Thanks for the reviews as always! You are the greatest people ever! Thanks
so much!
I left you with a cliff hanger didn't I? Well, here is the next episode so get ready for some action!
Leo's l'il sista
Revelation Part II For Better or Worse till the NSC do us part
"What is this?"
"It's you, Michael. You waiting to take her away after Sydney had done the deed," Lauren stated for her husband who liked to state the obvious.
Now Michael was thrown, the difference was, this time he wasn't fibbing.
"So when were you going to tell me?" Lauren demanded, raising her eyebrows at him and Michael was sure it was to keep the tears from clouding her view.
"Tell you?" Michael inquired in a barely audible voice, most of his concentration on the photograph before him. "Tell you what?"
"About Julia. About Julia being Sydney. About you being part of the Lazarey murder that I've been trying to solve. About the fact that I've basically been married into a lie! A conspiracy!" Lauren shrieked, her voice rising and her shaking becoming more violent with every "about."
"W~wait a minute," Michael pleaded, grabbing onto his wife's wringing hands.
"No, you wait a minute," she bellowed, tears tracing its' way down her flawless complexion. "I thought you loved me, Michael. Despite that you were grieving~~~I thought you loved me."
"I do Lauren! You know I do!" Michael crooned but present circumstances put an edge on his voice.
"No. I know now. You married because I'm part of the NSC. You made me fall in love with you because you knew I wouldn't turn on you. And you knew that I wouldn't turn on your girlfriend either," Lauren snickered, her voice dripping with disdain. She put a hand to her forehead and shook her head sadly. "You and Sydney had this planned all along. You must have been laughing behind my back the whole time."
"That's just not true. I lost Sydney, in that fire. But then you helped me move on. When I kissed you for the first time, it gave me hope of a new day. You became the light at the end of the tunnel and I knew things could only get better."
"Michael~~~I want to believe you, I do. But this picture tells me not only did you know Julia but that you knew Sydney was alive," Lauren pointed out, pointing a trembling finger at the photo that was still clutched in Michael's grasp. "How long have you known, Michael? Since before we were married, or since before we met?"
"Lauren, I told you~~~"
"Stop evading the question. I want an answer and I want it now."
Michael looked at Lauren, trying to intimidate her but it didn't work. Finally he decided to take the most genuine approach he could muster under the present circumstances.
"L~Lauren, honey, I know that it's hard to believe what I'm saying when you've obviously found tangible proof to prove otherwise but I need you to believe me. You know the CIA and NSC, how smart and how dangerous they can be~~~Sydney's disappearance is proof of that. And I'm telling you, I wasn't there. This is not me. I thought Sydney was dead~~~that's no laughing matter and as much as I am confident I can pull of a scam, I wouldn't be able to do that for a minute, not when almost every moment of my life since I became her handler that I sat at base, knowing she was in danger, knowing that today could be the day I can lose her."
Lauren couldn't say she disagreed with that, but it hurt her nonetheless to hear it.
"And hadn't I met you, sweetheart. I would probably have drove myself into the ground.
"This is no time for sweet words, Michael," Lauren argued but the tell-tale flush on her cheeks indicated to him that she was having a hard time staying on task and not fall for his charming personality and sexy smile, his forehead with two distinct wrinkles to tell her he was concerned and being genuine. "So, really~~~you weren't there? This isn't you?"
"No~~~" Michael repeated and hope grew in his eyes that his wife was finally believing him.
Lauren bit her lip and Michael waited anxiously for her next words. "Then we have to do something fast because I haven't told the NSC but it's only a matter of time before they will find out about the photo with you on it."
Michael noticed how grave his wife was looking and gulped. He knew exactly what she was going to say.
"I know what you're going to say Lauren, but I can't," Michael stammered, then stated more forcefully. "I won't."
"Michael, I don't know what to do. You may think this is just a brilliant way of mine to get your former girlfriend out of the picture but it's not. I just want to save you from ruining your life because of something your girlfriend did. Any wife would do the same for their husband!"
"I~~~I can't Lauren. I can't turn on Sydney. Not now. Not ever."
Lauren stared into Michael's eyes and was torn when she realized he was serious. She stumbled backward and started sulking.
Michael was alarmed.
He'd never seen Lauren Reed cry, not like that. Those weren't tears of happiness, they were of agony.
"L~Lauren," he stammered in a gentle tone, walking towards her the way he would a spooked horse.
"I knew this day would come. I knew it," she sobbed, raising her red- rimmed eyes. "I just didn't think it would be this way."
Michael covered his mouth and closed his eyes, not wanting to witness his wife take of her wedding ring. "N~no, Lauren. Don't do this. You don't understand."
"You should be happy. This is what you want, isn't it? You miss being with Agent Bristow, I've seen it in your eyes. You've been casting glances at her during debrief. You know you only went with what I said about watching Sark because you knew that I would suspect something if you didn't," she urged him, very sweetly, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It's okay," she assured him the next second before he could protest. "You never broke up with her. You lost the love of your life and now she's returned. It's not something we were able to control."
"Wait a second, don't' I get a say in this?"
"No~~~you don't."
"But I think you're misunderstanding something. I'm not turning on Sydney because I don't' think she did it, and it's not fair for her to go down for something she didn't do either," Michael reasoned, his irritation with the situation mounting as he spoke.
"I think it's more than business relations," she chuckled, her accent making her voice sound curt.
"Lauren, I'm not going to subject Sydney to any more pain. I'm just not going to do it."
Vaughn watched Lauren whirl backwards as though he'd slapped her.
"Michael~~~I have to head back. Think about this. Sydney Bristow is going to be punished with or without you for murdering a Russian diplomat. It's not your duty to cover for her, unless~~~unless you're going to take her side and go against mine."
"Lauren, don't' do this. I know you think I just want Sydney and that I still love her but it's not about that. I've known Syd from day one, she couldn't have done this. Allison Doren, I would understand, but not Lazarey. Sydney is a good person."
"When you knew her, yes, but she's gone through two years weren't a part of! You don't know what happened, whether she has become a person that can do what has taken place!"
"You're right! Nobody knows! Not even she knows and it's in her head!" Michael thundered. "Do you understand why I can't do this?"
"I~I just don't' want to lose you, Vaughn. Please, believe me when I say that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Michael bit his lip and reached for her. "L~Lauren, please. Give me some time, give me till the NSC finds out themselves. This isn't about love, Lauren, you need to know that. If she is the heartless monster in that video, I'll personally give her up."
Lauren stared at her husband through tear-filled eyes. And to her joy, she saw love within his green pupils. That familiar glance that filled every atom of her body with warmth.
Only she wasn't going to give in, not when losing him to Sydney seemed to inevitable.
"And I suppose you'll go down with her, but if that's your choice, I can't change it," she complained, wondering what she'd done to deserve this. "I~I need to get back."
Michael walked up to her and pulled her hand and forced the ring back onto her finger then gave her a strong kiss that literally took her breath away.
"Lauren, I love you."
She only smiled a small smile and then brushed her hand against his cheek, gave him one more smooch before she walked off. "I'll see you tonight?"
Michael nodded, grinning and watched her Camarro leave.
His cellphone rang and sighing Michael answered it as he boarded the car.
"Hello?"
"Vaughn? This is Syd."
Michael felt choked up and pushed the gas hard from the shock. "Oh~~~Hi."
"Okay, I guess you're not in a good mood. I don't' blame you, I wanted to rest some more too but they want us to come in."
Vaughn only half-heard what she was saying. If it was even possible, he actually felt repulsed by her voice.
"Um~~~Michael?"
"Thank you, tell him I'm coming in," he barked and then clicked off on her before he lost his nerve and threw the phone on the seat next to him.
It was very weird but for the moment, he didn't want to think about Sydney, because everytime he did, he felt he was violating Lauren and he loved her. He really loved her.
Making her cry had felt like searing his flesh and he didn't want to do it again.
He didn't want to lose Lauren. He didn't want Sydney in any surgery but he didn't want to lose his wife.
Lauren had become the meaning for his existence.
Review! Thanks, I don't write without feedback! Lataz, Kris
I left you with a cliff hanger didn't I? Well, here is the next episode so get ready for some action!
Leo's l'il sista
Revelation Part II For Better or Worse till the NSC do us part
"What is this?"
"It's you, Michael. You waiting to take her away after Sydney had done the deed," Lauren stated for her husband who liked to state the obvious.
Now Michael was thrown, the difference was, this time he wasn't fibbing.
"So when were you going to tell me?" Lauren demanded, raising her eyebrows at him and Michael was sure it was to keep the tears from clouding her view.
"Tell you?" Michael inquired in a barely audible voice, most of his concentration on the photograph before him. "Tell you what?"
"About Julia. About Julia being Sydney. About you being part of the Lazarey murder that I've been trying to solve. About the fact that I've basically been married into a lie! A conspiracy!" Lauren shrieked, her voice rising and her shaking becoming more violent with every "about."
"W~wait a minute," Michael pleaded, grabbing onto his wife's wringing hands.
"No, you wait a minute," she bellowed, tears tracing its' way down her flawless complexion. "I thought you loved me, Michael. Despite that you were grieving~~~I thought you loved me."
"I do Lauren! You know I do!" Michael crooned but present circumstances put an edge on his voice.
"No. I know now. You married because I'm part of the NSC. You made me fall in love with you because you knew I wouldn't turn on you. And you knew that I wouldn't turn on your girlfriend either," Lauren snickered, her voice dripping with disdain. She put a hand to her forehead and shook her head sadly. "You and Sydney had this planned all along. You must have been laughing behind my back the whole time."
"That's just not true. I lost Sydney, in that fire. But then you helped me move on. When I kissed you for the first time, it gave me hope of a new day. You became the light at the end of the tunnel and I knew things could only get better."
"Michael~~~I want to believe you, I do. But this picture tells me not only did you know Julia but that you knew Sydney was alive," Lauren pointed out, pointing a trembling finger at the photo that was still clutched in Michael's grasp. "How long have you known, Michael? Since before we were married, or since before we met?"
"Lauren, I told you~~~"
"Stop evading the question. I want an answer and I want it now."
Michael looked at Lauren, trying to intimidate her but it didn't work. Finally he decided to take the most genuine approach he could muster under the present circumstances.
"L~Lauren, honey, I know that it's hard to believe what I'm saying when you've obviously found tangible proof to prove otherwise but I need you to believe me. You know the CIA and NSC, how smart and how dangerous they can be~~~Sydney's disappearance is proof of that. And I'm telling you, I wasn't there. This is not me. I thought Sydney was dead~~~that's no laughing matter and as much as I am confident I can pull of a scam, I wouldn't be able to do that for a minute, not when almost every moment of my life since I became her handler that I sat at base, knowing she was in danger, knowing that today could be the day I can lose her."
Lauren couldn't say she disagreed with that, but it hurt her nonetheless to hear it.
"And hadn't I met you, sweetheart. I would probably have drove myself into the ground.
"This is no time for sweet words, Michael," Lauren argued but the tell-tale flush on her cheeks indicated to him that she was having a hard time staying on task and not fall for his charming personality and sexy smile, his forehead with two distinct wrinkles to tell her he was concerned and being genuine. "So, really~~~you weren't there? This isn't you?"
"No~~~" Michael repeated and hope grew in his eyes that his wife was finally believing him.
Lauren bit her lip and Michael waited anxiously for her next words. "Then we have to do something fast because I haven't told the NSC but it's only a matter of time before they will find out about the photo with you on it."
Michael noticed how grave his wife was looking and gulped. He knew exactly what she was going to say.
"I know what you're going to say Lauren, but I can't," Michael stammered, then stated more forcefully. "I won't."
"Michael, I don't know what to do. You may think this is just a brilliant way of mine to get your former girlfriend out of the picture but it's not. I just want to save you from ruining your life because of something your girlfriend did. Any wife would do the same for their husband!"
"I~~~I can't Lauren. I can't turn on Sydney. Not now. Not ever."
Lauren stared into Michael's eyes and was torn when she realized he was serious. She stumbled backward and started sulking.
Michael was alarmed.
He'd never seen Lauren Reed cry, not like that. Those weren't tears of happiness, they were of agony.
"L~Lauren," he stammered in a gentle tone, walking towards her the way he would a spooked horse.
"I knew this day would come. I knew it," she sobbed, raising her red- rimmed eyes. "I just didn't think it would be this way."
Michael covered his mouth and closed his eyes, not wanting to witness his wife take of her wedding ring. "N~no, Lauren. Don't do this. You don't understand."
"You should be happy. This is what you want, isn't it? You miss being with Agent Bristow, I've seen it in your eyes. You've been casting glances at her during debrief. You know you only went with what I said about watching Sark because you knew that I would suspect something if you didn't," she urged him, very sweetly, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It's okay," she assured him the next second before he could protest. "You never broke up with her. You lost the love of your life and now she's returned. It's not something we were able to control."
"Wait a second, don't' I get a say in this?"
"No~~~you don't."
"But I think you're misunderstanding something. I'm not turning on Sydney because I don't' think she did it, and it's not fair for her to go down for something she didn't do either," Michael reasoned, his irritation with the situation mounting as he spoke.
"I think it's more than business relations," she chuckled, her accent making her voice sound curt.
"Lauren, I'm not going to subject Sydney to any more pain. I'm just not going to do it."
Vaughn watched Lauren whirl backwards as though he'd slapped her.
"Michael~~~I have to head back. Think about this. Sydney Bristow is going to be punished with or without you for murdering a Russian diplomat. It's not your duty to cover for her, unless~~~unless you're going to take her side and go against mine."
"Lauren, don't' do this. I know you think I just want Sydney and that I still love her but it's not about that. I've known Syd from day one, she couldn't have done this. Allison Doren, I would understand, but not Lazarey. Sydney is a good person."
"When you knew her, yes, but she's gone through two years weren't a part of! You don't know what happened, whether she has become a person that can do what has taken place!"
"You're right! Nobody knows! Not even she knows and it's in her head!" Michael thundered. "Do you understand why I can't do this?"
"I~I just don't' want to lose you, Vaughn. Please, believe me when I say that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Michael bit his lip and reached for her. "L~Lauren, please. Give me some time, give me till the NSC finds out themselves. This isn't about love, Lauren, you need to know that. If she is the heartless monster in that video, I'll personally give her up."
Lauren stared at her husband through tear-filled eyes. And to her joy, she saw love within his green pupils. That familiar glance that filled every atom of her body with warmth.
Only she wasn't going to give in, not when losing him to Sydney seemed to inevitable.
"And I suppose you'll go down with her, but if that's your choice, I can't change it," she complained, wondering what she'd done to deserve this. "I~I need to get back."
Michael walked up to her and pulled her hand and forced the ring back onto her finger then gave her a strong kiss that literally took her breath away.
"Lauren, I love you."
She only smiled a small smile and then brushed her hand against his cheek, gave him one more smooch before she walked off. "I'll see you tonight?"
Michael nodded, grinning and watched her Camarro leave.
His cellphone rang and sighing Michael answered it as he boarded the car.
"Hello?"
"Vaughn? This is Syd."
Michael felt choked up and pushed the gas hard from the shock. "Oh~~~Hi."
"Okay, I guess you're not in a good mood. I don't' blame you, I wanted to rest some more too but they want us to come in."
Vaughn only half-heard what she was saying. If it was even possible, he actually felt repulsed by her voice.
"Um~~~Michael?"
"Thank you, tell him I'm coming in," he barked and then clicked off on her before he lost his nerve and threw the phone on the seat next to him.
It was very weird but for the moment, he didn't want to think about Sydney, because everytime he did, he felt he was violating Lauren and he loved her. He really loved her.
Making her cry had felt like searing his flesh and he didn't want to do it again.
He didn't want to lose Lauren. He didn't want Sydney in any surgery but he didn't want to lose his wife.
Lauren had become the meaning for his existence.
Review! Thanks, I don't write without feedback! Lataz, Kris