He just stared at the screen. Eyes unblinking. He hadn't moved or spoken for what seemed like ten minutes.
She'd let him watch the tape by himself, well, she'd watched from the cameras the CIA had placed everywhere. But seeing him standing there in that crushed, helpless state...she needed to make sure he was alright. So she slowly and quietly slipped into the room, coming up behind him.
She reached up her hand to place it on his shoulder and then decided against it. She forced herself to stand there, straight, arms to her sides. Hesitation caressed with concern and laced with kindness came out as she spoke.
"Vaughn...are you alright?"
For what seemed like another eternity he was still motionless. Then he closed his eyes tightly and let his head hang.
"She's Covenant."
It was a matter of fact statement. Not a question at all. He hadn't been told, but the tape of his "wife" meeting with new Covenant boss Mr. Sark was pretty much a dead ringer.
He slowly turned around to the women behind him and couldn't believe his luck. Her face, those beautiful eyes, the soft sweet smell of her hair. He loved her. And she loved him. And up until a few hours ago, all they could do about it was avoid each other. Vaughn was a married man, and he had sworn to be loyal and faithful to his wife. Of course, then again, so did she. And she deceived him. Hell, she decieved the whole damn Country. She betrayed him, and suddenly, Michael Vaughn had a new found respect for Jack Bristow.
Sydney shook him from his thoughts as she began to speak.
"Vaughn, she is on her way back here from a 'buisness trip.' You are to pretend like you've never heard or seen this information. You've got to keep your act up."
How could she say that? Keep my "act up." As if there was no emotion involved at all? He felt like he should defend himself at this point but instead just turned back to the screen and ran a hand down his face nodding.
This time, Sydney did reach her hand up to grasp his shoulder as she closed the small gap between. She came to stand beside him as her gaze focused on the screen. The imprint of Vaughn's wife and Sark standing face to face, frozen in time.
She was. Lauren Reed was Covenant. She'd infiltrated the CIA and had scammed Vaughn. At least, that's what she'd been told. But then again, it's hard to trust anyone in this buisness. The tape in front of them was proof of that.
Syd didn't want to be the one who told him but had gotten nominated when Weiss came down with a cold. Some excuse.
How he must be feeling. Betrayed. Tortured. Hurt. She glanced up to him and found him staring at her instead of the screen. She gave him a questioning look when she read his own expression. It was odd. Could it have been guilt?
"Sydney..."
Vaughn pulled a pen from his pocket and clicked it allowing there to be an interference with the network so they could speak freely for thirty seconds. A trick Sydney and her father often used at SD-6.
"Sydney, I know. I know Lauren is Covenant. I've known since day one. She was supposed to think she successfully penitrated the CIA as a mole. We think she might lead us..."
Vaughn stopped short as the pen clicked back up. His gaze coming up to meet Sydney's tormented and confused eyes. His rushed state had been replaced by the previous hurt and shocked one.
Sydney's hand jumped off of Vaughn's shoulder immediatly. As if it had grown too hot under her skin. He couldn't have missed the pain and anger in her eyes as she backed away half a step, thousands of questions closing in on her as she tried to breath. She just shook her head once, turned on her heel and pushed through the exit door as fast as she could, leaving Vaughn to deal with the sitaution and his next move, by himself.
She'd let him watch the tape by himself, well, she'd watched from the cameras the CIA had placed everywhere. But seeing him standing there in that crushed, helpless state...she needed to make sure he was alright. So she slowly and quietly slipped into the room, coming up behind him.
She reached up her hand to place it on his shoulder and then decided against it. She forced herself to stand there, straight, arms to her sides. Hesitation caressed with concern and laced with kindness came out as she spoke.
"Vaughn...are you alright?"
For what seemed like another eternity he was still motionless. Then he closed his eyes tightly and let his head hang.
"She's Covenant."
It was a matter of fact statement. Not a question at all. He hadn't been told, but the tape of his "wife" meeting with new Covenant boss Mr. Sark was pretty much a dead ringer.
He slowly turned around to the women behind him and couldn't believe his luck. Her face, those beautiful eyes, the soft sweet smell of her hair. He loved her. And she loved him. And up until a few hours ago, all they could do about it was avoid each other. Vaughn was a married man, and he had sworn to be loyal and faithful to his wife. Of course, then again, so did she. And she deceived him. Hell, she decieved the whole damn Country. She betrayed him, and suddenly, Michael Vaughn had a new found respect for Jack Bristow.
Sydney shook him from his thoughts as she began to speak.
"Vaughn, she is on her way back here from a 'buisness trip.' You are to pretend like you've never heard or seen this information. You've got to keep your act up."
How could she say that? Keep my "act up." As if there was no emotion involved at all? He felt like he should defend himself at this point but instead just turned back to the screen and ran a hand down his face nodding.
This time, Sydney did reach her hand up to grasp his shoulder as she closed the small gap between. She came to stand beside him as her gaze focused on the screen. The imprint of Vaughn's wife and Sark standing face to face, frozen in time.
She was. Lauren Reed was Covenant. She'd infiltrated the CIA and had scammed Vaughn. At least, that's what she'd been told. But then again, it's hard to trust anyone in this buisness. The tape in front of them was proof of that.
Syd didn't want to be the one who told him but had gotten nominated when Weiss came down with a cold. Some excuse.
How he must be feeling. Betrayed. Tortured. Hurt. She glanced up to him and found him staring at her instead of the screen. She gave him a questioning look when she read his own expression. It was odd. Could it have been guilt?
"Sydney..."
Vaughn pulled a pen from his pocket and clicked it allowing there to be an interference with the network so they could speak freely for thirty seconds. A trick Sydney and her father often used at SD-6.
"Sydney, I know. I know Lauren is Covenant. I've known since day one. She was supposed to think she successfully penitrated the CIA as a mole. We think she might lead us..."
Vaughn stopped short as the pen clicked back up. His gaze coming up to meet Sydney's tormented and confused eyes. His rushed state had been replaced by the previous hurt and shocked one.
Sydney's hand jumped off of Vaughn's shoulder immediatly. As if it had grown too hot under her skin. He couldn't have missed the pain and anger in her eyes as she backed away half a step, thousands of questions closing in on her as she tried to breath. She just shook her head once, turned on her heel and pushed through the exit door as fast as she could, leaving Vaughn to deal with the sitaution and his next move, by himself.