CHAPTER NINE – BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
Michael Vaughn could not breathe.
He had made what was the most important speech in his life so far, and received no reaction from its audience. Come on, Syd… say something… He had laid it all out in front of her, asking for her love and forgiveness. Vaughn decided his prayer should be more specific: Tell me that you can forgive me… that you will wait for me… that you still love me…
His head was swimming and his eyes burned with passion and hope as she looked up at him. For a moment, he thought she would understand… would let him fix his mistakes…
"Michael," her soft voice struggled out, "Let me go, please…"
Vaughn was stunned. He could never let her go… hadn't the past two years been enough to prove that to him. He had attempted to find her – to no avail. He tried to drown her memory in a drug and alcohol-induced fog – but could not. Finally, he had tried to flee from everything that reminded him of her – and she had returned from the dead.
Michael Vaughn was simply incapable of giving Sydney Bristow up… and she is asking him to 'let her go?' He drew in a small breath just as his chest was about to implode and looked one last time at the beautiful woman who was once his.
"Sydney… I don't think I can do that. But, if that's really what you want – to leave me – I can't stop you…"
What? Sydney looked at Vaughn's devastated expression with confusion. A second later, she realized…
"No, Vaughn… no," she struggled against his iron-clad grip on her elbows, making her point, "I just want you to release me…" She looked up at him with a small smile, then down at his arms.
"Oh," came his short reply, then again, "Oh! Sydney, I'm sorry!" He quickly pulled his hands away from her and stepped back, apologetically. "I'm so sorry. Did I hurt…"
Vaughn's apology was cut short by the force of Sydney's body crashing into his own.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing a hand through the back of his hair, and pulled him into the most passionate kiss he had ever experienced. Gone was her softness and uncertainty from before. Her mouth was firm and commanding, declaring her love as undeniably as he had with words.
After a second's shock, Vaughn joined her frenzy. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her into him forcefully. Their lips did not break contact as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. He took two steps forward and carefully lowered her onto the edge of the sink in front of him. Their bodies continued pulling and searching each other for what seemed like an eternity.
Eventually, their gasping breaths began to slow as their urgency subsided. Kisses became softer and more lingering. Finally, Sydney pulled her hands down to rest on his solid arms and laid her head on his chest, listening to the deep beating from within. They sat – motionless – her head at his heart, and his mouth and nose pressed into her hair. Vaughn kissed the top of her head once more, then broke the silence:
"I don't know how long this will take."
"I don't care." She replied firmly before pulling her head up to meet his questioning stare. "Michael… I love you. You say that what you have here is a mission. All missions end. We'll just have to make sure this one ends as quickly as possible."
She leaned up and gave him a soft, slow, closed-mouth kiss. "I will wait for you as long as it takes."
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Kin En Kai finished listening to the recorded conversation between his son-in-law and the former CIA "contact," Jack Bristow. On the surface, everything sounded normal – a father desperate to recover his missing daughter. But something bothered him.
It's the details… In the entire time he had known Vargas, the younger man never gave any more information than was absolutely necessary for the situation at hand. It was a trait En Kai appreciated in his more important underlings. But in this phone conversation, Vargas had related particular details – her mental condition and memory loss, the location of the institution – that should not have been necessary if this Bristow was really the father of the captured young woman.
His ringing telephone roused En Kai from his reverie. It was Vargas, explaining that Bristow had been contacted and that his plane would land in a few hours. He acknowledged the information and disconnected the call without replacing the handset. After a moment's pause, he lifted his fingers from the switch on the base and dialed another number.
"Yes. Those tapes… from the holding cell... bring them to my office – now."
He hung up the telephone and relaxed back into his desk chair. Vargas had never been forthcoming with the names of his contacts. It had never really mattered, since the jobs were always completed. But for some reason, this Jack Bristow concerned En Kai. Perhaps it was that he was former CIA… perhaps it was simply because he was American… perhaps it was the way he did not really seemed concerned about his daughter's well being…
En Kai's mind drifted to his own daughter and what a beautiful woman she had become. She could test a man's patience, at times, but he loved her anyway. He still thought of Jie as the vivacious little girl who had to have everything American. She was so innocent. He knew he had to protect her at any cost – even from the man she loved… the man she married.
There was just enough time to scan the overnight tapes for anything – interesting – before meeting his new friend Mr. Bristow at the airport.
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A young bartender in New Zealand sat staring at the beautiful woman across the room. It was still slightly early for drinkers… even tourists who seemed always ready to guzzle any concoction with a Maori-sounding name attached to it… so he had little to do but clean glasses and wait.
She sat, alone, at a corner table, scribbling furiously on something. There has to be at least fifteen pages of writing there, he thought. Although she seemed intent, he was sure she was aware of his scrutiny.
She glanced up for a moment, lost in thought, but caught his eye with a smile before returning to her manuscript. Damn… she's too old for me, he admitted to himself as he watched her move a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear. She has to be in her fifties, at least. Hot, though…
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A/N: Thanks to twin*muse, Aliasgurl, & Skylark for more reviews! A big, fat, Welcome, to blackmoa! Thanks for your positive reviews!
