a/n: After I posted Paint, I got an astounding response from you readers…most of you asking for more future-centric fics including Auggie and Annie's future children! So I cracked open my moleskin and ended up with this oneshot. I hope it's what you all wanted. I would appreciate it if you all would review after you read this and please tell me if this is the type of stuff you want me to keep writing or if you want me to go in a different direction with it. Please, anything helps! Thanks so much!
MINOR GRAMMAR EDIT 2/24/2012
Disclaimer: Covert Affairs is not mine. Some rich dude owns it, I'm sure. If I owned Covert Affairs, my oneshots would become actual episodes and this oneshot would come true!
Fairy Tales
Just like every fairy tale you ever heard as a child, there's ends happily ever after. But what exactly does 'happily ever after' mean? Well, it's not what you might think. There is no peace, there is no quiet. No days lived out with only blue skies and no perfect day dream without interruption. There is chaos and tears and absolute love. Happily ever after is simply the hope you feed your heart to believe there is such a thing. And there is. It's just not as one would expect.
Groggily, the blonde woman opened her eyes, turning her head with much effort to look over her shoulder at the alarm clock. The blaring green numbers alerted her that the time was eight-oh-four in the morning. Perfect. She didn't have to be at work for another … hour.
"Shoot," she grumbled to herself, throwing back her blankets and hurrying into the master bathroom conjoined with her room. She blasted the hot water, only to find it like ice on her skin a second later. Cursing under her breath, she shut off the water and grabbed a towel hanging from the metal towel rack on the wall. Now fully awake, towel wrapped around her body, she noticed the blue hand prints on the marble sink she had missed in her rush.
"Ally," she sighed. She hurried into his closet, quickly changing into her work clothes. A squeal came from the hallway.
"Mama!" a small voice called, "Daddy says you're late again!" She let herself out the door and scooped the little girl up into her arms, making her squeal even louder. She held her with one arm on her hip and gave the little girl an accusing look.
"Ally? Did you get finger paint on my sink?" Annie carried Ally down the hall toward the kitchen. Ally hid her hands behind her back innocently.
"No…" Curly brown hair fell in her eyes and she quickly shoved it back, exposing the blue paint on her hands. Annie shifted Ally to the hip, tickling her stomach and throwing her over her shoulder.
"Caught red handed!"
The girl squealed even more, laughing red faced.
"But Mommy! It's blue!" she defended.
"Wash it off before breakfast, please."
"Mkay, Mommy."
The four year old was exactly like her father, it was very obvious to Annie. Which was bad, because Ally's older sister was exactly the same way. Annie would be an early gray for sure.
"Annie! Hurry up!" Auggie yelled from the kitchen. She rounded the corner, setting Ally in her seat at the kitchen table and leaning down to kiss the top of the petite blonde's head sitting in his seat at the head of the table.
"Good morning, Catie."
She tilted her head back, nose scrunched up.
"Morning, Mommy. Hey, Dad, I think my milk is bad." She reached over the table and handed her father the child size pink glass. Auggie held it up to his nose, not smelling anything toxic took a sip. The sour milk nearly made him gag as he handed the glass back.
"Yep, it's gone bad," he coughed, "Have orange juice instead."
The oldest of the Anderson girls pouted, "But I wanted milk."
Her father rolled his sightless eyes, standing up and moving past the table to where his wife stood in front of the dishwasher, foot poised to kick the life from the machine. Grabbing her around the waist, he pulled her away from it a safe distance so she couldn't do any permanent damage.
"Morning, Annie," he kissed her cheek, smiling brightly.
"Auggie! The stupid dishwasher stopped working again," she growled.
"I just fixed it on Tuesday," he defended. She looked up at him, the back of her head resting against his chest.
"Will you fix it again?"
He kissed her forehead this time.
"I'll be home at five thirty and it will be fixed before dinner," he promised. Annie smiled brightly.
"I love you…oh and the washing machine, too?"
Auggie groaned.
"You've got to be kidding."
She laughed turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Sorry, baby."
She pressed a kiss to his lips.
"Eww!" Catie and Ally whined in unison.
"Eww!" Augie echoed, moving back to the table to steal a piece of toast from Ally's plate.
"Hey!" she protested.
A honk was heard from the driveway.
"That'll be the driver. Gotta go, girls." He picked a Braille file off the counter and his work bag off the floor, tossing it over his shoulder, "Joan asked me to drop in a little early today. Something about some new intel from Guatemala."
"Drop Catie off at school on your way?"
Catie was already making a mad dash for her backpack.
"Caitlin Isabella Anderson, you better brush your teeth this instant," Annie chided.
Defeated in her plot to make a break for it, the girl ran into the bathroom. Less than a moment later, she came back out, wiping the extra water on her sleeve. She smiled a toothy smile for her mother to see she had done what she was told and then ran out to the car.
"Love you, Annie. I'll see you at work. Well, I won't really see you, but you know what I mean," Auggie chuckled, "And I will be home on time today to fix those machines or may lightning strike me." He held his arms up dramatically as he backed towards the door.
"Wait! Then who will fix the washing machine!" Annie teased with an expression of mock concern.
"Bye, Daddy!" Ally waved.
"Allison Olivia Anderson, didn't I tell you to wash the paint off of your hands?"
Eyes wide, the girl hid her hands under the table, a guilty look painted on her face. Auggie laughed, shutting the door on his way out.
Just another day in paradise. Chaotic, crazy, unpredictable paradise. Happily ever after was not getting through one day, but rather living that day in its normalcy as something amazing. Because it was their paradise. From finger paints to bills. From birthday parties to baby showers. This was truly more than they could have ever dreamed up. If asked to sum up the end of their story, they'd simply say 'Happily Ever After', because no one but them could understand the perfection in their everyday imperfections.