CHAPTER 4 - THE TALK (PART 2)
It was already two days after she had persuaded Sydney into a confession and no-one had been to see her. Irina was getting worried. She hoped against hope that no one had in fact been listening to their conversation and that Sydney (or Vaughn for that matter) hadn't got into any trouble from their boss. Irina still wasn't sure how everything would play out and there were a lot of things that relied pretty much on luck that were needed for her plan to work. One of the major ones was Vaughn coming to see her. She really doubted that he would and was preying that there would be some mission or something which would make it necessary for him to talk to her.
She was drawn out of her reverie by the familiar buzz of the gate. Irina thought that it would most likely be Sydney, maybe even Jack if he knew anything of the conversation between her and her daughter but she was amazed to see Agent Vaughn standing before her. Irina immediately got up, thoughts racing through her head as to why he might have come. She wanted it to be 'for his own reasons' but judging by the look in his eyes, she could tell that he only wanted information from her. "Still, at least now I can talk to him" she thought as she walked up to the glass.
"We need to know where some disks concerning a wealthy arms dealer called Anatoli Golistin are being stored. We know that at one time you were in possession of these disks and we would like to send a team to retrieve them, so if you could please co-operate and." Vaughn was interrupted by Irina quickly saying, "They're in Kazakhstan, in a vault on the top floor of the Russian Embassy." Vaughn looked at her, quite shocked that she'd told him so quickly, he was expecting something like, "I only co-operate with Sydney" but instead he got a precise location. However, he asked no questions and instead, quickly jotted down the information, wondering whether it would be appropriate to say "thank you" but then deciding against it. Vaughn glanced at Irina, nodded slightly and turned to leave. He was still not comfortable in her presence and preferred not to be in it for too long.
The sound of Irina's voice however, made him stay in his place - "I want to ask you something, Agent Vaughn," she said, rather slyly. Vaughn remained silent, growing more and more uncomfortable by the second as he figured what the question might be. "Are you in love with Sydney," she asked, as if it were a casual, everyday question like, "How are you". Irina had to stifle a laugh when she looked at Vaughn's instant pink face and stiff body. "That's none of your business," Vaughn replied gruffly, "besides, haven't we had this conversation before?" he asked, remembering back to the first time she'd asked him. He wasn't sure what made her so curious as to ask again, I mean, he very much doubted that she cared about how he felt so the only reason could be that she was planning on getting him into trouble. Vaughn was shocked when Irina, as if she had read his mind, said, "I'm not asking you this to get you into trouble. I know you don't trust me but I'm not completely evil, as you might think. I do have a heart and I know what its like to love someone." she paused, painful memories of using Jack flooding into her brain, but continued, saying simply, "All I want is for Sydney to be happy." He glanced at her, wondering what was causing her to act so out of character. It wasn't like her to open up to anyone - something was strange about this conversation - she must have some kind of plan, Vaughn surmised. Knowing that Vaughn wasn't going to open up without a friendly push, Irina decided to add (deliberately leaving out the words in love) "I have a feeling Sydney is, you know," waiting to see his response.
"Sydney is what?" Vaughn replied, pretending to be clueless. "I think you know what I mean Agent Vaughn" Irina retorted, seeing right through his "clueless-ness". "Me too," Vaughn finally replied with a sigh, giving in to Irina. He knew that if he didn't answer her she'd only keep on pestering him. Besides, he had a weird feeling that something good might come out of this, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had a feeling. Vaughn actually wanted to say that he loved Sydney out loud but was still in deep shock from the implication that Sydney was, is in love with him. He knew from the way Irina was watching him, a wide grin on her face, that he must have a stupid smile on his own. "That's good, Agent Vaughn, very good" Irina added in a whisper that wasn't really meant for Vaughn's benefit but was more of a reassurance to herself that her plan was going perfectly.
Sensing that the conversation was over, and wanting desperately to get out of the small space, Vaughn stated, "I think I've told you enough now, I believe it's very clear what my feelings toward your daughter are and I would appreciate it if this little conversation stayed between us." Irina simply said, "Fine," feeling that she had already got a lot out of him and that she needn't add anything else except, "I don't see why you can't tell her, screw protocol, her happiness - and I suppose yours, she added in her head - is more important. It's up to you I guess, but I just, don't understand" as a sort of rhetorical question, for him to think about. Vaughn just looked at her, as if to say, "You know I can't" and then walked away, leaving Irina to start planning the real action.
It was already two days after she had persuaded Sydney into a confession and no-one had been to see her. Irina was getting worried. She hoped against hope that no one had in fact been listening to their conversation and that Sydney (or Vaughn for that matter) hadn't got into any trouble from their boss. Irina still wasn't sure how everything would play out and there were a lot of things that relied pretty much on luck that were needed for her plan to work. One of the major ones was Vaughn coming to see her. She really doubted that he would and was preying that there would be some mission or something which would make it necessary for him to talk to her.
She was drawn out of her reverie by the familiar buzz of the gate. Irina thought that it would most likely be Sydney, maybe even Jack if he knew anything of the conversation between her and her daughter but she was amazed to see Agent Vaughn standing before her. Irina immediately got up, thoughts racing through her head as to why he might have come. She wanted it to be 'for his own reasons' but judging by the look in his eyes, she could tell that he only wanted information from her. "Still, at least now I can talk to him" she thought as she walked up to the glass.
"We need to know where some disks concerning a wealthy arms dealer called Anatoli Golistin are being stored. We know that at one time you were in possession of these disks and we would like to send a team to retrieve them, so if you could please co-operate and." Vaughn was interrupted by Irina quickly saying, "They're in Kazakhstan, in a vault on the top floor of the Russian Embassy." Vaughn looked at her, quite shocked that she'd told him so quickly, he was expecting something like, "I only co-operate with Sydney" but instead he got a precise location. However, he asked no questions and instead, quickly jotted down the information, wondering whether it would be appropriate to say "thank you" but then deciding against it. Vaughn glanced at Irina, nodded slightly and turned to leave. He was still not comfortable in her presence and preferred not to be in it for too long.
The sound of Irina's voice however, made him stay in his place - "I want to ask you something, Agent Vaughn," she said, rather slyly. Vaughn remained silent, growing more and more uncomfortable by the second as he figured what the question might be. "Are you in love with Sydney," she asked, as if it were a casual, everyday question like, "How are you". Irina had to stifle a laugh when she looked at Vaughn's instant pink face and stiff body. "That's none of your business," Vaughn replied gruffly, "besides, haven't we had this conversation before?" he asked, remembering back to the first time she'd asked him. He wasn't sure what made her so curious as to ask again, I mean, he very much doubted that she cared about how he felt so the only reason could be that she was planning on getting him into trouble. Vaughn was shocked when Irina, as if she had read his mind, said, "I'm not asking you this to get you into trouble. I know you don't trust me but I'm not completely evil, as you might think. I do have a heart and I know what its like to love someone." she paused, painful memories of using Jack flooding into her brain, but continued, saying simply, "All I want is for Sydney to be happy." He glanced at her, wondering what was causing her to act so out of character. It wasn't like her to open up to anyone - something was strange about this conversation - she must have some kind of plan, Vaughn surmised. Knowing that Vaughn wasn't going to open up without a friendly push, Irina decided to add (deliberately leaving out the words in love) "I have a feeling Sydney is, you know," waiting to see his response.
"Sydney is what?" Vaughn replied, pretending to be clueless. "I think you know what I mean Agent Vaughn" Irina retorted, seeing right through his "clueless-ness". "Me too," Vaughn finally replied with a sigh, giving in to Irina. He knew that if he didn't answer her she'd only keep on pestering him. Besides, he had a weird feeling that something good might come out of this, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had a feeling. Vaughn actually wanted to say that he loved Sydney out loud but was still in deep shock from the implication that Sydney was, is in love with him. He knew from the way Irina was watching him, a wide grin on her face, that he must have a stupid smile on his own. "That's good, Agent Vaughn, very good" Irina added in a whisper that wasn't really meant for Vaughn's benefit but was more of a reassurance to herself that her plan was going perfectly.
Sensing that the conversation was over, and wanting desperately to get out of the small space, Vaughn stated, "I think I've told you enough now, I believe it's very clear what my feelings toward your daughter are and I would appreciate it if this little conversation stayed between us." Irina simply said, "Fine," feeling that she had already got a lot out of him and that she needn't add anything else except, "I don't see why you can't tell her, screw protocol, her happiness - and I suppose yours, she added in her head - is more important. It's up to you I guess, but I just, don't understand" as a sort of rhetorical question, for him to think about. Vaughn just looked at her, as if to say, "You know I can't" and then walked away, leaving Irina to start planning the real action.