Title: Wish List
Author: Donna donna__rose@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: They're not mine, if you think they are you are obviously either insane or a very dumb lawyer.
Summary: Syd wishes, Vaughn delivers, a happy ending. I dunno, read it and then you can write my summary for me.
Notes: Ahah! This is the second that I have updated, 8000 words in one day, I'm quite proud considering I started late. Anyways, read and review and read all my others because they are all just as good as the next as far as I can see. Reviewing is all that keeps me going, I mean that and with four stories and at least 2000 words per chapter, it is rather difficult to find the time, but with so many reviews, I'll manage.
Chapter 12
Stepping out of the car, Sydney slammed the door and waited, somewhat impatiently, for her father to join her. Quietly, she tried desperately to compose herself, or at least to keep the anger on top strong enough to fool Vaughn into believing. Obviously she wasn't fooling her father.
Jack got out the car and looked around; he saw only one other car, which he knew to be Vaughn's and nothing out of place. Satisfied that they weren't being watched and hadn't been followed, he looked at Sydney for a moment before putting his head down and heading for the looming warehouse. Sydney followed; her pair of sneakers tapping lightly on the cement and with her head held high and her shoulders pushed back, Jack noticed this and couldn't help but smirk at the façade she was hopelessly trying to put up, that he was effortlessly seeing through.
Vaughn heard the two pairs of footsteps, one a little further back than the other, and bit his lip, waiting for Sydney to turn the corner and meet him. Expecting the worst, Vaughn was prepared for any words she might choose to throw at him and, if it came to an all out fight, he was ready to run for his life, his keys waiting in the ignition and his shoes not slippery. Taking a deep breath, he listened as the footsteps came closer and closer until they were just around the corner. Then they stopped and the only sounds were trucks on the freeway and a few birds that had chosen to live in the warehouse's roof.
Vaughn's brow immediately creased and he listened harder, wondering what on earth had caused them to pause. Hushed voices reached his ears, Jack's and Sydney's, but he couldn't understand what they were saying, only a word or a phrase here and there.
Around the corner, Sydney had stopped abruptly, Jack, after almost walking into the back of her, lifted his head and asked her, rather impatiently, "Why have we stopped, Sydney?"
She looked at him for a moment, her face angry but her eyes sad and hopeless. "What does Agent Vaughn want with me?"
Jack had wondered why she hadn't asked him this in the car, and now, while he was just around the corner, she had chosen to query. Looking about, trying to estimate how much he would hear, Jack answered, his voice low and whispered. "How the hell should I know?" It was a lie, but again, only a small one and it was needed as otherwise he would have had to say something mushy like 'he just wants you' or 'just to be with you' and that wasn't something he wanted to do.
Typically, Sydney didn't just accept his answer, but chose not to push him, instead beginning, very quietly, to ramble away. "You know he's not my handler anymore? What could he possibly want, I mean, everything is supposed to go through Claire, not him? I'm supposed to never see him again."
Jack was inclined to cover her mouth with his hand just to shut her up but he stopped himself before he could do it, deeming the action too personal and uncontrolled, instead deciding to simply shake his head and interrupt, "Sydney, I don't know. Just go and see him."
Sydney's eyebrow rose in a combination of shock and amusement, her father's voice was all of a sudden encouraging and forceful but in a sweet way. Nodding, Sydney took her time, looking down at the old tracksuit she was wearing, navy blue pants with a white tank top covered partially by a navy blue top. Her hair hadn't been properly brushed since she'd woken up and in fell haphazardly down her shoulders and back. Sighing, she knew that this was it and began walking again, her sneakers dragging more as she approached the corner.
Not expecting anything, she looked to her father and smiled a little when he nodded and gave her a push forward with his eyes. She turned the corner and there he was, sitting on his normal chair, legs crossed and without the normal tie.
"Not my handler," Sydney's voice, "possibly," "through Claire," "never see him again," still Sydney's voice. "I don't know," Jack's voice now, "Go and see him." Vaughn's forehead creased as he tried to piece it together. Giving up almost straight away, he was brought back to reality as movement caught the corner of his eye.
She walked in, a hesitance in her step, wearing a tracksuit. Vaughn wanted to look her over, it being the first time in over a week, but, stopping himself, letting his eyes remain on her face which, a moment after she'd seen him, contorted back to a look of frustration, impatience and anger.
The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and Sydney was quick to notice this, keeping her eyes on Vaughn she took in his clothing, black suit pants and his blue top, badly creased and without a tie. She leaned against the fence, right beside the exit and watched as Vaughn looked at her, his eyes remaining on her face.
Jack walked in through the gate and stalked to the other end, leaning against the fence, he'd positioned himself so that he was no where near the pair and had no way of interrupting their locked eyes. He stood there, unmoving for a few minutes as he waited for something to happen.
Vaughn and Sydney had been staring at each for a little bit too long and it was Sydney who first recovered, keeping the anger in place and turning her back on him and moving to the other fence, as far as she could get away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father's head drop as Jack realised that he was going to be stuck there for a long time.
Vaughn looked overly upset at Sydney's decision to turn away and before anyone had the chance to stop him, he said, "Why'd you have me reassigned Sydney?"
The question had been answered before, but Vaughn still wasn't happy with the crap Sydney had thrown at him regarding emotional attachment and protocol. Standing up, he walked over to stand behind her, she had her back to him, but still, instinctively, he saw all her muscles tighten as he came near. Jack just continued to watch from his place behind them.
Sensing him so close, Sydney tried one more time lamely to throw him off, to make him leave, she simply put the reason to him, just as she had been telling herself ever since he'd left. "Staying together we were breaking protocol, we were emotionally attached and I chose to have you reassigned because I felt that it was something I needed to do for my country."
She still hadn't turned around and Vaughn's eyes were clearly focused on her back so neither of them saw Jack sigh and raise an eyebrow before silently grabbing a vacant chair and taking a seat. Sydney waited for Vaughn to back away, waiting for him to say something either in agreement or rebuttal, but he just stood there, hardly breathing and not making a sound, waiting for her to make the next move.
It was a stalemate of sorts, there was nothing left for her to say and he was intent on not moving an inch until she spoke. Jack had no intention of saying anything until it was absolutely necessary and even then only if he thought he could say it without revealing too much and without appearing mushy, knowing full well he would never live it down.
Sydney's muscles eventually began to hurt, her arms overly straight by her sides and her legs and back stiff and leaning slightly forward to avoid any contact with her ex-handler. Eventually Vaughn gave up and took a half-step back, watching Sydney relax and letting his breath return to normal, "Serving your country?"
Sydney turned, not letting Vaughn look in her eyes but nodding defiantly.
"Serving your country involves blowing your cover at SD-6?" Sydney went to interrupt, throwing a look of shock at her father and wondering how Vaughn had gotten the information so quickly. Raising his voice, Vaughn continued, his voice sounding strong and bold but inside he was thinking about how stupid he must have looking. "You think serving your country includes getting yourself killed? In a situation when you should have even been in any danger?"
Sydney looked at him, taken back and slightly intrigued at the way he was handling this. "What does any of this have to do with you?" Her voice was flat and well disguised, Jack was the only one that noticed that it was fake, much like his and he realised with some sadness that his daughter truly was growing up to be him.
Vaughn looked at her for a moment, her flat, emotionless voice, scaring him for a second, but glancing at Jack and gaining a nod, he continued, "I'm your handler."
She interrupted him, unseeingly playing into a trap, "Ex-handler, so I don't have to tell you anything." She looked ready to leave, but Vaughn gave her a look that somehow brought memories into her head of the last time she'd tried to run from him here and she stayed, sighing and leaning against the fence again.
Smiling a little, "I'm your ex-handler and that's your fault, I had nothing to do with it." Jack felt a smirk spreading over his face and he quickly raised a hand to cover it.
Sydney looked over at her father and glared, knowing he was hiding a smile under his hand, before turning back to Vaughn, calming down, she tried again. "Look, Vaughn, I'm very sorry it didn't work out, but this is it. My handler is Claire and you are just a person I have never met and never will meet. I'm sorry."
Vaughn looked at her; anger, melancholy and scepticism massing in his eyes and mind like a silent storm ready to break loose as he watched her move towards the doorway, his feet plastered to the spot where he was standing, unable to go and stop her, to tell her, her sneakers the only noise as they echoed on the concrete. Vaughn held his breath wishing he could move; that he could stop her but finding himself paralysed on the spot.
Sydney got to the gate and looked back at him, one last time, no tears, no emotions, no feelings, no nothing, just a face without warmth, a face without passion and a face without reason. Jack recognised the face as one he commonly saw in the mirror and so watched with horror as his daughter turned and began to walk out of Agent Vaughn's life forever, for the second time.
Reviews please, they are my reason for getting up in the morning. Honestly, I hope you keeping reviewing so well and so much, it's just great, I got up this morning and there were quite a few in my inbox, so thank you and keep it up and you never know how many more days of four updates I'll manage!!! *wink wink nudge nudge* Remember, keep reviewing, I'll keep updating this quickly.
Author: Donna donna__rose@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: They're not mine, if you think they are you are obviously either insane or a very dumb lawyer.
Summary: Syd wishes, Vaughn delivers, a happy ending. I dunno, read it and then you can write my summary for me.
Notes: Ahah! This is the second that I have updated, 8000 words in one day, I'm quite proud considering I started late. Anyways, read and review and read all my others because they are all just as good as the next as far as I can see. Reviewing is all that keeps me going, I mean that and with four stories and at least 2000 words per chapter, it is rather difficult to find the time, but with so many reviews, I'll manage.
Chapter 12
Stepping out of the car, Sydney slammed the door and waited, somewhat impatiently, for her father to join her. Quietly, she tried desperately to compose herself, or at least to keep the anger on top strong enough to fool Vaughn into believing. Obviously she wasn't fooling her father.
Jack got out the car and looked around; he saw only one other car, which he knew to be Vaughn's and nothing out of place. Satisfied that they weren't being watched and hadn't been followed, he looked at Sydney for a moment before putting his head down and heading for the looming warehouse. Sydney followed; her pair of sneakers tapping lightly on the cement and with her head held high and her shoulders pushed back, Jack noticed this and couldn't help but smirk at the façade she was hopelessly trying to put up, that he was effortlessly seeing through.
Vaughn heard the two pairs of footsteps, one a little further back than the other, and bit his lip, waiting for Sydney to turn the corner and meet him. Expecting the worst, Vaughn was prepared for any words she might choose to throw at him and, if it came to an all out fight, he was ready to run for his life, his keys waiting in the ignition and his shoes not slippery. Taking a deep breath, he listened as the footsteps came closer and closer until they were just around the corner. Then they stopped and the only sounds were trucks on the freeway and a few birds that had chosen to live in the warehouse's roof.
Vaughn's brow immediately creased and he listened harder, wondering what on earth had caused them to pause. Hushed voices reached his ears, Jack's and Sydney's, but he couldn't understand what they were saying, only a word or a phrase here and there.
Around the corner, Sydney had stopped abruptly, Jack, after almost walking into the back of her, lifted his head and asked her, rather impatiently, "Why have we stopped, Sydney?"
She looked at him for a moment, her face angry but her eyes sad and hopeless. "What does Agent Vaughn want with me?"
Jack had wondered why she hadn't asked him this in the car, and now, while he was just around the corner, she had chosen to query. Looking about, trying to estimate how much he would hear, Jack answered, his voice low and whispered. "How the hell should I know?" It was a lie, but again, only a small one and it was needed as otherwise he would have had to say something mushy like 'he just wants you' or 'just to be with you' and that wasn't something he wanted to do.
Typically, Sydney didn't just accept his answer, but chose not to push him, instead beginning, very quietly, to ramble away. "You know he's not my handler anymore? What could he possibly want, I mean, everything is supposed to go through Claire, not him? I'm supposed to never see him again."
Jack was inclined to cover her mouth with his hand just to shut her up but he stopped himself before he could do it, deeming the action too personal and uncontrolled, instead deciding to simply shake his head and interrupt, "Sydney, I don't know. Just go and see him."
Sydney's eyebrow rose in a combination of shock and amusement, her father's voice was all of a sudden encouraging and forceful but in a sweet way. Nodding, Sydney took her time, looking down at the old tracksuit she was wearing, navy blue pants with a white tank top covered partially by a navy blue top. Her hair hadn't been properly brushed since she'd woken up and in fell haphazardly down her shoulders and back. Sighing, she knew that this was it and began walking again, her sneakers dragging more as she approached the corner.
Not expecting anything, she looked to her father and smiled a little when he nodded and gave her a push forward with his eyes. She turned the corner and there he was, sitting on his normal chair, legs crossed and without the normal tie.
"Not my handler," Sydney's voice, "possibly," "through Claire," "never see him again," still Sydney's voice. "I don't know," Jack's voice now, "Go and see him." Vaughn's forehead creased as he tried to piece it together. Giving up almost straight away, he was brought back to reality as movement caught the corner of his eye.
She walked in, a hesitance in her step, wearing a tracksuit. Vaughn wanted to look her over, it being the first time in over a week, but, stopping himself, letting his eyes remain on her face which, a moment after she'd seen him, contorted back to a look of frustration, impatience and anger.
The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and Sydney was quick to notice this, keeping her eyes on Vaughn she took in his clothing, black suit pants and his blue top, badly creased and without a tie. She leaned against the fence, right beside the exit and watched as Vaughn looked at her, his eyes remaining on her face.
Jack walked in through the gate and stalked to the other end, leaning against the fence, he'd positioned himself so that he was no where near the pair and had no way of interrupting their locked eyes. He stood there, unmoving for a few minutes as he waited for something to happen.
Vaughn and Sydney had been staring at each for a little bit too long and it was Sydney who first recovered, keeping the anger in place and turning her back on him and moving to the other fence, as far as she could get away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father's head drop as Jack realised that he was going to be stuck there for a long time.
Vaughn looked overly upset at Sydney's decision to turn away and before anyone had the chance to stop him, he said, "Why'd you have me reassigned Sydney?"
The question had been answered before, but Vaughn still wasn't happy with the crap Sydney had thrown at him regarding emotional attachment and protocol. Standing up, he walked over to stand behind her, she had her back to him, but still, instinctively, he saw all her muscles tighten as he came near. Jack just continued to watch from his place behind them.
Sensing him so close, Sydney tried one more time lamely to throw him off, to make him leave, she simply put the reason to him, just as she had been telling herself ever since he'd left. "Staying together we were breaking protocol, we were emotionally attached and I chose to have you reassigned because I felt that it was something I needed to do for my country."
She still hadn't turned around and Vaughn's eyes were clearly focused on her back so neither of them saw Jack sigh and raise an eyebrow before silently grabbing a vacant chair and taking a seat. Sydney waited for Vaughn to back away, waiting for him to say something either in agreement or rebuttal, but he just stood there, hardly breathing and not making a sound, waiting for her to make the next move.
It was a stalemate of sorts, there was nothing left for her to say and he was intent on not moving an inch until she spoke. Jack had no intention of saying anything until it was absolutely necessary and even then only if he thought he could say it without revealing too much and without appearing mushy, knowing full well he would never live it down.
Sydney's muscles eventually began to hurt, her arms overly straight by her sides and her legs and back stiff and leaning slightly forward to avoid any contact with her ex-handler. Eventually Vaughn gave up and took a half-step back, watching Sydney relax and letting his breath return to normal, "Serving your country?"
Sydney turned, not letting Vaughn look in her eyes but nodding defiantly.
"Serving your country involves blowing your cover at SD-6?" Sydney went to interrupt, throwing a look of shock at her father and wondering how Vaughn had gotten the information so quickly. Raising his voice, Vaughn continued, his voice sounding strong and bold but inside he was thinking about how stupid he must have looking. "You think serving your country includes getting yourself killed? In a situation when you should have even been in any danger?"
Sydney looked at him, taken back and slightly intrigued at the way he was handling this. "What does any of this have to do with you?" Her voice was flat and well disguised, Jack was the only one that noticed that it was fake, much like his and he realised with some sadness that his daughter truly was growing up to be him.
Vaughn looked at her for a moment, her flat, emotionless voice, scaring him for a second, but glancing at Jack and gaining a nod, he continued, "I'm your handler."
She interrupted him, unseeingly playing into a trap, "Ex-handler, so I don't have to tell you anything." She looked ready to leave, but Vaughn gave her a look that somehow brought memories into her head of the last time she'd tried to run from him here and she stayed, sighing and leaning against the fence again.
Smiling a little, "I'm your ex-handler and that's your fault, I had nothing to do with it." Jack felt a smirk spreading over his face and he quickly raised a hand to cover it.
Sydney looked over at her father and glared, knowing he was hiding a smile under his hand, before turning back to Vaughn, calming down, she tried again. "Look, Vaughn, I'm very sorry it didn't work out, but this is it. My handler is Claire and you are just a person I have never met and never will meet. I'm sorry."
Vaughn looked at her; anger, melancholy and scepticism massing in his eyes and mind like a silent storm ready to break loose as he watched her move towards the doorway, his feet plastered to the spot where he was standing, unable to go and stop her, to tell her, her sneakers the only noise as they echoed on the concrete. Vaughn held his breath wishing he could move; that he could stop her but finding himself paralysed on the spot.
Sydney got to the gate and looked back at him, one last time, no tears, no emotions, no feelings, no nothing, just a face without warmth, a face without passion and a face without reason. Jack recognised the face as one he commonly saw in the mirror and so watched with horror as his daughter turned and began to walk out of Agent Vaughn's life forever, for the second time.
Reviews please, they are my reason for getting up in the morning. Honestly, I hope you keeping reviewing so well and so much, it's just great, I got up this morning and there were quite a few in my inbox, so thank you and keep it up and you never know how many more days of four updates I'll manage!!! *wink wink nudge nudge* Remember, keep reviewing, I'll keep updating this quickly.