A/N: This story hit me,of all of the places, in the shower (can you believe it?). It's not very long, only six chapters, but I have had a lot of fun with it and hope that you all enjoy it too.
Summary: Post A Broken Heart (1.4). Set in our favourite handler/asset days. Sydney is introduced to a high-ranking SD-6 employee who can only spell trouble for her...and Vaughn.
Disclaimer: I do not (unfortunately) own Alias or any dialogue that I used in the story, however I do posess the right to completely obsess over it. Also, I do not own the song 'Where's The Enemy?' by The Whitlams, which I used for the title and chapter names.
Blaming not yourself,
Vaughn stared down at the water. "You just threw your beeper in the Pacific," he deadpanned.
Sydney allowed herself a short laugh through her sobs. "I know."
"Okay, listen to me." Vaughn started. "There's something you need to know. When you first walked into my office with that stupid Bozo hair, I thought you were crazy. I thought you might actually be a crazy person. But I watched you and read your statement, and I've seen...I've seen how you think, I've seen how you work, I've seen how you are in this job. In this job, you see darkness. You see the worst in people and though the jobs are different and the missions change and the enemies have a thousand names, the one crucial thing, the one real responsibility you have is to not let your rage and your resentment and your disgust darken you. When you're at your absolute lowest, at your most depressed, just remember that you can always...you know. You got my number."
As if somebody else was in control of her body, Sydney reached out and gratefully clasped his hand.
Sydney felt strong as she entered the Credit Dauphine building the next day. It was hard to believe that, hours before, she was on the edge of completely cracking up. She was, in a way, angry with herself. Like most people, Sydney Bristow did not like to appear weak or vulnerable to anybody. Especially her handler.
Sydney still wasn't completely sure how to take Michael Vaughn and that frazzled her. She liked to be certain about things.
Didn't everybody?
It was a typical day at SD-6, quite boring actually. With no new op being sanctioned, Sydney had been stuck at her desk, reviewing files. A small chat with Dixon had been her only break. As she often did since finding the truth about her employers, Sydney glanced around the office, feeling a great empathy for those engrossed in their jobs. Jobs that they believed they were completing for the good of their country.
As usual a surge of anger followed. A searingrage directed at those who knowingly put her and these innocent people in such a situation. It made Sydney sick that people like this actually existed.
She walked in and sat opposite Arvin Sloane. The older man smiled warmly as he shook her hand.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine," she replied, smoothing out her skirt. "Now what is the problem and what do you need me to do about it?"
Sloane leaned back slightly in his chair. "I'm feeling a little uneasy. Something isn't feeling completely right around here."
"You think we have mole?"
"I don't know." Sloane shrugged. "I may just be feeling paranoid, but if there is a problem I want to get on top of it before things get worse."
She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "So, you want me to investigate?" she asked, her voice as smooth as silk.
Sloane nodded. "Just small scale. Face to face interviews, reviews of all missions. See if you get an instinct about anyone."
"Sounds simple enough." She stood up. "When do you want me start?"
"Today if you can."
Michael Vaughn paced between the cyclone wire. Sydney's message had sounded urgent and now she was late. If something happened to her, he didn't know what he would do.
Slumping against a wall, Vaughn rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't slept when he got home the night before. He wasn't exactly sure what had transpired between him and Sydney at the pier. He wasn't sure what was going on between them full stop.
She was his asset and things were totally professional between them. But recently he'd found himself almost looking forward to their meetings. No, not almost. He did look forward to them. He actually anticipated covert meetings that could get them both killed.
'Stop it,' he told himself. 'Sydney is your asset and you have a girlfriend. You simply enjoy your job. That's all.'
Minutes later Sydney walked in, her face flushed. "This has got to be really quick," she said, breathlessly. "I have to get back to SD-6 asap."
"So then why did you need to meet?"
"Something's going on. Sloane is calling it employee evaluations. One on one interviews, reviews of missions. That kind of stuff." Sydney explained. "But I think there is more to it."
Vaughn was immediately worried. "You don't think they're suspicious of you?"
Sydney shrugged. "I don't know. But with whatever is going on down there, we are going to have to be extra careful."
Vaughn nodded. "I'll let Devlin know what is going on."
"Thanks," Sydney smiled. "I have to go- my interview is this aftenoon."
"Ok. Let me know how it went as soon as you can."
"I will." Sydney started to walk off, but then turned around. "Vaughn."
"Yeah?"
"About last night..."
Vaughn felt his stomach tense. "Yeah?"
"I just wanted to apologise. I shouldn't have heaped all that on you."
"Sydney." He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her. "Don't worry about it. I meant what I said. If you ever need to talk..."
Sydney smiled faintly. "Thank you," she said before walking off.
Sydney had been back at SD-6 a little under an hour when she got called into the conference room for her 'evaluation'.
Hoping desperately that that was all it really was, a simple evaluation, Sydney headed towards the conference room, her breath steady and her demeanour calm. It was empty when she got there so Sydney took the liberty of choosing a seat. Seconds after she sat down the door opened and a tall blonde woman entered.
"Good afternoon Agent Bristow," she said brusquely sitting opposite Sydney. "Today we'll just be going through a series of simple questions, so if you could just be patient with me while I get the program necessary up and running..." the woman paused as she opened up her laptop, "we can get started."
Sydney nodded, examining this woman. She was surprised that somebody so young would have such a high-ranking place within SD-6. Surely she must have known the truth. There was no way Sloane would entrust a lower-case agent with a task like this. No, this woman knew exactly who she was working for.
There was also something else about her that intrigued Sydney. For some reason this woman felt familiar. Sydney had see this face before. But where? A class at school, on the street, maybe at a party? Sydney couldn't place where and it was driving her insane.
But then, like a tonne of bricks falling on top of her, Sydney realized. She had never seen this woman in person before. It had been a photograph. An innocent photograph displayed proudly in a man's office.
A photo of that man and his girlfriend.
"When you first walked into my office with that stupid Bozo hair..."
Vaughn's office...
Vaughn's photograph...
Vaughn's girlfriend...