freshoffthefarm | [MEME] -- #5, the AU from Hell

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[MEME] -- #5, the AU from Hell

[From here, as requested by

fakes]
--

It was an op in Vegas, which was so weird since most of her domestic ops stayed in the DC Metro area, and Annie had done her job well. The extra babysitting had been extra annoying (when wasn't it?), but he'd come along to visit an old friend... or so he'd said.

She hadn't seen hide or hair of him during her mission, but when she went to have a drink in the bar at their hotel late the night before they were supposed to leave, she found him sitting in a dark corner. When didn't he sit in dark corners, really, but she rolled her eyes and put a smile on her face to join him.

Their breakup and subsequent dealings had been difficult, and after that State Dinner, she'd gone out of her way to keep her distance from him as much as possible. That didn't mean they couldn't enjoy a drink or two (or seven) while in Vegas.

Unfortunately--

When Annie woke to the pounding in her head, she almost couldn't open her eyes. When she finally managed, she ignored the immense nausea she felt and peered at the walls in the hotel room she was in. She hadn't been given this nice of a room, not on the Agency's dime, no. This was something else. Turning, she caught sight of a man's head and her eyes widened, causing the pounding to pick up and she clenched her eyes shut again with a groan.

Clapping both hands, right over left, on her head, she felt something heavy and lifted them again almost immediately. Seeing the wedding ring set on her left hand, she gasped.

"Oh, my God."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I'm sure it'll be things I've heard about other women I've dated over the years. This time none of it would be true."

Clay had dated his share of floozies, gold diggers, and any other number of women who possessed unsavory personality traits.

"Nothing can make me feel bad about marrying you. You make me happier than anyone else ever has. You just make everything brighter."

"I don't want to be thought of badly for marrying you," she said under her breath. "Not by your mom or her friends, either. But especially not by your friends and the people you've known for years."

Work people she could deal with, but his personal life was something she wanted to make sure wasn't going to be an issue. When he said what he said, she shook her head. "Clay, come on. That's... I mean." She could feel the tears starting. "I love you so much and I didn't know how to function after we broke up. This is everything I'd dreamed of just kind of given to me and I don't want it to be a bad thing for you."

"No one will think badly of you. Most of my friends have been married three or four times, to a younger woman. They also have just as many alimony payments and Alan Clarke bought his second wife a yellow diamond that size. Divorced eight months later. No one has any right to judge."

That doesn't mean they wouldn't, just that they had no right.

"Is that what I am, the younger woman?" She sighed as she leaned back against the seat. Exhaustion was settling in. "You know, just because they don't have the right doesn't mean they won't. They'll just think that I'm the next step in your mid-life crisis. You married the art lady at the Smithsonian."

She turned her head to face him. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. So, tonight we'll just go to our respective homes. Tomorrow, I'll talk to Joan, tomorrow night... Danielle? We'll find a printer somewhere in there so you can talk to your mom this weekend. Sound good so far?"

"You are younger than me." That was all he was going to say.

Annie, who couldn't really sleep on planes was admitting she was tired. He put his arm back around her so she can get comfortable before making his offer.

"If you don't want to be alone, my condo's door is always easy to open."

"I'll be okay," she told him with an easy smile as she lifted the arm rest separating their chairs. Curling up in her seat, she added without thinking, "I've had months to get used to sleeping alone again."

Immediately, she looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that."

"Because it's the truth." He smiled a little sadly, "Don't worry about it."

There was no need for Annie to apologize. He was the one that treated her badly. "Hopefully, you won't be alone too much longer."

Once they worked through some of their issues, he'd propose the idea of buying a place together, maybe somewhere that had that view of the Capitol that Annie told him about when they first started dating.

"It's really okay if you don't want to move in together," she said, mistaking his sad smile and his earlier comments for his not actually wanting to live together. "I'm perfectly happy with my apartment and since it's considered my safe house, I've got all my stuff in it. I mean, the guest house didn't really have all that much stuff to begin with."

She was rambling in her attempt to make him feel better.

"I would love to live with you, but I'd like to do it in a place we both picked out, that's ours, not mine."

He assumed she would have to live with him as she was currently living out of her safe house. He wasn't allowed to know where that was, just like she couldn't know where his was.

"I just meant that there was no rush," she hurried to reassure him. "I don't want you to think that I'm trying to make you give up your bachelor condo."

She gave him a reassuring squeeze as she nestled against him again, closing her eyes.

"I know. You've never rushed me into anything." Though he couldn't speak for the previous evening.

"We're going to be fine, Annie. I know it." He leaned over and kissed her hair, since it was easier to do that than anything else before taking out his music player so Annie could sleep.

Edited 2012-07-11 04:13 (UTC)

Hearing him try to reassure her, followed by the tender kiss to her forehead was what she really needed to help her take a small nap. The flight attendants did their part by staying away for most of the flight.

She woke with a start a half hour before the plane was ready to land, a little confused.

Clay read a book and listened to his music while Annie napped. When he felt her move he decided to give her a progress update, "On our way back from Vegas, we're going to land in Dulles in about a half hour."

He assumed she remembered she was still married. Otherwise that was going to be difficult to forget.

"A half hour? That's not long at all." She hadn't forgotten at all.

Giving a little stretch, she shifted in the seat, then undid her belt so she could stand. "I'm going to use the bathroom. Be right back."

In there, she washed her face and fluffed her hair, taking the time to give herself a little pep-talk in the mirror. The rings were still on her hand and she had circles under her eyes, but she was upright and her headache was mostly gone.

Coming back out of the bathroom, she gave the flight attendant nearby a quick smile and asked for a coke. The woman gave it over to her and the two of them made small talk while Annie drank the can of cola in a hurry. Then she handed the empty can back to the woman and went back to her seat.

Obviously feeling much better, she took Clay's hand. "Had a coke and a smile and I feel better. How're you doing?"

While Annie was gone Clay put his book and music player away in his bag then took a look at his wedding ring again. At that moment, he promised himself that he was going to do everything he could to make their relationship work. It was important to him that it succeed.

When she came back he greeted her with a smile, "A little tired, but other than that, just fine."

"You know," she said, leaning closer so that her next comment wasn't overheard by the rest of their section of the airplane. "I'm guessing that with our newlywed status and how happy we obviously were with ourselves? We probably didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

She eased back and gave him a slow wink before reaching for her purse again and some gum for their descent.

Added to how little clothing they found themselves wearing that morning he was inclined to agree, "I am sure you're 100% correct."

Though for the life of him he couldn't figure out how Annie acquired a "Bride" t-shirt.

"I can't lie, I'm looking forward to another hot shower and my own bed." This time she gave him an apologetic look. "No offense."

She remembered well just how comfortable his bed was, but hers wasn't too bad, either. More than anything, she was looking for a good night's sleep before what was promising to be a very long day. Just then, the pilot's voice came over the PA system, reminding them to put their tray tables up and to make sure they were buckled in.

"It's okay, really."

And it was. Neither one of them expected to be coming home with the other, much less married. Annie's out of her own bed for most of the year. The idea of getting to spend time in it was a luxury, and Clay didn't want to take that away from her.

When the pilot's voice came over the intercom he reached for Annie's hand again. Take offs and landings were always his least favorite part of air travel.

"You okay?"

She cupped his hand with both of hers and looked over at him once again. She'd had no idea he was a nervous flyer at all, so it was a little comforting to see that side of him.

"Just fine." He smiled a little bit and supposed that his nervousness stemmed from the whole day.

His life was completely different and in Vegas it didn't bother him. Vegas was the opposite of wherever you were from. This marriage was the opposite of everything he'd thought he'd have. Now he had to fit all of that back into his life in Washington.

Taking him at his word, Annie slid her phone back into her purse and settled in for the last few minutes of their flight. There was a bump and then they were on the ground.

Annie squeezed his hand, then stood. Once she had her purse and her carry-on from above her head, she took a deep breath. "Are you in long-term parking or...?"

She was wondering where they were going to have to say their goodbyes.

Clay shook his head slightly, "Car service."

It wasn't exactly the best place to say goodbye to his wife but it'll have to do.

"Right. Of course."

Lowly agents drove their own car, but they got compensated for their parking when they turned in receipts. At the edge of baggage claim, she paused.

"I'll call you when I get home so you know I made it okay?" It was ridiculously awkward and she finally stepped forward and kissed him quickly. "Coffee tomorrow? I'm sure you'll hear from Joan as soon as I'm done."

Clay nodded, "I missed having coffee with you."

When she mentioned Joan, he visibly winced. She was not going to be happy, and she was going to be sure that he knew just how unhappy she was.

"How about dinner at my condo? We can talk afterward."

[MEME] -- #5, the AU from Hell

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