Chapter 4
Sydney smiled at Vaughn, pleased that she had finally won the argument.
"Thank you, Vaughn," she said gratefully, "I just need him to know something, something so I don't have to keep lying about who I am."
Vaughn nodded. "I know this isn't easy on you, Syd, having to lie about what you do to your friends, but it's a necessity. Just remember to go easy with the information you give to Will—he needs to know that what you're doing cannot be shared with anyone. Okay?" he added, knowing that it wasn't really necessary to remind her of the danger Will was facing. "And, Syd," he added softly, "you're never lying about who you are—Will knows who you are, and that's why he's your friend. You can never hide that."
Sydney blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She reached out and touched Vaughn's forearm briefly and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks," she whispered before heading back out to the couch where Will was trying desperately to appear like he hadn't been watching them for the past couple of minutes.
She made it back to the couch and sat down facing Will. Vaughn slowly followed her out of the kitchen and made it over to a wall that was parallel to the back of the couch. He leaned against it and watched as Sydney tried to explain what she could to her friend.
"Will," she started, "this is Michael Vaughn. He and I work together."
Will finally allowed himself to look directly at the man Sydney was motioning towards. In his suit and tie and cool countenance he looked every bit the part of the government agent Will assumed him to be. He nodded at him in greeting, throwing out a semi-friendly "Mike."
Amused, Vaughn nodded back in that time-honored male tradition and responded with a just as semi-friendly, "Will."
"So," Will turned to Sydney, "is he your 'Mulder?'"
Sydney smirked slightly. "Well, not really. Mulder and Scully were partners in the FBI, Will, and, I hate to break it to you, are not real. Vaughn is my handler for the CIA."
Will's eyebrow quirked at her. "Vaughn? See, you call him by his last name—it's just like TV."
Sydney's smile faltered. "Please, be serious for just a minute, okay? I need you to know what has happened to you, what you're in the middle of. You can't know everything, and you probably won't understand it all, but I need you to hear it."
Will let the air out of his lungs slowly. He had been waiting for this, for the truth, for so long. "Okay, Syd…tell me about SD-6."
Over against the wall Vaughn shifted slightly, catching in Will's peripheral vision.
"Actually, Will, that's the one thing I really can't tell you about. I've already told you that I work for the CIA, which is more than enough information to get you killed. You have to understand that you cannot tell anybody, anybody, about what's happened to you, about me, my father—about any of this. Do you understand that?"
Will nodded.
Sydney leaned closer to him, her voice softer, more desperate. "No, Will, promise me that you will never say one word about this—not even on an answering machine, not when you're drunk…" her voice trailed off, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. She put her head in her hands and tried to calm herself.
Will just sat there across from her, not really knowing what had set her off, but feeling helpless to stop it. He tentatively began to reach out for her when he heard that guy, "Vaughn," start to speak.
"Sydney." His voice was warm and soothing like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. Will turned his eyes to the figure leaning against the wall. He seemed to be involved in an inner struggle, one that ultimately ended in him taking a few tentative steps towards the seated Sydney and placing a hand softly on her shoulder.
Sydney took a deep breath and looked back up at Will. Vaughn's hand flew off of her as if it had been burned. He quickly took several steps backward and resumed his quiet spot on the wall.
Will looked expectantly at Sydney. "Okay, I promise. Now you have to tell me, what the hell are you involved in? You say CIA but what does that even mean? What the hell is a 'handler?'" he asked, gesturing wildly towards Vaughn's silent figure. "You promised to tell me the truth, Syd, but knowing that you're CIA doesn't explain it all! I know that SD-6 can't be good—they killed this woman, this woman who was just trying to help me. She died, Syd—did you know about that, were you a part of that? And your father! Jesus Christ, Syd, your dad!"
Sydney just stared openmouthed at him, assaulted by his barrage of questions that she couldn't possibly answer. Before he could go on she tried to answer what she could. "Will, my dad—he's a good guy, okay? Just like me—"
He cut her off. "A good guy? He kidnapped me! Did you know that? Was that okay with you?"
Sydney narrowed her eyes at him—anger was beginning to take hold. "He only did that for your own good. You would be dead by now if it wasn't for him!"
"Damn it, Syd—these aren't answers. It's not even a full truth. You tell me it's the CIA you work for but I know the things your father has done and I've seen what you do. I've found out more about SD-6 writing a newspaper column then you'll even allude to."
Sydney was speechless. She just stared at Will not knowing what to say to him. She needed to make him understand that she wanted to tell him but she couldn't. Will stared back at her, demanding answers. Unfortunately she had none to give.
Vaughn's voice interrupted the tense silence. "Don't, Mr. Tippin," he said, abandoning any form of friendliness. "Sydney is a patriot. She has done more to save this country than you will ever know. She deserves your respect, and needs your friendship," his voice was low and hard, protective as a lioness with her cubs. "Do not demand anything from her that she thinks it would be in your best interest not to have."
*****
Whee—this is fun! How are you guys likin' it so far? It may be a long weekend before the next chapter—I've got future in-laws coming and a messy house to clean. However, I could be tempted to forget about all that in exchange for some feedback!
Sydney smiled at Vaughn, pleased that she had finally won the argument.
"Thank you, Vaughn," she said gratefully, "I just need him to know something, something so I don't have to keep lying about who I am."
Vaughn nodded. "I know this isn't easy on you, Syd, having to lie about what you do to your friends, but it's a necessity. Just remember to go easy with the information you give to Will—he needs to know that what you're doing cannot be shared with anyone. Okay?" he added, knowing that it wasn't really necessary to remind her of the danger Will was facing. "And, Syd," he added softly, "you're never lying about who you are—Will knows who you are, and that's why he's your friend. You can never hide that."
Sydney blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She reached out and touched Vaughn's forearm briefly and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks," she whispered before heading back out to the couch where Will was trying desperately to appear like he hadn't been watching them for the past couple of minutes.
She made it back to the couch and sat down facing Will. Vaughn slowly followed her out of the kitchen and made it over to a wall that was parallel to the back of the couch. He leaned against it and watched as Sydney tried to explain what she could to her friend.
"Will," she started, "this is Michael Vaughn. He and I work together."
Will finally allowed himself to look directly at the man Sydney was motioning towards. In his suit and tie and cool countenance he looked every bit the part of the government agent Will assumed him to be. He nodded at him in greeting, throwing out a semi-friendly "Mike."
Amused, Vaughn nodded back in that time-honored male tradition and responded with a just as semi-friendly, "Will."
"So," Will turned to Sydney, "is he your 'Mulder?'"
Sydney smirked slightly. "Well, not really. Mulder and Scully were partners in the FBI, Will, and, I hate to break it to you, are not real. Vaughn is my handler for the CIA."
Will's eyebrow quirked at her. "Vaughn? See, you call him by his last name—it's just like TV."
Sydney's smile faltered. "Please, be serious for just a minute, okay? I need you to know what has happened to you, what you're in the middle of. You can't know everything, and you probably won't understand it all, but I need you to hear it."
Will let the air out of his lungs slowly. He had been waiting for this, for the truth, for so long. "Okay, Syd…tell me about SD-6."
Over against the wall Vaughn shifted slightly, catching in Will's peripheral vision.
"Actually, Will, that's the one thing I really can't tell you about. I've already told you that I work for the CIA, which is more than enough information to get you killed. You have to understand that you cannot tell anybody, anybody, about what's happened to you, about me, my father—about any of this. Do you understand that?"
Will nodded.
Sydney leaned closer to him, her voice softer, more desperate. "No, Will, promise me that you will never say one word about this—not even on an answering machine, not when you're drunk…" her voice trailed off, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. She put her head in her hands and tried to calm herself.
Will just sat there across from her, not really knowing what had set her off, but feeling helpless to stop it. He tentatively began to reach out for her when he heard that guy, "Vaughn," start to speak.
"Sydney." His voice was warm and soothing like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. Will turned his eyes to the figure leaning against the wall. He seemed to be involved in an inner struggle, one that ultimately ended in him taking a few tentative steps towards the seated Sydney and placing a hand softly on her shoulder.
Sydney took a deep breath and looked back up at Will. Vaughn's hand flew off of her as if it had been burned. He quickly took several steps backward and resumed his quiet spot on the wall.
Will looked expectantly at Sydney. "Okay, I promise. Now you have to tell me, what the hell are you involved in? You say CIA but what does that even mean? What the hell is a 'handler?'" he asked, gesturing wildly towards Vaughn's silent figure. "You promised to tell me the truth, Syd, but knowing that you're CIA doesn't explain it all! I know that SD-6 can't be good—they killed this woman, this woman who was just trying to help me. She died, Syd—did you know about that, were you a part of that? And your father! Jesus Christ, Syd, your dad!"
Sydney just stared openmouthed at him, assaulted by his barrage of questions that she couldn't possibly answer. Before he could go on she tried to answer what she could. "Will, my dad—he's a good guy, okay? Just like me—"
He cut her off. "A good guy? He kidnapped me! Did you know that? Was that okay with you?"
Sydney narrowed her eyes at him—anger was beginning to take hold. "He only did that for your own good. You would be dead by now if it wasn't for him!"
"Damn it, Syd—these aren't answers. It's not even a full truth. You tell me it's the CIA you work for but I know the things your father has done and I've seen what you do. I've found out more about SD-6 writing a newspaper column then you'll even allude to."
Sydney was speechless. She just stared at Will not knowing what to say to him. She needed to make him understand that she wanted to tell him but she couldn't. Will stared back at her, demanding answers. Unfortunately she had none to give.
Vaughn's voice interrupted the tense silence. "Don't, Mr. Tippin," he said, abandoning any form of friendliness. "Sydney is a patriot. She has done more to save this country than you will ever know. She deserves your respect, and needs your friendship," his voice was low and hard, protective as a lioness with her cubs. "Do not demand anything from her that she thinks it would be in your best interest not to have."
*****
Whee—this is fun! How are you guys likin' it so far? It may be a long weekend before the next chapter—I've got future in-laws coming and a messy house to clean. However, I could be tempted to forget about all that in exchange for some feedback!