Chapter Five
Vaughn's POV
She would be here soon. I was scared: scared she was hurt, scared that I couldn't be her "guardian angel" for once.
I heard the door open down the hall. The footsteps echoed as they approached. I lifted my head from my hands as they stopped in front of my cell. The sight I saw when I looked up would stay embedded in my mind forever.
She was standing there: face red, her cheek swollen, somewhat hunched over. There were still a few tears on her face. She walked in, trailing Sark behind her.
"I'll give you two some time to.reminisce." I went to Sydney, sweeping her into an embrace.
"He said he was going to kill you. I got mad an attacked."
"I know, Syd, I know."
"I just wanted to save you. I wanted to be the angel."
"Thank you, you were an angel. My angel." I heard her laugh between tears. She moved her head from my shoulder and looked me in the eye.
"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No, I just got here."
"How did you find me?"
"I got some help from.the expert," I saw her eyes widen.
"My mother helped you?"
"And your father. They're in a van outside." She walked over to the brick bed and sat down.
"Sorry, I'm really tired. I lost a lot of blood." I walked over and sat next to her, slipping my arm around her.
"Vaughn?"
"Yeah, Syd?"
"Thanks for trying. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." We sat in silence for a moment, and then she leaned over on my shoulder. I mindlessly stroked her hair. Soon, she was asleep and half snoring lightly. I laid her head down onto the pillow, if you could even call it that and continued stroking her hair. It was true, I was actually glad that I was here to comfort her.
I heard the familiar footsteps in the hall. Sark appeared in front of my door. He did not look amused.
"Well, it looks like you two got nice and cozy."
"She wouldn't be tired if you hadn't beaten her up!"
"As I've said before, Mr. Vaughn, she jumped me."
"So? You didn't have to half -kill her."
"Whatever. I've come to bring her back to her room."
"No. You need to leave her here. She's tired and moving her will just wake her up."
"Well, she'll be glad to know you care, but I don't. I will not allow her to stay." He was mad now.
"That's too bad. Because she is. And remember, she may not have had the strength to fight, but I do."
"And I suggest that you remember that I have a gun and you don't."
"If you kill me, Sydney will never help you. Go away."
"What makes you so sure that she'll be emotionally distressed if you die?" I didn't see Sydney shift behind me. She must have awoken when I said he name.
"I don't know if she would be, but I do know this. I love her, and if you lay another hand on her, I'll kill you." Sark's face went from cocky to somewhat scared.
"Fine. I'll give you two a couple more minutes."
***
Syd's POV
I can't believe that he said that. He must've thought I was still sleeping, because he had said out loud that he loved me. Sark left and Vaughn came back to me and again, stroked my hair. I couldn't fake being asleep much longer, so I opened my eyes.
"Vaughn?"
"Syd, hey. How'd you sleep?"
"Okay. Who was yelling?"
"Sark was. He was being a butt and saying he wanted to move you back to your cell. I said no because you needed sleep."
"Thanks for caring, at least someone does."
"What are you talking about? A lot of people care about you."
"Yeah, but for dumb reasons. My dad protects me because he doesn't want me to "fraternize" with the enemy, AKA my mother. Sloane only cares because he doesn't want to lose a good agent. Kendall only cares because if I die, his butt is on the line." A tear fell down my cheek. Vaughn wiped it away, smiling.
"Hey, don't cry. That's not true. Your dad cares because you're his daughter. Sloane and Kendall care because you're a great agent and if they lose you, they will lose the best agent they've ever met." I blushed under my tears.
"Thanks. You always know how to cheer me up," I hugged him, knowing I was safe in his arms. Suddenly, I knew I had to tell him what I'd heard. He had always trusted me and never lied to me. I couldn't lie to him. "Vaughn?"
"Yeah, Syd?"
"I heard you arguing."
"What?"
"With Sark. I heard you say that you.uh.you said you loved me." Vaughn's face shifted from a smile to a look of surprise.
"Um, well.I." I cut off his stuttering instantly.
"First of all, I think it was really brave that you said that to Sark. Second, I love you too." I really caught him off guard with that one. He stared at me for a moment with a look of shock and happiness. His face burst into a smile and he let out a small laugh.
"Really? You do?"
"With all my heart." I leaned forward, not taking this moment for granted. I deepened the kiss, knowing a chance like this may not present itself again. Vaughn and I were so entranced; we didn't hear the two pairs of footsteps entering the cell. We did however, hear the people remark with surprise.
"Sydney!"
"Agent Vaughn!"
Vaughn's POV
She would be here soon. I was scared: scared she was hurt, scared that I couldn't be her "guardian angel" for once.
I heard the door open down the hall. The footsteps echoed as they approached. I lifted my head from my hands as they stopped in front of my cell. The sight I saw when I looked up would stay embedded in my mind forever.
She was standing there: face red, her cheek swollen, somewhat hunched over. There were still a few tears on her face. She walked in, trailing Sark behind her.
"I'll give you two some time to.reminisce." I went to Sydney, sweeping her into an embrace.
"He said he was going to kill you. I got mad an attacked."
"I know, Syd, I know."
"I just wanted to save you. I wanted to be the angel."
"Thank you, you were an angel. My angel." I heard her laugh between tears. She moved her head from my shoulder and looked me in the eye.
"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No, I just got here."
"How did you find me?"
"I got some help from.the expert," I saw her eyes widen.
"My mother helped you?"
"And your father. They're in a van outside." She walked over to the brick bed and sat down.
"Sorry, I'm really tired. I lost a lot of blood." I walked over and sat next to her, slipping my arm around her.
"Vaughn?"
"Yeah, Syd?"
"Thanks for trying. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." We sat in silence for a moment, and then she leaned over on my shoulder. I mindlessly stroked her hair. Soon, she was asleep and half snoring lightly. I laid her head down onto the pillow, if you could even call it that and continued stroking her hair. It was true, I was actually glad that I was here to comfort her.
I heard the familiar footsteps in the hall. Sark appeared in front of my door. He did not look amused.
"Well, it looks like you two got nice and cozy."
"She wouldn't be tired if you hadn't beaten her up!"
"As I've said before, Mr. Vaughn, she jumped me."
"So? You didn't have to half -kill her."
"Whatever. I've come to bring her back to her room."
"No. You need to leave her here. She's tired and moving her will just wake her up."
"Well, she'll be glad to know you care, but I don't. I will not allow her to stay." He was mad now.
"That's too bad. Because she is. And remember, she may not have had the strength to fight, but I do."
"And I suggest that you remember that I have a gun and you don't."
"If you kill me, Sydney will never help you. Go away."
"What makes you so sure that she'll be emotionally distressed if you die?" I didn't see Sydney shift behind me. She must have awoken when I said he name.
"I don't know if she would be, but I do know this. I love her, and if you lay another hand on her, I'll kill you." Sark's face went from cocky to somewhat scared.
"Fine. I'll give you two a couple more minutes."
***
Syd's POV
I can't believe that he said that. He must've thought I was still sleeping, because he had said out loud that he loved me. Sark left and Vaughn came back to me and again, stroked my hair. I couldn't fake being asleep much longer, so I opened my eyes.
"Vaughn?"
"Syd, hey. How'd you sleep?"
"Okay. Who was yelling?"
"Sark was. He was being a butt and saying he wanted to move you back to your cell. I said no because you needed sleep."
"Thanks for caring, at least someone does."
"What are you talking about? A lot of people care about you."
"Yeah, but for dumb reasons. My dad protects me because he doesn't want me to "fraternize" with the enemy, AKA my mother. Sloane only cares because he doesn't want to lose a good agent. Kendall only cares because if I die, his butt is on the line." A tear fell down my cheek. Vaughn wiped it away, smiling.
"Hey, don't cry. That's not true. Your dad cares because you're his daughter. Sloane and Kendall care because you're a great agent and if they lose you, they will lose the best agent they've ever met." I blushed under my tears.
"Thanks. You always know how to cheer me up," I hugged him, knowing I was safe in his arms. Suddenly, I knew I had to tell him what I'd heard. He had always trusted me and never lied to me. I couldn't lie to him. "Vaughn?"
"Yeah, Syd?"
"I heard you arguing."
"What?"
"With Sark. I heard you say that you.uh.you said you loved me." Vaughn's face shifted from a smile to a look of surprise.
"Um, well.I." I cut off his stuttering instantly.
"First of all, I think it was really brave that you said that to Sark. Second, I love you too." I really caught him off guard with that one. He stared at me for a moment with a look of shock and happiness. His face burst into a smile and he let out a small laugh.
"Really? You do?"
"With all my heart." I leaned forward, not taking this moment for granted. I deepened the kiss, knowing a chance like this may not present itself again. Vaughn and I were so entranced; we didn't hear the two pairs of footsteps entering the cell. We did however, hear the people remark with surprise.
"Sydney!"
"Agent Vaughn!"