This is my second Alias Fan Fic and the smaller, but larger played plotline, was a request for me to write. So, I just filled in the blanks...
Title: Mr and Mrs. Vaughn
Why is it Romance?: Deals with the lost love and marriage of Sydney and Michael Vaughn and what it takes for them to find their love again
Genre: Drama/Romance/Action
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Alias, besides this story and the Last Stop Fan Fic...I wished I owned Alias though...I'd be rich now...
Warning!!!: The story goes back and forth from 1st person to 3rd person. The 1st person view is that of Dr. Barnett...the CIA pyschologist and it occurs only with Sydney and Vaughn and is in her office. The rest of the story is in 3rd person view
Summary: It was the love of Sydney and Vaughn that brought them a daugher, Isabelle, and it was her love that kept her parents together. But when Isabelle is kidnapped by a new powerful threat, Sydney and Vaughn's relationship falls apart quickly and each blame each other and themselves. Having lost hope, lost love, lost their daughter and each other...it seems somethings, weren't meant to last forever.
I twirled my pen in my hand and silently sighed. Boy this job sucks sometimes, I thought. As the Psychologist of the CIA, it was my job to ensure the mental and emotional stability of the agents. Whether it was about personal issues, marriage problems or field-related, my finding and helping to fix the problem was what my job was. But sometimes...it sucked. Even more so, when the agents are ordered to see me. Like these agents for example. Two oft he most reliable and skilled agents, I have ever met, and personally come to life. Agents Bristow and Vaughn...one of a kind, a match made in heaven. Or so everyone thought. It seemed to me that after having a child, and life in the CIA in general, it was putting a lot of pressure on their marriage. Them not talking to me, or each other was a good effect of that. They were growing apart slowly. They knew it, and others saw it. Little things became big things and the big things were...well, let's just say, not pretty. "Agent Vaughn, Agent Bristow," I said. "Is there nothing you would like to say today?" Vaughn looked at Sydney and her at him, but neither said a word. "Okay," I said. I needed to break the ice somehow. "How's Isabelle?"
Sydney lit up at the mention of her daughter. "Wonderful. She just turned two last week."
"Oh," I exclaimed, "That's great."
"She's getting big," Vaughn added. "She already knows what she wants to be after school."
"And what's that?"
"An ice skater," Sydney answered. "She loves the ice rink."
I nodded and smiled at them. "So, have you two been this week?"
"...Fine," Sydney said.
"No fights?" I pressed
"Not...big ones," Vaughn admitted. But I had caught the hesitation. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Vaughn began, "Sydney was on an OP this week..."
"Paris," Sydney interjected.
"Right," Vaughn continued. "And I took care of everything while she was away. Isabelle, the house, the job. I picked up the slack..."
"Because I was working..."
"And when she finally gets home...I get nothing. Just a kiss and a hi, No 'thank you' no 'great job'. Nadda."
"I was tired."
"She ignores what part I play in her life."
Sydney looks at Vaughn. "You expect me to thank you every time you remember to put the toilet seat down?"
"No. I expect you to notice and say thank you once in awhile. You know, in that song, she thanked everyone and everything. In four minutes. I haven't gotten that in two years!"
"What song?"
"Thank you...that song?"
"Great...now he's comparing me to a song."
"It's a metaphor."
"No it's not."
I cleared my throat. "OK. How about we forget the song, and move on?"
But they ignored me and Vaughn went on. "She thanked...everyone."
"No she didn't," Sydney insisted.
"Yes, she did."
"No...she didn't."
"Yes...she...did."
Sydney huffed and sat back and folded her arms. "Well, she didn't thank me," she muttered.
"OK!" I announced. "Enough with pop song quizzes for the insane, Why don't we pick this up tomorrow then, yes?"
Michael and Sydney nodded, said thank you and left. I shook my head and wrote on my note pad. "Serious Issues!"
***********
Sydney and Vaughn walked out the office and without looking at each other, each went a different way, Sydney left and Vaughn right, without saying a word.
*************
Sydney walks in the door and puts her purse and keys on the table. She walks in the living room and presses the blinking red light the answering machine. "You have one message," it beeps, "Thursday, 5:25pm. Sydney...it's Dr. Barnett. I was just calling to remind you and Michael that you have an appointment with me Saturday at nine in the morning. However, I would like to speak to each of you one at a time, So if you could come in at nine and Michael at ten...that'll be great. Okay? Have a good night, see you tomorrow. Bye. End of message." Sydney sighed, rolling her eyes and started to take out dinner for Vaughn and Isabelle when she heard the door bell ring. Sydney walked up to the door and opened it. "Hey," Nadia said. Sydney smiled and hugged her sister, letting her in. They both walked in the kitchen as Sydney said," So...you're back early. The OP go well?"
"Yes." Nadia smiled. "It went very well."
"You know, ever since you moved in with Eric, I haven't heard from you lately. I guess things are going wonderfully, huh?"
"I know. I'm sorry. Just you know, between missions, and Eric, and your life, I don't want to intrude."
"Please," Sydney rolled her eyes, "You're family. It's your job to intrude."
Nadia laughed then looked at Sydney seriously. "So...how are things going?"
"Good." Sydney started to prepare the dinner she was making for her family.
Nadia waited a moment for Sydney to say more, but she didn't. "Come on Syd. Stop being cryptic like that. It's me."
Sydney stopped what she was doing and turned towards Nadia. "How are you and Vaughn doing?" Nadia asked.
"Depends on what time of day you ask me," Sydney muttered.
The tone is Sydney's voice suggested to Nadia that it was anything but a joke. It was starting to get serious. "How do you mean?"
Sydney sighs. "It seems, that lately there is this huge wall between us. I don't know what he wants from me."
--
Vaughn is sitting in a bar, drinking with Eric Weiss, in deep conversation with him. Vaughn sighed again and put down his drink. "I just want her to acknowledge me, you know?" Vaughn was saying. Eric nodded his head as Vaughn continued. "She's so stubborn and insists on doing everything herself, when I am here to help, and she doesn't realize that."
"Well," Eric began, "She's been that way her whole life, you know? With a father like Jack and a mother like Irina?"
"I know."
"And isn't that the part of her that made you fall in love with her?"
"Yes," Vaughn admitted. "But she doesn't have to do everything herself..."
--
"I feel like I have to do everything myself," Sydney exclaimed. "He complains about the stupidest things!"
Nadia raised her eyebrow at Sydney, "Like what?"
"Songs today! Hockey yesterday. He thinks I always need him, and yes, sometimes I depend on him, but I don't need a man to do everything for me."
"But that's not how Michael is."
"Exactly! He won't change, but I have to?"
--
"Have you talked to her about it?" Eric asked.
Vaughn just shook his head. "Every time I try, something happens or gets in the way."
--
"Has he talked to you about it?" Nadia asked.
Sydney shook her head. "He hasn't even tried. It's like he expects me to do something about it."
"Well...why not?"
"Because he doesn't want me to do everything, remember?"
Nadia nods and bits her lip
--
"I love her so damn much, Eric, but sometimes..."
--
"...I just want to...smack him or something," Sydney finished.
--
"Well, you do that," Eric said, "And Jack will kill you...painfully."
**********************
"So," I began. "How are you today?"
Sydney smiled at me and said fine. It was the first day she was alone here, so I expected that more about her and her relationship with her husband was to be revealed. I hoped. It was really hard to break these two down like that. "Why don't we start, ok?"
"That's fine," Sydney said.
"OK," I began. "Let's start with Friday morning."
"Okay..."
"From the beginning," I clarified. "Specifically...you and Michael."
"All right," Sydney said. "We got up, like always, showered, like always..."
--
Sydney rushes into the kitchen and avoids stepping over all the split cereal on the kitchen floor. Isabella continues to make a mess at the table while she pours milk in her cereal bowl. "Isabella," Sydney complained, "What are you doing?" She grabs a towel from a drawer and wipes the table, then picks up the cereal on the floor. "I was hungry," Isabelle explains. Sydney finishes cleaning up as Vaughn walks in, finishing buttoning up his shirt. He kisses Isabelle and walks past Sydney and opens the fridge. He sighs angrily and pulls out a carton of orange juice and shakes it, showing Sydney it's emptiness. "I told you to make a list," Sydney said. Vaughn threw the empty container in the trash and closed the fridge and pointed at a note on it titled 'Things we Need.' Sydney shrugged and took the cereal box from Isabelle as she was being to pour more. "We have to go," Vaughn said, "We're late." Isabelle takes her bowl and puts it in the sink as Sydney grabs her jacket, and Vaughn grabs the keys. "Come on honey," Sydney called to Isabelle, "Grab your backpack and lets go."
***********
A half hour later, Vaughn pulls up to the preschool and Sydney and Isabelle get out and walk in. They walk in the classroom as all the kids are taking their seats. Sydney bends down and fixes Isabelle's jacket. "You all set?"
Isabelle smiles and nods. "Yep."
"Good. I love you."
"Love you too, Mommy."
Sydney kisses her and stands up, watching her daughter take her seat and talk with her friends. Sydney walks out of the room, back into the lobby and smiles at the desk clerk. "Morning Carrie."
Carrie smiles at Sydney. "Morning Mrs. Vaughn. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just running late."
"Boss won't be happy, huh?"
Sydney frowns. No...he sure won't
***********
Sydney and Vaughn enter the briefing room as Sloane is talking. He stops immediately at their noted arrival, all eyes laid on them. Sydney looked at them all and silently apologized, while Sloane glared at them. "As I was saying," he began again. "This new threat called, The Hand, has now acquired a nuclear weapon and intel suspects, they plan to use it on us, as well as England, and South America."
"Why are they called, The Hand?" Eric asked.
"Because, there are five different factions, joined together, Five powerful, and influential leaders. Langley has not confirmed the location of this weapon or if they in fact even have it. All we have to go on is a suspected high activity location located in Moscow." Sloane said.
"So, you want us to go in and confirm the location of the weapon." Sydney summed up
"Exactly," Sloane answered. "Needless to say, that if this weapon is in fact in their hands," Sloane paused at the slight giggle he got from Marshall, who immediately shut up after Sloane looked at him," No pun intended," he directed at Marshall," We need to get this weapon from them. So, Sydney, Dixon, you two will go to Moscow and confirm the location. Langley believes it is being held in a building that handles these kinds of things. Keeping bombs, information, located in secret deposits off the books. It's disguised as a Russian bank. Nadia, Weiss, Vaughn...you three will serve as back up. Get in, confirm, get out. OP-Tech in one hour. That is all."
**********
On the plane, Sydney shuts her cell phone and sits down, next to her sister and directly across from Vaughn who is sitting by the aisle, next to Weiss and Dixon. "My dad will pick up Isabelle from school and bring her to his house," she told Vaughn
"Okay," he said. Sydney stared at Vaughn. "Do you think you could have more than a one word vocabulary with me?" she snapped.
"What do you want me to say?" he snapped back. "Your dad is picking up Isabelle...so?"
Sydney shook her head and picked up a magazine, and opened it. "Never mind...forget it."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Sydney looked at Vaughn over her magazine as he sighed and read his file. Weiss leaned over to Dixon. "Do we have an alcohol on this plane?"
*****
TBC
Title: Mr and Mrs. Vaughn
Why is it Romance?: Deals with the lost love and marriage of Sydney and Michael Vaughn and what it takes for them to find their love again
Genre: Drama/Romance/Action
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Alias, besides this story and the Last Stop Fan Fic...I wished I owned Alias though...I'd be rich now...
Warning!!!: The story goes back and forth from 1st person to 3rd person. The 1st person view is that of Dr. Barnett...the CIA pyschologist and it occurs only with Sydney and Vaughn and is in her office. The rest of the story is in 3rd person view
Summary: It was the love of Sydney and Vaughn that brought them a daugher, Isabelle, and it was her love that kept her parents together. But when Isabelle is kidnapped by a new powerful threat, Sydney and Vaughn's relationship falls apart quickly and each blame each other and themselves. Having lost hope, lost love, lost their daughter and each other...it seems somethings, weren't meant to last forever.
I twirled my pen in my hand and silently sighed. Boy this job sucks sometimes, I thought. As the Psychologist of the CIA, it was my job to ensure the mental and emotional stability of the agents. Whether it was about personal issues, marriage problems or field-related, my finding and helping to fix the problem was what my job was. But sometimes...it sucked. Even more so, when the agents are ordered to see me. Like these agents for example. Two oft he most reliable and skilled agents, I have ever met, and personally come to life. Agents Bristow and Vaughn...one of a kind, a match made in heaven. Or so everyone thought. It seemed to me that after having a child, and life in the CIA in general, it was putting a lot of pressure on their marriage. Them not talking to me, or each other was a good effect of that. They were growing apart slowly. They knew it, and others saw it. Little things became big things and the big things were...well, let's just say, not pretty. "Agent Vaughn, Agent Bristow," I said. "Is there nothing you would like to say today?" Vaughn looked at Sydney and her at him, but neither said a word. "Okay," I said. I needed to break the ice somehow. "How's Isabelle?"
Sydney lit up at the mention of her daughter. "Wonderful. She just turned two last week."
"Oh," I exclaimed, "That's great."
"She's getting big," Vaughn added. "She already knows what she wants to be after school."
"And what's that?"
"An ice skater," Sydney answered. "She loves the ice rink."
I nodded and smiled at them. "So, have you two been this week?"
"...Fine," Sydney said.
"No fights?" I pressed
"Not...big ones," Vaughn admitted. But I had caught the hesitation. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Vaughn began, "Sydney was on an OP this week..."
"Paris," Sydney interjected.
"Right," Vaughn continued. "And I took care of everything while she was away. Isabelle, the house, the job. I picked up the slack..."
"Because I was working..."
"And when she finally gets home...I get nothing. Just a kiss and a hi, No 'thank you' no 'great job'. Nadda."
"I was tired."
"She ignores what part I play in her life."
Sydney looks at Vaughn. "You expect me to thank you every time you remember to put the toilet seat down?"
"No. I expect you to notice and say thank you once in awhile. You know, in that song, she thanked everyone and everything. In four minutes. I haven't gotten that in two years!"
"What song?"
"Thank you...that song?"
"Great...now he's comparing me to a song."
"It's a metaphor."
"No it's not."
I cleared my throat. "OK. How about we forget the song, and move on?"
But they ignored me and Vaughn went on. "She thanked...everyone."
"No she didn't," Sydney insisted.
"Yes, she did."
"No...she didn't."
"Yes...she...did."
Sydney huffed and sat back and folded her arms. "Well, she didn't thank me," she muttered.
"OK!" I announced. "Enough with pop song quizzes for the insane, Why don't we pick this up tomorrow then, yes?"
Michael and Sydney nodded, said thank you and left. I shook my head and wrote on my note pad. "Serious Issues!"
***********
Sydney and Vaughn walked out the office and without looking at each other, each went a different way, Sydney left and Vaughn right, without saying a word.
*************
Sydney walks in the door and puts her purse and keys on the table. She walks in the living room and presses the blinking red light the answering machine. "You have one message," it beeps, "Thursday, 5:25pm. Sydney...it's Dr. Barnett. I was just calling to remind you and Michael that you have an appointment with me Saturday at nine in the morning. However, I would like to speak to each of you one at a time, So if you could come in at nine and Michael at ten...that'll be great. Okay? Have a good night, see you tomorrow. Bye. End of message." Sydney sighed, rolling her eyes and started to take out dinner for Vaughn and Isabelle when she heard the door bell ring. Sydney walked up to the door and opened it. "Hey," Nadia said. Sydney smiled and hugged her sister, letting her in. They both walked in the kitchen as Sydney said," So...you're back early. The OP go well?"
"Yes." Nadia smiled. "It went very well."
"You know, ever since you moved in with Eric, I haven't heard from you lately. I guess things are going wonderfully, huh?"
"I know. I'm sorry. Just you know, between missions, and Eric, and your life, I don't want to intrude."
"Please," Sydney rolled her eyes, "You're family. It's your job to intrude."
Nadia laughed then looked at Sydney seriously. "So...how are things going?"
"Good." Sydney started to prepare the dinner she was making for her family.
Nadia waited a moment for Sydney to say more, but she didn't. "Come on Syd. Stop being cryptic like that. It's me."
Sydney stopped what she was doing and turned towards Nadia. "How are you and Vaughn doing?" Nadia asked.
"Depends on what time of day you ask me," Sydney muttered.
The tone is Sydney's voice suggested to Nadia that it was anything but a joke. It was starting to get serious. "How do you mean?"
Sydney sighs. "It seems, that lately there is this huge wall between us. I don't know what he wants from me."
--
Vaughn is sitting in a bar, drinking with Eric Weiss, in deep conversation with him. Vaughn sighed again and put down his drink. "I just want her to acknowledge me, you know?" Vaughn was saying. Eric nodded his head as Vaughn continued. "She's so stubborn and insists on doing everything herself, when I am here to help, and she doesn't realize that."
"Well," Eric began, "She's been that way her whole life, you know? With a father like Jack and a mother like Irina?"
"I know."
"And isn't that the part of her that made you fall in love with her?"
"Yes," Vaughn admitted. "But she doesn't have to do everything herself..."
--
"I feel like I have to do everything myself," Sydney exclaimed. "He complains about the stupidest things!"
Nadia raised her eyebrow at Sydney, "Like what?"
"Songs today! Hockey yesterday. He thinks I always need him, and yes, sometimes I depend on him, but I don't need a man to do everything for me."
"But that's not how Michael is."
"Exactly! He won't change, but I have to?"
--
"Have you talked to her about it?" Eric asked.
Vaughn just shook his head. "Every time I try, something happens or gets in the way."
--
"Has he talked to you about it?" Nadia asked.
Sydney shook her head. "He hasn't even tried. It's like he expects me to do something about it."
"Well...why not?"
"Because he doesn't want me to do everything, remember?"
Nadia nods and bits her lip
--
"I love her so damn much, Eric, but sometimes..."
--
"...I just want to...smack him or something," Sydney finished.
--
"Well, you do that," Eric said, "And Jack will kill you...painfully."
**********************
"So," I began. "How are you today?"
Sydney smiled at me and said fine. It was the first day she was alone here, so I expected that more about her and her relationship with her husband was to be revealed. I hoped. It was really hard to break these two down like that. "Why don't we start, ok?"
"That's fine," Sydney said.
"OK," I began. "Let's start with Friday morning."
"Okay..."
"From the beginning," I clarified. "Specifically...you and Michael."
"All right," Sydney said. "We got up, like always, showered, like always..."
--
Sydney rushes into the kitchen and avoids stepping over all the split cereal on the kitchen floor. Isabella continues to make a mess at the table while she pours milk in her cereal bowl. "Isabella," Sydney complained, "What are you doing?" She grabs a towel from a drawer and wipes the table, then picks up the cereal on the floor. "I was hungry," Isabelle explains. Sydney finishes cleaning up as Vaughn walks in, finishing buttoning up his shirt. He kisses Isabelle and walks past Sydney and opens the fridge. He sighs angrily and pulls out a carton of orange juice and shakes it, showing Sydney it's emptiness. "I told you to make a list," Sydney said. Vaughn threw the empty container in the trash and closed the fridge and pointed at a note on it titled 'Things we Need.' Sydney shrugged and took the cereal box from Isabelle as she was being to pour more. "We have to go," Vaughn said, "We're late." Isabelle takes her bowl and puts it in the sink as Sydney grabs her jacket, and Vaughn grabs the keys. "Come on honey," Sydney called to Isabelle, "Grab your backpack and lets go."
***********
A half hour later, Vaughn pulls up to the preschool and Sydney and Isabelle get out and walk in. They walk in the classroom as all the kids are taking their seats. Sydney bends down and fixes Isabelle's jacket. "You all set?"
Isabelle smiles and nods. "Yep."
"Good. I love you."
"Love you too, Mommy."
Sydney kisses her and stands up, watching her daughter take her seat and talk with her friends. Sydney walks out of the room, back into the lobby and smiles at the desk clerk. "Morning Carrie."
Carrie smiles at Sydney. "Morning Mrs. Vaughn. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just running late."
"Boss won't be happy, huh?"
Sydney frowns. No...he sure won't
***********
Sydney and Vaughn enter the briefing room as Sloane is talking. He stops immediately at their noted arrival, all eyes laid on them. Sydney looked at them all and silently apologized, while Sloane glared at them. "As I was saying," he began again. "This new threat called, The Hand, has now acquired a nuclear weapon and intel suspects, they plan to use it on us, as well as England, and South America."
"Why are they called, The Hand?" Eric asked.
"Because, there are five different factions, joined together, Five powerful, and influential leaders. Langley has not confirmed the location of this weapon or if they in fact even have it. All we have to go on is a suspected high activity location located in Moscow." Sloane said.
"So, you want us to go in and confirm the location of the weapon." Sydney summed up
"Exactly," Sloane answered. "Needless to say, that if this weapon is in fact in their hands," Sloane paused at the slight giggle he got from Marshall, who immediately shut up after Sloane looked at him," No pun intended," he directed at Marshall," We need to get this weapon from them. So, Sydney, Dixon, you two will go to Moscow and confirm the location. Langley believes it is being held in a building that handles these kinds of things. Keeping bombs, information, located in secret deposits off the books. It's disguised as a Russian bank. Nadia, Weiss, Vaughn...you three will serve as back up. Get in, confirm, get out. OP-Tech in one hour. That is all."
**********
On the plane, Sydney shuts her cell phone and sits down, next to her sister and directly across from Vaughn who is sitting by the aisle, next to Weiss and Dixon. "My dad will pick up Isabelle from school and bring her to his house," she told Vaughn
"Okay," he said. Sydney stared at Vaughn. "Do you think you could have more than a one word vocabulary with me?" she snapped.
"What do you want me to say?" he snapped back. "Your dad is picking up Isabelle...so?"
Sydney shook her head and picked up a magazine, and opened it. "Never mind...forget it."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Sydney looked at Vaughn over her magazine as he sighed and read his file. Weiss leaned over to Dixon. "Do we have an alcohol on this plane?"
*****
TBC