A/N: Ugh, just wanted to apologize for the last chappy. Even after rereading it… I'm still really not pleased, although I am more pleased than I was when I posted it, haha. At this point, I don't really have too many days left to go back through and fix it, but, if you're really interested and would like to see it rewritten, I would be willing to, after I finish this story. :)

Disclaimer: Still not mine. "Hotel Bethlehem," the play I was basing the pageant off of, belongs to Pam Andrews, not me. :)

Chapter 13

The Children's Addition

December 14, 2010

Tech Ops

Annie came up behind Auggie, quietly beginning to massage his shoulders.

Auggie leaned into the hands soothing his screaming muscles. "Hey, Annie," he said quietly. He would have called her "babe" again, but he was keenly aware of Barber's eyes on the both of them.

Barber had been assigned as Jai's handler on an overseas mission, and, despite the fact that Barber was currently in a conversation with Jai, the man seemed to be more focused on Annie and Auggie than the mission at hand.

"Shoulders still hurting?" Annie whispered, leaning down closer to his ear as she ignored Auggie's nosy coworker.

He rolled his eyes, and, as her hands stilled, he rolled his neck, too. "Ugh. Worse than this morning," he groaned. He was grateful when her hands began to knead into the tight muscles of his neck again.

"Well," she finally said. "Chloe and Katia are convinced they have the perfect remedy for your ailments."

He turned his head to her voice curiously, grimacing at the extra burst of pain. "Oh? And what is this remedy?"

She giggled. "They're sure that you attending their Christmas pageant tonight will fix all your woes, whatever they may be."

He turned to smirk at her. "Is that what they think?"

She giggled again. "They're utterly convinced. Apparently, they'll be utterly disappointed in you if you refuse their gracious invitation."

He laughed as he logged off his computer. "We could never let that happen," he said officiously.

She laughed. "C'mon, Auggie. Let's go eat."

Merry Christmas * Merry Christmas * Merry Christmas

December 14, 2010

Georgetown Christian Day Academy

Annie couldn't help smiling as she entered the auditorium of Chloe and Katia's school. Childish paintings of the Nativity covered the walls, and moody Christmas lights zigzagged across the ceiling. At the front of the auditorium, the stage was decorated as an ancient Roman-style hotel, paintings of the street filling the walls surrounding the main stage.

The atmosphere was homey and inviting, and Annie couldn't help but remember her own elementary school Christmas programs. Granted, her childhood was vastly different from Chloe's and Katia's, but the set-up of the auditorium left her feeling nostalgic.

Annie had barely met the gaze of Danielle before she heard her name squealed across the auditorium. "Annieeeeee!"

She and Auggie barely had time to brace themselves before the two girls, clad in robes, sashes, and sandals, plowed into their aunt. "Aunt Annie! You came!"

She laughed as she planted a kiss on each of her niece's cheeks. "'Course I came. How could I miss my best girls' Christmas show?" she offered with a smile.

The two girls preened at the attention their aunt paid them before turning to Auggie. "Mr. Auggie! You came!" Chloe wrapped her arms around his waist in a childish hug. "Aunt Annie says that you're not feeling good, but this is a magical Christmas play. 'Kay? You'll feel better in a little bit."

Auggie shared a grin with Annie over the girls as he awkwardly hugged her back. "Okay," he finally agreed.

A young woman, dressed in a conservative, but pretty, green dress, a clipboard tucked at her side, called out, "Chloe and Katia!" from the back of the auditorium. The two girls turned to look.

Chloe hugged the two of them quickly. "Bye, Aunt Annie! Make sure you watch us!"

They ran off, their flipflops flapping in the air. Annie smirked before sliding her arm through Auggie's. "C'mon," she said. "Dani saved us seats."

The lights dimmed and the audience hushed. As Annie sank to the seat next to him, Auggie was acutely aware of her presence next to him. Despite the days they had spent together, much of their time together as a couple had been spent in private. Spending time with Annie's nieces, watching White Christmas the night before… even when they had been out in public, they hadn't really been a couple to most of outside world.

But now, Annie sat, tucked at his side. Her hand had slipped into his, and, as she watched the kindergartners line up on the stage, preparing to sing a Christmas carol, she rested her silky cheek on his shoulder. Smiling to himself, he realized that having Annie by his side was quickly becoming one of his favorite things.

Was it normal that all his favorite things were starting to relate to a certain happy blonde that had invaded his life less than a year ago? He couldn't stop smiling at the thought that Annie was actually his girlfriend.

He noticed she had changed into a new dress—this one, more flowing and free-spirited than the conservative suit she had been wearing earlier. Every time she brushed past him, he felt the knee-length hem of the dress tickling his calf through his pants. She smelled deliciously of grapefruit, and the fact that she was here, right next to him, was intoxicating.

She had requested that they take it slow, and he had agreed. He would have done anything to have something more than the easy banter and deep trust with Annie that had defined their relationship less than a month ago.

Now—now, she was tucked at his side, like she cared more about being his girlfriend than being Chloe and Katia's supportive aunt. Until he had met Annie, he had been convinced it would take a special sort of woman to make August Anderson settle down. He knew most of his brothers had, and he was glad for them… but he had always thought he would be off, doing his own thing, never settling down.

With Annie, though, the thought of settling down was beginning to be very appealing.

He turned his attention to Annie. "You okay?" he whispered, concerned a little by the way she was using his shoulder as a pillow.

She looked up at him with an easy smile. She leaned in to press a soft, reassuring kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, love. I'm just a bit tired, that's all." She pressed a little closer to his side. "Besides, what girl wouldn't love having you at her side?"

He smiled and pressed a kiss against her soft, sunny hair. "Just checking," he whispered back. "Are you going to give me commentary? So I don't miss anything?"

She grinned as her cheek dropped against his shoulder again. "'Course, love."

"Love?" he asked.

"Mmm," she hummed in reply. "I'm not very good at this endearment thing. So I'm trying a few options out."

He laughed against her silky hair. "Mmm. Keep searchin', babe," he whispered, and she laughed quietly.

She turned her attention back to the front stage. The choir of young children was filing onto the side of the stage, and Annie waved discretely back at Chloe in the middle row.

As the children performed their Christmas musical—mostly singing in-tune, the youngest of them waving proudly to their families, playing with their dresses—Annie provided her cheeky, teasing commentary to Auggie. When one of the guests to the "hotel" that Baby Jesus was staying in brought his donkey to the stable and the stable boy lifted the donkey up into his arms, rather than leading it to the stall, the room hummed with laughter. Annie dutifully explained their cause for laughter, and the program continued with festivity, laughter, and adorableness.

Dani, sandwiched between her husband and Auggie, smiled knowingly at the interchange between her little sister and her boyfriend. Annie hadn't wanted to admit it, but Auggie was incredibly good for her. Annie had been hurt more than she had wanted to realize when Ben had come prancing back into her life a few months ago, and Auggie was the perfect solution, Danielle decided. As she proudly watched her two daughters singing, she was convinced she had to come up with a plan to move the two along. Annie was smart, but she was also too cautious when it came to the good things in life. Auggie was incredibly good for Annie. As soon as she realized that, all her problems would be solved.

As the curtains closed and the room filled with applause, the lights in the auditorium came up, and Annie slid to the edge of her seat, turning to look at Auggie. Her fingers were still entwined with this, and her knee bumped his when she turned. "So," she teased, "was it really as magical as the girls promised?"

He laughed as he squeezed her hand affectionately. He rolled his neck to test their theory. "Mmm. Not quite."

She giggled in reply, and the sound of it reassured him. He was starting to believe that the best sound in the world was Annie's laughter.

Dani turned to the both of them. "You two sounded like you were having fun the whole program," she commented conspiratorially.

Annie threw her sister a sarcastic, good-natured look. Usually, she despised Danielle's meddling in her love life, but, since Dani's meddling had brought her to Auggie, she hadn't minded lately. "Where are the girls?"

Michael pointed to the door that led backstage. The two girls emerged, Chloe tripping on her robe. Annie smiled, and a round of congratulations and hugs was bestowed upon the two girls, preening from the attention. When they were about to walk to the snack table in the back of the auditorium, Annie's and Auggie's cell phones vibrated at their hips. Apologizing, they both reached to answer them. "Annie Walker, acquisitions," Annie replied, since Danielle and Michael were watching her curiously.

On the other end, Joan adapted. "Annie, we need you to come back to Langley. Something's come up."

Annie glanced at her sister with a grimace. Danielle was going to love this. "An emergency? With the new Monet display?"

Danielle was already groaning.

"I'll be there right away." Annie closed her phone and braced herself for the storm. "I gotta go," she said, wincing.

"Now, Annie? C'mon, the girls just gave the performances of their lives! They want to celebrate with their Aunt Annie!"

Annie groaned. "Danielle, I know. I want to celebrate with them, too. But as soon as whatever this is is sorted, I'll be home. And I'll make it up to them, I promise. But this display is really important to the museum, especially since it'll be opened to the public during the holidays. They need me. I gotta go."

She turned to Auggie, touching his arm. "Aug, who was that?"

He turned in her general direction. "Oh, ah, Stuart. From my office. They need me back, too."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Must be some fiasco."

Annie leaned over and kissed her sister's cheek. "I'm sorry, Dani. Really. I promise, I'll make it up to the girls."

Danielle sighed before Michael tugged her to the line at the snack table, knowing that the girls would be waiting. And with that, Annie and Auggie were off to save the world.

Again.

A/N: Better? Nobody outright said they didn't like last chapter, haha, but I did, sooo… I hope you like this better. I hope it came across okay!

Oh, and what do you think about the whole "love" thing? Auggie using "babe" just came to me right away, and it seemed like such an Auggie thing to do. I'm having a tougher time coming up with something for Annie to call Auggie, though. So far, "love" was probably my favorite option for Annie, although I have a Russian term of endearment that I thought I might try out. Any favorites you can see Annie using?