Chapter Two: Step Two
Prompt: Day

Lauren snapped her bag closed and tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear. The first day was done, her NSC work was complete until tomorrow but her job was far from that. She glanced at her watch idly estimating that she should exit the room in about a minute in order to bump into Vaughn, he and another man had decided to get coffee and would be returning for their cars.

She started to move to the doors and glanced at her watch again, she pulled a powder compact out of her bag and pushed the door slightly. She angled the mirror towards the opposite end of the hallway, a woman walked down the hallway with a stack of folders in her arms and a cell phone pressed against her shoulder, chin and ear. Right behind her, Vaughn and a dark haired man stalked around the corner with cardboard coffee cups in their hands.

She closed the door and replced her compact, brushed her hair out of her eyes and opened the door. She brought her bag around to her front and digging around in it, not looking up. She collided directly with Vaughn sending hot coffee everywhere. She gasped as her chest and Vaughn's shirt both became drenched in the dark, and very hot liquid.

"Oh! Mr Vaughn, I'm so sorry I wasn't watching where I was going..." she gushed, wincing.

"No. No," Vaughn said, his tone short and angry sounding. He expelled a held in breath as his friend got his handkerchief out and handed it to her and when Vaughn spoke again he was somewhat calmer, "I wasn't watching either..."

"Understandable." Lauren said, taking the handkerchief and gratefully swiping at her shirt, "Thank you Mr...?"

"Weiss, Eric Weiss."

She smiled, "Weiss." Her attention turned back to Vaughn, "Please, let me at least replace your coffee,"

"That's not necessary."

"I insist. I was going to get a cup myself..." she could tell he was about to insist that it wasn't necessary but he stopped after a moment and nodded. Weiss motioned to them with his mug and then down the hall with it,

"I'll wait for you here, man." He said.

Vaughn nodded and he and Lauren turned and started towards the exit. They were silent the whole way to the coffee place, it was down the street and on the corner. They waited in line for ten minutes, it was busy and the women behind the counter looked fraught. Lauren made several benign comments about it but Vaughn was unresponsive.

That was to be expected, she though to herself, The day had been long and hard for him and this was just stage one. To be there for him to turn to if he needed to speak to someone who was unconnected, who was an outsider. All she had to do was wait and push the right buttons at the right times.

They approched the cashier, "One tall black coffee with sugar to go," Lauren stated smoothly, "and, Mr Vaughn?"

"Er, I'll take the same, with cream." He finished.

The woman nodded, a nose stud glinting in the florescent lighting. Lauren paid and they moved to the end of the counter to wait for their coffees. Vaughn stood with his hands in his pockets and Lauren pretended to be staring at a picture on the wall.

"I'm sorry," She said gently, "about today, if any of the questions seemed... disrespectful."

Vaughn blinked and looked Lauren in the eyes. She smiled gently, and he frowned, "I know that you're just trying to do your job. You didn't know Sydney so you don't have to act like this is personal to you...I know the 'company line' a i loss to one is a loss to all... /i "

It was Lauren''s turn to blink slowly. She pursed her lips and turned her eyes forwards again, "I'm not 'acting' like anything Mr. Vaughn. I know how hard it is to lose someone that you love. I was just trying to make it easier on you. My mistake, obviously."

Her voice was strong but emotional, bordering on indignant. She made sure not to look at him as the woman brought the two coffee's to the end and set them down, calling with and without cream aloud, even though Lauren and Vaughn were standing right there. Lauren picked hers up and started to leave immediatly.

She was aware of him following her. They walked back to the building in silence, Lauren swiped her ID card with one hand, her coffee balancing precariously in the other. Vaughn trailed a half a step behind her.

"Miss Reed?" he called as she marched down the corridor,

"Yes?" she asked sharply, turning and stopping.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said... it's just," his eyes broke away from hers and to the wall behind her, over her shoulder, "I spend every day thinking about Sydney, trying to get her out of my mind and all this brings it back. I need to handle it myself and talking about it with a whole board of suits doesn't help."

Lauren nodded, "I know, and I truly am sorry. In a few days it will all be over, Mr Vaughn and everyone can start to heal in their own ways. We need to make sure that we know exactly what happened. Everyone deserves closure."

"Michael."

"Sorry?"

"You...can call me Michael."

Lauren used the same sad smile she'd used before, "Michael. Call me Lauren." She extended her hand to his and they shook, a silent truce formed between them. Michahel's friend, Weiss, appeared from behind a corner, he dumped his empty coffee cup into a garbage can and Vaughn released Lauren's hand hurridley.

Before Weiss could speak Lauren exchanged glanced with both of them, "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She said, "Take care."

She only allowed herself a small smile when she had fully turned around an covered half of the corridor, to be sure they were no longer watching her. It had been easier than she had expected, he had resited very little to her sincerity and mock indignation, Michael Vaughn was as good as hers with moment she had spilled coffee on him.