[b]From Chapter 8:[/b][i]
I shook my head in disbelief. Where had my friend gone and who was this slimy bureaucrat who'd been left in his place? "I don't ever want to hear from you again," I announced coldly. "And just so we're clear, if I ever hear that you've involved Sydney in another one of your crazy schemes, I will personally hang you from the rafters by your toenails."
"Of course, if that's the way you want it," he responded stiffly. "Come on boys," he said, turning to Billy and Harry. "Let's take the riff raff we came for and get out of here." Without sparing Jack and I a second glance, he spun on his heel and swept out of the room. [/i][b]
Chapter 9:[/b]
A week later, I was sitting in my office, nursing my scotch and thinking about the case. After Teddy and dragged Sloane back to jail, Eric had announced that he was taking the week off. "I need it," he'd said. "My whole weekend is shot and it's only Saturday evening. I'll be back next Monday, make sure you don't get mixed up with any dames between now and then."
I'd nodded my head and smiled in reply, but the smile was empty. The only dame I wanted to get mixed up with was standing less than twenty feet away, wrapped in the protective embrace of her father. Her FBI agent father, a man who I'm certain could dismantle my body piece by piece if the situation ever arose. Suddenly, I wasn't sure things would work out after all.
So here I was, alone on a Friday evening without my partner and without my girl and now completely out of scotch. "Life just isn't fair," I muttered morosely, setting my glass down and swinging my feet up on the desk. "Wake me up when it's over," I added, closing my eyes and attempting to sleep.
I was still sitting there with my peepers shut when I heard the office door swing open. "Go away, we're closed," I ordered.
"This is not a business call Mister Vaughn."
My eyes flew open and the chair skidded across the floor as I leapt to my feet. "Jack! What can I do for you?" I questioned evenly.
My calm evaporated and my palms started sweating when he just stared at me for a couple of minutes, not saying a word. Finally he said, "I'm looking for information Mister Vaughn, information only you can provide."
"I'm sure the FBI has better sources than I do," I protested.
"I told you, this isn't business, it's personal. I need to know what your feelings are for Sydney."
I stared at him, completely stunned. "Are you serious sir?" I asked incredulously.
He pierced me with a look and I had to resist wiping my clammy hands off on my slacks. "You'd be surprised how serious I am," he replied coolly. "So I ask again, how do you feel about my daughter?"
"It's hard to explain Jack," I said, shrugging helplessly. "When I met Sydney, it was like." I thought for a moment, trying to find an analogy he'd appreciate. "It was like my heart was a mob informant and she was the East River. In other words, I fell and fell hard."
His features relaxed slightly at those words, but I could tell he still had one more question on his mind. "Then your intentions are honorable?" he asked bluntly.
"Absolutely," I assured him.
"Good," he said, nodding decisively. He turned to leave but when he reached the door he fired one last parting shot. "Oh and Mister Vaughn? Remember that mob informant?" I gulped, realizing what he was about to say. "If I ever hear that you've hurt my little girl, you won't just feel like him, you'll be in a watery grave of your own." With those cheery words, he stepped into the twilight, shutting the door behind him.
"Well what do you know?" I said to myself. "Jack Bristow just told me I could see his daughter. Eric is never going to believe this."
I was still shaking my head in bemusement five minutes later when the door opened again, letting Sydney in. When I saw her, my heart leapt into my throat, only to be sent plummeting to my toes by her first words. "Hello Vaughn, I thought I ought to pay you."
How ironic-her father had come for personal reasons but she was only here for business. Well I guess I knew where I stood with her. "No need," I told her gruffly. "This one's on the house." Eric would kill me for this, but my heart was breaking so I didn't really care.
"I guess I'll be leaving then," she said. I watched her walk away, hardening my heart against the pain I felt. Then just before she reached the door, she turned slightly and said, "Aren't you coming?"
"Why would I Dollface?" I asked blandly. "You go your way, I'll go mine, right?"
"Right," she replied uncertainly. "But I thought." Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell to the floor. "Never mind, obviously I was mistaken. Good bye Mister Vaughn," she said briskly, reaching for the door.
I was across the room in a flash, pulling her hard against me for a kiss that was as demanding as it was passionate. When I finally tore my lips from hers, I said, "Now you listen to me, this is the way we're going to play this. You can't just come and go; this is forever. You got that?"
"I got it," she replied, her smile threatening to split her face in two. "But whatever happened to "You go your way, I'll go mine?" she teased.
"Slight change to the plan. You go your way, I'll go mine, and we'll both go together. The only way you're walking out that door is if I'm beside you," I told her, staring into her eyes as I did so.
"Then I suggest you get your coat and hat so we can get out of here," she said.
I let go of her long enough to stick my arms into my coat and pull my hat over my eyes, taking her hand in mine. Opening the door for her I said, "Let's blow this joint, Sweet Thing."
I shook my head in disbelief. Where had my friend gone and who was this slimy bureaucrat who'd been left in his place? "I don't ever want to hear from you again," I announced coldly. "And just so we're clear, if I ever hear that you've involved Sydney in another one of your crazy schemes, I will personally hang you from the rafters by your toenails."
"Of course, if that's the way you want it," he responded stiffly. "Come on boys," he said, turning to Billy and Harry. "Let's take the riff raff we came for and get out of here." Without sparing Jack and I a second glance, he spun on his heel and swept out of the room. [/i][b]
Chapter 9:[/b]
A week later, I was sitting in my office, nursing my scotch and thinking about the case. After Teddy and dragged Sloane back to jail, Eric had announced that he was taking the week off. "I need it," he'd said. "My whole weekend is shot and it's only Saturday evening. I'll be back next Monday, make sure you don't get mixed up with any dames between now and then."
I'd nodded my head and smiled in reply, but the smile was empty. The only dame I wanted to get mixed up with was standing less than twenty feet away, wrapped in the protective embrace of her father. Her FBI agent father, a man who I'm certain could dismantle my body piece by piece if the situation ever arose. Suddenly, I wasn't sure things would work out after all.
So here I was, alone on a Friday evening without my partner and without my girl and now completely out of scotch. "Life just isn't fair," I muttered morosely, setting my glass down and swinging my feet up on the desk. "Wake me up when it's over," I added, closing my eyes and attempting to sleep.
I was still sitting there with my peepers shut when I heard the office door swing open. "Go away, we're closed," I ordered.
"This is not a business call Mister Vaughn."
My eyes flew open and the chair skidded across the floor as I leapt to my feet. "Jack! What can I do for you?" I questioned evenly.
My calm evaporated and my palms started sweating when he just stared at me for a couple of minutes, not saying a word. Finally he said, "I'm looking for information Mister Vaughn, information only you can provide."
"I'm sure the FBI has better sources than I do," I protested.
"I told you, this isn't business, it's personal. I need to know what your feelings are for Sydney."
I stared at him, completely stunned. "Are you serious sir?" I asked incredulously.
He pierced me with a look and I had to resist wiping my clammy hands off on my slacks. "You'd be surprised how serious I am," he replied coolly. "So I ask again, how do you feel about my daughter?"
"It's hard to explain Jack," I said, shrugging helplessly. "When I met Sydney, it was like." I thought for a moment, trying to find an analogy he'd appreciate. "It was like my heart was a mob informant and she was the East River. In other words, I fell and fell hard."
His features relaxed slightly at those words, but I could tell he still had one more question on his mind. "Then your intentions are honorable?" he asked bluntly.
"Absolutely," I assured him.
"Good," he said, nodding decisively. He turned to leave but when he reached the door he fired one last parting shot. "Oh and Mister Vaughn? Remember that mob informant?" I gulped, realizing what he was about to say. "If I ever hear that you've hurt my little girl, you won't just feel like him, you'll be in a watery grave of your own." With those cheery words, he stepped into the twilight, shutting the door behind him.
"Well what do you know?" I said to myself. "Jack Bristow just told me I could see his daughter. Eric is never going to believe this."
I was still shaking my head in bemusement five minutes later when the door opened again, letting Sydney in. When I saw her, my heart leapt into my throat, only to be sent plummeting to my toes by her first words. "Hello Vaughn, I thought I ought to pay you."
How ironic-her father had come for personal reasons but she was only here for business. Well I guess I knew where I stood with her. "No need," I told her gruffly. "This one's on the house." Eric would kill me for this, but my heart was breaking so I didn't really care.
"I guess I'll be leaving then," she said. I watched her walk away, hardening my heart against the pain I felt. Then just before she reached the door, she turned slightly and said, "Aren't you coming?"
"Why would I Dollface?" I asked blandly. "You go your way, I'll go mine, right?"
"Right," she replied uncertainly. "But I thought." Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell to the floor. "Never mind, obviously I was mistaken. Good bye Mister Vaughn," she said briskly, reaching for the door.
I was across the room in a flash, pulling her hard against me for a kiss that was as demanding as it was passionate. When I finally tore my lips from hers, I said, "Now you listen to me, this is the way we're going to play this. You can't just come and go; this is forever. You got that?"
"I got it," she replied, her smile threatening to split her face in two. "But whatever happened to "You go your way, I'll go mine?" she teased.
"Slight change to the plan. You go your way, I'll go mine, and we'll both go together. The only way you're walking out that door is if I'm beside you," I told her, staring into her eyes as I did so.
"Then I suggest you get your coat and hat so we can get out of here," she said.
I let go of her long enough to stick my arms into my coat and pull my hat over my eyes, taking her hand in mine. Opening the door for her I said, "Let's blow this joint, Sweet Thing."