Edited: I inserted a couple of new paragraphs towards the end. They are in italics.

When the sisters woke up the next morning it was nearly 9 a.m. or noon back East. Annie was surprised she slept in that late despite the fact they went to bed at 3 a.m. She missed a call from Ryan, but saw that he had texted a message.

Hope you got enough ZZZs. Have a great day.

Annie called Ryan while still in bed, but the call went straight to voicemail. He was in the middle of breaking into Caitlyn cooks apartment. She left a message, "Just woke up and it feels great. We're going to have our spa day, I'll call you later."

"Feels great to sleep in past 7 a.m. The girls are still early risers, even earlier on weekends because they get to watch television. I'll run out and get us some coffee and pastries," said Danielle yawning.

"We can just order room service."

"God no, the room service at hotels, even one rated as well as this one is usually mediocre."

"I can go out, I know where to get some good coffee. The massages aren't for another two hours right?"

"Right."

"You still like cream and a little sugar? I'll be right back then."

Annie nodded.

"Danielle?" said Annie.

"Yeah?"

"I really missed you and last night was just like old times."

"It was and we have about 24 more hours together, so let's have fun, but after breakfast."

"Yes mom," said Annie as she got up to shower.

/ /

Danielle walked outside the hotel and knew which way to go, she needed the time alone. She realized that she so easily fell into the old pattern she had with Annie. She wanted to take care of her little sister. She worried about her engagement to a man like Ryan McQuaid and now knowing she had a heart condition. . . .It was going to be difficult to have limited contact with Annie. She had to search her heart and ask herself if she could really do it.

Danielle walked briskly to a coffee roaster she liked when she lived in the city and shopped downtown. She picked up croissants and freshly made granola and Greek yogurt. While waiting for her order she picked up the day's paper and went straight to International News. The headline was about turmoil brewing at the Syrian-Turkish border and the growing numbers of young men and women joining ISIS. There was also a lot going on in the Ukraine and a small byline about a Georgian diplomat implicated in terrorist plots. She wondered if Annie would be involved in any of what was going on or probably the slew of other things going around the world that never made it into the papers. Would this be what her life would be like? Reading headlines and wondering if Annie was up to ears in any of it? Danielle's order was ready so she headed back to the hotel.

/ /

The sisters enjoyed their massages and spent the rest of the day doing each other's nails and continuing to catch up on their lives since Annie faked her death. Despite moments when Danielle asked a pointed question out of the blue, the girls fell back into the pattern of banter they had always shared.

Annie confessed that she lurked on Danielle's food blog and that she was a frequent commenter under the name Andrea Quinn. Danielle's eyes widened, "I remember that name, I've responded to a couple of your comments." Danielle was quiet as she thought about the ways Annie had tried to stay close to her. She knew that leaving her family behind was a sacrifice for her, but she still couldn't bring herself to forgive her completely or allow her back into her life fully.

"Guilty! I guess I just needed a way to connect with you," said Annie sheepishly. "And can I tell you that I'm so proud of you and what you've done with the blog and your home meal delivery service."

Danielle challenged Annie to actually try some of the recipes when she got home. "Ryan would make a good guinea pig."

/ /

The sisters ventured out for dinner and shopped in downtown San Francisco before heading back to the hotel room to catch up on the latest chick flicks. Before they knew it, they were up past midnight and both were yawning. "Better get to bed early, you have a flight first thing in the morning and I'm sure I'll have a mountain of housework waiting for me at home."

"This was really nice Danielle, thank you for making the time, I know you're still upset and I understand."

Danielle started to tear up.

"Hey, don't feel guilty, here's my number and a P.O. Box address, you have Ryan's number. This is his address, it's looking like I'll be moving in after we're married."

Danielle took the paper and nodded.

"It's best of you memorize all that and then destroy it."

The next morning the sisters parted and it was bittersweet. Annie and Danielle didn't know when they would see each other again, but somehow both were at peace knowing that the other was living and breathing.

/ /

Meanwhile back in D.C. . .

Ryan and Jim found files on Annie, Auggie, Charlie, Nathan, and James at Caitlyn's that were eye-opening. Caitlyn had also created dummy set of books for McQuaid showing that he was deep in the hole. It was his alleged motive for Chicago. He found account numbers with funds totaling more than 50 million dollars. He was in the process of accessing those accounts and getting his money back. It was money Caitlyn slowly funneled from his company over the last few years. Not only was she a traitor, she was a thief. The person he called his friend, the one who helped him plan his wife's funeral when he couldn't make any decisions. The person who used her business acumen to take his company and make it a powerhouse in the world of private military contractors had pulled the wool over his eyes.

Ryan was pissed and the deeper he dug the angrier he got. The whole debacle cost him clients and his reputation, but more than anything, he felt hurt and questioned his own judgment. It looked like Belenko first met Caitlyn nearly five years ago at a defense conference in Croatia. He cultivated a friendship with her over the next year before they met again at the same conference. The man was patient and calculating in his manipulations. He knew what buttons to push with Caitlyn. He spent years making his plans and using Caitlyn for her connections and inside information. But Ryan just couldn't understand how she could do it to him and to the company she helped him bring to where it was. Why help him build it up only to tear it down? What was her motive really?

Ryan didn't turn over the information he found at Caitlyn's to the CIA and for the time being he kept them from Arthur too. It was their loss that they missed it during their investigation. He had in his possession numerous files on a number of people involved in Belenko's plots. There were files on the targets and organizational charts on the DPD. The most information was on Annie Walker, August Anderson and both Campbells. There were also files on the men at McQuaid who worked for Belenko like Altan and Langer.

From the files Ryan information he was not cleared by the CIA to know about Annie. He spent hours on Saturday combing through the files and finally learned about the mission that resulted in her faking her death and he had to admit he was shocked that she was the one who took out Wilcox. It elevated her stature in his eyes. He couldn't believe she hunted him down as a rogue and dead agent and found evidence on how crooked he was. It was a huge boost for him when Wilcox went down. He hated that SOB Wilcox, he started his company just as Ryan's was hitting it big and he tried with very underhanded methods to poach his clients. He even set up a meeting with Ryan to talk about a possible merger with Wilcox taking over as CEO. After reading the files, Ryan felt he had a better sense of who Annie was and how her job shaped her, but he also worried for her.

Despite the fact that it was Saturday, Ryan went to Joan at Langley with files he promised to share with Langley. But he had already edited his files on Cook, Langer, Altan and a couple of other operatives who were linked to Belenko's plots.

Joan looked through the files McQuaid brought over. There were a few new nuggets of information, for example, Cook and Belenko had copies of intelligence Lena Smith had shared with the FSB and SVR of the organizational charts at Langley, maps of Langley and especially the layout of the DPD, the location of Auggie's office and the polygrapher's booths. That's how Langer knew where to go. It turned out that after Lena Smith's defection to Russia she had debriefed the SVR, but little had changed back at Langley. Joan and her task force had a lot of work ahead of them.

"So, as promised, you can speak to Langer in exchange for these files. He's still recovering from Calder's gunshots. It might be better to wait another couple of days. Calder has had little luck in breaking him, so might take another approach in the coming week," said Joan.

"I'm not as interested in Langer at this point as I am in Belenko. I need to talk to him first."

"You didn't ask him any questions back in Argentina?"

"We were busy evading the Vega Force and trying to protecting his ass for you remember? I think I'm owed the courtesy of speaking to the person who tried to pin Chicago and the motorcade bombing on me. Not to mention he killed a longtime associate and friend," said Ryan.

"That associate and friend betrayed you," responded Joan.

He gave her an annoyed look. "I'm well aware Joan, I have some questions for Belenko and I deserve some answers."

Joan thought about it.

Ryan interrupted Joan's thoughts, "Look, we're on the same side, quid pro quo?"

"All right. I can probably get you in for about ten minutes on Monday. He's been in interrogations daily since his extradition from Argentina," responded Joan.

"And, any news?" asked Ryan.

"He's been a fount of intelligence, but based on his history and our past missteps, we're second sourcing everything, that's why we need Annie so badly. We can't keep up with all the intel."

"Anything I can help with?"

"No, thanks, we're taking care of this internally, no contract opportunity here Ryan."

He smiled. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not trying to drum up business. I set out with Annie to nail this guy and I want to make sure we've nailed him and all his associates. I'd like to continue working together."

"I'll keep that in mind."

/ /

When Ryan picked Annie up from Dulles early Sunday evening, he hugged her extra tight for a bit longer than necessary.

"What was that for?"

"I've been missing you and you've been on my mind, I don't like us being apart."

He took her bag from her and they started to walk towards the short-term parking lot.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it, your job takes you around the world and mine will likely too. . ."

"Sometimes I wonder. . ."

"Wonder what?"

"When is the right time to walk away, retire and travel the world to take in all the sights and culture rather than get in and out for a mission."

Annie looked at him strangely, Eyal had suggested that it was time to walk away when she found out about her heart. Danielle had also urged her to do the same as they parted.

"What brought this on?"

He missed her especially as he read about all that she had gone through in the last two years. He finally learned the story behind the scars on her chest and why the Russians were eager to get their claws into her, he also learned that she had already spent time in a Russian prison and that she had taken out Henry Wilcox. He was amazed that she was still standing, but proud to be her fiancé. Weighing heavy on his heart was what he learned about Caitlyn and Belenko and the irritation he felt with the CIA breathing down his neck.

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Always"

"I know quite a bit more about you than I did when I proposed and I know you being here, standing here with me right now is more a miracle than you agreeing to marry me."

Annie's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"In my investigation into Caitlyn and Belenko, I found some files, actually more than some that were dedicated to you."

Annie thought, he must have been busy while she was bonding with Danielle.

"But his whole plot was about revenge against Auggie and his paramilitary group's missions in Chechnya, what were they doing with files on me? I want to see them Ryan," said Annie firmly. She wasn't comfortable with Ryan knowing things about her that she didn't choose to reveal to him on her own terms.

Ryan was thinking about her request. He knew that she would ask him for access to the files, but he couldn't let Joan and the DPD know that he had more than he revealed. He wondered if it was a mistake to let her know that he had files, but he wanted to be honest with her, he remembered Arthur's advice to only lie as a last resort. He agreed with the advice, otherwise the lies become easy and harder to stop.

Annie's impatience showed, she repeated herself with a bit of sharpness and irritation in her voice, "Can I see them?"

"You can see them as my fiancé, but not as an employee of Joan's task force."

"You're asking me to keep something from my boss?"

"Well, technically you haven't started yet." They had reached his SUV and he opened the trunk and put her bags in. Then he opened the passenger side door for her.

Annie thought about it. "Fine."

Ryan drove them to the safehouse he used when he was a fugitive. The first few minutes were filled with silence as Annie tried to come to terms with what Ryan knew about her. "I came clean about having the files and learning more about you, that counts for something doesn't it?" he asked.

"I wanted to be the one to tell you when I was ready and a lot of my past, I couldn't speak about, so forgive me for feeling jostled by this."

He put his right hand on her chin while at a red light and turned her face towards him. "I understand, there's still a lot we can discover about each other as time passes and I'm looking forward to it."

Annie recognized the roads Ryan took.

"You think this place is still secure?"

"Everyone who knew about it is dead or in custody."

"Besides, it's special to me, can't get rid of it now." Said Ryan with a wink. "You know why. . ."

"Annie couldn't help bout smile."

/ /

Despite her fatigue Annie read through the files, Ryan didn't hold any of them back. It was strange to read the files the Russians had on her and when she got to the pictures of her and Simon, her heart stopped a bit. She had never laid eyes on Simon's reports on her, she put the files down before continuing.

Ryan brought over a high ball with a shot of bourbon in it. She took long swig and started reading Simon's profile of her.

The reports ended with one on Simon's betrayal of his country. The file said there were signs he wanted out long before Walker came on the scene. He had tried to resign, but was denied until the mission in Cuba was complete. He planned on leaving for years like he told her in Danielle's kitchen, but he wanted her to go with him. It was all too much.

Ryan drank his whole shot of bourbon.

"You loved him. He was more than a mission."

"You must think. . ."

"I think he had good taste."

Annie smiled. She quickly read through the rest of the files on her quest to take down Wilcox and after the gap when she was off the grid, there were files on her post Chicago and surveillance on her and Ryan and her and Auggie and her and Roger.

She yawned after the second hour.

"Thank you for showing these to me. It's time I get to bed."

She was too tired to discuss the contents of the files with Ryan and she needed time to digest the information she learned. Losing Simon so suddenly was hard. She was willing to put her career on the line for him. Taking down Lena and meeting Zarya gave her some closure, but she never fully got over him. From time to time she longed to be close to him, to have one last hour or two to speak with him about their love affair.

Ryan understood Annie's need to get some rest, she made it clear she didn't want to talk about those files. She wasn't ready just yet. He had some questions, but he knew her well. It was best to give Annie some time before expecting her to talk about what was in those files.

"Your place or mine?"

"My place, I need a good night's rest before my first day back at Langley."

"Is that code for not tonight honey?"

"No that isn't. . . and you're awfully cheeky."

"I missed you and I want you to know that those files don't change how I feel about you."

Annie wasn't that concerned about how Ryan took in all the information about her, she felt secure in his love for her and she loved him too, but finding herself reading Simon's words and hearing his voice inside her head unnerved her. They didn't have much time to talk after everything came into the open, but one thing she read between the lines of his reports was that he found her to be a formidable adversary. However, he was always one step ahead of her, he knew all along that she was a foreign intelligence officer. He made that clear in his reports, but what Annie found puzzling was he claimed he didn't know which agency she was working for. He speculated that it could be Mossad or MI-5. Why would he do that? Was it his way of protecting her from the FSB?

/ /

Ryan woke up early and cooked Annie eggs and toast while she showered and got dressed for her first day. He saw her put her ring in her safe as she was getting ready. "You're not going on a mission right away are you?"

"Not that I know of. . . "

"Then why did you put your ring away."

"I never know what the day will bring and it's so expensive I want to keep it safe."

"It's insured don't worry."

"I feel better keeping it here."

He kissed her, "but the world won't know that you're taken."

"Are you worried?"

"The CIA is still mostly a man's world, so yes, I'm worried," said Ryan with a smile.

"Well don't." said Annie kissing him passionately.

"Here have some grub before your big day."

"Thanks. A girl could get used to this you know. You do know that I'm a terrible cook don't you? Danielle is the cook."

Speaking of your sister, did you convince her to attend the wedding?

Annie shook her head.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's good. We'll keep it small."

Annie finished eating, "Wish me luck."

"You don't need it Walker, but I do want to say, no matter what, I love you and don't want this job to cause problems between us."

"I've been there as you know. I think I've learned from my mistakes, at least I hope so. . .but it's a two way street right?"

"Right."

"We can be mature about our work," smiled Ryan.

They kissed and Annie left to start her first day back at Langley and she vowed it would be different. She was going to end her career and service to her country there, so she planned on giving it her all and doing it all above board.