Hey guys! this is my first post here, so please be nice? I hav this pposted at SD-1. and ff.net so you may have read some of it already, Please review!
Title- Return to llife
Author- Brittany (aka Vannie)
Feedback-Please do!
Publication date- 5-17-03
Disclaimer- not mine! I'm just doing a public service and cleaning up JJs mess! No infringement intended, they belong to JJ Abrhams, Bad robot and a bunch of other people.
Classification- Angsty, Will be romance eventually.
Summary- Alt season 3, directly post the Telling, partly AU after the SD-6 takedown.
Rating- G? Not bad, but it may get there.
She runs out of the room into the waiting room, barely noticing the two female occupants, and is about to leave when he grabs her hand forcing her to turn around. She slaps him with the hand he grabbed with a cool move and says in a deadly voice, “Don’t you ever touch me again; you lost the right to ever since you forgot about me.”
“I never did.” He replies, taking her hand again.
“Well it’s too late for that now isn’t it?” with that she takes of a ring from her finger and throws it in his direction and turns to the door as it is pushed open at an alarming rate. In less than seconds she finds herself in her best friends comforting hug with him brushing kisses on her forehead and tears streaming down both of their cheeks, and herself returning the hug with everything left in her.
After a few minutes she slowly becomes conscious of her surrounding environment, and Will whispering ‘oh, god! Oh my ****ing god.’ When they part they have the biggest smiles on their faces and are still holding each other.
“I though she killed you, I saw you in the tub and all I could think of was Danny and how he was murdered and how another one of my friends was killed because of me, and God you’re here!!” She rambles on cupping his cheek while they sit.
“Hey you’re not the only one, you gave us a much bigger scare, and you didn’t come home for 2 years. God what happened to you? Who did it? How did you end up here?” and realizing she was running away from Vaughn when he came in he added, “You found out about Mike and Alice didn’t you?”
“I saw the ring if that’s what you mean, and I don’t have to be what I am to figure out what a band means.” She says her voice full of venom and a death glare borrowed from her father sent over Wills shoulder at the three sitting a few chairs down from them. Mike sees the glare and averts his tear filled eyes to a painting on the opposite wall.
“What about dad, and mom, and Eric, and the apartment and all that?”
”Mike should be the one to tell you this,” he says somewhat hesitantly.
“That isn’t an option.” She replies icily.
“How about Irina?” he tries.
“She’s here?” Sydney squeals excitedly, “Can I see her?”
“She isn’t here yet the plane should be touching down now so in about ten minutes.”
“Isn’t the closest CIA airport like half hour away?”
”You know when it comes to you there isn’t a law she won’t break to get here.”
“Yeah, so she’s working for us now?”
“Yeah a little freelance stuff, Jack actually suggested that she be allowed to stay in field as long as she is tracked and she helps us whenever she can, actually he took down Sloane’s organization last month, he is in prison now, Sark however is still missing.”
“What about the apartment?”
“Well after that night the CIA cleaned up as if nothing happened, but local reporters got wind of it and there was a huge scandal.”
She gives a humorless chuckle, “I can see the headlines, ‘Man found almost stabbed to death, blood of two females assumed to be his roommates’. What about the real Francie?”
“We don’t know, everyone thinks she’s dead, but everyone seems to be rising from the grave, we may find her yet, but there was a memorial service about a month after you were gone.”
At that moment the door opened with a confident air that could only be credited to her father and Sydney rushed to it to find her father supporting her mother who was having a breakdown of some sort. And then all three were in a fierce hug that was not broken as they sat down between Will and Vaughn, and they placed Sydney next to Vaughn.
AN: This is the seating arrangement; all chairs are I a straight line against the wall.
Vaughn’s mom, Alice, Vaughn, Sydney, Irina, Will, and Jack pulled up a chair half in front of Sydney and half in front of Vaughn.
Chap 2
“Mom?”
“Yes dear?” Irina replied running her hands through her daughter’s hair.
“Can you switch seats with me please? I really don’t want to be here.” She said not realizing that her choice of using French instead of English was not a good idea.
“Of course dear,” Irina said changing seats with her and in the process flashing her gun and a death glare at Vaughn.
After a few minutes there is a timid knock at the door and it eases open gently to find Eric Weiss holding a sleeping figure and grinning like a fool.
“Eric!” she squeals disentangling herself from her mother and standing.
“Hey” he says putting the now squirming Donovan on the ground.
“Two years and all I get is a ‘Hey’? Give me some sugar!” she says grinning and hugging him tightly. When she tries to move however she almost trips on Donovan who has recognized her and want some attention. She bends down to play with him, “So did he help you pick up any women lately?”
“Yup they were swarming me but I had to swat them off! There’s only one girl for me and she’s infatuated with my best friend! Can you believe it?” he says jokingly.
“Not anymore,” she replies flatly and walking to a window to look at the sunset causing
Eric to take survey of all who are in the room.
Seeing Alice he says “Why the heck did you bring her? Are you insane!” he whispers harshly to Vaughn, “You don’t know what kind of state she could be in! She’s been missing for two g**damn years Mike!”
“Well excuse me for being skeptical when the woman I loved is pronounced dead from blood loss and then shows up two years later like nothing happened!”
“Love,” Eric counters.
“What?”
“You still do, I know it, you know it, and Jack and Irina know it. You may deny it but it’s
true. The only person that doesn’t know it is the only one that matters, Sydney.” Eric says slowly reading his friends response carefully.
Vaughn is saved from answering when the doctor she saw earlier walks back into the room capturing everyone’s attention.
Well hello, I’m Dr. Drake, Nice to see you again Sydney, Jack, Irina.” He says with a nod to each of them, “Good to see you again Jack. Now who are the rest of people?”
“Agents William Tippin and Eric Weiss.” She says with a nod in each direction.
“And these three?” he asks pointing to Vaughn Alice and his mom when she doesn’t continue.
“Former Agent Michael Vaughn,” she says lingering on former, “I’m assuming… his… wife… Alison… Vaughn, and his mother Marie Vaughn, widow to the late Agent William Vaughn. I believe you were a friend of his doctor?”
“Yes I did a very good man, quite loyal too,” he says with a sympathetic smile to Mrs. Vaughn, “Now Sydney I have the results of all the tests I ran before everyone got here, would you like to go over them now?”
“Yes,” she says anxiously looking at him and grabbing her parents arms for support.
He looks at the papers remorsefully and then looks at her, “It seems you were right about your prior condition,”
“Oh god.” She whispers cutting him off and sobbing into her mothers shoulder, “What happened?”
“It was a miscarriage, Ms. Bristow.”
Chap 3
He says and there is a collective gasp around the room overruled by Michaels surprised shout.
“What! You were pregnant and I never even knew! A baby? My baby? Oh god.” He starts shouting and by the end his voice is barely a whisper.
“I was going to tell you that night in the car, but then you told me about Santa Barbra and
I thought I’d tell you there.”
“How long?” hanging his head in his hands tears in his eyes.
“Two months.”
“According to my tests you were about 10 weeks along when you disappeared, the baby was lost around 26 weeks along. Though it’s suprising that it lasted so long considering the amount of blood loss you suffered at your house that night. It also seems that there are excessive proteins in your body which can mean one of several things…”
“So they induced amnesia?”
“Yes, I know that you may not want to go through whatever happened in the last two years over again but we need to know so that we can get whatever intel possible such as locations or identities of your kidnappers.”
“It was Sloane.”
“Arvin Sloane?”
“No, the other sadistic bastard that lied to me for 7 years then killed my fiancée and best friend! Who else would it be? I killed one of his prized assets and betrayed him! He ruined my life all over again.”
“I’m going to kill him,” said Vaughn in a fierce and icy tone.
“Take a number pal,” said Eric pointing to Jack and Irina whose hands were quite close to their side arms.
“The scars are at least a year old they look like knife marks cuts and bruises, light torture maybe, and you seem to be in good physical condition even though seeing as you are a Bristow not nearly up to your own standards? The plane will leave in one hour and I assume that the three of you will be joining them to LA?”
“I will,” said Vaughn finally mastering his poker face and turning to his mother and Alice, “will you come with us or head back to Paris like you planned?”
“I don’t have time for this Michael! I have important business to attend to and you are joining me!” Alice said outraged that he husband was so interested in this other woman.
“I’m sorry Alice but I have to do this.”
“I’ll stay with Michael, Alice and you go on your trip.”
“Thank you, Maman.”
“You know if she stays with us you’ll have to tell her the truth soon.” Sydney said before walking out the door in the direction of the exit with Donovan following at her side and Jack, Irina, Eric and the doctor following her.
“Tell me the truth about what Michael?” asked Marie expectantly.
“I’ll tell you later, mere.”
“Maybe I should cancel my trip and come with you Michael,” Said Alice sweetly.
“It’s best for all of us if you just go, this trip did nothing to help our marriage Al, we’re not any closer than when we started this last week.” He said referring to the retreat that Alice had proposed they take to salvage their failing marriage and their family.
“These things take time Michael,” she said hoping to placate him.
“Look Alice I was drunk and depressed when we got married, and I’ve tried to make it work for your sake but we both know it can’t. I’m sorry; I’ll let the lawyers know that we’re going to go through with the divorce on Monday. Call me when you get to Paris safely.”
“But what am I supposed to do? I don’t know any French except for basic things!”
“Basic is enough and most places are used to tourists and speak English.” He replied tired of her whining and turned to leave, Marie a little ahead of him. He stopped at a guard in the hallway and asked him to lead Alice to her plane.
While walking down the hall he couldn’t help but remember the trip Alice had said would help them, two weeks of hiking, and other outdoor activities and staying in a nice cabin somewhere in the mountains, he had been skeptical because she was born into money and had never even sat in a public chair without making sure it was clean, but she said it was time to learn something new and promised she would try, and she had tried, on the first day, but then she said that she was sore, and could do nothing the rest of the trip and so the next week as spent taking care of his spoiled wife, his mother doing what he could not and taking over when he went out. The only good thing that came out of this trip was the message…..
He had just walked into the cabin and was taking of his heavy hiking gear when his mother came to see if he needed any thing.
“Hey,” he said with a warm smile, “how did things go today?”
“We’re fine, Alice has scheduled the return flights, but there was a problem, we have a six hour delay at Hong Kong Int’l.”
“What time do we leave?”
“In three hours.”
“All right I’ll get a shower and take our bags to the car.”
After taking a shower and taking his bags tot the car the left for the airport, and Michael turned his phone off. The boarded the flight and all went smoothly until the delay in Hong Kong, As they were getting off the plane he decided to check his messages.
“I’m going to check my messages and see if I missed anything important.” He said walking off and dialing his answering service.
Mechanical Voice: Hello Michael. You have five new messages and one saved message.
To listen to your messages press one….
He pressed one and waited for it to start.
MV: Message one, October 1st 7PM “Hey man it’s Eric, Just checking on how things are going. I don’t know why you agreed to do this but good luck working things out. I’m sorry but I’ve got to go Kendall wants to see me. I’ll talk to you later man.”
MV: Message 2 October 1st 7:45 PM “Hello Mr. Vaughn, its Irina just calling to tell you that Jack and I are returning from Egypt, the leads on Sydney were nothing again. Why don’t you have dinner with Jack and me when you get back from Paris? Only you though. Good bye.”
He smiled thinking about his relationship with Jack and Irina. After Sydney disappeared they had formed a bond, not quite friends but no longer adversaries, he’d even gone so far as to forgive Irina for the things she had done to his family, after all she had done it to save her own family and he could not blame her for that.
MV: Message three October 1st 9PM “Hey Mike, Will here, Craig and the guys want to have a game of hockey next weekend give me a call if you’re up for an ass kicking! See ya later man.”
MV: Message four October 2nd 12AM “Michael, umm it, it’s Marshal Flinkman, but you knew that right? Of course you did, well, I, I just wanted to say that ummm We, we had a baby girl, I’d let Carrie say hi but she’s sleeping and so’ the baby, I mean Eva, Eva Melissa Flinkman, I’m a daddy! I’m sorry I have to go now the nurses say that I can’t be on the phone here, the signal can hurt the babies, that’s only if it has a…(nurse in background) bye sir, I mean Michael”
He smiled thinking of Marshall. He and Carrie had gotten married ten months before and they found out Carrie was pregnant after the honeymoon…. he and Marshall had worked closely with Jack, Dixon, Will, Carrie and Irina to find Sydney and they were all close friends but none of them liked Alice much, they’d be nice to her but they weren’t really fond of her at all.
MV: Message five October 2nd 3AM “Mr. Vaughn it’s Kendall, We just received a call from someone claiming to be Agent Bristow in Hong Kong, she used her old id and verification codes and the project Helix codename, but we’d like you to be there to meet her at the safe house, I know your plane lands in about an hour and there will be reservations for a car for you at the desk. Get there as soon as possible and call me when you get this message.”
MV: Last saved message…
He snapped his phone shut and ran back to Alice and his Mother. “Somethings come up I have to take care of something in Hong Kong.” He said in a hurry taking out his CIA badge he kept for emergencies and grabbing the carryons leaving Alice and his mother to run to keep up with him as he ran through the check points flashing his badge to security. He ran to the desk and by the time they had caught up and caught their breaths he had got the keys and was ready to leave. They jumped into the rental and he sped to the safe house breaking all traffic laws possible but surprisingly no cops tried to follow him or stop him. He figured that they knew he could get away or had been forewarned. Pulling up to the house he ran out o the car and slowed down to compose himself before walking in his mom and Alice next to him. He showed his id and they were ushered to the back where Sydney was sitting in a bedroom, the only thing between them was a large room that looked like a doctor’s office waiting room. He calmly turned to his mother and politely asked them to sit and wait for him knocked on the door and walked in finding Sydney in his arms before he had even shut the door. As she pulled back she said,
SYDNEY: They doubled Francie.
VAUGHN: I know.
SYDNEY: What happened to Will? To Francie? Are they dead?
VAUGHN: Will's okay.
SYDNEY: What? How?
VAUGHN: You... Sit down.
(She does. He sits down across from her. He doesn't know how to begin and looks at the floor.)
SYDNEY: Vaughn?
VAUGHN: We thought you were dead. They asked me to come back to... to explain.
SYDNEY: Come back from what? What are you talking about?
(Vaughn rubs at his face with his left hand. On that hand is a wedding ring.)
SYDNEY: Vaughn... why are you wearing that ring?
VAUGHN: Syd... since that night... you were missing. You've been missing for almost two years.
SYDNEY: No! That’s not possible! You got married! In two years! I thought you loved me! I guess I was wrong.
With that she ran out the door and he did the only thing he could, he ran after her.
Chap 5
And that is how I find myself sitting on a plane headed to LA, with my mom, Jack, Irina, Eric, and Sydney . She’s currently glowing as we fill her in on the goings on of the past two years, she isn’t happy she missed it but many good things have happened and she cant help but be thrilled when we tell her of Marshall and Carries marriage, though there is a bit of sadness around her when we bring up marriage and I can’t help but finger the object she threw at me during her out burst and wonder if things had turned out differently if she would have married me. I try to hide the ring but my mother catches a glance at it and inhales quickly.
“Is that..” She whispers.
“Yeah” I state before falling victim to the sweetest memory.
*******
October 1st 2002
“Hey, Syd!” I say walking up to her in the JTF.
“Hey, What’s up?” she asks looking up from the reports on her desk and giving me her full attention, I wonder what I did to deserve her even looking at me let alone date me.
“I was wondering if you’d let me change our plans tonight?”
“What do you have in mind agent Vaughn?” she asked in an innocent tone.
“Dinner at my place,”
“Okay.”
^%^%^%^%^%
A few hours later at his apartment after they’ve eaten.
V: You want to dance?
He asked turning on the CD player in his living room.
S: Okay.
She says walking up to him and putting her hands on his chest. They dance for a while, and Syd can sense something is wrong with him.
S: Do I have something on my face?
She asked to get him to loosen up.
V: No, you look beautiful.
S: What’s wrong? You’re distracted.
V: I have something to ask you, give you actually, hold on a second.
He moves to the bedroom and she can hear shuffling before he re enters the living room with something in his hand, which currently resides in his pocket. Vaughn takes her hand and leads her to the couch and crouches in front of her.
S: Vaughn, what are you doing?
She asks transfixed by the small black box in his hand.
V: Don’t worry this isn’t a proposal, not yet, but Syd I’ve loved you since I met you, bozo hair and all, I love you. This was my great-grand mothers ring, it’s been handed down for generations it’s a custom for the oldest son to give it to the woman he intends to marry. Sydney Amanda Bristow, you’re that woman for me. I know we just started dating but in the three years that I’ve known you, I’ve grown from admiring your strong will and determination to loving the vulnerable side that you don’t let anyone but me see. I wanted to give you this ring tonight on the anniversary of my heart stopping for the most strong, amazing, and amazingly beautiful woman in the world to me. As a promise that one day I do intend to marry you, no matter what our past or futures hold. I love you baby.”
S: I love you, you’re the most wonderful, kindest sweetest man that I could’ve ever hoped of meeting. I love you so much.
With that she kissed him and they made their way to his bedroom kicking the door shut to keep a disappointed Donovan out.
***********
“Do you think they’ll have any kids?” she asks.
“Actually she’s really pregnant,” says Eric.
“Was,” I state trying to regain my composure and they all look at me, “she was pregnant, the baby was born about six hours ago, a girl, Eva Melissa Flinkman.” With that they are all talking about what she probably look like and making plans to go see her when we land.
“Do you want to go to the hospital with your mother and I or Eric?” Jack asks Sydney.
“Since I’ve been gone for two years with no memory of it I should probably head to JTF before Kendall thinks I skipped town on him.” She says sadly.
“I’ll talk to him and make sure you can go”
*******
Love it? hate it? tell me what you think!
Title- Return to llife
Author- Brittany (aka Vannie)
Feedback-Please do!
Publication date- 5-17-03
Disclaimer- not mine! I'm just doing a public service and cleaning up JJs mess! No infringement intended, they belong to JJ Abrhams, Bad robot and a bunch of other people.
Classification- Angsty, Will be romance eventually.
Summary- Alt season 3, directly post the Telling, partly AU after the SD-6 takedown.
Rating- G? Not bad, but it may get there.
She runs out of the room into the waiting room, barely noticing the two female occupants, and is about to leave when he grabs her hand forcing her to turn around. She slaps him with the hand he grabbed with a cool move and says in a deadly voice, “Don’t you ever touch me again; you lost the right to ever since you forgot about me.”
“I never did.” He replies, taking her hand again.
“Well it’s too late for that now isn’t it?” with that she takes of a ring from her finger and throws it in his direction and turns to the door as it is pushed open at an alarming rate. In less than seconds she finds herself in her best friends comforting hug with him brushing kisses on her forehead and tears streaming down both of their cheeks, and herself returning the hug with everything left in her.
After a few minutes she slowly becomes conscious of her surrounding environment, and Will whispering ‘oh, god! Oh my ****ing god.’ When they part they have the biggest smiles on their faces and are still holding each other.
“I though she killed you, I saw you in the tub and all I could think of was Danny and how he was murdered and how another one of my friends was killed because of me, and God you’re here!!” She rambles on cupping his cheek while they sit.
“Hey you’re not the only one, you gave us a much bigger scare, and you didn’t come home for 2 years. God what happened to you? Who did it? How did you end up here?” and realizing she was running away from Vaughn when he came in he added, “You found out about Mike and Alice didn’t you?”
“I saw the ring if that’s what you mean, and I don’t have to be what I am to figure out what a band means.” She says her voice full of venom and a death glare borrowed from her father sent over Wills shoulder at the three sitting a few chairs down from them. Mike sees the glare and averts his tear filled eyes to a painting on the opposite wall.
“What about dad, and mom, and Eric, and the apartment and all that?”
”Mike should be the one to tell you this,” he says somewhat hesitantly.
“That isn’t an option.” She replies icily.
“How about Irina?” he tries.
“She’s here?” Sydney squeals excitedly, “Can I see her?”
“She isn’t here yet the plane should be touching down now so in about ten minutes.”
“Isn’t the closest CIA airport like half hour away?”
”You know when it comes to you there isn’t a law she won’t break to get here.”
“Yeah, so she’s working for us now?”
“Yeah a little freelance stuff, Jack actually suggested that she be allowed to stay in field as long as she is tracked and she helps us whenever she can, actually he took down Sloane’s organization last month, he is in prison now, Sark however is still missing.”
“What about the apartment?”
“Well after that night the CIA cleaned up as if nothing happened, but local reporters got wind of it and there was a huge scandal.”
She gives a humorless chuckle, “I can see the headlines, ‘Man found almost stabbed to death, blood of two females assumed to be his roommates’. What about the real Francie?”
“We don’t know, everyone thinks she’s dead, but everyone seems to be rising from the grave, we may find her yet, but there was a memorial service about a month after you were gone.”
At that moment the door opened with a confident air that could only be credited to her father and Sydney rushed to it to find her father supporting her mother who was having a breakdown of some sort. And then all three were in a fierce hug that was not broken as they sat down between Will and Vaughn, and they placed Sydney next to Vaughn.
AN: This is the seating arrangement; all chairs are I a straight line against the wall.
Vaughn’s mom, Alice, Vaughn, Sydney, Irina, Will, and Jack pulled up a chair half in front of Sydney and half in front of Vaughn.
Chap 2
“Mom?”
“Yes dear?” Irina replied running her hands through her daughter’s hair.
“Can you switch seats with me please? I really don’t want to be here.” She said not realizing that her choice of using French instead of English was not a good idea.
“Of course dear,” Irina said changing seats with her and in the process flashing her gun and a death glare at Vaughn.
After a few minutes there is a timid knock at the door and it eases open gently to find Eric Weiss holding a sleeping figure and grinning like a fool.
“Eric!” she squeals disentangling herself from her mother and standing.
“Hey” he says putting the now squirming Donovan on the ground.
“Two years and all I get is a ‘Hey’? Give me some sugar!” she says grinning and hugging him tightly. When she tries to move however she almost trips on Donovan who has recognized her and want some attention. She bends down to play with him, “So did he help you pick up any women lately?”
“Yup they were swarming me but I had to swat them off! There’s only one girl for me and she’s infatuated with my best friend! Can you believe it?” he says jokingly.
“Not anymore,” she replies flatly and walking to a window to look at the sunset causing
Eric to take survey of all who are in the room.
Seeing Alice he says “Why the heck did you bring her? Are you insane!” he whispers harshly to Vaughn, “You don’t know what kind of state she could be in! She’s been missing for two g**damn years Mike!”
“Well excuse me for being skeptical when the woman I loved is pronounced dead from blood loss and then shows up two years later like nothing happened!”
“Love,” Eric counters.
“What?”
“You still do, I know it, you know it, and Jack and Irina know it. You may deny it but it’s
true. The only person that doesn’t know it is the only one that matters, Sydney.” Eric says slowly reading his friends response carefully.
Vaughn is saved from answering when the doctor she saw earlier walks back into the room capturing everyone’s attention.
Well hello, I’m Dr. Drake, Nice to see you again Sydney, Jack, Irina.” He says with a nod to each of them, “Good to see you again Jack. Now who are the rest of people?”
“Agents William Tippin and Eric Weiss.” She says with a nod in each direction.
“And these three?” he asks pointing to Vaughn Alice and his mom when she doesn’t continue.
“Former Agent Michael Vaughn,” she says lingering on former, “I’m assuming… his… wife… Alison… Vaughn, and his mother Marie Vaughn, widow to the late Agent William Vaughn. I believe you were a friend of his doctor?”
“Yes I did a very good man, quite loyal too,” he says with a sympathetic smile to Mrs. Vaughn, “Now Sydney I have the results of all the tests I ran before everyone got here, would you like to go over them now?”
“Yes,” she says anxiously looking at him and grabbing her parents arms for support.
He looks at the papers remorsefully and then looks at her, “It seems you were right about your prior condition,”
“Oh god.” She whispers cutting him off and sobbing into her mothers shoulder, “What happened?”
“It was a miscarriage, Ms. Bristow.”
Chap 3
He says and there is a collective gasp around the room overruled by Michaels surprised shout.
“What! You were pregnant and I never even knew! A baby? My baby? Oh god.” He starts shouting and by the end his voice is barely a whisper.
“I was going to tell you that night in the car, but then you told me about Santa Barbra and
I thought I’d tell you there.”
“How long?” hanging his head in his hands tears in his eyes.
“Two months.”
“According to my tests you were about 10 weeks along when you disappeared, the baby was lost around 26 weeks along. Though it’s suprising that it lasted so long considering the amount of blood loss you suffered at your house that night. It also seems that there are excessive proteins in your body which can mean one of several things…”
“So they induced amnesia?”
“Yes, I know that you may not want to go through whatever happened in the last two years over again but we need to know so that we can get whatever intel possible such as locations or identities of your kidnappers.”
“It was Sloane.”
“Arvin Sloane?”
“No, the other sadistic bastard that lied to me for 7 years then killed my fiancée and best friend! Who else would it be? I killed one of his prized assets and betrayed him! He ruined my life all over again.”
“I’m going to kill him,” said Vaughn in a fierce and icy tone.
“Take a number pal,” said Eric pointing to Jack and Irina whose hands were quite close to their side arms.
“The scars are at least a year old they look like knife marks cuts and bruises, light torture maybe, and you seem to be in good physical condition even though seeing as you are a Bristow not nearly up to your own standards? The plane will leave in one hour and I assume that the three of you will be joining them to LA?”
“I will,” said Vaughn finally mastering his poker face and turning to his mother and Alice, “will you come with us or head back to Paris like you planned?”
“I don’t have time for this Michael! I have important business to attend to and you are joining me!” Alice said outraged that he husband was so interested in this other woman.
“I’m sorry Alice but I have to do this.”
“I’ll stay with Michael, Alice and you go on your trip.”
“Thank you, Maman.”
“You know if she stays with us you’ll have to tell her the truth soon.” Sydney said before walking out the door in the direction of the exit with Donovan following at her side and Jack, Irina, Eric and the doctor following her.
“Tell me the truth about what Michael?” asked Marie expectantly.
“I’ll tell you later, mere.”
“Maybe I should cancel my trip and come with you Michael,” Said Alice sweetly.
“It’s best for all of us if you just go, this trip did nothing to help our marriage Al, we’re not any closer than when we started this last week.” He said referring to the retreat that Alice had proposed they take to salvage their failing marriage and their family.
“These things take time Michael,” she said hoping to placate him.
“Look Alice I was drunk and depressed when we got married, and I’ve tried to make it work for your sake but we both know it can’t. I’m sorry; I’ll let the lawyers know that we’re going to go through with the divorce on Monday. Call me when you get to Paris safely.”
“But what am I supposed to do? I don’t know any French except for basic things!”
“Basic is enough and most places are used to tourists and speak English.” He replied tired of her whining and turned to leave, Marie a little ahead of him. He stopped at a guard in the hallway and asked him to lead Alice to her plane.
While walking down the hall he couldn’t help but remember the trip Alice had said would help them, two weeks of hiking, and other outdoor activities and staying in a nice cabin somewhere in the mountains, he had been skeptical because she was born into money and had never even sat in a public chair without making sure it was clean, but she said it was time to learn something new and promised she would try, and she had tried, on the first day, but then she said that she was sore, and could do nothing the rest of the trip and so the next week as spent taking care of his spoiled wife, his mother doing what he could not and taking over when he went out. The only good thing that came out of this trip was the message…..
He had just walked into the cabin and was taking of his heavy hiking gear when his mother came to see if he needed any thing.
“Hey,” he said with a warm smile, “how did things go today?”
“We’re fine, Alice has scheduled the return flights, but there was a problem, we have a six hour delay at Hong Kong Int’l.”
“What time do we leave?”
“In three hours.”
“All right I’ll get a shower and take our bags to the car.”
After taking a shower and taking his bags tot the car the left for the airport, and Michael turned his phone off. The boarded the flight and all went smoothly until the delay in Hong Kong, As they were getting off the plane he decided to check his messages.
“I’m going to check my messages and see if I missed anything important.” He said walking off and dialing his answering service.
Mechanical Voice: Hello Michael. You have five new messages and one saved message.
To listen to your messages press one….
He pressed one and waited for it to start.
MV: Message one, October 1st 7PM “Hey man it’s Eric, Just checking on how things are going. I don’t know why you agreed to do this but good luck working things out. I’m sorry but I’ve got to go Kendall wants to see me. I’ll talk to you later man.”
MV: Message 2 October 1st 7:45 PM “Hello Mr. Vaughn, its Irina just calling to tell you that Jack and I are returning from Egypt, the leads on Sydney were nothing again. Why don’t you have dinner with Jack and me when you get back from Paris? Only you though. Good bye.”
He smiled thinking about his relationship with Jack and Irina. After Sydney disappeared they had formed a bond, not quite friends but no longer adversaries, he’d even gone so far as to forgive Irina for the things she had done to his family, after all she had done it to save her own family and he could not blame her for that.
MV: Message three October 1st 9PM “Hey Mike, Will here, Craig and the guys want to have a game of hockey next weekend give me a call if you’re up for an ass kicking! See ya later man.”
MV: Message four October 2nd 12AM “Michael, umm it, it’s Marshal Flinkman, but you knew that right? Of course you did, well, I, I just wanted to say that ummm We, we had a baby girl, I’d let Carrie say hi but she’s sleeping and so’ the baby, I mean Eva, Eva Melissa Flinkman, I’m a daddy! I’m sorry I have to go now the nurses say that I can’t be on the phone here, the signal can hurt the babies, that’s only if it has a…(nurse in background) bye sir, I mean Michael”
He smiled thinking of Marshall. He and Carrie had gotten married ten months before and they found out Carrie was pregnant after the honeymoon…. he and Marshall had worked closely with Jack, Dixon, Will, Carrie and Irina to find Sydney and they were all close friends but none of them liked Alice much, they’d be nice to her but they weren’t really fond of her at all.
MV: Message five October 2nd 3AM “Mr. Vaughn it’s Kendall, We just received a call from someone claiming to be Agent Bristow in Hong Kong, she used her old id and verification codes and the project Helix codename, but we’d like you to be there to meet her at the safe house, I know your plane lands in about an hour and there will be reservations for a car for you at the desk. Get there as soon as possible and call me when you get this message.”
MV: Last saved message…
He snapped his phone shut and ran back to Alice and his Mother. “Somethings come up I have to take care of something in Hong Kong.” He said in a hurry taking out his CIA badge he kept for emergencies and grabbing the carryons leaving Alice and his mother to run to keep up with him as he ran through the check points flashing his badge to security. He ran to the desk and by the time they had caught up and caught their breaths he had got the keys and was ready to leave. They jumped into the rental and he sped to the safe house breaking all traffic laws possible but surprisingly no cops tried to follow him or stop him. He figured that they knew he could get away or had been forewarned. Pulling up to the house he ran out o the car and slowed down to compose himself before walking in his mom and Alice next to him. He showed his id and they were ushered to the back where Sydney was sitting in a bedroom, the only thing between them was a large room that looked like a doctor’s office waiting room. He calmly turned to his mother and politely asked them to sit and wait for him knocked on the door and walked in finding Sydney in his arms before he had even shut the door. As she pulled back she said,
SYDNEY: They doubled Francie.
VAUGHN: I know.
SYDNEY: What happened to Will? To Francie? Are they dead?
VAUGHN: Will's okay.
SYDNEY: What? How?
VAUGHN: You... Sit down.
(She does. He sits down across from her. He doesn't know how to begin and looks at the floor.)
SYDNEY: Vaughn?
VAUGHN: We thought you were dead. They asked me to come back to... to explain.
SYDNEY: Come back from what? What are you talking about?
(Vaughn rubs at his face with his left hand. On that hand is a wedding ring.)
SYDNEY: Vaughn... why are you wearing that ring?
VAUGHN: Syd... since that night... you were missing. You've been missing for almost two years.
SYDNEY: No! That’s not possible! You got married! In two years! I thought you loved me! I guess I was wrong.
With that she ran out the door and he did the only thing he could, he ran after her.
Chap 5
And that is how I find myself sitting on a plane headed to LA, with my mom, Jack, Irina, Eric, and Sydney . She’s currently glowing as we fill her in on the goings on of the past two years, she isn’t happy she missed it but many good things have happened and she cant help but be thrilled when we tell her of Marshall and Carries marriage, though there is a bit of sadness around her when we bring up marriage and I can’t help but finger the object she threw at me during her out burst and wonder if things had turned out differently if she would have married me. I try to hide the ring but my mother catches a glance at it and inhales quickly.
“Is that..” She whispers.
“Yeah” I state before falling victim to the sweetest memory.
*******
October 1st 2002
“Hey, Syd!” I say walking up to her in the JTF.
“Hey, What’s up?” she asks looking up from the reports on her desk and giving me her full attention, I wonder what I did to deserve her even looking at me let alone date me.
“I was wondering if you’d let me change our plans tonight?”
“What do you have in mind agent Vaughn?” she asked in an innocent tone.
“Dinner at my place,”
“Okay.”
^%^%^%^%^%
A few hours later at his apartment after they’ve eaten.
V: You want to dance?
He asked turning on the CD player in his living room.
S: Okay.
She says walking up to him and putting her hands on his chest. They dance for a while, and Syd can sense something is wrong with him.
S: Do I have something on my face?
She asked to get him to loosen up.
V: No, you look beautiful.
S: What’s wrong? You’re distracted.
V: I have something to ask you, give you actually, hold on a second.
He moves to the bedroom and she can hear shuffling before he re enters the living room with something in his hand, which currently resides in his pocket. Vaughn takes her hand and leads her to the couch and crouches in front of her.
S: Vaughn, what are you doing?
She asks transfixed by the small black box in his hand.
V: Don’t worry this isn’t a proposal, not yet, but Syd I’ve loved you since I met you, bozo hair and all, I love you. This was my great-grand mothers ring, it’s been handed down for generations it’s a custom for the oldest son to give it to the woman he intends to marry. Sydney Amanda Bristow, you’re that woman for me. I know we just started dating but in the three years that I’ve known you, I’ve grown from admiring your strong will and determination to loving the vulnerable side that you don’t let anyone but me see. I wanted to give you this ring tonight on the anniversary of my heart stopping for the most strong, amazing, and amazingly beautiful woman in the world to me. As a promise that one day I do intend to marry you, no matter what our past or futures hold. I love you baby.”
S: I love you, you’re the most wonderful, kindest sweetest man that I could’ve ever hoped of meeting. I love you so much.
With that she kissed him and they made their way to his bedroom kicking the door shut to keep a disappointed Donovan out.
***********
“Do you think they’ll have any kids?” she asks.
“Actually she’s really pregnant,” says Eric.
“Was,” I state trying to regain my composure and they all look at me, “she was pregnant, the baby was born about six hours ago, a girl, Eva Melissa Flinkman.” With that they are all talking about what she probably look like and making plans to go see her when we land.
“Do you want to go to the hospital with your mother and I or Eric?” Jack asks Sydney.
“Since I’ve been gone for two years with no memory of it I should probably head to JTF before Kendall thinks I skipped town on him.” She says sadly.
“I’ll talk to him and make sure you can go”
*******
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