This is my first Alias fic. I saw the season's finale a few days ago and I loved it, except of course those last few minutes. So this is for me, I wrote this as a kind of diversion from that horrible ending. I already knew that it was gonna happen from all the fanfics here, but that didn't make it any better, actually, that made it even worse. However, this is a personal treat for me, to get over it. Maybe it's not the idea most of you have when you think of a fun Alias fic, but I always had a thing for secrets coming out. Okay, here it goes. Oh, and I know some of the things here wouldn't happen on the show, but humor me, okay? And please review.
This takes place somewhere after 'Salvation', but before Alice and Vaughn break up.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to 'Alias'. No infringement of copyright is intended. No money is being made of this.
,,Vaughn." It's the same as ever. One minute she and Vaughn were laughing and talking and the next his phone rings, causing him to switch back to work mode. The conversation is short and Alice can already see what's going to happen next. True to her expectations, Michael bids her a quick goodbye, giving his usual none-commental excuse about having to go to work. How can a simple desk job with the government ask so much of his time? It only takes a moment for Alice to make up her mind. She's had enough of this. She needs to know where he's going. She's fed up with all the secrecy.
As she gets in her car, Michael just drives away. Alice is already driving for five minutes when she realizes he would most likely drive to the Government building and go to his desk there. She would have no way of getting in there and be forced to give up her crazy idea and go home. Then she realizes he isn't going to the building she had met him in front of once or twice, but is heading to the outskirts of the city. Her curiosity rises when Michael turns left and into a side road. The neighborhood she now rides through looks run down and Alice starts to wonder why he's here when he suddenly parks his car. She has enough consciousness to quickly drive her car into another alley so he won't see her, and he doesn't even look in her direction as he quickly makes his way to a warehouse that looks just as shabby as the rest of the buildings. Alice waits until after he's disappeared into the building to park her car and quietly follow him into the building.
Once inside it takes a moment before Alice realizes where Michael went. He's nowhere to be seen, but she hears his voice coming from a little ahead. She sneaks forward to take a peek around the corner. All she sees is some kind of half-cage. She starts to inch towards it, but comes to a halt when she hears a female voice. She's still too far away to hear what is being said. Fleetingly the thought enters her mind that that voice is familiar, but she pushes it aside and continues her advance forward to better hear what is going on. She only has to take a few steps around the corner before she can hear what is being said. Michael is talking again.
,,Okay Syd, this is your counter mission: after you get the disk and are heading back to Dixon, drop it in the second garbage bin you pass in the 'Prinsenlaan'. Someone from the CIA will pick it up there. Once we make the copy, I'll walk by and drop it in your bag."
,,Vaughn, what if Dixon sees you and reports it back to Sloane? He's already seen you twice! I think he's starting to get suspicious."
,,Don't worry Sydney, I'll be wearing a disguise. It'll be fine."
,,All right. I'd better get back to SD-6. My plane leaves in thirty minutes. See you in Holland."
,,Good luck."
Alice understands their conversation is over and quickly runs back to the corner, before Michael or this 'Sydney' see her. Suddenly she's immensely grateful that she decided to wear her sneakers today instead of high heels. She looks over her shoulder once more before vanishing around the corner. The woman is now walking to the entrance of the cage and just before she leaves it she is illuminated by the light bulb above her head. Alice gets one sudden glance at her face before it disappears behind the turn. Her eyes widen and her pulse quicken, but she doesn't stop running. Once outside she runs to the first hiding place she can find. She sees Sydney come out and ducks away as she does a thorough scan of the surroundings before walking to her car and driving off. It doesn't take long for Michael to come out too and follow suit. Then Alice walks back to her car and gets in. She doesn't start the engine however. The adrenaline starts to wear off and the magnitude of what she just heard hits her like a ton of bricks. Michael, her Michael, doesn't have some desk job. He's an agent. A real agent. Going on missions and putting his life in danger. And then Sydney. Or Rita, or whatever her name is. She's a spy.
It takes a while for Alice to calm down enough to drive home. She knows that nothing will ever be the same. What she just heard changes her relationship with Michael. How can things ever get back to the way they were? How will she ever be able to look at Michael and not think about the risks he's taking. The secrets he's keeping. It is different now. She is different now.
A few weeks later they break up. She tried, she really did, but knowing about Michael's life changed even more than she thought. She just couldn't pretend any longer. She couldn't stand to know that he was pretending. She never told him about what she heard; they just both decided it was for the best if they split up. It just didn't work out.