**This chapter closely parallels episode 313. I have made some minor changes to accommodate my own storyline. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to review - constructive criticism is truly appreciated. GS
Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs or its characters nor do I intend to earn money from their use
Chapter 3
Annie and Eyal spent a comfortable evening doing ordinary things. Annie came out of the bedroom after her shower to see Eyal putting the finishing touches to dinner. She set the table. They managed to find plenty to talk about outside of work which was a topic neither of them wanted to focus on. The dishes were easily handled with Eyal washing and Annie drying. She couldn't help but hope that there would be more evenings like this.
"So how had you planned to spend this evening before I returned unexpectedly?" Annie asked as she put the last of the utensils away.
"Believe it or not, I planned to watch a DVD. In fact, it is sitting on the couch." Annie walked over to where she saw a box resting on the cushion.
"The Mummy?" Annie's voice couldn't have sounded more incredulous.
"What? You have something against mindless escapism?"
"Not at all." She replied trying not to grin too broadly. "I just pictured you watching film noire or maybe even vintage American classics like Casablanca."
"I own that one too, if you'd prefer."
"No, please, put in the Mummy. I haven't watched it in ages."
Before the title character had even been fully reanimated Annie yawned for the 5th time. Eyal picked up the remote and stopped the movie. "Come on, time for bed." He stood and pulled Annie up with him. He walked into the bedroom and on into the bath. Annie delayed following him into the bedroom by taking the bowl of popcorn she'd made to the kitchen.
Trying desperately to conquer a sudden attack of nerves, Annie called out, "You know you look a little like that guard character." She had just turned around when he re-appeared carrying sheets, a blanket and one of the pillows off his bed.
Her tone had him smiling, "Really? I don't see it?"
She let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "Eyal, let me take the couch, please. You are far too tall for it and you'll be terribly uncomfortable."
"Annie, you're my guest. Don't worry I've fallen asleep here on a number of occasions." He set everything on the arm of the couch and gave her a hug and kissed her forehead "Sleep well, Neshema."
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Annie looked across the kitchen at Simon. He was smiling expectantly at her. "Are you ready?"
"I'm sorry, Simon. I can't." She set down the picture of her nieces she'd been holding on the island.
"So you are choosing your job over me – over us?" His voice is both sad and hurt.
"I have feelings for you but there are other people in my life." The pictures multiply – Danielle icing 4th of July cupcakes, Auggie intent on the Braille readout under his fingers, Eyal staring at her with his most charming grin. "Our relationship is built on lies. We can't have a future with that as a foundation."
Suddenly two bullet holes appear on Simon's chest and his shirt is streaked with blood. "Certainly, I have no future." Annie looked back at the door expecting to see Lena, but saw herself instead dressed in black with a gun in her gloved hand. She turned back to she Simon bleeding out on the kitchen floor, "I think we both know Lena's not the only one to blame," he whispers.
Annie jerks awake to find tears running down her cheeks and Eyal at her side.
"It's alright. You're safe." Annie's arms went around him. Eyal stroked her hair and back. He'd hoped that her nightmares would have subsided by now. She'd had several during their trip to Stockholm.
"Was it Lena or the prison?"
"Lena." Annie wasn't ready to discuss what she'd really seen. Having Eyal hold her was what she needed and she wasn't ready to risk his pulling away. "Thank you for being here - again."
"Of course," Eyal could feel Annie still shaking slightly. He kissed her cheek, "Give me a moment." Annie heard him move to the other side of the bed. She felt him pull back the covers and slide into bed next to her.
"Come here Neshema." Annie moved to his side. She placed her head on his shoulder and her hand came to rest over his heart. "This is a vast improvement over the cot on the tanker, hmmm?"
Annie just nodded her head. Her eyelids were already getting heavy. Annie's last conscious thought was that she hoped Eyal's presence would ensure at least a few hours dreamless sleep.
An incessant beeping dragged Annie back to consciousness. She reached out with her left hand and made contact with her travel alarm. It took a full second for her to remember where she was. She looked back over her shoulder to find the bed empty. She sat up listening intently. Annie heard no sounds coming from anywhere in the apartment. Believing Eyal had gone out to get them something for breakfast Annie quickly got up and got ready for work.
Emerging from the bathroom she listened again and was a little surprised to hear stillness coming from the rest of the rooms. She took one quick look at herself in the mirror over the dresser. She tucked the key necklace inside her red blouse. She couldn't quite bring herself to take it off. Thanks to the casual attire she was allowed to wear while at Blue Bonnet, it hadn't been seen, so she'd never been questioned about it. She could only imagine how much significance the various interviewers and evaluators would have placed on her attachment to the gift.
She walked towards the kitchen inhaling the aroma of the Costa Rican medium roast Eyal had brewed. Next to the coffee maker a file folder and clean mug waited for her. The note attached to the file read "One mitzvah deserves another". Smiling she poured her coffee and then sat down at the table to read the documents. It hadn't taken 10 minutes for Annie to realize Joan needed to see this immediately. She took a final sip, placed the mug in the sink and went back into the bedroom for her coat. Underneath it waited her purse and a cell phone which sported another note. "Just in case, I programmed my number already. Maybe we can finish the movie tonight. E." Annie smiled. Since he made no mention of where he was, she assumed his agency had tasked him with some assignment. Regardless, Annie had her own plans for the day which hopefully included helping to catch Khalid.
35 minutes later found her waiting in a chair outside Joan's office. Annie stood up as Joan approached carrying her coat. "Good morning, Annie. You're in early your first day back."
"I have some information that couldn't wait." Annie handed her the file as she passed and then followed Joan into her office. "I received this intel a little over an hour ago." Joan dropped her coat on the couch and sat down at her desk. Joan raised an eyebrow as she got a look at the writing stamped on the exterior. She opened the file and quickly scanned the first two pages. "Any ideas as to why Eyal Lavin would share this information with you?
Annie took a breath, "I'm sure it was a matter or reciprocity. " She held Joan's cool gaze as she continued, "I took it upon myself to give Eyal a copy of the data from the watch."
"In other words, you disobeyed my express instructions not to share the information with Mossad."
"It was their intel to begin with and I saw it as assisting Eyal not so much as his agency. Be that as it may, my decision has paid off. If my initial translation is accurate, Khalid has a meeting with a terrorist group."
"Leave the file with me. I'll look into it."
"Would you like me to"
Joan cut Annie off, "I will let you know if there is anything actionable after I review this." She placed her hand on the open file. "That will be all for now."
Annie knew Joan would be pissed. Joan's cold abrupt tone came as no real surprise, but it still stung. Annie turned and left the office heading to her desk. She sat down and opened the top drawer and removed the duplicate of the Mossad file she'd created as soon as she'd arrived in the office. She started to review the contents. There was detailed background on Megan Carr, Khalid's girlfriend. Annie began to formulate viable ways to make contact.
A short time later a familiar voice broke her concentration. "And here I thought I was going to be the early bird. Welcome back, Walker."
"Auggie." She stood up and gave her friend a hug - protocol be damned.
Auggie thought she sounded more like herself than when he'd spoken to her last. There was actually some inflection in the way she said his name.
"Let's get some coffee," he suggested.
"Sure." Annie closed the folder and slid it back into her desk drawer. She offered Auggie her arm and set off towards the elevators. Luck was with them and they had the car to themselves all the way to the main floor.
"I just missed you last night, you know," Auggie confessed.
"What do you mean?" She replied trying not to sound as startled as she felt.
"Joan told me you were coming back from Blue Bonnet. I was going to stop by with an offer of delivery pizza and cold beer."
"I haven't slept at the house at all since I returned from Russia. I keep having flashbacks of Lena shooting Simon and me."
The elevator doors opened and Annie moved them into the lobby. Auggie brought Annie to a stop. "I wondered if that wasn't the case. I just wish you'd come stay with me rather than a hotel."
Annie placed her hand on top of his. She should have known he'd want to look out for her – just as he had from day one. "I didn't want to put you out. Your place isn't really set up for guests unless your couch has recently become a hide-a-bed." Annie felt bad about not admitting to staying in Eyal's apartment. She wasn't trying to hide the fact, not really, but she also didn't feel she could share that information either especially given Joan's earlier reaction.
Auggie caught the slight hesitation. He could tell there was else besides not wanting to be an imposition that kept her away, but he opted to let it go. "I'll have you know that it is a very comfortable couch, Walker. Besides, it's what friends do." Auggie's gaze came very close to looking her directly in the eyes. As she stared at his warm brown eyes and thought - not for the first or even fortieth time – how lucky she was to have him as a friend.
She smiled as she said, "Duly noted. Now, come on, let's get our coffee and you can bring me up to speed on what's been going on here while I was away." While they waited in line and then returned to the DPD, Auggie kept the conversation to a hilarious account of Stu's attempt at speed dating, relaying a message from Danielle requesting a call about spending either Thanksgiving or Christmas with them in California and his own efforts to end his banishment from Allen's. "But we will get back to all of that later," he promised as they entered his office in the DPD, "Now to business." Auggie spent the next half hour filling Annie in on what had been happening in the office for the last 10 days specifically where they stood with the information taken from the watch.
"I just brought in some information that Joan is reviewing about a meeting Khalid is having in roughly 10 hours with a possible terrorist group."
"Wait. You just got back last evening. Where did this intel come from?"
"You're quick – I found it waiting for me this morning. It came from Eyal."
"And the plot thickens."
"Auggie, I'm worried Joan is going to dismiss the lead based on where it initiated."
"Annie, you know better than that." He paused. Silence – no sound of anything approaching agreement grudging or otherwise came from Annie. "At least, you should know Joan better than to think that." Auggie reached out for Annie's arm and gave it a squeeze. "Go follow up on this. If it is a solid as you think, I'm sure Joan will move on it."
"Thanks, Auggie." She gave his hand a quick pat and walked briskly out the door. She'd been keeping an eye on Joan's office ever since she and Auggie had returned. Her door had been standing open for several minutes which Annie took to mean Joan had finished with the file.
Annie walked determinedly past Joan's assistant, rapped on her door and continued into the office. Joan's head came up at the knock and leaned back in her chair as Annie came to stand in front of her.
"Joan, I wanted to ask to be the one to approach Megan Carr, Khalid's girlfriend. I think"
Joan cut off Annie's request, "We are not pursuing this any further at this time. While the file did offer us some new leads, the other man pictured is not a high value target and given Khalid's protected status with State we need to move forward very carefully."
"I believe I can turn Megan and with her cooperation, we can verify Khalid's meeting without him being any the wiser.
"Annie, I'm worried your attachment to Eyal Lavin is clouding your judgment."
"In what way?"
Joan regretted what she was about to say, but Annie needed to hear it. "Lavin is from a foreign agency and from where I sit you seem to be walking down a familiar path."
Annie felt as if she'd been sucker punched. She locked down her emotions and looked Joan in the eye, "Simon Fisher was a completely different situation."
"My decision stands."
Annie turned and walked towards the door. Stopping just short, she turned back to Joan and asked, "Is it the source or the information itself that you question?"
"Frankly, I find the timing convenient in the extreme and I'm a little surprised that you don't."
Annie stood there thinking about Joan's words for a moment, nodded and continued out of the office. She returned to her desk and opened the drawer. She stood there looking over the pages again. There was no way Eyal would risk Rivka's wrath and possibly both of their jobs unless he felt the intel was accurate. She reached for the phone and dialed Arthur Campbell's extension.
"Good morning," said his assistant.
"This is Annie Walker. I need about 10 minutes of his time as soon as possible."
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A/N - Sorry to close here, but I felt the need to get this posted. I personally can't wait to see what Tuesday night's episode brings.