The meeting was long and tedious, going late into the night. Annie would still have to go to polygraph, but Calder announced that would have to wait until morning.

"We have a safe house ready for you, if you want that, but you are welcome to stay anywhere. There's no guarantee that a neighbor won't be in touch with the press, no matter where you are."

Annie nodded. "Yes sir."

"Take the night off. Get some sleep. We'll see you back here at ten tomorrow, unless anything happens. Anderson, is there a phone she can use?"

"I'll grab one from Barber." He responded.

"Make sure I have the number." Calder said.

"Yep." Auggie replied.

Annie walked over to Auggie. "I'll go down with you." She said.

He nodded. "Come to my place." Auggie said when they were alone in the elevator.

"Are you sure?" She replied.

He nodded. "We need to talk. I can sleep on the couch."

"Do we need to get the phone?"

"No. I'll let Calder know you are with me."

Annie smiled. "Okay."

They got downstairs and Annie started to laugh.

"What?" Auggie asked.

"I don't have a car, so tonight you're driving."

Auggie laughed with her a moment. "We aren't waiting for the next shuttle. Check out one of our standard black SUVs."

...

Being in Auggie's apartment, without being pressured or chased, felt strange. His slightly cold attitude toward her didn't help. She went for the beer first, handing one off to him.

"I'm sorry about the bus." She started.

"Your cool reaction in Helen's apartment makes a lot more sense now."

"She lit up when you arrived." Annie said.

"How far did you follow?"

"I stayed on the bus." Annie replied.

Auggie nodded. "I thought I was meeting you that night."

"You seemed happy enough to meet her."

"She was helping me find you."

"That doesn't explain why you slept with her."

Auggie was visibly uncomfortable. He fidgeted while he gathered his thoughts. "You specifically sent the message that you didn't want to be around me. How can you fault me for trying to move on?"

Annie took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry."

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"I've been traveling for days. I'm going to go take a shower." Annie said

Auggie nodded.

She walked to the bathroom and started to pull her few articles of clothing from the bag provided in Guam. She allowed the tears to fall while the shower heated up.

After a good cry and long shower, Annie felt surprisingly refreshed. She emerged to find Auggie sitting in the living room, listening to an audiobook at double speed.

"Speed-reading?" She asked.

He touched his phone, abruptly stopping the noise. "I've needed a little bit of escape recently."

"I get that." She replied.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"Yeah. I really do. Do you mind if I borrow your shirt?"

"This one?" He pulled at his collar.

She laughed. It made him smile. "That one wouldn't be so comfortable to sleep in."

"Since when did you ask before taking my clothes?" He asked.

"Since things between us became so awkward." She almost whispered.

"It's all yours." He responded softly.

She turned and walked to his closet to get the shirt. After pulling it over her head, she stared at him as he brushed his teeth. She sat on the bed while he went into the closet to change his own clothes.

When he walked back out, she stood and brushed his arm.

He looked toward her and raised his eyebrows.

"Come to bed with me." She said, her voice barely audible.

Auggie complied without saying a word.

There was nothing sexual about the night, just the two of them curled into each other in a way that felt perfectly natural. They were asleep in moments.

...

Auggie's phone abruptly woke both of them from a deep sleep.

"Hello?" Auggie answered, quickly getting his bearings.

"Please tell me you are with Walker." Calder greeted.

The woman in question had jumped up at the sound of the phone, assuring Auggie she hadn't run off. "Yeah."

"Okay. I was worried when the two of you didn't show up."

Auggie felt his watch. It was after ten. "Sorry about that. We overslept."

"I'm sure both of you needed it. But now we have lots of people to answer to here at the office. How soon can you be here?"

"Half hour?" Auggie suggested.

"See you then." Calder replied.

"I assume you don't need another shower?" Auggie asked.

"Bathroom is all yours." Annie replied. "I'll brew some coffee."

Auggie took a quick shower while Annie got dressed. She was sitting on his bed when he emerged wearing only a towel. After a moment of admiring the view, she walked to the kitchen to get coffee.

"I can't believe we slept so late." Annie spoke across the apartment.

"I passed out before I set an alarm. The sun didn't wake you up?"

"I guess not."

Neither of them commented on the fact that they had both slept for over ten hours for the first time in over a decade that they weren't sedated.

...

"You both look refreshed." Calder commented as Annie and Auggie entered the seventh floor conference room.

"What's first?" Annie asked, all business.

"We have done our best to identify all potentially compromised missions. We need you to go through the list and be sure they are prioritized. We've already halted a couple that are obvious. I'm concerned about the safety of anybody in the field. I trust that the Agency knows about all of your active operations?"

"Of course." Annie replied, cold.

"Good. Forgive me for thinking you might have ever done anything off-book."

"If Auggie has already gone through these, I doubt much was missed. What else?"

"We need to know what charges are going to be filed against you, now that foreign governments have your name."

"What do you mean?"

"Arthur Campbell has already negotiated with the Swiss to drop charges against you in the murder of Derec Hughes. Petty shoplifting charges have been dropped in Frankfurt. Denmark has cleared you in the helicopter bombing. Now that there is a name to go with your face, who else will want you to pay for your actions?"

"Understood." Annie replied.

"After that, we have to start debriefing. Polygraph, psych evaluation, the whole shebang."

"What does it matter if I can't continue as an agent?" Annie asked.

"There are overt options, Walker." Calder explained. "Hell, by the end of this week, Auggie may be the only one in this room that's still covert."

"Am I getting a promotion?" Annie asked.

"It's far too early to have any idea what your future will hold. But I am taking over as DCS in the immediate future."

"Permanently?" Annie asked.

"As permanent as anything around here." Calder responded.

"So, what about Joan?"

"We aren't sure." Auggie said.

"I'm sure Auggie can catch you up on office politics later. Right now, get to work on your files. Auggie, come with me. I have something for you."

Auggie obediently accepted Calder's lead, and a moment later Annie was left alone with stacks of paper that represented what would be her entire covert career at the Agency.