Sorry for doing a repost last time my bad! Hope you like this one . . . leave a review please!

Auggie POV

I sighed for what seemed like the millionth time today; and it was only about 4:30. I turned my thoughts around again, analyzing my situation from every angle.

It's not fair to her, she deserves to have a man that fully loves her, not a man that will forever have a piece of his heart entrapped within another woman.

I played over the last four months in my head, Parker's sweet laugh, her distinct perfume, the way her fingers drifted over me when we made love. It was all very enjoyable, natural, and comforting, almost, but absolutely nothing to what I had with Annie.

The way her arm would curl protectively around my elbow at times, her grape fruit scent sometimes surrounding me when we were at Allen's, the way she laughed was like music to my ears. With Parker, I could simply be happy, but with Annie, I would be ecstatic; every day with her would be like heaven on Earth.

I would give my life for both women, I realized, but Parker didn't understand what my life before Eritrea was like. She didn't understand the sense of danger and unease that always flooded my mind every time Annie was put on a plane to some different country, or doing a brush pass. She didn't understand the level of adrenaline and what was at stake like I did.

When laying it all out there, it seemed obvious what I had to do. But god damn, I just couldn't do it! Annie wouldn't accept me; we were too comfortable as friends, hell, she probably thought of me as her older brother!

But Parker deserves to have the chance to meet someone who will love her fully.

I sighed again, and we were back to this conclusion, I thought, and swallowed against the lump in my throat.

My head lifted when I heard the subtle sound of the tent flap opening and cocked my head to one side.

"Hey Auggie, Henry told me you would be here. I can't thank you enough for speaking to a few of the blind women we admitted here earlier," she sat down beside me on our mattress and I felt her arms encircle my waist.

Her head lay against my shoulder and I was hit with that sweet scent of roses.

"My pleasure," I began, biting my lip slightly, a habit I picked up from a certain blonde woman, "Parker we need to talk."

She pulled us down and my head was cushioned by my pillow, and I felt her small form curl up beside me.

"Hm?"

"God, Parker, you're so amazing, you're so incredible," I sniffed slightly; was that the smell of gas? "These past few months have been so great, but . . . "

I stopped myself, tilting my head to one side and using my elbows to prop me up.

The muffled shouts in Farsi assaulted my ears; there were very few workers here that spoke the native tongue so well.

"Auggie?" I heard the shifting of the sheets as she sat up, "What's wrong?"

I held up a hand as I tried to desperately unscrambled what they were saying.

Suddenly, the startled scream of one of the workers, Anna, I think, was her name, made me spring to my feet.

The sound of the tent being roughly ripped open made me turn towards the noise. I pulled Parker behind me just as I felt a pair of arms grab me.

"Stop! Who are you guys? What do you want?" I heard Parker shout in alarm.

I was roughly shoved back onto the mattress; I tried to scramble away while keeping my ears on high alert, trying to place where everybody was but couldn't. The smell of chlorophyll filled up my senses and made my nose burn.

The world seemed to mute itself as I struggled against the arms that held me down.

Annie POV

I looked at my watch, it was almost five now; the jeep had needed a tired change and I hadn't wanted Jai to exert himself even more so I took on the job; only problem was that I had never changed a tire by myself in my life.

I examined my handy work with a smile, hoping that it would work.

"Jai, I think I got it," I whispered, looking up to see that he looked extremely exhausted.

"Maybe I should drive," I ventured when he didn't respond.

He shook his head and began dialing Bill's number.

"Billy, we're going to need the choppers in about four hours," he looked at me for confirmation and when I nodded, he continued, "we're getting them all out, no matter what."

He paused as I swung myself back into the Jeep, handing him the bottle of water he had probably forgotten about.

He nodded his thanks as he continued to listen to what was being spoken on the other line.

Suddenly, he passed the phone to me, mouthing "Joan."

I took the phone, "Hello?"

"Annie, what is your status?"

"About two hours tops from getting to the camp."

"Alright, Bill has you set up as Ms. Anna Brooks, you're with the ZAP magazine, and a liason with our government doing a story on their political cause, and I use the term loosely, while giving them the money as well."

I nodded, "Sounds like a plan, but what am I going to do if someone accidentally lets slip that I'm not who I say I am?"

My mind shifted to Shariff, he would have a lot to say now that his brother and his team were in place.

"Play it off, challenge them to search your name and they should be able to find a whole list of your accomplishments and accommodations. I think Austin had two blue-tooths with him, I want both of you to put them on so that we can be in full contact at all times, understand? Get going, Annie. The choppers are being sent your way."

"Thanks Joan, I really appreciate it."

The jeep roared to life and we continued to speed through the desert, an uneasy silence hanging over us. We were each withdrawing into ourselves, I realized, mentally preparing ourselves for the tasks at hand.

I reached into the backpack and sure enough, the two black blue-tooths were there. I handed one to Jai and put mine on, securing it into place.

"Can you hear me?" Bill called, in my ear.

"Loud and clear," I answered.

"Great, now I'm going to mute myself until one of you need help or need to stay in contact with us."

"Annie at around nine pm I'm going to blow it up, so get them all ready," Jai said, breaking his silence.

"Alright," I said quietly.

Auggie POV

The murmur of voices reached my ears, I tried to straighten out what they were saying to no avail, but couldn't get a clear reading from the ringing that was in my head.

"Auggie, are you awake?" Parker called, sounding far away.

I shook my head slightly, my thumb running over my sightless eyes, wishing that I could see.

I opened my eyes, knowing that my wishes weren't going to be answered by doing it for her benefit, not mine.

"What happened?"

"A few guys came into camp, they said that they're taking us hostage until they get their money. I don't know what they're talking about now, but they're negotiating with some other people. We've all been crowded into one of the tents, I'm not sure which because I was blind folded."

I nodded, feeling around, my hand coming into contact with her bare arm.

"Auggie, get some rest, alright? I'll wake you if anything else happens."

"Parker, about earlier, I-

She put her hand over my mouth, mumbling the rest of my speech.

"I know," she whispered in my ear, and I had a feeling that she really did.

Parker POV

I walked out of the tent as soon as Auggie had fallen asleep. I did know what he meant; hell, I had known as soon as he had realized that Annie had arrived at camp. It was inevitable, I thought.

I peeked through the flap and my eyes widened in shock.

"Annie?" I whispered quietly, as I listened in on their conversation. Mercifully, it was in English.

"You'll get your money tomorrow, just let me make sure that you haven't harmed anybody. If any of them are dead, you won't be getting any of the money."

She looked confident, her eyes narrowed as she stood just a few centimeters away from the burly man that held the gun.

"How do I know that this is not a scam?"

"Check my credentials," with that said, she briskly walked towards our tent. I scrambled back away from the door way, still in slight shock.

How did she get here? More importantly, how did she know that we were in danger and how would she get us out?"

Annie POV

I briskly turned away from him with my head held high, walking towards the tent. I held my breath, hoping that he wouldn't see through my cool demeanor and realized that I was actually burning with anxiety at the moment.

I brushed through the guards and stepped inside the tent, scanning the darkened area for familiar faces.

Auggie.

"Annie! What are you doing here?"

I turned and saw Parker's face come into view and the breath I had previously held escaped.

"Are any of you hurt?" I asked, looking around, seeing scared faces but not one of them had the features of the man that I was looking for.

"Auggie has been drifting in and out of consciousness, I think they did something to him but I couldn't see. He's over here," she whispered, gesturing for the crowd of people to part and make a path for us.

I walked towards the corner of the tent and saw Auggie lying on the single mattress in the corner of the room, sweat rolling down his face.

I laid my hand on his shoulder, "Auggie," I whispered quietly, gently shaking his shoulder.

I heard him mumble something in his sleep but didn't catch it. I leaned over and whispered his name again, closer to his ear.

"Auggie, I need you to wake up."

I pulled back slightly to look into his face, my fingers itching to trace every line that had formed on his face, heal every cut that wasn't there when I had first met him, but refrained and waited patiently for his eyes to open.

"Annie," he whispered, and his eyes sprung open, darting back and forth.

"Auggie, I'm here, now tell me what hurts," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears as I gazed into his deep brown ones.

"I'm fine, my head's just a little banged up from the fall, otherwise I'm ready to take on a whole army," he joked, his voice rough.

"Where are you, Annie?" He asked, trying to find me.

I smiled, took his hand and laid it on my shoulder, "I'm right here, Auggie, just like how I've always been."

I turned to the rest of the awe struck on-lookers and gave them a confident smile.

"You're all going to be fine, arrangements are being made as we speak to get you all back home."

They nodded and some went back to their separate corners, whispering in secluded groups and every once in a while looking at us with suspicion.

"When are we getting out?" Parker asked.

I turned to look at her and kept my voice down, "Tonight. Jai is rigging everything so that we'll have a distraction when the time comes. I need you to prepare everyone discreetly while I go and talk to the guards outside."

"Annie, don't leave," Auggie whispered, catching hold of my hand.

I smiled, "I'll be back, don't worry."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," was his reply.