Risks Pay Off

CIA Tech Ops employee Stu had a decision to make. On one hand his boss, August "Auggie" Anderson, had shown trust in him today by confiding in him… and Auggie was not only known for his temper but also for his accuracy when it came to throwing punches despite his blindness. On the other hand, if he shared the information and it brought about something good… well it was a risk either way.

His mind was made up quickly, however, when the subject of said information walked through the doors of the break room. This subject happened to be CIA agent Annie Walker, the most beautiful woman of not only the DPD but of the entire agency. She was obviously absorbed in her own thoughts this morning as she poured coffee from the pre-made pot on the counter. He carefully went to stand beside her.

"Annie?" He asked, cautiously, hesitant to pull her out of her reverie. Her head whipped up and she was suddenly at full attention. "Yes, Stu?" He took a deep breath, for it was now or never. "Do you like Auggie?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him completely perplexed. "Of course I do. We're best friends and-" Stu cut her off with the wave of his hand interrupting.

"I think you know I didn't mean as a friend." Annie took sighed before looking up; eyes darting for a way to escape but Stu caught her arm and looked into her brown eyes, currently brightened with something that looked like fear. That almost made him laugh she faces arms dealers and terrorist without batting an eye but she's terrified to admit something anyone looking could see.

Stu sighed as well, thinking- Well, love does make people irrational. –before imploring her again. "Please Annie be honest, not only with me, but with yourself as well." One deep breath and a scan for a way out later she nodded. "Yes. God, yes." He released her arm with a, "Good. Then tell him." Her eyes became wide and she looked at me in surprise.

Before she had time to object however, Stu continued. "Look, Annie, you didn't know him before. He was cranky, angry all the time, a workaholic. On that first day when he met you he had been in a horrid mood that made him just barely tolerable to us in Tech Ops, then Joan called him to give you the "grand tour" so to speak, and when he came back he was in the best mood we had seen him in in months.

"The only time he reverts back to his old self now is when you're out on a mission and he can't talk to you." She shook her head in protest. "I'm just his best friend." Anyone who wasn't deaf could hear the heartbreak it caused her to say those five words. Stu could see he wasn't getting through to her so he tried a different approach. "Have you given him a chance to say that he cares for you beyond the bounds of friendship?"

At this he saw her hesitate, pausing to consider his question. "You told him on the first day about getting burned by an old flame, how you were never going to let that happen again. You didn't give him a chance, Annie." Unfortunately, Annie Walker was nothing if not stubborn. She shook her head still in denial, still blind to something obvious to everyone else.

Stu decided to play his last card. "Annie, he talked to me today." That caught her attention really quick and even though she didn't ask out loud, her eyes flashed with hope and begged him to tell her. He obliged. "He told me that he fell for you that first day but that he refused to push you. He wasn't going to try before you got completely over the guy who broke your heart.

"He was content to only be your best friend, confident, and love you only from afar despite how it broke his heart because, and I quote, 'Life without Annie in unacceptable, it just won't do. She is my life and I refuse to destroy our friendship by telling her. She's the woman of my dreams. I love her, I refuse to lose her.'" Annie had a smile growing on her face as she listen to him talk. Stu waited for a moment as she was lost in her own thoughts.

"Stu… where is Auggie?" Stu hid a smile of victory as he answered her. "In his office." She nodded as he let go of her arm and took off. He watched her go; thinking- Today's going to be a really good day.

Less than a minute later Annie Walker breezed into Tech Ops. Auggie (with his super senses) had smelled her coming and was already standing to greet her when she kissed him. He was in shock for all of a tenth of a second but as soon as he recovered he more than made up for it.

The kiss lasted forever and not long enough for Annie and Auggie. When they finally pulled away to breathe as their lungs cried for air, they only parted minutely, just far enough for them to rest their foreheads against each other's. They didn't notice the Tech Department looking on with approval.

When he finally caught his breath Auggie whispered, "I fell asleep at my desk again didn't I?" Annie laughed. "Let us see. Could your subconscious come up with this?" She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. The Tech Ops employees looked on in amusement as their boss' (who was known as an undeniable Casanova) eyes got wide and a slow smile grew on his face.

This amusement only grew when Auggie grabbed a laughing Annie by the hand and pulled her out the glass Tech Ops doors toward the exit. But what got them laughing aloud was Auggie telling Joan as she walked by that he and Annie were taking the rest of the day off, and they heard Joan mutter, "Well it's about time."

The next morning, one CIA Tech Ops employee Stu walked into his office to find a sealed envelope on his desk. He opened it read it, then read it again slowly, a smirk growing on his face. It was the notice of a raise and promotion. Oh, yes, risks definitely pay off.

AN: This is the start of an authorship so I hope you liked it. This is my first attempt at not only FanFiction but also at something with no fantasy element what so ever so it is definately a little rough (not to mention I wrote it in a very small timeframe).

~Hopefully more to come,

The Ghosts