Vaughn plopped into his couch, and twisted the cap off his beer, flinging
it on the coffee table. He had come home only half an hour ago, and it was
late. He wanted to unwind a little before going to bed, and try not to
think of Sydney.
God, if he wasn't with her, he was thinking of her. Weiss was right. He definitely wasn't being objective anymore. He wondered if he ever had been with Sydney. She had caught his attention the minute he laid eyes on her, even with that stupid hair. His relationship with Alice had already started to fall apart by that time.
Am I a rebound for her? he thought frowning furiously. He racked his brain to remember if he'd seen the ring on her finger today. The ring had bothered him in the beginning. After a while, he stopped paying attention to it, and more to her smile. It was suddenly important to him to remember if she still wore it.
He had a sudden urge to call her and ask her to meet him at the warehouse. That would be crazy of course. She would think he was crazy, but he'll be sure atleast. He picked up the phone and stared at it for a long awhile.
You're definitely not objective, Vaughn.
He put the phone back down, and rubbed his temple.
I have got to stop thinking about Sydney.
Weiss had brought up the ugly prospect that Sydney may have asked him out of frustration. With all that's been going on, she might have just wanted to meet him outside of work to be defiant. Vaughn had had to hold himself back from denying it vehemently in front of Weiss, but could he be right? She never called him by his first name, though he did freely.
He picked up the phone, and started dialing.
Sydney settled down on the couch, and turned the television on. Francie had already gone to bed, and she wasn't sleepy yet, thanks to her long nap that afternoon. Her body hurt so much from all the bouncing around in Moscow. She really wasn't surprised when Vaughn had asked if she wanted to see a doctor.
She lifted her pajama top up to and looked at her ribs. They were turning blue. She groaned a little and let top fall back down.
1 If only Vaughn could see her bruises.…
The phone rang loudly. Sydney scrambled out of her seat quickly, and inhaled in when her sides hurt. She picked up the phone, and then realized it was her cell. She ran to her bedroom, and picked up her cell from the nightstand.
"Hello."
"Meet me at the warehouse, please," the voice on the other end whispered.
Vaughn.
Before she could ask him if something was wrong, he had hung up. She looked at her phone thoughtfully. It was strange that he didn't use the standard "Joey's pizza" routine. She hurried on to put some clothes on. She prayed that everything was alright.
"Something wrong?" Sydney asked as soon as they were inside the gates.
Vaughn leaned back on the crate, and dropped his arms to the side. Sydney chose to lean against the crate in front him, and took on a similar pose. He casually dropped his glance to her hands, and grinned to himself when he found no ring. He dropped his chin further toward his chest, so she wouldn't notice.
"Vaughn, is something wrong?" she insisted.
"Why do you always call me Vaughn, and not Michael?" he returned. He let out a long breath, and looked at her.
"OK," she took a long breath, and returned his look. She could tell something was clearly bothering him, but it wasn't business. Maybe he just wanted to talk to her, like the way she wanted to unload on him sometimes.
"The first time we met, you introduced yourself as Agent Vaughn. I didn't think you're parents hated you to name you 'agent'," she attempted for humor. "Don't read too much into it. I guess it's not life and death situation that brought me here."
"I'm sorry to drag you out here again," he apologized. It occurred to him if Sydney was under surveillance, he probably put her in danger right now asking her to meet him at the warehouse twice in one day. Someone at SD-6 will wonder why she's here.
Great going, Vaughn.
"I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. Mainly about our situation," he choked out. "Haladki maybe an ass, but he was right about one thing. I am too emotionally attached to you."
Sydney opened her mouth to protest at the mention of Haladki's name. Vaughn cut her off before she could voice her opinion.
"Please don't interrupt me for minute. Let me get this out. I think too much about you to do my job. I think I may have put your life in danger today by asking you to come here.. all because I wanted to know if you were wearing your engagement ring. It's very irresponsible of me. Please don't interrupt, please," he pleaded when he saw she was about to object again.
He took a long ragged breath before continuing. "I think tomorrow, when I go into work, I'm going to ask Devlin to take me off as your handler. I am still your friend," he choked out. "You can still call me anytime you want to…. Hmpff"
Sydney, plastering her lips to his, effectively cut him off.
Sydney didn't know any other way of shutting him up. Everytime she tried to speak, he cut her off. She simply pulled away from where she was leaning, and pulled him into her by his hips, and took his lips in hers.
She kept her eyes open for the first few seconds, afraid he'd pull back. When he didn't, she pushed him back so he was leaning on the crate and opened her mouth under his, closed her eyes and spread her arms to his back pulling him closer. It took him awhile to gather her to him. When he finally did, he did so hesitantly. Touching her face gently with one hand at first, then the other slowly moving to her back and gathering her to him.
He was the one to break away first, but he did not push her away. He held her even tighter to him, wrapping his arms around her, and dropping his chin on her head. Sydney closed her eyes, and smiled while she tucked herself into his neck further.
"You saved my life in many ways than you know," Sydney said breaking the silence. She pulled herself out of the comfortable cocoon of his arms, and moved so that she was leaning against the same crate that he was.
"After Danny died, I didn't care what happened to me. Dixon, my friends and even my father tried to bring me back, and I didn't care. If I hadn't met you, if I hadn't known that somebody cared like you do, I would've approached all my counter-missions recklessly. And, I definitely would've died for it," she explained softly.
"You're my center. You give me focus. When I was trapped in that bunker that Hassan sent me to, I never doubted for a second that you wouldn't get me out. Your feelings for me makes you work harder, keeping me alive. Don't doubt that for a second."
"Syd, are you sure?"
"Lambert wanted me to tag Ana while K-Directorate had their guns trained on me. You haven't asked me to do anything remotely that stupid."
Vaughn chuckled aloud. He turned around and pulled her back into his arms.
"And, just so you know, I haven't worn the ring since you tricked me about my romantic interests," she poked him slightly in his ribs. He kissed her forehead, smiling brilliantly.
God, if he wasn't with her, he was thinking of her. Weiss was right. He definitely wasn't being objective anymore. He wondered if he ever had been with Sydney. She had caught his attention the minute he laid eyes on her, even with that stupid hair. His relationship with Alice had already started to fall apart by that time.
Am I a rebound for her? he thought frowning furiously. He racked his brain to remember if he'd seen the ring on her finger today. The ring had bothered him in the beginning. After a while, he stopped paying attention to it, and more to her smile. It was suddenly important to him to remember if she still wore it.
He had a sudden urge to call her and ask her to meet him at the warehouse. That would be crazy of course. She would think he was crazy, but he'll be sure atleast. He picked up the phone and stared at it for a long awhile.
You're definitely not objective, Vaughn.
He put the phone back down, and rubbed his temple.
I have got to stop thinking about Sydney.
Weiss had brought up the ugly prospect that Sydney may have asked him out of frustration. With all that's been going on, she might have just wanted to meet him outside of work to be defiant. Vaughn had had to hold himself back from denying it vehemently in front of Weiss, but could he be right? She never called him by his first name, though he did freely.
He picked up the phone, and started dialing.
Sydney settled down on the couch, and turned the television on. Francie had already gone to bed, and she wasn't sleepy yet, thanks to her long nap that afternoon. Her body hurt so much from all the bouncing around in Moscow. She really wasn't surprised when Vaughn had asked if she wanted to see a doctor.
She lifted her pajama top up to and looked at her ribs. They were turning blue. She groaned a little and let top fall back down.
1 If only Vaughn could see her bruises.…
The phone rang loudly. Sydney scrambled out of her seat quickly, and inhaled in when her sides hurt. She picked up the phone, and then realized it was her cell. She ran to her bedroom, and picked up her cell from the nightstand.
"Hello."
"Meet me at the warehouse, please," the voice on the other end whispered.
Vaughn.
Before she could ask him if something was wrong, he had hung up. She looked at her phone thoughtfully. It was strange that he didn't use the standard "Joey's pizza" routine. She hurried on to put some clothes on. She prayed that everything was alright.
"Something wrong?" Sydney asked as soon as they were inside the gates.
Vaughn leaned back on the crate, and dropped his arms to the side. Sydney chose to lean against the crate in front him, and took on a similar pose. He casually dropped his glance to her hands, and grinned to himself when he found no ring. He dropped his chin further toward his chest, so she wouldn't notice.
"Vaughn, is something wrong?" she insisted.
"Why do you always call me Vaughn, and not Michael?" he returned. He let out a long breath, and looked at her.
"OK," she took a long breath, and returned his look. She could tell something was clearly bothering him, but it wasn't business. Maybe he just wanted to talk to her, like the way she wanted to unload on him sometimes.
"The first time we met, you introduced yourself as Agent Vaughn. I didn't think you're parents hated you to name you 'agent'," she attempted for humor. "Don't read too much into it. I guess it's not life and death situation that brought me here."
"I'm sorry to drag you out here again," he apologized. It occurred to him if Sydney was under surveillance, he probably put her in danger right now asking her to meet him at the warehouse twice in one day. Someone at SD-6 will wonder why she's here.
Great going, Vaughn.
"I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. Mainly about our situation," he choked out. "Haladki maybe an ass, but he was right about one thing. I am too emotionally attached to you."
Sydney opened her mouth to protest at the mention of Haladki's name. Vaughn cut her off before she could voice her opinion.
"Please don't interrupt me for minute. Let me get this out. I think too much about you to do my job. I think I may have put your life in danger today by asking you to come here.. all because I wanted to know if you were wearing your engagement ring. It's very irresponsible of me. Please don't interrupt, please," he pleaded when he saw she was about to object again.
He took a long ragged breath before continuing. "I think tomorrow, when I go into work, I'm going to ask Devlin to take me off as your handler. I am still your friend," he choked out. "You can still call me anytime you want to…. Hmpff"
Sydney, plastering her lips to his, effectively cut him off.
Sydney didn't know any other way of shutting him up. Everytime she tried to speak, he cut her off. She simply pulled away from where she was leaning, and pulled him into her by his hips, and took his lips in hers.
She kept her eyes open for the first few seconds, afraid he'd pull back. When he didn't, she pushed him back so he was leaning on the crate and opened her mouth under his, closed her eyes and spread her arms to his back pulling him closer. It took him awhile to gather her to him. When he finally did, he did so hesitantly. Touching her face gently with one hand at first, then the other slowly moving to her back and gathering her to him.
He was the one to break away first, but he did not push her away. He held her even tighter to him, wrapping his arms around her, and dropping his chin on her head. Sydney closed her eyes, and smiled while she tucked herself into his neck further.
"You saved my life in many ways than you know," Sydney said breaking the silence. She pulled herself out of the comfortable cocoon of his arms, and moved so that she was leaning against the same crate that he was.
"After Danny died, I didn't care what happened to me. Dixon, my friends and even my father tried to bring me back, and I didn't care. If I hadn't met you, if I hadn't known that somebody cared like you do, I would've approached all my counter-missions recklessly. And, I definitely would've died for it," she explained softly.
"You're my center. You give me focus. When I was trapped in that bunker that Hassan sent me to, I never doubted for a second that you wouldn't get me out. Your feelings for me makes you work harder, keeping me alive. Don't doubt that for a second."
"Syd, are you sure?"
"Lambert wanted me to tag Ana while K-Directorate had their guns trained on me. You haven't asked me to do anything remotely that stupid."
Vaughn chuckled aloud. He turned around and pulled her back into his arms.
"And, just so you know, I haven't worn the ring since you tricked me about my romantic interests," she poked him slightly in his ribs. He kissed her forehead, smiling brilliantly.