She couldn't drive any faster through the streets of LA. Her black BMW
hummed as the well oiled machine it was, and she pushed it to the limit. It
wasn't long before she was approaching Le Central, the restaurant where she
and Michael were supposed to meet. She passed the restaurant, still
speeding excessively and pulled straight into the Hilton parking lot.
Killing Kovalev would take no time at all. She'd meet up with Michael, have
a romantic dinner and hopefully everything would be going her way once
again.
Throwing her keys to the Valet Lauren waltzed into the hotel lobby and went straight to the desk. She smiled at the clerk and pulled a hundred from her purse.
"I'll need a key to Mr. K's room." She pushed the money into the clerk's hand.
"Right away." The clerk smiled back.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sydney was the one who pulled away first. She'd hadn't wanted to break down the way she had; she couldn't help it. She unfolded herself from Vaughn's arms and began to stand. She had too easily forgotten that she was a changed person, and so was he.
"Sydney," Vaughn whispered tugging on her hand.
"I have to go." She said pulling her hand from his. She wasn't sure why she'd said it, but she knew that nothing good would come out of being an emotional wreck much longer.
"Wait, that's ridiculous. Where are you going?" Vaughn said standing up himself.
"You don't understand. The Covenant watches my every more. I don't have a choice, I need to get my Intel from Kovalev and make it to my dead drop. I don't have a choice Vaughn." She said moving to where she'd dropped her wig and her purse.
"Sydney," Vaughn said not sure what he really wanted to say.
"Vaughn," She turned to face him, her expression resolute. "Listen to me. You have to go now. You have to forget this ever happened. Go back to your job, go back to your girlfriend, and forget that I'm even alive." She said, allowing the tears to start forming in her eyes once again.
"What?" Vaughn said more loudly than he'd meant to. He paused for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. "So that's what this is all about." He said more softly.
"No. This is about your life and mine. I am Julia Thorne, that's how I stay alive, and that's how I keep you alive." She said, her anger at his accusation replacing any sadness she'd had before. "I'm not the person I was a year ago. I've changed, and you have too. Now, this is not up for negotiation. Get your coat and leave." She said, her voice stern and controlling.
"Sydney you don't have to protect me anymore." Vaughn said softly, attempting to calm her. "I know the truth now, you're not alone." He took a step toward her.
"Vaughn you have no idea how alone I am. You think you know the truth, you think you know what I have been through over the last year. You have no idea what I've gone through, what I have become. You don't know me anymore, so don't pretend like you do." She turned from him and began riffling through her purse.
Vaughn waited a long moment before responding. "You're right Sydney I don't know what's gone on in the last year. I've been too busy mourning the death of the woman I loved more than life itself. I haven't lived the past year Sydney, I've been holding my breath hoping that I'd wake up from this terrible nightmare that I've been living. You're right we don't know each other anymore, you've changed, I've changed, but Sydney I never stopped loving you." He paused trying to control his emotions. "Sydney if you leave now, I'll go after you. I'll find you, I'm not going to loose you again..." He had more to say but was interrupted.
"Stop. We're not having this conversation Vaughn." She paused and turned to face him. "Sydney Bristow is dead. As far as I'm concerned when you spread my ashes at sea that day, that was the end. Whoever you think you're in love with, whoever you think I am; you're wrong. Sydney Bristow died a year ago, I am not her." She said before turning and walking toward the bathroom door, gun in hand.
Vaughn was stunned, his head was spinning yet again. She was telling him that she was dead, and there she was standing right in front of him. The woman he'd loved and lost was walking away again, and all he wanted was to hold her in his arms forever.
It took three steps for him to reach her. With one swift movement his arms were around her and his lips found hers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
She'd seen the two men in the hallway long before they seen her or Jack. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with a slight giggle. Jack played along instinctively, as Irina kept one eye on the two men in dark suits. They were definitely watching room 447, and they were unmistakably Covenant. Irina grabbed Jack's hand and playfully pulled him with her down the hall toward the two men. They were standing in front to another room, and she headed straight for them. Jack grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him kissing her passionately, continuing the façade. As they neared the two men Jack gave them each a wink and they moved themselves from the doorway.
As the two men stepped aside Irina spun into action; landing a kick directly on the first man's wind pipe. Jack took the other man and managed to twist his arm behind him and put him into a choke hold. With a swift elbow to the man's temple he was out like a light. Irina took care of her man equally as swiftly and the pair began looking for a place to hide the two unconscious bodies.
Irina walked a short distance back toward the elevator and found a supply closet that was unlocked.
"Here," she whispered to Jack who had already begun to drag one of the men by his ankles. Irina held the door open for a moment and then went to grab the other man.
Within a minute their work was done and the pair were once again walking toward room 447 hand in hand.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Throwing her keys to the Valet Lauren waltzed into the hotel lobby and went straight to the desk. She smiled at the clerk and pulled a hundred from her purse.
"I'll need a key to Mr. K's room." She pushed the money into the clerk's hand.
"Right away." The clerk smiled back.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sydney was the one who pulled away first. She'd hadn't wanted to break down the way she had; she couldn't help it. She unfolded herself from Vaughn's arms and began to stand. She had too easily forgotten that she was a changed person, and so was he.
"Sydney," Vaughn whispered tugging on her hand.
"I have to go." She said pulling her hand from his. She wasn't sure why she'd said it, but she knew that nothing good would come out of being an emotional wreck much longer.
"Wait, that's ridiculous. Where are you going?" Vaughn said standing up himself.
"You don't understand. The Covenant watches my every more. I don't have a choice, I need to get my Intel from Kovalev and make it to my dead drop. I don't have a choice Vaughn." She said moving to where she'd dropped her wig and her purse.
"Sydney," Vaughn said not sure what he really wanted to say.
"Vaughn," She turned to face him, her expression resolute. "Listen to me. You have to go now. You have to forget this ever happened. Go back to your job, go back to your girlfriend, and forget that I'm even alive." She said, allowing the tears to start forming in her eyes once again.
"What?" Vaughn said more loudly than he'd meant to. He paused for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. "So that's what this is all about." He said more softly.
"No. This is about your life and mine. I am Julia Thorne, that's how I stay alive, and that's how I keep you alive." She said, her anger at his accusation replacing any sadness she'd had before. "I'm not the person I was a year ago. I've changed, and you have too. Now, this is not up for negotiation. Get your coat and leave." She said, her voice stern and controlling.
"Sydney you don't have to protect me anymore." Vaughn said softly, attempting to calm her. "I know the truth now, you're not alone." He took a step toward her.
"Vaughn you have no idea how alone I am. You think you know the truth, you think you know what I have been through over the last year. You have no idea what I've gone through, what I have become. You don't know me anymore, so don't pretend like you do." She turned from him and began riffling through her purse.
Vaughn waited a long moment before responding. "You're right Sydney I don't know what's gone on in the last year. I've been too busy mourning the death of the woman I loved more than life itself. I haven't lived the past year Sydney, I've been holding my breath hoping that I'd wake up from this terrible nightmare that I've been living. You're right we don't know each other anymore, you've changed, I've changed, but Sydney I never stopped loving you." He paused trying to control his emotions. "Sydney if you leave now, I'll go after you. I'll find you, I'm not going to loose you again..." He had more to say but was interrupted.
"Stop. We're not having this conversation Vaughn." She paused and turned to face him. "Sydney Bristow is dead. As far as I'm concerned when you spread my ashes at sea that day, that was the end. Whoever you think you're in love with, whoever you think I am; you're wrong. Sydney Bristow died a year ago, I am not her." She said before turning and walking toward the bathroom door, gun in hand.
Vaughn was stunned, his head was spinning yet again. She was telling him that she was dead, and there she was standing right in front of him. The woman he'd loved and lost was walking away again, and all he wanted was to hold her in his arms forever.
It took three steps for him to reach her. With one swift movement his arms were around her and his lips found hers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
She'd seen the two men in the hallway long before they seen her or Jack. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with a slight giggle. Jack played along instinctively, as Irina kept one eye on the two men in dark suits. They were definitely watching room 447, and they were unmistakably Covenant. Irina grabbed Jack's hand and playfully pulled him with her down the hall toward the two men. They were standing in front to another room, and she headed straight for them. Jack grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him kissing her passionately, continuing the façade. As they neared the two men Jack gave them each a wink and they moved themselves from the doorway.
As the two men stepped aside Irina spun into action; landing a kick directly on the first man's wind pipe. Jack took the other man and managed to twist his arm behind him and put him into a choke hold. With a swift elbow to the man's temple he was out like a light. Irina took care of her man equally as swiftly and the pair began looking for a place to hide the two unconscious bodies.
Irina walked a short distance back toward the elevator and found a supply closet that was unlocked.
"Here," she whispered to Jack who had already begun to drag one of the men by his ankles. Irina held the door open for a moment and then went to grab the other man.
Within a minute their work was done and the pair were once again walking toward room 447 hand in hand.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++