Hi everyone! A few people with AOL e-mail addresses asked for links to the NC-17 version of Chapter 23. When I tried to send the e-mail, it kept getting bounced back, so sorry if you asked for it but didn't receive it. You can read it at: http://smashed-peaches.net/cover/fic/jil-afterlong23nc.html
Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 24: "Closure"
Vaughn walked out of the bathroom and smiled at the sight before him. Sydney was laying in bed, holding her left hand in front of her face, admiring the ring he'd given her the night before. After a few moments, she noticed him watching her and quickly pulled her hand down.
"You caught me," she said with a embarrassed smile.
"Caught you what?" he asked as he got back in bed next to her.
"Staring at my ring. I know -- it's such a 'girl' thing to do, but I can't help it. It's so gorgeous and I still can't believe that we're engaged. I keep looking at the ring to convince myself that this is real."
"It's real, Sydney," he assured her as he drew slow circles across her stomach with his fingers. "If it's not, then what did we just spend half the day in bed celebrating?"
She grinned at him. "I thought you were just in a good mood because the Kings won last night." He laughed and she snuggled up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. Sydney had called in sick to SD-6 that morning so she could spend the day with him, and since they couldn't be seen in public together, they had spent the entire day lazing around in their suite, talking, watching movies and "celebrating" their engagement. Sydney couldn't remember ever being so happy, and was trying to soak up every remaining minute with him before he left to go back to Virginia. As they quietly laid together and he softly stroked her along the length of her arm, she knew that he was doing the same thing.
"When did you buy this?" she asked as she went back to staring at the ring again.
"The day that you left Virginia to come back to L.A."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Having you there with me that week felt so incredible. And my mom loved you and I loved you, and by the time you left, I knew that I was ready to commit to you. So, a few minutes after your taxi pulled away, I hopped in my car and went to the jeweler."
"Wow. That's . . . that's amazing."
"So are you," he smiled. "So, if we could actually tell people that we were engaged, who would be the first person you'd want to tell?"
She considered it for a few moments. "Probably your mom."
"Really? I thought for sure you'd say Francie."
"Well, of course, I'd want to tell her too, but I just think that out of everyone that we know, your mom would be the most excited."
"You're right," he agreed. "She's going to be thrilled."
"I adore your mom. I can't believe that she's going to be my mother-in-law." She raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him. "Listen, I know we agreed that for the time being we wouldn't tell anyone that we're getting married, but if you want to tell your mom, it's okay. I know we can trust her to keep it a secret."
"Yeah we can, but when I tell her, I want you there next to me. I know that you want that too, even if you're too selfless to admit it." She smiled and leaned down to kiss him.
"Yeah, I do want to be there with you," she admitted. "I'd love to see the look on her face, but I'd also understand if you couldn't wait."
"I can't wait to tell her, but I will," he shrugged. "I've done a lot of waiting in the past two years; I'm used to it. Besides, if you're there with me when I tell her, my mom will probably be on her best behavior and *won't* start suggesting names for her future grandchildren," he laughed. "I don't think she'd want to scare you with her psycho-grandma act."
"Vaughn! Come on, she's not that bad and you know it. She just wants to be a grandmother and there's nothing wrong with that. And anyway, the thought of having her grandchildren with you doesn't scare me at all."
"No?" he smiled.
"No. I just hope that all of our kids have your eyes."
"No, I want them to look just like you and have my prowess with a hockey stick."
"Oh god," she groaned. "You want us to have our own little hockey team, don't you? With Donovan as the mascot!"
"No I don't," he laughed. "Honestly, Syd, it doesn't matter to me how many kids we have. We could have six or none, or anything in between. It doesn't matter as long as I have you."
"You'll always have me," she promised.
"Good, because you're all I need," he said as he absently twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. Despite his desire to have a family with her, he knew that he could absolutely be happy if they spent the rest of their lives along together. He just needed to be with her, no matter what.
"So, speaking of people who can keep a secret, are you going to tell your dad?"
"No," she laughed. Vaughn looked at her questioningly and she shook her head to set him at ease. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to hide it from him. It's just that you've been gone ever since he found out about us -- he hasn't even had a chance to give you the 'I'll kill you if you hurt my daughter' speech yet. I figure we should let him get that out of the way first before we hit him with the news that we're getting married."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Vaughn laughed. "I'm sure there's a smaller chance of him killing me if we give him time to adjust to the thought of us being together when I get back."
"I agree. See? I'm just thinking of you and your well-being, honey," she said sweetly.
"What would I ever do without you, Snookums?" he joked, causing her to make a face.
"Don't ever call me that again -- not even in jest," she laughed.
"Okay, whatever you say, Honeybear."
"Vaughn!" she whined in protest as she lightly smacked him on the chest. "Okay, the first rule of our marriage is: no pet names for each other. *Ever*," she emphasized. "Honey and Sweetie are fine, but Snookums makes me break out in hives."
"Me too. You know I was just teasing you. I didn't think we were going to start setting the ground rules this early, though."
"Neither did I, but that's a really important one," she grinned. "You can make one too," she said solicitously."
"How gracious of you," he smirked. "Okay, Rule Two -- we never go to bed angry at each other without having really hot sex first."
Sydney fixed him with a mock stern look and propped herself up on one elbow. "Are you taking this at all seriously?" she laughed.
"Of course I am. I'm totally serious. We should never go to bed angry at each other as a general rule, but there's definitely no way I could stay angry with you after making love to you, thus preserving the harmonious balance of our relationship."
She looked at him in astonishment. "Sometimes the way your mind works scares me, Vaughn."
"Yeah, but it turns you on too," he smiled as he caressed her shoulder.
"Maybe just a little bit," she admitted as she placed a gentle kiss over his heart. After a few more kisses across his chest, she looked up at him with a lascivious smile. "Rule Three -- you can't wear clothes around the house."
"God, you're such a sex fiend!" he laughed.
"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just thinking of the environment. The fewer clothes you wear, the less laundry that has to be done, which will save who-knows-how many gallons of water, not to mention the plastic containers that the detergent comes in."
"You're unbelievable, Syd," he said, shaking his head
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Please. I fail to see how that's any worse than your Anger Sex edict. Besides, it would be a shame to cover up your body unnecessarily, and what's the point of putting on clothes if I'm just going to want to take them off all the time anyway?"
"But that could actually be fun," he said with twinkling eyes.
"And *I'm* the sex fiend?" she laughed. "Whatever. Maybe we should save the rest of this conversation for a time when we're *not* laying naked in bed."
"That's probably a good idea. Besides, we don't have to figure out everything right this minute. We have all the time in the world together -- the rest of our lives."
"Yeah we do," she sighed. "It's so nice to be able to think in terms of the future again. There haven't been many times in the last two years when I've let myself do that."
"I know, but those days are over, Syd." He wrapped a strong arm around her and kissed her forehead. "It's okay to let yourself believe that this *is* going to end."
"I know," she said quickly. "I'm counting on it."
"But you're scared." After all the time that he'd spent as her handler, he could tell when she was putting up a brave front for him.
She sighed and momentarily wished that he wasn't always so perceptive. This was supposed to be a happy time for them and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin the mood by telling him about her fears. He, however, was looking expectantly at her and she knew that he wouldn't just let it drop if he sensed she was uptight or unhappy.
"Vaughn, I know it sounds horribly pessimistic when we have so much to look forward to together, but sometimes I can't help but be afraid that just when everything seems perfect, we're going to get blindsided and it's all going to fall apart. It's not even that I'm afraid of what's going to happen with SD-6; if the takedown doesn't go as planned, I can deal with that. But the thought of losing you now terrifies me.
"Syd, I'm not going anywhere," he said reassuringly. "Except back to Virginia tomorrow morning," he added with a wry laugh.
"See, but that's just it. You're going to be all the way across the country where I won't be with you, where I can't see you and know for sure that you're okay, and I hate that. I'll feel better when you're back in L.A., but even then, I won't feel completely at ease until we're laying on the beach in the Maldives. Then, I think I'll finally be able to let myself relax and believe that everything's going to be okay. But don't mind me. I'm just being a paranoid freak right now," she said with an apologetic smile.
"No you're not."
"Yeah, I am. It's just that I'm so close to having everything that I want that I'm afraid that it's all too good to be true and that something's going to screw it up."
"And that's completely understandable, but Syd, there's nothing too good to be true about our relationship. Even if it feels that way sometimes, we've had to go through so much to be together and we've earned it. Nothing's going to ruin that. We won't let it."
"You're right, we won't."
She looked at the resolve in his eyes and instantly felt her worries begin to dissolve. It never failed to amaze her how much better Vaughn could make her feel about any situation. Even when she was at her pessimistic and uptight worst, he could calm her down with one look into his tranquil green eyes. Over the past two years, she had come to depend so much on his ability to do that.
"What would I ever do without you?" she smiled.
"Let's never find out, okay?"
"Deal," she whispered. She moved on top of him and stretched her body along the length of his, feeling fireworks begin to explode in her nerve endings from the feeling of his skin against hers. She kissed him long and slowly until neither of them could stand it anymore and the kiss intensified in hunger. If she only had a few more hours alone with him, she wasn't willing to waste another minute worrying about the future. All that mattered at the moment was that he was there and he was all hers.
*****
"What?" Sydney asked the next morning as she self-consciously brushed a hand across her face.
"Nothing." Vaughn smiled as he ran his hands along her hips. For the last minute, he had been watching her intently as she buttoned up his shirt and although she was enjoying the view from her own vantage point, she was beginning to wonder what he was so fascinated by.
"Why are you staring at me?" she nervously asked. He took her hands in his and raised them to his mouth, kissing each one.
"I'm not staring at you, I'm *looking* at you, and I'm doing that because you're so damn beautiful."
She smiled and threaded her fingers through his as she leaned in to kiss him. "You are too."
"Not like you." He moved over to the bed and sat down, pulling her between his legs and wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his head against her stomach with a small sigh, knowing that he only had a few more minutes with her before he had to leave for the airport. "I'm not ready to leave you yet."
"You say that as if you might be ready to leave me at some point in the future," she laughed. "For what it's worth, I'm not ready to let you go either." She raked her fingers through his hair and looked down at him, in awe of how much their relationship had changed in the past two days. She'd been in love with him before his birthday surprise, but what she felt for him now was so much stronger than she ever could have imagined. She felt an almost overwhelming need to be with him and take care of him now and she hated knowing that she wouldn't be able to do either of those things while he was in Virginia.
"I love you," she said quietly.
"I know." He kissed her left hand and grinned up at her. "I don't think I need to tell you how much I love you."
"I don't know. I might need a little bit of convincing," she teased.
"You wouldn't if you knew how much I spent on this ring," he laughed. He stood up from the bed and cupped his hands around her face before giving her a slow, smoldering kiss. "I love you, Sydney. You're my world."
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as she struggled to fight back tears. The ache inside her was already palpable and he hadn't even left yet.
"Call me as soon as you get home -- no, as soon as you get off of the plane."
"Are you sure you don't want me to call and give you a minute by minute update on our flight pattern?" he teased.
"Don't laugh at me, Vaughn." She playfully slapped him on the arm as she pulled back from him. "I just want to know that you made it back safely."
"I'll call you the minute the plane lands, I promise," he said solemnly.
"And promise me that this is going to be the last time I ever have to say good bye to you for such a long time."
"I promise that too. I won't ever let anything take me away from you for this long again."
"Good. Tell your mom that I said hi and that I miss her."
"I will. Tell Weiss that I said hi and that Donovan misses him." She laughed and he suddenly realized how much he was going to miss hearing that sound for the next five weeks. "I don't need to tell you to take care of yourself, do I?"
"No. I have every reason in the world to be extra careful now," she smiled.
"Yeah, you do, because I can't wait to marry you, Syd. I've felt like the luckiest man alive ever since you said yes."
"As if I would have said anything else. Do you know the first time that I imagined what it would be like to marry you?"
"No, when?"
"On our second day in Lake Tahoe, when you took me on that sleigh ride and the driver asked if we were married. You said 'not yet' like there wasn't a doubt in your mind that one day we would be, and I just remember being so excited by the thought of being your wife. You could have asked me to marry you then and I would have said yes."
"If I had known that, I would have asked you then."
She smiled and shook her head. "Actually, I'm glad that you didn't because this was perfect, everything about the way that you asked me was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better surprise or a better birthday present, so thank you."
"Sydney, don't ever thank me for making you as happy as you deserve to be."
"Okay, as long as you let me do the same for you." She was just about to lean in for another kiss when the telephone interrupted them. She groaned as Vaughn broke away from her to answer it. She already knew that it was the phone call she'd been dreading for the last few minutes.
"My cab's downstairs," Vaughn sighed as he walked back to her. "I've got to go for now, but when I come back," he said with a sexy grin, "You. Me. Warehouse. Be ready."
"Oh, I'll be ready, trust me. You, on the other hand, might want to rest up for a couple of days before you come home."
"You *are* my home, Sydney. I love you. Be good, okay?"
"I'll try. Hurry up and come back to me," she murmured as she wrapped him in a tight hug.
"I will." He ran his hand along the side of her face and gave her one last dizzying kiss before he grabbed his bag and turned to go. She stood in the doorway of their room and watched as he walked to the elevator and gave her a small wave before getting on. She moved back inside and shut the door with a heavy sigh as she leaned against it and closed her eyes. She could already feel the empty void inside her that was created by his absence and she had no idea how she was going to survive the next month without him.
*****
"Sydney, you're home! God, I've been wondering where you've been," Francie exclaimed as she wrapped her best friend in a huge hug.
"Hey! What are you doing back already? I thought you weren't coming home until later this afternoon."
"I wasn't supposed to, but I came back yesterday afternoon. I love my family, but I realized that I love them more in small doses," she laughed. "Anyway, Happy Belated Birthday."
"Thank you," Sydney said as she followed Francie into the living room. On the way, she hurriedly removed her engagement ring and shoved it in her pocket, trying to ignore the stab of pain that she felt in her heart when she did it.
"Sooo," Francie grinned slyly as they flopped onto the couch. "Where have you been and why were you out all night?"
"I was, um . . . " Even with all of her spy training, she couldn't think of a decent lie. She didn't even want to. "I was just out."
"Out with a guy?" Francie asked excitedly when she saw Sydney struggling to come up with an answer. "Oh my god, you were, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was with a guy," Sydney sighed. She simply didn't have the energy or motivation to make up a story.
"You haven't mentioned anything about a guy lately. Who is he?"
"Someone that I work with. I haven't said anything about it because we're not supposed to be seeing each other. We work in the same department and it's kind of forbidden."
"Forbidden? That just makes it hotter," Francie laughed. Sydney smiled but shrugged noncommittally. The fact that she and Vaughn had to sneak around with each other had never excited her. In fact, she hated it and couldn't wait for the day when it would no longer be necessary.
"So am I ever going to meet this guy?"
"Maybe in a couple of months," Sydney smiled. "I might be switching to another department and if I do, he and I won't have to hide our relationship anymore."
"So it's an actual *relationship*, and not just a sex thing?"
Sydney bit down on the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing at Francie's question. She loved Vaughn more than anything, but they did seem to spend a disproportionate amount of their time together in bed. "Let's just say that it's a relationship with a lot of sex thrown in," she smiled.
"Ooh, that's the best kind of relationship," Francie laughed. "So is it serious? Do you really like this guy?"
"Yes, it's serious," Sydney said softly. "I'm in love with him, Fran."
"Sydney," Francie gasped. "You're in love? That is so wonderful and even though I haven't gotten the chance to meet this guy yet, I'm sure that he's wonderful too."
"He is. He's incredible and I can't wait until you meet him. I just know that the two of you are going to really like each other. But do me a favor and don't say anything about this to Will, okay?" Even though Will already knew about her relationship with Vaughn, the last thing she wanted was for him and Francie to compare notes about what they each knew.
"Of course I won't tell him. I couldn't bear to break his heart that way. I promise that I'll be on my best behavior when we go to dinner tonight and I won't mention it."
"Thanks, Francie," Sydney smiled as she glanced down at her watch. "Listen, Will's going to be here in a couple of hours and there's something that I need to go do. So I'm going to go now, but I'll be back soon."
"Okay. See you in a little while," Francie called as Sydney left the apartment.
A short while later, Sydney sat in her car attempting to steady her nerves. She had been putting off what she was about to do for a while, but she knew that she couldn't put it off any longer. It was definitely time. She grabbed the bouquet of daisies sitting on the passenger seat and took a deep breath as she got out of the car. She quickly walked across the manicured lawn until she reached a headstone that read: Daniel Hecht.
She stood awkwardly for a moment before she sank down onto the grass and sat back on her heels. A wave of conflicting emotions ran through her as she leaned forward to run her fingers across his name. She fumbled around in the pockets of her jacket and removed a bug killer that her father had given her shortly after Danny's death. A momentary surge of hatred welled inside her when she remembered how he had warned her that SD-6 might have planted listening devices at Danny's grave. She took a deep breath, however, and quickly composed herself; the last thing she wanted to do right now was think about Sloane.
"Hi Danny," she said softly. "I know it's been a while since I've been here and I don't really have an excuse for that. I've just gotten so wrapped up lately in work and . . . other things." She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed deeply. "Actually, that's not true. The real reason that I haven't come here in a while is because I knew that I might feel guilty if I did. And I do, at least a little bit, but there's something important that I need to tell you.
"I met someone," she began as she nervously twisted her hands in her lap. After you died, I didn't think that I would ever get involved with someone again; I didn't think that I would ever want to. I was hurt and angry and all that I cared about was getting revenge on the people who took you away from me. The only thing that mattered to me was making them pay and I still want that. I still want to see them suffer, but I'm not really driven by revenge anymore. I think I'm . . ." She anxiously ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head in frustration.
"I don't know how to say this right, so I'm just going to say it. When I started trying to bring SD-6 down, I met someone who's been my friend and my ally and the person who's kept me sane even though everything in my life is crazy. He's stood by me every step of the way and encouraged me whenever I've felt like giving up. He made me realize back when this first started that I needed to go on living my life even though it wasn't the life I'd chosen for myself. He showed me that I could trust him and depend on him, and somewhere along the way, I realized that I was in love with him.
"There have been times when I've felt really guilty about the fact that I've been able to move forward with my life and be with someone else so soon after your death, but then there are other times when I think that that's exactly what you would have wanted me to do. I know that you would have wanted me to find someone else that I could love and be happy with and I think I've found him -- I know I have," she corrected herself.
"His name is Michael and he's . . . he's just amazing," she smiled. "He's such a good person and he makes me a better person. I like to think that I make him a better person too, but he was already pretty terrific when I met him, so maybe not," she said with a small laugh.
"The reason that I'm telling you all of this," she swallowed nervously, "is because he asked me to marry him and I said yes. Ever since he asked me, I've been so thrilled and excited, but there's been a tiny voice in the back of my mind reminding me of you. Reminding me that he and I are going to have all the things that I thought I was going to have with you -- a life together and a family, all of the things that you wanted so much.
"At first, I thought it was wrong to be so excited about having all of those things with him when I never got that chance with you, but as I'm sitting here now, I realize that maybe the best way for me to honor your memory is to take advantage of and appreciate the second chance that I've been given. And in a weird way, I think that you were the one who gave me that second chance.
"There are a lot of things about Michael's life and my life that make me think that it wasn't an accident that we met, but at the same time, I'm not sure that we ever would have met and fallen in love if it hadn't been for you. So I almost feel like I should thank you for helping me find him. I don't like to think that you had to die for us to find each other, but I think that maybe you sent him to me so I could be happy again.
"So, I just wanted to thank you for that and tell you that no matter what happens, you will always have a very special place in my heart and I will always love you. You taught me so much while you were alive, but losing you has taught me that I can't take happiness for granted. I can't take Michael and his life for granted, and I won't. Instead, I'm going to treasure every day that I get with him, the way I wish that I'd done with you.
Sydney touched her fingers to her lips and then pressed them on the top of the headstone as she stood back up. Before she came, she hadn't been sure what she was going to say, but she was happy and satisfied with what had come out. She realized that she had finally made peace with Danny's death and the way that it had led her to Vaughn. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she was free to give her whole heart to Vaughn without feeling that she was betraying Danny's memory. She would probably never tell Vaughn about what she'd just done, but she knew that she would always remember this as the moment that set her free and allowed her to fully commit herself to being his wife.
*****
". . . so she jumped up and ran out of the room and didn't come back for the rest of the day. Just left her purse and all her belongings at her desk and never came back for them."
"Whatever, Will," Francie laughed. "You're lying."
"I swear that I'm telling the truth. The rest of us were cracking up about it for the rest of the day."
Sydney smiled as they entered the apartment after returning from dinner. Will had been cracking them up during the ride home with stories about his co-workers at the "travel magazine."
"Hey guys, before we do the whole cake thing, I'm going to go change, okay?"
"Who said anything about cake?" Francie asked, looking at Will with a blank expression on her face.
"Give it up you guys," Sydney laughed. "Every year you get me one of those German Chocolate cakes from Manny's that I love so much. Don't try to pretend that you didn't do the same thing this year too."
"We've really got to stop being so predictable, Fran," Will grinned.
"See, I knew it," Sydney crowed as she kissed Will on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
She walked into her bedroom and as soon as the door was closed behind her, she reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out her ring. She sighed happily as she slipped it on her finger and began getting undressed. It was weird, but even after only two days, she felt naked when she wasn't wearing it, a feeling that she was obviously going to have to get used to over the next two months. She pulled a pair of sweat pants from one of her dresser drawers, and was just about to put them on when her cellphone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey. I'm getting my bag out of the overhead storage bin and now I'm walking down the aisle of the plane, and I just -- Thanks, I had a great flight -- and I just said good bye to the flight attendants, and now I'm walking up the jetway."
"Shut up, Vaughn," she laughed. "I can't believe you're making fun of me for being concerned about whether you made it back safely."
"I'm just having a little fun at your expense, that's all."
"Great. Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?"
"Yep," he laughed.
"Fabulous," she deadpanned. "Listen, I know you're rushing through the airport and Francie and Will are waiting for me, so I'll let you go. I'm just glad that you made it back safely. Be careful on your way home, okay?"
"I will. I love you. I'll talk to you soon."
"Okay. I love you, too. Bye."
After she hung up the phone, she quickly threw on her clothes, knowing that Francie and Will were probably wondering what in the hell had happened to her.
"Hey, I'm back," she said breathlessly as she walked down the hall to the kitchen. Francie and Will were standing next to the counter smiling as she saw the birthday cake next to them.
"Happy Birthday!" they both yelled.
"Thanks, guys," she smiled.
"Okay, hurry up and blow out the candles and make a wish -- and it had better be a good one," Francie admonished.
Sydney shook her head and smiled, knowing that nothing she could wish for would ever top what she'd gotten from Vaughn two nights ago. But for Francie and Will's sake, she made a big show of blowing out the candles.
"So what did you wish for?" Will asked as Francie stood across the kitchen cutting the cake.
"I can't tell you," Sydney scoffed.
"Let me guess, it had something to do with Vaughn," he said in a low voice.
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know. Maybe the fact that you've become such a big Dartmouth hockey fan in the last few weeks," he teased, nodding at her sweatshirt. She blushed and he smiled back at her. "That, and I know how much you've missed him since he's been gone."
"I have missed him," she acknowledged, "but my wish wasn't about him."
"Then what -- "
"Will! It won't come true if I tell you," she said as she walked over to grab a piece of cake from Francie. She wasn't sure that she believed in that superstition, but she wasn't taking any chances with this wish. If she was going to spend a birthday wish on Arvin Sloane, it had damned sure better come true.
*****
Sloane sat in his study, reading an analyst's report about the newest Rambaldi artifact that SD-6 had recovered. He was engrossed in the report when his secure phone line rang.
"Arvin Sloane," he answered.
"Mr. Sloane, it's Ryan Nelson. I'm sorry to bother you at home, sir."
"Is there a problem?"
"I'm not sure. It may not be anything to worry about, but when Agent Bristow called in sick yesterday, we conducted a standard surveillance check of her apartment. We didn't see any signs that anyone was present there until her roommate returned yesterday evening. In fact, a check of the phone logs showed that when she called in sick, she wasn't calling from her home phone number."
"Where did she call from?" Sloane asked suspiciously.
"We don't know. We couldn't trace the origination of the call and we don't know where she was. Like I said though, it may not mean anything. I was just calling to find out whether it's something I should follow up on."
"No. No, don't bother. Thursday was Agent Bristow's birthday and I'm sure that she probably just celebrated too much and wasn't in the best shape to come in yesterday. I'll speak with her about in on Monday morning, but you shouldn't concern yourself with it."
"Very well, sir. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Agent Nelson."
Sloane stared at the phone for several moments after he hung it up. He was sure that there was a good explanation for why Security Section hadn't been able to verify that Sydney was at home sick yesterday -- at least he hoped so. He would be sure to get to the bottom of it on Monday.
TBC . . .
Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 24: "Closure"
Vaughn walked out of the bathroom and smiled at the sight before him. Sydney was laying in bed, holding her left hand in front of her face, admiring the ring he'd given her the night before. After a few moments, she noticed him watching her and quickly pulled her hand down.
"You caught me," she said with a embarrassed smile.
"Caught you what?" he asked as he got back in bed next to her.
"Staring at my ring. I know -- it's such a 'girl' thing to do, but I can't help it. It's so gorgeous and I still can't believe that we're engaged. I keep looking at the ring to convince myself that this is real."
"It's real, Sydney," he assured her as he drew slow circles across her stomach with his fingers. "If it's not, then what did we just spend half the day in bed celebrating?"
She grinned at him. "I thought you were just in a good mood because the Kings won last night." He laughed and she snuggled up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. Sydney had called in sick to SD-6 that morning so she could spend the day with him, and since they couldn't be seen in public together, they had spent the entire day lazing around in their suite, talking, watching movies and "celebrating" their engagement. Sydney couldn't remember ever being so happy, and was trying to soak up every remaining minute with him before he left to go back to Virginia. As they quietly laid together and he softly stroked her along the length of her arm, she knew that he was doing the same thing.
"When did you buy this?" she asked as she went back to staring at the ring again.
"The day that you left Virginia to come back to L.A."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Having you there with me that week felt so incredible. And my mom loved you and I loved you, and by the time you left, I knew that I was ready to commit to you. So, a few minutes after your taxi pulled away, I hopped in my car and went to the jeweler."
"Wow. That's . . . that's amazing."
"So are you," he smiled. "So, if we could actually tell people that we were engaged, who would be the first person you'd want to tell?"
She considered it for a few moments. "Probably your mom."
"Really? I thought for sure you'd say Francie."
"Well, of course, I'd want to tell her too, but I just think that out of everyone that we know, your mom would be the most excited."
"You're right," he agreed. "She's going to be thrilled."
"I adore your mom. I can't believe that she's going to be my mother-in-law." She raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him. "Listen, I know we agreed that for the time being we wouldn't tell anyone that we're getting married, but if you want to tell your mom, it's okay. I know we can trust her to keep it a secret."
"Yeah we can, but when I tell her, I want you there next to me. I know that you want that too, even if you're too selfless to admit it." She smiled and leaned down to kiss him.
"Yeah, I do want to be there with you," she admitted. "I'd love to see the look on her face, but I'd also understand if you couldn't wait."
"I can't wait to tell her, but I will," he shrugged. "I've done a lot of waiting in the past two years; I'm used to it. Besides, if you're there with me when I tell her, my mom will probably be on her best behavior and *won't* start suggesting names for her future grandchildren," he laughed. "I don't think she'd want to scare you with her psycho-grandma act."
"Vaughn! Come on, she's not that bad and you know it. She just wants to be a grandmother and there's nothing wrong with that. And anyway, the thought of having her grandchildren with you doesn't scare me at all."
"No?" he smiled.
"No. I just hope that all of our kids have your eyes."
"No, I want them to look just like you and have my prowess with a hockey stick."
"Oh god," she groaned. "You want us to have our own little hockey team, don't you? With Donovan as the mascot!"
"No I don't," he laughed. "Honestly, Syd, it doesn't matter to me how many kids we have. We could have six or none, or anything in between. It doesn't matter as long as I have you."
"You'll always have me," she promised.
"Good, because you're all I need," he said as he absently twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. Despite his desire to have a family with her, he knew that he could absolutely be happy if they spent the rest of their lives along together. He just needed to be with her, no matter what.
"So, speaking of people who can keep a secret, are you going to tell your dad?"
"No," she laughed. Vaughn looked at her questioningly and she shook her head to set him at ease. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to hide it from him. It's just that you've been gone ever since he found out about us -- he hasn't even had a chance to give you the 'I'll kill you if you hurt my daughter' speech yet. I figure we should let him get that out of the way first before we hit him with the news that we're getting married."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Vaughn laughed. "I'm sure there's a smaller chance of him killing me if we give him time to adjust to the thought of us being together when I get back."
"I agree. See? I'm just thinking of you and your well-being, honey," she said sweetly.
"What would I ever do without you, Snookums?" he joked, causing her to make a face.
"Don't ever call me that again -- not even in jest," she laughed.
"Okay, whatever you say, Honeybear."
"Vaughn!" she whined in protest as she lightly smacked him on the chest. "Okay, the first rule of our marriage is: no pet names for each other. *Ever*," she emphasized. "Honey and Sweetie are fine, but Snookums makes me break out in hives."
"Me too. You know I was just teasing you. I didn't think we were going to start setting the ground rules this early, though."
"Neither did I, but that's a really important one," she grinned. "You can make one too," she said solicitously."
"How gracious of you," he smirked. "Okay, Rule Two -- we never go to bed angry at each other without having really hot sex first."
Sydney fixed him with a mock stern look and propped herself up on one elbow. "Are you taking this at all seriously?" she laughed.
"Of course I am. I'm totally serious. We should never go to bed angry at each other as a general rule, but there's definitely no way I could stay angry with you after making love to you, thus preserving the harmonious balance of our relationship."
She looked at him in astonishment. "Sometimes the way your mind works scares me, Vaughn."
"Yeah, but it turns you on too," he smiled as he caressed her shoulder.
"Maybe just a little bit," she admitted as she placed a gentle kiss over his heart. After a few more kisses across his chest, she looked up at him with a lascivious smile. "Rule Three -- you can't wear clothes around the house."
"God, you're such a sex fiend!" he laughed.
"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just thinking of the environment. The fewer clothes you wear, the less laundry that has to be done, which will save who-knows-how many gallons of water, not to mention the plastic containers that the detergent comes in."
"You're unbelievable, Syd," he said, shaking his head
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Please. I fail to see how that's any worse than your Anger Sex edict. Besides, it would be a shame to cover up your body unnecessarily, and what's the point of putting on clothes if I'm just going to want to take them off all the time anyway?"
"But that could actually be fun," he said with twinkling eyes.
"And *I'm* the sex fiend?" she laughed. "Whatever. Maybe we should save the rest of this conversation for a time when we're *not* laying naked in bed."
"That's probably a good idea. Besides, we don't have to figure out everything right this minute. We have all the time in the world together -- the rest of our lives."
"Yeah we do," she sighed. "It's so nice to be able to think in terms of the future again. There haven't been many times in the last two years when I've let myself do that."
"I know, but those days are over, Syd." He wrapped a strong arm around her and kissed her forehead. "It's okay to let yourself believe that this *is* going to end."
"I know," she said quickly. "I'm counting on it."
"But you're scared." After all the time that he'd spent as her handler, he could tell when she was putting up a brave front for him.
She sighed and momentarily wished that he wasn't always so perceptive. This was supposed to be a happy time for them and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin the mood by telling him about her fears. He, however, was looking expectantly at her and she knew that he wouldn't just let it drop if he sensed she was uptight or unhappy.
"Vaughn, I know it sounds horribly pessimistic when we have so much to look forward to together, but sometimes I can't help but be afraid that just when everything seems perfect, we're going to get blindsided and it's all going to fall apart. It's not even that I'm afraid of what's going to happen with SD-6; if the takedown doesn't go as planned, I can deal with that. But the thought of losing you now terrifies me.
"Syd, I'm not going anywhere," he said reassuringly. "Except back to Virginia tomorrow morning," he added with a wry laugh.
"See, but that's just it. You're going to be all the way across the country where I won't be with you, where I can't see you and know for sure that you're okay, and I hate that. I'll feel better when you're back in L.A., but even then, I won't feel completely at ease until we're laying on the beach in the Maldives. Then, I think I'll finally be able to let myself relax and believe that everything's going to be okay. But don't mind me. I'm just being a paranoid freak right now," she said with an apologetic smile.
"No you're not."
"Yeah, I am. It's just that I'm so close to having everything that I want that I'm afraid that it's all too good to be true and that something's going to screw it up."
"And that's completely understandable, but Syd, there's nothing too good to be true about our relationship. Even if it feels that way sometimes, we've had to go through so much to be together and we've earned it. Nothing's going to ruin that. We won't let it."
"You're right, we won't."
She looked at the resolve in his eyes and instantly felt her worries begin to dissolve. It never failed to amaze her how much better Vaughn could make her feel about any situation. Even when she was at her pessimistic and uptight worst, he could calm her down with one look into his tranquil green eyes. Over the past two years, she had come to depend so much on his ability to do that.
"What would I ever do without you?" she smiled.
"Let's never find out, okay?"
"Deal," she whispered. She moved on top of him and stretched her body along the length of his, feeling fireworks begin to explode in her nerve endings from the feeling of his skin against hers. She kissed him long and slowly until neither of them could stand it anymore and the kiss intensified in hunger. If she only had a few more hours alone with him, she wasn't willing to waste another minute worrying about the future. All that mattered at the moment was that he was there and he was all hers.
*****
"What?" Sydney asked the next morning as she self-consciously brushed a hand across her face.
"Nothing." Vaughn smiled as he ran his hands along her hips. For the last minute, he had been watching her intently as she buttoned up his shirt and although she was enjoying the view from her own vantage point, she was beginning to wonder what he was so fascinated by.
"Why are you staring at me?" she nervously asked. He took her hands in his and raised them to his mouth, kissing each one.
"I'm not staring at you, I'm *looking* at you, and I'm doing that because you're so damn beautiful."
She smiled and threaded her fingers through his as she leaned in to kiss him. "You are too."
"Not like you." He moved over to the bed and sat down, pulling her between his legs and wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his head against her stomach with a small sigh, knowing that he only had a few more minutes with her before he had to leave for the airport. "I'm not ready to leave you yet."
"You say that as if you might be ready to leave me at some point in the future," she laughed. "For what it's worth, I'm not ready to let you go either." She raked her fingers through his hair and looked down at him, in awe of how much their relationship had changed in the past two days. She'd been in love with him before his birthday surprise, but what she felt for him now was so much stronger than she ever could have imagined. She felt an almost overwhelming need to be with him and take care of him now and she hated knowing that she wouldn't be able to do either of those things while he was in Virginia.
"I love you," she said quietly.
"I know." He kissed her left hand and grinned up at her. "I don't think I need to tell you how much I love you."
"I don't know. I might need a little bit of convincing," she teased.
"You wouldn't if you knew how much I spent on this ring," he laughed. He stood up from the bed and cupped his hands around her face before giving her a slow, smoldering kiss. "I love you, Sydney. You're my world."
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as she struggled to fight back tears. The ache inside her was already palpable and he hadn't even left yet.
"Call me as soon as you get home -- no, as soon as you get off of the plane."
"Are you sure you don't want me to call and give you a minute by minute update on our flight pattern?" he teased.
"Don't laugh at me, Vaughn." She playfully slapped him on the arm as she pulled back from him. "I just want to know that you made it back safely."
"I'll call you the minute the plane lands, I promise," he said solemnly.
"And promise me that this is going to be the last time I ever have to say good bye to you for such a long time."
"I promise that too. I won't ever let anything take me away from you for this long again."
"Good. Tell your mom that I said hi and that I miss her."
"I will. Tell Weiss that I said hi and that Donovan misses him." She laughed and he suddenly realized how much he was going to miss hearing that sound for the next five weeks. "I don't need to tell you to take care of yourself, do I?"
"No. I have every reason in the world to be extra careful now," she smiled.
"Yeah, you do, because I can't wait to marry you, Syd. I've felt like the luckiest man alive ever since you said yes."
"As if I would have said anything else. Do you know the first time that I imagined what it would be like to marry you?"
"No, when?"
"On our second day in Lake Tahoe, when you took me on that sleigh ride and the driver asked if we were married. You said 'not yet' like there wasn't a doubt in your mind that one day we would be, and I just remember being so excited by the thought of being your wife. You could have asked me to marry you then and I would have said yes."
"If I had known that, I would have asked you then."
She smiled and shook her head. "Actually, I'm glad that you didn't because this was perfect, everything about the way that you asked me was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better surprise or a better birthday present, so thank you."
"Sydney, don't ever thank me for making you as happy as you deserve to be."
"Okay, as long as you let me do the same for you." She was just about to lean in for another kiss when the telephone interrupted them. She groaned as Vaughn broke away from her to answer it. She already knew that it was the phone call she'd been dreading for the last few minutes.
"My cab's downstairs," Vaughn sighed as he walked back to her. "I've got to go for now, but when I come back," he said with a sexy grin, "You. Me. Warehouse. Be ready."
"Oh, I'll be ready, trust me. You, on the other hand, might want to rest up for a couple of days before you come home."
"You *are* my home, Sydney. I love you. Be good, okay?"
"I'll try. Hurry up and come back to me," she murmured as she wrapped him in a tight hug.
"I will." He ran his hand along the side of her face and gave her one last dizzying kiss before he grabbed his bag and turned to go. She stood in the doorway of their room and watched as he walked to the elevator and gave her a small wave before getting on. She moved back inside and shut the door with a heavy sigh as she leaned against it and closed her eyes. She could already feel the empty void inside her that was created by his absence and she had no idea how she was going to survive the next month without him.
*****
"Sydney, you're home! God, I've been wondering where you've been," Francie exclaimed as she wrapped her best friend in a huge hug.
"Hey! What are you doing back already? I thought you weren't coming home until later this afternoon."
"I wasn't supposed to, but I came back yesterday afternoon. I love my family, but I realized that I love them more in small doses," she laughed. "Anyway, Happy Belated Birthday."
"Thank you," Sydney said as she followed Francie into the living room. On the way, she hurriedly removed her engagement ring and shoved it in her pocket, trying to ignore the stab of pain that she felt in her heart when she did it.
"Sooo," Francie grinned slyly as they flopped onto the couch. "Where have you been and why were you out all night?"
"I was, um . . . " Even with all of her spy training, she couldn't think of a decent lie. She didn't even want to. "I was just out."
"Out with a guy?" Francie asked excitedly when she saw Sydney struggling to come up with an answer. "Oh my god, you were, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was with a guy," Sydney sighed. She simply didn't have the energy or motivation to make up a story.
"You haven't mentioned anything about a guy lately. Who is he?"
"Someone that I work with. I haven't said anything about it because we're not supposed to be seeing each other. We work in the same department and it's kind of forbidden."
"Forbidden? That just makes it hotter," Francie laughed. Sydney smiled but shrugged noncommittally. The fact that she and Vaughn had to sneak around with each other had never excited her. In fact, she hated it and couldn't wait for the day when it would no longer be necessary.
"So am I ever going to meet this guy?"
"Maybe in a couple of months," Sydney smiled. "I might be switching to another department and if I do, he and I won't have to hide our relationship anymore."
"So it's an actual *relationship*, and not just a sex thing?"
Sydney bit down on the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing at Francie's question. She loved Vaughn more than anything, but they did seem to spend a disproportionate amount of their time together in bed. "Let's just say that it's a relationship with a lot of sex thrown in," she smiled.
"Ooh, that's the best kind of relationship," Francie laughed. "So is it serious? Do you really like this guy?"
"Yes, it's serious," Sydney said softly. "I'm in love with him, Fran."
"Sydney," Francie gasped. "You're in love? That is so wonderful and even though I haven't gotten the chance to meet this guy yet, I'm sure that he's wonderful too."
"He is. He's incredible and I can't wait until you meet him. I just know that the two of you are going to really like each other. But do me a favor and don't say anything about this to Will, okay?" Even though Will already knew about her relationship with Vaughn, the last thing she wanted was for him and Francie to compare notes about what they each knew.
"Of course I won't tell him. I couldn't bear to break his heart that way. I promise that I'll be on my best behavior when we go to dinner tonight and I won't mention it."
"Thanks, Francie," Sydney smiled as she glanced down at her watch. "Listen, Will's going to be here in a couple of hours and there's something that I need to go do. So I'm going to go now, but I'll be back soon."
"Okay. See you in a little while," Francie called as Sydney left the apartment.
A short while later, Sydney sat in her car attempting to steady her nerves. She had been putting off what she was about to do for a while, but she knew that she couldn't put it off any longer. It was definitely time. She grabbed the bouquet of daisies sitting on the passenger seat and took a deep breath as she got out of the car. She quickly walked across the manicured lawn until she reached a headstone that read: Daniel Hecht.
She stood awkwardly for a moment before she sank down onto the grass and sat back on her heels. A wave of conflicting emotions ran through her as she leaned forward to run her fingers across his name. She fumbled around in the pockets of her jacket and removed a bug killer that her father had given her shortly after Danny's death. A momentary surge of hatred welled inside her when she remembered how he had warned her that SD-6 might have planted listening devices at Danny's grave. She took a deep breath, however, and quickly composed herself; the last thing she wanted to do right now was think about Sloane.
"Hi Danny," she said softly. "I know it's been a while since I've been here and I don't really have an excuse for that. I've just gotten so wrapped up lately in work and . . . other things." She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed deeply. "Actually, that's not true. The real reason that I haven't come here in a while is because I knew that I might feel guilty if I did. And I do, at least a little bit, but there's something important that I need to tell you.
"I met someone," she began as she nervously twisted her hands in her lap. After you died, I didn't think that I would ever get involved with someone again; I didn't think that I would ever want to. I was hurt and angry and all that I cared about was getting revenge on the people who took you away from me. The only thing that mattered to me was making them pay and I still want that. I still want to see them suffer, but I'm not really driven by revenge anymore. I think I'm . . ." She anxiously ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head in frustration.
"I don't know how to say this right, so I'm just going to say it. When I started trying to bring SD-6 down, I met someone who's been my friend and my ally and the person who's kept me sane even though everything in my life is crazy. He's stood by me every step of the way and encouraged me whenever I've felt like giving up. He made me realize back when this first started that I needed to go on living my life even though it wasn't the life I'd chosen for myself. He showed me that I could trust him and depend on him, and somewhere along the way, I realized that I was in love with him.
"There have been times when I've felt really guilty about the fact that I've been able to move forward with my life and be with someone else so soon after your death, but then there are other times when I think that that's exactly what you would have wanted me to do. I know that you would have wanted me to find someone else that I could love and be happy with and I think I've found him -- I know I have," she corrected herself.
"His name is Michael and he's . . . he's just amazing," she smiled. "He's such a good person and he makes me a better person. I like to think that I make him a better person too, but he was already pretty terrific when I met him, so maybe not," she said with a small laugh.
"The reason that I'm telling you all of this," she swallowed nervously, "is because he asked me to marry him and I said yes. Ever since he asked me, I've been so thrilled and excited, but there's been a tiny voice in the back of my mind reminding me of you. Reminding me that he and I are going to have all the things that I thought I was going to have with you -- a life together and a family, all of the things that you wanted so much.
"At first, I thought it was wrong to be so excited about having all of those things with him when I never got that chance with you, but as I'm sitting here now, I realize that maybe the best way for me to honor your memory is to take advantage of and appreciate the second chance that I've been given. And in a weird way, I think that you were the one who gave me that second chance.
"There are a lot of things about Michael's life and my life that make me think that it wasn't an accident that we met, but at the same time, I'm not sure that we ever would have met and fallen in love if it hadn't been for you. So I almost feel like I should thank you for helping me find him. I don't like to think that you had to die for us to find each other, but I think that maybe you sent him to me so I could be happy again.
"So, I just wanted to thank you for that and tell you that no matter what happens, you will always have a very special place in my heart and I will always love you. You taught me so much while you were alive, but losing you has taught me that I can't take happiness for granted. I can't take Michael and his life for granted, and I won't. Instead, I'm going to treasure every day that I get with him, the way I wish that I'd done with you.
Sydney touched her fingers to her lips and then pressed them on the top of the headstone as she stood back up. Before she came, she hadn't been sure what she was going to say, but she was happy and satisfied with what had come out. She realized that she had finally made peace with Danny's death and the way that it had led her to Vaughn. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she was free to give her whole heart to Vaughn without feeling that she was betraying Danny's memory. She would probably never tell Vaughn about what she'd just done, but she knew that she would always remember this as the moment that set her free and allowed her to fully commit herself to being his wife.
*****
". . . so she jumped up and ran out of the room and didn't come back for the rest of the day. Just left her purse and all her belongings at her desk and never came back for them."
"Whatever, Will," Francie laughed. "You're lying."
"I swear that I'm telling the truth. The rest of us were cracking up about it for the rest of the day."
Sydney smiled as they entered the apartment after returning from dinner. Will had been cracking them up during the ride home with stories about his co-workers at the "travel magazine."
"Hey guys, before we do the whole cake thing, I'm going to go change, okay?"
"Who said anything about cake?" Francie asked, looking at Will with a blank expression on her face.
"Give it up you guys," Sydney laughed. "Every year you get me one of those German Chocolate cakes from Manny's that I love so much. Don't try to pretend that you didn't do the same thing this year too."
"We've really got to stop being so predictable, Fran," Will grinned.
"See, I knew it," Sydney crowed as she kissed Will on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
She walked into her bedroom and as soon as the door was closed behind her, she reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out her ring. She sighed happily as she slipped it on her finger and began getting undressed. It was weird, but even after only two days, she felt naked when she wasn't wearing it, a feeling that she was obviously going to have to get used to over the next two months. She pulled a pair of sweat pants from one of her dresser drawers, and was just about to put them on when her cellphone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey. I'm getting my bag out of the overhead storage bin and now I'm walking down the aisle of the plane, and I just -- Thanks, I had a great flight -- and I just said good bye to the flight attendants, and now I'm walking up the jetway."
"Shut up, Vaughn," she laughed. "I can't believe you're making fun of me for being concerned about whether you made it back safely."
"I'm just having a little fun at your expense, that's all."
"Great. Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?"
"Yep," he laughed.
"Fabulous," she deadpanned. "Listen, I know you're rushing through the airport and Francie and Will are waiting for me, so I'll let you go. I'm just glad that you made it back safely. Be careful on your way home, okay?"
"I will. I love you. I'll talk to you soon."
"Okay. I love you, too. Bye."
After she hung up the phone, she quickly threw on her clothes, knowing that Francie and Will were probably wondering what in the hell had happened to her.
"Hey, I'm back," she said breathlessly as she walked down the hall to the kitchen. Francie and Will were standing next to the counter smiling as she saw the birthday cake next to them.
"Happy Birthday!" they both yelled.
"Thanks, guys," she smiled.
"Okay, hurry up and blow out the candles and make a wish -- and it had better be a good one," Francie admonished.
Sydney shook her head and smiled, knowing that nothing she could wish for would ever top what she'd gotten from Vaughn two nights ago. But for Francie and Will's sake, she made a big show of blowing out the candles.
"So what did you wish for?" Will asked as Francie stood across the kitchen cutting the cake.
"I can't tell you," Sydney scoffed.
"Let me guess, it had something to do with Vaughn," he said in a low voice.
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know. Maybe the fact that you've become such a big Dartmouth hockey fan in the last few weeks," he teased, nodding at her sweatshirt. She blushed and he smiled back at her. "That, and I know how much you've missed him since he's been gone."
"I have missed him," she acknowledged, "but my wish wasn't about him."
"Then what -- "
"Will! It won't come true if I tell you," she said as she walked over to grab a piece of cake from Francie. She wasn't sure that she believed in that superstition, but she wasn't taking any chances with this wish. If she was going to spend a birthday wish on Arvin Sloane, it had damned sure better come true.
*****
Sloane sat in his study, reading an analyst's report about the newest Rambaldi artifact that SD-6 had recovered. He was engrossed in the report when his secure phone line rang.
"Arvin Sloane," he answered.
"Mr. Sloane, it's Ryan Nelson. I'm sorry to bother you at home, sir."
"Is there a problem?"
"I'm not sure. It may not be anything to worry about, but when Agent Bristow called in sick yesterday, we conducted a standard surveillance check of her apartment. We didn't see any signs that anyone was present there until her roommate returned yesterday evening. In fact, a check of the phone logs showed that when she called in sick, she wasn't calling from her home phone number."
"Where did she call from?" Sloane asked suspiciously.
"We don't know. We couldn't trace the origination of the call and we don't know where she was. Like I said though, it may not mean anything. I was just calling to find out whether it's something I should follow up on."
"No. No, don't bother. Thursday was Agent Bristow's birthday and I'm sure that she probably just celebrated too much and wasn't in the best shape to come in yesterday. I'll speak with her about in on Monday morning, but you shouldn't concern yourself with it."
"Very well, sir. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Agent Nelson."
Sloane stared at the phone for several moments after he hung it up. He was sure that there was a good explanation for why Security Section hadn't been able to verify that Sydney was at home sick yesterday -- at least he hoped so. He would be sure to get to the bottom of it on Monday.
TBC . . .