Chapter 102: Work Related

"It is only when I am doing my work that I feel truly alive. It is like having sex." – Federico Fellini

"My work is a game, a very serious game." – M. C. Escher

"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." – Elbert Hubbard


When Sydney came back in she had his laptop and a bunch of files in her hands. She sat the laptop on his lap and said, "Log in..."

He nodded, deciding that maybe his silence would be the best thing. He waited until the computer booted up and then clicked on the link that would get them into the CIA mainframe.

"Ok," he said.

She spread the files out, sitting on the bed next to him. She spent several minutes just reading.

"What are we supposed to do?" Vaughn asked after a few more minutes.

"We're compiling information on possible associates of Sloane. Looking for clues, things that might have been missed; things that might indicate where he is now."

"Ok," Vaughn said, "What do you want me to do?"

She was still rather angry with him, but she didn't want to talk about it now. She knew he felt bad, and she didn't want to see him uncomfortable like he was now, but she just couldn't talk about it yet; it would only make her angry.

She handed him a file, "We're doing boring work...mostly just reading...taking notes on things that stick out..."

He nodded, "How am..." he stopped.

She looked over at him, worried that something happened, but he was just sitting normally.

"How are what?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said.

"Vaughn...just because we had a fight doesn't mean I don't care...what's wrong...are you ok?"

"I'm fine...I just don't know how I'm gonna take any notes here..."

She smiled, she felt bad now; she'd walked out on him again, although he seemed to have taken this one better than the last.

"You wanna talk about what happened?" she asked.

He looked over at her, "I'm sorry," he said.

"Me too..."

"You didn't do anything...I..." his voice got quieter, "I hope you don't really think that..."

"What?"

"That we can only connect when we're having sex...that's not true...I just...I don't know..." he stopped then continued, "you have every right to tell me no...if you don't want to have sex Sydney and I do, that's my problem...I didn't mean to say that you had to have sex with me every time I ask...you don't...if you don't want to..." his eyes were trained on the comforter again.

"Vaughn," she said, making him look at her, "I do want to have sex with you...all the time honey...I did today...it's just sometimes I think it wears you out more than it helps...I just didn't want you to be tired when Barnett gets here...I think that's going to be tiring enough...I wasn't rejecting you...really, honey, I wasn't."

"I know...I know that...I did know that...It just scares me..."

"What does? Barnett?"

"How much I need you..."

She moved closer to him, "Vaughn, don't ever be scared of that...I need you too honey...and it gets intense...I know...I'm sorry, I didn't explain what I said well enough."

"Yes you did...I'm just...it's me..."

"No honey...it always seems that it's both of us..."

He smiled, "Well...I'm the fucked up one..."

"No you're not...you just need to work through it...that's all...you're not fucked up Vaughn..."

He looked over at her, "I'm sorry...I was being childish...you can tell me no Sydney..." he said seriously.

"I'll never tell you no...I just might tell you later, ok?" she said kissing him after he nodded, "We good?" she asked.

He nodded again, smiling.

"Ok," she said turning to the files, "Maybe you can type the notes?"

"Well...it'll take a helluva long time, but yeah...I can type them..."

"Or just read and then summarize for me, and I'll do the notes...k?"

"Yeah, ok," he said smiling at the amazing woman next to him.

They both spent some time reading; "This guy has been a known associate of Sloane's for years and no one has ever touched him...why?" Sydney asked as she handed the file she was reading to Vaughn.

He took it and glanced over some of the information; "Because no one can find him...look at all of these locations – the guy's completely mobile...he's never in the same spot. Look – bank records, phone records – he could be anywhere...what's his name again?"

"Uh..." Sydney said fishing through the file, "Alexander Vespertini."

"Hmm...can I see that again?"

She handed him the file.

"I know that sounds really familiar...why?" he said brow furrowed in confusion.

"I don't know...should it be familiar?" Sydney said looking over his shoulder at the file, "I don't know...it doesn't jump out at me as something we should remember..."

"The name is really familiar..."

"I don't know..."

"Hmm...anyway...what else we got?" Vaughn asked, setting the folder aside.

"I can take that one and put it with the other ones that we're done with," Sydney offered.

"No, I'm gonna keep it here...look at it later..."

"Ok," she said, grabbing another couple folders and handing one to him.

They worked for a while, completely losing track of time. Sydney asked, "Are you hungry?" as she looked at the clock, "Holy shit!"

"What?" Vaughn said jumping slightly and then wincing because he moved too fast.

"Sorry honey...shit, it's 1:00...Barnett will be here in an hour..."

"Oh," Vaughn said softly and rather unhappily, "yeah, I'm getting hungry..."

"I'll go make some sandwiches," Sydney said getting off the bed.

"Alright," Vaughn said, but he wasn't really paying attention anymore. He picked up the file from before and said quietly to himself, "I know that name...Vespertini...Vespertini..." his mind raced as he tried to place where he'd heard that before.

Sydney brought in the sandwiches a few minutes later. She saw him studying the file again intently, "You figure anything out?" she asked.

"No...not yet..." he said setting the file down and accepting the sandwich.

"Hmm...well maybe it'll come to you later," she offered.

"Maybe..."

She sat down next to him.

"I really liked this..."

"What?"

"The work...gets my mind off of stuff...even if it's all about Sloane, it's nice to do something useful for a change."

Sydney smiled, "I find you very useful..."

"Thank you...but it's nice to be useful in other ways..."

"It'll get better Vaughn."

"I know, but thanks...for letting me help."

"If it was me, I'd need to help too..."

He smiled, she knew him so well.

They began eating and had just enough time to finish eating and get cleaned up, putting the computer away and the files away before Barnett got there.

"Keep that one out..." Vaughn said as Sydney grabbed the Vespertini folder.

"Ok...I'll put it on top."

"Ok."

She took the work out of the bedroom and back to the computer room. She was on her way back to Vaughn when the doorbell rang. It was 1:58.

Sydney quickly went to the bedroom to make sure Vaughn was ok. He nodded and smiled, and then she went to the door...