Chapter 2- The Beginning

Note: This chapter takes place later, after Vaughn has gotten out of the hospital and been at work. In this chapter, Sydney is on the mission in "The Abduction", and Vaughn goes on a date with Alice at a small French restaurant, but something strange happens when Vaughn receives a gift from her.

Vaughn stood in front of the small restaurant as he waited for Alice to arrive. He knew he should be focusing on the evening to come, but his mind kept wandering back to Sydney. Was she all right, what if Irina had lied to them? What if something went horribly wrong and something happened to Sydney. Why was he even thinking about Sydney so much? She wasn't his girlfriend, Alice was. Besides, protocol wouldn't allow such a relationship even if he wasn't already seeing someone.

So why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

Just then, a cab pulled up carrying Alice. The taxi pulled to a stop at the curb, and Vaughn opened the door so Alice could get out. After she paid the tab, Vaughn escorted her into the small restaurant. It was nice and quiet, and it also wasn't very crowded tonight. He at sat them down at their table.

As he sat down, that little pain returned for a moment, and he rubbed at it. It had been a little while since his recovery, and the doctor said that the occasional pain should soon ebb to nothing, but damn, it was annoying.

"You all right, Michael?" Alice asked, a bit of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bruise," he lied, "hockey."

"You know that that sport is dangerous," she said condescendingly.

If you only knew, he thought.

Vaughn picked up his menu, and started skimming. "So, you ready to order?" Vaughn asked, changing the subject.

"Sure, but first I want to give you something," Alice said, smiling.

"A surprise?" Vaughn said with a grin on his face.

"Just a little something I saw and thought of you."

She reached under the table and handed him a small package, with red rapping paper and a small bow. He took it from her hand and took off the paper curiously. There was a small black jewelry box inside. He opened it to find a fine silver chain, with a small silver star at the end. It shone in the dim lighting of the restaurant.

"It's real silver," Alice stated, looking at him thoughtfully. "I don't know, it just made me think of you."

Vaughn smiled at her, genuinely moved. He reached out and picked it up. Holding the small star in the palm of his hand, he once again letting the light dance off of it.

He put the star back in the case, and put it in pocket, thanking Alice again.

"So, what do you want to ord-," Vaughn began to speak as a sharp pain rang through his head, like someone had just set a bomb off next to his ear. He grabbed his head in pain.

Alice jumped up and rushed to his side. "Michael, Michael, what's wrong?" Alice said with deep concern as she knelt down beside him.

Vaughn clutched his head in pain as it rang. "What was that noise?" he asked.

Alice looked around and turned back to him.

"Someone just dropped their glass behind us, but it wasn't that loud."

Alice's voice resonated in his head like someone had turned up the volume. In fact, he was hearing things from the entire restaurant. There was a conversation in the corner about some stock deal, a couple was bickering over why the husband had gotten home so late, and he could swear he could hear the clanking of pots and pans from the kitchen.

He put both hands over his ears. What the hell was wrong with him? he thought.

The noise died away until it was almost back to normal.

"Michael," Alice said again. He looked up at her, but his eyes immediately began to tear up from the light. He squinted his eyes shut.

"I think I have a migraine," Vaughn said. He was trying to give her a quick explanation, but was it more of an explanation for her, or him?

It had to be migraine, a headache from the noise and his eyes sensitive to the light? It was the only explanation. But there was only one problem.

He didn't get migraines. He rarely even got headaches.

He stumbled to get to his feet, his ears still ringing. He held onto the chair for support.

"It must be a really bad one," Alice answered, as she helped him to his feet.

"Yeah." he replied. "Sorry, I don't feel like I'm up to dinner."

"That's alright," Alice said, sounding slightly disappointed, "why don't I take you home?"

"That would actually really be helpful," Vaughn said truthfully. He finished getting to his feet with Alice's help.

She helped him out of the restaurant. As they crossed between tables, Vaughn wasn't unaware that people must have been staring at them.

The two of them walked onto the busy streets. Vaughn still had one hand on his head.

Alice helped Vaughn into a cab and told the driver to take them to Vaughn's apartment. Alice kept a hand on his shoulder as he held his head the way back. The headache was almost gone by the time they reached their destination, and the only words spoken on the way were a couple of "How are you"s from Alice. Vaughn felt confused. Where had this come from. Had he suddenly developed migraines? How could it have come on so quickly? He just wanted to get home and crawl into bed.

About three fourths the way back to his apartment, the noises came back. This time instead of the sounds of the restaurant, he began to hear the sounds of the busy streets. Horns honking, people yelling, breaks screeching.

God, what was wrong with him?

He must have cried out again because Alice once again called out his name in concern. Vaughn waited until the noises died down a little, then looked up at her. Suddenly, in the middle of the din ,he could make out one distinct sound.

Thump-thump, thump thump.

Vaughn looked at Alice, and his eyes trailed down to her neck, at the pulse beating in her throat.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

It was the sound of a human heart. Alice's heart.

Vaughn must have gotten a very strange look on his face at the revelation, because Alice's eyes suddenly got very wide.

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital," she suggested. She turned to give the driver the change of direction.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist. For a moment Vaughn thought she looked frightened.

"No, I'm fine, I just need to get some sleep."

Alice slowly nodded,and Vaughn let go of her wrist.

During the drive home several thoughts went through his head, but the one that kept poping back up was also the one that was most disturbing.

What if the Rambaldi virus was back?

What if he hadn't been cured, what if the serum had only repressed it, and now he was sick again, worse yet, what if he had infected others?

Vaughn remembered little else as Alice helped him to his apartment, and as he crawled into bed with his clothes still on. Once the sounds went away , he finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

He woke up the next day, feeling fine. He sat up and looked into the morning sun. He chuckled and shook his head. Since when was he so goddamn paranoid? To much stress at work. He immediately took a shower, passing the night before off to a stress.

He was ready to start a normal day until he looked down at the palm of his left hand, and his mouth dropped open in confusion . In the middle of his hand was a burn mark, the size and shape of the silver star.

So, what do you think? Should I write more? Reviews will be all the answers I need. :)