A/N: Sadly, CA still isn't mine. But this story is, so this story's Annie and Auggie are mine to play with, to your pleasure, hopefully.

Forgive me for not posting for so long. School happened. Oh, and being a girl sucks. PMS apparently kills my author skills. I'm back from hell, thankfully. So enjoy!

Chapter 10

The once empty halls of the Anderson home came alive almost immediately. All of Auggie's brothers and their families arrived pretty much together, and Annie found herself stuck in a sea of introductions. She had initially been on edge, but the moment that Auggie slipped his hand from her elbow to her hand, she felt all the tension leave her body in waves.

Everyone parted, breaking into little conversations after a few minutes of catching up with each other, and that left Annie together with Tony at the front entrance. Annie let out a nervous breath as they both acknowledged each other.

"So…. It's been a while since Auggie's brought a girl home," Tony said as they both walked towards the clean kitchen. Annie poured herself a glass of water as steadily as she could.

"I actually invited myself. I hope you guys don't mind," she replied.

"If there's anyone who was bound to mind, it was going to be Auggie. Or someone who is, luckily for you, out of the house." Tony chuckled as he opened himself a can of beer, swiftly transferring the liquid to an iced mug.

"Why would he? You're all married. What'd make Auggie so different?"

"It's not him, you know. It's you. Or actually, both of you."

Annie couldn't understand where this was going. But even before she could inquire, Tony offered an explanation.

"I'm assuming, because there wasn't a read in blow-up we heard about- and yes, we do hear about the read-in blow-ups probably more than we ever hear of the rest of Auggie's life- that you're a spook as much as my brother is." Tony grinned. Annie shook her head. There wasn't any hiding anything from the Andersons, she realized.

"We don't like that term," Annie smirked, remembering her little denials with Agent Rossabi. " That is, assuming that your assumption is correct. Which I'm neither confirming nor denying."

"Don't even bother. Pops can smell you guys a mile away. It really isn't me you have to worry about, Annie. It's Dad. Me? I'm just happy with whatever makes my little bro happy." Tony leaned back on one of the chairs at the dining area, smug at having the last say.

"Tony, don't bully poor Annie over here. She's been such a sweetheart." Amanda gave her son's shoulder a gentle pat as she passed by, putting down a serving dish of grilled sausages. She gave Annie a sweet smile and a wink, and Annie reciprocated.

"I'm not. I'm just warning her."

"Fair enough," Annie responded, as Amanda pulled her away to have her help and bring the rest of the food from the grill to the table. She asked if there was more to be done, and Amanda shook her head. "Find Auggie," Amanda told her. "Tell him it's time for lunch."

She found him, head resting upon his hands that were folded atop his cane, by the swings where the kids had been playing.

"I love that smile," she whispered, slipping her hands around his waist. Auggie welcomed the touch.

"It's beautiful to hear the kids laugh and play," he said. "Makes me forget everything."

She stood there with him, in the comfortable silence only they shared. She closed her eyes, rested her head upon his shoulder as they swayed with the wind and listened to the kids play. For others, it could seem chaotic. But she understood what Auggie meant. There was so much joy in their laughter that made everything go away. It was so therapeutic that it had become peaceful. They stayed that way until Annie's tummy unceremoniously announced its need for nourishment. Auggie laughed and pulled away. "Let's feed that hungry tummy,"

Right as they had turned to the house, Auggie heard a thud and a yelp. He turned as quickly as Annie back towards the playground. Annie was jogging towards the swing, where Auggie now heard a sobbing Kathleen. Annie stopped and pulled Auggie down to kneel, now face to face with his niece. Catching Auggie off-guard however was the little pair of arms that wrapped around him so quickly. She cried on his shoulder, her grip telling him that she wasn't letting go anytime soon.

"Where, darling?" he asked, concerned. He sent Annie to call either Aaron or Clarisse, as he consoled Kathleen.

"Here," she whispered. Auggie took a breath, to calm his frustration upon not knowing where the girl was pointing. He was in control, and he knew that with Kat's help, he wouldn't allow himself to turn that direction of frustration.

"Kat, Uncle Auggie can't see. You have to show me some other way. Is there a wound?"

She nodded into the crook of his neck as she kept her vice grip on her uncle.

"Can you put my hand beside the wound? Not on it so I don't end up hurting you more," Auggie asked calmly. Kat took his right hand and put it gingerly beside the wound on her knee. There was some moisture on his fingertips and he knew that it was bleeding. Auggie nodded, taking his handkerchief from his pocket and pressing it lightly on the wound. "Good girl," he cooed and rocked Kat. He stood up to carry the 6 year old in his arms. "You're ok."

Kat had calmed down significantly in Auggie's arms when Annie arrived with Aaron. Aaron clapped Auggie's back to announce his presence. "C'mon princess. Why don't we head back over into the house for lunch."

Except the young girl refused to let go of Auggie. She shook her head no, and hugged Auggie even tighter. "I wanna go back in with Uncle Auggie."

There was a split second of apprehension for Auggie, knowing it wasn't the wisest to navigate the grounds- even his own home- with a child in his arms and sans his cane. Annie must've read his unease- she always did. "I'm right by you," she whispered, offering her right arm for guidance. Auggie smiled, shifting Kat so he could carry her with his right arm and take Annie's to keep them from running into anything. The walk back to the dining hall was uneventful, and the lunch was easy. Kat stuck to Auggie like Velcro the whole afternoon, and he didn't mind. The truth was, this was the first time he'd met most of his nieces- Kat included- and he was more than grateful for the fact that they'd all taken to him so well. Annie had been a huge factor in it- she filled in the little holes of doubt and awkwardness brought to the surface by his blindness. Everything fell into step, and Auggie wondered how he'd been handling life before Annie came.

He knew that that part of his life was a black hole. While he got by his life in the agency with little hitch, getting there had been a struggle. He'd fought to keep his head above water, but every day before Annie was another day he questioned if his life was worth living. He was glad he'd decided it was, or else they wouldn't be where they were now, relatively peaceful in Glencoe, with his family, and Annie filling every void of himself that he'd lost. She completed him, however cliché it was to admit, and there was no way he could see his life without this woman in his arms.

It was around mid- afternoon when most of the kids had tired down and fallen asleep, and Amanda had announced that she'd be heading back to the hospital. Annie had gone back to the room just a half hour before to nap a bit, but Auggie had stayed in the living area with everyone else. Auggie asked if his mother could wait a moment for him to get ready so he could join her vigil at James' bedside.

Annie stirred when Auggie came in, and before he grabbed himself a fresh shirt, he headed over to the bed. Annie reached out to his hand and Auggie took it, leaning over to give Annie a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm heading over to the hospital," he whispered. "Stay and rest."

Annie couldn't have protested any louder. She shook her head and refused to let Auggie go. "Annie, mom's waiting outside." He laughed. "I want to see dad, too." It wasn't a total lie. He'd always been worried about his father, even if even just talking to him was as awkward as anything was ever going to get.

"I wanna see him with you," Annie whispered. Auggie sighed. He knew the conversation she had shared with Tony earlier, and he has to say, he was surprised.

"Tony already told you, hon. You don't wanna meet dad."

"But I do. And he'll have to change his minds about the spooks in Langley."

"Not gonna happen," Auggie laughed as he pulled away to finally change his shirt. Annie laughed, tugging the one she had just removed, pulling Auggie's collar towards her so they landed in each other's arms.

"Watch me, buster."

The minty freshness of Annie's breath and her scent enveloped Auggie. She stunned him so much, and it was in ways that terrified him. But it didn't matter. He'd remain terrified, because he knew he loved her.

How lucky he was that she felt the exact same way. He knew that. He hoped she knew it too, because God knew that she'd need to know with the hell that his father was going to put her through. After all, every Anderson's woman was going to have to pass the James Anderson test. Annie's might as well have been the worst.