As the cab driver opened the door for her, Sydney noticed Agent Moore
pulling several bags from the trunk.
"Sir, Sir, wait, I do that for you." The driver said in heavily accented English. However Agent Moore didn't wait and by the time Sydney was out of the cab, he had the two large, and two small suitcases standing and ready. Hayden handed the driver several bills, and then turned to Sydney. He smiled, perfectly in character. This caused Sydney to realize that she was totally unprepared to play her part. She ran her fingers through her hair, and closed her eyes, trying desperately to pull herself together. Trained to compartmentalize, Sydney quickly focused and pushed her emotions, and doubts to the back of her mind. 'Let's go Sydney you can do this!' She encouraged herself.
When she opened her eyes she was a new woman, Leslie Carmichael to be exact and she smiled back at 'her husband' before grabbing hold of the handle on one of the bags. "Sweetheart would you mind making a trip to the bathroom before we check in?" She said smiling. She had changed at the safe house, but still wanted to splash water on her face and put on some make-up. A puffy eyed, tear- streaked face wasn't going to help her cover.
"Sure, dear." Hayden said leading the way into the airport. They found the bathroom quickly and Sydney found a bag containing make-up and other essentials.
A few minutes later she exited the bathroom, truly looking the part of Leslie Carmichael. She had put her hair up into a French twist, and had applied a ridiculous amount of eye shadow, and lipstick. "Ready sweetheart." Hayden said handing her the handle of her bag.
"Yes, now where it the check out counter." She said turning swiftly and looking around.
A moment later they were through the first class line, and standing at the counter.
"Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, all I need is your passports." The attendant said politely in near perfect English. Both Hayden and Sydney pulled their passports out and handed them to her.
"Okay, Leslie, and Steven Carmichael, here are you're tickets. It is gate B- 34, and you'll need to go down the escalator to your left."
Twenty minutes later Hayden and Sydney had found their way through security, and customs, and were waiting to board the place. Both stood waiting bear the jet-way entrance, and Sydney was flipping through a magazine. Hayden stood right next to her and was surveying the others in the boarding area.
"Thank you for waiting. We will now begin boarding all first class passengers on flight 5355 to Los Angeles California." Hayden and Sydney quickly picked up their carry on luggage and Hayden handed their tickets to the attendant. They found their seats quickly and began reading the provided magazines.
"Oh look dear, they're showing a movie." Hayden said excitedly as he leaned over to Sydney the movie page in the magazine.
"Oh good, I haven't seen the second Harry Potter movie." She said smiling. Hayden laughed and looked up at Sydney. She smiled before looking back down at the magazine. "They're showing Tomb Raider, as well. I did really want to see that!" She said trying to sound vaguely excited. Hayden laughed again before adjusting the pillow behind his back.
Soon after that the flight attendant came to give them a pre-flight drink, and it wasn't long after the plane took off that Sydney had fallen asleep. Hayden watched her carefully as she dozed off. She was obviously exhausted, but he chuckled to himself, she was trying desperately to cling to consciousness. Hayden was fairly tired himself, and he couldn't imagine what she'd been through in the last 24 hours. He'd been briefed about her situation. She'd disappeared one night over 23 months ago, leaving not a trace behind. Agent Vaughn had been her handler/ partner at the CIA Task force in LA, and her father had been their superior officer. Though he barely knew Agent Vaughn, Hayden knew Sydney's father well, and had been working with him for the last six months. He'd been told by his coworkers that Jack Bristow was not the same person he'd been before Sydney's disappearance. They said that he'd always been tight lipped and focused, but Hayden found him extremely hard to work with. He was condescending, brash and always unpredictable, and Hayden often found himself going head to head with his superior. Though both he and Jack were by the book operatives, Bristow seemed to have a nack for bending the rules, and Hayden wasn't sure he liked that. Hayden wasn't a goody-two-shoes, but many times he found Jack's disrespect for the CIA, as well as his arrogant- all knowing attitude, quite irritating.
But Hayden had suffered through every curve ball that Jack had thrown at him, and had at times wondered if Jack was testing him. He often felt as though Jack's expectations were impossibly high, but had always strived to exceed them. On the several occasions when Hayden had beaten Jack at his own game, and impressed him, Jack played it off as a fluke. But as Hayden began to understand Jack, and became more able to predict his actions and responses, he found him self meeting and exceeding Jack's ridiculous expectations more and more often, and most recently found himself respecting Jack as a leader and superior. As Hayden muses about his life at the CIA, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later he awake with a start. His training told him not to move a muscle. He did not, but began listening to every sound surrounding him. Someone was in the aisle reaching down in front of him. He opened on eye slightly and was relieve to see the flight attendant refilling his ginger ale. He slowly opened both eyes, and smiled at he attendant. She returned the smile before moving on. As he began to reach his hands up to rub his eyes, he noticed that Sydney had rested her head on his shoulder as she slept. He craned his neck slightly to look down at her, but was afraid to wake her so instead used his other hand to grab his soda. He sipped it quietly as he surveyed the other passengers in the first class cabin. Across the aisle from him was an elderly couple who, like himself and Sydney, were sleeping with their heads resting on one another. In the row across the aisle and back one, was a Caucasian gentleman in a business suit who was furiously typing on his laptop. He focused on the key strokes for a moment, before realizing that either the man was writing in another language, or he wasn't really typing. 'Strange, but not alarming.' Hayden thought to himself. 'Check, one to keep tabs on.' He began to focus on the row across the aisle and up one from himself. Two Asian 'suits, one with computer one with files spread across the tray table. Hayden glanced at the letter head of one of the pieces of paper. 'Meryll Lynch, and a nice suit.' He noted as he transferred his gaze in between the two seats in front of him. The seat in front of Sydney was occupied by a young Asian woman. "Mid- thirties, but only part Asian, too tall, probably from New York, from the accent." He said to himself, before trying to catch a glimpse of the man in front of him. The most he caught was a hint of graying hair, from over the seat, and the edge of a magazine through the middle of the seats. After several moments of trying to inconspicuously catch a glimpse of the passenger in front of him, and trying to avoid disturbing Sydney, Hayden gave up. Instead he decided to focus on listening to the happenings in the row directly behind him. 'Peanuts, computer, typing, taking notes, flipping magazine. Nothing abnormal.' Hayden thought as he finished his mental note taking.
He again turned his attention to Sydney. He was increasingly intrigued by this woman whom he knew so little about. She was obviously a superb CIA officer, but Hayden was much more concerned about who she was, personally. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to wake up and find out that you'd lost two years of your life. Not to mention the whole not remembering anything. Hayden was unsure what to feel about her, and especially what to do about it. It wasn't really his place to try and comfort her, or anything like that, but he felt rather cold just pretending as though everything was fine and dandy. As Hayden mused over his course of action, when it came to Sydney, the captain rang the fasten seatbelt sigh. The bell caused Sydney to stir, and Hayden watched as she slowly came out of her deep sleep.
She slowly brought her hand to her face and rubbed her tear-swollen eyes. Without moving she yawned largely, and began to take in her surroundings. She was quickly reminded of where she was and realized that her head was resting on Agent Moore's shoulder. She quickly jerked upright and looked at him. He smiled a very in-character grin. She felt as though she were a deer caught in headlights. "Sorry," She said quietly.
"Did you have a good sleep dear?" He said softly. Sydney relaxed as she remembered their cover.
"Yeah, did I miss the movie?" She said adjusting in her seat.
"I don't know I fell asleep as well." Hayden said picking up a magazine from the pouch in front of her.
"What time is it?" She said yawning again.
"Well, let's see LA time would be three in the morning." He said glancing at his watch, and trying to the math in his head.
"Okay," She said yawning for a third time, and resigning herself that it was the last.
Without warning the overhead speaker came on.
"I'm sorry for the disturbance, but the captain has illuminated the fasten seatbelt sign to allow the flight attendants to serve a light meal. Please return to your seats and clear the aisle." The flight attendant's voice boomed throughout the airplane.
"Great I'm starving." Hayden said as he looked at Sydney. There eyes met and she smiled at him, trying to pull off an imitation of his goofy tourist look. Hayden winked at her before returning his attention to his magazine. Hayden was actually more focused on the man across the aisle and back one row. He was still furiously typing, and Hayden was trying to steal a glance at his keyboard. Finally after deciding that he couldn't inconspicuously see the lap top from where he was sitting, Hayden unbuckled his seatbelt, and stood up in the aisle. He opened the overhead bin, and pretended to rummage around in his carry on bag. A moment later two flight attendants came through the aisle wheeling a large serving cart. Hayden apologized and turned to sit, catching a glimpse of the other passenger's key board. He sat and put his seat belt back on quickly and awaited a tray from the flight attendant. 'All clear. He thought to himself, as he settle back.' The keyboard was foreign, and though he couldn't read it, he was fairly sure that the gentleman's typing was legitimate. 'Well no hostiles in first class, at least.' Hayden assured himself as he began to eat. His job was to bring Jack Bristow's daughter back to LA safely, and though he might be paranoid, there was no way he was not going to complete the mission.
"Sir, Sir, wait, I do that for you." The driver said in heavily accented English. However Agent Moore didn't wait and by the time Sydney was out of the cab, he had the two large, and two small suitcases standing and ready. Hayden handed the driver several bills, and then turned to Sydney. He smiled, perfectly in character. This caused Sydney to realize that she was totally unprepared to play her part. She ran her fingers through her hair, and closed her eyes, trying desperately to pull herself together. Trained to compartmentalize, Sydney quickly focused and pushed her emotions, and doubts to the back of her mind. 'Let's go Sydney you can do this!' She encouraged herself.
When she opened her eyes she was a new woman, Leslie Carmichael to be exact and she smiled back at 'her husband' before grabbing hold of the handle on one of the bags. "Sweetheart would you mind making a trip to the bathroom before we check in?" She said smiling. She had changed at the safe house, but still wanted to splash water on her face and put on some make-up. A puffy eyed, tear- streaked face wasn't going to help her cover.
"Sure, dear." Hayden said leading the way into the airport. They found the bathroom quickly and Sydney found a bag containing make-up and other essentials.
A few minutes later she exited the bathroom, truly looking the part of Leslie Carmichael. She had put her hair up into a French twist, and had applied a ridiculous amount of eye shadow, and lipstick. "Ready sweetheart." Hayden said handing her the handle of her bag.
"Yes, now where it the check out counter." She said turning swiftly and looking around.
A moment later they were through the first class line, and standing at the counter.
"Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, all I need is your passports." The attendant said politely in near perfect English. Both Hayden and Sydney pulled their passports out and handed them to her.
"Okay, Leslie, and Steven Carmichael, here are you're tickets. It is gate B- 34, and you'll need to go down the escalator to your left."
Twenty minutes later Hayden and Sydney had found their way through security, and customs, and were waiting to board the place. Both stood waiting bear the jet-way entrance, and Sydney was flipping through a magazine. Hayden stood right next to her and was surveying the others in the boarding area.
"Thank you for waiting. We will now begin boarding all first class passengers on flight 5355 to Los Angeles California." Hayden and Sydney quickly picked up their carry on luggage and Hayden handed their tickets to the attendant. They found their seats quickly and began reading the provided magazines.
"Oh look dear, they're showing a movie." Hayden said excitedly as he leaned over to Sydney the movie page in the magazine.
"Oh good, I haven't seen the second Harry Potter movie." She said smiling. Hayden laughed and looked up at Sydney. She smiled before looking back down at the magazine. "They're showing Tomb Raider, as well. I did really want to see that!" She said trying to sound vaguely excited. Hayden laughed again before adjusting the pillow behind his back.
Soon after that the flight attendant came to give them a pre-flight drink, and it wasn't long after the plane took off that Sydney had fallen asleep. Hayden watched her carefully as she dozed off. She was obviously exhausted, but he chuckled to himself, she was trying desperately to cling to consciousness. Hayden was fairly tired himself, and he couldn't imagine what she'd been through in the last 24 hours. He'd been briefed about her situation. She'd disappeared one night over 23 months ago, leaving not a trace behind. Agent Vaughn had been her handler/ partner at the CIA Task force in LA, and her father had been their superior officer. Though he barely knew Agent Vaughn, Hayden knew Sydney's father well, and had been working with him for the last six months. He'd been told by his coworkers that Jack Bristow was not the same person he'd been before Sydney's disappearance. They said that he'd always been tight lipped and focused, but Hayden found him extremely hard to work with. He was condescending, brash and always unpredictable, and Hayden often found himself going head to head with his superior. Though both he and Jack were by the book operatives, Bristow seemed to have a nack for bending the rules, and Hayden wasn't sure he liked that. Hayden wasn't a goody-two-shoes, but many times he found Jack's disrespect for the CIA, as well as his arrogant- all knowing attitude, quite irritating.
But Hayden had suffered through every curve ball that Jack had thrown at him, and had at times wondered if Jack was testing him. He often felt as though Jack's expectations were impossibly high, but had always strived to exceed them. On the several occasions when Hayden had beaten Jack at his own game, and impressed him, Jack played it off as a fluke. But as Hayden began to understand Jack, and became more able to predict his actions and responses, he found him self meeting and exceeding Jack's ridiculous expectations more and more often, and most recently found himself respecting Jack as a leader and superior. As Hayden muses about his life at the CIA, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later he awake with a start. His training told him not to move a muscle. He did not, but began listening to every sound surrounding him. Someone was in the aisle reaching down in front of him. He opened on eye slightly and was relieve to see the flight attendant refilling his ginger ale. He slowly opened both eyes, and smiled at he attendant. She returned the smile before moving on. As he began to reach his hands up to rub his eyes, he noticed that Sydney had rested her head on his shoulder as she slept. He craned his neck slightly to look down at her, but was afraid to wake her so instead used his other hand to grab his soda. He sipped it quietly as he surveyed the other passengers in the first class cabin. Across the aisle from him was an elderly couple who, like himself and Sydney, were sleeping with their heads resting on one another. In the row across the aisle and back one, was a Caucasian gentleman in a business suit who was furiously typing on his laptop. He focused on the key strokes for a moment, before realizing that either the man was writing in another language, or he wasn't really typing. 'Strange, but not alarming.' Hayden thought to himself. 'Check, one to keep tabs on.' He began to focus on the row across the aisle and up one from himself. Two Asian 'suits, one with computer one with files spread across the tray table. Hayden glanced at the letter head of one of the pieces of paper. 'Meryll Lynch, and a nice suit.' He noted as he transferred his gaze in between the two seats in front of him. The seat in front of Sydney was occupied by a young Asian woman. "Mid- thirties, but only part Asian, too tall, probably from New York, from the accent." He said to himself, before trying to catch a glimpse of the man in front of him. The most he caught was a hint of graying hair, from over the seat, and the edge of a magazine through the middle of the seats. After several moments of trying to inconspicuously catch a glimpse of the passenger in front of him, and trying to avoid disturbing Sydney, Hayden gave up. Instead he decided to focus on listening to the happenings in the row directly behind him. 'Peanuts, computer, typing, taking notes, flipping magazine. Nothing abnormal.' Hayden thought as he finished his mental note taking.
He again turned his attention to Sydney. He was increasingly intrigued by this woman whom he knew so little about. She was obviously a superb CIA officer, but Hayden was much more concerned about who she was, personally. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to wake up and find out that you'd lost two years of your life. Not to mention the whole not remembering anything. Hayden was unsure what to feel about her, and especially what to do about it. It wasn't really his place to try and comfort her, or anything like that, but he felt rather cold just pretending as though everything was fine and dandy. As Hayden mused over his course of action, when it came to Sydney, the captain rang the fasten seatbelt sigh. The bell caused Sydney to stir, and Hayden watched as she slowly came out of her deep sleep.
She slowly brought her hand to her face and rubbed her tear-swollen eyes. Without moving she yawned largely, and began to take in her surroundings. She was quickly reminded of where she was and realized that her head was resting on Agent Moore's shoulder. She quickly jerked upright and looked at him. He smiled a very in-character grin. She felt as though she were a deer caught in headlights. "Sorry," She said quietly.
"Did you have a good sleep dear?" He said softly. Sydney relaxed as she remembered their cover.
"Yeah, did I miss the movie?" She said adjusting in her seat.
"I don't know I fell asleep as well." Hayden said picking up a magazine from the pouch in front of her.
"What time is it?" She said yawning again.
"Well, let's see LA time would be three in the morning." He said glancing at his watch, and trying to the math in his head.
"Okay," She said yawning for a third time, and resigning herself that it was the last.
Without warning the overhead speaker came on.
"I'm sorry for the disturbance, but the captain has illuminated the fasten seatbelt sign to allow the flight attendants to serve a light meal. Please return to your seats and clear the aisle." The flight attendant's voice boomed throughout the airplane.
"Great I'm starving." Hayden said as he looked at Sydney. There eyes met and she smiled at him, trying to pull off an imitation of his goofy tourist look. Hayden winked at her before returning his attention to his magazine. Hayden was actually more focused on the man across the aisle and back one row. He was still furiously typing, and Hayden was trying to steal a glance at his keyboard. Finally after deciding that he couldn't inconspicuously see the lap top from where he was sitting, Hayden unbuckled his seatbelt, and stood up in the aisle. He opened the overhead bin, and pretended to rummage around in his carry on bag. A moment later two flight attendants came through the aisle wheeling a large serving cart. Hayden apologized and turned to sit, catching a glimpse of the other passenger's key board. He sat and put his seat belt back on quickly and awaited a tray from the flight attendant. 'All clear. He thought to himself, as he settle back.' The keyboard was foreign, and though he couldn't read it, he was fairly sure that the gentleman's typing was legitimate. 'Well no hostiles in first class, at least.' Hayden assured himself as he began to eat. His job was to bring Jack Bristow's daughter back to LA safely, and though he might be paranoid, there was no way he was not going to complete the mission.