Title: Your Friends and Mine |
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Chapters 7-12 |
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Chapter 7 Vaughn POV Sydney is staring at me as if I asked her if she and Francie both had two heads. The question I did ask her, if she and Francie are the same height, is innocuous enough, but it’s the implications of the question that are making me sweat, and making her stare at me like this. Yes, I did basically just ask Sydney Bristow to make out with me. I know it may seem like it’s just an excuse to get to make out with Sydney, as Weiss was quick to accuse me of, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Kissing Sydney while Weiss snaps photos is not exactly how I envisioned it. But it’s either Sydney, or who? There are other agents that I could ask. I could pretend to be modest, but if I want to be honest, I don’t think I’d really have that hard a time finding someone to do this. But as much as I don’t want to kiss Syd under these circumstances, I don’t want to kiss anyone else under any circumstances. Even Alice. She’s been pretty wrapped up in her grief, so maybe she hasn’t noticed that it’s been quite some time since we last kissed. I mean ‘really’ kissed, not the kind of peck you give your mom or your aunt. “You want to take pictures of us kissing?” she asks quietly without looking at me. “Well, when you put it that way it sounds perverted,” I say, making a lame attempt at a joke. She doesn’t respond. “Syd?” She finally looks at me, and I’m not sure what exactly the emotion is I see in her eyes. She looks hurt and… betrayed? “Syd,” I say quickly “I’m sorry, that was a bad idea. Don’t worry about it, I’ll find someone else.” She lets out a quick breath of air and I know that I’ve said the wrong thing, making the situation worse. “No, Vaughn, it’s alright. It’s better to have as few people involved in this as possible, right?” she asks in monotone. She is once again avoiding my eyes, directing her question instead at my right shoulder. “Yes, but Sydney, if you don’t feel comfortable with this…” I trail off. “It’s fine, Vaughn,” she says, looking at me. I can see that it’s not fine and I wonder what she’s thinking. Does she feel like I’m using her? Does she feel like we’re crossing the line and it’s somewhere she doesn’t want to go? “Syd, you don’t look fine. Please tell me what you’re thinking.” She turns her back to me and walks a little ways away, distancing herself both physically, and I think, emotionally. I just want her to talk to me. “Vaughn,” she says finally, turning slightly towards me, “I’m really tired of skirting the issue of our… relationship. We speak in riddles, and in looks, but we never come out and say anything. I know, well, I’m pretty sure that your feelings for me go beyond what a handler should feel for his asset, and my feelings for you… my feelings for you are pretty much the same. But we’re both so damned scared, and worried about protocol, and getting too involved. And then there’s Alice. I know that your relationship with her is ending, but the fact of the matter is that you’re still with her.” She stops speaking and it’s my turn to stare at her in disbelief. I know I should be saying something to assure her that I do indeed feel the same way, but God this woman knows how to shock me. I can’t believe she actually came out and said what I’ve been thinking forever. “I guess my whole point,” she continues quietly, “is that I never imagined that kissing you for the first time would be on the job.” She looks at me, waiting for me to say something. Instead I take two swift strides and I’m standing in front of her, taking her face in my hands and kissing her. I always imagined our first kiss to be gentle and tender, but passion has taken over and our lips are thrashing against each other’s. I feel a tear running down her cheek and I begin to pull back, thinking that something is wrong, but Sydney moves her hand to the back of my head and pulls me back in. I slide one of my hands into her hair, wanting to get closer, as close as possible, and my other hand moves down to her waist. Her hands are roaming over my back, first over and then under my suit jacket. Finally we break the kiss and stare at each other, our foreheads touching. “I have to go!” Sydney says suddenly, pulling away from me and grabbing her purse. “Syd, where are you going?” I ask to her retreating back. “Uh, I don’t know, it’s a flight reflex,” she says, before turning a corner and leaving my line of sight. I turn around and hold onto a nearby crate for support. What the hell just happened? ~~ Will POV I’m sitting in the living room watching TV when I hear the front door open. Syd comes in, breathless and panicked. “Syd, what’s wrong?” I ask, jumping up off the couch. “What happened?” She looks at me, her eyes wild. Has Sloane found out about her? Has something happened with her mother? She just comes over and sits on the couch, not saying anything. I sit down next to her and look at her, waiting for her to speak. “Vaughn and I kissed,” she says, finally. Huh. I always thought that when I’d finally hear her say those words, I would feel like a bullet had ripped through my stomach. I don’t though, it’s more like I’ve been elbowed. There’s pain involved, but it’s not unbearable. Syd, on the other hand, doesn’t look so well. She should be happy, shouldn’t she? ”Is this a bad thing?” I ask tentatively. “It shouldn’t be,” she says, shaking her head. “It’s what I wanted, what we both wanted. I even finally got the courage to tell him how I feel. And then he kissed me, and I ran. God!” She leans forward, resting her head in her hands. “Everything is just so screwed up.” “Yeah,” I nod, even though she can’t see me do it. “It is.” “Will,” she says, sitting back up and looking at me, “I have to ask you to do something. You totally don’t have to do this, but it would really help if you do. But seriously, I understand if you don’t feel that you can.” “Syd, just tell me what it is,” I say. It must be pretty big if she’s rambling like this. “I want you to kiss Francie,” she says. She then fills me in on the rest of the plan and my involvement in it. I sigh as I lean back against the couch. They want me to kiss Francie. Not that the thought of kissing Francie is unpleasant or anything, in truth I’ve thought about it more than once. Actually, lately I’ve been feeling like there’s maybe something there, and I think maybe Fran feels it too. But this is just weird. I understand why Syd freaked at the idea of her part with Vaughn. I’m about to tell her that I don’t think I can do it when I look over and see the look on her face. This whole situation is really taking its toll on her and she just wants it to be over. As usual, I can’t deny Sydney Bristow anything. “Alright, I’ll do it.” Chapter 8 Vaughn POV Sydney and I kissed. We kissed, passionately, hungrily, and almost desperately. And then she ran. I sat in the warehouse for a good half an hour after she left, half trying to compose myself, and half hoping she would come back. She didn’t. Now it’s the next day and I’m back here once again, waiting for her to join me. Part of me wonders if she’ll actually show up, but I’m not really surprised when I hear her walking my way. She is a professional, after all, and no matter what happened between us, she will be here to get the job done. And that’s what this meeting is about, getting the job done. Sydney comes into my sight and my heart starts to beat a little faster. It often does this at the sight of her, but this time there are nerves involved and it’s not an entirely pleasant sensation. “Hi,” I say when she reaches where I’m standing. “Hi,” she says in return, looking a little ashamed. I hope she doesn’t feel ashamed of our kiss. It was obvious by her reaction that she regrets it, but regret and shame are not the same thing. Then she does an amazing thing; she reaches out and grabs my hand. “Vaughn,” she whispers, moving her thumb over the back of my hand, “I’m sorry I ran yesterday. I feel really stupid. I gave you this big speech about owning up to our feelings, and then when we actually acted on them, I took off. I’m sorry, I think I was just overwhelmed. I’m not now.” I can’t help but give her a big goofy grin. I feel so relieved. I had been practicing what to say, how to convince her that what we did wasn’t wrong, and none of it had sounded right. Thank God she spared me of that. We smile at each other for a few moments, and then this time she makes the first move. This kiss is more what I imagined our first one would be. Her lips brush against mine tentatively, so soft that it almost tickles. I respond by lifting my hands to cradle her head and deepen the kiss, but gently this time. We’re in no rush and the kiss is sweet and loving. When we pull apart, there is no panic in her eyes this time. She smiles at me, and I’m glad I’m still holding on to her because it makes me feel kind of dizzy. “Syd,” I say regretfully, “as much as I hate to do this, we really do have to get down to business.” She nods in response and we pull away from each other, leaning on opposite crates. I can’t help but smile at her and she smiles back at me. I have to look away from her to break the spell. As much as I’d love to just sit here and stare at her all day, we’ve got work to do and I want to prove that we can do this. If we can’t balance work and our relationship, then it’s all doomed. “I think you were right about all this being a set-up,” I say, looking back at her. This time our faces both reflect that we’ve fallen into work-mode. “Really?” she asks, somewhat surprised. I nod. “Yes, but I have no solid leads. I found out that the client’s name was Steven Henderson, which is an alias. I got images of him from Security at Alice’s office building, and ran him through our database. Turns out he’s a conman named Darryl Mootz. This morning, I tracked him down and questioned him. He admitted that someone hired him to portray a potential client and to bring Alice to Francie’s restaurant, but he has no idea who hired him. No name, no face. I think it’s a dead end.” “Who would want to get involved in our personal lives like this?” Sydney asks. “I don’t know,” I tell her honestly. “But the important thing right now is to get this finished, and we can look into it further later. Did you talk to Will?” “Yes,” she nods, “and he’s going to do it. I told him that you would be in contact with him. I don’t know how you want to do it with the camera and everything. It’s going to be harder for him than it is for us, we’ll both know that we’re being photographed.” “So you’ll do it then?” I ask. I don’t know why I’m surprised now, but I am. “Of course,” she says shyly, looking down. And then she boldly looks up at me and smirks. “I wouldn’t want anyone else doing it.” I can’t help but grin at her. I walk over and take her hands in mine. “Oh, is business over then?” she asks with a glint in her eye. “Almost,” I answer. “We just have to set up a time and a place. I was thinking that your house would probably be best because we can match up the lighting, and the background if need be. I know it’s dangerous for me to be in your house, but if I can sneak into the Vatican with you, I think Weiss and I can find a way into your house without SD-6 knowing. We’ll have Will kiss Francie there as well.” “So, Weiss is taking the picture of us, but who is taking the picture of Will and Francie?” she asks. “I’ll have a camera set up inside with someone on surveillance to snap the shots. We could do the same, but it will just be easier to have Weiss right there,” I tell her. “As uncomfortable as it may be.” “Okay,” she says. She looks a little upset. “Are you worried about Will and Francie?” I ask. She nods her response and smiles. “You know me so well,” she says, letting go of my hands and letting her hands travel up my arms to rest on my shoulders. I let my hands settle on her waist. Touching Sydney like this feels so natural. “I don’t want Francie to get hurt,” she continues, “but I guess that’s unavoidable.” “You never know,” I say, “maybe she wants to be kissed by Will.” “Maybe!” she says with a big smile. Then she pulls me down toward her and once again I am lost in the wonderment that is kissing Sydney Bristow. Chapter 9 Will POV Oh my God, am I nervous. Francie called from the restaurant a few minutes ago saying she was leaving and that she’ll be home in about twenty minutes. Tonight is the night. Tonight I am going to kiss her, and maybe jeopardize our friendship. God I hope that doesn’t happen. I will apologize profusely afterwards, do anything I can to make it better. I’ll tell her that I’ve been feeling down and lonely lately, depressed about the job situation. I probably won’t even have to make excuses, because Fran will likely just assume that the kiss is an act of desperation. She knows that I’ve been hung up on Syd for…well, forever, and that my life has been in the toilet since I lost my job. She’ll probably feel sorry for me. The thought that Francie might actually kiss me back has crossed my mind, but it crossed very quickly. Although I’ve been feeling some kind of weird chemistry between us lately, I don’t think anything would actually come of it. We have gotten a lot closer though, since I lost my job, and even before that. After Danny died, Sydney got a lot busier, and Fran and I started to spend more time alone. At the time I thought Syd was just burying herself in her work to ignore the grief, but now I know why she’s so busy. You try being a grad student, and an operative for both SD-6 and the CIA and tell me how busy you are. Anyway, Fran and I have spent a lot more time together since then, and since I lost my job we’ve been together even more. Fran has really been there to support me, to help me with my ‘recovery’. It’s not just her taking care of me, though, it’s a reciprocated relationship. I’ve been helping her get her restaurant up and running by helping out there, but also by giving her emotional support. We’ve been there for each other. Vaughn sent someone over earlier to set up a camera to take pictures of Francie and me tonight. The guy showed me approximately where we have to be to get the proper shot. Luckily the camera is attached to the TV, so we can sit on the couch, which will be easier than trying to lead Fran to a specific spot on the floor. I’m still really nervous though, because this isn’t like hitting your mark in a high school play. This is really important. And one of the participants isn’t aware of what’s going on. I look at the clock to see how much longer I’ve got, and I realize that Francie will be walking through the door in about five minutes. Damn. I wish to hell I could pour us a couple of glasses of wine. You know, liquid courage. Plus it would be a lot easier to blame the kiss on a having had a little too much to drink. Many kisses, and more, happen that way. Maybe I should have had a glass of wine by myself a little earlier to loosen up, but I wouldn’t want to take the chance of Fran smelling it… or rather, ‘tasting’ it. Then I’d have two situations to explain away. I hear Fran’s key in the door and I know that it’s show time. I glance at the van parked across the street where Vaughn’s guy is doing surveillance and wish “show time” was just an expression. “Hi Sweetie,” Francie says tiredly when she sees me standing by the door. “Are you hungry or something?” “Uh, no, not particularly,” I stammer. “Why?” “You look like you’re standing there waiting for me, I thought maybe you were anxious for this,” she says, lifting the bag of food she’s brought with her. “Oh, no, I just… I was just standing here,” I say. I suck at this! “Will,” she says, shaking her head, “what is up with you? You’re acting really weird.” “Nothing, nothing.” Oh man. Everything I was thinking about saying and doing is gone, I’m drawing a complete blank. How do I start this? Fran takes off her shoes and hangs up her coat. She picks the bag of food up from where she set it on the floor and carries it to the kitchen. I watch as she opens up the containers and starts to take dishes down. “I know you said you’re not particularly hungry,” she says, “but are you sure you don’t want some of this? I’ve got tons and Syd said she wouldn’t be home until late tonight.” “Yeah, that’d be great,” I tell her. She dishes me up a plate and hands it to me. “Do you want to put on a movie while we eat?” “Sure, but it has to be something light” she says, sighing. “It’s been a really long day and I don’t think I can deal with anything too serious.” “How about Never Been Kissed, Syd just bought it on DVD,” I suggest. “Is that the one with Drew Barrymore and that hot French dude?” she asks, coming in with her dinner. I mumble an “I guess so” as I put the movie in and join Fran on the couch. We eat our food in relative silence, watching Drew Barrymore being a dork. We finish eating at relatively the same time and I take our plates to the kitchen. When I return to the couch, Fran has dozed off. Oh man, what do I do now? I sit down next to her and sweep a piece of hair from her face, and I feel a tingling sensation in my hand where I touched her. I look at her sleeping and she looks so beautiful. When I reach up and run my hand through her hair, I’m not acting. Fran wakes up and looks at me. “What are you doing?” she whispers. “I don’t know,” I whisper back, leaning in to kiss her. The look on her face is questioning, but she doesn’t look like she’s adverse to what I’m about to do. When our lips meet, her eyes close and I let mine follow suit. Her lips feel so soft, and our kiss is gentle at first. I cup her face in my hands and pull back into an upright position, bringing her with me. I’m still somewhat mindful of what I have to do, and this is where we have to be for the shot. I hope they’re getting it, because in a minute I’m going to forget all about them. Fran has her arms wrapped around me and she’s drawing little circles on my back, making me shiver. “Will,” Fran says, breaking out kiss “what are we doing?” she asks, but it’s a question of clarification rather than regret. “Something that’s been coming on for awhile,” I tell her, and kiss her again. This time the kiss is deeper, faster, and our hands begin to move on each others’ bodies. I begin to worry that I’m either going to have to break this up or move to the bedroom because I think that the CIA has seen enough and I’m not about to let them see where this is headed. I pull away from Fran and look at her intensely, trying to decide what to do. She saves me the trouble by standing up and extending her hand to me. I take it and she leads me toward her bedroom. As we leave the room I glance at the TV one last time, and I smile. Chapter 10 Weiss POV Mike and I move Sydney’s television so that I can get into position. The camera that had taken the photos of Sydney’s friends was on the television, so I have to set my camera up in the same place to get the same lighting. I can’t believe that I’m in Sydney Bristow’s house, waiting to photograph she and Mike kissing, which is sanctioned by the CIA. Too weird. I set up the camera while I eavesdrop on Sydney and Mike’s conversation. “How did the shots turn out of Will and Francie?” she asks him. “Great,” Mike says, smiling and trying not to look at her. He looks like he has an especially delicious secret, and I know what it is. I guess Sydney doesn’t know yet that her friends wound up in bed after our photo session. Well, we don’t know for sure that they ended up in bed, but we know they ended up in the bedroom. Everything else is speculation. I asked Mark, who did the surveillance, if he heard anything after they went in there, but he said that he didn’t have audio on. Too bad. “Vaughn, what are you not telling me?” Sydney asks him. These two read each other like a married couple, I swear. Mike looks at her and grins. “Have you talked to Will since last night? Or has Francie said anything to you?” he asks her. “No, they were in bed by the time I got home and they were both gone when I woke up this morning,” she says. “Why?” “Were they in their own beds when you got home?” I butt in to the conversation. I can’t help it; it’s too good to pass up. Sydney looks at me in amazement. “What?” then turning back to Mike, “What?!” “I guess I was right, Francie did want to be kissed by Will,” he tells her. “Her response was very positive.” “And?” she asks. “What about being in their own beds?” “I don’t know if I should tell you,” Mike smirks at her. “You should probably hear it from them. Maybe it’s time for your friends to have a secret from you for a change.” He’s grinning wickedly at her. I can tell by the look on Sydney’s face that she is getting impatient, but Mike is loving it, loving teasing her. “Vaughn!” Sydney says as she shoots him a warning look. “Either you can tell me and stay in my good books, or I can find out through official channels and you will have to deal with me later.” She’s acting upset but I can tell that only half of it is real, she’s playing along. She knows he’ll tell her. They’re doing this dance that I’m surprised I’m getting to see. It’s almost more intimate than what I’m about to photograph. “It’s all speculation anyway,” Mike says, drawing it out, “but the last thing we knew was that Will and Francie wound up in her bedroom. Any other information you’ll have to garner from them.” Sydney looks shocked, but not displeased. Mike is looking at her with that look. You know, ‘that’ look. I finish setting the camera up and decide it’s time they remembered that I’m in the room. “Hey you guys, remember me? Yeah, I’m all set to go.” “Okay,” Mike says, he and Sydney sitting down on the couch. I can tell that they’re both nervous, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m about to see virgin territory be tread upon, or if they’re just nervous because I’m here. “Go ahead,” I tell them, “I’ll continually take shots. Make sure you cover as many angles as possible so that Bryan’s got lots to work with when he Photoshops it.” They sit there and look at each other awkwardly. Mike finally makes the first move and leans in to kiss her. The kiss is very hesitant, and they look very tense. “Loosen up, guys,” I tell them. “Easy for you to say!” Sydney says, exasperated. “Do you want to come over here and take my place?” “I’m just trying to get a good shot,” I mumble. They look back at each other and start kissing again. This time they seem a little looser, and after a moment their eyes close, almost simultaneously. Sydney’s arms go around Vaughn’s waist and his hands are rubbing her arms. As he brings his left hand up to her neck I can tell they’ve almost forgotten I’m in the room with them and I seriously feel like a voyeur. I’m taking a stream of shots with the camera. After a few minutes I clear my throat, thinking we’ve probably gotten enough. They break apart but they don’t look at me. They are looking into each other’s eyes and I suddenly realize something; they’re in love. I’ve always known that they have a very strong relationship, and I definitely know that there’s lustage going on, especially on Mike’s part, but now I see it’s more than that. They’re in love, and they both know it. I know now that the kiss I just witnessed wasn’t their first. This could get them in a shitload of trouble with the agency, but no one’s gonna hear it from me. I snitched on them once before, but at that point I thought that Mike’s feelings for Sydney were clouding his judgment. I can’t see this hurting anyone. They’re already so far gone in the emotional attachment department that actually being together isn’t going to change anything. “Okay, I think that’ll do,” I say, disassembling the equipment. Sydney and Mike get up off the couch. Sydney offers us both a drink, but we both decline. “No, I’m gonna take off,” I say and then looking at Mike, “you coming?” Mike looks at me, and I can tell that he’s wondering what my reaction will be if I know what’s going on between them, if I’ll report them. I try to convey to him with the look on my face that everything’s fine. That while I don’t necessarily approve, I don’t disapprove either. Mike gets the message and smiles. “No,” he says, “I think I’m going to stay for awhile.” Chapter 11 Vaughn POV When Weiss leaves, I can’t help but feel a little nervous. I am in Sydney’s house, alone with her, and we know that the place is secure. When Mark came in yesterday to set the camera up for Will, he posed as a cable technician and did a sweep before he did anything else. Then Weiss and I did another one today, just to make sure. I’ll have to be careful when I leave, but that won’t be a problem. I’m nervous because this is so normal, so second-date like. Our other kisses were not really planned, they kind of just happened. Now we’ve given each other and ourselves permission to pursue a relationship and everything that goes with it, and it scares the hell out of me. It reminds me of this girl I used to date in high school. We would make-out every second that we had alone together, pushing the limits, knowing that someone could walk in on us at any time. Then one night her parents went out to the theatre and we had the house to ourselves for hours. We didn’t really know what to do with ourselves. I felt so awkward, and I hate that I’m thirty-four and still feeling that way. I sit down on the couch and Sydney comes to join me. I can tell by her nervous smile that she’s feeling the same way I am. “So…” she says. “So,” I reply, nodding. Damn, I’m eloquent! “Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?” she asks. “No, I’m fine,” I say. Silence. “But thanks!” Silence. I look around. God, this is awful! I’m not seventeen. I am NOT seventeen! More silence. Okay, I have to say something. “Sydney, I…” but before I can finish my sentence, Sydney is on top of me, kissing me. The kiss is strong and aggressive, just like her. Her tongue is thrusting into my mouth and her hands hold my head in place. She has me right where she wants me, and God I’m loving it. Without breaking the kiss, she straddles my lap, pushing me back against the back of the couch. I bring my hands up to her waist, needing to touch her. She pulls her lips from my mouth and kisses my jaw, and then my neck. I let my head fall back against the back of the couch as her tongue slides over my jugular. When she reaches my ear and slips her tongue inside, I decide it’s my turn to take control. I grab her wrists and flip her over onto her back, with me on top of her. My face is hovering just above Syd’s, our noses almost touching. There’s a gleam in her eye that I take to mean she’s not opposed to sharing control. I let go of her wrists and thread my fingers through hers. She lifts her head off the couch to kiss me, but I pull my head back, not letting her. She looks frustrated and I can’t help but shoot her a cocky grin. She gives me a look and I know I’m in trouble. I know she’ll get me back for this later. I’ll look forward to it. I lean forward and gently brush Sydney’s lips with mine. She tries to deepen the kiss, but that isn’t what I have in mind. I intend to drive Sydney Bristow slowly insane. I softly and quickly run my tongue along her lips and she moans and wriggles underneath me. Her reaction causes me to react and I inadvertently thrust my erection against her centre. Sydney gasps and wraps her legs around me, trying to hold me in that position. “I’ve got you now,” she says, grinning at me. “You’ve had me since the day we met,” I say seriously. Her grin turns into a soft smile, and this time our mouths meet with mutual softness, our tongues engaging in a slow and rhythmic dance. We kiss for a while, but I feel Sydney beginning to pull back, she seems distracted. “Vaughn,” Syd says as she breaks the kiss, “I’m not really sure we should be doing this.” “Why?” I ask her, confused. “Because you’re still with Alice,” she says, starting to sit up. “I know that you’ll be broken up very soon, but right now you’re still with her.” I sit up and sigh. Sydney is looking away from me, and I can tell she’s feeling guilty. Sydney is a very loyal person and she’s not one to engage in cheating, even if she’s not the one who’s involved with someone else. “Syd,” I say, taking her hands in mine, “I haven’t been with Alice for a long time, not really. Even though I didn’t admit it to you or even to myself, I’m with you. I’ve been with you for a long time. You’re the last person I think about when I go to sleep at night, and the first person I think about when I wake up. When I’m sleeping, you’re the one I dream about. Of course that’s when you’re not in the field. Then I can’t sleep at all and I think about you all night through.” Sydney has tears running down her face and I use my thumbs to wipe them away. “Sydney,” I continue, “I don’t feel like what we’re doing is cheating on Alice. I feel like every time I was… every time Alice and I were together, I felt like I was cheating on you.” “Vaughn…” she whispers, and I understand what she can’t say. She’s giving us permission to keep going. “Sydney, I love you,” I tell her softly. There, I’ve said it. After all this time, I’ve finally said it. Sydney smiles and another tear escapes and she brushes it away with the back of her hand. “I love you too.” I get up off the couch and pull Sydney with me. “Here’s where I’m supposed to romantically and wordlessly lead you to the bedroom,” I say to her, “except…” “Except you don’t know where my bedroom is,” she finishes my sentence. “Come on.” Sydney leads me to her bedroom, which is actually quite similar to what I had pictured. Classy and simple, it has Sydney written all over it. I smile when I see the picture frame I gave her for Christmas last year set up on her nightstand. Sydney and I stand beside her bed, looking at each other and I can safely say that we’re both feeling the awkward nervousness once again. This time I make the first move. I wrap my arms around Sydney’s waist and pull her to me. She lays her hands on my chest and we begin to kiss. The kiss begins slowly, but my pulse begins to quicken as the kiss does. Sydney begins to unbutton my shirt and I gasp as I feel her hands on my bare skin. She pulls her mouth from mine and begins kissing my chest, and I close my eyes at the sensation. I open them again when I feel her lips leave my chest and I feel her tugging my shirt down my arms and away from my body. Now it’s time to reciprocate, and I slide my hands under Sydney’s white t-shirt, pulling the fabric up with me. Syd inhales deeply as my hands skim over her bra, and she raises her arms so that I can pull the shirt over her head. I toss the t-shirt on the floor and look at her bra. “That has to go,” I say, grinning. “Then take it off,” Sydney says seductively. Yes ma’am. I unclasp the white cotton bra at the back and Sydney pulls the straps down from her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground between us. Sydney’s breasts are perfect, and I can’t help but stare at them. Sydney breaks the spell by stepping into me so that our naked upper bodies are pressed together. I thought that staring at her breasts was great, but feeling them pressed against my chest is amazing. I bend down to kiss her and let my hands start roaming once more. I trace patterns on Sydney’s back and I feel her shiver when I hit sensitive spots. I try to remember exactly where those spots are for next time, but find I’m not thinking clearly enough. Oh well, there’ll plenty of time to explore later. I let my hands wander lower and am rewarded by feeling the most amazing ass I could ever hope to have my hands on. But I’m greedy, and Syd’s pants are definitely in the way. I reach around and unbutton them and lower the zipper. The pants are very tight, so Syd has to stop kissing me to shimmy out of them. I mourn the loss of her mouth on mine, but the sight of Syd in nothing but her white thong panties eases the pain. I think that if I were to die now I would die a fulfilled man. Well, almost. Give me an hour. “You’re so beautiful, Sydney,” I say in awe. “Thank you,” she says, somewhat shyly. “So are you.” She reaches toward my jeans and makes quick work of getting them off me. I groan as our bodies press fully into one another, with only two thin layers of cotton between my erection and the heat that radiates from between Sydney’s legs. Sydney pulls away from me and, taking my hand, lies down on the bed and pulls me down on top of her. She once again wraps her legs around my hips as if to lay claim to me. I’m not going anywhere. Well, that’s not exactly true because while being in this position is wonderful, there’s somewhere else I want to go right now. Down. I start kissing Syd’s neck and then leave a trail of kisses behind on my way to her breasts. One nipple, and then the other divert me for a few moments, but they are not my destination. Sydney moans when I move on to her stomach and she realizes where I’m going. I’m not even there yet and she has bucked her pelvis into me. This is going to be fun. “Impatient?” I ask, my lips grazing her navel as I speak. “Mmmm” is the only answer that Syd can seem to muster at the moment. I move down so that my face is hovering over her panties. She wriggles and I punish her for her impatience by placing little kisses on top of the fabric. Sydney reaches down and slides her hand inside her underwear, but that won’t do so I pull it back out and then slide the underwear down her legs. I didn’t think it was possible for my erection to get any bigger, but it’s almost painful now as I look at the mass of curls awaiting me. I bend back down between Syd’s legs and, without letting my lips touch her, quickly flick my tongue at her clitoris. Her pelvis jerks and her breathing is so incredibly fast. “Vaughn!” she says in warning, and I know it’s time to stop torturing her. She moans when I part her labia with my thumbs and start circling her clit with my tongue. Sydney’s hands weave into my hair so that she has a firm grasp on my head, and I reach around and grab her ass, lifting her legs over my shoulders in the process. I look up at her and the sight before me almost makes me come. Her eyes are closed, her head is tilted back, and she’s biting her lip so hard I’m surprised she hasn’t broken the skin. I feel her thighs begin to tense and I know she’s close so I pick up the pace. “Vaughn, oh God, Vaughn!” she cries out as her orgasm washes over her. I place a small kiss on her stomach before I crawl back up the length of her body to lie down next to her. “Oh my God,” she says, putting her hand on her forehead. “I feel dizzy.” I grin at her and run my hands through her hair. I’m feeling pretty damned pleased with myself. I just gave Sydney Bristow a mind-blowing orgasm. And guess what, I plan to do it again and again and again. And that’s just tonight. Syd rolls over on her side so that we’re facing each other. She starts rubbing her foot up and down my leg and then slings her leg over my hip, pressing herself into me. “There’s no rush, Syd, you can take a moment,” I tell her. “You say that,” she smirks at me, “but I feel a contradiction down here.” She reaches down and wraps her hand around my penis. “No, no, no, no, no” I say, pulling her hand away. I’m dangerously close and I really don’t want this to end here. “Then I’ll just have to do this,” she says, reaching into the drawer of her bedside table. She takes out a condom, rips the foil package open and rolls the condom down onto my penis. Then, with the same ease she rolls me onto my back and straddles me. In one quick motion she guides me inside her. I have to hold her still for a moment to compose myself. I can’t look at her, I can’t move. Just… a… moment. Okay. I open my eyes and see that now she’s the one looking pretty pleased with herself. And she hasn’t even made me come yet. Good lord. I reach up and put my hands on her hips, but if I think that I’m going to be controlling this, it doesn’t take me long to realize that I’m sadly mistaken. It doesn’t really surprise me that Sydney likes to be on top. I think the first time I had this particular fantasy was the night after we had our first meeting as agent and handler when she gave me that speech about things being done her way. Indeed. Sydney starts to move and a low growl escapes me. I don’t think I’ve ever made that sound before, but then I’ve never been fucked by Sydney Bristow before, either. It takes me a minute to realize that I should be focusing on her a little too, and I grind my thumb into her clit. I’m rewarded with a soft moan and a quicker pace. I hold off as long as I can, but I can feel myself edging towards release. I move my thumb more rapidly, wanting Sydney to come with me. Her breathing gets heavier, matching mine. She closes her eyes and I feel her tighten up inside, her orgasm beginning. I thrust my hips up, and she cries out my name. I take this as my sign to let myself go and I grab her ass as I thrust into her hard and let myself come. She pulls me out of her and then lies down beside me. “Sydney, that was… that was beyond words,” I say as I roll on my side to face her. She smiles at me and nods. “Yeah, I know,” she says. We are lying here looking at each other when Sydney’s eyelids begin to look kind of heavy, and I think she may just fall asleep on me. Isn’t that the stereotypical male response to sex? Another time I might tease her about that, but not this time. This time I kiss her forehead and pull her comforter up to cover us. It doesn’t take long for her to drift off. I’m just lying here looking at her. I’m lying in bed with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and she’s in love with me. I can’t believe my good fortune. I start to feel a little tired myself. I get up off the bed to dispose of the condom and retrieve my mobile from my pants. When I do, Sydney turns over to face the opposite way. I smile at the fact that she’s already fast asleep. I set the alarm on my phone for an hour from now, which should give me plenty of time to get out of the house before Francie and Will are due home. I lie back down on the bed and cuddle up to Sydney. I give her a soft kiss on the back of her neck, but she doesn’t stir. As I begin to drift off to sleep, my last thought before I succumb is that someday I will be able to fall asleep like this with Sydney every night. Heaven. Chapter 12 Sydney POV I’m sitting in the last place I thought I would ever get to see, Michael Vaughn’s apartment. I’ve always known he has a good sense of style by the way that he dresses, and I’m glad to see that it carries over to his home as well. I love his distressed brown leather sofa and matching chair, they’re very him: laid back and comfortable, but still classy and beautiful. It’s somewhat dangerous for me to be here, but it’s dangerous for us to be together anywhere. We are being extraordinarily careful. That’s my life, why would a relationship be any different? There are dangers in any romantic relationship that I could have. With Vaughn it’s risking that SD-6 and the CIA find out, and with anyone else it’s risking that they find out about SD-6 and the CIA. At least with Vaughn he is entering into the relationship fully informed, and he is a trained CIA agent, he knows how to take care of himself. Yes, I still call him by his last name. That’s something I’m going to have to talk to him about. He’s in the kitchen right now, cooking dinner. I offered to help, but he refused, poured me a glass of wine, and told me to sit in the living room and relax. I feel a little strange when I think that only a few weeks ago, another woman was probably sitting on this couch while Vaughn cooked for her. Or maybe not. By the sounds coming from the kitchen, I’d be willing to bet that cooking isn’t something Vaughn does a whole lot of. I grin as I hear another crash and a curse. I’ve been trying not to feel bad about Alice, but the whole situation really sucks. I truly feel for the woman, she really did nothing wrong and she had the shit kicked out of her. Seriously, her dad dies, which is a life altering event right there. Then a few weeks later she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her friend, which causes her to lose the boyfriend and the friend. Vaughn was right, she wasn’t confrontational at all. She didn’t contact Francie, and she didn’t even see Vaughn in person. She wrote him a letter telling him that she knew about him and Fran, and that it was over. She also told him that this was the last straw and that she needed to start a new life. She got a job up in Palo Alto and has already moved there. I guess she went to Stanford, so she has friends there. I feel horrible because her whole life was turned upside down to protect my secret, and to top it all off, I’ve got the guy. I wish her all the best, I really do. I hope she finds someone to love her, someone with a normal life who can give all of himself to her. Francie was upset at the loss of the friendship. Rita ended up coming in handy one last time to cure Francie’s curiosity on that one. Francie, as expected, was concerned that she hadn’t seen or heard from Alice, so Will ‘happened’ to run into Rita. Rita passed on the news from Michael that he and Alice had broken up and that Alice had moved to Houston. If we told her where she really moved, she may have been able to track her down. Fran told me about all this after she heard it from Will. Fran’s feelings were hurt that Alice didn’t even call to say goodbye, but aside from that, it was kind of a funny conversation. Fran was not incredibly happy that Will ran into Rita and was definitely playing the part of the jealous girlfriend. I wish I could reassure her that Rita is most definitely not after her man, that ‘Rita’ has found her own man. Francie and Will have not clearly defined their relationship, but anyone can see that they are now a couple. They cuddle on the couch, kiss, hold hands, and every night there is one empty bed in our house, two if I’m not there. It took a couple of days for Fran to finally tell me that something was going on. I, of course, got it out of Will right away, but he promised Fran that he would let her tell me, so I had to wait to officially know. She was very hesitant and shy about it. She was worried about what I would think, but she needn’t have. I think it’s wonderful and I love seeing my two best friends so happy. And they are happy; you can see it on their faces. My only wish is that they could see me as happy, but Francie will never be able to meet Vaughn. Will knows Vaughn, of course, and will actually be getting to know him better because he got the job, which is great. But even Will will never get to see Vaughn and me as a couple. He does know, though. After everything, I only thought it fair to tell him. He’s happy for us. I shouldn’t say that Francie will never meet Vaughn, maybe someday. Someday when SD-6 has been taken down and I can tell her everything. That will be interesting. “Oh, Fran, on top of the fact that I’ve been a secret agent and a double agent and I’ve been lying to you for years, remember Alice and her boyfriend Michael…” Oh well, it’s nothing to worry about right now. Vaughn finally comes out of the kitchen with a big bowl of pasta and sets it on the dining room table. The table is already set. Beautifully, I might add. I get up off the couch and join him over there. I wrap my arms around him and give him a soft kiss. “Thanks for making dinner,” I say. “Well, you’re welcome, but you should remember that it’s the thought that counts, and that we can always order in,” he says warily. I smile at him and shake my head. “I’m sure it’s going to be great.” We sit down at the table and Vaughn dishes out the pasta. I taste it and it’s not bad. It’s not wonderful, but I tell him it is anyway. “I don’t believe you,” he says, grinning, “but I’ll pretend I do. Thank you.” “Vaughn,” I say, “Do you want me to keep calling you Vaughn, or would you prefer that I call you Michael when we’re alone?” He smiles and kind of nods his head. “I was wondering when this was going to come up. I don’t know, you can call me whatever you like, whatever is comfortable for you.” He moves in close to me and nuzzles my neck “But I would appreciate it if you would still call me Vaughn in the bedroom. Hearing that is a realization of the fantasies I’ve had since we first met. I can’t tell you how sexy it is.” He kisses my neck and I’m glad he can’t see that I’m blushing. He pulls back and we continue to eat. “I don’t know,” I say, choosing not to comment on the last part of what he said, “I think that I’ll probably keep calling you Vaughn for now. It’s how I think of you. Maybe I’ll start to slip in a Michael or two now and then and see if it feels natural. But for now, I’ll stick with Vaughn.” “That’s fine with me,” he says. We finish our dinner, talking and laughing like a normal couple. It feels so nice to be here like this with him. When we’re done I begin to clear our plates, but again Vaughn doesn’t let me. “Next time you can help, but tonight I just want you to relax.” I carry our wine glasses over to the sofa and sit down to wait for him to finish. When he does, he comes over to join me. He sits down beside me and grabs my legs, swinging them up over his lap. He puts his arm around me and I lay my head down on his shoulder. I love cuddling with Vaughn; I could just sit like this for hours. It’s so comfortable just sitting here quietly, listening to him breath, but there’s something I have to ask him about. “Vaughn,” I start, lifting my head from his chest, “did you ever find out anything more about who set us up?” He lets out a long sigh, which is a bad sign. “No. I’m sure Darryl Mootz doesn’t know any more than what he’s saying. He says he has no idea how the person who hired him found him; just that he received a call at his home one night. We tracked his phone records, but the call was placed from a phone booth. He was told that a key would be mailed to him. That key was for a locker at the bus station, and instructions and a thousand dollars were waiting there for him. When the job was completed, he was mailed another key to another locker, and in it was the remainder of the money he was promised, four thousand dollars. We tested the envelopes for fingerprints and DNA, but we found nothing. Same with the lockers. Whoever set this up knew what they were doing. It’s a dead end, Syd.” I don’t say anything, I just nod. There’s nothing to say, really. It’s frustrating, but we have nothing to go on. I lay my head back down on Vaughn’s shoulder and try to forget about it. Everything has worked out. Alice may not agree, but for us it was almost a blessing. It wasn’t the easiest road to get to where we are, but where we are is really good. I’m sitting here cuddled up to the man I love, and nothing can be better than that. ~~ Irina POV I sit on the floor of my cell, reading yesterday’s newspaper. This is Kendall’s latest allowance in return for reliable intel I’ve given him. Of course, first he has someone go through it and cut out any stories that are ‘unsuitable’ for me to read. That’s laughable. He goes to all that trouble, and then he allows the same agent to deliver the paper to me every day. What he doesn’t know is that the agent in question has been working for me for months, ever since our other mole, Haladki, disappeared. Every afternoon he brings me the paper, with a message slipped inside. When I return the previous one to him, my message is written within it. In the same place every week; right next to the International Affairs section. What can I say, I’m a fan of irony. As if just thinking of my mole beckons him to me, he arrives at the glass wall of my cell. Even turned the other way I can sense him. I hear the newspaper slide through the slot in the glass, but I don’t turn around to acknowledge him. I don’t want the CIA to pick up on any affiliation we may have. I wait for approximately ten minutes before retrieving the paper. Patience is a virtue. Inside the newspaper is a slip of paper. It’s written in code, of course, and I decipher it in my head.
Summary: Anonymous man hired to portray client of Target. Brought Target to intended location. Target returned to location on regular basis. Contingency: to hire someone else to return to location. Contingency unnecessary. Target became known to Female Friend. Target introduced Love Interest to Female Friend and, bi-product, Male Friend, speeding process up. Love Interest and Baby Girl arranged termination of acquaintance between Target and Female Friend. Outcome: Target moved out of city. Baby Girl and Love Interest romantically involved. Bi-product: Male Friend and Female Friend romantically involved. Mission: Successful Mole
All I really want is for my baby girl to be happy. I have given Sydney nothing but unhappiness for most of her life, and I want to repay her for that. It didn’t take me long to realize her love for Agent Vaughn, and his love for her. Any fool can see it. Although she can never know my part in bringing them together, I feel somewhat atoned. You’re welcome, Sydney. Fini |
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