Same Disclaimers Apply. A/N: I'm finding it extremely difficult to write
lately. I think I have used up any creative energy I had. Everything I
write seems like crap, but I suppose its better than nothing. I really
like this story but apparently that isn't enough to bring about good ideas.
Oh well. Hope you like it.
VAUGHN'S RESIDENCE - L.A.
Sydney was alternating between doing laundry and watching television when Vaughn walked through the door. He went to the kitchen for a drink before looking for Sydney within the walls of the apartment.
"Hey." He grabbed her lips in a quick kiss before taking another sip of his drink.
"Hey. Did you have a good time?" Sydney switched over the laundry.
"If 'good time' entails Weiss yelling at the TV because the team he had bet two hundred dollars on was loosing and me telling him to shut up, than yeah." Vaughn smiled around his water glass.
"Did he lose it?" Sydney turns sideways to glance at Vaughn.
"No thank goodness the Orioles pulled it out in the last two innings." Vaughn leaned against the wall.
"He actually bet on the Orioles!" Sydney shook her head and glanced at him again. "Vaughn, you're sweating."
"I know, its hot outside and apparently this is only the beginning of a long heat wave." As an afterthought," We should try to get to the park this weekend."
"You are the eternal optimist aren't you." Sydney stated laughingly.
"Only where you're concerned." Vaughn grinned.
"It seems my father got out of the city just in time." Her offhanded comment catches Vaughn's attention.
"Your father left the city?" The glass stops before it reaches his lips.
"I assume the country but he wasn't willing to share the location with me and I wasn't going to press." Sydney began loading the washing machine with light and white clothing. "I have given up trying to keep track of my father's dealings. I highly doubt he is even going on a vacation; he's probably gathering his own intel or running an independent mission."
"You think he's looking for Sloane or your mother?" Vaughn's brow furrows in thought.
"Something tells me that he doesn't think Sloane succeeded in killing or capturing my mother, it could mean he is interested in running his own crusade against both of them." Sydney huffed.
"Do you think your mother is dead?" Vaughn ventures to ask her.
"No. But then again I've been wrong more times than I can count where my mother is concerned." Sydney turned back to her laundry.
"Aren't you being a little hard on yourself. Sydney, your mother has an agenda that baffles everyone at the CIA your father included. You put your trust in her and she betrayed you and this government." Vaughn moved next to her so he looked assess her facial expression.
"I know, I know. Sorry I had a moment of self-doubt."
Neither spoke for a few minutes as Sydney finished loading the washing machine and Vaughn looked on in mild amusement.
"What?" Sydney smiled coyly at him from the corner of her eye.
"You." He continued to smile. "You cook dinner for me, do my laundry-"
"Our laundry. I only do yours because I have to do mine." Sydney interrupted.
"Yeah well." Vaughn tilts his head and chuckles. "I've just recently been noticing your tendency to nest."
"Nest? I have a tendency to nest?" Sydney works to contain her laughter.
"Yeah, you know, make the space your own. Clean and organize. I caught you organizing my closet three days ago."
"I was not organizing your closet. I don't know what you're talking about." Sydney denies while she moves away from the laundry facilities.
"Right, while I'm betting if we open my closet doors right now I'd find all of the suits hung from light to dark, for which I take no responsibility. Now unless you have a better explanation." He trails off and grabs her around the waist.
"Do you have a problem with my organizational techniques because I can always redistribute your clothing around our room as you had it earlier this week." Sydney backs away as Vaughn advances.
"My cloths were never strewn about the-" Vaughn raises his eyebrow. "Did you just say OUR bedroom." One side of his face twitches.
Sydney's breathing stops suddenly as she contemplates whether she had in fact utter the word. "I think I did." The wonderment on her face quickly changes to challenge. "Are you scare of having a girl infiltrate your bedroom Michael?"
"No, not at all." He leans on her until she falls backward on the couch and Vaughn lay on top of her. "I happen to love flowers and pink bows." Sydney looks up at Vaughn as he holds himself up on his arms.
"See now you're just trying to be cute. But I do love fresh flowers, for future reference." She raises her eyebrows innocently.
"Of course." He kisses her soundly but pulls away after only a few seconds. "I did notice something else about the closet."
"What's that." Sydney smiles up at him.
"You're going to have to re-organize it if you intend to move all of your things in as well." Vaughn states seriously.
"What do you mean?" Sydney stills.
"I was just thinking that you can't be interested in going back to that apartment and I'm not interested in remembering what its like not to have my laundry taken care of. so to put my mind at ease I thought you would be more than willing to move in here. With me." Vaughn tried to smile over the nervousness edging its way into his stomach.
"I'll have to think about it." Sydney tells him solemnly and Vaughn nods his head. The two stare at each other for moments longer before Sydney bites her bottom lip. "Okay. Lets do it."
The suddenness of her answer leaves Vaughn speechless. Believing he was going to have to wait at least a week before she made her decision, he can only laugh when she gives her answer, before settling down for a leisurely kiss.
SYROS, GREECE
Jack had not been surprised when he arrived in Athens to find that Irina had a private plane available for his use. The desk clerk that had given him the flight number had been surprised to see him upon his arrival at the international airport, he supposed Irina had intended not to get her hopes up; that thought almost caused a bitter laugh to erupt from Jack.
The flight to the island had been quick but bumpy, much to Jack's dismay. Once the pilot had became aware that Jack spoke Greek he had talked non- stop about the changes to the country once it became part of the European Union. Jack responded in all the correct places but would have been unable to recite anything the man had said. The plane finally landed on the island of Syros with little fanfare.
Jack took note of the breeze coming off the water and the sparse hilltops. Everything in Greece during the summer months seemed dry and brown; however Jack spent most of his time travelling the roads anxious over being face to face with Irina again. The pilot had taken him to a car rental where a Mercedes with GPS and a location pre-programmed was waiting.
The drive took approximately twenty minutes with many twist and turns of narrow winding roads, giving Jack something to focus his racing mind on. The insistent female voice directed Jack to turn left 1 kilometer ahead.
He looked onto the front entrance with interest; the driveway was flat despite the house's hillside location with lush, colorful vegetation surrounding it. The house itself was whitewashed with flat roofing, the back portion built in three tiers down the side of the mountain. The house overlooked a beach as well as rock formations that created the horseshoe of the water's inlet.
Taking his time getting out of the car, Jack collected his thoughts. His step faltered toward the door when he realized he had no plan. He was walking blind into a situation that a best would be uncomfortable, such defied all his training and better judgement.
Jack looked down at his creased dressed pants and white shirt and sighed. The heat was taking its toll on his mind and his person but Jack was determined to get the meeting with Irina over with.
He walked to the door and raised his fist to knock. He waited for a response from inside; however when none came, he venture to try the handle. The heavy wooden door opened against the little force he placed on it. Jack stared at the door and pursed his lips at the absurdity of Irina Derevko leaving her front door unlocked. He would have thought she of all people would have better security measures for her home.
Wearily Jack continued into the house. His mind taunting him with reasons for Irina to have no security. The gate to the driveway had been open, as had her front door. It seemed more likely that she had either set Jack up to be kill and/or wasn't in the in the house at all.
Jack walked through the large living room. It was attached to the dining room, separated only by a marble-floored step and thick marble pillars. Each room was meticulous in its tidiness and décor. The marble was an added bonus as the heat could consume the land in the summer.
Jack turned to his right and followed the wide hallways a short distance to the kitchen. It matched the rest of the house in impeccable order; the stainless steel appliances were set against white washed cupboards with glass inset, but his eye was drawn to the large Mahogany table, giving the room a feel of warmth apart from the white.
Four sets of French-doors lined one wall of the living and dining rooms, leading to one tier of patio. The property was fenced by a retaining wall and from the generator to the side of the compound, an electrical fence. With no sign of Irina, Jack climbed the stairs to the second tier of the house. This one had similar doors as below lining the wall and a patio that sat on the roof of a portion of the living room.
Being as quiet and careful as possible, Jack moved toward the large glass doors. Cautiously, he turned the handle and opened the barrier: hopeful the temperate weather of the island would minimize the need for grease. Jack shook his head suddenly at the outlandish realization of the pun. But his humour died as he saw what awaited him in the room.
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VAUGHN'S RESIDENCE - L.A.
Sydney was alternating between doing laundry and watching television when Vaughn walked through the door. He went to the kitchen for a drink before looking for Sydney within the walls of the apartment.
"Hey." He grabbed her lips in a quick kiss before taking another sip of his drink.
"Hey. Did you have a good time?" Sydney switched over the laundry.
"If 'good time' entails Weiss yelling at the TV because the team he had bet two hundred dollars on was loosing and me telling him to shut up, than yeah." Vaughn smiled around his water glass.
"Did he lose it?" Sydney turns sideways to glance at Vaughn.
"No thank goodness the Orioles pulled it out in the last two innings." Vaughn leaned against the wall.
"He actually bet on the Orioles!" Sydney shook her head and glanced at him again. "Vaughn, you're sweating."
"I know, its hot outside and apparently this is only the beginning of a long heat wave." As an afterthought," We should try to get to the park this weekend."
"You are the eternal optimist aren't you." Sydney stated laughingly.
"Only where you're concerned." Vaughn grinned.
"It seems my father got out of the city just in time." Her offhanded comment catches Vaughn's attention.
"Your father left the city?" The glass stops before it reaches his lips.
"I assume the country but he wasn't willing to share the location with me and I wasn't going to press." Sydney began loading the washing machine with light and white clothing. "I have given up trying to keep track of my father's dealings. I highly doubt he is even going on a vacation; he's probably gathering his own intel or running an independent mission."
"You think he's looking for Sloane or your mother?" Vaughn's brow furrows in thought.
"Something tells me that he doesn't think Sloane succeeded in killing or capturing my mother, it could mean he is interested in running his own crusade against both of them." Sydney huffed.
"Do you think your mother is dead?" Vaughn ventures to ask her.
"No. But then again I've been wrong more times than I can count where my mother is concerned." Sydney turned back to her laundry.
"Aren't you being a little hard on yourself. Sydney, your mother has an agenda that baffles everyone at the CIA your father included. You put your trust in her and she betrayed you and this government." Vaughn moved next to her so he looked assess her facial expression.
"I know, I know. Sorry I had a moment of self-doubt."
Neither spoke for a few minutes as Sydney finished loading the washing machine and Vaughn looked on in mild amusement.
"What?" Sydney smiled coyly at him from the corner of her eye.
"You." He continued to smile. "You cook dinner for me, do my laundry-"
"Our laundry. I only do yours because I have to do mine." Sydney interrupted.
"Yeah well." Vaughn tilts his head and chuckles. "I've just recently been noticing your tendency to nest."
"Nest? I have a tendency to nest?" Sydney works to contain her laughter.
"Yeah, you know, make the space your own. Clean and organize. I caught you organizing my closet three days ago."
"I was not organizing your closet. I don't know what you're talking about." Sydney denies while she moves away from the laundry facilities.
"Right, while I'm betting if we open my closet doors right now I'd find all of the suits hung from light to dark, for which I take no responsibility. Now unless you have a better explanation." He trails off and grabs her around the waist.
"Do you have a problem with my organizational techniques because I can always redistribute your clothing around our room as you had it earlier this week." Sydney backs away as Vaughn advances.
"My cloths were never strewn about the-" Vaughn raises his eyebrow. "Did you just say OUR bedroom." One side of his face twitches.
Sydney's breathing stops suddenly as she contemplates whether she had in fact utter the word. "I think I did." The wonderment on her face quickly changes to challenge. "Are you scare of having a girl infiltrate your bedroom Michael?"
"No, not at all." He leans on her until she falls backward on the couch and Vaughn lay on top of her. "I happen to love flowers and pink bows." Sydney looks up at Vaughn as he holds himself up on his arms.
"See now you're just trying to be cute. But I do love fresh flowers, for future reference." She raises her eyebrows innocently.
"Of course." He kisses her soundly but pulls away after only a few seconds. "I did notice something else about the closet."
"What's that." Sydney smiles up at him.
"You're going to have to re-organize it if you intend to move all of your things in as well." Vaughn states seriously.
"What do you mean?" Sydney stills.
"I was just thinking that you can't be interested in going back to that apartment and I'm not interested in remembering what its like not to have my laundry taken care of. so to put my mind at ease I thought you would be more than willing to move in here. With me." Vaughn tried to smile over the nervousness edging its way into his stomach.
"I'll have to think about it." Sydney tells him solemnly and Vaughn nods his head. The two stare at each other for moments longer before Sydney bites her bottom lip. "Okay. Lets do it."
The suddenness of her answer leaves Vaughn speechless. Believing he was going to have to wait at least a week before she made her decision, he can only laugh when she gives her answer, before settling down for a leisurely kiss.
SYROS, GREECE
Jack had not been surprised when he arrived in Athens to find that Irina had a private plane available for his use. The desk clerk that had given him the flight number had been surprised to see him upon his arrival at the international airport, he supposed Irina had intended not to get her hopes up; that thought almost caused a bitter laugh to erupt from Jack.
The flight to the island had been quick but bumpy, much to Jack's dismay. Once the pilot had became aware that Jack spoke Greek he had talked non- stop about the changes to the country once it became part of the European Union. Jack responded in all the correct places but would have been unable to recite anything the man had said. The plane finally landed on the island of Syros with little fanfare.
Jack took note of the breeze coming off the water and the sparse hilltops. Everything in Greece during the summer months seemed dry and brown; however Jack spent most of his time travelling the roads anxious over being face to face with Irina again. The pilot had taken him to a car rental where a Mercedes with GPS and a location pre-programmed was waiting.
The drive took approximately twenty minutes with many twist and turns of narrow winding roads, giving Jack something to focus his racing mind on. The insistent female voice directed Jack to turn left 1 kilometer ahead.
He looked onto the front entrance with interest; the driveway was flat despite the house's hillside location with lush, colorful vegetation surrounding it. The house itself was whitewashed with flat roofing, the back portion built in three tiers down the side of the mountain. The house overlooked a beach as well as rock formations that created the horseshoe of the water's inlet.
Taking his time getting out of the car, Jack collected his thoughts. His step faltered toward the door when he realized he had no plan. He was walking blind into a situation that a best would be uncomfortable, such defied all his training and better judgement.
Jack looked down at his creased dressed pants and white shirt and sighed. The heat was taking its toll on his mind and his person but Jack was determined to get the meeting with Irina over with.
He walked to the door and raised his fist to knock. He waited for a response from inside; however when none came, he venture to try the handle. The heavy wooden door opened against the little force he placed on it. Jack stared at the door and pursed his lips at the absurdity of Irina Derevko leaving her front door unlocked. He would have thought she of all people would have better security measures for her home.
Wearily Jack continued into the house. His mind taunting him with reasons for Irina to have no security. The gate to the driveway had been open, as had her front door. It seemed more likely that she had either set Jack up to be kill and/or wasn't in the in the house at all.
Jack walked through the large living room. It was attached to the dining room, separated only by a marble-floored step and thick marble pillars. Each room was meticulous in its tidiness and décor. The marble was an added bonus as the heat could consume the land in the summer.
Jack turned to his right and followed the wide hallways a short distance to the kitchen. It matched the rest of the house in impeccable order; the stainless steel appliances were set against white washed cupboards with glass inset, but his eye was drawn to the large Mahogany table, giving the room a feel of warmth apart from the white.
Four sets of French-doors lined one wall of the living and dining rooms, leading to one tier of patio. The property was fenced by a retaining wall and from the generator to the side of the compound, an electrical fence. With no sign of Irina, Jack climbed the stairs to the second tier of the house. This one had similar doors as below lining the wall and a patio that sat on the roof of a portion of the living room.
Being as quiet and careful as possible, Jack moved toward the large glass doors. Cautiously, he turned the handle and opened the barrier: hopeful the temperate weather of the island would minimize the need for grease. Jack shook his head suddenly at the outlandish realization of the pun. But his humour died as he saw what awaited him in the room.
Please Review (-: