Three Bricks Shy-Alias, PG-13 (A touch of the occult and some humor)
Peregrine
Alias is owned by ABC, Touchstone and is the creation of JJ Abrams and Bad Robot Productions.
******
Chapter Thirteen
"Vaughn, what did they do to you?" were the first words out of her mouth. Typical Syd. Worrying about me instead of herself. When I got close enough, I saw that her eyes were swollen from crying and I guessed that her reunion with Jack hadn't been a happy one.
"Umm….someone zapped me with a taser and I guess my face got a little messed up when I fell down." Haladki's name almost slipped out of my mouth and I caught myself in time. Sydney had enough reminders of her mother's perfidy and she certainly didn't need me bringing up one of Laura's comrades.
Sydney winced in sympathy. "Ouch. Want some of my foundation cream?" she asked wryly.
"No thanks. Is there some place we could talk privately?" I looked at the door behind her.
Syd rubbed at her wrists and I saw the marks left by her shackles. "Anywhere but in there."
She grabbed my hand and propelled me along the corridor to a richly appointed office. "This is A.D. Dennison's office. He said I could use it for as long as I needed."
Our hands were still joined and I drew her closer to me. "I've been so worried."
"I can tell," Syd answered softly, looking at my frown lines with a slight curve to her lips. Then her face grew serious and she added, "My father told me about Trish and he said this was all your doing. Thank you…Michael."
The impact of hearing my name from her lips almost made me gasp involuntarily. Heat rushed through my body when I saw how she was looking at me. "You're welcome," I answered huskily.
"I owe my life to both of you." Her fingers clenched mine whitely and I broke her grip when I opened my arms to hug her. Sydney rushed at me and nearly knocked me onto the couch as she embraced me with every fiber of her being. My gasp was more from the shock of feeling her against me than the ache of my cracked ribs.
This hug was dramatically different from our last awkward clench in the warehouse. Instead of standing like two mannequins, our bodies were molded together and I felt her hips against mine and marveled at how perfectly we matched. Her dark hair was still slightly damp from the shower and I inhaled her essence as I buried my face in her neck. That was all it took to remind her that we weren't just Sydney and Michael, we were Agents Vaughn and Bristow, and we had no right to the intimacies that other people took for granted. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her arms and moved away from me. "Is your aunt still here? I'd like to meet her."
The heat from her body still lingered and I felt her loss like a stabbing wound in my gut. It was all I could do to focus on business as usual. "Sure. She's down the hall resting."
******
Trish had managed to find a cigarette in a non-smoking building and she was pacing restlessly when we made our entrance. With a huge smile, she dropped the butt in a nearby coffee cup and moved to meet us.
"Sydney, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said in her flowery accent, and I could see that she put Syd immediately at ease. Trish encased Sydney's hands between hers like a sandwich and I knew she was reading her. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to intervene.
"Same here." Syd finally managed to extricate her fingers from Trish's surprisingly strong grip and she stared at Trish's deeply cut dimples before flashing me an unreadable glance. "Trish, words alone cannot convey my thanks. You saved my life in there…."
Trish waved her hand. "It was nothing. It's what I do, you know?"
"OK." But it was clear that Sydney didn't get it. "If there's anything I can do for you….if there's anything you need…."
"There is one thing you can do for me." Trish leaned forward and whispered something in Sydney's ear. With an abrupt motion, Syd straightened up and I wondered at the red blush staining her face.
"I'll….keep that in mind," she replied, looking away from me pointedly and sighing with relief when the door opened and our escort arrived to take us out of here.
I looked at Trish and hissed, "What did you say to her?"
Trish seemed particularly pleased with herself. "You'll find out soon enough."
*****
Sydney fell into step beside me with a bemused expression. "I didn't realize that your aunt was so…."
"Weird?" I jested.
Sydney grinned. "I was about to say beautiful. She really looks like you, huh?"
That was a backhanded compliment if I've ever heard one. "I guess."
She picked right up on the odd tremor in my voice. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Later. Not here," I murmured, touching her arm and pulling her aside for a moment. "When do you report back?"
Sydney frowned at the mention of SD-6. "In a week."
"That long? How did your father pull that off?"
"With some fast talking." She looked straight at me and said, "Look, what happened back there…."
Now it was my turn to blush. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…. "
Her chocolate eyes were filled with some undefined emotion that I wasn't ready to analyze. "I'm glad you did."
I'm sure I was turning three shades of red by this time and I stammered, "W- we better catch up with the others."
"Of course." I didn't imagine the disappointment in her voice and I let myself get lost in her eyes for a second, letting her see the feelings I've hidden for so long before I turned and made my way toward the elevator.
******
The sun almost blinded me when I emerged from the dark tunnels of the FBI building. The soft breeze caressed my cheek and carried the smell of flower blossoms bursting from their tightly coiled buds. The scent of freshly turned earth and bark mulch. My friends standing on the steps. Sydney moving toward them. My nightmare came back to me and gave me the impetus to dash down the stairs. I hauled myself up short and stopped next to Weiss, my breath streaming from my nostrils like a horse on a very cold day.
"Where's the fire?" Eric quipped lightly.
Trish turned to face me and that's when I saw the laser sight dance across her cheekbones. Weiss saw it at the same time and he launched himself at her and knocked her back into the flower bed. I expected to hear the cough of a silencer but then things started to play out differently. Sydney rushed over to us and was bending over to help Trish up when I saw the red dot return and focus itself on the back of her skull. "Get down," I yelled, and with the training and instinct of a paramilitary expert, Sydney flung herself down next to Weiss at the very moment that a bullet sank into the tree trunk next to her. I keyed my cell phone and called for back-up, and not a minute passed before Security came to our rescue. They cordoned off the area, but it was too late; the sniper had escaped.
Weiss and Sydney helped Trish to her feet and I saw her good humor restore itself quickly. I offered her my arm and she walked for awhile with me. "See what I mean about visions?" Trish said as we stopped to look at a fountain.
I nodded my head and watched the light play on the water, forming rainbows from the dazzling sunlight. "I'm just glad I was here."
"So am I. Thank you, Michael." Her tone was oddly formal and it hurt to see her distancing herself from me. But I guess she expected rejection, for that was all that life had ever dealt her when it came to our family.
"No, thank you," I said emphatically, taking her hands in mine and letting the gratitude shine from my eyes.
"Is this your last day here?" Trish asked as I looked over to where Sydney waited.
"We're flying out tonight." Sydney was taking an earlier flight and I knew she had to get going.
"Why don't you and Eric stop by before you leave?" Trish suggested, noticing that I was chomping at the bit.
"OK, we will. Thanks again, Trish." I met Eric's eyes and he quickly moved over to entertain Trish while I said good-bye to Syd.
Sydney saw how worried I was. "I can take care of myself."
That was true, but I still wanted to protect her. Maybe it was the Dirk Pitt in me, or maybe it was just Michael worrying about Sydney. "I'm more worried about the other guy," I joked, trying to make light of the situation.
She smiled. "So do you think this was someone from SD-4?"
"Probably. My guess is they had someone waiting, just in case they let you go."
The van driver coughed and pointed to his watch.
"So this is it, I guess," she said sadly.
"Yeah." I still couldn't believe she was free, that this nightmare was finally over and we could return to the daily business of catching the bad guys and wearing down the foundation of SD-6.
"I'll see you in LA." Sydney started to turn and I halted her with my hand.
"Watch your back," I cautioned, wishing I could go with her.
"I will. Thanks." Her voice was soft and sweet and as she got into the van, she turned and waved at all of us before disappearing inside. Weiss and Trish moved up beside me and we all watched as the van moved away from the curb and joined the line of traffic.
******
Peregrine
Alias is owned by ABC, Touchstone and is the creation of JJ Abrams and Bad Robot Productions.
******
Chapter Thirteen
"Vaughn, what did they do to you?" were the first words out of her mouth. Typical Syd. Worrying about me instead of herself. When I got close enough, I saw that her eyes were swollen from crying and I guessed that her reunion with Jack hadn't been a happy one.
"Umm….someone zapped me with a taser and I guess my face got a little messed up when I fell down." Haladki's name almost slipped out of my mouth and I caught myself in time. Sydney had enough reminders of her mother's perfidy and she certainly didn't need me bringing up one of Laura's comrades.
Sydney winced in sympathy. "Ouch. Want some of my foundation cream?" she asked wryly.
"No thanks. Is there some place we could talk privately?" I looked at the door behind her.
Syd rubbed at her wrists and I saw the marks left by her shackles. "Anywhere but in there."
She grabbed my hand and propelled me along the corridor to a richly appointed office. "This is A.D. Dennison's office. He said I could use it for as long as I needed."
Our hands were still joined and I drew her closer to me. "I've been so worried."
"I can tell," Syd answered softly, looking at my frown lines with a slight curve to her lips. Then her face grew serious and she added, "My father told me about Trish and he said this was all your doing. Thank you…Michael."
The impact of hearing my name from her lips almost made me gasp involuntarily. Heat rushed through my body when I saw how she was looking at me. "You're welcome," I answered huskily.
"I owe my life to both of you." Her fingers clenched mine whitely and I broke her grip when I opened my arms to hug her. Sydney rushed at me and nearly knocked me onto the couch as she embraced me with every fiber of her being. My gasp was more from the shock of feeling her against me than the ache of my cracked ribs.
This hug was dramatically different from our last awkward clench in the warehouse. Instead of standing like two mannequins, our bodies were molded together and I felt her hips against mine and marveled at how perfectly we matched. Her dark hair was still slightly damp from the shower and I inhaled her essence as I buried my face in her neck. That was all it took to remind her that we weren't just Sydney and Michael, we were Agents Vaughn and Bristow, and we had no right to the intimacies that other people took for granted. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her arms and moved away from me. "Is your aunt still here? I'd like to meet her."
The heat from her body still lingered and I felt her loss like a stabbing wound in my gut. It was all I could do to focus on business as usual. "Sure. She's down the hall resting."
******
Trish had managed to find a cigarette in a non-smoking building and she was pacing restlessly when we made our entrance. With a huge smile, she dropped the butt in a nearby coffee cup and moved to meet us.
"Sydney, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said in her flowery accent, and I could see that she put Syd immediately at ease. Trish encased Sydney's hands between hers like a sandwich and I knew she was reading her. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to intervene.
"Same here." Syd finally managed to extricate her fingers from Trish's surprisingly strong grip and she stared at Trish's deeply cut dimples before flashing me an unreadable glance. "Trish, words alone cannot convey my thanks. You saved my life in there…."
Trish waved her hand. "It was nothing. It's what I do, you know?"
"OK." But it was clear that Sydney didn't get it. "If there's anything I can do for you….if there's anything you need…."
"There is one thing you can do for me." Trish leaned forward and whispered something in Sydney's ear. With an abrupt motion, Syd straightened up and I wondered at the red blush staining her face.
"I'll….keep that in mind," she replied, looking away from me pointedly and sighing with relief when the door opened and our escort arrived to take us out of here.
I looked at Trish and hissed, "What did you say to her?"
Trish seemed particularly pleased with herself. "You'll find out soon enough."
*****
Sydney fell into step beside me with a bemused expression. "I didn't realize that your aunt was so…."
"Weird?" I jested.
Sydney grinned. "I was about to say beautiful. She really looks like you, huh?"
That was a backhanded compliment if I've ever heard one. "I guess."
She picked right up on the odd tremor in my voice. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Later. Not here," I murmured, touching her arm and pulling her aside for a moment. "When do you report back?"
Sydney frowned at the mention of SD-6. "In a week."
"That long? How did your father pull that off?"
"With some fast talking." She looked straight at me and said, "Look, what happened back there…."
Now it was my turn to blush. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…. "
Her chocolate eyes were filled with some undefined emotion that I wasn't ready to analyze. "I'm glad you did."
I'm sure I was turning three shades of red by this time and I stammered, "W- we better catch up with the others."
"Of course." I didn't imagine the disappointment in her voice and I let myself get lost in her eyes for a second, letting her see the feelings I've hidden for so long before I turned and made my way toward the elevator.
******
The sun almost blinded me when I emerged from the dark tunnels of the FBI building. The soft breeze caressed my cheek and carried the smell of flower blossoms bursting from their tightly coiled buds. The scent of freshly turned earth and bark mulch. My friends standing on the steps. Sydney moving toward them. My nightmare came back to me and gave me the impetus to dash down the stairs. I hauled myself up short and stopped next to Weiss, my breath streaming from my nostrils like a horse on a very cold day.
"Where's the fire?" Eric quipped lightly.
Trish turned to face me and that's when I saw the laser sight dance across her cheekbones. Weiss saw it at the same time and he launched himself at her and knocked her back into the flower bed. I expected to hear the cough of a silencer but then things started to play out differently. Sydney rushed over to us and was bending over to help Trish up when I saw the red dot return and focus itself on the back of her skull. "Get down," I yelled, and with the training and instinct of a paramilitary expert, Sydney flung herself down next to Weiss at the very moment that a bullet sank into the tree trunk next to her. I keyed my cell phone and called for back-up, and not a minute passed before Security came to our rescue. They cordoned off the area, but it was too late; the sniper had escaped.
Weiss and Sydney helped Trish to her feet and I saw her good humor restore itself quickly. I offered her my arm and she walked for awhile with me. "See what I mean about visions?" Trish said as we stopped to look at a fountain.
I nodded my head and watched the light play on the water, forming rainbows from the dazzling sunlight. "I'm just glad I was here."
"So am I. Thank you, Michael." Her tone was oddly formal and it hurt to see her distancing herself from me. But I guess she expected rejection, for that was all that life had ever dealt her when it came to our family.
"No, thank you," I said emphatically, taking her hands in mine and letting the gratitude shine from my eyes.
"Is this your last day here?" Trish asked as I looked over to where Sydney waited.
"We're flying out tonight." Sydney was taking an earlier flight and I knew she had to get going.
"Why don't you and Eric stop by before you leave?" Trish suggested, noticing that I was chomping at the bit.
"OK, we will. Thanks again, Trish." I met Eric's eyes and he quickly moved over to entertain Trish while I said good-bye to Syd.
Sydney saw how worried I was. "I can take care of myself."
That was true, but I still wanted to protect her. Maybe it was the Dirk Pitt in me, or maybe it was just Michael worrying about Sydney. "I'm more worried about the other guy," I joked, trying to make light of the situation.
She smiled. "So do you think this was someone from SD-4?"
"Probably. My guess is they had someone waiting, just in case they let you go."
The van driver coughed and pointed to his watch.
"So this is it, I guess," she said sadly.
"Yeah." I still couldn't believe she was free, that this nightmare was finally over and we could return to the daily business of catching the bad guys and wearing down the foundation of SD-6.
"I'll see you in LA." Sydney started to turn and I halted her with my hand.
"Watch your back," I cautioned, wishing I could go with her.
"I will. Thanks." Her voice was soft and sweet and as she got into the van, she turned and waved at all of us before disappearing inside. Weiss and Trish moved up beside me and we all watched as the van moved away from the curb and joined the line of traffic.
******