I Have a Brilliant Beyond Brilliant Idea!
A/N: See we're back! This chapter is good I like it. Haha, enjoy!
Sydney walked into JTF with mixed emotions. She was glad that there was an apparent reason that her friend had not shown up last night, and she desperately wanted to know why. Look, he didn't tell you for a reason, you are just going to have to trust him here.
But that was the problem. She wanted him to be open with her about everything. But for now she just let it go and decided that she needed to focus on the cleanup that needed to happen now that SD-6 was gone. Wow, that still sounds so weird. I can't believe that they are actually gone. She looked around the CIA office and her eyes landed on her father.
"Dad!" she exclaimed as she ran over to him.
"Hey sweetie, how are you?" Jack asked as they embraced.
"I feel good, just really...I don't know. It's weird, but feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Sydney said with a smile.
"Yes, I know exactly how you feel. It's liberating isn't it?"
"Yeah, it really is," Sydney replied.
"I'm just glad that now you can get out of this life for good," Jack said.
"Well we'll see how long it is until that happens," Sydney said.
"You don't sound so good Sydney, are you feeling ok?" Jack asked.
"I woke up with a sore throat this morning, I might be getting a cold. It's all the stress of the past few days," Sydney said as she coughed.
"Well why don't you do what you need to here and then go home and rest," Jack suggested.
"Good idea Dad. I'll talk to you later," and Sydney walked off to write her debrief of the mission quick so she could get home and sleep.
Vaughn and Weiss gathered around the coffee pot and discussed the previous evening events. Weiss was attempting to get Vaughn's plan out of him but was having no such luck.
"Come on man, this is me. You have to tell me what you are planning to do about the Sydney situation," Weiss whined.
"Ok, look, I'll let you in on a little bit, but I don't want you to blow this for me," Vaughn said. He paused as Weiss looked at him with anticipation. "Alright I plan to become her friend." Weiss' face dropped and he looked at Vaughn with total disappointment.
" That's it? That is your brilliant beyond brilliant idea? That is soo lame! She is never going to want to be your friend," Weiss exclaimed.
"Just wait and see my friend, you will be eating your words very soon," Vaughn said with a smile. Their conversation was cut short by Kendall calling them into a meeting.
"I want to commend you all for your amazing work in shutting down the Alliance. I especially want to congratulate Jack and Sydney Bristow on a job well done, we could not have done this without you," Kendall said with what might have been a smile. "I also would like to thank Agent Eric Weiss, you did an amazing job as Sydney's handler, and played a crucial part in this as well. And also Agent Michael Vaughn, your work on the Parelli case was the silver bullet to the Alliance, so thank you for that as well." He paused and looked around the room at the agents in front of him. They all had worked so hard, and they all looked tired and worn from the stress of the last few days. "So, because of your hard work, after you all turn in your de-briefs to me I am giving you all a month's vacation starting today."
Weiss' mouth dropped. He looked over at Sydney, a WHOLE MONTH? Had Kendall hit his head? He just didn't do stuff like that. Regardless his reasons, Weiss wasn't going to argue, a month's vacation was more than anyone could ask for and he was certainly not going to question that. Kendall dismissed them with another congratulations and as they exited conference room Weiss pulled Sydney aside.
"Wow, can you believe that? A whole month?" he said.
"I know it's pretty crazy," Sydney said in disbelief.
"Hey, actually I wanted to know how last night went," Weiss asked tentatively. Sure he already knew that Vaughn hadn't told her the truth, but he wanted to hear Sydney's side of the story.
"Well unfortunately he was unable to make it," Sydney said, waiting for Weiss' exclamation of her being stood up, but didn't get it.
"Oh, that is too bad, well I'm sure he had really good excuse of why he couldn't make it," Weiss answered. "Are you alright? I know how bad you wanted to meet him"
"Oh I'm fine, I was just disappointed that's all," Sydney replied.
"Well you don't sound too fine, what's up with your voice? You sound like Joan Rivers," he said with a laugh.
"Oh shut up, it's just a little cold. My throat has been hurting all day, and I think it's getting worse," Sydney said with a cough.
"Well maybe you should go home and get some rest, I'll come by later and check on you," he said and gave her a hug goodbye.
"Thanks Weiss, I'll talk to you later," she answered as she turned to go she heard him call her back.
"Oh Syd, one more thing. Congratulations you deserve this."
"Thanks Eric, you know you helped too, and thank you for everything," Sydney said with a smile and then walked to her car to leave.
Vaughn was waiting for Sydney to finish talking to Weiss and he eventually caught to her as she was walking to her car.
"Hey Sydney!" he yelled. When she turned around, Vaughn had to physically constrain himself from pulling her into a hug.
"Oh, hello Agent Vaughn," she replied coldly.
"Uhh, I just wanted to congratulate you on bringing down the Alliance," Vaughn said awkwardly.
"Oh well thank you, you know we couldn't have done it without you," she said.
"Well you have a point there," Vaughn said sarcastically, but the joke was apparently lost on Sydney.
"God, you are so arrogant Vaughn! I'm glad that I have a whole month off so I don't have to you see you at all!" she said. Sydney's hand shot up to her mouth, and Vaughn's eyes widened in surprise. The look of shock and hurt spread all over his face as he stammered a response.
"Oh oh, uhh, I see. Well I guess...I'll just umm...I've gotta go," and he made a quick exit back into the office leaving Sydney standing there in disbelief.
"I cannot believe I just said that to him," Sydney said to herself out loud. Why am I so bitchy to him all the time? Sydney left the CIA in lower spirits than when she had arrived, and her cough was starting to get worse.
Upon arriving home, Sydney went straight to her computer and signed on to check her mail. Finding that she had none, she remembered the last words HockeyFan23 had written to her in his last letter, "but until then I hope you know that I am still here, just talk to me." She opened up a new mail and started to type.
To: HockeyFan23
From: AliceinWonderland
Subject: What is wrong with me?
Dear Friend,
Why is it that when you are sick, life seems to get 10 times as worse? I woke up with a chest cold this morning, and my day has been in the toilet ever since. You see, I have this terrible habit of blurting out things that I don't really mean. And today was a prime example. Remember when I told you about the colleague that showed up last night at the pizza place? Well he seems to bring out the worst in me, and I don't even know why. He is a really nice guy and ever since I first met him all I've been is a bitch to him. I said something terrible to him today and I surprised myself so bad that I didn't even have time to apologize. I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about, because you probably never say a mean thing to anyone. Well, I just needed to talk to someone, so thanks for listening to me, like you always do.
Sydney sighed as she pushed the send button and then went to the bathroom to change.
Vaughn sat his desk in a terrible funk. This "becoming Sydney's friend" thing was going to be harder than he thought. She hated him. It was going to be hard to get her to love him, like he loved her. He sat there thinking about a new plan when his computer rang with that all too familiar voice. He hurriedly opened his mailbox to find a letter from the one person who made his pulse shoot through the roof every time he heard from her. Yeah the same girl who hates your guts remember?
As Vaughn read the email his heart soared at her words, and his mind began to race with a new plan. She doesn't hate me! She thinks I'm nice! Well, that wasn't much but it was a start. He jumped up from his desk and left to find Weiss.
Eric Weiss was sitting at his desk finishing up his debrief and planning his month-long vacation. Man, what am I gonna do with all that free time? So many possibilities…his thoughts were interrupted when his best friend came bounding through the door.
"She doesn't hate me!" Vaughn proclaimed.
"Oh, well that is nice," Weiss said confused. "Who?"
"Who? Sydney Bristow! She doesn't hate me! She thinks I'm nice! This is great! The plan is back on!" Vaughn said excitedly. "See earlier, I thought I had totally blown the whole thing with her but I haven't! Operation Sydney's Friend is back on! But I need a plan first"
"You said you had one!" Weiss exclaimed.
"Well I do, but it's not really complete, and it was more of an outline of an idea not a well thought out plan," Vaughn explained. "So do you have any ideas?" Weiss sat back in his chair and then suddenly bolted up
"Oh, man I got it."
