Hope you all enjoy this update, because… eh, we'll 'talk' at the end…
"Michael, is anything wrong?" I glanced up from where I had been staring out the window, and found Jack looking at me in concern.
"Why do you ask?" I questioned, turning my gaze outward once again. Somehow, the endlessly dark miles of sky were a vague comfort.
"Irina told me that you were having an unpleasant dream." I grunted slightly, not really wanting to talk about it. Jack, however, was not easily deterred.
"She didn't go into detail. Perhaps you'd care to."
"Not particularly," I replied, the haunting aspects of the dream still torturing my mind. He sighed lightly.
"Vaughn, don't tell me I'm going to have to force it out of you." One look into his eyes was all I needed to be sure- he wasn't joking. He was willing to do whatever it took to make me talk.
"Why? Why are you so determined? It was just a dream… just a stupid dream. It can't be real. It means nothing." That wasn't what I had originally believed, in my first reflections upon the dream. But the more time I had to think, the more I became convinced that it was simply the byproduct of a fearful imagination. I spent close to an hour convincing myself that it couldn't mean anything. But deep down, I still knew the truth.
It was a warning. And it was something I needed to take seriously if I wanted to stop it from coming to life.
"I'll tell you why I am so determined, Vaughn." Jack's voice interrupts my thoughts, and I caught his use of my last name for the second time in that conversation. It was a bad sign.
"I'm determined because we need you. You are, perhaps, the most essential element in our search for Sydney. If you're having some kind of breakdown, that endangers everything. Even if it's just a stress-induced nightmare, keeping it to yourself like this cannot do any good whatsoever. Now, do you understand why I'm so determined?" I nodded slowly.
"Yeah… I do."
"Good. Now, as I was saying… what was your dream about?" I kept my eyes firmly focused on the night sky as I told him about it. The nightmare conversation with Sydney was still fresh in my mind, and it wouldn't leave me in peace. There was a long silence after I finished relating the vision to him, during which I began to wonder if he hadn't just slipped away. It was only when I forced my gaze away from the outside darkness that he began to speak.
"Is this the first time you've had this dream?"
"This particular one? Yes."
"You've had similar?"
"When haven't I?"
"How often?"
"Almost every night." I began to feel as though I were talking to Barnett, not Jack.
"Since when?"
"Since I lost her." There was another silence, shorter this time, before Jack spoke again.
"What are they usually about?" Suddenly, something within me broke, and I flew to my feet.
"I am not answering anymore of your questions Jack. I understand and appreciate your concern, but these are things I have to deal with in my own way, on my own time. I know you will neither like nor agree with it, but that's how it has to be. Please don't press the issue- I won't be changing my mind." We stared at one another for so long, I almost thought he would fight me then and there. Finally, he nodded slightly.
"Fine. I'll drop it. For now. But sooner or later, Michael, we will continue this conversation." He then turned on his heel and walked out. I glared after him for a time before deciding I should follow suit. Having no other way to turn, I walked in the opposite direction, towards the cockpit.
I stopped halfway down that short hallway, leaning against the wall in an effort to regain my composure. Jack had left me quite unsettled, and I knew it would be in my own best interest to get a handle on my anger before I spoke to either him or Irina again. Just as I finally felt calm, something else happened to throw me off yet again.
I straightened up and turned to head back to where I had been sitting earlier, when I heard a door creak open. I spun around and found myself face to face with Sark.
"Agent Vaughn. You and I need to talk."
As I was saying… hope you liked, because I'm heading out to Europe until July 2nd, so it'll be at least that long before another update rears its head around here… I'm sure you'll all be counting the days… right? No? Oh. Ok… well then, on with replies…
Carrie: Chapter 29 is still a flashback… past tense and whatnot…
SAG: Heh. It was probably the Stalin av… or maybe not… I dunno. Hmm… heart wrenching is good… we like heart wrenching…
Nicholette: Haha not pathetic at all… I know exactly who you're talking about. I watched WWE ardently until Jeff Hardy got fired in April… *evil glare* Anyway, thanks for the review!
Crystal Raven: Wow. Thank you so much, that was absolutely awesome. Now… a high speed car chase… I think that can happen sooner or later…
A good sign: Uh… yup. Vaughns still alive. Unless, of course, his ghost is talking… *insert creepy music here*
Jade: Angsty and emotional… I try. Nice to know I'm successful on occasion. Gee, more demands for shipperness… you just never quit, do you? ;)
Well, that's it from me for now guys… be back July 2nd, and I'll have a new fic around that time (which, unfortunately, I know for sure some of you won't like, but we won't get into that right now) and I'll probably have more of this for you all then. You rock, I'll miss you! ~Gabs