Disclaimer: My usual assurance that I intend to gain nothing from my use of the Covert Affairs characters
New Year's Eve found Annie sitting alone in the middle of the floor of the garage apartment at Danielle's house. She and Auggie had put Close and Continuing paperwork in Joan's hands the Friday morning before Christmas. After two months of dating steadily – no secretly per se, but quietly, they decided to move in together and that required official acknowledgement of their status.
At a quiet knock, Joan looked up to see Auggie and Annie standing together at the door to her office. Annie held a file in her hands looking decidedly nervous while Auggie had the appearance of a man who'd won the lottery.
"Joan, do you have a moment?" Auggie inquired casually.
"For you Auggie, of course. Come in."
"We wanted to bring this to you together." Auggie said stopping behind one of the chairs in front of Joan's desk. Annie handed their boss the thin file folder.
Joan opened it and was completely unsurprised to find the relationship disclosure form inside. "Well, it's about time, you two. If this had gone on much longer, I was going to have to ask for the paperwork myself."
"I beg your pardon?" Annie replied.
"You didn't actually think that no one in this department knew you were dating did you?" Joan queried. "The entire DPD has been rooting for you two to get together. I believe there may even be an office pool."
"I see." Annie said glancing at Auggie who looked equally thunderstruck.
"I expect I'll have this signed off on by the end of business today. Anything else?" It was all Joan could do not to laugh at the pair.
"No, that was it. Thank you, Joan." Auggie replied.
And that was that. Joan was better than her word. Around two o'clock that afternoon, Joan placed the same file folder she'd been given on the corner of Annie's desk as she walked by on her way to her office. Annie retrieved the folder from her inbox. There was a post-it on the exterior simply reading, "Congratulations."
Auggie left for Glencoe the next morning. Annie hadn't been able to get more than one day off and Auggie had made his plans months earlier. The entire Anderson clan was going to be together for the first time in 5 years, so there was no question of backing out. While neither of them was thrilled by the idea of spending the holidays apart, it did give Annie 10 days to get her things boxed and the apartment cleaned.
Annie had her I-pod in its docking station playing random selections while the small TV was muted, but displaying images from Times Square. It was snowing gently on the assembled crowd and Annie thought not for the first time that no one could pay her enough to be out amongst them.
Annie was going through her books trying to decide what to move into Auggie's, what to store and which ones to donate to the local library. She was mulling over the fate of her Harry Potter collection when her personal cell phone rang.
She stretched to reach the device sitting just beyond arms length on top of the end table. She accepted the call without even looking knowing it could only be Auggie or Danielle.
"It's not New Year's yet." She said by way of greeting wondering which voice she was going to hear respond.
"It is in Greece, Neshema. In fact it has been 2013 for about 3 hours now."
"Eyal! Happy New Year. So how was the celebration in Athens?" Annie climbed onto her couch to get comfortable for what she hoped would be a nice chat with her friend.
"Much like most other major cities in the world I'd imagine – loud and with large amounts of fireworks."
"I know you texted earlier, but did you really like your Hanukah present?"
"Absolutely – the sextant has a place of honor in my cabin on the Flying Lavin. And what about your Christmas present?"
"Eyal, it's truly lovely." Annie's hand unconsciously went to the gold mizpah around her neck.
"Are you wearing it?" Eyal's voice was almost a caress.
Annie knew she shouldn't be and thought fleetingly about lying, but couldn't do it. "Yes," she said. Her admission caused her cheeks to flush.
"Can I see how it looks?"
"What?" His voice didn't come from her phone, but rather from the doorway. Annie jumped to her feet. "What are you doing here?" The words may have sounded rude, but the incredulous tone and excitement in her expression counteracted them. She couldn't move and neither could she take her eyes off the man. Damn him for looking like a reason to sin. He slowly crossed the room ignoring the boxes and her disheveled appearance.
As he gently removed the ponytail holder from her hair he asked, "Would you believe me if I said I used the sextant to chart a course home and it brought me to you?" He pulled Annie into his arms and whispered in her ear, "I decided I didn't want to wait any longer to be with you."
Any thought Annie had of protesting left her when he kissed her. She went up in flames as his hands gently caressed her and deepened their kiss. Without knowing how they got there, Eyal lay naked beside her in her bed. She was awash in the sensations that his hands and mouth were creating. She'd always known he'd be a skilled lover and he was proving that beyond her wildest dreams. Just as he was poised to join them, the phone rang.
Annie's eyes flew open. She was alone in her apartment. The boxes of books were labeled, sealed and arranged along the wall. Her I-pod was playing Madeleine Peyroux and on the TV confetti was raining down on the masses in Times Square. If the sound were up, Auld Lang Syne would no doubt be heard behind the commentators. The phone rang again. She sat up on the couch catching "Goblet of Fire" before it could hit the floor and picking up her cell.
"Happy New Year, Sweetheart! I miss you."
"Happy New Year, Auggie. I miss you too." She forced a smile and the brightest most cheerful tone she could muster. Her hand went to her neck. Eyal's gold mizpah rested just below her collarbone.