Michael Vaughn stared at the computer screen, but none of the data was
making its way into his consciousness. He couldn't think. Not when he'd
left things with Sydney - undone, unresolved. Ultimately, he knew that he
was telling her what she needed to hear. It didn't make the pain of being
the one to tell her any easier. In time, she would understand. But he
wanted Sydney Bristow to know now. Just as he'd told her before. He was
her ally.
By now, she would know the truth. Hopefully. He knew her. Knew that she would put the pieces together without his gentle persuasion. By now, she was probably in the arms of Will Tippin. Her loyal friend. The friend who would never be the one to tell her how she had been betrayed by not one, but both of her parents.
The data flashed before him, a myriad of colors and cursors. Useless. He pushed back away from his desk. Maybe it was time to call it a night. Of course, home was just as desolate. There would be no late night pizza calls tonight.
He heard the door open behind him. Janitor probably. The only other person burning the midnight oil this evening. He turned to offer him the cursory nod and found instead the woman who had occupied his thoughts these past hours, soaked to the bone, tears mingling with hundreds of raindrops.
She knew.
He never imagined she'd come to him, yet she had. Vaughn pushed away from his desk and in a few swift steps met her, gathering her into his embrace. The CIA powers-that-be be damned. He hoped they were recording every moment. He hoped they challenged him on it tomorrow. All he cared about was the trust of this woman. The gentle heart of this woman, who'd suffered so much that he refused to allow any further barriers to be placed in her path.
She sobbed openly and he tightened his embrace. There was nothing to be said. No words that would make it go away for her, so he simply held her.
Moments that seemed like hours later, she withdrew slightly. "I didn't know where else-"
"Shhhh." he ordered. "Don't ever hesitate with me, Sydney. Ever."
She looked feebly around the desolate ready room, suddenly aware of her location. He saw the concern cross her brow. "I don't care," he told her. "But if you'd rather talk somewhere else, I'll lead the way."
She nodded, words failing her.
He pulled gently on her hand, leading her to the door, and then grabbed his trench coat pulling it over her form. Sheltering them both beneath it.
He placed her carefully in his car. Certain that one unprotected movement would cause her to shatter into a million infinitesimal pieces.
They drove in silence, until they reached an all-night dinner on the edge of town. When he shut off the motor, she finally turned to look at him. Her eyes mirroring the garish neon lights that blinked a 24-hour welcome. He instantly knew there was more to this than Jack's sabotage of Derevko.
"I'm so sorry," she whimpered. "So sorry for doubting you. They've stripped me of my ability to trust at face value."
She turned away, ashamed.
Grasping her chin with his hand, he returned her face so that she looked him in the eyes. "You wouldn't be here if that were true."
She swallowed and shifted her eyes downward. "I was programmed to be a spy, Vaughn. He. he. took away my freedom, for his own cause."
Vaughn was stunned. He had no idea it went this far, that Jack could have been so consumed to throw his daughter to the wolves of espionage. "I don't know why he did it, Syd. I can't justify it. But I can tell you that, beneath all of it, Jack loves you. He made foolish. reprehensible mistakes. but he loves you. I've seen it. I've seen it when it looked like you wouldn't make it. Seen the look in his eyes. A father's pain."
She scoffed. "A teacher concerned about the failure of his student."
"No!" He put his hand behind her head and forced her to look at him and the truth. "No. I know his concern was real. I know it because what I saw in his eyes, it mirrored what I know he saw in mine."
The tears returned and his anxiety over what he had just admitted lifted away from him. It was no time to worry about the extent of what he had just revealed. She likely had not even heard it. Instead, he gathered her up to him and let her weep. His hand stroking the damn strands of her silken hair.
Tomorrow she would go back to her life, their secrecy. But tonight he would prove to her that trust was hers and that there was one person in this world who she could give it to unquestionably. Always.
By now, she would know the truth. Hopefully. He knew her. Knew that she would put the pieces together without his gentle persuasion. By now, she was probably in the arms of Will Tippin. Her loyal friend. The friend who would never be the one to tell her how she had been betrayed by not one, but both of her parents.
The data flashed before him, a myriad of colors and cursors. Useless. He pushed back away from his desk. Maybe it was time to call it a night. Of course, home was just as desolate. There would be no late night pizza calls tonight.
He heard the door open behind him. Janitor probably. The only other person burning the midnight oil this evening. He turned to offer him the cursory nod and found instead the woman who had occupied his thoughts these past hours, soaked to the bone, tears mingling with hundreds of raindrops.
She knew.
He never imagined she'd come to him, yet she had. Vaughn pushed away from his desk and in a few swift steps met her, gathering her into his embrace. The CIA powers-that-be be damned. He hoped they were recording every moment. He hoped they challenged him on it tomorrow. All he cared about was the trust of this woman. The gentle heart of this woman, who'd suffered so much that he refused to allow any further barriers to be placed in her path.
She sobbed openly and he tightened his embrace. There was nothing to be said. No words that would make it go away for her, so he simply held her.
Moments that seemed like hours later, she withdrew slightly. "I didn't know where else-"
"Shhhh." he ordered. "Don't ever hesitate with me, Sydney. Ever."
She looked feebly around the desolate ready room, suddenly aware of her location. He saw the concern cross her brow. "I don't care," he told her. "But if you'd rather talk somewhere else, I'll lead the way."
She nodded, words failing her.
He pulled gently on her hand, leading her to the door, and then grabbed his trench coat pulling it over her form. Sheltering them both beneath it.
He placed her carefully in his car. Certain that one unprotected movement would cause her to shatter into a million infinitesimal pieces.
They drove in silence, until they reached an all-night dinner on the edge of town. When he shut off the motor, she finally turned to look at him. Her eyes mirroring the garish neon lights that blinked a 24-hour welcome. He instantly knew there was more to this than Jack's sabotage of Derevko.
"I'm so sorry," she whimpered. "So sorry for doubting you. They've stripped me of my ability to trust at face value."
She turned away, ashamed.
Grasping her chin with his hand, he returned her face so that she looked him in the eyes. "You wouldn't be here if that were true."
She swallowed and shifted her eyes downward. "I was programmed to be a spy, Vaughn. He. he. took away my freedom, for his own cause."
Vaughn was stunned. He had no idea it went this far, that Jack could have been so consumed to throw his daughter to the wolves of espionage. "I don't know why he did it, Syd. I can't justify it. But I can tell you that, beneath all of it, Jack loves you. He made foolish. reprehensible mistakes. but he loves you. I've seen it. I've seen it when it looked like you wouldn't make it. Seen the look in his eyes. A father's pain."
She scoffed. "A teacher concerned about the failure of his student."
"No!" He put his hand behind her head and forced her to look at him and the truth. "No. I know his concern was real. I know it because what I saw in his eyes, it mirrored what I know he saw in mine."
The tears returned and his anxiety over what he had just admitted lifted away from him. It was no time to worry about the extent of what he had just revealed. She likely had not even heard it. Instead, he gathered her up to him and let her weep. His hand stroking the damn strands of her silken hair.
Tomorrow she would go back to her life, their secrecy. But tonight he would prove to her that trust was hers and that there was one person in this world who she could give it to unquestionably. Always.