hmm ok, it looks like this site will let me edit stuff at this moment.. hopefully.. it was all weird this morning, so I'm going to try and update for today now just in case it gets weird later..
Thanks again for the updates... you guys amuse me so much. Glad you are enjoying!
Recap:
I got myself back to the rotunda as fast as I could and cornered Vaughn. “We have to clear your desk of any evidence of you know who. And mine. Quickly. I think I know who the mole is and they may be onto us. Come on.” Without any questions, he cleared his desk and hid his computer files and I did the same. We locked everything in my dad’s office.
“Are you going to tell me who it is?” Vaughn asked.
Chapter 9:
“Yes, but, first I need to talk to my dad. Just…be really careful around EVERYONE tonight. Okay? Everyone, even Lauren. Don’t give away anything.”
“I know…I know. It’s okay. I’m not going to jeopardize Lily.”
“I know you won’t, Vaughn. I’ll see you tomorrow. We have a birthday to celebrate.”
“I know. I’m really excited to be there for this one.” We said goodbye and I headed home to call my dad.
My dad was less than pleased with the news about Lauren and promised to talk to Vaughn when we were in Switzerland. The next morning, we gathered at the airport and headed off to see our little girl turn two.
~~~
“Momma! Daddy! Gampy!” We heard the small voice as grabbed our luggage from the carousel. Grinning at each other, we turned to see Keith holding Lily in his arms. He set her down and she ran straight for my legs. I picked her up and held her in the middle of Vaughn and I as we covered her in kisses.
“Happy two!” She cried out and Keith explained that was her way of saying happy birthday to herself and she was turning two. We laughed.
“Tomorrow is your birthday, cutie,” Vaughn said, taking her in his arms.
“Tomowwow happy two!” She looked down at Vaughn’s bag and pointed. “Pwesents?”
“Oh, no. Do you think she remembers last year and expects as much, Dad?” He shrugged and commented that he hoped not.
“What do you want for your birthday, Lily?” Vaughn asked the hyper little girl still in his arms. She stilled and looked at him.
“Live wif Momma and Daddy.” We looked at her in shock. That was the one thing we couldn’t give her right now.
“Do you want any toys?” Vaughn tried to distract her. She shook her head.
“No toys. Wanna live wif you.” She put her arms around Vaughn’s neck and her head on his shoulder. He gently rubbed her back.
“One day, kiddo. One day. We promise.”
“Why not now?”
I looked at Vaughn. Then, I looked at my dad. Finally, I moved so Lily could look at me over Vaughn’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, the reason you can’t come back with us now is because…we’re in the middle of re-doing your room so it’s perfect for when you come live with us and we don’t know when it will be done.”
“Oh.” We all sighed as she seemed to accept my lie. We all walked to Keith’s car and went to the house. Jonna had dinner waiting and afterwards, Vaughn and I gave Lily her bath.
Once we were done putting her in pajamas and drying her hair, she reached out for me to pick her up.
“Sweep wif you?”
“Sweetheart, Mommy and Daddy aren’t going to bed right now. Don’t you want to lie in your crib? It’s next to our bed like it always is.” She shook her head vigorously.
“No. Wanna sweep wif you.” Her hand gripped my shirt tighter. Vaughn sighed.
“She’ll fall asleep on our laps as we’re all talking. Let her stay with us. She’s getting older now and you already know she wants to live with us, so she’s getting clingy.”
“I know. You’re right. I just wish it wasn’t so hard.”
Vaughn leaned over and kissed my cheek. “One day it won’t be and hopefully that will be soon.” He noticed Lily was starting to get squirmy in my arms and took her from me. “Okay, cutie. Wanna go sit with Daddy?” She nodded and settled in his arms as he walked toward the living room.
The five adults sat and talked for a few hours. Lily fell asleep after a half hour of boring adult talk and when we were ready, we carried her to bed with us and placed her between us like last time.
“I have something to tell you…” I whispered to Michael as we watched Lily sleep. He looked up with questioning eyes. “I haven’t told my dad yet, so you promise to keep this quiet?” He nodded.
I got up and went to my suitcase, pulling out a small envelope that was addressed to me. Inside was a key with a small slip of paper with an address written on it in my handwriting. I had received it in the mail just a few days ago, and the address was in Rome…like the apartment I remembered when I was in Barcelona. I showed it to Vaughn.
“Do you think this is your apartment? The one you remembered?” I nodded in response to his question.
“I think I have to go to Rome. I need to see.”
“No, Syd. That’s dangerous…this could be a trap.”
“But it is my handwriting!”
“But, the question is, WHO sent it to you? This handwriting looks familiar, but I just can’t place it…” Vaughn looked lost in thought for a few minutes. “Anyway, I think we should tell your dad and go as a team to this address.” Apparently I looked unconvinced. “Sydney, please. Think about this. If this is a trap, you wouldn’t just be endangering yourself. You could be putting Lily in danger too, or worse, leaving her without a mother. Please wait.”
I regarded his words but knew I had to go myself anyway. “Okay, I promise,” I lied. “We’ll talk about it when we get back to LA.” I just had to figure out a way to slip away from everyone at the end of our little visit.
>o<
“Happy two! Happy two!” We awoke to the sounds of an over-excited little girl sitting up in between us.
We both rolled over so we were each facing her. I reached over and lifted her up so she was in midair over my face. “Happy birthday, sweet pea.” I lowered her so I could kiss her adorable little cheeks. She kissed my nose in response and giggled. Kicking her legs, she squirmed over to Vaughn and kissed his nose.
“Happy two, Daddy!” he grabbed her and lifted her so she was standing on his chest with his hands on her waist.
“It’s not my birthday!”
“No! It’s MY birfday!”
“And how old are you?”
“TWO!”
“Ahhh, such a smart little girl.” Vaughn laughed as she tried to jump up and down on his chest.
“You know what?” I asked. “She hasn’t asked for p-r-e-s-e-n-t-s yet. Last year, that was the first word out of her mouth.” He laughed.
“So, later tonight we’re flying to Paris for two days and then back here, right?”
“Yeah. Dad’s just going back to LA when we leave.”
“Okay.” He looked at Lily. “Are you excited to go to Paris, cutie?”
She nodded. “I meet Gamma?”
“That’s right! You will meet my Mommy.” Lily cheered and clapped her hands. “She is too cute. It kills me,” he commented, smiling at his daughter. I smiled at both of them.
“Come on, let’s get some breakfast.” The three of us made our way into the living room, where all of the presents (a much smaller pile than last year) were waiting for her. We had also put up some decorations after she fell asleep the night before and Jonna put some food coloring in pancake batter so they were colorful. When Lily saw all the decorations, she squirmed down from my grasp and jumped up and down, clapping.
“Yayy! Fank you!” She cried, leaping toward the pile of presents. We all laughed and took pictures, celebrating the little girl’s birthday. Her favorite gift was a pink racecar ride on toy that she could sit on and push herself around with her feet. Dad gave her some easy puzzles and a LeapFrog learning pad for kids age 2-4. Michael and I gave her some DVD’s and dress-up clothes, along with a new doll and some blocks. The Erikkson’s gave her some cute new clothes and a musical activity toy. Overall, Lily was excited by everything and kept running around to hug everyone.
“She’s much more fun now that she’s older,’ I commented, excited that Lily was able to walk around and talk more than she did last year. Jonna nodded in understanding and we started talking about our wishes that the girls don’t enter the “terrible two’s” stage. Vaughn, Keith and my dad took Lily and Davina outside to push them on the ride along toy.
In the afternoon we packed a small bag to take with us to France and said goodbye to Dad and the Erikkson’s for a few days. By the time we landed, Lily was fast asleep on my shoulder and Vaughn carried the bag we packed. He spotted his mother waiting at arrivals and hurried over.
“Mom!”
“Michael!” The two of them embraced.
“Mom, this is Sydney…and the sleepy little girl is our daughter, Lilybelle. She turned two today.”
Vaughn’s mom leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Sydney, I’ve heard a lot about you over the years. I’m sure the past few years have been difficult. Thank you for letting Michael and I be a part of the baby’s life. I know you two will work everything out with Lauren and all.”
I gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you, Amelia. That means a lot. I can’t wait for you to meet Lily. I’m just hesitant at waking her up now.”
“Nonsense. I can wait. Let the little girl sleep. She’ll still be here in the morning. I’m sure she had a big day today with her birthday and all. I hear she can speak French and English?” I nodded. “What a smart little girl. She’s adorable. I know I’ve seen pictures but seeing her in person is much different.”
“She’s so sweet, Mom. I really can’t wait for you to meet her.” We left the airport and arrived at Amelia’s home. Lily and I were set up in one of the guest rooms, and I placed her in the travel crib to continue sleeping. While the three of us were downstairs talking for a while, we heard a wail come from the guest room. I quickly hurried to Lily.
When I got to the room, she was standing up and gripping the side of the crib with one hand, and Jack bear in the other. She reached her arms out when she saw me.
“Mommaaaaaaa,’ she wailed. I picked her up and cradled her in my lap as I sat on the bed.
“Shh…shh. It’s okay, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”
“Scared.”
“What were you scared of? You didn’t know where you were?” She nodded, rubbing the tears away from her eyes. “We’re at Grandma’s in France. Daddy, Grandma and I were downstairs talking. Do you want to meet her now? Or do you want to go back to bed?”
“Stay wif you.”
“So you want to meet Grandma?” She nodded again. “Okay, let’s change you into your pajamas and get you ready for bed before we go downstairs. Do you need to go potty?” She nodded yes and I took her into the bathroom to get her changed and cleaned up and so she could use the toilet. 15 minutes later we were good to go and the two of us headed downstairs.
“Look who is here,” I announced softly as I walked into the room. Vaughn and Amelia turned to look at the drowsy little girl in my arms. He got up and took her from me, walking back to his mom.
“Lily, baby, this is my Mommy. Can you say hi?” She shyly looked at Amelia and hid her face in Vaughn’s shoulder. “Come on Lily, say hello.”
“Awww,” Amelia commented. “Hi Lily,” she said, addressing the little girl. “You are very pretty. I’m happy to meet you.”
Slowly Lily turned to face Amelia. “Hi,’ she said in a small voice. When Amelia asked for a hug, she broke into her huge dimpled smile and reached out towards her. Vaughn released her to his mom and she sat down with the baby in her lap. Amelia looked elated.
Vaughn and I sat down as well and the three of us continued to talk, this time, including Lily in our conversation to try and get her to talk to Amelia. After a while, she drifted off again and after another half hour, Vaughn and I decided we were tired as well. I took the baby back in my arms and said goodnight to everyone. Vaughn kissed Lily on the forehead and said he’d see us in the morning.
As we walked out of the room, I heard Amelia tell Vaughn that she was perfect and I smiled to myself. When I reached my room, I decided to let Lily sleep in the big bed with me so she wouldn’t be scared again.
~~~
The next day and a half in France was fun as Lily and Amelia got to know each other. We sadly said goodbye and promised to visit again soon. Then we spent another two days with the Erikkson’s before it was time to leave.
I had decided I was going to slip out during the night before the morning we were scheduled to leave. That way I could head to Rome without Vaughn stopping me. That night, I packed my bag and spent some time with Lily. While Vaughn was out of the room, I said my goodbyes to her, promising her I’d be back soon. I wrote a note to the Erikkson’s telling them not to worry and I’d be back in a month as usual, and one to Vaughn telling him I was sorry and this was something I had to do.
Around three in the morning, my cell phone vibrated against my hip, which woke me up. Silently I got ready and slid out of the house undetected.
>o<
“Momma!” Lily’s voice called out beside Vaughn from the crib. He stirred and opened his eyes to see Sydney was not in the room. He slowly got up.
“Hey, cutie. Mommy’s not here. But you get Daddy!” She grinned at him and reached up. He obliged and walked out of the room to find Sydney. Instead, he found Keith reading one of the notes.
“Did you know about this?” He asked.
“What?” Keith handed him his note, and the one labeled “Vaughn,” and watched him read the notes silently.
“You’re kidding me.” Vaughn said, angrily. When Keith gave him a questioning glance, Vaughn filled him in on the key from Rome. “I have to call Jack. This is not good…I know it is a trap.”
“Momma go bye-bye!” Lily chimed in as the two men conversed. Vaughn looked down at her in his arms.
“Did you know about this?” She nodded.
“Momma said goodbye when I went to sweep,” she said, innocently.
“Christ. Sydney is such a headstrong pain in my ass!” Vaughn said loudly and handed the baby to Keith. “I’m going to call Jack…then I’ll probably have to go chase after her.”
“Let me know what I can do to help…” Keith called after him.
~~~
“GET YOURSELF ON A PLANE TO ROME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,” Jack Bristow was bellowing into Vaughn’s ear once Vaughn called to tell him the news. “I’ll have a team out on the next flight. You have to make sure she stays safe. I know this is a trap. Why didn’t you tell me about that key when I was still there?”
“I uh…”
“This is no time for excuses, Vaughn. You should have told me. This is a trap. Go, now.”
“Yes, sir. I‘ll be in contact.” Vaughn hung up and ran to tell Keith and Jonna he had to go find Sydney.
“Daddy leaving?”
Vaughn gazed into his little girl’s eyes moments before he head out the door and felt a pain in his heart. If anything happened to Sydney, he didn’t know what he’d tell his daughter. “Yes, sweetie. And I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He hugged her close and whispered loving words in her ear before handing her back to Keith and rushing out the door.
>o<
As soon as I arrived in Rome, I located the address written on that slip of paper. Using the key, I slipped in and subconsciously knew the light switch was on the wall to my left. “How did I know that?”
I looked around. The apartment had some furniture, but nothing out that would give me a clue that I definitely lived here. Wandering into the bedroom, I saw a crib folded up against the wall. “Lily’s crib?”
Heading into the bathroom next, I checked the medicine cabinets. There was a prescription bottle in there. “Julia Thorne?” I said out loud. Suddenly my mind flashed to me with blond hair, talking to McKenas Cole. “No way…”
I started to feel dizzy. I remembered it all now…I had been undercover, working with the Covenant. They wanted to Rambaldi DNA and I found it and ran. Which means they still wanted the DNA and me. Which means… “felgercarb. I just walked myself into a huge trap!”
I spent the night pondering my situation and investigating the apartment for clues, though I knew it would be futile because I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to give away my secrets.
I was afraid to sleep. I’d be vulnerable if I did and I decided that as soon as morning hit, I’d head back to the airport and go home.
When I left at five in the morning, I cautiously looked around before exiting the building. It seemed safe, but as soon as I stepped outside, I felt something sharp pinch my arm. I looked over. A tranquilizer dart. Wonderful. Blackness took over and I slumped to the ground.
TBC
PM List
Angel
Iheartvaughn
secret_agent_angel
malumader
farliieansds225
vaughn4eva24
tblash423
sydneymicheal
SpygirlAmy
Smcki10
oooRevesDouxooo
MH55995
texasalias2004
phoenix shotgun 47
funkymonkey
sand2604
LittleNicky
xMountineer02300844x
grassyass
Nicky_Bristow
Jadeygirl
mnkdance963
fire*N*ice
sparklingrainbow
Freelancer7315
dandan
6helterskelter6
