**Note: I am trying to parallel this story to what is actually going on in
the show. I would like to be true to the characters created by JJ Abrams,
and I truly don't see these two characters rushing towards a bed. I think
it will be a very slow progression, designed to drive us mad. The next
scene happens before Vaughn's request to talk to Emily Sloane.**
"Devlin wants to see you," Haladki announced, casually walking into Vaughn's office. Vaughn looked up from his keyboard, and shot him a look.
"What are you doing here, Haladki?" Vaughn asked. "Trying to dig up more stuff to snitch on?"
"Look, I was just passing the message," Haladki held up his hand as he backed out of his office.
Vaughn held his gaze until Haladki was out of sight, and ran his hand through his hair. The nerve of that guy was unbelievable. After putting his life in jeopardy, after putting Sydney in danger, he felt comfortable enough to saunter into his office. Some people are amazing, Vaughn thought to himself.
He got up from his desk, starting towards Devlin's office.
"Hey, wait up," Weiss said as he jogged the short distance to catch up with him. "Headed to Devlin's?" he asked.
"Do you know what this is about?"
"Not really. You haven't done anything recently to be suspended for."
"Why do I hang around you?" Vaughn laughed good-naturedly. At Devlin's door, he knocked softly and waited to be instructed to come in.
"Because of my good looks," Weiss cracked as they walked in.
Inside Devlin's office, Crechtmer, Jack Bristow's handler, sat patiently. Devlin waved them in toward the chairs. Obediently like school children, Vaughn and Weiss occupied the two of the empty chairs.
"Gentleman, I think you know Crechtmer. He brought some interesting news to me, and I think we should act on it," Devlin began, and gestured to Crechtmer to continue.
Crechtmer pulled out a picture of a woman from the file he was holding, and passed it to Vaughn. "This picture was taken almost two years ago. The lady in the picture is Emily Sloane, wife of Arvin Sloane. And as you can probably tell already, the other lady is Sydney Bristow."
"We already knew that the Bristows were friends with Sloane," Vaughn asked as he passed the picture to Weiss. His mind was reeling, trying to catch up to what was going on.
"What you don't know Agent Vaughn, is that Sydney and Emily are, or I should say 'were', friends. They kept in touch up until about a year ago, when she was diagnosed with Cancer. She kind of kept to herself after she became sick, and the friendship dissipated further after Daniel Hecht's death," explained Crechtmer.
"So they were friends. Where is this going?" Vaughn asked belligerently.
"Since Emily became sick, Sloane's been spending a lot of time at home, to be close to her in case she needed him. We want Sydney to re-establish contact with Emily and plant a bug in the house," Devlin filled in.
"That's suicide!" Vaughn exploded. Weiss cleared his throat gently. Devlin didn't look too pleased either. "Sir, you're asking Sydney to go to her boss's house, risk blowing her cover, trying to plant a bug when we aren't even sure that he does any kind of business related to SD-6 from there. It's dangerous," he continued, his voice rising with each word.
"First of all Agent Vaughn, I'm not asking her. I'm telling you to tell her to do it. Second, she knew the risks when she walked in here and volunteered her services. Just do it," Devlin bit out. "Thank you gentlemen. That'll be all."
Vaughn looked like he wanted to argue some more, but Weiss caught his eye, and tilted his head towards the door. Vaughn let out a long ragged breath, and walked out with Weiss.
"This is impossible. Sydney's not going to go for this," Vaughn muttered as they walked back to his office.
"You're not thinking this through. Sydney would do anything to bring down SD-6."
"Everything except deceive someone. She didn't want to lie to me about Shepard. She's not going to want to deceive Emily Sloane," Vaughn dropped into his chair heavily.
"You have no choice. Either order her to carry out the assignment, or you'll be taken off permanently as her handler," Weiss said calmly.
Vaughn could not think of anything else to say to him. Just continued to stare. Last night, he had told Sydney that he should pull out as her handler, and here was a prime example why he should've followed through. Instead he had let her talk him out of it, because he didn't want to not see her, even in that dark warehouse.
They hadn't stayed long. Sydney wanted to get back before Francie started worrying. He knew if they stayed there any longer, they'd do more than just hold each other. He didn't want to make love to her in that place. He wanted a soft bed, some music… He wanted to hold her hand in public, lean across the dinner table and kiss her soft lips first. They snuck around enough. They weren't going to sneak around and have a sleazy office affair. Sydney deserved better. He deserved better.
"Hey Vaughn, are you listening?' Weiss' persistent voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll talk to her."
I'll talk to her.
"Devlin wants to see you," Haladki announced, casually walking into Vaughn's office. Vaughn looked up from his keyboard, and shot him a look.
"What are you doing here, Haladki?" Vaughn asked. "Trying to dig up more stuff to snitch on?"
"Look, I was just passing the message," Haladki held up his hand as he backed out of his office.
Vaughn held his gaze until Haladki was out of sight, and ran his hand through his hair. The nerve of that guy was unbelievable. After putting his life in jeopardy, after putting Sydney in danger, he felt comfortable enough to saunter into his office. Some people are amazing, Vaughn thought to himself.
He got up from his desk, starting towards Devlin's office.
"Hey, wait up," Weiss said as he jogged the short distance to catch up with him. "Headed to Devlin's?" he asked.
"Do you know what this is about?"
"Not really. You haven't done anything recently to be suspended for."
"Why do I hang around you?" Vaughn laughed good-naturedly. At Devlin's door, he knocked softly and waited to be instructed to come in.
"Because of my good looks," Weiss cracked as they walked in.
Inside Devlin's office, Crechtmer, Jack Bristow's handler, sat patiently. Devlin waved them in toward the chairs. Obediently like school children, Vaughn and Weiss occupied the two of the empty chairs.
"Gentleman, I think you know Crechtmer. He brought some interesting news to me, and I think we should act on it," Devlin began, and gestured to Crechtmer to continue.
Crechtmer pulled out a picture of a woman from the file he was holding, and passed it to Vaughn. "This picture was taken almost two years ago. The lady in the picture is Emily Sloane, wife of Arvin Sloane. And as you can probably tell already, the other lady is Sydney Bristow."
"We already knew that the Bristows were friends with Sloane," Vaughn asked as he passed the picture to Weiss. His mind was reeling, trying to catch up to what was going on.
"What you don't know Agent Vaughn, is that Sydney and Emily are, or I should say 'were', friends. They kept in touch up until about a year ago, when she was diagnosed with Cancer. She kind of kept to herself after she became sick, and the friendship dissipated further after Daniel Hecht's death," explained Crechtmer.
"So they were friends. Where is this going?" Vaughn asked belligerently.
"Since Emily became sick, Sloane's been spending a lot of time at home, to be close to her in case she needed him. We want Sydney to re-establish contact with Emily and plant a bug in the house," Devlin filled in.
"That's suicide!" Vaughn exploded. Weiss cleared his throat gently. Devlin didn't look too pleased either. "Sir, you're asking Sydney to go to her boss's house, risk blowing her cover, trying to plant a bug when we aren't even sure that he does any kind of business related to SD-6 from there. It's dangerous," he continued, his voice rising with each word.
"First of all Agent Vaughn, I'm not asking her. I'm telling you to tell her to do it. Second, she knew the risks when she walked in here and volunteered her services. Just do it," Devlin bit out. "Thank you gentlemen. That'll be all."
Vaughn looked like he wanted to argue some more, but Weiss caught his eye, and tilted his head towards the door. Vaughn let out a long ragged breath, and walked out with Weiss.
"This is impossible. Sydney's not going to go for this," Vaughn muttered as they walked back to his office.
"You're not thinking this through. Sydney would do anything to bring down SD-6."
"Everything except deceive someone. She didn't want to lie to me about Shepard. She's not going to want to deceive Emily Sloane," Vaughn dropped into his chair heavily.
"You have no choice. Either order her to carry out the assignment, or you'll be taken off permanently as her handler," Weiss said calmly.
Vaughn could not think of anything else to say to him. Just continued to stare. Last night, he had told Sydney that he should pull out as her handler, and here was a prime example why he should've followed through. Instead he had let her talk him out of it, because he didn't want to not see her, even in that dark warehouse.
They hadn't stayed long. Sydney wanted to get back before Francie started worrying. He knew if they stayed there any longer, they'd do more than just hold each other. He didn't want to make love to her in that place. He wanted a soft bed, some music… He wanted to hold her hand in public, lean across the dinner table and kiss her soft lips first. They snuck around enough. They weren't going to sneak around and have a sleazy office affair. Sydney deserved better. He deserved better.
"Hey Vaughn, are you listening?' Weiss' persistent voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll talk to her."
I'll talk to her.