[b][u]Chapter Two[/u]
A Lonely Beer and Bad Coffee[/b]
The phone rang right as Patrick and Demi were about to kiss. Not wanting to leave the movie, they ignored it.
"Well I'm not getting up," said Will, tears in his eyes, "you get it."
"Oh all right." Syd rose reluctantly and stopped the ringing so the others could listen to the movie in peace.
"Bring Mr. Girlie Pants some Kleenex while you're over there. He's crying enough tears for both of us."
"I am not. Now shush. I'm watching this." And another tear rolled down his cheek.
"Here Will. We won't tell all your manly friends at work about this little emotional soul baring while watching 'Ghost'."
"Maybe you won't Syd, but when I meet them, they are so finding out!"
"Shut up!" Said Will, and he threw the pillow at Francie to shut her up. It missed completely, but Francie took the hint and sat back down.
"Listen Guys, I need to go in to work."
"On a Sunday?" Francie didn't like the hours Sydney had to work, and she didn't hide her feelings.
"Yeah, they want me to prepare a presentation I have to give on Wednesday. I'm afraid I'll be out for the rest of the evening. Finish the movie without me; you know when it has to be back. And try and keep the place in one piece you two." She scolded them as she picked the empty ice cream container and a wad of Kleenex up off the floor. "And you clean these up Will. We know most of them are yours."
She smiled at him before retreating into the bedroom to gather her bag and get changed. If they were going to be sending her on a mission, she needed to be prepared, and she couldn't afford to leave her gun lying around the house. She was ready in less than twenty minutes, but couldn't get out the door until Francie had told her that she needed to quit and get a job at a normal place which only made her work normal hours. Sydney just smiled and looked at Francie, telling her not to worry, she would deal with it. She gave Will another smile and a hug before pulling off in her blue Ford Focus. He would worry about her constantly until he saw her again, and knew she was safe.
*~*~*~*~*
Will found it hard to get to sleep that night. He found it nearly impossible to sleep whenever she was out. Every single day, she put her life on the line for the safety and freedom of the country they lived in. He would have traded the safety and freedom for communism and 'weapons of mass destruction' any day of the week if it guaranteed *her* safety. He walked into his kitchen, and pulled a Heineken out of the fridge. He twisted it open, and took a long drink. The amber liquid flowed down his throat, and he could feel every bubble as it travelled down to join the ice cream. The room was dark, except for a sliver of light travelling through the blinds. He sat in the dark, drinking his beer and thinking about what sort of crazy stunts The Agency would make her pull this time. Eventually, Will Tippin fell asleep on the couch, empty bottle in hand, and many more scattered on the floor.
*~*~*~*~*
Of course, Will still went into work everyday. Just because Sydney was gone didn't mean he wouldn't work. It only meant he couldn't concentrate properly. But when his mind started to wander, he just thought that what he was doing might save her life, and it kept him going. When he couldn't concentrate any longer, he took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. Then, eyes still closed, he began to massage his temples. It helped him relax, and if he pushed hard, he could only feel pain, and it numbed his feelings for her, just for a moment. When he couldn't push any harder, he stopped, and got out of his chair. He mumbled 'coffee' to Kailey in the desk next to him, and went to the break room.
As he pulled open the door, he heard a loud plunking noise come from the corner. As he looked, he saw Jack turning on his heel, and heading towards him. Will, knowing the signs, quickly jumped out of Jack's way, and pretended not to notice him. Acknowledging Jack while he was in one of his moods would only result in lots of pain for both parties. This was something Will had learned when he joined CIA, though unfortunately he had learnt it the hard way.
Agent Jack Bristow never showed any emotions. On the rare occasion he and Will were at dinner together, it was Jack Bristow, Father, and Sydney was present. Jack would never do anything he thought Sydney might disapprove of. She didn't know it, but she had quite a hold on him. He may not have agreed with everything she did, or everyone she associated with, but he knew he couldn't stop her. And in some way, having his daughter around had moderated his temper. However, she had to be around physically, otherwise Jack Bristow, Father became Jack Bristow, Agent, man of stone and negative emotion. He was cold and angry. And concerned. Only Will could see this in him. 'It takes one to know one' Will thought to himself.
As he walked over to the coffee maker, he saw a broken Styrofoam cup in the bin, and coffee splattered all over the floor. He assumed that this was the source of the noise he had heard as he pulled open the door. Will sighed, and poured a cup of coffee. Black, no sugar. A perfect reflection of how he was feeling at the moment: hungover, dark and bitter. He sat at the end of a small table and drank his coffee quietly. It was probably the worst coffee he had ever tasted, and the first time he tasted it, Will doubted it was even coffee. But as long as he didn't think of it as coffee, it wasn't to bad, and it helped to numb the pain inside.
After he had finished his 'coffee', he returned to his desk. After he couldn't work any more, he returned to the break room. It was a circle he went through. As he walked back and forth, he walked into Agent Vaughn. Vaughn had lost focus of what he was doing, and the two had collided.
"Hey, Tippin. Are you all right?"
"Hey? Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about the papers."
"Don't worry about them. You don't look so good. What is it?"
"Nah, it's nothing. You wouldn't get. Or maybe you would. Listen, don't worry about it. It'll blow over. You have more important things to do. Go protect the freedom of our country." Will saluted Vaughn, and made a 'serious' face. Vaughn gave Will a smile and walked off. He had his own things to worry about. And he would have understood Will more than he knew. They both felt the same way when Sydney was assigned a mission, but they both dealt with it very differently.
A/N: Did anyone catch my tiny cameo role in this chapter? Just can't stay away from my Wilbert :lol:
The phone rang right as Patrick and Demi were about to kiss. Not wanting to leave the movie, they ignored it.
"Well I'm not getting up," said Will, tears in his eyes, "you get it."
"Oh all right." Syd rose reluctantly and stopped the ringing so the others could listen to the movie in peace.
"Bring Mr. Girlie Pants some Kleenex while you're over there. He's crying enough tears for both of us."
"I am not. Now shush. I'm watching this." And another tear rolled down his cheek.
"Here Will. We won't tell all your manly friends at work about this little emotional soul baring while watching 'Ghost'."
"Maybe you won't Syd, but when I meet them, they are so finding out!"
"Shut up!" Said Will, and he threw the pillow at Francie to shut her up. It missed completely, but Francie took the hint and sat back down.
"Listen Guys, I need to go in to work."
"On a Sunday?" Francie didn't like the hours Sydney had to work, and she didn't hide her feelings.
"Yeah, they want me to prepare a presentation I have to give on Wednesday. I'm afraid I'll be out for the rest of the evening. Finish the movie without me; you know when it has to be back. And try and keep the place in one piece you two." She scolded them as she picked the empty ice cream container and a wad of Kleenex up off the floor. "And you clean these up Will. We know most of them are yours."
She smiled at him before retreating into the bedroom to gather her bag and get changed. If they were going to be sending her on a mission, she needed to be prepared, and she couldn't afford to leave her gun lying around the house. She was ready in less than twenty minutes, but couldn't get out the door until Francie had told her that she needed to quit and get a job at a normal place which only made her work normal hours. Sydney just smiled and looked at Francie, telling her not to worry, she would deal with it. She gave Will another smile and a hug before pulling off in her blue Ford Focus. He would worry about her constantly until he saw her again, and knew she was safe.
*~*~*~*~*
Will found it hard to get to sleep that night. He found it nearly impossible to sleep whenever she was out. Every single day, she put her life on the line for the safety and freedom of the country they lived in. He would have traded the safety and freedom for communism and 'weapons of mass destruction' any day of the week if it guaranteed *her* safety. He walked into his kitchen, and pulled a Heineken out of the fridge. He twisted it open, and took a long drink. The amber liquid flowed down his throat, and he could feel every bubble as it travelled down to join the ice cream. The room was dark, except for a sliver of light travelling through the blinds. He sat in the dark, drinking his beer and thinking about what sort of crazy stunts The Agency would make her pull this time. Eventually, Will Tippin fell asleep on the couch, empty bottle in hand, and many more scattered on the floor.
*~*~*~*~*
Of course, Will still went into work everyday. Just because Sydney was gone didn't mean he wouldn't work. It only meant he couldn't concentrate properly. But when his mind started to wander, he just thought that what he was doing might save her life, and it kept him going. When he couldn't concentrate any longer, he took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. Then, eyes still closed, he began to massage his temples. It helped him relax, and if he pushed hard, he could only feel pain, and it numbed his feelings for her, just for a moment. When he couldn't push any harder, he stopped, and got out of his chair. He mumbled 'coffee' to Kailey in the desk next to him, and went to the break room.
As he pulled open the door, he heard a loud plunking noise come from the corner. As he looked, he saw Jack turning on his heel, and heading towards him. Will, knowing the signs, quickly jumped out of Jack's way, and pretended not to notice him. Acknowledging Jack while he was in one of his moods would only result in lots of pain for both parties. This was something Will had learned when he joined CIA, though unfortunately he had learnt it the hard way.
Agent Jack Bristow never showed any emotions. On the rare occasion he and Will were at dinner together, it was Jack Bristow, Father, and Sydney was present. Jack would never do anything he thought Sydney might disapprove of. She didn't know it, but she had quite a hold on him. He may not have agreed with everything she did, or everyone she associated with, but he knew he couldn't stop her. And in some way, having his daughter around had moderated his temper. However, she had to be around physically, otherwise Jack Bristow, Father became Jack Bristow, Agent, man of stone and negative emotion. He was cold and angry. And concerned. Only Will could see this in him. 'It takes one to know one' Will thought to himself.
As he walked over to the coffee maker, he saw a broken Styrofoam cup in the bin, and coffee splattered all over the floor. He assumed that this was the source of the noise he had heard as he pulled open the door. Will sighed, and poured a cup of coffee. Black, no sugar. A perfect reflection of how he was feeling at the moment: hungover, dark and bitter. He sat at the end of a small table and drank his coffee quietly. It was probably the worst coffee he had ever tasted, and the first time he tasted it, Will doubted it was even coffee. But as long as he didn't think of it as coffee, it wasn't to bad, and it helped to numb the pain inside.
After he had finished his 'coffee', he returned to his desk. After he couldn't work any more, he returned to the break room. It was a circle he went through. As he walked back and forth, he walked into Agent Vaughn. Vaughn had lost focus of what he was doing, and the two had collided.
"Hey, Tippin. Are you all right?"
"Hey? Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about the papers."
"Don't worry about them. You don't look so good. What is it?"
"Nah, it's nothing. You wouldn't get. Or maybe you would. Listen, don't worry about it. It'll blow over. You have more important things to do. Go protect the freedom of our country." Will saluted Vaughn, and made a 'serious' face. Vaughn gave Will a smile and walked off. He had his own things to worry about. And he would have understood Will more than he knew. They both felt the same way when Sydney was assigned a mission, but they both dealt with it very differently.
A/N: Did anyone catch my tiny cameo role in this chapter? Just can't stay away from my Wilbert :lol: