Thanks for the story alerts and positive comments. Enjoy Chapter 2 and remember I own nothing but my imagination and admiration for those behind the scenes and in front of the camera who bring Covert Affairs to life.

Flight 642- Chapter 2 - Holiday Plans

Annie Walker didn't need to check into the office until later in the afternoon on Saturday, so she'd promised Danielle that she would help with the shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Michael was available to take over parenting duties, so the sisters could organize the annual Thanksgiving Extravaganza. Col. and Mrs. Walker weren't coming up from Florida this year, having decided instead to spend some extra time with the grandchildren during the Christmas holiday. But there would still be plenty of guests seated around the dining room table for another of Danielle's gourmet holiday meals.

"List – check; keys – check; debit card – check. Let's hit the road," Danielle called to Annie.

With the early start, the store wasn't too crowded. The sisters maneuvered the aisles with Annie pushing the cart, and Danielle studying each purchase before thoughtfully placing it in the cart. Annie could see why Danielle was becoming a successful caterer. She paid attention to every little detail, whether preparing a meal for her family or a client.

Watching Danielle shop, Annie smiled when she realized they are more alike that she would like to admit. After all, the one thing (besides Auggie in her ear on a mission) that keeps her alive is her ability to pay attention to details and stay hyper aware of her surroundings.

"Hey, Annie," Danielle yelled across the lettuce display, "Why don't you invite your friend, Auggie, from the Smithsonian to have dinner with us on Thursday. Didn't you say all of his family is out in Illinois?"

"Uhhhhh, I think he already has plans, Danielle. I overheard him visiting with someone in the office earlier in the week," Annie said lightly. Annie had overheard conversations last week …. About how Auggie always offered to man the Tech Ops Center on holidays. He would not allow any of the people in his area to split the time with him and have to leave their families for any holiday.

The Tech Ops crew had given up arguing with him about it. They accepted that's the way he wanted to run his area.

As Auggie woke up Saturday morning, the reality of what he had agreed to hit him … hard. He was stuck. "I actually agreed to go home for a holiday," he groaned out loud. Letting out another frustrated groan, he reached for the extra pillow on the bed and pulled it over his head.

"Anderson get a grip on yourself. You've conquered other challenges over the past three years. You will not let a Thanksgiving trip to Glencoe defeat you. You learned to read Braille. You can navigate a computer screen as well if not better than someone with 20/20 vision. You practically think in binary code. Every day you help keep CIA officers across the globe safe. You will go home and have a decent, if not good, time. You will not make your mother cry. You will interact with your father and brothers. You will take part in family conversations for the 41 hours you have to spend in Glencoe."

Auggie sat on the side of the bed … thinking. "This is ridiculous," he thought. "I haven't had to give myself a pep talk like this since I started rehab."

The chiming, vibrating cell phone on the bedside table interrupted his thoughts. Auggie slid his fingers across the table top and picked up the phone. "Anderson."

"Hey, Auggie," Annie greeted him. "You going into the office this afternoon? I'm headed that way, and I can swing by to pick you up, if you want. Misery loves company."

Annie knew the CIA shuttle service was on a skeleton crew over the weekend, and cab service was more than a little erratic. Her offer of a ride helped Auggie, but was selfish, too, because Annie enjoyed the one-on-one time she spent with him. "I promised my nieces I'd have lunch with them today. How about I swing by your place around 1:30?"

"Works for me," he said as he ended the call. He realized he was smiling and the tension in his neck and shoulders was relaxing just at the thought of spending the afternoon with Annie. Admittedly, it was at the office; but on a weekend afternoon the atmosphere was relaxed.

"Auggie seems a little off today." Annie thought to herself. "Maybe he just had a little too much fun last night."

"Show time," Auggie said to himself as he started to think about what he needed to do to get ready for the trip. After a quick shower, he dressed in an office causal sweater and slacks and checked the time after clasping on his Braille watch. Closing the watch face, he planned "fix coffee, start laundry, cook breakfast, dry laundry …. That's doable by 1:30."

Between his training at The Farm, Special Ops and the rehab center, Auggie planned his movements each day as if he were organizing the most sensitive operation in the Middle East. While his coffee brewed, Auggie made his way to the laundry room with his basket loaded with towels, clothes and detergent. The basket was round and deep, so he could carry it easily with one arm and have one hand free to navigate with his cane. Just as the instructors had advised him, the cane had become his best friend; but it was still his worst enemy.

He could make it to the laundry room just fine, thank you, without the long white stick; but he had learned the hard way that public laundry facilities in apartment buildings are not necessarily friendly to a blind resident. His friend helped to keep him safe and made it possible for him to travel independently. His enemy drew attention to him and magnified his disability, he felt.

Auggie was relieved to enter a quiet laundry room. With a little luck, there would be no damp clothes in any of the washers, and he could get both loads of laundry washed and dried at the same time. Two of the three washers were clear and he loaded his towels into one and tees, shorts and sweats into the other.

As he started the washers, Auggie heard footsteps coming down the hall. "Hi, Auggie," Jennifer Williams said with a Saturday morning hoarseness to her voice that gave up her hangover. Auggie smiled and nodded in the direction of her voice. "Well, good morning Jen. How was the party last night?"

"Okay. I stayed longer than I'd planned. The people weren't quite as interesting as I'd expected," Jen answered while rubbing her left temple. "Wait. How'd you know I was at a party last night?"

"Your gravelly voice gave you up," he laughed. "And, you were walking gingerly like if you stepped too hard you'd make your head hurt worse."

Jen shook her aching head and mumbled, "You are a remarkable person, Auggie Anderson. How do you do that?"

"Just observant, I guess," he said as he picked up his detergent bottle and unfolded his cane to head back upstairs to fix some breakfast. "Hydrate yourself really well and get some caffeine in you. You'll feel better in a couple of hours."

As he ascended the steps, Auggie thought to himself, "Remarkable, huh. If anyone knew how hard it is to be remarkable, much less barely normal."

"Why do you have to go to the office today?" Danni asked Annie. "I thought we could hang out and watch a movie. "True Lies" is on and you've always loved it. What's so important at a museum that you have to work on Saturday afternoon?"

"I just don't want to get behind on things with the holiday weekend coming up, and I may have to make a trip overseas after Thanksgiving," Annie answered, laying down her cover story for an upcoming operation in Norway.


Join me for Chapter 3, when Annie and Auggie spend Saturday afternoon together at the office. Chapter 2 is a little short, but it's where the story breaks naturally.