Gone and Back Again
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Alias. They belong to ABC and J.J. Abrams. I own only the characters that have not appeared on Alias and none of my storylines will be used in upcoming episodes.
Spoilers: Maybe.
A/N: I don't really have an author's note...I just wanted to say that I love Sark/David Anders. And Michael Vartan is and always will be my boy toy. What a sweetheart!
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"Hello?" a groggy voice asked.
"Eric, it's me," Vaughn whispered.
"Huh...?"
"What are you doing, sleeping?"
"Mike?"
"Yes, it's me, genius."
Eric sat up in his bed. "Why are you whispering? Is something wrong?"
"I just got a call."
He rubbed his eyes as he spoke. "Derevko?"
"No...Sark."
Eric furrowed his eyebrows. "Sark? How do you know?"
"Trust me, I know."
"Well, what'd he say?"
"He told me that I should meet him tonight, during the luau."
"Then what are we wasting time for? Let's get ready..."
"No, Eric, you have to stay here."
"What?" he asked, incredulously.
"Listen, if you come with me, I can guarantee something will happen that will most likely end up with both of us lying face down on the ground with a hole through our heads."
"Thanks for the visual."
"I'm being serious, Weiss."
Eric sighed. "Mike, do you remember why I came with you in the first place? I'm supposed to be having your back."
"And do you remember that I didn't ask you to come here?"
"I'm not letting you do this alone."
Vaughn was silent for a moment. He spoke kindly. "You know you're my best friend, Eric. You have my back even if you're not really there. I know that. If something happens to me, I know that you will do everything you can to get me out of it. Now, you can't do that if you're dead."
"And you can't be rescued if you're dead."
"That's true. But at least I know there'll be someone to take care of Donovan."
"Vaughn, stop joking about this. It's not funny."
Eric could see Vaughn bite his lip on the other end of the phone.
"You're staying here, Weiss. That's that."
He didn't reply. He was too busy running ideas through his head.
"Eric? You still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"You have to swear to me that you won't try to go after me."
Hesitating, Eric replied, "Fine...I won't. But at least tell me where you're going to be."
"I'm not sure. There's a place where I'm supposed to meet somebody, but I'm certain they're going to take me somewhere."
"So you're really going to do this?"
"I have to."
"No, you really don't."
"Yes, I do. If I don't, two of the three people I care about most in this world will get hurt. And I'm going to do all I can to prevent that."
Eric shook his head. "You're crazy. You'll get yourself killed."
"Oh, you're going to try to talk me out of it now? You're a little too late."
"What am I supposed to tell Sydney when you don't show up at the luau?"
"I talked to her a little while ago. I told her I might not make it."
"You can say that again."
"Come on, man, don't be like that."
"Well, what do you expect, Vaughn? Did you think I would be happy about this? That I'd be like a little fairy, sprinkle my dust on you, and send you off? I'm upset about this."
"I know, Weiss, I know. But there's no way around it."
"How long do you think you'll be...detained?"
There was silence from Vaughn's side of the phone.
Eric spoke again. "Mike?"
Silence.
"Michael?"
"I don't know."
"You're really willing to risk your life on this? Get your ass tortured all over again? It's been a month, Mike. A month since you got out of Taipei. And you're going to throw away your freedom when you know what they'll do to you?"
In his room, Vaughn was sitting out on the lanai. He was looking out at the water again. Water... It was the same water he had looked out at just about half an hour ago, but this time, rather than serene, it seemed threatening. Taipei. The Circumference. Water. Torture. Irina Derevko. They were all thoughts he'd rather not remember.
"We don't know that they'll do it again."
"That's bull, and you know it."
"I'm not going to discuss this, Eric, alright? I'm going to do it, and there's nothing you can do that can stop me."
"I'm going to call Devlin to get back-up, Vaughn. I'm not going to take any chances. Not when your life is on the line."
Vaughn smirked. "You do that. But don't worry. I spent two weeks with these people. I know their methods."
"Two weeks isn't that long, Vaughn."
"It is if they're slapping you around like a rag doll."
"Good point. But remember: you said Sark is in on this now, too. He's dangerous. Maybe even as dangerous as Derevko."
"Oh, I doubt that. She's insane."
"I wouldn't count insanity out for Sark, either."
Vaughn sighed. It was getting darker and chillier outside. A light rain began to fall, and Vaughn stood up to go back in the warmth of his room. He shut the sliding door and began pacing the room.
"Yeah, well, insanity's the last thing I need to think about right now."
"I really think you should reconsider letting me go with you."
"Absolutely not. And if you follow me, I will kick your ass, do you understand?"
Weiss let out a small laugh. "Like you could take me."
"Shut up." Vaughn took a look at his watch. 6:11 p.m. "Hey, I've got to get ready for this thing. Now, listen to me, if I don't get in contact with you in 24 hours or less, than something's wrong. So figure something out, got it?"
"Thanks for the warning," Weiss replied, sarcastically. He smirked, but then became serious. "Be careful, Mike. I mean it."
"I know. I will. Thanks."
"Alright...I'll see you soon, right?"
"Of course you will."
"Okay. Talk to you in a few hours."
"Yeah. Bye."
"Bye."
Eric stared at the phone for a full minute before putting it back on the hook. He had to do something. He couldn't just sit around and wait for his best friend to get hurt. But there was something...something in Vaughn's tone that had made him back off. Maybe Vaughn was right. Maybe he should stay out of this mess all together. But that would be selfish. And so would going after him.
He groaned in frustration and dropped his head back down on his pillow. He closed his eyes for a few minutes before realizing he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep for the rest of the night. He looked at his watch. 6:15. Maybe he should go down to the luau. Meeting a few Hawaiian girls would definitely divert his attention from Vaughn. He smiled to himself, but it faded.
He grabbed his remote control and switched on the TV. Weiss furrowed his eyebrows while watching the black & white movie.
"We'll always be best friends, you hear? Always! If you ever need me, I'll be there for you, no matter what!"
Unbelievable. It was times like these when Weiss hated television. He bit his lip and looked at the phone. He hesitated before picking it up and dialing the number.
It rang three times before the person he was trying to reach picked up.
"Hello?"
"Sydney? It's Weiss. There's something I need to tell you..."
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Alias. They belong to ABC and J.J. Abrams. I own only the characters that have not appeared on Alias and none of my storylines will be used in upcoming episodes.
Spoilers: Maybe.
A/N: I don't really have an author's note...I just wanted to say that I love Sark/David Anders. And Michael Vartan is and always will be my boy toy. What a sweetheart!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hello?" a groggy voice asked.
"Eric, it's me," Vaughn whispered.
"Huh...?"
"What are you doing, sleeping?"
"Mike?"
"Yes, it's me, genius."
Eric sat up in his bed. "Why are you whispering? Is something wrong?"
"I just got a call."
He rubbed his eyes as he spoke. "Derevko?"
"No...Sark."
Eric furrowed his eyebrows. "Sark? How do you know?"
"Trust me, I know."
"Well, what'd he say?"
"He told me that I should meet him tonight, during the luau."
"Then what are we wasting time for? Let's get ready..."
"No, Eric, you have to stay here."
"What?" he asked, incredulously.
"Listen, if you come with me, I can guarantee something will happen that will most likely end up with both of us lying face down on the ground with a hole through our heads."
"Thanks for the visual."
"I'm being serious, Weiss."
Eric sighed. "Mike, do you remember why I came with you in the first place? I'm supposed to be having your back."
"And do you remember that I didn't ask you to come here?"
"I'm not letting you do this alone."
Vaughn was silent for a moment. He spoke kindly. "You know you're my best friend, Eric. You have my back even if you're not really there. I know that. If something happens to me, I know that you will do everything you can to get me out of it. Now, you can't do that if you're dead."
"And you can't be rescued if you're dead."
"That's true. But at least I know there'll be someone to take care of Donovan."
"Vaughn, stop joking about this. It's not funny."
Eric could see Vaughn bite his lip on the other end of the phone.
"You're staying here, Weiss. That's that."
He didn't reply. He was too busy running ideas through his head.
"Eric? You still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"You have to swear to me that you won't try to go after me."
Hesitating, Eric replied, "Fine...I won't. But at least tell me where you're going to be."
"I'm not sure. There's a place where I'm supposed to meet somebody, but I'm certain they're going to take me somewhere."
"So you're really going to do this?"
"I have to."
"No, you really don't."
"Yes, I do. If I don't, two of the three people I care about most in this world will get hurt. And I'm going to do all I can to prevent that."
Eric shook his head. "You're crazy. You'll get yourself killed."
"Oh, you're going to try to talk me out of it now? You're a little too late."
"What am I supposed to tell Sydney when you don't show up at the luau?"
"I talked to her a little while ago. I told her I might not make it."
"You can say that again."
"Come on, man, don't be like that."
"Well, what do you expect, Vaughn? Did you think I would be happy about this? That I'd be like a little fairy, sprinkle my dust on you, and send you off? I'm upset about this."
"I know, Weiss, I know. But there's no way around it."
"How long do you think you'll be...detained?"
There was silence from Vaughn's side of the phone.
Eric spoke again. "Mike?"
Silence.
"Michael?"
"I don't know."
"You're really willing to risk your life on this? Get your ass tortured all over again? It's been a month, Mike. A month since you got out of Taipei. And you're going to throw away your freedom when you know what they'll do to you?"
In his room, Vaughn was sitting out on the lanai. He was looking out at the water again. Water... It was the same water he had looked out at just about half an hour ago, but this time, rather than serene, it seemed threatening. Taipei. The Circumference. Water. Torture. Irina Derevko. They were all thoughts he'd rather not remember.
"We don't know that they'll do it again."
"That's bull, and you know it."
"I'm not going to discuss this, Eric, alright? I'm going to do it, and there's nothing you can do that can stop me."
"I'm going to call Devlin to get back-up, Vaughn. I'm not going to take any chances. Not when your life is on the line."
Vaughn smirked. "You do that. But don't worry. I spent two weeks with these people. I know their methods."
"Two weeks isn't that long, Vaughn."
"It is if they're slapping you around like a rag doll."
"Good point. But remember: you said Sark is in on this now, too. He's dangerous. Maybe even as dangerous as Derevko."
"Oh, I doubt that. She's insane."
"I wouldn't count insanity out for Sark, either."
Vaughn sighed. It was getting darker and chillier outside. A light rain began to fall, and Vaughn stood up to go back in the warmth of his room. He shut the sliding door and began pacing the room.
"Yeah, well, insanity's the last thing I need to think about right now."
"I really think you should reconsider letting me go with you."
"Absolutely not. And if you follow me, I will kick your ass, do you understand?"
Weiss let out a small laugh. "Like you could take me."
"Shut up." Vaughn took a look at his watch. 6:11 p.m. "Hey, I've got to get ready for this thing. Now, listen to me, if I don't get in contact with you in 24 hours or less, than something's wrong. So figure something out, got it?"
"Thanks for the warning," Weiss replied, sarcastically. He smirked, but then became serious. "Be careful, Mike. I mean it."
"I know. I will. Thanks."
"Alright...I'll see you soon, right?"
"Of course you will."
"Okay. Talk to you in a few hours."
"Yeah. Bye."
"Bye."
Eric stared at the phone for a full minute before putting it back on the hook. He had to do something. He couldn't just sit around and wait for his best friend to get hurt. But there was something...something in Vaughn's tone that had made him back off. Maybe Vaughn was right. Maybe he should stay out of this mess all together. But that would be selfish. And so would going after him.
He groaned in frustration and dropped his head back down on his pillow. He closed his eyes for a few minutes before realizing he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep for the rest of the night. He looked at his watch. 6:15. Maybe he should go down to the luau. Meeting a few Hawaiian girls would definitely divert his attention from Vaughn. He smiled to himself, but it faded.
He grabbed his remote control and switched on the TV. Weiss furrowed his eyebrows while watching the black & white movie.
"We'll always be best friends, you hear? Always! If you ever need me, I'll be there for you, no matter what!"
Unbelievable. It was times like these when Weiss hated television. He bit his lip and looked at the phone. He hesitated before picking it up and dialing the number.
It rang three times before the person he was trying to reach picked up.
"Hello?"
"Sydney? It's Weiss. There's something I need to tell you..."