~*~*If Tomorrow Never Comes - Part 22*~*~
"You were saying…" Sydney said, smiling as she leant against the doorway.
Vaughn stared at her, his green eyes flickering ever so slightly as he checked her up and down to make sure she was really there. That it wasn't a dream.
"Sydney," he stuttered, still not believing the sight in front of him.
After their little disagreement the day before, he'd given up hope of ever seeing her again. He had being fully prepared to curse her, to be angry with her and determined to cut her out of his life. But here she was. All of her. *And* she was smiling. Vaughn couldn't help but also smile, as he though he would never see her at her happiest ever again.
"Well?" the woman in question prompted. Even though she wanted to get straight down to business, Sydney just had to grin like a Cheshire cat as she'd managed to catch him out. "I'm stubborn and pig-headed and…?" she urged in good humour and curious to know how Vaughn would weasel himself out of this one.
Weiss chuckled beside Vaughn and offered to help his buddy out. "Miss Bristow," Weiss stepped forward and shook her hand, "Nice to see you again," he smirked.
She put her hands on her hips and pretended to be insulted.
"'Nice to see you again'?, I've been away for two years and all I get is a 'nice to see you again'?" she frowned, "Give me some sugar!" she demanded in jest as he chuckled again and went to hug her.
"Nice to see you again too, Weiss," she said as she hugged him tightly, "It's been a while,"
"Yeah, it has," he said as he moved to whisper in her ear, "Don't you *ever* disappear on us like that again, okay?" Sydney nodded slowly and managed a weak smile. There was a short moment of silence as the three wondered on what to say.
"You've lost weight," Sydney complemented to Weiss. He took a look at his former beer belly and smirked.
"It's all Mikey's fault. He's been so busy worrying about you that he hasn't fed me properly," he joked, then decided it wasn't the best remark. "I like your hair," he complemented back. She nodded and thanked him.
Truth be told, she was beginning to regret coming back. On her way here, she'd gotten some looks from the people in the office. Before she set off, she knew that people would talk about her. Sydney used to walk through the office with confidence and respect. Now, she was the agent who couldn't handle it. At least that is what she thought.
It was hard. Devlin had seen her first and had welcomed her back. He hadn't mentioned Vaughn or Jack, just the expected 'We've missed you' business and a 'We hope that you can get back into the swing of things'.
To be perfectly honest, Sydney thought he wasn't pleased to see her. He seemed a little cold and distant towards her, but that may have something to do with the bags under his eyes and the big piles of paper on his desk.
Sydney hadn't had a chance to relax. She'd left Liz at the hotel and told her not to leave and to only order room service. She didn't want any risks, people still recognised Sydney, even with a new name and hairstyle.
[Flashback]
Sydney and Liz approached the customs desk. Sydney surveyed the place, which didn't seem to have changed much. The quality of the plane food was still rather foul, but that was probably because she wasn't flying business class.
The woman at the desk greeted them with a chirpy, yet tired 'Hello' and proceeded to check their passports. She checked Liz's first and smiled. Sydney was astonished to see that she recognised the woman at the desk. The woman - Cheryl Ann - turned to Sydney and a flash of recognition crossed her blue eyes.
"I haven't seen you here for a while," she grinned. "You seemed to come and go almost every week-" Cheryl Ann chattered as she checked Sydney's passport. She frowned as she looked from the name on the passport to Sydney. Her eyebrows knitted together and she sighed.
"Is everything alright?" Sydney asked in a British accent. After all, it was a British passport. Cheryl Ann looked up.
"What? Oh, sorry. I had you confused with somebody else. You can go," she said quickly as she handed them their passports, "Enjoy your stay,"
Sydney and Liz thanked her and left quickly. Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. If a customs officer could recognise her, who else would?
[end flashback]
Sydney shook her thoughts out of her reverie and went back to Vaughn and Weiss. Weiss made an excuse of having to meet a guy named Josh for lunch and then left. Sydney and Vaughn both said bye before realising they were all alone.
"So, when did you arrive?" Vaughn asked.
"Early this morning,"
"And Liz?"
"She came too. We're at a hotel over at-"
"I'll find out later," Sydney nodded as an awkward silence came across the room.
"So, why did you-"
"Vaughn, I don't want to answer any of those questions yet. I'm sorry, I'm just not…I'm tired. I haven't had much sleep," Sydney excused.
"It's okay. I understand. Are you going to go straight back to the hotel? I could drive you….that is if you've hired a car,"
"I came by cab so a lift would be great,"
"Do you want to go now or…"
"Actually," Sydney stopped him, "I'd like to see my father," she requested.
~*~*Meanwhile, at the airport*~*~
Cheryl Ann thanked her relief as she moved out of her chair and towards the payphones.
She looked around as she picked up a handset and dialled a series of numbers. It rang twice before it was picked up.
"It's me," she said quietly, "Tell Sloane that Bristow's back under the alias Megan Winters,"
TBC…
"You were saying…" Sydney said, smiling as she leant against the doorway.
Vaughn stared at her, his green eyes flickering ever so slightly as he checked her up and down to make sure she was really there. That it wasn't a dream.
"Sydney," he stuttered, still not believing the sight in front of him.
After their little disagreement the day before, he'd given up hope of ever seeing her again. He had being fully prepared to curse her, to be angry with her and determined to cut her out of his life. But here she was. All of her. *And* she was smiling. Vaughn couldn't help but also smile, as he though he would never see her at her happiest ever again.
"Well?" the woman in question prompted. Even though she wanted to get straight down to business, Sydney just had to grin like a Cheshire cat as she'd managed to catch him out. "I'm stubborn and pig-headed and…?" she urged in good humour and curious to know how Vaughn would weasel himself out of this one.
Weiss chuckled beside Vaughn and offered to help his buddy out. "Miss Bristow," Weiss stepped forward and shook her hand, "Nice to see you again," he smirked.
She put her hands on her hips and pretended to be insulted.
"'Nice to see you again'?, I've been away for two years and all I get is a 'nice to see you again'?" she frowned, "Give me some sugar!" she demanded in jest as he chuckled again and went to hug her.
"Nice to see you again too, Weiss," she said as she hugged him tightly, "It's been a while,"
"Yeah, it has," he said as he moved to whisper in her ear, "Don't you *ever* disappear on us like that again, okay?" Sydney nodded slowly and managed a weak smile. There was a short moment of silence as the three wondered on what to say.
"You've lost weight," Sydney complemented to Weiss. He took a look at his former beer belly and smirked.
"It's all Mikey's fault. He's been so busy worrying about you that he hasn't fed me properly," he joked, then decided it wasn't the best remark. "I like your hair," he complemented back. She nodded and thanked him.
Truth be told, she was beginning to regret coming back. On her way here, she'd gotten some looks from the people in the office. Before she set off, she knew that people would talk about her. Sydney used to walk through the office with confidence and respect. Now, she was the agent who couldn't handle it. At least that is what she thought.
It was hard. Devlin had seen her first and had welcomed her back. He hadn't mentioned Vaughn or Jack, just the expected 'We've missed you' business and a 'We hope that you can get back into the swing of things'.
To be perfectly honest, Sydney thought he wasn't pleased to see her. He seemed a little cold and distant towards her, but that may have something to do with the bags under his eyes and the big piles of paper on his desk.
Sydney hadn't had a chance to relax. She'd left Liz at the hotel and told her not to leave and to only order room service. She didn't want any risks, people still recognised Sydney, even with a new name and hairstyle.
[Flashback]
Sydney and Liz approached the customs desk. Sydney surveyed the place, which didn't seem to have changed much. The quality of the plane food was still rather foul, but that was probably because she wasn't flying business class.
The woman at the desk greeted them with a chirpy, yet tired 'Hello' and proceeded to check their passports. She checked Liz's first and smiled. Sydney was astonished to see that she recognised the woman at the desk. The woman - Cheryl Ann - turned to Sydney and a flash of recognition crossed her blue eyes.
"I haven't seen you here for a while," she grinned. "You seemed to come and go almost every week-" Cheryl Ann chattered as she checked Sydney's passport. She frowned as she looked from the name on the passport to Sydney. Her eyebrows knitted together and she sighed.
"Is everything alright?" Sydney asked in a British accent. After all, it was a British passport. Cheryl Ann looked up.
"What? Oh, sorry. I had you confused with somebody else. You can go," she said quickly as she handed them their passports, "Enjoy your stay,"
Sydney and Liz thanked her and left quickly. Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. If a customs officer could recognise her, who else would?
[end flashback]
Sydney shook her thoughts out of her reverie and went back to Vaughn and Weiss. Weiss made an excuse of having to meet a guy named Josh for lunch and then left. Sydney and Vaughn both said bye before realising they were all alone.
"So, when did you arrive?" Vaughn asked.
"Early this morning,"
"And Liz?"
"She came too. We're at a hotel over at-"
"I'll find out later," Sydney nodded as an awkward silence came across the room.
"So, why did you-"
"Vaughn, I don't want to answer any of those questions yet. I'm sorry, I'm just not…I'm tired. I haven't had much sleep," Sydney excused.
"It's okay. I understand. Are you going to go straight back to the hotel? I could drive you….that is if you've hired a car,"
"I came by cab so a lift would be great,"
"Do you want to go now or…"
"Actually," Sydney stopped him, "I'd like to see my father," she requested.
~*~*Meanwhile, at the airport*~*~
Cheryl Ann thanked her relief as she moved out of her chair and towards the payphones.
She looked around as she picked up a handset and dialled a series of numbers. It rang twice before it was picked up.
"It's me," she said quietly, "Tell Sloane that Bristow's back under the alias Megan Winters,"
TBC…