A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to post, but I got involved in reading the new Harry Potter book, and in doing so, I got this great idea for a HP fanfic. Anywayz, here's the next chapter! Please R/R!
Leo's l'il sista: I can't tell you who the ring was immediately meant for. You'll just have to read and find out.
LinZ: Don't worry. I'm not planning on making this story 20 chapters of Vaughn angst. I will get to the finale, but I promise you, you won't get bored!
MelodyAnne: Hehehe, your right, everything does seem to get blown up, but being the little pyro that I am, I couldn't help but add it in. I hope you're still enjoying the story anyway.
Thank you all who reviewed! Now please READ!
LOS ANGELES
Vaughn returned home two days after the explosion in Colorado. Weiss was to remain with the injured agents for a few days while Vaughn came home to report to Kendall and Devlin. While he had been there, and investigation team had been sent out to find out what had caused the building to explode. It turned out that the front door of the house hand been rigged to explode about five minutes after it had been opened. It was upon this news that Vaughn realized the stupid trap he'd fallen into. An empty house located in the middle of nowhere threw up signals all over the place.
Vaughn was now sitting at his desk as he stared at the open documents on his computer surrounding Sydney's disappearance. There were no more leads in the folder about Sydney. Nothing at all.
"Agent Vaughn." Vaughn looked up surprised to see Jack Bristow standing in front of his desk.
"Yes, sir?" Vaughn asked.
"I need to talk to Sydney and she's not answering her cell phone." Vaughn froze. Kendall hadn't told Jack the situation yet; that neither Vaughn nor the rest of the CIA had any idea of where Sydney was.
"She's not here," Vaughn said slowly. He forced his eyes to look up into Jacks. Jack's facial expression remained the same, but Vaughn could read the surprise in Jack's eyes as he looked at Vaughn's pained expression.
"I wasn't aware that she was on a mission," Jack said off-handedly, while trying to get more information out of Vaughn.
Vaughn swallowed hard. "She's not on a mission Jack." Vaughn could see Jack visibly tense as he continued. "She's missing." Vaughn slowly retold the story, just as he did to Weiss, but this time, he included the trip to Colorado in the story. When Vaughn was done, Jack had the same expression as before.
Jack gave a curt nod to Vaughn, stood up, and walked away. Vaughn just watched him go. After all, it was mostly like Kendall's neck that Jack Bristow was about to chew.
*~*~*~*
The weeks went by agonizingly slowly. Vaughn would spend the whole day, and most of the time, the majority of the nights, doing research, making calls, doing whatever he could to keep himself busy. He also made sure to call the hospital everyday to keep tabs on Will's condition. Unfortunately was still at the Los Angeles Hospital in ICU. The stab wounds to his chest had caused a large quantity of damage, not to mention the blood loss. The doctors were hopeful he would regain consciousness any day now, but none of them new for sure if that was actually going to happen at all. Vaughn had made sure to let them know that if Will were to regain consciousness, Vaughn was to be informed immediately.
Three weeks after Sydney's death, Kendall called a meeting. When Vaughn arrived, he found the room containing nothing more than Sydney's closest friends and in Jack's case, relatives. Vaughn really hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Marshall or Dixon since Sydney had disappeared. In actuality, however, he hadn't wanted to. There was sadness in all of their faces that seemed to be getting more and more distinct as the days went on. It was probably the same sadness that was echoed in his own eyes. In the life of a CIA agent, the longer you've been gone, the less chance you're going to come back alive.
Kendall cleared his throat and stood up in front of the room. Next to him was Director Devlin. "I called this meeting to talk to you all about our MIA agent, Sydney Bristow. We are currently three weeks into the investigation and there has been little evidence to support Agent Bristow's whereabouts, or even an accurate screening of what happened the night of the fight. We've found.—"
"Wait!" Vaughn said interrupting Kendall. Kendall stopped and turned an irritated eye towards him.
"Yes, Agent Vaughn?"
"What do you mean "an accurate screening" of what happened the night Sydney disappeared? I thought it was concluded that Agent Bristow and Will Tippin were both attacked by Francie or Francie's double."
Director Devlin stood up to address this question and Agent Kendall sat down. "The forensics team can't conclude anything. As a result, another theory has evolved from the evidence found at the scene. We believe that there is a chance that Agent Bristow may have been working in league with Sloane. There is a possibility that the fight that night was staged to throw the CIA of track."
Vaughn stood up enraged. "That's a fuckin' cock-and-bull story and you know it! There is nothing to prove that Agent Bristow has been anything but loyal to the CIA during her work here. The basis of these accusations are groundless and—"
"Sit down, Agent Vaughn," Director Devlin demanded. Vaughn grudgingly did as he requested and Devlin continued. "Yes, Agent Bristow has proved her loyalty to this agency numerous times, but there is a possibility that Agent Bristow could have staged this to throw all suspicion off her. As an agent we have to look at all possibilities and it is definitely a possibility that this Francie Calfo was indeed spying on Agent Bristow for Sloane and for some reason, the two of them go into a fight. There could also be a chance that she didn't know that Miss Calfo worked for Sloane. All Sydney knew was that there was a possibility that Miss Calfo could be a double and that is what led to the attack. We can't say for sure"
"Sydney Bristow would not betray her country under any circumstances," Vaughn yelled, standing up angrily again. "Your rendition of what happened couldn't be farther away from the truth—"
"None of us know what the truth is right now—"
"But you're willing to accuse a loyal agent?"
"We're not accusing anyone right now, Agent Vaughn, we're merely—"
"Keeping the most unlikely options open," Vaughn yelled, concluded the end of their back and forth argument. There was silence. "I get it," Vaughn growled. "It's the Prophecy isn't? You think that's a legitimate reason to accuse Sydney of being a traitor."
"Agent Vaughn," Kendall interrupted angrily. "You either get your temper under control so that we can continue this meeting or leave this room and face a week's suspension." Vaughn looked back and forth at Devlin and Kendall. Devlin was still red-faced from their argument, and the rest of the room was waiting to see what he would do.
Vaughn pushed back his chair, opened the door to the conference room, and slammed it hard behind him.
