Jack Bristow felt slightly annoyed. Sydney called in sick, and Vaughn too.
Something was going on with them, that was nothing new. But, if they
weren't careful. well Jack was only slightly more understanding than
Vaughn's bosses.
Jack decided to call up Vaughn. He at least had somewhat of an intimidation edge there. Sydney was not going to let him into her love life anytime soon. Maybe she was right to keep him out. After all, in the love department, he had not done such a stellar job himself.
"Hello?" Vaughn's answering of the phone sounded like a painful task. Maybe he was sick.
"Vaughn? This is Jack. We need to talk."
Vaughn's tone changed to panic almost immediately. "Is she alright?"
Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted his weight. "I am assuming you are referring to my daughter, who is fine. However, she is also not present at the office right now. She is sick, presumably with the same virus as you. I am only going to ask you this once. From a father to the man my daughter potentially loves, is there something I should know about?"
Vaughn was silent for a while. "No. Nothing Jack. Like you said, she must have the same virus as me."
"Okay, feel better. Bye." Jack hung up, his suspicions confirmed. There was without a doubt something going on.
The next three days were horrible. Vaughn kept calling in sick, until finally it was Friday. He screened his calls, so he would not get another one of Jack's interrogations. He had felt horrible lying to Jack. After all, if someday he and Sydney were together, then how would that seem to Jack? His daughter was with a liar. But, Vaughn thought, that is no longer and issue. Before Tuesday night, Vaughn had at least been able to dream about a day when SD-6 was gone and he and Sydney could be together. But now, that was all over. She would never love him like she did. Vaughn felt like he was going to throw up.
By Monday, Sydney was glad to see that Vaughn had gotten over his childish hiding. He sat at his office, and occasionally she would feel his puppy dog eyes on her back. No, she thought, be strong. Do not look at him, or you may lose all your self control.
She decided to go see her mother. After her mother proved to be on her side in India, Sydney was more hopeful about her mother being a better person. Better being the operative word. See, Sydney thought, it would not have worked out with Vaughn and I anyways. My mother killed his father. That never does a relationship good. Sydney tried to sound light about the whole thing, but felt worse. No talk about Vaughn. Bu she had liked hearing her mom's stories from when her and her dad had been happy and in love and normal. Truthful occurrences, not lies like many of Sydney's memories felt to be.
Sydney had been lost in thought and before she knew it she was in her mom's cell. But her mother already had a visitor. Vaughn. Irina looked at the two of them curiously through the glass, tilting her head but pausing before speaking.
"Hello Sydney," she finally said.
Vaughn looked down, wishing he could melt into the floor and get away. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," Sydney replied, practically choking on the word. "May I please speak to my mom alone?"
"Of course," Vaughn still didn't look up. Instead he looked at Irina. "I'll be back again soon. I promise." Irina nodded at him and gave him a small, charitable smile.
Sydney waited for him to leave, waited awhile before speaking. Irina patiently watched through the glass. Sydney was obviously deep in thought. Finally she spoke. "Officer?" She called out down the hall. An officer approached her. She whispered in his ear. At first he shook his head no, but she whispered some more, and he nodded yes. He walked over to the door through to Irina's cell.
Irina felt as though she was watching slow motion. Sydney walked through the door, into the cell, but remained silent. Sydney reached out for Irina, pulling her into a hug before collapsing into her mother's arms. Sydney was sobbing, and Irina felt warm tears run down her face.
"Sydney, I know I haven't been there-"
"Mom, it doesn't matter. You were different. Everything was different." Sydney's voiced choked up.
Irina could hardly control her voice. She rocked Sydney back and forth slightly, stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay Sydney. Now it is going to be okay."
Vaughn blinked away tears as he watched the monitor. God, what had he done? He took a long sip of coffee before going back to his desk. He sat there for about a second before he felt his nausea returning. He had to fix things. He would fix things. He just needed time. He picked up his phone and dialed.
He picked up the phone and dialed.
Jack decided to call up Vaughn. He at least had somewhat of an intimidation edge there. Sydney was not going to let him into her love life anytime soon. Maybe she was right to keep him out. After all, in the love department, he had not done such a stellar job himself.
"Hello?" Vaughn's answering of the phone sounded like a painful task. Maybe he was sick.
"Vaughn? This is Jack. We need to talk."
Vaughn's tone changed to panic almost immediately. "Is she alright?"
Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted his weight. "I am assuming you are referring to my daughter, who is fine. However, she is also not present at the office right now. She is sick, presumably with the same virus as you. I am only going to ask you this once. From a father to the man my daughter potentially loves, is there something I should know about?"
Vaughn was silent for a while. "No. Nothing Jack. Like you said, she must have the same virus as me."
"Okay, feel better. Bye." Jack hung up, his suspicions confirmed. There was without a doubt something going on.
The next three days were horrible. Vaughn kept calling in sick, until finally it was Friday. He screened his calls, so he would not get another one of Jack's interrogations. He had felt horrible lying to Jack. After all, if someday he and Sydney were together, then how would that seem to Jack? His daughter was with a liar. But, Vaughn thought, that is no longer and issue. Before Tuesday night, Vaughn had at least been able to dream about a day when SD-6 was gone and he and Sydney could be together. But now, that was all over. She would never love him like she did. Vaughn felt like he was going to throw up.
By Monday, Sydney was glad to see that Vaughn had gotten over his childish hiding. He sat at his office, and occasionally she would feel his puppy dog eyes on her back. No, she thought, be strong. Do not look at him, or you may lose all your self control.
She decided to go see her mother. After her mother proved to be on her side in India, Sydney was more hopeful about her mother being a better person. Better being the operative word. See, Sydney thought, it would not have worked out with Vaughn and I anyways. My mother killed his father. That never does a relationship good. Sydney tried to sound light about the whole thing, but felt worse. No talk about Vaughn. Bu she had liked hearing her mom's stories from when her and her dad had been happy and in love and normal. Truthful occurrences, not lies like many of Sydney's memories felt to be.
Sydney had been lost in thought and before she knew it she was in her mom's cell. But her mother already had a visitor. Vaughn. Irina looked at the two of them curiously through the glass, tilting her head but pausing before speaking.
"Hello Sydney," she finally said.
Vaughn looked down, wishing he could melt into the floor and get away. "Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," Sydney replied, practically choking on the word. "May I please speak to my mom alone?"
"Of course," Vaughn still didn't look up. Instead he looked at Irina. "I'll be back again soon. I promise." Irina nodded at him and gave him a small, charitable smile.
Sydney waited for him to leave, waited awhile before speaking. Irina patiently watched through the glass. Sydney was obviously deep in thought. Finally she spoke. "Officer?" She called out down the hall. An officer approached her. She whispered in his ear. At first he shook his head no, but she whispered some more, and he nodded yes. He walked over to the door through to Irina's cell.
Irina felt as though she was watching slow motion. Sydney walked through the door, into the cell, but remained silent. Sydney reached out for Irina, pulling her into a hug before collapsing into her mother's arms. Sydney was sobbing, and Irina felt warm tears run down her face.
"Sydney, I know I haven't been there-"
"Mom, it doesn't matter. You were different. Everything was different." Sydney's voiced choked up.
Irina could hardly control her voice. She rocked Sydney back and forth slightly, stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay Sydney. Now it is going to be okay."
Vaughn blinked away tears as he watched the monitor. God, what had he done? He took a long sip of coffee before going back to his desk. He sat there for about a second before he felt his nausea returning. He had to fix things. He would fix things. He just needed time. He picked up his phone and dialed.
He picked up the phone and dialed.