Story: Beyond All Limits
Author: Steph (stephanie406@juno.com)
Disclaimer: Don't own Alias, or any characters thus portrayed. It all belongs to JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, etc.
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Spoilers/Summary : post "After Thirty Years"; Vaughn's alive, and Sydney's been captured
Distribution: I'd love it if you would, just let me know where it's going! CD definitely has all rights to posting (grin)
Sydney… Oh God, Sydney!
Francie just couldn't think straight. She didn't know who they were, or why they wanted her, but whoever they were they had her best friend.
She didn't care what Syd did for a living. Really, she didn't! Sure, she'd prefer that Syd wasn't emerged so deeply in such an unpleasant world. But at least, all the bruises, the trips, the secrecy and all the puzzle pieces that had never before fit together… suddenly they did. In the context of this world of espionage, it all made sense.
Oh, Sydney… why, why, WHY???
'I'm sorry if I wasn't friend enough. I'm sorry you got mixed up in this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, so so sorry…'
Francie couldn't stop crying. The helicopter had landed and she was now being escorted towards a plane. Like a heavenly vision, a box of Kleenex appeared in front of her vision. She flashed a watery grateful smile, and through her blurry vision, she absently took notice that it was the same guy that Syd had been with. The guy kept talking in soothing tones to her, although he looked like he could use some comforting himself right about now. His pretty green eyes mirrored every emotion Francie was feeling right back at her.
Francie found the strength within herself to stop crying all of the sudden. "You know Syd" she accused, and followed by blowing her nose viciously into a fistful of Kleenex.
He sighed. They were settling into seats on the plane now. "I do," he admitted. Francie didn't feel the need to inform him that his sigh had been confirmation enough for her. Hell, the look in his eyes and just his general scruffy appearance was enough for her. His hand went to drag through his hair in what she recognized as an agitated emotion.
"How?" she hiccupped. He stood and returned bearing a glass of cool water and a damp washcloth. "Thanks" she mumbled, reaching out and taking both from him and waiting rather impatiently for him to sit down and answer her question.
He sighed again, collapsing wearily into his chair. He leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees, his head held between his hand as his fingers dug absently back into his hair. She was mildly surprised when he agitatedly pulled the hair off his head—a wig. He finally seemed to reach a conclusion, sat up straighter and looked her in the eye. He eyed her for a moment. The wig fell forgotten to the floor as his hand clasped together. "First thing Francie. I'm sure you're well aware that your life is now endangered. I can't tell you what it is that Syd's doing for us. But I can offer both you and Will the opportunity to go into the protection program. All you have to do is let someone know and it will all be arranged."
Oh dear Lord. This did not sound good. "Okay" she answered weakly. What, if anything, would she tell her parents? She'd have to ask later, but first, she had to deal with whoever this guy was.
He had nodded at her answer, seemingly satisfied. "Okay then, Francie. I suppose introductions are in order, now aren't they?" he smiled weakly at her. "Agent Michael Vaughn, CIA, at your service." He handed her an opened badge billfold thing just like she'd always seen the cops flash on TV.
Francie looked at it absently, closing it and handing it back. "So Syd works for the CIA." A statement, not a question.
"As I said before, I can't give you specifics of what she does. But yes, she works for us, amongst other things. What she does, it's very… dangerous. You're quite the lucky one though. From what Agent Williams" he nodded in the directions of an Oriental looking man "was able to tell me, you friend Will didn't fair so well at the hands of Syd's captors."
Her head was swimming with unpleasant images, so unsettling that she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on her headrest and sighed heavily. It was all so complicated, so evil, so wrong…
"Will she be okay?" It was all she really wanted to know.
"We… I… I just don't know Francie. I sincerely hope so; she's very good at taking care of herself, looking out after herself… But I just don't know anymore. It's all gotten so twisted in the past few days." He sighed deeply, exhaling in a loud whoosh of air.
Francie met his eyes, and a revelation dawned on her. Why this guy looked so pained. Why he was so worried. He was emotionally at stake here too. He cared for Syd. And, with a woman's intuition, Francie also knew he loved her.
"You love her, don't you" she said softly. Once again, it wasn't a question. Just a simple statement of perception.
"Yeah. I do" he replied just as quietly.
And then the plane was taxing down the runway and in the air. Nothing more needed to be said, as far as Francie was concerned. An agent appeared with pillows and blankets. An emotionally drained Francie gratefully accepted both offerings. So did Agent Vaughn, she noticed before closing her eyes and snuggling gratefully into the pillow's comfort. His evident pain made her heart ache all the more…
'Poor poor Sydney… No matter what decisions she's made along the way, she surely didn't deserve this hell' she thought as she drifted her way into a deep, dreamless, and restless sleep.
AN: oh, the angst! It's killing me! (hides behind a protective wall from the flying rotten tomatoes)… okay, okay… actually, there's a few more chapters to post to this story, and then it ends (no screams of protestation… there's a sequel in the works). So, I'm sure you can deduce quite successfully, that with a sequel, there's not much chance for S/V shippness to be occurring anytime soon… sorry! But it will come eventually, I swear! Although, I will hint towards the future a tad bit here, storyline wise, and tell you that V will be dropping out for awhile, and Sark's gonna be a major player… (No more transvestite comments, please! lol)
Oh yes, on another note… for the 2 readers who were so kind to check out the other Alias story I'd started… I don't have any more to that one written yet. ATY happened, and then the inspiration for this one just took off. And, knowing my past history, it's not a wise idea for me to work on more than one story at once, or I'll just never finish… I have like, 5 unfinished stories, not counting "All Night Long"… but I promise, if I get enough interest in it, I'll try to occasionally update that one too J
