A/N: Hola! Sorry for the inordinate amount of time between this chapter and the last chapter (well, it feels like an inordinate amount of time, anyway!). But in my defense, it's a REALLY long chapter, and I had a hard time getting it started. I really wanted to post this a few hours before tonight's episode (ah-mazing, btw!), but it just didn't work that way…
Also, sorry if the subject matter of this chapter seemed a little abrupt—but really, we all knew Jai and Vivian were engaged, and that they'd get married sometime or another! :) And I definitely wanted them to get married before everything was concluded and the dust settled.
And this is the chapter that earns the "T" rating… Yeah, if you liked it, don't expect a lot more. bahaha. I don't like writing hot-and-heavy.
Oooh, and… the little thing with Arthur… TOTALLY based on part of the CA panel of Comic Con I saw online a couple days ago… :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Covert Affairs! Oh, and I don't own the lyrics for the song in the Joan and Arthur scene, either. They belong to Secondhand Serenade. :)
Chapter 15
Annie was washing the dishes with Auggie when the knock came to their apartment door. She glanced down at both of them, and with a snicker, she realized they'd flung more soap suds around the apartment (and at each other) than they'd kept in the sink.
Auggie's gaze shifted from the direction of the front door to Annie, and she grinned as she studied him. His curly hair was mussed a little, and he had wet splotches all over his sweatpants and tee-shirt where the soap had soaked into his clothing.
She took a few steps closer to him, closing the distance, and she wiped the bubbles from his nose with her thumb, giggling. Leaning in a few inches, she kissed him quickly. "I'll be right back. Can you manage not to get all the bubbles on the floor while I'm gone?"
"Oh, har."
But his eyes twinkled back at her, and he winked in her direction, and she laughed as she pulled the front door open. "Hey, Viv," she called in surprise.
Vivian grinned in reply. "Hey, you."
Annie held the door open wide. "Come in." As Vivian stepped through the doors, Annie asked, "Are you thirsty?"
Vivian shook her head and sat at one of the bar stools at the island. "Hey, Auggie."
He turned to face her for a moment, a fork he was washing in hand. "Oh, hey, Vivian."
Annie leaned against the counter across from Vivian. "So what brings you out here, anyway? And where are the girls?"
Vivian glanced out the window. "My last dress fitting." She grinned like this was the happiest moment in her life, and Annie couldn't help thinking that maybe, someday, Annie could be right where Vivian was, at this moment. The thought made her heart flutter. "Jai has the girls."
Annie's eyes twinkled as she studied Vivian. Annie had listened and watched for the past four months while Viv dealt with wedding woes and catastrophes, and seeing Vivian like this, so happy, so ready to be Jai's wife—she couldn't help but share in her friend's joy.
"So, only a week, huh?"
Vivian beamed back at her. "Oh, I know! I'm so excited! Annie, you should just see Hannah in her little white dress—she's the cutest little thing ever. And I saw Jai in a tux he had to wear for something he had to do for work—Annie, you should have seen him… he was so hot—" She paused to grab a few M&Ms from the bowl in front of her and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes twinkling, she said, "I can't wait to see him Sunday morning—he's being so stubborn. He won't let me see him in the wedding tux—he says I have to wait until Sunday morning—'I'm not gonna jinx the perfect bride, baby,' he keeps on saying, which is perfectly adorable, but I'm just tired of waiting, Annie, I mean, he proposed in July for crying out loud, and it's almost been a year that we've been engaged, and I just want to be Vivian Wilcox al-stinkin'-ready!"
Auggie turned away from the sink to smirk at her, and Annie laughed at them both. "Awww," Annie cooed.
Vivian blushed. "I just want to be married already," she said softly, ducking her head in embarrassment.
Annie grinned and patted Vivian's hand. "Well, you will be in a week."
She smiled softly. "Yeah. I will." She popped another M&M in her mouth, and, mid-bite, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Oh, Annie!"
Annie frowned at her friend. "Yeah, Viv?"
"I can't believe I forgot! That's the whole reason I came over!"
Annie grinned and rolled her eyes. "Well, Viv, what is it?"
She glanced from Annie to Auggie. "Well, uh, would you guys mind watching Hannah and Bella Sunday night?"
Annie frowned at her slightly. "You guys didn't find someone to watch the girls while you go on your honeymoon?"
Vivian's gaze dropped to her hands. "Jai's too freaked out about the Baptiste thing to leave the girls for very long. I thought, maybe if we got you or Joan and Arthur or something to watch them for a week, we could go somewhere nice… but Jai says the case is almost over, and he gets so scared sometimes, Annie… if you could just see him… it breaks my heart."
She glanced up at Annie for a moment, her sadness evident on her face. "I finally convinced him to go away for just one night, our wedding night, if I could get someone he trusted to watch Hannah and Bella." She smiled a little, thinking about Jai. "I think once he agreed to it, he kinda got excited about it. You should see him now. He walks around the house with this Cheshire grin on his face, and he always asks me these questions, like, 'Guess where I'm gonna be in a week?' just so he can grin and tell me that he can't tell me yet… I don't think I've seen him this excited about anything in a long time."
Auggie drained the water in the sink and rinsed his hands, drying them on the hand towel hanging from the handle of one of the cabinets directly under the sink. Wandering over to the island where he'd heard Annie last, he leaned on the counter, sneaking several of the M&Ms for himself. He bumped Annie's shoulder with his own, and, before he could think to ask if Annie was okay with the idea, he said, "Sure, we'll take them. It's only one night, right?"
As Annie and Vivian gawked at him in surprise, he shrugged. "What? I'm not a little-girl hater. Besides. I'm pretty sure Hannah adores me." His eyes twinkled, and he flashed them his charmer grin.
Annie rolled her eyes, shoving his arm a little, but she grinned over at Vivian. "Yeah, we'd love to, Viv."
She watched with a smile as Vivian ran around the island and embraced them both. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she squealed. "I—I have to get home, but thank you so much. I'll work on coming up with a list of anything you might need to know for the girls."
As she flew out the door, her purse trailing behind her, Annie laughed and turned to Auggie, slipping her arms around his waist, she tugged him closer and met his lips in a sweet kiss. "Aww, Auggie wants to be a daddy."
He snorted. "Yeah, don't get too used to that idea." But his eyes twinkled, and as he leaned down, capturing her lips in a deeper, more passionate kiss, she caught a glimpse of the grin playing on his lips a moment before her eyes fluttered shut. She grinned as she kissed him back, relishing in the feeling of Auggie's strong arms around her again.
Annie leaned down and wrapped her arms around Auggie's neck. "Hi."
He glanced up at the sound of her voice, and he offered her a grin. "Hey, babe," he said, turning a little so she was more directly in front of him. It always touched her, the way he faced her when she talked to him, even though he couldn't see her.
His hands lingered on her arms, holding her lightly, and she turned to glance at his computer screen. "What are you doing?"
He turned toward the computer screen for a second, before turning back to her. He shrugged. "Not much. Just following up on a few things from dinner with Joan and Jai last week."
Auggie unconsciously rubbed her forearm gently, and Annie smiled softly as she watched him. She wondered if he recognized those sweet little gestures he showed her throughout the day. She loved him for it.
She studied his screen a bit more seriously. It looked like he was setting up an appointment at Verity Technology. They'd received a call on Wednesday that the testing would be done by Monday afternoon. They both knew that Joan—and the rest of the intelligence community—were interested in the technology, especially after Bill's threat to come to America, and they were eager to have it back in their hands.
She glanced back up at the clock by the door. "I'm taking Viv out to dinner," she said, studying him. "She's been going crazy all week about the wedding, and I think she just needs a break."
"Awww, you're leaving me?"
She laughed lightly at his teasing question. "I'll only be gone a few hours. Besides, I left you stir fry in the fridge."
His eyes lit up, and she laughed. "Yeah, I know the only reason you keep me around is for your stir fry cache."
He rolled his eyes and sent her a look. "That's not true…"
She giggled and leaned in, kissing him lightly. "I'll be back in a little bit." As she walked to the door, she called over her shoulder, "Don't burn the apartment down while I'm gone!"
The door slammed behind her, and as Auggie turned back to his computer, he smirked.
Annie hummed softly to herself as she slipped her key into the apartment doorknob and pushed the door open. She was surprised by what met her as she stepped into the apartment.
She'd expected Auggie to be watching the evening news, or messing around with his laptop still, or possibly even in bed already (it was nearly 10:30, and he had been complaining about a headache earlier).
Instead, she found the kitchen table covered with a silk table cloth; a few slender maroon candles setting on the table, the flicker of their flames casting a romantic glow over the room; a platter with some fancy-looking bread and a bowl of extra virgin olive oil. None of the lamps or overhead lights were turned on, but several thicker candles, the same color as those on the table, were lit strategically around the kitchen and family room areas. A single red rose waited at the spot where she typically ate whenever they were home, and Auggie stood behind the island, fidgeting nervously. "Hi."
She hung her purse on the hook by the door, never tearing her gaze from Auggie's. "Hi."
She took a few steps toward him, and he met her halfway. "I know you're probably already full, and maybe tired from hanging out with Viv all night, but… I wanted us to have something special this week, too. You've been putting up with all of Vivian's pre-wedding jitters, and dealing with the guest list and worrying about everything being perfect for when you have to greet all the guests Sunday morning… I know we're not getting married, but I figured you should have your own romantic moment."
Aww. She could have squealed at his thoughtfulness. She loved it when those warm chocolate eyes seemed to focus on her, especially when he was being so sweet. She let her left hand come to rest against the smooth fabric of his white dress shirt covering his chest, and she pushed up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. Before she could pull away, give him an excuse for the kiss, he reached up, curling his warm hand around her own, still lingering on his chest. His other hand slid up, cupping behind her neck gently, and he kissed her back, tasting her slowly, completely. The kiss was sweetly emotional, and when he pulled away, she immediately missed the feel of his lips on hers. She stared up at him, trying to find one coherent thought.
Okay, so Auggie definitely did more than take her breath away.
He leaned down a few inches, bumping his forehead against hers sweetly, and the hand cupping her neck felt its way forward, cupping her cheek, caressing it lightly. As she stood there, right next to him, she stared up into his chocolate eyes, studying him quietly.
"So I did good?" he said with a cocky grin.
She was tempted to snort or roll her eyes—everyone knew she didn't have to build his already monstrous ego—but she couldn't help it. He was just so… perfect. Pressing up on her tiptoes once more, she kissed him softly. "Yeah. You did good."
His hand that had been holding hers to his chest dropped to their sides, and he guided them to the table, pulling out the chair for Annie. He took his seat next to her, and when she lifted the rose to her nose, smelling it with a soft smile, he found her hand and squeezed it gently. "I know you like lilies better… but everyone says roses are more stunning and romantic, and well…"
She giggled softly. "It's fine, Auggie," she said, leaning across the corner of the table to kiss him. "I love it."
Auggie poured them the wine, and, while she took her first sip, he cut a few slices of the baguette. He handed her a slice and pushed the small bowl of olive oil towards her. "I know you and Viv probably had a big dinner, but if today is anything like the past four months, I figured you'd be hungry anyway."
She laughed lightly at his words and she tasted the bread, humming in satisfaction. "Mmm. This is good."
Auggie smirked to himself at the lack of comment on his observation of her eating habits. It seemed like Annie was always hungry—always. He listened as she dipped her bread in the oil and ate it happily, and, after a moment, he reached over, tasting the bread and oil for himself. It was good.
For the following hour or so, they talked about their families, life outside this mission, and how much Annie missed her nieces. Annie teased him about his aversion to most things French, and Auggie shared secrets with her that he'd never told anyone. When there was a slight lull in the conversation, Annie glanced up at Auggie, studying him intently.
She knew it probably wasn't the best idea, but it had been bugging her for the past couple weeks, ever since Auggie had admitted he loved her, and her curiosity couldn't take it much longer. "Auggie?"
He swallowed the last of his bread and washed it down with a sip of his wine. "Yeah?"
She reached across the table, entwining their hands. "When did you know you loved me?"
"When did you know you loved me?" he countered, a teasing grin dancing on his lips.
She grinned back at him and nudged his hand, resting in hers. "Nuh-uh. You first."
He sighed a little and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, leaning back in his chair as he figured out what he wanted to say. A smile played on his lips as he remembered back to a few weeks ago. "Remember when Simon Henzel was pretty much attacking you every day, a couple weeks ago?"
She grimaced at him. She still wasn't on the best of terms with Simon, and she'd rather not think about it, if she didn't have to. She'd always felt like she could stand up for herself if she had to—and she would—but no one took pleasure in dealing with Simon's bitter tirades, least of all Annie.
Auggie must have felt her hand stiffen in his, because he scooted his chair closer to hers and let his hand trail up her arm, cupping her cheek, and he captured her lips with his. "Remember that one day that I was there? You told him that he was a bully and a poor excuse for a Christian teacher, and that there was a reason nobody liked him very much… and as I stood there, listening to you, I just knew. I don't know why I figured it out then, but you were so adorable, standing up for yourself, with that little half-French accent, and I knew." He tucked a strand of her sunny hair behind her ear, and kissed her softly. "It took me a week or two to gather enough courage to try and tell you, but you kinda beat me to it."
She giggled in his arms, and he loved the sound. He loved that giggle. He felt her hands move to his cheeks, caressing them lightly. She stared up into his chocolate eyes. "I love you."
He gave her that intimate smile she loved so much, and, letting his forehead come to rest against hers, he whispered, "I love you, too." He nudged her arm lightly. "Your turn."
She studied him curiously, as if she'd forgotten. "My turn for what?"
He chuckled. "Your turn to tell me when you knew you loved me."
She blushed a little, and ducked her head. "December," she said, barely loud enough for him to hear.
"December?" he squeaked out. Had he really heard her right? Not waiting for an answer, he reached for her, crashing his lips on hers with a passion he didn't know he had. He made sure she knew exactly how he felt, kissing her fully, deeply, tasting every part of her. The passion built between them with each second, and Auggie kissed her back more passionately. His desire for her was unquenchable, and he needed her to know how much he loved her.
When she groaned in frustration at the odd angles of their bodies and the distance that separated them, Auggie reached out, pulling her onto his lap, as close as was physically possible, her legs straddling him.
He blazed a trail of hot kisses down her neck, finding her sensitive spot on her neck, and when she moaned out his name like a plea, that settled it for him. He loved this sweet woman more than anyone in the world, and not sharing this moment with her wasn't even an option. "Annie—you know… I love you more than anything in the world, right? I love you…" he rasped, his voice husky from desire.
She kissed him back, hard, igniting his passion, and when she pulled away, she nodded furiously. "I know." He silently thrilled at the desire barely masked in her own voice.
He captured her lips again, unable to keep away from her, and his arms snapped around her, pulling her to her feet. His lips never left hers as he stood to his feet and backtracked around the chair and table, guiding her back to the bedroom. His hands fell to her hips, playing with the hem of her blouse even as he held her up—he'd felt her stumble against him once when she went weak at the knees. His hands played with the soft, warm skin of her lower back.
When they reached the bedroom, and the backs of Annie's knees hit the bed, she scooted farther up onto the bed, reaching out to pull him with her. He bumped his shin on the wooden frame of the bottom of the bed, and Annie giggled and tugged at his shirt.
He groped his leg in the darkness, rubbing the spot on his shin that still throbbed, and he pulled away from Annie slightly. What was he doing?
This was Annie. What happened to taking it slow? What happened to falling in love perfectly? He breathed deeply and shook his head subtly. "Annie—I… I can't."
He heard her flip on the overhead light, and he could only imagine the emotions warring for dominance on her face. "Auggie, what are you talking about?"
"I—I don't think we should."
"Auggie—I can see it in your eyes. You want this as much as I do. What are you talking about?" she pled.
He desperately wanted to pull her into his arms, convince her that he did want this as much as she did. He desperately wanted to prove it to her. But he knew that as soon as he touched her, his well-meaning high-road would be thrown to the breeze. "Annie, I—" He let his eyes flutter shut, trying to figure out how to tell her everything he was feeling. "I love you. Like crazy. But I don't want this to be a quick fling in some deep cover op that ends up in shambles."
"We won't end up in shambles."
"I've seen it too much, Annie. I've seen too many couples die because they fell in love during an op. I won't do that to you."
"But—Auggie, I love you. I loved you even before I knew there was an op."
His heart broke at that. "I—I know, baby."
"So why won't you come to bed with me?"
"Because I love you. And I'd do anything to make sure that what we have lasts forever."
Her heart fluttered a little at that, but still—didn't he realize what he was doing to her?
"D-do you think you can wait a month?" he asked shakily. "There's only 27 days until the event. Then the mission will be over, and we can be free to love each other… however we want."
Annie didn't want to think about what would happen if the mission wasn't over by then. She missed Danielle, Michael, and the girls. She missed being Annie Walker. Most of all, she didn't know if she could wait more than 27 days to be with Auggie, the way they both wanted. "Wh-what if the mission's not over by then?"
Auggie was silent for a while. "Even if it isn't," he started slowly, "I can't make you wait longer than that, okay?" I don't think I can wait longer than that…
It was already killing her that she'd have to wait that long. But if it would prove to him how real what they had was, then she was committed to it. "Okay," she whispered, her voice sounding pained.
He finally let himself lean in, stroking her cheek gently. He kissed her forehead. "I—I'm gonna sleep on the couch tonight."
As she watched him leave the room, feeling his way down the hallway, she turned off the light and crawled under the covers. As she stared out the window, watching the dancing stars twinkle over the world, she sighed.
She was already counting down the hours.
"Annie, Annie! Come quick!" Tess ran into the foyer, where Annie was greeting guests and encouraging them to sign the wedding guestbook. "Vivi says it's an emergency!"
Annie glanced from Tess back to Auggie, sitting in the pew behind her. Ever since Auggie had put a stop to Thursday night's activities (minus a slightly awkward breakfast the next morning), he hadn't let her out of his sight. At first it annoyed her, but she'd grown to love doting Auggie. It was sweet—almost as if he was trying to make up for making her wait.
Both she and Auggie knew that no matter what Vivian's emergency was, there was no way it was a life-or-death matter. She'd been having such "emergencies" all week, and Annie was always the one Viv turned to when she needed answers and reassurance. She reached back, her hand trailing down Auggie's forearm until she held his hand. "You gonna be okay for a few minutes?"
He swung their hands between them lightly and caressed her hand lightly, as if he really didn't want her to go. "I'll be fine."
The corners of her lips turned up in an unwitting smile, and she leaned down, brushing her lips against his in a brief smile. "I'll hurry." As she hurried after Tess, heading toward the classroom in the church that was also serving as Vivian's dressing room, she called over her shoulder, "Don't forget to get them to sign the guestbook!"
As she turned to glance back at him, she caught his image, standing at the platform, greeting a middle-aged couple as they signed the guestbook and took a bulletin, and she smiled to herself.
When Annie peaked in the door, Vivian was squinting at herself in the mirror, scowling at herself, looking this way and that to try and see her back. "Annie!" she wailed out.
Annie tried to hold her giggle back. She knew that wedding jitters got to women, but Vivian had become comical in her stress. "Yeah, Viv?"
Vivian finally slumped into one of the chairs that was meant for a six-year-old. "This dress makes me look fat!"
Annie laughed and rushed to her friend's side. "You? Fat? In that? Liar." She reached for Vivian's hands, pulling her to her feet. "Stand up. Let me see." She motioned for her friend to spin, so she could see the whole dress.
Once Vivian spun around once completely, she let her shoulders slump in defeat. "See? It bunches up in the back, and it's too tight in the butt, and look, the pleats for the boobs are in the wrong place!" She pinched some of the lacy white fabric at her stomach, pulled it out, and let it snap back into place. "And look! My stomach shows too much!"
Annie rolled her eyes and she pushed slightly on her friend's shoulder, turning her around. "Viv, I think you're making things up. It's not too tight in your stomach or your butt, and the wrinkles—" She paused to brush the material on Vivian's back, smoothing it out. "Are a figment of your imagination. And I don't know what you're taking about for the boob thing, you look great."
She turned Vivian around again, grasping her shoulders, and Annie looked straight into her eyes. "Viv, listen to me. You're beautiful. You look like a model in this dress, and if Jai knows anything that's good for him, he'll faint the moment he sees you holding your dad's arm! You take his breath away," Annie said with a soft smile.
A little bit of hope dawned in Vivian's eyes. "Really? You think so, Annie?"
Annie sighed. "Honey, do you think he'd be marrying you if you didn't take his breath away? He's crazy about you. You should have seen him before he fell for you—he was still Jai, this great, honorable, gentlemanly guy with loads of class and respect—but he was also moody sometimes, and oh-so-lonely. Jai's nothing without you."
Vivian threw her arms around Annie. "Thank you, Annie."
She smiled, hugging her friend in return. "Don't worry about it. Really. Viv, don't worry about it. I'm just glad I got to see you again, even if it wasn't the best of circumstances."
Vivian shook her head against Annie's neck and shoulder. "No, no… you don't understand. Annie, I don't think I could have gotten through this week without you."
Annie pulled away from the hug a little bit, offering Vivian a reassuring smile. "Sure you would have, sweetie. You're made of tough stuff."
Vivian ducked her head in embarrassment, and Annie squeezed her hand. "Hurry up, okay? I think it's almost three, and I'm pretty sure Auggie'll freak out if I'm gone for more than a few minutes."
Vivian grinned knowingly. "Go. I'll be okay."
Annie grinned in return. "Okay. Good luck in here!"
Annie slipped into the pew next to Auggie. "Hey, did I miss anything?"
Auggie turned toward her and shook his head. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled a little big closer to him, letting her head drop to his shoulder. It gave her the perfect view of the front of the church, but she loved more the way his arm around her felt, and the way she could still smell the heady combination of his cologne and aftershave.
A moment later, the string quartet and the organ began to play Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, and Annie's head shot up, craning to see if Vivian and her dad were coming down the aisle.
She grinned as she watched Vivian take a step forward. Somehow, in the past half hour, Vivian had gained some confidence, and she was positively glowing. The strapless, floor length gown was covered with soft, elegant white lace and flared at the waist. The back was simple, with about twenty little buttons, in quick succession, trailing down her back. A simple dusty purple sash was tied in the back. Vivian was grinning—not at the congregation or her father, or even her girls (even Annie, in one of the middle pews, could hear Hannah hissing, "Mommy! Mommy, you look like a princess!"), but at Jai.
Jai, fidgeting with his cufflinks, stared back at her, a slow, nervous grin covering his face. And if Annie wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn she saw tears forming in his eyes. When Vivian's dad announced that he and his wife were giving Vivian to be married and she stepped up onto the platform with Jai, he reached out his hand to her, taking her hand in his, and he stroked her hand gently. Wonder shining in his eyes, he whispered, "Baby, you look like an angel."
The wedding passed comfortably through the sermon (something about the marriage of Esther and King Artaxerxes), a prayer, the vows, exchanging the rings, and finally the lighting of the candle together, and when the pastor announced, "It is my pleasure to announce today for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Jai Wilcox!" Annie sat up in her seat, craning her neck for the best view.
Turning to Auggie for a moment, she grinned. "This is the best part." She leaned across his lap a little, trying to find the best view.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Jai carefully lifted the veil covering Vivian's face, and, love and tenderness shining in his eyes, he whispered, "Vivi, I love you."
Tears filling Vivian's eyes—again—she nodded furiously. Jai leaned in, caressing her cheek lightly with his hand, and he captured her lips with his own. Vivian pushed up on her tiptoes, using her hand on his forearm as leverage to hold her up, and she returned the kiss, grinning against his lips. When she pulled away after a moment, he pulled her back, pressing another brief, passionate kiss to her lips. "I love you."
Vivian buried her face in Jai's chest self-consciously, wrapping her arms around his waist, and Jai wrapped his arms around her, letting her hide against him. He rubbed her back soothingly, and when the room erupted into applause, he hid his own grin in Vivian's soft blond tresses, kissing her softly.
As Vivian and Jai, along with the rest of the wedding party, marched down the aisle, Annie gushed, "Aww, that was so perfect… They're just so adorable together!"
Even as Auggie grinned back at her and they chatted about different aspects to the wedding, Annie couldn't help wondering if she could have a perfect wedding of her own in a little while.
Joan wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck after he led her to an open spot on the dance floor. His hands settled on her hips, and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw familiar faces—Stu, Barber, Bowman, Jai and Vivian—dancing across the reception hall.
She closed her eyes, listening to the music and pushing the world away. She had missed this, the sweetness of dancing in the arms of the man she loved.
She relaxed against him, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He was wearing that cologne that she'd always loved, and she grinned into the shoulder of his dress shirt when he began to sing to her softly in that smooth, soft, intimate baritone that still gave her shivers. "But hold your breath, because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you over again…" His voice cracked a little at the word tonight, and Joan buried her face farther into Arthur's chest. She didn't know how they'd been given so much happiness, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.
"I love it when you sing to me."
Arthur pulled back a little to look her in the eyes. "Oh, you want me to stop?" he teased, his eyes twinkling back at her with mischief and love.
She frowned at him for a moment and slapped his shoulder lightly. Satisfied that he would get the message, she wrapped her arms around him, snuggling close to him again. Arthur's laughter echoed in her ears, and she grinned into his shirt again.
The silence lingered between them comfortably for several minutes. Then, in the faintest whispers of a kiss, Arthur's lips ghosted over her temple, and he whispered in her ear, "Joan, you look absolutely stunning today."
She blushed a little, and she was glad her face was hidden against his chest. She didn't need half of the DPD to see the way this man could turn her from a professional, commanding boss to… whatever it was Arthur did to her. She refused to call herself mushy. "You already told me that, this morning," she teased, waiting for his reply.
"Well, I told you looked beautiful this morning, not absolutely stunning. But it warranted repeating, anyway."
She was glad that most of the DPD employees weren't paying attention to her, because she was sure her face was the color of a ripe tomato.
After she regained some of her composure, she looked over Arthur's shoulder, studying the other dancers out of curiosity, and she caught a glance of Felix Williams dancing with Elsa Benjamin. Elsa looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Arthur," Joan asked, her voice hinting with her growing suspicion, anger, and disbelief, "what's Felix doing here?"
Arthur turned them around so he could see what she'd been seeing, and, sure enough, there was Felix, chatting off Elsa's ear amiably, apparently unaware of her discomfort. "Beats me," he said, shrugging a little. "Jai must have invited him. They've been a bit chummy lately."
As Arthur spun them around again, Joan squinted at the young man. She wasn't sure what he was up to, but she didn't like it.
She didn't like it at all.
Across the floor, Auggie had just swept Annie onto the dance floor, his eyes twinkling back at her, she slipped into his arms and resting her head on his chest. Though she generally preferred to wear heals (she sorely missed her Christian Louboutins that she'd had to leave at the guesthouse in early December), today she'd settled for a pair of lacy white ballet flats that matched the knee-length purple sundress and white bolero she was wearing.
The flats brought her down a few inches, which made her the perfect height to be cocooned in Auggie's arms. His arms were strong and protective around her, and she let herself settle into his embrace. The last time they'd danced together, it had been early December, when they'd first started the mission, and things were a lot different. This time, she let herself relax in his arms, and she breathed in his scent, memorizing this moment, his cologne, the feeling of being in Auggie's arms. She watched the couples dancing around them. After all the business of the past week, it was nice to just relax with Auggie.
She smiled a little as she saw Stu and Elsa dancing, and Joan and Arthur, and several of the others she'd known from the CIA four months before. She knew she'd gone into way too much CIA and DPD withdrawal when she was tempted to attack Joan, Arthur, Stu, and Bowman with bear hugs as soon as they'd walked through the double glass doors of the church earlier that afternoon.
Because that would have gone sooo well.
She didn't know it was possible to miss Auggie's techies so much.
Auggie reached up and caressed her cheek lightly. "Penny for your thoughts?"
She shrugged lightly. "Just thinking about how I miss old friends," she said.
"You'll see them again soon," he said. "Besides, until then, you'll have me. And Mr. Unromantic over there."
Annie giggled at his joke, but slapped his shoulder in quick succession. "Hey, be nice! He's just worried about Hannah and Bella."
Auggie let his head rest against the top of hers, kissing her hair softly. "I know. Still, after this, he better take her on a month-long honeymoon."
Annie giggled. "Yeah. Although, I'm pretty sure Viv will make sure of that."
"Hey, baby," Annie cooed, accepting Annabelle into her arms. "Ohhh, baby, are you sleepy?" As she rocked Bella in her arms for a few moments, she turned back to Vivian, accepting the baby bag from her, slinging it over her shoulder. She smiled gently, for Vivian's benefit. "Yeah, we're gonna be fine, aren't we?" she whispered to the one-year-old in her arms, kissing her temple gently. She glanced up at Vivian. "Go. Have fun. We'll be fine, Viv."
Auggie was already holding Hannah on his hip, spinning her around in the grass, making sure he was out of the way of all the other wedding attendees.
"You have the list of things you need to know, right?"
Annie laughed and pushed her friend toward Jai, standing several yards away. "Viv, go! You're married. Go do married people stuff, for crying out loud!"
Vivian blushed and giggled. "Okay. Thanks, Annie. So much. Tell Auggie thank you, too."
Annie nodded. "I will! Now, go! Have fun."
"I'm going, I'm going!"
Vivian ran to Jai, letting him capture her hand in his, and they ran toward the receiving line, laughing giddily. As they made their way through the small crowd, shouting their farewells and stopping for one last kiss for the crowd's benefit, a whistle soared through the air, and the world exploded in red, white, and blue as the fireworks display began. Vivian and Jai ducked into the awaiting car, waving farewell, and the audience oohed and aahed at the display.
Annabelle began to whimper, and Annie held her closer to her chest. "Shhh, baby, it's okay. They'll be over soon. I promise. You're gonna be okay…"
A few feet away, Auggie had sunk to the grass and he held a squirming, curious Hannah in his arms. "Whoa!" she whispered, pointing up at the sky. "Look at that!"
Auggie chuckled good-naturedly and hugged the little girl closer to him. "Can you explain them to me, sweetheart?"
It was the only excuse Hannah needed. For the following forty-five minutes, as the guests lingered, Hannah chattered away to Auggie, describing the colors, shapes, and sounds. A few moments after it'd begun, Auggie had beckoned to Annie, and she dropped to the ground next to them. As they sat on that grass, the two girls held in their arms, Hannah chattering away, Auggie reached over and scooped Annie's hand in his own. By the time the fireworks came to a close, Annie had curled up against Auggie's side, leaning into the warm strength he provided.
Vivian tripped up the steps for the Virginia resort, and her overnight bag clattered against several of the steps. She recovered it just before it somersaulted down the rest of the stairway, and she giggled to herself. When Jai turned around, hushing her, she tried to somber up, but it was her wedding night, and it was just her and Jai for the next 24 hours, and she was just a bit too tipsy from the wine she'd had at the reception to be quiet enough.
A moment later, Jai was laughing, too, and he reached down, grabbing her hand and pulling her up next to him. They snickered and whispered the whole way down the hallway until they found suite 718, and when Jai finally pushed the door open, they stumbled inside, shushing each other and dropping their bags by the front door.
Jai pushed the door shut behind them and reached for his wife. "Mrs. Wilcox," he said, his voice husky, and his eyes twinkled as his eyes roved her in the semi-dark.
"Mr. Wilcox," she whispered in return, pressing up on tiptoe to meet his lips in a kiss. As the kiss deepened, Vivian jumped into his arms, and he caught her, carrying her to the bed.
As she scooted up toward the head of the bed, pulling him up with her, she whispered, "Baby, I love you."
His love, tenderness, and adoration welling in his eyes, he whispered, "Baby, I love you, too…"
A/N: Sooo… WDYT? Review, please!