Fic: Holding On (6/6)
Title: Holding On (6/6)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: T
Characters: Annie/Auggie
Category: Friendship
Spoilers/Timeline: Tag to 3x09
Word Count: ~1250
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated.
Note: This is the last chapter. Thank you all for all the great feedback.
TWO WEEKS LATER
(six weeks after the shooting)
"Ready for a walk?" Annie asked the second his car service drove off.
He turned toward the sound of her voice, and guessed she was sitting on the front steps to the brownstone. She was still living there for the time being, lacking the stamina for a move, much to her chagrin. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, finding the front steps and sitting beside her. He folded up his cane, stowing it in his jacket, and reached for her hand, fingers brushing her arm in the process. He was glad to see she had a coat on-it was kind of chilly today.
"Let's get dinner. You didn't bring any."
"I was kind of hoping we'd order pizza," he grinned.
"Come on," she sighed. "I really want to go do something."
He nodded. The stronger she got, the more stir crazy she was. Her body couldn't quite keep up with where she wanted to be. She was due to come back to work in a week, earlier than the doctors originally wanted though if Annie had her way, she would have been back already.
"We can go to the Thai place. It's the closest."
It was, but it was still several blocks further than they'd made it on any of their nightly walks. They had been averaging about two blocks and back. "Okay," he agreed.
"Yeah?" she asked, surprised. "I thought I would have to persuade you."
"As long as you promise me this--"
"Ah, here's the catch."
"Just promise me that if it starts to get too much for you, you will admit it."
Annie sighed loudly in annoyance. "I can make it to the Thai place," she snapped.
"I said, okay, let's try."
"You don't believe I can," she accused.
"I didn't say that."
"Not directly."
Sometimes it wasn't worth continuing these arguments, he'd learned. It was her frustration with the whole situation doing the talking. "Come on, let's go." He stood, and tugged her up by their still-linked hands. For their walks, he took her arm, as they did at work, and let her be his guide, so he didn't need his cane. They walked the first block in silence. He presumed she was still miffed at him. Her hand still rest on top of his on her arm. She wasn't mad enough not to do that.
"Any news from work?" she asked, partway down the second block.
"More of the same. Leads that turn out to be nothing."
"I can't wait to be back and helping to track her down."
"You know Joan and Arthur are going to be keeping on a fairly tight leash for a while."
"They don't trust--"
"Arthur maybe, but Joan and I are behind you, you know that."
"I know you are," she sighed. "I've been…out for so long…I just want to get back into things. Lena set me up. She…shot me. She killed Simon. And I want to be able to…help catch her."
"And we just want you to do it safely and not push too hard." He didn't acknowledge the breathlessness he was starting to hear in her voice as they crossed into the third block. He was pretty sure that, despite his earlier entreaties, she wasn't going to admit defeat. She was too stubborn for that. At least she would get to rest a while at the restaurant. And if he had to, he could carry her. It would be a little precarious, carrying her and managing his cane, but he'd manage.
"It's starting to get cold," he commented, keeping the conversation light and veering it away from work.
"I want it…to stay warm…a little longer. I missed the end…of the warm weather."
"Hopefully we'll have a mild winter again."
They had crossed into the fourth block. The Thai place was on the main road, another block further on. She was breathing hard now, her hand getting tighter and tighter on his. Was she trying to get him to make her stop and take a rest, all to avoid admitting it herself? If she was, it was working. Their pace had slowed considerably, and he was just about to ask if she needed a break, when finally, she paused. "I need…a minute."
"Okay," he said, glad she had admitted it. He held tight to her arm. "Is there a place for you to sit?"
"No…"
"I've got you," he assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
She leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He ran the heel of his hand up and down her back. After a bit, she hissed, "Well, you were…right. Happy?"
"Come on, Annie!" he sighed. "No, I'm not happy. I don't care if I’m right. I just want you to be okay."
She hit his chest with her hand in frustration. "When is this…going to get...easier?" she growled, choking back a sigh.
"It is," he told her, rubbing her back. "You're making it further, and catching your breath faster and--"
"Not fast enough."
"You were shot, and you had major surgery. Six weeks ago. That you're doing this well already puts you ahead of the curve! You heard the doctor say that. This takes time. You can't just snap your fingers."
She sighed, tapping her head against his chest. "I wish I could."
"I know," he kissed the top of her head. He was still holding her up quite a bit. "Are we continuing on or turning back?" he asked after a long silence.
"I don't know," she said quietly. "The restaurant is closer, but…"
"You feel lousy now."
"Yeah," she admitted.
"Well, we can stand here as long as you need to." She grumbled in response to that, so he continued, "but, how about this? We go to the restaurant, and get you some tea. If your appetite comes back after you've had a chance to sit, great. If not, we'll get something to go."
" 'Kay," she murmured, taking another deep breath into his shirt before standing back upright. He took her arm again and they started down the final block. "I'm a little worried about the five blocks back," she admitted, grudgingly.
"If we need to stop every block, we stop every block," he told her. She groaned. "Hey," he stopped for a moment. "You know that if I have to, I can carry you."
"I know," she replied, patting his arm. "I hope you don't have to, but thank you."
They continued on, the sounds of the main road getting louder. "Made it," he declared with a grin. "Ready for some tea?"
"I would really like a Singha," she sighed. He chuckled. Of course. "I haven't had a beer in six weeks," she said.
"Then have a beer," he told her.
"No argument?" she asked, surprised.
"You're not on pain meds anymore," he shrugged.
"No…"
"Did you want me to protest?"
"You think I can handle a beer?"
"I think it increases the chance I’m going to have to carry you home," he smirked, "but if you want one to relax, go for it."
"You've got my back," she smiled.
"Always."
She squeezed his hand. "Let's eat."
No, she wasn't 100%, but she was getting stronger and stronger every day. They were heading back to normal, whatever that meant, though he suspected their increased closeness during her recovery had created a new normal. They walked into the restaurant holding onto each other's hands.
Author: Aerial312
Rating: T
Characters: Annie/Auggie
Category: Friendship
Spoilers/Timeline: Tag to 3x09
Word Count: ~1250
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated.
Note: This is the last chapter. Thank you all for all the great feedback.
TWO WEEKS LATER
(six weeks after the shooting)
"Ready for a walk?" Annie asked the second his car service drove off.
He turned toward the sound of her voice, and guessed she was sitting on the front steps to the brownstone. She was still living there for the time being, lacking the stamina for a move, much to her chagrin. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, finding the front steps and sitting beside her. He folded up his cane, stowing it in his jacket, and reached for her hand, fingers brushing her arm in the process. He was glad to see she had a coat on-it was kind of chilly today.
"Let's get dinner. You didn't bring any."
"I was kind of hoping we'd order pizza," he grinned.
"Come on," she sighed. "I really want to go do something."
He nodded. The stronger she got, the more stir crazy she was. Her body couldn't quite keep up with where she wanted to be. She was due to come back to work in a week, earlier than the doctors originally wanted though if Annie had her way, she would have been back already.
"We can go to the Thai place. It's the closest."
It was, but it was still several blocks further than they'd made it on any of their nightly walks. They had been averaging about two blocks and back. "Okay," he agreed.
"Yeah?" she asked, surprised. "I thought I would have to persuade you."
"As long as you promise me this--"
"Ah, here's the catch."
"Just promise me that if it starts to get too much for you, you will admit it."
Annie sighed loudly in annoyance. "I can make it to the Thai place," she snapped.
"I said, okay, let's try."
"You don't believe I can," she accused.
"I didn't say that."
"Not directly."
Sometimes it wasn't worth continuing these arguments, he'd learned. It was her frustration with the whole situation doing the talking. "Come on, let's go." He stood, and tugged her up by their still-linked hands. For their walks, he took her arm, as they did at work, and let her be his guide, so he didn't need his cane. They walked the first block in silence. He presumed she was still miffed at him. Her hand still rest on top of his on her arm. She wasn't mad enough not to do that.
"Any news from work?" she asked, partway down the second block.
"More of the same. Leads that turn out to be nothing."
"I can't wait to be back and helping to track her down."
"You know Joan and Arthur are going to be keeping on a fairly tight leash for a while."
"They don't trust--"
"Arthur maybe, but Joan and I are behind you, you know that."
"I know you are," she sighed. "I've been…out for so long…I just want to get back into things. Lena set me up. She…shot me. She killed Simon. And I want to be able to…help catch her."
"And we just want you to do it safely and not push too hard." He didn't acknowledge the breathlessness he was starting to hear in her voice as they crossed into the third block. He was pretty sure that, despite his earlier entreaties, she wasn't going to admit defeat. She was too stubborn for that. At least she would get to rest a while at the restaurant. And if he had to, he could carry her. It would be a little precarious, carrying her and managing his cane, but he'd manage.
"It's starting to get cold," he commented, keeping the conversation light and veering it away from work.
"I want it…to stay warm…a little longer. I missed the end…of the warm weather."
"Hopefully we'll have a mild winter again."
They had crossed into the fourth block. The Thai place was on the main road, another block further on. She was breathing hard now, her hand getting tighter and tighter on his. Was she trying to get him to make her stop and take a rest, all to avoid admitting it herself? If she was, it was working. Their pace had slowed considerably, and he was just about to ask if she needed a break, when finally, she paused. "I need…a minute."
"Okay," he said, glad she had admitted it. He held tight to her arm. "Is there a place for you to sit?"
"No…"
"I've got you," he assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
She leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He ran the heel of his hand up and down her back. After a bit, she hissed, "Well, you were…right. Happy?"
"Come on, Annie!" he sighed. "No, I'm not happy. I don't care if I’m right. I just want you to be okay."
She hit his chest with her hand in frustration. "When is this…going to get...easier?" she growled, choking back a sigh.
"It is," he told her, rubbing her back. "You're making it further, and catching your breath faster and--"
"Not fast enough."
"You were shot, and you had major surgery. Six weeks ago. That you're doing this well already puts you ahead of the curve! You heard the doctor say that. This takes time. You can't just snap your fingers."
She sighed, tapping her head against his chest. "I wish I could."
"I know," he kissed the top of her head. He was still holding her up quite a bit. "Are we continuing on or turning back?" he asked after a long silence.
"I don't know," she said quietly. "The restaurant is closer, but…"
"You feel lousy now."
"Yeah," she admitted.
"Well, we can stand here as long as you need to." She grumbled in response to that, so he continued, "but, how about this? We go to the restaurant, and get you some tea. If your appetite comes back after you've had a chance to sit, great. If not, we'll get something to go."
" 'Kay," she murmured, taking another deep breath into his shirt before standing back upright. He took her arm again and they started down the final block. "I'm a little worried about the five blocks back," she admitted, grudgingly.
"If we need to stop every block, we stop every block," he told her. She groaned. "Hey," he stopped for a moment. "You know that if I have to, I can carry you."
"I know," she replied, patting his arm. "I hope you don't have to, but thank you."
They continued on, the sounds of the main road getting louder. "Made it," he declared with a grin. "Ready for some tea?"
"I would really like a Singha," she sighed. He chuckled. Of course. "I haven't had a beer in six weeks," she said.
"Then have a beer," he told her.
"No argument?" she asked, surprised.
"You're not on pain meds anymore," he shrugged.
"No…"
"Did you want me to protest?"
"You think I can handle a beer?"
"I think it increases the chance I’m going to have to carry you home," he smirked, "but if you want one to relax, go for it."
"You've got my back," she smiled.
"Always."
She squeezed his hand. "Let's eat."
No, she wasn't 100%, but she was getting stronger and stronger every day. They were heading back to normal, whatever that meant, though he suspected their increased closeness during her recovery had created a new normal. They walked into the restaurant holding onto each other's hands.