[b][u][I] If Tomorrow Never Comes [/b] - Part 19 [/I][/u]
Liz patted her cheeks to bring back the rosy colour as she stepped inside her house from the blistering cold outside. She shuddered as she took off her scarf and moved around the house, silently. Sydney had told her she was going home for reasons unknown to Liz, but she had heard rumours from pupils about Sydney and 'the man' in her classroom so Liz had figured out that it people had found out.
Liz, obviously being the loyal friend, denied knowing anything about Sydney's affiliations and refused to answer and questions. Even the Head wasn't aware and Liz knew Sydney would tell them in due time. Liz wondered if Sydney was asleep in her room or had gone out. Her question was answered when she heard a bang come from the kitchen. Liz followed the noise, expecting to see her friend making cookies or even crying over some of the ice cream she'd bought a day previously.
Instead she saw someone very different.
"What are *you* doing here?" she asked in shock as the figure spun around to meet her gaze.
"Beth…" the voice started. Liz shook her head, trying to dispel the voice she hadn't heard for close to 10 years. "Beth…what…" he was calling her by the nickname he used for her. He always used to call her Beth.
"No! Go away! You're Sydney's…no!" Liz ran out of the kitchen and moved into the bathroom with the man following after her.
Liz clicked the bathroom door shut and closed her eyes, tears spilling out of them. She hadn't wanted to see him. She'd wanted to forget everything to do with him. When she'd heard Sydney was a spy, all the memories came flooding back to her. She didn't want someone else in her life to have gone through that pain.
"Beth…I-I…you're Sydney's friend?" The man asked through the door. He breathed heavily. Liz could tell he was as shocked as she was.
"Michael, please…" she begged, "Don't, just go…" she sobbed. She knew he wouldn't leave, he wasn't like that. He'd stay around and make sure she was alright. Liz heard his body crawl down to the floor and rest against the door. He sighed.
"You changed your last name," he said simply. Liz shook her head.
"I didn't want to remember," She told him the truth. There was no point in hiding it when talking to him.
"You've done the same as Sydney. Ran away from your past, never gave a second thought to the people you were hurting," Liz wiped her green eyes.
"That was ten years ago, Michael. It was different," She tried to search for a reason of *how* it was different, but nothing came.
"Dad wouldn't have like it, Beth. He would have wanted us to stick together," Vaughn told her.
"Dad died. It broke up our family," Liz told him flatly. She heard her brother groan on the other side.
"True, but you didn't have to break it up even more by deciding to move to Australia with Aunt June!" he almost snapped.
"Aunt June offered to take care of me. She knew Mom didn't have enough money to look after the both of us and keep the house,"
"I would have done it," Vaughn said quietly, "You know I would have looked after you,"
"You were 8, I was 4! All you cared about were Matchbox cars and hockey. You never took care of me!" Liz snapped back. "You always ignored me. I was the kid sister that couldn't play hockey!" Liz didn't mean to sound too resentful.
"That was before Dad died. Everything changed after that," Vaughn reminded her.
"Yeah, it did. You wanted to be CIA just like Dad - guess you got your wish," Liz sniffed. There was silence from Vaughn's end. Liz hated that silence. "You wanted to be like dad. But you forgot that it was his job that got him killed,"
'No, it was Sydney's mother that killed him' He thought bitterly before speaking,
"Beth, don't start. I wanted to be CIA and I am CIA - although I never thought it'd be like this," Vaughn almost laughed at his situation. He never knew he'd handle a spy, let alone fall in love with her. He'd never in his lifetime imagined it would be her mother who killed his father. He'd always vowed to kill the person who did this and resent the family, but he didn't feel any kind of resentment towards Sydney about that issue.
"Michael, I don't care what your connection with Sydney is, I just want you to leave," Liz told him forcibly.
"Why? I'm your brother! I thought family mattered!" Vaughn demanded, "Just because I'm CIA doesn't change anything," Liz looked down at the floor. It meant everything to her. She'd lost her father to the CIA and she didn't want to lose her brother too. When Michael had told her one Christmas 10 years ago that he had joined, she'd lost it. She had promised never to speak to him ever again, although wouldn't explain why and had ruined Christmas for the whole family. Liz hadn't seen him since then or spoken to him. She had asked about him once or twice during conversations to her mother, but they usually lead to her mother crying down the phone. Liz had also changed her last name and moved. She didn't want to be notified if anything bad happened to Michael. She would rather keep up the illusion he was alive. She didn't want to know the truth.
"Well," he said, "I'd better go," She heard him get up. "Can you give this to Sydney?" he pushed something under the door. A white envelope with Sydney written on it.
"What is it?" Liz didn't really want to know, but she felt compelled to ask.
"It's a plane ticket. Just in case she changes her mind about coming back," Vaughn told her. "Mom says 'hi'," he said finally before Liz heard him move away and the front door close.
Finally alone, Liz sighed and picked up the envelope, throwing it into the bin without a second thought.
Liz patted her cheeks to bring back the rosy colour as she stepped inside her house from the blistering cold outside. She shuddered as she took off her scarf and moved around the house, silently. Sydney had told her she was going home for reasons unknown to Liz, but she had heard rumours from pupils about Sydney and 'the man' in her classroom so Liz had figured out that it people had found out.
Liz, obviously being the loyal friend, denied knowing anything about Sydney's affiliations and refused to answer and questions. Even the Head wasn't aware and Liz knew Sydney would tell them in due time. Liz wondered if Sydney was asleep in her room or had gone out. Her question was answered when she heard a bang come from the kitchen. Liz followed the noise, expecting to see her friend making cookies or even crying over some of the ice cream she'd bought a day previously.
Instead she saw someone very different.
"What are *you* doing here?" she asked in shock as the figure spun around to meet her gaze.
"Beth…" the voice started. Liz shook her head, trying to dispel the voice she hadn't heard for close to 10 years. "Beth…what…" he was calling her by the nickname he used for her. He always used to call her Beth.
"No! Go away! You're Sydney's…no!" Liz ran out of the kitchen and moved into the bathroom with the man following after her.
Liz clicked the bathroom door shut and closed her eyes, tears spilling out of them. She hadn't wanted to see him. She'd wanted to forget everything to do with him. When she'd heard Sydney was a spy, all the memories came flooding back to her. She didn't want someone else in her life to have gone through that pain.
"Beth…I-I…you're Sydney's friend?" The man asked through the door. He breathed heavily. Liz could tell he was as shocked as she was.
"Michael, please…" she begged, "Don't, just go…" she sobbed. She knew he wouldn't leave, he wasn't like that. He'd stay around and make sure she was alright. Liz heard his body crawl down to the floor and rest against the door. He sighed.
"You changed your last name," he said simply. Liz shook her head.
"I didn't want to remember," She told him the truth. There was no point in hiding it when talking to him.
"You've done the same as Sydney. Ran away from your past, never gave a second thought to the people you were hurting," Liz wiped her green eyes.
"That was ten years ago, Michael. It was different," She tried to search for a reason of *how* it was different, but nothing came.
"Dad wouldn't have like it, Beth. He would have wanted us to stick together," Vaughn told her.
"Dad died. It broke up our family," Liz told him flatly. She heard her brother groan on the other side.
"True, but you didn't have to break it up even more by deciding to move to Australia with Aunt June!" he almost snapped.
"Aunt June offered to take care of me. She knew Mom didn't have enough money to look after the both of us and keep the house,"
"I would have done it," Vaughn said quietly, "You know I would have looked after you,"
"You were 8, I was 4! All you cared about were Matchbox cars and hockey. You never took care of me!" Liz snapped back. "You always ignored me. I was the kid sister that couldn't play hockey!" Liz didn't mean to sound too resentful.
"That was before Dad died. Everything changed after that," Vaughn reminded her.
"Yeah, it did. You wanted to be CIA just like Dad - guess you got your wish," Liz sniffed. There was silence from Vaughn's end. Liz hated that silence. "You wanted to be like dad. But you forgot that it was his job that got him killed,"
'No, it was Sydney's mother that killed him' He thought bitterly before speaking,
"Beth, don't start. I wanted to be CIA and I am CIA - although I never thought it'd be like this," Vaughn almost laughed at his situation. He never knew he'd handle a spy, let alone fall in love with her. He'd never in his lifetime imagined it would be her mother who killed his father. He'd always vowed to kill the person who did this and resent the family, but he didn't feel any kind of resentment towards Sydney about that issue.
"Michael, I don't care what your connection with Sydney is, I just want you to leave," Liz told him forcibly.
"Why? I'm your brother! I thought family mattered!" Vaughn demanded, "Just because I'm CIA doesn't change anything," Liz looked down at the floor. It meant everything to her. She'd lost her father to the CIA and she didn't want to lose her brother too. When Michael had told her one Christmas 10 years ago that he had joined, she'd lost it. She had promised never to speak to him ever again, although wouldn't explain why and had ruined Christmas for the whole family. Liz hadn't seen him since then or spoken to him. She had asked about him once or twice during conversations to her mother, but they usually lead to her mother crying down the phone. Liz had also changed her last name and moved. She didn't want to be notified if anything bad happened to Michael. She would rather keep up the illusion he was alive. She didn't want to know the truth.
"Well," he said, "I'd better go," She heard him get up. "Can you give this to Sydney?" he pushed something under the door. A white envelope with Sydney written on it.
"What is it?" Liz didn't really want to know, but she felt compelled to ask.
"It's a plane ticket. Just in case she changes her mind about coming back," Vaughn told her. "Mom says 'hi'," he said finally before Liz heard him move away and the front door close.
Finally alone, Liz sighed and picked up the envelope, throwing it into the bin without a second thought.