Author: Freelancer Starbuck
Website: www.geocities.com/freelancer_starbuck
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Feedback: YEAH BABY!
Archiving: CD has permission, everyone please ask me first.
Rating: G
Summary: Syd and Vaughn's first date
Author's Note: Fluff with a crappy ending. Bask in the S/V shippyness and don't complain about it! My longest Alias piece, or any piece without chapters! YAY ME!
"Hello?"
"Joey's Pizza?"
Francie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Can I take your order?" She thought she heard a chuckle before the click. She placed the receiver back down.
"Francie, who was that?" Sydney twisted around on the couch and looked at her friend while fanning her wet toenails.
"That Joey's Pizza guy again. We haven't heard from him in awhile, I wonder why he felt the need for pizza now... By the way, that shade of polish looks great on you!"
As Francie left the room, Syd looked down at the bottle of vivid orange nail polish and grinned. It had been a spur of the moment purchase, and now she was glad that her impulsive nature had been slowly returning. It had now been months since the takedown of SD-6, and subsequently the last time she'd seen Vaughn was a few days after. The day of his transfer. She figured it was just Weiss calling to meet her about her next assignment.
Her nails had set by now, so she pulled on a pair on sandals and grabbed her keys. "I'm gonna go pick up some ice cream, you want anything?"
"Yeah, get some toilet paper. Will used our last roll," Francie laughed.
***
The warehouse was silent, shadows bouncing off the crates scattered around the building. Sydney searched for any signs of Weiss, but not a sound was heard.
The shadow behind her coughed gently, announcing his presence. She spun, startled by the sudden noise.
He wasn't visible except for the flecks of green in his eyes.
"Vaughn," she breathed, taking a step forward in awe.
The previously unidentified figure stepped from the murkiness of the darkened warehouse with a wide grin on his face. Sydney's mirrored his as she launched herself into his arms.
Vaughn staggered back, surprised by the show of blatant affection. He returned her embrace more than readily, enjoying the closeness they shared for the first time.
Sydney moved out of his hug, bringing her hand up to rest on his chest. "How-I mean, why..."
Vaughn chuckled. "I called in a few favors to see you. I missed you Syd."
"I missed you too, Vaughn."
They stood like that for a moment longer before Vaughn led her to a crate. She sat, her hand never leaving his.
"Syd," he began, not quite sure what to say now that she was there. "I want to ask you something."
"Go ahead." Sydney's curiosity was piqued. She'd never seen Vaughn look this pensive.
"While we were working together, did you ever think of us in a... less platonic manner?" Vaughn almost kicked himself. He sounded like a technical manual!
A giddy giggle bubbled up in Sydney's throat, finding its way through her lips. "Yeah, I'd be lying if I said no."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Michael, you got me falling for you."
Vaughn's eyes had moved from her eyes to her lips and he leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on them. They met again, this time in a more heated duel.
"Go out with me, Syd. We can go to dinner, a walk on the beach..."
"Tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, that's great."
And as Sydney disengaged herself from Vaughn's arms and walked from the warehouse, she felt a feeling simmer in her stomach. After some serious concentration, she identified the pleasant sensation as happiness.
***
"Come on, Syd! Tell me who it is!" Francie pleaded, bouncing lightly on the bed as her best friend pulled on her halter-top.
"He's a secret. You'll meet him eventually, don't worry." Sydney was now leaning in the mirror, carefully applying a slash of peachy gloss to her pouted lips.
"Is her picking you up?" Francie continued her constant stream on inquiries. "What does he look like?"
"Yes, he's picking me up, and he's got brown hair, green eyes, and a smile to die for." Sydney couldn't help the slight note of possessiveness that crept into her voice at her description.
"Oooh...." Francie mused over this new development, then began her investigation of the phantom coworker that had nabbed her. "What does he do? Ooh, is he an accountant? I hear they're so smart!"
"No, he works in security. What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? I'm just going on a date!" Sydney snorted in a most unladylike way.
"But it's a big deal!" Francie leaped off the bed. "This is your first date since Danny."
"Yeah, I know. So? It was five years ago, Francie. I have to move on."
Before Francie could respond, the doorbell rang. Sydney squealed and ran down the steps, landing lightly at the bottom and pulling open the door. Michael Vaughn stood before her looking much too handsome than any man had a right to. He wore a rich crimson sweater that brought out the golden flecks in his eyes, a simple pair of khakis. His hair looked fluffier than usual and mussed, as if blown by the wind.
"You look... amazing," he said, giving her a half-smile.
She motioned for him to come in. "You look great too, Vaughn."
Francie bounded forward, extending her hand excitedly. "I'm Francie, Syd's roommate."
Vaughn grinned and shook her hand. "Michael Vaughn. It's nice to meet you, Sydney chatters about you all the time."
Sydney reached over and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, Vaughn. Shall we go?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. Bye, Francie, it was great to finally meet you."
"You too, Michael."
As they couple stepped out the door, Sydney called over her shoulder, "Don't wait up for me!"
The air outside was chilly with the bite of early autumn. Syd looked around for the expected SUV, but instead found a motorcycle. Vaughn was leading her towards it.
"A motorcycle?!"
"Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" He'd known she'd get a kick out of riding with him. And the fact that her arms would be tightly clasped around his waist didn't hurt his transportation decision much. "Hop on!"
They sped off into the dusk.
***
The tiny caf� was adorable and intimate, exactly the kind of place she would have expected from Vaughn.
"What a great little place, Vaughn!" She grinned at him. Vaughn marveled at how open she'd been in the last half hour. Whispering into his ear on the ride over, intertwining her fingers with his as if she was afraid to let him go, it all just seemed surreal.
The waitress seated them at a booth near the back, winking at the couple. They were obviously very in love.
They picked up the menus, reading over them in a comfortable silence. Vaughn almost jumped a mile high when he felt a flirtatious foot run up his pant leg. He grinned to himself, returning the gesture in a mock-hug with her leg. They sat in this manner until the waitress came back to take their order.
"What can I get for you?"
"I'll take the chicken salad sandwich on rye bread with a side salad and a Diet Coke." Sydney folded her menu and waited patiently for Vaughn to order.
"I'll have a bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and a root beer, thanks." Vaughn smiled up at her as she jotted the order down on her notepad. They were alone once more.
"Syd," he began, his hand creeping across the table to cover hers. "Why do you call me Vaughn? I do have a first name, you know."
"I don't know..." she mused for a moment. "I guess you would call it a term of endearment. Anyway, you seem more like a Vaughn than a Michael."
Vaughn laughed quietly and leaned forward, joining his lips to hers briefly. "Vous etonner moi quelquefois avec ta puissance. Vous are brave, belle, et incroyable en chacun moyen. Je aimer ta coeur et ta ame, sauf le plus de tout je aimer vous. Mon ange."
"Angel?" she inquired, a smile touched her lips and color flooded her cheeks as she stared back into his eyes.
"My angel."
A small, embarrassed cough interrupted them and they looked up to find the waitress, looking decidedly uncomfortable. She sat their food down and made a beeline for the front counter.
They ate quietly, the only sound being that of Sydney's salad crunching. Vaughn leaned over periodically to feed her a French fry, caressing her face gently each time. They finished unhurriedly and paid the bill, then made the short walk to the pier a block down the street.
Vaughn led her down the chipped and worn steps, never letting go of her hand. Syd slipped off her sandals and let the sand squeeze between her toes. The sky above was like liquid velvet, pinpointed by light and the orb of milky glow that floated among the stars, watching over them all and swathing them with light. They walked, chattering about nothing in particular, mostly just enjoying each other's presence.
The couple found a clean patch of sand and sat in each other's embrace, kissing and murmuring words of affection.
"I never thought we'd ever be like this," Sydney mumbled, taking pleasure in the feel of Vaughn's lips on her neck and the sensations induced by his musky scent. "But I never lost faith. Not in you."
"Never doubt my feelings for you. No matter what, no matter what you do to me or what we endure, I'll always care about you. I'll always love you."
*** Sydney lay in bed two hours later, shadows of Vaughn's touch still haunting her. She couldn't even fathom sleep. Lights suddenly flooded her room and Francie's profile was now clearly visible. Seeing Syd's eyes were open, she entered carefully, switching on a dim light so she could see.
"So..."
The wry smile from Sydney told Francie that the date had gone well. "So what?"
Francie groaned impatiently, glaring at her roommate. "Details, Sydney! What happened?"
"Nothing, really..." Sydney had every intention of keeping the date in her mind, but the pleading face Francie made broke her will. "Ok," she began sitting up. "He has a motorcycle, and of course, I didn't expect it. It was so cute though! We went to this charming little diner and embarrassed our waitress multiple times, then walked along the beach and looked at the ocean while we talked. That's all."
"Are you telling me that he didn't kiss you?!" Francie exclaimed incredulously, her eyes widened.
"I never said that..." she trailed off, grinning mysteriously. They began giggling. "Yeah, he kissed me. Once. Or twice... or a few times... I lost count."
"So do you think it has a future?"
"Definitely."
***
The next day, a Saturday, Sydney woke to a bright sunny day. Blue sky peeked though her curtains and puddles of sunshine dotted her floor, putting her into an even better mood. She stretched leisurely, slipping her feet into her fuzzy blue slippers and padding down the stairs.
Francie sat at the kitchen table sipping orange juice and Will sat across from her, looking decidedly under the weather.
"Good morning!"
"Hey, lover girl. I bet it is a good morning." Francie smiled wickedly and let the last drops of her juice slide into her mouth. Will scowled even more, if it were possible, and shoved a bite of English muffin into his mouth.
"Yeah, I guess so... I just hope he calls!" They chuckled together, but were interrupted by the trill of the phone. Syd reached over and picked it up as she smeared cream cheese over a toasted bagel. "Hello?"
"Sydney." The mysterious and cautious male voice on the other end made her ears perk up.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, it's me. I want to know exactly what you thought you were doing last night." Never one to beat around the bush, Sydney mused sardonically.
"What do you mean? My life is my own. And how do you know about what I was doing last night?"
"That's none of your business."
"I think it is, dad. What did you do, follow me?"
Silence, the universal confirmation.
"You followed me?!"
"Syd, you have to understand, I didn't have any choice-"
Sydney cut him off angrily. "I think you did. You're being an over bearing, overprotective father, and I don't want you interfering in my life or the life of the man I love! Why don't you just stay out of it and let me live for once! Let me feel a little bit of joy!" She slammed the receiver down, and once the adrenaline rush died down, a sob rushed from her throat. Will's arms came around her, but she shrugged them off, dashing up the stairs.
Sydney pulled on a pair of sweats and a comfortable t-shirt, then grabbed her keys and sprinted out the door.
***
Sydney had been driving for a while, not quite knowing where she was headed. The highway was backed up and somehow it didn't give her the satisfaction she needed. Reaching for her cell, she dialed a not quite familiar number and pulled over at the next off-ramp.
"Meet me in Sunnyside," she ordered to Vaughn, referring to a suburb of LA. "Meet me at the boardwalk in one hour."
She refolded her phone and sped off down the deserted, tree lined street.
The sky had turned gray in the hour after the mysterious phone call, and Vaughn began to wonder if he should have brought an umbrella. He spotted Sydney a few yards away, staring over the pier at the water that churned below. He stepped from his car and stood beside her quietly.
When she finally looked up, there were tears glistening in her eyes.
"Oh, Vaughn... I'm scared! I'm so scared that I'll never get away from this life. I'm scared that my father will never trust me and stop looking over my shoulder. I don't want to be scared anymore. I just want to be normal."
"Baby, sweetheart," he began, gathering her into his arms. "Don't worry about your dad. He loves you, and I can't say I blame him." He kissed her forehead warmly, then mumbled to himself, "Who wouldn't love you..."
A smile crept across her face and she gave in. "Maybe you're right. No, of course you're right, you're always right. I'm just being paranoid."
Vaughn laughed. "That you are, my dear. Come over for dinner tonight. I'll even cook!"
They stood for a moment longer, looking at the ocean rumbling a few hundred feet away. Sydney snuggled into Vaughn's arms.
"Did you just call me paranoid?"
The translation of the French passage is: You amaze me sometimes with your strength. You are brave, beautiful, and incredible in every way. I love your soul and your heart, but most of all I love you. My angel.
I translated it myself, so if there are any problems I apologise!