This is the first proper Alias fanfic I've written. I'm grateful for any reviews. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and to tell me if it's any good or not!!
Rating: PG
Disclaimer::- I unfortunately don't own the show or the any of characters I've used here- (except in my dreams)!
I wanted to write about post-ATY consequences mainly from Vaughn's perspective. There will be also some romance with Vaughn and Sydney - eventually!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE TEST
Chapter 1- The Result
Devlin sat up straight in his chair and slowly shook his head. He then glanced at the notes he had prepared for the meeting to make sure every point had been covered. He sighed after looking up across the desk.
"You do understand everything I've told you?" Devlin asked. He was unsure Vaughn had heard a single word he had just said. It seemed as if Vaughn was just sitting there in front of him with a detached, indifferent look on his face.
"Yes, sir." Vaughn replied only barely acknowledging him. Devlin felt as if he were a stern parent disciplining an unruly child.
"If you can get everything up to date and pass on your files by Friday?" It was made to sound as if it was a polite request when it was in fact an order. The final order a relieved Devlin would have to give Vaughn. "And on Monday, you should report to Williams at Surveillance. Any questions Vaughn?"
"No, sir. May I go now?" Vaughn said quietly.
Devlin couldn't hide his surprise. He had expected Vaughn to be pacing the floor of his office by now, raising his voice, arguing for the right to stay as Sydney Bristow's Handler. He had expected to say that there was no way he could have remained there. Breaking protocol, risking not only his life, but also his agent's. Devlin felt Vaughn's actions were unacceptable therefore he would have to deal with the consequences.
"I'm sorry. I had no choice." Devlin lied. He couldn't control Vaughn any longer so he didn't want to be responsible for him. Vaughn just nodded briefly before walking out of the stifling atmosphere of Devlin's office and into the sanctuary of his own.
Vaughn closed the blinds in his office, blocking most of the morning sunlight out. He clicked the desk lamp on and sat in his chair wondering why he was unable to feel anything. At first, his sudden detachment from everyone and everything had scared him, but not as much as the thought of what might have happened. He realised he should be grateful to still have a job and more importantly his life. He knew it was a miracle he wasn't dead.
He was as good as dead before a guard had saved him from the then subsiding mass of water. The guard hit Vaughn's face a few times and then shone a bright torch light in his eyes. Vaughn opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. The guard quickly pulled him to his feet as soon as he saw signs of life. He dragged Vaughn along a dark corridor and eventually stopped to knock on a door. He was quickly pushed into the room by the guard when the door opened.
Vaughn's eyes finally managed to focus on the face of a beautiful woman with long dark hair.
"Who is this?" The woman asked.
Vaughn looked across the room to see Sydney strapped to a chair, her eyes wide with shock.
"Is he with you?" she then asked.
"Yes!" Sydney exclaimed.
"Both of you may go for now. Remember Sydney that I want SD-6 to fall as much as you do. I hope you will consider my proposal. I will be in contact soon."
Sydney was released from the chair and the guard escorted both Vaughn and Sydney to the nearest exit where they were shoved into a van and driven to the airport.
"Are you okay?" Vaughn finally asked as they walked into the terminal.
"Yes. I'm not hurt."
"Good." He didn't look at her as he spoke.
"And you?" she asked trying to study the expression on his face. "I thought you had died." She whispered.
"Don't worry about me." Vaughn answered matter-of-factly.
Sydney decided to leave the discussion until they reached L.A. She headed over to the information desk to claim an envelope she said she had left to be collected later. In truth contained the documents and the money they both needed to get back home. Jack had organised it with one of his contacts in Taipei in case they were unable to meet up at their scheduled time. Sydney was glad her father had such contingency plans in place. She gave Vaughn a passport and money to buy a ticket with. They parted without speaking further.
On the plane Sydney wondered why Vaughn had been so distant with her. She realised that being in such a dangerous situation explained it. She comforted herself with the thought that he would get back to his usual self in time.
Vaughn had to wait in the airport terminal for a later flight, which gave him nothing else to do, but to think about his brush with death.
'What if I had died?' he suddenly thought. An image of his mother having to go a second CIA funeral hit him like a punch to the stomach. He couldn't breathe for a few moments. His mother had raised him by herself since he was eight years old. He knew she didn't deserve to be punished like that for his recklessness.
He had known going to Taipei meant risking his job and his career. As he sat on an uncomfortable chair pretending to search the departure times, he realised that he didn't really care about any of that now. He was glad Sydney was safe and that was all.
Vaughn's thoughts then moved onto how he had risked Sydney's life. He had volunteered to go to Taipei in the foolish thought that he could help. She might have had the time to escape had she not tried to break the window with the fire extinguisher.
All during the long flight home he told himself, 'She doesn't need me', hundreds maybe thousands of times. He put the theory into practice that if you say a lie enough times, it becomes the truth. His mind eventually drifted to the future. He could guess what his punishment would be. He knew he was walking into an empty life where every day would be a monotonous copy of the day before. He didn't mind it at all. In fact he embraced it because it was the result of him laying out his emotions, his heart for everyone to see. He refused to make that mistake again.
Vaughn's mind returned to reality as he heard someone knocking on his office door.
"Yeah." Vaughn called out.
"Hey." Weiss said as he opened the door. He could instantly sense the difference in Vaughn. "I didn't think you'd be here." Weiss continued. "It looked dark in here, but Sarah said you've been here a while." Weiss quickly explained. Vaughn didn't reply, instead he opened the blinds to let the bright sunlight stream in once more.
"Are you okay? Devlin filled me in." Weiss said carefully.
"Will you be Sydney's Handler? I'd feel better if I knew it was you." Vaughn's tone of voice sounded hard, devoid of any emotion.
"Of course. If you want me to."
"Better you than Lambert again." Vaughn said, finally looking at Weiss.
"Hey! Thanks for the compliment!" Weiss began to laugh, but he stopped when he realised it wasn't the same Vaughn that used to joke around with him, making fun of Lambert and Haladki.
"Jack Bristow told Devlin that Haladki was the mole." Weiss said sitting down on the couch next to the door.
"I guess that explains a lot of things." Vaughn casually replied as he sat back down in his chair.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Weiss asked again. He was shocked at Vaughn's apparently calm reaction to the news.
"Yes. I'm fine." He abruptly stood up and began to walk out of the office. "Listen Eric, can we deal with all the paperwork tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sure." Weiss said still surprised. He assumed Vaughn would have been angry for reporting him to Devlin, but he hadn't mentioned it or how Sydney would deal with his reassignment.
"I've got something I've got to do first." Vaughn said as opened the office door. Weiss knew exactly where he was going. Vaughn was going to meet Sydney for the last time as her Handler.