A/N: Hmm sorry it's taken so long. This chapter was actually going to be a lot longer, but I decided to just cut it off here since it was already past 3,000 words. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it Oh, and sorry about grammatical or spelling mistakes. I'm too lazy to correct it :lol:
imagine
Screeching out of the driveway, Lauren pulls out her phone, pushing familiar numbers with flying fingers. "We need to meet," she says the moment the line is picked up.
There was a small pause on the line. "Parking garage. You know which one." The line clicked and went dead. With a new purpose, she changed direction and put the night's events in the back of her mind. A new plan was began formulating in her mind that she could present to Sark and perhaps avoid her termination that would most certainly be ordered otherwise.
Her mind still ticking, she parked the car and waited for Sark. Moments later another car squeals into the garage, coming to a stop beside her. Both exited their car with haste, clashing together in a hasty kiss. "You called?" Sark asked, breathing heavily.
"I think my position has been compromised," she replied, backing off from him.
"Within the agency?"
"Yes, and they just decided to let me walk out of the building alive. No, you idiot, as Vaughn's wife," Lauren snapped.
Sark drew her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Well, as I recall, you didn't think very highly of that title to begin with. So that shouldn't be a problem." He leaned in to capture her lips again before she shoved him off her.
"Julian, we are going to talk about this. I could be finished if I lose my spot beside Michael." Lauren glared at him, silently wishing he would get a grip on himself. "Now, I came up with a plan, but I'll need your help. I have a contact within the agency, one who knows my workings with the Covenant. We've reached an agreement yesterday, and he has decided to help me in whatever manner he can when it concerns the Chosen One and the Passenger. Now he has only agreed to meet with me, and he won't talk to anyone else, so I'm hoping to use that as leverage with the Covenant."
Sark interrupted, perturbed that she was just now disclosing this to him. "And when were you planning on sharing this information with me? When, and how, did your dealings with him start?"
"I'm telling you now aren't I? That's what matters. Anyway, with him on our side we are almost certain to take Sydney into our custody, and we will be able to fulfill the prophecy. All of the Rambaldi prophecies," Lauren corrected herself.
"All?" Sark questioned, lifting an eyebrow. "I thought there were only two."
Lauren huffed with impatience. "No, the CIA recently acquired another Rambaldi manuscript, further foretelling the fate of the Chosen One. I haven't had the chance to take a look at the decoded copy, but I'm sure that I will be able to, when the time comes."
"So there's three, then." When Lauren shook her head, Sark narrowed his eyes at her. "Well are you going to keep beating around the bush about it or do you care to tell me?"
"We can talk about it another time, but right now, it is imperative that we make sure the Covenant doesn't destroy me. So, I want you to take my information to them and assure them, that without me, they will never get what they want."
"I'm not a messenger, love, I don't do errands," Sark snitted.
With a quick kick to his side, Lauren grabbed hold of his hand and flipped him over, bringing him back up with her arm around his neck, whipping a knife out of her pocket. "You'll do this errand or you can forget about ever having children."
Stiffly, Sark baited her. "I seem to recall being in the same position, only with Sydney. I must say I found it much more threatening coming from her mouth than yours."
Running the blade along his face now, she pondered just how to get him to shut up. "That's interesting you say so, considering right now you're the one who's only a few seconds away from being gutted." He began to squirm in defeat, and she let him go. "Now you will tell the Covenant presidents those details, and I will wait for you to call me so we can further discuss our next move."
Lauren sank into her car seat and revved the engine, almost daring Sark to jump in front. Speeding out of the garage, he watched her with a slight smirk.
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'No! No, no! You idiot!" Weiss shouted at the screen as the goalie let in the hockey puck, yet again. "What do you think you're getting paid for? Sitting in a cage waiting for someone to hit you with something? That's my job, if you want that, go to where I work," he muttered. "I could do a better job then you!" A knocking on his door brought him down to sanity.
"So much for a night alone," he mumbled, brushing the cheetoh crumbs off his shirt. Getting up, the knocking got louder and more annoying. Stumbling over to the door, he opened it, glancing behind his shoulder. "What are you going for the most infuriating interruption ever?" Weiss said good naturedly. Turning to walk back to the sofa, he invited Vaughn in, knowing it couldn't have been anyone else.
"Have a seat- I was just havin' a little down time with the Kings. Who are doing horribly, by the way. Like, tragic, I'm serious. All season man, all season it's been like this." Flopping back down on the couch he finally looked back to his doorway, realizing that Vaughn hadn't said anything. "You gonna come in or did you just want me to slam the door in your face?" When Vaughn gave no reaction, Eric gave him a probing look. "You okay?"
"Eric," he began hesitantly, "I need your advice." Vaughn had been tentative about confiding in his normally so light-hearted friend, afraid that Weiss wouldn't take the issue seriously. After all of the wise cracks and jokes about the marriage problems he and Lauren were having, Vaughn was unsure how Eric would act. The need to talk to someone, however, won out over the fear of insincerity.
Weiss urged him inside, watching his friend with a concerned gaze. "So is this going to be another night where you gripe about having two women that love you? 'Cause if it is, buddy, I need to tell you, you're a lot better off than I am. Really- I just got turned down by Susan in ops. tech today. I mean, Susan." Vaughn opened his mouth to speak, but Weiss cut him off again. "Hey, just let me get another beer, I wanted to get wasted enough so I don't actually have to understand your complaining," he said playfully, trying to elicit some kind of good reaction from Vaughn.
"Lauren-" he began softly, trailing off at the end of the world.
"No, this is Eric. Say it with me- Er-ic. Not Lauren," Weiss quipped.
"No, Weiss. Lauren and I had another fight tonight." Vaughn stopped for a moment, pressing the bridge of his nose from the stress. Eric was silent, waiting for him to go on. "It was about Sydney."
"Isn't that what your fights have always been about? Hell, at least you have someone to come home to and argue with. I come home and argue with my TV," he joked. "Alright, well what happened?" He asked more seriously when Vaughn glared at him.
"Lauren is still upset over the fact that I'm still looking for Sydney. She said that we don't talk like we used to, that things have changed because of Sydney," Vaughn replied, staring intently at the now black TV screen.
"She's always upset when it comes to anything concerning both you and Sydney. It'll pass, don't worry so much," Eric said, trying to reassure his friend.
Vaughn was silent for a moment, looking down at his hands and fiddling with his wedding ring. "I'm not so sure," he said quietly. "Lauren told me to chose between her and Sydney. Then she stormed out of the house. She's going to stay at her parents' place for a while."
Weiss whistled in surprise. "That's a new one. Though I can't say that I disagree with her."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vaughn asked angrily, his eyes flashing.
"Mike, you've been looking for months now. You haven't found even a small trace of evidence that Sydney is out there somewhere still. You've become obsessed, just like a few years ago when the Covenant took her. As much as I dislike Lauren, I see where she's coming from. You're searching for a ghost Mike. You can't put aside everything real in your life to find something that's not even in this world anymore."
"I'm so glad you're being so supportive of me Eric, I don't know what I'd do without your friendship," Vaughn snarled. "Sydney is alive I can feel it, just like I did during those two years she was gone. I know she's out there Eric. I know it."
Weiss threw up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm not saying I'm taking her side, I'm just trying to make you face reality. Mike, I'm not trying to upset you here. But the fact that your wife is making you chose between her and someone who is most likely dead has got to be an obvious sign the marriage is failing." Vaughn was silent, so he continued. "As much as I'd like to believe you, that Sydney is still alive, we have to face the possibility that she isn't. Hell, even Jack can't find a shred of an indication that she's alive. And you know that if he found something last time, he would've found something this time."
Somewhat subdued, Vaughn sat in quiet, mulling things over in his brain. "Eric, I can't just give up on Sydney. I can't face the possibility that she's dead again. I just can't face that kind of reality again. I refuse to. I gave up on her the first time, I won't do it again."
"You didn't give up on her, you moved on. That's the only thing you could've done after losing her, you can't get mad at yourself for that. It's only human to want to heal," Weiss consoled.
"But I did give up on her. The day she came back to the CIA.. after you and I were talking.. you didn't see the betrayal and hurt that was in her eyes. You didn't see the pain that had cut her so deeply. But I did, and it was all because of me. I caused her more grief and heartache in her life. The very things that she doesn't need any more of." Vaughn paused, searching his mind for the right words.
"Eric, I know this is something you don't understand, but asking me to stop looking for Sydney is like denying my lungs of oxygen. Yes, I love my wife, but the love I have for Sydney is so much more. I love my wife like I love my mother or some other family member. I love them, but they're annoying from time to time, and I need my space apart from them. But with Sydney, it's different. I need her Weiss, I need her like nothing I've ever experienced. She's everything to me. I just realized that too late."
Weiss stared, looking bewildered by Vaughn's confession. "I think you have you answer, then."
Vaughn stared at his feet, thinking back to the first step he'd made after Lauren left. "It's not that simple. I still do love Lauren. I can't just throw her out the moment something better comes along. The thing is, I need Sydney. But I want Lauren. I feel like a normal life is so much more tangible with Lauren. But with Sydney.. I never know what could happen next. Almost every waking moment her life is in danger. I don't think I could live even a semi-normal life, knowing that."
"But you are now," Eric reminded him. "And you did before."
Vaughn continued on, seeming not to have heard him. "The funny thing is, that after my fight with her, I stood for an hour on end, picking this situation apart, wondering which step I should take. Would it be my right foot, or left foot? And that thinking was absolutely ludicrous, thinking my feet symbolized them. That whichever foot made the first move was the direction I was destined to go- to Lauren, or to Sydney." He laughed, a cynical edge to it.
A beat passed before Weiss said anything. "Which direction are you going?"
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Irina wavered a bit before answering Jack. "Yes and no," she replied evasively. "Did you research anymore on the information I left for you earlier?"
Jack scowled. "It was useless. If you're thinking to send me off on a wild goose chase so you can do this on your own . . . "
"I promise you I'm doing no such thing," Irina snapped, irritated. "Jack we agreed to combine our ambitions and resources to fulfill-"
"I know what we agreed, Irina, but just because of some pact made in a chance meeting does not mean I'm inclined to believe you'll live up to your promises," Jack retorted. At first, when they had met, it had seemed coincidental. At least, that was what he'd been thinking before. Now he was certain she had orchestrated it in order to gain any information he had regarding Sydney.
She huffed, annoyed with him and yet pleased he wasn't as gullible as he used to have been. "Yes, perhaps I am only using you," she murmured coyly, "and perhaps I only wait for the opportune moment to kill you once I'm done with you."
"You're assurances do nothing to alleviate my suspicions," Jack replied with a frostiness well known to Irina. "Now I have been patient with you. When you came to me, I was eager to create a partnership with you, if only for the long term goal, but I was and still am wary of you. I don't trust you, but I put aside those feelings. I asked you at the beginning, if we could put the plans into action, but you said it was not the time. Well the CIA got their hands on the manuscript, but again, you said it was not the time. Once the manuscript was decoded, I asked you once more, but again, it was not the time."
Looking out across the ocean, watching the waves crash onto each other, Irina waited patiently for his ranting to end. She didn't want lose this alliance- it was imperative to keep it in tact. In truth, she really need not listen to him, she knew every word that would tumble from his mouth, having anticipated this meeting for days.
"And so I ask you Irina, with the manuscript fully deciphered and now that finding Sydney is the utmost importance to every US intelligence agency, and most likely others- when will the time come?" He inquired, his tone bordering on a threatening level.
Turning to face him once more, Irina smiled. "That is precisely why I requested we meet today. The plans are being put into place as we speak. The time has come. When I return to Austria, I will fulfill my end of the accord and I'll contact you as soon as Phase One has passed. Then we will meet and discuss our next move. You know what you need to do. You've imagined the possibilities. Now you can start to see them."
Jack nodded, somewhat put to ease with this information. He turns to leave, before stopping himself to say, "Make sure you hold up your end, or I will not rest until your head and your body has been severed and you are no longer a threat to me or my objectives."
Irina grinned, not put off by his threat in the least. In one swift movement she took hold of his chin and kissed him, relishing his shock and the disconcerted look when she pulled back. "Sometimes there are things you just can't help," she remarked with a smirk before gliding off into the darkness.
As Jack stood, silenced by her act, he recalled what she had said months ago, before Sydney had returned, when they had started this collaboration. Imagine the possibilities... Imagine what could happen Jack. Just imagine it.
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While it was a few hours away from midnight in Los Angeles, Sydney was being greeted by the dawn and the bleeping of her alarm in Salzburg. Slapping her hand on the snooze button, she burrowed back under the covers. Her morning run could wait for once- she'd only rest her eyes. After staying up so late last night reminiscing, she was more than physically tired.
Five minutes later her alarm was cutting into her cloud of sleep again. Groaning, Sydney propped herself up on her elbows, rubbing her eyes. Shutting off the noise for good, she flopped her head back down on the pillow in aggravated exhaustion. Willing herself to get out of bed, a moment later she pushes herself up again and sits on the edge of her bed. I really need a pet, she thinks as she looks around at her room. Darkness reaches every corner, the sun not having start it's climb through the sky.
Shuffling across the floor to her dresser, she pulls out a pair of sweats and a tank top. By the time she's changed and splashed some water on her face, she's much more awake and alert. Twisting her house key off the ring, she steps outside. Locking the door, she sets out on her daily morning run.
The path is welcoming and familiar, reassuring Sydney with the promise of another day. She runs the next half hour of her life into the past, greeting people she's seen every morning for the past year with a hint of a smile as she goes past.
She knows that any time she starts to forget why she relocated to Salzburg, all she has to do is step outside her house. The beauty that makes up the city is breathtaking, and looking into the distance she can feel herself falling in love with the city all over again. This is her safe haven. Safe from the world that had haunted her endlessly for nearly a decade.
Sydney's deep in thought when someone suddenly rams into her from the side, colliding with her and they both tumble to the ground. Irritated, she wants to snap at him for being so blind before realizing she wasn't paying much attention either. But before she's able even collect herself and stand up again the jogger grabs her hands and throws her off him, getting up and running off.
Clenching her fists, Sydney fumes silently, thankful that there isn't anyone else around to have witnessed this random incident. Pushing herself up with one hand, she brushes herself off and notices a paper slip from her hand. Puzzled, she picks the paper and reads it. Her eyes widen and she whips her head around to look in the direction the runner had gone in. I should have known that was no accident, Sydney realized. The runner was gone.
Looking down at her hand, she read the words again. You're not as safe as you think you are. Find the people from your past and present and they will lead you to me. Your father's name will guard you by the stairwell.