It was dark. For a lack of a better word to describe it, dark seemed to fit it very well. It was like falling down a dark hole and there was no one to catch her. At least, not a first. Slowly, she came to realize that someone, it was hard to say who, was holding her, cradling her in their arms, trying to make her feel safe. The falling slowed almost to the point where she was floating in air when she started to see light again and hear a voice that she never expected to hear.
"Sydney?" Vaughn asked, softly for what seemed like the millionth time. "Syd, wake up." He tapped her face with the back of his hand but she made no movement to open her eyes or any other tell all sign that she wasn't comatose. "Come on, Syd, you're stronger than this." Still nothing. Thinking it over for a moment, he said, "Paige? Paige, wake up." Okay, so that did not work. What now, Vaughn? What brilliant idea do you have now? "I have no idea." He said, out loud.
"You know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," Sydney said, her voice croaking.
Vaughn ignored her comment, "Oh God, Syd, you're okay." He pulled her closer to him. She let him. It felt good to be in his arms again. God, did it feel good. She would have been perfectly happy and content to just relax into his warm chest. But that nagging voice in the back of her head kept telling her to push him off, get him away from her. She listened. The last time she ignored the voice, this had happened.
She sat up suddenly, maybe a little too suddenly for her head starting hurting but she pushed aside the pain. Vaughn was surprised, then confused as she scrambled out of his arms and across the dimly lit room to the wall opposite him. "Syd?" He asked, making the move to go to her.
"Don't," She said loudly. After the word stopped echoing around the room, she added, in softer tone, "Stay away from me."
"I think it's a little late for the protecting me from harm crap you were going on about, Sydney," Vaughn snapped, frustrated that she was still pushing him away. After all that, and she still has to be stubborn as a damn mule.
"Paige," She said, firmly, her eyes portraying how hurt she was by his tone.
"Sydney," He answered, just as firmly. Frustration was making him pick a fight with her, even though that was the last thing he wanted to do.
"Paige," She repeated, starting to get angry with him and forgetting all about being hurt by his tone.
"Sydney," He said, his frustration with her stubbornness growing.
"Paige."
"Sydney."
"Paige."
"Sydney."
"Paige. We could do this for hours."
"Sydney. Alright."
"Paige. Fine."
"Sydney. Fine."
"Paige."
"Sydney."
"Paige."
"Sydney."
"Paige."
"Sydney."
"Paige!" She yelled.
"Sydney!" He yelled back.
She didn't respond this time. Instead she just sat there glaring daggers at him but refusing to say anything more to him. He was so damn persistent.
He did the same, returning the glare she gave him, though it was a little softer than hers. He wouldn't speak until she did. She was so damn stubborn.
You're being an idiot. Go back to him. You need him. He needs you. You need each other. Stop being so stupid, her heart argued. No way in hell. Not until he apologizes first, her head argued back.
You're being stupid. Go over to her. You need her. She needs you. You need each other. Stop being such an idiot, his heart told him. No way in hell. Not until she says she's sorry first, his head argued back.
A few hours, a lot of glaring and tense silence later, a guard appeared at the doorway. The sudden bright light from the hallway or something behind the guard momentarily blinded the two of them. "The boss wants to know if either of you are willing to talk."
Sydney and Vaughn exchanged angry glances, silently agreeing to say nothing, a first of the night, and then both looked back at the guard and shook their heads firmly.
"Okay, it is your funerals," The guard said. His voice had a hint of a Spanish accent to it, making them wonder where they were exactly. He tossed a good sized piece of bread to Sydney and a rather large bottle of water to Vaughn and leaving promptly after. The arrangement would have been all fine and dandy if it weren't for the fact that Sydney was almost dying of thirst, and Vaughn was just about starved.
"Perfect," They both mumbled, sarcastically, at the same time.
()
"Director Dixon."
When Weiss heard Dixon's familiar, end of the day boredom voice, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Dixon, I need you to look up everything on Paige Waters."
"Why?" Dixon asked, after shouting to an intern to get started on the request.
"Because Sydney and Vaughn are missing," Weiss answered like it was the most normal thing he had said in a long time and it probably was. Hours of talking to high school students about being a spy and then calling random people he saw last night at the dance if they had seen Sydney or Vaughn for an entire day was anything but normal.
"What? Wait, you found Sydney?"
"And then lost her," Weiss answered with a laugh. "And Vaughn along with her."
"Where was she? Is she alright?"
"Found her in Colorado, she was, get this, a high school English teacher," Weiss paused, laughing at the irony. Then remembering now was not the time to be laughing, he stopped and went back to being serious. "She seemed alright the last time I saw, though she looked like she was going to kick Mike's ass. That was almost," Weiss paused to glance at his watch, "twenty hours ago."
"What? Why didn't you call sooner?" Dixon sounded very peeved that Weiss had neglected to tell him that one of his dearest friends who had been missing for three years had been found sooner.
"I didn't think of it, okay, chill man. Got any info yet?"
Dixon nodded as the intern handed him a folder, and started to read from it, "Lives in North Glenn, a suburb of Denver, teaches high school English, volunteers at a homeless shelter, helps with local plays at the community center. Geez, Syd's going for the wholesome thing big time."
Weiss bit his tongue to keep from yelling at Dixon. "I know that already, I need an address, like now."
Dixon skimmed the page looking for any listed address, "Um, home address, 963 Washington Ave. North Glenn."
"Thank you," Weiss said, hurriedly, hanging up. He turned over the ignition of his car and sped off for the address Dixon told him. About a block later he was caught in midday traffic that was a famous thing in Denver and its surrounding suburbs. One simply did not go a day without encountering some form of a traffic jam.
()
"Director Dixon? I have Agent Vaughn's sister on the line. She's been calling all day and demands to speak to you," A secretary said to Dixon through one of those intercom thingies that annoyed the crap out of you sometimes.
"Okay," Dixon sighed. He wanted to call Weiss back and demand an explanation but he didn't have the opportunity now.
"Line one," The secretary said, switching off the intercom.
Dixon picked up his desk phone and pressed the '1' key. "Director Dixon."
"You're Michael's boss, right?" was the first thing out of Juliette Vaughn's mouth.
Put her down as the annoying, little sister. No wonder Agent Vaughn doesn't like to talk to her. "Yes, I am. What can I help you with?"
"You can help me by telling me where the hell my stupid brother went." Juliette snapped.
"I sent him on a mission." Dixon replied calmly.
"Where?" Juliette persisted.
Damn, this girl was stubborn. "Colorado."
"Colorado?" Juliette repeated, not believing her ears. "What the hell could he possibly do in Colorado?"
"I'm afraid that's classified information," Dixon replied, hoping that would distract her.
It worked. Juliette sighed, frustrated, "Do you know when he's going to be back?"
"No, unfortunately," Hell, I don't even know where he was at the moment. That reminds me, call back Agent Weiss.
"Can you have him call me the second you hear from him? Tell him that he's not going to get out of seeing me and the kids this weekend." Without waiting for an answer, she hung up the phone. "He's in Colorado." She ranted to her husband.
He smiled, and laughed, "Sounds like he's avoiding you."
"Don't say that."
()
Weiss arrived at Sydney's apartment and knocked on the door several times. "Sydney? Hello, are you in there?"
"Are you looking for someone?" An elderly woman asked. She had heard Weiss making a lot of noise in the hallway and had come out of her apartment to find out why.
"Yeah, um, Paige Waters," Weiss answered, remembering to use Sydney's new name when asking for her. He doubted that she told anyone her old name, so asking for a Sydney Bristow would have gotten him nowhere.
"Did Paige do something wrong?" The woman asked.
Weiss let out his breath. It wasn't as good as actually finding Sydney and Vaughn, but it was a start. "No, I'm just trying to find her. How do you know her?"
"I'm her neighbor, Mrs. Ashley."
Weiss extended his hand and Mrs. Ashley shook it firmly, "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Ashley, do you know where I can find Paige?"
"Is she not home?" Weiss shook his head. Mrs. Ashley shrugged, "I'm sorry, son, I can't help you. I haven't seen her since last night. Come to think of it, I don't think she came home at all last night."
"She didn't?" Weiss asked, noting the small piece of information.
Mrs. Ashley shook her head, "No. Sorry I couldn't help more."
"No, I think you helped more than you think." Weiss said, heading for the elevator. "Thank you." He said, just before the doors closed. After he pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number, "Send in a team to Colorado. We officially have a kidnapping on our hands."
"Are you sure?" Dixon asked.
"Positive, they haven't been spotted since last night. I called every restaurant within a five mile radiance, they were last spotted at a Macaroni Grill. Start there. We'll work our way out from there."
Rach5- Hehe, okay I can settle for the plot is different. I try to be different and I see that it's working.
Ren201- I like getting your reviews. I really really do. I know there are a lot but my muse is going into overtime lately. I wonder what's up with her. ::shrugs:: oh well, the inspiration is good and i'm not going to question why.
Fair Cate- lol. yes but he is our cute dope. I know what you mean, i wouln't complain with vaughn coming after me but it's syd, she has to complicate things. lol. i think there's been something between them since the moment they met, heck even before then. lol. i'm imagining things again.
TheUptownGirl- I like that..."holy crow" very nice. better than holy cow cause the cow ain't holy. hehe. you'll just have to wait to see who it is.
SpyKid18- nah, having syd give in right away would have been to easy. you gotta compicate things when it comes to s and v. it's the way of the world. oh btw, did you get my email?
Heidi- i know, evil cliffhanger. i'm just so good at them. and the dinner date was cute.
daisyduke947- maybe he will, maybe he won't. i'm not telling, for now anyway. and who knocked her out is still a mystery even to me...sorta...just kidding....i know who it was.
Charmed-angel4- okay, so our club is now the crappy memory insane people...got that?...good cause i forgot it....hehe....
rainluver- lol. i have no idea if frolicing is a word. it is now! hehe. that's weird that your friends think that your crazy because of your love of the rain. most of mine love the rain. weird. and you must be reading my mind or something because i was planning on have a scene between vaughn and syd in the rain!!! and i have a creative head? that's very nice of you...lol. thanks for the idea btw. i love when people give me ideas, it really helps me get the story just right.
Agent Flamingo- I gave you a spoiler? lol, i guess i did. i have such a bad memory it's not even funny. want another one? okay...the person that knocked them out was....haha, you're gonna have to wait and see. lol. okay, sorry i had to do that. i know, i'm mean. sorry.
Dora- Thanks and i hope that you like this chapter as much.
cg's-gal-72689- i wouldn't kill off vaughn!!! that would suck and i would be mad at myself. hehe. good to know that there is no coup in my future, hopefully it stays that way.
Valoriahn- lol. that would be funny if it was kendell. it's not...or is it? hehe, that's me being cryptic. i wouldn't make a very good creepy asian dentist of persuasion or whatever you called him.
Erin- yeah, my mocha high is back and it's worse than ever. i went for two days without one and i about died! i need help. lots and lots of help. normal ain't nice...what are you talking about? lol. shame on you for not doing your homework, though i'll be the same when school starts. shame on me. shame on both of us. lol. jk. and thanks for not being pissed. appreciated.