Note: This fic is in script format however it's extremely basic and doesn't contain many of the technical details. It's essentially a dialogue piece with some description. Also the title comes from Dido's "White Flag" and Coldplay's "The Scientist."
INT. THE VAUGHN'S DINING ROOM - EVENING
Vaughn and Lauren and are almost finished with dinner. She is not happy.
VAUGHN
Come on, Lauren, it's her first Thanksgiving back and she wants everybody to be there, including us.
LAUREN
No, she wants you there. She couldn't care less if I came.
VAUGHN
Please, don't start that again.
LAUREN
What about my parents?
VAUGHN
Tell them we'll fly in Friday morning. I'm sure they'll understand.
She looks at him, wanting to object but she's tired of this so she picks up her plate and stands up.
LAUREN
Fine.
She starts walking toward the kitchen. Vaughn sighs, picks up his own plate, and follows her.
LAUREN
Does she want us to bring anything?
He winces as she roughly turns on the water to rinse off her plate.
VAUGHN
No. Her and her dad are putting it all together.
She yanks the dishwasher open and puts the plate in before slamming it shut.
LAUREN
Good. Now if you don't mind cleaning up, I have to call my mother.
She starts to stomp away.
VAUGHN
Lauren...
She whirls around.
LAUREN
Look, I said I'd go. What more do you want?
And she stalks off leaving Vaughn looking tired and frustrated.
CUT TO:
INT. SYDNEY'S ENTRYWAY - EVENING
Sydney answers a knock at the door. It's Vaughn, Lauren, Carrie, and Marshall.
SYDNEY
Hi, guys. Come on in.
They step in and start to take off their coats.
SYDNEY
Can I get your coats?
MARSHALL
Um, okay.
CARRIE
Sure thanks.
Syd takes both of theirs. Lauren just hands hers to Vaughn and walks over toward the living room. Syd looks like she's wondering if this was such a good idea. Vaughn just watches his wife dejectedly before turning back to Syd.
VAUGHN
Here why don't you show me where you're putting them?
SYDNEY
I'm just hanging them in the hall closet.
They start to walk back into the hallway. They're both a little uncomfortable.
VAUGHN
So, dinner smells really good.
SYDNEY
Thanks. But I can't take all the credit. Turns out my dad's a really good cook.
They get to the closet. It's hidden from the living room. She hands him one of the coats to hold while she hangs up the other one. Throughout the rest of the scene he's handing her coats and she hangs them up.
VAUGHN
Who knew? Jack Bristow: Super spy by day, master chef by night.
Syd laughs lightly.
SYDNEY
You make him sound like someone on the Food Network.
Vaughn laughs.
VAUGHN
Yeah. This week on The Secret Chef learn how to make delicious cuisine while trapped in enemy territory.
She smiles at this and turns around for the last jacket. He hands it to her and as he does his hand brushes against hers in an almost gentle caress. She looks down and swallows hard..
SYDNEY
Vaughn, please.
VAUGHN
What?
She looks up at him with a painful expression.
SYDNEY
You can't keep touching me like that.
VAUGHN
What are you talking about?
SYDNEY
Like right now, what you did with your hand. You've been doing that lately. You know, putting your hand on my back, my shoulder, my arm...
VAUGHN
I have?
SYDNEY
They're just light touches but they have to stop.
He feels horrible and he rubs his hand down his face in disbelief.
VAUGHN
God, Syd, I'm so sorry. I didn't even...
SYDNEY
No, it's okay. I've caught myself doing the same thing to you ever since, you know, we had that talk.
Vaughn sighs.
VAUGHN
It's not working, is it?
SYDNEY
I wish it were but we're getting too comfortable with each other and I'm afraid if we don't stop now...
VAUGHN
Yeah. (beat) But Syd, I can't go back to the way it was when you first returned.
SYDNEY
I know. But you're right, this isn't working.
VAUGHN
So what do we do now?
At this point Weiss walks down the hallway carrying a coat.
WEISS
Hey, guys, um, here's Dixon's coat.
Syd takes his entrance as an opportunity to hang up the last jacket and then she turns to get Dixon's.
SYDNEY
That's everybody, right?
Weiss nods and gives them each a suspicious look. He knows something's up.
WEISS
Yeah, we're just waiting for you.
Syd turns to hang up Dixon's jacket. Vaughn looks at her hesitantly.
VAUGHN
Alright. We'll be out in a second.
Weiss just looks at them before turning back and walking down the hall. Syd's finished with Dixon's coat and she turns back around to face Vaughn.
VAUGHN
Syd...
When he says her name he automatically reaches out to touch her on the shoulder. She looks down at his hand.
SYDNEY
Vaughn...
He stops.
VAUGHN
Right. Later?
She nods sadly and they walk back toward the living room.
CUT TO:
INT. THE VAUGHN'S DINING ROOM - EVENING
Vaughn and Lauren and are almost finished with dinner. She is not happy.
VAUGHN
Come on, Lauren, it's her first Thanksgiving back and she wants everybody to be there, including us.
LAUREN
No, she wants you there. She couldn't care less if I came.
VAUGHN
Please, don't start that again.
LAUREN
What about my parents?
VAUGHN
Tell them we'll fly in Friday morning. I'm sure they'll understand.
She looks at him, wanting to object but she's tired of this so she picks up her plate and stands up.
LAUREN
Fine.
She starts walking toward the kitchen. Vaughn sighs, picks up his own plate, and follows her.
LAUREN
Does she want us to bring anything?
He winces as she roughly turns on the water to rinse off her plate.
VAUGHN
No. Her and her dad are putting it all together.
She yanks the dishwasher open and puts the plate in before slamming it shut.
LAUREN
Good. Now if you don't mind cleaning up, I have to call my mother.
She starts to stomp away.
VAUGHN
Lauren...
She whirls around.
LAUREN
Look, I said I'd go. What more do you want?
And she stalks off leaving Vaughn looking tired and frustrated.
CUT TO:
INT. SYDNEY'S ENTRYWAY - EVENING
Sydney answers a knock at the door. It's Vaughn, Lauren, Carrie, and Marshall.
SYDNEY
Hi, guys. Come on in.
They step in and start to take off their coats.
SYDNEY
Can I get your coats?
MARSHALL
Um, okay.
CARRIE
Sure thanks.
Syd takes both of theirs. Lauren just hands hers to Vaughn and walks over toward the living room. Syd looks like she's wondering if this was such a good idea. Vaughn just watches his wife dejectedly before turning back to Syd.
VAUGHN
Here why don't you show me where you're putting them?
SYDNEY
I'm just hanging them in the hall closet.
They start to walk back into the hallway. They're both a little uncomfortable.
VAUGHN
So, dinner smells really good.
SYDNEY
Thanks. But I can't take all the credit. Turns out my dad's a really good cook.
They get to the closet. It's hidden from the living room. She hands him one of the coats to hold while she hangs up the other one. Throughout the rest of the scene he's handing her coats and she hangs them up.
VAUGHN
Who knew? Jack Bristow: Super spy by day, master chef by night.
Syd laughs lightly.
SYDNEY
You make him sound like someone on the Food Network.
Vaughn laughs.
VAUGHN
Yeah. This week on The Secret Chef learn how to make delicious cuisine while trapped in enemy territory.
She smiles at this and turns around for the last jacket. He hands it to her and as he does his hand brushes against hers in an almost gentle caress. She looks down and swallows hard..
SYDNEY
Vaughn, please.
VAUGHN
What?
She looks up at him with a painful expression.
SYDNEY
You can't keep touching me like that.
VAUGHN
What are you talking about?
SYDNEY
Like right now, what you did with your hand. You've been doing that lately. You know, putting your hand on my back, my shoulder, my arm...
VAUGHN
I have?
SYDNEY
They're just light touches but they have to stop.
He feels horrible and he rubs his hand down his face in disbelief.
VAUGHN
God, Syd, I'm so sorry. I didn't even...
SYDNEY
No, it's okay. I've caught myself doing the same thing to you ever since, you know, we had that talk.
Vaughn sighs.
VAUGHN
It's not working, is it?
SYDNEY
I wish it were but we're getting too comfortable with each other and I'm afraid if we don't stop now...
VAUGHN
Yeah. (beat) But Syd, I can't go back to the way it was when you first returned.
SYDNEY
I know. But you're right, this isn't working.
VAUGHN
So what do we do now?
At this point Weiss walks down the hallway carrying a coat.
WEISS
Hey, guys, um, here's Dixon's coat.
Syd takes his entrance as an opportunity to hang up the last jacket and then she turns to get Dixon's.
SYDNEY
That's everybody, right?
Weiss nods and gives them each a suspicious look. He knows something's up.
WEISS
Yeah, we're just waiting for you.
Syd turns to hang up Dixon's jacket. Vaughn looks at her hesitantly.
VAUGHN
Alright. We'll be out in a second.
Weiss just looks at them before turning back and walking down the hall. Syd's finished with Dixon's coat and she turns back around to face Vaughn.
VAUGHN
Syd...
When he says her name he automatically reaches out to touch her on the shoulder. She looks down at his hand.
SYDNEY
Vaughn...
He stops.
VAUGHN
Right. Later?
She nods sadly and they walk back toward the living room.
CUT TO: