Notes: I still have limitless hope for Walkerson, but based on what we have seen so far, this is all I have for them right now. This is where I think they are at. This is a post ep for 5X10
"Auggie," Annie greeted, hurriedly.
"Thanks for coming," he dipped his head to hide the small grin that she showed up at all.
"I don't have much time, there is a plane waiting for me."
"I know, you're heading to Istanbul," he nodded.
Annie looked at him with both shock and not.
"How do you ALWAYS know?" she said with a shake of her head.
He could hear her hair swish around her head and he shrugged.
"Normally I would give you a few restaurant recommendations, but what I really asked you here for was to let you know that Hummingbird has pretty decent reception in Turkey. If you need help you know how to get my attention."
"I thought you were done sticking your neck out for me?" she said defensively.
"I am. I won't lie for you anymore Annie, but I won't let you hang out there on your own either. You may think you don't need me and honestly, I hope you don't, but I am just putting it out there. If you run into trouble, find a camera."
"I always need you Auggie," she reached for his arm and was hurt when he flinched.
In all the years of their relationship he never seemed startled by her touch, even when they first met. Did he recoil because he didn't sense her approach or did her touch actually upset him.
"You've made your choices Annie and while they may make me sad, I will respect them."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have time to get into it," he frowned.
"Auggie…."
"You came back under the auspice of no emotional attachments, but you just meant with me, right?"
Annie didn't say anything. Auggie knew everything, he knew about McQuaid.
"You could have just said that…." He said exhausted.
"You weren't exactly lonely without me," she spat.
"So this is payback?" he asked indignantly.
"No," she said quickly.
"Do you love him Annie?"
The question jolted her back a couple years to Simon, the same exact question from the same exact man and if she were honest she would have the same exact answer: "I love YOU" but she didn't say that.
"I barely know him Auggie," she scoffed.
"You lied for him," he accused.
"I believed he was innocent, that doesn't mean I love him."
"Hmmm," he nodded.
"I was right, by the way," she defended herself further.
"So that justifies lying to me, me of all people," Auggie was moving past hurt and heading right toward angry.
"I need to go," she said softly.
"Run away, Annie, you do it very well," he didn't even try to hide the anger.
"That's not fair," she nearly growled.
"Doesn't make it untrue."
"There's an actual plane waiting for me."
"A McQuaid jet, I imagine it will idle all day for you," he rolled his eyes.
"Now you're being petty," Annie sneered.
"A little," Auggie shrugged.
"What do you want from me Auggie?" she said, exhaustion showing.
"After 5 years of ALWAYS having your back, even at significant personal risk, I would like a modicum of the trust you just handed McQuaid no questions asked. I will back you up Annie, always, but if you don't trust me there is nothing more than that."
Annie stood there remembering every single time Auggie backed her up, moved mountains, made impossible leaps of faith in her abilities. She remembered how he always found a way out for her, even out of the most unbreakable prison in the world. She thought about every phone call where he talked through a problem or anchored her to reality. She envisioned shadowy nights in his apartment, his body under hers. She revisited the relief the morning after her car accident to find the medical records mysteriously fixed.
"Did you leave?" he asked with a smirk when he heard nothing.
"No," she laughed out the word.
"I might not be your handler any more, but you told me – not all that long ago- that I am more than your handler. Did that change because of McQuaid?"
"No," she said firmly.
"Then you have to trust me Annie or one of us is going to get hurt."
Annie nodded.
"And now you're nodding," Auggie sighed.
"Sorry. Yes, I understand Auggie. Yes, you are more than my handler. Yes, I trust you with everything."
"Not quite everything," he frowned.
"We can't have everything," she said sadly.
"Spies in general or you & I specifically?"
"I have to go," she said and when she touched his arm this time his free hand came up and covered hers.
"Be careful," he whispered, his voice shaky.
"I will be," she promised.
The End