Disclaimer: Everything Alias is the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, and Touchstone. Please consider this a humble tribute to the genius of the Alias characters and plotlines. No harm intended.
Rating: G
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Author's Note: The title of this chapter is
from a Shawn Colvin song, as are the lyrics to the song at the end of the
chapter. The song is on her A Few
Small Repairs cd. The version of If
that inspired the opening is on Jane Monheit's cd titled Come Dream With Me.
Hope the use of Rory and Jess is not too confusing. The only time she is refered to as Rory is
when it is coming from a character the doesn't know her real purpose.
Chapter Seventeen – New Thing Now
The club, named Downtown, was a small, simple club. Having seating for a maximum of 110 people, there were usually no more than 50 people on any given night. The owner, Rex Hanson, stood at the end of the hallway that lead to the dressing rooms and office, and looked out over the crowd. He hadn't seen this many people in his club for a long time. The two waitresses were constantly busy, and Rex had to call in another bartender to help out John, the regular bartender.
Rex scheduled live music in his club seven nights a
week. He had contracted with several
musicians and invited guest performers once each week. The two contract musicians that were
performing that night were a jazz pianist, named Quinn Jackson, and a drummer
who was equally skilled in acoustic guitar, Guy Thompson.
Rex maintained creative control over the music played in his club. He had recently developed an appreciation of Shawn Colvin's music. This led him to audition female singers. The singer performing tonight, Rory McAllister, had the most potential.
"They're ready for you," Rex said as he moved aside and let the three musicians take the stage. The stage was dark as Quinn took his place at the piano and Guy sat down at the drum set. Very few patrons took notice as Jess walked up to the microphone.
It was a sunken stage – each row of tables was elevated
higher than the previous row to enable everyone a clear view of the stage. This also allowed the musicians a clear view
of the audience, at least until the spotlight came up.
Jess looked out into the club. She easily found Will sitting in the second row, center stage with Sydney, and several other people she did not recognize. As she continued to scan the club, she noticed a few other CIA officers. Weiss and Vaughn were sitting in the back row with two women. Jess assumed that the women were CIA, but she did not know them.
Her eyes met with Vaughn's. He was staring directly at her. Her pulse quickened. She was conflicted about his presence. She enjoyed singing and wanted to share that with him. But she knew that it was going to be difficult for him to witness her being somebody else. This was going to be easier for her than for him. She was used to playing a part. She had plenty of experience putting her personal feelings aside for the sake of a mission. Vaughn had little undercover experience and was in the habit of getting personally involved in his cases. That was a deadly combination.
The first song was for him – she could only think of Vaughn when she sang it. It was the song that she had sung at the audition – the one that had convinced Hanson to give her a try. She would hold her focus on him, even after the spotlight came up; she would maintain her gaze in his direction, picturing him in her mind if she could not see him.
The noise level in the club was quite high, but when Jess started singing the audience quieted immediately. A soft, blue spotlight came up on her, gradually increasing and changing to eventually illuminate her in a soft white light.
Jess sang a jazz version of Jim Croce's classic ballad, If. She began the song acappella – without instrumental accompaniment – soft and sultry.
If a picture paints a thousand words
Then why can't I paint you?
When words will never show
The you I've come to know
Harry added the piano accompaniment.
If a face can launch a thousand ships
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you
You're all that's left me too
Vaughn was holding his breath, taking in every detail of her. She was dressed in a simple, short, black dress, sheer black hose, and black, strapy heels. Her auburn hair fell in long, soft curls around her face, and came to rest on her shoulders. Her emerald eyes never wavered from his. Her full ruby lips moved seductively as she sang each word. He knew that she had a good voice – she would sing when she was happy – but he never knew she could sing like this.
Guy joined in with soft jazz percussion.
And when my love for life
Has all run out
You come and pour
Yourself on me
Weiss noticed, of course, that Jess and Vaughn were locked in a visual embrace. Normally Weiss would have chastised Vaughn but he doubted than anyone else in the club noticed. He tried his best to enjoy the show and not worry about the mission. He hadn't heard her sing since his wedding, and he had forgotten how her singing had made him feel.
If a man could be two places
At one time, I'd be with you
Tomorrow and today
Beside you all the way
Will had brought enough friends and family to fill three
tables. He sat at the center table with
Sydney on one side and his sister, Amy on the other. Francie and her new boyfriend, Tony, filled the other two
chairs. The minute that Jess started
singing, Will could not take his eyes off Jess. He had already ranked her as one of the most beautiful women he
had ever met, and that was before he had seen her in a sexy black dress with
her hair spilling over her shoulders.
Sydney had noticed the look in Will's eyes as he stared at
Jess. Normally, she would have been
thrilled to see that Will was so interested in another woman. But, this time, she only saw danger.
If the world should stop revolving
Spinning slowly down to die
I'd spend the end with you
And when the world was through
"How can I approach her and make a believable attempt to
hit on her?" Will asked himself.
And one by one
The stars would all go out
And you and I would simply
Fly away
"What have I done?" Vaughn asked himself.
The applause at the end of the song was genuine and long lasting.
*****
The trio performed for an hour and a half. Hanson slated a wide variety of music --
jazz standards, a country ballad, a duet for Quinn and Rory, a few folk tunes,
and several Shawn Colvin songs.
They finished the set with a Shawn Colvin song, of
course. Guy played the guitar as Jess
sang:
This is your new thing now
Naked as a rose
Everything exposed
But not quite
This is your new thing now
Cards out on the table
A genius with no label
But not quite, not quite
God, I swear it's good to be back home
Waiting for the newest Rolling Stone
All the other girls are still at war
The best and worst of 1994
Sometimes I see the half and not the whole
Sometimes I see the face and not the soul
Sometimes I think this place has no part
For anyone who ever had a hear
Will became more nervous as the show continued. He knew that very soon he would have to make
a move on her, and he still didn't know how he was going to do it. He drank more beer than he had in the
previous three months combined. He had
managed to lay some foundation for his upcoming performance. He commented several times how beautiful she
was. At one point, between songs, Will
said, "Why can't I meet a woman like that?"
Sydney had helped him out saying "Will, you can
meet a woman like that – just talk to her after the show."
This is your new thing now
And it looks so good in print
Just a poet and her pimps
But not quite
This is your new thing now
A prom dress and a sneer
The woman of the year
But not quite, not quite
Gee, it's good to see a dream come true
People smile and bless all over you
Mixing up those latest junkie-isms
And all the pretty terms of religion
And don't you love the leader of the Band
Equal parts butt-head and Peter Pan
All the other kids are sad again
A legend's not a legend 'til it ends
Every song that Jess sang that night seemed to speak
directly to Vaughn. He tried to enjoy
himself, but when he listened to the lyrics that she sang, his heart hurt –
physically ached. He pretended to be
interested in the woman sitting to his right.
He drank more beer than he should have for a Sunday night. He found no solace in either one.
This is your new thing now
And it makes the whole world spin
It's at least as old as sin
But not quite
This is your new thing now
And now you're turning grinning
But maybe no one's listening
And you might lose it all, my darling, yes you might
Vaughn couldn't look at the stage without seeing Will and
Sydney. Vaughn thought that he had
gotten over his jealousy of Will.
Tonight proved otherwise. He
envied that Will could sit in public with Sydney. And he envied Will because he would soon be sleeping in Jess'
bed.
This is your new thing now
And it feels so good to doubt you
I could almost live without you
But not quite, not quite