Title: Angel Dark
Author: DOKChairman
Time: No particular time frame. Assume everything that has happened up to Counteragent is fair game.
Disclaimer: I do not own Alias. If I did, Dixon would actually appear in an episode this season, Marshall would be in practically every scene (that guy cracks me up so much), Sydney and Vaughn would at the very least admit that they have feelings for each other, and most importantly of all, Sydney would wear even less clothes than she usually does. Unfortunately for my bank account, J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, and ABC own Alias. I own nothing so don't sue me.
Pairing: This will be a Sydney/Vaughn piece. As if there's anything else.
Author's Note: This story is definitely AU. It branches off what happened in Counteragent and goes off into its own little world.
Author's Note: This is just a quick little post before Thanksgiving break. The next part will be much longer; I just wanted to give you one more chapter to tide you over.
The phone was already ringing when Vaughn reached his destination. Panting slightly, more from excitement and apprehension than physical exertion, Vaughn picked up the phone. "Hello?"
The same monochrome voice that he had heard over his cell phone responded. "Go to the bus stop across the street. Underneath the second bench is a package. All the information you need is in that package. Good bye Agent Vaughn."
Vaughn couldn't let the person hang up without getting more information. "Wait! Who are you? How do you know who I am? Where did you get this information?" The questions came pouring out of Vaughn's mouth. He knew he sounded desperate but he didn't care.
There was a brief pause before the voice returned. "All the information you need is in the package. I will contact you again when the situation warrants it." The voice then hung up and Vaughn could only stare at the phone. In frustration he slammed the phone down.
Vaughn turned around to check the street. Seeing that it was temporarily empty, he ran across to the other side. His jacket was flapping in the wind as he ran.
Vaughn came to an abrupt halt in front of the second bench at the bus stop. He dropped to his knees next to the bench and began rubbing his hand along the underside of the bench. Halfway along the seat he found something taped to the wood. Grabbing the package in a firm grip, he ripped it from the bench and brought it out so that he could look at.
It was a brown package, similar to the kind of package that shipping companies would transport stuff in. On the front of the package was written Vaughn's name in bold, black writing.
Vaughn got off his knees, checked the street again, and ran back across to his parked car. He wanted to open the package in the relative safety of his car. Climbing into his seat, he didn't waste anytime in ripping open the package.
The contents of the package came spilling out into his hand. Only one object landed on Vaughn's open hand. It was a computer disk.
Sydney walked back into the Joint Task Force operations room with a dejected look on her face. She had not been fast enough. She had just caught up to Vaughn when he had jumped into his car and sped out of the parking structure. He had obviously not heard her attempts to get his attention.
She noticed her father waiting for her and walked up to him. She saw the questioning look on his face and she shook her head. She saw her father frown in response.
When she got close enough, he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her away from the prying eyes of the operations room. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who had seen Vaughn's sudden departure.
When they were as alone as they could get, she told her father, "I was too late. He was gone before I could stop him."
Jack asked, "Do you have any idea why?"
Sydney glared at her father. "Why does everyone think that I know?"
Jack just ignored Sydney's question. "I seriously doubt that its anything we should worry about. It is more than likely a personal matter. I'm sure Vaughn will inform us if it pertains to anything relevant."
Sydney mumbled quietly to herself, "It's relevant to me no matter what."
Fortunately, Jack didn't seem to hear her. "What was that?"
Sydney gave Jack an innocent smile, "Nothing dad."
Jack saw how worried Sydney was and tried to comfort her. Plus, he didn't want her doing something stupid like trying to look for Vaughn. He knew how on edge she was around him ever since Vaughn had almost died. "Look, give it an hour or two. If he still hasn't come back by then, then I'll ask around and see what I can find out. Okay?"
Sydney gave Jack one of her dimpled smiles. "Thanks dad. I'd appreciate that."
Jack nodded his head. "While your waiting, you should go over your mission again."
Sydney sighed but reluctantly agreed. For the next two hours, she was going to try as hard as she could not to think about Vaughn, and instead focus on her mission.
Vaughn parked his car in his spot in the Joint Task Force parking structure, and stepped out. He locked his car and set off at a brisk pace towards the operations room.
He needed access to one of the task force's computers. He just knew that whatever was on the disk that he had in his pocket was important. He didn't dare try to access it on his personal computer at home. The operations room was the only place secure enough.
He was walking with such a single-minded purpose that he didn't even notice that he had walked right past a very surprised Sydney. Sydney yelled out for him to stop, but Vaughn just kept walking.
Overcoming her surprise at first seeing Vaughn and then having him completely ignore her, something she didn't even think he was capable of, Sydney started following Vaughn. Finally catching up to him, she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him to a stop.
Vaughn looked at Sydney in surprise, as if he had just noticed her for the first time. "Sydney!" He then looked down at Sydney's hold on his arm and frowned in confusion. "What are you doing Sydney?"
Sydney angrily replied, "What am I doing? I should be asking you that. First, you run out of here like a crazy person and then you ignore me when I tried to talk to you. What the hell is going on Vaughn?"
Vaughn gently pried Sydney's hand off his arm and said quietly, "It's private Syd. Nothing for you to worry about."
Sydney calmed herself. "You can tell me Vaughn. We have that kind of relationship, right? Where we can tell each other everything." Sydney said the last part so worriedly that Vaughn couldn't help but smile.
In the same quiet tone he used before he reassured Sydney, "Yeah Syd, we do. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that this is something I kind of have to do on my own."
"Oh. I understand."
Vaughn grinned at her. "It's sweet that you're worried, but really, there's nothing to be concerned about. I just need to use one of the secure computers."
"Ok. I'll be right out here if you want to talk or anything." Sydney said with a little smile on her face.
Vaughn just smiled back and nodded his head. When Sydney turned around and started to walk away, the smile quickly left Vaughn's face. He regained his focus on his mission and strode into the tech room. With authority, he spoke to the tech guy, "I need a computer."
Steve Johnson lifted his head up from the latest gadget he was working on and said confusedly, "There are lots of computers outside Agent Vaughn. Use one of them."
Vaughn shook his head. "No. I need a computer. A private computer."
Realization dawned on Johnson's face and he motioned Vaughn closer. "Ahhh, I see." He pushed away from his desk, his chair sliding him across to another desk where a computer sat. Pressing a few buttons on the keyboard, the computer flashed to life.
"Here you go Agent Vaughn. It should be secure enough for whatever purpose you need."
"Thanks Steve." Vaughn thanked the tech guy, and then said; "Now I need you to leave the room." Vaughn ordered.
Johnson looked at Vaughn strangely before standing up and off of his chair. "No problem. I could use a break."
Vaughn waited until Johnson had left the room before reaching inside his suit pocket and pulling out the computer CD-ROM. Placing the disk in the computer, he waited for the computer to boot it up.
An icon appeared on the computer for the new disk, and Vaughn took a deep breath before clicking on it. He was not prepared for what he saw.
As soon as he clicked on the file, schematics, photographs, and equations started appearing on the screen. The images flew by so fast that Vaughn had little time to study them closely, but he did recognize what he was seeing.
It was Project Sally. And if the information that he was currently looking at was indicating what he thought it was, then Project Sally had become active once again. He had to see Devlin, immediately. If Project Sally was active, then Devlin had some serious explaining to do.
Sydney not so discreetly glanced over at the tech room for the fourth time in the last minute. Whatever Vaughn was doing in there, he had thought it secret enough to kick Steve Johnson out of his own office. Sydney was unbelievably curious. She was dying to know what was going on.
Accepting the fact that she would not be able to work until her curiosity was satisfied, she left her desk and walked toward the tech room. She noticed that Johnson was sitting in a chair right outside his office, drinking a cup of coffee. Fortunately, the table that happened to hold the office coffee maker also happened to be right next to the tech room.
Sydney walked up to the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. As she was doing so, she gave a friendly smile to Johnson, who smiled back. In a conversational tone she said, "They finally letting you out of your cage huh?"
Johnson leaned back in his chair, causing the two front legs to leave the ground, and flashed Sydney a wide smile. "Yep. Agent Vaughn needed to use one of my computers, so I decided to take a break for once."
Sydney tried not to look too interested as she said, "Oh? Agent Vaughn?"
Johnson nodded his head and weaved a hand through his wild hair. "Yeah. Said he needed a private computer. I just assumed that it was for your latest mission."
Sydney nodded her head absentmindedly. "So you don't know what he's doing?"
Johnson's smile faltered a little. "Nope, sorry."
Sydney forced a smile on her face. "That's all right. I just figured that you would want to know what someone was doing with your stuff."
Johnson shrugged his shoulders. "If they don't want me to know, then I don't want to know. It's better for everyone that way. Besides, when an agent like Vaughn tells me he needs to have some privacy, I do what the man says."
That last part threw Sydney for a loop. She was about to ask Johnson what he meant, when the door to the tech room suddenly opened. Sydney actually jumped in surprise and blushed when Vaughn saw her standing outside the door. She felt like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Vaughn frowned in disapproval at her.
Vaughn's voice contained a hint of anger when he spoke to Sydney. "Hey Syd. Getting a cup of coffee I see?"
Sydney acted properly chastised for getting caught. She wasn't the least bit surprised that Vaughn had picked up on what she was trying to do. "I was feeling kind of tired so I decided to get a pick me up," Sydney said pathetically. It was a week excuse and she knew it.
Vaughn just snorted at her and started walking away. Not really needing the coffee, Sydney put her cup back on the table and followed Vaughn.
"Vaughn! Wait!"
Vaughn didn't stop, but he did slow down and Sydney was able to catch up enough to match him stride for stride. Sydney immediately started talking, "Alright, you caught me. I was trying to find out what you were doing, but you won't tell me anything. What else was I supposed to do? I have all these spy skills. I figured I'd put them to good use for once."
Vaughn sighed. "I told you it was private Syd."
"I know, and I'm sorry for putting my nose in places where it doesn't belong, but your important to me and I want to know what's going on with you. It hurts that you won't tell me."
Vaughn stopped walking and looked Sydney in the eyes. "I want to tell you Syd, but I can't." Vaughn took a deep breath before adding, "It's classified."
Sydney frowned deeply. "Classified? You said it was a private matter."
"It is Syd. It's both. That's why I can't tell you anything."
Vaughn started walking again. Sydney once again started following him. She noticed that they were going to the parking structure. "Soooo, where are we going?"
Vaughn looked over at Sydney. "I'm going to see Devlin. You, on the other hand, are going to get ready for your mission."
Agent and Handler grew silent as they walked the rest of the way to Vaughn's car. Opening the driver's door, Vaughn turned to Sydney and suddenly grew serious. "In case I don't see you again before you leave, I just wanted to tell you good luck and to come back safe."
Sydney flashed Vaughn one of her heart melting smiles. "Don't worry, I fully intend to come back in one piece. I have something to look forward too."
Vaughn got in his car and looked up at Sydney. "Oh yeah, what's that?"
Sydney smiled craftily. "I intend to make it my mission to find out what's going on with you. I just thought I'd give you fair warning." Sydney then closed the door before Vaughn could respond and walked away.
To be continued……………….
P.S. Once again, thanks to everyone for the feedback. I have a quick question that I would like everyone to answer. Should I space my updates apart more? I feel like my story isn't having quite the impact I would like it to have by posting so frequently. Opinion/ideas/thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
