a/n: Another AuggiexAnnie oneshot! Hope everyone enjoys it! Please review. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own Covert Affairs.
Savior
"Annie? Annie, it's Auggie. Open up."
"Go away, Auggie," Annie sniffed. She sat on the floor next to her bed, knees drawn to her chest.
"Annie, tell me what's wrong. I want to help you." Auggie sighed and rested his head against her closed bedroom door.
"You can't. No one can," she said and lifted her arm to wipe her tears on her sleeve. Auggie thought she sounded bitter and hopeless.
"Just tell me what happened," he pled. She didn't answer.
"Annie?" he opened the unlocked door and poked his head inside. He heard her soft crying from across the room.
"Annie?" he whispered into the dark.
Suddenly, Annie's quiet tears turned into half-screams. "Auggie, Auggie! Is it you? I thought I locked it; it was supposed to be locked. He could have walked in!"
Auggie entered the room and shut the door behind him. He fumbled until he found the lock and turned it. It clicked distinctly. "Just a couple of us superspies in her now," he reassured her with a chuckle. "Nobody else." He crossed the room and dropped down on the floor next to her. His strong, capable hands found her curled into the corner, and he pulled her gently into his lap.
She sighed loudly and clung to him, her tears wet his shirt. He held her tight, his head buried in her soft hair as he murmured comforting words in her ear.
"It's ok now, Annie, I promise, it's gonna be ok."
"He's going to kill me, he killed her and now he's going to kill me," she whispered between soft sobs.
"Who, Annie?" Auggie asked, suddenly very alert. He tried to hide his shock and panic, but he knew she could hear it in his voice. His arms tightened around her as she sighed loudly.
"Remember? Remember the guy from Allen's?"
How could he forget? He'd heard them chatting together at the bar at Allen's while the usual team of agents was getting a drink after a particularly hard mission.
"Yes."
"He killed her, the girl on the news,"
'Reports today of a twenty-seven year old woman found stabbed to death in an alley way near Allen's Tavern have surfaced. Police still have no leads as to…'
"He killed her, Auggie, I know he did. I blew him off when he tried to pick me up, remember? He felt creepy and weird. He gave me a nasty look and went straight over to her – the girl on the TV. I saw them leave together. He knows who I am. He's going to kill me."
Auggie tightened his grip on her again. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to sooth her.
"No, he won't," he answered with confidence. She nodded her head and buried her face against his chest.
"Are your sister and her family home?" Auggie asked after a few moments of silence.
"No."
"Come on then, I know somewhere safe."
He stood up and gently set her onto her bed as if she would shatter like glass. She wrapped her arms around herself and fought back more sobs. He never seen her so shaken, so scared.
Auggie grabbed a nearby backpack and emptied out its contents onto the floor. He took the quilt from the end of her bed, a flash light from the night table, and a throw pillow and stuffed them all into her bag.
Auggie then walked over to the closet and fumbled around with its contents before he took a hoodie from a drawer and tossed in her general direction.
"Here, Annie. It's cold."
She pulled it over her head without protest.
The early October air caused them both to shudder as they walked outside and locked the door behind them. Auggie slung the backpack over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Annie's waist.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Somewhere safe. No one will find us."
"Where though?
"My place. Don't you trust me?" Auggie led her toward his nearby car service. The driver had it idling at the curb.
"You know I trust you, Auggie," her answer was honest.
They climbed into the car in silence, the only sound was when Auggie told the driver where to take them.
"You should've told me," he said softly after a few moments of silence, "About him. You could have told me. I would have helped you."
When they neared Auggie's apartment complex, the driver stopped the car. Auggie thanked the man and forced a smile as he helped Annie out and closed the car door behind her. With her backpack in one hand and his other on the small of her back, the two walked silently up to Auggie's apartment.
With practiced ease, Auggie opened his door and let the pair inside. He pointed Annie in the general direction of the couch as he walked into the nearby kitchen. He effortlessly collected two beers from the fridge before he joined Annie, who had already kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch with a soft sigh.
She accepted the offered beer with a mumbled thanks and took a long drink from the frosty bottle. Beside her, Auggie did the same. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments and drank their beers, lost in their own thoughts.
"Why are you helping me, Auggie?"
Auggie sighed, but didn't respond.
"Auggie?"
"Annie, I had a plan to tell you this at another time, but I think I've put it off long enough, honestly. What I've wanted to say is that…I love you, Annie Walker. I have since the first day I heard your heels tap down the hall at Langley and smelled that grapefruit scent you wear; loved you since you asked me about my headphones instead of how I lost my sight. I love you, and I will always help you – no matter what.
He turned toward her. Even in the darkness, she could see his soft smile.
"Now, you can sleep in my bed, and in the morning we'll go to the police. Ok?"
Annie shivered and stood up from the couch. She left her empty beer bottle on the nearby coffee table.
"You're… coming with me, right?" she asked nervously, a small blush on her cheeks.
"I would never leave you alone, Annie."
She smiled softly as he stood and led her towards the bedroom.
She silently stripped down to her underwear and threw on the oversized shirt Auggie tossed in her direction. The pair crawled into bed and curled up against each other.
Right now the moment was something entirely different. It was filled with comfort and trust and love – love in its truest form. It was about turning to a friend for protection and finding it. About curling up against each other and letting the world go away. In that moment, they were the only two people who existed, and that was all that mattered.
Something creaked and Annie jumped against Auggie's side.
"This place is noisy because it's old," Auggie whispered a laugh. He wrapped the blanket around her and held her tightly.
"I've never been scared like this, Auggie."
"You're safe now, Annie. I promise. Sleep, okay? I'll be right here."
She laid her head on his chest, and he wrapped his strong arms around her waist. Her bare legs were intertwined with his own, warmth radiated off their bodies.
She was asleep instantly, secured in Auggie's arms.
"I'll never let anyone hurt you, Annie," he whispered as he brushed a loose stand of hair out of her eyes. He cupped her cheek. He leaned down to kiss her forehead lightly before he let sleep take over. Annie snuggled closer to him and smiled softly in her sleep.
Sun light woke the pair up the next morning.
"Mmmm," Annie groaned into Auggie's bare chest.
"Morning," he mumbled groggily. Annie started to slip back into sleep when Auggie's cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"You were supposed to be here an hour ago." It was Stu.
"I'm not coming to work today. I have something important to do."
"Where are you?" Stu asked impatiently.
"At home. Tell Joan I'm taking a personal day."
"Fine."
"Come on, Annie," Auggie tried to get up but Annie kept him pressed against the mattress.
"Annie Walker," he warned with a smirk.
"Later, Aug, for now let's sleep."
"We need to go now. Someone at work is bound to notice us both missing. The gossip mill doesn't need that story going around." He used a little more effort to sit up and pulled her up with him.
She groaned again. Auggie smiled. She knew she was safe with him.
"The sooner we finish at the police station the sooner we can go back to sleep."
In an instant, she was wide awake. She stretched with a happy sigh. Auggie chuckled.
"Auggie. I'm sorry for what I did." Annie dropped her gaze to the floor.
Auggie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "You're sorry for what, Annie?"
Annie looked up at Auggie with a small smile as she reached over and clasped his large hand in her small one, " I never told you how I feel about you. And, until now, I never realized how stupid I was to keep you waiting."
"I should have told you sooner, Annie." He kissed her, and she shed tears of both happiness and of shame for keeping them apart so long.
"I love you, Annie," He grinned when they finally pulled apart.
"I love you too, Auggie."