She groaned and rolled over, hugging the pillow closer to her. Curiosity seemed to get the better of her and such, she opened one eye to see what time it was. Six thirteen in the morning. Well… this was interesting. Her alarm wasn't set until seven.
Then what the hell woke her up? Couldn't have been Vaughn because the pillow mountain was still in between them and he didn't snore as far as she knew. Although, knowing him, he'd probably picked up the habit just so he could annoy her. Nincompoop.
Or it could be something stupid like her phone was ringing.
Well, that made more sense.
"That had better not be your phone," Vaughn mumbled from his side of the bed.
"So what if it is," Sydney answered already in a snappish tone. Apparently her bad mood from the day before didn't lessen any seeing as she was very unfairly awoken by her damned cell phone.
"If it is… I'm going to take a hammer to it," He replied.
"Let's see the hammer then."
"It was figure of speech."
She rolled her eyes, sticking one arm out to grab the phone off of her bedside table. "Hello?"
Only static responded.
With a small growl, she frowned and repeated, "Hello?" Damned phone, the reception was always cutting out.
Still only static.
"Look, is someone there?"
Yet more effing static.
"Fine then," She grumbled, hitting the 'end' button and tossing the phone back onto the table.
Just as she was about to get back to sleep, he decided to speak, "You got a hang up?"
"Yes."
"At six fifteen in the morning?"
"It's not like I arranged it," She replied. "It was probably Francie calling to tell me more about her wedding." Add in a bad connection and the theory worked.
"Who's Francie?"
Why did he even want to know? That was a better question. "My friend."
"Who's getting married," He added.
"Yes, who's getting married," She agreed. "Is there a reason why you want to know this?"
"Just curious," He replied off handedly.
"Be less curious then," She grumbled, giving her pillow a punch to make it more comfortable.
Just as she was about to get back to sleep, he asked, "How come I've never heard of Francie before?"
She growled. "Because I haven't mentioned her." That was a pretty obvious one. And he called himself a spy.
"Why haven't you?"
Oh for the love of God. "Because I don't like talking to you in case you haven't noticed."
Oh, he'd noticed. That one he'd noticed. He wasn't really adamant about talking to her either. "I need to know these things."
"Then check your folder," She answered. If she ever had the overpowering need to find out anything about him, then she'd go check the folder Kendall gave her. He should give her the same courtesy and do the same.
A frown crossed his features, as he turned his head to give the mountain of pillows an odd look. Had she been within his sight, the look would have been given to her. What folder was she talking about? He had a lot of folders… she was going to have to be a little more specific than that.
Oh wait. That one folder Kendall gave him when he first met her. That one that had background information on her. That one that he had glanced at once and hadn't picked up since. Right. Or he could just ask her. That was so much easier than riffling through a file, looking for a best friend's name.
"Or I'll just ask you," He countered.
"Or you really could check that folder." She replied.
"Or I might just ask you instead."
"Or you could check the folder and not talk to me."
"Why are you being so stubborn about this?" He asked.
She huffed, sitting up halfway. So much for getting back to sleep, she thought ruefully. Fine, she'd just go for a longer run today. "Because. I. Can." She replied, shoving the covers off her legs, stretching her arms above her head at the same time.
The sound of her rummaging around in her dresser for something caused his frown to increase and him to sit up. "What are you doing?" He asked.
She didn't stop when she heard him ask a question. "I'm looking for my running clothes."
"Aren't they on the chair?" He asked, yawning into the back of his hand.
Now she stopped. With a small frown, she dropped the clothes from the drawer in her hands, looking over towards the chair he mentioned. Oh. Well then. Why hadn't she thought of that? "Um, thanks." She muttered, closing the dresser drawer with her knee before heading for the chair.
"No problem," He replied with another yawn. "Going for a run I presume?" He asked rhetorically. Okay, this was getting weird. How was it that five minutes ago they were fighting and now they were acting like some sort of… couple?
"Mmmhmm…" She replied, grabbing the clothes off the chair and then stopping dead in her movements. Without even realizing that it was him in the room, she had almost reached for the hem of her shirt and just changed right there. Oh god would that have been embarrassing if she had.
If he noticed her 'moment' he didn't show any sign of it. With another yawn, he pushed off the bed, heading straight for the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."
"Okay," She replied automatically, waiting until the door had closed behind him to let out that long over due sigh. How could she almost have done that? How could she have almost had changed right in front of him?
It was only after she heard him lock the door did she move to change out of her pajamas.
-break-
Sydney let out a small huff, slowly bringing herself to a stop. God did she love running. She had too much energy to just sit around and running took care of that energy pretty damn well. She swallowed hard, breathing hard through her nose as she walked off the path to stretch against a bench.
Putting both hands on the back of the bench, she leaned forward, smiling to herself when she felt that stretch in her hamstrings. Slowly, she glanced around the small park, looking for someone. When she had been running, she thought she saw…
"Hello."
Okay, the woman had found her. That was just a little bit suspicious. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she'd say that she was being followed.
No, that is ridiculous. You're at the only bench for a good hundred yards and she's just going to stretch too. Stop being paranoid.
With a smile, Sydney returned the "hello" as she straightened. "I wouldn't have had you pegged as a runner," She commented.
Reed gave her a smile in return along with a laugh. "I love to run." She replied.
"I meant…" Sydney corrected, the smile still on her face. "That you wouldn't go anywhere without your husband." She hadn't seen Sark running unfortunately. Studying them together might have helped a little.
Reed laughed again. "Julian hates running." She answered. "He says that it's just a waste of time." She gave a small shrug before adding, "But I love it."
Sydney nodded slowly, putting that little bit of information in the back of her mind. Being a spy for years had taught her to get to know the little details about the person you were following. It made stealing from them or in this case, finding out their agenda much easier.
"Where's your husband?" Lauren asked.
She was going to have to get used to people referring to the nincompoop as her husband. At least for the rest of the two weeks which was officially eleven more days. Nothing including this one.
"Sleeping most likely," Sydney answered, lying a little though she wasn't convinced that he hadn't fallen asleep again after she'd left. Not that she really cared either way. Just as long as he was out of that bathroom by the time she came back.
Lauren gave another laugh. "When are they not sleeping, right?"
"Right," Sydney agreed, giving the other woman an odd look out of the corner of her eye. If she had to guess, it sounded like Lauren was trying to throw her off. She almost seemed to be acting like a typical American wife making small talk with another wife. It was too fake. Too practiced. And completely suspicious.
Lauren caught one glance of Sydney's expression and changed her tune immediately. "Are you doing anything today?"
"Besides dragging my husband out of bed?" Sydney replied, pretending that she didn't notice the change in the other one's voice.
"Yes, besides that," Lauren laughed.
Sydney laughed expectedly. "No… not really." Her entire plan consisted of spying on Sark and Reed. She couldn't exactly tell her that now could she?
"Would you like to go shopping?"
Sydney knew the end of the question was 'with me?' Did she want to go shopping with Lauren Reed? Her first reaction was no way in hell. Spending an entire afternoon with that woman would not be something she would enjoy. But… if it would help the mission in any way, she was obliged to do it. In fact, if she didn't do it, she'd have Kendall and her dad and mister high and mighty on her ass.
She put on a bright smile and nodded. "I would love that."
"Really?" Lauren asked, very obviously faking it again. "I'll meet you in the lobby. Say… ten thirty? We can have lunch."
Sydney glanced at her watch. It was a little before eight now. Wow, she'd been out for a long time. No… that was getting off topic. Stay focused, Syd. She'd have a little over two hours to get back, shower, inform her 'husband' of her plans, and then get down to the lobby. No problem. As long as she left for the hotel now.
"Ten thirty it is," She replied sweetly. She gave a laugh before adding, "What do you think our husbands will do without us?"
"Go insane of course," Lauren answered.
Sydney laughed again. "I think my husband's already insane." She answered. Of course he was. Judging by the way he acted, the man was a temper tantrum away from a straight jacket.
"Well… he is a man in love." Lauren replied.
What?
Not uh.
No way.
Ew.
Gross.
Sick!
Wait… she doesn't know that she hated Vaughn. Right. Maybe a narcotic wouldn't be such a bad idea for her to take before attempting to go shopping with Reed for most of the day.
"… and no matter what any one says, a man in love always acts recklessly," Lauren finished, completely unaware to Sydney's inner turmoil.
Sydney gave her another smile and a nod. "Don't have to tell me twice," She replied, glancing at her watch again. "I should probably get back."
"Right of course," Lauren replied, the fake bright tone coming back for yet another round. "I'll see you in the lobby."
"I wouldn't miss it," Sydney replied, setting off down the path again, heading back to the hotel.
-break-
"Oh good. You're out of the bathroom," Sydney commented, walking back into the hotel room to find him on the bed watching TV. The stack of pillows had disappeared like they always did during the day.
Vaughn rolled his eyes, flipping the channel before answering. "I'm not you. I don't take three hours in the bathroom."
She gave him a look, pulling her ponytail out. She shook her hair out. "I do not take three hours in the bathroom." She countered.
"You tell yourself that."
She gave him a glare, sitting on the edge of the bed to take off her shoes. "I'm going shopping with Reed." She announced, slipping one trainer off.
That got his attention. He stared at the side of her head for a full ten seconds before he found his voice. "You're—what?"
"I'm going shopping with Reed," She repeated evenly, slipping her other trainer off and now focusing on taking her socks off.
"When was this decided?" He demanded.
"When I was out running," She explained, purposely sounding as though it was no big deal just to bother him and by the sound of his voice, it was working. "We ran into each other."
"And then you just decided to go shopping with her?"
She huffed impatiently, rolling her eyes. "I didn't. She offered and I accepted." She countered. "Why do you look like you're going to throw a fit? This'll help the mission."
"I'm not sure fawning over shoes together is going to help anything," He muttered.
"I'll be getting to know her better," She countered. "And who knows… she just might be stupid enough to let something slip."
"You don't really believe that, do you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
She looked over at him and shrugged. "I believe you'd do it." She replied, standing up. "So maybe there are other people in the world just as stupid as you."
And there was the Sydney he knew. The one that threw insult after insult after him. Here he was hoping that perhaps she had lost that little quality of hers when she lost her mind agreeing to go shopping with Lauren Reed. Guess that was too much to hope for.
"Do you amuse yourself with all those little snide comments?" He asked.
She pretended to think about it, stopping in front of the bathroom door. "Yes," She answered giving him a sardonic smile. "I do." With that said, she shut the door behind her, promptly locking it.
"That makes one of us," He muttered grabbing the remote he'd dropped when she had announced that she was going shopping. But his solitude didn't last long.
Not even a minute later and she stormed out of the bathroom, in just her running shorts and sports bra. "Were you going through my things?" She demanded.
Trying to keep himself from retching right there, seeing her less then fully clothed, he closed his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Some of my stuff is missing," She explained, glaring at him. "What did you do with it?"
"I haven't touched any of your stuff," He countered. "Nor do I have any intention of doing so any time in the future."
She studied him for a moment. Either he was a very good liar (and he would be, since he made a living spying on people) or he really hadn't gone through her things. But that would mean someone else had been in their room and that wasn't a very comforting thought.
Then again… they were at a hotel. Perhaps maybe just the maid had started to clean up and that had moved some of her stuff. Yeah, that made perfect sense. It was just the maid. She should really look into that narcotic.
"Stay away from my things," She warned, giving him another glare before turning on her heel and storming back into the bathroom.
"Don't worry. I will." He muttered, finally opening his eyes after he heard the door slam behind her. Did she have to stalk out barely dressed? She couldn't have had the common courtesy to throw on a shirt perhaps before she'd decided to come out and yell at him a little? Apparently not.
It didn't help that his traitorous body was oddly attracted to her with her shirt off. He caught just a glimpse but that glimpse was sticking in his mind. She definitely had some things going for her. Like she was well toned. She definitely wasn't the kind of girl to just sit around the house. Her arms were strong, sound. And her abdomen was one that most women would kill for. Flat, defined, leading the eye straight to her… no!
Oh holy fuck. He did not just think about her… he couldn't even bring himself to even think the word. He'd throw up if he did that. There was no way he just thought about that part of her body. It didn't matter that she was… pretty nice in that area, she was an insufferable, wretched, evil woman. He'd rather shoot himself than ever have feelings for her.
How the rest of him could ever, even for a moment, think that dating her would be a good idea, he didn't know. And for that matter, he didn't want to know.
He was definitely going to need a pain killer, his headache was getting worse.
-break-
"Get up. We're going to dinner." Sydney announced, stalking into the hotel room, both hands holding shopping bags, only to find him in the place she'd left him that morning. On the bed, watching TV. "Did you move at all today?"
Vaughn opened one eye, looking at her with her shopping bags and annoyed expression before closing his eye again. "First of all… since when are we going to dinner? And second, no."
"Since this afternoon. Reed invited us," She explained, dropping the bags off by her dresser. She turned back to him with a frown and her hands on her hips, "Why the hell not?"
"And you accepted for the both of us?" He asked, both his eyes opening now. "I have a headache."
"Yes. I thought it'd be a good way to get to know them better," She replied. "Didn't you have a headache this morning?"
"Whatever gave you that ridiculous idea?" He questioned. "Yes. I did."
She sighed impatiently. "Stop questioning me. We're going to dinner and that's final." She commanded. "Besides, weren't you the one to propose the idea of getting close to them? I'm merely following it." She added. "Have you taken anything?"
Oh, so now she decides to go along with his ideas. She was evil. Pure evil. Ignoring her little order, he nodded slowly. "Of course I have."
"Then why do you still have a headache?"
"If I knew the answer to that," He replied slowly. "Then I wouldn't have a headache right now, would I?"
She rolled her eyes, heading for the bathroom. "Get up. We're meeting them in a half an hour."
"I never said that I was going to go," He countered, refusing to move from the spot.
After a couple minutes, she walked back out of the bathroom, a cup of water and a pill in her hands. "Here. Take this. Your headache will be gone before you know it."
He eyed the pill warily. "Who's to say that's not going to kill me?"
"Because it hasn't killed me yet," She countered, thrusting the glass of water into his hand. "And you're no good to me dead."
"You take this?" He asked, picking the pill out of her hand and studying it. It looked far too big to be an over the counter pain killer. "That's surprisingly kind of you."
"Not on a regular basis," She countered gesturing for him to swallow the pill. "No. I just would hate to have to play the widow."
He paused long enough to pop the pill into his mouth, take a drink of the water, and swallow before answering. "Then what do you take it for?" He asked. "Good to know where your priorities are."
"It's a migraine prescription," She explained taking the glass from him. Somehow, she was reminded of the conversation they'd had two days ago after he'd fallen off the horse. She'd given him a pain killer then. And they had been fighting about dinner.
"You get migraines?" He asked.
"Only when my supposed husband won't shut the hell up, get off his lazy ass, and go to dinner with me so I can spy on people," She replied.
"Ha. Ha." He muttered, rolling his eyes. "Alright fine. I'll go to dinner with you."
"Good boy," Sydney replied. "Hurry up, we've got twenty five minutes now."
This was going to be hell. He could feel it.
SSB's note: Don't you just love when I repeate scenes with Vaughn getting some form of a headache? Hehe, actually... that's leading up to something. Bet you can't figure out what. :P
Review responses are in my livejournal.
Next chapter: Of couples and fake laughs
