Z-Z-Z

Beep, beep, beep. What was that annoying sound? Jesus, her body felt like a truck had ran over her. Where was she? Wait! Charles, Tommy, kidnapped… Slowly she opened her eyes, white was her first sight, looking around, she fast understood it was a hospital and someone was sleeping near her bed. Dad, he was there. Like he was sensing something he opened his eyes.

"Hi, sonic. You look like shit!" He smiled.

"Such a charming man, it must be an Irish thing!"

"Oh is that so? You just woke up and are already asking about the Irish? Should I expect a wedding invitation soon?" John Martin mocked.

"I sure to God, if I wasn't feeling like shit, I would shut up you!"

"Is that a threat daughter of mine?"

"No, it's a promise!"

"Touchy! Don't tell me you are falling for the Irish? Your mother told me, there was some hatred between you two and I joked about your relationship at first…What's wrong with you Williams' women? Can't you resist an Irish?"

"Go the hell Father! You should be worried about how I am, not mocking about that!"

Her team listened loud voices and get in the room worried, but they were in shock when they saw the Admiral and Annie so close, eye to eye screaming and shouting to each other. Nobody said a word, until someone screamed a very loud enough. Everyone jumped. Jennifer Williams was at the doorway.

"ENOUGH! You two behave like children!" Jennifer said with a stoic face.

"Well, I was asking how my daughter was feeling." John gave a charming smile.

"I was just answering, how well I am!" Annie gave a mocking smile.

"Really? Dear God, sometimes I just want to shoot you both!" Jennifer joked.

Her team, leave her with her parents, after a while, Jennifer asked them to come in, Annie was update about the mission, the missing girls had been finally rescued, after all this time, Charles Jones was in custody with several of his guards, Irene was indeed death and the most important thing, Tommy was still unconscious but with no severe injuries. Annie couldn't denied she was a bit anxious to see how he was, and also relived for this mission had end. Everyone stay a while, until only her father stood, it was his night to stay.

Days went by, Major had talk to Annie and they agreed it was for the best if she took some time off, to heal and to get strength. Annie took it better than she was expecting, she really was tired, being undercover, the torture, she just wanted a break.

Major suggested she went to her parents' home a few days, but he understood when she told him, she needed to be alone, she was well aware she wasn't ready to work, but she needed time to breath and think about everything that happened. The only thing Major asked was for her to accept having security in her building, because of what the Jones could try to do, because she denied a safe house. When Annie asked about Tommy, Major said he was worried, he had seen Tommy much worse, but something on him was off, Annie couldn't help because they haven't talk, he was surprise because the first thing Tommy asked when he woke up was about her, still when asked to going to see her, he had refused. When Major said goodbye, he left a thoughtful Annie.

Annie was going to make a full recovery such as Tommy despite he still had a lot of pain in his ribs and shoulder. Annie didn't see him even the day she went discharged, her last memory was of him lying near her chest almost passing out.

Z-Z-Z

In the first days Annie received a lot of calls from friends, family, her team, but not a single one from Tommy. One day she tried to call him, never received an answer, she spoke with Eva, and she told her Tommy had been giving them news about his condition and also answering his phone. So she was the problem, Annie tried every day to call him, he never answered, so she gave up.

Two weeks had flew so fast, Major had been updating her at home, about the Jones and the information the kidnap girls had provided, they were following leads and thinking Mike had went to James for help. They talk about Tommy and Major didn't know what to tell her, he did confront Tommy about this attitude and all Tommy had said was he didn't have nothing to tell her, Major couldn't understand why he was acting like that, but tried to comfort Annie with reasons like Tommy was upset for not be able to protect her.

A few days later, Annie went back to work, still with some pain and some physical limitations, she jointed every case the team had and gave her best on Jones case. It had been a month and half since Annie had left the hospital when Tommy came back to work. Everyone was delight to see him, Annie didn't even look at him.

Days went by, Annie and Tommy had to work together, but they only spoke what was necessary, Annie had changed a lot since the incident, she was always quiet, working, following everyone orders and most of the time was by her desk working alone, Tommy after the first days, was again his normal self around everyone, except Annie.

He tried to make small talk to her, she robotically answered him, he tried to talk to her, she just answering like a machine. He knew not calling her had been a mistake, but he was so pissed with himself, he couldn't bear that she was worried about him. One day finally he apologize, for not calling her, she said it was ok, she understood. At that moment Tommy, really got worried, her eyes looked empty and he could feel she really didn't care about anything he had told her, not even following Mike had put some emotion or reaction in her. What was wrong with her?

One of their cases let them to a trap and the house they were in exploded, Annie had let herself stay behind, it was only on the last minute Tommy saw it and dragged her out just in time.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Annie said emotionless.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Tommy shook Annie shoulders.

"I'm fine, I had more than time to get out safely." She turned her back on him and started walking helping the rest of the team. Tommy couldn't figure it out what was wrong, both got injured from Charles tortured, but she had been worst and Major, even her father, had told him she was recovering fine psychological and physiological, even at home she looked fine, normal, so what the hell was wrong with her?

Days went by since Annie lack of response, Tommy had watch her always replying something on her phone really discretely, and so, nobody would see it. He was getting the impression something was happening and she was trying to hide it behind this façade of emotionless. It took him a few days, to finally have a chance of looking in to her phone, it was a moment when Major asked her to come to his office. Sebastian and Eva had tried to stopping him in vain, that's why she wasn't in herself, she was communicating with Miles Lennon about a cold case that looked connected to Jones' family. How on Earth did she found a connection with a cold case? And why was Lennon helping her and not them? He didn't had much time, so he just to look through her last messages, but Jones and murderer in the same sentence told him enough.

"Are you done?"

A chill went through Tommy's spine … Just got caught!

"Yes Williams, I am. Thank you." Tommy began to move to his chair, but not before a hand grabbed his arm, and a deadly whisper come to his ear.

"Whatever you read and saw, keep it to yourself. Nobody, and I said nobody will know about it."

Tommy turn to look at her, and saw through her mask, she had been pretending to be numb, so the team wouldn't never dream she was working on a case, outside the unit. " You should had ask for help."

"I don't need anyone's help."

"Really? So how long do you intend to keep this façade of you not being yourself and everyone having orders to leave you alone?" Tommy replied fearless.

"Is that so? So why don't you just fucking follow the rules and fuck off!" Annie sat on her chair and started working. Tommy had not seen that coming.

Everyone was getting used to this new Annie, following rules, not giving opinions, not even answering Tommy's teasing, but Tommy knew how hard she was trying to hid it, so that why she want him away, because he would pick something was happening outside the team.

During one chase, Tommy got in a fight to catch the suspect and his ribs remind him, that he wasn't in his best shape yet. Everyone got concerned, but he said he was ok no need for a hospital checkup. Annie slowly approached him, and poked him in the ribs, making him flinch. "Sorry did I hurt you?"

Tommy gave her a murderous glare "I am fine. Don't you have a text on your phone to reply?" Annie got the hint and left him alone.

Major forced Tommy to stay at home for a few days, which he accepted, because it was that or going to a hospital. For some reason, on the next day, Annie felt the office more cold without Tommy, but quickly changed her mind, when she received a call from Miles Lennon, asking her why in the hell Detective McConnell had called him threating if anything happened to Annie because of him, he would come for him. Annie got speechless, she didn't see that coming, she explained Miles, that he had saw something on her phone but nothing more, he didn't know almost nothing about the cold case they were working on. After a while Miles believed her, and after finishing her work, she went very pissed and angry to have a chat with a certain Irish.