I just changed it. Too bad I can't change the title.
Chapter 2
From This Moment On
(I do swear that I'll always be there. I'd give
anything and everything and I will always care.
Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow,
for better, for worse, I will love you
With every beat if my heart.)
From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on.
Shania Twain and Bryan White, “From This Moment On”
Vaughn and Sydney walked into the Biltmore. They both had smiles on their faces as they strode up to the front desk. “Reservation for Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow,” Vaughn said to the clerk who typed in their names and then looked up with a smile.
“The Presidential Suite. Nice.” He opened the drawer and pulled out two keycards. Vaughn listened as the cashier gave them directions to their room. As they walked down the hallway, bellboy in tow, Vaughn asked Sydney, “So what do you want to do tonight?”
“It’s kind of late,” she replied.
“So you don’t want to do anything?”
“Well, how about a walk along the beach?”
“Sounds perfect,” Vaughn smiled at her.
After putting their suitcases in their room, Sydney and Vaughn both headed back outside. As they walked along the beach, hearing the waves crashing, Sydney asked Vaughn, “Did you ever think that we’d be able to be seen together so soon?”
“I was only hoping that we would manage to somehow be able to have a relationship.” Vaughn looked over at her. “Dating you is truly a dream come true.”
“Vaughn?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Vaughn heard those words come out of Sydney’s mouth and smiled. “I love you, too, Sydney.” Vaughn held out his hand and Sydney took it. After walking along, hand in hand, for over an hour, they decided to head back. Vaughn suddenly stopped, jerking Sydney back suddenly.
He started kissing her.
Sydney and Vaughn stood there for what seemed like an eternity, until Sydney suddenly pulled away. Sydney started running for the water, and Vaughn watched as she took off her shirt and shorts. He watched her unhook her bra and cast it aside. “Want to join me?” she asked. Vaughn quickly undressed and joined her in the salt water. He remembered that the last time he had gone skinny-dipping was college. This was a new side to Sydney Bristow he had never seen before; he liked it. He swam out to Sydney. The twinkle in her eye was unmistakable.
~ ~ ~
Sydney woke up the next morning and headed for the shower. When Vaughn heard the water start, he quickly opened his eyes and dialed down to the front desk. “Hello, this is Michael Vaughn in room 147, and I was wondering if you could recommend some fancy restaurants?”
“Yes, Mr. Vaughn, what type of food are you thinking?”
“What about French?”
“A really good French restaurant is Pacific Crepes. Would you like the phone number?”
“Yes, please.”
“Are you ready Mr. Vaughn?”
“Yes.”
“The phone number is: eight zero five, five five five, one one two three.”
“Thank you,” he told the clerk and hung up. The water went off. Vaughn quickly hid the piece of paper.
Vaughn showered next. They both dressed and got into Vaughn’s car.
They spent the whole day seeing the sights, and later that night while Sydney got ready for bed, Vaughn arranged for the meal to be delivered to the hotel the next day.
Vaughn and Sydney both awoke refreshed the next morning. “So, Sydney, what do you want to do today?”
“I want to go to the zoo and see that giraffe again.”
“Okay. Hey, Syd,” Vaughn started.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got to take care of a couple of things at the front desk.”
“Okay,” Sydney said, giving Vaughn a kiss before he left.
~ ~ ~
Allison finished filling in the last of the three holes. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she called Sloane.
~ ~ ~
Vaughn quickly handed the ring to the woman at the front desk. "Some food is going to be delivered here later today. There’s a special cake that is being made for this purpose. When the caterers come here, could you give this to them?”
“Of course.”
~ ~ ~
“I’ve run into a few problems, but I’ve handled them. However, I may need extraction soon. Sloane?”
“I’m here.”
“What’s going on,” Allison inquired.
“I just activated Il Dire,” Sloane sighed, “I didn’t expect what I got.”
“What? What did it say?”
“Well, first it gave my daughter’s genetic sequence.”
“Then what?”
“Then it printed the words ‘No’ and ‘Peace.’”
“No Peace?”
“No Peace,” Sloane repeated.
~ ~ ~
Sydney laid her head on Vaughn’s shoulder as they stood in front of the giraffe. Noticing just how at peace Sydney looked, Vaughn decided to propose right then. The setting wasn’t ideal. The ground was covered in sawdust, and there was the overwhelming stench of manure in the air, but Sydney seemed so happy, the situation couldn’t be more perfect. Vaughn lifted Sydney’s head, and kissed her. “Sydney…”
“Yes?”
Vaughn kneeled down. Sydney’s reaction changed from a smile to shocked silence. Looking up at the beautiful woman in front of him, Vaughn asked, “Do you remember October 1st?”
“Of course.”
“I walked into a room to see a woman with swollen gums and red hair. Yet there was something about you that I just knew was incredible. I was the one privileged to get to know you over time. I know that we haven’t been dating for long, but I honestly feel that this is meant to be. Sydney, our jobs are unpredictable. Who knows how much time we have left? I can’t imagine life without you, though. So, Sydney, I can’t express to you how much I hope that you’ll agree to marry me. Syd, will you make me the happiest man on Earth?”
“Yes, Vaughn. YES!”
Vaughn rose, and they kissed again. “I wish I could give you the ring, but I had planned on doing this later. It’s back at the hotel with our supper.”
~ ~ ~
Irina put down her binoculars. Picking up her cell phone, Irina called the man that had planned everything. “Yes,” the gruff voice said.
“You’ll never guess what happened.”
“I don’t like surprises. What happened?”
“Your son just proposed to my daughter.”
“This is not good. We can’t let them continue to be together. Do whatever it takes,” Bill said.
“Understood,” Irina said, and hung up.
...TBC...
I don't know how I spaced this. Thank you Angela Evans, my beta for your quick response to this chapter.
Thanks to Angela Evans for beta-ing, now for the next chapter.
Chapter 3
Gone
This ain't no temporary, typical, tearful good-bye, uh uh uh
This ain't no breakin' up and wakin' up and makin' up one more time, uh uh uh
This is gone (gone) gone (gone) gone (gone) gone
Gone like a freight-train, gone like yesterday
Gone like a soldier in the civil war, bang bang
Gone like a '59 Cadillac
Like all the good things that ain't never coming back
She's gone (gone) gone (gone) gone (gone) gone, she's gone
Montgomery Gentry "Gone"
Allison replaced the last screw on the VCR. They had found her first bugs. She was going to have to be much more careful now. She knew that Sydney had her suspicions, and to add to it, she was going to have to deal with the sudden and unexplained absence of Will.
She had been formulating an explanation the whole morning; one that would be accepted. She had learned from him that he had a sister, Amy. Figuring that he would probably go to her once he thought that his girlfriend was a double, she dug up his body and placed it in Amy’s apartment building.
Creating a gas leak in Amy’s apartment, and then putting a piece of paper into the toaster and starting it, Creating a gas leak in Amy’s apartment, and then putting a piece of paper into the toaster and starting it, Allison hoped that the resulting fire would appear to kill Will. She was mortified when she saw the woman from Will’s picture of his sister, now with blue hair, walk into her apartment building.
The explosion came a few minutes later. Driving away with a smile on her face, Allison returned to their apartment. Now that she was finally done, she called Sloane, who again seemed uncharacteristically unsure, and had him send in a person who scanned for bugs. All the scans came up negative. The man was leaving when her phone rang.
~ ~ ~
“Fran? It’s Sydney,” Sydney said with a huge smile on her face. “You’ll never guess what just happened!”
“You’ll never guess what just happened here, either,” Allison said, sounding as sad as she could.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Will.”
“What about him?”
“He’s…” Allison left off there, making it be Sydney’s job to prompt her.
“He’s what?”
“I just can’t believe it!”
“What? What happened?”
“Will…he…”
“What happened to Will?” Sydney was concerned now.
“He went to see his sister. There was a gas leak.”
“Francie, what happened?”
“There was a spark from the toaster!”
“Oh my God, Francie! Is Will alright?”
“No, Syd, he’s…”
“What?”
“Syd, Will’s dead.” Allison heard a thud on the other end of the line and chuckled quietly. Who knows what had just happened in the utopia that Sydney was no doubt in.
Allison heard shuffling, “Francie, do you need me to come home?”
“Don’t end your trip just because of me.”
“It’s not just because of you; it’s because of you and Will.”
“I could use some help. I just can’t believe it,” Allison said, sounding like she was choking back tears.
“Listen, Fran, I’m going to talk to Vaughn, okay?”
“Okay. You called me, what was your news?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there,” Sydney said, starting to pack her stuff.
Vaughn came out of the bathroom to see Sydney placing clothes into her suitcase.
“What’s going on?”
“Will’s dead! We need to get back, NOW!”
“Wait! Will as in Tippin, Will?”
“Yes!”
“What happened?”
“According to Francie there was a gas leak at his sister’s apartment and there was a stray spark.”
“Not to belittle your grief, Syd, but has it occurred to you that he may have been right about Francie?”
“Of course, but I don’t think he was. I gave Francie a test. She passed it.”
“Maybe he got too close. Maybe Will found out something he wasn’t supposed to. Maybe his death wasn’t accidental!”
“Why are you so into the idea that Francie is the double?”
“Look at the evidence. The obvious evidence being that both Allison Doren and Francie Calfo are both black females. Due to the fact that we know that the double is a female, and there’s no way to change that. Second, when Francie gave me the necktie, Will said it was the weirdest thing ever. And then she couldn’t remember the quarterback’s name. Finally, Will leaves a message on your phone saying that he found Provacillium and that he thinks that Francie is the double. Will is a paid - was a paid - CIA analyst. Don’t discount what he says so easily. Test her again.”
“With what?”
“You know her better than I do.”
“So you want me to bait my best friend, my only surviving best friend, you know, besides you, to prove that she isn’t what she seems.”
“I just want you to be sure before you blindly trust her. Look what happened when you finally trusted your mother.”
“Irina Derevko and Francie Calfo are not the same people!” Sydney exclaimed.
~ ~ ~
“Allison, it’s Irina. I have a request for you.”
~ ~ ~
Jack walked up to Kendall. “I may have another lead on Derevko. An old contact of mine recently stated that she was seen in Santa Cruz, Argentina. I’d like authorization to go after her.”
“Authorization granted. And Jack, don’t screw up this time.”
“I won’t.”
~ ~ ~
Sloane looked down at the telephone receiver in his hand, dialing slowly. He sighed loudly when the person at the other end said, “CIA switchboard, how may I help you?”
…TBC…
I would like to say many thanks to my Beta, Angela Evans. I had a character that was a bit out of character, and she mentioned it to me. Thank you.
Chapter 4
I Walk Alone
I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk alone
Greenday, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
McKenas Cole picked up his phone. Dialing Bill’s number, he waited for an answer. When no one picked up, Cole decided to call later and then rang Irina.
“Hello?” she answered.
“It’s Cole.”
“What do you want?”
“I’ve got intelligence from our mole that Jack has a lead on you and is moving in.”
“Your mole?”
“Remember Echelon?”
“Right, you can’t say.”
“All I’m going to say is that you should get out of there.”
“Duly noted,” Irina said, hanging up. She loaded a tranquilizer dart into her gun and got ready. All she needed was one clean shot of Vaughn to take care of the necessary business. She didn’t like going against Bill, but she had thought of an alternative to tearing them apart. She was going to act on that.
~ ~ ~
“Sydney, please stop!” Vaughn begged.
“What?”
“Listen, we have this room for another night. It's late. Can we please just wait until morning? We can leave right away.”
Sydney looked at Vaughn. "I am kind of tired, but what about Francie?"
"Let Francie be. When Danny died, I'm sure that you needed some time to yourself. You did, didn't you?"
"Yes, but it was also my friend's support that helped me get through it."
"You can still support Francie from here. Call her. Comfort her. Then tomorrow, we'll return the keys and leave."
"Okay," Sydney said, picking up the phone.
"I'm going out for a jog for a little bit," Vaughn said realizing that Sydney needed some space.
As he was running along the beach, he felt something lodge in his neck. As the world swirled around him, he managed to make out Irina before he dropped.
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone
I walk alone
I walk alone
~ ~ ~
Irina dragged Vaughn’s body over to a gardening shed behind a local house and injected adrenaline into him to wake him up. He woke up with a start. Irina turned on the lights suddenly, and Vaughn had to squint as his eyes adjusted.
Irina looked at him. “Having a nice weekend, Agent Vaughn?”
He looked around. “What do you want?”
“I have some advice for you.”
“Screw you.”
“This advice is for both Sydney's and your protection. I’d suggest you listen to me.”
“Do you honestly think I’d trust you? You killed my father.”
Irina clenched her teeth. Bill had instructed her a long time ago not to tell him if she ever came into contact with him. “You want to keep Sydney safe, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then, Agent Vaughn, I’d think you’d be smart enough to pay attention.” Irina explained what she wanted him to do and her motivation for telling him such.
~ ~ ~
Will’s body was wheeled through the door at the Joint Task Force building. “How’s the investigation going?” Kendall asked.
“Actually,” the coroner said, “from what it sounds like, they’re suspecting foul play. The investigators have ordered a full autopsy.”
“Let me know when you get the results,” Kendall told him.
“Mr. Kendall,” an agent said to him, “you have a phone call.”
Picking up the receiver, Kendall said, “This is Kendall. Who am I speaking to?”
“Mr. Kendall, it’s Arvin Sloane.” Kendall snapped his fingers furiously at a passing agent.
“Trace this call!”
“No need, Mr. Kendall, I’ll tell you right where I am. I’m in Monterrey, Mexico.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“I want to negotiate a pardon.”
~ ~ ~
Vaughn got back into the room and headed right for the phone. Giving his identification information, he was eventually connected to Kendall. “Kendall here.”
“Agent Kendall, this is Agent Vaughn. Irina Derevko is in Santa Barbara!”
“What?” Sydney yelled.
“I’ll dispatch an agent,” Kendall said.
Vaughn hung up, and looked at Sydney. “She just kidnapped me. She told me things. I don’t know if I believe her or not, but what she said seemed legitimate.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s that?”
Sydney sat down next to Vaughn. She handed him the pregnancy test. “It’s blue,” she said.
Vaughn couldn’t believe his ears. Irina warned him this might happen. He was starting to believe her.
~ ~ ~
Scraping the ash off of Will’s skeleton, Coroner James Terry saw the round bullet hole in the forehead. “His death wasn’t an accident,” he said.
…TBC…
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