Title:
Wake of madness.
Fandom(s): Alias
Character(s):
Jack Bristow & Michael Vaughn.
Prompt: Fire
for
Heidi
AN: Between S3 &4. Jack visits vaughn at a strange
time.
The heat licked at his skin, taunting him with a past he didn't want to be reminded of and a past he'd been denied because of stupidity and vulnerability he hadn't wanted to admit existed in himself.
As he turned around to enter his car and walk away from his 'unhappy home' he stopped in shock. If there was anyone he expected to see here and now it was not Jack Bristow, Sydney maybe, Weiss no question but Jack? Not only was he certain the other man hated him by now but Jack had been the one to open his eyes; and what he saw was a man he never wanted to become.
The sirens began to sound in the distance and Vaughn, while knowing he wasn't just going to be able to walk away from arson, wanted to deal with things on his own. He had a sinking feeling Jack wasn't going to let that happen.
"Do you feel better now, Agent Vaughn?"
Despite the respect he had for Jack, he glared sharply at the other man. He didn't need a lecture on how to get over traitorous dead wives, especially not from Jack Bristow – someone who would never give him a chance. He'd always be the man that wasn't good enough for Sydney and the worst part was – Jack was definitely right about that.
"I'll feel better when it's just a pile of ashes."
He noticed the slight curve of Jack's lip, was that a smile? Vaughn couldn't even comprehend the thought of Jack smiling let alone letting him be witness to such an occasion.
"You might want to rethink your methods." Simple and to the point, Vaughn hated him for it, hated him for being right about Lauren and hated him for giving him a glimpse of what he could become if he wasn't careful.
"Yeah and what do you suggest Jack?"
Another upturned lip, Vaughn thought he must be dreaming, emotion at all from Jack Bristow was rare, it occurred sure when Sydney was involved, or perhaps Irina but this, now? In front of him no less. He couldn't understand it.
The heat still licked at his skin, he waited for Jack's answer, and he was as calculating in his advice as he was in anything else. Vaughn was tempted to leave without hearing the advice Jack seemed intent on imparting.
"Move on," and then Jack walked away. The sirens got louder and Vaughn just stared speechless at the older man's back.
Moving on was a novel concept, one he'd embraced before – look where that had gotten him. It was that instant and those words that made him realize that as alike as they were; he would never become like Jack Bristow. It wasn't that he leaned more towards the moral than the ambiguous or that they we really very different people.
The reason why he'd never become like Jack Bristow was simple. Jack had loved Irina so deeply and she betrayed him, his world was shattered because of what she'd done. Vaughn's world was shattered because of what Lauren had kept him from, he'd loved her – yes but her betrayal was different. It would't destroy him; that is unless it continued to keep him from what really mattered.
The heat licked at his skin and with newfound perspective he smiled.
