A/N: So this is the next chapter.
This week end I will write another and it's definitely going to jump forward.
These are going to be the last few chapters, we'll certainly be done by thirty.
I'm quite curious as to how it will end as I don't have the details left.
All I know is that it will be bittersweet.
Sigh.

So I love you guys and I hope this chapter pleases you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Covert Affairs (will I be sued if I don't say this?)

'There's a corner of your heart for me,
There's a corner of your heart just for me.
I would pack my bags just to stay in the corner of your heart.
Just to stay in the corner of your heart.'

-Ingrid Michaelson, Corner of Your Heart

Corner of Your Heart

His name hung in the air. It felt wrong on her lips and she wished more than anything that she could take it back. Unfortunately, in life, there are no take-backs. For several moments Annie's brain gathered the pieces of her scattered thoughts: she was in love with Ben, Ben broke her heart, Annie left California, moved to Illinois where she met Auggie, Auggie, the one. The only one.

"What do you want," she asked firmly, crossing her arms over her chest and blocking the door.

The look in those blue eyes could only be described as surprise; sure, some part of her would always be waiting for him but he'd left a swooning school girl and sought out a woman.

"Annie, I understand what you think but-"

"No, Ben," she cut him off, taking a step towards him, "You don't understand. You can't possibly understand what you did to me and- you know what? It doesn't matter anymore. You need to go."

"Wait, Annie," he began in that special way that he spoke, looking down at her in that special way that he smoldered, breaking down her defenses, "I realize that I hurt you and it kills me to know that I did and that's why I'm here. To explain."

"I don't need you to explain, Ben," she replied, sounding unsure of her own words like the doe-eyed seventeen year old girl that she was. She wished Auggie were there, someone that could help her get a grip on reality and just like that a voice rang through the chill air.

"What the HELL is he doing here," her father said, bolting through the front door.

John Walker was on Ben before Annie could even react, his face just inches from Annie's ex. It was like there was electricity in the air and at any moment her father was going to ignite and break something. Annie could only hope that it wouldn't be bone.

"Dad, stop," Annie yelled, pushing at her father's taught side, she hadn't seen him like this since he'd found a boy in Danni's bed. That had ended badly. "Please, please stop let me handle this!"

He turned to her then, his blue eyes gauging her. It was strange to see him like that, cold and calculating, never before had that look been turned on her. Soon it softened and he stepped back a pace, his eyes still locked on his daughter. With a gentleness that he'd momentarily forgotten, he touched her shoulder.

"I'll be just inside, if you need anything-"

"I know, dad," she answered confidently, "I'll be fine."

"Alright," he turned back to Ben then, that hardened look returning to his face.

There was no more verbal communication between her father and her unwelcome ex but there was no doubt in the feeling that was passed between the two: one misstep and Mr. Walker would be exercising his Ranger skills.

"So what do you want, Ben," Annie inquired as soon as her father disappeared inside the house. He was staring at her again, with those eyes that once melted her self-control, but now that look only seemed to piss her off. It was a tool of his, one that he used to weaken defenses and get his way, the worst form of manipulation.

"I don't want anything from you, Annie," he sighed, relinquishing his gaze as soon as he realized it wasn't working. "I just want you to let me explain what's going on with me."

"Why," she scoffed, throwing her hands up, "Why in the world did you suddenly decide to pop back in my life when everything's finally going great and on Thanksgiving, nonetheless-"

"It's Thanksgiving," he interrupted, looking sincerely confused, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize- I haven't been stateside for a while."

Stateside. What did he mean by that? With cautious eyes she looked him over and sure enough he looked different and surprisingly un-Ben-like; his hair was shorter, posture taller, demeanor firmer. A slight grin tugged at her lips, she just couldn't believe that he – Ben Mercer of all people – would do something so extreme and not in the way one might think.

"I'll tell you what," she said, shaking her head, "Let me go inside and get my coat and we'll take a walk. You can tell me all about what you've been doing and then you leave… permanently."

He gave her a small nod and she slipped inside. So it had happened. As perfect as Ben had seemed with his huge blue eyes and a smile that went on forever, he had given in. For all the time they had been together, Ben told Annie of travel, of being a free spirit and letting the wind take him where it will. Perhaps that was what attracted her to him the most; they'd been kindred spirits in that sense, in their wanderlust. They'd had plans, foolish adolescent plans, to run away together and see the world, far from the clutches of responsibility.

She chuckled a bit before leaving the house, letting the reality sink in: Ben was in the military.

oOo

Auggie was perfectly content with his spot on the couch, a warm cup of cocoa in his hands as they thawed through the last of his frostbite. Despite his previous concerns about the park and the weather, it had turned out to be a near perfect day. Well, that's aside from the possible concussion that he'd attained earlier after his nine-year-old hyperactive nephew walked him into a flagpole but hey shit happens. Of course, this was all before a certain name was mentioned and once that name was mentioned, everything came crashing down.

"Hey Auggie," his mother said from the entryway of the den, "Are you awake?"

They'd been asking him this every hour since they got home, just to make sure he didn't fall asleep with a concussion. At first he'd found it amusing but even after he'd recited the alphabet backwards – something he'd perfected after the first time there'd been a cop scare at a party – they hadn't relented and his patience was dwindling.

"Yes, mom, I'm awake," he grinned, unable to get truly annoyed after such a – well – normal day.

"Don't worry, Meme," Benji said from his spot in front of the television – he'd been playing Skylanders for the past two hours, "I've been keeping my eye on him."

"That's wonderful, Benji," she laughed, "Actually, I came down here to ask if you'd heard from the Morgan's? They usually call late but I've not heard from either of them at all this year."

Auggie scrunched his eyebrows – though he immediately decided not to as it tugged on the recently formed scab on his forehead- he hadn't heard from Corrine since they got home from the concert almost a week before. Not even a text.

"Actually I haven't. I know Mrs. Morgan's been gone a lot but I can call Corrine," there it was, that name again and once it was spoken it spread quickly like a virus.

Almost as though on cue, Auggie's phone rang. He winced against the headache that exploded at the sudden noise and answered it quickly.

"Hey Augs," Conrad's voice said before Auggie could even manage a hello. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Yea, Happy Thanksgiving," Auggie replied, confused the noise going on in the background, it sounded like a frat party – then again it was a Sheehan party, no one celebrates like the Irish. "What's up, man?"

"I was hoping I could talk to Cory? I figured she'd be there and she's not answering her phone so-"

"You know what, I think she's helping mom in the kitchen, can I get her to call you back in a few minutes," he lied quickly. He could feel his mother staring at him but he honestly didn't have time to explain.

"Oh, uh, yea sure," Conrad said after a moment's pause, Auggie couldn't help but notice how relieved the other boy sounded. "Thanks Auggie, I guess I kind of freaked out but you know her. Anyways, I'll talk to you later."

After the phone call ended, Auggie could feel his mother staring at him, no doubt awaiting an explanation and a 'what are you going to do next.'

"So, Conrad can't get ahold of Corrine, so while you're finishing up dinner I'm going to pop over there and see if everything's alright," he said causally, as though he hadn't just suggested something his mother would certainly not agree with, "I know she and her mom have been having problems so-"

"You're taking someone with you," she said, it certainly wasn't a question but Auggie had been expecting this, "There is no way that you're walking to her house alone with a possible concussion."

"Mom," he began reasonably as he stood from his seat, it was true that he still a bit wobbly but that was something he didn't need to tell his mother, "I'm perfectly capable of walking to Corrine's alone, I've actually been doing it-"

"For a few months now, believe me I know," she interrupted, earning a surprised look from her son, "Honestly, August, you're not as stealthy as you might think."

"Ooh, busted," Benji commented, earning a much deserved look from his uncle.

"Listen, why don't you just ask your father or one of your brothers to drop you off there and pick you up when you call," she suggested.

It seemed a reasonable request, though Auggie was still put out about his midnight escapades not being so secret, besides, if she knew about those, what else did she know about? Surely she didn't know how often her son got drunk, especially right after he lost his sight, even he would admit he went a little overboard for a while but that didn't mean he wanted his family to know.

"Yea," he caved as the floor seemed to shake a bit beneath his feet, maybe he had more of a concussion than he originally thought, "I'll get Matt to take me."

"Son," his mother said softly, catching his hand before he made it to the three steps leading to the kitchen, "I hope you realize that I'm not doing this because I think you incapable-"

"Mom-"

"No, let me finish," she interrupted assertively, "In these past couple of months I have realized how much you are able to do, how much you've adapted but sighted or not, I'm not going to let you walk to her house alone concussed."

It was quiet for a moment, Auggie not really sure what to say. This was the first time that his mother admitted that he was capable of – well – anything since he'd gone blind.

"I love you, August," she smiled, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before passing him on the steps.

"Well, that was gross," Benji groaned.

.oOo.

"I don't think she's here, Augs," Matt said as the pulled up to Corrine's house, "Her car's not in the driveway."

"That's weird," his brow scrunched, concern rising up in his stomach. "Just let me get out, if the door's unlocked you can leave."

"Sure," Matt said uncertainly.

As Auggie got out of the car and unfurled his cane, he could hear Matt talking to Jasper as the latter climbed into the front seat. They weren't leaving. He rolled his eyes and concentrated on the matter at hand. There were many reasons that her car might not be in the drive way though most of them just didn't seem very Corrine-like.

Just as he expected, the door swung open easily and without turning to the car he waved a goodbye to his brother and a few moments later the engine revved and faded. The house echoed in its emptiness and Auggie kept his cane in front of him as he maneuvered the eerie house – it was always the safest bet as Mrs. Morgan rearranged the furniture every other day. Auggie was sure that it was a personal gesture towards him – he wouldn't except she only started the habit after he went blind. Bitch.

His hand thumped against the kitchen bar and he ran his fingers across the countertop, encountering something unexpected. The countertops were always empty, in fact, the house itself was normally void of life signs so finding a piece of paper – of all things – on the counter surprised and terrified him. Suddenly it felt like the floor had dropped from beneath his feet as someone from above dumped a bucket of water over his head, the cool of it dripping into his bloodstream.

"Corrine," he called through the house.

He could barely hear his own voice, his heart pounding a heart-attack in his chest.

There was no answer.

The house felt suddenly empty, frightening. Most of his weight rested on the counter before him, his fingers running over and over the near perfect piece of paper in search of any sign of its purpose but it was useless; all he could feel were the pen marks left by an unknown creature that held the secrets his misery. It seemed that his head and lips and fingers and feet went numb. He should have known, there were signs but he had been blind to them, too caught up with a girl to notice.

With no grace he stood to his feet and without the help of his cane – he didn't know when or where he dropped it – made his way to the stairs. He needed to find her, to touch her, to know.

"Corrine," he meant to call her, but it came out a whisper.

As his hand touched the rail his thoughts were blown away like so much smoke.

"Auggie," Corrine's voice cut through the silence like the sun through storm clouds, "Are you alright?"

He could hear her collect his cane from the floor, her bare feet slapping against the tile and yet, his brain wouldn't accept it.

"August," she said softly, taking the paper from his fingers, her voice sounded broken, "What did you think this was?"

He hadn't realized he'd been crying until his arms were around her, his tears wetting her shoulder. At some point she started crying too and for the first time in what felt like years, Auggie's Corrine had finally come home.

Thirty minutes later and they were sitting on Corrine's back porch, each with a lit cigarette in a hand and a relief in their chests that could only come after disaster. Normally Auggie wouldn't smoke but tonight it was more than called for. As the nicotine crawled through his veins and his heart calmed to a normal pace and his head wrapped around the fact that his best friend was sitting beside him, living, breathing, warm he couldn't help but ask the question:

"What's it say?"

"Nothing important," she responded calmly, "Just empty words. So- you thought I was dead?"

"Well, yes," he replied thoughtfully, no time like the present to be honest, "Just, with everything going on lately and the way you've been acting- then you disappear and I find a note on the counter in your empty house? Yea. I did."

It was quiet for a long time after, only their breathing alerting the two to one another's existence. There was a bittersweet taste to these quiet moments like it was the end of an era and they could both see it coming.

"I like this," Corrine smiled, stealing a glance at her oldest partner in crime.

He gave her an incredulous half-smile.

"Definitely, I find that thinking that my best friend has committed suicide then suddenly realizing that she hasn't is one of the greatest times of my life," he shook his head and took one last drag before putting out his half smoked cigarette.

"Hey," she punched him softly, "I mean it. I've missed this, you and me just being together. Not worrying about who likes who or what drama needs to be regulated. We're both emotionally here-" she paused then, for so long that Auggie started to wonder if she was still there- "I wish it could have always been like this."

Could have- been like this? Auggie's brain tried to sort through all the past tense speech and that's when everything started to fall into place.

"Cory, where's your car?"

Once again he was met with silence and all of his suspicions were confirmed.

"I'm leaving," she said simply. "Car's in the shop."

"Wow," he breathed, "That's sudden."

"Not really," scoffed, "Auggie, my whole life has been a disaster and all this time, I've felt trapped. By myself, my mother, you-"

"Me-"

"I love you, August Anderson, and in such a way that I thought if I left you it would be… like leaving part of me," she said softly, "And it still does but I get it now. The only way to find that absent part of me that you fill in is to go and find it."

He didn't know what to say, he'd been in love with this girl for the first eighteen years of his life, an endless moment in wait to hear those three words fed back to him like honey. But then she said it, the moment finally came and it lead him to do something that he never thought he would be able to. He let the moment pass. Still, she would always have some little corner of his heart.

"Since when have you been so smart," he asked, some miniscule part of him breaking and some other larger part feeling proud.

"So anyways," she said, clearly afraid of having more than one personal moment in a matter of twenty-four hours, "You came over here to remind me that Thanksgiving dinner is on the table and frankly, I'm hungry."

She tugged him off the ground and he let her.

"Oh wait," he came to a stop, forcing a marching Corrine to do the same. Hastily he dig his phone out of his pocket and held it out to her, "First I need you to call Conrad. I lied and told him that you were at my house."

"Ah, right, he was calling me a lot and I didn't feel like talking so eventually I just turned off my phone," she was quiet for a moment and Auggie could hear her rocking back and forth, trying to make a decision, "Should I tell him?"

"No," he answered immediately, "Let him have today."

"Right," she smiled again, giving him a peck on the cheek, "What will I do without you?"

It certainly seemed like a happy ending so why was he so damn sad?