Alias - Stalking the Truth
by theONLYone -|therealonlyone@yahoo.com|-
(key:) = - scene change, [xy:] - voiceover by xy, /*/*\*\ - flashback, \*\*/*/ - end flashback
=====
"I have to—I have to go grocery shopping." Sydney stood up briskly. Anything—anywhere but here, she thought. He stood as well.
"Right. Okay. I'll be heading back to headquarters." Awkward moment #24, Vaughn thought as he fixed his shirt. He brushed Sydney's hair away from her face for a moment, partly to see if there was any red on her neck and partly to release the tension.
She didn't want to stop this moment, but she had to. It was too uncomfortable. Sydney opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Vaughn's lips pressed against hers again and she found herself conforming herself around him, leaving no space between them. Behind closed eyelids, she imagined herself somewhere other than Los Angeles. No, she thought, stopping the fantasy. She and Vaughn had never been anywhere together, be it another city or continent. She wished they had been.
Her instincts heightened a moment before she heard a voice.
"Sydney?" Francie.
She pushed Vaughn away momentarily. "Francie, hi! I was just about to go grocery shopping, but I got held up at the bank." She gave Francie her trademark smile, hoping to dislodge any thoughts of who Vaughn really was.
"It's alright." She gave Sydney a little grin and watched the relief wash across her face. Why relief? she wondered, saying aloud: "Who's this?"
Sydney's mind reeled for Vaughn's first name. "Michael. I met him at the bank; he's my superior, but we met at a meeting. Michael, this is Francie."
Of course, he knew about Francie already. CIA knew of everyone relevent in Sydney's life. "Hello, Francie. How are you?"
"Good; thank you. You know, it's funny I met you here. I was just about to call you; Charlie and I are going out to dinner tonight and he wanted to know if you wanted to come, too."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude—" Sydney started, but Francie cut her off.
"It's perfectly okay. Bring Michael along, we can get to know him."
Knowing what Francie was thinking, Sydney said, "We aren't togeth—" This time, Vaughn interrupted.
"I think there's a meeting tonight. We have to attend." Sydney looked at him, thinking of this untruth.
"That bank is stealing your social lives." Watching the look Sydney and Vaughn shared, she added, "Oh, were you two planning on going out tonight? I'm so sorry! I just assumed—"
"We aren't going out tonight. And I thought that meeting was postponed to tomorrow, Vau-Michael." Francie's first comment had started Sydney thinking. She didn't go out that much. This was a good way to get some fresh air again, and she and Vaughn would probably just head back to CIA headquarters and sit there thinking. "We'll take your offer. It'll be nice to eat something other than my cooking or fast food. Do you want to ride back with me, Francie, or did you come with Charlie?"
"I'll go back with you; I came by trolley." To Vaughn she said, "Come to Sydney's house around seven. We'll take one car out there."
"May I ask where we're going?"
"Just a little outdoor pizza place Charlie and I found. Nothing fancy, but semi-formal. A suit should be fine."
"Thanks." And to Sydney: "I'll call you before I come around."
"Okay, bye," Sydney called to a retreating Vaughn. "See you tonight."
They waited for him to sit inside his Mercedes before Francie said, "Where's your car? We have some serious talking to do."
"What?" Sydney asked, confused. She led Francie to her jeep.
=====
"You've reached Sydney Bristow; leave a message after the beep—"
BEEP
"Hey Sydney, it's Will. I know you're probably not back from work yet, but I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight. A new restaurant is opening out by the college and it's supposed to be good. Call me."
Work, schmirk. She was probably still at the park. He knew he was being a little overprotective of Sydney; but it was his nature. For a moment, he pondered going to her house and parking outside until she got home. But that would seem stalker-esque. No, he thought, pulling on to the expressway, she needs space. I'll wait an hour then call again. On second thought, I'll just let her call me back. Yeah, that's good.
Good enough for now.
He really wanted to take her out tonight. He wasn't hungry; Rebecca had gone on and on about some television program called the Glutton Bowl. It had thoroughly grossed him out. No wonder she's so thin, he concluded, she watches shows like that to suppress her appetite. More like extinguish. A while later, he reached the nearest mall. Parking his sedan into a far away spot, he sat there. Just sat there.
An hour passed. Another half hour. Fifteen more minutes. Ten more minutes.
He gave a heavy sigh before dialing his phone.
"Rebecca? Hi, how are you? Yes, I know I saw just a couple hours ago. You did do your job. Perfectly—you know what? Are you busy tonight? I'm thinking of heading over to that new restaurant out by the campus. Feel like joining me? Great. Are you still at work? You're not. Well, wear some formal clothes; I don't think you should show as much skin as you were at work today. It was a nice outfit. Tell me where you live. Fourteen-seventeen North Anderson Valley? It's an apartment building; just wait outside. I'll be there around seven. Great. See you."
Yes, his life was hard.
=====
"Francie, I don't know what the big deal is! He is from work and that's it. I never meet him anywhere else."
"Oh, and you just happened to be in the same park at the same time?"
"Yes. Why are you so worried?"
A moment's silence. She didn't want to tell Sydney the truth. Something to stall her; to give her enough time to think of the right words.
"Was it the first time you kissed?"
Was it? Sydney couldn't remember ever kissing Vaughn before. Of course, such a feeling she was sure she would remember. "Yes. Fran, are you sure you don't have a reason for being so worried, other than being a great friend?"
This brought a smile from Francie. "Thanks, Syd."
"So do you have a reason or not?"
"Yeah, I do. It's Will."
Will? That was her reason? "Will?"
"Will."
"My best friend Will. How?"
"Think about it."
I'm thinking, but nothing's coming out. No sense of enlightenment; nothing. She shook her head momentarily to rid herself of those thoughts; cynicism was not of her nature. Her house appeared in the front windshield. Sydney parked in the driveway and got out. Francie was close behind her.
Had it been momentary confusion or the truth? Sydney unlocked her door just as her answering machine was recording.
"Hey Syd, it's me again. Sorry to cancel on you, but I forgot I had to take the intern to the restaurant for... some critiquing experience. Have a good night." The recording stopped before Sydney could pick up the phone.
"Cancel? Did he make a date or something?" Francie asked, shutting the door behind her.
"Not that I know of. Let me listen to the other messages." Sydney pressed the play button and listened to the previous two messages: her father—asking her to call him, and Will—inviting her to a restaurant.
"Within two hours he could get another date."
"He's already dated all the interns, when did a new one appear?"
"He's dated all of the interns? Did the Clinton administration not teach him anything?" Francie giggled. Sydney joined in.
They shared a laugh as they headed towards their rooms.
"So, what are you going to wear? Can't borrow something of mine because you're too skinny—" at this Francie grinned "—so we'll have to find a little red dress of yours. Something Michael will fall over for."
"I can't imagine Michael falling over unless—" She was about to add 'he was shot with venom' but decided against it. Even a bullet couldn't take him down. Francie didn't seem to notice it and was already searching Sydney's closet.
"Here! It's like something off the catwalk." Francie handed a very plain-looking, red knee-length dress to Sydney and continued speaking. "Add some red lipstick and you'll look stunning. Too bad you don't have some red highlights—"
"I like my hair, Fran," Sydney said, thinking of all the different wigs she had worn. "You're not obsessed with red, are you?" Too much red was never enough, it seemed. But Sydney had seen enough red. Danny's blood still dripped in her mind as she remembered him in the bathtub.
"I was just babbling. Let me change and we can still catch the end of Just Shoot Me."
Shoot her? Why? The show, of course! "Okay."
Within minutes, Sydney and Francie were sitting on the couch, all decked out and sipping on cans of diet Coke.
=====
The doorbell rang, and Sydney glanced at the clock. Seven on the dot. Never like Vaughn to be late.
-|the only note: thanks for all the feedback. it's what finally motivated me to push my writer's block away and start writing—er, typing again. yes, vaughn was a little pushy. i know i made will too vulnerable. i hope i did better this time with the realism. the episode i based this after was so long ago i cant remember anything for flashbacks. i know there were none in this chapter.
i incorporated a lot of ideas from reviews into this chapter. dont forget to review again and motivate me to write a third sequel!
and a shoutout from my lil bro: 'thumbs up to frankie muniz for proving that short people can star in movies.' i tried to tell him that frankie's taller now, but big whoop. he is taller, right?|-
by theONLYone -|therealonlyone@yahoo.com|-
(key:) = - scene change, [xy:] - voiceover by xy, /*/*\*\ - flashback, \*\*/*/ - end flashback
=====
"I have to—I have to go grocery shopping." Sydney stood up briskly. Anything—anywhere but here, she thought. He stood as well.
"Right. Okay. I'll be heading back to headquarters." Awkward moment #24, Vaughn thought as he fixed his shirt. He brushed Sydney's hair away from her face for a moment, partly to see if there was any red on her neck and partly to release the tension.
She didn't want to stop this moment, but she had to. It was too uncomfortable. Sydney opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Vaughn's lips pressed against hers again and she found herself conforming herself around him, leaving no space between them. Behind closed eyelids, she imagined herself somewhere other than Los Angeles. No, she thought, stopping the fantasy. She and Vaughn had never been anywhere together, be it another city or continent. She wished they had been.
Her instincts heightened a moment before she heard a voice.
"Sydney?" Francie.
She pushed Vaughn away momentarily. "Francie, hi! I was just about to go grocery shopping, but I got held up at the bank." She gave Francie her trademark smile, hoping to dislodge any thoughts of who Vaughn really was.
"It's alright." She gave Sydney a little grin and watched the relief wash across her face. Why relief? she wondered, saying aloud: "Who's this?"
Sydney's mind reeled for Vaughn's first name. "Michael. I met him at the bank; he's my superior, but we met at a meeting. Michael, this is Francie."
Of course, he knew about Francie already. CIA knew of everyone relevent in Sydney's life. "Hello, Francie. How are you?"
"Good; thank you. You know, it's funny I met you here. I was just about to call you; Charlie and I are going out to dinner tonight and he wanted to know if you wanted to come, too."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude—" Sydney started, but Francie cut her off.
"It's perfectly okay. Bring Michael along, we can get to know him."
Knowing what Francie was thinking, Sydney said, "We aren't togeth—" This time, Vaughn interrupted.
"I think there's a meeting tonight. We have to attend." Sydney looked at him, thinking of this untruth.
"That bank is stealing your social lives." Watching the look Sydney and Vaughn shared, she added, "Oh, were you two planning on going out tonight? I'm so sorry! I just assumed—"
"We aren't going out tonight. And I thought that meeting was postponed to tomorrow, Vau-Michael." Francie's first comment had started Sydney thinking. She didn't go out that much. This was a good way to get some fresh air again, and she and Vaughn would probably just head back to CIA headquarters and sit there thinking. "We'll take your offer. It'll be nice to eat something other than my cooking or fast food. Do you want to ride back with me, Francie, or did you come with Charlie?"
"I'll go back with you; I came by trolley." To Vaughn she said, "Come to Sydney's house around seven. We'll take one car out there."
"May I ask where we're going?"
"Just a little outdoor pizza place Charlie and I found. Nothing fancy, but semi-formal. A suit should be fine."
"Thanks." And to Sydney: "I'll call you before I come around."
"Okay, bye," Sydney called to a retreating Vaughn. "See you tonight."
They waited for him to sit inside his Mercedes before Francie said, "Where's your car? We have some serious talking to do."
"What?" Sydney asked, confused. She led Francie to her jeep.
=====
"You've reached Sydney Bristow; leave a message after the beep—"
BEEP
"Hey Sydney, it's Will. I know you're probably not back from work yet, but I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight. A new restaurant is opening out by the college and it's supposed to be good. Call me."
Work, schmirk. She was probably still at the park. He knew he was being a little overprotective of Sydney; but it was his nature. For a moment, he pondered going to her house and parking outside until she got home. But that would seem stalker-esque. No, he thought, pulling on to the expressway, she needs space. I'll wait an hour then call again. On second thought, I'll just let her call me back. Yeah, that's good.
Good enough for now.
He really wanted to take her out tonight. He wasn't hungry; Rebecca had gone on and on about some television program called the Glutton Bowl. It had thoroughly grossed him out. No wonder she's so thin, he concluded, she watches shows like that to suppress her appetite. More like extinguish. A while later, he reached the nearest mall. Parking his sedan into a far away spot, he sat there. Just sat there.
An hour passed. Another half hour. Fifteen more minutes. Ten more minutes.
He gave a heavy sigh before dialing his phone.
"Rebecca? Hi, how are you? Yes, I know I saw just a couple hours ago. You did do your job. Perfectly—you know what? Are you busy tonight? I'm thinking of heading over to that new restaurant out by the campus. Feel like joining me? Great. Are you still at work? You're not. Well, wear some formal clothes; I don't think you should show as much skin as you were at work today. It was a nice outfit. Tell me where you live. Fourteen-seventeen North Anderson Valley? It's an apartment building; just wait outside. I'll be there around seven. Great. See you."
Yes, his life was hard.
=====
"Francie, I don't know what the big deal is! He is from work and that's it. I never meet him anywhere else."
"Oh, and you just happened to be in the same park at the same time?"
"Yes. Why are you so worried?"
A moment's silence. She didn't want to tell Sydney the truth. Something to stall her; to give her enough time to think of the right words.
"Was it the first time you kissed?"
Was it? Sydney couldn't remember ever kissing Vaughn before. Of course, such a feeling she was sure she would remember. "Yes. Fran, are you sure you don't have a reason for being so worried, other than being a great friend?"
This brought a smile from Francie. "Thanks, Syd."
"So do you have a reason or not?"
"Yeah, I do. It's Will."
Will? That was her reason? "Will?"
"Will."
"My best friend Will. How?"
"Think about it."
I'm thinking, but nothing's coming out. No sense of enlightenment; nothing. She shook her head momentarily to rid herself of those thoughts; cynicism was not of her nature. Her house appeared in the front windshield. Sydney parked in the driveway and got out. Francie was close behind her.
Had it been momentary confusion or the truth? Sydney unlocked her door just as her answering machine was recording.
"Hey Syd, it's me again. Sorry to cancel on you, but I forgot I had to take the intern to the restaurant for... some critiquing experience. Have a good night." The recording stopped before Sydney could pick up the phone.
"Cancel? Did he make a date or something?" Francie asked, shutting the door behind her.
"Not that I know of. Let me listen to the other messages." Sydney pressed the play button and listened to the previous two messages: her father—asking her to call him, and Will—inviting her to a restaurant.
"Within two hours he could get another date."
"He's already dated all the interns, when did a new one appear?"
"He's dated all of the interns? Did the Clinton administration not teach him anything?" Francie giggled. Sydney joined in.
They shared a laugh as they headed towards their rooms.
"So, what are you going to wear? Can't borrow something of mine because you're too skinny—" at this Francie grinned "—so we'll have to find a little red dress of yours. Something Michael will fall over for."
"I can't imagine Michael falling over unless—" She was about to add 'he was shot with venom' but decided against it. Even a bullet couldn't take him down. Francie didn't seem to notice it and was already searching Sydney's closet.
"Here! It's like something off the catwalk." Francie handed a very plain-looking, red knee-length dress to Sydney and continued speaking. "Add some red lipstick and you'll look stunning. Too bad you don't have some red highlights—"
"I like my hair, Fran," Sydney said, thinking of all the different wigs she had worn. "You're not obsessed with red, are you?" Too much red was never enough, it seemed. But Sydney had seen enough red. Danny's blood still dripped in her mind as she remembered him in the bathtub.
"I was just babbling. Let me change and we can still catch the end of Just Shoot Me."
Shoot her? Why? The show, of course! "Okay."
Within minutes, Sydney and Francie were sitting on the couch, all decked out and sipping on cans of diet Coke.
=====
The doorbell rang, and Sydney glanced at the clock. Seven on the dot. Never like Vaughn to be late.
-|the only note: thanks for all the feedback. it's what finally motivated me to push my writer's block away and start writing—er, typing again. yes, vaughn was a little pushy. i know i made will too vulnerable. i hope i did better this time with the realism. the episode i based this after was so long ago i cant remember anything for flashbacks. i know there were none in this chapter.
i incorporated a lot of ideas from reviews into this chapter. dont forget to review again and motivate me to write a third sequel!
and a shoutout from my lil bro: 'thumbs up to frankie muniz for proving that short people can star in movies.' i tried to tell him that frankie's taller now, but big whoop. he is taller, right?|-