Chapter Two: So It Begins
The sounds of throats clearing, papers rustling and water glasses clinking were overwhelming Sydney Bristow as she sat at the long wooden table, her hands folded demurely in front of her, her expression stoic. She licked her lips self-consciously, waiting as the committee chairman, Senator Jack Marchard, shuffled through a stack of documents on the table before him. This had been going on for nearly five minutes and as each second ticked by, the beads of sweat along Sydney's spine multiplied in number.
"Agent Bristow," the Senator finally spoke, never raising his eyes from the pages before him. "At what point during your professional relationship with Agent Vaughn did it start to become more intimate in nature?"
Sydney swallowed hard and leaned towards the microphone on the table before her. She paused to collect her thoughts before answering.
"Senator Marchard, if you don't mind, would you please explain what you mean by "intimate"?" She met his eyes as he glanced up, surprised by her request.
"I simply mean, Ms. Bristow, when did the relationship become sexual?"
Every sound and movement in the room came to a dead stop. It may have been Sydney's imagination, but she could swear that the committee members were even holding their breath, waiting for her answer. She nervously glanced around the room. It seemed that a few of the Senators were actually on the edge of their seats.
Sydney's brow furrowed. "Senator, forgive me, but I must ask how this has any bearing on the issue at hand."
"This is the issue at hand," the Senator thundered, his eyes burning holes into Sydney as she inched back in her chair. She could understand how this hearing could make her fearful, but she wasn't going to forgive herself if she gave into it and let them push her around.
"Forgive me once again, Senator Marchard, but I believe the issue at hand is how the nature of my relationship with Agent Vaughn jeopardized an intelligence gathering mission and nearly cost the life of a fellow agent." Sydney felt the weight of the accusations as she laid them all out, her voice never wavering. The strength she found now was out of a deep desire to keep as much as she could about her relationship with Vaughn as private as possible.
"And?" Senator Marchard prompted. "Isn't that what I was asking you a moment ago?" He was losing patience with her, something Sydney did not want.
"No, sir, I believe you were asking me to tell you when Agent Vaughn and I were physically intimate for the first time," She felt herself blush slightly as the words left her mouth. The memory of that night was still fresh and she forced herself to compartmentalize it at that very moment so she could stay true to her intentions. "I respectfully request, Senator, that the record reflect that Agent Vaughn and I are physically intimate and had been at the time of the incident. Any details beyond that point, I believe, are superfluous."
A general murmur circulated the cramped, airless room. Many of the committee members conferred amongst themselves, comparing notes and quietly debating the point. Senator Marchard was rapidly scribbling on a page of his notes, his face reddened with what Sydney could only guess was anger. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the thought that perhaps the Senator had been hoping for lurid details.
A voice came from the far corner of the room. "I'll stipulate to that, Senator." It was Senator Wendy Schulman, one of only two women on the committee. Sydney fought the urge to flash her a smile.
"I'll second that," Senator William Crohn said from his seat in the third row.
Senator Marchard was not happy, but he nodded as he sighed loudly. "Then we're agreed," He said. "But I'd like to know, Agent Bristow, if you can give us an approximation. Was it six weeks into your working relationship? Six months?"
Sydney considered this for a moment. "About sixteen months," She replied. "Maybe a week or two longer. I'm not absolutely certain."
More papers shuffling, more throats clearing, more water glasses clinking. Sydney glanced at her watch. They'd been at it for the better part of three hours. Most of the questions had centered on what Sydney and Vaughn accomplished through their work together, what her role was with the CIA and with SD-6, and what Sydney felt Vaughn's role was in regard to her. Sydney was ready to move on.
Near her on the table sat a glass and a pitcher of water. Sydney carefully poured some for herself and was dismayed, upon first swallow, to find that the water was tepid. She drank more anyway, her body in need of hydration.
Senator Marchard cleared his throat, signaling he was ready to begin another round of questions. He leaned forward, his eyes on Sydney's face.
"Agent Bristow, I'd like now to concentrate on the night in question. I'm going to ask you to detail it from beginning to end, starting with the day at SD-6 when you received your mission and taking us through the briefing of the counter-mission with Agent Vaughn." The Senator glanced back at some papers before him and then looked at his pocket watch. He frowned slightly. "I'd like to meet with Agent Vaughn at some point today, but I'd also like to make sure all the facts as you perceive them are entered into the record. So please, Ms. Bristow, take your time. Do you have any questions before you begin?"
Sydney glanced around the room at the faces that were turned her way, their eyes searching her face, their expression expectant. She slowly looked back at Senator Marchard and shook her head.
"No, Senator. No questions," Sydney replied, her voice quiet but firm.
"Good," Senator Marchard looked back over his shoulder at his fellow committee members. "Then let's begin, shall we? Go ahead, Ms. Bristow."
Sydney folded her hands and placed them on the table before her. Yes, she said to herself. Let it all begin. A strength she didn't know she had filled her suddenly and she squared her shoulders, smiling inwardly. I've never been more ready.
The sounds of throats clearing, papers rustling and water glasses clinking were overwhelming Sydney Bristow as she sat at the long wooden table, her hands folded demurely in front of her, her expression stoic. She licked her lips self-consciously, waiting as the committee chairman, Senator Jack Marchard, shuffled through a stack of documents on the table before him. This had been going on for nearly five minutes and as each second ticked by, the beads of sweat along Sydney's spine multiplied in number.
"Agent Bristow," the Senator finally spoke, never raising his eyes from the pages before him. "At what point during your professional relationship with Agent Vaughn did it start to become more intimate in nature?"
Sydney swallowed hard and leaned towards the microphone on the table before her. She paused to collect her thoughts before answering.
"Senator Marchard, if you don't mind, would you please explain what you mean by "intimate"?" She met his eyes as he glanced up, surprised by her request.
"I simply mean, Ms. Bristow, when did the relationship become sexual?"
Every sound and movement in the room came to a dead stop. It may have been Sydney's imagination, but she could swear that the committee members were even holding their breath, waiting for her answer. She nervously glanced around the room. It seemed that a few of the Senators were actually on the edge of their seats.
Sydney's brow furrowed. "Senator, forgive me, but I must ask how this has any bearing on the issue at hand."
"This is the issue at hand," the Senator thundered, his eyes burning holes into Sydney as she inched back in her chair. She could understand how this hearing could make her fearful, but she wasn't going to forgive herself if she gave into it and let them push her around.
"Forgive me once again, Senator Marchard, but I believe the issue at hand is how the nature of my relationship with Agent Vaughn jeopardized an intelligence gathering mission and nearly cost the life of a fellow agent." Sydney felt the weight of the accusations as she laid them all out, her voice never wavering. The strength she found now was out of a deep desire to keep as much as she could about her relationship with Vaughn as private as possible.
"And?" Senator Marchard prompted. "Isn't that what I was asking you a moment ago?" He was losing patience with her, something Sydney did not want.
"No, sir, I believe you were asking me to tell you when Agent Vaughn and I were physically intimate for the first time," She felt herself blush slightly as the words left her mouth. The memory of that night was still fresh and she forced herself to compartmentalize it at that very moment so she could stay true to her intentions. "I respectfully request, Senator, that the record reflect that Agent Vaughn and I are physically intimate and had been at the time of the incident. Any details beyond that point, I believe, are superfluous."
A general murmur circulated the cramped, airless room. Many of the committee members conferred amongst themselves, comparing notes and quietly debating the point. Senator Marchard was rapidly scribbling on a page of his notes, his face reddened with what Sydney could only guess was anger. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the thought that perhaps the Senator had been hoping for lurid details.
A voice came from the far corner of the room. "I'll stipulate to that, Senator." It was Senator Wendy Schulman, one of only two women on the committee. Sydney fought the urge to flash her a smile.
"I'll second that," Senator William Crohn said from his seat in the third row.
Senator Marchard was not happy, but he nodded as he sighed loudly. "Then we're agreed," He said. "But I'd like to know, Agent Bristow, if you can give us an approximation. Was it six weeks into your working relationship? Six months?"
Sydney considered this for a moment. "About sixteen months," She replied. "Maybe a week or two longer. I'm not absolutely certain."
More papers shuffling, more throats clearing, more water glasses clinking. Sydney glanced at her watch. They'd been at it for the better part of three hours. Most of the questions had centered on what Sydney and Vaughn accomplished through their work together, what her role was with the CIA and with SD-6, and what Sydney felt Vaughn's role was in regard to her. Sydney was ready to move on.
Near her on the table sat a glass and a pitcher of water. Sydney carefully poured some for herself and was dismayed, upon first swallow, to find that the water was tepid. She drank more anyway, her body in need of hydration.
Senator Marchard cleared his throat, signaling he was ready to begin another round of questions. He leaned forward, his eyes on Sydney's face.
"Agent Bristow, I'd like now to concentrate on the night in question. I'm going to ask you to detail it from beginning to end, starting with the day at SD-6 when you received your mission and taking us through the briefing of the counter-mission with Agent Vaughn." The Senator glanced back at some papers before him and then looked at his pocket watch. He frowned slightly. "I'd like to meet with Agent Vaughn at some point today, but I'd also like to make sure all the facts as you perceive them are entered into the record. So please, Ms. Bristow, take your time. Do you have any questions before you begin?"
Sydney glanced around the room at the faces that were turned her way, their eyes searching her face, their expression expectant. She slowly looked back at Senator Marchard and shook her head.
"No, Senator. No questions," Sydney replied, her voice quiet but firm.
"Good," Senator Marchard looked back over his shoulder at his fellow committee members. "Then let's begin, shall we? Go ahead, Ms. Bristow."
Sydney folded her hands and placed them on the table before her. Yes, she said to herself. Let it all begin. A strength she didn't know she had filled her suddenly and she squared her shoulders, smiling inwardly. I've never been more ready.