TITLE: Past
AUTHOR: Carrie
DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, just let me know so I can visit
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Alias or any of the characters that appear on the show.
NOTE: Sorry it's been so long...I've had a block of sorts. Read and review!!
CHAPTER SIX
Three weeks had past since the night of Vaughn's confession. Things had continued as usual, no traumas, no breakthroughs. Sydney had only been sent on two missions, so she and Vaughn had not been meeting very often. Although things had been relatively calm for Sydney, Vaughn's life had been hectic and strenuous.
In a small room, with a rubber mat on the floor, Vaughn fought off an opponent. He swung his right fist, but it was blocked. He grabbed the wrist that had restrained his hand and twisted it around, causing the intruder to lower to the ground. Vaughn backed off, allowing his opponent to rise and attack again. The man ran at him, but Vaughn crouched and ducked under the attackers arm, elbowing him in the back, then kicking his feet from underneath him, sending the attacker to the ground. Vaughn gently put his foot on the man's back, holding him in place.
"I think we're done for today." The man said.
Vaughn smiled. The man rolled over and Vaughn offered him his hand and helped him up.
"Jesus Mike. Are you trying to kill me?" The man said, shaking his head.
Vaughn smiled again. "What can I say Jeff, I guess I've got a lot of pent up energy." Vaughn grabbed a towel and sat in a chair on the edge of the room. He picked up a towel and handed it to Jeff.
"I guess three years at a desk will do that to you. But still, man, I've never known someone to still fight that hard at the end of training." Jeff laughed.
"Yeah, but this is my second time around. I know all your tricks." Vaughn laughed with him.
"I talked to Devlin about you." Jeff said.
"Yeah? What'd you say?" Vaughn asked.
"I told him you were ready, and that my recommendation was that you be put into active duty immediately." Jeff told him.
"Thanks man, I really appreciate that." Vaughn said sincerely.
"No problem. You earned it." Jeff smiled.
Jeff glanced at his watch. "Wow, I can't believe it's already six. I gotta go. I've gotta date." He said, raising his eyebrows.
"Six?" Vaughn stood up. "I'm supposed to meet Sydney in ten minutes." He said, gathering his things.
"In rush hour? Good luck." Jeff laughed.
"Thanks again Jeff." Vaughn said as he ran out the door.
Vaughn went straight to his car and by driving severely over the speed limit, managed to make it to the warehouse in twenty minutes.
He ran in the door and to the back of the warehouse where their cage was. He was greeted by the sight of Sydney, sitting in a chair, looking very bored.
She heard him open the door to the cage, and stood up to meet him.
"Hey." He said. "I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of time." He told her, knowing that his excuse was very lame.
"No, it's fine." She said. She looked him up and down. "Where were you?" she asked him, noticing his clothes.
Vaughn looked down at himself. He was wearing his black warm up pants and a t-shirt, not exactly office attire.
"Oh." He began. "Yeah. I was working out, and I realized I was late, so I didn't have time to change."
"Oh." Was all that Sydney could manage? Over the past few weeks, Sydney had noticed that Vaughn had been filling out his suits a little better. At first, she thought she was crazy, but now, seeing him in a tight t-shirt, she realized that she had been right. She could see the well-defined muscles in his arms and chest clearly through his shirt.
Sydney's gaze was making Vaughn feel very awkward, so he decided just to start in on mission details.
"Okay. Well, your counter mission is simple. All we want is a copy of the files. So use this, you've used it before," Vaughn handed her a flat object that looked like a business card, "and place it on top of the device that SD-6 gives you so that we'll get all the same information." Vaughn finished.
"That's it?" Sydney asked.
Vaughn debated for a moment as to whether or not he should tell her. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Okay." Sydney said warily, and sat down again.
"Remember, a while ago, you asked me why I wasn't in the field now if I was all better?" Vaughn asked her.
Sydney nodded.
"Well, the answer to that question is you." He told her.
"What?" Sydney asked, confused.
"It's complicated." Vaughn sighed. "The reason that I'm all better is because I met you, but I'm not in the field because.I don't want to leave you."
Sydney was totally shocked. "Oh." She said. She felt stupid for being so inarticulate, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what to say.
Vaughn felt that she was still confused, so he elaborated. "When I left the Ukraine, I never thought that I would be able to function again. I thought that my life was just destroyed. But then I met you, and I realized that my life could light up again, and that I could get past what ever had happened. And now that I know this, I'm just not sure that I'm ready to leave you."
Sydney was touched, but she knew what she had to say. "Vaughn, you can't stay for me. I can see tell that you love being in action, and I can't let you stay because of me." Sydney said, feeling tears beginning to form behind her eyes.
Vaughn nodded. "I know." He said. "That's why I went to Devlin, and asked to begin re-training for active duty." Vaughn told her, looking down at the floor. "I finished training today." He said, looking up and meeting her eyes.
Sydney understood what he meant and was filled with sadness. "So is this our last meeting?" she asked, hating that she sounded so desperate.
"No!" Vaughn said, a little too forcefully. "You can still call me whenever you want, about anything."
Sydney nodded. "So what happens now?"
"I'll probably be sent on a few trial missions, just to make sure that I can do it. Then, I'll be put into the field on a regular basis." Vaughn told her. "And I'll request that you get a good replacement. No more Lamberts." Vaughn joked.
Sydney smiled a little. "I should go." She said, afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would start to cry. She stepped towards him and embraced him.
Vaughn wrapped his arms around her back and held her close to him, hating that this seemed so final.
"I'm going to miss you so much." She said, feeling tears roll down her cheeks.
"Me too." Vaughn said. "Be careful out there."
"You too." Sydney replied. She pulled back and looked at him. She felt as if she'd never see him again. She leaned up and brushed a soft kiss over his lips. She leaned back and looked into his eyes, seeing the surprise in them, but also an intense desire. She pulled out of his arms, smiled slightly, and walked away, leaving Vaughn completely baffled.
All he wanted to do right then was run after her and kiss her senseless, promising never to leave. But he couldn't. He couldn't believe that he might never see her again. Every time she went on a mission, he thought this, but this time, it was different. This time, he was leaving.
Sydney left the warehouse and got into her car. She had so much swimming through her head. So many emotions, so many feelings, but mostly, she felt hurt. She couldn't believe that he had left her. That he had actually left her. When she was hugging him, all she could think was that this was her last chance, and that if she didn't act right at that moment, she would regret it.
It felt so right kissing him, however brief it was, and it physically pained her to know that she may never be able to do it again.
AUTHOR: Carrie
DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, just let me know so I can visit
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Alias or any of the characters that appear on the show.
NOTE: Sorry it's been so long...I've had a block of sorts. Read and review!!
CHAPTER SIX
Three weeks had past since the night of Vaughn's confession. Things had continued as usual, no traumas, no breakthroughs. Sydney had only been sent on two missions, so she and Vaughn had not been meeting very often. Although things had been relatively calm for Sydney, Vaughn's life had been hectic and strenuous.
In a small room, with a rubber mat on the floor, Vaughn fought off an opponent. He swung his right fist, but it was blocked. He grabbed the wrist that had restrained his hand and twisted it around, causing the intruder to lower to the ground. Vaughn backed off, allowing his opponent to rise and attack again. The man ran at him, but Vaughn crouched and ducked under the attackers arm, elbowing him in the back, then kicking his feet from underneath him, sending the attacker to the ground. Vaughn gently put his foot on the man's back, holding him in place.
"I think we're done for today." The man said.
Vaughn smiled. The man rolled over and Vaughn offered him his hand and helped him up.
"Jesus Mike. Are you trying to kill me?" The man said, shaking his head.
Vaughn smiled again. "What can I say Jeff, I guess I've got a lot of pent up energy." Vaughn grabbed a towel and sat in a chair on the edge of the room. He picked up a towel and handed it to Jeff.
"I guess three years at a desk will do that to you. But still, man, I've never known someone to still fight that hard at the end of training." Jeff laughed.
"Yeah, but this is my second time around. I know all your tricks." Vaughn laughed with him.
"I talked to Devlin about you." Jeff said.
"Yeah? What'd you say?" Vaughn asked.
"I told him you were ready, and that my recommendation was that you be put into active duty immediately." Jeff told him.
"Thanks man, I really appreciate that." Vaughn said sincerely.
"No problem. You earned it." Jeff smiled.
Jeff glanced at his watch. "Wow, I can't believe it's already six. I gotta go. I've gotta date." He said, raising his eyebrows.
"Six?" Vaughn stood up. "I'm supposed to meet Sydney in ten minutes." He said, gathering his things.
"In rush hour? Good luck." Jeff laughed.
"Thanks again Jeff." Vaughn said as he ran out the door.
Vaughn went straight to his car and by driving severely over the speed limit, managed to make it to the warehouse in twenty minutes.
He ran in the door and to the back of the warehouse where their cage was. He was greeted by the sight of Sydney, sitting in a chair, looking very bored.
She heard him open the door to the cage, and stood up to meet him.
"Hey." He said. "I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of time." He told her, knowing that his excuse was very lame.
"No, it's fine." She said. She looked him up and down. "Where were you?" she asked him, noticing his clothes.
Vaughn looked down at himself. He was wearing his black warm up pants and a t-shirt, not exactly office attire.
"Oh." He began. "Yeah. I was working out, and I realized I was late, so I didn't have time to change."
"Oh." Was all that Sydney could manage? Over the past few weeks, Sydney had noticed that Vaughn had been filling out his suits a little better. At first, she thought she was crazy, but now, seeing him in a tight t-shirt, she realized that she had been right. She could see the well-defined muscles in his arms and chest clearly through his shirt.
Sydney's gaze was making Vaughn feel very awkward, so he decided just to start in on mission details.
"Okay. Well, your counter mission is simple. All we want is a copy of the files. So use this, you've used it before," Vaughn handed her a flat object that looked like a business card, "and place it on top of the device that SD-6 gives you so that we'll get all the same information." Vaughn finished.
"That's it?" Sydney asked.
Vaughn debated for a moment as to whether or not he should tell her. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Okay." Sydney said warily, and sat down again.
"Remember, a while ago, you asked me why I wasn't in the field now if I was all better?" Vaughn asked her.
Sydney nodded.
"Well, the answer to that question is you." He told her.
"What?" Sydney asked, confused.
"It's complicated." Vaughn sighed. "The reason that I'm all better is because I met you, but I'm not in the field because.I don't want to leave you."
Sydney was totally shocked. "Oh." She said. She felt stupid for being so inarticulate, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what to say.
Vaughn felt that she was still confused, so he elaborated. "When I left the Ukraine, I never thought that I would be able to function again. I thought that my life was just destroyed. But then I met you, and I realized that my life could light up again, and that I could get past what ever had happened. And now that I know this, I'm just not sure that I'm ready to leave you."
Sydney was touched, but she knew what she had to say. "Vaughn, you can't stay for me. I can see tell that you love being in action, and I can't let you stay because of me." Sydney said, feeling tears beginning to form behind her eyes.
Vaughn nodded. "I know." He said. "That's why I went to Devlin, and asked to begin re-training for active duty." Vaughn told her, looking down at the floor. "I finished training today." He said, looking up and meeting her eyes.
Sydney understood what he meant and was filled with sadness. "So is this our last meeting?" she asked, hating that she sounded so desperate.
"No!" Vaughn said, a little too forcefully. "You can still call me whenever you want, about anything."
Sydney nodded. "So what happens now?"
"I'll probably be sent on a few trial missions, just to make sure that I can do it. Then, I'll be put into the field on a regular basis." Vaughn told her. "And I'll request that you get a good replacement. No more Lamberts." Vaughn joked.
Sydney smiled a little. "I should go." She said, afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would start to cry. She stepped towards him and embraced him.
Vaughn wrapped his arms around her back and held her close to him, hating that this seemed so final.
"I'm going to miss you so much." She said, feeling tears roll down her cheeks.
"Me too." Vaughn said. "Be careful out there."
"You too." Sydney replied. She pulled back and looked at him. She felt as if she'd never see him again. She leaned up and brushed a soft kiss over his lips. She leaned back and looked into his eyes, seeing the surprise in them, but also an intense desire. She pulled out of his arms, smiled slightly, and walked away, leaving Vaughn completely baffled.
All he wanted to do right then was run after her and kiss her senseless, promising never to leave. But he couldn't. He couldn't believe that he might never see her again. Every time she went on a mission, he thought this, but this time, it was different. This time, he was leaving.
Sydney left the warehouse and got into her car. She had so much swimming through her head. So many emotions, so many feelings, but mostly, she felt hurt. She couldn't believe that he had left her. That he had actually left her. When she was hugging him, all she could think was that this was her last chance, and that if she didn't act right at that moment, she would regret it.
It felt so right kissing him, however brief it was, and it physically pained her to know that she may never be able to do it again.