Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs...I could only BE so fortunate as to create such fabulous characters!

Author's Note: Ok. I think one more chapter after this one. :) So much angst...lol I told myself ages ago that I'd never succumb to so much of it, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it.

A thank you to zoraya h – thank you for your lovely comments! :) Even if I can't respond, they do mean a lot. Hopefully you enjoy this one as much.

Song: D.H.T – Listen To Your Heart (Edmee's Unplugged Vocal Edit)

Chapter 7: Listen to Your Heart

Later that evening...

As the wheels touched down on the tarmac at Washington-Dulles International Airport Annie was jerked awake by a not-so-graceful landing. She groaned as she moved her stiff muscles, cursing herself for falling asleep the moment she'd left Germany. Eight hours of immobility and she would be incredibly sore in the morning when she arrived at Walter Reed for the next bout of physical therapy. As the plane taxied from the runway to the terminal she felt the familiar feeling of dread begin to coil in the pit of her stomach. Joan's words played over and over in her mind. Am I doing the right thing? Annie slid out of her seat, slowly rising to full height, and reached for the overhead compartment careful to not jostle her tender ribs. Pulling her suitcase down with little difficulty, Annie pulled up the handle and leaned against it, her mind miles away from where she stood. Some say it's the journey and not the destination that is important when looking back on one's life. Annie thought those people were full of shit and certainly never had to face down a radical insurgent in the blindingly white hot desert heat. This mission had left scars in more than one place and a part of her simply wanted to bury her feelings rather than face them. Dr. Weiss opened a whole new can of worms in their last few sessions and Annie was drained emotionally. She felt raw. Like her skin had been scrubbed with a scouring pad. All she wanted to do was find a hot bath and curl up in her own bed.

She made her way through the terminal with ease, her bag rolling slowly behind her, and finally after several minutes arrived at the taxi stand. Digging into her purse she pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. There were no texts. No voice mails. She didn't expect any, of course, because no one except Joan Campbell knew she'd be arriving back in the city today. She knew that she should have called Danielle to let her know her travel plans. Her sister had been the most vocal about her job keeping her away from her family for so long. Truth be told Annie didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment. She grabbed the first cab she saw, pulling the door open and sliding inside across leather seats that had seen better days.

"Georgetown," she told the cab driver, her voice devoid of any emotion, as she handed him a slip of paper containing her address.

"Sure thing," he responded with a nod in the rear view mirror, putting the vehicle in drive and pulling out into the flow of traffic.

As Annie leaned back into her seat she listened to the light patter of rain on the windows. A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips as she allowed the memory of the last time the summer rain kissed her skin.

Annie threw her arms out wide and lifted her head up to the clouds, the rain soaking her instantly. Her laugh echoed through the park as she began to twirl around in circles uncaring that her clothes clung to her like a second skin.

"I always knew there was something off about you, Walker!" Auggie called out over the low rumble of thunder as he stood bone-dry under the protection of a black umbrella.

She turned around sharply, a wild smile plastered to her face, and rolled her eyes, "C'mon Auggie! It's only a little rain!"

"A little?" he scoffed as he held out a hand only to be pelted with giant drops, "If this keeps up much longer we'll need to find out where Noah is building the Ark."

"Ha ha!" she smirked as she walked through the growing mud, her Louboutins squelching with every step she took.

Auggie put a hand to his chest as she came closer, a serious look falling over him causing Annie to stop in her tracks, "A little respect for my favorite heels, Annie!"

Annie smiled again, mischief in her eyes as she closed the gap between him and leaned forward so that her lips were barely against his ear, "Don't worry Auggie. I have a spare."

Unable to stop himself, Auggie bellowed at her sultry joke and shook his head with mirth, "C'mon Walker. You're getting me all wet."

Annie bit her bottom lip and quickly grabbed the umbrella from him, taking three steps back before he could catch her, "Now you know how it feels!"

As the rain pelted his head, his normally unruly curls simply fell limp against his face. Annie watched as he seemed to melt, his clothes sticking to his body as he raised an eyebrow in surprise. She felt bad for a moment until she managed to sneak up behind him and wrap her arms around his middle.

"C'mon Auggie. Live a little. What's a little rain between friends?"

Auggie shivered involuntarily as she purred in his ear, her cheek resting against his shoulder blade as her fingers laced together at his abdomen, "I better not smell like wet dog or there will be hell to pay."

He could feel her smile against his skin and heard her take a deep breath, "Nah. Just like a wet Auggie."

She let him go so quickly he nearly fell backward, her laughter trailing after her as she once again channeled her youth by jumping in a puddle. When she looked back at him, the sparkle in his eye as he managed to retrieve the umbrella (though Annie would never understand how he did it) and the wide smile on his face told her everything she needed to know.

Annie watched as the cab pulled away from the curb and she dug her hands into the pockets of her khaki pants. The impulsiveness she'd felt when she'd knocked on the glass separating her from the driver seemed to have worn off and she wished that she'd had some liquid courage. Alcohol never solves anything but a little of it goes a long way to beginning the work. Frustrated, Annie kicked a small rock in front of her and began to walk down the sidewalk towards the front entryway. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own or the NSA had finally developed that method of mind control that had been rumored for years. Shaking the cobwebs in her head she was about to turn around when the front door opened.

"Annie!"

Annie stopped short and smiled at the older man before her, "Mr. Santini! It's good to see you!"

"What are you doing out here at this late hour?" the graying Italian man quickly walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, "We haven't seen you lately."

Annie winced at the bear hug but managed to keep her hiss of pain to herself, "I've been out of the country."

"Such a glamorous job you have at the Smithsonian," he smiled, his chocolate eyes sparkling under the street lamps, "He's not the same when you're not here, if you don't mind an old man intruding on your personal life."

She smiled and then frowned, "Auggie does just fine without me, Mr. Santini."

"Sweet girl!" Mr. Santini laughed and patted her on the hand, "If you believe that then he is not as smart as I thought he was. Go on now. He came home about an hour ago. Oh don't think I don't know the coming and going of my favorite tenant. Of course, if you tell Mrs. Latrel on 3 that I said he was my favorite I'll say you were lying."

Annie chuckled as the older man walked her to the front door and let her in without another word. She waved goodbye and started the long journey towards the elevator at the end of the hall. The only sound in the building was the squeak of her rubber soles. Doubt began to creep in the closer she came to the elevator and she realized that she was afraid of what he would say with her showing up on his doorstep. He's your best friend. Annie stopped for a moment, her finger poised to press the button to call the elevator, and looked down at her feet as a swell of guilt hit her in the center of her chest.

"So now you know what happened to my unit," he told her as he took a swig of his beer.

Annie gazed at the picture for a while before handing it back to him, her face wracked with emotion for the man sitting in front of her, "Thanks for telling me."

He felt the corner of the picture touch his fingertips and he took in a deep breath, "Thanks for helping me."

She watched him retreat into himself for a moment, clearly uncomfortable with the story he'd just shared, but just like that he snapped back to himself and asked her for another round. Glad to move past the heaviness of the conversation she flagged down the waitress.

"I have a question for you," he grinned as he set his beer bottle on the table, "How'd you get Franka's cell number?"

Annie giggled and put her hand on his arm, "A girl's gotta have her secrets."

Leaning back he finished the last of his beer and shook his head, "Not good enough Walker."

Annie shrugged as the waitress set two more bottles on the table, "Called in a favor with the NSA. You're not the only one who has friends everywhere."

His eyebrows raised into his hairline as his eyes danced with mirth, "That's some favor, Walker."

Annie took a sip of her beer and attempted to keep her voice steady, "Well, you always have my back. Besides, you're just not some operative. You're Auggie."

That she found herself standing in front of his doorway was not surprising. That she'd been standing there, unmoving, for the last 15 minutes was more than a little unnerving. Her eyes were forward and her fist poised to knock, but she couldn't bring herself to follow through. It was like that time when she was 13 and needed to swim in the deep end to pass her test, but was so unnaturally afraid she stood in the shallow end for nearly 2 hours before she was able to take the plunge. It's just like that, Annie. Just knock on the damned door. She pulled her hand back to knock just as the door slid open to reveal a face she'd not seen in weeks.

"Damn it!" he growled, his cane in hand as he stuck his head out, "I don't know what the hell you want but I know you've been standing here for 15 minutes. I may be blind but I'm not stupid."

She underestimated the impact it would have on her to see him after so long. He'd once told her that being blind faces and colors cease to have meaning, but if a memory was strong enough it stayed with you forever. She watched as his eye narrowed and body stiffened as he undoubtedly smelled her signature perfume. Fear gripped her and she tried to turn on her heel to make a strategic escape when she felt a firm hand on her wrist. She watched as his face turned from anger to confusion.

"Annie?" he asked, his voice rough with emotion as though he were afraid to be mistaken.

Annie turned around to face him, plastering a smile to her face that she knew would be lost on him and fought to keep her emotions at bay, "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?" he asked quickly, his face registering joy and then slipping back into confusion as he gripped his cane so tightly she could see the whites of his knuckles.

"I don't know," she whispered honestly, her entire body drooping in defeat as she searched his face for any sign that he wouldn't make her suffer the way she'd made him suffer.

"Please tell me you're not AWOL," he groaned as he attempted to make light of the situation in a way that only Auggie could, "Because that is very much in character for you."

Annie found herself looking down at her shoes, guilt seeping through every pore, "No. I was released this morning. Assigned to Walter Reed for follow up."

Auggie took in a deep breath, his face and body tense as he stepped to one side, "Well, you're here. We may as well have this conversation inside."

This apartment was exactly as she remembered it, but then again she had not expected anything different. He was a creature of habit and she had a tendency to throw his carefully constructed world on to its axis. She felt the first tremor begin in her fingertips and immediately the white hot anger flared as she wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to steady herself. God damn it! What is wrong with me? This is Auggie for God's sake!

"When?" Auggie asked sharply, his eyes revealing the quiet fury he was undoubtedly feeling under the surface.

She knew he would be angry, but it caught her off guard so hell bent on keeping herself upright that she couldn't even think straight, "T-today."

Auggie's eyes narrowed as he crossed his living room with ease, pausing at the couch, "You didn't think to say anything?"

Annie flinched and bit her lower lip, "I didn't want anyone to know."

"But you told Joan," he relayed sharply as he regarded her demeanor with concern, but refusing to take any more of her half truths.

"I had to," she whispered as she felt her breathing start to quicken, a sure sign that a panic attack was going to follow.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, his anger giving way to the hurt he felt at being dismissed.

A sob escaped from her lips as she strode toward the door, "This was a mistake."

"God damn it!" he roared causing her to stop mid-stride, "Stop running from me Annie!"

"I am so sorry Auggie!" she whispered, blinking away the tears, "I can't do this! I just can't!"

Auggie grabbed her by the shoulders, his face revealing the pain he felt at the sting of her words, "You just don't get it, do you? Annie, I understand. That feeling that you're hidden deep inside yourself and the walls are closing in on you – that you want to claw your way out, rage, scream, and run as far away as fast as you can all at the same time. The need to protect everyone from you because in your mind it's your fault. If anyone understands what you're going through it's me, Annie! I'm still your best friend. I'm still the guy you take to baseball games and Thursday night dinners at your sister's so you can avoid awkward set ups. I'm still the guy who will be in your ear for every single mission because I will always have your back. I will always come for you, Annie. Talk to me. No more lies and half truths. I love you, Annie Walker. Don't you dare ever doubt that."

Silent tears streaming down her face, Annie leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes as his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. In that moment she realized that she had been running from the moment she thought her life had ended that day nearly six weeks ago on the battlefield in Afghanistan. Her therapist had attempted to have her confront her major feelings of guilt, but made her understand that she could not fully recover without sharing those feelings with the one person she'd attempted to avoid. No matter what demons he faced himself, he always put her needs above his own. Calm, sensible, patient, social, exuberant, willful, dominant – her Auggie. Her Saint Bernard. Life, for her, changed inextricably the moment he introduced himself to her on her first day at Langley. Why throw it all away? She raised her head and looked up into his eyes, concern reflected across his features as she motioned for him to sit on the couch behind them.

"Putting on that gear made it real to me," she told him quietly, a frown marring her features as she once again leaned against his shoulders, "Until that moment it was just a story. I had no frame of reference. I could feel angry for you. I could feel sad for you. I couldn't know what it was like. Watching them react to the first IED was like a horrific dance choreographed to perfection. They were so attune to each other and yet their mission was to ensure my safety. On the outside they remained calm. Brave. Inside I was terrified. I was not brave. Someone pulled me from the Humvee and pushed me towards the rendezvous. I never got his name, but it was like you were there beside me. Protecting me like you always do. The second IED blast killed him instantly and threw me back several feet. I remember wondering if this was how you felt. It was an out of body experience. I thought for sure that it would be over then and I was ready to give in. Then I heard your voice in my ear for real I was relieved. I knew that I was hurt. I could see the blood. But at least I knew that I'd be with you for the last moments. I could tell you just how much you mean to me. I needed you to know that I loved you as much as I suspected you loved me. When I woke up I felt guilty. Why did I survive unscathed when so many died? Why did you lose your sight and I just broke a couple of ribs? I was so angry! All I was to the 7th Floor was a pawn to be sacrificed in their attempts to secure Ben Mercer. Knowing what it did to you, well, I wanted to protect you. I didn't want anything to happen to you because of me. I love you too much."

Auggie stroked her hair gently and placed a kiss on top of her head, "Annie, I've long come to terms with losing my eyesight and, at the risk of sounding like a bad romantic comedy, losing you would be far worse."

Annie sniffled against his shoulder and then giggled, "Groan. Eye roll."

He flashed her one of his winning smiles, his hand moving to gently cup her face, "C'mon Walker. Shut up and kiss me."

His lips ghosted over hers in a slow, tentative tease before connecting in such a tender way that Annie couldn't help but feel her chest constrict. He tasted tentatively with his tongue and Annie opened her mouth with a small whimper. He tasted of minty mouthwash and something uniquely Auggie. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips softer than she could imagine but with every swipe of his tongue she could feel every ounce of emotion radiate from him. Annie's hands fumbled for his t-shirt, her hands longing to feel contact with his skin, and the moment she found her prize she found herself being lifted into the air. Without breaking his kiss, Auggie carried her into his bedroom and set her softly on the bed careful not to jostle her tender ribs. He lay next to her, pulling away slowly as he splayed his hand on her abdomen, and shook his head.

"Annie, no," he said in a strangled voice as his fingertips reached out to touch her face.

Annie flinched, the tears returning as she fought to remove herself from his embrace, "I see."

He chuckled lightly as he gently kept her from moving away from him, "No, you don't. You're emotional right now and I won't take advantage of you. I want you, Annie Walker, but not like this. Not when you're so vulnerable."

Annie leaned back against the pillow, the scent of Auggie wafting upward calming her, and took in a ragged breath, "Can I stay with you?"

Her request made her seem so small and he knew that it took a lot for her to ask, "I never intend to let you go, Annie. I thought that was a given."

She giggled uncharacteristically and laced her fingers between his, "Can't turn off the flirt, can you?"

Positioning himself on his back, he pulled Annie into an embrace and kissed the top of her head, smiling into her hair, "Flirting with you never gets old. Sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

"Auggie?" Annie yawned as she heard the click of his bedroom light turn off, her eyes closed as she placed her hand over his heart while her head nestled in he crook of his arm.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," she whispered, a weight lifting from her shoulders with her admission.

He smiled in the darkness and stroked her hair, "It goes without saying, Annie, that I love you."