For Better Or Worse~~~~~Till the NSC do us Part Total Vaughn
Lover
Moscow Nightmare
A/n.: Okay, Thanks for the reviews, I do appreciate them, but, I do not appreciate it when you start becoming sarcastic. I.e: more grammatical errors then paris hilton has pants, and just telling me that I'm not doing the show justice. I am trying, and I do like the criticism, just not like that. Please refrain from doing that, thanks.
And Now, on with the story~~~~~~~
"Helen, are you ready to go?" Vaughn asked Syd who's alias was currently "Helen Daichovsky." They were currently getting dressed in their joint hotel room. he didn't think there was any danger in calling her be her real name but overly-cautious Sydney wasn't taking any chances.
They'd been met by the treasurer and secretary of CORNU at the airport as though they were highly distinguished guests. Their agenda happened to include an annoying escort to their suite and guards by their door. Needless to say, security was high, but Vaughn had already searched the room and he hadn't seen any hidden cameras or devices to suggest that they were being watched.
"In a minute Mr. Vartan," Sydney called back, her voice strained as though she was actually having trouble pulling her outfit on. Sydney Bristow was the most active woman Vaughn had ever met and in his opinion she also had the most beautiful figure as well, a fact he kept carefully hidden from his wife.
"Don't you think you can call me by my first name, or are you still not keen on calling me Michael?" Vaughn chuckled as he straightened his bow tie.
"No. We don't' want to sound like we have anything other than a professional relationship," Sydney retorted. "It's bad enough we were the only two on the plane. Did you see their faces when we said we had no bodyguards?"
"Sorry, but I think it's too late to act modest. If you didn't' notice, we are sharing the same hotel room. They probably suspect it."
"Or they suspect you arranged things this way and that you like me. Of course they wouldn't' want to upset their distinguished guest," Sydney quipped before she gave a huge sigh.
"Well true~~~and I do like you, so everything is fine then." Sydney couldn't believe how full of it Vaughn was. Though part of her couldn't help but be flattered by his words.
"You think they'll treat us to dinner if I asked them?" he added jokingly.
"MICHAEL!"
"Okay, okay, I won't. It was just an idea. Seeing as we haven't eaten anything since we left last night. There is really nothing wrong with acting like we have mutual interest in each other, respect for one another's professions. Just proves we have a good business~~~relationship."
"Right, Ow!"
Vaughn finally lost his nerve. The angst in this room was making them both blunt and quick-tempered. "For crying out loud, Syd, what are you doing in there?"
"Trying to get my hair up, but I just stuck himself with one of my pins," she complained.
Vaughn rolled his eyes as he fell back down into his chair.
He wished Dixon had cleared up with them that this wasn't a sit down meeting they were going to. From the sound of what the "escorts,' had been saying, the convention depicted a cocktail party more than anything else. If they had gotten the right intel Sydney wouldn't have had to run to an expensive dress shop, find matching accessories just to be running late. And he wouldn't have had to sit exasperate, not able to perfect his bow tie.
Suddenly Sydney let out a distinct whimper.
Michael's senses were redirected towards the sound. Maybe Sydney was really in trouble, though logically thinking Agent Vaughn didn't know how much trouble a slick agent like Agent Bristow could get in with a harmless hair pin~~~unless they'd been poisoned or something."
"Syd, are you okay? Did you really hurt yourself?" he inquired, knocking on the door to their bathroom.
"Um~~~yeah. Like I said I just stuck myself with a hair pin and it's bleeding," Syeny explained quickly, her voice sounding murmured. "You find tissue in this room?"
"It's a hotel room, Syd, and three stars at least," Michael almost said but his concern for her bleeding body part rubbed that heartless comment away from his mind. "You're bleeding? Come out and show me."
"It's not a big deal. We're late enough as it is," she quipped, her voice getting shrill as she poked herself again.
"Well, we're obviously not getting anywhere so why don't we work together. We've always been good at that," he suggested. "I'll help you with your hair, and maybe you can help me with my bow tie."
There was a pause as they both flashbacked to the awkward moment when Sydney had caught Lauren tying his bow tie. If there was an angsty moment, it had been that.
"You sure you can do my hair? It's really think and layered and," Sydney began warning him then trailed off, not knowing what else to protest.
"No. But if I can see what I'm doing I'll probably figure it out and I might be able to accomplish it without poking myself with those things. Just tell me which curl goes where," he joked, now standing by the tissue box sitting by their bedside table.
"I~I don't know Vaughn. I'm really trying to keep myself from going a step backwards and falling in love with you again. Don't you think we'd feel awkward."
Vaughn knew Sydney meant well but right now he wanted to see her, so bad that he didn't even think of Lauren and what she might be feeling or thinking at that very moment. "If you don't come out yourself, I'm going to come in and drag you out, so you better have your dress on."
It was obvious Vaughn wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.
"Okay, but I warned you."
He heard a creak to the door of the bathroom opening and he immediately looked in that direction. Michael's heart beat fast as she shyly emerged, and his brain turned into mush.
She was beautiful, dressed in a strapless baby pink bodice, that flowed down to a flowing pink skirt that glistened with every step she made. A huge pendant sat on her delicate neckline. Her cheeks matched the baby pink and only her smoky eyeshadow took her from natural beauty to glam girl. Her hair hung in a collection of spirals, ready to be pinned up.
But her eyes flashed with pain and that was the only fact that brought him back down to earth. He had to keep reminding himself he couldn't look at Sydney that way anymore, he was married. But he found it so easy to forget and be attracted to Sydney every moment Lauren wasn't around.
"Sydney~~~you look so beautiful."
"T~Thanks."
Sydney would have said the same thing about Vaughn who looked more than dashing in his penguin suit. The only thing missing was his black bow, everything else about him was perfect. But she remembered he was married and didn't say anything.
"So which hand did you hurt?" he asked as he walked up to her.
"Um~~~this one," she murmured. When she looked up she realized he was standing so close to her, and it wasn't until it was too late that she realized his want to kiss her overcame any other sense that had been there only seconds ago.
And he did.
He kissed her, and Sydney was so shocked. She watched him kiss her, only that seemed to make her feel worse.
She'd never watched him kiss her before and now she realized she'd missed out. He was so sexy with his eyes closed, every ounce of him concentrated on her, trying to perfect his art of kissing. And it was obviously that he loved her, and she knew she couldn't.
She responded to him for only about one second then pulled back, feeling even giving him that had been a moment gone to far.
Michael finally opened his eyes and looked at Sydney, who's gaze was downcast, and she was rubbing her arms as though she were cold. His first instinct was to give her one of his jackets and he did.
Only Sydney rejected it.
"Syd?"
"Don't' worry," she stammered, meeting his gaze, but only to let him know she wasn't just trying to avoid him, even if she was. "I got my own. It wasn't' that I was cold anyway."
"Then why did you start rubbing your arms like you were?" his gaze demanded, probably half-irritated by her resistance when it was he who'd made it difficult for her stand in the same room as him, her former boyfriend.
"Look, I'm going to go and get another hotel room. I~~I can't do this," she apologized, went back to her room for a coast and her purse then emerged and rushed to the door, only to have Vaughn stop in front of it and hold his arms in the way.
"This? But I didn't do anything, we're not doing anything, not anything we don't' want," he argued.
"Y~You kissed me, Vaughn," she exhaled, stating the obvious.
"Okay. But you kissed me back. It took you about thirty seconds~~~but you did. You did respond. I felt it," he said accusingly. "So it was what we both wanted."
Sydney found she couldn't argue that fact. But there was no way she could stay in this room and act like nothing had happened or that she hadn't liked it.
"Don't be so sure of yourself, Vaughn," she shot back, trying to sting his emotions. "And even if it was, it doesn't make it right. And~~~It will never happen again."
"I told you I loved you. That I still do," Vaughn boomed, a confused and extremely lovesick man.
"I know and I~it's what I've wanted you to say since the moment I saw you run into the warehouse and I threw my arms around you. But you know what, you can't do this. You can't feed me hope because I can't handle it. I can't have you love me behind your wife's back and then treat me like I am nothing when your wife is around. It's not fair to you or me, and I'm not going to have any of it," Sydney stated firmly.
"I never said that's what I wanted to do you," he stuttered, his anger slipping. "I know this sucks Syd, but it's not like I planned it this way."
Sydney knew that but so much of her wanted to blame Michael for making his decision to marry his wife. "Look, I'm not going to go ahead, have some tea, clear my head. I~I'll meet you at the Moscow Music Hall."
"W~wait Syd, you hair, it's not done."
"Does it look bad?" she inquired, looking suddenly very vulnerable and he couldn't bring himself to say anything bad, for instance, if it was true
"N~No, of course not," he said in a warm tone.
"Then don't' worry about it then, I'm not," she shrugged off as she pulled on her coat, then opened the door before he could give any protests. "Good evening, Mr. Vartan will be arriving seperately from me, so if you can please pull my car around." He heard her say just as he was about to ask, "what about my tie?"
But she left before he could give any more protests and the guard was the one who entered the room. "Everything okay in here, Mr. Vartan? Is it planned that you are not to travel to the convention with your translator?" he asked in his broken English, barely understandable with his rich Russian Accent.
"Uh, yes," Michael replied with a nod. "And I'll be ready to depart in ten minutes, so I'd appreciate it if you would bring my car around by the time I get downstairs, I shouldn't be late."
The guard acknowledged him with a polite nod. "I will make sure your request is processed." Then he left the room.
Michael went back over to the mirror and fumbled with his tie again, but he could barely stand to look at himself. He was ashamed of himself. He had thought only for a second that he'd acted a bit too irrationally, but he hadn't expected her to react the way she'd done.
But then again, he wondered, had he really given thought to any of her feelings when he'd kissed her, or had he just been overwhelmed by his want and taken advantage of her because she'd been so close to him?
Michael stared at his sad disappointed face as he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a black tie, one of the pre-made clip-ons. He carefully clipped it onto his collar and straightened it, then huffed a sad sigh. There had to be something wrong with the world if he couldn't kiss his soul mate and not get negative feedback.
Or was there just something wrong with himself?
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Sydney gazed around the spacious room in awe. It was filled with years of intricate Russian architecture which was actually the arches and columns from Greece, given Russian flair.
She took a glass of champagne from a tray a waiter was holding and took a nice long gulp. She rarely drank on the job but after what Vaughn had pulled she needed something to take the edge off.
"May I take your coat?' a young man inquired his broken English from behind her, startling Sydney and she whirled around. Where had he come from?
"Um no, thank you though," Sydney answered, trying not to sound like she was brushing him way though in reality that was exactly what she was trying to do. "I have go out from and meet my employer."
She grimaced when she realized he was staring directly at her generously exposed cleavage, thanks to her outfit which happened to be the only one that she'd found in her size. She promised herself she would never wear it again.
The young man seemed to notice it too and turned away abruptly, red creeping up his cheeks. "Perhaps I can find the man that is that you are lo~looking for," he suggested, "then you wouldn't have to go back out into the freezing winds. I'm sure your employed cares deeply enough for a woman like you, just by taking in your beauty I am willing to drop everything to please you and make your stay more comfortable."
Sydney was very moved and surprised by her directness that she didn't know what to say. So instead, she gave him one of her very pleasant smiles.
"I thank you for the thought, but really I must be~~~"
"May I have your name please, and the name of the person that you are looking for? Then I will even go ahead and get your name in the guest book . and believe me, you would want me to do it since if you wait till later everyone else will be crowding around it."
Sydney let out a pleasant chuckle. "Don't you sign those things in blood, I mean with something as dangerous and valuable as nuclear weapons are to prove the fidelity of your members?"
The young man let out a chuckle himself. "You have obviously never been to a CORNU meeting," he said gently, "and to think your deceiving my generosity was purely for my amusement."
Sydney studied his behavior and got a feeling, a bad feeling. The same feeling she'd gotten when Vaughn had out-shown her by bringing out a much better map of SD-6 than the one she's drawn. The disgusting feeling of intimidation that she'd rather live without."
Uh-oh, Vaughn is definitely going to love this.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Alonzo Ketzer, I am actually second in command to David Belzarin on the CORNU chain of command."
He held out his hand and Sydney took it, not wanting to make a fool of herself any longer.
"And I know you must be Helen Daichovsky, translator to our newest CORNU member, Mr. Michael Vartan? Am I correct?"
Oh yeah, Vaughn was never going to let her hear the end of this.
"You~ you guessed right," she replied a bit flirtatiously. "Do you make it your duty to memorize the guest list?"
"Process of elimination," he said with a happy smirk. "Mr. Vartan is the only new member we have coming in, to oversee things. I believe, sort of like an ambassador?"
Sydney only smiled, suddenly wishing she'd chosen something less revealing.
"So, if I may take your coat, I will go and see to it that Mr. Vartan is directed your way once he arrives," he added, holding out his arm and Sydney gingerly let the man take her faux fur coat. "And does Mr. Vartan speak any words of Russian?"
Whoa. She was sure Vaughn knew more Russian than her. Unfortunately she couldn't say that, then why would he need a translator? The CIA would probably have switched them around if only the CORNU committee took female members.
"A~A little. He might be able to find me or speak to find me."
"Excellent!" he beamed. "Enjoy the part then m'lady. It is in the honor of our distinguished guest."
"Yes~~~I thank you," she muttered, pulling her hand back. She wondered if she should bow?
The Vice President went away after laying a kiss on her hand to greet some other guests and she took that opportunity to slide away from the MOP of people before she was forced to talk to somebody~~~or worse. She had to fight herself from leaning against the wall. But the next second she realized she couldn't even if she wanted to.
She felt a hand against her bare back and let out a yipe.
"Sshh, sorry, was my hand that cold?"
"Vaughn!"
"Shh," he hushed her as he nodded his handsome head, then stood next to her, his hands clasped behind his back, balancing himself on his tippy toes a few time to get his blood flowing again, warming up his body.
It was like the tension from only an hour ago had dissipated. She caught herself looking over at him, studying his handsome profile. She could tell his shoulders were tense and weren't they at a public place, and were he not married he would have rubbed the tension out of them.
"Can you be any more nervous?" she teased Vaughn who was still facing forward.
"For your info, the reason I'm so tense is because you failed to meet me where we were supposed to and I'm also trembling from being out in the cold, waiting for you.
"Oh~~~Yeah, about that~~~I tried to get out but I~~~I got side tracked."
Vaughn looked at her, his eyes huge. Sydney Bristow get sidetracked from him? Was that possible? Was that even allowed?
"Side-tracked?" Vaughn demanded, pulling his invisible ear-piece on so he could hear anything he needed from Base Ops. "Could you clarify what you mean by that, "Mountaineer?"
Sydney smiled at a couple when they passed by them. The young woman looked too young for the man on her arm and she was just about to note Vaughn about that when he bumped her ever so slightly on the hip but hard enough to jog a reaction.
"What?"
"Answer me. What were you doing here other than waiting for me?" Vaughn repeated, his eyes narrowed, his mouth a tight line. He was a full- business kind of guy when he was on a mission, but Sydney had the feeling there was some jealousy there.
"Y~your'e not going to like this," she winced which was enough to alarm Agent Vaughn despite the soothing smell of crumpets, and flowery cologne that wafted toward his nostrils. "But I didn't know who he was. The only one I was briefed on was David Belzarin."
"Well that's the only one you need to recognize to do your job. We're here to get him, remember?" Now Vaughn was belittling her, which he managed to do while smiling at acknowledging everyone that passed by.
"I do, but I think I just disrespected the Vice President, Alonzo Ketzer," she apologized.
She got a sound reaction from Vaughn, just like she expected.
"What! How?"
Sydney explained to him in the most discreet manner of how she'd thought the man was trying to pick her up when he'd asked for her coat, and it had turned out that he was the Vice President of the committee.
Vaughn put a hand to his creased forehead and counted to ten, trying to keep from making a total scene and a public humiliation display of Sydney. "Sydney, what in the world did you do that for? More importantly how?"
Sydney began sputtering but Vaughn put a hand up. "No, I don't want to know. Just tell me, did he figure out who you are?" he rasped, trying to scold her with the utmost courtesy.
"Y~yeah," Sydney admitted which sent Vaughn groaning. "But only because he figured out that I've never been here, because had I been here before I would have known who he was. He thought I'd been flirting with him until then. And he figured it out only because you're the only new member arriving into the CORNU committee."
Vaughn glared sternly at her for a second but found his frown melt when he saw how remorseful she looked.
"D~Don't worry about it, Syd. I'm sure that's not a big deal, we'll still get through this," he crooned. "Sorry Syd, I always forget that you don't know half the things the CIA does now. We're had some vital things nailed into our brains, one of them being CORNU's chain of command. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"It's okay, I'm okay," Sydney stammered, rubbing away a stray tear before Michael noticed it. Having Vaughn seeing her cry was the last thing on her wish list. She knew things could only get weirder after that awkward revealing of his feelings on their plane ride. He might even try and throw his arms to comfort her, he'd already made it clear he didn't mind the possibility of his alias having an affair with his translator. That was the last thing she needed, especially since he'd just gotten finished telling her that his wife was on to her and that he was having marital problems because of it.
Sydney was practically caught off-guard when a hand tapped her on the shoulder and she and Vaughn had to do an instant morph into a visitor from the U.S and his beautiful exotic translator.
She found herself breathless as she introduced "Mr. Vartan," to David Belzarin, but she would have not had it any other way. The approach of the President had just saved her from what could have been more humiliating.
So what did ya think? Things are about to get even more interesting, with SV promise! Just please remember to review! I need the encouragement!!!
Thanks, and I will return the favor.
Total Vaughn Lover
Moscow Nightmare
A/n.: Okay, Thanks for the reviews, I do appreciate them, but, I do not appreciate it when you start becoming sarcastic. I.e: more grammatical errors then paris hilton has pants, and just telling me that I'm not doing the show justice. I am trying, and I do like the criticism, just not like that. Please refrain from doing that, thanks.
And Now, on with the story~~~~~~~
"Helen, are you ready to go?" Vaughn asked Syd who's alias was currently "Helen Daichovsky." They were currently getting dressed in their joint hotel room. he didn't think there was any danger in calling her be her real name but overly-cautious Sydney wasn't taking any chances.
They'd been met by the treasurer and secretary of CORNU at the airport as though they were highly distinguished guests. Their agenda happened to include an annoying escort to their suite and guards by their door. Needless to say, security was high, but Vaughn had already searched the room and he hadn't seen any hidden cameras or devices to suggest that they were being watched.
"In a minute Mr. Vartan," Sydney called back, her voice strained as though she was actually having trouble pulling her outfit on. Sydney Bristow was the most active woman Vaughn had ever met and in his opinion she also had the most beautiful figure as well, a fact he kept carefully hidden from his wife.
"Don't you think you can call me by my first name, or are you still not keen on calling me Michael?" Vaughn chuckled as he straightened his bow tie.
"No. We don't' want to sound like we have anything other than a professional relationship," Sydney retorted. "It's bad enough we were the only two on the plane. Did you see their faces when we said we had no bodyguards?"
"Sorry, but I think it's too late to act modest. If you didn't' notice, we are sharing the same hotel room. They probably suspect it."
"Or they suspect you arranged things this way and that you like me. Of course they wouldn't' want to upset their distinguished guest," Sydney quipped before she gave a huge sigh.
"Well true~~~and I do like you, so everything is fine then." Sydney couldn't believe how full of it Vaughn was. Though part of her couldn't help but be flattered by his words.
"You think they'll treat us to dinner if I asked them?" he added jokingly.
"MICHAEL!"
"Okay, okay, I won't. It was just an idea. Seeing as we haven't eaten anything since we left last night. There is really nothing wrong with acting like we have mutual interest in each other, respect for one another's professions. Just proves we have a good business~~~relationship."
"Right, Ow!"
Vaughn finally lost his nerve. The angst in this room was making them both blunt and quick-tempered. "For crying out loud, Syd, what are you doing in there?"
"Trying to get my hair up, but I just stuck himself with one of my pins," she complained.
Vaughn rolled his eyes as he fell back down into his chair.
He wished Dixon had cleared up with them that this wasn't a sit down meeting they were going to. From the sound of what the "escorts,' had been saying, the convention depicted a cocktail party more than anything else. If they had gotten the right intel Sydney wouldn't have had to run to an expensive dress shop, find matching accessories just to be running late. And he wouldn't have had to sit exasperate, not able to perfect his bow tie.
Suddenly Sydney let out a distinct whimper.
Michael's senses were redirected towards the sound. Maybe Sydney was really in trouble, though logically thinking Agent Vaughn didn't know how much trouble a slick agent like Agent Bristow could get in with a harmless hair pin~~~unless they'd been poisoned or something."
"Syd, are you okay? Did you really hurt yourself?" he inquired, knocking on the door to their bathroom.
"Um~~~yeah. Like I said I just stuck myself with a hair pin and it's bleeding," Syeny explained quickly, her voice sounding murmured. "You find tissue in this room?"
"It's a hotel room, Syd, and three stars at least," Michael almost said but his concern for her bleeding body part rubbed that heartless comment away from his mind. "You're bleeding? Come out and show me."
"It's not a big deal. We're late enough as it is," she quipped, her voice getting shrill as she poked herself again.
"Well, we're obviously not getting anywhere so why don't we work together. We've always been good at that," he suggested. "I'll help you with your hair, and maybe you can help me with my bow tie."
There was a pause as they both flashbacked to the awkward moment when Sydney had caught Lauren tying his bow tie. If there was an angsty moment, it had been that.
"You sure you can do my hair? It's really think and layered and," Sydney began warning him then trailed off, not knowing what else to protest.
"No. But if I can see what I'm doing I'll probably figure it out and I might be able to accomplish it without poking myself with those things. Just tell me which curl goes where," he joked, now standing by the tissue box sitting by their bedside table.
"I~I don't know Vaughn. I'm really trying to keep myself from going a step backwards and falling in love with you again. Don't you think we'd feel awkward."
Vaughn knew Sydney meant well but right now he wanted to see her, so bad that he didn't even think of Lauren and what she might be feeling or thinking at that very moment. "If you don't come out yourself, I'm going to come in and drag you out, so you better have your dress on."
It was obvious Vaughn wasn't going to take "no" for an answer.
"Okay, but I warned you."
He heard a creak to the door of the bathroom opening and he immediately looked in that direction. Michael's heart beat fast as she shyly emerged, and his brain turned into mush.
She was beautiful, dressed in a strapless baby pink bodice, that flowed down to a flowing pink skirt that glistened with every step she made. A huge pendant sat on her delicate neckline. Her cheeks matched the baby pink and only her smoky eyeshadow took her from natural beauty to glam girl. Her hair hung in a collection of spirals, ready to be pinned up.
But her eyes flashed with pain and that was the only fact that brought him back down to earth. He had to keep reminding himself he couldn't look at Sydney that way anymore, he was married. But he found it so easy to forget and be attracted to Sydney every moment Lauren wasn't around.
"Sydney~~~you look so beautiful."
"T~Thanks."
Sydney would have said the same thing about Vaughn who looked more than dashing in his penguin suit. The only thing missing was his black bow, everything else about him was perfect. But she remembered he was married and didn't say anything.
"So which hand did you hurt?" he asked as he walked up to her.
"Um~~~this one," she murmured. When she looked up she realized he was standing so close to her, and it wasn't until it was too late that she realized his want to kiss her overcame any other sense that had been there only seconds ago.
And he did.
He kissed her, and Sydney was so shocked. She watched him kiss her, only that seemed to make her feel worse.
She'd never watched him kiss her before and now she realized she'd missed out. He was so sexy with his eyes closed, every ounce of him concentrated on her, trying to perfect his art of kissing. And it was obviously that he loved her, and she knew she couldn't.
She responded to him for only about one second then pulled back, feeling even giving him that had been a moment gone to far.
Michael finally opened his eyes and looked at Sydney, who's gaze was downcast, and she was rubbing her arms as though she were cold. His first instinct was to give her one of his jackets and he did.
Only Sydney rejected it.
"Syd?"
"Don't' worry," she stammered, meeting his gaze, but only to let him know she wasn't just trying to avoid him, even if she was. "I got my own. It wasn't' that I was cold anyway."
"Then why did you start rubbing your arms like you were?" his gaze demanded, probably half-irritated by her resistance when it was he who'd made it difficult for her stand in the same room as him, her former boyfriend.
"Look, I'm going to go and get another hotel room. I~~I can't do this," she apologized, went back to her room for a coast and her purse then emerged and rushed to the door, only to have Vaughn stop in front of it and hold his arms in the way.
"This? But I didn't do anything, we're not doing anything, not anything we don't' want," he argued.
"Y~You kissed me, Vaughn," she exhaled, stating the obvious.
"Okay. But you kissed me back. It took you about thirty seconds~~~but you did. You did respond. I felt it," he said accusingly. "So it was what we both wanted."
Sydney found she couldn't argue that fact. But there was no way she could stay in this room and act like nothing had happened or that she hadn't liked it.
"Don't be so sure of yourself, Vaughn," she shot back, trying to sting his emotions. "And even if it was, it doesn't make it right. And~~~It will never happen again."
"I told you I loved you. That I still do," Vaughn boomed, a confused and extremely lovesick man.
"I know and I~it's what I've wanted you to say since the moment I saw you run into the warehouse and I threw my arms around you. But you know what, you can't do this. You can't feed me hope because I can't handle it. I can't have you love me behind your wife's back and then treat me like I am nothing when your wife is around. It's not fair to you or me, and I'm not going to have any of it," Sydney stated firmly.
"I never said that's what I wanted to do you," he stuttered, his anger slipping. "I know this sucks Syd, but it's not like I planned it this way."
Sydney knew that but so much of her wanted to blame Michael for making his decision to marry his wife. "Look, I'm not going to go ahead, have some tea, clear my head. I~I'll meet you at the Moscow Music Hall."
"W~wait Syd, you hair, it's not done."
"Does it look bad?" she inquired, looking suddenly very vulnerable and he couldn't bring himself to say anything bad, for instance, if it was true
"N~No, of course not," he said in a warm tone.
"Then don't' worry about it then, I'm not," she shrugged off as she pulled on her coat, then opened the door before he could give any protests. "Good evening, Mr. Vartan will be arriving seperately from me, so if you can please pull my car around." He heard her say just as he was about to ask, "what about my tie?"
But she left before he could give any more protests and the guard was the one who entered the room. "Everything okay in here, Mr. Vartan? Is it planned that you are not to travel to the convention with your translator?" he asked in his broken English, barely understandable with his rich Russian Accent.
"Uh, yes," Michael replied with a nod. "And I'll be ready to depart in ten minutes, so I'd appreciate it if you would bring my car around by the time I get downstairs, I shouldn't be late."
The guard acknowledged him with a polite nod. "I will make sure your request is processed." Then he left the room.
Michael went back over to the mirror and fumbled with his tie again, but he could barely stand to look at himself. He was ashamed of himself. He had thought only for a second that he'd acted a bit too irrationally, but he hadn't expected her to react the way she'd done.
But then again, he wondered, had he really given thought to any of her feelings when he'd kissed her, or had he just been overwhelmed by his want and taken advantage of her because she'd been so close to him?
Michael stared at his sad disappointed face as he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a black tie, one of the pre-made clip-ons. He carefully clipped it onto his collar and straightened it, then huffed a sad sigh. There had to be something wrong with the world if he couldn't kiss his soul mate and not get negative feedback.
Or was there just something wrong with himself?
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Sydney gazed around the spacious room in awe. It was filled with years of intricate Russian architecture which was actually the arches and columns from Greece, given Russian flair.
She took a glass of champagne from a tray a waiter was holding and took a nice long gulp. She rarely drank on the job but after what Vaughn had pulled she needed something to take the edge off.
"May I take your coat?' a young man inquired his broken English from behind her, startling Sydney and she whirled around. Where had he come from?
"Um no, thank you though," Sydney answered, trying not to sound like she was brushing him way though in reality that was exactly what she was trying to do. "I have go out from and meet my employer."
She grimaced when she realized he was staring directly at her generously exposed cleavage, thanks to her outfit which happened to be the only one that she'd found in her size. She promised herself she would never wear it again.
The young man seemed to notice it too and turned away abruptly, red creeping up his cheeks. "Perhaps I can find the man that is that you are lo~looking for," he suggested, "then you wouldn't have to go back out into the freezing winds. I'm sure your employed cares deeply enough for a woman like you, just by taking in your beauty I am willing to drop everything to please you and make your stay more comfortable."
Sydney was very moved and surprised by her directness that she didn't know what to say. So instead, she gave him one of her very pleasant smiles.
"I thank you for the thought, but really I must be~~~"
"May I have your name please, and the name of the person that you are looking for? Then I will even go ahead and get your name in the guest book . and believe me, you would want me to do it since if you wait till later everyone else will be crowding around it."
Sydney let out a pleasant chuckle. "Don't you sign those things in blood, I mean with something as dangerous and valuable as nuclear weapons are to prove the fidelity of your members?"
The young man let out a chuckle himself. "You have obviously never been to a CORNU meeting," he said gently, "and to think your deceiving my generosity was purely for my amusement."
Sydney studied his behavior and got a feeling, a bad feeling. The same feeling she'd gotten when Vaughn had out-shown her by bringing out a much better map of SD-6 than the one she's drawn. The disgusting feeling of intimidation that she'd rather live without."
Uh-oh, Vaughn is definitely going to love this.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Alonzo Ketzer, I am actually second in command to David Belzarin on the CORNU chain of command."
He held out his hand and Sydney took it, not wanting to make a fool of herself any longer.
"And I know you must be Helen Daichovsky, translator to our newest CORNU member, Mr. Michael Vartan? Am I correct?"
Oh yeah, Vaughn was never going to let her hear the end of this.
"You~ you guessed right," she replied a bit flirtatiously. "Do you make it your duty to memorize the guest list?"
"Process of elimination," he said with a happy smirk. "Mr. Vartan is the only new member we have coming in, to oversee things. I believe, sort of like an ambassador?"
Sydney only smiled, suddenly wishing she'd chosen something less revealing.
"So, if I may take your coat, I will go and see to it that Mr. Vartan is directed your way once he arrives," he added, holding out his arm and Sydney gingerly let the man take her faux fur coat. "And does Mr. Vartan speak any words of Russian?"
Whoa. She was sure Vaughn knew more Russian than her. Unfortunately she couldn't say that, then why would he need a translator? The CIA would probably have switched them around if only the CORNU committee took female members.
"A~A little. He might be able to find me or speak to find me."
"Excellent!" he beamed. "Enjoy the part then m'lady. It is in the honor of our distinguished guest."
"Yes~~~I thank you," she muttered, pulling her hand back. She wondered if she should bow?
The Vice President went away after laying a kiss on her hand to greet some other guests and she took that opportunity to slide away from the MOP of people before she was forced to talk to somebody~~~or worse. She had to fight herself from leaning against the wall. But the next second she realized she couldn't even if she wanted to.
She felt a hand against her bare back and let out a yipe.
"Sshh, sorry, was my hand that cold?"
"Vaughn!"
"Shh," he hushed her as he nodded his handsome head, then stood next to her, his hands clasped behind his back, balancing himself on his tippy toes a few time to get his blood flowing again, warming up his body.
It was like the tension from only an hour ago had dissipated. She caught herself looking over at him, studying his handsome profile. She could tell his shoulders were tense and weren't they at a public place, and were he not married he would have rubbed the tension out of them.
"Can you be any more nervous?" she teased Vaughn who was still facing forward.
"For your info, the reason I'm so tense is because you failed to meet me where we were supposed to and I'm also trembling from being out in the cold, waiting for you.
"Oh~~~Yeah, about that~~~I tried to get out but I~~~I got side tracked."
Vaughn looked at her, his eyes huge. Sydney Bristow get sidetracked from him? Was that possible? Was that even allowed?
"Side-tracked?" Vaughn demanded, pulling his invisible ear-piece on so he could hear anything he needed from Base Ops. "Could you clarify what you mean by that, "Mountaineer?"
Sydney smiled at a couple when they passed by them. The young woman looked too young for the man on her arm and she was just about to note Vaughn about that when he bumped her ever so slightly on the hip but hard enough to jog a reaction.
"What?"
"Answer me. What were you doing here other than waiting for me?" Vaughn repeated, his eyes narrowed, his mouth a tight line. He was a full- business kind of guy when he was on a mission, but Sydney had the feeling there was some jealousy there.
"Y~your'e not going to like this," she winced which was enough to alarm Agent Vaughn despite the soothing smell of crumpets, and flowery cologne that wafted toward his nostrils. "But I didn't know who he was. The only one I was briefed on was David Belzarin."
"Well that's the only one you need to recognize to do your job. We're here to get him, remember?" Now Vaughn was belittling her, which he managed to do while smiling at acknowledging everyone that passed by.
"I do, but I think I just disrespected the Vice President, Alonzo Ketzer," she apologized.
She got a sound reaction from Vaughn, just like she expected.
"What! How?"
Sydney explained to him in the most discreet manner of how she'd thought the man was trying to pick her up when he'd asked for her coat, and it had turned out that he was the Vice President of the committee.
Vaughn put a hand to his creased forehead and counted to ten, trying to keep from making a total scene and a public humiliation display of Sydney. "Sydney, what in the world did you do that for? More importantly how?"
Sydney began sputtering but Vaughn put a hand up. "No, I don't want to know. Just tell me, did he figure out who you are?" he rasped, trying to scold her with the utmost courtesy.
"Y~yeah," Sydney admitted which sent Vaughn groaning. "But only because he figured out that I've never been here, because had I been here before I would have known who he was. He thought I'd been flirting with him until then. And he figured it out only because you're the only new member arriving into the CORNU committee."
Vaughn glared sternly at her for a second but found his frown melt when he saw how remorseful she looked.
"D~Don't worry about it, Syd. I'm sure that's not a big deal, we'll still get through this," he crooned. "Sorry Syd, I always forget that you don't know half the things the CIA does now. We're had some vital things nailed into our brains, one of them being CORNU's chain of command. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"It's okay, I'm okay," Sydney stammered, rubbing away a stray tear before Michael noticed it. Having Vaughn seeing her cry was the last thing on her wish list. She knew things could only get weirder after that awkward revealing of his feelings on their plane ride. He might even try and throw his arms to comfort her, he'd already made it clear he didn't mind the possibility of his alias having an affair with his translator. That was the last thing she needed, especially since he'd just gotten finished telling her that his wife was on to her and that he was having marital problems because of it.
Sydney was practically caught off-guard when a hand tapped her on the shoulder and she and Vaughn had to do an instant morph into a visitor from the U.S and his beautiful exotic translator.
She found herself breathless as she introduced "Mr. Vartan," to David Belzarin, but she would have not had it any other way. The approach of the President had just saved her from what could have been more humiliating.
So what did ya think? Things are about to get even more interesting, with SV promise! Just please remember to review! I need the encouragement!!!
Thanks, and I will return the favor.
Total Vaughn Lover