Chapter 9
Los Angeles, Park
It was a familiar scenario. Sydney often met Vaughn in a previously discussed public place, pretending they just bumped accidentally into one another, when really it was anything but accidental. Today she sat on one bench, he on the one directly behind her.
"I'm a little confused." she stated, "why couldn't we meet in the warehouse?" she asked.
"It's too nice out. You should enjoy the weather." She smiled. He always did that. He looked out for her. "Since you've been so sick and all," he offered as a meager explanation.
"I appreciate that. Not that I don't enjoy your company, but why exactly am I here?"
Should he make up a professional excuse, or just tell her the truth? He opted for the truth. "Jack told me you are going back to SD-6 today. I wanted to make sure you were feeling ready."
"I'm fine," she said, slightly shocked. "One weeks rest did me plenty. Plus, it's not fair to make my Dad go on any more of my missions. It's time to go back."
"Be careful with that new boss of yours. The CIA can find almost no information about him. I don't trust him. He'll be even more suspicious when fail to bring him Sark."
She knew the rules and the dangers. They controlled her life. They almost got her killed. "I know. I promise I'll be careful."
"Good. Um, Syd?" He forgot about the "no name" policy in public.
"Yeah?" She did too.
"We never really got a chance to talk about - about things." He was vague on purpose, but she knew immediately what he was referring to.
"Vaughn and Weiss's Excellent Adventure? I think we should probably leave that in the past." He couldn't tell if she were joking or being serious.
"Is it really in the past?" He must have turned on the bench to face her because she felt the heat of his breath on her exposed neck. She shivered.
"Turn around. It's not safe." She ordered him.
He traced the outline of her skinny tank top strap, fingers lingering on her soft skin. She snapped around to look at him. What was he doing?
"Vaughn, what are you?" She began to ask, but he had gotten up. She turned back around to find him kneeling in front of her.
"This is so not safe." She whispered. He sat there propped up on one knee, his face inches from hers. He didn't say a word, but he didn't take his eyes off her form.
"Vaughn."
"I'm going to say something, and you are going to listen and not say anything until I'm done. Okay?" He began. "If you had, you know, died, I was going to quit. I wouldn't have done it solely on principle, or to make a statement, but rather because," he paused, "my heart was broken. I really thought you." He couldn't continue.
"I'm alive. I'm here." She tried to soothe him. She was worried about them being so public, but right now, it was hard not to pay sole attention to the man in front of her. She reached out and touched his chin, tilting it up to look at her. "I'm not going anywhere, Vaughn."
He shook his head. "Yes, you will. If I don't say it, you will."
She was confused. "Say what?" She asked.
He sprung up on his feet so they were eye to eye. He smiled as she searched his face in confusion. "I love you." It was hard for him to believe he finally had admitted it, after all this time.
"For someone who works with government security," she smiled, leaning closer to him, "you're really terrible at keeping secrets."
"What?" He grinned. "You knew?"
"I knew it the minute you asked the maitre-d at that restaurant in France to give us the room key."
"You figured that out, huh?" She pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well, you're really terrible at keeping secrets," she repeated.
He was taking such a chance with their safety, and in the morning he would kick himself for it, but right now all he could think about was not letting another minute go by without having her by his side, or in his arms. He hugged her deeply, relishing the feel of her in his embrace. He leaned back and saw that her eyes were closed. He hesitated for a second before leaning in and making gentle contact with her lips.
"What are we doing? Vaughn,"
"I've had a dream, Syd, every day for the last month. You and me are sitting on a bench like this one and we're so happy. I'm throwing a Frisbee to Donovan and you're rocking our baby girl to sleep. You start singing, you have such a beautiful voice, and I start to sing along, and there is such happiness and peace in the air, finally happiness after everything."
"What about our enemies?" She asks delicately.
"They drive by in a black car. They take it all away from me. Every night."
"No," she smiles, "they won't win any more. It's only a matter of time before SD-6 goes down, with Sloane out of commission. Sark is in custody and the ring is out of dangerous hands. But most importantly," she kisses him slowly then continues, "I love you too."
"What? Did you just?" He smiles broadly. "It's funny, you know. No matter how much I wanted this, I never thought the day would actually come when," he paused. "I always expect that black car to take you away first."
"I don't go anywhere without a fight. You should really know that by now." She grins, before a pensive smile takes over. "But we do need to get out of here. Let's not push our luck any further than necessary."
He nods, and stands up, pulling her to her feet.
"You're so beautiful," he states staring at her, before jogging off into the distance.
"You're not so bad yourself, Agent Vaughn." She smiles, and jogs home.
FIN
Los Angeles, Park
It was a familiar scenario. Sydney often met Vaughn in a previously discussed public place, pretending they just bumped accidentally into one another, when really it was anything but accidental. Today she sat on one bench, he on the one directly behind her.
"I'm a little confused." she stated, "why couldn't we meet in the warehouse?" she asked.
"It's too nice out. You should enjoy the weather." She smiled. He always did that. He looked out for her. "Since you've been so sick and all," he offered as a meager explanation.
"I appreciate that. Not that I don't enjoy your company, but why exactly am I here?"
Should he make up a professional excuse, or just tell her the truth? He opted for the truth. "Jack told me you are going back to SD-6 today. I wanted to make sure you were feeling ready."
"I'm fine," she said, slightly shocked. "One weeks rest did me plenty. Plus, it's not fair to make my Dad go on any more of my missions. It's time to go back."
"Be careful with that new boss of yours. The CIA can find almost no information about him. I don't trust him. He'll be even more suspicious when fail to bring him Sark."
She knew the rules and the dangers. They controlled her life. They almost got her killed. "I know. I promise I'll be careful."
"Good. Um, Syd?" He forgot about the "no name" policy in public.
"Yeah?" She did too.
"We never really got a chance to talk about - about things." He was vague on purpose, but she knew immediately what he was referring to.
"Vaughn and Weiss's Excellent Adventure? I think we should probably leave that in the past." He couldn't tell if she were joking or being serious.
"Is it really in the past?" He must have turned on the bench to face her because she felt the heat of his breath on her exposed neck. She shivered.
"Turn around. It's not safe." She ordered him.
He traced the outline of her skinny tank top strap, fingers lingering on her soft skin. She snapped around to look at him. What was he doing?
"Vaughn, what are you?" She began to ask, but he had gotten up. She turned back around to find him kneeling in front of her.
"This is so not safe." She whispered. He sat there propped up on one knee, his face inches from hers. He didn't say a word, but he didn't take his eyes off her form.
"Vaughn."
"I'm going to say something, and you are going to listen and not say anything until I'm done. Okay?" He began. "If you had, you know, died, I was going to quit. I wouldn't have done it solely on principle, or to make a statement, but rather because," he paused, "my heart was broken. I really thought you." He couldn't continue.
"I'm alive. I'm here." She tried to soothe him. She was worried about them being so public, but right now, it was hard not to pay sole attention to the man in front of her. She reached out and touched his chin, tilting it up to look at her. "I'm not going anywhere, Vaughn."
He shook his head. "Yes, you will. If I don't say it, you will."
She was confused. "Say what?" She asked.
He sprung up on his feet so they were eye to eye. He smiled as she searched his face in confusion. "I love you." It was hard for him to believe he finally had admitted it, after all this time.
"For someone who works with government security," she smiled, leaning closer to him, "you're really terrible at keeping secrets."
"What?" He grinned. "You knew?"
"I knew it the minute you asked the maitre-d at that restaurant in France to give us the room key."
"You figured that out, huh?" She pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well, you're really terrible at keeping secrets," she repeated.
He was taking such a chance with their safety, and in the morning he would kick himself for it, but right now all he could think about was not letting another minute go by without having her by his side, or in his arms. He hugged her deeply, relishing the feel of her in his embrace. He leaned back and saw that her eyes were closed. He hesitated for a second before leaning in and making gentle contact with her lips.
"What are we doing? Vaughn,"
"I've had a dream, Syd, every day for the last month. You and me are sitting on a bench like this one and we're so happy. I'm throwing a Frisbee to Donovan and you're rocking our baby girl to sleep. You start singing, you have such a beautiful voice, and I start to sing along, and there is such happiness and peace in the air, finally happiness after everything."
"What about our enemies?" She asks delicately.
"They drive by in a black car. They take it all away from me. Every night."
"No," she smiles, "they won't win any more. It's only a matter of time before SD-6 goes down, with Sloane out of commission. Sark is in custody and the ring is out of dangerous hands. But most importantly," she kisses him slowly then continues, "I love you too."
"What? Did you just?" He smiles broadly. "It's funny, you know. No matter how much I wanted this, I never thought the day would actually come when," he paused. "I always expect that black car to take you away first."
"I don't go anywhere without a fight. You should really know that by now." She grins, before a pensive smile takes over. "But we do need to get out of here. Let's not push our luck any further than necessary."
He nods, and stands up, pulling her to her feet.
"You're so beautiful," he states staring at her, before jogging off into the distance.
"You're not so bad yourself, Agent Vaughn." She smiles, and jogs home.
FIN