Wow. I feel soooo guilty for not updating in such a long time. GEEZ. I kind of got writers block for awhile there. But it's ok now! Anyways. Here is the next chapter. Hopefully you all will like it, and forgive me for not updating in such a long time. Also, I went back to the previous chapters and changed a few minor issues--typos, etc... so feel free to re-read, and of course, re-review!! Let me know what you think!
The Message
Several hours later, we sat at the base of the bed in Sydney's cabin, paper plates balanced on our laps as we watched the sun slowly set through the window.
Sydney had insisted on the makeshift picnic, not wanting to miss the sun as it slipped below the horizon. I, not one to willingly deny Sydney Bristow of anything, agreed, and we threw a blanket down at the foot of her bed.
As the sun disappeared and the room grew darker, Sydney turned to me, her face serious.
"Vaughn?" She asked softly. I nodded, prompting her to continue as I took a sip of wine. "Do you ever wish that you hadn't met me?" Her question took me off guard, and I coughed as I inhaled some of my wine.
"What?" I asked her, my voice incredulous.
"Do you ever wish you hadn't met me?" She repeated, her eyes darting away from mine.
"Why the Hell would you think that?" I asked, completely confused by the change in her mood. She shrugged.
"I was just thinking. About how complicated your life has gotten since I joined the CIA—how complicated it's become because of me." She paused. "If I hadn't shown up—"
"Stop." I said bluntly, cutting her off mid-sentence, not wanting to hear any more. "Sydney, don't say it. Don't even think it." She closed her mouth, glancing at me and blushing. "You are the strongest, bravest, most amazing person I've ever known. I love you so much." Her gaze shifted away from me, but I reached out, directing her face back towards mine. "The only thing I wish, that I've wished for a long time, is that I had met you years ago."
"Yeah?" She asked softly.
"Yeah." I smiled at her. "My life is complicated. I can't argue that. But when I met you, and as I got to know you, I realized that I wanted to work with you. I wanted to be around you, for reasons that are pretty obvious. I loved you then, though it took me awhile to realize it. And I love you now. I don't give a damn how complicated things are. As long as I can be with you."
Sydney bowed her head, obviously trying to hide her tears. I reached over, pulling her closer, to where she could her lean back against my chest. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Syd," I whispered, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.
She shuddered, holding back a sob, and I turned her to face me, wiping away her tears with my thumb.
"Thank you." She whispered. "Sometimes I just—" She hesitated. "Sometimes I just need to be reminded that it's not my fault. That I'm not the reason so many of the people in my life get hurt." Her voice hitched, and she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"Syd," I replied, smiling. "You don't have a bad bone in your body. Don't ever blame yourself for any of this. SD-6. Sloane. They're the ones who should pay for what they've done. They're the guilty ones here. You need to accept that."
She smiled slightly. "I have," she said. "It's just hard sometimes."
I nodded, intertwining her fingers with mine.
"I'm glad you're here," she said, looking up at me. I smiled, noticing that the sparkle in her eyes had returned.
"Me too," I grinned. "What do you want to do now?" I asked, glancing around the room. "It's too early to go to bed."
Sydney raised an eyebrow at my statement. "Is it?" She asked. I returned her look with one of my own.
"Maybe not," I replied, my voice growing softer as the smile on her face grew wider. I slowly began leaning towards her.
"It is getting dark out," Sydney whispered, grinning.
"And some people do go to bed before eight…" my voice trailed off as my lips met hers, our soft kiss slowly growing in intensity. I pulled away from her, grasping her hand in mine as I stood up. She followed suit, moving back towards me quickly as we rose.
Her lips met mine again, as she trailed her hand up and under my shirt, her fingers brushing lightly over the muscles of my stomach. I shuddered, feeling myself becoming lightheaded—intoxicated by her presence.
I pulled away again, gazing at her face, which had become slightly flushed. I trailed my finger along her clavicle, smiling as she shivered at the contact.
"I love you so much," I whispered, the words still sounding new as I said them.
She grinned, pulling me back to her as she backed towards the bed. "I love you too," she said, brushing her lips against mine.
Just as the backs of her legs hit the end of the bed, we were interrupted by an annoying beeping. We pulled apart, both glancing in the general direction of her suitcase. Sydney rolled her eyes.
"I'd better check," she sighed. I nodded, watching her as she rummaged through her suitcase. I could sense the change in her mood as soon as she found her beeper.
"Bad news?" I asked, moving up behind her. She nodded, her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Sloane. It's a 911."
Hope you all liked this chapter. Vaughn's such a sweetie. To bad he's not 15 years younger, and not betrothed to Sydney, because I'd be all over him heehee. But I will be gracious, and let Syd have him :) Review please!!
The Message
Several hours later, we sat at the base of the bed in Sydney's cabin, paper plates balanced on our laps as we watched the sun slowly set through the window.
Sydney had insisted on the makeshift picnic, not wanting to miss the sun as it slipped below the horizon. I, not one to willingly deny Sydney Bristow of anything, agreed, and we threw a blanket down at the foot of her bed.
As the sun disappeared and the room grew darker, Sydney turned to me, her face serious.
"Vaughn?" She asked softly. I nodded, prompting her to continue as I took a sip of wine. "Do you ever wish that you hadn't met me?" Her question took me off guard, and I coughed as I inhaled some of my wine.
"What?" I asked her, my voice incredulous.
"Do you ever wish you hadn't met me?" She repeated, her eyes darting away from mine.
"Why the Hell would you think that?" I asked, completely confused by the change in her mood. She shrugged.
"I was just thinking. About how complicated your life has gotten since I joined the CIA—how complicated it's become because of me." She paused. "If I hadn't shown up—"
"Stop." I said bluntly, cutting her off mid-sentence, not wanting to hear any more. "Sydney, don't say it. Don't even think it." She closed her mouth, glancing at me and blushing. "You are the strongest, bravest, most amazing person I've ever known. I love you so much." Her gaze shifted away from me, but I reached out, directing her face back towards mine. "The only thing I wish, that I've wished for a long time, is that I had met you years ago."
"Yeah?" She asked softly.
"Yeah." I smiled at her. "My life is complicated. I can't argue that. But when I met you, and as I got to know you, I realized that I wanted to work with you. I wanted to be around you, for reasons that are pretty obvious. I loved you then, though it took me awhile to realize it. And I love you now. I don't give a damn how complicated things are. As long as I can be with you."
Sydney bowed her head, obviously trying to hide her tears. I reached over, pulling her closer, to where she could her lean back against my chest. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Syd," I whispered, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.
She shuddered, holding back a sob, and I turned her to face me, wiping away her tears with my thumb.
"Thank you." She whispered. "Sometimes I just—" She hesitated. "Sometimes I just need to be reminded that it's not my fault. That I'm not the reason so many of the people in my life get hurt." Her voice hitched, and she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.
"Syd," I replied, smiling. "You don't have a bad bone in your body. Don't ever blame yourself for any of this. SD-6. Sloane. They're the ones who should pay for what they've done. They're the guilty ones here. You need to accept that."
She smiled slightly. "I have," she said. "It's just hard sometimes."
I nodded, intertwining her fingers with mine.
"I'm glad you're here," she said, looking up at me. I smiled, noticing that the sparkle in her eyes had returned.
"Me too," I grinned. "What do you want to do now?" I asked, glancing around the room. "It's too early to go to bed."
Sydney raised an eyebrow at my statement. "Is it?" She asked. I returned her look with one of my own.
"Maybe not," I replied, my voice growing softer as the smile on her face grew wider. I slowly began leaning towards her.
"It is getting dark out," Sydney whispered, grinning.
"And some people do go to bed before eight…" my voice trailed off as my lips met hers, our soft kiss slowly growing in intensity. I pulled away from her, grasping her hand in mine as I stood up. She followed suit, moving back towards me quickly as we rose.
Her lips met mine again, as she trailed her hand up and under my shirt, her fingers brushing lightly over the muscles of my stomach. I shuddered, feeling myself becoming lightheaded—intoxicated by her presence.
I pulled away again, gazing at her face, which had become slightly flushed. I trailed my finger along her clavicle, smiling as she shivered at the contact.
"I love you so much," I whispered, the words still sounding new as I said them.
She grinned, pulling me back to her as she backed towards the bed. "I love you too," she said, brushing her lips against mine.
Just as the backs of her legs hit the end of the bed, we were interrupted by an annoying beeping. We pulled apart, both glancing in the general direction of her suitcase. Sydney rolled her eyes.
"I'd better check," she sighed. I nodded, watching her as she rummaged through her suitcase. I could sense the change in her mood as soon as she found her beeper.
"Bad news?" I asked, moving up behind her. She nodded, her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Sloane. It's a 911."
Hope you all liked this chapter. Vaughn's such a sweetie. To bad he's not 15 years younger, and not betrothed to Sydney, because I'd be all over him heehee. But I will be gracious, and let Syd have him :) Review please!!
