**Following the meeting at the warehouse between Vaughn, Jack and Sydney**
Vaughn shoved more Kung Pao chicken into his mouth, while he thumped through the report in front of him. He was in his office, waiting for 8:15 to roll around. He looked at his watch. He had another half-hour. He let out a long breath, shoved more chicken in his mouth, and tried to concentrate on the report in front of him.
Easier said than done, he mused. Right now, Sydney was probably sitting next to Will Tippin, while having some scrumptious dinner, and he was in his office eating cold Chinese food. Nothing about this particular assignment agreed with him. This whole situation was insane.
Part of him had wanted to come up with an insane reason to accompany her tonight. He had stopped himself before he did, embarrassing them both. But he hadn't been able to keep the shock and hurt out of his face when he heard that she was taking Will. It had felt like someone had punched him hard in the belly.
She had looked magnificent, her long legs showing through the slit on the side. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. "You look really pretty," he had complimented her. When she thanked him and turn to go, he almost grabbed her, and wanted to hold on to her.
He checked his watch again. It was almost time. To hell with it, he thought. I should just call her now, and go home to get drunk. He loosened his tie, and sighed. He was definitely jealous. Jealous of Will; jealous of anyone who got to share the world with her. He didn't think her friends realized what a rare gift it was to be with Sydney and not worry if someone's life was in danger.
He opened the case file he'd been reading and tried to give his full attention to it. It was hopeless though. He couldn't concentrate. He picked up the phone and dialed Sydney's number.
"Hello," the voice breathed on the other end.
"Hi, it's Francie," he replied, leaning forward on his elbow.
He could hear Sydney tell someone that it was Francie, and excuse herself. "Hey Sweetie," she continued.
Was she talking to me? No, of course not.
After a few seconds of harsh breathing, he heard her say "Okay, I'm in. I'll see you at the dead drop." The line went dead. He pulled the phone away from his ear, and stared at it for a long moment.
He wished he could take her to one of his hockey games with Weiss, Driscoll and crew. He didn't know if she played, and he didn't care. He just wished he could take her to one, just to be with her.
He sat up suddenly as a thought ripped through his brain. He opened his Outlook, and began typing an email to Driscoll. Wouldn't Sydney be surprised with this one? He began to smile for the first time since he heard she was taking Will Tippin to the dinner.
**Warning: Minor spoilers ahead. Please don't read beyond this point if you want to be surprised.**
"Meet me at the warehouse," Vaughn's voice sounded desperate to Sydney on her cell. She quickly gathered her things, and walked to the elevator.
"Going somewhere Sydney?" Sloane asked.
Damn.
"Yeah, my friend Francie's not doing so well. I was just going to go check on her," Sydney replied.
"Oh. If you need any help," Sloane offered, looking intently at her.
"Thank you."
Sydney rushed to the parking lot, and got in her car. She hoped this wasn't another need-to-check-on-something meetings.
She rushed to the warehouse, parked her, and took off almost running to their meeting place. She could tell as she walked through the cage that Vaughn was clearly agitated and worried. He kept babbling about the Rambaldi page, and rubbing his eyes.
"I think you should see this," he gave her the portfolio. She opened it slowly to look at the page that had been blank. She could not believe her eyes.
"What does this mean?" she asked finally looking up at him.
"I'm not sure. I only looked at this page," Vaughn said heavily. "Sydney, whatever else is in that manuscript, has people worried. I mean really worried. OSA and FBI are involved now, and they want to talk to you."
"FBI wants to talk to me, why?"
"A 500 year old page has a picture of you. Wouldn't you want to know why?"
"That's not a picture of me. It's a picture of someone who looks like me. I never heard of Rambaldi until Sloane briefed me."
He closed the distance between them in two strides and took her elbows in his hand. "I hate this as much as you do, but it has to happen. Your father and I will make sure that SD-6 never finds out all of this, but it has to happen," he lightly shook her with each word.
Sydney felt a tremor go through her entire body, and eyes were beginning to moisten. She looked at her feet, her mind whirling with thoughts, too fast to comprehend. She felt Vaughn's hand cupping her face, tilting her to face him.
"This can't be as scary as hanging from a clothesline being shot at. C'mon. 3 hours tops, and I'll buy you Slusho," his mouth quirked at the end. Sydney couldn't help, but smile. He could always make her smile.
She let herself be absorbed into him, and put her arms around his waist. "Set up the meeting."
Vaughn shoved more Kung Pao chicken into his mouth, while he thumped through the report in front of him. He was in his office, waiting for 8:15 to roll around. He looked at his watch. He had another half-hour. He let out a long breath, shoved more chicken in his mouth, and tried to concentrate on the report in front of him.
Easier said than done, he mused. Right now, Sydney was probably sitting next to Will Tippin, while having some scrumptious dinner, and he was in his office eating cold Chinese food. Nothing about this particular assignment agreed with him. This whole situation was insane.
Part of him had wanted to come up with an insane reason to accompany her tonight. He had stopped himself before he did, embarrassing them both. But he hadn't been able to keep the shock and hurt out of his face when he heard that she was taking Will. It had felt like someone had punched him hard in the belly.
She had looked magnificent, her long legs showing through the slit on the side. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. "You look really pretty," he had complimented her. When she thanked him and turn to go, he almost grabbed her, and wanted to hold on to her.
He checked his watch again. It was almost time. To hell with it, he thought. I should just call her now, and go home to get drunk. He loosened his tie, and sighed. He was definitely jealous. Jealous of Will; jealous of anyone who got to share the world with her. He didn't think her friends realized what a rare gift it was to be with Sydney and not worry if someone's life was in danger.
He opened the case file he'd been reading and tried to give his full attention to it. It was hopeless though. He couldn't concentrate. He picked up the phone and dialed Sydney's number.
"Hello," the voice breathed on the other end.
"Hi, it's Francie," he replied, leaning forward on his elbow.
He could hear Sydney tell someone that it was Francie, and excuse herself. "Hey Sweetie," she continued.
Was she talking to me? No, of course not.
After a few seconds of harsh breathing, he heard her say "Okay, I'm in. I'll see you at the dead drop." The line went dead. He pulled the phone away from his ear, and stared at it for a long moment.
He wished he could take her to one of his hockey games with Weiss, Driscoll and crew. He didn't know if she played, and he didn't care. He just wished he could take her to one, just to be with her.
He sat up suddenly as a thought ripped through his brain. He opened his Outlook, and began typing an email to Driscoll. Wouldn't Sydney be surprised with this one? He began to smile for the first time since he heard she was taking Will Tippin to the dinner.
**Warning: Minor spoilers ahead. Please don't read beyond this point if you want to be surprised.**
"Meet me at the warehouse," Vaughn's voice sounded desperate to Sydney on her cell. She quickly gathered her things, and walked to the elevator.
"Going somewhere Sydney?" Sloane asked.
Damn.
"Yeah, my friend Francie's not doing so well. I was just going to go check on her," Sydney replied.
"Oh. If you need any help," Sloane offered, looking intently at her.
"Thank you."
Sydney rushed to the parking lot, and got in her car. She hoped this wasn't another need-to-check-on-something meetings.
She rushed to the warehouse, parked her, and took off almost running to their meeting place. She could tell as she walked through the cage that Vaughn was clearly agitated and worried. He kept babbling about the Rambaldi page, and rubbing his eyes.
"I think you should see this," he gave her the portfolio. She opened it slowly to look at the page that had been blank. She could not believe her eyes.
"What does this mean?" she asked finally looking up at him.
"I'm not sure. I only looked at this page," Vaughn said heavily. "Sydney, whatever else is in that manuscript, has people worried. I mean really worried. OSA and FBI are involved now, and they want to talk to you."
"FBI wants to talk to me, why?"
"A 500 year old page has a picture of you. Wouldn't you want to know why?"
"That's not a picture of me. It's a picture of someone who looks like me. I never heard of Rambaldi until Sloane briefed me."
He closed the distance between them in two strides and took her elbows in his hand. "I hate this as much as you do, but it has to happen. Your father and I will make sure that SD-6 never finds out all of this, but it has to happen," he lightly shook her with each word.
Sydney felt a tremor go through her entire body, and eyes were beginning to moisten. She looked at her feet, her mind whirling with thoughts, too fast to comprehend. She felt Vaughn's hand cupping her face, tilting her to face him.
"This can't be as scary as hanging from a clothesline being shot at. C'mon. 3 hours tops, and I'll buy you Slusho," his mouth quirked at the end. Sydney couldn't help, but smile. He could always make her smile.
She let herself be absorbed into him, and put her arms around his waist. "Set up the meeting."