Six Months
Disclsimer: Not mine, so leave me alone! I'm gonna go watch me some Colin Farrell now…
Set after Phase One, nothing beyond that has occurred. This is for the SD-1 April challenge.
"What? Vaughn, how can they be doing that? It's not fair!" Vaughn waited patiently for Sydney to end her tirade.
"I know Syd. Believe me, I know. But it's only for a year, and it's important."
"What's so important about it that you can't do it here?"
"I think maybe the out of country experience part…"
"You're not funny."
"I'm not trying to be. Syd, the CIA wants me to have some foreign experience. If I spend a year in Spain, I can get a good promotion when I come back." I thought for a minute.
"Do you even speak Spanish?"
"Of course. I never mentioned this before, but I actually speak 20 languages." Sydney's eyes, which had previously been fixed anywhere but on his face, now flew up to meet his own jade orbs.
"What?" He grinned impishly.
"I'm kidding. But it got you to look at me."
"Vaughn, I'm sorry if I don't seem supportive. You know I want what's best for you. But we just took SD-6 down last night, and now they want you to leave tomorrow?"
"I know it's pretty abrupt-" he ignored her mumbled comments, "-but I won't have this opportunity again for at least three more years. And by that time, who's to say I'd want to leave?" Sydney understood the unspoken message in his words.
"And they're not changing their minds? They won't even give you a week off?"
"No. If I'm going, I have to leave tomorrow."
"When did they ask you? I mean, did you have time to think, or was it a sudden thing?"
"Just this morning," Vaughn sighed.
"Ok," Sydney said quietly, finally accepting defeat.
"Syd, just because I'm gone for a year, it doesn't mean we won't see each other for another year." Sydney frowned lightly.
"Well, that's true… you sound like you have something specific in mind." Vaughn shrugged playfully, finally drawing a real smile from Sydney. She leaned over and nudged him, urging him to keep going.
"Yeah, I have something in mind." With that, Vaughn leaned against the railing and looked out at the water. Sydney stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to continue. When she realized he wasn't going to say anymore, she made an angry noise and smacked his arm. He looked at her in mock surprise.
"What was that for?"
"Tell me what you're planning, or I'll smack you again." He held up his hands and gave her an innocent look. Syd glared at him.
"Ok, ok, here's what I was thinking: instead of waiting for a whole year to pass, we can meet back here, at the pier, in exactly six months. And after that, we can meet here again the day I get back. And who knows, maybe we'll see each other in between those times." A smile slowly spread across Sydney's face.
"You like that?" Vaughn asked somewhat nervously.
"I like it." He smiled at her. Suddenly, he glanced down at his watch, and then smiled apologetically.
"I have to run Syd, I still have a ton of packing to do."
"Do you need any help?"
"No, I know you have a lot to do with the takedown yesterday. You take care of that, I'll do my packing, and I will see you in six months." Sydney nodded.
"Ok. Six months it is." They each lingered a moment longer before going their separate ways.