A/N: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! :) You don't even know how excited I am to finally be working on this again! Anybody else excited for a Dreamer update? Finally? :)

And as for those of you who read Dreamer before I cut the past four chapters, I really hope this isn't too repetitive for you. That's my greatest worry. There will be some repeats, but I'm trying to keep enough of it fresh so it won't be boring for you. :)

Ohhh, and PoeticallyIncorrect1, there's a wee little section in here for you! You asked (way back in JANUARY!) for the Jai/Vivian explanation. Here it finally is! :)

Since you've been waiting forever as it is… without further ado… :)

Disclaimer: Covert Affairs no es mio. :) (Translation: Covert Affairs is not mine!)

Chapter 4

The golden hue of the setting sun splashed through the third-story window and against the door to apartment 3E. Annie glanced back out the window, savoring the feel of the warm sunshine on her face and shoulders after the biting wind of the late December afternoon, and she pushed open the door to the apartment.

Just as Annie and Auggie were getting ready to leave Langley to go pack for the mission, Joan had snagged them, finishing up a few last-minute details (signing their marriage certificate, taking photos to be placed around the apartment, filling out a small grocery list that would last them a few days). That had taken several hours, and by the time they had been able to return to their separate homes and packed, the sun was beginning to set already.

"Wow," she whispered, staring into the apartment. "Auggie—"

He took a step closer to her, his one hand on the doorjamb, the other hanging at his side. "What?"

She slid her hand into his, not even realizing what she was doing, as she tugged him into the room. "This is unbelievable! Would you look at this?" she whispered in awe. She dropped her packed suitcase on the floor by the door.

Auggie chuckled. She was doing it again, forgetting that he couldn't see everything she could. It usually didn't happen, but this was the second time in one day. She promised everything was okay, but he wasn't sure he wanted to go into a deep cover mission, with Annie not functioning at one hundred percent.

But right now, she sounded like 100% Annie. Endearing, happy, sweet, heal-my-heart-whole Annie. That one fact set him at ease. Undercover with Annie. He hadn't been more excited about anything for a really long time.

Nudging her shoulder with his, he whispered, "What's unbelievable?"

She turned to look at him and grinned. "This apartment! C'mere," she said excitedly, tugging at his hand. He had never heard Annie sound so childlike, so full of wonder, and he couldn't help grinning at her in return. He loved seeing Annie happy—she was a hundred times more fun to be around—but seeing her like this… it made her endearingly… cute. Were best friends supposed to think each other were cute? He shook his head subtly, trying to push the thoughts from his mind. He focused back on what Annie was saying. "I don't know what Joan told those movers, but this is perfect."

She dropped his hand to twirl around like a little girl, wonder exuding from her.

"Annie?" Auggie asked next to her, laughing as he heard the swish of her flowing dress. "Annie, what are you doing?"

She stopped twirling in front of him, blushing. "Uh… twirling."

"Twirling? Since when do you twirl?"

"When I'm really happy. There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Auggie," she teased.

His eyes twinkled, and he chuckled again. "Are you going to show me the apartment?"

She smiled as she hugged his arm, tugging him a few feet to the left. "The apartment's pretty open," she explained. "When you walk in, the living room, dining room, and family room are all kinda together." She guided him back to the front door, letting him feel along the wall. "The kitchen's in the far left corner, and there's an island with the stove on it and barstools on one side… Cabinets, sink, and such are against the wall. There's a small dinner table about six feet in front of the island." She took in all the décor, trying to decide if she should describe that to Auggie, as well. High ceilings, many beautiful windows that created an airy effect, the hand-carved cherry wood cabinets, pale peach-colored walls, the plush, thick, deep pearl-colored carpet. It was perfect.

After guiding him around the front of the apartment, she guided him down the hallway, through the bathroom, and around the master bedroom. There, she stopped, taking in the appearance of the made king-size bed, covered with a lacy, pure-white cover. She admired the hand-carved mahogany posts and the ornate head of the bed. It was beautiful.

Four large windows were covered with white blinds and sheer lavender curtains, and two mahogany bookcases were full of all of their favorite books, with a good many audio books for Auggie's benefit. A photo of Annie, Danielle, and the girls sat on one nightstand, and a photo of Annie and Auggie, happy and laughing, rested atop the other. The sliding door for the closet was pushed open, revealing some clothes provided for the mission, as well as room for the clothes they had brought with them.

She stopped short, frozen with the implications. One bed. She wouldn't, couldn't, share a bed with Auggie. Not—not when he was still just her best friend and she would do anything to change that.

Auggie's head turned to face her. "Annie? What is it?"

She swallowed hard, trying to sound nonchalant. "Uh… there's only one bed."

"Don't want to share a bed with me, Annie?" he teased, wide grin covering his face.

Her cheeks flamed at the thought, and she dropped her head subconsciously. He couldn't see her, but—especially after her dreams the night before—it was hard to believe that sometimes. Auggie knew her better than anyone in the world, and she didn't know how to keep this secret from him.

The truth was she would love to share that bed with Auggie, but not under these circumstances. Annie was pretty sure her heart would be ripped out of her chest and into a thousand pieces if she had to sleep next to Auggie, if she had to wake up next to him without feeling his strong arms around her, if she couldn't kiss him awake on a lazy Sunday morning.

With his free hand, Auggie reached out and found her jaw, pulling her from her thoughts as he turned her gaze back to him. "Hey," he said quietly. "I was just teasing, Annie. Okay?" His eyebrows furrowed in worry. What was going on with Annie lately? "Are you sure you're okay?"

She shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts of being in Auggie's arms for real. It wasn't fair. Annie pulled away a little bit, shifting her gaze to the windows across the room. She couldn't stare into those perfect chocolate doe-eyes and fake it. "Yeah. Fine," she said.

His hand dropped from her cheek down to her upper arm and caressed it gently as his eyes fired in her direction. "Don't worry about everything so much, Annie. We're gonna be okay. I promise. And don't worry about the bed. I'll sleep on the couch, or something. We'll figure it out."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was being so… sweet. It made her want to cry. This was so unfair.

She slid into his arms, burying her face in his chest. The action threw him a little, but he recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "Annie—what's going on?" he asked quietly. "You haven't really been yourself since I ran into you in the hall this morning."

She shook her head against his chest. "Sorry… I'm just—I guess I'm going through something. Thank you for being so sweet, though."

Sweet? He wasn't sure he ever wanted her to think of him as sweet. Protective? Sure. Always there for her? Yeah. Strong, capable, on her side, her rescuer—of course, but sweet? He sighed, guiding her to where he thought the door for the master bedroom was. "C'mon," he said gently. Annie obviously wasn't going to let him in—much as he didn't like it. "Let's go unpack."

By the time Annie and Auggie had unpacked and Annie had started supper, the mood had lightened considerably. Annie had had a few minutes to relax and adjust to the situation, and Auggie had left her to unpack in peace, letting her choose her side of the closet and set up the room the way she wanted it. When she finished, he unpacked his bag in the free half of the closet while she relaxed on the couch, watching the six o'clock news. After they finished, they made their way into the kitchen, and Annie searched through the cabinets, trying to find something suitable for dinner, while Auggie sat on one of the barstools by the island, going over their covers with her, trying to lighten the mood whenever possible. His fingers trailed across the file. Scrunching his nose up at her, he asked, "Do I really have to call you Ann-nayy-eyes? Whatever happened to Annie? Or something simple? Like Anna? Or just keep Anne?"

She giggled at his frustration as she leaned over the island toward him, her spoon nearly dripping the spaghetti sauce onto the counter. "Ann-nayy-eyes?" she asked.

"Well, isn't that your name?" he asked, frustrated.

She giggled again. "No… Aug, it's a French name. Ah-nah-EES. Kinda like Anna and geese together, without the 'g.'"

"How am I ever going to remember that?" He sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to be my wife, for crying out loud. And I can't even say your name!"

She laughed and reached out and ruffled his hair. "My cover is that I'm supposed to be part French. Hence, the French name."

"Hence?"

She rolled her eyes. "Be nice. I'll dump the spaghetti sauce on you if you're not careful."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Well, can I at least still call you Annie?"

She grinned mischievously. "I dunno. I kinda like Anais. It's pretty, and French, and classy." She studied him for a moment. "You know, it wouldn't hurt you to learn a bit of French, anyway."

He gave her a look that said he thought she was crazy, and he snorted. "Funny-funny!" His eyes twinkled back at her. "By the way, how do you plan on convincing Jai and Vivian to call you Anna—that name—if your own husband can't say it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but by the end of this mission, you better at least be able to say my name."

He rolled his eyes. "We'll see."

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Hannah's voice pealed down the hallway, and Jai had only a moment to look up before she appeared, crashing into him. He couldn't help but grin. Hannah and Annabelle filled his life with so much goodness.

He lifted her into his lap. "Hey, baby."

She crossed her arms over her chest impishly. "I'm not a baby!"

Jai laughed. Hannah always said that, but it still made him laugh, every time. He glanced up in time to see Vivian standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, scowling at the both of them. "Uh-oh," he whispered conspiratorially to his daughter. He wanted to laugh at the mixture of worry and victory in Hannah's eyes. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" she hissed back at him, but she turned to bury her face in his chest, clinging to his shirt for protection.

He grinned up at Vivian then. She was still dressed in that wraparound emerald dress that brought out her eyes that she'd worn to Langley. He loved it when she wore that dress. "Hey, baby."

Snuggling deeper into Jai's arms, Hannah hissed up at him, "Mommy's not a baby either, Daddy!"

Jai and Vivian shared a knowing look, and Vivian's frown softened a little at the sight of Jai's grin. "What's the matter, Vivi?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. Sighing as she gave in, she crossed the room and intertwined her fingers with Jai's.

"Miss Hannah was supposed to be finding her pajamas, not running to Daddy."

Jai smirked. "She knew Daddy was leaving." They had agreed that Jai would run over the lesson plans to Annie and Auggie, and Vivian would stay with the girls, to try and get them to bed on time. It was already seven o'clock.

"Hannah," Vivian called, a warning in her voice, and Hannah peaked around Jai's arm, waiting for Vivian to continue. "Go get your pajamas, please. I'll be in in a minute."

Their daughter slid off of Jai's lap and scampered back to the room she shared with Annabelle, and Jai grinned. Vivian sighed. "That girl."

Jai laughed at the look on his fiancé's face and tugged her closer. She tumbled into his lap, and he pulled her closer, framing her face with his hands, as he leaned in for a kiss. He'd never thought he could be so happy, that he could be so in love. He had begun to hope that he could have this happiness with Annie, but Vivi—Vivi was so much better than Annie. She reminded him why he'd followed in his father's footsteps to serve his country in the first place. He'd never wanted to be like Henry Wilcox—all Jai had ever wanted to do was be a hero, to help rescue those who needed help. When Vivi looked at him, she looked at him like he was a hero, and it still took his breath away.

"I love you," he whispered, a moment before their lips met. Her lips were soft, and she tasted like the peach cobbler they'd had for dessert a few hours ago. She fit perfectly into his arms. Kissing her was always more perfect than he could have ever predicted. She fit perfectly into his life.

She pulled away with a hesitant, shy smile. "Not now, Jai," she said, glancing back toward the girls' room. "I have to get Hannah to bed."

His gaze lingered on the doorway to Hannah's room. "Come with me," he said impulsively. "You and the girls."

She looked at him as if he was crazy. "Do you not remember how long it took to get Bella to sleep last night?"

It had been nearly three hours. He remembered. Distinctly. He rubbed Vivian's arm gently. "C'mon, baby," he said. "The girls need to get used to being around Annie and Auggie, anyway. We'll be spending a lot of time together. I want the girls to feel sure they can trust Annie and Auggie, and you know Hannah will love the adventure."

A slow grin crossed Vivian's face at the thought of that.

"And I'll help put Bella to bed," he offered with his best charmer grin. By the slow smile inching up Vivian's face, he knew he had won the battle.

Annie stood back as she opened the door, expecting to see just Jai and Vivian—that was all she had been able to see in the peephole when she had checked. "Whoa, hey!" she called with a grin when she saw Hannah and Annabelle, too. "It's a regular party, huh?"

Jai grinned over at Annie as he ushered Hannah through the door. "Hey, Annie."

Vivian reached out and gave Annie a hug—probably the fifth of the day—and Vivian shut the door behind her. Annie crouched down to the ground in front of Hannah and grinned gently. "Hey, baby girl. Are you gonna let me hold you now?" Annie held her hands out to Hannah, and Hannah looked back at Jai, almost as if for approval.

His eyes lit with amusement. He half-expected Hannah to announce that she wasn't a baby, but she didn't.

Annie must have seen some sign of consent, and she lifted Hannah into her arms, dancing around with her for a few moments, eliciting a series of giggles. Annie talked to Jai and Vivian for a few minutes about their drive over and how their day had been before she excused herself to go get Auggie from the master bedroom, twirling and dancing Hannah all the way down the hallway, and Hannah's laughter echoed through the apartment the whole way.

Auggie listened as Annie's padded footsteps and Hannah's childish laughter came closer. He suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to be able to see again, to see Annie dancing into the room, still wearing that wraparound dress she'd been wearing since she'd picked him up earlier that afternoon, carefree grin on her face, Hannah glued to Annie's hip. He wasn't sure why the idea appealed so much to him, but the idea of seeing Annie so happy—especially after the day she'd been having—thrilled him.

Annie came to a stop in the middle of the door, studying Auggie, as she bounced Hannah on her hip. "Hey, Aug, Jai and Vivian are here with those… materials."

He nodded and stood to his feet, and Annie waited for him. She knew he didn't need her to lead him back to the kitchen table, where Jai, Vivian, and Annabelle were waiting, but she liked walking with Auggie. "What were you doing back there, anyway?"

He reached out instinctively, grasping her elbow, as Annie led the three of them down the hall. "Not much. Just setting up my computer."

When they reached the kitchen table, Annie handed Hannah back to Jai, who took the girls over to the couch while Vivian explained the lesson plans and the books about library science to them. Annie and Auggie picked it up fairly quickly, and when Auggie went to find a snack after they were finished, Annie hissed across the table to Vivian, "When did all this happen?"

Vivian looked around, pretending to not have a clue what Annie was talking about. "When did what happen?"

Annie rolled her eyes, gesturing to the room in general. "Viv, you know what I mean. You're engaged to Jai? And you're adopting two girls? What happened in the past year and a half?"

Vivian blushed and fiddled with the hair tie around her wrist. "I dunno—I mean… Jai was so nice on that flight back to the US, after everything happened in London. He's charming and kind, and I dunno… I just thought that he would be a nice guy to know. Ya know? He's a gentleman, and he treated me… good. Better than Jonathan ever did. It was something I could get used to. But I moved on, got recertified as a secondary teacher, started to teach history at MCA. But then…" Tears blurred her vision. "About a month after I got back to the States, I was getting sick a lot. Morning sickness, and everything, so I took a pregnancy test. I was pregnant, with Jonathan's baby. I was scared at first, but after I thought about it for a while, I just couldn't wait to meet my little baby. I started decorating the nursery, and picking out names, and I told my family—all the exciting stuff, and everyone was backing me up the whole way. I was so ready to be a mom, Annie. I hated Jonathan for leaving me to this all on my own, but I was going to be the best mom in the world. I couldn't wait to meet Evey or Sawyer."

"Those were the names?" Annie asked, studying Vivian's face. Her friend looked so lost in her pain, in the memories, and Annie didn't know what to do to make it better.

"Yeah. Eve Madeleine Long or Sawyer Joshua Long. I was so excited… and then, at eleven weeks, I—I miscarried." Tears blazed down her cheeks. "I—I didn't understand, and I felt so alone. I already felt like this baby was a part of me, a part of my life… and it was just ripped from me, like—like the world was saying I wasn't fit to be a mother! I was depressed for months." She glanced over at Jai. "Three months earlier, I didn't even think I ever wanted to be a mom… and then, then I was just not a mother anymore, and I felt like the one thing I was meant to do was ripped from me… Then—one morning, I went to a coffee shop here in D. C. I was grading some papers and having breakfast, when a couple came into the coffee shop. The husband ordered, and everyone was talking to the woman—she had the most beautiful newborn baby girl ever, and I just lost it. That—that could have been Evey and me, and it just killed me inside. What was wrong with me that I couldn't have my baby, but she could? I didn't understand. I was just sitting there, bawling in the middle of the coffee shop, paralyzed. Nobody really seemed to notice, even. Then—then Jai walked in the door. He recognized me immediately, and I told him about what happened—I—I don't really think I had a choice—but he just stuck around, all day. Talked with me, walked with me in the park, listened while I ranted and cried… and then, that afternoon, before he left, he asked me to meet him for dinner the next night. I don't think it was really a date, but it was good to have a friend. Slowly, I began to fall for him…" Vivian glanced over at Jai with the girls. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me, Annie."

Annie smiled and reached across the table, squeezing Vivian's hand. "I'm glad you found each other. But—but where did Hannah and Annabelle come from?"

Vivian laughed, wiping away her tears. "I don't know where he got that crazy idea from. I don't know why he was so sure we had to adopt, rather than try for children of our own… but he was on a one-track mind, like there could be nothing else. I've never seen him so passionate about anything. Almost immediately after I agreed to marry him, he brought out all these brochures about foster care and adopting, and how it would be perfect for us… he'd been thinking about it for a long time, apparently… after a few weeks, we were certified foster parents, and about a month after that, Hannah and Bella came to live with us." Vivian glanced back at Jai and the girls, and her eyes connected with Jai's. She smiled tremulously, and turned back to Annie. "And now—now I'm a mommy again."

Annie came around the table and pulled Vivian into a hug. "Oh, Viv…"

Vivian shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. It's the past. And I have Jai and the girls now. There's no need for pity."

Before they knew what had happened, Jai was across the room and at Vivian's side. Taking her into his arms, he held her tight. "Baby… Vivi… what's wrong?"

She pushed away from him gently and smiled up at him. "It's nothing. I was just—I just thought Annie should know what happened since we saw each other last." She leaned a few inches closer, kissing him gently. "I was just telling Annie how happy you make me."

A slow, proud grin slid up his face. "I make you happy, huh?"

She grinned easily. "Yeah. Really happy." She leaned in for another quick kiss. "Ready to go?" She glanced around him, to the girls, passed out on the couch. "I think the girls need to get to bed."

Jai glanced back at them and chuckled. "Maybe so." He kissed her gently and helped pull her to her feet. Vivian tucked at his side, Jai looked at Annie. "Thanks, Annie."

She frowned at him curiously. "For what?" They were the ones who brought the lesson plans and books.

He glanced at Vivian and the girls. "For doing this mission. For going undercover close to Vivi, protecting her, again. I—I know it's our job, but it means… a lot to me, personally."

Annie smiled shyly. "Yeah. No problem." She watched as Jai and Vivian gathered the girls, and as they left, Annie couldn't help wondering if she could ever have what Jai and Vivian had. She probably shouldn't have been watching that little, intimate interaction between Jai and Vivian, but they were a million times more adorable together than Annie would have ever predicted, and she hadn't been able to stop watching. Annie didn't want anything more than she wanted what Jai and Vivian already had together. They were magical.

Could Annie have a magical love? She didn't want to bet on it. Not yet, anyway. Not when the man she loved only saw her as his best pal.

"Hey," Annie said, lowering herself to the ground, Indian-style, next to Auggie, and she handed him a cold glass. "Here."

It was nine o'clock. Jai, Vivian, and the girls had left a little under an hour ago, giving Annie time to arrange her toiletries in the bathroom and take a quick shower. She was now dressed in flowered flannel pajama pants and an oversized Army tee-shirt she'd stolen from her dad's dresser a couple of years ago. Her hair hung in damp ringlets around her face.

Auggie glanced up from the pages of the file he was studying and his gaze followed the sound of her movements. He reached out his hand to her, and she placed the glass in his hand. He frowned curiously at the cold sweat on the glass. "What is it?"

She grinned as she took a sip from her own glass. "Milkshake."

"A milkshake?" he asked. "In December?"

Annie giggled as she leaned her shoulder against his. It was so tempting to hug his strong arm and kiss his shoulder, to lean into the fortress that Auggie was, to feel his arms around her again. It would be so easy to forget that they were still just best friends. Being with Auggie all day like this—it was easy to settle into this life, to be Auggie's wife. If only that could be true.

She turned to study the papers spread out across the living room floor, and she picked one up, interested. She ran her fingers across the pattern of bumps absentmindedly. "What were you reading about?"

He shrugged. "Intel on Aurelie Perrot and Alexander Christakos. What the agency knows about them, possible entry points." He tasted the milkshake again. "What flavor is this?"

Her eyes twinkled as she watched him drink more. "I don't remember everything I put in there. Oranges, raspberries, chocolate, peanut butter… maybe some vanilla and peaches."

Auggie's nose scrunched up in disgust. "Really?"

She giggled. "Yeah. Every time my family moved to a new place, we started this tradition—milkshakes every night in a new home. After a while, my parents had me make them, because everyone liked mine better than Dad's. And don't even give me that look. I know you liked it until I told you what was in it."

Auggie rolled his eyes. "But oranges… and peanut butter? Together?"

She just laughed and reached across his lap for another of the papers. Auggie glanced over at her. "You realize I had those in a special order, right?"

Her eyes widened, and she handed him the pages again. "Sorry. Maybe I should go get my file…" She set her milkshake on the ground next to her and started to get to her feet.

Auggie laughed and reached out and grabbed her hand, tugging her down next to him again. Truth be told, he was happy to have Annie back at his side, meddling in his business, sharing her life with his. "Don't worry about it, Annie." He took another sip of his milkshake and reached to his left, handing her one of the books Jai and Vivian had brought. "Here… I hate to ask, but none of these books they brought were in Braille. I don't know how I'm going to learn how to be a librarian when all the books they brought me are for a sighted person."

She smiled sympathetically and accepted the book from him. Did he really have to ask? Even before she knew she was in love with him, she would have done anything for Auggie.

She set her milkshake by her knee and curled up against him. It was probably too intimate a gesture for just friends, but Annie was tired, and tired of fighting all her emotions, and Auggie smelled really good. Besides, there was something about reading a book with another person that was intimate—even a book about the Dewey decimal system.

"Okay," she said, finishing off her milkshake before she opened the book. "Chapter one…"

Baptiste Perrot ripped open the manila envelope and glanced up at the doorway, making sure his daughter was nowhere in sight. Aurelie didn't need to see the contents of the envelope. He scoured the plans inside. His partner was reckless for sending the plans so accessibly, so easy to intercept, but that couldn't be helped now. The plans were already here, and they didn't appear to be tampered with. Still, he would be talking to Niko in the very near future about taking more precautions.

B. P.,

Here changed information for plan. More plans come forth, as product develop.

N. P.

Baptiste rolled his eyes at Niko's atrocious, broken French. They communicated this way to increase their security, but Niko's French was enough to make Baptiste reconsider the plan.

Baptiste studied the plans with a bit of worry. They were too smart for their own good.

The plans were coming along well—too well. They still weren't perfect—wouldn't be for a while—but they had made enough progress that Bill wouldn't be happy.

This was not good.

A/N: Yeahhhh, big changes in store for Dreamer! I hope you're as excited as I am! Please review! :)