PLEASE READ AN BEFORE: Hey sorry, took me so long to update. But I have decided that this will not be a strictly speaking "series" or "storyline". It will be a series of one shots, that somewhat follow a linear timeline, as far as their developing relationship. This will allow me to play around with perspectives, writing styles, etc. All the while still leading up to Auggie/Annie, just in random points of time. Hope you enjoy.

Get out, there's a bomb! Get ou-...

His eyes opened in a flash, he sensed his decision to do so, could feel the miniature muscles of his lids respond to that command, to allow for analysis of where he was, what was happening. Yet, almost like an equation that's solution cannot exist, the result of his decision, those muscles flexing, was nothing. Blank, dark, vast. It was almost worse than the momentary expectation of light and images he used to get just after losing his sight. Worse because that meant that reality had fully festered in him, reaching even his subconscious mind, blotting out any ignorant hope, even if for just a second. Yeah, it really tanked that he got to taste the dark side of life before he even opened his eyes everyday.

"Auggie?"

He could sense her, her soft, husky tone lowered in concern, her constant and subtle scent of grapefruit perfume. She stood somewhere in the vincinity of the door, and after blinking several times, Auggie's hand traced its way to the watch on his wrist, to the button that would confirm why Annie might be here.

"12:37am"

"Wow, Annie, what are you still doing here? You shoulda been outta here and on your third cold one at the Tavern." He felt his decision to smile, felt the muscles around his mouth pull, form, stretch, hopefully into something believable. He didn't want to smile, not today, but for Annie, he'd try.

"Don't try and charm me, Mr. Anderson, you don't get brownie points for wasted effort."

The smile faded a bit, the muscles losing tension, and his lids slid back over his eyes once again, tension squeezing them tight.

"Annie, just been a long day, but I'm fine. Gotta, couple more, of these codes to input and then-"

He had turned his chair away from her direction back to his computer screen, so was quite surprised when the chair turned, not by his decision, back towards the door, and a subtle, but overwhelming puff of grapefruit perfume ghosted over his senses, and found himself a little annoyed that he wasn't paying attention to the clicking of her heels coming towards him. He heard the slickness of her suit as it rustled as she presumably knelt in front of him, her hands moving from the arms of his chair to gently rest atop his wrists.

"Aug, I'm not sure what it is, but, 'It' doesn't get you out of me trying to be a friend, and making sure you don't stay here all night."

Once more, something happened without his decision to do so: he smiled. He can hear the answering grin in her response

"That's more like it, care to accompany me to the Tavern, be my drinking compadre?" She stood up, pulling on his wrists, but he rose willingly, his decision, but not by much. Not when it's her.

"Lead the way Walker, let me call us a cab, my treat." He could almost sense the rolling of her eyes, dark brown, if Jai is any sort of reliable source to go by, not.

"Auggie, my car is here at HQ."

"My dear Annie, what kind of man would I be if I let you get smashed at the Tavern, and then proceeded to let you drive home? It's either me behind the wheel, or a cabbi, your choice."

She laughed and it bounced pleasantly around the room. He felt warmth radiate from her arm as she looped it though his, and together, they slipped from the building.

"Auggie, you can see a couple stars out tonight, they're beautiful. You never see many stars down here."

He felt a sad tug, but quashed it.

"That would be the light pollution."

She lightly elbowed him.

"I'm aware, thank you Auggie. I was just thinking about this little house I stayed at in Kabri, Israel. I swear I wouldn't be surprised if there were some galaxies mixed in with the stars, you could see so much."

Auggie paused, and decided.

"Tell me more."

Annie was silent for a moment, then hugged herself closer to his arm, her head on his shoulder, and described a vast, dark, full night sky, as several small lights twinkled in the distance above them.

End