A/N: The good news is Spring Break has finally arrived! The bad news is I'm going to be spending it on a boat in the middle of nowhere without a computer. So, this may be my last update until I get back next week...unless I can pound another chapter out before I leave. If you review I just might type faster *hint, hint*
Chapter Five
The Go Ahead
He scrambled after Kendall, trying to get a word in as he dodged objects and people. "...A month and a half after she disappears, Sydney Bristow suddenly turns up in London--and that's information I didn't need to know?"
Kendall ignored him as he continued to weave through the ops center towards some unknown destination except to toss out an irate statement, "You can't be included in everything that goes on around here, Vaughn. I already have a very capable team working on this, and it was my judgment that you didn't need to be involved."
"'Capable'?" he demanded, still close on the other man's heels so that his comment couldn't be disregarded. "Not even your most capable team will be able to track someone as expert as Sydney. That's why you do need me. I know this woman; how she acts, how she thinks. I can predict her every move."
Kendall stopped unexpectedly and turned on him, his temper fraying. "Then why didn't you see her last move coming?" He shook his head disappointedly at the look that crossed Vaughn's face, full of childlike hurt, and picked up his stride again, but slower this time so that Vaughn could keep pace. "We've been over this before. You know nothing about her. We can't be sure of anything we once thought of Sydney Bristow, and the person you knew could possibly act nothing like the one we're dealing with now...The only thing we're certain of is her parentage." Kendall looked pointedly across the distance of the rotunda at Jack Bristow, who stared back with narrowed eyes, obviously aware of their topic of discussion. For a moment Vaughn couldn't breathe, feeling that gaze wrap around his throat like fingers, knowing exactly what Jack wanted to do to him for the way he had treated Sydney. Then the he turned away, freeing his victim from the stranglehold of his fierce look; he had a cover to maintain after all.
"But isn't it worth the chance I'm right just to catch her?" he continued as if nothing had passed between him and Jack. "And if I'm not, there's the added benefit of one extra man on the team."
Kendall opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it, his chin dropping slightly. "Fine. Go."
The concession caught him by surprise, and it took him moment to process exactly what had just transpired. "Go?" he repeated dazedly.
"Yes. Go. Tell Agent Weiss that you're on his team under my orders."
He looked sideways at his superior, for the first time really looking at him, seeing how defeated he truly appeared, like all of the fight had been drained out of him. He extended his glance to the rest of the people, finally realizing how lost they all seemed, stumbling through as if they had lost some precious object they were unsure of how to live without; Marshall was in constant danger of bursting into tears at the smallest mishap, the only thing between Dixon and collapsing onto his desk was one hand propped halfheartedly under his chin, and Weiss--Weiss had taken the news almost as badly as Vaughn, it had never occurred to him that someone so close to him could turn like that; he changed so much in so few weeks though he tried to hide it, his smile was a little faded and his humor fell a little flat, because he was dealing with a emotion he had never experienced before: vengeance. That was why he had put himself forth to head the team trying to snare Sydney, he needed somewhere to direct that energy, something substantial to cool his rage.
They had lost something precious. Sydney had taken a something of them with her, some of their youthful hope, some of their trust, and some of their purpose. Without her, they would never be what they were before.
* * * * * * * * *
All their leads were dead ends, and it took them only two days in London to ultimately figure that fact out, two days of following cold trails and bribing men who never pried open their lips. Sydney had vanished as quickly as she had materialized.
But the team of ten agents was stuck abroad until further word from a stubborn HQ which believed they simply weren't trying hard enough, dawdling aimlessly in their hotel rooms, reading over and over again uncompromising black and white papers that refused to yield up their secrets.
He had resigned himself to the same fate as the rest when a tremor in his stomach reminded him that there was a world outside he was entitled to see, government job or no. He pushed aside the packet he had been studying and sat up on the pliant bed, adjusting himself as it gave under the shift of his weight.
"I'm going out," he announced to the bulge on the other bed, reaching for his shoes at the same time. "Maybe see some of the sights, get something to eat. Do you want to come?"
"Go outside?" Weiss's muffled voice came from a grouping of pillows. "No thanks, I've gotten enough exercise in the last two days to last me a lifetime."
Vaughn stood and tried unsuccessfully to make himself presentable, tugging at the wrinkled suit he was still wearing from an earlier meeting with a man whose memory had suddenly lapsed at the last moment on the subject of one particular woman. "I should rephrase that. Do you want me to bring you anything back?"
"Do you have to ask? Food. And lots of it." His attempt at hilarity was useless on the frame of mind that Vaughn was in, falling hollow and meaningless between the two of them.
Vaughn mumbled something along the lines of "Sure" as he made his way to the door, but just as his hand fell on the doorknob Weiss changed his mind. "On second thought, try to find me something without any fruits or nuts."
"Fruits or nuts? Allergic to healthy foods, are you?"
"Well, my mother always told me, you are what you eat."
It took a few seconds for him to recognize the joke, but when he did it was enough to startle a full-throated laugh out of him. The laughter felt so natural, fluttering around inside him, that a few more escaped without him recognizing what was happening.
He was still smiling as the hallway opened out in front of him. "Too late, Eric. Far too late."
And as he closed the door, he couldn't rid himself of the undeniable idea that today was going to be a good day.
Chapter Five
The Go Ahead
He scrambled after Kendall, trying to get a word in as he dodged objects and people. "...A month and a half after she disappears, Sydney Bristow suddenly turns up in London--and that's information I didn't need to know?"
Kendall ignored him as he continued to weave through the ops center towards some unknown destination except to toss out an irate statement, "You can't be included in everything that goes on around here, Vaughn. I already have a very capable team working on this, and it was my judgment that you didn't need to be involved."
"'Capable'?" he demanded, still close on the other man's heels so that his comment couldn't be disregarded. "Not even your most capable team will be able to track someone as expert as Sydney. That's why you do need me. I know this woman; how she acts, how she thinks. I can predict her every move."
Kendall stopped unexpectedly and turned on him, his temper fraying. "Then why didn't you see her last move coming?" He shook his head disappointedly at the look that crossed Vaughn's face, full of childlike hurt, and picked up his stride again, but slower this time so that Vaughn could keep pace. "We've been over this before. You know nothing about her. We can't be sure of anything we once thought of Sydney Bristow, and the person you knew could possibly act nothing like the one we're dealing with now...The only thing we're certain of is her parentage." Kendall looked pointedly across the distance of the rotunda at Jack Bristow, who stared back with narrowed eyes, obviously aware of their topic of discussion. For a moment Vaughn couldn't breathe, feeling that gaze wrap around his throat like fingers, knowing exactly what Jack wanted to do to him for the way he had treated Sydney. Then the he turned away, freeing his victim from the stranglehold of his fierce look; he had a cover to maintain after all.
"But isn't it worth the chance I'm right just to catch her?" he continued as if nothing had passed between him and Jack. "And if I'm not, there's the added benefit of one extra man on the team."
Kendall opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it, his chin dropping slightly. "Fine. Go."
The concession caught him by surprise, and it took him moment to process exactly what had just transpired. "Go?" he repeated dazedly.
"Yes. Go. Tell Agent Weiss that you're on his team under my orders."
He looked sideways at his superior, for the first time really looking at him, seeing how defeated he truly appeared, like all of the fight had been drained out of him. He extended his glance to the rest of the people, finally realizing how lost they all seemed, stumbling through as if they had lost some precious object they were unsure of how to live without; Marshall was in constant danger of bursting into tears at the smallest mishap, the only thing between Dixon and collapsing onto his desk was one hand propped halfheartedly under his chin, and Weiss--Weiss had taken the news almost as badly as Vaughn, it had never occurred to him that someone so close to him could turn like that; he changed so much in so few weeks though he tried to hide it, his smile was a little faded and his humor fell a little flat, because he was dealing with a emotion he had never experienced before: vengeance. That was why he had put himself forth to head the team trying to snare Sydney, he needed somewhere to direct that energy, something substantial to cool his rage.
They had lost something precious. Sydney had taken a something of them with her, some of their youthful hope, some of their trust, and some of their purpose. Without her, they would never be what they were before.
* * * * * * * * *
All their leads were dead ends, and it took them only two days in London to ultimately figure that fact out, two days of following cold trails and bribing men who never pried open their lips. Sydney had vanished as quickly as she had materialized.
But the team of ten agents was stuck abroad until further word from a stubborn HQ which believed they simply weren't trying hard enough, dawdling aimlessly in their hotel rooms, reading over and over again uncompromising black and white papers that refused to yield up their secrets.
He had resigned himself to the same fate as the rest when a tremor in his stomach reminded him that there was a world outside he was entitled to see, government job or no. He pushed aside the packet he had been studying and sat up on the pliant bed, adjusting himself as it gave under the shift of his weight.
"I'm going out," he announced to the bulge on the other bed, reaching for his shoes at the same time. "Maybe see some of the sights, get something to eat. Do you want to come?"
"Go outside?" Weiss's muffled voice came from a grouping of pillows. "No thanks, I've gotten enough exercise in the last two days to last me a lifetime."
Vaughn stood and tried unsuccessfully to make himself presentable, tugging at the wrinkled suit he was still wearing from an earlier meeting with a man whose memory had suddenly lapsed at the last moment on the subject of one particular woman. "I should rephrase that. Do you want me to bring you anything back?"
"Do you have to ask? Food. And lots of it." His attempt at hilarity was useless on the frame of mind that Vaughn was in, falling hollow and meaningless between the two of them.
Vaughn mumbled something along the lines of "Sure" as he made his way to the door, but just as his hand fell on the doorknob Weiss changed his mind. "On second thought, try to find me something without any fruits or nuts."
"Fruits or nuts? Allergic to healthy foods, are you?"
"Well, my mother always told me, you are what you eat."
It took a few seconds for him to recognize the joke, but when he did it was enough to startle a full-throated laugh out of him. The laughter felt so natural, fluttering around inside him, that a few more escaped without him recognizing what was happening.
He was still smiling as the hallway opened out in front of him. "Too late, Eric. Far too late."
And as he closed the door, he couldn't rid himself of the undeniable idea that today was going to be a good day.
