Chapter Seven
Sydney paced anxiously in the living room. Vaughn would be here any minute.
Stop, she mentally said to herself. Vaughn will be here any minute. You are going to go to that hockey game, enjoy yourself, and have fun with Vaughn. You will not think about Sark while you are gone.
She glanced at herself in the mirror. Casual, she thought, but nice.
Vaughn beeped from his car, and at the same time, her pager went off.
"Sark told me I had the day off!" she yelled, frustrated at her pager for ruining a perfect moment.
She looked at it and smiled. It was Vaughn.
She left the house and saw Vaughn, smiling back at her. She got into the car.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," he replied, kissing her. He looked at the clock. "The game's in an hour."
"Who are the Kings playing?"
"Blackhawks."
"Oh."
"Who cares, really?" He smiled at her.
They found their seats and watched as the game began. Halfway through the game, the lights flickered and then shut off for a minute, then came back on.
A voice came over the intercom. "Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn to the information desk, Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn to the information desk."
Sydney and Vaughn looked at each other curiously, and counted to thirty after the game had started up again so that they wouldn't attract attention. They grabbed their jackets and headed for the information desk.
"I recognized that voice," Sydney said.
"How did someone know we were here? If Kendall finds us, we're dead."
Sydney nodded as they walked to the empty desk.
"Did you bring your gun?" asked Vaughn.
"No. I've just got a small thing of mace that I'm saving for Sark."
Vaughn laughed, but his eyes widened as his mouth was covered and his hands were yanked behind his back.
"So glad to hear that, Miss Bristow," said an eerie voice. Sark, she thought.
He led them to a black car and pushed Vaughn into the back. He motioned for Sydney to get in the front. She silently did so.
"What's going on?" asked Sydney.
"Sloane found out about your double-agent status. Your father was tortured for information and almost killed."
Sydney sat back in the seat, her eyes wide. "He wouldn't turn me in, would he?" she desperately asked Vaughn.
Vaughn avoided her eyes and looked out the window.
"I've gotten the both of you an alias and one apartment for the two of you. I hope that's okay."
Sydney and Vaughn both nodded.
Sark pulled up in front of a large apartment complex. "You are Anna and Mike Taylor. Anna is a fifth grade teacher and Mike works for a bank. The rest of the instructions are in this envelope. I will drop by tomorrow and fill you in. If Sloane forgets or has the wrong information, this meeting will have never happened and you will come back to work."
Sydney rolled her eyes. "The bank thing was my alias."
"Vaughn can still work for the CIA. He is still a single agent and has nothing to do with SD-6."
Sydney opened the door. Vaughn got out and headed inside.
"As soon as you're out of danger, we'll bring you back," said Sark.
"Sark, about the other night," Sydney began as soon as Vaughn was out of earshot.
"When I kissed you?"
She nodded. "Did you mean it?"
He looked at her. "Yes," he said slowly. "I did. You'd better go," he said, looking at Vaughn. She nodded and went to him.
"What was that about?"
"Sark was trying to reassure me."
"Oh. Come on. I got the key," he said, holding it up.
They went to their apartment and unlocked the door. They went inside and Sydney began looking around. Vaughn came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into his embrace and sighed. She looked up into his eyes and he leaned down and kissed her.
She finally pulled away and flopped down on the bed. She sighed again and fell asleep.
***
"Sydney," Vaughn gently shook her awake.
"Huh?"
"It's 6:00. You have to be at your new job by 8:30. You start today, remember?"
She sat up and looked at Vaughn. He smiled and she smiled back in response as she saw the messy bedcovers, signaling to her that he'd been sleeping the whole time beside her and she hadn't even noticed.
"You kick," he said with a smile when he saw where her gaze was directed.
She shook her head to clear it. "I just realized that I don't have anything to wear."
"Sark provided a bunch of stuff in the drawers and closet."
She got up, curious as to what Sark had provided for her.
She decided on a long jean skirt with a hot pink peasant top. She brushed out her hair after she showered and opted to leave it down. She looked older, but still like the same old Sydney. She modeled her outfit for Vaughn, who nodded in approval. He kissed her and handed her an apple and a packet of papers.
"What are these?"
"Directions for the school, a lesson plan, your résumé, stuff like that."
She smiled and handed him a letter. "Give this to my father. He deserves to know that I'm okay."
Vaughn nodded and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The phone rang as she was leaving. Vaughn answered it. "Syd," he said. "It's for you."
She looked at him quizzically and he shrugged.
"Hello?" she asked.
"I'm out front with the car. I will be driving you to and from work so that Sloane doesn't find you and Vaughn together." She heard the line go dead.
"Who was it?" asked Vaughn.
"Sark. He's going to be taking me to work. We can't be seen together." She kissed him. "You'd better get going. You have over an hour drive back to LA."
"Yeah. Why couldn't Sark at least have kept us in LA?"
"I agree. Long Beach? I'd never even heard of it." She grabbed her bag and headed out the door, calling a quick "I love you" over her shoulder.
"Hey," she said to Sark as she slid into the passenger seat.
"Hi," he shook off the urge to kiss her right there and started driving.
They rode in silence until they came to a stoplight. Sark leaned over and kissed her. Her eyes widened and she thought for a second about slapping him, but decided against it. Instead, she instinctively reached for her gun that was usually kept at her belt, keeping Sark occupied by deepening the kiss.
His eyes sparkled laughingly as he saw her reach for the gun that wasn't there. Her eyes widened when she realized that he knew what she was trying to do.
He pulled away and laughed quietly. "What teacher carries a gun?" he asked.
She averted her eyes in response.
"You never fail to impress me, Miss Bristow."
She looked down at the address of the school and noticed that they were flying by the street.
"Sark, you should have turned back there," she said.
She heard the doors click, signaling that they were locked.
"Sark, what are you doing?"
He didn't answer and kept his gaze straight ahead, avoiding her eyes.
"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, her voice gaining a frightened edge to it.
He pulled over right before they got onto the freeway.
"Before I terrify you too much," he began, "let me explain. The teaching job was a fake. I didn't give you the whole story. Sloane knows about you and Vaughn. He is having your father hand him Vaughn tonight. I didn't want you scared to death, Sydney. As much as I may appear as a heartless son of a bitch, Sydney, I don't was to see you hurt. Vaughn is a smart guy, he'll figure out that he will have to lie to save both himself and you. Sloane tracked you and somehow found that you and Vaughn not only have a relationship, but that you were posing as a married couple. He sent a team to kill you today." He saw Sydney's shocked expression, but continued.
"For both yours and Agent Vaughn's safety, Sydney, I'm pleading with you to say yes to this. It will help save Vaughn's, your father's, Francie's, Will's, everyone's. Sydney Bristow, I want you to marry me."
Sydney paced anxiously in the living room. Vaughn would be here any minute.
Stop, she mentally said to herself. Vaughn will be here any minute. You are going to go to that hockey game, enjoy yourself, and have fun with Vaughn. You will not think about Sark while you are gone.
She glanced at herself in the mirror. Casual, she thought, but nice.
Vaughn beeped from his car, and at the same time, her pager went off.
"Sark told me I had the day off!" she yelled, frustrated at her pager for ruining a perfect moment.
She looked at it and smiled. It was Vaughn.
She left the house and saw Vaughn, smiling back at her. She got into the car.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey," he replied, kissing her. He looked at the clock. "The game's in an hour."
"Who are the Kings playing?"
"Blackhawks."
"Oh."
"Who cares, really?" He smiled at her.
They found their seats and watched as the game began. Halfway through the game, the lights flickered and then shut off for a minute, then came back on.
A voice came over the intercom. "Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn to the information desk, Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn to the information desk."
Sydney and Vaughn looked at each other curiously, and counted to thirty after the game had started up again so that they wouldn't attract attention. They grabbed their jackets and headed for the information desk.
"I recognized that voice," Sydney said.
"How did someone know we were here? If Kendall finds us, we're dead."
Sydney nodded as they walked to the empty desk.
"Did you bring your gun?" asked Vaughn.
"No. I've just got a small thing of mace that I'm saving for Sark."
Vaughn laughed, but his eyes widened as his mouth was covered and his hands were yanked behind his back.
"So glad to hear that, Miss Bristow," said an eerie voice. Sark, she thought.
He led them to a black car and pushed Vaughn into the back. He motioned for Sydney to get in the front. She silently did so.
"What's going on?" asked Sydney.
"Sloane found out about your double-agent status. Your father was tortured for information and almost killed."
Sydney sat back in the seat, her eyes wide. "He wouldn't turn me in, would he?" she desperately asked Vaughn.
Vaughn avoided her eyes and looked out the window.
"I've gotten the both of you an alias and one apartment for the two of you. I hope that's okay."
Sydney and Vaughn both nodded.
Sark pulled up in front of a large apartment complex. "You are Anna and Mike Taylor. Anna is a fifth grade teacher and Mike works for a bank. The rest of the instructions are in this envelope. I will drop by tomorrow and fill you in. If Sloane forgets or has the wrong information, this meeting will have never happened and you will come back to work."
Sydney rolled her eyes. "The bank thing was my alias."
"Vaughn can still work for the CIA. He is still a single agent and has nothing to do with SD-6."
Sydney opened the door. Vaughn got out and headed inside.
"As soon as you're out of danger, we'll bring you back," said Sark.
"Sark, about the other night," Sydney began as soon as Vaughn was out of earshot.
"When I kissed you?"
She nodded. "Did you mean it?"
He looked at her. "Yes," he said slowly. "I did. You'd better go," he said, looking at Vaughn. She nodded and went to him.
"What was that about?"
"Sark was trying to reassure me."
"Oh. Come on. I got the key," he said, holding it up.
They went to their apartment and unlocked the door. They went inside and Sydney began looking around. Vaughn came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into his embrace and sighed. She looked up into his eyes and he leaned down and kissed her.
She finally pulled away and flopped down on the bed. She sighed again and fell asleep.
***
"Sydney," Vaughn gently shook her awake.
"Huh?"
"It's 6:00. You have to be at your new job by 8:30. You start today, remember?"
She sat up and looked at Vaughn. He smiled and she smiled back in response as she saw the messy bedcovers, signaling to her that he'd been sleeping the whole time beside her and she hadn't even noticed.
"You kick," he said with a smile when he saw where her gaze was directed.
She shook her head to clear it. "I just realized that I don't have anything to wear."
"Sark provided a bunch of stuff in the drawers and closet."
She got up, curious as to what Sark had provided for her.
She decided on a long jean skirt with a hot pink peasant top. She brushed out her hair after she showered and opted to leave it down. She looked older, but still like the same old Sydney. She modeled her outfit for Vaughn, who nodded in approval. He kissed her and handed her an apple and a packet of papers.
"What are these?"
"Directions for the school, a lesson plan, your résumé, stuff like that."
She smiled and handed him a letter. "Give this to my father. He deserves to know that I'm okay."
Vaughn nodded and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The phone rang as she was leaving. Vaughn answered it. "Syd," he said. "It's for you."
She looked at him quizzically and he shrugged.
"Hello?" she asked.
"I'm out front with the car. I will be driving you to and from work so that Sloane doesn't find you and Vaughn together." She heard the line go dead.
"Who was it?" asked Vaughn.
"Sark. He's going to be taking me to work. We can't be seen together." She kissed him. "You'd better get going. You have over an hour drive back to LA."
"Yeah. Why couldn't Sark at least have kept us in LA?"
"I agree. Long Beach? I'd never even heard of it." She grabbed her bag and headed out the door, calling a quick "I love you" over her shoulder.
"Hey," she said to Sark as she slid into the passenger seat.
"Hi," he shook off the urge to kiss her right there and started driving.
They rode in silence until they came to a stoplight. Sark leaned over and kissed her. Her eyes widened and she thought for a second about slapping him, but decided against it. Instead, she instinctively reached for her gun that was usually kept at her belt, keeping Sark occupied by deepening the kiss.
His eyes sparkled laughingly as he saw her reach for the gun that wasn't there. Her eyes widened when she realized that he knew what she was trying to do.
He pulled away and laughed quietly. "What teacher carries a gun?" he asked.
She averted her eyes in response.
"You never fail to impress me, Miss Bristow."
She looked down at the address of the school and noticed that they were flying by the street.
"Sark, you should have turned back there," she said.
She heard the doors click, signaling that they were locked.
"Sark, what are you doing?"
He didn't answer and kept his gaze straight ahead, avoiding her eyes.
"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, her voice gaining a frightened edge to it.
He pulled over right before they got onto the freeway.
"Before I terrify you too much," he began, "let me explain. The teaching job was a fake. I didn't give you the whole story. Sloane knows about you and Vaughn. He is having your father hand him Vaughn tonight. I didn't want you scared to death, Sydney. As much as I may appear as a heartless son of a bitch, Sydney, I don't was to see you hurt. Vaughn is a smart guy, he'll figure out that he will have to lie to save both himself and you. Sloane tracked you and somehow found that you and Vaughn not only have a relationship, but that you were posing as a married couple. He sent a team to kill you today." He saw Sydney's shocked expression, but continued.
"For both yours and Agent Vaughn's safety, Sydney, I'm pleading with you to say yes to this. It will help save Vaughn's, your father's, Francie's, Will's, everyone's. Sydney Bristow, I want you to marry me."