May 28 is Memorial Day but guess what…it's my birthday too! :D yay!

2 weeks and three days later

Annie POV

I adjusted the strap on my shoulder, wincing as it bumped into my still heavily bandaged hip. The doctors said that it would take a while to heal and I was definitely not allowed to do any "strenuous activities" for a month, but carrying my own bag couldn't be that bad, right?

My fingers flexed on my carryon handle, somehow I had ended up with more supplies than I had come to Eritrea with.

"Auggie, you got everything?" Jai asked for what was about the umpteenth time in the last half an hour.

The man in question nodded, but just barely. He seemed to be on edge just about every time I see him now, ever since that little kiss, if you could even call it that, he's been different.

"When's the damn car getting here, Jai? Or did you forget to call Joseph because you were too busy making sure that I have all this crap," Auggie barked out.

He sounded harsher now, the slightest thing could somehow set him off. I had never seen this side of him in a long time. To be quite frank, it was shocking. He hadn't said more than seven words to me when he had visited me over the course of the two weeks, asking me if I'm feeling better as his introduction, but once he got that answer it was as if he wanted almost nothing to do with me and shut off.

Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a black van headed towards us and quickly stood up straighter, not caring if my wounds squeaked in pain. Something wasn't right. What the hell was in the carryon that Jai made me take?

Jai, of course, headed in first, easily swinging his luggage into the trunk in one swift movement. He offered his help to Auggie, but Auggie roughly pushed his hand away and climbed in without his assistance.

That left me.

I schooled my features into a blank mask, but neither Alpha male bought it.

"Annie, let me-" they both stopped at the same time, shooting daggers at each other, or at least in the right direction.

"Annie," Jai tried again, "give me the carryon."

I handed it to him, wary, my eyes on Auggie the whole time. He seemed to be bristling with unsaid anger as he withdrew his hand. I climbed on and sat in front of them, wincing as my hip bumped the arm rest.

"You OK?" Auggie asked, a different variation of the classic how are you I had been getting for two weeks.

"Yeah, just bumped my hip," I mumbled, staring straight ahead.

"Airport, please," Jai growled from behind me, he sounded tense, much too tense for a simple ride to the airport.

"Excuse me, can we put up the sound proof barrier?" I asked the driver politely.

He nodded, "Of course, Operative Walker."

Said barrier slowly slipped up between the driver and us three. As soon as it reached the roof of the car, I turned behind me despite the pain and glared at the two men.

"Ok, I've let you two brush off this subject for two weeks now because I was either too god damn tired to pursue it or both of you just left. Now you're going to tell me what the hell is going to go down or I swear I am jumping out of this car and walking back to the hospital."

"An what are you going to do there?" Jai asked smugly, but there was a small glint of apprehension in his eyes.

"Jai she has a right to know," Auggie growled, his voice low.

"No, if we tell her she'll be more of a liability than an asset. Remember what Joan said?"

I was so frustrated I was about to explode with anger; it took all my reserve and somewhat stable self control to make me shut up and watch their mini debate.

"If she doesn't know this could end badly," Auggie answered back.

"Do you two know how frustrating," I began, glaring at Jai, "it is to listen to a conversation that concerns your safety but you don't know what the hell it's about?"

Jai stopped, as if noticing that I was there.

"Annie, just trust me, alright? You trusted me back at the camp, trust me now," he whispered quietly, his eyes turning from cold to slightly softer.

"She has a right to know and if you don't tell her than I will," Auggie intervened, "plus she isn't going to go on the plane without us."

"Wait what?" I hissed, "Where are you two going?"

"Just trust me, Annie, you're too hurt and drained to come with us. You'd only get hurt," Jai tried to reason with me and calm me down at the same time; he bit off too much he could chew.

"Jai, I trust you but I need to know what's going on especially if it concerns me. You can't expect me to just leave you two here or watch you guys go into enemy territory alone."

"We won't be alone," Jai argued weakly, his resolve dissolving.

"For God's sake, Jai, shut the hell up and let me speak!" Auggie practically yelled.

He fixed me with this sightless eyes of his, and offered up a small smile.

"Hey Annie," he began, "been a crappy best friend lately, huh?"

I hesitated, "A little bit, what's going on, Auggie?"

He took a deep breath and I looked at Jai, who was now slumped against the seat in defeat, waving his hand as a sign of defeat.

"Jai pulled me aside the first day you woke up and he told me . . . a few things. I called Joan to confirm what he said and when she did, I automatically just shut down. Annie, there's a mole in the CIA, the attack that was made on the camp I was in was no coincidence, which you probably already know. But what you don't is that if they were able to smuggle me out they would've tortured me extensively for information on your whereabouts, Arthur's and Joan's.

"In the past two weeks, Jai and I have been going over the little information the agency was able to gather. Joan called us in periodically and we have a flight to London while you're on the flight to DC. No, Annie don't argue with me, you're in no shape to do this. Once you're back in Langley, Joan's going to give you a few weeks to recover and then she'll read you in. Is that a good enough explanation?"

I looked at him in shock, processing the information over and over again.

"But why would they want to get information on me? I get Arthur and Joan, but I'm just a newbie, barely been in the field for two years."

"Annie, you've seen more action than most operatives I've known for years," Jai finally chimed in, the look of defeat still on his face.

"You've made a lot of friends," Auggie continued, "and a lot of enemies. You've seen a lot of things that you shouldn't have seen and you know people that you shouldn't know."

"You sound like a fortune cookie, Anderson," Jai growled.

"So you expect me to go on the flight home without you guys?" I asked, "But you both need your rest too! I'm not the only one that injured!"
"This need immediate attention, and since we're already overseas, there's no need for us to go back for our things. Plus we're meeting a team outside of London and we're going to run down the trail while it's still hot. Can't let it go cold and going home and resting is a luxury we don't have," Jai explained carefully.

This was ridiculous, I was about to lose him . . . again. Just when I thought that maybe things would be alright, another twist was added to make my life more difficult. Only this time, I realized that I was losing another friend as well; Jai. Yes, he's an asshole and an arrogant bastard, but at other times, he was supportive, and understanding. I wasn't just losing a love and a best friend, but another friend as well.

"How his risk is this mission?" I asked, looking up from my lap.

"It's off book," Jai answered, as if that would reassure me anymore.

"So you guys are basically going in with whatever you have and that's about it?"

He nodded.

"Ok, so what's with the extra carryon I have?"

Auggie smiled, "I packed you a few . . . defensive objects in there in case you run into any trouble on your flight. Don't worry, the suitcase should go through security fine."

I sighed, turning to face front again, the steady pain pulsing through my body that I had been ignoring came crashing back, reminding me that I forgot to take my pain meds.

"I'll be joining you guys in about a month?" I asked, my voice hard.

"Yeah, should be," Jai answered.

I felt Auggie's hand on my shoulder, as he gave it a reassuring squeeze, he whispered in my ear, "Annie, everything's going to be fine. I'll call this time."

I laughed, "Don't make a promise that you can't keep, Auggie. You know better."

I sounded just as defeated as Jai had a few minutes ago. How could he keep this from me? Didn't he think that I had a right to know if my life was being threatened?
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked him quietly.

"I was trying to-

Suddenly there was a knock on the glass and we both jumped as it slid back down.

"Airport?"

I nodded, "Thanks."

Auggie handed me my ticket and as he got out, helped me out as well. I dragged my carryon out from behind them and gave them both a hard look. I still felt slightly betrayed.

"Come on," Auggie breathed into my ear as he placed his hand on my elbow.

Suddenly I felt as if four months of hell hadn't passed, I felt like we were back in Langley, walking the hall to get coffee and talking about the latest gossip. But as soon as I opened my eyes, I was back in the present, the sun beating down on us as we stood outside of the airport.

I nodded and lead him into the airport.

We all went through check-ins with no problem, but when it was time to go to our separate gates, things got complicated.

I looked at Auggie, "You're gate is upahead, at your 3 o'clock. Stay safe."

I felt tears gather in my eyes, and as I turned away, he grabbed my arm, pulling me into a fierce embrace. I clung onto him with the same amount of desperation; to hell with morals and protocol, I might not see him for another month, maybe even more.

"I will, don't worry. Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself."

I nodded, sniffing quietly.

"Tell me why you're going again," I whispered in his ear.

"Because I'm already a target, they'll come to me so we don't have to look for them," he whispered back, our voice hushed in the otherwise chaotic and loud airport.

"I think I love you, Auggie Anderson," I told him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I think I love you too, Annie Walker. Which is why I'll come back and change that 'think' to 'know.'"

With that said, he pulled back and pressed a firm kiss to my lips, and I responded just as hungrily. But just as quickly as it came, it disappeared and he was out of my arms, following Jai to their gate.

I watched him disappear in the crowd of people, tears falling down my cheeks. This may be the last time I see him, I thought, as I turned away and boarded my flight to Langley while he boarded his with Jai to the UK, on opposite sides of the ocean.