allenegirl
Cadet
Great job...I really hate Lauren now! She's such a...well, you know. 
I hope Syd and Vaughn get back to Vegas soon.
I hope Syd and Vaughn get back to Vegas soon.
The Great Escape
- Thread starter sssmckh
- Start date
Alias Fan Gillian
Cadet
Excellent updates. Please post more soon.
Thanks for the pm.
Thanks for the pm.
Alias*Kelli
Cadet
This story is great, I really love it! Can I please get a PM when you update?!?4
Alias*Kelli
Cadet
This story is great, I really love it! Can I please get a PM when you update?!?4
krzykty57789
Cadet
WWWOOOOONNNDDDEEERRRFFFUUULLL!!!
I loved it
great chapter
cantt wait for more
I loved it
great chapter
cantt wait for more
great chaps!!!! plz update soon
i cant wait 4 more!!!
plz update sooni cant wait 4 more!!!
AmyLeerockergurl15
Cadet
WOW! You update really fast! Great chapters!! This story is so good! I'm glad Lauren's been exposed- now hopefully Syd will make Vaughn feel better! Thanks for the pms and update soon!
Em
Em
A/N: Sorry I didn't have a chance to update for a couple days. You know, real life.. etc. FYI< Rating here is PG-13, another allusion to SpyLovin', and hopefully I'll get more up in the next day or so. This has another handful of chapters, then it's on to the second story in what I think will be a trilogy. Still finagling it though. Let me know your thoughts.
Chapter 15
Vaughn's POV
If there’s one thing that emotional drama is good for, it’s sleeping. Even though Weiss’ couch isn’t the most comfortable in the world, I slept like a log all freaking night. As I woke up to the sound of Weiss’ alarm clock in the other room, the gravity of the last few days hit me full force.
The last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed – or leave the couch, in this case, but I had a date with an exercise buddy next door. Life wasn’t all bad. At least my favorite distraction was close by.
Stumbling towards the bathroom I splashed some water on my face and threw on my work out gear, knowing full well that Syd was probably already waiting on me. Only heaven knows how that woman can be ready to work out at any time of the day or night, I think, as I recall one time that she told me about working out after she came home from a mission at midnight just to let off some steam.
Slipping on my tennis shoes, I head out the front door with a quick goodbye to Eric. I knock on Syd’s door, and she opens it seconds later, as I suspected, ready and raring to go.
“Race you to the park,” she says, without even a hello.
“Okay, no cheating though. On three,” I respond. “One…. Two….” She takes off. “I said NO CHEATING!”
“Well then catch up!” she hollers back to me.
As I catch her, and hold steady with her pace we slow into a comfortable jog instead of the sprint we started out with. Once we get to the park about ten minutes later, we’re ready for a short break.
“Did you sleep well?” she asks me as I lean over the water fountain, missing my mouth at first, and splashing the front of my t-shirt with the malfunctioning spicket.
“Actually, yeah. I’d even say I slept oddly well. How about you?” I ask as she finishes her turn with the fountain.
“Oh, I slept fine,” she says, with no details tagged on.
“Well, are you ready to head off to the other end of the park?” I ask, realizing she doesn’t feel like talking right now.
“Yep,” she says to me, yet again, as she takes off before I get a chance to catch up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As we jog back home, we start talking about miscellaneous things, avoiding all the huge topics available to us. There’s a time and place for those discussions, and this isn’t it.
Walking up the path, we encounter Weiss on his way into the office.
“Hey sweaty people!” he greets us.
“Hey goofy,” Syd responds.
“Hey, you better be nice to me if you want to get your present anytime soon,” Weiss retorts.
“Oh, I forgot… Love you Weissey!” she says with a big fat cheesy grin.
“Hey, don’t butter me up, it’s in loverboy’s hands now,” Weiss says pointing to me.
“Thanks man, now I’m getting pestered for it all day,” I say.
“Oh, but the pestering is the best part,” Weiss says with a wink at both of us. “I’ve got to go to work, I’ll see you later Syd.”
“Tell Kendall I’ll be at the office by ten,” she says, opening her door and gesturing for me to come in. Eric hops in his car and pulls away.
“Syd, I think I’m going to go into Eric’s and take a shower, I’ll come make you breakfast when I’m done though, K?”
“Uh uh. You’re not getting out of the present pestering that easy mister,” she says nodding her head.
“Syd, I stink. Let me shower.”
“I stink too, we can stink together and you can tell me what in the world Weiss got me!” she says, pulling out the puppy dog eyes to increase the effect.
“Alright, I’ll make breakfast first, then I’ll get your present. Is that acceptable?” I ask.
“Well….. – Okay. What are you making for breakfast?”
“Omlettes. Do you have eggs?” I say, remember what she had for breakfast when we were in Vegas.
“Sure do, get cracking,” she says, not catching my subtle hint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I get up to start cleaning the kitchen, Syd takes all the dishes from my hands.
“Now scoot. I want my present,” she says with her perfect imitation of an eight-year-old.
“Well, at least now I know what our kids will be like,” I joke. Thankfully she laughs and isn’t scared by the comment.
“Okay, I’ll say it again. Scoot!”
“Scooting…” I say, grabbing the keys to Eric’s apartment to go grab her gift. Knowing it would drive her crazy, I decide to hop in the shower while I’m over there, prolonging my absence another ten minutes. As I get out and towel off, I hear pounding at the door. I toss the robe on, and head for the door.
“Vaughn, are you okay?” I hear her call through the door. “Vaughn?”
“Coming!” I shout, opening the door wrapped in the bathrobe that Weiss got her.
“You’re alive? Good. Now where’s my present,” she says with a wicked grin.
“Well, you have to share it with me, so I borrowed it,” I say with a similar wicked grin.
“Weiss got me aftershave?” she jokes.
“Nope, guess again,” I say, letting her in the apartment.
“Um…soap?” she says, clearly having already figured out what the gift is as she starts to grab onto the ties around my waist.
“Nope, you’ve got one more guess,” I say, leaning in for a sweet kiss.
“Um… you in a robe?” she says, breaking the kiss.
“Close enough for government work,” I say, kissing her again. “Oh, that and another weekend at the Bellagio next month.”
“What?” she says into my mouth, then pulling away. “Why did Weiss - How?”
“They comped him and he had it transferred to us. He got you this lovely robe, too,” I say, pulling on the ends of the fluffy belt, and swinging them around to show them off.
“Well, if the robe is mine, I want to take it back to my place and inspect it a little closer,” she says, pulling on the end of the belt I still had in my hand.
Holding the robe closed in the front, I let her lead me back to her apartment. Needless to say the robe didn’t make it much farther than the front door. Her inspection was certainly thorough though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After our detour back to Syd’s apartment, I borrowed the robe, went back to Eric’s and headed off for my appointment with my lawyer, as she finished getting ready for work.
It was an odd conversation, telling this man that I’ve known since college what happened with Lauren. How she’s now in custody and is a traitor to our country and to me. At least Lance was a great guy about it and didn’t do much more than stare at me with his jaw open for a minute or two once I relayed the whole story.
He told me that because of the circumstances under which she entered the marriage contract it was essentially void to the point that I would be allowed an annulment, and wouldn’t have to go through the usual divorce proceedings.
Finally some good news, I thought. At least in the eyes of the law and the state I will have never been married in the first place. Maybe the whole betrayal thing worked out in the end. Well, nah. Let’s not go overboard.
As I left my buddy’s office, I phoned Syd at work to tell her the good news. The paperwork would be processed and I’d be officially not married in about a week.
“That’s great news!” she said. “Let’s go to lunch to celebrate.”
“Sounds perfect,” I respond. “Meet me at Buca in a half hour, okay?” I offer up, remembering her favorite lunch spot.
“I’ll wrap up this email and hit the road,” she says.
And finally, things are starting to go my way.
Chapter 15
Vaughn's POV
If there’s one thing that emotional drama is good for, it’s sleeping. Even though Weiss’ couch isn’t the most comfortable in the world, I slept like a log all freaking night. As I woke up to the sound of Weiss’ alarm clock in the other room, the gravity of the last few days hit me full force.
The last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed – or leave the couch, in this case, but I had a date with an exercise buddy next door. Life wasn’t all bad. At least my favorite distraction was close by.
Stumbling towards the bathroom I splashed some water on my face and threw on my work out gear, knowing full well that Syd was probably already waiting on me. Only heaven knows how that woman can be ready to work out at any time of the day or night, I think, as I recall one time that she told me about working out after she came home from a mission at midnight just to let off some steam.
Slipping on my tennis shoes, I head out the front door with a quick goodbye to Eric. I knock on Syd’s door, and she opens it seconds later, as I suspected, ready and raring to go.
“Race you to the park,” she says, without even a hello.
“Okay, no cheating though. On three,” I respond. “One…. Two….” She takes off. “I said NO CHEATING!”
“Well then catch up!” she hollers back to me.
As I catch her, and hold steady with her pace we slow into a comfortable jog instead of the sprint we started out with. Once we get to the park about ten minutes later, we’re ready for a short break.
“Did you sleep well?” she asks me as I lean over the water fountain, missing my mouth at first, and splashing the front of my t-shirt with the malfunctioning spicket.
“Actually, yeah. I’d even say I slept oddly well. How about you?” I ask as she finishes her turn with the fountain.
“Oh, I slept fine,” she says, with no details tagged on.
“Well, are you ready to head off to the other end of the park?” I ask, realizing she doesn’t feel like talking right now.
“Yep,” she says to me, yet again, as she takes off before I get a chance to catch up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As we jog back home, we start talking about miscellaneous things, avoiding all the huge topics available to us. There’s a time and place for those discussions, and this isn’t it.
Walking up the path, we encounter Weiss on his way into the office.
“Hey sweaty people!” he greets us.
“Hey goofy,” Syd responds.
“Hey, you better be nice to me if you want to get your present anytime soon,” Weiss retorts.
“Oh, I forgot… Love you Weissey!” she says with a big fat cheesy grin.
“Hey, don’t butter me up, it’s in loverboy’s hands now,” Weiss says pointing to me.
“Thanks man, now I’m getting pestered for it all day,” I say.
“Oh, but the pestering is the best part,” Weiss says with a wink at both of us. “I’ve got to go to work, I’ll see you later Syd.”
“Tell Kendall I’ll be at the office by ten,” she says, opening her door and gesturing for me to come in. Eric hops in his car and pulls away.
“Syd, I think I’m going to go into Eric’s and take a shower, I’ll come make you breakfast when I’m done though, K?”
“Uh uh. You’re not getting out of the present pestering that easy mister,” she says nodding her head.
“Syd, I stink. Let me shower.”
“I stink too, we can stink together and you can tell me what in the world Weiss got me!” she says, pulling out the puppy dog eyes to increase the effect.
“Alright, I’ll make breakfast first, then I’ll get your present. Is that acceptable?” I ask.
“Well….. – Okay. What are you making for breakfast?”
“Omlettes. Do you have eggs?” I say, remember what she had for breakfast when we were in Vegas.
“Sure do, get cracking,” she says, not catching my subtle hint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I get up to start cleaning the kitchen, Syd takes all the dishes from my hands.
“Now scoot. I want my present,” she says with her perfect imitation of an eight-year-old.
“Well, at least now I know what our kids will be like,” I joke. Thankfully she laughs and isn’t scared by the comment.
“Okay, I’ll say it again. Scoot!”
“Scooting…” I say, grabbing the keys to Eric’s apartment to go grab her gift. Knowing it would drive her crazy, I decide to hop in the shower while I’m over there, prolonging my absence another ten minutes. As I get out and towel off, I hear pounding at the door. I toss the robe on, and head for the door.
“Vaughn, are you okay?” I hear her call through the door. “Vaughn?”
“Coming!” I shout, opening the door wrapped in the bathrobe that Weiss got her.
“You’re alive? Good. Now where’s my present,” she says with a wicked grin.
“Well, you have to share it with me, so I borrowed it,” I say with a similar wicked grin.
“Weiss got me aftershave?” she jokes.
“Nope, guess again,” I say, letting her in the apartment.
“Um…soap?” she says, clearly having already figured out what the gift is as she starts to grab onto the ties around my waist.
“Nope, you’ve got one more guess,” I say, leaning in for a sweet kiss.
“Um… you in a robe?” she says, breaking the kiss.
“Close enough for government work,” I say, kissing her again. “Oh, that and another weekend at the Bellagio next month.”
“What?” she says into my mouth, then pulling away. “Why did Weiss - How?”
“They comped him and he had it transferred to us. He got you this lovely robe, too,” I say, pulling on the ends of the fluffy belt, and swinging them around to show them off.
“Well, if the robe is mine, I want to take it back to my place and inspect it a little closer,” she says, pulling on the end of the belt I still had in my hand.
Holding the robe closed in the front, I let her lead me back to her apartment. Needless to say the robe didn’t make it much farther than the front door. Her inspection was certainly thorough though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After our detour back to Syd’s apartment, I borrowed the robe, went back to Eric’s and headed off for my appointment with my lawyer, as she finished getting ready for work.
It was an odd conversation, telling this man that I’ve known since college what happened with Lauren. How she’s now in custody and is a traitor to our country and to me. At least Lance was a great guy about it and didn’t do much more than stare at me with his jaw open for a minute or two once I relayed the whole story.
He told me that because of the circumstances under which she entered the marriage contract it was essentially void to the point that I would be allowed an annulment, and wouldn’t have to go through the usual divorce proceedings.
Finally some good news, I thought. At least in the eyes of the law and the state I will have never been married in the first place. Maybe the whole betrayal thing worked out in the end. Well, nah. Let’s not go overboard.
As I left my buddy’s office, I phoned Syd at work to tell her the good news. The paperwork would be processed and I’d be officially not married in about a week.
“That’s great news!” she said. “Let’s go to lunch to celebrate.”
“Sounds perfect,” I respond. “Meet me at Buca in a half hour, okay?” I offer up, remembering her favorite lunch spot.
“I’ll wrap up this email and hit the road,” she says.
And finally, things are starting to go my way.
AmyLeerockergurl15
Cadet
Great update! Thats great that things are working out- but I'm starting to get the feeling that you're just leading us on... hopefully something bad won't happen! Update soon!
Em
Em
krzykty57789
Cadet
YAY!!!
WWWooonnndddeeerrrfffuuulll!!!!
I. Loved. It!
great chapter
cant wait for more
WWWooonnndddeeerrrfffuuulll!!!!
I. Loved. It!
great chapter
cant wait for more
Alias Fan Gillian
Cadet
Great update. I can't wait to read more.
Thanks for the pm.
Thanks for the pm.
Sarahmañana
Cadet
yay!! things are going vaughns way!! i hope they stay that way!
allenegirl
Cadet
Great chapter! Thanks for the PM! ^_^
A/N: Okay, it's kinda short, and I really don't know if I like it, but here's the next chapter. I'll send out pms after I get the toddler down for his nap :asleep:
Chapter 16
Syd’s POV
As I pull into the parking lot at Buca, I notice the cars of a couple of my co-workers at the JTF. This is a popular lunch time hangout, thanks to the good food and quick service.
I get out of my car and hold my hand behind me to lock up the doors with the remote keyfob as I notice Vaughn’s car pull in. Weiss always jokes with him about how it’s a contract killers car; a black, foreboding four-door sedan.
Before he gets out of the car, I gather my senses around me, wondering if I should tell him what the interrogations uncovered this morning. I was given clearance by Dixon when I told him I was meeting Vaughn for lunch, but part of me thinks I should let him find this out through official channels.
But right now, we’re celebrating. I think the difference between an annulment and a divorce is hugely mental for those involved, and I can only ponder a guess as to how much easier it is for Vaughn to think that he was never married. Kind of like a state-sponsored denial, if you will, I think with a chuckle. Like he could ever deny that he was married to her in the first place.
And for the first time in months, I’m thankful I’m not in his shoes. It’s been incredibly hard for me to handle having two years just disappear from my life, but now he has to live with the consequences of living a charade. And not just any charade, a charade that he wasn’t even completely privy to.
He makes his way across the pavement towards me and the entrance of the restaurant with a huge grin. And this is normal again. Oh, to be normal.
“Hey,” he says, giving me a warm look and a squeeze on the hand, fully aware that there are other agents around, and I’m being skittish about them knowing we’re together again.
“Hi, so, I take it you’re hungry?” I respond with a squeeze in return.
“Famished. Let’s go,” he says.
After we sit down at a table and place our order, he reaches over and grabs my hand, enveloping it in both of his, stroking his fingers along either side of mine, and for just a moment I’m lost in his touch. Then I snap back into reality and realize that I have to tell him. I can’t stand letting him find out from anyone else.
“Vaughn, there’s something I need to tell you,” I say.
“Well, if you’re pregnant, I must say I work quick,” he whispers into my ear with a chuckle, warming my skin with his breath.
“Vaughn,” I say, taking a deep breath and trying to distract my attention from his sultry presence. “It’s about the interrogations. I thought you’d want to know what they found out.”
He quickly sits back, and takes one hand off of mine, lacing the fingers of the hand that’s left and holding on for what seems, dear life.
“Did she admit anything?” he asks, looking down at our hands entwined on the table.
“She admitted everything,” I say simply.
“Everything?” He asks. “What’s everything?”
“You’re welcome to come back to the office and review the tapes, Dixon wanted me to tell you that,” I say. “She admitted being sent here to meet you after they staged my death. She admitted that she was recruited by the Covenant about a year before she met you, and that they told her if she succeeded in her mission, she would be put into a leadership role in the group.”
“She was a rookie, when they sent her to –“ he trails off.
“Vaughn,” I say, fumbling for the right words, and instantly regretting my decision to speak at all. About any of it.
“I’ll come back to the office with you after lunch. I think I need to see this for myself,” he says, looking up at me with a wan smile.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
“I’m fine Syd, don’t worry,” he says. “Now, any lighter lunchtime discussion topics swimming around in that beautiful head of yours?”
“Well, just so you know, I am already eight months pregnant, so don’t worry, the baby’s not yours,” I say, trying desperately to make the joke fly.
“You know, I thought you had put on some weight, but I didn’t want to say anything. And it certainly makes sense what with your appetite, and your cravings for ice cream…” he says.
“Hey, it was a joke, I didn’t intend for you to take the ball and run with it into the end zone!” I say with a sharp laugh.
And in that instant, I realize, it’s pointless. Fighting this is pointless. I love him, and it’s written all over my heart. So, I can only assume it’s written all over my face, in the way I look at him, in the way I smile at him and lean into him whenever he’s around. And in that instant I think, I’m not going to fight this. Who cares what anyone else thinks.
I lean into him the way I always feel necessary, and whisper into his ear, “Would you mind if I kissed you right now?”
“Well, I don’t think ’mind’ is the right word, but I was led to believe that you wanted to take things slow in public,” he says gazing into my eyes.
“True, but I was thinking. First of all, who cares? Second, anyone who looks at my face right now can tell that I’m hopelessly in love with you. So what would a little kiss hurt?” I say, never taking my eyes from his.
“A little kiss? Well, now I’m just plain disappointed,” he says as I lean in the last few millimeters and lay my lips on his. After a quick peck, I lean back, and look at him.
“Well, I never try to disappoint,” I say, leaning in for a searing kiss. We stay like this, locked in each other for a few moments, and when we finally break away he looks at me and then notices the couple standing behind us.
“Hi Carrie, Hi Marshall!” I say as I notice them standing there. “Where’s Mitchell?”
“Oh, he’s with his grandma,” Marshall says. “My mom said we should go out and enjoy lunch together, so here we are. And you guys are too. Hi!”
“Well, we haven’t even gotten our food yet, do you guys want to join us?” Vaughn asks.
“Oh, no, we don’t want to intrude. But enjoy your lunch,” Carrie says. “Oh, but Syd, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Yea, sure, I was going to go to the ladies room anyway,” I say.
“Great, I’ll see you in a second sweetie,” Carrie says to Marshall, as the hostess leads him off to their table on the other side of the restaurant.
“That’s so nice of Marshall’s mom to give you two some time alone,” I say to her as we make our way back to the ladies room.
“Yea, she’s actually a very nice lady. A little ‘touched’ maybe, but very nice,” she says with a laugh and a smirk. “So, listen, is everything okay? I heard about the interrogation. She spilled everything?”
“From what I’ve heard she was very forthcoming. I couldn’t bring myself to watch any of it, though. Just thinking about what she did to him. It makes me want to strangle her. With my bare hands. And then just for good measure, throw a left hook at her nose.”
“Okay, Agent Bristow, that’s all fine and dandy, but what does Syd think?” she says, turning me to face her in front of the mirrored vanity.
“Syd is heartbroken for the man at that table out there,” I say. “He doesn’t deserve this, Carrie. He’s the best person I’ve ever known… I keep wondering what I can do to fix it, to make it all go away, but I can’t. No one can and that’s the brutal reality.”
“Syd, you know you blow me away,” Carrie says. “If it were me, I’d be so pissed at him because he wasn’t there for you when you needed him, but instead you’re killing yourself trying to fix him.”
“Well, it goes both ways, Carrie. I’m only doing what he’s done for me,” I say.
“But he married someone else. You’re over that already?” she asks me incredulous.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over that. Ever. But I know that I have the chance to be happy now, and I need to take it.”
“Just don’t let him think that everything is perfect. You need to lean on each other, not selflessly fall on your swords to protect the other because then you just both end up hurt.”
“If there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that nothing is perfect,” I say.
“Good. I’m glad that you’re not going into this with blinders on. But I must say, it’s amazing to see you so happy. You do realize that you’re smiling from ear to ear whenever he’s within a 20 foot radius,” Carrie says with a devilish grin.
“I just can’t help it. Nothing’s perfect, but there’s no way that this could ever be wrong,” I say. “I actually wanted to pretend that there was nothing between the two of us in public. I didn’t want people thinking that I’m the reason his marriage ended. But I realized sitting at that table with him that it’s impossible for anyone to look at me and not know something is different.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t have to break the news to you, but it’s written all over your face. I just wish I had some of that 'new love' energy and vitality… these 2 and 4 am feedings are killing me,” Carrie says, reaching over to wash her hands.
“Two and four? How do you do that?” I ask, wondering what I would do if woken up by a screaming alarm clock every two hours. Babies are cute and all, but I honestly have no clue how new parents do it.
“Marshall is so amazing. He’ll usually take the 4am feeding, so I can get four or five solid hours of sleep,” Carrie says, smiling at the thought of her husband feeding her son. “They’re so cute together. You should come over Saturday for dinner and see for yourself.”
“That sounds great, but how about I bring dinner with me, that way you don’t have to cook,” I say.
“Perfect. Bring Weiss and Vaughn too. They can all have male bonding time with the little munchkin,” Carrie says, and as an afterthought. “Oh, and invite your dad too if you want.”
“Well, I’ll have to think about that one, but I’ll definitely extend the invitation to Weiss and Vaughn,” I respond. “I think we’d better get back out there or our dates are going to think we’ve been abducted.”
“Wait,” Carrie says, reaching up and grabbing my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. “Sweetie, just ride this wave okay. It’ll get better and easier, just do what feels right. I know you always follow your head, but for once let your heart have it’s say, too.”
“Thanks, Carrie. Even sleep deprived you’ve got amazing advice,” I say, returning the hug.
Chapter 16
Syd’s POV
As I pull into the parking lot at Buca, I notice the cars of a couple of my co-workers at the JTF. This is a popular lunch time hangout, thanks to the good food and quick service.
I get out of my car and hold my hand behind me to lock up the doors with the remote keyfob as I notice Vaughn’s car pull in. Weiss always jokes with him about how it’s a contract killers car; a black, foreboding four-door sedan.
Before he gets out of the car, I gather my senses around me, wondering if I should tell him what the interrogations uncovered this morning. I was given clearance by Dixon when I told him I was meeting Vaughn for lunch, but part of me thinks I should let him find this out through official channels.
But right now, we’re celebrating. I think the difference between an annulment and a divorce is hugely mental for those involved, and I can only ponder a guess as to how much easier it is for Vaughn to think that he was never married. Kind of like a state-sponsored denial, if you will, I think with a chuckle. Like he could ever deny that he was married to her in the first place.
And for the first time in months, I’m thankful I’m not in his shoes. It’s been incredibly hard for me to handle having two years just disappear from my life, but now he has to live with the consequences of living a charade. And not just any charade, a charade that he wasn’t even completely privy to.
He makes his way across the pavement towards me and the entrance of the restaurant with a huge grin. And this is normal again. Oh, to be normal.
“Hey,” he says, giving me a warm look and a squeeze on the hand, fully aware that there are other agents around, and I’m being skittish about them knowing we’re together again.
“Hi, so, I take it you’re hungry?” I respond with a squeeze in return.
“Famished. Let’s go,” he says.
After we sit down at a table and place our order, he reaches over and grabs my hand, enveloping it in both of his, stroking his fingers along either side of mine, and for just a moment I’m lost in his touch. Then I snap back into reality and realize that I have to tell him. I can’t stand letting him find out from anyone else.
“Vaughn, there’s something I need to tell you,” I say.
“Well, if you’re pregnant, I must say I work quick,” he whispers into my ear with a chuckle, warming my skin with his breath.
“Vaughn,” I say, taking a deep breath and trying to distract my attention from his sultry presence. “It’s about the interrogations. I thought you’d want to know what they found out.”
He quickly sits back, and takes one hand off of mine, lacing the fingers of the hand that’s left and holding on for what seems, dear life.
“Did she admit anything?” he asks, looking down at our hands entwined on the table.
“She admitted everything,” I say simply.
“Everything?” He asks. “What’s everything?”
“You’re welcome to come back to the office and review the tapes, Dixon wanted me to tell you that,” I say. “She admitted being sent here to meet you after they staged my death. She admitted that she was recruited by the Covenant about a year before she met you, and that they told her if she succeeded in her mission, she would be put into a leadership role in the group.”
“She was a rookie, when they sent her to –“ he trails off.
“Vaughn,” I say, fumbling for the right words, and instantly regretting my decision to speak at all. About any of it.
“I’ll come back to the office with you after lunch. I think I need to see this for myself,” he says, looking up at me with a wan smile.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
“I’m fine Syd, don’t worry,” he says. “Now, any lighter lunchtime discussion topics swimming around in that beautiful head of yours?”
“Well, just so you know, I am already eight months pregnant, so don’t worry, the baby’s not yours,” I say, trying desperately to make the joke fly.
“You know, I thought you had put on some weight, but I didn’t want to say anything. And it certainly makes sense what with your appetite, and your cravings for ice cream…” he says.
“Hey, it was a joke, I didn’t intend for you to take the ball and run with it into the end zone!” I say with a sharp laugh.
And in that instant, I realize, it’s pointless. Fighting this is pointless. I love him, and it’s written all over my heart. So, I can only assume it’s written all over my face, in the way I look at him, in the way I smile at him and lean into him whenever he’s around. And in that instant I think, I’m not going to fight this. Who cares what anyone else thinks.
I lean into him the way I always feel necessary, and whisper into his ear, “Would you mind if I kissed you right now?”
“Well, I don’t think ’mind’ is the right word, but I was led to believe that you wanted to take things slow in public,” he says gazing into my eyes.
“True, but I was thinking. First of all, who cares? Second, anyone who looks at my face right now can tell that I’m hopelessly in love with you. So what would a little kiss hurt?” I say, never taking my eyes from his.
“A little kiss? Well, now I’m just plain disappointed,” he says as I lean in the last few millimeters and lay my lips on his. After a quick peck, I lean back, and look at him.
“Well, I never try to disappoint,” I say, leaning in for a searing kiss. We stay like this, locked in each other for a few moments, and when we finally break away he looks at me and then notices the couple standing behind us.
“Hi Carrie, Hi Marshall!” I say as I notice them standing there. “Where’s Mitchell?”
“Oh, he’s with his grandma,” Marshall says. “My mom said we should go out and enjoy lunch together, so here we are. And you guys are too. Hi!”
“Well, we haven’t even gotten our food yet, do you guys want to join us?” Vaughn asks.
“Oh, no, we don’t want to intrude. But enjoy your lunch,” Carrie says. “Oh, but Syd, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Yea, sure, I was going to go to the ladies room anyway,” I say.
“Great, I’ll see you in a second sweetie,” Carrie says to Marshall, as the hostess leads him off to their table on the other side of the restaurant.
“That’s so nice of Marshall’s mom to give you two some time alone,” I say to her as we make our way back to the ladies room.
“Yea, she’s actually a very nice lady. A little ‘touched’ maybe, but very nice,” she says with a laugh and a smirk. “So, listen, is everything okay? I heard about the interrogation. She spilled everything?”
“From what I’ve heard she was very forthcoming. I couldn’t bring myself to watch any of it, though. Just thinking about what she did to him. It makes me want to strangle her. With my bare hands. And then just for good measure, throw a left hook at her nose.”
“Okay, Agent Bristow, that’s all fine and dandy, but what does Syd think?” she says, turning me to face her in front of the mirrored vanity.
“Syd is heartbroken for the man at that table out there,” I say. “He doesn’t deserve this, Carrie. He’s the best person I’ve ever known… I keep wondering what I can do to fix it, to make it all go away, but I can’t. No one can and that’s the brutal reality.”
“Syd, you know you blow me away,” Carrie says. “If it were me, I’d be so pissed at him because he wasn’t there for you when you needed him, but instead you’re killing yourself trying to fix him.”
“Well, it goes both ways, Carrie. I’m only doing what he’s done for me,” I say.
“But he married someone else. You’re over that already?” she asks me incredulous.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over that. Ever. But I know that I have the chance to be happy now, and I need to take it.”
“Just don’t let him think that everything is perfect. You need to lean on each other, not selflessly fall on your swords to protect the other because then you just both end up hurt.”
“If there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that nothing is perfect,” I say.
“Good. I’m glad that you’re not going into this with blinders on. But I must say, it’s amazing to see you so happy. You do realize that you’re smiling from ear to ear whenever he’s within a 20 foot radius,” Carrie says with a devilish grin.
“I just can’t help it. Nothing’s perfect, but there’s no way that this could ever be wrong,” I say. “I actually wanted to pretend that there was nothing between the two of us in public. I didn’t want people thinking that I’m the reason his marriage ended. But I realized sitting at that table with him that it’s impossible for anyone to look at me and not know something is different.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t have to break the news to you, but it’s written all over your face. I just wish I had some of that 'new love' energy and vitality… these 2 and 4 am feedings are killing me,” Carrie says, reaching over to wash her hands.
“Two and four? How do you do that?” I ask, wondering what I would do if woken up by a screaming alarm clock every two hours. Babies are cute and all, but I honestly have no clue how new parents do it.
“Marshall is so amazing. He’ll usually take the 4am feeding, so I can get four or five solid hours of sleep,” Carrie says, smiling at the thought of her husband feeding her son. “They’re so cute together. You should come over Saturday for dinner and see for yourself.”
“That sounds great, but how about I bring dinner with me, that way you don’t have to cook,” I say.
“Perfect. Bring Weiss and Vaughn too. They can all have male bonding time with the little munchkin,” Carrie says, and as an afterthought. “Oh, and invite your dad too if you want.”
“Well, I’ll have to think about that one, but I’ll definitely extend the invitation to Weiss and Vaughn,” I respond. “I think we’d better get back out there or our dates are going to think we’ve been abducted.”
“Wait,” Carrie says, reaching up and grabbing my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. “Sweetie, just ride this wave okay. It’ll get better and easier, just do what feels right. I know you always follow your head, but for once let your heart have it’s say, too.”
“Thanks, Carrie. Even sleep deprived you’ve got amazing advice,” I say, returning the hug.
M
mystery_chick
Guest
awww, Carrie's so nice! and Syd, oy Syd, see I knew taking it slow would NEVER work I'm grinning like an idiot right now just so you know. That was such a great chap *sigh* *wonders off into la la land*
--Mandy
and Syd, oy Syd, see I knew taking it slow would NEVER work I'm grinning like an idiot right now just so you know. That was such a great chap *sigh* *wonders off into la la land* --Mandy
