A/N: By popular demand, here is the follow-up chapter. It's pretty short, but it tied the story up in a nice, neat little bow. Enjoy. Sad times ahead ... apologies for that.

Auggie stared ahead. His heart broken as he stared at the coffin before him. This time her death wasn't fake. Annie Walker was truly dead, and it was all his fault. She had died to save his life, and he wished that he had the strength to have told her no. To have stood up to his captor. To have saved her life, like she had saved.

Joan sat to his left and Calder was on his right. Though the man had never been Annie's number one fan, Auggie felt Calder's body shake just a little, and he knew that the man was crying.

Joan was clinging tightly to Auggie's hand, as he felt tears slipping down his cheek. He heard the words being said, but his mind was elsewhere. It seemed to fly by, before Joan was tugging him into a standing position.

"Auggie." Joan whispered, before she pulled him into a hug. "I have to tell you something."

Auggie nodded, and allowed Joan lead him out of the cemetery, before she pulled him to sit down. "Go on." He said finally.

"You know how hell-bent Annie was to take down Henry, Auggie. What she was willing to do … how far she was willing to go." Auggie merely nodded, words alluding him. "She was willing to throw all of it away to save you. She was willing to risk everything. You meant the world to her. Much more than a mission. Auggie, she was so in love with you. She left you a letter and asked me to read it to you if something happened to her."

Auggie sighed, as a few more tears slipped down his cheek. "Why did she have to die?" It was a simple question. Auggie had to figure that she had another choice, one that didn't end with her dying.

"Auggie, I wish I knew why she did what she did. I don't think any of us will ever have an answer to that question. Not beyond the fact that she was willing to die for you."

Auggie's heart constricted at Joan's words. He felt the same way about Annie, and in that moment he wished that she would have just left him in that warehouse. That Annie would have just left him to die. At least then she would be alive and his heart wouldn't feel like someone had ripped it apart.

Joan took his silence as a sign to move forward. To read him Annie's letter. She sighed, as she glanced over the clumsy writing, and suddenly felt like this was too personal for her to read, but it was the only way for Auggie to know Annie's final thoughts on what had happened. Joan knew that Annie only trusted her to read him the letter, and to give thoughts on what Annie had chosen to do. Joan had known when Annie left to infiltrate the warehouse, that Annie didn't plan on returning. It was like Annie knew what to expect when she got there.

Auggie,

If Joan is reading you this letter then that means that the worse possible case scenario has happened. That I'm dead. I'm sorry about that, but if it is the reality of the situation, then it was worth it. Dying to protect you is the best thing I could have done. I've done so many things in my life. Things that I'm not particularly proud of, but saving your life, that is something that I can be proud of.

I knew when I signed up with the CIA that there was always that chance that might not make it to see tomorrow. It never scared me because I tried not to think of it. I just went in, guns blazing, and thought about the consequences afterward.

I know that I was probably one of the most difficult agents that you've had to handle, and I apologize for that. I do hope that I was one of the best as well, because I did try my hardest to complete every mission with as little damage done.

Before I continue, Auggie, I want to thank you for being the best friend a girl could ask for. You were the single most important person in my life. I know that you will take it upon yourself to inform Danielle of my death, and I'm sorry. Tell her that I loved her dearly and that I'm sorry that I broke my promise.

Auggie, before I finish this letter and leave to find you, I need you to know that I love you so much. No matter what I thought before, you were my greatest love, and if I'm dead because I saved your life, then know that I couldn't have died happier. Knowing that you were safe is the best gift I could have given myself and the world.

Please don't be too sad, Auggie. I need to know that you can move on. That you can find someone else to share your generous soul with because you deserve to be happy. Know that I'm always with you, and that I died loving you more than anything.

Love,

Annie

Auggie swiped at the tears in his eyes, as he placed a shaking hand against Annie's headstone. A year had passed by since her earth-shattering death. He was slowly starting to learn to move on. Auggie didn't feel comfortable dating, not yet. Not when his heart still belonged to someone else. That didn't mean that he didn't find comfort in the opposite sex, but it meant nothing. Meaningless sex so that he didn't feel so lonely.

The nightmares had started to fall off. For months he woke up every night drenched in sweat, breathing heavily with tears slipping down his cheeks. The nightmares were so vivid. It was the same thing every night. He had his sight back, and he was cuffed to the chair in that warehouse. Slowly, Annie was drug in, fear in her eyes, as she whispered the same thing to him. I saved you, Auggie, why couldn't you save me?

Joan hadn't allowed him back to work yet. He had been forced to see a psychologist in order to be cleared to return to work. Instead his psychologist had found him unfit for work, and diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I can't believe it's been a year already." Auggie knew the voice all too well.

He offered his visitor a weary, sad smile. "Me either. It feels like it was just yesterday."

Joan placed a comforting hand on Auggie's shoulder. "How have you been?" She asked softly. She hated that she hadn't kept in contact with Auggie as much as she would have liked.

"Okay, most of the time." He answered. His smile turned more genuine when he heard Joan's son gurgle softly in her arms. "Is that little Mac?"

Joan chuckled, "Yeah, except he's not so little. Definitely taking after his daddy size wise."

Auggie sighed, "Well, I should get going. I have an appointment with Dr. Johnston today. All I really want, is to be released to return to work. Being alone is bad for me, Joan. That's when my thoughts run rampant, and I think of all the things I could do to save her life."

Joan put another comforting hand on his shoulder, "As soon as Dr. Johnston releases you, Auggie, know that your job is waiting for you."

Auggie offered what he hoped was a smile, before turning to leave.