bChapter Five - Late Night Rendezvous/b
Christmas Eve had been a long day for Vaughn. In all honesty, he was still skeptical that Monday night's dinner ever took place. It was all too surreal. That kind of stuff didn't just happen between the two of them. Thier relationship basically consisted of this unspoken love that existed but was never acknowledged openly, let alone consummated.
IWhoa there, Mike. Who says you're gonna be consummating anything with Sydney? Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't ya?/I
Vaughn sat on his couch, unable to fall asleep. The excitement of Christmas Day always kept him up late, even as an adult. There's always that underlying Christmas buzz, but this year, he was pretty sure that Christmas buzz was Sydney Bristow.
Just as Vaughn found his thoughts wandering to a certain double agent, he heard his cell phone ring. Frantically, he reached over to the coffee table where his cell was lying next to his beeper and gun holster. He knew it was either Sydney or Weiss -- the only two people who had that number other than his sister, who of course had it in case of emergencies.
"Vaughn," he whispered into his phone, not wanting to bother Jules, who was just across the wall in his room.
"Hey..." he heard a soft voice respond on the other end.
A smile slowly spread across his face as he let his head fall back down on his pillow comfortably. He knew Syd could be in trouble or needed to talk, but something in her voice told him otherwise. It was just...different.
"Hey, Syd, what's up?"
~~~
Syd twisted and turned in her bed, unable to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. Finally, she decided to lay on her back and just think. As she stared at the cieling, she realized what was really keeping her up: Vaughn.
She had to deal with a lot from Francie since they met Vaughn and his sister Monday night when Jules invited her to stay with them for Christmas. She had to admit it: she was nervous.
INo, I'm pretty sure this is beyond simply "nervousness." This is all out sweaty palms, teenage schoolgirl, first date anxiety -- and it's a whole night before I'm even going over there...What is going on with me?!/I
Sydney was getting pretty annoyed, especially Francie's constant remarks about how "cute Michael is" and how "sweet Michael is" which weren't helping her situation at all. Syd was a full grown woman in more control of her emotions than most and she still didn't understand why all her previous experiences with guys were thrown out the window when it came to Vaughn.
Up was down and left was right. Hell must have really frozen over and the pigs were flying south for the winter if Sydney Bristow was spending Christmas Day with Michael Vaughn.
IThese kinds of things just don't happen with us, and I've come to accept it! All this is going to leave me with is a false sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, we can be together. Despite protocol, despite the dangers, and despite the consequences.../I
Syd tried to shake herself out of it.
IIf I get to spend one day in Michael Vaughn's life, I better take advantage of it, because it will probably never happen again.../I
Sydney found herself down once again with the thought of never getting to spend another day in Vaughn's real life.
IWhy does everything always come back to that? Why can't I just forget it all..?/I
Suddenly, Syd's cells was in her hand and she found herself calling the one person that always seemed to balance all the imbalances within her...
"Vaughn."
"Hey..." Syd said softly, not sure what she was going to say to not appear too overanxious or maybe even perhaps smitten.
"Hey, Syd, what's up?" Vaughn whispered with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Oh nothing reall--I didn't wake you up, did I?" Syd asked, suddenly aware of the fact that it was 2 AM.
"No, no...I actually haven't been able to fall asleep. I guess that pre-Christmas excitment stays with you, no matter what age you are."
"Yeah," Syd responded smiling to herself, wondering if perhaps she was the cause of his 'pre-Christmas excitment' just like he was hers. "I know what you mean...Sorry I'm whispering, I just don't want to wake up Francie..."
"No problem, I don't want to wake up Jules either..."
"Oh, I'm sorry Vaughn, I can actually call you in the morning..." Syd said, quickly cutting him off hoping that she might be able to bail out last minute.
"No, Syd, it's really fine. She's in the next room. Now, really, what's up?"
"Well," Syd started slowly trying to collect her thoughts, "Vaughn, I was wondering if you really think tomorrow is a good idea..."
"Of course it is," Vaughn immediately responded, prompting Syd to smile, "NO one should spend Christmas alone, Syd, especially you. It's just not right..."
"No, Vaughn, don't get me wrong -- I'm really looking forward to it, but how safe do you think this really is...?"
Syd listened intently as Vaughn took a deep breath and sighed heavily.
"Syd, I understand why youre concerned but it really shouldn't be a problem. If you're really worried, here's what you should do. Have Will drop you off at the park by Freemont Avenue before he drives down to San Diego. When you're in the car, call Jules's cell. She'll meet you down there, because it's like two blocks from my place. She'll be walking Donovan when she run's into you. You guys will talk -- act like you're old childhood friends and what not, then Jules will invite you to spend Christmas at 'her place' for the day. So that way, you can avoid tails with Will, aren't dropped off directly at my place, and also have a cover. It seems pretty fool-proof to me."
Syd couldn't help but let out a muffled laugh.
"What?" Vaughn asked. Syd could tell he was smiling on the other end.
"Oh, nothing -- it's just that clearly you've been thinking about this a lot..." Syd said turning on her side.
"Well, maybe I have, " Vaughn responded, now amused, "but clearly, you too had been thinking a lot about it, if it made you call me at 2 AM."
"Touche. You really got me there, Mikey." Syd shot back with a huge grin on her face.
II only get a day to be with the]real Michael Vaughn...No countermissions, no SD-6, no Sloane, no Devlin...So I might as well extend it by a little. How would that hurt? Plus, by the tone in his voice, he seems to be enjoying it too./I She only wished she could see him blush as she called him by his nickname.
"Oh man, you do know, Syd, that only three people on God's green Earth are allowed to call me that: Jules, Joe from High School, and Luke from College. That's Iit/I."
Syd sat up in bed, happy that Vaughn was going along with the conversation, instead of being all buisness. "Aw, so I'm not allowed to call you 'Mikey'?"
"See, I never said that!" Vaughn whispered laughing, "of course you can call me 'Mikey'..."
"So then it's settled!"
"--But I kind of liked the way 'Michael' sounded coming from you..." Vaughn finished shyly.
She sighed happily as she heard Vaughn shift in bed. "You know what?" She asked.
"What?"
"I do too, Michael, I do too."
Vaughn was silent on the other end, and for a moment all Syd could hear was him breathing.
"I'm glad," Vaughn -- or Michael now -- responded in a content tone.
"Well IMichael/I..." Syd said, unable to wipe the goffy grin from her face, "I should probably get to bed..."
"Oh yeah, definately,"
"And leave a message on Will's machine to let him now I'll need a ride..."
"Yeah...So I'll see you tomorrow morning?"
"Of course," Syd responded, still smiling.
"Goodnight, Syd," Vaughn barely whispered.
"Goodnight, Michael," Syd said as she clicked her cell phone off. Her eyes slowly drooped as she placed her cell on her nightstand and drifted off into sleep.
~~~
Vaughn sighed as he clicked the "End" button on his cell phone. Things certainly were different between him and Sydney, but he didn't know exactly what sparked it. All he knew was that he was happy. For once in the last year plus, he wasn't worried, he wasn't scared, he wasn't depressed...he was genuinely happy.
II may only get this one day...but atleast I'm getting it to begin with. /IVaughn thought as his anxiety and excitment for the next day subsided momentarily and he faded into sleep, knowing exactly what (or who rather) would be waiting for him in his dreams.
bEND CHAPTER FIVE/b
