Disclaimer: As you must know by now, i most definitely don't own Alias, or anything else, so lets move on.
A/N: I had such writer's block with this you wouldn't believe it. But, alas, I pulled this together anyway. I hope it gets better response than last chapter. reviewers- still love u all.
----Lauren's POV----
As I said, I was quite confused with Michael's last letter. But I knew the only way to figure it all out was move on to the next.
Dear Sydney,
I am a terrible liar. I know that its already been three months since I said I wasn't going to write anymore. I haven't stopped thinking about that letter since I placed it on your gravestone. If I still write, that doesn't mean I'm still in love with you, does it? I mean, we were good friends before we- I think I may be getting ahead of myself. All I'm trying to say is that I'm still allowed to miss you, and I don't see how it would be wrong to write as a friend. You know, other than the whole, "you're dead" part. Yeah, I'm still a little bitter about that part. But yeah, not as much. Finally going out to get myself a life. Oh, wow, I hope you don't mind me getting a life do you? And if you laugh, well, just don't laugh 'cause I was serious. Really. I don't mean in any way to offend you by moving on. You know, If you even are reading these things. I like to think that you are. It makes me feel... uncrazy. Which actually makes no sense whatsoever, because you're dead, and it's a little weird thinking that a dead person is reading mail from me. But, who cares? Anyways, I'll write again soon, but I have to run.
I didn't even bother having any deep thoughts and just moved on to the next letter.
Dear Syd,
Lauren and I got in a fight. It was our first big fight ever.
I guess this made up for the last letter. Because once again, I was struck with a vivid memory.
Flashback
I was standing in the CIA office, speaking with with a man named Marshall Flinkman, while waiting for one of the directors. I can't recall which one I meant to speak with.
"Lauren Reed," he said. "Sounds familiar. It's actually really weird that I can't place you because I usually have a photographic memory. I mean, it's impossible to usually have a photographic memory, you either have it or you don't, and having one is really cool, because you remember everything, except for when you don't, like I don't right now, but what I was-" He stopped, and his eyes widened. "Lauren Reed, as in Senator Reed's daughter, as in Agent Vaughn's new girlfriend."
I nearly choked on some water I was drinking. "Agent Vaughn? You mean to tell me that Michael Vaughn works here? As an agent?"
Marshall looked incredibly distressed. "You mean?- You didn't?- he never? Well I just don't get why he" I never got the rest of what he was saying, as I saw Michael standing in the middle of the office, laughing with Eric and a few other guys.
I felt my cheeks getting hot and anger building up inside. It was so funny, how this happened. I mean really, I knew. I knew exactly who he worked for. But, in a way, I had forgotten. I had become so lost in this world that I had forgotten why I was there in the first place. There were two different people inside me. There was Lauren, the traitorous plotting bad girl, and then there was the other Lauren, the innocent daddy's girl who just happened to be dating Michael Vaughn. One of which had no idea Michael Vaughn was a CIA agent.
I walked up to Michael. "So you work here do you?" I spat at him angrily. I don't think I've ever seen him look more surprised.
"Lauren?" He asked, his eyes wide opened and his mouth hanging open just the slightest. "What in the world are you doing here?"
I never bothered answering. Instead I just began yelling. "You could never think to perhaps slip it into conversation somewhere. You didn't even have to say it straight out. But you know, It would be a little nice to know-" I was cut off.This was bad news for me, because before this interruption, all Michael could really do was stand there with that shocked lookon his face. But Someone came out and said. "Ms. Reed? Kendall will see you now." Aha! that was who it was. God. Why talk to Kendall? Anyways, back to the story.
"Ahhhh," Eric said quietly. "And the plot thickens." I glared, but Michael wasn't paying attention. He was too busy seething.
"What was that I heard?" He said, eyes dancing in anger like flames. "You're going to see Kendall. Hmm, and would be your job? Hmm. Sounds a bit like a hipocrit to me!" I was caught red-handed, and I didn't know what to do about that So I just began yelling. And Michael yelled back. And everyone else stared at us. I walked off in a huff, never even bothering to talk to Kendall.
End Flashback
I skipped over all he said about me "finding out" he was CIA and my being what I was because, well, I had just been through all that. So, moving on.
We ended up both realising how idiotic we were being and made up.
I read on, through his many letters to Sydney. Many were about myself, but a lot weren't. Michael and Sydney had a bond, that not even death could break. It didn't matter that Sydney wasn't even dead. They were separated by death, but they still had their "Thing."
I have a thing with Michael, too. It involves a few rings, some pieces of paper, and a memory of a wonderful party. It's called marriage. I think I'd rather have the other one.
I came to another letter that struck me as a little odd.
Dear Sydney
Today, I am getting married. I actually found some time to sit down and right you a letter through all this hectic- hecticness. And don't even bother telling me its not a word. But this ones important. I have to stop writing these letters. For real, this time. I have to move on, to a new life. Plus, your really doing a number on my stationery. So, I love you. For All Time. And goodbye.
Love, Vaughn
It was- short. But that wasn't what struck me as odd. I was only about half way through the pile. He wouldn't do the same thing twice. Would he? But when I looked at the next envelope, I saw something a little unsettling. I've worked around Sydney Bristow long enough to learn what her hand writing looks like, and the quickly scrawled Vaughn on that envelope looked a little too familiar.
Sydney's POV
I chewed my nail a little before I picked up the phone. I flipped it open, and shakily dialed the numbers. I couldn't remember being this nervous. I hit send and brought the phone to my ear. It rang three times and then.
"Vaughn." His voice soothed me. My breath returned to me.
"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. I must have the wrong number. I was looking for Joeys pizza." I said in a sort of southern drawl. There was silence first. I prayed that he realised it was me.
And then it came. He choked out the words, but they came. "Um, yeah, yeah this is the wrong number"
And there was nothing left to do but wait. I had already done a bugsweep of the warehouse, while putting off calling him. So I sat down and looked around. I was overwhelmed by all the memories of Vaughn and myself. After a while, I heard a door slam. Footsteps. I suddenly felt really nervous again. But then he walked into the warehouse, and I saw his face. His face brought me back to earth. All that was important now, was for us, to hold eachother, to be connected. I stood up and we hugged. It was like breathing again, being able to touch him. It had been so long that I had forgotten how to breathe. But he was there, and I remembered.
"I can't stay for long," was all I said. I finally pulled away. "Listen," I told him softly. "About your letters. I got them all."
TBC......
A/N: I had such writer's block with this you wouldn't believe it. But, alas, I pulled this together anyway. I hope it gets better response than last chapter. reviewers- still love u all.
----Lauren's POV----
As I said, I was quite confused with Michael's last letter. But I knew the only way to figure it all out was move on to the next.
Dear Sydney,
I am a terrible liar. I know that its already been three months since I said I wasn't going to write anymore. I haven't stopped thinking about that letter since I placed it on your gravestone. If I still write, that doesn't mean I'm still in love with you, does it? I mean, we were good friends before we- I think I may be getting ahead of myself. All I'm trying to say is that I'm still allowed to miss you, and I don't see how it would be wrong to write as a friend. You know, other than the whole, "you're dead" part. Yeah, I'm still a little bitter about that part. But yeah, not as much. Finally going out to get myself a life. Oh, wow, I hope you don't mind me getting a life do you? And if you laugh, well, just don't laugh 'cause I was serious. Really. I don't mean in any way to offend you by moving on. You know, If you even are reading these things. I like to think that you are. It makes me feel... uncrazy. Which actually makes no sense whatsoever, because you're dead, and it's a little weird thinking that a dead person is reading mail from me. But, who cares? Anyways, I'll write again soon, but I have to run.
I didn't even bother having any deep thoughts and just moved on to the next letter.
Dear Syd,
Lauren and I got in a fight. It was our first big fight ever.
I guess this made up for the last letter. Because once again, I was struck with a vivid memory.
Flashback
I was standing in the CIA office, speaking with with a man named Marshall Flinkman, while waiting for one of the directors. I can't recall which one I meant to speak with.
"Lauren Reed," he said. "Sounds familiar. It's actually really weird that I can't place you because I usually have a photographic memory. I mean, it's impossible to usually have a photographic memory, you either have it or you don't, and having one is really cool, because you remember everything, except for when you don't, like I don't right now, but what I was-" He stopped, and his eyes widened. "Lauren Reed, as in Senator Reed's daughter, as in Agent Vaughn's new girlfriend."
I nearly choked on some water I was drinking. "Agent Vaughn? You mean to tell me that Michael Vaughn works here? As an agent?"
Marshall looked incredibly distressed. "You mean?- You didn't?- he never? Well I just don't get why he" I never got the rest of what he was saying, as I saw Michael standing in the middle of the office, laughing with Eric and a few other guys.
I felt my cheeks getting hot and anger building up inside. It was so funny, how this happened. I mean really, I knew. I knew exactly who he worked for. But, in a way, I had forgotten. I had become so lost in this world that I had forgotten why I was there in the first place. There were two different people inside me. There was Lauren, the traitorous plotting bad girl, and then there was the other Lauren, the innocent daddy's girl who just happened to be dating Michael Vaughn. One of which had no idea Michael Vaughn was a CIA agent.
I walked up to Michael. "So you work here do you?" I spat at him angrily. I don't think I've ever seen him look more surprised.
"Lauren?" He asked, his eyes wide opened and his mouth hanging open just the slightest. "What in the world are you doing here?"
I never bothered answering. Instead I just began yelling. "You could never think to perhaps slip it into conversation somewhere. You didn't even have to say it straight out. But you know, It would be a little nice to know-" I was cut off.This was bad news for me, because before this interruption, all Michael could really do was stand there with that shocked lookon his face. But Someone came out and said. "Ms. Reed? Kendall will see you now." Aha! that was who it was. God. Why talk to Kendall? Anyways, back to the story.
"Ahhhh," Eric said quietly. "And the plot thickens." I glared, but Michael wasn't paying attention. He was too busy seething.
"What was that I heard?" He said, eyes dancing in anger like flames. "You're going to see Kendall. Hmm, and would be your job? Hmm. Sounds a bit like a hipocrit to me!" I was caught red-handed, and I didn't know what to do about that So I just began yelling. And Michael yelled back. And everyone else stared at us. I walked off in a huff, never even bothering to talk to Kendall.
End Flashback
I skipped over all he said about me "finding out" he was CIA and my being what I was because, well, I had just been through all that. So, moving on.
We ended up both realising how idiotic we were being and made up.
I read on, through his many letters to Sydney. Many were about myself, but a lot weren't. Michael and Sydney had a bond, that not even death could break. It didn't matter that Sydney wasn't even dead. They were separated by death, but they still had their "Thing."
I have a thing with Michael, too. It involves a few rings, some pieces of paper, and a memory of a wonderful party. It's called marriage. I think I'd rather have the other one.
I came to another letter that struck me as a little odd.
Dear Sydney
Today, I am getting married. I actually found some time to sit down and right you a letter through all this hectic- hecticness. And don't even bother telling me its not a word. But this ones important. I have to stop writing these letters. For real, this time. I have to move on, to a new life. Plus, your really doing a number on my stationery. So, I love you. For All Time. And goodbye.
Love, Vaughn
It was- short. But that wasn't what struck me as odd. I was only about half way through the pile. He wouldn't do the same thing twice. Would he? But when I looked at the next envelope, I saw something a little unsettling. I've worked around Sydney Bristow long enough to learn what her hand writing looks like, and the quickly scrawled Vaughn on that envelope looked a little too familiar.
Sydney's POV
I chewed my nail a little before I picked up the phone. I flipped it open, and shakily dialed the numbers. I couldn't remember being this nervous. I hit send and brought the phone to my ear. It rang three times and then.
"Vaughn." His voice soothed me. My breath returned to me.
"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. I must have the wrong number. I was looking for Joeys pizza." I said in a sort of southern drawl. There was silence first. I prayed that he realised it was me.
And then it came. He choked out the words, but they came. "Um, yeah, yeah this is the wrong number"
And there was nothing left to do but wait. I had already done a bugsweep of the warehouse, while putting off calling him. So I sat down and looked around. I was overwhelmed by all the memories of Vaughn and myself. After a while, I heard a door slam. Footsteps. I suddenly felt really nervous again. But then he walked into the warehouse, and I saw his face. His face brought me back to earth. All that was important now, was for us, to hold eachother, to be connected. I stood up and we hugged. It was like breathing again, being able to touch him. It had been so long that I had forgotten how to breathe. But he was there, and I remembered.
"I can't stay for long," was all I said. I finally pulled away. "Listen," I told him softly. "About your letters. I got them all."
TBC......