Breathe
07. Christmas Time, Part One

Authoress Note: Two or Three more chapters after this and 'Breathe' will be wrapped up. I have already been asked for a sequel to 'Breathe' which will come shortly after but the next piece that follows in this time line and/or series will be a New Year's Eve fiction. This is one of my shorter chapters but I plan on doing at least one more Christmas-centric chapter if not two so you'll get your fill.

Christmas Eve was upon them before anyone knew where the time had gone. Thankfully the house had survived the holidays so far but people had be in and out of the Anderson house for days on end and sometimes Jane wondered about the state of her front door. For once she managed to wake up before either Auggie or Annie which was a feat in, and of itself as she started the coffee for the full day they had ahead of them.

As she started making the casserole that she would serve that morning she let her thoughts drift back to before Auggie went overseas. He was such a strong boy, willing to fight for what was right even when he was younger. She knew it did her no good to dwell on the past but it was so easy to do with her youngest boy being home for the first time in years. A creak from the ceiling let her know that either Auggie or Annie was up, which hardly surprised her. Those two seemed to run off very little sleep naturally on most days.

When she heard the shower start she knew it was Auggie, his steps where heavier than Annie's. Jane was startled by a kiss on the cheek from Collin before he moved away and poured one cup of coffee before pouring another for his wife.

"Come sit Jane. It's in the oven you can relax for a little bit." He said, guiding his ever busy wife to a chair before wrapping her delicate hands around her cup of coffee. She nodded her consent as she took a sip of the coffee, allowing it to warm her to her soul now that her family was truly complete. She was getting her son and another daughter all in one round and she couldn't wish for anything more. The shower was still running for a surprisingly long time when Jane was ready to pull the casserole out of the oven.

"Collin can you go tell Auggie that breakfast is done? Go thru the empty bedroom incase Annie's not up. Let him wake her up it sounded like they were up a while last night." Jane said, laughing at the look her husband shot her before he started up the stairs. He did as instructed, going through the spare bedroom, knocking on the bathroom door twice with no answer before he turned the handle to find it unlocked.

"Hey Auggie, mom wanted me to let you…" he paused, swallowing the words that had been on the tip of his tongue as he took in the sight before him. Auggie was in the shower but he wasn't alone. The fact his son was on his knees shook him from his stare as his covered his eyes just as his words registered in his son's ears.

Auggie instantly moved to cover Annie before turning in his father's direction.

"We'll be down in a minute." The dismissal in his tone was clear as a bell as Collin backed his way out of the bathroom and closing the door, all the while never opening his eyes until the 'click' of the lock was heard.

By the time Collin made it downstairs his face resembled that of a bright red tomato as he walked into his wife's kitchen. She didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I am never checking on him again if Annie's here with him." He said, shaking his head trying to rid himself of the image that seemed burned into his retinas.

"Oh! I don't know why I didn't think about that. His steps sounded heavier than usual, I thought that was just from him being tired." She said, laughing slightly at her husband's embarrassment. "They're grown Collin, I don't see why you're so surprised."

Collin just shook his head as he poured himself another cup of coffee, hoping that would help calm him down before the dynamic duo he had just left upstairs made their appearance, which would be any minute now as he heard the water cut off in the shower.

Auggie was still slightly stunned as they stepped out of the shower and headed back into the bedroom they were staying in.

"How long was he there?" Auggie asked, as he dried his hair, shaking loose water everywhere earning him a laugh from Annie.

"Long enough." Was about as far as she was hoping to know that her soon to be father-in-law every saw.

"Well then this will be an interesting breakfast. He'll go ten shades of red before an hour is up." Auggie said, suddenly pulling his very naked fiancée to him. "Good thing we have our training." He said barely above a whisper in her ear before nipping it lightly with his teeth.

She laughed like he expected but she gave him a gentle shove towards the bed.

"We've already given your dad a heart attack let's not give your mother one too. I doubt Collin will come looking for us anytime soon after that."

Auggie nodded his head as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater that Annie bought him the previous Christmas that was a dark gray before attempting to run a comb through his unruly hair.

"We're on vacation, leave it Aug I'm hungry." She said, as she directed them towards the door as she pulled on her last item of clothing, the green shirt that Danielle had told her brought out her eyes.

When they entered the kitchen Auggie immediately guided Annie to a chair, ever the gentleman, pulling it out for her before he went about fixing their coffee's just as his mother placed the casserole on the counter and began to divide it onto plates.

"Morning, son," she said, giving him a kiss on the check as she passed him before returning to serving the casserole that was spread out before her. As he returned to the kitchen table with their drinks he heard her do the same thing with Annie. He could practically feel the grin that lite up her face, in turn bringing one to his face.

As his mother set plates down in front of them he reached across to Annie pulling her left hand into his as he rubbed her ring finger with his hand, sliding it underneath the table away from his parents' ever watchful eyes.

Breakfast passed by in a flurry of plans for the day and Christmas. Jane needed to make another run to the store to do a little bit more baking and to get the last minute items for the meal she had planned for Christmas. The grocery store was right next to a jewelry shop which peaked Annie's interest so she excused herself to browse the selection. She knew Auggie had a watch but she wanted to see if she could find him something a bit dressier but that also had the functionality of his current watch. She browsed for a few minutes until the sales lady asked her what she was looking for, startling her from her train of thought.

"Well, my fiancée could use a nicer watch but I'd need it to either be able to read out the time to him or have a cover so he could feel the hands without accidently moving them by himself." There wasn't much in the selection behind the counter but she hoped they had something close to what she wanted to find.

"I don't have anything out here, but if you'll give me a moment I can go look in the back. I think I have just what you need." The woman said, getting excited at the prospect of finding what the young lady before her was looking for.

When she came back out she held in her hand only one box but when she opened the lid she knew it was what she wanted. It was silver and had a clasp design, something Auggie could handle with ease. It had the traditional watch face but a button on the side, when depressed, gave a read out of the time down to the second. Annie gave no thought to the price, a look at her engagement ring told her Auggie had done the same, handing the woman her debit card as she rang up the extravagant purchase. Watches like that didn't come cheap but it would all be worth it.

When they finally made it back to the house she was surprised to see that it had filled up with children. Ten or so of the Anderson grandchildren where running around outside in the light snow that had fallen while they were at the store. When all the bags where brought in chores where divided up on dinner and placing a few presents under the tree as the children ran around under foot. When dinner was finally finished Annie and Auggie somehow wound up on the floor in the living room sharing a plate of assorted foods, a blanket wrapped around them.

The sound of Auggie's private phone going off startled the quietness of the room as it rang from the kitchen.

"Joan Cell….Joan Cell"

Auggie shifted his weight from Annie as he turned to her.

"Could you answer that?" he knew she could find it quicker and without stepping on one of their nieces of nephews that were scattered across the living room floor in front of the fire. He heard her barley audible 'yes' before she stood and made her way into the kitchen.

"Hey Joan," she said surprised the woman would call them on their personal numbers.

"Hello Annie. So Auggie and I had an interesting conversation yesterday."

"Did you now? No idea what that was about." She said, trying to keep the smile out of her voice.

"We did. Congratulations and tell Auggie the same. I want your Close and Continuing on my desk when you return and an invitation to the wedding. I hope you both are having a wonderful Christmas…"

The conversation carried on for a few more minutes before Annie managed to get off the phone and reclaim her seat beside Auggie with two new cups of coca that she had pulled off the stove.

"What'd Joan want?" he asked, turning in the direction he knew she was in.

"To tell us congratulations and to enjoy the rest of our holiday and that you need to turn in a C & C when you return to work."

As far as they knew most of the family thought Auggie worked out of the Pentagon and they intended to try and keep it that way.

"Will do. We need to do dinner with them sometime soon. I haven't seen Joan or her husband outside of work in a while" Auggie said, pulling her back into his arm and underneath the blanket they were sharing and enjoying the sounds of his family all around them.