Hello! I'm back from a three-week vacation to France! That's why I haven't updated anything lately. I tried to put it in my user lookup, but my compu was acting up and wouldn't do what I wanted it to. But I'm back now and I've written a few things while being away, which will appear in the following days, once I've typed them up. This is one of those things I wrote, it's not the best thing ever, I'm not really happy with the last few lines, but it's the best I can do. I hope you like it anyway and please review.
Alice listened carefully before rounding the corner and walking to the caged area. It was a few months after the last time she was here. Ever since that day she couldn't get those words out of her mind. First she had been shocked by their meaning. Then she became curious. Curious as to what it all meant. Who was Sydney? What did she do? Exactly what did Michael do? How deep into this were they? And what about that reporter, Tippin? Had he actually uncovered SD-6 and was forced to remain silent? Or was that name all he had? Or maybe even a coincidence? What precisely was going on? Those questions had been hunting Alice. She had become obsessed with it after breaking up with Michael, now she had lost her only link to that world. Alice was so deep in thought she didn't hear Sydney enter. It wasn't until after she heard her name that she looked up to find a rather surprised Sydney Bristow standing a few meters away, at the entrance of the cage.
,,Sydney?" Upon hearing her name, Sydney furrows her brow.
,,How do you know that name?" Alice was startled, she hadn't meant to say that name, but over the last months the name 'Sydney' had slowly replaced 'Rita' in her mind. 'Rita' was the friendly colleague of Michael's, who had a normal desk job, just like him. But 'Sydney' was the secret double agent that flew to exotic (and less exotic) places to carry out missions. At least, from what she'd heard. She had gradually realized 'Rita' didn't exist. She didn't even know if 'Sydney' was real, or just another alias, but it sounded likelier. Looking at the brunette, she realized she still needed to answer. Should she tell the truth? She could always say Michael had let it slip once. But then there was the fact she wasn't supposed to know this place; how could she explain that? And there was also the feeling that she wanted to tell her. Maybe then she'd get some answers to the questions that had been nagging her. So she told Sydney. She told her everything that had happened. She could still remember every word that had been said. The whole conversation was engraved in her memory. When she was done talking, Alice was surprised to see that Sydney was looking relieved.
,,What?" Sydney looked back at her and apparently read her question from her face, for she didn't ask what she'd meant.
,,I'm just glad you saw us and not SD-6." Alice lifted her eyebrows slightly and waited for an explanation, but none came.
,,Why?" She therefore asked.
,,Because they would have killed both of us." All trace of amusement had vanished from Sydney's voice and her face was serious. Alice took a sharp intake of breath, causing Sydney to look at her sadly. ,,That's why we met here. If we were in public, we couldn't even look at each other. This was safer. SD-6 had a whole section to spy on it's own spies." Sydney stared in the distance, her face wiped clean of all sentiment.
,,What is SD-6? Was Mr. Tippin right?"
,,Will? Yes, he was right. SD-6 was part of the Alliance, the counterpart of the CIA and enemy of the United States. They recruited me when I was in college."
,,You worked against America?" Alice couldn't keep the horror out of her voice.
,,Yes. But I didn't know that. You see, they tell their employees that they're working for a secret branch of the CIA. I didn't find out the truth until they killed Danny, my fiancé. That's when I realized I had been working for the very enemy I thought I was fighting against. After that, I went to the real CIA and became a double agent." Alice looked in awe at Sydney, who had just kept going when she lost her fiancé like that, she knew she wouldn't have done that, she wouldn't have been that strong.
,,What about Michael?" She managed to stammer after a few minutes pause. ,,What does he do?"
,,He was my CIA handler. He gave me my counter missions and helped me cope with all the stress. He was my guardian angel." Sydney's face softened a bit as she mentioned Vaughn, but Alice was to deep in thought to notice.
,,And what about SD-6? You keep using the past term, what happened to it?" Said Alice when she had collected her thoughts.
,,We destroyed it a month ago." Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. ,,Sydney Bristow." Sydney said into her cell phone, her voice firm. Alice recognized the tone; it was the same Michael always used when taking a business call. She floated back in thought, not bothering to eavesdrop; experience had taught her there was no use listening to this end of the conversation. In a few moments Sydney would run out and go to work. But that didn't happen. Instead her face split in a smile, which lightened up her whole face, and Alice heard her exclaim 'Vaughn!'. That was enough to draw her attention.
,,No of course not. I was just talking to Alice –
Yes that Alice. –
I'll tell you later. What were you saying? –
They can't make it? Well, I guess it's just you and me then. –
Yeah, bye –
You too –
Just hang up, will you! –
All right, I'll do it. Bye –" Still beaming, Sydney closed her phone and turned back to Alice. ,,What?" She said when meeting her smiling eyes. At the sight of Sydney looking innocently, Alice burst out laughing.
,,You were acting like a schoolgirl with a crush! How long have you two been dating?"
,,Is it that obvious? Geez, and I'm supposed to be a topnotch spy! We started dating a month ago when SD-6 was taken down. And..." The rest of the afternoon was spent talking about everything from the CIA to family. Sydney was thoroughly enjoying having a woman friend she could tell everything. At the end of the day, she had a lot to tell Michael over dinner.
Fine