I had really hoped to be able to put up two chapters at once, but I hit a brick wall.
So here's one chapter, anyways.
Five
In life, it is necessary to sometimes do things you don’t want to do. You understand this. Your life is full of things you don’t want to do – lying to your friends, working for Arvin Sloane. Things you hate but must do out of necessity.
Add “stop seeing Michael Vaughn” to that list.
Another mission was almost ruined because of your relationship with him. Sark, of all people, saved your ass. And now you know, without a doubt, that your father knows about everything. How he found out, you don’t know, but the way he’s been looking at you when you talk to Vaughn – or even talk about him – makes it obvious. It’s just a matter of time before he pulls you aside and asks you what the hell you’re doing. And since you don’t have an answer for that, it’s time to end things.
When it all started, the last thing you wanted to do was ruin things. Especially to the point where Vaughn would have to stop being your handler. It’s hard to imagine working for the CIA without meeting with him in the warehouse. You hate to do it, but you have to request a new handler. There’s no possible way you could end this affair and keep working with him. An affair – that’s what this is. Not a relationship.
Keep telling yourself that so it stops being so hard.
You’re on the way to the warehouse – to receive a counter mission, but also to tell him what you’ve been thinking. It’s drizzling a slow, miserable, misty rain that makes everything look bleary. The windshield wipers are beating a lazy, methodical beat. You drive slow and wish you didn’t have to do this.
Once you get to the warehouse, you use the same protocol you always use. Circle the building once. See his car. Park on the other side of the building. Go inside. See him in the cage. Take a deep breath and walk towards him like you’re not about to break any hearts.
He sees you, grins broadly. “Hey,” you say, wondering why he looks so happy before realizing that it’s because he has no real clue how bad things have gotten for you. Because you haven’t told him. You haven’t really told him anything since you started seeing him.
“Hey,” he replies, a little breathlessly. “Your father is on his way.”
Flash a look of concern at him. “Why?” You are seized with a stab of panic. What if he’s on his way to confront you about the affair?
Vaughn shrugs. “I don’t know.”
Weigh the options. Tell Vaughn now, before Jack probably kills the two of you? Or wait until after? If you’re both dead, you won’t have to say a word. Sit on a box, contemplate what to do. Silence. Vaughn sees that you’re thinking and leaves you alone. He probably thinks you’re worrying about what your father has to say.
You finally decide that you need to tell Vaughn. Now. As soon as you open your mouth to start saying the difficult words, you hear footsteps outside the cage. Jack. You exhale louder than you mean to. Vaughn looks at you, his brow furrowed, before greeting Jack, who looks very serious.
“Dad?” That’s all you can manage for the time being. His timing could not be any worse.
He doesn’t even really look at the two of you. He looks on edge – cool, collected, reserved Jack Bristow looks like a bomb about to go off. He’s holding a manila file. “I’ve received intel,” he says.
“It couldn’t wait?” you ask, feeling irritated and curious at the same time.
“No,” he says brusquely. He opens the file, hands a paper to you. You read it and your heart begins to thump in its chest cavity. This is the golden ticket, sword that slays the dragon. Silently, you hand it to Vaughn and stare at your father. He stares back at you, looking almost as disbelieving as you feel.
“What does this mean, exactly?” Vaughn asks, breaking the staring contest.
Jack says it out loud, makes it official. “It means that the CIA can now infiltrate all the SD cells and break the Alliance.”
It should make you excited, drive you to move, but it only sends a chill down your spine. “Has it been verified?” you ask.
“Kendall is working on that right now,” Jack replies. “He’ll call when he finds out.”
Almost on cue, a cell phone trills. Your father pulls a phone out of his trench coat pocket and answers it. “Hello.” Short, on edge. Marvel at the sight of your father so on edge. He listens for a while before saying, “Okay. I’m with them now.” He flips his phone closed and turns to face you and a stunned Vaughn. “Kendall wants us to come in. We’re going to move on this.” Then he turns and walks out.
You look at Vaughn, who has turned to look at you, and your eyes lock, silently. He offers a small, reassuring smile. You try to reciprocate but your facial muscles don’t move. After a minute, he comes over to you and puts an arm around you, reassuringly. There is no spark. You’re frozen, in no condition to drive. Vaughn will drive you, even though, in the back of your mind, you know how dangerous this could be. You don’t care. Hand in hand, you walk out of the cage with Vaughn, towards a door leading out of the warehouse. Brace yourself for the awaiting drizzle, for it to thaw you.
The Alliance is going down, and then YAY, they can be together!!! Thanks for the pm!
