Chap.9- No More Fire
Almost everyone in the conference room turned to look at Vaughn in shock. Kendall had no expression on his face while Jack eyed Vaughn suspiciously. He knew that something had happened between Sydney and Vaughn when they disappeared into the garden. He didn't know what, but their attitude toward one another in the office had changed slightly. Slight enough for some people to miss, but nothing gets by Jack Bristow.
"Sir..." Ana started, but then shut her mouth. At the party, after some gossip, Lisa had told her about the situation between Sydney and Vaughn. Mark had also told her once that Vaughn's wife had an anxiety attack once while he was away, in constant fear and paranoia that something would happen to him. After that, for the sake of her health, Vaughn had never gone on another mission.
Kendall looked at Vaughn and squinted slightly. The man was sincere. Since Vaughn had stopped working in the field, the team had had several close calls but he did have to admit that Lee, Chaplin, and Jamison had done pretty well for amateurs. Now that Sydney was back on the team, her experience and skills boosted the team up again. With Bristow band/b Vaughn...he was sure that the mission would be a success.
"Ok, Agent Vaughn. The more the merrier. We'll have to make some adjustments." Kendall stepped out of the conference room and brought a nervous looking young man into the conference room. "Lucas, I want you to contact our source in Russia. Tell her that they will not be posing as brother and sister but as..."
Kendall paused and looked at Sydney and Michael. They were too close in age to be brother and sister and they looked nothing alike.
"Kendall..." Jack warned quietly so that nobody but Kendall could hear.
Kendall cleared his throat and started again.
"Tell her that they will not be posing as brother and sister but as cousins."
Lucas nodded and rushed off to relay the message while Kendall smiled in satisfaction while the relief clearly showed on Sydney and Vaughn's face. They were almost sure that Kendall would tell the Countess to introduce them as husband and wife.
"Chaplin, you are reassigned and will accompany Lee and Jamison."
James nodded and he too, was a bit relieved.
"You leave in a week. Dismissed."
The Agents stood up, hesitated, and when nobody spoke, they filed quickly out of the conference room. Sydney walked quickly, squeezing past people, finally reaching Vaughn who was walking briskly to his desk.
"Vaughn!" Sydney said, trying to catch his attention. He turned around and looked at her. "You told me that your wife doesn't let you go on missions anymore!"
"She doesn't."
"Then why the hell..." Sydney asked.
"I...I don't know, Syd." He looked up at the large clock mounted on the wall. "I have to get home." He said distractedly and walked away.
It was when he was driving away when he realized that leaving the office wouldn't get him away from Sydney.
Sydney waited a good hour until she left work for home too. There was no sign of Lauren or Vaughn and when she pulled into her garage she noticed that Scott wasn't home yet. The house felt extremely empty. She lied down onto the comfortable love seat and fell into a deep sleep.
She was woken up by Scott's gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Sorry, I got caught up at the hospital." He whispered.
"It's okay." Sydney said. She looked out the window and it was pitch black outside, with one or two twinkling stars in the sky. "What time is it?"
Scott looked at his watch.
"Almost twelve...Are you hungry?" He asked, getting up.
"A little..." Sydney answered, although she could feel her stomach churn at the thought of food.
"I'll make some dinner...just let me go get changed." He said, climbing the stairs.
Sydney closed her eyes again and they suddenly flew open again. She and Scott hadn't really gotten around to the subject of her job, but knowing Scott, she knew that he would openly object to any missions. It was too late now. The Countess Turovstyn had already been given pictures of Sydney and Vaughn to show to Jacques Jacobins-Robespierre.
Scott walked into the kitchen and started to make dinner. Sydney sat up, slowly, and looked at him from behind the couch.
"Scott?"
"Yes?"
Sydney sighed. She didn't know what else to do.
"I'mleavingforamissioninaboutaweek." She said quickly and started to walk hurriedly upstairs.
"Wait...What?" A confused look crossed Scott's face. "Sydney! Come back!" He shouted in the direction of the stairs.
Sydney slowly walked back into the kitchen and stood there guiltily.
"Slowly this time," He instructed.
"I..." She started.
"Yes?" He prompted.
Sydney clapped her hand to her mouth and ran to the bathroom. Once she got in there, she flushed the toilet and waited a while, buying as much time as she could. 'Maybe...if I stay in here long enough...he'll forget...' she thought to herself knowing that it wouldn't be possible in the least.
Scott rapped on the door softly with his knuckles.
"Sydney?" He paused and when she didn't answer, "Sydney? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine..." she called back.
"You've been in there for five minutes."
"I know."
"Come out."
"No."
"Why?"
Sydney didn't answer him and exhaled loudly. To be honest, she really didn't know why she wouldn't come out. She didn't want to see his face expression when she told him. Maybe...it would be safer to tell him from behind a barrier.
"I'm leaving in about a week."
"Leaving? Where?"
"France."
"Why?"
"A mission..."
She could hear him sigh and then she winced, seeing his face in her mind.
"Sydney...it's dangerous."
"I know that, Scott. I can handle it."
"Something might go wrong, Sydney. You never know."
"Scott...just trust me, okay? After I finish this whole thing, no more missions. I promise."
"Okay...fine. Will you come out now?"
Sydney opened the door quickly, almost before he had a chance to step back and threw her arms around him.
"I knew you would understand."
"Yea...that's why you hid from me in a bathroom."
Sydney rested her head on his right shoulder and turned her head.
"Scott!" she shouted, pointing to the stove.
Their dinner had been forgotten on the stove and the vegetables were on fire, wisps of smoke, curling up towards the ceiling.
"Oh, shit!" Scott shouted, running towards the stove and turning the stove off with one hand and dousing water onto the fire with another. The water created even more smoke and steam, triggering the fire alarm that beeped loudly.
Sydney ran to grab a newspaper and fanned the fire alarm until it stopped. She looked over at Scott. He smelled of smoke and burned vegetables, his sleeve had been singed by when he reached over to turn the stove off, and his hand had been burned slightly when the oil splattered onto his hand while escaping the water.
Scott inspected their dinner and dumped it into the trashcan, his stomach growling.
"You poor baby." Sydney said, taking his hand and examining the oil splatter. She walked over to the medicine cabinet and took out ointment and a Band-Aid, kissing his hand when she was done. "I think I'll do the cooking from now on." She laughed.
Scott grinned.
"What's for dinner?" He asked.
Sydney opened the refrigerator door and rummaged around to extract bread, roast beef, tomatoes, and lettuce.
"Sandwiches." She said setting the ingredients down on the counter while Scott looked sadly over at his grill outside. Sydney laughed.
"No more fire today?" He asked, sadly.
She shook her head.
"No more fire."
Almost everyone in the conference room turned to look at Vaughn in shock. Kendall had no expression on his face while Jack eyed Vaughn suspiciously. He knew that something had happened between Sydney and Vaughn when they disappeared into the garden. He didn't know what, but their attitude toward one another in the office had changed slightly. Slight enough for some people to miss, but nothing gets by Jack Bristow.
"Sir..." Ana started, but then shut her mouth. At the party, after some gossip, Lisa had told her about the situation between Sydney and Vaughn. Mark had also told her once that Vaughn's wife had an anxiety attack once while he was away, in constant fear and paranoia that something would happen to him. After that, for the sake of her health, Vaughn had never gone on another mission.
Kendall looked at Vaughn and squinted slightly. The man was sincere. Since Vaughn had stopped working in the field, the team had had several close calls but he did have to admit that Lee, Chaplin, and Jamison had done pretty well for amateurs. Now that Sydney was back on the team, her experience and skills boosted the team up again. With Bristow band/b Vaughn...he was sure that the mission would be a success.
"Ok, Agent Vaughn. The more the merrier. We'll have to make some adjustments." Kendall stepped out of the conference room and brought a nervous looking young man into the conference room. "Lucas, I want you to contact our source in Russia. Tell her that they will not be posing as brother and sister but as..."
Kendall paused and looked at Sydney and Michael. They were too close in age to be brother and sister and they looked nothing alike.
"Kendall..." Jack warned quietly so that nobody but Kendall could hear.
Kendall cleared his throat and started again.
"Tell her that they will not be posing as brother and sister but as cousins."
Lucas nodded and rushed off to relay the message while Kendall smiled in satisfaction while the relief clearly showed on Sydney and Vaughn's face. They were almost sure that Kendall would tell the Countess to introduce them as husband and wife.
"Chaplin, you are reassigned and will accompany Lee and Jamison."
James nodded and he too, was a bit relieved.
"You leave in a week. Dismissed."
The Agents stood up, hesitated, and when nobody spoke, they filed quickly out of the conference room. Sydney walked quickly, squeezing past people, finally reaching Vaughn who was walking briskly to his desk.
"Vaughn!" Sydney said, trying to catch his attention. He turned around and looked at her. "You told me that your wife doesn't let you go on missions anymore!"
"She doesn't."
"Then why the hell..." Sydney asked.
"I...I don't know, Syd." He looked up at the large clock mounted on the wall. "I have to get home." He said distractedly and walked away.
It was when he was driving away when he realized that leaving the office wouldn't get him away from Sydney.
Sydney waited a good hour until she left work for home too. There was no sign of Lauren or Vaughn and when she pulled into her garage she noticed that Scott wasn't home yet. The house felt extremely empty. She lied down onto the comfortable love seat and fell into a deep sleep.
She was woken up by Scott's gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Sorry, I got caught up at the hospital." He whispered.
"It's okay." Sydney said. She looked out the window and it was pitch black outside, with one or two twinkling stars in the sky. "What time is it?"
Scott looked at his watch.
"Almost twelve...Are you hungry?" He asked, getting up.
"A little..." Sydney answered, although she could feel her stomach churn at the thought of food.
"I'll make some dinner...just let me go get changed." He said, climbing the stairs.
Sydney closed her eyes again and they suddenly flew open again. She and Scott hadn't really gotten around to the subject of her job, but knowing Scott, she knew that he would openly object to any missions. It was too late now. The Countess Turovstyn had already been given pictures of Sydney and Vaughn to show to Jacques Jacobins-Robespierre.
Scott walked into the kitchen and started to make dinner. Sydney sat up, slowly, and looked at him from behind the couch.
"Scott?"
"Yes?"
Sydney sighed. She didn't know what else to do.
"I'mleavingforamissioninaboutaweek." She said quickly and started to walk hurriedly upstairs.
"Wait...What?" A confused look crossed Scott's face. "Sydney! Come back!" He shouted in the direction of the stairs.
Sydney slowly walked back into the kitchen and stood there guiltily.
"Slowly this time," He instructed.
"I..." She started.
"Yes?" He prompted.
Sydney clapped her hand to her mouth and ran to the bathroom. Once she got in there, she flushed the toilet and waited a while, buying as much time as she could. 'Maybe...if I stay in here long enough...he'll forget...' she thought to herself knowing that it wouldn't be possible in the least.
Scott rapped on the door softly with his knuckles.
"Sydney?" He paused and when she didn't answer, "Sydney? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine..." she called back.
"You've been in there for five minutes."
"I know."
"Come out."
"No."
"Why?"
Sydney didn't answer him and exhaled loudly. To be honest, she really didn't know why she wouldn't come out. She didn't want to see his face expression when she told him. Maybe...it would be safer to tell him from behind a barrier.
"I'm leaving in about a week."
"Leaving? Where?"
"France."
"Why?"
"A mission..."
She could hear him sigh and then she winced, seeing his face in her mind.
"Sydney...it's dangerous."
"I know that, Scott. I can handle it."
"Something might go wrong, Sydney. You never know."
"Scott...just trust me, okay? After I finish this whole thing, no more missions. I promise."
"Okay...fine. Will you come out now?"
Sydney opened the door quickly, almost before he had a chance to step back and threw her arms around him.
"I knew you would understand."
"Yea...that's why you hid from me in a bathroom."
Sydney rested her head on his right shoulder and turned her head.
"Scott!" she shouted, pointing to the stove.
Their dinner had been forgotten on the stove and the vegetables were on fire, wisps of smoke, curling up towards the ceiling.
"Oh, shit!" Scott shouted, running towards the stove and turning the stove off with one hand and dousing water onto the fire with another. The water created even more smoke and steam, triggering the fire alarm that beeped loudly.
Sydney ran to grab a newspaper and fanned the fire alarm until it stopped. She looked over at Scott. He smelled of smoke and burned vegetables, his sleeve had been singed by when he reached over to turn the stove off, and his hand had been burned slightly when the oil splattered onto his hand while escaping the water.
Scott inspected their dinner and dumped it into the trashcan, his stomach growling.
"You poor baby." Sydney said, taking his hand and examining the oil splatter. She walked over to the medicine cabinet and took out ointment and a Band-Aid, kissing his hand when she was done. "I think I'll do the cooking from now on." She laughed.
Scott grinned.
"What's for dinner?" He asked.
Sydney opened the refrigerator door and rummaged around to extract bread, roast beef, tomatoes, and lettuce.
"Sandwiches." She said setting the ingredients down on the counter while Scott looked sadly over at his grill outside. Sydney laughed.
"No more fire today?" He asked, sadly.
She shook her head.
"No more fire."