A/N: More setting up the plot. This should be the last-ish chapter of that and then right into some action. Whoop! Thanks to lec, ArodLoverus2001, fieryred20, and Fair Cate, you guys rock!
Vivian hated walking outside at night. It wasn't that it was particularly dangerous in the little suburb where she was, lined with little house and street lamps, but she despised it just the same. Her eyes wandered up to the street signs as she passed them and finally stopped below one on a dark, deserted street corner.
26th and Waltmin, this is it.
She stopped, shoving her hands down deeper into the pockets of her zip-up sweatshirt and waiting. Any minute now…
A hand gripped her shoulder and she could feel the barrel of a gun in her back as she gritted her teeth and muttered, "You're late."
"I'm never late. Do you have the CD?" The man's grip didn't even loosen as he spoke form behind her.
"No. Someone got to it before me. Government issue, I'd bet, from her style. Didn't kill a single guard on the way in or out."
"Then maybe I should have hired her instead of you. How do you expect to fix this?" He hissed into her ear, still shadowed by night, "It's both of us that'll get it if you can't do your job."
"You think I don't know that? I have someone on it right now, chatting with an old friend of yours, a Mr. Miguel." She hinted and smirked, knowing she was prodding at a sore spot.
"What makes you think he'll tell you anything?"
"He will. We'll have answers before dawn today."
The hand let go and the gun moved back, "You'd better hope we do."
A few seconds later, the street corner was empty again.
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"An hour. I've already waited an hour. It's late, I'm tired, I want to go home. What I don't want to do is wait another hour around here."
Eric shook his head and patted Sydney on the shoulder sympathetically with one hand as he slid a tall cup of coffee towards her with the other, "Yeah, I know, it sucks. Just sit tight and wait, everything will get sorted out soon enough and they can start the debrief."
Rubbing her forehead, she pushed her swivel chair so she could lean on the desk and see the time on the computer screen. 1:30 AM. At this rate, she wouldn't even get to go back to her apartment before she had to report for work that morning. It wasn't fair to take it out on Weiss, though, it wasn't any more his fault than it was hers.
"Thanks for the coffee." She thanked him, smiling apologetically.
"Hey, no problem. Someone's got to watch our for you while your sister's gone." He said and patted her on the shoulder as he rolled his eyes, "Poor Nadia, I can't even begin to think about how broken up she must be, vacationing two weeks in Greece. Watching the sunset on the beach, sleeping in until noon, lounging in the sun by temple ruins, must be tough."
Sydney laughed and sipped her coffee, "Yeah, only a week and a half until she gets back." She lowered her voice, "It might sound stupid, but I can't wait. The house is so quiet with just me right now, it's awkward."
"Well, you always have friends you could invite over." He suggested, hinting.
"But Vaughn doesn't get back until tomorrow, either." Sydney answered teasingly and beamed as Eric held his chin up with indignation.
"Oh, I see how it's going to be. Here I am, suggesting a nice night for my friend, a little company, some Chinese take out, a campy horror film even, and all she does is-"
Sydney stopped laughing as soon as she saw the door open out of the corner of her eye and sat straight up in her chair. Eric glanced over his shoulder and then coughed as he moved further up in the seat and straightened his tie. Two men came out of the open room, both looking discontent and troubled as they finished a hushed conversation and moved towards Sydney and Eric.
"Good morning." Greeted the shorter man, clasping his hands in front of him, "I expect you two are waiting for a debrief over the mission?"
Sydney glanced up at Arvin Sloane and got a firmer grip on her coffee. Stop being ridiculous, she repeated to herself, It's late, you're tired, just calm down. As she glanced up to answer, she couldn't help but notice Jack Bristow shifting next to him once, before standing stiff and straight again.
"Yes, are we starting soon?" Sydney asked, forcing down a demand to know why she'd been waiting so long. Something about the way Jack was watching her right now was beginning to make her nervous.
"I'm afraid not. An emergency has arisen that we must discuss." He gestured the two of them into the conference room, "Come with me, both of you."
Sydney stood and quietly followed Sloane, glancing back once at Eric to see if he understood what was going on any better than she did but the expression on his face told her he didn't. Jack paused for a moment and followed them, shutting the door securely behind them as Sydney and Eric took the two seats across form each other closest to the screen on the wall.
"We got word from Italy about twenty minutes before your jet touched down, Sydney." Arvin began as he clicked the screen on with a remote in his hand, "There was a problem."
"I got the CD." She said, glancing at the picture on the screen for only a moment before turning her attention back on Arvin, "I don't see what the problem could be. It was practically in and out."
"Unfortunately, that's not true." Nodding to the screen he moved to the front of the table, "Androv Miguel, a CIA Sleeper Agent residing in Italy was found dead. We have every reason to believe you had contact with him before you left, as he was currently at the same hotel, correct?"
Sydney looked up at the picture again. It did look familiar, a lot like someone she'd seen right before she left.
"The receptionist?" She questioned, guessing, "He was a sleeper?"
Arvin nodded, "Was being the operative word. There is now evidence pointing to an information leak in the time before his death, presumably involving you or the current mission. Until we receive further notice as to the state and amount of this leak, Jack and I decided it was in your best interest to stay at APO. I've sent a team to check your house, but until we know how much Miguel revealed and to who, I do not want you leaving the premises."
Sydney glanced back to Eric who was frowning as he digested information as he asked, "Wait, so Miguel was murdered, but how do we know he knew anything about Sydney to tell them?"
"At the moment, we don't. Therefore, the necessary precautions are being taken to insure the safety of Miss Bristow." He clicked the power off on the projector, "We are adjourned until we know more. Remember, Sydney, do not leave the building under any circumstance. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Very good. An extra office has been outfitted in case you are required to stay the whole night. Dismissed."
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Eric looked across the room at Sydney with her knees pulled up and her chin resting on them on the cot. Since they'd left the meeting, she had stayed mostly optimistic and calm, but Eric had a good idea as to what she was thinking about, so he'd stayed. He knew that, God forbid, he ever had to stay the whole night at the office with a possible threat on his life, he would want company too.
"Thanks for staying." She said gratefully, as if reading his mind, "I like the company."
"No problem, Syd."
"I don't even know what I'm so worried about. It's not like this kind of stuff hasn't ever happened before and it's all gotten sorted out then, so why shouldn't it now?"
"Of course, it'll be fine, just close your eyes and sleep a little."
A slow smile spread across her face, "You're too nice, you know that?"
"Yeah." He grinned, happy to see her mood lightening as they both sat quietly, until another voice broke the silence.
"Hey, what's this? I leave for three days and I come back to my best friend cheating with my girl, after everything I've done for him. That's gratitude for you." Vaughn was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed.
"Vaughn, you're back early!" Sydney exclaimed, jumping off the cot and crossing the room to his open arms, "What happened to coming back tomorrow afternoon?"
"APO paged me and told me what happened, with Agent Miguel and everything," He noticed her eyes darkened as he mentioned it and went on as she loosened her grip around his shoulders, "And then I got on the next flight here to see how you were doing. Well, and partially because APO said they'd fire my ass if I wasn't here today, but that's only a small part." He smiled and then turned to Eric, "But it looks like someone's been doing my job."
"She's all yours, buddy." He insisted as he picked his coat up off the chair he'd been sitting in, "It's only what, three, four in the morning? If I leave now I can get a good three hours before I have to come back in." Heading for the door, he patted Sydney's shoulder, "Take care of yourself and," He nodded to Vaughn, "Good to have you back. See you tomorrow."
Michael watched as he headed out the door and around the corner and then looked back down at Sydney, "You're pretty lucky. Eric doesn't give up his beauty sleep for just anyone, you know."
Wrinkling her nose and looking up at him, she smiled, "I missed you. How was the trip?"
"I missed you too, and long." He answered, guiding her over to the cot and pulled up a chair to sit down across from her, "How was everything back here? Well, until today, obviously."
"Normal." Sydney said and paused, as if she wanted to say more but decided against it.
Michael set his hand on her knee and watched her, "What?"
Hesitating a moment, she pulled back and turned around to face the door, "This whole…mess. It's my fault, I wasn't on top of my game, I let myself get compromised too easily. I should have been-"
"'Should have been' nothing. You went out there and did your job and there is no way what happened has anything to do with the way you reacted in the field. For all anyone knows it doesn't involve you at all." He insisted and watched as she nodded a half-hearted agreement, "Are you sure that's all that's bothering you, Sydney?"
"Yeah." She replied and looked back over at him and sliding her hand into his, "It's just a bad week."
Michael stroked her hand with his thumb gently, but before he could ask her why, a noise caught their attention.
Footsteps echoed from down the hall as Jack rounded the corner and walked into the door frame, standing as straight and proper as always, even at three-thirty in the morning.
"Our sources in Rome have given us every reason to believe your cover is in the clear, Sydney." He informed them, "You're free to head home for the night and I recommend both of you get some sleep. Sloane wants everyone here at eleven tomorrow morning."
Michael nodded and Sydney smiled, obviously relieved as Jack went on, "Goodnight Sydney, Michael." He nodded to both of them and left the room, leaving them alone again.
Standing and stretching, Sydney yawned, "Finally, I can't wait to get home and crash. I can almost hear my bed calling now."
Michael kissed Sydney lightly on the cheek in goodbye, "I'll see you tomorrow morning if you're sure you don't need anything."
"I'm fine, Vaughn, don't worry." She assured him and returned his kiss, grabbing her coat and turning back to him as she started to leave, "Are you coming?"
"No, I have to grab a few things before I go."
"Okay, goodnight." She smiled before leaving.
"'night."
Michael watched her leave and frowned, shaking his head. Something seemed up with her, but he couldn't quite see what it was.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid. He thought as he picked up a few things and left the office, switching off the light and trying to rationalize his apprehension.