Disclaimer: Are these things really necessary? LoL, I don't own Alias so
don't sue me.
Chapter 6
"Sydney." Vaughn said as she entered the small hospital room. He was sitting up in bed, pillow propped behind him, and a large bandage taped across his shoulder. "What do you want now?"
"We need to talk." She stated simply sitting in the uncomfortable light pink plastic chair. She had come to see him during the day, in the middle of visiting hours, so not to risk the interruption of being thrown out.
"About?"
She sighed softly; his voice was so harsh. "About everything that's happened." She paused a moment, but knew she had to speak the words. "About us."
"There is no us." He informed her.
"Maybe so," She agreed, "But what happened before I left." He didn't let her finish.
"Nothing happened. Nothing worth remembering." He found himself looking away when he said the hurtful words, knowing full well what he would see if his eyes met hers. Anger, hurt, betrayal.
Sydney nodded meekly. "If that's how you feel."
"That's how I feel."
Suddenly, she felt like she couldn't leave, not without saying what she had come to say. "You heard the name I gave the night nurse?"
"Yes."
"Did you even wonder about it?" She asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Mia Michaels. Did you wonder where it came from?"
Vaughn attempted to shrug but found the pain to be too much. "The CIA gave it to you. They choose your new identity when you leave."
"Usually." She nodded. "But I choose my own. Want to guess where the name comes from?" He stared at her blankly and she softened a little before explaining. "You. I took your name, in a sense. I figured Vaughn might be a little too obvious, so I choose your first name instead. I could say I wanted something to remember you by, but I didn't need anything. Whether I used your name or not, I wasn't going to forget you. But I wanted to use your name. It made me feel." She struggled to come up with the right words to use. "Connected to you in some way." She finally got out. When he didn't say anything, she stood and left.
"Hang in there, Syd." Will told her over the phone that night. "He's angry. You just took off, no good-byes to anyone, not even a clue as to where you'd gone."
"To protect you, all of you." She defended herself.
"It doesn't take the pain away."
"I know." She heard the sound of a key in the lock. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later, ok? Tell Francie I said hi and I'll call her soon." She told him quickly and hung up. "Hey!" She smiled at Kevin as he answered. "Where'd you disappear to?"
Bringing his hand out from behind his back, he revealed a dozen pink roses. "For you." He handed them to her. "Sorry, but they were all out of red."
"They're beautiful." She assured him, burying her nose in them. "Mmmm."
"I'm glad you like them." He said, but was frowning ever so slightly.
"Something wrong?"
He gave a little shrug. "No, not really. It's just." He took a deep breath. "What's really going on here, Mia?" He finally blurted.
She looked at him in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"You're always leaving, you're gone for hours on end and you're explanations.well, they kind of lack in the explaining your absence part. You said we came to see your sick father, and.and.are you lying to me?"
Refusing to let her gaze waver and give herself away, Sydney shook her head. "Why would I lie?"
He turned away from her. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. Why would you lie? I can't come up with anything, except this nagging feeling that is telling me something is not right. It won't go away."
"I don't know what to tell you."
"Try the truth." He snapped, placing his hands, palms down, on the desk, his eyes trained on the dark wooden surface.
Sydney didn't answer him at first; she hated the fact that she had to lie to him. "I can't explain why you have a nagging feeling, I've never done anything to make you think that you can't trust me."
Still, Kevin kept his eyes averted. "You're dad is out of the hospital right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Then who have you been visiting at the hospital late at night?"
"So, how does it feel?" Weiss asked Vaughn that same afternoon.
Vaughn studied him for a minute. "How does what feel?"
"Having Sydney back."
Vaughn sighed. "It feels weird."
"Weird? After all that girl put you through, all you feel after not seeing her for a year is weird? Man, you are weird."
"Way to make a man in the hospital with a gunshot wound feel better."
Weiss shrugged. "I wasn't trying to make you feel better." He picked up a magazine from his friend's bedside. "I was just pointing out that the woman you love disappeared for a whole freaking year and you can't even muster up some real feelings." He stated and proceeded to flip through the pages.
"One, she isn't the woman I love which leads to two, I can muster up real feelings, just none I'd care to share with you."
"Denial." He mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that."
Weiss looked up. "Good, now do something about it."
Sydney couldn't speak at first. She had been so careful sneaking out, how did he know? "What are you talking about?" She found herself asking. He turned around at her question.
"You know what I'm talking about, Mia. I woke up and you were gone. So, I went into the hallway just in time to see you turn the corner. Granted, I probably shouldn't have followed you, but I couldn't help myself. After seeing you enter the hospital, I came back here. Now do you understand the nagging feeling?"
Sydney couldn't believe she had been followed and hadn't even realized it. 'I must be getting rusty.' She decided. At least he hadn't followed her inside. He never would have understood what she was doing there, why she had to see Vaughn. "I'm sorry you doubted me."
"Talk to me, Mia." He took her hand in his. "Just tell me the truth, what is going on? Why are you really here in Los Angeles?"
She wanted to tell him, she really did, but she knew the consequences. "Just give me a few more days. There are some things I need to handle and then I'll tell you what I can. I'll try and answer all your questions, I just need time."
"How long? How many days?"
"A few, I can't be exact."
"I'll wait, but not forever." Leaning in he kissed her. "I think we can have it all, but we can't keep secrets."
"I know, my life before you was just complicated and I need to deal with that."
Kevin nodded. "I understand. And more than that, I love you."
"I love you too."
"She left." Vaughn pointed out.
Weiss looked at him like he was stupid. "I did notice that. But she came back."
"Because she's in danger."
"She came to see you while you were in the hospital. More than once."
"She felt guilty."
Weiss shook his head, "What is it going to take for you to realize you and Sydney could have something pretty damn great?"
"Nothing, because it's not possible."
"You've never even tried." Vaughn quickly shifted his eyes away from Weiss. "Wait, you tried and never told me? How far did you get? First base? Home run? Oh, please tell me you made it out of the batter's box."
"I'm not discussing any of this with you. Now go before Alice shows up."
"I can't believe you are still with her."
"Why not?"
Weiss shrugged and stood up. "No reason." He walked toward the door. "Hey Vaughn?"
"Yeah?"
"Get well soon, ok? Hospitals really suck."
"This needs to end." Sydney declared. She was once again sitting on CIA Headquarters, but this time only her father and Kendall were with her. "I can't keep lying and I have a life to go back to. I say we find Sloane and take him out so I can be on my way."
"It's not that easy and you know it." Kendall reminded her.
Jack tried to reassure her. "Sydney, we're doing all we can."
"It's not enough. It's never enough."
Kendall nodded in understanding. "I know it seems like that.."
"Not seems, it is like that."
"Maybe, but we might have a way. A way to destroy SD-6 and Sloane for good."
Sydney felt hope for the first time since the CIA had contacted her. "Count me in."
"Me too." Vaughn stood in the doorway, he looked tired and weak, but there was a determination in his eyes that said he was helping, no matter what.
Chapter 6
"Sydney." Vaughn said as she entered the small hospital room. He was sitting up in bed, pillow propped behind him, and a large bandage taped across his shoulder. "What do you want now?"
"We need to talk." She stated simply sitting in the uncomfortable light pink plastic chair. She had come to see him during the day, in the middle of visiting hours, so not to risk the interruption of being thrown out.
"About?"
She sighed softly; his voice was so harsh. "About everything that's happened." She paused a moment, but knew she had to speak the words. "About us."
"There is no us." He informed her.
"Maybe so," She agreed, "But what happened before I left." He didn't let her finish.
"Nothing happened. Nothing worth remembering." He found himself looking away when he said the hurtful words, knowing full well what he would see if his eyes met hers. Anger, hurt, betrayal.
Sydney nodded meekly. "If that's how you feel."
"That's how I feel."
Suddenly, she felt like she couldn't leave, not without saying what she had come to say. "You heard the name I gave the night nurse?"
"Yes."
"Did you even wonder about it?" She asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Mia Michaels. Did you wonder where it came from?"
Vaughn attempted to shrug but found the pain to be too much. "The CIA gave it to you. They choose your new identity when you leave."
"Usually." She nodded. "But I choose my own. Want to guess where the name comes from?" He stared at her blankly and she softened a little before explaining. "You. I took your name, in a sense. I figured Vaughn might be a little too obvious, so I choose your first name instead. I could say I wanted something to remember you by, but I didn't need anything. Whether I used your name or not, I wasn't going to forget you. But I wanted to use your name. It made me feel." She struggled to come up with the right words to use. "Connected to you in some way." She finally got out. When he didn't say anything, she stood and left.
"Hang in there, Syd." Will told her over the phone that night. "He's angry. You just took off, no good-byes to anyone, not even a clue as to where you'd gone."
"To protect you, all of you." She defended herself.
"It doesn't take the pain away."
"I know." She heard the sound of a key in the lock. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later, ok? Tell Francie I said hi and I'll call her soon." She told him quickly and hung up. "Hey!" She smiled at Kevin as he answered. "Where'd you disappear to?"
Bringing his hand out from behind his back, he revealed a dozen pink roses. "For you." He handed them to her. "Sorry, but they were all out of red."
"They're beautiful." She assured him, burying her nose in them. "Mmmm."
"I'm glad you like them." He said, but was frowning ever so slightly.
"Something wrong?"
He gave a little shrug. "No, not really. It's just." He took a deep breath. "What's really going on here, Mia?" He finally blurted.
She looked at him in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"You're always leaving, you're gone for hours on end and you're explanations.well, they kind of lack in the explaining your absence part. You said we came to see your sick father, and.and.are you lying to me?"
Refusing to let her gaze waver and give herself away, Sydney shook her head. "Why would I lie?"
He turned away from her. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. Why would you lie? I can't come up with anything, except this nagging feeling that is telling me something is not right. It won't go away."
"I don't know what to tell you."
"Try the truth." He snapped, placing his hands, palms down, on the desk, his eyes trained on the dark wooden surface.
Sydney didn't answer him at first; she hated the fact that she had to lie to him. "I can't explain why you have a nagging feeling, I've never done anything to make you think that you can't trust me."
Still, Kevin kept his eyes averted. "You're dad is out of the hospital right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Then who have you been visiting at the hospital late at night?"
"So, how does it feel?" Weiss asked Vaughn that same afternoon.
Vaughn studied him for a minute. "How does what feel?"
"Having Sydney back."
Vaughn sighed. "It feels weird."
"Weird? After all that girl put you through, all you feel after not seeing her for a year is weird? Man, you are weird."
"Way to make a man in the hospital with a gunshot wound feel better."
Weiss shrugged. "I wasn't trying to make you feel better." He picked up a magazine from his friend's bedside. "I was just pointing out that the woman you love disappeared for a whole freaking year and you can't even muster up some real feelings." He stated and proceeded to flip through the pages.
"One, she isn't the woman I love which leads to two, I can muster up real feelings, just none I'd care to share with you."
"Denial." He mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that."
Weiss looked up. "Good, now do something about it."
Sydney couldn't speak at first. She had been so careful sneaking out, how did he know? "What are you talking about?" She found herself asking. He turned around at her question.
"You know what I'm talking about, Mia. I woke up and you were gone. So, I went into the hallway just in time to see you turn the corner. Granted, I probably shouldn't have followed you, but I couldn't help myself. After seeing you enter the hospital, I came back here. Now do you understand the nagging feeling?"
Sydney couldn't believe she had been followed and hadn't even realized it. 'I must be getting rusty.' She decided. At least he hadn't followed her inside. He never would have understood what she was doing there, why she had to see Vaughn. "I'm sorry you doubted me."
"Talk to me, Mia." He took her hand in his. "Just tell me the truth, what is going on? Why are you really here in Los Angeles?"
She wanted to tell him, she really did, but she knew the consequences. "Just give me a few more days. There are some things I need to handle and then I'll tell you what I can. I'll try and answer all your questions, I just need time."
"How long? How many days?"
"A few, I can't be exact."
"I'll wait, but not forever." Leaning in he kissed her. "I think we can have it all, but we can't keep secrets."
"I know, my life before you was just complicated and I need to deal with that."
Kevin nodded. "I understand. And more than that, I love you."
"I love you too."
"She left." Vaughn pointed out.
Weiss looked at him like he was stupid. "I did notice that. But she came back."
"Because she's in danger."
"She came to see you while you were in the hospital. More than once."
"She felt guilty."
Weiss shook his head, "What is it going to take for you to realize you and Sydney could have something pretty damn great?"
"Nothing, because it's not possible."
"You've never even tried." Vaughn quickly shifted his eyes away from Weiss. "Wait, you tried and never told me? How far did you get? First base? Home run? Oh, please tell me you made it out of the batter's box."
"I'm not discussing any of this with you. Now go before Alice shows up."
"I can't believe you are still with her."
"Why not?"
Weiss shrugged and stood up. "No reason." He walked toward the door. "Hey Vaughn?"
"Yeah?"
"Get well soon, ok? Hospitals really suck."
"This needs to end." Sydney declared. She was once again sitting on CIA Headquarters, but this time only her father and Kendall were with her. "I can't keep lying and I have a life to go back to. I say we find Sloane and take him out so I can be on my way."
"It's not that easy and you know it." Kendall reminded her.
Jack tried to reassure her. "Sydney, we're doing all we can."
"It's not enough. It's never enough."
Kendall nodded in understanding. "I know it seems like that.."
"Not seems, it is like that."
"Maybe, but we might have a way. A way to destroy SD-6 and Sloane for good."
Sydney felt hope for the first time since the CIA had contacted her. "Count me in."
"Me too." Vaughn stood in the doorway, he looked tired and weak, but there was a determination in his eyes that said he was helping, no matter what.