap. Pizza costs money"

"Can I take off my heels?"

"Considering that's one of the ways I know where you are, I might want to put a bell around your neck, but yeah."

"Call for the pizza. I am running down to my car for a pair of shorts and tshirt and flip flops. "

By the time the pizza arrived, Annie had changed and was on her second beer after a shot or two of tequila. It never failed to amaze her at how easy it was to be with Auggie. The conversation bounced from topic to topic with the occasional comfortable silence.

"You need a haircut."

"Thank you for the style insight and non-sequitor."

"Trying to picture you with a military buzz."

"Kind of hated it. Although in hot weather, it was a help."

"Hey, pictures. I was promised photographic evidence."

"Yes, Miss Walker, you were. There is a box over on the shelf, appropriately labeled photos. Bring it over and if you describe the pictures, I will tell you about them."

"Not in an album? I would have thought you more organized. Or at least digitally stored them."

"Well, scrapbooking was never my favorite hobby, and I have been meaning to store them on a zip drive."

The box turned out to be smaller than she imagined. And there were only about 30 or so pictures inside. Auggie brought them each a fresh beer. He hadn't opened up about his real past to too many people. He wasn't even sure he was ready to even now.

"So few pictures?"

"It's not like I can look at them. My mother packed that box when I moved back here. She thought someday I would want to….show them to someone."

"Thanks Auggie."

The top picture was a High School Graduation picture. Because he was so young looking now, it wasn't too different. The hair was longer, and he had a very solemn look on his face.

"High School? This hair is even longer. And who pissed you off before this picture?"

"Oh yeah. My parents and I had gone several rounds about my hair just that morning. My dad was threatening to hold me down and cut it. My oh so helpful brothers were all set to assist. I finally pointed out that if I was old enough to vote, join the military and sign legal contracts, it was my prerogative to wear my hair however I wanted."

"Yeah, but this is really long."

"Kind of my rebel without a cause or a clue stage in my life. Ironically enough, I joined ROTC right after I started college and came home with a buzz cut."

"Bet your parents liked that."

There were a couple of pictures of Auggie, skinnier with the long hair in high school. He was cute and that hair really was beautiful.

"Tell the truth, Auggie, the girls loved your hair."

He flashed her a big grin.

"Well, before I was blind, I needed something set me apart from my brothers."

Annie was laughing at that when she flipped to the next picture. Her breath caught in her throat. It showed Auggie in the military. It must have been taken in Iraq. His hair was a good deal shorter, but that wasn't what stopped her. He was wearing only a pair of camo pants. His dog tags hung over his chest and he had on a military looking watch. Standing in front of a truck, he was looking off to the side as if someone had just called his name

Annie knew from their working out that he was in great shape. Under those boring monochromatic clothes, he had a sleek strong physique. She rather suspected his body was better than she was seeing. But he was at his peak physical condition here. Well built men in military uniforms were nothing new in this Army Brat's life. But this, stopped her cold.

His shoulders seemed huge compared to his narrow waist. The broad chest was sculpted as if from marble. She didn't bother to count, but it could have been a 6 or 8 pack he was sporting. She ran her finger over the strong lines of him in this photo, almost caressing it. His voice pulled her from her reverie.

"Annie? It's not a picture of me in the tub at age 3 is it?"

Annie tried not to let an image of Auggie sleek, wet and grown up take up residence in her head. Too late. She swallowed a large drink of beer before she answered. Her mouth was suddenly dry.

"Um, no actually you're wearing camo pants and nothing else. Was that regulation? Your hair is shorter, but not exactly high and tight."

Annie hoped her voice didn't sound too breathy. She kept looking at the photo and back at Auggie. She was fighting an urge to see how what he had hidden under that drab t-shirt.

"Oh God, that picture? My buddy had a single sister who had broken up with her boyfriend. She wanted pictures of all of us to flaunt to that loser. I had forgotten about it. I thought I threw it out."

"Well, Auggie, you look in really great shape"

Annie congratulated herself on making an innocuous comment. She couldn't believe how amazing he looked. She knew he was good looking and in good shape, but this was like a film being lifted away from her view. She suddenly saw him not as just her buddy, but as a man. It unbalanced her a little. She didn't know she was staring again until his voice pierced her fog.

"Annie? Please tell me you haven't found a tub picture. You're pretty quiet suddenly."

He wondered what was wrong. She was still breathing oddly. Her voice sounded a little breathy. He grabbed and got lucky. Her wrist was under his fingers. And her pulse was speeded up. What had caused this? She hadn't had that much to drink and they had been just sitting here, looking at those damned photos, when… It was that picture of him that had changed her voice. He tried to remember it more clearly. He did remember the guys in his unit teasing him about being a model. One of the women in a support unit had told him she could sell it as a recruiting poster. He had been mostly embarrassed at the time. Could Annie have liked what she saw?

No. She thought of him as a friend and nothing more. He was sure of it. They had kidded and teased each other about their romances. Of course, she had less to be teased about. After Ben, she had kind of shut herself down in that area. He knew there were quite a few men interested at work. They had asked him about her. A few had suggested they thought he was the front runner. Did he think of her like that?

No.

Yes.

No.

To be honest with himself, he had thought about it a few times. There was something about her that just seemed to click with him. She saw him. She didn't just see the blind guy. She accepted that was only a part of him. Maybe that was the appeal.

"Auggie?"

Now she had to snap him out of his zone. Great she would be wondering what made him drift away like that. He smiled a little. The Auggie Anderson in that picture would have swept her off her feet in a heartbeat. That Auggie was gone.

"Yeah?"

"I think we need another shot. And then I better get a car to take me home. I don't think I should drive."

"Just stay here."

The words fell out of his mouth before his brain was in gear. Have Annie stay here? They were both a little drunk and, if he was reading it right, had just started to think of each other in different light. This was either the best or worst idea he ever had.

Yes, they bunnies said cliffie! I will try to update this tonight or tomorrow.

Reviews motivate the bunnies.

Happy Birthday America!