Chapter 13: in which Vaughn makes an important, first, admission on the
road to completing Step 2.
With a supreme effort of will, Vaughn avoided slamming the van door behind him as he exited. Standing there for a moment, trying to control himself, he saw Barclay and Washington doing their best to observe him surreptitiously. No wonder, they were probably waiting for him to come over and toss them both over the side of the railing of the driveby on which they were parked. And landing in that field of sugar cane below them would not be pleasant. They knew the perils of cane, having spent an hour or more scouring the same field for another piece of the intel from this idiotic tour guide of a contact. Sugar cane - sweetness encased in a scratchy, prickly, exterior. Surely, Weiss would find another stinkin' analogy there, but he had no intention of going back in the van. Good, Vaughn, he thought to himself, distract yourself so you can calm down. Think about sugar cane, think about taro fields, think about the orchids we saw at that botanical garden-- His brain screeched to a halt. No, for the love of God don't think about those orchids....
My God, he was fixating on orchids now? He was sick. He was perverse. No, actually he felt like one of Weiss' friggin' volcanoes, ready to explode.And he looked over and saw Sydney standing there, leaning against the car doors, waiting. She was craning her neck to look out over the fields toward the ocean view in the distance. His view of her was not helping the situation.
He groaned. Like the rest of them, she had changed out of the coveralls they had worn in the fields to protect their skin. She was back in her "regular" honeymooning clothes of denim shorts, a Hawaiian print halter and sandals. Looking tall, toned, and beautiful. As usual. Syd had lots of skin, he noted. Lots of soft, smooth, skin..Oh, for the love of God, you idiot stop it!, he thought to himself. Then she turned her back to him to peer over the railing and he nearly groaned again, looking at the line of her back. She turned to face him and he stalked forward, feeling energy race through him in every step, knowing he was on the edge of a breakdown of one kind or another. As she watched him, a concerned look grew on her face.
"Um, Vaughn?" Sydney ventured as Vaughn pulled the keys out of his pocket with a jerk. She reached out a hand to grab the keys "WHAAT?" he exclaimed and grabbed her hand tightly to prevent her from taking the key.
"I was just going to say that maybe I should drive or you should take a moment and breathe before you start. You look...."
"Like what?" he snapped.
"Like you're about to go insane. What went on back there in the van anyway? First Barclay comes out and then Washington, like the hounds of hell are after them. What did you say to them?" He made no answer, so she continued, "Then Weiss goes in and you come out looking like your head is about to explode."
"Not more volcano analogies!"
"Huh?"
"I've had it!" Vaughn exclaimed and Syd pressed back a little into the car, wondering no doubt from where this raving madman had originated. In for a penny, in for a pound. He reached out with his free hand and snaked it around her back and pulled her toward him.
The keys dropped to the ground with a clink.
Vaughn used his free hand to cup the back of Sydney's head and hold her still as his mouth descended, only belatedly realizing that she wasn't resisting. In fact she was tilting her head up to meet his mouth. How had he so totally misread. and then he stopped thinking as their lips finally met. All of the tension and energy he had repressed all day finally did explode and he moaned as he felt himself lose all control and press her back into the car. Moaned again, when she moved her legs so that he could move between them at the same time that she opened her mouth and invited him in. Reangling their heads, they kissed each other ravenously, as if they had been waiting years for this moment. And, duh, they had. With the back of his mind, he noted that the CIA van backed out of the driveby and knew they had to get a move on as well. He had the worst timing..
"Well, that's better. I've been waiting for--" Syd said with a smile when Vaughn lifted his head. She stopped as he stared at her in astonishment. He had half expected that she would smack him right upside the head.
"That's better? You wanted me to do that? You weren't mad today? C'mon!"
"I would have rather you kissed me a few times along the way. The silence was becoming...unnerving and if you'd kissed me, at least....."
"You're kidding! I thought you'd kill me if I tried to kiss you." He shook his head. "I will never understand women."
"No kidding." Syd said dryly. "And just how many women do you need to understand, anyway?" she asked. He stiffened and then caught the little quirk of her lips and relaxed.
He smiled, "Don't try and fool me, Syd. You were mad. When your face gets all tight like that, I know.."
"I was a little mad." He raised an eyebrow and she corrected herself, "Okay, maybe more than a little. But really, I was more nervous than anything."
"Nervous? I would never have thought....."
"Well, how should I have felt? This morning I thought....And then I was waiting for you to explain yourself and when you didn't say anything all day, not even, 'Syd, I'm clueless and stupid,' I started to imagine the worst."
"Syd," he began, then smiled. "Syd, I'm clueless and stupid."
"Well, at least you admit it. Now maybe we'll get somewhere. Let's go." She bent down and picked up the keys and threw them at him. Well, at least she was letting him drive. That was something, wasn't it? Wasn't it?
With a supreme effort of will, Vaughn avoided slamming the van door behind him as he exited. Standing there for a moment, trying to control himself, he saw Barclay and Washington doing their best to observe him surreptitiously. No wonder, they were probably waiting for him to come over and toss them both over the side of the railing of the driveby on which they were parked. And landing in that field of sugar cane below them would not be pleasant. They knew the perils of cane, having spent an hour or more scouring the same field for another piece of the intel from this idiotic tour guide of a contact. Sugar cane - sweetness encased in a scratchy, prickly, exterior. Surely, Weiss would find another stinkin' analogy there, but he had no intention of going back in the van. Good, Vaughn, he thought to himself, distract yourself so you can calm down. Think about sugar cane, think about taro fields, think about the orchids we saw at that botanical garden-- His brain screeched to a halt. No, for the love of God don't think about those orchids....
My God, he was fixating on orchids now? He was sick. He was perverse. No, actually he felt like one of Weiss' friggin' volcanoes, ready to explode.And he looked over and saw Sydney standing there, leaning against the car doors, waiting. She was craning her neck to look out over the fields toward the ocean view in the distance. His view of her was not helping the situation.
He groaned. Like the rest of them, she had changed out of the coveralls they had worn in the fields to protect their skin. She was back in her "regular" honeymooning clothes of denim shorts, a Hawaiian print halter and sandals. Looking tall, toned, and beautiful. As usual. Syd had lots of skin, he noted. Lots of soft, smooth, skin..Oh, for the love of God, you idiot stop it!, he thought to himself. Then she turned her back to him to peer over the railing and he nearly groaned again, looking at the line of her back. She turned to face him and he stalked forward, feeling energy race through him in every step, knowing he was on the edge of a breakdown of one kind or another. As she watched him, a concerned look grew on her face.
"Um, Vaughn?" Sydney ventured as Vaughn pulled the keys out of his pocket with a jerk. She reached out a hand to grab the keys "WHAAT?" he exclaimed and grabbed her hand tightly to prevent her from taking the key.
"I was just going to say that maybe I should drive or you should take a moment and breathe before you start. You look...."
"Like what?" he snapped.
"Like you're about to go insane. What went on back there in the van anyway? First Barclay comes out and then Washington, like the hounds of hell are after them. What did you say to them?" He made no answer, so she continued, "Then Weiss goes in and you come out looking like your head is about to explode."
"Not more volcano analogies!"
"Huh?"
"I've had it!" Vaughn exclaimed and Syd pressed back a little into the car, wondering no doubt from where this raving madman had originated. In for a penny, in for a pound. He reached out with his free hand and snaked it around her back and pulled her toward him.
The keys dropped to the ground with a clink.
Vaughn used his free hand to cup the back of Sydney's head and hold her still as his mouth descended, only belatedly realizing that she wasn't resisting. In fact she was tilting her head up to meet his mouth. How had he so totally misread. and then he stopped thinking as their lips finally met. All of the tension and energy he had repressed all day finally did explode and he moaned as he felt himself lose all control and press her back into the car. Moaned again, when she moved her legs so that he could move between them at the same time that she opened her mouth and invited him in. Reangling their heads, they kissed each other ravenously, as if they had been waiting years for this moment. And, duh, they had. With the back of his mind, he noted that the CIA van backed out of the driveby and knew they had to get a move on as well. He had the worst timing..
"Well, that's better. I've been waiting for--" Syd said with a smile when Vaughn lifted his head. She stopped as he stared at her in astonishment. He had half expected that she would smack him right upside the head.
"That's better? You wanted me to do that? You weren't mad today? C'mon!"
"I would have rather you kissed me a few times along the way. The silence was becoming...unnerving and if you'd kissed me, at least....."
"You're kidding! I thought you'd kill me if I tried to kiss you." He shook his head. "I will never understand women."
"No kidding." Syd said dryly. "And just how many women do you need to understand, anyway?" she asked. He stiffened and then caught the little quirk of her lips and relaxed.
He smiled, "Don't try and fool me, Syd. You were mad. When your face gets all tight like that, I know.."
"I was a little mad." He raised an eyebrow and she corrected herself, "Okay, maybe more than a little. But really, I was more nervous than anything."
"Nervous? I would never have thought....."
"Well, how should I have felt? This morning I thought....And then I was waiting for you to explain yourself and when you didn't say anything all day, not even, 'Syd, I'm clueless and stupid,' I started to imagine the worst."
"Syd," he began, then smiled. "Syd, I'm clueless and stupid."
"Well, at least you admit it. Now maybe we'll get somewhere. Let's go." She bent down and picked up the keys and threw them at him. Well, at least she was letting him drive. That was something, wasn't it? Wasn't it?