Chapter Three
"Good morning, everyone. Lets get to business shall we?" Sloan stood at the end of a table in the APO HQ. He wore his usual dignified suite, and stood in his discreetly dominating way.
Tracy could feel a little hidden hostility towards him from the others. Not a big surprise after what Jack told her about the man that is now her boss.
"I'd finally like to introduce to you our new associate: Ms. Tracy Maxwell." He gestured towards Tracy, and if she didn't know any better, she would think this man was one of the kindest she had seen.
"Ms. Maxwell has been part of CIA for the last five years, up until the unfortunate exposure of her cover, on our mission last week."
Everyone nodded. The mission was a sure disaster, Sydney is out of the hospital but homebound for a while, and Jack readmitted Tracy to the hospital after she caught a mild pneumonia.
"However," Sloan's tone got more serious. "Ms. Maxwell was declared dead by the CIA, and to the people outside these walls she is now Pam Lambert, a student at the university. I am hoping Ms. Maxwell will become a full time field agent, but that is pending her psych examination, and regaining her strength."
After that it all went back to normal, Sloan continued talking about the mission that the team had two days from now, they couldn't take on something too serious with Sydney out of the picture for a while. They were shorthanded.
Tracy is to stay in the office and work with the Tech guy Marshall. She had met him before the briefing, and he seemed nice enough, a bit too eager on thanking for saving Sydney, but a nice guy.
When the meeting was over, Tracy went back to the tech office with Marshall.
"You know all those cool gadgets on those James Bond movies? 007? Yah well… I'm in charge for those around here. And I gotta tell ya… those screen writers have nothing on Marshall Master." Marshall spoke eagerly and quickly.
Tracy just smiled at him, even though she hadn't known him for more than half an hour, she was really taking a liking to him. She had heard some things about him when she was CIA. The last tech guy she worked with spoke about him, like he was a god.
"I bet they don't!" she gave him a warm grin. Then she noticed a picture on the wall. "Hey… who's the little guy?" she touched a picture of Mitchell.
"That my big boy… Mitchell. He's my son, and… oh you wanna see more pictures of him, I got like a ton of them on this flash drive?" Marshall spoke like an excited little child, waving around a flash drive with some sort of race car on it.
"Sure! We don't have to do anything right now, show me some pictures."
Marshall ran over to the nearest computer and plugged the flash drive in. he held out a chair for Tracy to sit, and she took it.
"Thanks" she said as she sat down.
"No problem…" he took a seat and typed up a storm on the keyboard. Soon some pictures of an adorable little boy came on. "Here we go… that's Mitchell and me at the park…"
Marshall continued showing Tracy pictures and telling her adorable little stories with each one. She listened keenly, and enjoyed watching Marshall talk about his son and wife. He was so animated and happy; his eyes were going wild with sparkles. Some how, she envied this kid on the screen. She never really had a family, except for Jack and Aunt Gloria. But she never knew neither of them well.
"This one… was just a month after Marshall was born, and he wouldn't let Carrie sleep…" Marshall went on talking but was suddenly interrupted by someone clearing his throat at the door, it was Jack.
"Tracy do you mind if I talk to you for a while… in my office." He spoke with his smooth calculated voice again, and it bugged Tracy every time he did it.
Tracy just looked at Marshall apologetically, and he just smiled and shrugged. She looked towards Jack.
"Sure thing. C'mon." she walked over to him and they both walked out of the tech office.
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"Hey Syd! I brought you some lunch!" Vaughn shouted out when he walked into Sydney's apartment.
"I knew there was reason that I love you!" Sydney said jokingly from her room. "I'll be right out."
"You better hurry, cause I didn't have any breakfast this morning!" He said chuckling.
"I'm sure you'd eat all my food when we're both old and wrinkly!" she said coming into the room and giving him a soft kiss.
"I wouldn't have wrinkles, I'll be distinguished, which is less than I can say about you Ms. Prune!" he said with a wide silly grin.
"I'll make you distinguished right now, c'mon!" Sydney joked, holding up her good fist, and throwing a soft punch to Vaughn's stomach.
"Alright, alright, you got me! Just sit down, ok? I don't want you hurting me… we're already shorthanded in the office." Vaughn said sitting her down in a chair.
"What about Tracy Maxwell? Isn't she field rated yet?" Sydney suddenly turned serious.
"Tracy Maxwell was let out of the hospital yesterday, she was in there for a mild case of pneumonia, besides she needs to get evaluated, psych I mean." Vaughn said, eating some on his fries.
"Vaughn?" Sydney looked at him questionably.
"Yah?" he answered absently.
"What's up with you Tracy?"
Vaughn was shocked and almost inhaled his fries into his lungs. He coughed and cleared his throat.
"What? Me and Tracy? Syd, what are you talking about? There isn't anything going on between and Tracy… I would never-"he was speaking too quickly for his own good and Sydney stopped him.
"I didn't mean it like that Vaughn! Relax! I just meant that you kinda have this… look, when someone mentions her." Sydney's voice was soothing, and it calmed Vaughn down.
"Look? What kinda look?" he asked puzzled.
"I don't know… just this look. And don't try denying it Michael. You know it's true."
Oh no, Vaughn thought, she said Michael… not good.
"Its nothing Syd, I just don't… you know…" he fumbled with his words.
"Know her? Like her? What is it Michael?"
Man, she really isn't giving up on this, Vaughn told himself.
"I don't trust her, Syd. For some reason beyond my control, I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. I can't." he gave out a deep breath, relieved he told something about this.
"Its ok, Vaughn. It's understandable that its going to take you while to trust new people. But think about it this way: We work for Sloan; she couldn't be as bad as he is" Sydney tried to reason with Vaughn, using her own biggest fear.
Vaughn just smiled at Sydney and went on eating.
I hope you're right Syd, he thought, I hope you're right.
Maybe the next time he would talk to someone who knows Tracy, someone constantly talking to her in his office.
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"So what's the deal Jack?" Tracy spoke as soon as she stepped into his office.
"I want you to pack your bags." He said simply.
"Gees, Jack! I didn't think I was that horrible as a house guest!"
"No, it's not like that, Tracy" He almost fell for it, but then he looked up and saw Tracy smiling.
"I know, Jack. I'm just messing with you. I assume my apartment finally came through." Tracy said easily, smile still on her face.
"Yes, in fact it's just a couple of blocks away from mine." He said rigidly.
So Jack-like, Tracy thought.
"That's great, I guess it wouldn't take me too long to pack, I'll be out of your apartment by tomorrow." Tracy replied cheerfully.
"Good… I don't mean it like…" she finally saw a human Jack.
"Its ok, Jack. I know what you mean. See ya." She said over her shoulder, exiting his office.
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"Hi Sydney, what's going on? Getting bored?" Nadia spoke to her sister over the telephone.
"Yah just about! What's happening around the office?" Sydney called everyday and asked the same question, which really made Nadia doubt that her sister might one day quit intelligence.
"The same thing yesterday, Syd…nothing. Why do you keep asking, anyway? Enjoy your time off!" Nadia answered warmly.
"Yah, I guess I should. Vaughn came over with lunch a while ago, though." Sydney brought up casually. But her sister knew there was more to it, so she went along.
"Really? That's nice of him." Nadia answered flatly, she waited for her sister to make her move.
"Yah, we had this weird conversation though." Sydney continued on with her casual tone.
"Weird how?" Nadia relentlessly played along.
"It was about the new girl, Tracy."
"What about Tracy?" Nadia asked again, hoping her sister will come out with it already.
"He's just concerned about her that's all, he doesn't completely…" Nadia interrupted her sister.
"He doesn't trust her, does he. Its not that big of a surprise." Nadia declared
"What do you mean?" Sydney sounded a bit hurt.
"I'm just saying that Vaughn isn't the easiest going guy I know." Nadia tried some damage control.
"Nadia, you're going out with Weiss! No wonder you think Vaughn is so uptight!" Sydney tried to make sense of Nadia in her own.
I doubt it! Nadia thought, but I'm not arguing any more.
"Fine ok, that is probably why." Nadia ended the conversation.
"You know we should probably have a girls night, me and my room mate Francie use to do it all the time." Sydney turned the conversation around.
"Sure, but I bet it'd be boring with only the two of us Syd."
"Yah I guess." Sydney sounded discouraged.
Nadia looked around the office and realized she could see what everyone is doing from where she was sitting. That's when she saw Marshall and Tracy giggling.
"You know what Sydney? I think I might just have the cure for both of your problems." Nadia said and promptly hung up.
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"She wanted to get married before she delivered the baby!" Tracy was enjoying one of the many stories Marshall is more than happy to share.
"Yah, so we couldn't find anyone to do it… right? I mean marry us or something. So I get Weiss to do it!" Marshall was so excited it was like he was reliving the events of that day.
"Weiss is a minister!" Tracy had this hilariously quizzical look on her face.
"Yah… the church of mammals! We got it online… instantly!"
Tracy and Marshall were just laughing their heads off, when Nadia walked in.
"Am I interrupting anything?" she had a wide grin on her face.
"Just a good story." Tracy said, taking deep breaths and to clam herself.
"Marshall has a lot of those." Nadia said, and stood awkwardly.
Marshall finally realized that an introduction is in order.
"Ah.. right sorry… introduction.. hmm… ok… Nadia… this is Tracy Maxwell." He said gesturing towards Tracy, who in turn stuck out her hand. "Tracy, this Nadia Santos."
Nadia took Tracy's hand and shook it kindly.
"Oh that's right… you're Sydney Bristow's sister. Nice to meet you." Tracy said, her voice mallow, with just a hint of awe. She heard what went around the office.
"Nice to meet you too. Who told I was Sydney's sister." Her tone clearly questioning. People like Nadia find it hard to step out of their work shoes.
Marshall discreetly stepped out for the two to have a private conversation.
"Jack had to keep me busy at the hospital. He told me about the people I'm going to be working with. Just to feel a little more comfortable when I get back." Tracy explained patiently, she understood the need to question everything in their line of work.
Nadia's sharp eyes softened, and a smile reappeared on her face; satisfied with Tracy's explanation.
"Look I know you don't know me or Sydney too well, but we're having a girls night thing, but there aren't too many of us around, and Sydney would really like to have you over. So what do you think?" Nadia sounded convincing enough.
"Yah sure, I don't see why not! Its really nice of you to ask. What time tonight?" Tracy asked in a friendly way.
"7 o'clock… and I hope you don't mind Chinese take-out."
"Chinese food run through my veins instead of blood."
Nadia smiled.
"Ok then see you tonight!" With that Nadia took her leave and went back to her office.
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TBC
A/N: OK you guys here are the first chapters, the other are coming soon enough since I'm on vacation. Please tell me what you think… your reviews is appreciated.