"What?" Vaughn hushed his voice and kept glancing back and forth between
the road and her.
"I destroyed Will and then Francie. And I'm going to destroy you and for that, I am so sorry. You should have gone home when I told you to. You shouldn't have come." Sydney's eyes got wide as she focused on the road and came to the realization of her world and the effects on others. "I destroyed Danny first and now all of you are falling in line."
**Oh Sydney, don't do this to be me right now. I need you to stay strong.* He wanted to slam on the breaks and snap at her out of this but again, there wasn't enough time. "Sydney, don't do this." His reply seemed coarser than he meant it to.
"It's too late." Will duly noted. "She's made up her mind about something."
"Yeah, I see it." Vaughn glanced in his rearview mirror.
"She's got that-"
"Look in her eye." Vaughn finished Will's statement.
"Doesn't take long for you to catch onto her things, does it?"
"How long did it take you?"
"A day, give or take."
"Yeah, me too." He relaxed a little and for almost a split second, forgot what had happened only minutes ago. Will and he had made some headway and it was almost possible that they were becoming friendly. Will nodded at him and it was possible that he could have been thinking the same thing. "Yeah." Vaughn repeated. His green eyes focused on the curves in the road ahead. They were almost there and fear rose like bile in his dry throat. He cleared it loudly and loosened his grip on the wheel. Where would he and Sydney be sent? How long would they be gone? Random thoughts filled his head. If he was sent away, what would they tell his mother? Images of his mother collapsing in the middle of her living room, crying for her lost son who wasn't really lost. He swallowed hard in the present and felt his forehead crease. "Sydney, listen to me, until this over, you need to put your game face on. You're slipping and I won't let you. Think later, act now."
She ran her hands over her face again, "You're right. I'm letting this get to me. I have to stay put together." And her whole attitude change. She was sitting up straighter and her chin was lifted up higher. "Let's go."
Will couldn't believe what just happened. It was too surreal. She had snapped out of that like absolutely nothing had happened. A newfound respect washed over him and he couldn't help but stare at Sydney. She was so strong, as strong as he would have to be for Francie. Things were moving to fast and as far as he knew, his make-shift home could be burning in flames, catching from the small embers on the couch. There were so many memories there that he couldn't bear not going back there. Regardless the outcome of this, whatever this was, he would return to the house and rest there for a while. It would become a pilgrimage.
Sydney's thoughts were rapid. It skipped back and forth as her eyes darted around the fast moving car. Vaughn was pushing seventy in a fifty zone. She never knew he could drive like that. Badge or not, he shouldn't have been driving like that. The tired woman pulled her knees closer to her chest and rocked back and forth. There would have to be a long session with Barnet to repair this disaster. She finally managed to get comfortable and starred out the window. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a low bun, a kickback from her days as a dancer. Her chest expanded and contracted as she drew deep breaths, stretching out her back. Where Vaughn's hand had been was still warm and tingling. He was probably the only thing keeping her sane. He was her rock, her redeemer, her everlasting shield. If he crumbled, she would be dead by sunset. She was so independent in everything but for the time being, she was emotionally dependant on him. This is something he almost knew.
His tires screeched as he pulled into the parking garage. He had never gotten out of the car so fast in his life. If it weren't for his quick thinking, he would have barely remembered to take his keys out of the ignition. His hands threw his seatbelt off and his door opened with a sudden force from the inside. Barely taking the time to adjust his weight on feet, he turned towards the backseat doors and he opened Will and Francie's doors. Things were so urgent that if they weren't in the building in a few minutes something could and would happen. Sydney met him out of the car, getting out equally as fast. Will unbuckled and held Francie tightly in his arms. He had never been there and was suddenly nervous. Will looked around the parking garage and started to walk towards the elevator with the rest of the group. His mouth was dry and dropping more and more open with every step. The cold pavement echoed their footsteps throughout the place. Vaughn and Sydney walked strongly and hit the button for the elevator. She turned towards Francie, still standing in Will's arms and comforted. Vaughn turned towards Will, standing on the opposite side of him.
"You've lived through a murder attempt, Will, going through the Joint Task Force will be nothing."
The elevator started with a jolt and moved down four floors. Francie's personality was beginning to come back a little. Shock was funny thing. It came and went in waves. Her poor mind wasn't used to such trauma, trauma the double agent faced on a daily basis. She glanced cautiously around and gripped Sydney's hand tightly. Her lips went dry but she seemed calmer. The elevator came to a jolted stop and they exited into the main office.
"Agent Bristow, Agent Vaughn!" a rookie ran out of the office and called out to them, trotting at a decent pace behind them.
"You are?" Sydney whipped around and faced the agent, who looked all of about twelve. The older agent was immediately defensive.
"My name is Chayse Zurch. Mr. Devlin and Mr. Kendell sent me to meet you at the door. Follow me please." She began to walk around the corner towards the center of the office. It was the same hallway that Vaughn had ran after Sydney, just missing her only four months ago. "Ms. Calfo and Mr. Tippin need to come with me. We have a car waiting to take them to the safe house." She motioned to a handful of young, raw looking agents who rushed towards Francie and Will, taking them off somewhere. Francie started to look panic again and Sydney opened her mouth to reassure her but the forceful rookies tore them apart, peeling them away towards an unseen part of the building. Will looked equally unnerved but instead of attempting of fighting the force, he went along with. It was like he was almost familiar with process, especially after his ordeal with SD-6 in the past.
"It's okay. You ahead. You're gonna be fine." Sydney shouted after them, attempting to calm them. "You're gonna be just fine."
"You two, Agent Bristow and Vaughn, are leaving immediately on a plane to Madrid. Here are your clothes, passports, and other necessary papers that you will need. Take the van, Agent Weiss is standing by the drive you to LAX." She took the bags from Sydney and casually tossed them towards a daydreaming agent, who sloppily caught them and started to look more alert again. "Go give those to Ms. Calfo and Mr. Tippin!" She barked at the agent.
"I'm not going anywhere until I see my father." Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Chayse.
"I'm right here." A familiar voice piped up.
"Dad." She whipped around and saw her father standing there in a black suit. She rushed towards him, a whole three yards and didn't care. She needed to go back in time a daddy's girl for just a moment. She threw her arms around him and held onto him so tightly that she never wanted to let go. Her breath was nothing more than mere gasps. He started to peel her off of his body and she agreed, reluctantly.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine." She replied, standing before him looking up into his cold gray eyes.
"Good."
"How did this happen?" She asked, wishing answers would simply shower down upon her, washing away her wounds. Vaughn had turned on his heels and stood against Sydney's shoulder, listening to a man that rarely showed emotion.
"I don't know but I'm going in within a matter of time to find some answers. Arvin's bound to tell me. But you, you need to go and I will be in touch with you as soon as you get to Madrid. You and Mr. Vaughn will be going as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Peter DeMarco. You'll be staying at the Rosita resort in Madrid. At LAX, you'll meet with a contact, Anne Marie." He revealed a picture from his briefcase. Anne Marie was a pretty red-head with cold blue eyes. Vaughn immediately looked away from the picture. He couldn't see her again.
Jack continued, eyeing Vaughn in suspicion. "She'll be at the Air France counter and she'll just go over everything with you, check you in and all that. She has your entire luggage with the exception of your carry-ons. Follow her and you'll bypass security; you'll be armed at all times. But when you get to Madrid, a man will be waiting for you." He showed them a picture of man who had olive colored skin and the darkest brown eyes Sydney had ever seen, "He'll have your luggage in his car. From the airport, you will go to the hotel Rosita. You'll stay there until we believe it is safe. I'll keep an eye on Will and Francie and will be in touch." He need to keep their meeting brief because she was like a walking time bomb that was willing to go off at any moment. "I'll be in touch at the hotel. I'll call your room." Her honey brown eyes watched him turn his back on her and start to walk about.
He walked away, leaving them alone with the babbling agent. They barely bothered to turn around back towards Chayse. They instead turned towards each other and looked back and forth at each other. Chayse's tongue went a mile a minute, reiterating all the information Jack had just went over. She finally finished. *It's about time! Jesus, all that girl does is talk* thought Sydney. The rookie threw a large duffle bag at Vaughn, glared at him for a moment and then walked away.
Sydney and Vaughn walked out of office and back to the elevator. The bag laid heavy over his shoulder. They couldn't exchange words. Nothing sounded like right. They made their way towards the town car and hoped inside. It was black with black leather interior. Weiss was sitting up front and acknowledged the two agents. He opened his mouth to joke but instead turned the ignition. The car pulled out and Sydney leaned back into her seat. They needed to keep moving but she couldn't bring herself to put new clothes on. Finally, unwillingly, she leaned forward and brought the privacy glass up. Weiss wouldn't get a full view of her.
"Yeah, I know." Vaughn shrugged his shoulders to answer the unasked question and set the big duffle bag in the center of the seats. He sat on the right and her on the left. She opened the bag first and revealed a gold halter top with a black peasant skirt and black Roman sandals. There was a brown and blonde highlighted wig that was similar to the one that she wore when she did the op with Dixon with the fire alarm and..she didn't even remember where it was. She turned her back to Vaughn and faced the side of the car. It wasn't much better than facing Weiss or Vaughn head on. Somebody would get a full view of her. Frustrated, she turned her back against the privacy glass and sank down off the seat. Vaughn sensed what she was doing and sat up on the seat, with his back to her, facing the door. She stripped, laying out her clothes in front of her with his gun on top and started to change when she suddenly became aware that Vaughn was doing the same thing. Her eyes were cast down low and tried not stare at the muscular back angled in front of her. She focused her thoughts on getting change and being this new person. Her halter top was not yet tied when the car jolted and the two adults jerked against each other, feeling each other's bare skin against each other. Vaughn had fallen forwards against the door and Sydney against him. They felt each other. She gasped and immediately knew she wanted to feel the touch of his skin more often. His head quickly tilted to the side and he began to murmur his apologizes and she sat there, with her mouth gaping open. "Easy Weiss!" He managed to bark.
She finished tying her halter top, extremely embarrassed and rejoined Vaughn on the seat. "Okay." She murmured as she started to make her way towards the seat and immediately turned her body aware from him. He, knowing her so well, had already slid over to allow her more room. He had nearly finished dressing, buttoning up his shirt which was a natural linen color. He needed to change his pants, so he did, moving as fast as possible. He sensed her being uncomfortable and wanted to relieve he tension in the air as quickly as humanly possible. He began to apply make- up to make his pale skin darker. It was applied with a thick make-up sponge and covered him like a suffocating blanket. He took a hazardous looking brush and ran it through his hair, leaving a faint gray tint behind and then applied it lightly to the stubble on his face. As he finished, he cleared his throat and he started to replace his evergreen eyes with honey brown ones.
She pulled her skirt over her pants and wormed her way out of them, still avoiding Vaughn's indiscreet eyes. She leaned forward and changed out of her sneakers and into a pair of high, uncomfortable sandals that tied half-way up her calves. Her wig went next, followed new make-up, one making her skin a few shades darker and then finally, green colored contacts. They were a bit rougher to put in. Weiss wasn't exactly the best driver. Her eyes quickly caught Vaughn's, who now had replaced his green eyes with brown ones.
"Looks like we switched." Sydney replied to Vaughn clearing his throat.
"Looks like it." He looked down, as he had developed a habit of and laughed a little. "Sydney, how are you doing?"
Sydney started to rummage through the bag again and pulled out a black wrap ballet sweater and tied it around her body. "How I am doing? Look at me Vaughn; I don't have time to fall apart." She shook her head softly and turned to finish applying her make-up. She made her eyes soft and elegant and wore coral red lipstick. Portia was elegant and refined. She continued her digging and found a black back pack, filled with two water bottles, her passport, and other odds and ends.
His eyes lingered on her body for a moment and then continued, "That's not what I asked. How are you doing?" He pressed on as he was handed a wallet and passport and SOP papers. He flipped it open. For the time being, he was Peter DeMarco, a well to do businessman who had married his high school sweetheart, Portia Flint, and had three children. Peter and Portia were going to Madrid for a second honeymoon.
"Well, Peter, I'm fine." Sydney replied, glancing over his shoulder to look at his passport. She spoke with an elegant, faint British accent.
"Well Portia, I don't believe you." He matched her accent and immediately dropped it, "Do you still have my gun?"
She fastened the holster around her waist, hidden beneath the ruffles of the skirt, "Do you have a holster?"
"Yeah." He replied, tapping his hip with his free hand. "Are you ready to do this?" Because he knew he sure as hell wasn't. He hated field ops with a passion, even if it was with Sydney. Tai Pai had worried him but he was willing to die on the job, just like his father. His father would do anything to protect another agent and so would he. He had to be his father, whether he liked it or not.
"Well kiddies, we're here!" Weiss proclaimed, disrupting Vaughn's thoughts. He pulled up to the curb, empty of others cars. He was cleverly disguised as a driver, huh of all things! He wore a black suit with a beard. It barely looked like him but the same Weiss smile can beaming back at them as he opened Sydney's door and ran to open Vaughn's. He only stumbled slightly. "Good luck and hey, try to have fun!" He smiled at the two nervous agents and began to make his way towards his door.
"Thank you." Sydney replied, already using her accent. A piece of hair was tucked behind her ear; it was her thing when she had become someone else. She threw the bag over her shoulder and smiled at Weiss and then at Vaughn. No nerves, no guts, no glory.
"We'll be back soon." Vaughn answered Weiss' raised eyebrows almost begging him to ask when they would return. He shook Weiss's hand and put his arm around Sydney' back. "You all ready, dear?"
She looked at him, attempting to erase the hurt she felt from his touch, "Yeah," she swallowed, "let's go."
They walked into the quiet airport, tickets in hand. Vaughn became very protective of her, not letting his hand leave a part of her body at any time. They needed to pull this off if Sydney ever wanted to come back to the states.
"I don't understand why they didn't charter for us." She softly whispered as they walked towards the Air France desk.
"I don't either but maybe your dad with tell us something."
"I didn't get to talk to my mother."
Change of topic! "Speaking of mothers, you're a mother of three.. just so I get this straight, our children's names-"
"I've always loved the name Laura for a girl and Aiden for a boy. William could be mistaken for, you know. One more name?"
"And Iris." He wouldn't let her say the third name, Irinia. He could almost sense where she was headed with the conversation and shot him a questioning look. He shook his head softly no.
"Iris." She repeated in disbelief. "Where did you come up with that name?"
"Combination of your mother and mine." Vaughn answered softly, picking up his pace slightly towards the young girl working at the counter.
"What's your mother's name?"
"Felicity." He responded, barely looking at her. His concentration was at the girl standing alone at the counter, not on her. It couldn't be on her. Sydney was suddenly a blur and all he could focus on was Anne Marie. He recognized the agent but he really didn't think that it would be her. He felt his heart starting to race and he didn't want to see her again. There was a large counter with people standing behind, checking in others with their luggage. It was a long narrow hallway and at the very end, there was a door that read "Authorized Personal ONLY"
"Pretty name." She remarked and leaned into his arm a little and managed to almost smile. "Felicity Vaughn?
"Uh-huh." He was suddenly cold to her and shut her out. She took notice of this and straightened up a little bit. Something was up and she fully planned on questioning him on it later. They continued on in silence, aware of everyone around them, hoping no one worked for SD-6 or any of the SD cells. They pressed on further, being swallowed alive by the noise that consumed the LA airport. The girl was the girl from the picture. They walked towards the line in front of her and waited patiently their turn. She was bent over a computer screen and the events of the day began to show on her face.
"Bonjour et bienvenue à Air France. Je m'appelle Anne Marie. Comment est-ce que je puis vous aider aujourd'hui? Le préféreriez-vous si je parlais anglais ou français?" She spoke sweetly. (Hello and welcome to Air France. My name is Anne Marie. Can I help you ? How may I be of service of you to you today? Would you prefer it if I spoke French or English."
"Ah oui, francais bien sur. Je m'appelle Peter DeMarco." Vaughn steadily replied. (Ah, yes, French of course. My name is Peter DeMarco.)
"Ampèreheure, M. DeMarco. J'ai déjà reçu votre appel téléphonique. Voici vos passages d' embarquer. J'espère que tout jusqu'ici va aussi sans à-coup que possible à votre voyage à Madrid, Espagne. Si vous satisferiez suivez-moi, je pourra vous aider." (Ah, Mr. DeMarco. I have already received your telephone call. Here are your boarding passes. I hope everything so far is going as smoothly as possible for your trip to Madrid, Spain. If you would please follow me, I will be able to assist you.)
She quickly put up a closed sign on her counter, much to the dismay of the people in line behind Sydney and Vaughn, and motioned for them to follow her to a room at the end of the hall. She wore a black suit and had her hair brushed back from her face but nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. Sydney couldn't help but realize it was a similar trait to what she always did. Anne Marie ushered them into the door. It slammed tightly behind them with an echoing thud. "Agent Sydney Bristow, I presume? And Michael Vaughn? It's so good to see you again!"
"Yes, it is." He replied sharply. He was avoiding her eyes, knowing exactly what she would look like.
"You know what's going on and who I am? I am correct in assuming this?" Anne Marie continued and walked down the hallway, checking over her shoulder every once and a while.
"Yes, unfortunately." Sydney spoke up. She looked from Vaughn to Anne Marie and suddenly hated her more than she hated Alice. This woman was openly flirting with Vaughn with her body language!
"Good, then follow me."
The new agent walked down a white hallway, winding tightly in on itself and when they finally reached a door, she pulled it opened, revealing the entrance to the plane. "Please be safe, Agent Bristow, Michael." She touched Vaughn's arm compassionately and looked at him lovingly. "Be safe, Michael." Her French accent was apparent as she hushed her voice. "Please."
"Thank you, Anne Marie." Vaughn replied and returned a grateful smile. His head turned as she began to walk back, dipping her head to stare at her feet. His eyes watched her for a moment as she walked away, seeing exactly what he had let go of.
Sydney stood next to him and fumed with jealousy. It was bad enough that he had a girlfriend but he was openly flirting with this foreign agent! She crossed her arms defensively. Her brown now green eyes narrowed and she attempted not to glare at this woman.
"Are you ready to go, Syd?" Vaughn offered his arm and pushed forward into the open area. His head turned back around and he attempted a smile at her.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Sydney replied, starring in front of her, lifting her chin in preparation for whatever would lay ahead. "But we need to go. We're going to start to board soon." She had a hurt tone to her voice and was mad at the word again.
"Yeah." Vaughn replied and they made their way towards the chairs reserved for those waiting to board the plane. He jumped into his part, "Sweetie, are you mad about something?"
She held her tongue right behind her teeth as she debated to open her mouth, not as Sydney but as Portia. Her stubbornness interfered, "Who was the girl, Peter?"
Vaughn felt the crimson rise in his flushed cheeks, "We met on a vacation," really a mission, "before I met you." His accent was a combination of English and French and made Sydney's heart flutter so quickly against her will.
"She seemed nice." She lied. * She seemed like a lying, scheming, two brain little bitch. No, really. *
"Yeah, I guess you could say that- Porsche, are you jealous?" He smiled his oh so gorgeous smile at her and held his hand across her back. "You have no reason to be. She was nothing. You're my wife." His smiled dimmed as he watched her reaction. Her eyes got wide for a split second, "Sweetie, I'm in love with you..you shouldn't be jealous of Anne."
He had to say wife! He had to! "I don't believe I'm jealous. I don't get jealous." She crossed her legs as she sat down. "I am not jealous." And he had to say that he was in love with. She rolled her eyes and ended the conversation. "I'm not."
Vaughn slumped further into his chair and smirked at her. "Anyway."
"I'm not."
"Yes, sweetie." He promptly ended the conversation that would relate anyway to Anne Marie. In truth, they had dated for a while.okay more than a little while but more like a year. He was more than in love with her but she, she was seeing someone else on the side. He had found out one summer day and was completely devastated. He retreated away from life for a little bit after that. His spark had been reunited after he met Alice and then he cooled off and then again after he met Sydney but cooled off after he met Alice. His love life was the worst thing in his life. It was as if all of his past loves managed to resurface just to bite him in the ass. Why couldn't love be easy? No, better question. Why couldn't he be in love with the one girl he was supposed to be in love with and stop loving the girl he couldn't?
"Now boarding all first class seats." The airport worker droned on the announcement system.
"That's us, darling." Vaughn rose and took Sydney's hand in his. Again, he held onto her tightly as they made their way down another long hallway but this one ended on the plane. Sydney felt her heart palpitate as her heels clicked against the carpeted floor and almost gasped as she boarded the plane. Was it because Vaughn gripped her back so tightly? Or because this was it? This was it. This was the end of her former life. She was no longer a bank employee to her friends, a double agent at the CIA, maybe not even Sydney Bristow anymore. She was now Portia DeMarco and as she stepped on the plane, she hated the name and the way she looked. Everything tasted raw and turned her stomach. The airplane was overly air conditioned and seemed to attack her skin and spirit. Everything was disgusting. The make-up, the clothes, the contacts, the gun, the shoes, everything. It was vile to her but she kept walking, allowing her concentration to find their seats.
"I destroyed Will and then Francie. And I'm going to destroy you and for that, I am so sorry. You should have gone home when I told you to. You shouldn't have come." Sydney's eyes got wide as she focused on the road and came to the realization of her world and the effects on others. "I destroyed Danny first and now all of you are falling in line."
**Oh Sydney, don't do this to be me right now. I need you to stay strong.* He wanted to slam on the breaks and snap at her out of this but again, there wasn't enough time. "Sydney, don't do this." His reply seemed coarser than he meant it to.
"It's too late." Will duly noted. "She's made up her mind about something."
"Yeah, I see it." Vaughn glanced in his rearview mirror.
"She's got that-"
"Look in her eye." Vaughn finished Will's statement.
"Doesn't take long for you to catch onto her things, does it?"
"How long did it take you?"
"A day, give or take."
"Yeah, me too." He relaxed a little and for almost a split second, forgot what had happened only minutes ago. Will and he had made some headway and it was almost possible that they were becoming friendly. Will nodded at him and it was possible that he could have been thinking the same thing. "Yeah." Vaughn repeated. His green eyes focused on the curves in the road ahead. They were almost there and fear rose like bile in his dry throat. He cleared it loudly and loosened his grip on the wheel. Where would he and Sydney be sent? How long would they be gone? Random thoughts filled his head. If he was sent away, what would they tell his mother? Images of his mother collapsing in the middle of her living room, crying for her lost son who wasn't really lost. He swallowed hard in the present and felt his forehead crease. "Sydney, listen to me, until this over, you need to put your game face on. You're slipping and I won't let you. Think later, act now."
She ran her hands over her face again, "You're right. I'm letting this get to me. I have to stay put together." And her whole attitude change. She was sitting up straighter and her chin was lifted up higher. "Let's go."
Will couldn't believe what just happened. It was too surreal. She had snapped out of that like absolutely nothing had happened. A newfound respect washed over him and he couldn't help but stare at Sydney. She was so strong, as strong as he would have to be for Francie. Things were moving to fast and as far as he knew, his make-shift home could be burning in flames, catching from the small embers on the couch. There were so many memories there that he couldn't bear not going back there. Regardless the outcome of this, whatever this was, he would return to the house and rest there for a while. It would become a pilgrimage.
Sydney's thoughts were rapid. It skipped back and forth as her eyes darted around the fast moving car. Vaughn was pushing seventy in a fifty zone. She never knew he could drive like that. Badge or not, he shouldn't have been driving like that. The tired woman pulled her knees closer to her chest and rocked back and forth. There would have to be a long session with Barnet to repair this disaster. She finally managed to get comfortable and starred out the window. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a low bun, a kickback from her days as a dancer. Her chest expanded and contracted as she drew deep breaths, stretching out her back. Where Vaughn's hand had been was still warm and tingling. He was probably the only thing keeping her sane. He was her rock, her redeemer, her everlasting shield. If he crumbled, she would be dead by sunset. She was so independent in everything but for the time being, she was emotionally dependant on him. This is something he almost knew.
His tires screeched as he pulled into the parking garage. He had never gotten out of the car so fast in his life. If it weren't for his quick thinking, he would have barely remembered to take his keys out of the ignition. His hands threw his seatbelt off and his door opened with a sudden force from the inside. Barely taking the time to adjust his weight on feet, he turned towards the backseat doors and he opened Will and Francie's doors. Things were so urgent that if they weren't in the building in a few minutes something could and would happen. Sydney met him out of the car, getting out equally as fast. Will unbuckled and held Francie tightly in his arms. He had never been there and was suddenly nervous. Will looked around the parking garage and started to walk towards the elevator with the rest of the group. His mouth was dry and dropping more and more open with every step. The cold pavement echoed their footsteps throughout the place. Vaughn and Sydney walked strongly and hit the button for the elevator. She turned towards Francie, still standing in Will's arms and comforted. Vaughn turned towards Will, standing on the opposite side of him.
"You've lived through a murder attempt, Will, going through the Joint Task Force will be nothing."
The elevator started with a jolt and moved down four floors. Francie's personality was beginning to come back a little. Shock was funny thing. It came and went in waves. Her poor mind wasn't used to such trauma, trauma the double agent faced on a daily basis. She glanced cautiously around and gripped Sydney's hand tightly. Her lips went dry but she seemed calmer. The elevator came to a jolted stop and they exited into the main office.
"Agent Bristow, Agent Vaughn!" a rookie ran out of the office and called out to them, trotting at a decent pace behind them.
"You are?" Sydney whipped around and faced the agent, who looked all of about twelve. The older agent was immediately defensive.
"My name is Chayse Zurch. Mr. Devlin and Mr. Kendell sent me to meet you at the door. Follow me please." She began to walk around the corner towards the center of the office. It was the same hallway that Vaughn had ran after Sydney, just missing her only four months ago. "Ms. Calfo and Mr. Tippin need to come with me. We have a car waiting to take them to the safe house." She motioned to a handful of young, raw looking agents who rushed towards Francie and Will, taking them off somewhere. Francie started to look panic again and Sydney opened her mouth to reassure her but the forceful rookies tore them apart, peeling them away towards an unseen part of the building. Will looked equally unnerved but instead of attempting of fighting the force, he went along with. It was like he was almost familiar with process, especially after his ordeal with SD-6 in the past.
"It's okay. You ahead. You're gonna be fine." Sydney shouted after them, attempting to calm them. "You're gonna be just fine."
"You two, Agent Bristow and Vaughn, are leaving immediately on a plane to Madrid. Here are your clothes, passports, and other necessary papers that you will need. Take the van, Agent Weiss is standing by the drive you to LAX." She took the bags from Sydney and casually tossed them towards a daydreaming agent, who sloppily caught them and started to look more alert again. "Go give those to Ms. Calfo and Mr. Tippin!" She barked at the agent.
"I'm not going anywhere until I see my father." Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Chayse.
"I'm right here." A familiar voice piped up.
"Dad." She whipped around and saw her father standing there in a black suit. She rushed towards him, a whole three yards and didn't care. She needed to go back in time a daddy's girl for just a moment. She threw her arms around him and held onto him so tightly that she never wanted to let go. Her breath was nothing more than mere gasps. He started to peel her off of his body and she agreed, reluctantly.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine." She replied, standing before him looking up into his cold gray eyes.
"Good."
"How did this happen?" She asked, wishing answers would simply shower down upon her, washing away her wounds. Vaughn had turned on his heels and stood against Sydney's shoulder, listening to a man that rarely showed emotion.
"I don't know but I'm going in within a matter of time to find some answers. Arvin's bound to tell me. But you, you need to go and I will be in touch with you as soon as you get to Madrid. You and Mr. Vaughn will be going as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Peter DeMarco. You'll be staying at the Rosita resort in Madrid. At LAX, you'll meet with a contact, Anne Marie." He revealed a picture from his briefcase. Anne Marie was a pretty red-head with cold blue eyes. Vaughn immediately looked away from the picture. He couldn't see her again.
Jack continued, eyeing Vaughn in suspicion. "She'll be at the Air France counter and she'll just go over everything with you, check you in and all that. She has your entire luggage with the exception of your carry-ons. Follow her and you'll bypass security; you'll be armed at all times. But when you get to Madrid, a man will be waiting for you." He showed them a picture of man who had olive colored skin and the darkest brown eyes Sydney had ever seen, "He'll have your luggage in his car. From the airport, you will go to the hotel Rosita. You'll stay there until we believe it is safe. I'll keep an eye on Will and Francie and will be in touch." He need to keep their meeting brief because she was like a walking time bomb that was willing to go off at any moment. "I'll be in touch at the hotel. I'll call your room." Her honey brown eyes watched him turn his back on her and start to walk about.
He walked away, leaving them alone with the babbling agent. They barely bothered to turn around back towards Chayse. They instead turned towards each other and looked back and forth at each other. Chayse's tongue went a mile a minute, reiterating all the information Jack had just went over. She finally finished. *It's about time! Jesus, all that girl does is talk* thought Sydney. The rookie threw a large duffle bag at Vaughn, glared at him for a moment and then walked away.
Sydney and Vaughn walked out of office and back to the elevator. The bag laid heavy over his shoulder. They couldn't exchange words. Nothing sounded like right. They made their way towards the town car and hoped inside. It was black with black leather interior. Weiss was sitting up front and acknowledged the two agents. He opened his mouth to joke but instead turned the ignition. The car pulled out and Sydney leaned back into her seat. They needed to keep moving but she couldn't bring herself to put new clothes on. Finally, unwillingly, she leaned forward and brought the privacy glass up. Weiss wouldn't get a full view of her.
"Yeah, I know." Vaughn shrugged his shoulders to answer the unasked question and set the big duffle bag in the center of the seats. He sat on the right and her on the left. She opened the bag first and revealed a gold halter top with a black peasant skirt and black Roman sandals. There was a brown and blonde highlighted wig that was similar to the one that she wore when she did the op with Dixon with the fire alarm and..she didn't even remember where it was. She turned her back to Vaughn and faced the side of the car. It wasn't much better than facing Weiss or Vaughn head on. Somebody would get a full view of her. Frustrated, she turned her back against the privacy glass and sank down off the seat. Vaughn sensed what she was doing and sat up on the seat, with his back to her, facing the door. She stripped, laying out her clothes in front of her with his gun on top and started to change when she suddenly became aware that Vaughn was doing the same thing. Her eyes were cast down low and tried not stare at the muscular back angled in front of her. She focused her thoughts on getting change and being this new person. Her halter top was not yet tied when the car jolted and the two adults jerked against each other, feeling each other's bare skin against each other. Vaughn had fallen forwards against the door and Sydney against him. They felt each other. She gasped and immediately knew she wanted to feel the touch of his skin more often. His head quickly tilted to the side and he began to murmur his apologizes and she sat there, with her mouth gaping open. "Easy Weiss!" He managed to bark.
She finished tying her halter top, extremely embarrassed and rejoined Vaughn on the seat. "Okay." She murmured as she started to make her way towards the seat and immediately turned her body aware from him. He, knowing her so well, had already slid over to allow her more room. He had nearly finished dressing, buttoning up his shirt which was a natural linen color. He needed to change his pants, so he did, moving as fast as possible. He sensed her being uncomfortable and wanted to relieve he tension in the air as quickly as humanly possible. He began to apply make- up to make his pale skin darker. It was applied with a thick make-up sponge and covered him like a suffocating blanket. He took a hazardous looking brush and ran it through his hair, leaving a faint gray tint behind and then applied it lightly to the stubble on his face. As he finished, he cleared his throat and he started to replace his evergreen eyes with honey brown ones.
She pulled her skirt over her pants and wormed her way out of them, still avoiding Vaughn's indiscreet eyes. She leaned forward and changed out of her sneakers and into a pair of high, uncomfortable sandals that tied half-way up her calves. Her wig went next, followed new make-up, one making her skin a few shades darker and then finally, green colored contacts. They were a bit rougher to put in. Weiss wasn't exactly the best driver. Her eyes quickly caught Vaughn's, who now had replaced his green eyes with brown ones.
"Looks like we switched." Sydney replied to Vaughn clearing his throat.
"Looks like it." He looked down, as he had developed a habit of and laughed a little. "Sydney, how are you doing?"
Sydney started to rummage through the bag again and pulled out a black wrap ballet sweater and tied it around her body. "How I am doing? Look at me Vaughn; I don't have time to fall apart." She shook her head softly and turned to finish applying her make-up. She made her eyes soft and elegant and wore coral red lipstick. Portia was elegant and refined. She continued her digging and found a black back pack, filled with two water bottles, her passport, and other odds and ends.
His eyes lingered on her body for a moment and then continued, "That's not what I asked. How are you doing?" He pressed on as he was handed a wallet and passport and SOP papers. He flipped it open. For the time being, he was Peter DeMarco, a well to do businessman who had married his high school sweetheart, Portia Flint, and had three children. Peter and Portia were going to Madrid for a second honeymoon.
"Well, Peter, I'm fine." Sydney replied, glancing over his shoulder to look at his passport. She spoke with an elegant, faint British accent.
"Well Portia, I don't believe you." He matched her accent and immediately dropped it, "Do you still have my gun?"
She fastened the holster around her waist, hidden beneath the ruffles of the skirt, "Do you have a holster?"
"Yeah." He replied, tapping his hip with his free hand. "Are you ready to do this?" Because he knew he sure as hell wasn't. He hated field ops with a passion, even if it was with Sydney. Tai Pai had worried him but he was willing to die on the job, just like his father. His father would do anything to protect another agent and so would he. He had to be his father, whether he liked it or not.
"Well kiddies, we're here!" Weiss proclaimed, disrupting Vaughn's thoughts. He pulled up to the curb, empty of others cars. He was cleverly disguised as a driver, huh of all things! He wore a black suit with a beard. It barely looked like him but the same Weiss smile can beaming back at them as he opened Sydney's door and ran to open Vaughn's. He only stumbled slightly. "Good luck and hey, try to have fun!" He smiled at the two nervous agents and began to make his way towards his door.
"Thank you." Sydney replied, already using her accent. A piece of hair was tucked behind her ear; it was her thing when she had become someone else. She threw the bag over her shoulder and smiled at Weiss and then at Vaughn. No nerves, no guts, no glory.
"We'll be back soon." Vaughn answered Weiss' raised eyebrows almost begging him to ask when they would return. He shook Weiss's hand and put his arm around Sydney' back. "You all ready, dear?"
She looked at him, attempting to erase the hurt she felt from his touch, "Yeah," she swallowed, "let's go."
They walked into the quiet airport, tickets in hand. Vaughn became very protective of her, not letting his hand leave a part of her body at any time. They needed to pull this off if Sydney ever wanted to come back to the states.
"I don't understand why they didn't charter for us." She softly whispered as they walked towards the Air France desk.
"I don't either but maybe your dad with tell us something."
"I didn't get to talk to my mother."
Change of topic! "Speaking of mothers, you're a mother of three.. just so I get this straight, our children's names-"
"I've always loved the name Laura for a girl and Aiden for a boy. William could be mistaken for, you know. One more name?"
"And Iris." He wouldn't let her say the third name, Irinia. He could almost sense where she was headed with the conversation and shot him a questioning look. He shook his head softly no.
"Iris." She repeated in disbelief. "Where did you come up with that name?"
"Combination of your mother and mine." Vaughn answered softly, picking up his pace slightly towards the young girl working at the counter.
"What's your mother's name?"
"Felicity." He responded, barely looking at her. His concentration was at the girl standing alone at the counter, not on her. It couldn't be on her. Sydney was suddenly a blur and all he could focus on was Anne Marie. He recognized the agent but he really didn't think that it would be her. He felt his heart starting to race and he didn't want to see her again. There was a large counter with people standing behind, checking in others with their luggage. It was a long narrow hallway and at the very end, there was a door that read "Authorized Personal ONLY"
"Pretty name." She remarked and leaned into his arm a little and managed to almost smile. "Felicity Vaughn?
"Uh-huh." He was suddenly cold to her and shut her out. She took notice of this and straightened up a little bit. Something was up and she fully planned on questioning him on it later. They continued on in silence, aware of everyone around them, hoping no one worked for SD-6 or any of the SD cells. They pressed on further, being swallowed alive by the noise that consumed the LA airport. The girl was the girl from the picture. They walked towards the line in front of her and waited patiently their turn. She was bent over a computer screen and the events of the day began to show on her face.
"Bonjour et bienvenue à Air France. Je m'appelle Anne Marie. Comment est-ce que je puis vous aider aujourd'hui? Le préféreriez-vous si je parlais anglais ou français?" She spoke sweetly. (Hello and welcome to Air France. My name is Anne Marie. Can I help you ? How may I be of service of you to you today? Would you prefer it if I spoke French or English."
"Ah oui, francais bien sur. Je m'appelle Peter DeMarco." Vaughn steadily replied. (Ah, yes, French of course. My name is Peter DeMarco.)
"Ampèreheure, M. DeMarco. J'ai déjà reçu votre appel téléphonique. Voici vos passages d' embarquer. J'espère que tout jusqu'ici va aussi sans à-coup que possible à votre voyage à Madrid, Espagne. Si vous satisferiez suivez-moi, je pourra vous aider." (Ah, Mr. DeMarco. I have already received your telephone call. Here are your boarding passes. I hope everything so far is going as smoothly as possible for your trip to Madrid, Spain. If you would please follow me, I will be able to assist you.)
She quickly put up a closed sign on her counter, much to the dismay of the people in line behind Sydney and Vaughn, and motioned for them to follow her to a room at the end of the hall. She wore a black suit and had her hair brushed back from her face but nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. Sydney couldn't help but realize it was a similar trait to what she always did. Anne Marie ushered them into the door. It slammed tightly behind them with an echoing thud. "Agent Sydney Bristow, I presume? And Michael Vaughn? It's so good to see you again!"
"Yes, it is." He replied sharply. He was avoiding her eyes, knowing exactly what she would look like.
"You know what's going on and who I am? I am correct in assuming this?" Anne Marie continued and walked down the hallway, checking over her shoulder every once and a while.
"Yes, unfortunately." Sydney spoke up. She looked from Vaughn to Anne Marie and suddenly hated her more than she hated Alice. This woman was openly flirting with Vaughn with her body language!
"Good, then follow me."
The new agent walked down a white hallway, winding tightly in on itself and when they finally reached a door, she pulled it opened, revealing the entrance to the plane. "Please be safe, Agent Bristow, Michael." She touched Vaughn's arm compassionately and looked at him lovingly. "Be safe, Michael." Her French accent was apparent as she hushed her voice. "Please."
"Thank you, Anne Marie." Vaughn replied and returned a grateful smile. His head turned as she began to walk back, dipping her head to stare at her feet. His eyes watched her for a moment as she walked away, seeing exactly what he had let go of.
Sydney stood next to him and fumed with jealousy. It was bad enough that he had a girlfriend but he was openly flirting with this foreign agent! She crossed her arms defensively. Her brown now green eyes narrowed and she attempted not to glare at this woman.
"Are you ready to go, Syd?" Vaughn offered his arm and pushed forward into the open area. His head turned back around and he attempted a smile at her.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Sydney replied, starring in front of her, lifting her chin in preparation for whatever would lay ahead. "But we need to go. We're going to start to board soon." She had a hurt tone to her voice and was mad at the word again.
"Yeah." Vaughn replied and they made their way towards the chairs reserved for those waiting to board the plane. He jumped into his part, "Sweetie, are you mad about something?"
She held her tongue right behind her teeth as she debated to open her mouth, not as Sydney but as Portia. Her stubbornness interfered, "Who was the girl, Peter?"
Vaughn felt the crimson rise in his flushed cheeks, "We met on a vacation," really a mission, "before I met you." His accent was a combination of English and French and made Sydney's heart flutter so quickly against her will.
"She seemed nice." She lied. * She seemed like a lying, scheming, two brain little bitch. No, really. *
"Yeah, I guess you could say that- Porsche, are you jealous?" He smiled his oh so gorgeous smile at her and held his hand across her back. "You have no reason to be. She was nothing. You're my wife." His smiled dimmed as he watched her reaction. Her eyes got wide for a split second, "Sweetie, I'm in love with you..you shouldn't be jealous of Anne."
He had to say wife! He had to! "I don't believe I'm jealous. I don't get jealous." She crossed her legs as she sat down. "I am not jealous." And he had to say that he was in love with. She rolled her eyes and ended the conversation. "I'm not."
Vaughn slumped further into his chair and smirked at her. "Anyway."
"I'm not."
"Yes, sweetie." He promptly ended the conversation that would relate anyway to Anne Marie. In truth, they had dated for a while.okay more than a little while but more like a year. He was more than in love with her but she, she was seeing someone else on the side. He had found out one summer day and was completely devastated. He retreated away from life for a little bit after that. His spark had been reunited after he met Alice and then he cooled off and then again after he met Sydney but cooled off after he met Alice. His love life was the worst thing in his life. It was as if all of his past loves managed to resurface just to bite him in the ass. Why couldn't love be easy? No, better question. Why couldn't he be in love with the one girl he was supposed to be in love with and stop loving the girl he couldn't?
"Now boarding all first class seats." The airport worker droned on the announcement system.
"That's us, darling." Vaughn rose and took Sydney's hand in his. Again, he held onto her tightly as they made their way down another long hallway but this one ended on the plane. Sydney felt her heart palpitate as her heels clicked against the carpeted floor and almost gasped as she boarded the plane. Was it because Vaughn gripped her back so tightly? Or because this was it? This was it. This was the end of her former life. She was no longer a bank employee to her friends, a double agent at the CIA, maybe not even Sydney Bristow anymore. She was now Portia DeMarco and as she stepped on the plane, she hated the name and the way she looked. Everything tasted raw and turned her stomach. The airplane was overly air conditioned and seemed to attack her skin and spirit. Everything was disgusting. The make-up, the clothes, the contacts, the gun, the shoes, everything. It was vile to her but she kept walking, allowing her concentration to find their seats.