Disclaimer: Surprise surprise, I don't own Alias.. or the characters.. or anything else related to the show. And I stole the title from a song by Thursday.. which also happens to be my favorite song, so don't sue meh.
A/N: I had this chapter up yesterday, but for some reason, it never showed up; even after 24 hours. So here's my second try. I know I said this update wouldn't take so long, but I had the hardest time writing it, and I have a feeling the next one is going to be even worse. I've been working on it nonstop since the last update and I'm finally satisfied. So I hope it was worth it.. It's kind of long, too, so I hope you don't mind. Thanks so much for all of your reviews, they were really what kept me at it. You'll see I've responded to everyone who reviewed chapter six at the end of this. I just wanted to let you all know that I appreciate every review :)
Tomorrow I'll Be You
Vaughn stole one last glance at Sydney and his mother before walking out onto the porch to call Weiss. He knew that he was going to receive a lecture, but he didn't really care. All the mattered was that Sydney was safe and relaxed, and he was willing do whatever it took to keep it that way; even if it meant never returning to LA. Vaughn was appalled by what Jack had done, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how Sydney felt. She'd been hurt so many times since her return and he silently vowed to make sure that she wouldn't be hurt again.
He hoped that their 'vacation' would help take Sydney's mind off of things, and it appeared to be working. She seemed a lot more relaxed, and he'd even seen her smile a few times. He turned around and chanced a glance through the window just in time to see Sydney and Amélie share a laugh, most likely at his expense. He knew that Sydney had been extremely nervous about meeting his mother, but what she didn't know was that Amélie had been looking forward to it ever since she first heard about her son's mysterious coworker. With a satisfied smile he turned around and dialed Weiss's number.
"Where the hell are you," greeted an angry Weiss, "You can't just leave like that!"
"Nice talking to you, too, Eric," Vaughn answered, "And we kind of did."
Vaughn heard Weiss let out a few expletives followed by a long sigh. He knew the lengths that Weiss had been going through for him, and he couldn't have asked for a better friend. As much as he wanted to be in LA helping Eric, Sydney was his first priority and he knew that Weiss would understand. Sydney had always been his first priority; he'd just never wanted to admit it.
"So what's so important you felt the need to flood my voice mail," Vaughn asked, eager to get back inside before his mother pulled out the naked baby photos.
Weiss had figured that Sydney and Vaughn had read the files and took off, just as Dixon had suggested, but Vaughn was acting so nonchalant about the whole ordeal that Weiss wasn't so sure anymore. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Vaughn about his father. Why was it that he had to be the bearer of bad news lately?
"Gee, I don't know," he stated with a touch of sarcasm, "Let's start with why you two left without so much as a goodbye."
As much as Vaughn didn't want to get into it, he knew that Weiss deserved an honest answer. He let out a sigh and ran his free hand over his face as he wearily confessed, "Her father created the Covenant."
Vaughn was preparing himself for Weiss's bombardment of questions, but it never came. It was almost as though Weiss expected it, and what he said next caught Vaughn completely off guard.
"Not only her father," he trailed off.
"What are you talking about," Vaughn asked warily. Surely he didn't mean..
Weiss sighed. "Vaughn, your father was part of the project too; as an analyst. Didn't you read the files Jack left," he asked delicately.
Vaughn was speechless. There had to have been some sort of mistake; how could his father have been capable of something like that? Now he had an idea of how Sydney felt, and it was.. numb.
It was obvious to Weiss that Vaughn hadn't read the files and he stayed silent for a moment to let his friend take it all in. "It gets better," he said regretfully, "The project's advisor? Arvin Sloane."
Vaughn was still in a state of shock. Everything he had thought was wrong. How could his father have been a patriot if he helped create a terrorist organization? With Arvin Sloane's help nonetheless! All of the events of the past few months chose that moment to come crashing down on him and he was unable to decipher one memory from another. After several minutes, Weiss's voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"Vaughn," he repeated louder, "You there?"
"Eric, I have to go," he said numbly.
"Wait," Weiss said quickly, "What do you want me to tell Dixon? He's looking for you."
Vaughn sighed. "Tell him whatever you want to tell him," he replied dejectedly.
"You're not coming back, are you," Weiss asked quietly. It was more of a statement than a question.
"I'll talk to you later," Vaughn said and ended the call. He really didn't have an answer for Weiss's question.
Vaughn made his way back into the kitchen and absently pulled his mother's dessert out of the oven. It was amazing how one phone call could change a person's outlook on their entire life. His own father had been indirectly responsible for Sydney's missing two years; years that Vaughn could have spent showing her how much he loved her instead of betraying her. Years he could have spent taking her to hockey games instead of being deceived. Vaughn took a deep breath and promised himself that he was going to do whatever it took to make up for the time he had lost with Sydney. He turned off the oven and plastered on a smile as he returned to the living room.
Dixon had been wandering the corridors of the Ops Center for what seemed like days looking for Jack, but was unsuccessful. He could have sworn he had asked every agent on duty if they had seen the wanted agent, but none had, and he was debating over whether or not to start a search party. Just as he had given up hope and decided to return to his office, he noticed Jack waiting impatiently outside his door.
"I was told you wanted to see me," Jack said gruffly as Dixon approached and opened the office door.
Dixon nodded. "Yes," he answered as he gestured for Jack to sit, "Have a seat."
Dixon took a seat before he pushed the familiar files across the desk and gestured for Jack to look at them. He did so; instantly recognizing them as the ones he had left at Sydney's, and cleared his throat before he returned the papers to the desk. "Did Sydney see them," he asked evenly.
"I wouldn't know," the director answered, "Agent Weiss brought them to my attention." He was silent for a moment as he leaned back in his seat and studied Jack. "Do you care to explain them," he asked as he gestured to the papers before clasping his hands under his chin.
Jack sighed irritably. There were more important things on his mind and the last thing he wanted to do was sit in an office explaining his actions like a child in the principal's office. As irritated as he was, his face betrayed nothing as he hurriedly began, "The Covenant's original function was to protect Sydney while gathering Rambaldi-related intel."
"Its original function," Dixon asked skeptically. This was going to be interesting.
"Yes," Jack affirmed. He really did not want to get into this. Sark's transfer was to take place in an hour and he didn't want to miss the team.
"Protect Sydney from what," Dixon prodded, not wanting to be there any more than Jack did.
"The prophecy," Jack answered matter-of-factly, "Shortly after Sydney was born, Irina told me about her assignment, claiming she wanted to defect. In truth, she only wanted to protect her daughter. She told me of Rambaldi and his prophecy and that, before Sydney was born, she thought that she was the woman in question."
Intrigued, Dixon nodded and urged him to continue.
"William and Sloane were already familiar with Rambaldi and his work, and they agreed to assist me in creating what is now the Covenant on the condition that it was to protect the Passenger as well," Jack went on with a bitter air. If he had known at the time who the Passenger was, there would be no Covenant. The entire mess never would have happened.
"So what happened," Dixon asked. Jack's story didn't make sense. The Covenant was the exact opposite of what he was describing.
Jack sighed. "While Sydney was being investigated by the DSR, they got wind of the project and took over," he stated insipidly and paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.
His tone turned quiet and regretful as he continued, "Shortly before Sydney disappeared, something went wrong. All of my contacts inside were being targeted and eliminated. I was essentially cut off."
"Do you know what happened," Dixon inquired again, this time somewhat understandingly.
"The DSR informed me that it was a hostile takeover," Jack answered in an unbelieving tone.
Dixon quickly caught on and asked, "You think there's more to it?" His tone suggested the question was more of a statement.
"It's a legitimate excuse, but it would have been nearly impossible to infiltrate the organization without so much as a warning," Jack explained.
Dixon nodded and cleared his throat. "How exactly did Vaughn and Sloane fit into all of this," he asked as he leaned forward and placed his clasped hands on his desk.
Jack stayed silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "William made it clear that his primary concern was to protect the Passenger," he stated with a furrowed brow, "and while Sloane led me to believe that he was there for Sydney, I think it was his obsession with Rambaldi that fueled him."
He shook his head and smiled sadly, "But it didn't matter to me, as long as Sydney was safe, I didn't care; and then everything backfired. Sloane used the information we acquired to buy a place within the Alliance, and William, well.. I carried on with the project as long as I could before the secret got out."
Dixon nodded, taking it all in. It certainly was interesting.
He was about to let Jack leave when he suddenly decided to ask, "You're accompanying Sark's transport team?"
"Yes," Jack answered firmly, "That won't be a problem, will it?" His tone indicated that it wouldn't be a problem.
"No, that's fine," Dixon reassured, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like a full report on what we just discussed when you return." His tone indicated that Jack wouldn't mind.
"Of course," Jack replied as he made his way to the door.
After Jack had left, Dixon was left to ponder over what Jack had just told him. Three men with separate motives partaking in a collective endeavor could never bode well. He had a feeling there was more to the story than what Jack had chosen to tell him, but he was confidant that he would discover it with or without Jack's help. He was tired of being left out of the loop.
He picked up his phone and dialed Op-Tech and requested that one of the specialists see him in his office. After a few moments a tall, lanky man knocked on the door and entered. Dixon quickly recognized the man as Marshall's protégé, Randall Sherman.
"Sir," he started nervously, "Y-You wanted to see me?"
Dixon smiled. "Yes, I want a passive transmitter placed directly on Mr. Sark before his transfer. Do not inform the prisoner or anyone else on the team of its existence," he stressed.
"I'll see what I can do, sir," he choked out with a nod before he stumbled out of the office.
With one last call to make, Dixon grabbed the phone and dialed.
When the secretary finally answered, he greeted, "Yes, I'd like to speak with Agent Kendall."
After Vaughn had left the room, Amélie turned her attention back to Sydney, who suddenly found her hands very interesting. She smiled and took a moment to study the young woman. She certainly was beautiful, and she could see why her son was so smitten. Amélie remembered the first time her son had told her about Sydney. He hadn't told her much, but it was enough for Amélie to know that Sydney was special.
It wasn't until after Sydney's 'death' that Amélie realized just how much the young woman meant to her son. Many times she had overheard him speaking to Sydney as if she was standing right in front of him, and it broke her heart. She'd never seen him so broken, not even when he was grieving for his father. It was after one particularly rough night that Vaughn had told Amélie about Irina's role in her husband's death. Although it was a shock, it only heightened Amélie's regret of never meeting Sydney. Her son's willingness to overlook such a detail had made her realize exactly how special Sydney was. By the time Sydney was discovered alive, Amélie loved her as much as her son did.
Sydney finally tore her gaze from her hands and blushed under Amélie's scrutiny. What could she possibly say to lessen the awkwardness? Thankfully she didn't have to say anything because Amélie broke the silence.
"Sydney, there's no need to be nervous," she said and placed a reassuring hand on Sydney's knee. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time," she added with a warm smile, "Michel's constant talk of your perfection had me thinking he was making you up!" Amélie laughed as she remembered that most of the conversations she had shared with her son after he had met Sydney usually revolved around Sydney.
Sydney laughed at that as well, but her fears weren't quite quelled. Amélie sobered asked, "I'm sorry, can I get you anything? Coffee?"
"Coffee would be great," she answered with a grateful smile. Despite the amount of sleep she got on the plane, she was still having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
Amélie stood and made her way into the kitchen. She was just as Sydney had pictured her to be, very sweet and caring. 'A lot like Vaughn,' she thought. Her eyes swept across the room as she took in its décor, which was very homey and comfortable. The room was decorated in hues of blue and white; it was very serene, especially considering the garden that was visible outside. Her eyes landed on the coffee table where several gardening books and magazines rested. Sydney wasn't surprised; she could tell that Amélie was a gardener when she caught her first glimpse of the house. Amélie returned shortly with two cups of coffee and handed one to Sydney as she reclaimed her seat.
"Thank you," Sydney whispered as she took a sip.
Amélie smiled. "Michel told me a lot of things, but he didn't tell me how the two of you met," she prodded. She knew they had met at work, but she was curious exactly as to how.
Sydney remained silent; unsure of how much Amélie already knew. Finally she placed her coffee on the table and replied, "We met at work. My job kind of changed and Vau- Michael was sort of my boss." Her eyes returned to her hands as she quietly added, "He helped me through a very difficult time."
"Your father and SD-6," Amélie supplied.
Sydney looked up in shock; she hadn't expected Amélie to know that much.
Amélie chuckled, "Michel did tell me things." She paused for a moment then said sadly, "Although it took your disappearance to get it out of him." She turned her gaze to Sydney, who was looking at her intently, and said sincerely "I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, I'm here."
"Thank you," was all Sydney could say. She had only known Amélie for a little under an hour and already she was like the mother she never had. In fact, she reminded Sydney of Emily.
Before Sydney could say any more, Vaughn re-entered the room looking.. different. He noticed her inquisitive stare and shook his head subtly, silently pleading that she not worry. He reclaimed his seat beside Sydney and placed a soft kiss on her temple before he noticed her misty eyes.
"You okay," he asked quietly with concern.
Sydney smiled and nodded. She'd missed this side of Vaughn. Since she'd been back he'd been so distant; sure, he'd made it a point to let her know that he still cared about her, but it was never the same. "Are you," she asked just as quietly.
"I'm okay," he answered as he brushed a strand of her hair away from her face.
Amélie watched the two with curious eyes. Watching them together made her wonder what her son had ever seen in Lauren. He was never as gentle around her as he was around Sydney. It was almost as though he was a different person, and when he had told her that his marriage was over Amélie couldn't have been more relieved.
She smiled inwardly at the couple's obvious connection before she cleared her throat and spoke, "Well, Michel, you took so long checking my dessert that you missed the baby pictures."
Vaughn smiled and apologized, "Sorry maman, I had to take a phone call."
His answer sparked Sydney's interest, but Amélie only smiled at her son and said, "I forgive you. You're a little late for dinner, can I get the two of you anything to eat?"
Vaughn turned to Sydney, who was mid-yawn. She finished and offered a bashful smile and shook her head, indicating she wasn't hungry. Vaughn returned her smile and answered his mother, "I think we're both a little tired from the flight. Would you care if we just went to bed for the night?"
"No, it's fine," Amélie answered, "You know where everything is."
They said their goodnights and Sydney wearily followed Vaughn to the stairs. Once his mother was out of earshot, he nervously asked, "She didn't really show you the baby pictures, did she?"
Sydney only laughed in response and grabbed his hand as they made their way up the stairs.
A/N: Phew.. please tell what you think of this because it was so difficult to get out, and if you haven't guessed, thischaptermakesmereallynervous. Let me know if you understood the whole Covenant thing or if you hated it.. or loved it.. whatever :P And I did fit Jack into this chapter! I promise everyone else will come in soon.. Sark will most likely be next chapter as well as the S/V talk. Thanks again for reviewing and as always, constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated :)
xanya-forever: I absolutely love your reviews, and I'm glad you like his mother's name. I think I read somewhere that her name really is Amélie, plus a lot of other fics use it :P And to be honest, I haven't actually mapped out William's story yet; the gist of it is still in my head, same pretty much goes for Sloane.. but I promise it will come out eventually. And thanks for the congrats.. he really is a sweetie, but he never sits still :P
Fair Cate: Your reviews are always great, too. I hope I explained a little of the Jack.Sloane.Bill thing alright, the rest will come out soon, I promise. Syd and Vaughn won't stay too long, you'll get an idea of how long next chapter, but I'm sure they'll be back :P And you have no idea how relieved I was when you said Amélie was how you pictured her, it really made my day :)
Liv (olivia): Thanks for reading, and I'm glad you liked it. I'll keep writing until people start throwing stones :P
osweeto0: I'm glad you like it. Yeah, 29 messages.. heh.. but it's Weiss, I figured it's probably something he would do :P Thanks for reviewing, I always look forward to it :)
alias fan: Thanks for the review, I hesitated putting her in the story at first.. but I figured it was inevitable. Syd and Vaughn.. well, yeah, it'll eventually happen. And I promise I will get to Sloane soon, I hope I explained a little though :P
Emma-Louise: That was like, the best compliment in the world.. thank you! I'm really glad you liked it, and thanks for the review :)
Dragonsquiirt: Thanks for the review.. I always worry that I describe too much and it gets boring :P I'm glad you liked it :)
Kniki: You've reviewed, like, every chapter from the beginning and it means a lot to me, thank you. I always look forward to your reviews :)
Tine: I'm glad you liked Amélie.. and I hoped you liked her in this chapter as well. I'll try to get the next one up soon. Thanks for the review :)
daisyduke947: Thanks for reading and I'm glad you like it. I know this update was kind of slow, I'll try to get the next one up sooner :P
luv24Alias: lol.. you're awesome, thanks for the review :)
maggieann452: Really glad you like it.. I'll try getting the next update soon, thanks for reading :)