Amazing Part 6

Annie was asleep within minutes of joining Auggie in the hammock, his warm hand rubbing gentle circles against the small of her back. Auggie heard someone approach and put a finger to his lips to indicate Annie's slumber.

"Sorry," a young woman whispered.

"Kendall?' he asked quietly.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Heard you kicked ass on the fire escapes today," he smiled.

"Thanks," she said sounding proud and moved on to a hammock of her own.

***555***

Morning dawned bright and warm on the plantation and Annie, Auggie, Brett and Cathy were lined up to zip line down a valley to receive their next clue as the first 2 teams to finish the day before.

"It would suck to be afraid of heights on this Race," Auggie mentioned off-handedly.

"Seriously, I am expecting sky diving soon," Cathy laughed nervously.

The instructors got them in their harnesses and helmets again, Auggie's third harness in 24 hours. Auggie went first and Annie followed, their VW Beetle meeting them at the base with a clue on the windshield.

"Oh my God," Annie gasped as the pair heard Brett hooting and hollering down the zip line.

"What? Where?" Auggie asked intrigued.

"Moscow," she said and he could tell she was biting the cuticle on her thumb.

He furrowed his brow and tried to control the immediate reaction he has every time he thinks about her in Moscow.

"You OK?" he asked quietly, his lips finding her hair.

"Of course, of course I am," she smiled and tried to shake off the dread.

***555***

Luckily Annie and Auggie were nowhere near the 3 other teams on their flights to Moscow. This allowed Auggie to hold Annie close, murmur words of comfort and security to her that might seem odd to the other people on the Race.

"I am with you this time, not at the end of a protocol email chat, with you," he noticed that his shirt was clenched in her fists as she nodded against his chest.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice small.

"For what?" he asked.

"For not coming home when you asked me to Auggie, I think part of me knew why you were asking," she leaned up and kissed him to illustrate what she assumed.

He nodded but didn't break the kiss, her hands left his shirt and found his hair, clutching him to her. She moved towards him until the confines of her airplane seatbelt wouldn't let her get any closer, the man in the aisle seat next to her continued to snore softly.

Auggie finally pulled back gently from the frantic pace she was setting until they were just sitting there with their foreheads and their noses touching, their breath soft on one another's lips.

"Annie, I have felt things for you since the moment I met you, I always buried them though for the job or the timing, but then…." he trailed off.

His index finger found her chin and slowly traced down her throat to the soft sweater he was pretty sure was his. The finger continued down the front of the sweater, between her breasts to the exact spot where her scars lay hidden.

"I almost lost you emotionally a couple times over the past 3 years, but the thought of you not there at all, not able to hear your voice, your body so cold and still and silent," the quiet cool airplane cabin reminded him of those nights by her bedside.

"I'm sorry I didn't come home when you asked. I'm sorry I didn't say anything when you told me you were asking Parker to marry you, I am sorry I didn't kiss you any of the dozens of times I wanted to long before that," she punctuated each apology with a soft kiss.

***555***

Annie knew Moscow better than she knew DC, their clue had them going to a water sports facility, the Chaika Bassein.

"For a landlocked city they sure do like seagulls," Auggie mentioned as he translated the name of the facility.

There they were given an Individual challenge.

"You got to do the last one," Annie argued.

"It's all yours," he smiled as an instructor handed her a swimsuit.

Annie changed quickly and she, Ed, Brett and Mike were scaling a 10 meter diving platform. All she had to do was jump, swim the length of the Olympic-sized pool and dive to the bottom to retrieve another clue. It was nothing compared to Auggie's challenge.

Annie didn't hesitate in her jump, while others were dithering with the thought of it Annie just remembered jumping off a cliff with Reva in Belarus a couple years ago and let herself go.

"She's in the water," Molly told Auggie and led him to the other end of the pool to meet her.

"Thanks Molly," Auggie said sincerely as they awaited Annie and Ed.

"Hey good looking," Annie greeted as she touched at the end of the lane.

"Nice time Walker, I just got here," he grinned.

She dipped under the lane markers to the deep end where the clues were suspended under water.

"Don't get too comfortable, I'll be right back," she grinned and dove as Ed finished his lap.

Annie shimmied her way deep enough to grab a clue and emerged and lifted herself from the pool with ease. Auggie handed her a towel, but instead she shook her cold wet hair all over him like a wet dog.

"Nice," he snarked wiping the droplets of water off his face.

"I like to share," she kissed his cheek as she wrapped the towel around herself and opened the clue.

"Ooooh," Annie cooed as she read the clue.

"Where to?" Auggie liked her tone.

"Novodevichy," her voice was pleased.

"Pretty," Auggie agreed without giving too much away to the other teams around them.

Annie changed quickly and they were out hailing a cab in minutes. Novodevichy was a monastery with several beautiful cathedrals; the one they were looking for was the Virgin of Smolensk and was filled with dozens and dozens of gilded icons, the interior practically glowed from them.

They spoke quietly, reverently inside the small sanctuary.

"Candles?" Auggie asked as he smelled the melting wax.

"Lots of candles, stay close," as she weaved them in and out of huge pillar candles flickering against the gold art work.

Annie stopped for a second and Auggie moved his hand from her elbow to her waist, he knew she wanted to soak this in, to remember all the things about Moscow that are beautiful and special. He could feel the deep breaths she was taking, the emotion she was processing. She leaned back and kissed him softly indicating she was ready, she had said her prayer or made her wish or whatever she needed.

They got the clue which indicated a choice for the next team challenge. Not wanting to have a conversation in this holy spot she led Auggie out a side door to the fresh air of a beautiful Moscow day.

TBC…