Thank you so much for your feedback to the previous chapter - you all rock! :o)

We finally managed to finish chapter 4. Both EmeraldEyedPhoenix and I have been busy lately, we've just not had the time to write we've hoped for. We've got lots of ideas for the coming chapter, so if our schedules permit the wait for chapter 5 will be shorter.

Thanks to my friend and co-writer EmeraldEyedPhoenix for putting your awesome touch on this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: We don't own Annie, Auggie or any other element from Covert Affairs. Just our universe, storyline and the characters we're creating.

-Chapter 4-

When Annie woke up Monday morning she was disoriented; until she turned and looked right at Auggie. He was fast asleep on his back, one hand tucked under his head and the other draped across his stomach. The sheets only came up to his waist and Annie couldn't help admiring his body for a bit; he was in impressive shape. She ran a hand up his well defined midsection then leaned over him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He barely stirred, so Annie deepened the kiss. She felt his lips curl up in a smile beneath her own and he pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. His expression was open and loving, even if neither of them had put their feelings in to words yet. She had never known someone whose eyes conveyed so much. They held a promise of many more mornings like this and of kisses to come. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him and then it was his turn to kiss Annie senseless. Their kissing soon escalated and Annie found herself pressed into the soft mattress under Auggie's lean but muscular frame. When they broke apart some time later, Annie glanced over at the alarm clock on Auggie's nightstand and realized that they must have overslept and thanks to their morning make out session, they were running extremely late. They definitely didn't have time for Auggie to take Annie home so she could change and get her car like they'd planned the evening before.

"Shit!" Annie exclaimed as she sat up in bed. Auggie looked at her with a confused look on his face. She pointed to the alarm clock. When he saw the time, he was up and moving with Annie close behind.

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An hour later Auggie pulled in to the parking garage below the building that housed the Linguistic Endeavors offices. He parked in his assigned parking space and they hurried to the entrance. During the elevator ride up to their floor, Annie studied her appearance in the mirror that lined one of the walls of the elevator. She had borrowed a black v-neck sweater from Auggie, it was slightly too big for her, but with her dark jeans it made a more office-acceptable outfit than the t-shirt she'd worn the previous day. She had pulled her hair into a ponytail and had tried to make herself look presentable with the little makeup she had in her purse. It wasn't the worst walk of shame look she'd ever sported, but she knew Samantha, the nosiest person in her department, would pick up on it. She glanced over at Auggie, who of course looked much more together. He was wearing a pair of navy blue dress slacks that fit him perfectly and a tailored white button down shirt with light blue stripes. He reached over and gave Annie's hand a squeeze, sensing her unease. She smiled weakly at him. As they stepped off the elevator Auggie turned to Annie and signed; "See you at lunch?"

"Absolutely. At noon?" Annie signed back, nodding. Auggie gave her the thumbs up and after placing a quick, almost shy, kiss on her lips he turned and walked down the hall towards his office.

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When Annie settled in behind her desk a few minutes later Samantha was there in an instant. She perched on the edge of Annie's desk and studied her appearance from head to toe. Then she crossed her arms and looked straight at Anne.

"So, who's the guy?"

"What? There's no guy." Annie feigned innocence, hoping Samantha would back off. She had no such luck.

"Come on Annie, we've worked together for a long time. I know you and I know that this is a walk-of-shame outfit. You wouldn't show up at work in sneakers and an oversized sweater under normal circumstances. Spill."

"It's Auggie."

"Auggie? Who's that?"

"Sheesh, do I have to spell it out to you? August Anderson, Head of IT."

"You hooked up with August Anderson? The deaf-mute IT guy? Why?"

"Why not? He's a great guy. And in case you haven't noticed; he's pretty damn hot."

"I just don't get why you want to be with a guy you have to pass notes to in order to have a conversation."

"He's been teaching me sign language actually. I like it and I'm getting pretty good at it."

"Still, there are plenty of other guys out there that can hear and at least say your name. You shouldn't have to settle, Annie."

"Settle?" Annie gritted out through her teeth, turning around to face Samantha head on. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not settling at all. There may be plenty of other guys out there but they're not Auggie. If anything, he's a better man than a lot of the "other guys" you talk about. He's a good man and he's good to me and I couldn't ask for more than that. I like him a lot and if you have a problem with that it's your problem, not mine." Annie turned her attention to her computer and started browsing through her email, to see if she had anything that needed her immediate attention waiting for her, hoping Samantha would take a hint and go away. No such luck.

"Pity. Well if you want to take up with some kind of cripple that's your loss. Just leaves more real men for the rest of us." Samantha stated; the last part in a sing-song voice. Annie's hand itched to slap the smile off of her smug face but she managed to hold her temper. She was at work after all.

"You see, that's the difference between you and me Sam, I'm not shallow enough to judge people by things they have no control over and have no bearing on who they are as a person. Auggie is very real, very intelligent man who happens to have a disability. He is by no means a "cripple". Please don't use that word around me again." Annie turned back to her computer once again, effectively dismissing her coworker. Sam started to say something again but instead turned and beat a hasty retreat. Annie looked up in time to see the director of their department coming up the hall and had to stifle a laugh. She turned back to her work muttering decidedly bad sentiments in several languages about her so called "friend".

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Auggie's day was busier than he'd expected, a server had crashed over the weekend and now he had to get it back up and running and salvage as much of the contents as possible. He was glad he'd implemented a new backup system right after he started, the old one had been filled with holes and he had no doubt that more files would've been lost if the old system had still been in place.

He'd managed to slip out of the office for a quick lunch with Annie at noon, but apart from that he hadn't taken any breaks. It was getting close to four in the afternoon and he felt a slight headache building in the back of his head. He decided to head to the break room and grab a cup of coffee and a power bar. Just as he was about to leave his office the inter office IM system icon flashed on his screen with an incoming message. It was from Stuart Heatherton, one of the guys on the IT support crew. He was young, only a year out of college, and Auggie guessed he was half Indian, judging from his dark hair and eyes as well as his complexion. Auggie liked Stu; he was a quiet person, did his job well and didn't call much attention to himself. He clicked the flashing icon.

Stuart Heatherton: Got a minute boss?

August Anderson: Sure, what do you need Stu?

Stuart Heatherton: Um…I'm not sure how to tell you this; I overheard a conversation between Annie Walker and Samantha Richards this morning. I guess I should congratulate you; you've got yourself a keeper in Annie. She really stood up for you.

Auggie was puzzled; why would Annie have to stand up for him?

August Anderson: Why?

Stuart Heatherton: Well, Samantha has a reputation for being the nosiest woman around here and she's pretty judgmental too. I guess she picked up on Annie's "walk of shame" outfit and started questioning her about who she'd hooked up with. Annie tired to evade her, but when it was clear she couldn't get away she confessed to hooking up with you.

August Anderson: That still doesn't explain why Annie had to stand up for me. Yes, we spent the night together. So what? We're both adults and we don't work in the same department, so we're not breaking any inter-office dating policies.

Stuart Heatherton: Samantha thinks Annie can do better than you. She started questioning her about why she'd want to go out with a guy she has to pass notes to in order to have a conversation. That she shouldn't settle for a "cripple".

August Anderson: What did she tell her?

Stuart Heatherton: That you've been teaching her sign language and she likes that. That you're a great guy, you're great to her and you're not a cripple. She got really upset with Samantha's use of that term and I think that if they'd been outside the office, she would've slapped her. Office decorum kept her from it. You should be proud of her.

August Anderson: Thanks for telling me man. I appreciate it. I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want anything?

Stuart Heatherton: No problem boss, I just thought you should know. No need for coffee for me, but thanks for asking.

Auggie closed the IM application and headed down to the break room to grab a cup of coffee. He had an idea who Samantha was; he'd seen her talk to Annie a few times and Annie always seemed to tense up around her. She was a rather non-descript woman in her early thirties; average height, a few pounds overweight, mousy blonde hair and she generally wore her clothes a size too small. His disability meant that he generally didn't pick up on office gossip, unless someone told him. Usually it didn't bother him, it was one less distraction, but now he was curious about whether there were other rumors about him and Annie out there.

A wave of anger cursed through him as he walked back to his office, coffee in hand, he hated that Annie had been put on the spot like that because of his disability. He hated when people treated him differently and it upset him even more that his girlfriend had to put up with prejudice like that. When he thought of the things Annie had said, a warm feeling passed through him. Annie was his girlfriend. They hadn't really talked, but what she'd said to Samantha made it clear that she felt the same way about him that he felt about her. It made him immensely happy to know that Annie was proud to be with him.

Just after five in the afternoon Annie walked into Auggie's office; he had promised to give her a ride home since they hadn't had time for her to pick up her car on the way to work. He made quick work of logging off his computer and put his iPad, keyboard and a couple of folders into his leather messenger bag before he slung it over his shoulder. After he made sure he had his iPhone and keys he walked over to Annie, who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her senseless.

Annie was shocked; his kisses as they parted by the elevators that morning and after lunch had been quick, almost shy. This one was the exact opposite and that he did it right in the middle of their workplace was totally unexpected. She noticed the look in his eyes; they were shining with love and something she couldn't quite place, maybe gratitude or pride. After she managed to compose her self she signed to him.

"What was that for?"

"Not here, okay? Somewhere private." Auggie held his hand out to her and she laced her fingers with his. He didn't let go of her hand until they reached his car. As soon as they were both settled in, he turned to Annie.

"Why didn't you tell me your co-worker gave you shit about going out with me this morning?" he signed.

"How do you know?" Annie signed back. Auggie started to sign back but stopped and pulled a notepad from the center console where they'd kept it since their first date. He wrote quickly and handed it to Annie.

"Stu told me. He was working on a computer not far from your desk and he overheard the whole thing. You don't have to stand up for me Annie, I'm capable of standing up for myself."

"I know you are, but I'm not going to take that kind of shit from anyone to my face. Sam's just narrow minded and nosey. I've never really liked her to be honest." Annie wrote back.

"Stu said she's the office gossip?"

"Definitely. She's always spreading rumors and sticking her nose in other people's business." Auggie rolled his eyes as he read and chuckled. Annie grinned, enjoying his baritone voice as it rumbled in his chest. Though he used his voice more and more around her, it still gave her a thrill to hear it.

"She's not the first narrow minded person I've dealt with and she won't be the last. I don't really care, let her think whatever she wants. I'm sorry she gave you a hard time because of me though."

"Don't apologize. I actually enjoyed setting her straight." Annie leaned over and kissed Auggie soundly.

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Over dinner later that evening, they made plans for the coming weekend. Annie suggested going on a hike at a local park and packing a picnic lunch. Auggie was all for it and on Saturday, they headed out to C & O Canal National Park, picnic lunch and hiking gear in hand.

Mother nature cooperated and they enjoyed a beautiful morning hiking along one of the more secluded trails. They chatted about the flora and wildlife they saw as they went. Annie was eager to learn the signs for the things they came across and Auggie happily obliged. She'd become proficient enough for them to carry on a conversation easily and the more confident in her signing she became; the more of her personality came through. He watched her examine a bug on an oak tree and wondered, not for the first time, what he did to deserve this amazing woman in his life. She beckoned him over and he followed her pointing finger to a large pinkish bug that seemed to be leaning back and coming out of its dry tan shell.

"What's that?" he signed.

Annie finger spelled "cicada".

"Cool." Auggie smiled.

"It's beautiful. They make a lot of noise."

"Really?" Auggie looked genuinely surprised. Annie nodded emphatically.

"They make a loud, fast clicking noise high in the trees to attract a mate."

"You can hear it that high up?" Auggie asked with an incredulous expression to which Annie nodded again.

"Maybe we'll catch one and you can hold it while it makes the sound and feel it."

"Maybe." Auggie signed with a chuckle.

They continued down the trail, chatting and enjoying each other's company until a loud growl from Auggie's stomach caught Annie's attention.

"Hungry?" Auggie grinned sheepishly and nodded. They decided to stop and each their lunch in a small clearing that was just ahead. Annie laid out their blanket near a tree and laid out their light lunch of sandwiches and fruit. As they ate, Auggie noticed a squirrel searching the ground on the other side of the clearing. He drew Annie's attention to it and she leaned against him as they watched it scurry around looking for acorns. Suddenly Annie looked up into the branches above. Auggie looked at her questioningly.

"I hear a cardinal up there somewhere." she signed.

"How do you know that's what it is?"

"I know its chirp." Annie signed, finger spelling the last word. Auggie just gave her his signature puzzled expression. "Each kind of bird has its own chirp and some are more recognizable than others. Each bird has several different calls that mean different things. That's how birds communicate with each other." Annie explained.

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her as he looked up into the leafy canopy above them. It occurred to her that he must have never known what she had just told him. Most of the time, she didn't even register his disability. She simply didn't see him that way. He was just Auggie and he was perfect as far as she was concerned. It was times like this that it hit her like a ton of bricks that he really had no concept of something that she took for granted every day. It hurt her heart but no one ever said life was fair. She felt his arms tighten around her and looked up into his eyes to find him returning her gaze knowingly. She stretched up and kissed his lips gently then nestled back into his chest. They sat that way for a time, just enjoying the peace surrounding them. Just as Annie's eyes were starting to droop closed, he took a deep breath and spoke slowly, taking time to enunciate each word the best he could.

"I love you, Annie."

Annie sat up and turned to face him, her heart so full at hearing those words it felt as if it would burst. His eyes almost glowed with the intensity of his emotion in that moment and a hopeful smile turned up one corner of his lips.

"I love you, Auggie." Annie both signed and spoke to him.

A beautiful smile stole across his face, lighting his features as he cradled her cheeks with both hands and leaned in slowly, claiming her lips as his own. His kiss was gentle but clearly possessive, as they seemed to meld as one.

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They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the trail and their feelings for each other. That night as they lay close together in the dark, his arm holding her snugly to him, she felt his hand slide under hers and realized he was pressing the one-handed "I Love You" sign into her palm. She pressed her hand to his in the same sign then threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand. He squeezed her hand back in reply then buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply. They fell asleep in each other's arms; completely spent and blissful in the knowledge of their love for one another.

Guess what sign the cover pic for this story is...? Yep, it's the one handed "I Love You" sign.

Thanks for reading :o) Please leave us a review and let us know what you think.