Yay! New chapter!! Whoo-hoo!!

Okay...so I decided to make this like a four or five part thing. In this round, Sydney and Vaughn are returning from Madagascar and dealing with that whole fiasco in the episode: Dead Drop. Yeah, I skipped the return flight for the Vatican and went to the second season. I'm trying to keep this in line with the seasons and not branch off into AU territory...at least not yet...::grins evilly::

Quick review of the game's rules:
Number cards 2-5: Truth or dare?
Number cards 6-10: shot cards
Face cards (king, queen, jack): money (king-20, queen-10, jack-5)
Aces of diamonds, spades, and clubs: the stripping cards
Ace of hearts: the kissing card


He watched for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head. The slight movement caught her attention and her eyes narrowed immediately.

"What?" She asked, curtly.

He sighed again. "Syd…"

Sydney shook her head and went back to staring out the window. "I don't want to talk about it, Vaughn." She whispered.

Vaughn understood and didn't push the matter anymore. Instead, he reached into the bag he brought on missions and pulled out a deck of cards, a half empty bottle of tequila, two shot glasses and his wallet. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, her lips twitching into a smile. "Wanna play?" He asked, holding up the deck.

Sydney turned to face him, the smile growing. "I'm not sure if I remember how to play."

Vaughn smiled at her and shook his head. "Of course you do. You have a better memory than anybody I know."

"Marshall has a photographic memory," She pointed out.

He grinned. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Marshall yet, so the title goes to you." He set half of the deck in front of her and leaned back in his chair, shuffling his half idly. "And so does first draw."

She grabbed the half a card deck, shuffling it as well but shook her head. "No, I went first last time, so you go."

He decided not to fight her and take her speaking as a victory, even if it was a small one. After setting his half on the table, he picked off the top card. "Seven. Your shot, madam."

Sydney laughed after throwing back the shot quickly. "God, I needed that."

Vaughn laughed. "And we take the alcohol out of the game." He was teasing her and she let it slide.

"Three." She said, turning over a card. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

After studying him for a moment, she asked. "Tell me about your favorite childhood memory."

He laughed. "You already asked me that."

"Yes," She started, slowly. "But you can't have only one favorite childhood memory."

Vaughn, again, decided not to fight her on it, especially not after what had happened in Madagascar. "Well…when I was twelve, my hockey team won this really important tournament."

She scoffed. "That's it?"

"Well, sorry that my childhood victory in your mind sucked." He retorted, sounding serious but the grin on his face giving away the sarcasm.

She smiled. "I never said that."

"But you implied it." He countered.

"Whatever…just go." She said with a dismissive wave towards his cards.

He complied with the order. "Jack."

She grimaced while taking out her purse and digging around in it for a moment. Her hand touched something and she grinned with a hint of evilness. He watched her with narrowed eyes as she slowly pulled her hand out of her purse and then with a lightning quick motion, threw a half of a ten dollar bill at him. He caught the half a bill and stared at it disbelieving. She still had it? He still had his but that wasn't the point.

She smirked at him and turned over another card. "Five. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

She raised an eyebrow. "You just said dare."

"I know." He replied, calmly.

She stared at him for a moment before shrugging it off and saying, "I dare you to…" She trailed off, trying to think of a good dare. Her face lit up several minutes later and the evil grin came back. "When this plane lands, you have to walk off it and into the Ops Center wearing nothing but that Speedo wardrobe gave me in case we had to do some swimming while in Madagascar."

Vaughn stared at her, dumbfounded. "What was that?" She opened her mouth to repeat it but he waved her silent. "No, I heard you. It's just…a little weird."

Sydney watched him, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement. "You can call 'chicken' you know."

He sighed a huge breath of relief. "Thank God. Chicken!" She laughed. He laughed with her and turned over a card. "Four. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's your favorite childhood memory?" He asked.

She laughed. "Um…probably the last time I had dinner with my dad. We went to this Chinese or Japanese, I don't know, some kind of Asian restaurant." She sighed, half in happiness, half in remorse. "I think that's the only time me and him had an honest conversation." She frowned and shook her head before correcting herself. "Well, as honest as he was back then."

Vaughn nodded. "That sounds like it was really great."

Sydney nodded, sadly. "It was." She shook off the memory and reached for her half of the deck. "Ten. Your shot, Monsieur," She teased as he poured the shot and downed it quickly.

Vaughn smiled at her tease turning over a card and his smile turned to a grin. "The Ace of spades."

Sydney smiled slowly, and reached for the sleeve of her sweater. After a couple awkward moments when she got momentarily stuck in her the confines of her sweater, she pulled the article of white cashmere off and tossed it onto the seat next to her. She watched his reaction at her sitting there in a white camisole with a smirk before turning over a card and saying. "Two. Truth or dare?"

The simple statement cause Vaughn to jump and he reddened a little at the realization that she probably noticed his staring. "Truth."

"No dare?" She asked, teasing.

He shook his head rapidly. "No dare."

She laughed softly. "What book are you reading?"

He stared at her, eyebrow raised. "What kind of question is that?"

She shrugged. "I'm just curious."

He stared at her, studying her blank expression before saying slowly, "War and Peace." She grinned and laughed softly, prompting him to ask. "What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. Forget it."

Vaughn studied her before shrugging and reaching for a card. "Five. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What was so funny about me reading War and Peace?"

She laughed harder. "It's not really funny." She explained. "I'm reading the same thing too, and I thought it was humorous that we were reading the same book."

This time Vaughn laughed. "Now I feel less self conscious."

Sydney laughter died after a little while and she reached for a card. "King. That would be twenty dollars."

Vaughn frowned, mentally wondering why he always seemed to lose money to her. He pulled a twenty out of his wallet and tossed it to her and she grabbed it like a five year reaching for ice cream. He chuckled at her greedy fingers.

She stuck her tongue out at him, completely this childishness and tucked the twenty away. "Sydney's getting a new pair of shoes when we get back to L.A."

He frowned slightly. "With twenty dollars?"

She stuck her tongue out at him again. "I never said designer shoes." She retorted.

He laughed and turned over a card. "Six. A shot for Miss Bristow."

She threw back the shot and shook her head, wistfully. "You and your drunken college days," She said ruefully, turning over another card. "Eight. A shot for Mr. Vaughn."

He glared at her momentarily over his shot glass before throwing it back. "Me and my drunken college days," He said, shaking his head at the glass. She laughed as he turned over a card. "Two. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's your favorite kind of ice cream?" He asked after a moment.

She stared at him, curiously. "What does that have to do with anything?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just curious."

She stared at him before saying softly. "Coffee."

"Coffee?" He repeated and she nodded to confirm it. He made the mental note and gestured at her deck. "It's your turn."

She was still staring at him, trying to read his face for clues as to why he asked her that. When she got none, she sighed resignedly and reached for a card. "Five. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's your favorite kind of ice cream?" She asked, smirking.

"I don't really have one." He answered.

"Oh come on," She prodded. "There has to be one that you like better than the others."

"Alright, I'm rather fond of chocolate chip cookie dough." He answered.

She smiled. "Rather fond of?" She questioned before breaking into giggles.

He mocked glared at her. "I'm so glad that I amuse you." He said, sarcastically before reaching for another card. "Four. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Aren't you ever going to pick dare?" He asked with a hint of a whine to it.

She laughed and shook her head. "No way. Not after that look you gave me after the Speedo incident."

"It's the Speedo incident now?" He asked.

"Yep, and there went your Truth." She stuck her tongue out at him again.

It took him a minute to realize what she meant by that. He asked her a question after she said 'truth', that meant, technically he had asked her a question and technically, he couldn't ask her another one. Actually, he had asked her two questions. Damn. "Cheater."

She made a noise like she cared that he just called her cheater before grinning to herself and turning over a card. "Three. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"I'm assuming the lack of dare is because of the Speedo incident?" She asked.

"You would be correct and you just lost your truth." He replied.

"Damn," She muttered, realizing that she had fallen into the trap she had originally laid for him.

He laughed at her and reached for a card. "Queen. You know the deal."

She glared at him for a moment before she got an idea and pulled out the twenty he had given her earlier. She ripped it in half and threw him one of the halves.

He picked up the half and stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "What is it with you and ripping up money?"

She shrugged. "It's one of my many fetishes."

"Many?" He repeated, his eyebrow going further towards his hairline.

She shrugged again. "A truth or dare question." She said, simply before turning over a card again. "Jack. I believe that is five dollars."

He looked at her for a minute before reaching for his wallet. He fumbled with it for a couple seconds before pulling out a ripped in half ten. It was his half of the ten she had ripped a couple months ago the first time they played the game. He tossed her the half and she watched it dumbly. She had given him her half earlier in this round of the game, but she hadn't expected him to have his as well. And the fact that he did said a lot to her.

Vaughn watched Sydney's reaction, smiling to himself, before reaching for another card. "King. What is that? Twenty dollars I believe?"

Sydney grumbled something unintelligible and dug in her purse for a moment before pulling out a twenty and throwing it at him. "There." She said curtly, and reaching for her own card. "Two. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"How long have you been a Kings fan?" It wasn't the best question she could come up, but it was one that she had wanted to ask for a very long time. Ever since they almost went to the hockey game together the year before, she had wanted to know.

"Since I was six. My dad took me to one of their games and it all just spiraled downwards from there." He replied.

She laughed. "You had a very hockey oriented childhood."

He shrugged and picked up a card. "Six."

Before he could make a snide remark about her having to take another shot, Sydney reached across the table, poured her own shot and threw it back. He raised an eyebrow at her and she smirked. "I was getting tired of the remarks." She reached for a card. "Seven."

Vaughn repeated her move and poured and threw back his shot before she could get out a remark. She laughed and shook her head wearily as he went for another card. "Eight."

"Damnit," She swore as he poured her the shot and handed it to her, chuckling. She gave him a venomous look and threw back the shot quickly. "That is officially my most hated part of this game." She muttered, reaching for a card. "Ace of clubs." This brought a smile to her face.

He gave her a look, slightly confused at her smile before pulling off his shirt, revealing the white undershirt he wore. She stared dumbly, unable to do much else. He cleared his throat after turning over a card and she jumped. "Three. Truth or dare?"

"Truth." She muttered, turning red.

He ignored her reddening face and asked. "What's your favorite hockey team?"

"Who says that I even like hockey?"

"Then make one up."

She laughed. "Well, the Toronto Maple Leafs are my dad's favorite…" He made a mental note to use that sometime if he ever needed to get on Jack Bristow's good side. "…and I don't really have a favorite team, so… the Sharks."

He frowned. "Not the Kings?"

She smiled and shook her head. "That would be copying."

"You can copy me you know." He said, realizing that they sounded like a bickering teenage couple. The couple thing he could go for, not so much with the bickering and teenage though.

She laughed and shook head again. "No…I think I'll stick with the Sharks."

"Traitor," He mumbled, sarcastically.

She laughed again and turned over a card. "Jack."

He threw her an actual five and not a ripped half of a ten. "There."

"Oh," She squealed. "Real money. Earrings for Sydney when we get back to L.A." He opened his mouth to say something but she said quickly, "And yes, with five dollars."

He laughed at her while picking up a card. "Four. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

He eyed her carefully before saying, "Do you want to talk about Madagascar?"

She fell silent and looked at her hands. Just as he was going to change his mind and ask a different question, she looked up and said, "No, not really. There's nothing to say. My mother betrayed me just like my dad said she would." He got a withdrawn look on his face that she noted as she sighed and turned over a card. "Five. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you think my mom betrayed like my dad said she would?"

"What would make you ask that?" He questioned, confused.

"You got that look on your face when I answered your question and I want to know what it's about." She shot back.

He was tempted to pick a fight with her but didn't. Instead, he sighed and dragged his hand down his face slowly. "I'm not entirely sure, Syd. That's all. I'm not calling your dad a liar and I'm not deeming you mother a saint."

Sydney gave him a look before sighing and waving her hand dismissively. "It's your turn."

Vaughn looked at her, saddened, before turning over a card. "Queen." Sydney snorted and threw him a ten. "Oh! Real money!" He exclaimed, teasing her. "Vaughn's getting a new Kings pen when we get back to L.A."

His joke had the desired affect and she laughed. "Okay…nine. That means a shot."

He gave her an exasperated look before throwing back the shot. "I'm running the risk of copying you, but that is officially my most hated part of this game." She laughed again as he reached for a card. "Ace of diamonds."

"Not again," She whined, reaching down and taking off her shoe.

He laughed at her repeat of his original stripping of clothing when they first played the game. "Only your shoe?"

"For today," She replied, mischievously. He didn't have the time to contemplate her statement as she turned over a card. "Nine. Another shot."

He frowned at his bad luck but accepted it anyway. "Yep, definitely the worst part of the game." He said just as the plane stopped. Both Sydney and Vaughn looked out the window, shocked that they didn't realize that they had landed because they were so engrossed in the game.

Sydney's cell phone started to ring, literally a second after they stopped. She sent Vaughn an apologetic glance and answered the phone. "Sydney…hi Dad…yeah, we just landed…right now?...I guess…yeah, he's here….uh huh….I will…I love you, Dad…bye." She hung up and looked at him. "I have to go. Kendall wants a full account now."

"Do I have to go in too?" He asked, wearily.

"Dad said that Kendall will talk to you tomorrow." She replied, standing up. "I'll talk to you later?"

"You can count on it." He replied, instantly. She smiled at him, gathered her things -including the half of a ten and the half of a twenty-, struggled with her shirt for a moment, trying to put it back on, slipped her shoe back on and hurried from the plane.

Vaughn sighed and started to pack up his own slew of things, the ripped money, the shot glasses and liquor, his wallet, and finally he turned his attention to the cards. Curious, he picked up his next card and set it down slowly, face up.

He laughed shortly, silently cursing the bad luck of the plane. "The Ace of hearts…" He said, slowly shaking his head. He put away the cards and stood up with his bag. Quietly, he added, "Someday."