Author's Note: Sorry this is late, another business trip today. I have written ahead a little so hopefully the rest of the week will come in on time.
"We're here," Annie announced by way of greeting when Auggie answered the phone.
"Everything look OK?" he asked relieved.
"A little dusty, but otherwise fine, thank you," she smiled into the phone.
"Glad I could pull it off. Did you get some food?"
"The essentials, we'll be fine until morning."
"At least you aren't alone," he always found the bright side.
"Yes, although I think Reva is going to start looking for work in the private sector if we keep getting chased every time she comes out in the field," Annie smiled at the other woman who was recovering from their narrow escape.
"At least I can run this time," Reva grinned.
"Think of it as a slumber party," Auggie chuckled.
"Oh yes, we plan to paint each other's nails, braid our hair and talk about boys," Annie teased.
"Uh oh, I might be more frightened now than I was when you were being pursued by hostiles," Auggie grimaced on his end.
"Scared I am going to spill all your secrets?" Annie winked at Reva.
"I expect a detailed account of all things Auggie," Reva spoke up so the man in question could hear.
"Be good, girls, the cavalry will get you out of Rome in the morning. Call if you need anything," his voice was softer on the last few words and Annie smiled at the tenderness he always showed even in the face of danger.
"Thanks again. Be sure to get some rest yourself," Annie wasn't teasing him anymore.
With that Annie ended the call and tossed the phone on the counter of the small apartment she and Reva were to call home for the night. Auggie's contact had given them a bag of food and in Italian tradition a bottle of wine to sustain them until morning. She opened the wine and washed a couple of glasses.
"You alright?" Annie asked as she handed a glass to Reva.
"Oh yeah, compared to our last adventure this is nothing," she chuckled and took a sip of the rich red wine.
"We were lucky Auggie could pull this rabbit out of his hat," Annie remembered how exposed they were in the middle of Rome, but sure enough Auggie had a friend.
"Auggie is keeping rabbits in the DPD these days?" Reva smiled.
"Hutches and hutches of them, the man has a friend everywhere," Annie shook her head in disbelief.
"You guys are together now right?" Reva asked casually.
"Yeah, the news made it to DST?" Annie said neither surprised nor concerned, they were public although not flaunting it.
"Well the rumors were around for a while, but someone overheard Joan and Arthur talking about you, so we thought it might finally be true."
"True, since November," Annie couldn't help but smile as the memory of that rainy night when Auggie arrived without warning and reached a tentative hand out to touch her, to pull her close and kiss her, years of longing finally realized.
"You are amazing together, professionally I mean, stuff of legends. It isn't surprising you'd be good in other ways too," Reva was never one to avoid truths.
"We are, good together, it's just so so good," Annie had a hard time expressing their relationship in coherent words.
"Are you talking about the relationship or the sex?" Reva asked bluntly and Annie choked a little on her wine.
"This is turning into a slumber party," Annie evaded.
"Come on, spill. I remember being in the room with you two a couple years ago and the sexual tension was so thick it could have powered the overhead lights."
"I spent so much time denying how much I wanted him I forced myself not to notice it, but the first time he kissed me, touched me in a different way, he was so careful," her skin actually tingled along the side he touched that night.
Reva watched as Annie looked off into space and couldn't help notice the slight flush of her face and the way her pupils dilated.
"He hesitated, partly out of fear I would be upset and partly because he couldn't actually see me and had to move in slowly. I put him out of his misery though by meeting him halfway and that was it, the floodgates opened and there was no going back," Annie shook herself out of the memory.
"Wow, you are totally in love with him," Reva assessed.
"I am."
"And that is awesome, but let's talk about the sex…" Reva poured more wine.
"It's amazing," Annie blushed.
"Your words are vague, but the look on your face speaks volumes."
Annie blushed brighter and excused herself to grab a shower. The shower was meant to clear her head, but as soon as she stepped under the spray she remembered that first morning, after a whole night of touching and talking and kisses and moans when Annie led Auggie into her shower and he washed her hair and she ran a sponge along his strong back. They wrapped themselves in fluffy towels and curled back up in bed and dozed all day.
"You know the best thing about sleeping with a blind guy?" Annie asked without provocation as she exited the steamy bathroom.
"Ooh, she's ready to spill the good stuff," Reva was curled on one end of the couch eating a piece of bread and cheese.
"Leaving the lights on and keeping my eyes open," Annie confessed something she hadn't said out loud yet not to Dani or even to Auggie himself.
"Huh," Reva looked thoughtful.
"I was always afraid of looking silly or was trying to hide my body in the shadows, now Auggie sees me the way he sees me and there is no way to hide it with darkness. So I leave the lights on and watch him, he is so beautiful," Annie sliced herself some cheese.
"I wonder if Auggie's ears are burning," Reva laughed.
"What happens in the safe house, stays in the safe house," Annie pointed a finger her way.
"Your secrets are safe with me," Reva put her hand over her heart.
The End