A/N: Much shorter chap. More like a transition, not all chapters can be annoyingly eventful. Enjoy

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own. Stop asking.

"Joan, I'm telling you, I'm ready to come back!" Annie was standing in Joan's office doing her best to look like she wasn't begging.

"Annie," Joan sighed and sat back in her chair, "I understand you want to come back, but you're just not ready."

"I am! I am ready!" she insisted.

"Not for field work," Joan said, shaking her head.

"Fine, just put me back at my desk and let me do paperwork, but I can't just sit at home anymore," Annie sighed and crossed her arms, but thought better of it when it irritated her side.

"I'll have to talk to Arthur, but if he consents I could put you back on desk work by tomorrow," Joan gave in, "but field work is an absolute no until you see the agency's counselor and our physician clears you for it."

"Done," Annie smiled, "thank you Joan."

She turned to leave but Joan stopped her, "Annie, wait a moment,"

Annie closed the door and sat back down, "Hmmm?"

"I don't mean to pry but I wanted to ask if anything is going on between you and Auggie," Joan cleared her throat

"Um… I don't think that's any of your business," Annie started but closed her mouth when Joan's eyes narrowed.

"You are both my operatives, it's my business."

"Okay," Annie tried not to cross the woman who would be getting her back in the field, "We're just friends so far,"

"Just friends? You came in together this morning," she noted.

"I picked him up from his house, that's all," Annie clenched an unclenched her clammy hands, "Look, frankly, I don't know what's going on between us and we haven't defined a thing, I like him, he likes me. It's all very innocent; he's been helping me with recovery, that's it."

Joan nodded, "Thank you," she let Annie go but added, "and Annie, don't do anything to hurt Auggie, alright? The same goes for him, pass that along."

She nodded curtly and left, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief to be out of Joan's proverbial line of fire. Making a bee-line for Auggie's office she dodged Jai and Conrad with little effort.

"Hey," she said pushing the door shut.

"Hey yourself," Auggie smiled, "What did Joan say?"

"She's talking to Arthur, cleared for desk work tomorrow," Annie leaned on his desk, "but I have to see the shrink here,"

"Ahhhh, I thought she might do that," Auggie laughed, "I had to see her when I got back from Iraq for them to clear me for any kind of work,"

"Did it help?" she asked.

"A little, yeah," Auggie steered away from the subject, "I was thinking, how bout we go on an actual date tonight?"

She wished he could see how her smile had widened, "Okay,"

"We can go for drinks at…"

"Dinner," Annie clarified, "we've done the drink thing."

"Okay, dinner," he said, "I'll call you later when I have a reservation somewhere, okay?"

"Sure," she shrugged, "but don't go too fancy or anything,"

"I won't," he assured her, "just a simple date,"

"Great,"

"And tomorrow we can go out for coffee," she laughed at the smile on his face.

"We have work tomorrow." She noted.

"We'll go very very early then," he brushed his fingers on her wrist and sighed, "we'll go for dawn breakfast and then come to work. To celebrate your return."

"It's a date," she smiled, "I'll talk to you later then?"

"Absolutely, Annie," she squeezed his hand and headed out of the office, "don't work too hard Auggie,"

"Always do," he listened as the sound of her heels signaled her exit and he breathed in the last remnants of her Jo Malone perfume.

A/N: Right, so there ya go. Two updates one day. Happy? I was! Hope it was a good update, and don't forget to hit that review button. Thanks a lot!

Oh, and p.s. regular reviewers, you guys make my life!