1 CHAPTER 1: THE CALL
It had been almost six months since Sydney and her Father were escorted from the SD-6 building by the CIA. They had been taken straight to a safe house. Sydney had expected to see her handler there, but when they arrived, he was nowhere to be found. She and her father gave their statements against SD-6 and were kept at the safe house for around two weeks until they were certain that there was no threat to them. They had returned to their lives, only this time, minus the Double Agent status.
Sydney went back to her studies and was constantly on the look out for Vaughn. She had not seen or spoken to him since the morning of the raid. He had called her to warn her that it would be happening and not to panic. That everything was going to be fine. And it had been she just knew it would have been better if he had been there.
One morning, as she was sitting in the living room trying to study, she found that her mind would not leave the thought of Vaughn alone. She couldn't help wondering what he was doing, where he was and most of all, why he hadn't contacted her. Finally she reached for the phone and dialled his home number. Smiling at the fact that she was now allowed to call him and not have to use codes to speak to him.
"Hello?" a heavily accented voice answered the phone… a female voice.
"Oh, Hi!" Sydney was slightly surprised "is Vaughn there?" she asked and the woman on the other end laughed warmly.
"You must be talking about Michael" Sydney smiled, as the woman spoke, she managed to identify the accent. She was French.
"Yeah, sorry old habit!" she explained.
"No need to apologise dear," Sydney smiled again, the lady she was speaking to was extremely kind, and there was a certain gentle tone in her voice that was more than a little familiar as she continued "I'm afraid Michael is in France at the moment."
"France!?"
"Oui. He had some business to take care of with his uncle and he asked me to look after his place while he was away. He'll never know this is the same place when he gets back. It's' actually tidy for once!" both women laughed at that before the French woman continued "may I ask how you know him?"
"Oh I used to work with him about six months ago."
"Ah, you wouldn't be Sydney would you?"
"Yes… how did you?"
"I was told you may try to call."
"You were?"
"Oh yes, only about 25,000 times before he left. I would say that my baby boy is more than a little smitten."
Sydney blushed and thanked God that she was on the phone and the other woman couldn't see her!"
"He's your son?"
"Oh yes! Ever since the day he was born!" there was a slight pause as they both smiled "actually. I'd rather like to meet the legendary woman my boy speaks so much about… what do you say? Michael is due home this afternoon, and I'm sure he will be delighted to find you here when he gets home. That is if you're not too busy!"
Sydney looked over at the stack of books she had been reading from. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate if there was the smallest chance of seeing him after so long. She sighed and flipped the book cover shut.
"No. I'm not busy at all."
It had been almost six months since Sydney and her Father were escorted from the SD-6 building by the CIA. They had been taken straight to a safe house. Sydney had expected to see her handler there, but when they arrived, he was nowhere to be found. She and her father gave their statements against SD-6 and were kept at the safe house for around two weeks until they were certain that there was no threat to them. They had returned to their lives, only this time, minus the Double Agent status.
Sydney went back to her studies and was constantly on the look out for Vaughn. She had not seen or spoken to him since the morning of the raid. He had called her to warn her that it would be happening and not to panic. That everything was going to be fine. And it had been she just knew it would have been better if he had been there.
One morning, as she was sitting in the living room trying to study, she found that her mind would not leave the thought of Vaughn alone. She couldn't help wondering what he was doing, where he was and most of all, why he hadn't contacted her. Finally she reached for the phone and dialled his home number. Smiling at the fact that she was now allowed to call him and not have to use codes to speak to him.
"Hello?" a heavily accented voice answered the phone… a female voice.
"Oh, Hi!" Sydney was slightly surprised "is Vaughn there?" she asked and the woman on the other end laughed warmly.
"You must be talking about Michael" Sydney smiled, as the woman spoke, she managed to identify the accent. She was French.
"Yeah, sorry old habit!" she explained.
"No need to apologise dear," Sydney smiled again, the lady she was speaking to was extremely kind, and there was a certain gentle tone in her voice that was more than a little familiar as she continued "I'm afraid Michael is in France at the moment."
"France!?"
"Oui. He had some business to take care of with his uncle and he asked me to look after his place while he was away. He'll never know this is the same place when he gets back. It's' actually tidy for once!" both women laughed at that before the French woman continued "may I ask how you know him?"
"Oh I used to work with him about six months ago."
"Ah, you wouldn't be Sydney would you?"
"Yes… how did you?"
"I was told you may try to call."
"You were?"
"Oh yes, only about 25,000 times before he left. I would say that my baby boy is more than a little smitten."
Sydney blushed and thanked God that she was on the phone and the other woman couldn't see her!"
"He's your son?"
"Oh yes! Ever since the day he was born!" there was a slight pause as they both smiled "actually. I'd rather like to meet the legendary woman my boy speaks so much about… what do you say? Michael is due home this afternoon, and I'm sure he will be delighted to find you here when he gets home. That is if you're not too busy!"
Sydney looked over at the stack of books she had been reading from. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate if there was the smallest chance of seeing him after so long. She sighed and flipped the book cover shut.
"No. I'm not busy at all."