AN: Hey there, just something short today. As requested, here's the 'continuation' to "Three Minutes?!"; in this one, Annie and Auggie tell Joan about the pregnancy.
Well, every chapter is related to the other, even though there is no chronological order. This one is very connected to "Three Minutes?!", so it feels like a sequel…
Hope you enjoy it! And, please, keep reviewing! You are the best!
Bureaucracy –
Auggie woke up wrapped around Annie. They were face to face and as soon as he opened his eyes, she kissed him good morning. He smiled.
"What time is it?"
"Hmm…" She rolled over him to peek at the watch on the bed table. "Nine."
"Nine? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You looked so tired last night… And it's Saturday, you deserved a little sleep after this week."
It had been a tough week, indeed. Right after they found out about the pregnancy, Annie scheduled an appointment at a doctor, to make sure she was actually pregnant. Auggie was very busy at work, helping at an operation that seemed endless, so he wasn't able to accompany her at the doctor, causing him to feel guilty. She was freaking out to be doing that alone, but she knew he would go with her if he could.
She suddenly stood up and he heard her footsteps getting farther.
"Where are you going?"
She closed the bathroom door and threw up. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and came back to bed.
"You ok?" Auggie asked, cuddling her.
"Yes. These morning sicknesses haven't been happening often… It was the first one in four days. Don't worry, I'm doing better than most."
They laid in silence for a while, until Annie decided to interrupt it.
"We have to tell Joan. I'm already on my eighth week, in less than a month my clothes won't fit me anymore and people will notice."
They sat up on the bed.
"Is there a protocol for that?" Annie asked.
"I don't think so… Well, from my good judgment, I assume we should tell her right away. And she has to be the first to know about it."
"Sure." She held his hand.
"But I don't think there is a protocol. Well, it doesn't happen that often in the agency."
Annie sighed. "That's exactly what worries me most. I have no idea how to do this. And there is no one to share their experiences with me…"
"Well, we are in this together, Annie. And it can't be so different from any other couple. What worries me most is that I'm blind."
"Come on, Auggie. You know that's the last of our concerns." She kissed the tip of his nose. "You'll do fine."
"You think so?"
"Of course, Augs! Since when do you question your capabilities?" She hit him on the arm.
"Since there is going to be a little person relying on me."
"And you will be there for this 'little person'. That's what matters." She stopped for a while. "Which brings me back to my greatest fear: what if we are always so busy at work that we won't be there for the 'little person'?"
"We'll figure it out, Annie." He took a deep breath. "Alright, we should stop worrying now. We're suffering in anticipation and we're only getting stressed. It's not good for the baby."
"I guess you're right." She nodded.
…
On Monday morning, Auggie was sitting on the couch, ready for work, and Annie was taking longer than she usually did to get dressed.
"What's taking you so long?"
"The doctor said my belly would only start to grow after the eleventh week, but three of my favorite skirts don't fit anymore…" She zippered up a skirt that finally fit. Thank god, it was the fifth she had tried on that morning.
"Maybe it isn't the baby; maybe you are just getting fat." He smirked.
"Ha. Ha. Ha." She took his arm. "Come on, you clown, let's go to work."
…
They walked into Langley and both of them felt the pressure on their shoulders getting stronger.
"Ok, let's do it." Annie said as she knocked on Joan's door. Auggie was holding her hand.
Joan let them in and asked them to sit down.
"So, what brings you both here?" She really wanted to know what the cause of Annie's pale face was.
"Well, Joan, there is something we wanted to tell you, about us." Auggie started. "Hmm… How can I put it?" He reached for Annie's knee.
Joan looked confused.
"We…" Annie started, trying to find the right words. "Well, I… Ugh!" She took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm pregnant." That was it, she had said it. Oh my god, what is Joan going to say?
Joan took only a few seconds to find an answer, but Annie and Auggie felt she took hours to say anything.
"Well…" Joan thought for a while before she continued. "Congratulations, I guess." She extended her hand towards Annie, wearing a sincere smile on her face.
"Hmm… Thank you?" Annie shook her boss's hand, finding it all a little weird.
"Is that it?" Auggie asked, getting up from his chair. "Are we good to go?" Both Auggie and Annie felt relieved that it had been so easy. Why were they so worried about Joan before? She had always been a friend.
"Well, I'll have Stu deliver you the paperwork you have to fill out about this. It's only bureaucratic stuff…"
"Oh God, no…" Auggie mumbled before Joan could even finish her sentence.
…
Annie was talking to Auggie at her desk when she sighted Stu coming towards them. He had a pile of paper on his hands that looked pretty heavy; he stopped in front of them.
"Excuse me, here are the forms you should fill out." He put it on her desk and Auggie startled at the sound of the huge amount of paper hitting the metal.
"Bureaucracy is a blast." He ran his hands on the pile to have an idea of how many hours they'd spend on that.
"Well, we should start right away, then." Annie took the first page and read it to Auggie so they'd do it together.