Vaughn didn't hear from Sydney for the next few
days. He didn't think that she would be mad at him for that long,
even though he understood perfectly where she was coming from.
If he was in her shoes, he supposed he wouldn't want to be
treated that way either.
After the first day, he tried calling her to apologize, not as Joey's Pizza either, just as himself. Then, two days after, he learned that Sydney was going on a three day mission in the Philippines. That would mean a meeting at the warehouse, and he could apologize to her.
When Sydney showed up for the meeting, however, she wasn't in the mood for small talk. She wouldn't look him in the eye, and immediately asked what her countermission was so she could get the information she needed and leave. Michael decided it was time to press the issue.
"Sydney, can't you just listen to me for one minute? I'm trying to say I'm sorry. You're right, I was treating you like a child, and I was wrong. I need to be more objective from now on. But if you won't talk to me, how can we get past this?"
"I am talking to you," she whispered cooly. "Are we done here? Do I have your permission to leave?"
Michael opened his mouth to respond to her sarcasm, but thought it best just to let her go.
"You can leave any time you want," was all he said, and she did. He decided to just let it wait these few days and try again when she got home.
When Sydney returned though, she continued to ignore Vaughn. There was nothing he could do about it either, because Sydney was at SD6 all the time, and he certainly couldn't go see her there. He finally decided that he would have to go through Jack in order to make it up to her. Jack came into the CIA quite often, and it would be very hard to miss him as he came in when most of the agents were leaving for the day.
Still, even when Michael knew Jack was there and it would be very easy to talk to him, he hesitated to do so. Finally, after wasting two days debating with himself, Michael finally approached Jack.
"Mr. Bristow, I need to ask you a favor. I know you prefer to stay out of Sydney's private life, but this is important."
"What is it, Michael?"
This gave him pause. Sydney's father had never called him by his first name before.
"We had a disagreement, more of a fight, actually. What it's about isn't really the issue. I'm going to apologize again-- when I can. She just won't talk to me, except about work. Maybe that's how other people want it to be, that everything between us is business. But it isn't, not anymore. I'd really appreciate it if you'd... encourage her to talk to me."
Michael was afraid he'd rambled on too long, that he'd probably annoyed Jack. But his face remained as calm, and unreadable, as ever.
"The next time I see her, I'll mention it. I hope things work out. I'm sorry you had a fight."
Vaughn nodded and Jack moved away. Vaughn hoped that things would be right again soon, though he wasn't absolutely sure how Sydney would take her father asking her to talk to him again. He sighed and went back into his office, not really to do anything, just to think and hope.
The very first night Sydney was home, Jack asked her to meet him for dinner.She accepted happily enough, but when she arrived, and saw his face, she began to suspect an ulterior motive.
"What's going on, Dad?"
"Nothing. Why, shouldn't I want to have dinner out with my own daughter?"
"Yes... of course. I'm sorry, Dad. I've just been a little stressed out lately. The work is all right, but..."
"You and Michael had a fight."
Sydney looked up abruptly. "How did you...?"
He smiled. "He came and talked to me, asked me to tell you he wants to talk, to apologize again. He means it, Sydney. He's sorry. I don't know what you fought about, he kept that private, but I could see he has regrets. And before you get angry thinking I only asked you here to tell you this, don't. I'm always happy to spend time with you, Sydney. I don't need an excuse."
"Well, then could we please not talk about this right now? And besides, I'm sure you wouldn't have asked me if he hadn't asked this of you." Sydney was about to get up and leave when he clamped his hand down onto hers.
"You're staying," he said. "I am your father, and I can make you do that. I know the relationship between you and Vaughn. It is against the rules, but in your case, I shall let them be bent. He cares for you Sydney, very much. When I talked to him the other day about this, the hurt in his eyes was so...so immense. You know you feel the same way. You're my daughter, and I can read you like a book. Don't deny your feelings. Just hear his apology at least. He's put through enough worry while you're away saving the world. At least put his mind at ease a little."
Sydney sighed as she sat back down. "All right, Dad. I'll talk to him, tomorrow. I should have known he'd come to you."
"You haven't spoken to him about anything but work in well over a week. What did you expect him to do? This has been distracting him, not to mention that it could start to affect your working relationship. That wouldn't be good at all, for either of you. But especially for you. I'd become Sloane's closest friend in the world before I'd let something happen to you again. She's taken you away once, and she's never going to do it again."
"Mom isn't going to get me. I'm fine, and I can take care of myself."
Jack knew Sydney was finished speaking with him for the night, so he turned his attention to the others in the restaurant. The rest of the dinner was unnervingly quiet, but he didn't comment on the silence.
The next day, Sydney made the trip to the CIA to see Vaughn.
After the first day, he tried calling her to apologize, not as Joey's Pizza either, just as himself. Then, two days after, he learned that Sydney was going on a three day mission in the Philippines. That would mean a meeting at the warehouse, and he could apologize to her.
When Sydney showed up for the meeting, however, she wasn't in the mood for small talk. She wouldn't look him in the eye, and immediately asked what her countermission was so she could get the information she needed and leave. Michael decided it was time to press the issue.
"Sydney, can't you just listen to me for one minute? I'm trying to say I'm sorry. You're right, I was treating you like a child, and I was wrong. I need to be more objective from now on. But if you won't talk to me, how can we get past this?"
"I am talking to you," she whispered cooly. "Are we done here? Do I have your permission to leave?"
Michael opened his mouth to respond to her sarcasm, but thought it best just to let her go.
"You can leave any time you want," was all he said, and she did. He decided to just let it wait these few days and try again when she got home.
When Sydney returned though, she continued to ignore Vaughn. There was nothing he could do about it either, because Sydney was at SD6 all the time, and he certainly couldn't go see her there. He finally decided that he would have to go through Jack in order to make it up to her. Jack came into the CIA quite often, and it would be very hard to miss him as he came in when most of the agents were leaving for the day.
Still, even when Michael knew Jack was there and it would be very easy to talk to him, he hesitated to do so. Finally, after wasting two days debating with himself, Michael finally approached Jack.
"Mr. Bristow, I need to ask you a favor. I know you prefer to stay out of Sydney's private life, but this is important."
"What is it, Michael?"
This gave him pause. Sydney's father had never called him by his first name before.
"We had a disagreement, more of a fight, actually. What it's about isn't really the issue. I'm going to apologize again-- when I can. She just won't talk to me, except about work. Maybe that's how other people want it to be, that everything between us is business. But it isn't, not anymore. I'd really appreciate it if you'd... encourage her to talk to me."
Michael was afraid he'd rambled on too long, that he'd probably annoyed Jack. But his face remained as calm, and unreadable, as ever.
"The next time I see her, I'll mention it. I hope things work out. I'm sorry you had a fight."
Vaughn nodded and Jack moved away. Vaughn hoped that things would be right again soon, though he wasn't absolutely sure how Sydney would take her father asking her to talk to him again. He sighed and went back into his office, not really to do anything, just to think and hope.
The very first night Sydney was home, Jack asked her to meet him for dinner.She accepted happily enough, but when she arrived, and saw his face, she began to suspect an ulterior motive.
"What's going on, Dad?"
"Nothing. Why, shouldn't I want to have dinner out with my own daughter?"
"Yes... of course. I'm sorry, Dad. I've just been a little stressed out lately. The work is all right, but..."
"You and Michael had a fight."
Sydney looked up abruptly. "How did you...?"
He smiled. "He came and talked to me, asked me to tell you he wants to talk, to apologize again. He means it, Sydney. He's sorry. I don't know what you fought about, he kept that private, but I could see he has regrets. And before you get angry thinking I only asked you here to tell you this, don't. I'm always happy to spend time with you, Sydney. I don't need an excuse."
"Well, then could we please not talk about this right now? And besides, I'm sure you wouldn't have asked me if he hadn't asked this of you." Sydney was about to get up and leave when he clamped his hand down onto hers.
"You're staying," he said. "I am your father, and I can make you do that. I know the relationship between you and Vaughn. It is against the rules, but in your case, I shall let them be bent. He cares for you Sydney, very much. When I talked to him the other day about this, the hurt in his eyes was so...so immense. You know you feel the same way. You're my daughter, and I can read you like a book. Don't deny your feelings. Just hear his apology at least. He's put through enough worry while you're away saving the world. At least put his mind at ease a little."
Sydney sighed as she sat back down. "All right, Dad. I'll talk to him, tomorrow. I should have known he'd come to you."
"You haven't spoken to him about anything but work in well over a week. What did you expect him to do? This has been distracting him, not to mention that it could start to affect your working relationship. That wouldn't be good at all, for either of you. But especially for you. I'd become Sloane's closest friend in the world before I'd let something happen to you again. She's taken you away once, and she's never going to do it again."
"Mom isn't going to get me. I'm fine, and I can take care of myself."
Jack knew Sydney was finished speaking with him for the night, so he turned his attention to the others in the restaurant. The rest of the dinner was unnervingly quiet, but he didn't comment on the silence.
The next day, Sydney made the trip to the CIA to see Vaughn.