8.
"Two please," he said to the lady standing behind the ticket counter. Vaughn took the tickets and paid for them, never releasing Sydney's hand. He grinned at her and pulled her through the gate.
"I can't believe I'm doing this. What am I going to tell my friends when they ask me where I was?" She asked, pretending to be exasperated.
"Tell them you were in Happyland," He winked at her and her knees felt considerably weaker.
"Knowing them, they'd probably think that Happyland was some sort of code for an orgy-fest or something." Sydney rolled her eyes, imagining it and Vaughn laughed.
He looked around, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the multi-colored balloons and clowns running around. He grinned at the sight of a dart booth. "I want to win something for you," He said, grinning.
Lord this man was too cute. She stood watching him as he bought three darts. And then a couple more. His face was filled with a look of concentration, his arm tensing as he threw the dart perfectly into the center. Sydney raised her eyes. Ooh, she had herself a manly man.
Fifteen perfect shots and a gigantic teddy bear later, she was standing in a booth herself shooting water at the target to make her horse go faster.
She won. She always won. The vendor gave her a stuffed frog and she started to crack up.
"What's so funny?" Michael asked her, eyebrow raised.
"Look!" She held up the stuffed animal to his face and he had to laugh as well. The frog had red bloated lips with a tag sticking out of its ass saying "Kiss me. . . or I'll haunt your dreams forever."
"Nice to know they're keeping the prizes nice and innocent for all the little kids," she said, taking back her frog.
"Okay," he replied.
"What?" She had no idea what he was answering. Had she even asked a question?
He held up the tag of the frog up to her eyes and repeated his word, "Okay," before bending down and kissing her softly on the lips. "But I really won't mind if you haunt my dreams."
Sydney blushed and linked her arm through his. She took back the bear and handed Vaughn the frog. "Here, something to remember me by."
He grinned. "Trust me when I say I don't need anything to remind me of you. But I'll take it so I remember what you look like."
She swatted him playfully on the arm.
~::~
*Damn it to hell I hate my handler! Why the hell couldn't he have shown up yesterday so that I could have stayed longer? And why the hell did Michael have to have a meeting today too?* Sydney looked down at her watch. "Michael. . . "
He turned towards her, a sad look in his eyes as well. "I know. It's three isn't it?"
"Yeah."
He smiled at the expression on her face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear. I told you that I was attracted to you Ms. Bristow and I meant it. So, I had an absolutely fantastic time today and I WILL call you. That is a promise."
Sydney smiled and hugged him, breathing in his cologne.
He kissed her again and then took her hand. "Back to the restaurant."
Sydney smiled, happy for the remaining 10 minutes they had of their date before they reached their cars. "We must look so silly."
"Why?"
"Well. . . you have a frog and I have a bear. And you aren't wearing a jacket even though it's freezing-"
"I'm not wearing a jacket because you are wearing my jacket. Or did that little tidbit slip your mind, Sydney?"
She blushed and took it off. "I'm sorry, here you go."
He pushed it back to her. "I generate more body heat than you. Keep it. Besides, now that you have my jacket, you know I'll have to see you again. Not that I wouldn't otherwise."
"Isn't this weird?"
"What?"
"That we met yesterday and now we're together." She looked up at him while she said it to make sure than her assumption was correct. His shoulders relaxed as she said it. He was hoping that they were now an official couple.
"I don't think it's weird at all. I think it's fate."
Sydney placed her arm around his waist and leaned slightly against him. "Okay then."
They reached her car. "So. . . " She hesitated. Was she supposed to give him her number? Just leave? Make a date herself? Jump on him?
"What's your number?" Vaughn asked casually. "Aren't you proud of how casually I just said that? I asked you because I'm planning on taking you to dinner tonight but I want to ask you out formally."
She smiled. "I was impressed. . . until you explained what exactly you were doing. That's okay though. Surprises aren't my thing."
"Wow. . . I thought girls lived for surprises."
"Not this one. I like my life to be. . . stable. I like knowing what's going to happen today or the next day-" She stopped, aware of what she was saying.
"So. . . seeing me today kinda screwed it up huh?"
"NO. . . I liked that. I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'm really glad I ran into you today Michael. I guess what I'm trying to say is. . . well. . . I guess it has to do with the fact that my father is CIA and my mom died. Life is so-"
"Unpredictable." Vaughn finished for her.
"Exactly."
Then there was the moment. The moment where the only thing that they could see was each other; the whole world stopped spinning and stayed still and the whole universe was silent if only for that one instant. They just looked into each other's eyes and let the moment fall and wash over them, carrying them along in its current. They didn't struggle.
Her pager went off. So did his.
"Shit, I'm late." They both said and then smiled at each other.
"Okay, so my number is 534-7534."
"I'll call you."
Sydney nodded and hurriedly opened her car door. She was about to start the car when she heard his voice.
"Sydney! Wait!"
She rolled down her window. "What is it?"
"I had to give you something." He seemed almost breathless.
"What?"
He put his head through the window and kissed her. "That. I had to have one for the road." And then he ran off, leaving a smiling Sydney behind him.
She drove, looking at the clock every couple seconds. Knowing the CIA, they would have a full analysis about her character based on how late she was. She cursed softly but was still too happy to really mean it. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw Michael driving behind her. He saw her and grinned. She waved at him.
Then she started to feel weird. He was making every turn she was making, stopping at every sign, looking at his watch almost as frequently as she looked at hers. Shit! She felt her heart sinking. He wasn't real. He was tailing her! Her breath nearly stopped but she dissuaded herself. No. It couldn't be true. After all, he was right behind her. No one was that stupid. She swerved suddenly onto another street; though it took longer, it was a hidden road and would get her where she wanted to be.
She sighed in relief. Thank god he wasn't behind her. Thank god he wasn't sent by someone to follow her. She wanted- no, she needed- him to be real.
She parked in the space a couple blocks away from the main building.
And then she stopped breathing. She saw his car rolling along the street, entering the CIA parking lot and parking in a space.
Her fear came back. He WAS tailing her. He knew she worked for the CIA and he was trying to. . . what was he trying to do? She was a new officer, she didn't know anything! Maybe that was the point. Maybe he was supposed to get her when she was still green and supposedly more trusting. . . Maybe he was just another Irina Derevko. And the worst part was that she had trusted him.
She had fallen for the same trap her father had nearly 30 years ago. He got out of the car and opened his trunk, looking for something.
Tears started falling from Sydney's eyes. He had manipulated her; he had been trying to get her to fall for him so that he could trap her. And he had.
No. No he hadn't. She wasn't that easy. She straightened and ran softly to the parking lot, watching him cross the way to the main building. What the hell was he doing? If she was what he wanted then why was he going in there?
She stopped herself from thinking and trusted her instincts on this one. She ran towards him as fast as she could until she was directly behind him. He had heard her footfalls and had started to turn around when she swept her leg in a kick to his legs, knocking him down on the ground. She quickly bent towards him, her hand trapping his neck to the floor. Fear and surprise filled his eyes; he looked so confused that for a minute Sydney had no idea what she was doing. But she pushed those thoughts aside and let her anger return. Was nothing in her life real?
She exhaled hard, looking at him with steely eyes. "Who the hell are you and why are you following me?"
"Two please," he said to the lady standing behind the ticket counter. Vaughn took the tickets and paid for them, never releasing Sydney's hand. He grinned at her and pulled her through the gate.
"I can't believe I'm doing this. What am I going to tell my friends when they ask me where I was?" She asked, pretending to be exasperated.
"Tell them you were in Happyland," He winked at her and her knees felt considerably weaker.
"Knowing them, they'd probably think that Happyland was some sort of code for an orgy-fest or something." Sydney rolled her eyes, imagining it and Vaughn laughed.
He looked around, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the multi-colored balloons and clowns running around. He grinned at the sight of a dart booth. "I want to win something for you," He said, grinning.
Lord this man was too cute. She stood watching him as he bought three darts. And then a couple more. His face was filled with a look of concentration, his arm tensing as he threw the dart perfectly into the center. Sydney raised her eyes. Ooh, she had herself a manly man.
Fifteen perfect shots and a gigantic teddy bear later, she was standing in a booth herself shooting water at the target to make her horse go faster.
She won. She always won. The vendor gave her a stuffed frog and she started to crack up.
"What's so funny?" Michael asked her, eyebrow raised.
"Look!" She held up the stuffed animal to his face and he had to laugh as well. The frog had red bloated lips with a tag sticking out of its ass saying "Kiss me. . . or I'll haunt your dreams forever."
"Nice to know they're keeping the prizes nice and innocent for all the little kids," she said, taking back her frog.
"Okay," he replied.
"What?" She had no idea what he was answering. Had she even asked a question?
He held up the tag of the frog up to her eyes and repeated his word, "Okay," before bending down and kissing her softly on the lips. "But I really won't mind if you haunt my dreams."
Sydney blushed and linked her arm through his. She took back the bear and handed Vaughn the frog. "Here, something to remember me by."
He grinned. "Trust me when I say I don't need anything to remind me of you. But I'll take it so I remember what you look like."
She swatted him playfully on the arm.
~::~
*Damn it to hell I hate my handler! Why the hell couldn't he have shown up yesterday so that I could have stayed longer? And why the hell did Michael have to have a meeting today too?* Sydney looked down at her watch. "Michael. . . "
He turned towards her, a sad look in his eyes as well. "I know. It's three isn't it?"
"Yeah."
He smiled at the expression on her face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear. I told you that I was attracted to you Ms. Bristow and I meant it. So, I had an absolutely fantastic time today and I WILL call you. That is a promise."
Sydney smiled and hugged him, breathing in his cologne.
He kissed her again and then took her hand. "Back to the restaurant."
Sydney smiled, happy for the remaining 10 minutes they had of their date before they reached their cars. "We must look so silly."
"Why?"
"Well. . . you have a frog and I have a bear. And you aren't wearing a jacket even though it's freezing-"
"I'm not wearing a jacket because you are wearing my jacket. Or did that little tidbit slip your mind, Sydney?"
She blushed and took it off. "I'm sorry, here you go."
He pushed it back to her. "I generate more body heat than you. Keep it. Besides, now that you have my jacket, you know I'll have to see you again. Not that I wouldn't otherwise."
"Isn't this weird?"
"What?"
"That we met yesterday and now we're together." She looked up at him while she said it to make sure than her assumption was correct. His shoulders relaxed as she said it. He was hoping that they were now an official couple.
"I don't think it's weird at all. I think it's fate."
Sydney placed her arm around his waist and leaned slightly against him. "Okay then."
They reached her car. "So. . . " She hesitated. Was she supposed to give him her number? Just leave? Make a date herself? Jump on him?
"What's your number?" Vaughn asked casually. "Aren't you proud of how casually I just said that? I asked you because I'm planning on taking you to dinner tonight but I want to ask you out formally."
She smiled. "I was impressed. . . until you explained what exactly you were doing. That's okay though. Surprises aren't my thing."
"Wow. . . I thought girls lived for surprises."
"Not this one. I like my life to be. . . stable. I like knowing what's going to happen today or the next day-" She stopped, aware of what she was saying.
"So. . . seeing me today kinda screwed it up huh?"
"NO. . . I liked that. I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'm really glad I ran into you today Michael. I guess what I'm trying to say is. . . well. . . I guess it has to do with the fact that my father is CIA and my mom died. Life is so-"
"Unpredictable." Vaughn finished for her.
"Exactly."
Then there was the moment. The moment where the only thing that they could see was each other; the whole world stopped spinning and stayed still and the whole universe was silent if only for that one instant. They just looked into each other's eyes and let the moment fall and wash over them, carrying them along in its current. They didn't struggle.
Her pager went off. So did his.
"Shit, I'm late." They both said and then smiled at each other.
"Okay, so my number is 534-7534."
"I'll call you."
Sydney nodded and hurriedly opened her car door. She was about to start the car when she heard his voice.
"Sydney! Wait!"
She rolled down her window. "What is it?"
"I had to give you something." He seemed almost breathless.
"What?"
He put his head through the window and kissed her. "That. I had to have one for the road." And then he ran off, leaving a smiling Sydney behind him.
She drove, looking at the clock every couple seconds. Knowing the CIA, they would have a full analysis about her character based on how late she was. She cursed softly but was still too happy to really mean it. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw Michael driving behind her. He saw her and grinned. She waved at him.
Then she started to feel weird. He was making every turn she was making, stopping at every sign, looking at his watch almost as frequently as she looked at hers. Shit! She felt her heart sinking. He wasn't real. He was tailing her! Her breath nearly stopped but she dissuaded herself. No. It couldn't be true. After all, he was right behind her. No one was that stupid. She swerved suddenly onto another street; though it took longer, it was a hidden road and would get her where she wanted to be.
She sighed in relief. Thank god he wasn't behind her. Thank god he wasn't sent by someone to follow her. She wanted- no, she needed- him to be real.
She parked in the space a couple blocks away from the main building.
And then she stopped breathing. She saw his car rolling along the street, entering the CIA parking lot and parking in a space.
Her fear came back. He WAS tailing her. He knew she worked for the CIA and he was trying to. . . what was he trying to do? She was a new officer, she didn't know anything! Maybe that was the point. Maybe he was supposed to get her when she was still green and supposedly more trusting. . . Maybe he was just another Irina Derevko. And the worst part was that she had trusted him.
She had fallen for the same trap her father had nearly 30 years ago. He got out of the car and opened his trunk, looking for something.
Tears started falling from Sydney's eyes. He had manipulated her; he had been trying to get her to fall for him so that he could trap her. And he had.
No. No he hadn't. She wasn't that easy. She straightened and ran softly to the parking lot, watching him cross the way to the main building. What the hell was he doing? If she was what he wanted then why was he going in there?
She stopped herself from thinking and trusted her instincts on this one. She ran towards him as fast as she could until she was directly behind him. He had heard her footfalls and had started to turn around when she swept her leg in a kick to his legs, knocking him down on the ground. She quickly bent towards him, her hand trapping his neck to the floor. Fear and surprise filled his eyes; he looked so confused that for a minute Sydney had no idea what she was doing. But she pushed those thoughts aside and let her anger return. Was nothing in her life real?
She exhaled hard, looking at him with steely eyes. "Who the hell are you and why are you following me?"
