Sweet Madness
Chapter 1/?
It took a few hours before anyone showed sign of life around this place. A slot opened in the bottom of the door and a plate was slid through. Vaughn turned at the sound. Once the slot was closed and he heard footsteps retreating, he slowly approached the plate. It looked like food, smelled like food, but what was to say they hadn't poisoned it. So he left it there.
He stood in the middle of the room, looking around once again. "If you can hear me, anyone..." he started, but it had never gotten him any results so he stopped. He slumped back on the bed. Was Sydney okay... Had she made it out, or was she stuck in another room like this one... He wondered that again and again until it made his head spin. He lied back on the bed and closed his eyes. It didn't look like he was going anywhere at the moment anyway. He closed his eyes, not intending to sleep, but eventually finding himself in a dream. He wasn't surprised at who he found in his dream. She was usually there anyway.
*
She got off the plane, and wasn't surprised at all to see her father waiting for her. Their eyes met and it was like he'd read her mind. He knew what had happened without asking. There were probably some details he didn't know, but he had the base of it. He surprised her for once when she made it up to him and he turned to walk along with her. He slowly reached up and took her hand. That simple gesture was enough for her to finally release a part of her emotions and she began crying silently.
They got in a car and as they drove off, he turned to her, still holding her hand. "Sydney, I..."
"I know..." she said simply, her voice nothing more than a whisper. He turned back to look to the front but still looked to her every once in a while. She knew where they were going now, and at the moment she didn't know if she could face them and talk about everything that had happened without breaking down. One thing was for sure, they'd know they'd lost one of their best agents, she'd know she'd lost a lot more...
*
One month later
Today he would make his move. There was no way he was staying a moment longer. He thought maybe he'd gone a little crazy in his month there. He'd been alone, all this time... No one ever came to see him. He tried to understand why that was, but after a while he didn't really care.
The silence, the stillness of it all bothered him the most at first. He eventually got used to it, but he hadn't settled. He wasn't staying there. He was going to get out, and he had a plan. He couldn't put it in full motion for a few hours, so he waited on his bed.
He still thought of her every day, almost every minute. Many little scenarios had had time to run through his mind in all these days. Most of them had Sydney escaping, alive and well. But there were still some that managed to creep their way into his head where she didn't make it. He tried to chase those out as soon as they came.
There was always the question of how she would react if he made it out and back to the States and she found out he was still alive. It had after all been a month. How would she take having him suddenly reappear in her life? If she saw him at that moment she probably wouldn't recognize him, though. His hair had grown and it was all messy down to the beard he'd developed in this time. His clothes were dirty and torn. It wasn't a pretty picture.
He stood when he knew his lunch was about to arrive. It had taken a few days before he'd finally given in and tasted the food. He was relieved to find it devoid of poison or anything of the sort. It wasn't exactly tasty, but it would sustain him. The first part of his plan had cost him one meal as he'd thrown it against the window in a 'fit of rage'. The window was too dirty for anyone to see through it now, and they hadn't even bothered cleaning it.
So when his lunch was to come that day, he crawled to the door with a bar he'd ripped from his bed. It was sharp at the edge, perfect for what he intended to do with it. The slot opened and the man's hand slid through with the plate. As soon as it was there, Vaughn plunged the stick through the man's hand. He heard him scream but that didn't matter. There was no turning back now.
"You get that door opened right now, you hear me? Right NOW!" he yelled. He heard some shouts through the door, then a lock being turned. With his free hand, he reached for the handle and pushed against it. The men behind it tumbled to the ground. He moved quickly and slid out into the hall at last. He grabbed one of the fallen men's guns and turned to run down the hall.
He made it around a corner before an alarm was sounded. He picked up his step when he heard it. He had to find an exit as soon as possible.
*
"Agent Bristow, I'd like you to meet Agent Christopher Belgrave," Devlin spoke as she entered his office. She looked to the man sitting in front of his desk as he turned and stood. "Agent Belgrave, this is Agent Sydney Bristow." She shook the man's hand before both sat side by side. "Agent Bristow, I know it hasn't been very long since your previous handler, Agent Vaughn, was lost..." he started.
"Previous handler?" she found herself saying out loud. She saw Devlin exchange a look with Belgrave and then she knew why she'd been called into the office. She'd dreaded this moment for so long it had almost seemed like maybe it wouldn't happen after all... but there it was. She was being assigned a new handler... It was over, they'd given up on him, and now they'd expect her to do the same? She couldn't.
"I know how hard this must be for you..." Belgrave started as they came out of Devlin's office.
"No, you don't know," she snapped at him suddenly.
"Agent Bristow..." he tried again, but once more he was interrupted.
"Did you know Agent Vaughn?" she asked him.
"No, I didn't," he admitted.
"Then how could you possibly know what I'm going through right now?"
"I'm not trying to replace anyone, alright? I'm just doing my job." She sighed. He hadn't deserved to be yelled at this way.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay." He led her to his office, which was still surrounded in boxes. "It's kind of a mess, I apologize. I just got here and..." He stopped and changed subject. "I read your file and I've talked to Agent Weiss, I understand he was your handler temporarily after..." He didn't even want to say it for her sake.
"That's right," she nodded. She was relieved at how this man was turning out to be. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected. It would never be the way it had been with Vaughn, but it would have to do.
"I don't expect you to like to me right away, or for us to work well together right away, but eventually I think we'll manage. We'll start slow. If you have any questions or anything you'd like to say, my door is always open." He smiled to her and she returned it. Neither of them were giving happy smiles, but more understanding smiles. This wouldn't be easy for either of them.
*
He thought he was seeing a 'mirage' when he found himself standing before the safe house. It had taken him a day's walk to arrive there, but he'd finally made it. He thought for sure he must have been crying when he saw it, and he imagined he might start drawing too much attention if he remained standing there, so he went up to the door. He looked around, trying to locate the camera. He couldn't see it, but he knew they could. "This is... This is Agent Michael Vaughn... I-I need to come in..." He didn't know what to say, but then a few seconds later the door opened. The man standing there looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Agent Vaughn..." he spoke in hushed tones. "We thought you were dead... Where have you been all this time?" he asked as he led him inside.
"It's a long story..." he said, feeling almost like a weight had been lifted just standing in this place. He was free. But with the freedom, there was still one question going through his mind... Was Sydney okay, too?
Chapter 1/?
It took a few hours before anyone showed sign of life around this place. A slot opened in the bottom of the door and a plate was slid through. Vaughn turned at the sound. Once the slot was closed and he heard footsteps retreating, he slowly approached the plate. It looked like food, smelled like food, but what was to say they hadn't poisoned it. So he left it there.
He stood in the middle of the room, looking around once again. "If you can hear me, anyone..." he started, but it had never gotten him any results so he stopped. He slumped back on the bed. Was Sydney okay... Had she made it out, or was she stuck in another room like this one... He wondered that again and again until it made his head spin. He lied back on the bed and closed his eyes. It didn't look like he was going anywhere at the moment anyway. He closed his eyes, not intending to sleep, but eventually finding himself in a dream. He wasn't surprised at who he found in his dream. She was usually there anyway.
*
She got off the plane, and wasn't surprised at all to see her father waiting for her. Their eyes met and it was like he'd read her mind. He knew what had happened without asking. There were probably some details he didn't know, but he had the base of it. He surprised her for once when she made it up to him and he turned to walk along with her. He slowly reached up and took her hand. That simple gesture was enough for her to finally release a part of her emotions and she began crying silently.
They got in a car and as they drove off, he turned to her, still holding her hand. "Sydney, I..."
"I know..." she said simply, her voice nothing more than a whisper. He turned back to look to the front but still looked to her every once in a while. She knew where they were going now, and at the moment she didn't know if she could face them and talk about everything that had happened without breaking down. One thing was for sure, they'd know they'd lost one of their best agents, she'd know she'd lost a lot more...
*
One month later
Today he would make his move. There was no way he was staying a moment longer. He thought maybe he'd gone a little crazy in his month there. He'd been alone, all this time... No one ever came to see him. He tried to understand why that was, but after a while he didn't really care.
The silence, the stillness of it all bothered him the most at first. He eventually got used to it, but he hadn't settled. He wasn't staying there. He was going to get out, and he had a plan. He couldn't put it in full motion for a few hours, so he waited on his bed.
He still thought of her every day, almost every minute. Many little scenarios had had time to run through his mind in all these days. Most of them had Sydney escaping, alive and well. But there were still some that managed to creep their way into his head where she didn't make it. He tried to chase those out as soon as they came.
There was always the question of how she would react if he made it out and back to the States and she found out he was still alive. It had after all been a month. How would she take having him suddenly reappear in her life? If she saw him at that moment she probably wouldn't recognize him, though. His hair had grown and it was all messy down to the beard he'd developed in this time. His clothes were dirty and torn. It wasn't a pretty picture.
He stood when he knew his lunch was about to arrive. It had taken a few days before he'd finally given in and tasted the food. He was relieved to find it devoid of poison or anything of the sort. It wasn't exactly tasty, but it would sustain him. The first part of his plan had cost him one meal as he'd thrown it against the window in a 'fit of rage'. The window was too dirty for anyone to see through it now, and they hadn't even bothered cleaning it.
So when his lunch was to come that day, he crawled to the door with a bar he'd ripped from his bed. It was sharp at the edge, perfect for what he intended to do with it. The slot opened and the man's hand slid through with the plate. As soon as it was there, Vaughn plunged the stick through the man's hand. He heard him scream but that didn't matter. There was no turning back now.
"You get that door opened right now, you hear me? Right NOW!" he yelled. He heard some shouts through the door, then a lock being turned. With his free hand, he reached for the handle and pushed against it. The men behind it tumbled to the ground. He moved quickly and slid out into the hall at last. He grabbed one of the fallen men's guns and turned to run down the hall.
He made it around a corner before an alarm was sounded. He picked up his step when he heard it. He had to find an exit as soon as possible.
*
"Agent Bristow, I'd like you to meet Agent Christopher Belgrave," Devlin spoke as she entered his office. She looked to the man sitting in front of his desk as he turned and stood. "Agent Belgrave, this is Agent Sydney Bristow." She shook the man's hand before both sat side by side. "Agent Bristow, I know it hasn't been very long since your previous handler, Agent Vaughn, was lost..." he started.
"Previous handler?" she found herself saying out loud. She saw Devlin exchange a look with Belgrave and then she knew why she'd been called into the office. She'd dreaded this moment for so long it had almost seemed like maybe it wouldn't happen after all... but there it was. She was being assigned a new handler... It was over, they'd given up on him, and now they'd expect her to do the same? She couldn't.
"I know how hard this must be for you..." Belgrave started as they came out of Devlin's office.
"No, you don't know," she snapped at him suddenly.
"Agent Bristow..." he tried again, but once more he was interrupted.
"Did you know Agent Vaughn?" she asked him.
"No, I didn't," he admitted.
"Then how could you possibly know what I'm going through right now?"
"I'm not trying to replace anyone, alright? I'm just doing my job." She sighed. He hadn't deserved to be yelled at this way.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay." He led her to his office, which was still surrounded in boxes. "It's kind of a mess, I apologize. I just got here and..." He stopped and changed subject. "I read your file and I've talked to Agent Weiss, I understand he was your handler temporarily after..." He didn't even want to say it for her sake.
"That's right," she nodded. She was relieved at how this man was turning out to be. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected. It would never be the way it had been with Vaughn, but it would have to do.
"I don't expect you to like to me right away, or for us to work well together right away, but eventually I think we'll manage. We'll start slow. If you have any questions or anything you'd like to say, my door is always open." He smiled to her and she returned it. Neither of them were giving happy smiles, but more understanding smiles. This wouldn't be easy for either of them.
*
He thought he was seeing a 'mirage' when he found himself standing before the safe house. It had taken him a day's walk to arrive there, but he'd finally made it. He thought for sure he must have been crying when he saw it, and he imagined he might start drawing too much attention if he remained standing there, so he went up to the door. He looked around, trying to locate the camera. He couldn't see it, but he knew they could. "This is... This is Agent Michael Vaughn... I-I need to come in..." He didn't know what to say, but then a few seconds later the door opened. The man standing there looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Agent Vaughn..." he spoke in hushed tones. "We thought you were dead... Where have you been all this time?" he asked as he led him inside.
"It's a long story..." he said, feeling almost like a weight had been lifted just standing in this place. He was free. But with the freedom, there was still one question going through his mind... Was Sydney okay, too?