*** Chapter 2 ****
Vaughn typed away furiously on his keyboard, trying to finish up the report on the latest intel Sydney had provided. His mind was racing with thoughts, as he tried to focus on the task at hand. His errant mind, however, kept wandering to the meeting with Sydney. She had been hurt by what he said though it needed to be said. He had felt like a bastard for ruining the one place, and hopefully the person, she felt safe.
He had agonized over not accepting, or even acknowledging, her invitation. But telling her that he wanted to be a part of her personal life …. That definitely doesn't fall under the rules and regulations of handler and agent. Barnett and Haladki would both have a field day if they knew.
He had to admit that they had a point. He was clearly too attached to Sydney Bristow. His feelings could get her killed. It could get them both killed, if they are not careful. Vaughn stopped typing the report, and lightly ran his hands over his eyes.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Sydney could knock his breath away even in a pair of jeans and old T-shirt, with her hair pulled back into ponytail. While she talked away about her mission in Moscow, and what she had learned, he was watching her. It may not have seemed that way to her. He was aware of her no matter where they were. Always. The way she paused to take a deep breath before launching on with her story or the way her hand would brush away a stray strand of hair. She was graceful in the way she moved, but could be deadly when she wanted to be.
"Hey," a familiar voice interrupted his reverie. Weiss was leaning over the desk, waving his hand over his face.
"I almost checked for a pulse. What are you doing?"
"Just resting my eyes. Haven't got much sleep," Vaughn covered sheepishly. "What's up?"
"Oh, I just wanted to know how the meeting with Sydney went. I don't know man. You look worse than you did last night. Didn't think that was possible after a visit with Sydney."
"The briefing was fine. I am just finishing up a report on what Sydney had for us. I'll send you a copy once I'm done," Vaughn tried to dismiss Weiss out of his office, to no avail. Weiss sat down across from him, and looked at him knowingly.
"You're not talking to Barnett or Haladki. So, spill already, or do I have to get you drunk tonight?"
Vaughn looked at him thoughtfully for a long while. Eric Weiss is the only person in this place who didn't criticize him too much about his relationship with Sydney. He had even backed him up on his mission at SD- 6. If it weren't for Weiss, he'd probably be dead. But did he really want to tell him about Sydney asking him out? Did he want him to know that he wanted so badly to accept?
"Can you get the door, please?" Vaughn asked. Weiss shot him a look. But he got up and closed the door anyway.
"What's with the cloak and dagger stuff?"
"I need you to listen for a minute without interrupting me. When Sydney told me that she wanted to quit SD-6… she also asked me out to a hockey game," Vaughn rushed on. Weiss whistled softly.
"You didn't accept, did you? You're not going on a date with your agent, right?" quipped Weiss.
"No, I didn't, and I'm not. But I told her that I wanted to.. be a part of her life, and I wasn't talking about as her handler," he said cautiously, studying Weiss' face intently.
"I'm not surprised," Weiss said. "When you told me that you were worried about Sydney because of that other spy, I knew you were attracted to her. She's a beautiful woman. I'd be thrilled too, if I found out that she was attracted to me."
Should he confess that he's more than attracted to her, Vaughn thought. But before he could, Weiss continued on.
"But you have to be careful. To get involved with your agent could be dangerous. It could get you both killed, because you won't be able to do your job where Sydney is concerned. You won't be objective. So, best put your romantic feelings on the back burner for now, my friend."
Vaughn looked thoughtfully at Weiss.
The sound of the front door opening woke Sydney up. Then she heard Francie's familiar voice calling out to her. "In here," she answered. "What time is it?"
"It's almost 7:30. I had to stay back at work for a bit. Did I wake you up?" Francie shot out questions as she walked into the bedroom.
Sydney sat up on her bed, and turned on the lamp on her nightstand. "Yeah, kind of. But I'm glad you did. I won't be able to sleep tonight," she answered back. Good, Francie was home, she thought to herself.
I'm gonna talk to her about Vaughn.
"What time did you get in?"
"The flight was delayed, and I didn't get in till noon." She hated lying to her friend. In the beginning, it had bothered her a lot. Now the lie rolled off her tongue, though her heart still complained.
"Why don't you come into the kitchen, and we'll fix something for dinner?" Francie suggested. Sydney followed her.
They talked about their day while working side by side. Francie went into great details about her annoying customers, and Sydney listened half heartedly, making appropriate comments from time to time. Her mind was lingering on the conversation she had with Vaughn in the warehouse. She felt sorry for snapping at him, but it must've been awkward for him to see her after revealing how he felt about her too.
She smiled as the memory floated into her mind. The words he said, the way he said them, at Griffith Park. He had even braved a look at her, to emphasize he meant it. Who would've thought under that cool demeanor was such a sensitive man.
"Charlie came to my work place today," Francie blurted out. "Syd, did you hear me?"
"Oh what? What.. what did he say?" she quickly answered.
"He wanted to talk about what happened. Work things out somehow."
"Do you want to work it out?" Sydney probed cautiously.
"No.. yes.. I don't know," moaned Francie. "This thing with Rachel, I was willing to understand. You know.. he was nervous about his singing. But now that I know about this other woman, I'm questioning his relationship with Rachel too," she continued. "He was so sweet to me. I don't understand why he would do such a thing."
"Francie, you're my best friend. And, I'm there for you always. You don't have to answer me right now on that question. But you should take some time, and answer for yourself. Trust is a very important part of a relationship. If you think, you can trust him again, that he can change… then work it out."
"Thanks Sydney. I know I can always count on you. You would never lie to me," Francie hugged her. Sydney hugged her back. If Francie had seen her face at that point, she would've wondered about the pain on Sydney's face.
I'll talk to Francie about Vaughn another time…..
Vaughn typed away furiously on his keyboard, trying to finish up the report on the latest intel Sydney had provided. His mind was racing with thoughts, as he tried to focus on the task at hand. His errant mind, however, kept wandering to the meeting with Sydney. She had been hurt by what he said though it needed to be said. He had felt like a bastard for ruining the one place, and hopefully the person, she felt safe.
He had agonized over not accepting, or even acknowledging, her invitation. But telling her that he wanted to be a part of her personal life …. That definitely doesn't fall under the rules and regulations of handler and agent. Barnett and Haladki would both have a field day if they knew.
He had to admit that they had a point. He was clearly too attached to Sydney Bristow. His feelings could get her killed. It could get them both killed, if they are not careful. Vaughn stopped typing the report, and lightly ran his hands over his eyes.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Sydney could knock his breath away even in a pair of jeans and old T-shirt, with her hair pulled back into ponytail. While she talked away about her mission in Moscow, and what she had learned, he was watching her. It may not have seemed that way to her. He was aware of her no matter where they were. Always. The way she paused to take a deep breath before launching on with her story or the way her hand would brush away a stray strand of hair. She was graceful in the way she moved, but could be deadly when she wanted to be.
"Hey," a familiar voice interrupted his reverie. Weiss was leaning over the desk, waving his hand over his face.
"I almost checked for a pulse. What are you doing?"
"Just resting my eyes. Haven't got much sleep," Vaughn covered sheepishly. "What's up?"
"Oh, I just wanted to know how the meeting with Sydney went. I don't know man. You look worse than you did last night. Didn't think that was possible after a visit with Sydney."
"The briefing was fine. I am just finishing up a report on what Sydney had for us. I'll send you a copy once I'm done," Vaughn tried to dismiss Weiss out of his office, to no avail. Weiss sat down across from him, and looked at him knowingly.
"You're not talking to Barnett or Haladki. So, spill already, or do I have to get you drunk tonight?"
Vaughn looked at him thoughtfully for a long while. Eric Weiss is the only person in this place who didn't criticize him too much about his relationship with Sydney. He had even backed him up on his mission at SD- 6. If it weren't for Weiss, he'd probably be dead. But did he really want to tell him about Sydney asking him out? Did he want him to know that he wanted so badly to accept?
"Can you get the door, please?" Vaughn asked. Weiss shot him a look. But he got up and closed the door anyway.
"What's with the cloak and dagger stuff?"
"I need you to listen for a minute without interrupting me. When Sydney told me that she wanted to quit SD-6… she also asked me out to a hockey game," Vaughn rushed on. Weiss whistled softly.
"You didn't accept, did you? You're not going on a date with your agent, right?" quipped Weiss.
"No, I didn't, and I'm not. But I told her that I wanted to.. be a part of her life, and I wasn't talking about as her handler," he said cautiously, studying Weiss' face intently.
"I'm not surprised," Weiss said. "When you told me that you were worried about Sydney because of that other spy, I knew you were attracted to her. She's a beautiful woman. I'd be thrilled too, if I found out that she was attracted to me."
Should he confess that he's more than attracted to her, Vaughn thought. But before he could, Weiss continued on.
"But you have to be careful. To get involved with your agent could be dangerous. It could get you both killed, because you won't be able to do your job where Sydney is concerned. You won't be objective. So, best put your romantic feelings on the back burner for now, my friend."
Vaughn looked thoughtfully at Weiss.
The sound of the front door opening woke Sydney up. Then she heard Francie's familiar voice calling out to her. "In here," she answered. "What time is it?"
"It's almost 7:30. I had to stay back at work for a bit. Did I wake you up?" Francie shot out questions as she walked into the bedroom.
Sydney sat up on her bed, and turned on the lamp on her nightstand. "Yeah, kind of. But I'm glad you did. I won't be able to sleep tonight," she answered back. Good, Francie was home, she thought to herself.
I'm gonna talk to her about Vaughn.
"What time did you get in?"
"The flight was delayed, and I didn't get in till noon." She hated lying to her friend. In the beginning, it had bothered her a lot. Now the lie rolled off her tongue, though her heart still complained.
"Why don't you come into the kitchen, and we'll fix something for dinner?" Francie suggested. Sydney followed her.
They talked about their day while working side by side. Francie went into great details about her annoying customers, and Sydney listened half heartedly, making appropriate comments from time to time. Her mind was lingering on the conversation she had with Vaughn in the warehouse. She felt sorry for snapping at him, but it must've been awkward for him to see her after revealing how he felt about her too.
She smiled as the memory floated into her mind. The words he said, the way he said them, at Griffith Park. He had even braved a look at her, to emphasize he meant it. Who would've thought under that cool demeanor was such a sensitive man.
"Charlie came to my work place today," Francie blurted out. "Syd, did you hear me?"
"Oh what? What.. what did he say?" she quickly answered.
"He wanted to talk about what happened. Work things out somehow."
"Do you want to work it out?" Sydney probed cautiously.
"No.. yes.. I don't know," moaned Francie. "This thing with Rachel, I was willing to understand. You know.. he was nervous about his singing. But now that I know about this other woman, I'm questioning his relationship with Rachel too," she continued. "He was so sweet to me. I don't understand why he would do such a thing."
"Francie, you're my best friend. And, I'm there for you always. You don't have to answer me right now on that question. But you should take some time, and answer for yourself. Trust is a very important part of a relationship. If you think, you can trust him again, that he can change… then work it out."
"Thanks Sydney. I know I can always count on you. You would never lie to me," Francie hugged her. Sydney hugged her back. If Francie had seen her face at that point, she would've wondered about the pain on Sydney's face.
I'll talk to Francie about Vaughn another time…..