Title: Allies (S/V meet back in the SD-6 days…)
Author: Jenn (Freelancer21)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters! J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot and ABC own them.
Summary: Sydney and Vaughn meet back in the SD-6 days, but not the same way they did on the show. To destroy the Alliance, they become allies… and more?
Chapter 1
"Here's a little something for you, agent Weiss!" Vaughn announced when he arrived in front of Eric's desk.
Staring at his friend incredulously, Weiss replied:
"Mike, you're bringing me a coffee AND a donut? You're always telling me I eat too many of those!"
"Well, today is special," Vaughn answered with a big grin.
"Why is that?" Weiss wondered.
Vaughn's smile got even wider.
"I got promoted. Meet Michael Vaughn, senior officer."
"What? That's great! Did Devlin say why he finally decided to promote you?" Eric exclaimed, obviously thrilled with the news.
Vaughn took time to sit down in front of his friend's desk before answering.
"Well, apparently, he really did like the way I handled the Santoro case. And now guess what my new assignment is?"
The twinkle in Vaughn's eyes said it all.
"Nooooo…" Weiss said, his eyes wide open.
Vaughn nodded.
"Yes! I'll be working with you to destroy the Alliance!"
Eric jumped on his feet and started to make his little "happy dance", as he called it, attracting curious stares from his CIA co-workers.
"This calls for a celebration! You, me and the guys at the bar, as soon as Devlin lets us go!"
But Vaughn shook his head.
"Sorry, I'm going to have to take a rain check on this. Alice's parents are in town and we are having dinner with them," Vaughn explained, knowing full well his friend would not be happy about the news. He strongly suspected that Eric didn't really like Alice, or at least didn't think they should be together. In fact, Vaughn had his own doubts about the relationship, but he figured that was the way it was when you had been with someone a long time. He and Alice had separated a couple of times, but they had gotten back together eventually. That must mean they were in love, Michael thought.
As Vaughn had foreseen, Eric couldn't help but wince.
"So you guys are on again, as I can see."
"Eric, don't start with me…" Vaughn threatened.
Weiss raised his hands, meaning he would not say more.
"Okay, okay… but tomorrow we are celebrating and I won't take no for an answer."
The smile returned on Michael's face.
"Great. Now, Eric, you have half an hour to bring me up to date on the case before the team meeting. Devlin orders."
"Wh… what?" Weiss immediately sobered up and let himself fall back on his chair. "Now I understand why you added the donut!"
Agent Sydney Bristow was tired. She was straight out from the plane that had taken her back from Bulgaria, where she had successfully stolen plans for a bacteriological weapon. Sitting in her seat in the conference room, she wondered if this would be over soon enough for her to go shopping for her friend Will's birthday. She and Francie were throwing him a surprise party that evening but she still had no gift. What else was new, she thought.
"Sydney. Great work in Bulgaria," said her father as he sat beside her, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Thanks, dad. How are y-" she started, but she stopped dead when Arvin Sloane entered the room. Silence fell around the table.
"This man is named Arthur Moore," the head of SD-6 immediately began, pointing at the screen where a picture of a man in his fifties appeared. "Until a week ago, he worked for the Alliance. Now, it seems that he has gone rogue, taking the list of the Alliance members with him. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to meet with a member of K-Directorate in order to sell the list to him."
He paused for a second, noticing the excitement in the eyes of the agents around him.
"Now, I don't have to tell you how important it would be for us to get that list. This could mean the end of the Alliance, our greatest enemy, as you know. Agents Reinhardt and Palmer, you're going to the hotel where he is staying in Slovakia and you will get that list before Moore sells it. See Marshall for your op tech. That will be all."
On their way to the conference room, Weiss was still telling Vaughn about his new assignment.
"So remember: the Los Angeles cell is named SD-6 and it is run by a man named Arvin Sloane."
A tall, stern looking man entered the room before them and Weiss added, whispering:
"This is Jack Bristow, our double agent into SD-6. And here's my advice to you, young man: don't mess with Jack Bristow. When he says black, you say black. When he says white, you say white and you'll live to have children one day, got it?"
"He's that bad?" Vaughn asked, convinced his pal was exaggerating, as he often did.
"Worse. But the thing is: Jack Bristow is never wrong. He's always a step ahead of everyone. He's got resources you can't even imagine. And… he's kind of scary."
Vaughn didn't get the chance to make a comment. Devlin was about to start the meeting.
"Gentlemen, this morning Agent Bristow participated in a very important meeting at SD-6. I'll let him tell you all about it."
Jack wasted no time and began to explain.
"A member of the Alliance has defected with the list of all its members. He is about to sell that list to K-Directorate. In fact, the sell will take place tomorrow in Slovakia. Now, this morning, Arvin Sloane has assigned two agents to retrieve that list, saying it could finally allow them to destroy the Alliance. Of course we all know he wants that list to prevent that from happening. So, we have got to send someone to copy the list before the SD-6 agent gets it."
"Why do we have to copy it? Can't we just take it?" agent Jamison asked without thinking things through.
Jack gave him a look that clearly said he didn't think too highly of him for asking that question, but still explained.
"Very few people at SD-6 know the truth about the Alliance. I'm one of them. If we steal the list and thus prevent agent Reinhardt from obtaining it, Sloane will suspect there is a mole within SD-6. If we copy it and put it back before SD-6 gets there, they will never know we have it. There is no downside from them getting it, because they already have that info. They only want to prevent others to know who their members are."
Jack paused and Devlin continued:
"Now, if we get our hands on that list, for us it could mean a short-term destruction of the Alliance. And that's our main goal, as you all know. So, agents Vaughn and Weiss, you are going to Slovakia. The details of the op are in the file in front of you."
"Fran! I'm home!"
Sydney put down her bag on the counter just as Francie appeared.
"Finally! Girl, I hope you're not too tired from your trip, because there is still so much to do! What did you get Will?" Francie asked, curious.
"The Strokes' CD. The other day he mentioned he liked them," Sydney said as she took the CD out of the bag.
Francie gave her friend a look of compassion and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Syd, honey… you gave it to him last year."
"I did?" replied a surprised Sydney.
"Yes… Syd, I'm not kidding, you have to quit this damn job of yours! Don't you-"
"I know, Fran, I know. But right now I have to go back to the store and fast," she interrupted her.
Gently, Francie took the CD out of Sydney's hands and put it back on the counter.
"Girl, we'll just say we bought my gift to him together. I bought him the greatest sweater. It'll be alright."
Sydney sighed. She hated not being the perfect friend, but right now she had no choice.
This apartment needed to be decorated and fast.
The party was a total success. Will was so surprised and happy to see all those people that he almost started to cry. The food, the atmosphere, the wine… everything was great and Sydney was enjoying it, glad she had just gotten two days off from work.
She had just agreed to another drink when her pager went off. She reached for it, half a second before Francie was able to grab it and probably throw it outside the window.
"Sydney Bristow, I warn you, don't even look…" she threatened.
But it was too late. Sydney had looked and there was no chance she would dismiss that message. Sloane needed her.
Her country needed her.