Vaughn paced the length of the cage anxiously. He couldn't wait to see
Sydney, to tell her that what she'd seen wasn't real. It was all part
Sloane's twisted mind, wreaking havoc for his own purpose. Just the
thought of Sydney in pain made him want to walk into Sloane's office, and
pull the trigger.
What kind of a monster is he?
Vaughn looked up when he heard the soft sounds of a heels clicking. He walked over to open the cage, scanning her face in concern.
"Sydney, are you alright?" he said. Sydney bobbed her head in agreement, and looked behind her, drawing Vaughn's attention to the unwelcomed guest in their secret location.
"What the HELL is he doing here?" Vaughn got out, totally surprised to see Will Tippin standing behind Sydney.
"That was going to be my question too," Will piped in, looking at Sydney for an explanation.
Who was this guy????
"Vaughn, you need to arrange for Will to go into Protective Custody," Sydney stated simply.
"WHAT???" both men got their question out.
"I don't know how, but Will knows about SD-6. If he knows about them, then they know about him too," Sydney said to Vaughn. "How did you find out about SD-6, Will?" she turned her question to him.
"First of all, who is this guy? And how are you involved with SD-6, Syd?" Will fired questions of his own, true to his nature.
Sydney took a long breath, staring at Vaughn. He gave her his lopsided smile, leaving the decision up to her. She took a long breath before briefly describing her job at SD-6 and her double agent status to Will, absorbing his shock with every word she uttered. She ended her little monologue with an introduction of Vaughn as her handler, ignoring Vaughn's probing stare at being called "her handler" only.
Sydney felt oddly relieved finally being able to tell one of her friends the truth, but looking at Will once she was done, she could tell this wasn't what he had in mind at all.
"All this time," Will cleared his throat and continued on. "All this time, I thought Danny had gotten you into something, something you shouldn't be in, when it was you," he accused. "Your secret is what got Danny killed. Now, I'm going to be next. Syd, how could you do this?"
"Wait a minute. Wait just a sec. I asked you to drop this story, Will. You should've listened," Sydney countered back.
"I think it's your turn," Vaughn, who'd been quietly listening, spoke up, startling both Will and Sydney.
Will glared at Vaughn for reminding him that he'd have to confess how he knew about SD-6. He turned his gaze to Sydney to find she was waiting patiently, her make-up still a mess from her cry session earlier. He frowned slightly at the thought of Sydney crying, and started to tell her how he found out about Kate Jones, and how that led him to David McNeil.
"We found a ticket stub, Syd. Francie and I. I didn't want to make too much of it in front of her. But I went to your room, and I know.. I know that's wrong, but I did. I looked at your travel case, and guess what! Here I was.. looking for her.. and she's been my friend all along," Will bit out.
"That's enough," Vaughn warned standing between them.
Jeez, Sydney didn't need this on top of it all….
Sydney did indeed look like she'd been punched. She was barely holding on, and was grateful for Vaughn to stop Will's tirade. And to give Will credit, he did stop, but he continued glaring his accusations at her. His eyes spoke volumes as to his anger and betrayal, and she turned away, not able to look at him anymore, holding back her sobs.
"Why didn't you stop when I asked you to, Will?" she asked softly. "You should've left it alone."
Vaughn wanted to take her into his arms and hold her, comfort her, but he was reluctant to do so in front of Will, especially after she just introduced him as her handler only.
"Sydney, I asked you to meet me here for a reason… The tape that you saw today.. Sloane altered it so that you'll see what you were supposed to," he carefully got the words out, hoping against hope this will at least brighten her day.
Sydney turned around, shocked to her. "He.. he altered it? That wasn't my mother?"
"We don't what was in the real tape, but we do know that Sloane placed a call from home, to someone and wanted to know if it was done. Sydney, I'm sorry you had to go through it," Vaughn took a step towards her.
1 Damn Will…
Sydney's eyes filled with tears as she turned around and punched the crate that she'd been standing next to. Will jerked back, startled and surprised, while Vaughn stood there and watched her as she pummeled the crate again and again, a raw scream coming out of her throat. When he saw how bloody her knuckles were becoming, he stepped behind her, hugging her tightly across her chest, trapping her arms, and dropped his mouth to her ears, whispering softly "It's alright. It's ok."
Sydney stopped struggling, bringing her arms to hold his hands at her chest, dropped her head back, and let out a loud anguished scream. She dropped her head forward and continued to sob. Vaughn turned her around so that he could hold her comfortably, and let her sob into his neck. He kissed her forehead slightly, and his blinked his eyes rapidly to clear the mists that were forming.
Will stood silently watching this man holding Sydney, and it hit him like lightning that he hadn't been paying attention. Sydney had a life that he hadn't known, wasn't a part of, but this man had been. The familiar way he held her, knowing when to step in, the way he comforted her, told him that they were more than friends. It hurt him to think that Sydney had unabashedly shared all parts of her life with this man, and hidden it from him, Will Tippin, when he'd been willing to share everything with her.
It was a long time before Sydney's sobs quieted down, and she hiccuped softly, trying to draw in breath, to nourish her starved lungs. Vaughn pushed her out of his embrace slightly, and looked at her.
"I'm going to call your dad, to meet you at your place. Think you can make it there?" he asked, caressing her cheek with his hand. When she nodded, he continued, "I'm going to take your friend here to the office to debrief and go over next steps. Sydney, go with your dad to the cottage at Lake Arrowhead. I'll meet you there." God, he hated having to put all of this on her right now, but it had to be done.
She looked up quizzically at him. "What do you mean?"
"We're gonna use Sloane's forced vacation on you, to go to Barcelona. I'll brief you at Arrowhead." He pulled her back in to his embrace, and dropped his chin on top of her head.
"We've got a lot to do, Sydney."
What kind of a monster is he?
Vaughn looked up when he heard the soft sounds of a heels clicking. He walked over to open the cage, scanning her face in concern.
"Sydney, are you alright?" he said. Sydney bobbed her head in agreement, and looked behind her, drawing Vaughn's attention to the unwelcomed guest in their secret location.
"What the HELL is he doing here?" Vaughn got out, totally surprised to see Will Tippin standing behind Sydney.
"That was going to be my question too," Will piped in, looking at Sydney for an explanation.
Who was this guy????
"Vaughn, you need to arrange for Will to go into Protective Custody," Sydney stated simply.
"WHAT???" both men got their question out.
"I don't know how, but Will knows about SD-6. If he knows about them, then they know about him too," Sydney said to Vaughn. "How did you find out about SD-6, Will?" she turned her question to him.
"First of all, who is this guy? And how are you involved with SD-6, Syd?" Will fired questions of his own, true to his nature.
Sydney took a long breath, staring at Vaughn. He gave her his lopsided smile, leaving the decision up to her. She took a long breath before briefly describing her job at SD-6 and her double agent status to Will, absorbing his shock with every word she uttered. She ended her little monologue with an introduction of Vaughn as her handler, ignoring Vaughn's probing stare at being called "her handler" only.
Sydney felt oddly relieved finally being able to tell one of her friends the truth, but looking at Will once she was done, she could tell this wasn't what he had in mind at all.
"All this time," Will cleared his throat and continued on. "All this time, I thought Danny had gotten you into something, something you shouldn't be in, when it was you," he accused. "Your secret is what got Danny killed. Now, I'm going to be next. Syd, how could you do this?"
"Wait a minute. Wait just a sec. I asked you to drop this story, Will. You should've listened," Sydney countered back.
"I think it's your turn," Vaughn, who'd been quietly listening, spoke up, startling both Will and Sydney.
Will glared at Vaughn for reminding him that he'd have to confess how he knew about SD-6. He turned his gaze to Sydney to find she was waiting patiently, her make-up still a mess from her cry session earlier. He frowned slightly at the thought of Sydney crying, and started to tell her how he found out about Kate Jones, and how that led him to David McNeil.
"We found a ticket stub, Syd. Francie and I. I didn't want to make too much of it in front of her. But I went to your room, and I know.. I know that's wrong, but I did. I looked at your travel case, and guess what! Here I was.. looking for her.. and she's been my friend all along," Will bit out.
"That's enough," Vaughn warned standing between them.
Jeez, Sydney didn't need this on top of it all….
Sydney did indeed look like she'd been punched. She was barely holding on, and was grateful for Vaughn to stop Will's tirade. And to give Will credit, he did stop, but he continued glaring his accusations at her. His eyes spoke volumes as to his anger and betrayal, and she turned away, not able to look at him anymore, holding back her sobs.
"Why didn't you stop when I asked you to, Will?" she asked softly. "You should've left it alone."
Vaughn wanted to take her into his arms and hold her, comfort her, but he was reluctant to do so in front of Will, especially after she just introduced him as her handler only.
"Sydney, I asked you to meet me here for a reason… The tape that you saw today.. Sloane altered it so that you'll see what you were supposed to," he carefully got the words out, hoping against hope this will at least brighten her day.
Sydney turned around, shocked to her. "He.. he altered it? That wasn't my mother?"
"We don't what was in the real tape, but we do know that Sloane placed a call from home, to someone and wanted to know if it was done. Sydney, I'm sorry you had to go through it," Vaughn took a step towards her.
1 Damn Will…
Sydney's eyes filled with tears as she turned around and punched the crate that she'd been standing next to. Will jerked back, startled and surprised, while Vaughn stood there and watched her as she pummeled the crate again and again, a raw scream coming out of her throat. When he saw how bloody her knuckles were becoming, he stepped behind her, hugging her tightly across her chest, trapping her arms, and dropped his mouth to her ears, whispering softly "It's alright. It's ok."
Sydney stopped struggling, bringing her arms to hold his hands at her chest, dropped her head back, and let out a loud anguished scream. She dropped her head forward and continued to sob. Vaughn turned her around so that he could hold her comfortably, and let her sob into his neck. He kissed her forehead slightly, and his blinked his eyes rapidly to clear the mists that were forming.
Will stood silently watching this man holding Sydney, and it hit him like lightning that he hadn't been paying attention. Sydney had a life that he hadn't known, wasn't a part of, but this man had been. The familiar way he held her, knowing when to step in, the way he comforted her, told him that they were more than friends. It hurt him to think that Sydney had unabashedly shared all parts of her life with this man, and hidden it from him, Will Tippin, when he'd been willing to share everything with her.
It was a long time before Sydney's sobs quieted down, and she hiccuped softly, trying to draw in breath, to nourish her starved lungs. Vaughn pushed her out of his embrace slightly, and looked at her.
"I'm going to call your dad, to meet you at your place. Think you can make it there?" he asked, caressing her cheek with his hand. When she nodded, he continued, "I'm going to take your friend here to the office to debrief and go over next steps. Sydney, go with your dad to the cottage at Lake Arrowhead. I'll meet you there." God, he hated having to put all of this on her right now, but it had to be done.
She looked up quizzically at him. "What do you mean?"
"We're gonna use Sloane's forced vacation on you, to go to Barcelona. I'll brief you at Arrowhead." He pulled her back in to his embrace, and dropped his chin on top of her head.
"We've got a lot to do, Sydney."