A/N: thanks to demon for betaing. and thanks to all of you for leaving such great reviews... I know how you all loved how I portrayed Lauren as a... insensitive fool, but she's not. and as much as I wish she was... I really really tried to re-humanize her in this chapter.... and I know it's not really working

Thank you to

The Uptown Girl: aww… I would beg you to continue posting at sd-1 (because most of sd-1ers decide to stay far away from ff.net...) but… I understand about the confusion… sure did take me a while to figure it out completely as well ;) I'll definitely catch up on reading and write a review… just… need to get past finals…

valley-girl2: … talk about stalking… I check my e-mail and I see… 3 from ff.net and one from you! :P and well… technically, they were all from you. Hehe… and well… I was saving this chapter… because it was the last one I wrote, so that means I have to write another one soon… hehe. And believe me when I say this, I can take me months to update :P hope you enjoy it!

Seems like you guys are all caught up with sd-1… ;)



Chapter 3
~ Humbug ~

Michael Vaughn sat at his desk rifling through the mail he had conveniently not read at the breakfast table this morning. Lauren and he had gotten into another fight, and consequently he wanted to avoid her at every opportunity he got. It had been harsh, raw, and deeply bruising. But he knew, at the end of the day, she would be the one he still came home to. And as unhealthy as their fights were, they still loved each other.

Lauren had been head of operations for three weeks and so far, most of her mission objectives have failed. Weiss had been surprised when he heard Lauren was to replace Dixon, had even asked if it was allowed. However, no one was really shocked when Lauren, or 'Assistant Director Reed' as she was called at the Task Force Center, announced that Director Lindsey had the President of the United States sign his approval on the order, therefore annulling the complaints of the CIA director to quiet the objections. There had been grunts of dissatisfaction. Mutterings that she wasn't qualified for the job, didn't know the ropes of the work they did, and was female. And of course, the legality of the position was questioned. The water cooler and coffeepot rumors all whispered that she slept with Lindsey. Other busybodies quickly spread the word to the main CIA building. They were all ignored. This resulted in an agitated, angry, frustrated Lauren Reed.

The quiet ambiance of the Task Force Center at seven AM was the perfect place for Vaughn to run off to. He lifted up a large white ordinary envelope, one that could be found in any post office around the nation. There was a slight lump in the envelope. Thin, long, and a bit rounded. Bomb, was the first thought that flitted through his mind, but he cast it aside immediate. All personnel and their belongings were screened when they came through the door. Knowing that it was safe to open, he picked up his letter opener and slit one side. A Kings pen rolled out.

"You like hockey, right? The Kings?"

"Yeah, how'd you—"

"The pen you keep in your briefcase. It's a Kings pen."

"Yeah, I got that—"

"They're playing the Islanders next week. We should go."

Vaughn brightened with hope. His heart was racing at the thought of going on a date with Sydney Bristow. Then his face fell as he realized what she was doing.

"Sydney, you can't do this."

The memory always brought a smile to his face. Moments like those were the ones that he treasured her most. Maybe he took her for granted after the fall of SD-6. Maybe that was why he was losing her again. They had cherished the moments they had together back then. Held them like touchstones close to their hearts. They lived each moment, waiting for the next time they could meet again.

But that was then. And this is now. She was hopefully safe. After Lauren had stepped up the search for Sydney, Vaughn had had sleepless nights. He would lay awake next to Lauren and stare up at the ceiling, remembering, or walk down to the couch and relieve the Kings game Sydney and he had gone to.

He peeked inside the envelope and found several leaflets of paper. There was a letter on top; underneath, he found locations, information, and a picture. He looked back at the letter.

Boyscout~

This is the information you need to find Kevin Lynbrook.

I'm safe.

It was unsigned, but the Kings pen gave her away. It kept her safe. Only he would understand what the pen meant.

He took out his cell phone.

"Weiss."

"Eric, it's Mike. We have a lead on Lynbrook."

~~~

"Michael, how did you capture him?" Lauren asked, standing at the observation window, watching Lynbrook be interrogated.

"We apprehended him coming out of a building. Eric took one arm, I took the other, and we shoved him into a van full of CIA agents," he answered, also looking through the glass, evading her attempts to catch his eye.

"You know that's not what I meant, Michael. How did you know he was there?"

"The coordinates told me he was there."

Lauren was getting visibly frustrated. Her eyes grew harder and her eyebrows formed a knot. "Michael." She didn't continue until he turned towards her. "Where did you get all that information? The CIA doesn't have those types of resources and people to actually find that man. He has connections around the globe whose lips are all sealed. He's been connected to the 9/11 attacks and the bombing of the Paris embassy in 2004. How did you do it?"

"A unsanctioned anonymous source told me." He told her, looking back into the interrogation room. He hated lying to his wife, so he had to stretch the truth…just a little.

"You went by an unsanctioned source? You could have been killed!"

He looked at her with a glacial visage, "But I wasn't."

"And I guess it's because you trusted your source. Now… how many people do you really trust in your life. I can count that on one hand, Michael. I think it's pretty obvious who your source was. It took you four days to plan the mission. Or that's what Eric put on his report. But it didn't really take that long did it? How long did it really take? Two days? Three days?"

"I don't have time for this anymore, Lauren. I need to go interrogate the terrorist I caught."

He started walking towards the interrogation room's soundproof door.

"Do you not have time for your superior anymore or your wife, Michael?" her tone was condescending, the fury was not well hidden.

He stopped. Lauren watched as his shoulders sink with disappointment of her low blow. Taking in a deep breath, Vaughn continued walking towards the door. Not sparing her a backward glance. The pale gray walls of the hall seemed to collapse on Lauren's slim frame.

~~~

Stepping into the room, he was greeted by a ball of spit landing by his foot.

Looking down and then up at the man who produced the spit, he said, "Mr. Lynbrook, I'm Agent Michael Vaughn with the CIA—"

"Ahh… so this is the man Sydney dreams about all the time." The man at the chair had an obnoxious grin on his traitorous face.

The sentence caught Vaughn off guard as a chill streamed down his spine. "Excuse me?"

"You know, Sydney Bristow."

"What about her?" His interest in the suspect jumped greatly HeknewSydney… HeknewSydney… HeknewSydney… Howisshe? Isshestillsafe? Doesshestillloveme? Iloveyousomuch. Staysafe. Ican'tlivewithoutyou. Youneedtostaysafe.

"I don't understand you, man. How can you give up on someone like her? She's beautiful, man. Did you know she dreams about you all the time? She cries in her sleep."

This wasn't the news he wanted to hear. The selfish part of him rejoiced, but the rest of him… the rest of him wanted to die. He never wanted to cause her pain. She deserved to be happy and at peace. He had begged God or whatever deity up there to bring her back. He would have sold his soul for her to be happy again; he had promised that he would stay out of her life if she ever came back—he just had to know that she was alive and safe. He would sacrifice anything for her to be happy, to see her smile. And now she was back in life… but in so much pain. And he was the cause of that pain.

He pinched his nose ridge. Kevin Lynbrook was obviously enjoying his momentary control over the Agent's emotions for Sydney.

"What do you know about the Flash chip patent 3247?" Vaughn had snapped back into agent mode after taking five deep breaths.

"Why should I tell you? I know that once I get out of this room they're gonna throw me in a cell. And you know what? Forty years is a very very long time for a man my age to be living in a cell." His hinting was beyond obvious.

"I'll make a deal with you, Mr. Lynbrook. I can make it twenty eight years. And that's a more than generous offer."

"Now you're speaking my language, Mr. Vaughn."

"I'll repeat the question. What do you know about the Flash chip patent 3247?"

"The Man has it." There was an insincere smile pasted on his face.

Irina Derevko. When will the charade ever end?

"Do you know where Derevko's base is?"

"You need to find Bristow for that."

"And why would I need to find Sydney?" I can't find her. I made her a deal. I can't break my promises…

"She's joined The Man's operations… or have you not heard? That girl's been around… She's been helping The Man build up her new organization. And they're partners. I was supposed to find information from the Covenant." Vaughn's blood chilled for the second time today. She's trying to find information about her missing two years. She's helping her mother…

"What else do you know?"

"The personal or professional life of Sydney Bristow?"

Vaughn's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"Do you want to know the personal or professional life of Sydney Bristow? Because I have loads to tell."

"Do you know who sent you in here? Who tipped us off?"

"Why would I want to know. All that matters is that this is where I am now. I'm not stupid. I'm going to find my way out. Easy enough. My loyalties are flexible. But if it matters… I know it was Derevko. And I'm not afraid of her. I know how to escape her as well."

A whoosh of air rushed out of Vaughn's lungs. Sydney was still safe.

"Professional life." He wouldn't invade her personal life. It belonged to her, and only her. He no longer played a part in that life…

"She's an assassin. She kills for pleasure. Easily and swiftly. She's happy when she kills. She's killed CIA, Covenant agents, MI-5, any agency you think of, she's done it. I've seen her do it. It's not with a gun. She uses a knife."

Vaughn couldn't accept the possibility. No, she's not like that. He's pulling your string. And if she is, she has a good reason. They cannot be innocent people. She has a good reason. And even though Vaughn knew Lynbrook was most likely lying, he was drinking in all the information he can on Sydney. He just had to know. It was a thirst that couldn't be quenched.

Lynbrook kept on going. "At night she screams your name. She has five men she rotates between every night. They don't leave until the morning. And wouldn't you know it Agent Vaughn. I was one of those five men."

Vaughn turned heated eyes on Lynbrook. He pulled him up by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"What did you just say?" It can't be true. He's been lying this entire time. He can't be telling the truth…

There was a calm look in Lynbrook's eyes. "She screams your name when she comes."

"Next time, get a deal written in writing," Vaughn whispered.

He then punched Lynbrook hard…all he saw was blackness, anger, hate, and blood.

A/n: I know you guys absolutely hate it when I do this… but… 2 reviews for a chapter… :( even though they were awesome reviews… how about 3 for this chapter and I'll be sure to update Saturday? ::wink::