[CHAPTER ELEVEN]
Sydney was standing against the doorframe of the living room, eyes shut tight. As she heard the front door being opened, the knot in her stomach tightened. Vaughn walked slowly up the hall, his head bowed. It was not good news. Barely trusting herself to ask, she just stood up, and walked into the room. Vaughn followed.
"The line was bad. I could barely make out what he was trying to say."
"What happened?" She lowered herself onto the sofa, facing him. Her brown eyes were clouded with fear. "Did they catch him?" Wishful thinking, she knew. Vaughn leaned against the doorframe she had darkened a few moments ago, closing his eyes the same way she had.
"They've pinpointed one suspect. Agent Weiss is going to head up a team to extract him. I could barely make out what he was saying, but as far as I could understand, the information was sketchy. He wasn't a field agent, but he did work for the CIA. They're on their way to his location now."
"So that's it? They've found him?" The optimism in her voice grew. "We can go home?"
"Not yet." He pulled her closer to him, and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "It's still very unstable. We're almost sure he's the mole, but we have to make sure."
"I know." She snuggled up to his chest, trying to shake off the feeling of dread hunting her thoughts. "What time is it?"
"It's just after nine." He smoothed her hair subconsciously, thoughts dominated by the information Weiss had given him. He couldn't tell Sydney just yet. He would wait until they heard back from LA. "Weiss will phone as soon as he gets a chance."
"Does my father know?" She looked up at him, suddenly realising her own father could be in danger too. "I mean, Weiss would have told him, wouldn't he? He could help."
"He was informed as soon as it happened. Don't worry. Jack Bristow knows how to keep himself safe." Vaughn hid a small smile into her hair. "I'm going to go for a drive and get some provisions. Will you be ok here by yourself for a while?"
"Yeah." She sat up, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go have a shower. Are you going to take the phone with you?"
"I'd better, just incase." He lifted the phone from the coffee table, and stood up. "Is there anything you want me to get while I'm in town?"
"Some strong alcohol wouldn't go amiss." She smirked. "I can't think of anything right now. Just whatever you think we need."
"Ok." He began to move towards her, considering giving her a goodbye kiss, but knew it would be too awkward. "I'll go now."
"Ok." Sydney just stood there, looking up at him, knowing he had changed his mind about kissing her goodbye. She couldn't deny her disappointment when he pulled back, and left the room.
*****
Her thought were so focused on the mole, that she didn't realise until it too late. she had climbed into the running shower with her socks still on.
*****
"Sydney?!?" Vaughn shouted on her as he entered the cabin, hands full with brown grocery bags. "I just heard from LA!" He sat the bags down on the table, and walked back out into the hall. "Syd?!?" He opened the door to her room cautiously. "Are you in here?" Her room was empty. He crossed the hall to the bathroom, and put his head to the door. "Sydney?" He pushed the door open and peered inside.
"Hello?" She was nowhere to be found.
He walked quickly to the front door, and scanned the area. "SYDNEY?!?" His voice echoed over the trees in the mountain, but brought no reply. He could feel the panic rise in his throat. She couldn't have taken off. there was no way she could get down the mountain without a car. but this was Sydney. She could do anything. He swore under his breath, and walked back into the kitchen. She had done it again. Taken things into her own hands. He should have KNOWN she would do something like this. She couldn't let anyone else handle things. And she was going to get them both in trouble. He clenched his fist in anger. Damn her stubbornness!
"Hi Michael." He turned to see Sydney standing there, grinning at him. She was carrying a large black bag. Behind her was Marie, basket in hand. "Sorry we weren't here when you got back. Marie came down to visit, and asked me to help her hang some curtains in her cabin."
"Hang some. curtains?" Vaughn looked at her reservedly. "You can hang curtains?"
"I can do a lot of things, Michael." She grinned again, more for the benefit of Marie who was watching her with interest. "Tom and Marie have invited us up for dinner tonight. They're having a party."
"Oh. but I thought." He shrugged, and smiled at Marie. "That would be great, thanks!"
"Not a problem, Mike. Just one thing, though. It's black tie. We're having a few people round. And I haven't seen you in a tuxedo for quite a while." She winked at Sydney, and turned to go. "Seven o'clock tonight for drinks. Don't be late! Tom and I are dying to hear more about you, Sydney!"
"Oh, don't worry. We'll be there." She smiled warmly to Marie as she shut the door behind her, and walked to her car.
"What was all that about?"
"She came to the door just after you left, and insisted I come with her to the cabin and help her hang curtains. I think it was meant to be a girly thing." She wrinkled her nose. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "I heard back from Weiss. There's good and bad news. The good news is that the operation was a success. they extracted the guy. The bad news is that he wasn't the mole, and he'd been dead for over two weeks."
"What?!?" She stood back, eyes wide. "What are we going to do now?"
"We have to stay where we are, and wait until they find the mole. There's nothing we can do right now, except stay where we are."
"I really don't feel like facing an audience tonight, but I promised Marie. It would just arouse suspicion if we didn't go."
"I'd love to go. but I don't have a tuxedo." He was relieved there was an excuse for him not to wear a tuxedo. He always felt like a penguin wearing a tuxedo.
"You could always wear this one." She handed him the black bag she had been holding. "Marie mentioned he had a spare incase you needed one, so I brought it with me."
"Oh. Thanks." He grimaced, much to Sydney's amusement. "I'd better go try it on."
He disappeared into his room, while Sydney sifted through the dresses Vaughn had packed for her. The man had taste, she had to admit. After an agonizing decision, she finally laid out a deep red dress, made of heavy velvet material, on the bed. Will had bought her it one day when they were out shopping. She remembered the way his eyes lit up when he seen her try it on. Even now, it made her smile. He had looked like a deer caught in headlights. She just hoped it would work half as well on Vaughn.
She was searching through the travel jewelry case for a matching necklace, when she heard a soft knock on the door.
"Can I come in?"
"Of course."
She turned to see Vaughn step through the door, wearing the black tuxedo. It was a perfect fit.
"What do you think."
Roles were reversed. She felt like the deer caught in headlights. "I. it's black." The skill of verbal communication seemed to escape her at that moment, as he turned his back to her. The trousers were perfect. He pulled at the sleeves of the jacket, and slid it off, revealing the white shirt below. It fitted him flawlessly. She wanted to tear it off him right there. He turned around to face her again.
"I think the bowtie makes me look a little." He stopped as he caught her looking at him. "Syd?"
"Huh?" She looked up at him, his head cocked to the side, wearing an amused look. She pulled herself together. "It looks fine. Fine. Fits you well. Excuse me." She brushed past him, biting her lip.
Escaping to the bathroom, she exhaled loudly. This was going to be an interesting night. If she could last that long.
********** sorry for the delay! My muse went AWOL again! Chapter 12 will be longer, and better. I promise!
REVIEW please! I need your thoughts on this!
Sydney was standing against the doorframe of the living room, eyes shut tight. As she heard the front door being opened, the knot in her stomach tightened. Vaughn walked slowly up the hall, his head bowed. It was not good news. Barely trusting herself to ask, she just stood up, and walked into the room. Vaughn followed.
"The line was bad. I could barely make out what he was trying to say."
"What happened?" She lowered herself onto the sofa, facing him. Her brown eyes were clouded with fear. "Did they catch him?" Wishful thinking, she knew. Vaughn leaned against the doorframe she had darkened a few moments ago, closing his eyes the same way she had.
"They've pinpointed one suspect. Agent Weiss is going to head up a team to extract him. I could barely make out what he was saying, but as far as I could understand, the information was sketchy. He wasn't a field agent, but he did work for the CIA. They're on their way to his location now."
"So that's it? They've found him?" The optimism in her voice grew. "We can go home?"
"Not yet." He pulled her closer to him, and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "It's still very unstable. We're almost sure he's the mole, but we have to make sure."
"I know." She snuggled up to his chest, trying to shake off the feeling of dread hunting her thoughts. "What time is it?"
"It's just after nine." He smoothed her hair subconsciously, thoughts dominated by the information Weiss had given him. He couldn't tell Sydney just yet. He would wait until they heard back from LA. "Weiss will phone as soon as he gets a chance."
"Does my father know?" She looked up at him, suddenly realising her own father could be in danger too. "I mean, Weiss would have told him, wouldn't he? He could help."
"He was informed as soon as it happened. Don't worry. Jack Bristow knows how to keep himself safe." Vaughn hid a small smile into her hair. "I'm going to go for a drive and get some provisions. Will you be ok here by yourself for a while?"
"Yeah." She sat up, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go have a shower. Are you going to take the phone with you?"
"I'd better, just incase." He lifted the phone from the coffee table, and stood up. "Is there anything you want me to get while I'm in town?"
"Some strong alcohol wouldn't go amiss." She smirked. "I can't think of anything right now. Just whatever you think we need."
"Ok." He began to move towards her, considering giving her a goodbye kiss, but knew it would be too awkward. "I'll go now."
"Ok." Sydney just stood there, looking up at him, knowing he had changed his mind about kissing her goodbye. She couldn't deny her disappointment when he pulled back, and left the room.
*****
Her thought were so focused on the mole, that she didn't realise until it too late. she had climbed into the running shower with her socks still on.
*****
"Sydney?!?" Vaughn shouted on her as he entered the cabin, hands full with brown grocery bags. "I just heard from LA!" He sat the bags down on the table, and walked back out into the hall. "Syd?!?" He opened the door to her room cautiously. "Are you in here?" Her room was empty. He crossed the hall to the bathroom, and put his head to the door. "Sydney?" He pushed the door open and peered inside.
"Hello?" She was nowhere to be found.
He walked quickly to the front door, and scanned the area. "SYDNEY?!?" His voice echoed over the trees in the mountain, but brought no reply. He could feel the panic rise in his throat. She couldn't have taken off. there was no way she could get down the mountain without a car. but this was Sydney. She could do anything. He swore under his breath, and walked back into the kitchen. She had done it again. Taken things into her own hands. He should have KNOWN she would do something like this. She couldn't let anyone else handle things. And she was going to get them both in trouble. He clenched his fist in anger. Damn her stubbornness!
"Hi Michael." He turned to see Sydney standing there, grinning at him. She was carrying a large black bag. Behind her was Marie, basket in hand. "Sorry we weren't here when you got back. Marie came down to visit, and asked me to help her hang some curtains in her cabin."
"Hang some. curtains?" Vaughn looked at her reservedly. "You can hang curtains?"
"I can do a lot of things, Michael." She grinned again, more for the benefit of Marie who was watching her with interest. "Tom and Marie have invited us up for dinner tonight. They're having a party."
"Oh. but I thought." He shrugged, and smiled at Marie. "That would be great, thanks!"
"Not a problem, Mike. Just one thing, though. It's black tie. We're having a few people round. And I haven't seen you in a tuxedo for quite a while." She winked at Sydney, and turned to go. "Seven o'clock tonight for drinks. Don't be late! Tom and I are dying to hear more about you, Sydney!"
"Oh, don't worry. We'll be there." She smiled warmly to Marie as she shut the door behind her, and walked to her car.
"What was all that about?"
"She came to the door just after you left, and insisted I come with her to the cabin and help her hang curtains. I think it was meant to be a girly thing." She wrinkled her nose. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "I heard back from Weiss. There's good and bad news. The good news is that the operation was a success. they extracted the guy. The bad news is that he wasn't the mole, and he'd been dead for over two weeks."
"What?!?" She stood back, eyes wide. "What are we going to do now?"
"We have to stay where we are, and wait until they find the mole. There's nothing we can do right now, except stay where we are."
"I really don't feel like facing an audience tonight, but I promised Marie. It would just arouse suspicion if we didn't go."
"I'd love to go. but I don't have a tuxedo." He was relieved there was an excuse for him not to wear a tuxedo. He always felt like a penguin wearing a tuxedo.
"You could always wear this one." She handed him the black bag she had been holding. "Marie mentioned he had a spare incase you needed one, so I brought it with me."
"Oh. Thanks." He grimaced, much to Sydney's amusement. "I'd better go try it on."
He disappeared into his room, while Sydney sifted through the dresses Vaughn had packed for her. The man had taste, she had to admit. After an agonizing decision, she finally laid out a deep red dress, made of heavy velvet material, on the bed. Will had bought her it one day when they were out shopping. She remembered the way his eyes lit up when he seen her try it on. Even now, it made her smile. He had looked like a deer caught in headlights. She just hoped it would work half as well on Vaughn.
She was searching through the travel jewelry case for a matching necklace, when she heard a soft knock on the door.
"Can I come in?"
"Of course."
She turned to see Vaughn step through the door, wearing the black tuxedo. It was a perfect fit.
"What do you think."
Roles were reversed. She felt like the deer caught in headlights. "I. it's black." The skill of verbal communication seemed to escape her at that moment, as he turned his back to her. The trousers were perfect. He pulled at the sleeves of the jacket, and slid it off, revealing the white shirt below. It fitted him flawlessly. She wanted to tear it off him right there. He turned around to face her again.
"I think the bowtie makes me look a little." He stopped as he caught her looking at him. "Syd?"
"Huh?" She looked up at him, his head cocked to the side, wearing an amused look. She pulled herself together. "It looks fine. Fine. Fits you well. Excuse me." She brushed past him, biting her lip.
Escaping to the bathroom, she exhaled loudly. This was going to be an interesting night. If she could last that long.
********** sorry for the delay! My muse went AWOL again! Chapter 12 will be longer, and better. I promise!
REVIEW please! I need your thoughts on this!