//Press Conference
"Mr. Tippin, how does it feel knowing you have won one of the most prestigious journalism awards, the Pulitzer Prize?"
"Mr. Tippin, there have been rumors that you have a new fiancé . . . Is it true you will be marrying your long-time girlfriend, Ms. Sydney Bristow?"
"Mr. Tippin, do you have any comments about the torture and murder of the renowned criminal Mr. Sark?"
"Any comments about your fiancé's acquaintance, Michael Vaughn, and his recent decision to become a Catholic Priest and live the rest of his life in chaste?"
"Hang on a sec," said Will, laughing, "One question at a time . . ."
Cameras flashed in his face, catching every smile.
"Give your new fiancé a kiss for the cameras!"
"I'll be happy to oblige," said Will, pulling Sydney close.
"Whadda you say, honey?" Sydney whispered seductively in his ear, "Do you wanna . . . RRRIIINNNGGG!!!" //
The annoying ring of a cell phone in Will's ear awoke him from his nap. Grumbling, Will groped blindly for the phone as it continued to ring an irritating Nokia Jingle. He finally admitted defeat and got up, sifting through couch cushions in pursuit of the elusive ring tone. Finally awake, he realized it had been in his pocket all along.
"H'lo?" he said sleepily.
"Will, could you do me a favor?" Will recognized Vaughn's slightly panicked voice on the other end.
"Sure, I owe you. What's the favor?"
"Could you go pick up Sydney at the moonlight bar on Southeast 25th? It's right on the corner, you can't miss it."
What was this??
"Why is Sydney alone at a bar Vaughn?? Did you LEAVE her there??"
"Look-It's not like it sounds . . . I'm parked outside the bar now to make sure nothing happens to her."
"Then why don't you go get her? What happened, Vaughn??" Will was beginning to sound more frantic than Vaughn did.
"Look, I can't explain, but . . . some things were said, and, well-- It's just better if you went and got her . . ."
"If you hurt her, Vaughn I swear to God . . ."
"I-I didn't hurt her . . . Sark took care of that . . . I was just trying to help her . . . But if I go back in there, I'll only make things worse for her."
"What did Sark do to her??" Will began cursing under his breath. He was already sprinting out to his car, feeling overprotective emotions taking control.
He'd kill Sark. He'd take a gun, and shoot him in the head. He might do the same to Vaughn, for leaving Syd in the bar alone. But then, he did call . . .
Okay, I'll just maim him instead . . .
Vaughn was still chattering nervously into the phone.
"Sark didn't do anything to her physically, Will . . . But he messed with her head a bit, so she's pretty fragile right now."
"I'm on my way . . . Bye . . ." Will was only half listening at this point. He just had to get to Sydney.
_______________________________________
Sydney had been falling in and out of consciousness for the past hour . . . Ever since Vaughn left. Suddenly she felt warm hands wrap around her and pick her up off the ground. This wasn't Vaughn-she could tell that much in her drunken state.
Looking up at the familiar face, she had had too much to drink . . . she couldn't quite see . . . she tried to form words, but she was too tired . . .
He was whispering softly to her, but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying.
Finally she surrendered to her emotional fatigue, and just nestled her head into his shoulder and fell into blissful unconsciousness.
______________________________________
Will parked his car around back. He could see Vaughn's black sedan parked on the curb out front. Good. He was still here.
Entering through the back door, he tried to spot Sydney at one of the many tables in the smoke-filled bar. She was nowhere to be seen.
Growing steadily worried, Will checked the floor, just in case she had passed out. Looking around, eyes darting . . . he couldn't find her . . .
Will let out a breath. There she was, lying in the corner, apparently passed out. Will ran over to her, checking to make sure she was okay.
A light touch on her arm woke her up, and she blinked a second at Will, seeming to acknowledge his presence, but she couldn't seem to find the words to say anything. Will patted her reassuringly on the shoulder.
"Syd, I'll be right back and then we can take you home. Okay?"
Sydney squinted sleepily, but nodded. Will checked one more time to see if she was okay, and then went out to give Vaughn a piece of his mind.
Vaughn was waiting in the car, looking wide-eyed and slightly traumatized. He rolled down the window when Will walked up.
"You don't have to wait around anymore, I'll take her home," he found himself saying. All the insults and biting remarks he had been constructing on the way over blew out of his head when he saw the worried look on Vaughn's face. He truly was worried about her. It as clear he thought that he wasn't a help to Sydney right now-he was looking downright guilty.
"What happened that was so bad that you thought you could only make things worse for Sydney?" Will asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
Vaughn, however, didn't supply one.
"If Sydney wants you to know, she'll tell you . . ." he looked down at the floor of his car.
"Look-you better go in and get her out. She needs to be home -resting- with friends. She could definitely use a little normalcy right now."
"I'll stay out here until you leave . . . Don't want to complicate things . . . See you later, Will." Vaughn sounded so dejected.
"See you later Vaughn."
____________________________________
Vaughn began to slowly close the window in his car as Will disappeared into the bar once more. He'd really screwed up Sydney this time.
She came to me for help and I only made things worse . . . I probably made her feel more alone than she already was . . .
Will will be there to help her out, he told himself. But somehow he wasn't satisfied with that. He kept envisioning him sitting on the couch with Sydney, putting his arm around her, telling her everything would be all right . . .
Just as he put the key in the ignition, Will came running out of the restaurant, waving wildly at Vaughn to stop the car, a mad look on his face.
Vaughn frantically rolled down the window.
"What?? What happened?? Where's Sydney?!"
Will gripped the window ledge of the car until his knuckles turned white.
"-Sydney's gone . . . I can't find her!"
"Mr. Tippin, how does it feel knowing you have won one of the most prestigious journalism awards, the Pulitzer Prize?"
"Mr. Tippin, there have been rumors that you have a new fiancé . . . Is it true you will be marrying your long-time girlfriend, Ms. Sydney Bristow?"
"Mr. Tippin, do you have any comments about the torture and murder of the renowned criminal Mr. Sark?"
"Any comments about your fiancé's acquaintance, Michael Vaughn, and his recent decision to become a Catholic Priest and live the rest of his life in chaste?"
"Hang on a sec," said Will, laughing, "One question at a time . . ."
Cameras flashed in his face, catching every smile.
"Give your new fiancé a kiss for the cameras!"
"I'll be happy to oblige," said Will, pulling Sydney close.
"Whadda you say, honey?" Sydney whispered seductively in his ear, "Do you wanna . . . RRRIIINNNGGG!!!" //
The annoying ring of a cell phone in Will's ear awoke him from his nap. Grumbling, Will groped blindly for the phone as it continued to ring an irritating Nokia Jingle. He finally admitted defeat and got up, sifting through couch cushions in pursuit of the elusive ring tone. Finally awake, he realized it had been in his pocket all along.
"H'lo?" he said sleepily.
"Will, could you do me a favor?" Will recognized Vaughn's slightly panicked voice on the other end.
"Sure, I owe you. What's the favor?"
"Could you go pick up Sydney at the moonlight bar on Southeast 25th? It's right on the corner, you can't miss it."
What was this??
"Why is Sydney alone at a bar Vaughn?? Did you LEAVE her there??"
"Look-It's not like it sounds . . . I'm parked outside the bar now to make sure nothing happens to her."
"Then why don't you go get her? What happened, Vaughn??" Will was beginning to sound more frantic than Vaughn did.
"Look, I can't explain, but . . . some things were said, and, well-- It's just better if you went and got her . . ."
"If you hurt her, Vaughn I swear to God . . ."
"I-I didn't hurt her . . . Sark took care of that . . . I was just trying to help her . . . But if I go back in there, I'll only make things worse for her."
"What did Sark do to her??" Will began cursing under his breath. He was already sprinting out to his car, feeling overprotective emotions taking control.
He'd kill Sark. He'd take a gun, and shoot him in the head. He might do the same to Vaughn, for leaving Syd in the bar alone. But then, he did call . . .
Okay, I'll just maim him instead . . .
Vaughn was still chattering nervously into the phone.
"Sark didn't do anything to her physically, Will . . . But he messed with her head a bit, so she's pretty fragile right now."
"I'm on my way . . . Bye . . ." Will was only half listening at this point. He just had to get to Sydney.
_______________________________________
Sydney had been falling in and out of consciousness for the past hour . . . Ever since Vaughn left. Suddenly she felt warm hands wrap around her and pick her up off the ground. This wasn't Vaughn-she could tell that much in her drunken state.
Looking up at the familiar face, she had had too much to drink . . . she couldn't quite see . . . she tried to form words, but she was too tired . . .
He was whispering softly to her, but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying.
Finally she surrendered to her emotional fatigue, and just nestled her head into his shoulder and fell into blissful unconsciousness.
______________________________________
Will parked his car around back. He could see Vaughn's black sedan parked on the curb out front. Good. He was still here.
Entering through the back door, he tried to spot Sydney at one of the many tables in the smoke-filled bar. She was nowhere to be seen.
Growing steadily worried, Will checked the floor, just in case she had passed out. Looking around, eyes darting . . . he couldn't find her . . .
Will let out a breath. There she was, lying in the corner, apparently passed out. Will ran over to her, checking to make sure she was okay.
A light touch on her arm woke her up, and she blinked a second at Will, seeming to acknowledge his presence, but she couldn't seem to find the words to say anything. Will patted her reassuringly on the shoulder.
"Syd, I'll be right back and then we can take you home. Okay?"
Sydney squinted sleepily, but nodded. Will checked one more time to see if she was okay, and then went out to give Vaughn a piece of his mind.
Vaughn was waiting in the car, looking wide-eyed and slightly traumatized. He rolled down the window when Will walked up.
"You don't have to wait around anymore, I'll take her home," he found himself saying. All the insults and biting remarks he had been constructing on the way over blew out of his head when he saw the worried look on Vaughn's face. He truly was worried about her. It as clear he thought that he wasn't a help to Sydney right now-he was looking downright guilty.
"What happened that was so bad that you thought you could only make things worse for Sydney?" Will asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
Vaughn, however, didn't supply one.
"If Sydney wants you to know, she'll tell you . . ." he looked down at the floor of his car.
"Look-you better go in and get her out. She needs to be home -resting- with friends. She could definitely use a little normalcy right now."
"I'll stay out here until you leave . . . Don't want to complicate things . . . See you later, Will." Vaughn sounded so dejected.
"See you later Vaughn."
____________________________________
Vaughn began to slowly close the window in his car as Will disappeared into the bar once more. He'd really screwed up Sydney this time.
She came to me for help and I only made things worse . . . I probably made her feel more alone than she already was . . .
Will will be there to help her out, he told himself. But somehow he wasn't satisfied with that. He kept envisioning him sitting on the couch with Sydney, putting his arm around her, telling her everything would be all right . . .
Just as he put the key in the ignition, Will came running out of the restaurant, waving wildly at Vaughn to stop the car, a mad look on his face.
Vaughn frantically rolled down the window.
"What?? What happened?? Where's Sydney?!"
Will gripped the window ledge of the car until his knuckles turned white.
"-Sydney's gone . . . I can't find her!"