crazyaliaschick
Cadet
Loved it!!! can't wait for a PM. enjoy your holiday 
anji_alias
Cadet
WOW. Amazing. I hope Syd/Julia eventually kisses him. Enjoy your holiday.
Anji
Anji
AmyLeerockergurl15
Cadet
that was great! awesome chapter, thanks for the pm! have fun on your trip!
Em
Em
*peeks in the thread*
Hello everyone!
No, you're not dreaming, it is an actual update. I know I said I'd be gone for 3 weeks, but RL got really crazy when I got back, and, well, even though I wanted to, I wasn't able to post any chapter before today.
I'm sorry I made you guys wait for so long, especially since the last chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I promise not to that, ever again!
Anyway, I hope to be able to post a new chapter next Monday, if Jenn, who helps me translating, is not too busy, because I know that updating every two months is not a good thing to do.
So, I hope you'll all at least enjoy this chapter. I know it's short, and the 6th and 7th will be to, but from the 8th one, they'll get much longer, I promise.
Ok, enough rambling, and on with the show!
At the end of the fourth chapterbecause it's been way too long for you guys to remember)
He finally arrived at the bottom of the stairs, and going through the plan in his mind, located the room he was interested in. Once inside, he quickly took the material he needed out of his pocket: he didn’t have much time left, and Julia’s security depended on him.
Directing his flashlight towards the wires providing the video flow to the monitoring room, he searched for the red wire : it was the one he was supposed to disconnect, and to which he had to add his alternator, so that the images restored on the control screens, wouldn’t reveal Julia’s presence in the office of the nightclub’s owner.
But Vaughn tried to disconnect the wire from its support, and as hard as he tried, there was nothing he could do. It didn’t want to move.
He took a quick glance at his watch, and felt panic invade his whole body. Of course, he didn’t even know if the woman he was so worried about was actually Sydney. But all he knew was that in fifteen seconds exactly, the lights would be back in the building, and he had no idea of what he was going to do to prevent Julia from being made.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 5: Just Feel.</span>
15 seconds
If Vaughn had been hurt when Julia had pulled back a few minutes earlier, leading him to think that this woman could not be Sydney, at this very moment, this idea left his mind definitively.
If it wasn’t Sydney, then why would his heart be beating that fast in his chest, making his breathing difficult and his moves jerked? If his heart hadn’t recognized her, then would it have started to beat this way?
10 seconds
He couldn’t afford failing this mission. If Julia was made, and if anything happened to her, if she was killed, he would never be able to forgive himself; because he needed to know, it was vital for him to learn who this woman really was. Losing her this evening would mean that his heart would sink into despair again, telling himself that one more time, he had been unable to save her. That he had maybe, a second time, lost the woman that gave a meaning to his life.
And Vaughn knew that this time, he would not be able to overcome this test. He had been back from hell after her death; he had struggled to get back to the surface and learn how to live again. He did not want to go through that another time. He simply could not do it. It was more than he could survive.
5 seconds
It was now or never. He only had one chance left.
4 seconds
As he was attempting to disconnect the wire for a last time, Vaughn prayed silently, desperate to succeed. He did not remember wanting something this bad during his whole life, except for Sydney, and her love. Her coming back. And precisely, if he saved Julia tonight, he may then be able to find her again. It was just a “maybe”. But at least, there was something to hang on to.
3 seconds
The wire finally detached itself from its support, as he had almost been resigned, ready to go up the four stairs that separated him from Julia, to save her. He couldn’t believe it, but he didn’t have the time to think about anything else.
2 seconds
He added his alternator at the extremity of the wire, and re-plugged it as fast as he could.
1 second
No sooner was he done than the light came back in the building. He finally allowed himself to take a deep breath, realising he must have been holding it for the last two minutes, and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Now, all he could do was to hope that Julia’s mission would go smoother than his...
---------------------------------------
Julia silently entered in the owner’s office and closed the door behind her. She had been able to open it in a few seconds, only thanks to the latest invention of the Covenant’s technological service.
She immediately made her way towards the desk in front of her and settled comfortably in the leather armchair. She took what resembled a bipper out of her purse and stuck it to the computer. A little button allowed her to enabled her to activate it, and then started copying the hard drive.
She had to wait for about two minutes, and in spite of her efforts, Julia could not prevent her thoughts from going back to Michael. What was she supposed to do?
Tonight, she had found the strength to push him away, a strength she did not even suspect having; but what would she do later? She knew full well that she would not be able to play this little game a lot longer. Sooner or later, he would end up realising the emotions he always stirred up in her. She then would be vulnerable; unable to hide the way she felt when he was near him. And this was something that she didn’t want to, and couldn’t afford. Julia Thorne wasn’t vulnerable.
She was aware that next to him, she became a woman that would normally repulse her. The worse of all was that she couldn’t do anything about it. She was the weak one in this fight, she had understood that tonight. It was lost in advance, and she knew it.
How stupid had she been, during the two days that had preceded their second meeting, to think that all those feelings had just been a combination of circumstances, something that would just go away?
All those questions were driving her crazy, mostly because she couldn’t do anything to stop them. She took her head in her hands and took a deep breath. Was this going to stop, one day?
“Don’t count on that”, answered a voice in her head.
---------------------------------------
Vaughn had been able to get out of the building without getting caught, by using a nearby corridor of ventilation leading outside.
He walked towards their rendezvous point, located a few streets away, where his car was parked.
Once he got there, he quickly got into his vehicle, and tried to relax a little bit. He could not help but being nervous. Julia was probably going to come back any minute, but this thought did not appease him. He tried telling himself that she was a good spy, perhaps the best if she was really Sydney, but it wasn’t working.
Why was he trying to fool himself? Whenever a mission involved Sydney, in any way, directly or not, he was always nervous to death. And precisely, in this case, it was his hope to find her again that was concerned.
Unable to stay still for another second, he got out of his car and placed his hands on the hood, putting all his weight forward.
He sighed again, hoping to evacuate all his concern and worry along with his air. How many times hadn’t he done that tonight?
He checked his watch. She should have already been back. It wasn’t good. He started to walk toward the night club, but he stopped after few meters.
What the hell was he doing? She knew how to get out of there safely. It would be useless to put his own life in danger, too. He turned around, half-heartedly, and settled in the car again. His eyes closed, and he let fragments of memories come back to him. A smile, a kiss, a touch. During a brief moment, it felt like she was right next to him. And this sensation turned out to be the only thing he needed to persuade himself that he had to go get her. He didn’t care about putting his own life in danger. Without her, he was nothing.
This time, he did not walk, but ran. Within no more than twenty seconds, and without even taking the time to lock his car, he found himself in front of the exit of the nightclub she was in. He started to detach the access to the ventilation corridor he had used a few minutes ago, and put it on the ground.
At this moment, a hand came resting on his shoulder, causing him to turn around. She was standing there, right in front of him.
-What are you doing here? she asked him.
No sooner had the words crossed her lips’ barrier than Vaughn launched her into his arms, holding her as close as the blood running through his veins allowed him to.
He sighed again, this time really allowing himself to breathe, since she was his only oxygen. Then, his body broke their embrace, but he had left his heart in her arms and his soul in her eyes.
-I thought you were in danger, he confessed while stroking her cheek.
-It took me longer than planned. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to–
Vaughn put a finger on her lips and stopped her in the middle of her sentence.
-What’s going on?
She seemed surprised to see him act this way, and the only thing Vaughn wanted to do was to surprise her even more.
-Don’t say anything, he whispered in the hollow of her ear.
He deprived himself from the sound of her voice to be able to feel the magic of her kisses.
-Just feel.
She did not think for a second about refusing his request. And even if she had wanted to, she couldn’t have.
His hand slipped from her cheek to her neck, as he was doing the same with his other hand, re-heating her whole body with only one gesture. Her eyes closed, and soon, she felt his hot breath stroking her skin. First, he kissed her on the right cheek, his lips simply establishing contact wit her body. Then, he kissed her left cheek, a little more intensely. His mouth finally made its way to hers, and they met in a tender, but pressing gesture.
Their tongues entered in collision, awaking in them feelings way too intense to be felt in a street that dirty and austere.
They both put their arms around the other one’s waist, tightening their embrace. Their bodies touched, increasing a little more their mutual desire, none of them worrying about the place they were, or the danger they could get themselves into by staying there any longer.
After what appeared to last both an eternity and a short second to them, they finally pulled back. They hadn’t even had the time to catch their breath when she leaned into him and kissed him again, seeking comfort next to him, safety in his arms, desire in the taste of his kisses, and love in the way he kissed her.
During this whole time, Vaughn’s hands hadn’t left her waist, but he let them go up in her hair. They got lost there, and his heart started beating a little faster, for this was one of his favourite things to do on earth. Right after kissing her.
She kept on losing herself in him, and when pretence of clearness came to her mind, she pulled back slightly, never leaving his gaze.
-Vaughn, she said smiling, trying once more to catch her breath, you know I love doing that. But right now, we really have to go.
Vaughn shook his head, attempting to get this happy memory, but so painful to relive since she had been “dead”, away from him. It was certainly not the time to re-sift the past. And the only way he had to know if he could ever live such a moment again, was to go back to the club and save Julia. Which he had done without a second thought.
TBC....
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to tell me what you thought!
ETA:Since everyone seem to be confused, I'm going to make things clear: this kiss was just a memory, thefore it wasn't Julia but Sydney. I'm sorry if it wasn't really easy to follow, but I didn't want to put the whole thing in italic because I wanted you tot hink it was Julia at the beginning . I know, muse! Sorry about that!
I hope you liked the chapter anyway! Thanks for reading.
Hello everyone!
No, you're not dreaming, it is an actual update. I know I said I'd be gone for 3 weeks, but RL got really crazy when I got back, and, well, even though I wanted to, I wasn't able to post any chapter before today.
I'm sorry I made you guys wait for so long, especially since the last chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I promise not to that, ever again!
Anyway, I hope to be able to post a new chapter next Monday, if Jenn, who helps me translating, is not too busy, because I know that updating every two months is not a good thing to do.
So, I hope you'll all at least enjoy this chapter. I know it's short, and the 6th and 7th will be to, but from the 8th one, they'll get much longer, I promise.
Ok, enough rambling, and on with the show!
At the end of the fourth chapter
because it's been way too long for you guys to remember)He finally arrived at the bottom of the stairs, and going through the plan in his mind, located the room he was interested in. Once inside, he quickly took the material he needed out of his pocket: he didn’t have much time left, and Julia’s security depended on him.
Directing his flashlight towards the wires providing the video flow to the monitoring room, he searched for the red wire : it was the one he was supposed to disconnect, and to which he had to add his alternator, so that the images restored on the control screens, wouldn’t reveal Julia’s presence in the office of the nightclub’s owner.
But Vaughn tried to disconnect the wire from its support, and as hard as he tried, there was nothing he could do. It didn’t want to move.
He took a quick glance at his watch, and felt panic invade his whole body. Of course, he didn’t even know if the woman he was so worried about was actually Sydney. But all he knew was that in fifteen seconds exactly, the lights would be back in the building, and he had no idea of what he was going to do to prevent Julia from being made.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 5: Just Feel.</span>
15 seconds
If Vaughn had been hurt when Julia had pulled back a few minutes earlier, leading him to think that this woman could not be Sydney, at this very moment, this idea left his mind definitively.
If it wasn’t Sydney, then why would his heart be beating that fast in his chest, making his breathing difficult and his moves jerked? If his heart hadn’t recognized her, then would it have started to beat this way?
10 seconds
He couldn’t afford failing this mission. If Julia was made, and if anything happened to her, if she was killed, he would never be able to forgive himself; because he needed to know, it was vital for him to learn who this woman really was. Losing her this evening would mean that his heart would sink into despair again, telling himself that one more time, he had been unable to save her. That he had maybe, a second time, lost the woman that gave a meaning to his life.
And Vaughn knew that this time, he would not be able to overcome this test. He had been back from hell after her death; he had struggled to get back to the surface and learn how to live again. He did not want to go through that another time. He simply could not do it. It was more than he could survive.
5 seconds
It was now or never. He only had one chance left.
4 seconds
As he was attempting to disconnect the wire for a last time, Vaughn prayed silently, desperate to succeed. He did not remember wanting something this bad during his whole life, except for Sydney, and her love. Her coming back. And precisely, if he saved Julia tonight, he may then be able to find her again. It was just a “maybe”. But at least, there was something to hang on to.
3 seconds
The wire finally detached itself from its support, as he had almost been resigned, ready to go up the four stairs that separated him from Julia, to save her. He couldn’t believe it, but he didn’t have the time to think about anything else.
2 seconds
He added his alternator at the extremity of the wire, and re-plugged it as fast as he could.
1 second
No sooner was he done than the light came back in the building. He finally allowed himself to take a deep breath, realising he must have been holding it for the last two minutes, and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Now, all he could do was to hope that Julia’s mission would go smoother than his...
---------------------------------------
Julia silently entered in the owner’s office and closed the door behind her. She had been able to open it in a few seconds, only thanks to the latest invention of the Covenant’s technological service.
She immediately made her way towards the desk in front of her and settled comfortably in the leather armchair. She took what resembled a bipper out of her purse and stuck it to the computer. A little button allowed her to enabled her to activate it, and then started copying the hard drive.
She had to wait for about two minutes, and in spite of her efforts, Julia could not prevent her thoughts from going back to Michael. What was she supposed to do?
Tonight, she had found the strength to push him away, a strength she did not even suspect having; but what would she do later? She knew full well that she would not be able to play this little game a lot longer. Sooner or later, he would end up realising the emotions he always stirred up in her. She then would be vulnerable; unable to hide the way she felt when he was near him. And this was something that she didn’t want to, and couldn’t afford. Julia Thorne wasn’t vulnerable.
She was aware that next to him, she became a woman that would normally repulse her. The worse of all was that she couldn’t do anything about it. She was the weak one in this fight, she had understood that tonight. It was lost in advance, and she knew it.
How stupid had she been, during the two days that had preceded their second meeting, to think that all those feelings had just been a combination of circumstances, something that would just go away?
All those questions were driving her crazy, mostly because she couldn’t do anything to stop them. She took her head in her hands and took a deep breath. Was this going to stop, one day?
“Don’t count on that”, answered a voice in her head.
---------------------------------------
Vaughn had been able to get out of the building without getting caught, by using a nearby corridor of ventilation leading outside.
He walked towards their rendezvous point, located a few streets away, where his car was parked.
Once he got there, he quickly got into his vehicle, and tried to relax a little bit. He could not help but being nervous. Julia was probably going to come back any minute, but this thought did not appease him. He tried telling himself that she was a good spy, perhaps the best if she was really Sydney, but it wasn’t working.
Why was he trying to fool himself? Whenever a mission involved Sydney, in any way, directly or not, he was always nervous to death. And precisely, in this case, it was his hope to find her again that was concerned.
Unable to stay still for another second, he got out of his car and placed his hands on the hood, putting all his weight forward.
He sighed again, hoping to evacuate all his concern and worry along with his air. How many times hadn’t he done that tonight?
He checked his watch. She should have already been back. It wasn’t good. He started to walk toward the night club, but he stopped after few meters.
What the hell was he doing? She knew how to get out of there safely. It would be useless to put his own life in danger, too. He turned around, half-heartedly, and settled in the car again. His eyes closed, and he let fragments of memories come back to him. A smile, a kiss, a touch. During a brief moment, it felt like she was right next to him. And this sensation turned out to be the only thing he needed to persuade himself that he had to go get her. He didn’t care about putting his own life in danger. Without her, he was nothing.
This time, he did not walk, but ran. Within no more than twenty seconds, and without even taking the time to lock his car, he found himself in front of the exit of the nightclub she was in. He started to detach the access to the ventilation corridor he had used a few minutes ago, and put it on the ground.
At this moment, a hand came resting on his shoulder, causing him to turn around. She was standing there, right in front of him.
-What are you doing here? she asked him.
No sooner had the words crossed her lips’ barrier than Vaughn launched her into his arms, holding her as close as the blood running through his veins allowed him to.
He sighed again, this time really allowing himself to breathe, since she was his only oxygen. Then, his body broke their embrace, but he had left his heart in her arms and his soul in her eyes.
-I thought you were in danger, he confessed while stroking her cheek.
-It took me longer than planned. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to–
Vaughn put a finger on her lips and stopped her in the middle of her sentence.
-What’s going on?
She seemed surprised to see him act this way, and the only thing Vaughn wanted to do was to surprise her even more.
-Don’t say anything, he whispered in the hollow of her ear.
He deprived himself from the sound of her voice to be able to feel the magic of her kisses.
-Just feel.
She did not think for a second about refusing his request. And even if she had wanted to, she couldn’t have.
His hand slipped from her cheek to her neck, as he was doing the same with his other hand, re-heating her whole body with only one gesture. Her eyes closed, and soon, she felt his hot breath stroking her skin. First, he kissed her on the right cheek, his lips simply establishing contact wit her body. Then, he kissed her left cheek, a little more intensely. His mouth finally made its way to hers, and they met in a tender, but pressing gesture.
Their tongues entered in collision, awaking in them feelings way too intense to be felt in a street that dirty and austere.
They both put their arms around the other one’s waist, tightening their embrace. Their bodies touched, increasing a little more their mutual desire, none of them worrying about the place they were, or the danger they could get themselves into by staying there any longer.
After what appeared to last both an eternity and a short second to them, they finally pulled back. They hadn’t even had the time to catch their breath when she leaned into him and kissed him again, seeking comfort next to him, safety in his arms, desire in the taste of his kisses, and love in the way he kissed her.
During this whole time, Vaughn’s hands hadn’t left her waist, but he let them go up in her hair. They got lost there, and his heart started beating a little faster, for this was one of his favourite things to do on earth. Right after kissing her.
She kept on losing herself in him, and when pretence of clearness came to her mind, she pulled back slightly, never leaving his gaze.
-Vaughn, she said smiling, trying once more to catch her breath, you know I love doing that. But right now, we really have to go.
Vaughn shook his head, attempting to get this happy memory, but so painful to relive since she had been “dead”, away from him. It was certainly not the time to re-sift the past. And the only way he had to know if he could ever live such a moment again, was to go back to the club and save Julia. Which he had done without a second thought.
TBC....
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to tell me what you thought!
ETA:Since everyone seem to be confused, I'm going to make things clear: this kiss was just a memory, thefore it wasn't Julia but Sydney. I'm sorry if it wasn't really easy to follow, but I didn't want to put the whole thing in italic because I wanted you tot hink it was Julia at the beginning . I know,
muse! Sorry about that! I hope you liked the chapter anyway! Thanks for reading.
AmyLeerockergurl15
Cadet
Great chapter, thanks for the pm and update soon!
Em
*Oh and thanks for explaining the memory*
Em
*Oh and thanks for explaining the memory*
Alias Fan Gillian
Cadet
Great chapter. Please write more soon.
Thanks for the pm.
Thanks for the pm.
Hello everyone!
As promised, a new chapter today.
I hope you'll like it. Personnally, I don't really because it's more an "action" chapter than an angsty or fluffy one, and, well, this is the first story where I have written action. Sorry if it's not good!
I split this chapter in two parts, so the end will be in the chapter seven, that I'll post before the end of the week.
Anyway, I'm going to stop talking and let you all read!
Thanks!
Laurie
<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 6: Too late, Part I.</span>
Julia’s eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the lights of the room. She felt her hands tied behind her back, and soon realised she was actually tied to a chair.
Was this a dream? Because this sensation strangely reminded her what she felt next to Michael: vulnerable, at his mercy, and defenceless.
No. It could not be a dream. The pain was too strong. And if there was a feeling she didn’t associate with Michael, it was pain. Feel like you’re losing your self-control and drowning inside your own feelings was scary, but not painful.
She tried to talk, but her throat was dry, and no sound came out of her mouth.
After thinking it was dream, Julia suddenly had a déjà vu feeling. Being tied to a chair this way, after being in a night club in company of a man. Of Michael...
No. It was ridiculous. She had never been in this situation, and she knew it.
The mission had begun rather well however, putting aside her loss of self-control with Michael, that she had succeeded in channelling. She had placed the bipper on the tour of the computer, copied the hard drive contents in a few minutes, and had left the office without any problem. The last memory she had was walking down the corridor leading back to the stairs. After that, everything was a blur. She believed she had been hit on the head, but she couldn’t be sure...
I should have been more careful, she thought. It wasn’t an habit of hers to be so inattentive. Usually, she was a lot more professional, and focused. She knew perfectly what, or who, had caused this state, but she was not mad at him: she was mad at herself for not being able to put her emotions aside and to concentrate more on the mission. And this was something she better learn how to do. And quickly, she told herself.
The door at the other end of the room opened, and a man entered. She was soon able to distinguish him in the dark, and before having actually seen his whole face lit, she already hated him with all her strength. And it did not come from the fact that he was certainly not there to release her. No, it was to some extent visceral and incontrollable.
The man grabbed a chair and sat in front of her. It was only then that she was able to discover his identity: he looked Chinese, probably from Taiwan, around his forties, and was wearing a black suit, glasses, and had on his face a rather scary expression: the satisfaction of being able to inflict all the tortures he would like on her.
There was no doubt in Julia’s mind: he wasn’t just there to learn who she was, why she was there, and what she wanted; he was there to make sure she would talk.
He still hadn’t said anything when he brought back towards him a plateau where several instruments laid, whose use she would have rather never learned.
-Last time, he said with a pronounced accent, I asked you who you were working for, and then I started with the back teeth. This time, I’m going to start directly with the front ones, without bothering to ask questions.
She gave him a surprised look: what was he talking about? “Last time”?
If she had already had to go through any of his torture, she would have surely remembered it. There was indeed this feeling of déjà vu, but... it was completely insane. Plus, if he had already “taken care of” her and her teeth, she would be missing one at the bottom of h–
Her face became white when she realised that she had a prosthesis on one of her back teeth. But she did not remembered losing it this way... Her thoughts were getting mixed in her head, and she tried to convince herself that this was just a coincidence, all those feelings she seemed to have already felt, all those situations she could have sworn to have lived through before...
If this man had taken the time to ask her who she was working for, she would have probably had enough notch to ask him to take a sheet of paper, write down EMETIB, and ask him to read backward.
But he looked like he had decided to “act” right away, and she could not prevent a wave of panic from invading her body. Not that physical torture was something that she feared a lot – it wasn’t the case – but she had no desire to lose a teeth, whether it was the first or the second one, this way.
The man was sitting one a swivelling chair, and after choosing one of the instruments on the table and taken it in his hands, he pivoted towards the door, and shouted in Chinese to the guards that were to be posted outside the door.
Julia wondered why half of the staff of this nightclub was of Taiwanese origin, if she was in a French club; then she remembered that the owner of this club, and of all the establishments he owned in this country, was from Taiwan. “Just my luck”, she thought
The door opened. The man was only inches away from her (probably only waiting for the guards that would hold her to begin) but, a few seconds later, he collapsed at her feet.
She raised her eyes, and saw Michael standing a few feet away from her, his gaze more intense and his eyes greener than she had ever seen them.
What was he doing here? Of course, she had hoped he would come and save her, but honestly, she hadn’t been expecting it. Until then, she had never able to count on anyone but herself. She had learned how to survive on her own, and frankly, she was okay with that. But he had just entered her life, he had just risked everything to save her, and she no longer knew what to think.
He wasn’t supposed to come. She had well specified, along with the instructions for the mission, that if one of them was caught, and if the risks were too great – just like tonight – it was useless to put your life in danger to save the other one.
He quickly came up to her, starting to untie the knots holding her hands and legs together, and could not stop himself from letting a shy hand run though her hair.
-Are you okay?
Julia did not know if her inability to speak was due to the fact that her throat was terribly dry and her body exhausted, or to everything he had just done. First, coming to save her. Then, look at her this way, as if the world could collapse around him but it wouldn’t matter as long as she was okay; and finally running his hand through her hair.
Faced with her silence, the only thing Vaughn did was to help her to get up so that they could leave this place as soon as possible.
-We have to go, he told her. Now.
When she put her left feet on the ground, Julia felt an atrocious pain invade her leg. She stopped in front of the door, not able to do otherwise.
-Does it hurt? he asked her.
She immediately started walking again, ignoring the pain to avoid admitting her weakness.
- No, I’m fine, she answered as she exited the room.
They started running for the exit, knowing there weren’t only the two guards Vaughn had neutralized in the building; and they were probably going to be coming for them any minute.
When they reached the end of the corridor, gunshots were shot at them. Vaughn opened the door, and while letting Julia exit in a protective gesture, he got out before any of the bullets reached him.
Julia was a few meters in front of him, and they both began to run until they would be sure to be out of danger.
She stopped abruptly a hundred feet before the car, the pain in her ankle too strong to be ignored for another second.
Vaughn immediately stopped next to her, and put his left arm around her waist to support her. Then, without giving her the time to protest or to react, he lifted her up and took her into his arms. The only place he wanted her to be.
During a quarter of second, she thought she had fainted. Where did this heavenly feeling come from? She had to fight not to let herself relax against his body. She had had to put her own arms around his neck, but she was now desperately attempting not to abandon herself to him. It would have been so easy. She only needed to close her eyes, and let herself be surrounded by the feeling. By him.
They soon arrived close to the car, and Vaughn successfully got her in it without making her setting a foot on the ground. The fact that he had not locked it a few moments before brought at least something positive.
Then he got in too, and once the door was closed, he started it right away. The car engaged into traffic, blending into the mass, and a few minutes later they were out of danger.
They hadn’t even had enough time to catch their breaths when Julia talked.
-Stop the car, she asked him.
-What?
-Stop here, she asked again.
Vaughn did not try to understand her request longer, and stopped the car as soon as he could.
Silence settled between the two of them, and he turned around to face her, his gaze searching for hers. She felt his eyes on her, and finally established a visual contact a few moments later.
TBC...
As promised, a new chapter today.
I hope you'll like it. Personnally, I don't really because it's more an "action" chapter than an angsty or fluffy one, and, well, this is the first story where I have written action. Sorry if it's not good!
I split this chapter in two parts, so the end will be in the chapter seven, that I'll post before the end of the week.
Anyway, I'm going to stop talking and let you all read!
Thanks!
Laurie
<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 6: Too late, Part I.</span>
Julia’s eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the lights of the room. She felt her hands tied behind her back, and soon realised she was actually tied to a chair.
Was this a dream? Because this sensation strangely reminded her what she felt next to Michael: vulnerable, at his mercy, and defenceless.
No. It could not be a dream. The pain was too strong. And if there was a feeling she didn’t associate with Michael, it was pain. Feel like you’re losing your self-control and drowning inside your own feelings was scary, but not painful.
She tried to talk, but her throat was dry, and no sound came out of her mouth.
After thinking it was dream, Julia suddenly had a déjà vu feeling. Being tied to a chair this way, after being in a night club in company of a man. Of Michael...
No. It was ridiculous. She had never been in this situation, and she knew it.
The mission had begun rather well however, putting aside her loss of self-control with Michael, that she had succeeded in channelling. She had placed the bipper on the tour of the computer, copied the hard drive contents in a few minutes, and had left the office without any problem. The last memory she had was walking down the corridor leading back to the stairs. After that, everything was a blur. She believed she had been hit on the head, but she couldn’t be sure...
I should have been more careful, she thought. It wasn’t an habit of hers to be so inattentive. Usually, she was a lot more professional, and focused. She knew perfectly what, or who, had caused this state, but she was not mad at him: she was mad at herself for not being able to put her emotions aside and to concentrate more on the mission. And this was something she better learn how to do. And quickly, she told herself.
The door at the other end of the room opened, and a man entered. She was soon able to distinguish him in the dark, and before having actually seen his whole face lit, she already hated him with all her strength. And it did not come from the fact that he was certainly not there to release her. No, it was to some extent visceral and incontrollable.
The man grabbed a chair and sat in front of her. It was only then that she was able to discover his identity: he looked Chinese, probably from Taiwan, around his forties, and was wearing a black suit, glasses, and had on his face a rather scary expression: the satisfaction of being able to inflict all the tortures he would like on her.
There was no doubt in Julia’s mind: he wasn’t just there to learn who she was, why she was there, and what she wanted; he was there to make sure she would talk.
He still hadn’t said anything when he brought back towards him a plateau where several instruments laid, whose use she would have rather never learned.
-Last time, he said with a pronounced accent, I asked you who you were working for, and then I started with the back teeth. This time, I’m going to start directly with the front ones, without bothering to ask questions.
She gave him a surprised look: what was he talking about? “Last time”?
If she had already had to go through any of his torture, she would have surely remembered it. There was indeed this feeling of déjà vu, but... it was completely insane. Plus, if he had already “taken care of” her and her teeth, she would be missing one at the bottom of h–
Her face became white when she realised that she had a prosthesis on one of her back teeth. But she did not remembered losing it this way... Her thoughts were getting mixed in her head, and she tried to convince herself that this was just a coincidence, all those feelings she seemed to have already felt, all those situations she could have sworn to have lived through before...
If this man had taken the time to ask her who she was working for, she would have probably had enough notch to ask him to take a sheet of paper, write down EMETIB, and ask him to read backward.
But he looked like he had decided to “act” right away, and she could not prevent a wave of panic from invading her body. Not that physical torture was something that she feared a lot – it wasn’t the case – but she had no desire to lose a teeth, whether it was the first or the second one, this way.
The man was sitting one a swivelling chair, and after choosing one of the instruments on the table and taken it in his hands, he pivoted towards the door, and shouted in Chinese to the guards that were to be posted outside the door.
Julia wondered why half of the staff of this nightclub was of Taiwanese origin, if she was in a French club; then she remembered that the owner of this club, and of all the establishments he owned in this country, was from Taiwan. “Just my luck”, she thought
The door opened. The man was only inches away from her (probably only waiting for the guards that would hold her to begin) but, a few seconds later, he collapsed at her feet.
She raised her eyes, and saw Michael standing a few feet away from her, his gaze more intense and his eyes greener than she had ever seen them.
What was he doing here? Of course, she had hoped he would come and save her, but honestly, she hadn’t been expecting it. Until then, she had never able to count on anyone but herself. She had learned how to survive on her own, and frankly, she was okay with that. But he had just entered her life, he had just risked everything to save her, and she no longer knew what to think.
He wasn’t supposed to come. She had well specified, along with the instructions for the mission, that if one of them was caught, and if the risks were too great – just like tonight – it was useless to put your life in danger to save the other one.
He quickly came up to her, starting to untie the knots holding her hands and legs together, and could not stop himself from letting a shy hand run though her hair.
-Are you okay?
Julia did not know if her inability to speak was due to the fact that her throat was terribly dry and her body exhausted, or to everything he had just done. First, coming to save her. Then, look at her this way, as if the world could collapse around him but it wouldn’t matter as long as she was okay; and finally running his hand through her hair.
Faced with her silence, the only thing Vaughn did was to help her to get up so that they could leave this place as soon as possible.
-We have to go, he told her. Now.
When she put her left feet on the ground, Julia felt an atrocious pain invade her leg. She stopped in front of the door, not able to do otherwise.
-Does it hurt? he asked her.
She immediately started walking again, ignoring the pain to avoid admitting her weakness.
- No, I’m fine, she answered as she exited the room.
They started running for the exit, knowing there weren’t only the two guards Vaughn had neutralized in the building; and they were probably going to be coming for them any minute.
When they reached the end of the corridor, gunshots were shot at them. Vaughn opened the door, and while letting Julia exit in a protective gesture, he got out before any of the bullets reached him.
Julia was a few meters in front of him, and they both began to run until they would be sure to be out of danger.
She stopped abruptly a hundred feet before the car, the pain in her ankle too strong to be ignored for another second.
Vaughn immediately stopped next to her, and put his left arm around her waist to support her. Then, without giving her the time to protest or to react, he lifted her up and took her into his arms. The only place he wanted her to be.
During a quarter of second, she thought she had fainted. Where did this heavenly feeling come from? She had to fight not to let herself relax against his body. She had had to put her own arms around his neck, but she was now desperately attempting not to abandon herself to him. It would have been so easy. She only needed to close her eyes, and let herself be surrounded by the feeling. By him.
They soon arrived close to the car, and Vaughn successfully got her in it without making her setting a foot on the ground. The fact that he had not locked it a few moments before brought at least something positive.
Then he got in too, and once the door was closed, he started it right away. The car engaged into traffic, blending into the mass, and a few minutes later they were out of danger.
They hadn’t even had enough time to catch their breaths when Julia talked.
-Stop the car, she asked him.
-What?
-Stop here, she asked again.
Vaughn did not try to understand her request longer, and stopped the car as soon as he could.
Silence settled between the two of them, and he turned around to face her, his gaze searching for hers. She felt his eyes on her, and finally established a visual contact a few moments later.
TBC...
Alias Fan Gillian
Cadet
Great update. Please post more soon.
Thanks for the pm.
Thanks for the pm.
AmyLeerockergurl15
Cadet
Great chapter! I love how Julia is slowly starting feel like she's done all these things before... it's so good! Thanks for the pm and update soon!
Em
Em
secret_agent_angel
Cadet
great chap
loved it
is julia/syd starting to remember things
loved it
is julia/syd starting to remember things
AliasBabe12
Cadet
Awesome Chapter!!11 i luved it ....hopefully you'll update soon!!!
Hello everyone!
So, I'm two days late, since I had told you I'd update before the end of last week. But between my R/L and Jenn's, my beta for this story, well, it's been kind of crazy. But here it is ^_^
And if you're interested, I answered the wonderful reviews you guys left me in a earlier post.
I hope you'll all like it. Now, on with the show...
<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 7: Too Late, Part II</span>
-Why did you... she started, out of breath, her heart beating wildly because of her emotions. Why did you come back? she asked him again.
At this very second, it hit him. He didn’t just want to discover who was hiding behind the mystery of her existence. No. He wanted to discover Sydney. He wanted her to be this woman. This hope that he had tried in vain to push back had already monopolized his mind, forbidding him to thing otherwise. It had to be her. His heart would not accept any other alternative. It was too late.
He thought about what he was going to say to her. If he had simply followed her instructions, he wouldn’t have came and saved her. But if he had done that, he might have lost her once again...
“It was not conceivable for me to give up on you when I know that you may be the only reason that I am alive.”
-I’m not used to leaving a partner in danger behind me. And moreover, he added, you were the one with the documents we came here for.
A light smile appeared on her face, and a part of her wondered if he hadn’t only told her what was appropriate in this situation; and not what he actually thought or felt.
-That’s true. But we don’t have them anymore, she said, realising that on the top of everything, she had also failed her mission.
He started smiling and took something out of his pocket. The biper.
-How did you...
-One of the guards that I neutralized when I arrived was about to get that to his boss.
She didn’t know what to say anymore.
-I can’t believe it, she admitted.
Maybe, after all, she wasn’t that crazy to be that attracted to this man.
She wanted to ask him a question, but he answered before she even had the time to pronounce a single word.
-The laptop is in the trunk.
She smiled back, and after opening the door, tried to set a foot on the ground, but the pain she felt brought her back to reality: she couldn’t walk.
Without saying a word, Vaughn got out of the car and took an aid kit from the trunk. Then, he came and kneeled down in front of her.
-What are you doing?
He did not answer her, and a few moments later, he put her jeans up to her knee, and removed her shoe.
She didn’t took her eyes off him, watching his every move while thinking no one had ever taken care of her that way.
He applied soothing pomade on her ankle, and she quivered at this contact, contrasting with the feeling of his hand resting on her leg.
Once he was done, he lowered her jeans, but instead of getting up, he stayed there, his eyes connected with hers. She didn’t move either, listening maybe for the first time to her heart instead of her head.
Vaughn was tempted to put his arms on the seat, to frame Julia’s body, and lean his head on her legs, but he retained himself.
He was hoping that by staying there, he might be able to foresee her soul and find out who she was. And much to his surprise, she didn’t break their visual contact. She didn’t make any move towards him either, but he knew that coming from a woman like her, it was already a lot. Perhaps more than he had hoped for.
Where had the diabolic smile gone? The one that was on her face when they had danced together in the nightclub ? If he tried to kiss her now, would the same scenario repeat itself?
He didn’t have more time to think about it, because Julia’s voice came to his ears.
-Thank you, she said with a raw voice.
-It’s nothing. Just a small bandage.
-No, she cut him. Thanks... thanks for everything.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had said thank you this way. Not a simple thank you for holding out the door – she hadn’t done that in years – but one that would come from the bottom of her heart. She wouldn’t have thought she could say it. Had it happened to her once in her life?
-You’re welcome, he answered before getting up.
Julia couldn’t help but being disappointed when he moved away from her and that she could no longer look into his eyes. And she surprised herself with those thoughts.
In a dozen of minutes, Vaughn transferred the data of the biper to the laptop, and with Julia’s help, he found the information they had been looking for.
They were to go in a meeting club owned by the man whose office they had just broken into. It was located in France. In Nice.
A quarter of second was enough for all the memories to invade his mind, the smallest moves and the most innocent words becoming so clear that it was just like he was living through them a second time.
“Did you ask him to do that?”
Vaughn was having a hard time believing it. Being here, so close to her, and being able to witness such a great beauty was already crazy. But as he was looking at this key that the owner had just laid on the table, he told himself it was even crazier. Even more wonderful.
“There are so many issues with this, I don’t know where to begin...”
“Hold on a second. I think we should keep an open mind about this.”
It was totally crazy. He was here, in this restaurant, with Sydney Bristow, the woman he had been desperately in love with for one year and a half, maybe since forever, and they were both talking about spending the night together.
A smile of hers, lightening her face, could give him more happiness than anything else on earth. To embrace her, to hold her in his arms, could give him freedom.
And today, this key laying right before him was holding the promise to share with her more than he ever though possible on this night.
“An open mind?”
“It’d be rude to overlook such a generous offer without proper consideration”.
Could she hear, from the sound of his voice, the intonation of his sentence, how much this perspective made him happy? Could she see how much he longed for her right now? Could she feel it?
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Okay”
Their first physical contact had happened on the pier, one year and a half earlier. Then, there had been several hugs: one when Sydney had learned that her mother was responsible for his father’s death, the other when she had learned her father had conditioned her to be a spy, and the last one when they had ended up in each other’s arms right in the middle of the rotunda, after he had almost died.
And it should have sounded insane, for any normal person just to conceive to talk about spending the night with someone you haven’t even kissed once.
But the connection that was theirs was so strong, powerful and palpable that it did not sound absurd to them. It was just another step in the union of their bodies, hearts and souls. They already belonged to each other without having ever said it, so with this night they could share, they would only concretise it.
When, after making love up to the point they don’t know how to breathe something else than each other, he will take into his arms, when their two bodies separate and they will still feel the other’s presence beneath their skin, when they are be unable to tell where their body begins and the other’s one ends, then at this very moment, their union would be total.
“But there are clearly issues”
“I don’t disagree”.
Vaughn could not remember smiling this way in his whole life. He was smiling like a fool, like a four-year-old child discovering his gifts under the tree on Christmas day. He was smiling like a happy man.
And he could see she had the exact same smile on her face, that the same excitation had invaded her body. He could see in her eyes that she wanted this night as much as he did. That she wanted Michael Vaughn and Sydney to be just one tonight.
“Okay”.
-Have you ever been there?
He looked at Julia, realising she had just asked him a question, still half of him lost in the memory. He couldn’t tell the truth, could he?
-No. I’ve never heard of this city.
---------------------------------------
Vaughn closed the plane’s cabin door, separating him from Julia after making sure she was asleep.
A few hours earlier, in his car, she had told him that a private plane was awaiting them at the airport and that they could go there directly.
And it was what they had done. After stopping by Julia’s hotel so that she could get her stuff, they had gotten in the plane. They had both changed, and then there had been this moment when everything had become clear. When he had understood.
He took his phone in his hand and thought that he wasn’t supposed to be calling this way. But honestly, right now, he didn’t care. At all.
The person on the other end of the line picked up the phone, and Vaughn was relieved to hear his voice.
-Jack Bristow.
-It’s Vaughn.
There was a pause, a short lapse of time during which Vaughn though that Jack must have started to think he was just a fool again.
-What do you want?
He took a deep breath, and said the words. But even now that they had been spoken, he couldn’t truly believe in it yet.
-It’s Sydney.
TBC...
So, I'm two days late, since I had told you I'd update before the end of last week. But between my R/L and Jenn's, my beta for this story, well, it's been kind of crazy. But here it is ^_^
And if you're interested, I answered the wonderful reviews you guys left me in a earlier post.
I hope you'll all like it. Now, on with the show...
<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 7: Too Late, Part II</span>
-Why did you... she started, out of breath, her heart beating wildly because of her emotions. Why did you come back? she asked him again.
At this very second, it hit him. He didn’t just want to discover who was hiding behind the mystery of her existence. No. He wanted to discover Sydney. He wanted her to be this woman. This hope that he had tried in vain to push back had already monopolized his mind, forbidding him to thing otherwise. It had to be her. His heart would not accept any other alternative. It was too late.
He thought about what he was going to say to her. If he had simply followed her instructions, he wouldn’t have came and saved her. But if he had done that, he might have lost her once again...
“It was not conceivable for me to give up on you when I know that you may be the only reason that I am alive.”
-I’m not used to leaving a partner in danger behind me. And moreover, he added, you were the one with the documents we came here for.
A light smile appeared on her face, and a part of her wondered if he hadn’t only told her what was appropriate in this situation; and not what he actually thought or felt.
-That’s true. But we don’t have them anymore, she said, realising that on the top of everything, she had also failed her mission.
He started smiling and took something out of his pocket. The biper.
-How did you...
-One of the guards that I neutralized when I arrived was about to get that to his boss.
She didn’t know what to say anymore.
-I can’t believe it, she admitted.
Maybe, after all, she wasn’t that crazy to be that attracted to this man.
She wanted to ask him a question, but he answered before she even had the time to pronounce a single word.
-The laptop is in the trunk.
She smiled back, and after opening the door, tried to set a foot on the ground, but the pain she felt brought her back to reality: she couldn’t walk.
Without saying a word, Vaughn got out of the car and took an aid kit from the trunk. Then, he came and kneeled down in front of her.
-What are you doing?
He did not answer her, and a few moments later, he put her jeans up to her knee, and removed her shoe.
She didn’t took her eyes off him, watching his every move while thinking no one had ever taken care of her that way.
He applied soothing pomade on her ankle, and she quivered at this contact, contrasting with the feeling of his hand resting on her leg.
Once he was done, he lowered her jeans, but instead of getting up, he stayed there, his eyes connected with hers. She didn’t move either, listening maybe for the first time to her heart instead of her head.
Vaughn was tempted to put his arms on the seat, to frame Julia’s body, and lean his head on her legs, but he retained himself.
He was hoping that by staying there, he might be able to foresee her soul and find out who she was. And much to his surprise, she didn’t break their visual contact. She didn’t make any move towards him either, but he knew that coming from a woman like her, it was already a lot. Perhaps more than he had hoped for.
Where had the diabolic smile gone? The one that was on her face when they had danced together in the nightclub ? If he tried to kiss her now, would the same scenario repeat itself?
He didn’t have more time to think about it, because Julia’s voice came to his ears.
-Thank you, she said with a raw voice.
-It’s nothing. Just a small bandage.
-No, she cut him. Thanks... thanks for everything.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had said thank you this way. Not a simple thank you for holding out the door – she hadn’t done that in years – but one that would come from the bottom of her heart. She wouldn’t have thought she could say it. Had it happened to her once in her life?
-You’re welcome, he answered before getting up.
Julia couldn’t help but being disappointed when he moved away from her and that she could no longer look into his eyes. And she surprised herself with those thoughts.
In a dozen of minutes, Vaughn transferred the data of the biper to the laptop, and with Julia’s help, he found the information they had been looking for.
They were to go in a meeting club owned by the man whose office they had just broken into. It was located in France. In Nice.
A quarter of second was enough for all the memories to invade his mind, the smallest moves and the most innocent words becoming so clear that it was just like he was living through them a second time.
“Did you ask him to do that?”
Vaughn was having a hard time believing it. Being here, so close to her, and being able to witness such a great beauty was already crazy. But as he was looking at this key that the owner had just laid on the table, he told himself it was even crazier. Even more wonderful.
“There are so many issues with this, I don’t know where to begin...”
“Hold on a second. I think we should keep an open mind about this.”
It was totally crazy. He was here, in this restaurant, with Sydney Bristow, the woman he had been desperately in love with for one year and a half, maybe since forever, and they were both talking about spending the night together.
A smile of hers, lightening her face, could give him more happiness than anything else on earth. To embrace her, to hold her in his arms, could give him freedom.
And today, this key laying right before him was holding the promise to share with her more than he ever though possible on this night.
“An open mind?”
“It’d be rude to overlook such a generous offer without proper consideration”.
Could she hear, from the sound of his voice, the intonation of his sentence, how much this perspective made him happy? Could she see how much he longed for her right now? Could she feel it?
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Okay”
Their first physical contact had happened on the pier, one year and a half earlier. Then, there had been several hugs: one when Sydney had learned that her mother was responsible for his father’s death, the other when she had learned her father had conditioned her to be a spy, and the last one when they had ended up in each other’s arms right in the middle of the rotunda, after he had almost died.
And it should have sounded insane, for any normal person just to conceive to talk about spending the night with someone you haven’t even kissed once.
But the connection that was theirs was so strong, powerful and palpable that it did not sound absurd to them. It was just another step in the union of their bodies, hearts and souls. They already belonged to each other without having ever said it, so with this night they could share, they would only concretise it.
When, after making love up to the point they don’t know how to breathe something else than each other, he will take into his arms, when their two bodies separate and they will still feel the other’s presence beneath their skin, when they are be unable to tell where their body begins and the other’s one ends, then at this very moment, their union would be total.
“But there are clearly issues”
“I don’t disagree”.
Vaughn could not remember smiling this way in his whole life. He was smiling like a fool, like a four-year-old child discovering his gifts under the tree on Christmas day. He was smiling like a happy man.
And he could see she had the exact same smile on her face, that the same excitation had invaded her body. He could see in her eyes that she wanted this night as much as he did. That she wanted Michael Vaughn and Sydney to be just one tonight.
“Okay”.
-Have you ever been there?
He looked at Julia, realising she had just asked him a question, still half of him lost in the memory. He couldn’t tell the truth, could he?
-No. I’ve never heard of this city.
---------------------------------------
Vaughn closed the plane’s cabin door, separating him from Julia after making sure she was asleep.
A few hours earlier, in his car, she had told him that a private plane was awaiting them at the airport and that they could go there directly.
And it was what they had done. After stopping by Julia’s hotel so that she could get her stuff, they had gotten in the plane. They had both changed, and then there had been this moment when everything had become clear. When he had understood.
He took his phone in his hand and thought that he wasn’t supposed to be calling this way. But honestly, right now, he didn’t care. At all.
The person on the other end of the line picked up the phone, and Vaughn was relieved to hear his voice.
-Jack Bristow.
-It’s Vaughn.
There was a pause, a short lapse of time during which Vaughn though that Jack must have started to think he was just a fool again.
-What do you want?
He took a deep breath, and said the words. But even now that they had been spoken, he couldn’t truly believe in it yet.
-It’s Sydney.
TBC...
mrs.marshal030791
Cadet
ahhh omg its syd its syd its syd( ive known its syd but ive been waiting for you to say it lol) please update soon, and when you update can you add me to your pm please. thanks
mrs.marshall
mrs.marshall
AmyLeerockergurl15
Cadet
That was awesome! Great chapter, thanks for the pm and update soon!
Em
Em
secret_agent_angel
Cadet
how does he know that it's syd???????????
it had better be syd
great chap as usual i loved it
it had better be syd
great chap as usual i loved it