A/N: Okay, forgive the fact that this goes from super-perky and happy to major angst in a span of like a page. I was in very different moods when I wrote each part. Lol.

Smoke and Mirrors Part One~ Syd POV

"Ok, guys... there's pretty much nothing on TV. So, Mission Impossible, Back to the Future, or Quills?" Will asked as he flipped through the pages of the TV guide.

"Not Mission Impossible," I shook my head. "It's a little too close to home."

Will chuckled. "Right. Vaughn, do you have a prerogative?"

"Isn't Quills the movie with the girl from Titanic?" Vaughn wondered.

Will nodded.

Vaughn continued. "So it's also the movie about the insane sadomasochistic porn writer? And they all live in France, yet somehow they have British accents?"

I laughed. "And that offends you? Because you grew up there, so you're the God of its language?"

He smiled. "Oui, mon cheri."

Will held back a laugh and leaned into the cushions. "Alright, fine. Back to the Future it is, then."

He reached for the remote and changed the channel to USA. Vaughn put his arm around my shoulders and we all relaxed. It felt nice to just kick back once in a while and not have to worry about anything.

But, as always in my life, it didn't stay that way. My bliss lasted for thirty minutes tops. Not long after Marty McFly had caused Biff Tannon's car to swerve into a manure truck, my phone rang.

Damn phone interrupts everything. I think my life would be increasingly better if I just shut off my phone.

I stood from the couch and reluctantly hit 'Talk.'

"Hello?"

"We need you at operations, now."

"I'll be right there."

I hit the 'End' button.

Not long after, Vaughn's cell phone rang and he received a similar talk. 

"See you later, Will. When Francie gets back from the restaurant, tell her I'm sorry I had to run out like this and I promise to make it up to her."

"Got it," Will answered distantly, apparently engrossed in the movie.

"Thanks," I called back, and Vaughn and I left.

I suppose us walking simultaneously into the Joint Task Force building probably looked a bit suspicious, but at this point I didn't really care.

This was, after all, the Central Intelligence Agency. If they couldn't see what was going on between Vaughn and me, I fear for the safety of our country.

"Ah, Agent Bristow, Agent Vaughn," Kendall greeted us with his usual callous manner. "You're probably wondering why I called you down. You have an assignment." He handed us both a manila folder.

I carefully opened up the corner of mine and pulled out a couple of glossy black and white photographs. As I realized what they were of, a chill ran up my spine.

Each showed a hard rock and dirt wall, dark and shadowed. It seemed to be underground. In what appeared to be alcoves built into the sides, there were the outlines of something strange and awful to see. Human skeletons, wrapped in some kind of cloth.

"What... what is this?"

"The Pecherskye in the Former Soviet Union. Kiev, Ukraine. You're looking at a series of underground cathedrals where monks lived... and, as the pictures clearly show, died one thousand years ago. It's actually a popular tour attraction, morbid as it may seem," Kendall explained.

I nodded and replaced the photos back in the manila folder with the mission details.

Kendall continued. "You two are going to Kiev. You'll be posing as tourist newlyweds on their honeymoon. Your mission is to uncover the body of Uraslav Anokhianov. If you remember Perkashov last year, Anokhianov is a similar situation. There is some kind of code hidden in his skeleton," he paused and looked hard at us. "I assume none of this will be too difficult for you?"

Vaughn and I exchanged quick glances, not sure what Kendall had meant by that. Did he simply mean the mission wouldn't be too difficult, or the part about Vaughn and me pretending to be a couple?

Was he on to us?

I had the distinct feeling that we were busted.

Oh well. Screw protocol.

"Where did you get this intel?" Vaughn wondered, breaking the silence.

"From a document that was discovered in the remains of the Credit Dauphine building."

"What is the code for?" I asked.

"We're not sure yet, that's what we want to find out. You leave tonight."

*****

When we finally got back home, Will was halfway through his second movie, Zoolander.

"Hey, you're back."

I plopped down on the couch. "Yeah, and beat. I swear, I wish I could just sit and relax for a night."

"Mission?" Will assumed.

I nodded. "We leave in four hours," I answered dryly.

Will's eyes filled momentarily with concern, but he quickly hid it. "Well be careful, you guys."

"We will," Vaughn promised.

Will smiled a little and nodded. "Okay. Francie called. She'll be home later than expected."

We watched until the end of the movie, then Vaughn went home to pack. "I'll pick you up at ten."

"Alright."

He kissed me softly before leaving, then he was gone. I headed to my room to pack.

****

It was 10:15 and he wasn't here. Our flight was at eleven. We had to get there soon. Where was he?

Maybe he was just held up in traffic. I decided to give him five more minutes before calling.

Five minutes came and went. He still hadn't come.

I had a cold, heavy feeling at the pit of my stomach that spread throughout my body. Something was definitely wrong.

I grabbed my phone and blindly hit the speed dial. It rang four times before the answering machine picked up. "Hey, Michael Vaughn here--" His voice on the recording was cut off by me slamming the phone down.

Hurriedly, I headed for my door and fumbled for my keys.

I didn't notice or comprehend anything as I drove, probably speeding, down the darkened Los Angeles streets. Everything flew by in a blur, my only thoughts on making sure that Vaughn was alright.

Finally, I reached his apartment door. I rang the bell.

No answer.

I slammed my fist on the door three times, not caring if I woke anyone down the hall.

Nothing.

Shit.

Swiftly, I pulled a hair clip from my purse and picked the lock. I entered as quietly as I could and shut the door softly behind me.

The apartment was silent and Vaughn was nowhere to be seen.

"Vaughn?" I called in a hushed tone. "Michael?" There was still no answer.

I made my way through the rooms leading to his bedroom. All I could hear was the wild pounding of my own heart.

His bedroom door was opened a crack. I pushed it all the way opened and there he was, sitting on the edge of his bed, phone clutched in hand. He was staring off into space and his eyes were slightly red. He'd been crying.

"Oh my God," I whispered.

I dropped my purse and made my way over to the bed, taking a seat right beside him. I took the phone from him and took his hands. "Vaughn... Vaughn, what happened?"

He turned to me, his now pink tinted green eyes filled with sorrow. "My uncle called. There was a fire at my old house... my mother was there. She... she didn't get out. My mother's dead, Syd...." he grasped my hand harder and whispered, "She's dead."