Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by J.J. Abrams and
Bad Robot Productions. As much as I would like to own
Michael C. Vaughn (what *does* the C stand for, I wonder?),
I must admit that I do not. But I promise, J.J., I will
give back all of your characters when I'm finished. And
I'm not getting any money out of this story, only a
sad sort of satisfaction. Tess, however, is MINE.
She is me and I am her and we are all together.
Title: If and When
Author: Penni Lane
Rating:
Summary: If is the most powerful world in the universe.
Category: Romance/Angst
Keywords: Sydney/Vaughn, Will/Other
Feedback: Please, oh please! I am pathetic and I need it!
mrsspooky_dks@yahoo.com
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Vaughn looked at his watch again before glancing
at the schedule board at LAX airport. Flight 42 from Washington, D.C.
was supposedly on schedule. According to his new watch, the plane
was already five minutes late. He looked at the clock in the airport
and adjusted his Omega. Just before the hour changed, a voice
came over the PA system, announcing the arrival of Flight 42 at
Gate 8A. Michael made his way over to the waiting area and watched
the crowd that had just arrived, looking for that familiar face.
"Mike!" Came a shout from the midst of the throng.
A somewhat short woman with long curly auburn hair and green
eyes that almost mirrored Michael's managed to push her way through
the people and dropped her bags, pulling her cousin into a fierce
hug. She pulled away and grinned up at him. "How the hell are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
"Quite well."
Michael smiled down at her. "Ready to go?"
"Yes, yes - but are you sure it's alright that I stay
at your flat?"
"Absolutely."
"Alice won't mind?"
He was silent for a moment. "We broke up two weeks ago."
"Ah." She paused. "Well, I'd say I was sorry, but I never
did care much for her."
"You and everyone else."
She shrugged and picked up her bags. "Where's that
conspicuously inconspicuous car of yours?"
He rolled his eyes, taking the heaviest of her luggage.
"As close as possible."
"What? I'm not that much of a git, am I?"
"No, Tess, 'git' is not a word I would use."
She laughed. "Let's go. I'm dying to see your new
place. Not to mention Donovan."
"Ok, but we're getting dinner first, I came straight
from work and I'm starving."
Tessa Glasgow laughed. "You're starving? I haven't
eaten since breakfast. You wouldn't believe the security
at Heathrow."
"It's probably worse here," Michael informed her as
he led the way to the car. "I had a trip a few weeks ago and
it took twice as long as usual to get on the plane."
His cousin raised an eyebrow at this. "Even with
your government clearance?"
"I was travelling as a civilian."
"Oh... why?"
"Because I wasn't travelling for work purposes, and
we're not allowed to use our privelleges when we're on
vacation."
"Ok. Where'd you go?"
"Who are you? My mother?"
"Hardly, and if you ever suggest that again, I'll
kick your arse."
He unlocked the trunk and set her luggage inside.
"I have friends who would pay to see that."
Tessa laughed and set her smaller bag next to
the suitcase, pressing the top of the trunk down. "Rather
small boot for a sedan, Michael."
"Huh? Oh, the trunk. Yeah, I guess so."
Ever the gentleman, Vaughn walked around to the
passenger side of the car and opened the door for his cousin.
She climbed in and he shut the door, jogging around to the
driver's side, getting in, and starting the car.
"Is it safe to talk in here?"
"Of course."
"I mean.. is the car 'clean,' Michael?"
"No bugs."
"Good. Then I can tell you about why I'm really in
Los Angeles."
"I didn't think you'd fly from London just for
a high school reunion," he admitted.
She smiled lightly and looked out the window at the
passing buildings. "The London SD cell arranged a transfer
for me, without my knowing until the deal was over. Apparently,
there's some shortage of operatives at SD-6 here. MI5 wants
me to deliver information to them, through the CIA, about
what Derevko's organization is doing now that she has
seemingly disappeared."
"Of course - Sark."
"Exactly. I'm supposed to get it from him, which
shouldn't be much harder than finding a Republican with a
higher degree of intelligence."
Michael managed a smile. "How long are you going
to be here?"
"I really can't say. As long as it takes, or until
they need me back in London."
After a while, the car slowed to a stop at a small
restaurant. The cousins got out, and headed in.
-----------------------------------
About thirty minutes later, Sydney stopped her SUV in
the same parking lot.
"It's amazing - we made plans and you didn't have
a spur of the moment trip!" Francie commented.
Will laughed. "Give her a break, Francie... that
only happens nine in ten times."
Syd rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car. "Both
of you stop it... I happen to like travelling."
The trio headed into the restaurant. They were waiting
for a table when a pair on the dance floor caught Sydney's
eye. "Guys, maybe we should go somewhere else - it seems kinda
crowded tonight."
"That's why we made reservations," Will reminded her, then
followed her gaze. "Oh..."
"What?" Francie looked at them both.
"Just someone from work," Syd told her friend.
"Will knows him?"
"They've met."
"What's his name?"
She sighed. "Michael."
"Oh.. that Michael?"
Syd declined to answer, instead looking to the approaching
hostess, who lead them to a small table. Just as they were sitting down,
the redhead who had been dancing with Vaughn bounded over.
"Will? Will Tippin??"
He looked at her for a moment before it clicked and he
grinned widely. "Tess? You look great!"
She smiled. "You too.. I can't believe it's been twelve years
already."
"Yeah.. how are you?"
"Good. I'm great."
Will smiled. "You, uh, sound a lot different."
"I've been in England for the past eleven years.
The accent sort of seeps into you," she said with a laugh.
Just then, her dance partner came up behind her.
"There you are..."
She smiled. "Michael, this is-"
"Will Tippin," her cousin cut in. "We've met."
"Oh, brilliant! I went to high school with Will,"
she told him before turning, "and Michael is my cousin."
She could swear she heard a sigh of relief from Will's
brunette friend, but she placed it out of mind. "Won't you
introduce us to your friends?"
Will's eyes darted to Vaughn quickly before gesturing
to the girls. "This is Francie, and Sydney. Michael Vaughn and
Tessa Glasgow."
"Nice to meet you," Syd spoke softly, but Tess got the
impression, by the way she looked at him, that she knew her
cousin very well.
"Ditto," Francie said with a smile. "Hey, you guys
should sit with us - we've got enough space. I'm sure you
two have a lot to catch up on."
Tess glanced at Will with a shrug, then looked up
at her cousin, who seemed somewhat like a deer caught in the
headlights. Could this be the girl he was always waxing on
about? She grinned. "We'd love to, right Mike?"
He shot her a look. She raised an eyebrow. He sighed.
"Yeah.. sounds great."
"You don't have to," Will stepped in, giving the CIA
officer a way out. "If you've got other things to do."
"Oh, nonsense," Tessa spoke before her cousin could
utter a word, "I'm sure we can find plenty to talk about!"
----------------------------------
It was almost two hours before dinner ended, and Michael
got himself and his cousin to his apartment in silence. As soon
as the front door was shut, he turned.
"Don't do that again."
"Do what?"
"There was a reason I gave you that look. Not only is
Sydney Bristow one of my agents - she's a double. If anyone
finds out about tonight, all of our lives are at stake."
Tess was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry. I had no
idea... I saw the way you two were looking at eachother. I guess
I thought you were," she laughed softly, "secretly involved or
something."
He sighed. "No, we're not."
"Is that a wistful tone I hear?"
"Maybe... but that's not the point." He picked up
the nearby phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"The agency, I have to get someone to pick up the
security feed from the whole time we were there."
"I'm sorry. Really."
Michael forced a smile. "I know."
She sat down and waited as he made the phone call,
inviting Donovan up into her lap. The little dog rested his
head on her leg and watched both her and his master. The phone
call ended.
"It's taken care of." He smiled, relieved. "Speaking
of looking at eachother, you and Will seemed to get along
very well."
Tess blushed slightly. "We're old friends, Mike, nothing
more."
"Oh really? Then why are you blushing?"
"I had a crush on him all through high school."
Her cousin grinned. "How cute."
"And if you tease me about it, I'll hurt you."
"Do you still like him?"
She turned somewhat contemplative. "I don't really know.
Maybe.. but it's been so long since I last saw him. He's still
gorgeous, that's for sure."
"I don't think I need to warn you to tread carefully
here, Tess. He's CIA... while he has a cover, it wouldn't be
a good idea to get involved. Syd is SD-6. And you're going in
there too."
"I know. I didn't mention getting involved, Michael.
Don't criticize me."
"I'm just looking out for you."
"Well maybe I don't want you to. Maybe I can look out
for myself," she snapped.
When her cousin was silent for a while, she sighed and
her expression softened. "I'm sorry, Mike... I'm just a little
stressed. I didn't mean to bark at you."
"We're all stressed."
"I know.. but you've always been like a big brother
to me. I appreciate your looking out for me. I might not
show it, and I might say otherwise sometimes, but I really
do appreciate it."
He smiled. "Good. 'Cause I'm going to be doing it
as long as you're in L.A."
---------------------------------------------------------
Bad Robot Productions. As much as I would like to own
Michael C. Vaughn (what *does* the C stand for, I wonder?),
I must admit that I do not. But I promise, J.J., I will
give back all of your characters when I'm finished. And
I'm not getting any money out of this story, only a
sad sort of satisfaction. Tess, however, is MINE.
She is me and I am her and we are all together.
Title: If and When
Author: Penni Lane
Rating:
Summary: If is the most powerful world in the universe.
Category: Romance/Angst
Keywords: Sydney/Vaughn, Will/Other
Feedback: Please, oh please! I am pathetic and I need it!
mrsspooky_dks@yahoo.com
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Vaughn looked at his watch again before glancing
at the schedule board at LAX airport. Flight 42 from Washington, D.C.
was supposedly on schedule. According to his new watch, the plane
was already five minutes late. He looked at the clock in the airport
and adjusted his Omega. Just before the hour changed, a voice
came over the PA system, announcing the arrival of Flight 42 at
Gate 8A. Michael made his way over to the waiting area and watched
the crowd that had just arrived, looking for that familiar face.
"Mike!" Came a shout from the midst of the throng.
A somewhat short woman with long curly auburn hair and green
eyes that almost mirrored Michael's managed to push her way through
the people and dropped her bags, pulling her cousin into a fierce
hug. She pulled away and grinned up at him. "How the hell are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
"Quite well."
Michael smiled down at her. "Ready to go?"
"Yes, yes - but are you sure it's alright that I stay
at your flat?"
"Absolutely."
"Alice won't mind?"
He was silent for a moment. "We broke up two weeks ago."
"Ah." She paused. "Well, I'd say I was sorry, but I never
did care much for her."
"You and everyone else."
She shrugged and picked up her bags. "Where's that
conspicuously inconspicuous car of yours?"
He rolled his eyes, taking the heaviest of her luggage.
"As close as possible."
"What? I'm not that much of a git, am I?"
"No, Tess, 'git' is not a word I would use."
She laughed. "Let's go. I'm dying to see your new
place. Not to mention Donovan."
"Ok, but we're getting dinner first, I came straight
from work and I'm starving."
Tessa Glasgow laughed. "You're starving? I haven't
eaten since breakfast. You wouldn't believe the security
at Heathrow."
"It's probably worse here," Michael informed her as
he led the way to the car. "I had a trip a few weeks ago and
it took twice as long as usual to get on the plane."
His cousin raised an eyebrow at this. "Even with
your government clearance?"
"I was travelling as a civilian."
"Oh... why?"
"Because I wasn't travelling for work purposes, and
we're not allowed to use our privelleges when we're on
vacation."
"Ok. Where'd you go?"
"Who are you? My mother?"
"Hardly, and if you ever suggest that again, I'll
kick your arse."
He unlocked the trunk and set her luggage inside.
"I have friends who would pay to see that."
Tessa laughed and set her smaller bag next to
the suitcase, pressing the top of the trunk down. "Rather
small boot for a sedan, Michael."
"Huh? Oh, the trunk. Yeah, I guess so."
Ever the gentleman, Vaughn walked around to the
passenger side of the car and opened the door for his cousin.
She climbed in and he shut the door, jogging around to the
driver's side, getting in, and starting the car.
"Is it safe to talk in here?"
"Of course."
"I mean.. is the car 'clean,' Michael?"
"No bugs."
"Good. Then I can tell you about why I'm really in
Los Angeles."
"I didn't think you'd fly from London just for
a high school reunion," he admitted.
She smiled lightly and looked out the window at the
passing buildings. "The London SD cell arranged a transfer
for me, without my knowing until the deal was over. Apparently,
there's some shortage of operatives at SD-6 here. MI5 wants
me to deliver information to them, through the CIA, about
what Derevko's organization is doing now that she has
seemingly disappeared."
"Of course - Sark."
"Exactly. I'm supposed to get it from him, which
shouldn't be much harder than finding a Republican with a
higher degree of intelligence."
Michael managed a smile. "How long are you going
to be here?"
"I really can't say. As long as it takes, or until
they need me back in London."
After a while, the car slowed to a stop at a small
restaurant. The cousins got out, and headed in.
-----------------------------------
About thirty minutes later, Sydney stopped her SUV in
the same parking lot.
"It's amazing - we made plans and you didn't have
a spur of the moment trip!" Francie commented.
Will laughed. "Give her a break, Francie... that
only happens nine in ten times."
Syd rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car. "Both
of you stop it... I happen to like travelling."
The trio headed into the restaurant. They were waiting
for a table when a pair on the dance floor caught Sydney's
eye. "Guys, maybe we should go somewhere else - it seems kinda
crowded tonight."
"That's why we made reservations," Will reminded her, then
followed her gaze. "Oh..."
"What?" Francie looked at them both.
"Just someone from work," Syd told her friend.
"Will knows him?"
"They've met."
"What's his name?"
She sighed. "Michael."
"Oh.. that Michael?"
Syd declined to answer, instead looking to the approaching
hostess, who lead them to a small table. Just as they were sitting down,
the redhead who had been dancing with Vaughn bounded over.
"Will? Will Tippin??"
He looked at her for a moment before it clicked and he
grinned widely. "Tess? You look great!"
She smiled. "You too.. I can't believe it's been twelve years
already."
"Yeah.. how are you?"
"Good. I'm great."
Will smiled. "You, uh, sound a lot different."
"I've been in England for the past eleven years.
The accent sort of seeps into you," she said with a laugh.
Just then, her dance partner came up behind her.
"There you are..."
She smiled. "Michael, this is-"
"Will Tippin," her cousin cut in. "We've met."
"Oh, brilliant! I went to high school with Will,"
she told him before turning, "and Michael is my cousin."
She could swear she heard a sigh of relief from Will's
brunette friend, but she placed it out of mind. "Won't you
introduce us to your friends?"
Will's eyes darted to Vaughn quickly before gesturing
to the girls. "This is Francie, and Sydney. Michael Vaughn and
Tessa Glasgow."
"Nice to meet you," Syd spoke softly, but Tess got the
impression, by the way she looked at him, that she knew her
cousin very well.
"Ditto," Francie said with a smile. "Hey, you guys
should sit with us - we've got enough space. I'm sure you
two have a lot to catch up on."
Tess glanced at Will with a shrug, then looked up
at her cousin, who seemed somewhat like a deer caught in the
headlights. Could this be the girl he was always waxing on
about? She grinned. "We'd love to, right Mike?"
He shot her a look. She raised an eyebrow. He sighed.
"Yeah.. sounds great."
"You don't have to," Will stepped in, giving the CIA
officer a way out. "If you've got other things to do."
"Oh, nonsense," Tessa spoke before her cousin could
utter a word, "I'm sure we can find plenty to talk about!"
----------------------------------
It was almost two hours before dinner ended, and Michael
got himself and his cousin to his apartment in silence. As soon
as the front door was shut, he turned.
"Don't do that again."
"Do what?"
"There was a reason I gave you that look. Not only is
Sydney Bristow one of my agents - she's a double. If anyone
finds out about tonight, all of our lives are at stake."
Tess was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry. I had no
idea... I saw the way you two were looking at eachother. I guess
I thought you were," she laughed softly, "secretly involved or
something."
He sighed. "No, we're not."
"Is that a wistful tone I hear?"
"Maybe... but that's not the point." He picked up
the nearby phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"The agency, I have to get someone to pick up the
security feed from the whole time we were there."
"I'm sorry. Really."
Michael forced a smile. "I know."
She sat down and waited as he made the phone call,
inviting Donovan up into her lap. The little dog rested his
head on her leg and watched both her and his master. The phone
call ended.
"It's taken care of." He smiled, relieved. "Speaking
of looking at eachother, you and Will seemed to get along
very well."
Tess blushed slightly. "We're old friends, Mike, nothing
more."
"Oh really? Then why are you blushing?"
"I had a crush on him all through high school."
Her cousin grinned. "How cute."
"And if you tease me about it, I'll hurt you."
"Do you still like him?"
She turned somewhat contemplative. "I don't really know.
Maybe.. but it's been so long since I last saw him. He's still
gorgeous, that's for sure."
"I don't think I need to warn you to tread carefully
here, Tess. He's CIA... while he has a cover, it wouldn't be
a good idea to get involved. Syd is SD-6. And you're going in
there too."
"I know. I didn't mention getting involved, Michael.
Don't criticize me."
"I'm just looking out for you."
"Well maybe I don't want you to. Maybe I can look out
for myself," she snapped.
When her cousin was silent for a while, she sighed and
her expression softened. "I'm sorry, Mike... I'm just a little
stressed. I didn't mean to bark at you."
"We're all stressed."
"I know.. but you've always been like a big brother
to me. I appreciate your looking out for me. I might not
show it, and I might say otherwise sometimes, but I really
do appreciate it."
He smiled. "Good. 'Cause I'm going to be doing it
as long as you're in L.A."
---------------------------------------------------------