The never-ending gift
By EnsignAbby
Vaughn walked down the hallway of the CIA headquarters, sipping on a coffee that he had bought that morning. He didn't say hi to anyone along the way, since he was deep in thought. Ever since the rescue mission to India, Vaughn had a lot on his mind. He had realized that in the last few days he had been awfully brave when it came to Sydney. First of all, he just had to tell that story of his father's watch that day before Sydney left on her mission. He shook his head. What had compelled him to think of that in the first place, he didn't know. When he blurted it out, and Sydney was looking at him with her beautiful crystal eyes, he almost thought something was going to happen between them. If not for that beeper message from Kendall, he would have given her that watch right there, and who knows what might have happened. Then came those miniature golf tickets. It wasn't as if he expected to go with her, but it was heaven enough to see her outside of the double agent life, enjoying the company of her friends. He only wished that he could have joined in.
Some agent, if he knew what was going through Vaughn's head at that moment, would have told him that he was going far enough. And this was exactly what was running through Vaughn's train of thought. Kendall's voice echoed, "CIA protocols forbid handlers to become involved in a relationship with their agents." Yeah yeah, Vaughn thought, put a sock in it Kendall. He promptly threw the voice out of his head, and he could just imagine it falling with a thud on the floor, with unknowing CIA employees stomping on it on their way to work. It brought a smile to Vaughn's face.
Okay, now that the rules have been neatly set aside, thought Vaughn, I must find something that will encourage Sydney to realize that I am seriously interested in her, and not just as a friend. He needed something to give her that she could always be reminded of him, something that couldn't be set aside lightly. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, thinking for a minute. He looked up and noticed that he had stopped in front of the scientific research and development department. He looked up to look through the transparent wall, the reflection of the glass playing across his sharp features. He watched as scientists reverently handled the artifact, taking samples, taking pictures and scans. What a shame that an artifact as beautiful as that would be completely given up to satisfy the CIA's curiousity. Suddenly an idea struck him, and he thought it so marvelous and ingenious of himself he couldn't help but grin widely to himself, much to the confusion of the people passing by.
***
She stepped into the cold and damp warehouse and shivered. She had been here numerous times before, too numerous to count, but that still didn't prevent her from shivering. The place all around was a chilly and uninviting one, and every single time Sydney forgot to bring a coat.
She had gotten an anonymous phone call for Joey's Pizza 15 minutes ago, and she had to make some excuse to Francie about forgetting to pick up some stamps at the grocery store. They had been watching a movie, an inpromptu girl's night out. She always hated lying to Francie and leaving like that, but it was always necessary. You can't just put off the country's needs until the movie was over.
She tucked her hands into her pockets and headed toward the back of the building, to the empty storage cell where she always met her handler. She had to admit the only postive thing about receiving another mission and freezing her butt off in this warehouse was seeing Vaughn every time. Just thinking of him put a smile on her face. He was the only person she felt she could be open with, and not worry about her secret life or her facade at home. The only drawback was their limitation. Because of their precarious placement and CIA guidelines, their only true interaction was here, in this warehouse. Everywhere else they had to be strictly professional. She wished that the criss-crossed metal-fenced cubicle would fall away from their relationship, and that they were living under normal circumstances. She would be freer to make decisions, to do what she wanted. And what she wanted was a relationship. More specifically a relationship with Vaughn. More than once he had been a guardian angel to her, her shoulder to cry on, and her knight in shining armor, the most recent being his personal rescue mission to save her and her parents out of India. Just thinking about it made her excited. He filled a place in her heart that a few year ago had been reserved for Danny. When she was with him she felt complete. She quicken her steps, eager to see him.
She turned the corner and he was there, right where she expected him to be. She smiled, pushing back a rushing urge to run to him and squeeze into an embrace. But she knew that if she did that there might not be any letting go.She stepped up to him and gave the loveliest smile she could muster. "Hey," she said nonchalantly.
He gave her one of his own stupid grins. "Hey," He looked down at the floor for a second, wondering if she could see him blushing, then returned to stare into her eyes.
"So what do they want me to do?" She asked.
"Hmm...?" Vaughn trailed off, obviously lost in another world in her gaze.
"I got a call, I assume the CIA is asking me to go on another mission of some sort." She explained to him.
He shook his head, calling himself out of his reverie, embarassed that he let himself get so lost, and so fast. "Uh, actually. The CIA doesn't want anything. I called you here."
She smiled sweetly, touched at the gesture, but she still scolded him lightly. "You know that calling me here is reserved for CIA purposes only."
He ran his hand through his hair. "I know, I know, but it's not like I can just call you up at home and ask you to meet me at the corner cafe."
She laughed, but it was bittersweet. "I guess not." she said quietly, thinking about the cage that was surrounding them once again. She hated it so much. "What did you call me here for?"
"Well," He didn't know how to start. He finally decided to get it overwith. "I was thinking of you, and I thought I'd give you this." He pulled a single yellow flower from the front pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to her, holding it up carefully pinching the stem between thumb and forefinger.
She took it and stroked the petals, and gave him another one of his rare smiles. "It's beautiful, Vaughn." She looked at it contently, thinking once again how sweet and unmatched Vaughn was, but quickly a frown creased her forehead in recognition. "What a minute, is this flower what I think it is?"
He nodded, a sly grin creeping up on him. "Let's just say that they didn't need all of that plant to study on." He said matter-of-factly. "There was plenty of material for them to work with anyways."
She chuckled and playfully punched him in the arm. He winced, even her play punches were pretty rough. "You know, Agent Vaughn," She emphasized his title teasingly. "That you will be in a lot of trouble when they find out that you decided to help yourself to a sample of a Rombaldi artifact." She caressed a petal in between her fingers, delighting in their softness.
His voice lowered an octave. "Believe me, it was worth it." He watched her blush under her gaze and tuck her hair behind her ear, as she did so frequently. He continued. "Thanks to Rombaldi and his regenerative cell theory, which apparently works, this flower can stay alive and well without hardly any sustenance. It will stay that way basically forever. So," He mentally prepared himself. "That way you will always have something to remember me by."
That's it, enough with the protocol, Sydney thought. She hugged him tightly to her. "Thank you." She nuzzled in closer to him, feeling her personal restraints falling away one by one. "I don't care what they say is allowed," she murmured into his shirt, breathing in the scent of him.
Vaughn exhaled a sigh of happiness, not quite sure what to say to that. "You know, I said the same thing to myself this morning." He lifted her chin to see her beaming widely, with tears threatening to spill out of her liquid eyes. The only thing on his mind was how much this woman in front of him meant to him, and how she was so beautiful. "I love you Sydney."
She laughed with joy. The high, sweet sound echoed throughout the dark corridors of the warehouse. He started to laugh with her too, both pf them feeling suddenly relieved of a great burden, and they were able to laugh at their past, their troubles, what lay ahead. Eventually the laughter died, leaving the couple in each other's arms. Sydney looked up to him, gazing into his soulful eyes, silently pleading with him, giving him permission to do what she wanted so badly for so long.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Vaughn took his chance and lowered his lips down onto her own and they locked into a passionate kiss, one that released all the feelings they had penned up for each other. The electricity shot between the both of them, and they clung more desperately to each other. Sydney's snaked up around his neck, and she felt his hands weave thier way behind her head and into her silky hair, pushing her deeper into the kiss.
At last they both came back up for air, and their eyes sparkled with intensit y. Sydney opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped, catching her breath and licking her lips excitedly. She finally whispered to him. "I love you too, Vaughn."
They both melted into each other again, lost in their kisses. The yellow flower fell onto the floor, forgotten, one neverending gift being replaced by one more wonderful.
By EnsignAbby
Vaughn walked down the hallway of the CIA headquarters, sipping on a coffee that he had bought that morning. He didn't say hi to anyone along the way, since he was deep in thought. Ever since the rescue mission to India, Vaughn had a lot on his mind. He had realized that in the last few days he had been awfully brave when it came to Sydney. First of all, he just had to tell that story of his father's watch that day before Sydney left on her mission. He shook his head. What had compelled him to think of that in the first place, he didn't know. When he blurted it out, and Sydney was looking at him with her beautiful crystal eyes, he almost thought something was going to happen between them. If not for that beeper message from Kendall, he would have given her that watch right there, and who knows what might have happened. Then came those miniature golf tickets. It wasn't as if he expected to go with her, but it was heaven enough to see her outside of the double agent life, enjoying the company of her friends. He only wished that he could have joined in.
Some agent, if he knew what was going through Vaughn's head at that moment, would have told him that he was going far enough. And this was exactly what was running through Vaughn's train of thought. Kendall's voice echoed, "CIA protocols forbid handlers to become involved in a relationship with their agents." Yeah yeah, Vaughn thought, put a sock in it Kendall. He promptly threw the voice out of his head, and he could just imagine it falling with a thud on the floor, with unknowing CIA employees stomping on it on their way to work. It brought a smile to Vaughn's face.
Okay, now that the rules have been neatly set aside, thought Vaughn, I must find something that will encourage Sydney to realize that I am seriously interested in her, and not just as a friend. He needed something to give her that she could always be reminded of him, something that couldn't be set aside lightly. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, thinking for a minute. He looked up and noticed that he had stopped in front of the scientific research and development department. He looked up to look through the transparent wall, the reflection of the glass playing across his sharp features. He watched as scientists reverently handled the artifact, taking samples, taking pictures and scans. What a shame that an artifact as beautiful as that would be completely given up to satisfy the CIA's curiousity. Suddenly an idea struck him, and he thought it so marvelous and ingenious of himself he couldn't help but grin widely to himself, much to the confusion of the people passing by.
***
She stepped into the cold and damp warehouse and shivered. She had been here numerous times before, too numerous to count, but that still didn't prevent her from shivering. The place all around was a chilly and uninviting one, and every single time Sydney forgot to bring a coat.
She had gotten an anonymous phone call for Joey's Pizza 15 minutes ago, and she had to make some excuse to Francie about forgetting to pick up some stamps at the grocery store. They had been watching a movie, an inpromptu girl's night out. She always hated lying to Francie and leaving like that, but it was always necessary. You can't just put off the country's needs until the movie was over.
She tucked her hands into her pockets and headed toward the back of the building, to the empty storage cell where she always met her handler. She had to admit the only postive thing about receiving another mission and freezing her butt off in this warehouse was seeing Vaughn every time. Just thinking of him put a smile on her face. He was the only person she felt she could be open with, and not worry about her secret life or her facade at home. The only drawback was their limitation. Because of their precarious placement and CIA guidelines, their only true interaction was here, in this warehouse. Everywhere else they had to be strictly professional. She wished that the criss-crossed metal-fenced cubicle would fall away from their relationship, and that they were living under normal circumstances. She would be freer to make decisions, to do what she wanted. And what she wanted was a relationship. More specifically a relationship with Vaughn. More than once he had been a guardian angel to her, her shoulder to cry on, and her knight in shining armor, the most recent being his personal rescue mission to save her and her parents out of India. Just thinking about it made her excited. He filled a place in her heart that a few year ago had been reserved for Danny. When she was with him she felt complete. She quicken her steps, eager to see him.
She turned the corner and he was there, right where she expected him to be. She smiled, pushing back a rushing urge to run to him and squeeze into an embrace. But she knew that if she did that there might not be any letting go.She stepped up to him and gave the loveliest smile she could muster. "Hey," she said nonchalantly.
He gave her one of his own stupid grins. "Hey," He looked down at the floor for a second, wondering if she could see him blushing, then returned to stare into her eyes.
"So what do they want me to do?" She asked.
"Hmm...?" Vaughn trailed off, obviously lost in another world in her gaze.
"I got a call, I assume the CIA is asking me to go on another mission of some sort." She explained to him.
He shook his head, calling himself out of his reverie, embarassed that he let himself get so lost, and so fast. "Uh, actually. The CIA doesn't want anything. I called you here."
She smiled sweetly, touched at the gesture, but she still scolded him lightly. "You know that calling me here is reserved for CIA purposes only."
He ran his hand through his hair. "I know, I know, but it's not like I can just call you up at home and ask you to meet me at the corner cafe."
She laughed, but it was bittersweet. "I guess not." she said quietly, thinking about the cage that was surrounding them once again. She hated it so much. "What did you call me here for?"
"Well," He didn't know how to start. He finally decided to get it overwith. "I was thinking of you, and I thought I'd give you this." He pulled a single yellow flower from the front pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to her, holding it up carefully pinching the stem between thumb and forefinger.
She took it and stroked the petals, and gave him another one of his rare smiles. "It's beautiful, Vaughn." She looked at it contently, thinking once again how sweet and unmatched Vaughn was, but quickly a frown creased her forehead in recognition. "What a minute, is this flower what I think it is?"
He nodded, a sly grin creeping up on him. "Let's just say that they didn't need all of that plant to study on." He said matter-of-factly. "There was plenty of material for them to work with anyways."
She chuckled and playfully punched him in the arm. He winced, even her play punches were pretty rough. "You know, Agent Vaughn," She emphasized his title teasingly. "That you will be in a lot of trouble when they find out that you decided to help yourself to a sample of a Rombaldi artifact." She caressed a petal in between her fingers, delighting in their softness.
His voice lowered an octave. "Believe me, it was worth it." He watched her blush under her gaze and tuck her hair behind her ear, as she did so frequently. He continued. "Thanks to Rombaldi and his regenerative cell theory, which apparently works, this flower can stay alive and well without hardly any sustenance. It will stay that way basically forever. So," He mentally prepared himself. "That way you will always have something to remember me by."
That's it, enough with the protocol, Sydney thought. She hugged him tightly to her. "Thank you." She nuzzled in closer to him, feeling her personal restraints falling away one by one. "I don't care what they say is allowed," she murmured into his shirt, breathing in the scent of him.
Vaughn exhaled a sigh of happiness, not quite sure what to say to that. "You know, I said the same thing to myself this morning." He lifted her chin to see her beaming widely, with tears threatening to spill out of her liquid eyes. The only thing on his mind was how much this woman in front of him meant to him, and how she was so beautiful. "I love you Sydney."
She laughed with joy. The high, sweet sound echoed throughout the dark corridors of the warehouse. He started to laugh with her too, both pf them feeling suddenly relieved of a great burden, and they were able to laugh at their past, their troubles, what lay ahead. Eventually the laughter died, leaving the couple in each other's arms. Sydney looked up to him, gazing into his soulful eyes, silently pleading with him, giving him permission to do what she wanted so badly for so long.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Vaughn took his chance and lowered his lips down onto her own and they locked into a passionate kiss, one that released all the feelings they had penned up for each other. The electricity shot between the both of them, and they clung more desperately to each other. Sydney's snaked up around his neck, and she felt his hands weave thier way behind her head and into her silky hair, pushing her deeper into the kiss.
At last they both came back up for air, and their eyes sparkled with intensit y. Sydney opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped, catching her breath and licking her lips excitedly. She finally whispered to him. "I love you too, Vaughn."
They both melted into each other again, lost in their kisses. The yellow flower fell onto the floor, forgotten, one neverending gift being replaced by one more wonderful.