Chapter 4
Vaughn's House
"You need to help me Vaughn," Sydney huffed as she half-carried a sleepy Vaughn up the front steps, "Where is your extra key?"
He pointed to a potted plant on the stoop. "Not very stealthy for a CIA officer," she mumbled under her breath. She reached out for it but was having a hard time lifting up the plant and holding Vaughn at the same time.
"Vaughn," she groaned, "Sit here for a moment," she said, allowing him to fall gently to the ground. She proceeded to open the door as quickly as she could. Her being there with him wasn't exactly safe.
"C'mon," she lifted him up again, helping him walk. They were now inside. Sydney took a moment to look around. The décor could only be named, distinctly Vaughn: wood furniture, straight lines, and earth tones. "Where's your bedroom?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a smile. He managed to point to the first door on the right.
"You don't know," Vaughn mumbled, "how many times I've thought of those words," he paused, "and your mouth in the same sentence." He wasn't technically making any sense, but Sydney wasn't daft. She knew exactly where he was going with this.
"You don't know," She followed his train of thought, "how many times I've thought about," she paused and stepped over the threshold into the room, eyeing the large bed in the center, "being in your bedroom."
Sydney pulled back the covers and helped him lay down on the bed. She visibly shook the overwhelming urge to join him out of her head. She unlaced his right shoe, then his left, throwing them to the floor. Sitting down next to him, she slowly untied the knot in his tie, carefully removing it from around his neck. "You'll be more comfortable now," was the only thing she could think of to say. She chuckled though. Only Vaughn would wear his suit and tie out drinking. She willed her fingers to unbutton his white dress shirt, and took it off too. Only his white wife beater remained.
Vaughn was sleeping peacefully by now. Sydney sat in the rocking chair across from the bed, watching him. She knew, in all reality, it would probably be her only opportunity to quietly observe him like this. "You are more gorgeous than I ever thought," she sighed, not able to take her eyes off him. In a few moments she'd have to leave and prepare herself for the morning where she'll have to pretend that none of this happened. But, she still had a few moments. She leaned back and rocked.
CIA Headquarters, Conference Room
"How you feeling today Weiss," Sydney said, sneaking up behind Weiss and speaking loudly into his ear, causing the man to wince and dramatically grab his head.
"Oh, I'll remember that," Eric grumbled, "You wait. You think SD-6 is a threat," he points to himself, "I'm just as vindictive, lethal and powerful as Arvin Sloane. Only, I'm much cuter." He smiled. She laughed loudly, causing him to wince again and re-grab his head in pain.
"Oh, I'll remember that," She repeated his words, still laughing as Vaughn walked in.
"What's so funny?" He asked her.
"Nothing," she said almost shyly, "Are we almost ready to start the meeting?"
"Whenever Kendall gets here," he replied. He looked her over for a moment, "Um, I think I need to thank you for," he searched for the right words "helping me last night," he said finished in a low voice.
"Don't worry about it, Michael," she smiled before turning her attention to Kendall, who had just walked in the door.
"Please sit down," Kendall began the meeting, "Unfortunately, I don't have any good news to share. On the eve of Arvin Sloane all but disappearing from SD-6, it seems that Mr. Sark has followed in his footprints."
Sydney shot up in her seat, "What? Sark is missing?"
"We aren't going to jump to conclusions, just yet Agent Bristow."
"I'm not jumping, Sir. Sark is a very smart man. He's not out for a smoke and got lost. He's planning something. I knew it from the minute he walked into SD-6."
"We will uncover what Mr. Sark is hiding. But for now, we just need to find out where he and Mr. Sloane are located. Jack," Jack looked up from the file in front of him, "do you think Irina Derevko could know anything about what is happening?"
"I highly doubt it, Sir, but I'll have a talk with her later," Jack responded. Sydney raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You highly doubt it? You have never NOT doubted anything where mom is concerned," she whispered to her father, "what's going on?" she asked. He shrugged, "I don't exactly trust her Sydney, but lately I've, I've grown to, respect her." Sydney smiled. "Don't do that," Jack said. "My Mommy and Daddy are getting back together," her smiled erupted even wider. "Sydney, stop it," Jack said loudly, interrupting Kendall.
"Agents Bristow, is there a problem?" Sydney stifled a laugh and Vaughn gave her an amused look.
"Sorry, Sir," Sydney replied as her father said, "No, Sir."
"Good. Then Jack, I hope to hear more from you on this subject later. Until then, this meeting is dismissed. Another debriefing is scheduled for tomorrow, when I hope to have more information."
"What was that about?" Vaughn asked Sydney, as Jack walked out of the room.
"Just some father-daughter stuff," she replied.
"Oh," he started, "Okay, I guess I'll," he wanted so badly to say see you later, "I'll call you if anything comes up."
Sydney watched him walk away. "Too bad you can't just call me anyway," she thought. She shook her head. "No, you are going to find Sark and Sloane and forget about Vaughn," she instructed herself. "But first, I'm going to find out what's up with Mom and Dad."
Vaughn's House
"You need to help me Vaughn," Sydney huffed as she half-carried a sleepy Vaughn up the front steps, "Where is your extra key?"
He pointed to a potted plant on the stoop. "Not very stealthy for a CIA officer," she mumbled under her breath. She reached out for it but was having a hard time lifting up the plant and holding Vaughn at the same time.
"Vaughn," she groaned, "Sit here for a moment," she said, allowing him to fall gently to the ground. She proceeded to open the door as quickly as she could. Her being there with him wasn't exactly safe.
"C'mon," she lifted him up again, helping him walk. They were now inside. Sydney took a moment to look around. The décor could only be named, distinctly Vaughn: wood furniture, straight lines, and earth tones. "Where's your bedroom?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a smile. He managed to point to the first door on the right.
"You don't know," Vaughn mumbled, "how many times I've thought of those words," he paused, "and your mouth in the same sentence." He wasn't technically making any sense, but Sydney wasn't daft. She knew exactly where he was going with this.
"You don't know," She followed his train of thought, "how many times I've thought about," she paused and stepped over the threshold into the room, eyeing the large bed in the center, "being in your bedroom."
Sydney pulled back the covers and helped him lay down on the bed. She visibly shook the overwhelming urge to join him out of her head. She unlaced his right shoe, then his left, throwing them to the floor. Sitting down next to him, she slowly untied the knot in his tie, carefully removing it from around his neck. "You'll be more comfortable now," was the only thing she could think of to say. She chuckled though. Only Vaughn would wear his suit and tie out drinking. She willed her fingers to unbutton his white dress shirt, and took it off too. Only his white wife beater remained.
Vaughn was sleeping peacefully by now. Sydney sat in the rocking chair across from the bed, watching him. She knew, in all reality, it would probably be her only opportunity to quietly observe him like this. "You are more gorgeous than I ever thought," she sighed, not able to take her eyes off him. In a few moments she'd have to leave and prepare herself for the morning where she'll have to pretend that none of this happened. But, she still had a few moments. She leaned back and rocked.
CIA Headquarters, Conference Room
"How you feeling today Weiss," Sydney said, sneaking up behind Weiss and speaking loudly into his ear, causing the man to wince and dramatically grab his head.
"Oh, I'll remember that," Eric grumbled, "You wait. You think SD-6 is a threat," he points to himself, "I'm just as vindictive, lethal and powerful as Arvin Sloane. Only, I'm much cuter." He smiled. She laughed loudly, causing him to wince again and re-grab his head in pain.
"Oh, I'll remember that," She repeated his words, still laughing as Vaughn walked in.
"What's so funny?" He asked her.
"Nothing," she said almost shyly, "Are we almost ready to start the meeting?"
"Whenever Kendall gets here," he replied. He looked her over for a moment, "Um, I think I need to thank you for," he searched for the right words "helping me last night," he said finished in a low voice.
"Don't worry about it, Michael," she smiled before turning her attention to Kendall, who had just walked in the door.
"Please sit down," Kendall began the meeting, "Unfortunately, I don't have any good news to share. On the eve of Arvin Sloane all but disappearing from SD-6, it seems that Mr. Sark has followed in his footprints."
Sydney shot up in her seat, "What? Sark is missing?"
"We aren't going to jump to conclusions, just yet Agent Bristow."
"I'm not jumping, Sir. Sark is a very smart man. He's not out for a smoke and got lost. He's planning something. I knew it from the minute he walked into SD-6."
"We will uncover what Mr. Sark is hiding. But for now, we just need to find out where he and Mr. Sloane are located. Jack," Jack looked up from the file in front of him, "do you think Irina Derevko could know anything about what is happening?"
"I highly doubt it, Sir, but I'll have a talk with her later," Jack responded. Sydney raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You highly doubt it? You have never NOT doubted anything where mom is concerned," she whispered to her father, "what's going on?" she asked. He shrugged, "I don't exactly trust her Sydney, but lately I've, I've grown to, respect her." Sydney smiled. "Don't do that," Jack said. "My Mommy and Daddy are getting back together," her smiled erupted even wider. "Sydney, stop it," Jack said loudly, interrupting Kendall.
"Agents Bristow, is there a problem?" Sydney stifled a laugh and Vaughn gave her an amused look.
"Sorry, Sir," Sydney replied as her father said, "No, Sir."
"Good. Then Jack, I hope to hear more from you on this subject later. Until then, this meeting is dismissed. Another debriefing is scheduled for tomorrow, when I hope to have more information."
"What was that about?" Vaughn asked Sydney, as Jack walked out of the room.
"Just some father-daughter stuff," she replied.
"Oh," he started, "Okay, I guess I'll," he wanted so badly to say see you later, "I'll call you if anything comes up."
Sydney watched him walk away. "Too bad you can't just call me anyway," she thought. She shook her head. "No, you are going to find Sark and Sloane and forget about Vaughn," she instructed herself. "But first, I'm going to find out what's up with Mom and Dad."