Annie goes immediately into polygraph after polygraph after polygraph. Auggie feels bad for her because he's certain she wants nothing more than to curl up in a real bed and sleep for days.
(He wants to invite her to sleep in his bed)
Annie's name is cleared and she is welcomed back with open arms. Figuratively and literally, in some cases. Auggie leans against a wall and listens to Barber tell him all the physical changes of Annie's appearance.
(He ignores him up until the words her eyes just look unrealistically empty)
Annie is put on desk duty for six weeks, at least, probably more. But she takes it in stride, seemingly happy to even have a place back at the Agency. She earns her spot back.
(He invites her out for drinks every night)
Finally, Annie says yes to the drinks. And everything that comes after is everything he ever wanted. It's obvious Annie doesn't feel the same when she climbs out of bed and puts on her clothes and says she's going to sleep on the couch so she doesn't wake him when she has nightmares. She leaves instead. But she comes back the next Friday.
(He tries not to feel used but he's always been too smart for his own good)
They settle into a rhythm that Annie seems satisfied with. Between missions, increasingly dangerous and increasingly Top Secret missions, she spends her time with him.
(He holds her when she cries and lets her go when she squirms out of reach)
Annie never tells Danielle that she's alive. Annie said all she was is destruction in human form. Auggie never understood the full story behind that, because certainly there are good, bright, brilliant, beautiful parts of her.
(He's familiarized his mind and his hands with those bright, brilliant, beautiful parts of her)
Annie makes him breakfast one morning before sighing, "I can't do this anymore." She cups his face and presses a ghost of a kiss against his lips.
(He lets her walk out the door and he wonders what part she couldn't do)
"Every time I look at you, the only thing I feel is the trigger under my finger and the recoil from the bullet that tore through a man I looked in the eyes when I killed him. I don't love you. I don't know if I ever loved you. I can't remember what love feels like."
(He only asked if she wanted to get dinner and catch up)
Annie rises through the ranks with whiplash speed, so overt is the next obvious step. Annie goes overt, taking with her any possibility of being together if he wants to stay covert, which he knows she knows he does.
(He realizes which part she couldn't do: everything)
"Former covert CIA Officer Anne Walker will join us at 7 to speak on the American government's actions following the bombings in Hong Kong, believed to be orchestrated by the remaining terrorists in the organization Lexington Global. Lexington Global was originally the venture of former CIA Director of the National Clandestine Service -turned terrorist and traitor, Henry Wilcox. Operative Walker is believed to have eliminated the threat of Henry Wilcox nearly five years ago, though this has not been confirmed by the United States Government. Stay tuned here at CNN, reporting from Washington, D.C."
(He tries to remember the Annie Walker he knew)
Author's Note: Title from Ana Johnsson's We Are. Thank you for reading and reviewing!