Hi everyone! This was a fic request from crayolakid0413, who wanted a fic where Joan is with Annie when she has an episode. I hope you like it! X

Annie rested her chin on her hand as she let the drone of the man in front of her wash over her. Beside her, Joan's face was carefully blank as she stared at the air above the man's head, leading Annie to believe the older blonde was just as bored as she was. She leant forward and quietly whispered to her. "Remind me again why I had to be here?"

Joan let out a soft laugh, turning her head slightly without taking her eyes from the front. "If I'm going to spend a day being bored senseless in debriefings because of something you did, then you certainly are too."

"Thanks Joan." Annie said dryly. The week before, she'd shot a man in self defence. He was alive- just- but her third shooting in a year had resulted in some over-paid paper pusher to start ranting about excessive use of force. Annie had rolled her eyes when Joan had told her- she was a CIA agent, use of force was sort of in the job description. Joan shot her a smile that Annie didn't find at all comforting, before turning her attention back to the man.

"I respect that the DPD has a necessary job to do but looping in the state department and other various agencies would ensure that…"

Annie zoned out, slouching back slightly. Joan leant over and surreptitiously dug her elbow in her ribs, causing her to shoot straight again and shoot Joan a glare. She looked at her innocently before turning her attention to the front, leaving Annie to restrain a groan as she resigned herself to pretending to be interested for the next few hours.

"I assure you, the DPD absolutely takes responsibility for its actions but it's simply not feasible to…" Annie heard Joan begin, and leant back into her seat. A man who sat across from her started talking over Joan and she watched in amusement as he and the man up the front each tried to outwit the other. Joan's face went carefully blank and Annie knew from experience this meant she was hiding her own smile- she, on the other hand had no such qualms and let herself grin as her eyes darted from man to man. Once again, Joan elbowed her and shot her a frown. "Would you behave!?" she hissed. "You're as bad as Mackenzie."

Annie giggled quietly. "Sorry." She carefully schooled her expression but continued to inwardly laugh.

"Oh? And I suppose we'll be supporting cold blooded murders in the name of the 'greater good' next?" one of the men sneered. Annie's blood went cold.

All at once, she felt her breathe hitch as she remembered pulling the trigger to fire the bullet that killed Henry Wilcox and against her will, her heart rate sped up to a point where she knew she was going to have an episode.

Not now! She thought frantically, trying to control her breathing as she searched for a way out. Her fingers tightened on the arms of her chair and she could hear her heart beat pound in her ears- mocking her. Beside her, Joan touched her arm in concern but Annie could only shake her head, panic rising within her as she struggled to breath.

"Gentlemen- as riveting as this is…" Joan spoke loudly over the yelling men, desperately hoping to help her younger operative. "Might I suggest we break for lunch to give us all a chance to calm down?"

The men agreed and filed out the room, talked in mumbles amongst themselves. Annie took the chance to lurch from her chair, barely remembering to grab her bag as she staggered from the room- and from Joan.

"Annie!" Joan called after her as she quickly stood, catching hold of her own bag as she took off after the younger woman as fast as her heels would allow.

Annie stumbled down the corridor, practically falling through the door at the end and catching herself on the wall, sliding down it and only vaguely realising she was in a stairwell. Her vision was blurring around the edges, her breath came in ragged gasps but she fumbled around through her bag, searching for the medication she knew was in there. But her fingers were clumsy and she dropped it, the contents scattering across the floor.

She sobbed breathlessly, her legs curling themselves up without her meaning them to as she felt the darkness intruding on her. "Annie?"

She hadn't heard the door open, hadn't seen Joan enter. She looked up at her, fingers clawing the ground her she fell, unable to support her own weight even sitting up. Joan fell to her knees beside her, brushing her hair back from her face.

"What do you need?" she demanded frantically, running her gaze over the scattered items. Annie struggled to stay conscious.

"Med…cation. White… P…DA…" she managed. Joan felt her brow furrow but she spotted the item on the far side of the stairwell and she lunged for it, fighting to open it.

"How do I-?" she began but as she turned back to Annie she saw the younger woman had slipped unconscious. "Oh crap." Joan looked at the item in her hands.

A few years ago, she remembered seeing a friend from university using an epi-pen for a severe allergy to bee stings. She hoped this worked on the same concept.

She jabbed it into Annie's thigh and after a beat heard her sigh, her body relaxing somewhat from its contorted position. Joan let out a relieved breath. Willing her shaky legs to work she stood and carefully gathered up the items that were strewn about, placing them back into Annie's bag before lowering herself next to the younger woman and shifting her so that she lay in her lap, humming absently as she ran her fingers through her blonde hair.

It seemed like an eternity before the younger woman moaned softly, shifting and curling into herself slightly. "Annie?" Joan questioned gently. Annie's hand fluttered to her chest as she forced her eyes open.

"Joan? What happened?" she asked in a raspy voice. Joan raised an eyebrow.

"I was hoping you could tell me." she said. Annie looked confused, until realisation struck her and horror passed over her features.

"Oh god!" she tried to sit up but she was still weak and she fell, stopped only by Joan's arms around her.

"Slowly, Annie. Here- sip this." Joan helped her into a sitting position and passed her a bottle of water, keeping a steadying arm around her shoulders. Annie sipped it before turning to Joan with frightened eyes.

"Joan, please don't take me off field duty I know I'm not technically physically able but I'd go crazy without work and I can normally function ok it was just because we were in that stupid room with all those people and I couldn't get to the medication with alerting them and I swear I'm getting better and I'm doing everything else right, like I'm eating what the doctor told me and not drinking as much and stuff and I know I should have told you but I didn't want you to see me as weak and I knew Calder would try to use it as an excuse to shove me somewhere I couldn't cause trouble and I didn't want to tell Auggie because he would tell you if he thought he needed you to know and I didn't want you to find out like that but I couldn't tell you cause you were so busy with Mackenzie and Arthur and the facility in Chicago and I-"

"Annie! Annie, stop!" Joan interrupted the rapid flow, reaching out and holding her hands tightly as the younger blonde fell silent, staring at her with wide eyes. Joan sighed.

"Before anything else, you need to tell me what the hell just happened." She instructed, not unkindly. Annie swallowed.

"Myocarditis." She whispered. Joan felt her insides twist, but kept her face blank.

"Ok. And what I just injected you with- that's medication for it?"

Annie nodded. "It doesn't prevent the episodes, but it can stop them once they've started and speed up the recovery time." She explained, her voice so quiet Joan had to strain to hear it. She bent her head to stare at their joined hands, her expression so pained that Joan's heart broke for her.

"Oh Annie. You've been dealing with this by yourself?" She asked gently. Annie shrugged one shoulder.

"Sort of. When I first had an episode I went to see a doctor- I let Auggie see me in Turkey so no one was worried and then I travelled to Israel."

"Eyal helped you?" Joan realised. Annie smiled.

"Yeah. I spent a few months there with the doctors, more than a little time in hospital. I came home when I felt I had it under control."

"Do you?" Joan questioned. Annie swallowed.

"I don't know. I thought I did but then I had an episode in Venezuela and I'd lost my meds- McQuid found me unconscious and called a doctor."

Joan frowned. "You disappeared for a few hours during that mission, Auggie was worried. That's where you were?"

Annie nodded guiltily. Joan sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she ran through the options in her head. Annie shifted back so she was leant against the wall, her arms wrapped around her legs. "You know I can't allow you to go into the field now, don't you?" Joan told her softly.

"I know."

They stayed in silence for another minute. "It's so unfair." Annie whispered. Joan turned her head to look at her, confused. But before she could ask Annie continued. "Everything that's happened in the last couple of years, everything we all came through and just as things were about to settle down and become normal again, this happens. Well- as normal as this life can be."

Joan reached out, linking her fingers with Annie's. "I... I wish I knew how to help you."

Annie shot her a sad smile. "Not shouting at me is helping a lot, trust me."

Joan squeezed her hand. "I won't let you be pushed out, Annie, I promise." She said softly. "I will fight to keep you in the DPD, if that's what you want."

Annie nodded. "It would be nice to have some semblance of stability." She admitted. Joan smiled.

"Are you seeing a doctor here in the states?" She enquired. Annie shook her head.

"I didn't want anyone to find out. I figure even with a fake name, the chances were higher if I used an American doctor."

"That's true." Joan conceded. "Would you be willing to find one now, though? Shipping you out to Israel every time you need an appointment could become a pain."

"Really?" Annie asked with fake surprise. They both chuckled slightly, but it quickly faded. Joan happens to catch a glimpse of her watch.

"Dammit. We need to go or we'll be late." She rose gracefully, holding out a hand to Annie who hesitated only a second before taking it and levering herself up.

"I need to refill my prescription." Annie mumbled absently as she picked up her bag and the empty medication.

"You have to do that after every episode?" Joan questioned, surprised as they began to walk back to the conference room. Annie let out a laugh.

"No, thank god. I get ten doses every time- this was my ninth and I'd rather not run out. That's not a lot of fun."

"Oh. Well, we'll make a stop on the way back to Langley."

"You don't have to do that, Joan. I can just do it after work."

"Annie- you don't have to do is alone anymore. Let me help you." Joan stopped, touching Annie's arm as the younger blonde looked surprised.

"I..." Annie struggled for words, emotions swirling inside her. "Thank you Joan." She settled on. The older blonde smiled comfortingly, hoping she could do as she promised this time. She and Annie had had a tumultuous relationship; she wouldn't let it disintegrate this time. Annie wouldn't do this alone.