Chapter 111: Opening Pandora's Box

"Be passionate in your work and in your searching." – Ivan Pavlov

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." – Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

"I have found power in the mysteries of thought,
exaltation in the changing of the Muses;
I have been versed in the reasonings of men;
but Fate is stronger than anything I have known." – Euripides


Sydney woke refreshed and relaxed, comfortable in Vaughn's embrace. She looked up at him, expecting a sleeping visage, but he was wide-awake.

"Hey," she said surprised, "You're awake..."

"Uh huh," he said smiling slightly.

"How long?" Sydney asked.

He smiled again, "A while..."

"You look tired," she observed out loud, "You didn't really sleep at all, did you?"

"Not much...not really..."

"Why didn't you wake me up? I could have stayed up with you...we could have talked..."

"What's the sense of both of us being tired?"

"What's the sense of one of us being miserable?" Sydney retorted.

Vaughn smiled, "You're always right, aren't you?"

She smiled, "Well – yeah...I'm the woman..." She leaned up to kiss him, "Was this still about the dream last night?"

"Yeah...just thinking too much I think..."

"Should we talk about it some more?"

"No...I know what you're saying. I understand that here," he said pointing to his head, "I just have to make myself believe it here," he said pointing to his heart.

"Ok honey..." she said smiling at him and pecking him on the cheek, "You want breakfast?"

"Sure..."

"Ok, I'll be right back."

Sydney got up and went out into the kitchen to make breakfast. She was lost in her own thoughts and just barely saved the eggs she was making before they burned in the pan. 'Jesus, I'm burning eggs now,' she thought to herself. She finished getting it ready and brought it in to Vaughn.

He was lying where she had left him, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He looked over at her when she entered and she helped him sit to eat.

He was quiet at breakfast, too quiet. She let the meal go by without prodding him, but after she took the dishes out and came back in to start them out for the day, she had to say something.

"You're too quiet Vaughn...what are you thinking about?" she asked.

Vaughn smiled, "I'm sorry honey...I guess I'm just not in a talkative mood..."

"What kind of mood are you in?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

She looked at him squarely, "If you want me to help...I have to know what's going on..."

"I know..."

She was silent, waiting for him, but he didn't say anything.

He finally brought his gaze up to meet hers, but still no words issued forth from him.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" she asked quietly and compassionately.

He looked at her for a moment, "No...I'd rather you stay..." he said looking down, but then he looked up again, "But if you want to go...you can..."

She looked at him strangely, "Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes."

"Then that's all you have to say..." she said. Then she added, "We should change your bandages and exercise..."

"Ok," he responded.

She nodded and went to get the materials she'd need, then came back to him and changed his bandages, largely wordlessly. When finished with the bandages, she sat down and helped him through the deep breathing. They followed the exercise routine, doing the crunches, and he did several himself. The only sounds were those of exertion, and the standing exercise was the same way.

Sydney had to admit to herself that the silence was deafening, but there wasn't anything else she could say. She couldn't force him to talk to her, nor did she want their conversation to go that way. He simply needed time, she thought, and that she had to give. She didn't think either of them would benefit from idle chitchat or bullshit.

Once they finished, she helped him dress and then settled him back on the bed.

"You wanna do some work?" she asked, lifting the silence that had settled over them for almost an hour.

"Sure," he said.

She smiled and went off to fetch the laptop and the files. She handed him the computer and the Vespertini file that she knew he'd ask for anyway.

He smiled his acceptance and logged onto the CIA mainframe.

Sydney took her spot next to him on the bed and started reading the files and taking notes.

Once he was logged on, Vaughn tried several searches for Alexander Vespertini.

He sighed in frustration, his brow furrowed and his face one of aggravation.

Sydney looked over at him, "What's wrong Vaughn?"

"There's really nothing here...on Vespertini..."

"Hmm...well...what is there?"

"It's basically the same stuff from the file," he started, "It says that Alexander Vespertini was born in Italy, January 25th, 1969. There is seriously no information beyond that about his early childhood. There aren't any records on him, no activities, until 1990. Then after that, it's just endless flight logs, telephone calls, bank transfers, none of which are really traceable of course. It's like the information isn't there until months after...he just disappears...and then there are periods of time when there's no activity. Zilch...none...he's not even on the radar screen for like...months at a time...the longest break is like six months...right here...then after that there's a surge in activity." Vaughn stopped, looking over at Sydney. She was smiling broadly.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing...you just sounded..."

"Normal?" he offered.

She smiled, "No...just...professional...haven't heard that Michael Vaughn in a while..."

He smiled back, "It was kinda fun..." he admitted.

"Do it again," she said, putting her file down and leaning on his shoulder.

He laughed, "Ok...um...this is what I don't get – there are all these records, and there's some indication that he's had dealings in arms, but mostly – it looks like he's just a traveler. Why is this guy an associate of Sloane's? What purpose would he have? What does he do for Sloane? Traffic? No...I don't think the records would be this...available...it just doesn't make sense..."

Sydney smiled, "You'll figure it out..."

He turned to her and kissed her lightly, "Thanks."

She let go of his arm, and went back to her work, still smiling widely.

Vaughn went back to his search.

They fell into a comfortable work silence; the only sounds coming from Vaughn were clicking and one-handed typing. Sydney's sounds were limited also to her pen scrawling notes on her notepad.

She looked over at the clock, "Jesus...time really flies..."

He looked over at the clock too, "Yeah, I guess so...it's almost 1:00..."

"We should eat...Barnett..."

"Yeah," he said, "I'll keep going...while you...that is...if you were planning to make lunch..."

She smiled, "It's ok to assume I am..." she kissed him on the cheek, "Keep up the good work, I'll be right back."

"K," he said, staring intently as the screens scrolled and flashed before him.

Sydney reentered a few minutes later with lunch. She held out the plate to Vaughn, but he didn't notice.

Finally as her arm was getting tired, she said, "Vaughn?"

He looked over, "Oh! Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"S'ok..." she replied, helping to move the laptop off of his lap.

"Leave that screen up, ok?" he said as he eyed the monitor on the computer.

"Yeah, ok..." she said looking at him strangely, "Did you find something?"

"Nothing substantial, just more bits and pieces, but I'm not done..."

"Ok...I'll leave it up..."

"Thanks," he said as she retook her place next to him.

When they were done eating, Vaughn looked over at the clock, "I probably shouldn't start that again," he said nodding towards the laptop, "Barnett will be here in a few minutes..."

Sydney was silent for a minute and then asked, "Should I leave it up yet? Just put it away?"

"No...that's ok...just save the link I was reading..."

"Ok sweetie," she said as she saved the link and shut the computer down. She took the files and the computer out into the living room and then came back to Vaughn.

She sat down on the bed next to him and took his hand. They said nothing, just sat, sharing their warmth with each other. Sydney wished she could give him more for these sessions, she wished there was something else she could do...she was still lost in thought when the doorbell rang. She gave his hand one last squeeze and kissed him, stood up, and went to the door.