One Good Reason. Rating:R to be safe. Author:suzyh Disclaimer:Annie's mine,but sadly I have no claim on the others. Summary:Set about two months after A Dining Experience. Annie has a secret. Darien whistled as he sat in his counteragent chair. He was meeting Annie for lunch. Annie. Darien smiled when he thought about her. She was an amazing woman, bright, pretty and she had the most wicked sense of humour. He wondered why she worked in a bakery, she was obviously smart so why not get a better job? He shrugged mentally. Maybe she liked it, she did nothing she didn't want to. "Darien?" Claire's voice wafted into his head. "If you want a shot then I suggest you give me your arm." "Oops, sorry." Darien offered his arm and let his mind drift again while Claire fussed over his shot. Annie. His favourite drifting place at the moment. He was just wondering what shade of blue her eyes were when Claire interrupted again. "You've got it bad." "What?" "The lurve bug." "I do not!" "Me thinks he doth protest too much !!" Claire grinned at her friend and waved him away. "You'd better hurry, Annie hates it when you're late." Over the eight weeks since she and Bobby had got together, Annie and Claire had become firm friends. Bobby adored Annie, especially as Claire had told him what she had said at dinner that night. "Aww Crap." Claire smiled as Darien raced out not even saying goodbye. "Yep, got it bad." She sniggered and went back to her work. Darien managed to be only five minutes late for lunch and wasn't suprised to find Annie waiting for him. Her eyes lit up when she saw him . Darien loved that look. "Wow, only five minutes, this must be some sort of record." "Funny lady." Darien shrugged off his coat and sat opposite her. Annie eyed the coat. It had a fur collar and it was hideous. "What's with that?" Annie stabbed an accusing finger at the offending article. "You don't like my coat?" "Darien, it makes you look like Huggy Bear." Darien tried, and failed to look hurt. Instead he started laughing. She was so honest. He loved that. He loved her. Darien's head snapped up. Where the hell had that come from? Annie was looking at him closely. "So are we going to order Huggy?" "Umm yeah, sure." Another thing that never ceased to amaze Darien, was her ability to eat. Annie could eat her way through a pile of food and still stay in shape. He watched as she loaded coleslaw, ketchup and chilli sauce on her burger. "Mmmm. Almost as good as you." Annie's eyes twinkled at him as she finished off her lunch. She loved Darien. What had started off as fun had quickly turned serious. Being a federal agent, Darien couldn't talk much about what he did and she never asked. Bobby and Claire were the same but when they all went out she never felt excluded. "Annie..." "Darien..." "Tell me something about yourself. Anything you like." Annie raised an eyebrow. "Humour me okay?" "Well, I hate carrotts. "Annie giggled. "What's brought this on?" "Nothing, it's just we spend time together and I hardly know anything about you." "The same could be said for you." "Only my work, you know my mother's name, where I grew up even that my brother's dead. Oh and let's not forget the thief thing." Annie realised that he was right. A sinking sensation started and she closed her eyes. She knew this moment would come sooner or later. Darien waited. She looked troubled and he felt guilty. Annie stood up. "Darien, I'm sorry. I think we shouldn't see each other again." "What?" Darien went to grab her arm but she avoided his touch. "I'm sorry." She looked at him, tears falling down her cheeks as she ran out of the diner, leaving Darien wondering what the hell he had said. Bobby looked at him in amazement. Darien had just told him what had happened. He glanced at his partner, he had never seen Darien look so upset. He obviously cared for Annie. "Well, go talk to her." "Bobby, don't you think I've tried? She's not at work and she's not picking up her phone." "Then go see her." "Right. You think she'll let me in? This is Annie we're talking about." "Good point." Bobby rubbed his head. "Look Fawkes, you have to decide what you want. Do you want Annie?" "Yes." "Do you love her?" "Yes." "Then stop talking to me and go tell her that." Bobby pushed Darien towards the door and opened it for him. "What about the fat man?" "Leave him to me I'll think of something." Bobby watched as his partner hot footed it down the hall. He silently wished him luck. Darien pounded on Annie's door. He knew she was in there but was ignoring him. "Annie open up! Come on, you know I'll only pick the lock if you don't." Locks clicked, the door opened. Annie stood red eyed before him. "Come in Darien." Her voice held resignation. Darien went into her apartment and followed her to the couch. Annie wrung her hands together and avoided eye contact. That bothered him. He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "What's going on?" She sighed. How would she tell him? She had never expected to fall in love so easily with someone as she had with Darien. She couldn't bear to see the look of disgust when he learned the truth. "I'm not the person you think I am." "You're Annie Rowan aren't you?" "Yes." "You work at Mile's Bakery?" "Yes." "Then you're the person I know." Annie realised how little Darien did know about her. "Okay,ask your questions." She knew that she couldn't hide anymore. "What's your favourite colour?" "Yellow." "Favourite flower?" "Daisies." They went on like this for half an hour until Darien asked the big one. "Why are you so afraid?" Annie went pale. She clasped her hands together .This was it. Do or die. "When I was growing up, my mom drank quite a bit. My dad had left when I was three so my mom was all I had. We would move about from place to place avoiding the child welfare. I sometimes went to school, but I had to look after my mom. When I was sixteen, she said I didn't need school anymore and I should get a job and look after her. So, I did. Waitressing, Bar work, anything that came along. Sometimes I had four jobs at a time." Darien said nothing, unsure of what was coming. "When I was eighteen, I met Mark Elliot. He was so kind and he loved me. I never told him about my mom. He wanted to marry me, so I took him home. He saw her and told me that daughters turn out like their mothers .He looked so disgusted that I couldn't bear it. He left me, saying he didn't want an illiterate drunk as a wife." Annie was crying now remembering how it had felt. "My mom died three months later leaving me on my own. No education, no future, and no one to love me." "That's why you work at the bakery?" "Well, the people are nice there. A family you know? Mr Miles doesn't mind that I can hardly read properly." "What? You're not serious. You can't read?" "I can read enough." Annie looked defensive. "See. I knew you wouldn't understand. I knew it!" "Wait, Annie is this what you broke up with me for?" Annie looked at Darien. He didn't seem bothered. In fact, he was looking downright concerned. A faint hope built. "You're not angry, disgusted?" "Because you can't read? No Annie I'm not. Look,I'm no prize. An ex con who got lucky. I was lucky, my mom loved me. When she died, my aunt and uncle loved me too. I had an education when I wanted it and a family. I abused that love and turned into a thief because I thought it would be fun. You had no love but you looked after your mom anyway. I think you are the most unselfish person I know and I admire you." Annie sat digesting that information. Darien waited. He loved her so much. It killed him to see her in such pain. Finally,Annie spoke. "Give me one good reason why I should believe you." "Because I love you." Annie flung herself at Darien and cried. Cried for her mother, for all the lost time and for the fact that Darien hadn't left. "I'm sorry," she sniffed."No-one's ever loved me before." "Get used to it Annie. Get used to it." The End.