Chapter Seven: Together Again
It was as if time had slowed down. Nothing was moving; no one was talking. Eric sighed once more and turned away from Sydney and looked at Nadia, who peered at her sister, her heart breaking for her. Time sped up again when a single shot rang out. Michael watched from beneath in horror as both Sydney and Eric went down. He struggled even more, using all of his strength to loosen the ropes, but with no success. Jennifer turned around after hearing the shot to see both Eric and Sydney go down. “Bristow!” Jennifer ran quickly and threw the gun around her freeing her hands. Both Jennifer and Nadia reached them at the same time. Jennifer carefully touched Sydney to see that she was still breathing. Her eyes then followed where she was shot; in her right arm, and it was bleeding badly. Jennifer turned around at one of the agents and snapped her fingers. “Quickly, get me the first aid kit and get the chopper here en route to the nearest CIA hospital.” The team did what they were told and while Jennifer took the kit and quickly opened it she yelled, “And will someone find that frackin shooter?”
Jennifer looked at Nadia who was still tending to Eric. “How is he?”
Nadia looked up at Jennifer, fighting her tears that stung her eyes. “Not good,” she whispered. “If we don’t get to a hospital…”
“We will,” Jennifer assured her as she wrapped up Sydney’s wound. She looked down at her, “Can you stand?” she asked. Sydney nodded and looked at Jennifer in a daze slightly confused as to what had happened just before she passed out.
Jennifer shook her head. “No, you can’t,” she muttered.
From above, Jennifer heard the helicopters blades twirling as someone shouted, “The chopper’s here!”
Jennifer stood up. “Get Bristow and Weiss in the chopper.”
As two other agents came and helped Nadia with Eric and Sydney, Jennifer watched them leave the building. She looked around to see where the bullet was fired but couldn’t tell from which direction just yet. She looked down where the blood was running as something caught her eye. She bent down slightly and looked down between the bars. Cautiously, she grabbed a firm hold of the bars and lifted it up. Looking down she smiled. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Francie, Will and Michael looked up at Jennifer, relieved.
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Even though two of their agents were shot and no suspects were caught, it was a mission that Director Chase and Kendall thought successful. After being briefed for several hours, Will, Francie and Michael all left the briefing room with Dixon to go and finally see Sydney. Chase, Kendall and Jennifer had successful concluded that Michael acted like an agent and went after what he believed to be valuable information. The worse that Chase did was suspend him for taking civilians with him and not informing the CIA or FBI of his whereabouts. As they approached Sydney’s holding quarters, Jack ran into them and greeted Will and Francie. “Dixon,” he said. “Do you mind if I speak to Agent Vaughn briefly?”
Dixon glanced at Michael and shrugged. “Of course not.”
He stepped away and led Will and Francie further down the hall, leaving Michael and Jack alone. For awhile, Jack said nothing. Michael looked at Jack impatiently then sighed. “Look, if you’re not going to say anything…”
“What you did was stupid and immature.”
Michael’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Immature?”
“Yes. You put not only innocent people’s lives on the line, but Sydney’s as well.”
“I was trying to protect Sydney,” Michael said defensively.
“And yet she is laying in another hospital bed,” Jack shot back. When Michael didn’t say anything, he continued. “What exactly were you doing there, Agent Vaughn?”
“Looking into a lead.”
“What kind of lead? At that time Sydney was believed dead. What lead could you have possibly gotten?”
“Obviously an important one for us to be kidnapped and for the contact to be killed!”
“You went in there blind!” Jack yelled. “Instead of clearing it with myself or Kendall, you took it upon yourself to go to Germany and as a result you also got yourself killed!”
“I’m a big boy.”
“But Will and Francie are not field trained. Not even remotely trained for what you sent them into!”
After a brief pause, Michael looked at Jack square in the eye. “Are we done now? Sydney’s waiting.” Without waiting for an answer, Michael left Jack alone to stare at him as he was walking away.
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“God I missed you so much!” Francie exclaimed.
“I can tell,” Sydney choked out.
Francie gasped and released Sydney from her hug and blushed. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay,” Sydney laughed. “It’s so good to see you guys.”
“Syd, you have no idea,” Will said. “We’ve missed you. I mean, all those weeks we thought…”
“We knew you had to come back,” Francie jumped in.
Sydney nodded. “Yeah well…it was a close call…and Irina is still out there.”
Will raised his eyebrows at Sydney in shock. “Wait…she’s still alive?”
Sydney shrugged. “Well, if I survived, I wouldn’t put it past her that she did too.”
Will nodded taking in the information as the door opened. They turned around to see Michael walking in, smiling. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Francie looked from Michael to Sydney then back again. “No,” she spoke up grabbing Will’s arm. “We were just leaving. Been a long couple of days.”
Will looked Francie confused. “What? Wait…we just got here.”
“Let’s go,” Francie ordered shoving him out of the room. She looked back and winked at the couple. “Have fun catching up you two.”
Sydney chuckled as the doors closed and Michael walked up to her. “You okay?” he asked.
Sydney smiled and looked up at him. “Yeah. You?”
Michael shrugged. “Well…getting there.” He looked at Sydney’s arm and frowned. “I thought you were shot?”
Sydney looked at her shoulder as well and shrugged seeing only a tiny bruise on it. “I heal fast,” she answered.
Michael looked at her closely. “It’s been a really long day,” he commented.
Sydney bit her lip and nodded. “Yep. We should…probably rest.”
Michael nodded, leaning closer to Sydney. “I totally agree with you. No need to push ourselves to the limit or anything.”
Sydney smiled as Michael leaned in even more closer, his lips close to hers. “That’s right.”
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Sydney felt a surge of emotions sweep over her as Michael caressed her neck. The ride home seemed like forever…but it felt like it had taken forever for her to be back in his arms again. With every kiss, with every motion and desire of lust and love, Sydney felt alive. She felt, reborn. All of her worries up until that point had dissolved. She had no need to be overcome with them…only with Michael. He felt stronger but he smelled and looked the same as she remembered him. Every day she thought about this moment, the moment where they were lovers…where they were one. It seemed that they were the only ones alive and on this earth. Them and them alone. Michael slowly made his way down from her neck, to her breasts, to her stomach as every fiber in her being was riddled with pleasure from head to toe… so deep that it shook her to the core. She wanted it to stay this way. As her knees buckled from the excitement, Sydney gasped for breath, slightly pushing Michael off of her. He looked at her, first confused, but then a lazy grin was spread across his handsome boyish face as he playfully teased her. Sydney couldn’t help but smile.
I have missed him so much. Michael slowly let himself into her as their noses touched and he kissed her. Sydney let out a small gasp. It was then that she realized, that she saw herself growing old with him, having kids with him, retiring with him. She knew…Michael was the one. Michael…was her soul mate. And together they melted into each other filling each other with every once of pleasure they could humanly bring themselves to.