A/N: To answer someone's question about since when did we have a female
Devlin?.Since I decided to make up a character by the name of Kristine
Devlin, daughter of director Devlin, to be Vaughn's handler. = ) I hope
that clears some things up.
Chapter 3
He looks at his watch wondering what is taking Kristine so long. He doesn't like having all this time to think about all the things that could have possibly happened to her. It has been three days since he started at SD-6, but he had only been to the office once. Sloane was under the impression that he just moved from SD-4's headquarter location in France and still needed time to settle in. Vaughn was not going to be one to complain for getting a few days off to figure out how everything might work out in this operation. It would be nice if he did get a partner though.
He remembers the most life-threatening ones were always the ones without anyone else there. When he had been too confident that he could do things alone, more often than not, that's when trouble came as well. Thinking about solo-missions in the past, he wonders how Agent Bristow would fare. He doesn't doubt her physical abilities or her confidence. He experienced firsthand her stubbornness and determination. He doesn't want to say he saw through her; but he got the distinct feeling that there is much more behind the tough professional exterior she put up. He worries more for her emotional well-being on solo missions than her physical strength.
The realization that he has been thinking about her for more than he should suddenly hits. Why should he be even thinking about what she wants to do? He doesn't even know her, and she obviously doesn't want to know him. If she wants to go partner-less, that's just fine by him. He will have another and probably better partner. But she never even gave him a chance. She thinks she knows everything. " Who does she think she is?" he says out loud.
" Who?" a voice and clicking heels behind him interrupts his thoughts. " Are we talking to ourselves again Agent Vaughn?" she gives him a raised eyebrow. He didn't realize how worked up he had gotten. Immediately, he feels terrible for thinking about someone who he doesn't know when he should have been worried about why Kristine is late.
" Only when frustrated," he mumbles.
" Tell me. Who's this person that has you all frustrated?" Kristine asks more as a way to get him to talk than out of really wanting to know. " Did you have a fight with Alice?" She assumes it's because of his girlfriend. For some reason, every so often, she feels the need to ask about his personal life. She would never admit it, but it may be a way to remind herself that he has another life outside this crazy one. Every time she asks about Alice, she regrets it. She doesn't really want to know. Fortunately, he senses the same thing and usually doesn't elaborate.
" Uh no. We barely had a chance to talk . . . let alone fight . . ." he says lightly.
" Oh. Well, if it's not Alice, who is it then?"
" It's no one," he hopes she will drop it, but she has no intentions to do so. " It's no one that I would ever see again anyway. It doesn't really matter. Where have you been? You're never late."
She sees that he is trying to change the subject. She's not going to let him win. " Fine. If you want to be vague like that. I can too. I had something to do, but it's not important." It will be a tie this time. " How did it go with the first day?"
" Mostly good. Sloane gives me the creeps. Met a very . . .amusing . . . co- worker to say the least. I won't be assigned on a mission until Sloane finds someone to show me 'how things are done.' I don't think you should be expecting any big missions until some later time. I'm not sure he completely bought my cover story."
" That's fine. I know you don't want to hear it, but this may be long term," she says sympathetically. All he does is nod to show his reluctance, but understanding.
" He has to find you someone? What happened to the agent who's partner died a few weeks ago on a mission? It is important for you to work with key agents and not just anyone."
" I don't think that is up to me . . ." he lets out. Kristine is a perceptive woman. She catches on that this agent is not just any agent. This person is the one that has gotten him all frustrated.
As she opens her mouth for more questions, his phone rings.
" Hello? oh yeah. I'm sorry . . .I'll be there really soon. Bye." He smiles to his phone. " It's Alice. I am late for dinner reservations. Are we done here?"
She thinks, no of course not. She wants to find out more about this other agent. But instead she just says, " yeah. I think so."
* * * * * *
Sydney gets home and just crashes on the couch. Is this what depression feels like? Not wanting to go to work; not wanting to talk to anyone, not wanting to move away from this couch. Dixon had been more than a co-worker. He was a friend; a mentor. She trusted him with her life and vice-versa, but she let him down. She had exhausted all her tears and all she could manage was to cover her face with her hands. After a few minutes, she feels some pressure on the opposite end of the couch. Warm hands pry her own away from her face. She opens her eyes to see a smiling face.
" Hey, how are you feeling?" he says as his thumb begins to caress her cheek. She thanks God that she has Danny there with her to help her through a time like this. She doesn't have the energy to say anything, so she just shrugs.
"You know what?" he pulls her up so she's in a sitting position. He hangs on to her arms because if he lets go, he knows she'll just flop back down again. " I think it is time that you get off this couch, don't you agree?" her face remains expressionless.
In a deliberately high-pitched voice, he tries to imitate her voice, " Yes Danny. I think I should get off this couch," hoping to get a smile out of her. She obliges him and gives him a smile only because he is trying so hard.
" There. Now I think you should get changed because we are going out."
" No . . ." she shakes her head. " Why should we go out?"
" Because it will be good for you. And because Francie said we should check this particular restaurant out."
" I can't."
" Yes you can Syd. If you come with me tonight . . . I promise we can be miserable together when we come back." He definitely knows how to talk. After all, he is a pediatrician. He says things like " if you hold still little Tommy while I give you this shot, I promise you can have a lollipop afterwards."
She finally gives up and says, " Fine . . .but I don't know what kind of company I'll be."
Chapter 3
He looks at his watch wondering what is taking Kristine so long. He doesn't like having all this time to think about all the things that could have possibly happened to her. It has been three days since he started at SD-6, but he had only been to the office once. Sloane was under the impression that he just moved from SD-4's headquarter location in France and still needed time to settle in. Vaughn was not going to be one to complain for getting a few days off to figure out how everything might work out in this operation. It would be nice if he did get a partner though.
He remembers the most life-threatening ones were always the ones without anyone else there. When he had been too confident that he could do things alone, more often than not, that's when trouble came as well. Thinking about solo-missions in the past, he wonders how Agent Bristow would fare. He doesn't doubt her physical abilities or her confidence. He experienced firsthand her stubbornness and determination. He doesn't want to say he saw through her; but he got the distinct feeling that there is much more behind the tough professional exterior she put up. He worries more for her emotional well-being on solo missions than her physical strength.
The realization that he has been thinking about her for more than he should suddenly hits. Why should he be even thinking about what she wants to do? He doesn't even know her, and she obviously doesn't want to know him. If she wants to go partner-less, that's just fine by him. He will have another and probably better partner. But she never even gave him a chance. She thinks she knows everything. " Who does she think she is?" he says out loud.
" Who?" a voice and clicking heels behind him interrupts his thoughts. " Are we talking to ourselves again Agent Vaughn?" she gives him a raised eyebrow. He didn't realize how worked up he had gotten. Immediately, he feels terrible for thinking about someone who he doesn't know when he should have been worried about why Kristine is late.
" Only when frustrated," he mumbles.
" Tell me. Who's this person that has you all frustrated?" Kristine asks more as a way to get him to talk than out of really wanting to know. " Did you have a fight with Alice?" She assumes it's because of his girlfriend. For some reason, every so often, she feels the need to ask about his personal life. She would never admit it, but it may be a way to remind herself that he has another life outside this crazy one. Every time she asks about Alice, she regrets it. She doesn't really want to know. Fortunately, he senses the same thing and usually doesn't elaborate.
" Uh no. We barely had a chance to talk . . . let alone fight . . ." he says lightly.
" Oh. Well, if it's not Alice, who is it then?"
" It's no one," he hopes she will drop it, but she has no intentions to do so. " It's no one that I would ever see again anyway. It doesn't really matter. Where have you been? You're never late."
She sees that he is trying to change the subject. She's not going to let him win. " Fine. If you want to be vague like that. I can too. I had something to do, but it's not important." It will be a tie this time. " How did it go with the first day?"
" Mostly good. Sloane gives me the creeps. Met a very . . .amusing . . . co- worker to say the least. I won't be assigned on a mission until Sloane finds someone to show me 'how things are done.' I don't think you should be expecting any big missions until some later time. I'm not sure he completely bought my cover story."
" That's fine. I know you don't want to hear it, but this may be long term," she says sympathetically. All he does is nod to show his reluctance, but understanding.
" He has to find you someone? What happened to the agent who's partner died a few weeks ago on a mission? It is important for you to work with key agents and not just anyone."
" I don't think that is up to me . . ." he lets out. Kristine is a perceptive woman. She catches on that this agent is not just any agent. This person is the one that has gotten him all frustrated.
As she opens her mouth for more questions, his phone rings.
" Hello? oh yeah. I'm sorry . . .I'll be there really soon. Bye." He smiles to his phone. " It's Alice. I am late for dinner reservations. Are we done here?"
She thinks, no of course not. She wants to find out more about this other agent. But instead she just says, " yeah. I think so."
* * * * * *
Sydney gets home and just crashes on the couch. Is this what depression feels like? Not wanting to go to work; not wanting to talk to anyone, not wanting to move away from this couch. Dixon had been more than a co-worker. He was a friend; a mentor. She trusted him with her life and vice-versa, but she let him down. She had exhausted all her tears and all she could manage was to cover her face with her hands. After a few minutes, she feels some pressure on the opposite end of the couch. Warm hands pry her own away from her face. She opens her eyes to see a smiling face.
" Hey, how are you feeling?" he says as his thumb begins to caress her cheek. She thanks God that she has Danny there with her to help her through a time like this. She doesn't have the energy to say anything, so she just shrugs.
"You know what?" he pulls her up so she's in a sitting position. He hangs on to her arms because if he lets go, he knows she'll just flop back down again. " I think it is time that you get off this couch, don't you agree?" her face remains expressionless.
In a deliberately high-pitched voice, he tries to imitate her voice, " Yes Danny. I think I should get off this couch," hoping to get a smile out of her. She obliges him and gives him a smile only because he is trying so hard.
" There. Now I think you should get changed because we are going out."
" No . . ." she shakes her head. " Why should we go out?"
" Because it will be good for you. And because Francie said we should check this particular restaurant out."
" I can't."
" Yes you can Syd. If you come with me tonight . . . I promise we can be miserable together when we come back." He definitely knows how to talk. After all, he is a pediatrician. He says things like " if you hold still little Tommy while I give you this shot, I promise you can have a lollipop afterwards."
She finally gives up and says, " Fine . . .but I don't know what kind of company I'll be."