Cory settled deeper into the leather seat holding the silver frame in her hands, now with the picture of Sydney and Vaughn's wedding day in it. She hadn't put it down since Sydney gave it to her except when Sydney had moved the photo from its old frame to the new one but that was it.
Sydney walked back into the small cabin of the private plane after talking to the pilot briefly and sat down on the chair across from Cory. "Do you like it?"
Cory nodded, rapidly, "Love it." She tilted her head to the side a little to get a different look at it. "When are we going to be there?"
Sydney smiled at the very childish question, "About eight hours. You might want to take a nap, sweetie."
"I'm not sleepy." Cory answered, still studying the photo. She reminded Sydney of someone. Someone really familiar. Then she remembered who. Herself.
"...I'm not tired, okay. I want to know what the hell happened to my husband." Sydney snapped at the rookie agent trying to calm her down by offering a cup of coffee and a donut and yet at the same time telling her to sleep. Sydney refused the refreshments and sleep. Instead she sat curled up on the overstuffed chair in the living room, clutching a picture of her and Vaughn at the park or some outdoor place. "Tell me what the hell happened to my husband."
The agent looked at her sympathetically, "We don't know yet. We're still trying to figure that out." She wanted to punch him. The agent got the idea that she didn't want to talk to him –go figure- and walked off to aide somehow in the CIA's search of the Vaughn house. So far, they turned up nothing. No encrypted note. No signs of forced entry. No signs of a struggle. It really looked like he had just left. Of his own free will.
Sydney laid her head down against the back of the chair in a weird angle and went over the night before over and over. Nothing he did gave her any reason that he was trying to tell her something. They had dinner, another talk about if the baby was a boy or a girl and what they should name it, watched TV for a few hours before she started to nod off and he turned off the TV and helped her back to bed where she fell asleep with him next to her. Then, he was gone. In the blink of an eye. Gone.
Sydney heard a new angry sounding voice and an agent trying to reason with the owner of the voice to no avail and picked up her head. It was who she thought it was. Jack.
Getting up from the chair at a surprising rate for someone as pregnant as her, Sydney bolted across the room as fast as she could and caught Jack up in a desperate hug. Her tears started flowing again as she clung to her father for support, "Daddy," She sobbed, "Please say you found something. Anything."
Jack shook his head, and answered in a low voice, "Nothing, yet." The "yet" was added for Sydney's sake, though it did little to help her hysterical condition.
Sydney sank slowly to the ground where she seemed to be spending a lot of time lately, and Jack kneeled down next to her. "What happened?" She asked him. "What the hell happened to him? Why did he leave? Why? All I want is why?"
Jack wrapped his arms around her sobbing frame as best he could and tried to comfort her like he had when she was little and had a nightmare, before Laura/Irina had disappeared. "I'll find why, Sydney. I promise."
"Oh my God, Sydney, darling," In a flash, Vaughn's mother was at Sydney's side, sitting shamelessly like her daughter-in-law on the ground. She had been called about her son's disappearance and had taken the first flight out to L.A.
Sydney turned from Jack for support to Claire Vaughn and cried into the older woman's shoulder, "Thank you for coming." She managed to say.
"It's nothing, dear." Claire reassured. She studied Sydney for a moment before asking, "Have you eaten anything today?" Sydney shook her head, no. Claire sighed, it was already past noon and Sydney needed to eat, that much was common sense. "Come on, you need to eat something." Sydney shook her head again. "Sydney, you need to eat. You need to be strong, for your baby." Sydney nodded and Claire rushed off to find something for her to eat.
"Mrs. Vaughn?"
Sydney opened her eyes, half glad to be rid of the memory and looked to the pilot, who was trying to tell her something, "Yes?"
"We've landed," He told her simply. "Your bags are on the runway."
Sydney smiled and nodded, "Thank you." She turned to Cory, who was still wide awake and clutching the photo in her hands. "Are you coming Cory or are you just going to sit there all day?" Cory nodded and jumped off the seat. Sydney smiled and stood up a little more gracefully than Cory, then took her hand and led her off the plane.
The second both their feet set place upon solid ground, the small private plane started rolling to another end of the runway. Just like the CIA, never wait for anything, Sydney mused while wondering why she had agreed to using a CIA plane.
Cory tugged on Sydney's hand, obviously impatient to go see France and all its glory instead of the airport. Sydney tugged back and bent down to gather their things with her one hand. Realizing that she couldn't carry two suitcases and a few smaller bags with one hand, Sydney released Cory's hand to get the rest of their luggage. She was reluctant to do so, let go of Cory that is, because she had the feeling that he was somewhere close.
The two girls made their way inside the airport instead of standing on the runway all day and once inside, Sydney stopped and started to look for Claire, who said she was going to meet them there. Just when Sydney was going to call a cab, Cory cried out, "Look, Mommy, it's Daddy!"
Sydney followed her daughter's finger towards the man Cory pointed to. She could hear her heart pounding in her head, and suddenly the past six years, one month, and eleven days since Cory was born past by Sydney's eyes. Everything from when she first held her to Cory's first steps to her first words to her first ice cream cone to the first time she met her Grandmere to her first day at kindergarten. Then everything she learned from her days as a spy came to mind. She tried to analyze the best escape route and if necessary, the best way to kick that son a bitch's ass without completely scaring Cory and with as little force as necessary.
But all of her worrying was for nothing. The man Cory pointed to wasn't Vaughn. Sure, they had the same hair but whoever that man was did not have green eyes, one of Vaughn's most prominent features, the same ones that Cory had inherited. Sydney sighed and tried to force a smile, "Cory, sweetie that's not Daddy."
"Yes, it is," Cory insisted, wagging her finger around more.
Sydney shook her head softly, "No, it's not. Look at the frame in your hand, sweetie, that's not Daddy."
Cory glanced down at the frame and realized that she was mistaken, "But it really did look like him."
"I know, sweetie." Sydney answered with a smile. For about two years after Vaughn had disappeared, she thought she had seen him everywhere, at the supermarket, the mall, at school, in the park, once even in a bakery and she actually chased that man down the street and scared the crap out him, whoever he was. She had apologized and was thankful that he didn't call the police on her.
"Sydney! Cory! Over here!" Claire's voice sounded, over the loud chapter of the airport lobby. Sydney instinctively followed the voice to its origin and smiled. Cory did the same and took off at a sprint for her Grandmere. Smiling, Sydney followed and arrived at the pair just as Claire was releasing Cory. "Sydney, dear, you look fantastic."
"Thank you," Sydney said, accepting the offered hug from her mother-in-law. "So do you."
"Nonsense," Claire admonished, then turning back to her granddaughter. "What's that you've got there, Cherie?"
Cory smiled proudly and held up the frame for her Grandmere. "It's Mommy and Daddy's wedding photo."
Claire smiled, "So, it is."
"Grandmere, do you know where Daddy is?"
Sydney was instantly concerned. That was the second time in a week that Cory had asked about her father's whereabouts and usually Cory didn't ask that. She didn't like the answers given to her. Normally, Sydney would be asked that question every six months or so and that was under good circumstances. And now that Cory was starting to question everybody about it, Sydney was worried. Had she seen Vaughn somewhere and now wanted to know why he wasn't with her and Mommy?
Claire thought carefully about it, after glancing quickly in Sydney's direction to find her just as confused. "No, sweetie, I don't." She said at last with a shake of her head. Cory half smiled and glanced at the photo again. "But I do know where a big batch of chocolate chip cookies are," Claire continued.
Cory's eyes lit up and she smiled, "Are they for me?"
"Of course." Claire agreed, reaching for Cory's hand. Cory took it and let her Grandmere lead her towards the car. Sydney followed with their luggage, a wide smile on her face watching the pair.
Claire helped Cory into the backseat then helped Sydney with the luggage. "Is something wrong?"
Sydney stopped, surprised. "No. Why?"
"You seem...different." Claire answered.
Sydney sighed, "I'll tell you about it later." Claire nodded and shut the trunk. Sydney smiled at her briefly before heading towards the passenger side and getting in, Claire doing the same on the driver's side. It wasn't long before she had the car running and drove off in the direction of her countryside home.
They failed to notice the pair of green eyes watching them and then a couple minutes after they drove off, getting into his own car and driving off in the same direction as them.
A/N: I know, it's short. Kill me after I get enough caffeine in me to defend myself a little. The next chapter will be longer I promise.
Ooh, told ya Spy!Daddy!Vaughn would make an appearance, and it's sooner than I told ya. But then again...who said it was Vaughn? hehe.
baby le- lol. it's to know that i have such adoring fans that the second they realize that i have a new chapter, they rush for the update. lol. that made my day. and i hope this chapter didn't disappoint either.
Ren201- ah, but...but...but i do need your review! i do! they make me so happy. and i love being happy. happy gives me inspiration to write stories. you want me to happy, right? i love france and the french...ah, such a nice picture. i have no idea what i'm saying anymore, so i shall be quiet now.
TheUptownGirl- ah, okay, now it makes more sense. yeah, i'm glad she isn't like that either. little children that are like that annoy me to no end. i had to entertain one like that once and "entertaining" her meant a piggyback ride for the entire afternoon and evening! the girl ate her dinner while on my back! argh, was it annoying!
rainluver- i hope you didn't die of curiosity by now. i know it took me awile to update this. i was too freaking tired to write much. do you think i should have a rain scene in this story? i was thinking about doing that and i would love a fellow rain lover's opinion.
Charmed-angel4- okay, reread the last line...did you?...that was vaughn...or was it?...it's pretty obvious who it was, i just like messing with people. hehe. see ya soon, hopefully, STALKERGIRL!
Agent Flamingo- Thank ya bunches! I like having my stuff called sweet. all warm and fuzzy right now. btw, i love your name. flamingos are so cool! did i spell flamingos right? lol.
natalie- hmmm...that's what i'm saying? okay, if that's what it seems like...i never noticed that before...i n t e r e s t i n g.
kay10197- yay! you mentioned the frame. not many people did and i love that scene and the scene where he gave it too her. i love s/v fluff. lots and lots of fluff. lol. i'm okay...i think.
Ellie C.- I know how you feel. I'm impatient too and I LOVE S/V!!! so much i'm considering blackmailing JJ into making them get back together in the first episode...i didn't say that btw...shh...and did you see the last line!?! that was vaughn...or was it? lol. i think you know who it was.
neptunestar- i don't think he's not the vaughn we all know and love...we'll just have to wait and see won't we?...lol...i know...i'm mean.
Olivia- i love writing these responses for that very reason. i like to let my readers know that i do appreciate their reviews and now i feel special cause you called me fantastic. you get a hug. ::hug:: we need smilies on this site. lol.
wicked-sista- yay! you mentioned the flashbacks! i suppose that means keep going with them? cause i love them and would like die if i had to stop with them. i thought the comment at the end of the wedding would be funny. good old me...gotta put humor in everything. lol.