Author's note: Someone wanted some Danielle, here you go!
"I can't believe you are here," Danielle hugged Annie tightly.
"You can thank Auggie, I was surprised to see my return trip had a 4 hour lay-over in San Fran," Annie smiled as she gestured the waiter to get Danielle a drink.
"That man is a keeper. I wish the girls could be here, but they left for a Girl Scout weekend on Thursday," Danielle pulled out her phone though to share some recent photos.
"I miss them so much," Annie tried to express her emotion without guilting Danielle for taking them so far away.
"So where are you coming from?" Dani asked casually.
"The South Pacific," was as specific as Annie would be.
"Are you OK?" she looked her sister up and down and saw no visible signs of injury.
"Perfectly fine, it was a simple job, done early hence the 4 hour vacation," Annie raised her glass of wine in a toast.
"Good and I don't want to talk about work. How's Auggie?"
"Really good," Annie blushed and sipped her wine.
"You are so cute, you looooove him," Danielle teased and Annie remembered sharing a room with her through the most traumatic of her pre-teen years.
"More than I ever thought possible," Annie replied seriously.
"I knew it! Or hoped it anyway. From the moment I met him at the Smithsonian until I found him asleep at your bedside after the thing. I knew you were meant to be together, to be happy and my god will you make beautiful children…" Danielle wandered off in thought.
"Hold your horses there Auntie Danielle, no one is talking about children or even marriage, our lives aren't really conducive to that right now."
"But this is more than a hot steamy coworker fling, right?"
"How do you know it is so hot and steamy?" Annie arched her eyebrow.
"Did I mention I have met Auggie?"
Annie laughed and thanked the waiter who dropped their appetizers off along with second glasses of wine.
"It is definitely more than a fling. If I wanted a fling with Auggie I would have had one long before now, trust me the desire for that wasn't new."
"Well yeah, I told you that in Stockholm."
"By Stockholm I knew I loved him, I wanted him about 37 seconds after meeting him," Annie clarified.
"That's fair. I am a married woman who was surrounded by 3rd graders and I kind of wanted him the minute I met him too," Danielle confessed.
"Dani, you cannot have inappropriate thoughts about my boyfriend, we are not in high school anymore."
"I did not want Tommy Henderson," Danielle objected and then dissolved into giggles.
Four hours was hardly enough time, but Annie left SFO refreshed and rejuvenated for having seen her sister. She slept in bits and pieces on the red eye, but was happy she was not expected in the office until lunch time.
She slid the door to Auggie's apartment open shortly after 5:30, the light was just starting to change over to morning, but it was still dark enough to sleep. She tucked her suitcase out of harm's way and slipped her clothes off before sliding into bed.
"Hey Walker," Auggie mumbled as he moved into her arms.
"I love you," she kissed him softly and then buried her face in the crook of his neck warm from sleep and intoxicating in its Auggieness.
"Danielle was thrilled when I called her. I'm glad it worked out," his voice was deep and gravelly from disuse.
"If I didn't hate not falling asleep with you I would say waking you up would be my new favorite thing," she turned her attention back to his lips.
"No reason you can't do both," he encouraged and pulled her closer still.
The End