The rain outside came pounding down on Sydney as she ran from her car into
the warehouse. She had been surprised to receive the "Joey's Pizza" call
so late at night, but she had inwardly smiled. Joining the CIA had
complicated her already complex life. However, this was one complication
she enjoyed. Now she was working for the good guys. Now she was in the
process of making Danny's killers pay. Now she finally had a friend who
she didn't have to lie to. While Will knew the truth about her life,
Sydney was reluctant to tell him much. He might say or do something by
accident that could put both of them in danger. With Vaughn she could be
honest. He was the one person she trusted completely. And that is why she
smiled inside every time she told the person on the other end of the phone
they had the wrong number.
Vaughn heard her shoes squeak on the warehouse floor even before he could see her. Even though it was midnight and he should be at home watching some hockey game on television, he was glad to drive in the pouring rain and wait in the cold warehouse if it meant seeing her. She intrigued him the day she had walked into his office with that red wig. Since then, the more he knew of Sydney Bristow, the more he was amazed by her. He smiled warmly at her as she walked up to him.
"Hey." She said softly and returned his smile.
"Sorry to call you so late, but there is some intel I need to give you before you leave for London." He said apologetically while wondering how sorry he actually was.
"It's ok. I wasn't doing much." She replied.
"Turns out that the map you will be retrieving tomorrow isn't on a disk like we originally thought. Instead it's on paper. It was made with special ink that won't appear in photographs or copies of it. Therefore, the CIA is going to need the original copy." Vaughn stated. "Now, we don't know what is on this map so we can't make up a fake one for you to give to SD-6 yet. Tomorrow night in your hotel room, a CIA agent dressed as a maid will knock on the door and ask if you want your bed turned down. Tell her yes, and then give her the map once she is inside. A team of agents will be in the hotel as well. They will then come up with a similar looking map for you to give to SD-6. The next morning when you check out there will be a man behind the counter with a black mustache. Go up to him and when he gives you a copy of the receipt, he will also give you the fake map to give to SD-6."
Sydney nodded her head, but Vaughn could tell by the look on her face something wasn't right.
"Syd, what's wrong?" He asked with worry in his eyes.
It's funny, she thought, how he can always tell? How is it that I can hide everything from my friends, but nothing can get past Michael Vaughn? She looked at the ground as she spoke. "Its nothing. Its just lately I have been thinking about all the things that can go wrong. Dixon is going with me tomorrow and he's suspected me of working for someone else before. What if he suspects something tomorrow? I've been lucky. Really lucky. But something can go wrong. Not just on tomorrow's mission but on any mission."
She was worried, and he knew it. He didn't know what had caused it. He wasn't sure if it really mattered. Vaughn looked at her, he wished she didn't have to live this life. He wished this would all just end. He wished she could just be happy. "Syd, it isn't just luck. You are excellent at what you do." Vaughn looked directly at her and said, "If I could change it so that you never would have had to do any of this. You and Danny would be together. You would be happy. I wish I could make this all go away for you."
Sydney's eyes lifted from the ground to look directly into Vaughn's. She could tell that he meant every word he had just said. And she knew there was only one response to it. "I don't." She said quietly. "Of course I wish that Danny hadn't died. But if it weren't for that, I would have never learned the truth about SD-6. I would have kept working for the enemy. I wouldn't have gotten to know who my father really is, and our relationship wouldn't have improved. I wouldn't have joined the CIA and I never would have met you. You are my friend, and the only one who I don't have to lie to, who lets me be me. You are so important to me."
By the time she finished, Vaughn could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He shouldn't, but he did. He stepped toward her and gently wrapped both arms around her. Sydney hugged him back. It was then they each realized just how vital the other was to their lives. When he released her, she looked up and whispered, "Thank you."
He nodded. There was nothing else to say. Both knew that someday SD-6 would be taken down and things could be different for them. But there was no use in dwelling on the subject now. They had to focus all their energy on crushing SD-6.
Slowly she turned around and walked out of the warehouse and back into the rain.
Vaughn heard her shoes squeak on the warehouse floor even before he could see her. Even though it was midnight and he should be at home watching some hockey game on television, he was glad to drive in the pouring rain and wait in the cold warehouse if it meant seeing her. She intrigued him the day she had walked into his office with that red wig. Since then, the more he knew of Sydney Bristow, the more he was amazed by her. He smiled warmly at her as she walked up to him.
"Hey." She said softly and returned his smile.
"Sorry to call you so late, but there is some intel I need to give you before you leave for London." He said apologetically while wondering how sorry he actually was.
"It's ok. I wasn't doing much." She replied.
"Turns out that the map you will be retrieving tomorrow isn't on a disk like we originally thought. Instead it's on paper. It was made with special ink that won't appear in photographs or copies of it. Therefore, the CIA is going to need the original copy." Vaughn stated. "Now, we don't know what is on this map so we can't make up a fake one for you to give to SD-6 yet. Tomorrow night in your hotel room, a CIA agent dressed as a maid will knock on the door and ask if you want your bed turned down. Tell her yes, and then give her the map once she is inside. A team of agents will be in the hotel as well. They will then come up with a similar looking map for you to give to SD-6. The next morning when you check out there will be a man behind the counter with a black mustache. Go up to him and when he gives you a copy of the receipt, he will also give you the fake map to give to SD-6."
Sydney nodded her head, but Vaughn could tell by the look on her face something wasn't right.
"Syd, what's wrong?" He asked with worry in his eyes.
It's funny, she thought, how he can always tell? How is it that I can hide everything from my friends, but nothing can get past Michael Vaughn? She looked at the ground as she spoke. "Its nothing. Its just lately I have been thinking about all the things that can go wrong. Dixon is going with me tomorrow and he's suspected me of working for someone else before. What if he suspects something tomorrow? I've been lucky. Really lucky. But something can go wrong. Not just on tomorrow's mission but on any mission."
She was worried, and he knew it. He didn't know what had caused it. He wasn't sure if it really mattered. Vaughn looked at her, he wished she didn't have to live this life. He wished this would all just end. He wished she could just be happy. "Syd, it isn't just luck. You are excellent at what you do." Vaughn looked directly at her and said, "If I could change it so that you never would have had to do any of this. You and Danny would be together. You would be happy. I wish I could make this all go away for you."
Sydney's eyes lifted from the ground to look directly into Vaughn's. She could tell that he meant every word he had just said. And she knew there was only one response to it. "I don't." She said quietly. "Of course I wish that Danny hadn't died. But if it weren't for that, I would have never learned the truth about SD-6. I would have kept working for the enemy. I wouldn't have gotten to know who my father really is, and our relationship wouldn't have improved. I wouldn't have joined the CIA and I never would have met you. You are my friend, and the only one who I don't have to lie to, who lets me be me. You are so important to me."
By the time she finished, Vaughn could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He shouldn't, but he did. He stepped toward her and gently wrapped both arms around her. Sydney hugged him back. It was then they each realized just how vital the other was to their lives. When he released her, she looked up and whispered, "Thank you."
He nodded. There was nothing else to say. Both knew that someday SD-6 would be taken down and things could be different for them. But there was no use in dwelling on the subject now. They had to focus all their energy on crushing SD-6.
Slowly she turned around and walked out of the warehouse and back into the rain.