A/N:  There is a minor 'sex' scene (between husband and wife, so it's a lot more PG that some of the shows on TV.  But, if this is not your thing; please skip over the part marked with the ampersands. (@@@).  Please enjoy and review when you're done reading.

The Truth:

Driving home from the airport, Vaughn felt stiff.  The workout he had received this morning was grueling.  He had even joked to Sydney that if she kept it up, he wouldn't even consider coming back.  She had laughed it off, but he noticed she backed off a lot after that.  The two year hiatus had not had any affect on her physical prowess.

Driving through rush hour traffic, Vaughn had time to drift back to her.  Her muscles were as fit as when she left.  That meant, wherever she was, she had been able to train... did continue her training.  She had even learned some new moves, sneaky moves in his estimation that worked well with her assets.

'That's enough Vaughn.  You are within ten miles of your wife and you are thinking of another woman's as... assets.  What are you going to tell Meelon?  The truth?  All of it, some of it?  Should you leave Sydney out of the conversation?  At what point of your explanation will Meelon just throw up her hands in exasperation and start packing to leave your sorry ass?  Then, if she agrees to move... and right now that is a big if... how much should she know about Sydney.  If she finds out on her own... she will be so upset...'

Vaughn notices his car has parked in his driveway, behind his wife's.  'It's a good thing your car knows the way home, because your mind certainly was not on the drive.

Vaughn opens the door and removes himself from the vehicle.  He looks up and sees his wife bounding out of the front door of their home.  "Michael!  You're home."  She runs up and greets him with a hug.  "Michael, I missed you."  She covers his cheek in a kiss then steps back to look at him.  "Michael, what happened?"

Vaughn looked at her... 'What does she already know...? How could she?'

"Michael, your eye, you have a black eye... what happened."

'Of course, his eye... no need to distrust her, Vaughn... this is Meelon.'  "Well, lovely lady... let's move into the house and I can tell you what happened."

"Does it hurt?"

"Sure, a little..."  'I've had worse.'

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Meelon stops Vaughn on the path to the house.  She looked deep into his eyes and his thoughts dissipate into only Meelon.  "I missed you, Michael."  She put her hands on the back of his neck and guided his head down to her level.  She kissed him deeply.  Vaughn dropped his bag and took his wife into his arms.  His body, as always, responded to her advances.  He picked her up, tongues keeping in close contact, and he carried her into the house and to the living room.  He placed her on the couch and knelt beside her.  His hands started to move over her body.  He unbuttoned her blouse and undid her bra.  It was only then that his lips parted from hers to move down her neck.  His hands cupped her breasts and she moaned with pleasure.  "Michael, you were gone too long.  I hope you're not too hungry for dinner... yet..."

Vaughn looked at her.  His eyes were a lusty green.  "I am hungry... but dinner can wait."

He immediately went back to her body.  His hands now worked on removing her shorts and underwear.  When that was accomplished, his mouth went back to her lips as his fingers started tickling her between her legs.  She moaned into his mouth.  "Michael, let me undress you... I need you inside me."

Their lips and hands broke contact so Meelon could remove his shirt and Vaughn stood to remove his pants.  Once naked, her hands grasped his engorged member and he fell on top of her, unable to withstand her touch.  His lips moved down her stomach, then between her legs.  She reached down and lifted his head.   Their eyes connected.  Vaughn knew exactly what she wanted.  Her eyes black with lust, spoke to him and he followed their directions.  He entered her fully, to her inner core, and stayed still to heighten the experience of pleasure.  Her hips arched up against his, trying to convince him to begin the slow steady movement that would bring her pleasure to ecstasy.  He complied with her non-verbal request and their bodies moved in sync to a rhythm only they felt.

@@@

After their final release, Vaughn collapsed on top of her and waited for his senses to return.  When some feeling came back to his legs, he tried to move to the side of her, but his movement resulted in his fall from the couch.  He landed on his back and laid there.  Meelon moved to the side of the couch and peeked at him from her perch.  "You OK?"

Oh, yes... do you need to ask?"

"Well, you fell... and aren't moving now..."

"Let me get some feeling back... that's why I fell off in the first place."  Meelon rolled off the couch and landed on top of Vaughn.  Their damp skin contacted and sent shivers over Vaughn's already sensitive body.  She kissed him deeply and he held her body to his.  "I don't know what it is you do to me... but don't ever stop."

Meelon smiled.  "So who hit you?  I know... you got into an argument over some grant money?  Or... perhaps you were out in a bar in Charlotte... maybe a biker bar... with all your university pals.  And, well... maybe one of those biker guys said to you that E did not equal MC squared and then fists began to fly... is that what happened?"

Vaughn sat up and moved Meelon back to the couch.  He started to dress.  She looked at him, "Michael, why won't you tell me what happened?"

"Meelon, I will tell you, but I don't think I can do that naked.  We need to talk and when we do, I would rather not be so disoriented."

Meelon looked concerned, but started to dress herself, while keeping a close eye on Vaughn.

Ten minutes later, both were dressed and sitting at the dining table across from each other.  Meelon sat quietly with her hands folded.  Vaughn looked at her and began to talk.  "I know you are going to have questions, but let me finish what I have to say before you start.  OK?"  Vaughn watched as Meelon nodded.  Her demeanor was grim.

"I want to start out by telling you that this starts with the time I spent in Los Angeles.  I know you asked me about this before, and at that time I either put you off the subject or I lied to you."  Vaughn closely watched Meelon's expression which remained dead pan.  He continued... "When I lived in L.A., I did not work at a bank.  I was an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA.  I was what they called a handler.  A field agent is someone who performs missions... goes out into the field to implement mission objectives.  A handler is the person that sets up a field agent's missions. A handler talks the field agent through the mission and gets them home safely.  I was a handler.  A handler will normally work with one field agent throughout their career.  That way, they know each other's moves, they are partners." 

So far, so good Vaughn thinks.  She has not started to laugh, or cry or anything.  Maybe he should be more worried.  "Prior to my leaving L.A., my agent..."  'My lover... Sydney.'

"... Went missing.  My whole division looked for this agent, and we only stopped looking when our management ordered us to stop.  They said there was definite proof of the agent's death.  After that, I as given meaningless jobs, so I made the decision to leave the CIA."

Vaughn looked at Meelon, "OK Michael, fast forward two years and tell me what you have been up to these past two weeks.  I send my husband away on some cushy trip to secure university grant money and he comes back with stories about secret agents and spies.  So you better get to the point of this story pretty quick."

"Meelon, I didn't go to Charlotte.  My field agent turned up in Hong Kong.  I was asked to go to Hong Kong, bring the agent back and debrief."

"Why you, Michael.  I have to assume that there are a number of well qualified agents that could transport this guy from Asia to the United States.  Why you?"

"Well, like I said before, a handler and his agent are a team, partners.  They know each other... closely.  This agent had been missing for two years.  The directors wanted me to go so that I could determine the agent's disposition."

"So you got the black eye because this guy hit you... because he was either not the real agent and you found out, or your told him you had a wife now and didn't work for the CIA."

"Well, amazingly enough that second scenario is actually more accurate."  Vaughn smiled at her, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Michael, this is not funny.  You could have been hurt.  What if something had happened?  Would I have been told all this?  Would I have been sent your body with no explanation?  Would I have been left here all alone... knowing nothing?  How could you do this to me?  You lied to me, Michael.  What else... what else has been a lie?"

"Meelon, I was under specific instruction not to talk of or tell anyone of my involvement in CIA.  There are security and confidentiality issues that bar my speaking of it."

"Then why now Michael?  Why are you telling me now?"

Vaughn looked at her.  Her eyes, wet with tears, her face flush with worry and anger and betrayal.  He knew that look; he had seen it too often lately.  "I am telling you now, because my director has asked me to return to Los Angeles, to the CIA.  They want me to work with this field agent again."

There was silence for an extended period.  Vaughn thought he should say something else, but was not sure what.  He sat across from her, waiting for her to speak.

"OK, so let me get this straight.  You tell me, out of the blue, that you have lied to me about who you are since the first moment we met." 

Vaughn made a movement to speak, but was immediately silenced by Meelon's dark eyes.  "I can understand that you were under orders not to say anything.  I can almost forgive that.  But two weeks ago, you lied directly to my face.  You said you were going somewhere you weren't, you put yourself in danger and never gave me a second thought."

"Meelon, that's not true.  I thought of you..."

"You didn't think about how I would feel if something were to happen to you."

There was silence again.  "You are right.  I didn't think about that.  I'm sorry.  I was worried about my field agent, my friend... after all this time."

"Do you want to move back?"

"Yes, I can be of some use in the training and reinitiating of this agent and the work we do is important."

"What will I do?  I will have to quit my job here... I do... I guess I am assuming that you want me to move to L.A. with you?"

At this point Vaughn looked into her eyes.  He still saw betrayal, but the look of anger had turned to fear.  He got up from the table and moved to the seat next to her.  With one hand, he held her hand and with the other, he cupped her cheek, bringing her eyes to his.  "Meelon, I would never leave you or consider moving without you.  I told them that.  I told them, if I can't tell my wife then I would never consider returning.   We are partners now and I would never let the CIA mess that up.  Please believe me."

"Michael, I want to believe you... but all these things you told me... it's so... unbelievable..."  She starts crying and lays her head on Vaughn chest.

"Meelon, I know it's a lot to comprehend.  I think maybe you need some time, to work it out.   Why don't we go get some dinner?  We can talk about something completely different.  If you have questions, you can ask, anything.  I promise you ... I love you Meelon."

"OK, I love you too, Michael."

They embrace and Meelon smiles behind his back.

Their dinner is quiet.  Meelon asks a few questions, but otherwise they talk of other mundane issues.  On the ride home, Meelon breaks the silence of the vehicle.  "So, should we plan a weekend trip to L.A.?  We can see your mother and look at apartments, or houses or something."

"You want to go then?"

"Michael, this is important to you.  I'm not going to stand in the way of your career.  If this is something you want to do, I will support you."

"Thank you."

Meelon scoots over, closer to Vaughn and lays her head on his shoulder.  Vaughn takes one arm and surrounds her.  Keeping his eyes on the road, he bends down and kisses the top of her head.  "I love you Meelon."

A/N:  So, what do you think?  Do you want more?  Please read and review.  Maxie.