Nothing to Fear- Chapter 3
"Ah, Jack. I need to speak to you about something." Arvin Sloane closed the office door as Jack Bristow sat in the chair facing him. "As you know, we've been watching Gaia Moore for two weeks now, and I have reason to believe Loki has made contact with her. I need to know when and where they are meeting. I don't trust anyone else with this, so don't fail me."
"I'll do my best." Jack replied, keeping his eyes trained on Sloane.
"Good man. I know what you're thinking. Why is this meeting so important to me? Why am I following a 17-year-old girl? Because Loki has just been made a full partner of the Alliance. I don't trust him, and I think his intentions are to bring the Alliance down from the inside. He's intelligent and very clever, but I think he has a soft spot for his niece. Gaia is our only hope."
"Do you know how Loki managed to win himself a seat in the Alliance?"
"It doesn't matter how, it matters why, which is what I intend to find out. That will be all."
Jack rose from his seat with a deeper frown etched onto his features. This was not good. Not good at all.
***
Dear Gaia,
I would like to meet you for dinner so we can discuss some family matters. I have a few things to explain to you. Meet me at Rouge Vin tomorrow night at 8.
Your Uncle,
Oliver
Gaia crumpled the note slowly in her hand. Mary's mother told her a man had dropped off a note for her, and she knew before she even read it. Loki wanted to talk. Unfortunately for her, she could barely even think of him without acid rising up her esophagus. This meeting was going to be difficult for her, but Gaia was determined to not let him suspect anything. The cell phone was in her bottom drawer; she pulled it out and pressed 3.
"Vaughn."
Somehow hearing him answer like that calmed her, and she was able to speak in a level tone.
"Tomorrow night at 8."
She had been on her guard for the last two weeks, ever since she had met with Uncle Mike. Seeing him again had made her nostalgic; she had been remembering every meeting with him during the oddest times. The most recent was during Chemistry; she had accidentally let two chemicals mix that created a horrible smell. The FOHs had nearly fainted.
Ed had been upset at being left behind, but he seemed to accept it once he saw Gaia was alive and healthy. She blew it off as a joke that her uncle had pulled, and he pretended to believe it.
Gaia had never really thought that Oliver would contact her again. She was used to her family abandoning her, so his persistence unnerved her.
School was a complete blur, one class melting into the next. Loki stayed on her mind, haunting her thoughts, and revealing painful memories. A shattering glass in Chem sounded just like the bullet that killed her mother. Her history teachers voice resembled that of the scientists that prodded her with needles when she was little. By lunch she was ready to lash out at anyone who came into her path. Ed sensed this, and spoke little to her. Even Heather didn't make any asinine comments about her sense of style.
She found herself in Washington Square Park. It soothed her heated mind, and slowly numbed her to the point where she felt nothing. It was nearly six by the time she reached Mary's apartment, and it was a quarter till eight when she rounded the corner to Rouge Vin, penny in shoe.
The restaurant was different from any other she had been to with her uncle. All the others were small and warm. This one had a spectacular window facing her, enabling Gaia to view her uncle before he saw her.
His appearance suited the role he played. The chiseled features and stone cold eyes gave him the perfect look for the evil bastard he was.
She hesitated before stepping out of the shadows that concealed her from Loki's view. Fear wasn't her problem, but anger would get the better of her. Composure was something she needed. Now.
A second before she started to walk, an older man approached Loki. He was roughly sixty, with thinning hair and a fit appearance.
Even being as far away as she was, Gaia couldn't mistake what she heard.
A silenced bullet.
To the untrained ear, it would only sound like a whoosh. But Gaia knew that sound. A visual confirmed it.
Loki was slumped over the table, blood pouring from his chest. A scream was heard, and Gaia backed away. All thought was gone as she ran. A horrible stench told her she was in an alley, and her only thought before she blacked out was, 'I thought I only did this after I fought.'
***
White. Bright white.
Gaia's eyes fluttered open, only to be squeezed shut once more. A damp cloth was pressed onto her brow, soothing her aching head.
"Don't knock me out, you're safe here." Vaughn's voice woke her fully, and she allowed herself to sit up. The result almost made her pass out.
She clutched her head and moaned, "Aspirin?"
Two pills found their way into her hand, and soon after, her mouth. She didn't speak until the throbbing had started to cease, which was about ten minutes.
"Is he dead?"
"Yes, we have him in our custody to make sure he stays that way."
"Who killed him?"
"Arvin Sloane."
"Thank him for me, but next time, can I get a little warning?"
"He's not CIA, and we didn't know until about five minutes before."
"Wait, that name sounds familiar." She racked her brain. "Isn't he Sydney's boss? The one that was after me?"
"Yes, and you're lucky we found you before he did. Which leads me to a pressing question, why were you unconscious in an ally?"
"I saw Loki get shot, and all my anger took over so I ran. As for being passed out on the street, I have a tendency to black out at unexpected moments."
Vaughn placed a hand on her forehead. It was warmer than usual, but not high enough to show a fever. "You black out a lot?"
"It's usually after I fight, and one time it was after I had to sprint 5 miles. I don't usually get a migraine though." She rubbed her temples trying to end the dulled throbbing. It was then that she noticed the worn cot she was sitting on, and took stock of her surroundings. They were in a small cabin like room. There was a small kitchen area and a card table to her left, and a door to her right. An identical cot was set up directly in front of her.
"Where are we?"
"In a CIA safe house, far away from New York."
"We're not in New York? How long was I out?"
"Nearly eight hours. An agent found you ten minutes after we got there, and you were immediately put on a plane. I came about five hours ago, as soon as they told me."
Gaia smiled at the worry in his eyes. He had always treated her like a real niece, and she had always thought of him as a real uncle. He sure as hell beat Loki in that department.
They passed the next few hours talking about their lives after that night. Vaughn found himself omitting Alice and every other girlfriend as he briefly talked about himself.
Gaia left nothing out, including Heather and Mary, and even Sam. Vaughn felt tears push behind his eyes as she talked about Josh shooting Sam. He held them back though, because he knew how much she hated pity and sympathy.
"So that's what happened to me. You can see what a screwed up family life I have." Gaia joked, trying to lighten the mood. All Vaughn could do was smile. There was no response for that kind of statement.
"So I haven't heard anything about a wife or kids. Is your love life as screwed as my family?" Gaia was very curious about his relationship with Sydney. They seemed to generate that kind of sexual tension. She could feel it after only a few minutes of being in their presence.
"You have no idea."
"Enlighten me. I'm trying to find a more fucked up love life than my own. So far, I haven't."
Vaughn blushed slightly. He'd never imagined talking about his personal life with Gaia. "Uncles" don't talk about those things with their "nieces". How could he explain to her the conflict he felt everyday? Wanting to love Sydney, using Alice to try to forget, and failing miserably?
"First of all, what I'm about to tell you never leaves this cabin, and second, I've never told anyone this before. Keep that in mind." He paused, trying to summon the words to describe everything. "I was dating this woman named Alice. For a long time, until last Thanksgiving. She wasn't right, and I knew it. It just took a little push for me to actually do anything about it."
"Sydney." Gaia whispered.
Vaughn smiled and blushed deeper. "I didn't know I was falling for her until Christmas. I found myself wandering around an antique store. I hate antique stores, but I ended up buying a picture frame for Sydney. The Agency found out I gave it to her, and I was taken off her case because they thought I was "too emotionally attached". She made some threats that got me back on her case, but I knew they were right. I was emotionally attached. Around May I helped her on a mission that compromised my job, and almost cost me my life. I was going to be a subject for an experiment, but Sydney saved me. We trust each other with our lives, and it's hard not to be with her." Gaia took his hand and squeezed it.
"Maybe yours is worse."
"That's not all. I met up with Alice at a party, and things got out of hand. We got back together for a while, but I felt guilty, because anytime I was with Alice, I was wishing I was with Sydney. I'm happy she realized something wasn't right, because I was using her to forget Sydney."
"But it didn't work, did it?"
"No."
"Fine. You win. Your love life is more fucked up than mine." Vaughn managed a very small smile.
"Isn't it hard to work with her everyday?"
"It's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life, but I tell myself it's for her own good. I'm willing to take the risks to keep her alive, and acting on my emotions would only endanger her more. I've nearly lost my job more than once because of her, but I'm happy if it means I'm keeping her safe. It's just not a risk I'm willing to take." He glanced at his watch. "It's nearly six in the morning. We should try to sleep for a little while. I don't know when we're being picked up. It might not be for a few days."
Gaia nodded, and lay down on the small cot. Sleep came to her quickly, engulfing her with darkness and soothing away her migraine.
Vaughn had no such luck. He tossed and turned for a few hours, trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable position. He didn't have to worry about it for long, because at seven in the morning, he was jolted out of the cot by a noise.
A scream.
***AN: I know it took me forever to update, but I've had the worst case of writers block plus lack of reviews. Let me just say, winter vacation does wonders for me. I've even started to think of ideas for sequels to my other stories. But enough of my ramblings. Review! Please! It makes me happy. :)
"Ah, Jack. I need to speak to you about something." Arvin Sloane closed the office door as Jack Bristow sat in the chair facing him. "As you know, we've been watching Gaia Moore for two weeks now, and I have reason to believe Loki has made contact with her. I need to know when and where they are meeting. I don't trust anyone else with this, so don't fail me."
"I'll do my best." Jack replied, keeping his eyes trained on Sloane.
"Good man. I know what you're thinking. Why is this meeting so important to me? Why am I following a 17-year-old girl? Because Loki has just been made a full partner of the Alliance. I don't trust him, and I think his intentions are to bring the Alliance down from the inside. He's intelligent and very clever, but I think he has a soft spot for his niece. Gaia is our only hope."
"Do you know how Loki managed to win himself a seat in the Alliance?"
"It doesn't matter how, it matters why, which is what I intend to find out. That will be all."
Jack rose from his seat with a deeper frown etched onto his features. This was not good. Not good at all.
***
Dear Gaia,
I would like to meet you for dinner so we can discuss some family matters. I have a few things to explain to you. Meet me at Rouge Vin tomorrow night at 8.
Your Uncle,
Oliver
Gaia crumpled the note slowly in her hand. Mary's mother told her a man had dropped off a note for her, and she knew before she even read it. Loki wanted to talk. Unfortunately for her, she could barely even think of him without acid rising up her esophagus. This meeting was going to be difficult for her, but Gaia was determined to not let him suspect anything. The cell phone was in her bottom drawer; she pulled it out and pressed 3.
"Vaughn."
Somehow hearing him answer like that calmed her, and she was able to speak in a level tone.
"Tomorrow night at 8."
She had been on her guard for the last two weeks, ever since she had met with Uncle Mike. Seeing him again had made her nostalgic; she had been remembering every meeting with him during the oddest times. The most recent was during Chemistry; she had accidentally let two chemicals mix that created a horrible smell. The FOHs had nearly fainted.
Ed had been upset at being left behind, but he seemed to accept it once he saw Gaia was alive and healthy. She blew it off as a joke that her uncle had pulled, and he pretended to believe it.
Gaia had never really thought that Oliver would contact her again. She was used to her family abandoning her, so his persistence unnerved her.
School was a complete blur, one class melting into the next. Loki stayed on her mind, haunting her thoughts, and revealing painful memories. A shattering glass in Chem sounded just like the bullet that killed her mother. Her history teachers voice resembled that of the scientists that prodded her with needles when she was little. By lunch she was ready to lash out at anyone who came into her path. Ed sensed this, and spoke little to her. Even Heather didn't make any asinine comments about her sense of style.
She found herself in Washington Square Park. It soothed her heated mind, and slowly numbed her to the point where she felt nothing. It was nearly six by the time she reached Mary's apartment, and it was a quarter till eight when she rounded the corner to Rouge Vin, penny in shoe.
The restaurant was different from any other she had been to with her uncle. All the others were small and warm. This one had a spectacular window facing her, enabling Gaia to view her uncle before he saw her.
His appearance suited the role he played. The chiseled features and stone cold eyes gave him the perfect look for the evil bastard he was.
She hesitated before stepping out of the shadows that concealed her from Loki's view. Fear wasn't her problem, but anger would get the better of her. Composure was something she needed. Now.
A second before she started to walk, an older man approached Loki. He was roughly sixty, with thinning hair and a fit appearance.
Even being as far away as she was, Gaia couldn't mistake what she heard.
A silenced bullet.
To the untrained ear, it would only sound like a whoosh. But Gaia knew that sound. A visual confirmed it.
Loki was slumped over the table, blood pouring from his chest. A scream was heard, and Gaia backed away. All thought was gone as she ran. A horrible stench told her she was in an alley, and her only thought before she blacked out was, 'I thought I only did this after I fought.'
***
White. Bright white.
Gaia's eyes fluttered open, only to be squeezed shut once more. A damp cloth was pressed onto her brow, soothing her aching head.
"Don't knock me out, you're safe here." Vaughn's voice woke her fully, and she allowed herself to sit up. The result almost made her pass out.
She clutched her head and moaned, "Aspirin?"
Two pills found their way into her hand, and soon after, her mouth. She didn't speak until the throbbing had started to cease, which was about ten minutes.
"Is he dead?"
"Yes, we have him in our custody to make sure he stays that way."
"Who killed him?"
"Arvin Sloane."
"Thank him for me, but next time, can I get a little warning?"
"He's not CIA, and we didn't know until about five minutes before."
"Wait, that name sounds familiar." She racked her brain. "Isn't he Sydney's boss? The one that was after me?"
"Yes, and you're lucky we found you before he did. Which leads me to a pressing question, why were you unconscious in an ally?"
"I saw Loki get shot, and all my anger took over so I ran. As for being passed out on the street, I have a tendency to black out at unexpected moments."
Vaughn placed a hand on her forehead. It was warmer than usual, but not high enough to show a fever. "You black out a lot?"
"It's usually after I fight, and one time it was after I had to sprint 5 miles. I don't usually get a migraine though." She rubbed her temples trying to end the dulled throbbing. It was then that she noticed the worn cot she was sitting on, and took stock of her surroundings. They were in a small cabin like room. There was a small kitchen area and a card table to her left, and a door to her right. An identical cot was set up directly in front of her.
"Where are we?"
"In a CIA safe house, far away from New York."
"We're not in New York? How long was I out?"
"Nearly eight hours. An agent found you ten minutes after we got there, and you were immediately put on a plane. I came about five hours ago, as soon as they told me."
Gaia smiled at the worry in his eyes. He had always treated her like a real niece, and she had always thought of him as a real uncle. He sure as hell beat Loki in that department.
They passed the next few hours talking about their lives after that night. Vaughn found himself omitting Alice and every other girlfriend as he briefly talked about himself.
Gaia left nothing out, including Heather and Mary, and even Sam. Vaughn felt tears push behind his eyes as she talked about Josh shooting Sam. He held them back though, because he knew how much she hated pity and sympathy.
"So that's what happened to me. You can see what a screwed up family life I have." Gaia joked, trying to lighten the mood. All Vaughn could do was smile. There was no response for that kind of statement.
"So I haven't heard anything about a wife or kids. Is your love life as screwed as my family?" Gaia was very curious about his relationship with Sydney. They seemed to generate that kind of sexual tension. She could feel it after only a few minutes of being in their presence.
"You have no idea."
"Enlighten me. I'm trying to find a more fucked up love life than my own. So far, I haven't."
Vaughn blushed slightly. He'd never imagined talking about his personal life with Gaia. "Uncles" don't talk about those things with their "nieces". How could he explain to her the conflict he felt everyday? Wanting to love Sydney, using Alice to try to forget, and failing miserably?
"First of all, what I'm about to tell you never leaves this cabin, and second, I've never told anyone this before. Keep that in mind." He paused, trying to summon the words to describe everything. "I was dating this woman named Alice. For a long time, until last Thanksgiving. She wasn't right, and I knew it. It just took a little push for me to actually do anything about it."
"Sydney." Gaia whispered.
Vaughn smiled and blushed deeper. "I didn't know I was falling for her until Christmas. I found myself wandering around an antique store. I hate antique stores, but I ended up buying a picture frame for Sydney. The Agency found out I gave it to her, and I was taken off her case because they thought I was "too emotionally attached". She made some threats that got me back on her case, but I knew they were right. I was emotionally attached. Around May I helped her on a mission that compromised my job, and almost cost me my life. I was going to be a subject for an experiment, but Sydney saved me. We trust each other with our lives, and it's hard not to be with her." Gaia took his hand and squeezed it.
"Maybe yours is worse."
"That's not all. I met up with Alice at a party, and things got out of hand. We got back together for a while, but I felt guilty, because anytime I was with Alice, I was wishing I was with Sydney. I'm happy she realized something wasn't right, because I was using her to forget Sydney."
"But it didn't work, did it?"
"No."
"Fine. You win. Your love life is more fucked up than mine." Vaughn managed a very small smile.
"Isn't it hard to work with her everyday?"
"It's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life, but I tell myself it's for her own good. I'm willing to take the risks to keep her alive, and acting on my emotions would only endanger her more. I've nearly lost my job more than once because of her, but I'm happy if it means I'm keeping her safe. It's just not a risk I'm willing to take." He glanced at his watch. "It's nearly six in the morning. We should try to sleep for a little while. I don't know when we're being picked up. It might not be for a few days."
Gaia nodded, and lay down on the small cot. Sleep came to her quickly, engulfing her with darkness and soothing away her migraine.
Vaughn had no such luck. He tossed and turned for a few hours, trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable position. He didn't have to worry about it for long, because at seven in the morning, he was jolted out of the cot by a noise.
A scream.
***AN: I know it took me forever to update, but I've had the worst case of writers block plus lack of reviews. Let me just say, winter vacation does wonders for me. I've even started to think of ideas for sequels to my other stories. But enough of my ramblings. Review! Please! It makes me happy. :)