[U] Chapter 13 [/U]
"Fran? Francie?" Sydney called, walking into the house.
"Hm? Syd! Where were you? We were worried," Francie replied, walking out of the living room.
"I had a trip."
"Yeah, I know, but you usually come back within a day or two. It's been three!"
"Calm down," Sydney let out a little laugh. "Fran, meet Erin. And Erin, meet Francie."
"Hi," Erin smiled.
"Hey," Francie replied, startled. She hadn't seen this woman behind Sydney.
"Erin's going to stay with us for a couple of days, if that's all right."
"Sure. But do you mind sleeping on the couch? We don't really have a guest room."
"The couch is fine."
"Make yourself at home. Will, our friend, usually comes over everyday, so don't be alarmed if you see a rugged blonde man lurking in the shadows," Francie laughed.
Erin smiled. "I won't."
"Syd, can I talk to you for a second?" Francie requested, pulling Sydney into her room.
"What?"
"Who is she, and how do you know her?"
"She's Erin Duval.and I know her from work."
"That's it? What city did she come from? Why's she staying here?"
"Why don't you ask her? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to tell you," Sydney responded.
--
"So.Erin, what made you come to LA?" Will questioned, pushing up his glasses with his forefinger.
"Well, I work at the bank with Sydney now.but before, I worked at the headquarters in NYC. I was transferred," Erin replied. Sydney had told her about her alias, and what to say when people asked.
"Why wouldn't you like to stay in New York though? Isn't it like, "the city" of the country?" Will asked, curiously.
"Sorry Erin, did I tell you Will here is a reporter?" Sydney cut in.
"No," Erin laughed.
"Well, Will's a reporter," Sydney smiled. "Stop interrogating her Will."
"No, it's fine, really," Erin smiled at Will, urging him to keep talking.
"All right then. You guys keep talking, I have to go," Sydney said, standing up after looking down at her watch.
"You'll get used to it," Will smiled, speaking to Erin. "Do they work you as hard too?"
Erin's face was blank for a second, then she caught on. "Oh, right. Um.yeah, sometimes. You know, with all the bankruptcies and lawsuits now, we need all the help we can get."
--
"Vaughn?" Sydney called out, after receiving no answer when she knocked.
Still no answer.
Oh no, Sydney thought worriedly, what if.
She opened the door, and was relieved to see him sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed. OK, stop it. He's fine.stop being paranoid! She told herself, as she settled in the chair. Sloane forgot to mention.not only does this job cover health care and insurance, paranoia also comes with it.
Sydney shifted in the seat, but her gaze never left Vaughn's face. He looked just like an angel, so peaceful and innocent, bringing light into her life.
But his features suddenly twisted into a grimace. Was he in pain? Sydney asked herself, shooting up from the chair. Or is it a nightmare? People usually don't feel pain when they're asleep, do they?
[I] Vaughn opened his eyes to greet a sleeping Sydney. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt, but was as beautiful as ever. He wanted to tell her something, but didn't want to wake her up. His near brush with death had taught him to take advantage of the present.
He didn't have to worry. Sydney's eyes opened seconds after his did.
"Hey, you feeling OK?"
He nodded. "Look Syd."
A loud bang interrupted his words.
"What was that?" Sydney asked, alarmed.
It sounded like a gunshot.
Then the door opened slowly.but it seemed like hours.
A gun.followed by a gloved hand, a leather-clad arm.and then the face.
"Dixon! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Syd.get down," Vaughn said slowly. "Syd! Get down!"
"Sydney Bristow.you betrayed us. You betrayed me! I've had my eye on you for a while now, and I told you. I would not hesitate to kill you if you betrayed us."
"Dixon! At dinner."
"I was lying Sydney. You actually believed what I was saying? So trustful.something you should never be in this job. You should know that."
"What do you want?" Sydney asked defiantly.
He lifted the gun and pointed it right at her.
"This," he said. "But first, who is this man? Ah.Agent Vaughn, am I correct?"
"Dixon."
"Should I kill him.or you? Such a tough decision." Dixon replied, looking at Vaughn, and then at Sydney.
"Me," came the steady answer.
"Vaughn!"
"Shut up Sydney." Vaughn responded regretfully. "Pull the trigger Dixon! Pull the damn trigger!"
Dixon pointed it at Sydney. And pulled.
"You son of a bitch!" Vaughn screamed, watching Sydney fall to the ground slowly. He tried to sit up, but for some reason, he found himself chained to the bed.
Dixon disappeared. But Sydney was dead.
"No! No.no.no." Vaughn repeated in his head, desperately trying to move. [/I]
He sat up, sweating. The pain in his stomach reminded him of his injury, but it was too late.
He swore out loud.
Sydney woke up, startled by the sound.
"Oh God.Vaughn, what are you doing sitting up? Are you hurt? Do you want me to go get a doctor?" Sydney asked, fearful.
"No. I just want to talk."
"OK. We'll talk. What did you want to talk about?" Sydney questioned, sitting back down. The look of worry never left her face.
"Fran? Francie?" Sydney called, walking into the house.
"Hm? Syd! Where were you? We were worried," Francie replied, walking out of the living room.
"I had a trip."
"Yeah, I know, but you usually come back within a day or two. It's been three!"
"Calm down," Sydney let out a little laugh. "Fran, meet Erin. And Erin, meet Francie."
"Hi," Erin smiled.
"Hey," Francie replied, startled. She hadn't seen this woman behind Sydney.
"Erin's going to stay with us for a couple of days, if that's all right."
"Sure. But do you mind sleeping on the couch? We don't really have a guest room."
"The couch is fine."
"Make yourself at home. Will, our friend, usually comes over everyday, so don't be alarmed if you see a rugged blonde man lurking in the shadows," Francie laughed.
Erin smiled. "I won't."
"Syd, can I talk to you for a second?" Francie requested, pulling Sydney into her room.
"What?"
"Who is she, and how do you know her?"
"She's Erin Duval.and I know her from work."
"That's it? What city did she come from? Why's she staying here?"
"Why don't you ask her? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to tell you," Sydney responded.
--
"So.Erin, what made you come to LA?" Will questioned, pushing up his glasses with his forefinger.
"Well, I work at the bank with Sydney now.but before, I worked at the headquarters in NYC. I was transferred," Erin replied. Sydney had told her about her alias, and what to say when people asked.
"Why wouldn't you like to stay in New York though? Isn't it like, "the city" of the country?" Will asked, curiously.
"Sorry Erin, did I tell you Will here is a reporter?" Sydney cut in.
"No," Erin laughed.
"Well, Will's a reporter," Sydney smiled. "Stop interrogating her Will."
"No, it's fine, really," Erin smiled at Will, urging him to keep talking.
"All right then. You guys keep talking, I have to go," Sydney said, standing up after looking down at her watch.
"You'll get used to it," Will smiled, speaking to Erin. "Do they work you as hard too?"
Erin's face was blank for a second, then she caught on. "Oh, right. Um.yeah, sometimes. You know, with all the bankruptcies and lawsuits now, we need all the help we can get."
--
"Vaughn?" Sydney called out, after receiving no answer when she knocked.
Still no answer.
Oh no, Sydney thought worriedly, what if.
She opened the door, and was relieved to see him sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed. OK, stop it. He's fine.stop being paranoid! She told herself, as she settled in the chair. Sloane forgot to mention.not only does this job cover health care and insurance, paranoia also comes with it.
Sydney shifted in the seat, but her gaze never left Vaughn's face. He looked just like an angel, so peaceful and innocent, bringing light into her life.
But his features suddenly twisted into a grimace. Was he in pain? Sydney asked herself, shooting up from the chair. Or is it a nightmare? People usually don't feel pain when they're asleep, do they?
[I] Vaughn opened his eyes to greet a sleeping Sydney. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt, but was as beautiful as ever. He wanted to tell her something, but didn't want to wake her up. His near brush with death had taught him to take advantage of the present.
He didn't have to worry. Sydney's eyes opened seconds after his did.
"Hey, you feeling OK?"
He nodded. "Look Syd."
A loud bang interrupted his words.
"What was that?" Sydney asked, alarmed.
It sounded like a gunshot.
Then the door opened slowly.but it seemed like hours.
A gun.followed by a gloved hand, a leather-clad arm.and then the face.
"Dixon! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Syd.get down," Vaughn said slowly. "Syd! Get down!"
"Sydney Bristow.you betrayed us. You betrayed me! I've had my eye on you for a while now, and I told you. I would not hesitate to kill you if you betrayed us."
"Dixon! At dinner."
"I was lying Sydney. You actually believed what I was saying? So trustful.something you should never be in this job. You should know that."
"What do you want?" Sydney asked defiantly.
He lifted the gun and pointed it right at her.
"This," he said. "But first, who is this man? Ah.Agent Vaughn, am I correct?"
"Dixon."
"Should I kill him.or you? Such a tough decision." Dixon replied, looking at Vaughn, and then at Sydney.
"Me," came the steady answer.
"Vaughn!"
"Shut up Sydney." Vaughn responded regretfully. "Pull the trigger Dixon! Pull the damn trigger!"
Dixon pointed it at Sydney. And pulled.
"You son of a bitch!" Vaughn screamed, watching Sydney fall to the ground slowly. He tried to sit up, but for some reason, he found himself chained to the bed.
Dixon disappeared. But Sydney was dead.
"No! No.no.no." Vaughn repeated in his head, desperately trying to move. [/I]
He sat up, sweating. The pain in his stomach reminded him of his injury, but it was too late.
He swore out loud.
Sydney woke up, startled by the sound.
"Oh God.Vaughn, what are you doing sitting up? Are you hurt? Do you want me to go get a doctor?" Sydney asked, fearful.
"No. I just want to talk."
"OK. We'll talk. What did you want to talk about?" Sydney questioned, sitting back down. The look of worry never left her face.