Author's Note: Here's your latest, "Adventures in Dating", not quite anything to do with Walkerson, but it was still fun to write (which is what these are ALL about). Please remember that I don't put these through nearly as much editing or reviewing. I do read through them once, but there WILL BE some mistakes in grammar, tense, etc. Feel free to point them out, I don't mind. Just please don't be mad at me for not putting as much time into the editing. Thanks and hope you're enjoying my updates lately.

"Watch"

On Wednesday afternoon, Auggie checked his watch for the time, 3:25 pm. He rubbed his hands over his face. Man, is time ever running slow today. He thought to himself as his stomach growled in hunger. He wondered what his stomach could possibly be protesting this early in the afternoon. He'd ate a semi-early lunch, at least it was early for him, around 1, but it wasn't near what would usually be his dinner time when he finally got home after 8pm.

Annie would be coming home later that evening from a mission, so he wasn't in a hurry to get home to an empty apartment. Now that Annie lived with him full time, he hated being there alone. A year ago, if someone had told him in a year he would be living with his girlfriend, Annie Walker no less, then he would have probably laughed in their face. Now, they had lived together three months and he loved every minute of it.

Of course, like all relationships taking "next steps" there were things to adjust to for both of them, even when his disability wasn't taken into consideration. Logistical things like where Annie's belongings would go, who would be responsible for various chores around the house, or who would shower first in the morning were all things they had encountered. But Auggie found the stuff relating to his blindness like: don't forget to put things back where you got them from, keep things off the floor, or don't move things without telling him, were simply no brainers for Annie. He wasn't sure if she was just the in tune with him and his needs or if she was just extra careful since it was still new living with him. Either way, he was glad to be living with her.

As he worked, he stretched for a moment and worked some of the kinks out of his neck. Wow, it's been a while since I got this stiff this early in the day at work. He thought to himself as his muscles protested the movement much more than they usually did after just a few hours of work. After a couple more pops, creeks, and cracks from his body he decided to get up from his desk and take a quick walk to the food court for a bite to eat.

He knew the CIA well, he'd been working there for years, both before and after his accident. He could get places he needed to go with very little trouble. As he walked out of his office and through the DPD bullpen, he briefly wondered why it was much quieter than it usually was on a Wednesday afternoon. However, on his mission to satisfy his sudden hunger, he didn't give it a second thought. Once he got to the food court, he was amazed at how short the lines were. His favorite barista must not have been there that day because usually she acknowledged him as soon as he entered the coffee shop.

When it was finally his turn to order, he ordered a coffee and blueberry muffin. As per the usual, he asked the server to lead him to a table and then asked him to bring his order to him when it was ready. As he sat down at the table shown to him, he listened to the sounds around him. He didn't usually come out of the office at this time in the day, but it was a much different environment than he was used to hearing around the coffee shop. Different voices, different smells, a different background noise completely. He wasn't sure why, but things just felt different around him at that moment.

As he waited for his order to arrive, he thought about his day. It'd been a long day and it wasn't over yet. He still had a few hours before he could leave. Barber and Hollman had both left around 10 and would both be out of the office for the rest of the day working on a high level case for Joan. So he basically had the office to himself unless someone came in needing him.

At times, the seclusion caused by his blindness made him feel like an outsider, but at work, he always felt included, even a needed component among his coworkers. His colleagues came to him for so many things. Whether it was hacking, codes, people they needed to find, information they sought, basic computing issues, or other things. He was the "go to" man for so many things that at times he even felt overwhelmed at how "in demand" he was on some days.

As his order arrived, he thanked the server and sipped his coffee. His stomach rumbled again just as he was extending his hand across the table in search for his muffin. Pinching off a rather sizable bite, he popped it in his mouth. Before he knew it he was taking the last sip from his coffee and reaching out to find that he had no more muffin left to eat. Satisfied with his break, he headed back to his office. Soon it would be time for Annie to give him a call to check in.

Once he was almost to his office, a familiar scent caught his attention. Jo Malone Grapefruit? But that's Annie's perfume and she's out of the office, he thought to himself. He shrugged it off thinking perhaps another female operative had decided she liked the scent too. However, that thought lead to him thinking about how confusing that might get for him. Maybe it was just a lingering scent from earlier this morning when Annie was in the office.He told himself. Checking through emails and his ongoing projects again he realized that for the first time in a long while, he was actually kinda bored and he was also extremely tired. That day seemed like it was never going to end.

He touched his watch again to check the time. But was immediately confused as it again read 3:25.

Suddenly his ears peeked to the sound of heels heading his way.

"Why are you still here?" Annie asked.

"Well, it seems my watch is broke. I thought it was still the middle of the work day. But since you're back, it must be much later." Auggie said realizing now what had happened.

"Yeah, I'd say so, it's almost 10. I've just finished my report for Joan. I was about to head out when I saw the lights on in your office." Annie said walking over to his desk and leaning against it.

"Well, then let's get out of here." He said as he stood from his desk and stood next to her. He ran his hand up her side up to her shoulder and kissed her firmly.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Very much so. Let's get out of here." He told her as he shutdown his computer, grabbed his bag, and opened his cane.

"So what time did you think it was?" Annie asked as she tapped the back of his hand with her own, a gesture to offer his a sighted lead.

"3:25." He replied as he ran his arm up her arm.

"Wow, you're quite a few hours behind dear." She said playfully. "Let's get you home. You must be starving.

Auggie just smiled. Understanding now how the last few hours had played out. All these variations in his day were simply a result in a broken watch. The soreness, hunger, unfamiliar sounds, and the quietness of the bullpen. All explained by a watch.