So, I was originally going to write a oneshot about Thanksgiving dinner and all, but then Thanksgiving happened and I never got around to finishing it in time. So, this is what came out of that, and I'm happy with it. I hope you'll enjoy it too. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters.



Who Brought the Pie?

Slow, shuffling footsteps scrape across the floor of Auggie's office, making his head tilt in the direction of the sliding door. He spins his chair to face the direction of his visitor, catching a whiff of Joe Malone in the process. The scent is faint, but it's enough to help him identify his friend.

"Annie," he says warmly. "Your footsteps are heavy. Tired?"

She groans as she leans against his desk.

"You have no idea," she begins. "I was debriefing with Joan all morning. That's after a ten hour delay at the airport. I've only had coffee and some airplane pretzels to eat. I haven't showered or slept in twenty hours. And now Danielle is mad that I missed Thanksgiving and is giving me the whole, 'you work too hard' speech."

"I think you forgot to mention that you were out kicking major terrorist butt on a national holiday," Auggie adds, smiling and running a hand up and down her back a few times in understanding.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I shouldn't be ranting."

"That's what friends do. You can rant anytime you feel the need."

She lays a hand on his shoulder in silent thanks, then changes the subject. "I'm starving. How about we go get something to eat? You busy?"

"I've got time," he says, standing. "It's my choice, right?"

"Yeah. I picked last time."

Auggie takes up his laser cane and grips Annie's elbow once she offers it. They start walking down the hall, but before they get too far, Auggie turns and goes into the break room.

"I thought we were going out to eat," Annie says, confused by his sudden detour.

"This is better," he remarks, trying to hide his smile. "Sit."

Annie does, watching Auggie's back with a curious expression as he starts taking Tupperware containers out of the refrigerator. Once he has all the containers opened and in a line on the counter, he beckons her over, grinning freely.

Annie finally sees what's inside the containers and has the urge to laugh and cry at the same time—both reactions she attributes to lack of sleep. The sound that actually escapes her lips is equivalent to a gasp of surprise.

"We weren't sure what you liked, so we brought some of everything," he says.

Annie looks over the Thanksgiving foodstuffs, not knowing where to start or what to say. Then she realizes that his sentence included a plural.

"Wait, 'we'?" she asks.

Auggie smiles more widely and points to the different containers of food as he explains. "Jai provided the turkey and stuffing. Stu brought the mashed potatoes. Conrad brought the vegetables, except the green-bean casserole and yams. I brought those."

"Who brought the pumpkin pie?" she asks.

"Joan."

Annie gives a little laugh at that, shaking her head in disbelief. This is one of the nicest things that anyone has ever done for her.

"Auggie, this is. . ..You're amazing, you know that?"

"A number of women have bestowed that adjective on me, but never for providing food."

Annie swats him on the shoulder with her empty paper plate. Then she wraps her arms around Auggie's torso, pressing a kiss to his cheek to tell him how much this means to her.

"If there's one thing I'm thankful for, it's you, August Anderson," she mumbles.

"And I'm thankful for you, Annie Walker," he whispers back.

He kisses the side of her head, then continues to hold her against him, reveling in the moment.

"Do we get hugs too?" a quiet voice asks.

Annie breaks away from Auggie and looks back to see Stu, Jai, and Conrad standing in the doorway with bemused expressions on their faces.

"Of course!" she exclaims, walking over to do just that. She hugs all three men in less time than she took to embrace Auggie.

As she pulls back from Conrad, Annie notices Joan passing the break room. The two women exchange brief, warm smile before Joan moves on toward her office.

Between the four agents, the leftovers disappear quickly. Each man shares an anecdote from their Thanksgiving dinner with girlfriends, family and friends. Annie laughs, forgetting her tiredness and jet-lag from her mission. For the first time since she joined the CIA, Annie feels at home, accepted. She's not just another green agent doing coffee runs; she's a member of the team.

As the lunch hour draws to a close, Conrad, Stu, and Jai file out to go back to work, leaving Auggie and Annie alone with a pile of dishes and silverware. It's a familiar sight to Annie, even if the dishes are not on her sister's dining room table.

Auggie stretches his hands above his head, then drops them, exhaling in a contented fashion. "Happy belated Thanksgiving, Annie."

She reaches and closes her hand over his where it rests on his thigh, squeezing gently. "Same to you, Aug."

"So, does my orchestrating this lunch get me out of dish duty?" he asks.

She laughs and pats his hand. "Not a chance."


A/N: I liked this sense of family within the DPD feeling, along with some subtle A/A. If you want to read another Thanksgiving fic, check out chapter eight of Beth-Geek-Chick's "20 Questions." (You should really read the whole series, but chapter eight for sure.)

Would love to know what you think. :)