Chapter Four

"So she's coming here?" Sydney had just heard from her sister that Tracy Maxwell is coming over for dinner.

"Yes, and she thinks its your idea, so play along." Nadia said while rushing to clear out the couch Sydney has been sitting on all day. She was really turning into a couch potato, day-time television is apparently addictive.

"Ok, at least I get to meet the woman Vaughn is threatened by!" Sydney said putting her good arm up in the air. "I wouldn't call the last we saw each other a meeting. I just hope Vaughn apologized to her."

"About what?" Nadia asked. She hadn't heard everything about that night, considering she only heard about it from Vaughn.

"Oh Vaughn was really nice to this one, I can tell you that! Verbal and physical assault. Does she have a split lip?" Sydney asked.

Nadia just nodded. Tracy more than just a split lip, she was black and blue all over.

"Vaughn handy work… I don't know Nadia, he never was the excessive force kinda guy." Sydney said, discouraged.

"I'm sure he was jumpy because he thought that Tracy was the one that hurt you. The CIA told us nothing about an undercover agent within the facility." Nadia reasoned as best as she could.

"Maybe you're right. Last year was rough, really rough, on him."

And me, Sydney thought. But her thoughts were cut short by the doorbell.

"That must be her… I'll get it. And remember Syd, we're going have fun tonight. Stop moping already."

Sydney nodded and Nadia headed for the door. Still a bit concerned about her sister.

Maybe Weiss was right, she thought, those two were too dramatic for their own good.

When Nadia opened the door, she was warped by a warm breeze. At the door, stood Tracy, in a faded pair of blue jeans, a T-shirt with a sketch Mickey Mouse, and colorful sneakers. She had a Bud light Six pack in one hand, and car keys, with a cartoon character key ring, in the other. For the first time, since Nadia met her, Tracy looked young and fresh. It made her wonder how old Tracy really is.

Tracy looked at Nadia with a toothy smile, a little amused by Nadia's apparent puzzled expression.

"I'm supposed to be a college kid, remember? Gotta look the part."

Nadia managed to wipe the puzzled look from her face, and replace it with a genuine smile. Tracy just looked so normal, Nadia would have never guessed she was just back from a deep cover mission gone horribly wrong. But then again, this job is never really simple.

"Come on in, we're waiting on dinner. We'll have some time to talk." Nadia said giving way for Tracy to get in.

"That's cool, hope you guys like beer?" Tracy held up the six pack.

"I'm getting use to it." Nadia answered diplomatically.

"I haven't had one of these in ages, and Jack is too proper for beer!" Tracy said with a little laugh.

Nadia didn't know what Tracy was talking about then she remembered that Tracy was Jack's guest until her apartment came through.

"You guys have a great place!" Tracy said looking around the hall.

"Yah, it's Sydney's. I moved in with her after I joined APO."

Nadia said simply as she lead Tracy to the living room.

"Hey Tracy." Sydney said over from the CD rack. She slowly walked over to Tracy and offered her good hand. Tracy took it and shook it gently.

"Nice sling!" Tracy joked pointing to Sydney's arm.

Sydney just rolled her eyes, and chuckled.

"Cant wait to get out of it!"

"I Bet! Itches like hell, doesn't it? Personal experience, they don't let go deep cover unless you got five bullet holes!"

Tracy joked again.

Nadia realized that Tracy, just like Weiss, joked to lighten tense situations. In other words, this girl didn't like conflict.

An awkward moment settled in, and every one was just standing and looking around, at their feet, or to the clock.

"Wow… didn't realize I was so socially out of practice!" Tracy, again, was the one to break the silence.

"I guess we all are!" Sydney said, laughing which ended the awkwardness.

"Beer anyone?" Tracy said holding a can she just released from the six pack.

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Jack was working late, he always works late. Vaughn waited for a chance to talk to him all day, and it looks like this might be his only chance. The office was empty, everyone had gone home, except for him and Jack.

He slowly walked over to Jack's office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in Mr. Vaughn, I was wondering when you were going to show up" Jack didn't even bother looking up from the report he was reading. He noticed Vaughn looking his way all day, it was obvious that he a matter to discuss with him.

"Jack I need to talk to you." Vaughn said in strong tone, obviously annoyed that Jack was preoccupied with the report he was reading.

Jack looked up at Vaughn and closed the folder the report.

"You have my undivided attention, Mr. Vaughn. Please take a seat." Jack said icily. If Vaughn wanted to be official about this, so be it.

Jack waited until Vaughn took his seat.

"Now… what was the matter you wanted to discuss with me?" Jack leaned back in his chair, showing Vaughn some authority.

"I wanted to discuss our new associate with you. You seem to know her best." Vaughn spoke affirmatively. He wondered why every time he spoke to Jack it turned into a miniature battle.

"I had known Ms. Maxwell's father. He was a partner of mine. Is there any particular reason you have some apprehensions about Ms. Maxwell, Mr. Vaughn?" Jack asked with ease, but his question caught Vaughn of-guard.

"Apprehensions? I never said I had 'apprehensions'…" Vaughn tried to regain himself.

"I see your uneasiness around her, the way you were looking at her at the briefing. Noticing these things is what I do for a living Mr. Vaughn, so don't insult me by denying them. Is there a particular reason you are bothered by Ms. Maxwell?" Jack spoke forcefully now, he wasn't about to waste time dancing around the subject.

"I just don't see why we should trust her this easily." Vaughn protested.

"I don't see why not. She is a CIA agent after all." Jack said flatly, looking bored.

"She was deep undercover for a long time, it can have a deep psychological effect, we should have never brought her here." Vaughn argued.

"Mr. Vaughn because of an error on our part, her cover was blown, she risked her life to save one of our agents, my daughter…" Jack spoke forcefully, he wondered why Vaughn was fighting against Tracy this badly.

"When we walked in there Jack, everyone was dead! Not a single person was alive. Am I the only one that sees something wrong with that?" Vaughn slammed his hand on the table.

"Mr. Vaughn, both my daughter and Ms. Maxwell have received extensive training, they were both capable of taking some guards out to protect themselves." Jack raised his voice, telling Vaughn to back off.

"Now Mr. Vaughn, I don't see what you're problem is with Ms. Maxwell, but what ever concerns you have they are completely unfounded. I have known Ms. Maxwell for a while now, before she joined the agency, and she is an outstanding agent and important asset to this organization. Now if you don't mind, I have more important things to attend to." With that Jack dismissed Vaughn and looked back to his report.

Vaughn just got up with out saying anything, and walked out of the room. He felt steam rising from his ears. He could not believe that now one in this office had concerns about Tracy. What he saw at the mission was not normal, and he would pursue his feeling to the ends of the earth.

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"He irons his socks?" Nadia said mid-laughter.

"Yup! The guy is crazy about that iron I tell ya!" Tracy was just telling Sydney and Nadia about the hazards of living with Jack Bristow.

"Yah well… sounds a lot like my dad!" Sydney was really enjoying the evening with Tracy, although she felt a little stab of jealousy, feeling that she knew better Jack than his own daughter.

"And I went to see my new apartment today after work. I'm telling you, its something out of American Pie! I go from living with Jack to that…I might just get culture shock!"

The room was just filled with laughter, and both Sydney and Nadia were glad to have invited Tracy over. Sydney hadn't had this much fun since she was hanging around with Will and Francie.

Then a loud knock sounded at the door, who ever it was, they weren't happy.

"I'll get it… Tracy you stay here with Syd." Nadia said seriously.

"I don't need some to take care of me!" Sydney protested, hurt.

"But I do! C'mon Syd, cover me!" Tracy joked and hid behind the coach.

Nadia just shook her head and headed towards the door, when she got she reached for the gun she hid in the hallway closet. She looked out of the peep hole. It was Vaughn. She relaxed and put the gun back.

"Hey, Vaughn." She said as she opened the door.

He barely mumbled a gruff 'Hey'.

"Is Syd here, Nadia?" he seemed upset about something.

"Yah she's inside... is everything alright, Vaughn?"

Ever since Nadia came into the business she always expected the worst. She painfully learned that every time she is caught off-guard life kicks her in the stomach.

"Yah, I just had a little word with Jack before I came, everything is fine."

Nadia nodded and let Vaughn walk in front of her, but followed him closely. When they got closer to the living room, they could hear Sydney laughing out loud.

"Cost clear, Tracy." Sydney said taking breaths to stop her laughing "It's just Vaughn."

"You sure?" Tracy peeked from behind the coach. "He wasn't too friendly last time." She got up anyway.

"Its nice to see you again, Mr. Vaughn." Extending her hand. Vaughn just looked at it.

"Okay then! I guess your not the hand-shaking type!" Tracy withdrew her hand and shrugged.

"I want to make one thing clear… Ms. Maxwell. I don't trust you." Vaughn said his voice cold.

Nadia's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. Sydney was completely shocked but managed to speak up.

"Vaughn, I don't…" she said her voice still a little shocked.

"It's cool, Sydney. His kind of… well… doubts, are not so unusual in our business" Tracy just looked at Vaughn, her eyes soft.

"Anyhow, it's getting late, I should head back. Jack has me on a curfew, can you believe that!" Tracy used her usual type defense.

"You don't have to…" Sydney began to protest, even with Vaughn giving her a glance.

"Hey, no problem really. I wasn't kidding about the Jack thing anyway. I'll let myself out. Thanks you guys, see you soon." Tracy grabbed her keys from an ash tray she had put them in and headed for the door.

As soon as Sydney heard the door close, she was in Vaughn's face.

"Michael! What the hell is wrong with you? How could you come in like that and…" Sydney was really angry, she constantly tucked her hair behind her hair, and it kept getting loose.

"Sydney, I don't see how you could trust her. I don't! there is something about her, Syd, and you know it!" Vaughn protested.

"What is that thing Vaughn? We spent most of the evening with her and frankly she more normal than most normal people!" Nadia was the one to speak now.

"Look, all I know is when I walked into the warehouse, where she and Syd were in, all the guars were dead. That is not very normal!" Vaughn maintained his point.

"She had to what she did to get herself, and me, out of there alive!" Sydney was standing next to her sister now. Two woman against one man, it's a losing deal for Vaughn.

"Why an I the only that sees this whole thing doesn't look right? Why did the CIA declare her dead? She could've been an asset! Why is she constantly talking to your father? Maxwell is on to something that she is not telling us."

Vaughn was not gaining any points on either of Sydney or Nadia, and he was beginning to feel a little intimated by them.

"She knew my father as a child Vaughn, he took care of here on and off after her own parents were killed. They were both CIA. Her dad and mine were close, and she got to see a lot of my father. Maybe he wants to make sure that she is ok!" Sydney told him a more detailed version of what Jack had told him in the office.

"Tracy just lost her life in DC, friends, job, every thing Vaughn. Maybe Jack is just concerned about her, as a father figure." Nadia reasoned with Vaughn.

"I don't…" Vaughn began again.

"Vaughn, stop it I don't want to…" Sydney raised arm.

"Look, Syd, I…" They voices were getting louder and louder. They didn't even hear Weiss come in.

"Guy! Guys!" he said, but still went on noticed.

"Hey guys!" he whistled and suddenly all eyes were on him. "Hi! I've been standing here for 10 minutes!"

"I should get gowning" Vaughn said and headed for the door.

He'd prove it to the others sooner or later. That girl is not to be trusted.

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A\N: ok you guys chapter numero qatro! (bad Spanish spelling, and knowledge!)…. Still no reviews…hmmm… I think I lost my credibility when I didn't finish my last fic or something! Please you guys! C'mon! just one or two stinkin reviews! It cant suck that bad right? And if it does… please tell me (in the least humiliating way possible) just a few words to save me from self loathing!