A/N: Hey Everyone! I thought it was about time for an update...after two months. Haha. I've been really busy with school. Writing essays, making sure I don't fail a class I need to pass, you know, same ole' same ole'. So here's the next chapter! WOOT WOOT! (More author's notes at the bottom of the chapter...)

"I met him in Beijing," Sydney said to herself more than Lindsey.

"Beijing? Why would he be in Beijing?"

"I don't know."

Michael Vaughn, Michael Vaughn, Michael Vaughn...

It wasn't a familiar name to Sydney, but it was a familiar face. And she knew all too well that it was not wise to wait around to identify a familiar face.

Sydney typed Michael Vaughn into the CIA database and waited for the results.

Please be clean, please be clean...Sydney pleaded, though she didn't know why. There was something different in this guy. Different from most of the guys she'd met in her job. He didn't seem like a sleaze and he didn't seem conceited. But then again, she'd just met the guy fifteen minutes ago. But I saw him in Beijing!

Her computer stopped humming, signaling it was done searching.

Database searched---Michael Vaughn results: 7

She scrolled down the page and was surprised to see that the only results the computer had found was Michael's California State driver's liscense and transcripts for parking tickets, late movie rentals and library book returns.

"Damn Syd," Lindsey said popping over her shoulder. "Now the only excuse you have to kick his ass is for not returning, Steel Magnolias? What guy watches that movie, and keeps it for three weeks over its due date?"

"Michael Vaughn," Sydney answered. She could have been almost positive she'd met Michael in Beijing a few weeks back. "And he forgot to return Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire back to the library two days ago," she laughed.

"See? There's nothing wrong with him," the younger agent smiled. Sydney smiled back. "So you're still meeting him for lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't really have a reason not to," Sydney sighed. "Unless you count reading Harry Potter against him."

"He seems like a really great guy."

"Probably is," Sydney sighed again, resting her chin in the palm of her hand with her elbow on the desk.

But something just doesn't fit...

"What's that?" Weiss asked as he came up behind Vaughn at his desk.

"It's nothing," Michael murmured in response, still absorbed into what was on his computer screen.

Weiss peered over his friend's shoulder. "You're doing a background check on her? That's just weird."

"Don't be stupid."

"I'm not the one being stupid. You're the paranoid guy who does background checks on women that he dates."

"Who's says we're dating?" Vaughn asked, his back still to Weiss.

"You're having lunch tomorrow, aren't you?"

"So what."

"Dude, any woman who accepts an invite to lunch with a guy like yourself obviously wants to jump you," Weiss explained. "And its not like you backdown either."

Michael spun his chair so that he was facing Weiss. "I've seen her before, Weiss. I know it."

"Well it can't be that hot chick from China. The one with the French accent," Weiss chuckled slightly. Vaughn looked at him. "Holy shit. It's not her, is it?" Vaughn looked away. "Ah hell no, dude. No."

Vaughn looked from the notes on his desk to the information on the screen before him. Who are you?

"Wait," Weiss said. The next minute he was searching the database for Sydney's driver's liscense. "Look there," he said, pointing to her neck on the ID.

"Move your finger and then maybe I could see whatever the hell you're pointing at," Vaughn snapped. He was already frustrated with the fact that he couldn't figure out who this woman really was. "What? I don't see anything."

"Exactly," Weiss smiled, nodding his head.

"You're insane," Vaughn shook his head, annoyed, and continued to go through the files on his desk.

"No, you don't get it, man. The woman in this photo doesn't have a mole on her neck the size of Texas. And the woman from China did."

"It could have been part of her diguise, Weiss," Vaughn said.

"Why would anyone want a mole to be a part of their disguise. Unless they were trying to pose as someone else who specifically had a mole on their neck."

"Alright, you win," Michael sighed.

"I'm so glad I'm not field rated," Weiss sighed as well, taking a seat in his desk next to his partner.

"But you are," Vaughn laughed.

"I know, I just like how it sounds when I say I'm not," Weiss shrugged. He really didn't like dealing with the people he met in the field.

The expression on Vaughn's face started to become blank in clear thought.

"Mike, all you can do is give her a chance."

"She does have a pretty clean record," Michael smiled looking at her information on the computer. "Except for one speeding ticket."

"You have plenty of those, bud," Weiss said, patting Vaughn's shoulder. "And late movie rentals."

"Eric, the only reason why I have late movie rentals is because you use my account, and keep the movies months after they're due," Vaughn retorted. "I think you owe me over a hundred in late fees."

"Well if you would have watched Steel Magnolias with me like I asked, maybe there wouldn't be any damn fees to begin with."

"That's what you rented for so long?"

"It's a beautiful movie! I bawled like a baby!"

"Only you Weiss, only you."

It was three minutes after noon, and Michael was waiting at the same outdoor cafe from yesterday for Sydney. Where was she? Was she standing him up?

No, you're paranoid. She's only fifteen mintues late. Be cool Mike...

"Hey."

He looked up into her brown eyes and stood up to wait for her to sit down. "Hey."

"Sorry I'm late," she quickly apologized. "I had to finish this report for a cilent in San Diego." Sydney smiled. "How was work this morning?"

He couldn't help smiling back. "Nothing too interesting. Meetings, dumb colleagues. The same, old, great stuff like everyday," he said.

"You really like your job, huh?" she could tell that he really did.

Michael nodded. "It's actually not that boring, like I make it seem," he said earning a soft laugh. "Probably not as exciting as yours, I don't get to travel much." Really, he did, but maintaining his cover job status was almost instinct to tell people he didn't know very well.

"Other than work, what else do you like?" she asked, setting down her menu, deciding that what he liked to do was more important than a club sandwich.

"Sailing and hiking. But I don't have much time for either of them," he shrugged. "So running is my break."

"Oh, I love running," she beamed. Of course, with her job she needed to stay in shape. But no one said she wasn't allowed to enjoy working out.

"Have you ever ran the trails around Lake Brown?" he asked her, intrigued by their common interest.

"I thought you didn't do much traveling," Sydney cocked a brow.

"Wisconsin isn't that far to be called traveling," he defended himself. She looked at him. "Alright, my cousin lives there." She was still giving him that look. "Hey, I didn't say that I literally lived and breathed only California."

"True."

"And he just stood there and laughed as I made a complete ass of myself," Michael laughed. "But Eric is really a great guy once you get to know him." Now it was Sydney who laughed.

The two were now enjoying the other's company, while waiting for the bill.

"Vaughn, he tied you to the tree in the town center with only your boxers," she said trying not to laugh so hard to embarrass him all over again. "Yeah, I'd say he's an excellent friend." Michael shrugged.

"What about your most embarrassing moment?" he implored.

"Oh no. That story is too long. Maybe another time," she blushed but quickly covered up with, "What was the last book you read?"

"I can't tell you that one," he Vaughn grinned, shaking his head.

"Come on, I told you that I was the band geek in high school," Sydney whined.

He snickered, earning himself a sarcastic smile. Not as pretty as her real one. "But you also said you were Homecoming Queen junior year."

"Michael."

"Okay. But you can't laugh."

"Alright," she grinned.

"Harry Potter," he muttered. Sydney clapped her hand to her mouth as Michael hung his head in shame. "You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"Well you never said you read Harry Potter!" Though she already knew he did. She just loved watching him get embarrassed.

The waiter brought the bill and set it down in the middle of the table.

Sydney looked at her watch. "Shit, I'm late for work."

"Don't worry about it, I got it."

"No, no, I made you wait for like twenty minutes, I'll pay."

"Syd, I got it," he insisted.

He called her Syd. "Are you sure?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?" she smiled mischieviously.

"You have to go to dinner with me Friday night."

"Done," she grinned. Sydney stood up. "Thanks for lunch Vaughn. Oh, here's my number," she said, pulling out a piece of paper and writing her phone number on it with the pen that came with the check for their lunch.

"Anytime," he got up from his seat as well offering his hand to shake.

Instead she enveloped him in a friendly hug, then pulled away slightly, holding onto his forearms. "I'll see you Friday."

"Bye Syd."

Four months later...

Sydney was strolling down one of the quieter, and safer, neighborhoods in New York City. She had just finished one of her longer tasks in the city and was granted a week from work after the mission. All she hoped for was that her father and Kendall would be pleased with her work. Her mother as well, even though they were just past the awkward part of rebuilding their relationship. Since she knew how, she always wanted to make her mother proud, even after Irina 'died'.

She was reminded of her mother by the large trees lining the streets between the apartments.

The leaves were golden and maroon, but also dropping from their branches like rain. She loved fall. This is perfect weather to go for a jog later tonight...

As she walked back to the apartment she was renting for the mission, her eyes spotted someone on the otherside of the street sitting on a bench at the small park on the streetside corner.

No, it can't be.

Sydney casually crossed the street after the last car had passed through the otherwise peaceful neighborhood.

She approached the man sitting on the bench, reading the paper. But she was apprehensive at the thought of even speaking to him. Instead, she just walked right by the park and continued on to her apartment which was in the next building over.

"Syd?" was a voice behind her. She turned around and smiled politely even though that was her very opposite reaction.

"Hey Vaughn."

A/N: There people. I updated. Sorry it took me so long! Please review. And I'm so sorry that it was so short! I just haven't had the time to make any of the chapters longer lately. But I promise the next ones will be longer! I think I've gotten into the groove of updating more often again. I hope you guys liked it. I think my other two fics in play right now should be updated by the end of the week. Hope everyone had a great time over the holiday break!