Chapter Ten: Read All About It

I hope that these chapters tie you over for the time being. I will be writing whenever I get the chance.

I only own Annie!

Thanks for reading

Nursing her hand, Annie entered the prescient. She spotted Darren in the break room and headed in his direction. She had cleaned herself up decently before coming into work; she didn't want anyone asking questions. Annie kept her work life separate from her personal life. In fact, the only person who knew that she was in a serious relationship was Darren.

"Hey," Annie paused. "Can you help me bandage my hand?"

Darren startled at Annie's approach, she had always had the ability to sneak up on him unheard and she never got tired of doing it to him, this time had been unintentional on her part.

"Geez, Ann." Darren turned and took in her appearance and tensed. "What happened?"

"I can't tell you out here, just get the bandages and meet me in interrogation."

Darren nodded and left to grab the first aid kit that he kept in his desk drawer. Annie moved quickly to the interrogation room and dropped herself into the chair that had once held Chase. She sighed in frustration and laid her head against the cool table top, wanting nothing more than to go home, curl up in bed, sleep for hours, and wake up only to eat a package of Double Stuff Oreos, but sadly this was the real world. In the real world you have to work and there was no room for broken hearts in a police prescient. Annie heard the door open slowly and she felt Darren place the first aid kit on the table, she picked her head up to look at him, his face held a pensive look that Annie had seen before when he was interviewing a witness or a perp.

"You going to tell me what happened?" He asked reaching for the peroxide and a cotton ball.

"I punched a glass window," Annie sighed and continued "After Chase found me outside my apartment this morning, and after I caught Reid with his secretary." Annie blew her hair out of her eyes and glanced up at Darren, who froze with the peroxide tipped upside down soaking the cotton ball.

"What?" Darren asked after realizing the peroxide was leaking all over the place. He grasped Annie's hand and started to dab her knuckles.

She hissed in response, "Exactly what I said, Chase cornered me and then I caught Reid cheating."

"Are you sure?" Annie looked up at him, "I meant about Reid. Chase I believe."

"Well, they were both basically naked, she was laying on top of Reid with her top off and he was sleeping with his arm wrapped around her." Annie replied neutrally. "Why haven't you said anything about Chase?"

"I'm trying to process this whole situation and I can only do one at a time, don't worry I'll get to Chase." Darren began dabbing antibiotic ointment on Annie's hand before reaching for a piece of gauze.

"I broke up with him, at least I think I did, I'm not even sure at this point." Annie sighed as Darren began to wrap her hand carefully in a bandage.

"Annie, I'm not telling you how to live your life or anything like that, but are you sure anything happened between the two of them?"

Annie jerked and blinked up at Darren "What do you mean? She was topless! I literally just saw another woman's breasts and I'm fairly certain they were fake by the way!"

Darren hid a smile and continued "You didn't see them together together though did you? Look I'm just trying to play devil's advocate here I guess, but I've seen the way that he looks at you Annie and you are everything to him. I've been there when he's come in here after a long day of work and when he sees you it's like he can breathe again. I know how he feels too; I feel that same way every time I see Mya."

Annie took her hand back and reached up to wipe away the tears that had yet to fall from her eyes. "So, you think I should just take him back just like that?"

"Oh, hell no!" he smiled. "You make him work his way back into your good graces, but I'm just saying it's up to you whether or not you give him that option."

Annie laughed quietly to herself, "Thanks for the help with my hand."

"Anytime, Annie." He paused, "Now, what happened with Chase?"

"He found me outside my apartment, pushed me up against my car, kissed me, and said a few things." She waved her hand in his direction.

"Like what?" he pressed

"That he thinks there something special about me, but he doesn't know what yet, he was the one who actually sent me in Reid's direction. He told me to head down to his office and say hello."

"So, you think he knew what Reid was up to?"

"I don't know, possibly." Annie left out the part where they knew each other from high school, she knew that this would cause more trouble for everyone involved. Annie knew she was playing with fire when it came to her job at this point, but she also knew that she could figure this case out before anyone else got hurt.

"You know we're going to have to tell Chief about him finding you, you're going to get a protective detail."

"I don't need a protective detail!" she replied.

"Tell that to chief not to me." He replied getting up and ushering her out of the room.

Annie spent the next few hours explaining to the chief the situation with Chase. She had purposely made points of the story a little hazy; made it sound like Chase knew her only by her reputation within the criminal world and he now had an interest in her. The chief bought it and gave her leeway to continue working on the case, but he made her take the rest of the weekend off and agreed not to put her on protective detail as long as she promised to go stay with family for the rest of the weekend. Annie agreed reluctantly and left out the part where Chase had already knew about her parents and brothers in Cambridge.

When Annie came out of the Chief's office, Darren glanced at her. He knew Annie could take care of herself, they were partners and he trusted her judgment. "Don't make me regret keeping my mouth shut." He muttered as he followed her out to her car.

"You didn't need to walk me to my car, you know?" she replied.

"Yes, I did." He replied reaching for her and pulling her into a hug. Annie grasped him firmly and leaned into him.

"Thanks, for everything. I'll see you on Monday." She pulled away and began to climb into her car.

"Tell Mom and Pops I said hi." He replied. "Don't worry about Chase, I'll be looking for him."

Annie grimaced at the thought of Darren going after Chase alone, but she knew that Chase wouldn't be found unless he wanted to be found. She also knew that Chase didn't want to be found by Darren or anyone else for that matter at this moment.