Yes, I'm spamming this weekend. I had a very intense part of this story started, but after the stress I had last week I couldn't get myself to write any more on that part, so I ended up with some fluff. I meant to have this in the original story, and it totally slipped my mind.

The problem in Annie and Auggie's relationship, even before it was romantic, was that Annie always had to be the designated driver. Tonight, that meant that Auggie was a good bit tipsy while Annie was still a little on edge from the long workday. They were at Annie's house, and she wasn't planning to take him home later.

Auggie had plans of his own, which involved barely waiting to get inside the door before he was trying to undress her. She was locking the door behind them when he started pulling off her jacket. He held the discarded jacket in his left hand as he reached for her jaw for a kiss. Instead of reciprocating, she turned toward the kitchen to get herself a beer, leaving Auggie's hand trailing from her jawline to her shoulder, catching on a long chain in the process.

Annie walked to the kitchen while Auggie tried to find an empty hanger for her jacket. She returned with two beers, and finished the kiss that he tried to start earlier. With the hand that wasn't holding the beer Auggie touched her neck again.

"When are you going to tell me about that necklace you keep hiding?" Auggie asked as they pulled away.

Annie closed her eyes. "I'm not hiding it."

"You've been putting it out of my reach since the night we first kissed." Auggie replied.

"Not because I'm trying to hide it." Annie explained. "I just don't want it in the way."

Auggie pinched his eyebrows together as he considered her words. "You got it in Russia, right?"

"How do you know that?" Annie responded, shocked that he had guessed correctly.

"You didn't have it either time you were in the hospital." Auggie replied. "And you have had it on ever since you got back. Is it related to Simon?"

The look on Auggie's face nearly broke her heart. He was concerned, but a little bit uncertain. She tapped his free hand and softly said "Come here," as she led him to the couch. She sat close to him and took a long drink of her beer.

"I wasn't intentionally hiding it." She re-stated.

"You certainly have made it a top priority to keep it out of my reach." Auggie said.

Annie reached for his empty hand, and carefully placed the chain into his palm. Auggie sat his beer on the side table while he ran the metal through his fingers until he reached a key. "It was Simon's." She stated.

"But you didn't get it from him." Auggie stated, rather than asked.

"I met his sister, in Russia. She gave it to me."

Auggie knew the two had met. "But that was before you were caught." He stated.

"I met with her again, after."

"You never told me."

"We haven't really talked about it, much."

"So what is the significance of the necklace?"

"It's the key to an old steamer trunk that their family would pack everything inside when they moved. It was a symbol of something that was constant."

Auggie was still running his fingers over the key. It was solid, with a comforting weight. "So do you wear it for Simon, for his sister, or for something constant?"

"All three, I guess." She responded. "After I escaped, it was the first thing that gave me any comfort."

"Eyal didn't give you comfort?" Auggie asked. He was definitely asking braver questions because of the alcohol.

Annie placed her hand over Auggie's and the necklace. "I was glad to see Eyal, sure. But there is nothing constant about him."

Auggie turned his hand over, leaving the necklace in Annie's palm. "You were in love with Simon."

"Yes." Annie responded without hesitation.

"Instead you had to settle for the blind geek." He said with a somber tone.

"You know that is not true."

"I've never killed anybody for you."

"But you would, if needed."

Auggie gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"And you would be far less likely to need to, since we work for the same side. You know as well as I do that there was no future for me with Simon."

"I know what it's like to love someone of whom the Agency disapproves. I know what it's like to want to run away with that person." Auggie responded.

Annie looked at the necklace in her hands. "I wasn't going to go with him."

"But you wanted to."

"You actually went with Natasha." She stated.

Auggie nodded again and took a long drink of beer. "Yep."

"And if she came back?" Annie asked, staring at him.

Something changed in Auggie, with her question. He reached and cupped her face in his hand. "I want you, Annie. Natasha was from another life, a life I said goodbye to last year. If she came back, I would still care for her, just as I care for many of my friends, but you are the only woman that I want, romantically."

She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "And if Simon were still here today?" Auggie asked.

"We would have gone our separate ways that day in Danielle's kitchen. I'm not 'settling' for you, Auggie. I would have chosen you over him, if the option were available."

"I was too caught up in my own world." Auggie explained.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Annie stated.

"You are here for me now."

"Likewise." Annie replied. "And I take off the necklace, because I don't want Simon to be between us. I want what we have to be just us. But I don't want to forget him, because he is somebody I loved, who I nearly died with."

Auggie nodded. "Thanks."

Annie sat beside him in the couch in peaceful silence.

"You know I would do anything for you, Annie." Auggie said quietly. "But I'm not Simon, Eyal, or even Ben. I can put up a good fight in close quarters, but I can't rescue you from a Russian prison, shoot the bad guys, or even jump off a train to follow you."

Annie squeezed his hand. "When did you become self-conscious?" She asked with a grin.

Auggie gave a big smile and turned toward her. "Probably around the same time I decided I wanted to kiss you." He replied.

"I love you Auggie. I hope you know that."

"I love you too, Annie." He said, then she leaned into his arms and they sat together, just feeling and listening to the other's breath.

And that's all ya'll get this weekend. Seriously. For real. Truly. I have to devote the rest of my writing for the remainder of the weekend, and hopefully next week, to my actual job.

... and maybe do some laundry.