Chapter 4
The view from the Cathedrale St. Pierre in Geneva was breathtaking. In the distance past the city rooftops and winding roads, the Jet d'Eau rose from Lake Geneva where it tied into the river Rhone. The fountain climbed into the air against a cloudless, bright blue sky. Danielle sat quietly on the cathedral steps, elbows on her knees, her chin resting on the flat of her knuckles, and she thought briefly about pinching herself. It had been years since she had traveled the world like this, and if you had asked her just days before, she never would have guessed she would have ended up here, half way across the globe, on a hunt for her dead-but-not-dead-sister.
The thought alone was almost enough to make her laugh out loud.
Next to her Auggie was reclined along the stairs, cane folded at his side, headphones playing some sort of jazz tune she did not recognize. She studied him for a moment, thinking back to the many conversations, or non-conversations, she and Annie had about him in the past.
There was something special about August Anderson, of this Danielle was absolutely certain. He was the only person that made Annie's eyes light up when she talked about him, that distant longing echo in her voice, the giddy glow that she radiated when Danielle caught her talking to him on the phone. What had she missed since she had left D.C. for the sunny state of California? It seemed odd for a man to be so invested in someone that he would drop everything to find her, unless there was more to it than what met the eye. Something held her back from asking Auggie about it, though – some undefined sadness that seemed to linger about him when they discussed Annie. If there was a story to be told she suspected it might not be a fairy-tale.
Maybe, if they found Annie, she would ask.
When they found her.
"What's on your mind?" Auggie pulled his headphones off, and Danielle startled at the unexpected inquiry. She would forever be amazed at how Auggie's intuition could pick up on the slightest discrepancies. Instead of being irritated she only smiled sheepishly.
"Is that even a question?" She replied wistfully, looking back down toward the city sprawled out below them, the horizon line beyond the lake, the tops of the snow capped Alps in the distance. She pictured Eyal returning from his foray into the city center, Annie on his arm, walking up the hill to meet them. She shrugged deeper into her black peacoat, readjusting the matching beanie on her head, and pulling the lose strands of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face.
"Yes?" Auggie was nothing if not relentless. "Spill." — but he said it kindly.
"I'm thinking about Annie, as if that wasn't a given." She murmured. She mirrored Auggie, leaning back against the steps, casting a curious sideways glance in his direction. "Since you can't tell me anything, I'm trying not to think too much about what must have happened, why we're here, and why she's hiding." Danielle paused, biting her lip. "And let's just clear the slate now and be honest; I'm a nosy big sister. I'm wondering what you're thinking Auggie."
Auggie's expression belied the fact that she had caught him completely off guard with her question. He opened his mouth to say something, but promptly stopped himself, and Danielle watched as her warred with his emotions and battled to keep a straight face. After a moment of pensive silence, he looked toward her, eyes narrowed cannily; she could almost see the light bulb come on over the top of his head — a realization that her inquiry was not as simple as it sounded.
"I'm not sure I understand." His poker face was fully restored, but Danielle was not buying it and the opportunity was irresistible.
"I knew it!" She sat up and jabbed him in the shoulder, so overcome by her own discovery that she temporarily forgot about the less than ideal circumstances that led to it. "I knew you two had a thing! I so called it, when we were in Sweden, I told her it was going to happen, and I was right! I'm always right."
"Wait." For the second time that day Danielle had Auggie surprised. "You two talked about me then? That was over 2 years ago, that was before…"
Danielle waited for him to finish talking, eager for the latest scoop on her sisters previously-shrouded love life. She would not be upholding the code of sisterly duties if she did not throughly question and interrogate him — assuming they were an item, which, in her opinion, was a now a moot point. All the ridiculous insanity of the past few days, and the fact that Annie was missing, were pushed to the back of her mind for the time being.
"So, you spill, Anderson." Danielle teased. "I want to know all the details. When, why, where."
"It's so funny that you think I'm going to tell you anything." He replied wryly, replacing his headphones with a grin, to which Danielle responded by swatting him with her hand in mock irritation.
She prepared to barrage him with a slew of questions and use her adept manipulation skills, a tool picked up from mothering two unruly girls, into bullying him for answers. However, her attempts were thwarted before she could begin, because out of the corner of her eye she spotted two people coming up the hill toward the cathedral. It was Eyal and a woman. Her heart skipped a beat and she stood up, unable to see clearly, but hoping that it was Annie. Auggie sensed her change in position, and he removed his head phones again, placing them around his neck and grabbing his folded cane before rising to stand beside her.
As the two drew closer, Danielle could not help the weight of disappointment that settled on her shoulders when she realized it was not her sister. The older Indian woman was beautiful, her dark, straight locks of hair drawn back in a pony tail that made her appear much younger. She seemed uncertain and doubtful walking next to the tall, intimidating form of Eyal. The Mossad agent wore a completely different expression in comparison, one that was pleasant and jovial. Danielle touched Auggie's hand reflexively, and he took her arm, carefully following her as they made their way down the Cathedral steps toward the street. She had to consciously force herself not to go too quickly.
"Ah! Danielle Brooks, Auggie Anderson." Eyal and the woman reached them as they descended the last few steps. "This is Sana Wilcox."
Sana's focus immediately fell on Danielle, her previous reservations superseded by an piqued interest. Danielle smiled, trying to be friendly, and much to her surprise, Sana smiled back.
"You look like her." Sana appraised thoughtfully. "Like Jessica. Or, Annie, rather."
In that moment Danielle saw someone not so different from herself when she looked at Sana Wilcox. It had broken her heart when Auggie explained who she was, and Danielle briefly thought of Jai, how he had come to the house for dinner all those summers ago, and the way his eyes always seemed to be laughing. She could not imagine losing her girls, and there fore she could not imagine the pain Sana had suffered after losing her son. But Danielle had lost a sister, for all intents and purposes anyway, and she knew that pain. Her eyes were tired, and the gravity of her words gave away the fact that she was also a victim of the never ending spy charade that Danielle had come to hate.
"She's my sister." Danielle admitted with a bittersweet half smile. "I always said she got her good looks from me."
Eyal snorted in amusement, and Danielle shot him a glare that was dagger worthy, though it only made the Israeli smile more.
"Fortunately for us, Sana has seen our little runaway." Eyal announced enthusiastically. "Just this morning, in fact."
"We're catching up." Auggie's excitement was forcibly subdued, but his face immediately livened at Eyal's revelation, and he shifted his weight restlessly beside Danielle. She held onto Auggie's jacket sleeve, as if he would ground her in this constantly shifting, chaotic ocean of unpredictability.
"Or falling behind." Sana corrected in her crisp British English. "While I did see her this morning, it was only briefly, and there was very little she gave away as far as where she was going." She paused, looking behind Danielle and Auggie, and then back down the street. "Look, why don't you come back with me to my flat. I'd rather not talk out here in the open.I fear old habits die hard, and I've been particularly prone to them as of late. Besides, I'm sure you three could do with some lunch."
"Food!" Eyal exclaimed in childlike delight. "The quickest way to a man's heart, to be sure."
Danielle gave him the most patronizing, mother of the year stare she could muster, but as per usual Eyal simply grinned back at her, dark eyes glinting humorously. Auggie rolled his eyes and shook his head, adjusting his grip on his cane and shifting his computer bag across his shoulder accordingly. Danielle realized, much to her surprise, that the dynamic here was not so different from the one at home. The only difference was that instead of two little girls, she now had two large boys to look after instead, and so far they seemed to prove far more vexing than she ever could have guessed.
"Come on you two." Danielle pulled on Auggie's arm, and stepped forward into the street. "Sana, lead the way."
AN: Y'all probably feel special, another update so soon?! Anyways, thank you all SO much for the outpouring of love. It makes my heart happy when y'all enjoy reading my stories, and it gives me hope that maybe someday I can make my own original storybook characters come to life... Until then, I'll enjoy borrowing from my various favorite shows, like Covert Affairs. I am beyond anxious for Season 5, the writers sure have a lot of explaining to do after the way the left Season 4! Anyways, let me know what you think by dropping a review and favoriting! I try to respond to everyone. Thanks so much again! :)