Notes: Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. Also, I hope to stick to a Tuesday and Thursday release schedule for chapters.
Full Circle P2
Annie moved into the small apartment Joan and Calder had secured for her on Sunday. Her stuff from the storage unit was delivered by a cleaning crew led by Hollman.
"Hi Annie," he said shyly when he arrived.
"Hi Andrew," Annie smiled and then reached out a hand and squeezed his shoulder.
"This should be everything, we, um, left the car there of course," his eyebrows disappeared beneath his shaggy curls.
"Of course, if my assignment keeps me here I will have to get something a little more convenient for the city," Annie shrugged.
"Is it Auggie's? The 'vette?"
"What makes you say that?"
"It has Illinois plates on it."
"I sometimes forget you guys in Tech Ops are spies too," she laughed.
"He gave you his car," it wasn't a question this time.
"He knows how fast I like to drive," she conjured his words from that day, a different day he broke her heart.
In both cases, not entirely his fault.
Annie closed the door to her new apartment and sat amongst the belongings from a forgotten life. The first box she opened had a picture of Chloe and Katia in it and she closed it back up, opting to take a shower instead.
***555***
Auggie woke Sunday morning to a putrid taste in his mouth and pounding headache. When he got back from Annie's hotel room all he could smell was Annie, he showered and then realized he could taste her too, the sweet note of lime from her lotion, the waxy cherry of her Chapstick, something richer he wanted to forget. He bypassed his toothbrush and went straight for the tequila.
When Auggie lost his sight he had thought he would lose the ability to relive things over and over as well. That moment at the end of a day when you try to sleep but your mind plays the images of the day on a loop you can't shut off. What he had found was that it still happened and as with everything else his other sense took over the work.
The tequila helped, but it took a lot of it and that was what he was feeling Sunday. Another shower, a packed duffle and an egg white omelet later and he was enroute to the gym.
"Hey Auggie," someone greeted, but the tequila was still dulling his senses and he had no idea who it was so he waved and moved on.
After 20 minutes on the bike his thighs and his stomach were both protesting, his week in bed in Chicago was not doing him any favors at the gym. He pushed through the pain and nausea though and eventually the endorphins kicked in.
***555***
"You don't look rested," Calder mentioned as Auggie entered his office bright and early on Monday.
"I'll go out on a limb and say same to you?" Auggie frowned.
"I expected unrested, but in a 'spent the whole week having sex with my not dead girlfriend' way, not this," he looked Auggie up and down.
"You'll be the happy to know, I no longer have a girlfriend, dead or otherwise."
"You'll be surprised to know that doesn't make me happy," Calder sat across from Auggie.
"We both agree we can work together, so your little fiefdom is secure," Auggie clarified.
"I have no idea how things are going to shake out Auggie, I am as in the dark as you are."
Auggie raised his eyebrows at that.
"OK, not quite as in the dark," Calder smirked.
"So, what now?" Auggie shrugged.
"I'm putting you back in your old office, if for no other reason than it is set up for you. Your clearance is not quite back to where it was, but the case against Henry gets sorted more and more each day and with each day's new intel you come out looking like a hero."
"That might be over stating, Annie is the real hero here," no matter how conflicted he was her accomplishments could not be overlooked.
"Of course, and trust me she has her pick of assignments, the rest of us will wait out her decision and the pieces will fall into place. In the meantime I have a rookie in Angola with an inferiority complex. You up for some words of wisdom and encouragement?"
"Sure."
"Barber will read you in. I'll let you know what happens after my meeting with Walker and Joan."
Auggie stood, his normal methodical movements just a beat off by Calder's estimation. He was ready to work, but certainly not fully back.
***555***
Calder felt like a hall monitor today, he got Auggie off on his interim mission and settled in with a cup of coffee before Joan and Annie paraded into the office. Annie seemed skittish and gun shy, not really a ringing endorsement of her preparedness for work.
"Good to see you Annie, I hope you were able to settle in to your new place," Calder began as he offered the women coffee from the sidebar in his office.
"Getting there, thank you," she nodded and accepted the coffee not revealing she hadn't unpacked a single thing.
"We have 2 offers for you Annie, both of them involve company-mandated therapy," Calder began as he sat.
"Probably not a bad idea," Annie chuckled mirthlessly.
"It's non-negotiable," Joan clarified and Annie nodded more seriously.
"What is the difference between the two?" Annie asked after a sip of coffee.
"Location," Calder began, "here or Budapest."
Annie's eyes widened in surprise.
"We have a long term assignment in Hungary," Joan explained, "purely intelligence gathering, low risk, but you could use your language skills and be back in the game."
"How long term?" Annie asked wondering if she was psychic for not unpacking.
"Six weeks," Joan answered.
"And if I stay here?"
"No defined mission yet, I would put you on the Eastern European desk," Joan shrugged.
"I'll go to Budapest."
"You're sure?" Calder asked suspiciously.
"Yes, it is long enough to let things settle here, but not so long I will get lost again. It is an organized mission with a goal and I will have access to the same help I could get here," Annie counted out the pros.
Calder was happy she had logical reasons for her decision and was not simply trying to run away again.
"What about Auggie?" she asked shyly.
"I put him back in his office for now, waiting on your decision. He said you would be able to work together, is that true?"
"Yes."
"Well when you get back we'll see where things are. I know how critical Auggie is to the agency and I value his work immensely, and I know you know Joan does too, don't worry about Auggie," Calder said with conviction.
Annie nodded, finished her coffee and stood.
"When do I leave?"
"The mission goes live on Wednesday," Joan said quickly, "if you like you can leave today and travel to Budapest by way of California."
"That seems a little out of the way," she tried for a joke.
"We won't force you to talk to your sister Annie, but I really think you should," Joan reached out and took Annie's hand.
Annie couldn't speak about Danielle yet, but she knew Joan understood the problem, likely better than anyone.
"There are 2 plane tickets, one that leaves tonight to SFO and one that leaves Wednesday morning to Budapest, just let us know which one you are going to use," Calder slid the plane tickets towards her.
"Do I have a passport?" Annie asked suddenly.
"Yes, you are officially undead," Calder smiled and slid a full packet of documents, real and cover docs, across the desk as well.
"You guys work fast," Annie said and suddenly remembered something.
"Aren't you on maternity leave?" she turned to Joan.
"Yes, but I wanted to see you and get you settled. Since you are taking the Budapest mission Calder will be your handler. It is a little beneath his pay grade these days, but he can handle you and I can handle McKenzie," Joan smiled when she mentioned the baby.
"Thank you," Annie smiled genuinely at her old boss.
***555***
Annie had a couple minutes to observe the DPD before she was noticed and the hush fell over the normally loud work space. She watched as Auggie noticed the change in noise and slipped his earphones off.
Annie smiled at people as she jogged down the stairs and across the room towards the glassed in office in the middle of the DPD.
Barber hopped up as she approached the door.
"Annie's here," he stage whispered to Auggie.
"I know," he nodded.
"Hi Eric," Annie smiled at the big guy.
"Hi Annie, welcome back," he said awkwardly.
"Good to be back, could we have the room for a minute?" she asked.
"Of course," Barber signaled to Millie who was paying close attention from her desk and the two left out the back door.
Annie waved to Millie and watched as they left before turning her attention to Auggie.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," she returned and went to perch on the edge of his desk as she had so many times over the past 4 years and then thought better of it, fidgeting with her hands like a kid.
"Did you have your meeting?" he asked.
"I did and I wanted to tell you what I decided before it was public."
"You're leaving," he exhaled.
"Not exactly. They offered me a six week gig in Budapest, counseling and a chance to get my legs under me without the limelight of Langley to distract me. I wanted to tell you. I'm leaving tonight to see Danielle first," she hated that she was babbling.
Auggie was quiet for a few seconds, processing the news. Part of him was terrified about having her thousands of miles away again and part of him was relieved to have some space to sort out all they had been through.
"I think that is good," he said calmly.
Annie wasn't sure if he thought it was good that she was seeing Danielle or that she was going to be thousands of miles away but she nodded and turned on her heel. She looked back over her shoulder.
"See you in a few weeks," she said and the clicking of her heels faded as she walked out of the DPD again.
TBC…