"Mom?!"
Sydney Bristow gasped at the sight of the woman standing in the doorway before her. Irina's wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and stature immediatly identified the woman as her mother. They were nearly mirror images of one another; with the exception of Sydney's stubborn chin that she thought resembled her father's.
Irina waved the guards away and crossed the room to stand before Sydney, "My dear, what's the matter? You don't look well..." she asked in a voice both cruel and ironic.
"So... you're 'The Man'," Sydney responded in a voice of mock dissappointment intended to cover the range of emotions storming her mind. I risked his life to find, she concluded bitterly in her head.
Irina payed no attention to this remark, and took a moment to truly look at her daughter, the product of using Jack to gain SD-6 intellegence. Sydney stared at her narrow eyed from the chair she was bound to with a pained expression her mother knew she was trying to hide. With a sigh she spoke, "I would have thought your reaction would be somewhat... different when meeting your mother-"
"My mother," Sydney fought to keep her voice even against the anger rising inside her, "My mother who used my father, endangered my country, and is responsible for the dea-," she hesitated, unsure of her mother's awareness of Vaughn's presence on this latest mission, "for the deaths of only God knows how many innocent people?" She twisted her wrists against the cuffs that bound them to the metal chair and found that they were tight, but she had expected no less.
Irina smiled wryly. This was going to be fun, "I never used your father, Sydney. I may have used Jack Bristow, but never your father."
"You didn't use my father? If it weren't for the fact that you used him and lied to him for years, I wouldn't even be here!" The words escaped in a burst of anger that Sydney had been fighting to contain. "What do you mean you didn't use Jack Bristow," she added, willing herself to speak cooly.
Laura took a moment to ponder this. So, Sydney didn't know the truth. Perhaps Sloane hadn't told Jack or Sydney. Maybe he didn't even know. Either way, there was no harm in Sydney knowing, seeing as she wasn't going to live out the hour, "Jack may have been my husband Sydney, but he isn't your father. You do know your father though, dear. His name is Arvin-"
"No! You're lying!" The words escaped Sydney's mouth as a weak murmer, and even as she spoke them she realized that it was probably the truth, and fought back waves of nausea at the realization. The times Sloane had pulled her aside, to check on her well being... He'd even said that she was like a daughter to him. Even all the hatrid Sydney had for the woman standing before her couldn't begin to rival the hate she felt towards Sloane. Bringing him down was what got her up each morning, pulled her through this endless stream of missions and countermissions and lies. It was all that kept her going in the midst of all the chaos.
That, and maybe something else that a part of her still denied, but it was all over now. She'd never pick up the phone to hear his voice again. It was only two meaningless words, but when she anwsered them with a 'Wrong number,' she couldn't help but smile a little because it meant that any minute she'd be walking into that dark warehouse surrounded by the chain link fence and gate to meet the one person in her life that wasn't clouded in lies. Sydney was pulled out of this moment of nostalgia by her mother's voice without a clue as to how long she had been wandering through the bittersweet memories.
"You came here with a young man tonight? Who and where is he?"
The question that was spoken so simply struck Sydney as if it had been a physical blow. She had spoken of him as if he was nothing, but ofcourse to Irina that was probably true. Sydney wondered if her mother had ideas about Vaughn's identity, or if it was just a cruel and curious question. Surely she knew all of the SD-6 agents as a result of spying on Jack Bristow for so long, but did she know of Sydney's CIA contact as well? Sydney blinked back tears that burned her eyes and responded cooly, "I don't know who you're talking about."
Khasinau grinned and took this response as a cue to dissappear into the other room and return with a folder containing what turned out to be photographs. She was showed each photo for a painfully long time. One of she and Vaughn at a convenience store, another at an airport, park, parking lot, news stand. An endless display of the times she and Vaughn had been near enough for her to recieve her counter mission, but never looking at each other.
That was forbidden in public; it would give away their cover if they were seen. But such good the painful precaution had done. Here was a stack of evidence anyways, and she had never been able to look him in the eye outside of the warehouse where they exchanged case information and counter missions. A concrete warehouse bathed in shadows that had always hidden Vaughn's face. She wondered wistfully what color his eyes were. Blue? Green? Brown? She was ashamed that she didn't, and would never know.
Sydney gathered her bearings, shrugged, and said that it must be a coincidence, knowing very well that she wasn't believed even for a second. Even if her mother had believed her words, the tear that splashed on the stack of photographs would have betrayed her.
More tears pooled on the photo on top of the pile that was her mother's most recent piece of evidence of Sydney and Vaughn's acquaintance; a photo of them walking through a nightclub. The last time she'd ever be near him, captured in a black and white photo. Minutes after it was taken had come the rush of water, the pressurized door, and the loss that she knew would haunt her forever.
Sydney glared at her captures. Irina was as unreadable as ever, but Khasinau couldn't hide a grin at the absurd solution Sydney had given for the man in the photographs. Then something caught her eye. A vent above the door of this horrible stone walled prison, and peering out of it was a pair of eyes. Sydney's heart pounded and she forced herself to look curiously around the room as not to draw attention to the person in the vent. Two possibilities hit her at once; her father (who in her eyes would always be Jack) or Dixon.
Being proven wrong would never again bring such joy to Sydney as it did when the grate fell from the vent to the floor and she could see Vaughn's face through the shadows.
The events that followed were of a dizzying pace and would be hard for her to recall later, though she would always wonder how she had missed and he had ignored the wound from the bullet that had grazed his left shoulder.
Khasinau and Irina spun to face the source of the clang. Khasinau pointed a gun, fired, and fell to the floor, followed seconds later by Irina.
Sydney noted a small dart in each of their throats as Vaughn tumbled out of the vent and hurried to her side. Reaching Sydney he noticed that her arms and legs were handcuffed to the chair she sat in.
"Who has the keys?" he asked, and she managed to ramble something about Khasinau's shirt pocket.
She was in complete and total shock at seeing Vaughn alive. He was soaked from head to toe, bruised, and scraped up pretty badly, but to Sydney he had never looked more beautiful in all his life. She watched him in a daze while he found the keys and freed her from the chair and helped her to feet.
Then he noticed the scattered pictures on the floor. "Oh God.." he murmered, tenderly picking up a picture of Sydney and Vaughn holding hands at the pier, "Who in the hell knew?" Not knowing Jack Bristow had already taken care of the photographer, Vaughn made a mental note to fish out the mole who had obviously tapped his lines and spyed on he and Sydney for only God knows how long, and personally break his neck. Hastily he gathered up the rest of the photos.
With a glance over his shoulder at Sydney's mother, he grabbed Sydney's hand and exclaimed, "We have to get out of here! They'll come around any second!" and led them at a sprint out the door and through the back parking lot. Vaughn was unsure of Jack's wherabouts, and from the time he had been trapped under water the device he had used to keep contact with him had been destroyed, and Sydney's earpiece had been taken by Irina while she was unconcious.
Vaughn led them down the alley that had been their original meeting place with Jack. He ignored Sydney's pleas to go back for Irina and Khasinau, and when they reached the end of the ally they were greeted with the black unmarked van that was to be their means of escape.
Obviously meant to carry equiptment of some sort and not passengers, the van had no seats other than driver and passenger, so she and Vaughn jumped in and sank to the floor against a wall.
Looking at Vaughn in a way that made her heart pound, Sydney managed a weak smile and murmered, "You have green eyes." He didn't know what to say or do other than wrap his arms around her when the events of the day and the truths she had learned caught up with her and she cried until she slept.
Will Tilmitt looked over his shoulder at the attractive young man with his arms wrapped strongly around Sydney. He was dazed, content to be near her, and by no means wanting to let her go. Will was immediatly jealous of this stranger. Turning to Jack he tried to ask the question plaguing him, but he wasn't even sure what he wanted to know. Hoping he wouldn't sound childish and jealous he whispered, "Who.. is he a part of SD6..."
A glance in the rearview mirror left Jack worried. This was dangerous; a personal matter that he wasn't sure of how to handle. He was uneasy even at the thought of having to remind Sydney and Vaughn of the handler-agent protocol that was to be maintained and abided by, but decided that now was the best time to cut the level of comfort between Sydney and Vaughn short-- before it blew Sydney's cover.
Loudly, he answered Will's question causing Vaughn to jump and sit up rigidly, but his arm still rested protectively around Sydney's shoulders.
"Mr. Vaughn is a member of the CIA, and Sydney's handler. They are acquaintences. I am sure you realize that repeating any of this will get both Mr. Vaughn and Sydney killed, and it was the both of them who disobeyed orders in order to save your life. Oh, Michael Vaughn meet Will Tilmitt," he added awkwardly.
Vaughn felt strange to be meeting one of Sydney's friends, especially Will. He had been jealous of this man on multiple occasions, namely when Sydney had decided to take him to Sloane's dinner party, but he was relieved to see him safe and in one piece, "Will, I'm glad to meet you. You don't know how sorry I am that you've had to go through all of this."
Will looked incredulously over his shoulder again at the man who'd most likely been a part of Sydney's secret world for as long as it had existed; the secret life he was just beginning to learn of. From what Will had just seen and heard, he could tell that this man was courteous and protective, which made him as jealous as it made him certain that there was no one who he could possibly trust more with Sydney's life. As jealous as he may have been, it was nearly impossible for him to wholly dislike Michael Vaughn,
"Thank you so much.. for everything. For helping me and for.. being there for Sydney-"
Sydney stirred at the mentioning of her name, wrapping her arms around Vaughn and resting her head against his chest. It wasn't a dream. He's really alive, she thought distantly until he pulled away and snapped her harshly into reality. She couldn't have known how painful the gesture had been for him as well.
Sydney didn't stay upset for long. When she looked up and saw Will looking back at her, it took all she had not to jump to her feet in the moving van,
"Will! Are you alright?! What'd they do to you?!" the blood had been crudely washed away from his face, which revealed the deep cuts and painful looking bruises. She felt tears welling up in her eyes at seeing her friend in such obvious pain.
"Sydney, I'm fine! I was so worried about you. I'm so happy to see you again!" he gushed and was only cut off by Jack who had pulled infront of a rickity shed.
"This is the safe house where you'll be staying tonight," he said to Sydney and Vaughn as he got out of the car, "Will, wait here." Walking around to the back of the car he opened the door so Sydney and Vaughn could climb out.
"You are to stay here until I contact you tomarrow. I'll be taking a flight back to L.A. to cover for both of you. Tomarrow night we will be making a second attempt to capture Irina Derevko and Khasinau. I'll fill you in on the details when I contact you. Vaughn, can I speak with you for a moment?" the last question was as polite as it was a demand. Vaughn nodded and he and Jack stepped aside to talk in private, leaving Sydney confused and apprehensive.
"Now, I'm not going to run circles around this Mr. Vaughn. I know you care for my daughter-"
"She risks her life for her country on a daily basis. Of course I care for her! I admire her for having the strength to wake up each morning and live this kind of life every day. I admire anyone who lives this kind of life," Vaughn said defensively.
"Michael, you are fooling no one, but if you want to live in denial that is your choice. Let me remind you of this though; if you and Sydney were seen together in public, it would blow her cover at SD-6. She would be killed. Agent-handler protocol forbids relationships for a reason. If you care about Sydney you'll respect that. If need be, I will intervene and have another agent take your place."
Vaughn stared at Jack wide eyed, knowing he spoke the truth but wanting to defend he and Sydney anways. And he tried to, but all he could manage was a helpless, "I.. understand."
They walked back to Sydney- who was leaning against the van talking to Will- in silence. Sydney nodded when her father told her to be careful, and gave he and Will a hug before the van pulled away leaving Sydney shivering and Vaughn with a lot on his mind.
Chapter Two
Entering the worn down shed, she moved cardboard boxes as her father had instructed, creating dust clouds that swirled around her until she found one that revealed a trap door in the floor. With Vaughn's help she pulled the stubborn door open with a loud creak, and they climbed down into a dark and scarcely furnished room.
While Sydney looked in cabinets and on shelves for candles or flashlights, Vaughn moved a rug that revealed a compartment in the floor containing a first aid kit, non-perishable food, a blanket, cell phone, and matches.
"Found the candles!" Sydney announced, setting them up around the room. "Any matches?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder to examine the contents of the compartment. The way he jumped and twisted away from her left Sydney dumbstruck for a moment. Vaughn had never shyed from her like that. No, it had always been me turning away from him, she thought bitterly and suddenly felt certain of the subject of Vaughn and her father's private conversation.
"Are you alright? Vaughn.. what did my father say to you?"
"Nothing really.. Look, you should eat something. It's not much, but I have a feeling we're going to have a busy day tomarrow and you'll need all the energy you can get," he said as he tossed a box of crackers to her.
Sydney was actually amused, "You're lying to me!" she laughed as she lobbed the box back at him, "I can't believe you don't know better. I'm a spy for Christ's sake! I know when I'm being lied to," suddenly she grew serious as she sat down on the floor across from him, "Vaughn, what did he say to you?"
It took one look into Sydney's eyes to know that he had to tell her the truth. She was so determined to know what had happened that she seemed willing to beat it out of him if need be. And she probably could, he thought as he stole a quick glance at her slender but muscular frame. She was still sporting the ridiculous disguise of a black fishnet shirt and leather tube top that exposed the bruises and scars she had encountered since her affiliation with SD-6. Those marks would probably never fade from her skin, and would always stand as proof of the many physical battles she had engaged in. The emotional battles however, were only evident in her pained brown eyes. Without thinking he brushed a lock of her still pixie blue hair out of her eyes and tucked it delicately behind her ear as he spoke softly,
"He's right with what he said Sydney. I could never be with you without putting you in danger. When we were in the van, that close, and I knew you were safe.. I'd never felt happier in my life. And with you in my arms.. who knows, maybe.. that meant nothing to you, but it did to me, and it kills me to know that we could never be that in public. Not without disguises, and hiding, and always looking over our shoulder for fear of being caught. And if we were caught, caught on film together, Sydney, Christ, we've already been caught on film," he pulled out the picture he had tucked away and handed it to Sydney.
"Do you know what it would mean if this got back to SD-6? It would blow your cover. It would get you killed. I couldn't live with that," he paused and looked up at her expecting anger, shock, or pain but he only saw her waiting patiently for him to continue, and he did in a helpless tone "but I can't live without you either Sydney... and that's so damn selfish of me!"
"Selfish? You think I haven't been there? You know better than that. Vaughn.. what was it when I told Danny about my job, knowing the consequences, just because I couldn't keep a secret? Nothing could be more selfish then that. And if you're selfish because you-" she paused and found it almost painful to go on because she knew what her father had said was true, "because you have feelings about me, then.."
Her heart pounded as she leaned over and touched a trembling hand to his cheek, "I'm selfish too," and then she brought her lips to his and kissed him gently at first, but then they were kissing with a passion that they didn't know had been building in her for so long. The realization that she had almost lost him that day hit her again, and Vaughn felt a hot tear that was not his run down his cheek.
He broke their kiss to brush away the tears that streamed silently down her face as she murmered, "I came so close to losing you today. I don't know how I could have lived with myself if I had, if I do. Vaughn, this isn't over yet. Sometimes I think it will never end. It'll be the death of both of us eventually, and it will still never end! "
She shook with her every word and let herself be gathered up in Vaughn's arms, and they stayed like that for an eternity not knowing what to say until she confided as a whisper in his ear, "and do you know what I was thinking back there? When I was being held captive by my own mother? 'Now he's gone forever, and I never even looked into his eyes, or kissed him, or thanked him for being there for me always, and now I never will.' My life is surrounded in lies, but I can't lie to you," and with that she brought her mouth back to his and trailed a series of kisses down his neck and shoulder as he murmered comforting words in her ear.
Bringing her mouth to his again she slid his shirt back over his shoulders when he unexpectedly let out a gasp of pain half muffled against her lips. "You're hurt!" she exclaimed as she noticed for the first time that the shoulder of Vaughn's shirt was soaked in blood. "God, he shot you! How could you not have noticed?" she demanded.
Vaughn shook his head and laughed ruefully, "I don't know! I was too suprised at seeing you alive to think about anything else!"
"Well," she got to her feet and retrieved the first aid kit, "being that suprised could get you killed. He was aiming for your heart!" kneeling beside him she dabbed at the wound gently like a mother would for a frightened child, and wrapped a bandage tightly around his arm.
"He's a bad shot!" he teased, but Sydney responded very soberly, "The next one may not be. We should get some sleep. Who knows what we'll have to deal with tomarrow," she arranged the two flimsy blankets on the floor as a substitute for a bed, "But, I have to know this first; how did you.. I thought you'd drowned!"
"It doesn't matter Sydney. We're both alive, and that's more than either of us could have hoped for a few hours ago."
Lying awake that night with Sydney curled up in the curve of his arm with her head on his chest, Vaughn thought about Jack's words again and decided that it was probably better that what had almost happened between he and Sydney had been stopped by the discovery of the wound on his arm. Things were better this way, and Vaughn decided to take Eric's advice and draw a line between he and Sydney from that point on. But even as he came to that decision he couldn't bring himself to pull away from the sleeping woman who he embraced, and he fell asleep with his arm still around her.
Chapter Three
It was the same dream she'd had every night since Danny's death. She knew she was dreaming, and she knew the dream by heart, but she couldn't wake up. She'd walk throughout the house calling his name, but she'd get no response. Then would come her feet on the cold bathroom floor, the blood, and uncontainable tears. Tonight though, it was different and she knew she was trembling in real life as she walked throughout the house calling Vaughn's name.
"Vaughn? Vaughn? Micheal are you here?" she said, his first name tasting odd on her tounge, "Vaughn?" she called as her feet carried here down the hallway and towards the bathroom.
Her feet were bathed in warm blood as she stumbled against the glistening red tiles and dropped to her knees before the bathtub and screamed.
"Vaughn! Oh God! Wake up! VAUGHN!" she was sobbing now and she knew that he was dead, "Oh god, Vaughn! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
She woke with a start and pulled herself as close to Vaughn as she could and wept until she had no more tears. Placing a chaste kiss on his forehead, she carefully pulled away so she didn't wake him. As she paced about that morning, Sydney came to the decision that it was best if things remained professional between she and Vaughn from this point forward. Strictly professional from now on, the thought was a strangly comforting one, No emotions, no secrets, and no losses. It's so much better that way.
Sydney was carefully unpinning the blue wig from her hair when Vaughn woke up, "Aw.. I thought you'd keep it that way. Blue hair really brings out the color in your eyes," he teased and instantly regretted it. Keep things professional... "Any news from your father yet?"
"No, I put the cell on vibrate. Call it paranoia, but the last thing we need is someone walking into that shed and hearing a phone ring. How's your arm?"
"It's hard not to be paranoid in this line of work," he grimaced as he unwrapped the blood soaked bandage, "My arms fine," he lied, "I don't even feel it anymore. I'll just wrap it with some clean bandages." In truth, he'd had a hard time falling asleep with the constant searing pain in his arm, and had been awake to
Vaughn sought out the emergency first aid kit and was attempting to rewrap his arm when the cell phone went off. He watched Sydney as she hurried to pick up the phone.
She knew she didn't have to ask if the line was secure. Of course it was; this was her father.
"Hello? We're fine. .....Is Sloane suspicious? ...I can't believe you know that! I'd actually, forgotten... It's alright... and Vaughn? CIA didn't exactly approve his part in this last 'mission' either... Oh... Weiss?... So, what's the plan?... Okay... alright, I understand.. You too! Thanks dad!"
Vaughn looked at her timidly, "That wasn't a good 'oh'. Is everything alright?"
"Well, my father went directly to Weiss so he could cover for you. From what dad said, he was absolutly livid about you being in on this, but he agreed to cover for you until this is over. And he told Sloane that.. that this was the anniversary of my first date with... Danny, and that I needed some time to myself. I didn't realize at first that it wasn't a lie," she added somberly.
"Sydney, I'm so sorry," he said, leading to an awkward silence.
"It's alright," Sydney said calmly, breaking the silence, "I think I'm actually starting to heal. I.. stopped wearing my engagement ring about a month ago. It always hurts. It always will, but I think I'm starting to move on if that's possible. Francie, she told me that he wouldn't want me to live my life in mourning for him, and I know she's right."
"She is right. He loved you Sydney, and he'd want you to live your life happily." And with someone who loved you as much as he did, Vaughn thought the words but knew he couldn't speak them. From that point on, everything was going to be according to protocol. If he kept his feelings out of it, he'd wouldn't have to worry about putting her in danger. The line was drawn and he wasn't going to cross it.
Looking up at Sydney, he noticed a sudden change in her expression. Like she'd come to some realization. When she spoke her voice was dry and professional and reminded him of the first time they had met, "So, here's what we have to do so we can get out of here..."
The plan was simple enough in theory. In short, Sydney was to reenter the night club alone and present herself to Irina as an ally. Her mother would know better, but that was part of the plan. While Sydney was busy pledging her loyalty to her mother and an amused Khasinau, Vaughn was to enter the club as well and get himself 'captured' by Laura by very obviously searching for Sydney. As Jack was convinced that Khasinau was Irina's most trusted ally, it was only natural that he would be sent to retrieve and take care of Vaughn. With Laura and Sydney alone, Sydney was to disable Irina and signal the extraction team-Jack and Weiss- to assist Vaughn and have a van waiting. It was risky, but the only way that the take down could be accomplished without SD6's knowledge. There plan was to go into effect at midnight with Weiss and Jack's arrival at the safe house.
Vaughn and Sydney paced around the safe house for hours, going over every possible scenario or unexpected problem that they could possibly encounter,
"Well, what if she sends someone else, not Khasinau, to retrieve you?" Sydney asked, her voice laced with concern that she couldn't completely mask.
"Then, they'll probably be taking me to see Irina, and I'll be seeing you as well. We'll have to improvise from there. I'm more worried about you. I have a feeling she'll be heavily guarded after our break in last night and that means you won't just be dealing with one woman, but a team of guards."
Sydney smiled, "It wouldn't be the first time I've been outnumbered. I'll be fine." And with that, the safe house door swung open and they were greeted by Weiss and Jack.
Chapter Four
"How many miles are we past that line Michael?" Weiss' irritated voice mumbled into Sydney, Vaughn, and Jack's earpiece. It actually took Sydney a moment to register that Michael was the same person as Vaughn. Ofcourse she knew, but calling him Michael seemed so unnatural to her. He had always been Vaughn, plain and simple.
"Line?" she asked, feeling as though she was being left in the dark as she listened to familiar voices arguing in her ear. She was in the night club again adorned in another daring and scarce outfit that was catching the attention of the entire room. The deja vu, the pulsating music, and the restrained anger between Vaughn and Weiss were almost too much for her to bear when another voice overpowered the first two,
"Sydney, Just worry about the mission. Are you ready to go radio silent?" the voice was her father's from his place in a van in the parking lot. Across the street in the alley was Weiss in another vehicle, and Vaughn was stationed around the corner waiting for the cue to enter the club.
"Yes."
"Okay, you know the drill. You won't hear us, but we'll hear you if you need help."
"Be careful Syd, and don't forget, I'm-- we're right behind you. Just give the signal once you're in," that was Vaughn, and Sydney smiled sadly at the warning he had given her before every mission. Be careful Syd. It had always been a sincere gesture from him, not one performed out of obligation, but Sydney couldn't help but feel that he sounded different when he said it. Not insincere, just different.
"Going radio silent in 3.. 2.. 1.." Jack's voice cut off any attempt of responding from Sydney. She was on her own now, and after the tense yet familiar voices that had been conversating in her ear just seconds before Sydney felt strangly alone. With a sigh she placed herself very obviously infront of a security camera, and then headed deliberatly towards the door that she and Vaughn had crept into the night before.
What if the water's still there, she thought in a moment of panic and apprehension until she realized that it was very unlikely that the club would have been open if the water hadn't been cleaned up immediatly and discreetly. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Sydney pushed herself through the door and was immediatly intercepted by Khasinau.
"Irina's daughter!" she explained, "I'm Irina's daughter, the prisoner from last night, and I have SD6 intellegence to share with her!"
With the mentioning of SD6 Khasinau went wide eyed and hastened his step. In his sudden haste it was easy for Sydney to catch him offguard. Twisting an arm away she jabbed her elbow in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
Khasinau gasped and let go of Sydney's other arm, but not before wrenching it painfully and causing her to fall to the floor with a muffled scream.
Sydney thought for a split second of stumbling to her feet, but as she rolled onto her back she saw with horror that Khasinau was drawing a gun. Not having time to get the pistol in her purse, Sydney kicked upwards making solid contact with Khasinau's jaw with a sickening crunch of bone. He looked at her stunned, then dropped to the floor unconcious.
The sight of Khasinau's shattered jaw sent waves of nausea through Sydney, and she stumbled to her feet and down the corridor and coughed loudly.
-------------------
Vaughn had very nearly tapped a dent into his steering wheel with nerves. He could handle the sounds of a struggle between Sydney and the guard, but the gasp of pain that escaped her lips struck a nerve with him and it took all he had not to run in and save her. He sighed with obvious relief when he heard her cough twice. That was the signal; she was okay and it was time for his part in this whole ordeal.
"Okay Sydney, I'm on my way!"
"Change of plans!" Sydney panted as Vaughn turned the key in the ignition and drove the car towards the club.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked impatiently, and Vaughn's foot nearly slipped off the gas pedal at the words. 'Change of plans' couldn't possibly be good.
"Khasinau, he's unconcious! He was waiting on the other side of the door for me. I broke his jaw! And I think the security cameras caught it! I'm gonna need back up with," she paused unsure of how to address the woman she was supposed to capture, "...Irina. Vaughn, she's seen you with me already, so it'd be least dangerous for you to assist me. Dad, Weiss? Khasinau is in the corridor immediatly on the other side of the door. Get him out of here and have a car waiting!"
As Vaughn listened to this he had already parked and was hurrying into the club. If Irina was alone, what Sydney was saying was a good and very convenient thing, but if not she was about to come face to face with an angry Irina and equally angry guards.
"I'm here," he murmered, cutting off the conversation and impromptu plans being made by Weiss and Jack. He was trying to discreetly yet hurridly shove his way through the crowds of people on the dance floor. Pushing aside a young blonde woman who seemed intent on dancing with him, Vaughn could see the door he and Sydney had broken in through the night before, "Give me ten seconds and I've got your back!" and with a look over his shoulder he made a subtle beeline to the door and down the corridor.
Sydney heard his quiet but hurried footsteps before she felt his hand rest quietly on her shoulder. "Ready?" she asked in a whisper, but she was already making her way down the corridor at a run with Vaughn directly behind her. There was no sense in being discreet when cameras lined the walls and Irina was obviously aware of their presence. Why she had yet to encounter anyone since Khasinau however; that scared her.
The silence was eerie with no sound other than their footsteps, and the hallway seemed endless. Nerves got the best of Sydney and she pulled the pistol out of her purse. She rarely fired her gun and had no one had ever died by her bullet; the thought sickened her, but she would do it if she had to. Vaughn already had his gun drawn and was aiming it at anything that could possibly hide a person in, under, or behind it.
"Think she's still here?" Sydney asked as they ducked in and out of any door that was unlocked and knocking loudly on those that were.
Vaughn closed a door and stepped back into the hallway, "There's a good possibility that she took off after last night."
"Or there's a good possibility that we just walked into a trap. Vaughn, someone would have noticed us by now. We've been walking down a camera lined corridor, and I doubt Khasinau was the only one here. It's too convenient!" As she spoke, Sydney moved closer and closer to Vaughn until they were almost touching. They wouldn't be seperated again if she could help it.
"I agree," he said to her and then spoke into the watch he was wearing, "Did you find Khasinau?"
A couple of nervous seconds passed and Weiss spoke, "Yes. We're waiting at the extraction spot with him now. What's taking so long?"
"Nothing, and that's what's making me uncomfortable. Since Khasinau, we haven't encountered a single guard, or Irina. The place is empty."
"If you're sure she isn't there, then you might as well get out. Khasinau still hasn't come around, so we can't interrogate him."
They agreed, with some reluctance from Sydney, to call off the search for tonight. Before they left though, she wanted to try the last door even though she knew there would be no one waiting on the other side. Turning the handle, she found that it was locked and said to Vaughn with a sigh, "Okay, let's go."
But as they headed towards the exit Sydney began to feel faint. She thought to tell Vaughn, but he seemed to be fine. It's probably just nerves, she thought and kept walking. She made it a couple more feet before things started to blur and she swayed. Bracing herself against the wall she took a deep breath and told Vaughn what was wrong. What she said both relieved and frightened him because he was feeling the same. Looking up he saw the vents near the ceiling and instantly knew what was happening. Someone was putting poison of some sort through the vents!
He came to her side and supported her by letting her swing an arm around his shoulder and supporting her waist, "Sydney, can you walk? We have to get out of here now!" She nodded sleepily and barely noticed her father's voice in her ear.
"Vaughn? Sydney? What's going on?"
"There's some sort of gas in the vents! Don't bother coming for us," Vaughn said, now leaning against the wall for support as he and Sydney trudged through the hallway. The room seemed to be spinning around him and it was all he could do to stay standing, "You'll only put yourselves in danger!"
Jack said something, or maybe it was Weiss, but neither Vaughn nor Sydney heard because Sydney was already unconcious in Vaughn's arms and he was soon to follow. His last thoughts were of his legs giving way, and sliding to the floor with Sydney landing lightly on top of him.
They were both unaware of the last door that she had checked swinging open, footsteps in the corridor, and Irina and another person standing before them, wearing gas masks.
Chapter Five
Vaughn's head was searing with so much pain that he wasn't sure if he could even force his eyes open, and even though he could, and did, it was with much painful effort. At first, opening his eyes did little good because everything was still a blur. He tried to bring his hands to his eyes, but they wouldn't budge. So he blinked repeatedly until the man sitting before him came into view.
The man before him was Asian, wearing a suit and glasses, and an expressionless face. Vaughn knew in the back of his mind that he should know who this man was, but he couldn't place an identity with him.
"Where's Sydney?" He asked weakly, looking around the room to discover that they were alone. It looked similar to the room he had found her in the night before, and sure enough his arms and legs were bound to a chair as if he had any strength to try and escape anyways. He was still incredibly dizzy and disoriented and knew that if he hadn't been bound to the chair he would have toppled to the floor.
"You're in no position to ask questions Mr... Vaughn, I presume?"
Ironically, Vaughn anwsered this remark with yet another question. One that was warily asked, "How do you know my name?"
"Not that I owe you any anwsers, but when Ms. Bristow came around she wouldn't stop calling for you. She even cried for you. Seeing as we had to pry her from your arms, I think it's fair to assume that you are Michael Vaughn. Now you answer my question; who are you affiliated with?"
"I am affiliated with no one," Vaughn responded coldly.
"Oh? She told me differently. Ms. Bristow swore she'd never betray you, but.. a little encouragement from me, and she told me everything." As he told Vaughn this, he gestured towards a small table with various medical and dental instruments lying on it's surface.
It was then that Vaughn realized who this man was. The same man Sydney had told him about so long ago; when she first ran into CIA headquarters bleeding, bruised, and with pink hair, pleading for someone to listen to her story about SD6. The same man who had tried to torture information out of her by pulling her teeth was sitting before him now. She hadn't spilled information then, why would she now? Vaughn decided that if this man was going to be the end of him, he wouldn't make things easy on him.
"Why would you be asking me if she already told you?" he asked with grim satisfaction at catching the man offguard.
"Ms. Bristow was very helpful before.... I'm just looking for confirmation. We can do this the easy way, Mr. Vaughn. Or, I can get my anwsers in a much more painful manner," he said, making a display of polishing the instruments on the table.
Vaughn was in no way concerned about any physical tortures that this man could was going to put him through. The way he trailed off when talking about Sydney was the worst torture possible, "Before what?! Where is Sydney?" he asked and recieved only silence and an amused grin in return, "Where is she?" he repeated angrily.
"Anwser my question and you may see her. Who do you work for?"
"You'll kill me as soon as I tell you," Vaughn responded distantly. He was trembling with a range of emotions so vast that he was certain it would drive him to insanity. Anger, hatrid, confusion, fear, love, regret. He loved Sydney. How could he have ever denied it? And now he regretted with all his heart that he had taken Weiss' advice when it came to her.
"Mr. Vaughn, I may not be a kind man, but I never go back on my word. Anwser my question and I will take you to Ms. Bristow."
Vaughn looked him in the eye and prepared to tell the what would probably turn out to be the most deadly lie he would ever voice, "I work for SD- 6..." he started, and spun a tale of being hired by Arvin Sloane to root out spies or double agents. His faith in his story grew as he spoke of being assigned to keep an eye on Sydney Bristow, as suspicians had arose surrounding her loyalty to SD-6. Through his investigations, she had proven to be loyal, and in the midst of the time he had spent with her, he had fallen in love but a relationship between agents was forbidden at SD-6.
As he spoke a strange calmness washed over him because in the midst of the lies there were small truths that he had told no one. Even if he was confessing his forbidden love for Sydney to a man who may very well prove to be the death of him; there was a strange comfort in voicing what he had hidden deep inside him for so long.
Finally, the man interrupted Vaughn's story, "Very well. Come with me," and unlocked the handcuffs that bound him to the chair, just to cuff his hands behind his back. He led Vaughn forcefully into a small room where Sydney sat; bruised, battered, and bleeding. She was barely recognizable and for a sickening moment Vaughn wondered whether she was dead or unconcious; she was restrained as he had been, and slumped forward in the chair.
He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but all that escaped him was a strangled noise that could have very well been a sob. He stood in the doorway helplessly until he was knocked forcefully to his knees by his captor. Before he could fully register what had happened he felt the cold steel blade of a knife at his throat and an equally cold voice,
"You're a liar."
Chapter Six
The words rang painfully loud in his ears, and Vaughn was sure that he was about to die. What could he do? His hands were cuffed behind him, he wasn't even standing, and he was still weak from whatever had been blown through the vents earliar. A small part of him accepted the fact that this was going to be the end and he was pained to think that his last image of Sydney was of her tortured, unconcious, and very possibly dead, but he felt it would be a betrayal to her if he looked away.
"DON'T!" the voice cut sharply through Vaughn's thoughts and were said with authority instead of as a plea, "He will be more beneficial to us if he is alive," Irina explained, "She won't cooperate if he's dead, but I'm certain she'll do almost anything for him. Maybe even bring us Jack Bristow. But they won't agree to anything until they've spoken to one another. She made that very clear, the stubborn bitch," she went on in Russian, and Khasinau thought that the remark about Sydney was spoken almost in admiration. Then, turning on her heels to leave Irina concluded, "But don't let that stop your fun."
'Suit and Glasses,' Vaughn remembered that Sydney had referred to him as such, took the last remark as permission to draw the knife against Vaughn's throat with just enough pressure to draw blood and inflict pain. He then pulled Vaughn to his feet and half led half shoved him back into the other room. Vaughn was prepared to fight with everything he had, but 'Suit and Glasses' has apparently anticipated this. Vaughn recieved a blow to the back of his head before he had even decided on a means of attack, and when he came around he was once again chained to a chair as he had been before. There was one difference however.
When he looked up he was sitting across from Sydney Bristow.
She was restrained in the same manner as he was, and to Vaughn's immense relief she was concious. It was the most frusterating and hopeless situation he had ever faced. She was so painfully close! If his arms hadn't been restrained he could have easily reached out and touched her.
Sydney sighed and stated what they were both obviously thinking, "I doubt this is an act of kindness. What's she trying to accomplish by letting us see each other?"
"Trying to play our emotions in regards to um.. each other.. to her benefit," he said awkwardly and then continued in a whisper, "She's going to try and use me to get you to lure your father to her. Syd, promise me that no matter what they do to me, you won't cooperate with them. As long as they want Jack they'll keep you alive. You're the only one who can lure him here, so they need you. If Jack shows up, we're all dead, your father included!"
"My father will be able to handle himself! He won't come here if he can't-"
"Sydney, promise me!"
"I can't! I can't promise to save myself and let you.. die! Vaughn, I won't!" she cried, infuriated at him for asking her to do such a thing. Vaughn winced at her words, and they both sat in silence; she looking at the ceiling and he at the floor, both trying desperately to avoid looking at one another.
Sydney shook her head in disbelief at the desperate situation, and a lock of hair swept across her ear. Such a simple thing, but with it she realized that she still wore her silver earrings. Irina hadn't thought to take them, which meant that Jack had just heard Vaughn and Sydney's entire conversation.
The communicator that Sydney had worn at the start of the mission consisted of two pieces; one, a somewhat obvious piece that she wore in her ear, allowing her to hear her father, Vaughn, and Weiss. The microphone however was contained in the pair of unobtrusive silver studded earrings. Though Jack and Weiss couldn't contact her, they were most likely monitoring everything that Sydney's microphone had picked up.
She wanted more than anything to tell Vaughn about the microphone, but she was certain that the room was being monitored by Irina so she continued to sit in silence and wait for something-anything to happen. But waiting gives way to thinking and Sydney had the morbid thought that if her father couldn't get them out of this, she would probably never see Vaughn once he left this room. She couldn't leave things in such a state between them, and she didn't care if her father heard what she was about to say.
"Vaughn..." she started weakly, earning her a pained look from him, "You have to understand why I can't promise you that. I couldn't stand to know that I'd not done everything in my power to protect you," then she looked up at him and whispered almost as if the words frightened her, "I love you."
"I know Sydney. I love you, too."
Sydney's eyes filled with tears at the words, and she thought that Vaughn was going to say something more, but at that moment Irina and Suit and Glasses entered the room.
"I'm sure you've had a nice conversation?" Irina said as she crossed the room to stand next to her daughter; she was holding a cell phone.
"You tell me," Sydney responded coldly, knowing that her 'nice conversation' had been observed.
"I was touched. It almost makes me feel guilty about doing this. You are going to contact Jack Bristow and tell him that you and Mr. Vaughn are waiting for extraction in the back alley. Convince him that there is no reason to worry and to come unarmed and alone."
"And if I won't?"
Irina gestured over her shoulder at Vaughn. She gasped at the sight of Suit and Glasses holding a gun to the back of his head.
"Sydney, don't listen to her!" Vaughn pleaded and heard a click that was the gun at his head, "Syd, don't look! Just close your eyes."
She was crying loudly and he had tears streaming down his face and Sydney just couldn't stand it, "NO! I'll do it! But only if you spare him!"
Chapter Seven
Jack and Eric Weiss exchanged worried looks as they listened to what Sydney's microphone was transmitting to them. The last bit they heard between Michael and Sydney before Irina walked in however, caused Eric to dig his fingernails into the palm of his hand and glance warily in Jack's direction. They had been waiting for their window of opprotunity, and this was as close at they were going to get. One chance to rescue Jack's daughter and Weiss' best friend and that was when Jack's cellphone rang and it was Sydney calling.
He half listened to Sydney's lie, and was at the same time formulating a plan to rescue she and Vaughn.
There weren't many options, especially with no assistant. So it came down to a crude plan based on luck alone. Jack would comply with Sydney's request to meet alone in the back alley, but he would be secretly armed. Weiss on the other hand would enter the club in the same manner as Sydney and Vaughn had, only doing his best to dodge camera's and make his way to them. To their knowledge it was only Irina and Suit and Glasses to worry about, so one of the two would be guarding their prisoners, and the other would be meeting Jack in the alley. Their only security and protection would be in bullet proof vests and guns.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Jack asked Weiss, who was buttoning a black shirt over his bullet proof vest. His dark hair had been spiked, he wore all black, and sported a fake ring on his lip. It was the closest he could hope to manage as far as fitting into a club on such short notice, and hoped that it would be enough for him to blend in.
"Sydney's your daughter, and Mike's my best friend. I can't just sit back and let this happen. I can do this, I have to."
Jack nodded in Weiss' direction; it was as close to any display of emotion that Weiss would see.
"I'm expected at the alley in fifteen minutes. You'll have to make it to the club just after I enter the alley if you're to retrieve Sydney and Vaughn. Meet back here as soon as they're safe. If I'm not waiting leave without me. Understand?"
Weiss nodded grimly and climbed out of the car. It was only a matter of a few blocks from where they were to the club, so he was going to walk. It would blow their entire plan if Jack was spotted with someone in the car when he was supposed to be arriving alone.
With Weiss gone Jack rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment, then put the car in gear.
-----------------------------------------
The entire time Sydney was speaking with her father, her eyes never left Vaughn. She wouldn't break eye contact, hoping that with her eyes alone she could find some way to reassure him that things would be alright. He just stared back at her hopelessly though, certain that she was signing away their lives, as well as her father's, with that phonecall.
When she had finished, Irina took the cell phone from Sydney's ear and turned it off. She looked at her daughter questioningly and Sydney nodded and said sadly that her father would be waiting in the alley.
Irina was pleased by this and pulled out a key that she used to free Vaughn from his hand cuffs. Looking him in the eye as she unpinned her hair she said to Vaughn, "You're coming with me. It would be in Sydney's best interest if you cooperate. If there are any problems he'll know, and Sydney will be immediatly executed." By 'he', she meant the man who was responsible for the gash on Vaughn's neck, who was holding a gun to Sydney's head. Vaughn didn't doubt for a second that Sydney's mother was bluffing, and couldn't believe how casually she could promise her daughter's death.
Vaughn marveled at how much Irina looked like her daughter when she let her brown hair tumble over her shoulders. If you weren't seeing her upclose it would be easy to mistake her for Sydney, which turned out to be what Irina was counting on.
"Then there'll be no problems," Vaughn said shakily as he got to his feet. He was desperately searching for a way he could get Sydney, Jack, and himself out of this alive and he would have attacked the second his hands and feet were free, but the tables were now turned with the gun pointed at Sydney, and he was unarmed. He had no choice but to comply and count on Jack to help them out of this.
Irina led him out of the room and ultimately to the back alley- with Sydney and Suit and Glasses staying behind- he looking over his shoulder at Sydney every step of the way. Looking at her he thought she seemed unusually calm and wondered for a moment if more had been exchanged in Jack and Sydney's conversation than Irina had caught on to.
Sydney watched Vaughn and her mother leave, never blinking for fear of missing what could be the last time she would ever see the man who had always been there for her without a second's concern for his own well being. She was looking at the doorway he had reluctantly left through for minutes after he was gone when she suddenly heard a door swing open open behind her.
Then feeling of cold metal against the back of Sydney's head was suddenly gone as Suit and Glasses turned to aim the gun at the man standing in the doorway.
"Don't shoot! Drop the gun!" but even as she realized that the voice yelling the commands belonged to Weiss, she heard the firing of a gun and for a sickening fraction of a second that seemed like an eternity, she thought it had been her captor's gun. She withdrew the breath she had been holding when Suit and Glasses fell to her feet.
"Sydney! Are you alright?! Where's Vaughn?" Weiss rained questions on her and she tried to come to her senses enough to anwser them as he frantically searched Suit and Glasses' body for the keys that would free her.
"My shoe! The keys are in my shoe!" she exclaimed as Weiss cursed that he couldn't find them.
"How in the hell-" he couldn't even form the question as he hastily unlaced and removed a black boot from Sydney's right foot.
"Vaughn had them from before.. from when he rescued me the first time!" she immediatly felt embarrassed at the statement. How many times had he rescued her, bailed her out of problems she had brought on herself? Weiss didn't pay any attention to the remark though, as he was fumbling with the key and the hand cuffs that bound her to that damned metal chair that had impaired her numerous times in the last two days.
When Sydney could finally stand Weiss asked her again about Vaughn's wherabouts, and he was absolutly pale when asking.
"He's with my mother! In the alley! Oh God, we have to help him! He and my dad!"
She turned to dart out the door when Weiss grabbed her arm. "Sydney, I made a promise that I'd get you out of here and to safety, and I intend to keep that promise!"
Sydney whirled around to twist her arm away and face Weiss, but he only tightened his grip.
"Dammit! Let go! If dad's armed, the second Irina sees the gun Vaughn'll be dead! She'll kill him in an instant!"
Weiss looked up at her as she continued to plead with him fiercely and relentlessly. It hurt him terribly to say what he was about to say, but when she heard it he thought he was watching her heart actually break before his eyes, "Sydney, listen to me. I heard what was said between you and Michael... all of it. I'm not going to share my feelings on that, I'm sure you already know how I feel, and I'm positive that Mike does.. but I will tell you this: He would never forgive me if I let you run in to save him, just to get yourself killed. If anything happened to you, it would be the end of his life as far as he was concerned-"
Sydney looked at Weiss blankly as he spoke, then the force of what he was saying hit her and she collapsed in a fit of tears. If Weiss hadn't caught her other arm she would have fallen to the floor. Everything he was saying, it was true, she knew it was true, and she respected and despised Weiss for being so honest. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to argue with him, all she could really do was accept that what he said was the truth. She would have to leave with Weiss and hope for the best.
When her tears finally subsided she allowed Weiss to lead her to his car, but by that time she was completely withdrawn and unresponsive to anything he said to her. She didn't even remember climbing the stairs of the apartment complex to the hidden room that was one of the Taipei safehouses.
Upon entering the room she threw herself down on the small couch and stared at the clock on the wall, not hearing Weiss say that Jack had said that he would try to meet them there within an hour, and if he didn't they were to catch a flight home.
She watched the second hand go around and around- 65 times she counted- until she felt a hand on her shoulder and Weiss told her that they should go. She thought of reasons to argue with him for the next 20 minutes, for no other reason but to keep them at the safehouse for 20 minutes longer.
Sydney wouldn't look or speak to Weiss the entire way to the airport, and cried silently for the entire over night flight back to L.A.
Chapter Eight
Sydney got home around 4 a.m. to find Francie waiting for her, distraught and demanding anwsers to where she had been and why she hadn't thought to call.
Sydney made some excuse about being held over in a heated business meeting, then retired to her room and to bed before Francie saw her burst in to tears.
Francie however, wasn't finished and stormed in after her, on the verge of tears, just as Sydney was throwing herself into bed.
"Don't seem so put out by me being worried about you, Sydney! I didn't know where you were and I thought that maybe something had happened to you, and Will! I haven't heard from him in the last three days! Do you know where he is?"
Sydney looked at Francie and tangled her fingers in her hair. She did know where Will was- in a CIA safehouse somewhere- but she couldn't tell Francie that. She searched for a lie that would calm Francie and fit whatever time limit Will would be gone.
"He didn't tell you?!" she exclaimed, "His boss put him on a pretty big story, but it's completely hush-hush until he gets all the details. He said it was going to involve some traveling on his part, and he wouldn't tell me where. All he'd say was, 'You'll see when it's published! Syd, this is going to be my big story!' and nothing more about it.... Look Fran, I'm sorry I was sooo.. irritable out there. It's just.. it was a hard trip, and I'm tired and need to sleep. I won't be such a monster in the morning, I promise."
Francie nodded and gave her a hug, and it took all the will power Sydney possessed not to cry on her shoulder and tell her everything that had happened the past few days, but she didn't and as soon as Francie left the room Sydney fell back into bed and somehow managed to sleep.
Sydney woke that morning to Francie exchanging a few irritable words on the phone. When she walked into Sydney's room to find her awake she sighed and asked, "Who in their right mind orders a pizza at 8:00 in the morning?!"
Sydney's heart pounded as she realized what the phone call had been, "The Joey's Pizza guy again, huh?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from steady.
"Yea! I swear.. one of these days, I'm going to get our number changed."
"No! Don't do that!" Sydney exclaimed before she could stop herself, earning her a puzzled look. "I mean, you have to admit that it's kind of funny. My day just isn't complete without the Joey's Pizza phonecall."
"Sure, if you say so," Francie muttered and left the room to make breakfast.
Sydney's mind raced with possibilities as she climbed out of bed and threw on a fitted tee-shirt and jeans. She took all of ten seconds to run a brush through her hair, not bothering to shower, but splashing water on her face and hastily brushing her teeth. With a quick glance in the mirror she decided that she was as presentable as she cared to be when about to recieve news that would shatter her life forever.
Francie glared at her as she headed for the front door, pointing out the fact that it was one of the few days she had off, and recieving an excuse from Sydney about being out of toothpaste. Francie nodded and asked if she'd pick up some milk as well, and let her on her way.
As she drove to the warehouse where she had met with Vaughn so many times, Sydney decided that it would probably be Weiss waiting for her. He would probably be the bearer of tragic news about Vaughn and her father, Sydney thought as she bit her lip. But I'll hear it and I won't let myself cry again, she told herself sternly, preparing for the worst.
She entered the warehouse biting her lip and waiting for Weiss to greet her, but as she turned the corner and approached the chain link gate she saw a man with sandy brown hair sitting on a crate with his back to her. It was Vaughn, and it took all she had not to vault over the fence and into his arms.
Instead she forced herself to take a breath, but found it desperatly hard to breathe as she walked through the gate and shut it behind her. She was standing about twelve feet away from him, scared that if she got too close he would prove to be nothing more than an illusion. When he finally turned to face her he simply said, "Hi."
"Hi," she responded shyly, not moving from where she stood. She willed herself to say something, anything, and when she opened her mouth to do so a question about her mother slipped from her lips, "So, Irina's in CIA custody?"
Vaughn looked at the floor and murmered, "Sydney, I'm so sorry but your mother, Irina.. she was killed last night."
Sydney was suprised that those words didn't hurt her, but she was strangly indifferent to the news of her mother's death, "It's... alright. She wasn't the woman I thought she was, or the woman I would have liked to get to know..."
She saw Vaughn nod slightly at this anwser, and they stayed in silence for minutes. Five? Ten? Fifty? Sydney didn't know, but she suddenly broke the silence and exclaimed as she burst into tears, "I was so worried about you! Vaughn, I thought I'd lost you again! For good!" And then they were in each others arms; Sydney crying with her face hidden against Vaughn's shoulder, he wrapping his arms tightly around her and running his fingers through her hair, never wanting to let her out of that embrace.
But eventually he did, and they both sat down on a crate holding hands and with his arm around her. They sat quietly for a moment, then he spoke up, "This will never work. You know that, right? Not as long as there's an SD- 6."
She nodded and said quietly, "But I want it to work. I'll wait until SD-6 is gone if I have to, and the day Sloane is taken out of the Credit Dauphine in hand cuffs, I want to run out of that building and into your arms, not worrying about who might be watching... but what if that day never comes?"
"It will. Irina had lots of files on SD-6 in her possession. That's a big step in taking them down. And Sydney, someday we will take them down, I promise. And when that day comes I'll be waiting to catch you in my arms and I'll never let you go-"
"But until then, we need to push this behind us. As long as you're going to be my handler- and I can't do this without you- it has to be professional. My father was right about that," she interrupted and looked up into his eyes, knowing that he agreed.
From there they went on to talk about everything. She told him about what Irina had said about Sloane, and about how she would never want a blood test or question anything because whether they were related by blood or not, Sloane would never be her father. Vaughn told her how he and Jack had escaped.
And he shocked Sydney by telling her that Jack had coldly but honestly said that he could forget about the conversation he had overheard between he and Sydney, so long as Vaughn didn't jeopardize Sydney or her missions by letting his feelings get in the way.
They talked about Will, and Eric, and Francie, and the day when they could all meet. At the mentioning of Francie though, Sydney realized that she should go before she got suspicious. Vaughn nodded and walked her to the gate, opening it for her. Before she left, Sydney looked back at him and into his grey-green eyes, knowing she wouldn't allow herself to look at him that way again until the end of SD-6.
She started to turn to leave when Vaughn leaned over and kissed her so sweetly and so gently that she thought her heart would break into a million pieces with longing for him. She looked at her feet and said goodbye, knowing that if she looked into his eyes again she would never leave.
Vaughn waited until she had been gone for five minutes as he always had, then walked through the gate, up the stone steps, and into the sunlight. Looking across the street he saw a couple walking hand in hand.
"Someday..." he sighed.
Sydney Bristow gasped at the sight of the woman standing in the doorway before her. Irina's wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and stature immediatly identified the woman as her mother. They were nearly mirror images of one another; with the exception of Sydney's stubborn chin that she thought resembled her father's.
Irina waved the guards away and crossed the room to stand before Sydney, "My dear, what's the matter? You don't look well..." she asked in a voice both cruel and ironic.
"So... you're 'The Man'," Sydney responded in a voice of mock dissappointment intended to cover the range of emotions storming her mind. I risked his life to find, she concluded bitterly in her head.
Irina payed no attention to this remark, and took a moment to truly look at her daughter, the product of using Jack to gain SD-6 intellegence. Sydney stared at her narrow eyed from the chair she was bound to with a pained expression her mother knew she was trying to hide. With a sigh she spoke, "I would have thought your reaction would be somewhat... different when meeting your mother-"
"My mother," Sydney fought to keep her voice even against the anger rising inside her, "My mother who used my father, endangered my country, and is responsible for the dea-," she hesitated, unsure of her mother's awareness of Vaughn's presence on this latest mission, "for the deaths of only God knows how many innocent people?" She twisted her wrists against the cuffs that bound them to the metal chair and found that they were tight, but she had expected no less.
Irina smiled wryly. This was going to be fun, "I never used your father, Sydney. I may have used Jack Bristow, but never your father."
"You didn't use my father? If it weren't for the fact that you used him and lied to him for years, I wouldn't even be here!" The words escaped in a burst of anger that Sydney had been fighting to contain. "What do you mean you didn't use Jack Bristow," she added, willing herself to speak cooly.
Laura took a moment to ponder this. So, Sydney didn't know the truth. Perhaps Sloane hadn't told Jack or Sydney. Maybe he didn't even know. Either way, there was no harm in Sydney knowing, seeing as she wasn't going to live out the hour, "Jack may have been my husband Sydney, but he isn't your father. You do know your father though, dear. His name is Arvin-"
"No! You're lying!" The words escaped Sydney's mouth as a weak murmer, and even as she spoke them she realized that it was probably the truth, and fought back waves of nausea at the realization. The times Sloane had pulled her aside, to check on her well being... He'd even said that she was like a daughter to him. Even all the hatrid Sydney had for the woman standing before her couldn't begin to rival the hate she felt towards Sloane. Bringing him down was what got her up each morning, pulled her through this endless stream of missions and countermissions and lies. It was all that kept her going in the midst of all the chaos.
That, and maybe something else that a part of her still denied, but it was all over now. She'd never pick up the phone to hear his voice again. It was only two meaningless words, but when she anwsered them with a 'Wrong number,' she couldn't help but smile a little because it meant that any minute she'd be walking into that dark warehouse surrounded by the chain link fence and gate to meet the one person in her life that wasn't clouded in lies. Sydney was pulled out of this moment of nostalgia by her mother's voice without a clue as to how long she had been wandering through the bittersweet memories.
"You came here with a young man tonight? Who and where is he?"
The question that was spoken so simply struck Sydney as if it had been a physical blow. She had spoken of him as if he was nothing, but ofcourse to Irina that was probably true. Sydney wondered if her mother had ideas about Vaughn's identity, or if it was just a cruel and curious question. Surely she knew all of the SD-6 agents as a result of spying on Jack Bristow for so long, but did she know of Sydney's CIA contact as well? Sydney blinked back tears that burned her eyes and responded cooly, "I don't know who you're talking about."
Khasinau grinned and took this response as a cue to dissappear into the other room and return with a folder containing what turned out to be photographs. She was showed each photo for a painfully long time. One of she and Vaughn at a convenience store, another at an airport, park, parking lot, news stand. An endless display of the times she and Vaughn had been near enough for her to recieve her counter mission, but never looking at each other.
That was forbidden in public; it would give away their cover if they were seen. But such good the painful precaution had done. Here was a stack of evidence anyways, and she had never been able to look him in the eye outside of the warehouse where they exchanged case information and counter missions. A concrete warehouse bathed in shadows that had always hidden Vaughn's face. She wondered wistfully what color his eyes were. Blue? Green? Brown? She was ashamed that she didn't, and would never know.
Sydney gathered her bearings, shrugged, and said that it must be a coincidence, knowing very well that she wasn't believed even for a second. Even if her mother had believed her words, the tear that splashed on the stack of photographs would have betrayed her.
More tears pooled on the photo on top of the pile that was her mother's most recent piece of evidence of Sydney and Vaughn's acquaintance; a photo of them walking through a nightclub. The last time she'd ever be near him, captured in a black and white photo. Minutes after it was taken had come the rush of water, the pressurized door, and the loss that she knew would haunt her forever.
Sydney glared at her captures. Irina was as unreadable as ever, but Khasinau couldn't hide a grin at the absurd solution Sydney had given for the man in the photographs. Then something caught her eye. A vent above the door of this horrible stone walled prison, and peering out of it was a pair of eyes. Sydney's heart pounded and she forced herself to look curiously around the room as not to draw attention to the person in the vent. Two possibilities hit her at once; her father (who in her eyes would always be Jack) or Dixon.
Being proven wrong would never again bring such joy to Sydney as it did when the grate fell from the vent to the floor and she could see Vaughn's face through the shadows.
The events that followed were of a dizzying pace and would be hard for her to recall later, though she would always wonder how she had missed and he had ignored the wound from the bullet that had grazed his left shoulder.
Khasinau and Irina spun to face the source of the clang. Khasinau pointed a gun, fired, and fell to the floor, followed seconds later by Irina.
Sydney noted a small dart in each of their throats as Vaughn tumbled out of the vent and hurried to her side. Reaching Sydney he noticed that her arms and legs were handcuffed to the chair she sat in.
"Who has the keys?" he asked, and she managed to ramble something about Khasinau's shirt pocket.
She was in complete and total shock at seeing Vaughn alive. He was soaked from head to toe, bruised, and scraped up pretty badly, but to Sydney he had never looked more beautiful in all his life. She watched him in a daze while he found the keys and freed her from the chair and helped her to feet.
Then he noticed the scattered pictures on the floor. "Oh God.." he murmered, tenderly picking up a picture of Sydney and Vaughn holding hands at the pier, "Who in the hell knew?" Not knowing Jack Bristow had already taken care of the photographer, Vaughn made a mental note to fish out the mole who had obviously tapped his lines and spyed on he and Sydney for only God knows how long, and personally break his neck. Hastily he gathered up the rest of the photos.
With a glance over his shoulder at Sydney's mother, he grabbed Sydney's hand and exclaimed, "We have to get out of here! They'll come around any second!" and led them at a sprint out the door and through the back parking lot. Vaughn was unsure of Jack's wherabouts, and from the time he had been trapped under water the device he had used to keep contact with him had been destroyed, and Sydney's earpiece had been taken by Irina while she was unconcious.
Vaughn led them down the alley that had been their original meeting place with Jack. He ignored Sydney's pleas to go back for Irina and Khasinau, and when they reached the end of the ally they were greeted with the black unmarked van that was to be their means of escape.
Obviously meant to carry equiptment of some sort and not passengers, the van had no seats other than driver and passenger, so she and Vaughn jumped in and sank to the floor against a wall.
Looking at Vaughn in a way that made her heart pound, Sydney managed a weak smile and murmered, "You have green eyes." He didn't know what to say or do other than wrap his arms around her when the events of the day and the truths she had learned caught up with her and she cried until she slept.
Will Tilmitt looked over his shoulder at the attractive young man with his arms wrapped strongly around Sydney. He was dazed, content to be near her, and by no means wanting to let her go. Will was immediatly jealous of this stranger. Turning to Jack he tried to ask the question plaguing him, but he wasn't even sure what he wanted to know. Hoping he wouldn't sound childish and jealous he whispered, "Who.. is he a part of SD6..."
A glance in the rearview mirror left Jack worried. This was dangerous; a personal matter that he wasn't sure of how to handle. He was uneasy even at the thought of having to remind Sydney and Vaughn of the handler-agent protocol that was to be maintained and abided by, but decided that now was the best time to cut the level of comfort between Sydney and Vaughn short-- before it blew Sydney's cover.
Loudly, he answered Will's question causing Vaughn to jump and sit up rigidly, but his arm still rested protectively around Sydney's shoulders.
"Mr. Vaughn is a member of the CIA, and Sydney's handler. They are acquaintences. I am sure you realize that repeating any of this will get both Mr. Vaughn and Sydney killed, and it was the both of them who disobeyed orders in order to save your life. Oh, Michael Vaughn meet Will Tilmitt," he added awkwardly.
Vaughn felt strange to be meeting one of Sydney's friends, especially Will. He had been jealous of this man on multiple occasions, namely when Sydney had decided to take him to Sloane's dinner party, but he was relieved to see him safe and in one piece, "Will, I'm glad to meet you. You don't know how sorry I am that you've had to go through all of this."
Will looked incredulously over his shoulder again at the man who'd most likely been a part of Sydney's secret world for as long as it had existed; the secret life he was just beginning to learn of. From what Will had just seen and heard, he could tell that this man was courteous and protective, which made him as jealous as it made him certain that there was no one who he could possibly trust more with Sydney's life. As jealous as he may have been, it was nearly impossible for him to wholly dislike Michael Vaughn,
"Thank you so much.. for everything. For helping me and for.. being there for Sydney-"
Sydney stirred at the mentioning of her name, wrapping her arms around Vaughn and resting her head against his chest. It wasn't a dream. He's really alive, she thought distantly until he pulled away and snapped her harshly into reality. She couldn't have known how painful the gesture had been for him as well.
Sydney didn't stay upset for long. When she looked up and saw Will looking back at her, it took all she had not to jump to her feet in the moving van,
"Will! Are you alright?! What'd they do to you?!" the blood had been crudely washed away from his face, which revealed the deep cuts and painful looking bruises. She felt tears welling up in her eyes at seeing her friend in such obvious pain.
"Sydney, I'm fine! I was so worried about you. I'm so happy to see you again!" he gushed and was only cut off by Jack who had pulled infront of a rickity shed.
"This is the safe house where you'll be staying tonight," he said to Sydney and Vaughn as he got out of the car, "Will, wait here." Walking around to the back of the car he opened the door so Sydney and Vaughn could climb out.
"You are to stay here until I contact you tomarrow. I'll be taking a flight back to L.A. to cover for both of you. Tomarrow night we will be making a second attempt to capture Irina Derevko and Khasinau. I'll fill you in on the details when I contact you. Vaughn, can I speak with you for a moment?" the last question was as polite as it was a demand. Vaughn nodded and he and Jack stepped aside to talk in private, leaving Sydney confused and apprehensive.
"Now, I'm not going to run circles around this Mr. Vaughn. I know you care for my daughter-"
"She risks her life for her country on a daily basis. Of course I care for her! I admire her for having the strength to wake up each morning and live this kind of life every day. I admire anyone who lives this kind of life," Vaughn said defensively.
"Michael, you are fooling no one, but if you want to live in denial that is your choice. Let me remind you of this though; if you and Sydney were seen together in public, it would blow her cover at SD-6. She would be killed. Agent-handler protocol forbids relationships for a reason. If you care about Sydney you'll respect that. If need be, I will intervene and have another agent take your place."
Vaughn stared at Jack wide eyed, knowing he spoke the truth but wanting to defend he and Sydney anways. And he tried to, but all he could manage was a helpless, "I.. understand."
They walked back to Sydney- who was leaning against the van talking to Will- in silence. Sydney nodded when her father told her to be careful, and gave he and Will a hug before the van pulled away leaving Sydney shivering and Vaughn with a lot on his mind.
Chapter Two
Entering the worn down shed, she moved cardboard boxes as her father had instructed, creating dust clouds that swirled around her until she found one that revealed a trap door in the floor. With Vaughn's help she pulled the stubborn door open with a loud creak, and they climbed down into a dark and scarcely furnished room.
While Sydney looked in cabinets and on shelves for candles or flashlights, Vaughn moved a rug that revealed a compartment in the floor containing a first aid kit, non-perishable food, a blanket, cell phone, and matches.
"Found the candles!" Sydney announced, setting them up around the room. "Any matches?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder to examine the contents of the compartment. The way he jumped and twisted away from her left Sydney dumbstruck for a moment. Vaughn had never shyed from her like that. No, it had always been me turning away from him, she thought bitterly and suddenly felt certain of the subject of Vaughn and her father's private conversation.
"Are you alright? Vaughn.. what did my father say to you?"
"Nothing really.. Look, you should eat something. It's not much, but I have a feeling we're going to have a busy day tomarrow and you'll need all the energy you can get," he said as he tossed a box of crackers to her.
Sydney was actually amused, "You're lying to me!" she laughed as she lobbed the box back at him, "I can't believe you don't know better. I'm a spy for Christ's sake! I know when I'm being lied to," suddenly she grew serious as she sat down on the floor across from him, "Vaughn, what did he say to you?"
It took one look into Sydney's eyes to know that he had to tell her the truth. She was so determined to know what had happened that she seemed willing to beat it out of him if need be. And she probably could, he thought as he stole a quick glance at her slender but muscular frame. She was still sporting the ridiculous disguise of a black fishnet shirt and leather tube top that exposed the bruises and scars she had encountered since her affiliation with SD-6. Those marks would probably never fade from her skin, and would always stand as proof of the many physical battles she had engaged in. The emotional battles however, were only evident in her pained brown eyes. Without thinking he brushed a lock of her still pixie blue hair out of her eyes and tucked it delicately behind her ear as he spoke softly,
"He's right with what he said Sydney. I could never be with you without putting you in danger. When we were in the van, that close, and I knew you were safe.. I'd never felt happier in my life. And with you in my arms.. who knows, maybe.. that meant nothing to you, but it did to me, and it kills me to know that we could never be that in public. Not without disguises, and hiding, and always looking over our shoulder for fear of being caught. And if we were caught, caught on film together, Sydney, Christ, we've already been caught on film," he pulled out the picture he had tucked away and handed it to Sydney.
"Do you know what it would mean if this got back to SD-6? It would blow your cover. It would get you killed. I couldn't live with that," he paused and looked up at her expecting anger, shock, or pain but he only saw her waiting patiently for him to continue, and he did in a helpless tone "but I can't live without you either Sydney... and that's so damn selfish of me!"
"Selfish? You think I haven't been there? You know better than that. Vaughn.. what was it when I told Danny about my job, knowing the consequences, just because I couldn't keep a secret? Nothing could be more selfish then that. And if you're selfish because you-" she paused and found it almost painful to go on because she knew what her father had said was true, "because you have feelings about me, then.."
Her heart pounded as she leaned over and touched a trembling hand to his cheek, "I'm selfish too," and then she brought her lips to his and kissed him gently at first, but then they were kissing with a passion that they didn't know had been building in her for so long. The realization that she had almost lost him that day hit her again, and Vaughn felt a hot tear that was not his run down his cheek.
He broke their kiss to brush away the tears that streamed silently down her face as she murmered, "I came so close to losing you today. I don't know how I could have lived with myself if I had, if I do. Vaughn, this isn't over yet. Sometimes I think it will never end. It'll be the death of both of us eventually, and it will still never end! "
She shook with her every word and let herself be gathered up in Vaughn's arms, and they stayed like that for an eternity not knowing what to say until she confided as a whisper in his ear, "and do you know what I was thinking back there? When I was being held captive by my own mother? 'Now he's gone forever, and I never even looked into his eyes, or kissed him, or thanked him for being there for me always, and now I never will.' My life is surrounded in lies, but I can't lie to you," and with that she brought her mouth back to his and trailed a series of kisses down his neck and shoulder as he murmered comforting words in her ear.
Bringing her mouth to his again she slid his shirt back over his shoulders when he unexpectedly let out a gasp of pain half muffled against her lips. "You're hurt!" she exclaimed as she noticed for the first time that the shoulder of Vaughn's shirt was soaked in blood. "God, he shot you! How could you not have noticed?" she demanded.
Vaughn shook his head and laughed ruefully, "I don't know! I was too suprised at seeing you alive to think about anything else!"
"Well," she got to her feet and retrieved the first aid kit, "being that suprised could get you killed. He was aiming for your heart!" kneeling beside him she dabbed at the wound gently like a mother would for a frightened child, and wrapped a bandage tightly around his arm.
"He's a bad shot!" he teased, but Sydney responded very soberly, "The next one may not be. We should get some sleep. Who knows what we'll have to deal with tomarrow," she arranged the two flimsy blankets on the floor as a substitute for a bed, "But, I have to know this first; how did you.. I thought you'd drowned!"
"It doesn't matter Sydney. We're both alive, and that's more than either of us could have hoped for a few hours ago."
Lying awake that night with Sydney curled up in the curve of his arm with her head on his chest, Vaughn thought about Jack's words again and decided that it was probably better that what had almost happened between he and Sydney had been stopped by the discovery of the wound on his arm. Things were better this way, and Vaughn decided to take Eric's advice and draw a line between he and Sydney from that point on. But even as he came to that decision he couldn't bring himself to pull away from the sleeping woman who he embraced, and he fell asleep with his arm still around her.
Chapter Three
It was the same dream she'd had every night since Danny's death. She knew she was dreaming, and she knew the dream by heart, but she couldn't wake up. She'd walk throughout the house calling his name, but she'd get no response. Then would come her feet on the cold bathroom floor, the blood, and uncontainable tears. Tonight though, it was different and she knew she was trembling in real life as she walked throughout the house calling Vaughn's name.
"Vaughn? Vaughn? Micheal are you here?" she said, his first name tasting odd on her tounge, "Vaughn?" she called as her feet carried here down the hallway and towards the bathroom.
Her feet were bathed in warm blood as she stumbled against the glistening red tiles and dropped to her knees before the bathtub and screamed.
"Vaughn! Oh God! Wake up! VAUGHN!" she was sobbing now and she knew that he was dead, "Oh god, Vaughn! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
She woke with a start and pulled herself as close to Vaughn as she could and wept until she had no more tears. Placing a chaste kiss on his forehead, she carefully pulled away so she didn't wake him. As she paced about that morning, Sydney came to the decision that it was best if things remained professional between she and Vaughn from this point forward. Strictly professional from now on, the thought was a strangly comforting one, No emotions, no secrets, and no losses. It's so much better that way.
Sydney was carefully unpinning the blue wig from her hair when Vaughn woke up, "Aw.. I thought you'd keep it that way. Blue hair really brings out the color in your eyes," he teased and instantly regretted it. Keep things professional... "Any news from your father yet?"
"No, I put the cell on vibrate. Call it paranoia, but the last thing we need is someone walking into that shed and hearing a phone ring. How's your arm?"
"It's hard not to be paranoid in this line of work," he grimaced as he unwrapped the blood soaked bandage, "My arms fine," he lied, "I don't even feel it anymore. I'll just wrap it with some clean bandages." In truth, he'd had a hard time falling asleep with the constant searing pain in his arm, and had been awake to
Vaughn sought out the emergency first aid kit and was attempting to rewrap his arm when the cell phone went off. He watched Sydney as she hurried to pick up the phone.
She knew she didn't have to ask if the line was secure. Of course it was; this was her father.
"Hello? We're fine. .....Is Sloane suspicious? ...I can't believe you know that! I'd actually, forgotten... It's alright... and Vaughn? CIA didn't exactly approve his part in this last 'mission' either... Oh... Weiss?... So, what's the plan?... Okay... alright, I understand.. You too! Thanks dad!"
Vaughn looked at her timidly, "That wasn't a good 'oh'. Is everything alright?"
"Well, my father went directly to Weiss so he could cover for you. From what dad said, he was absolutly livid about you being in on this, but he agreed to cover for you until this is over. And he told Sloane that.. that this was the anniversary of my first date with... Danny, and that I needed some time to myself. I didn't realize at first that it wasn't a lie," she added somberly.
"Sydney, I'm so sorry," he said, leading to an awkward silence.
"It's alright," Sydney said calmly, breaking the silence, "I think I'm actually starting to heal. I.. stopped wearing my engagement ring about a month ago. It always hurts. It always will, but I think I'm starting to move on if that's possible. Francie, she told me that he wouldn't want me to live my life in mourning for him, and I know she's right."
"She is right. He loved you Sydney, and he'd want you to live your life happily." And with someone who loved you as much as he did, Vaughn thought the words but knew he couldn't speak them. From that point on, everything was going to be according to protocol. If he kept his feelings out of it, he'd wouldn't have to worry about putting her in danger. The line was drawn and he wasn't going to cross it.
Looking up at Sydney, he noticed a sudden change in her expression. Like she'd come to some realization. When she spoke her voice was dry and professional and reminded him of the first time they had met, "So, here's what we have to do so we can get out of here..."
The plan was simple enough in theory. In short, Sydney was to reenter the night club alone and present herself to Irina as an ally. Her mother would know better, but that was part of the plan. While Sydney was busy pledging her loyalty to her mother and an amused Khasinau, Vaughn was to enter the club as well and get himself 'captured' by Laura by very obviously searching for Sydney. As Jack was convinced that Khasinau was Irina's most trusted ally, it was only natural that he would be sent to retrieve and take care of Vaughn. With Laura and Sydney alone, Sydney was to disable Irina and signal the extraction team-Jack and Weiss- to assist Vaughn and have a van waiting. It was risky, but the only way that the take down could be accomplished without SD6's knowledge. There plan was to go into effect at midnight with Weiss and Jack's arrival at the safe house.
Vaughn and Sydney paced around the safe house for hours, going over every possible scenario or unexpected problem that they could possibly encounter,
"Well, what if she sends someone else, not Khasinau, to retrieve you?" Sydney asked, her voice laced with concern that she couldn't completely mask.
"Then, they'll probably be taking me to see Irina, and I'll be seeing you as well. We'll have to improvise from there. I'm more worried about you. I have a feeling she'll be heavily guarded after our break in last night and that means you won't just be dealing with one woman, but a team of guards."
Sydney smiled, "It wouldn't be the first time I've been outnumbered. I'll be fine." And with that, the safe house door swung open and they were greeted by Weiss and Jack.
Chapter Four
"How many miles are we past that line Michael?" Weiss' irritated voice mumbled into Sydney, Vaughn, and Jack's earpiece. It actually took Sydney a moment to register that Michael was the same person as Vaughn. Ofcourse she knew, but calling him Michael seemed so unnatural to her. He had always been Vaughn, plain and simple.
"Line?" she asked, feeling as though she was being left in the dark as she listened to familiar voices arguing in her ear. She was in the night club again adorned in another daring and scarce outfit that was catching the attention of the entire room. The deja vu, the pulsating music, and the restrained anger between Vaughn and Weiss were almost too much for her to bear when another voice overpowered the first two,
"Sydney, Just worry about the mission. Are you ready to go radio silent?" the voice was her father's from his place in a van in the parking lot. Across the street in the alley was Weiss in another vehicle, and Vaughn was stationed around the corner waiting for the cue to enter the club.
"Yes."
"Okay, you know the drill. You won't hear us, but we'll hear you if you need help."
"Be careful Syd, and don't forget, I'm-- we're right behind you. Just give the signal once you're in," that was Vaughn, and Sydney smiled sadly at the warning he had given her before every mission. Be careful Syd. It had always been a sincere gesture from him, not one performed out of obligation, but Sydney couldn't help but feel that he sounded different when he said it. Not insincere, just different.
"Going radio silent in 3.. 2.. 1.." Jack's voice cut off any attempt of responding from Sydney. She was on her own now, and after the tense yet familiar voices that had been conversating in her ear just seconds before Sydney felt strangly alone. With a sigh she placed herself very obviously infront of a security camera, and then headed deliberatly towards the door that she and Vaughn had crept into the night before.
What if the water's still there, she thought in a moment of panic and apprehension until she realized that it was very unlikely that the club would have been open if the water hadn't been cleaned up immediatly and discreetly. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Sydney pushed herself through the door and was immediatly intercepted by Khasinau.
"Irina's daughter!" she explained, "I'm Irina's daughter, the prisoner from last night, and I have SD6 intellegence to share with her!"
With the mentioning of SD6 Khasinau went wide eyed and hastened his step. In his sudden haste it was easy for Sydney to catch him offguard. Twisting an arm away she jabbed her elbow in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
Khasinau gasped and let go of Sydney's other arm, but not before wrenching it painfully and causing her to fall to the floor with a muffled scream.
Sydney thought for a split second of stumbling to her feet, but as she rolled onto her back she saw with horror that Khasinau was drawing a gun. Not having time to get the pistol in her purse, Sydney kicked upwards making solid contact with Khasinau's jaw with a sickening crunch of bone. He looked at her stunned, then dropped to the floor unconcious.
The sight of Khasinau's shattered jaw sent waves of nausea through Sydney, and she stumbled to her feet and down the corridor and coughed loudly.
-------------------
Vaughn had very nearly tapped a dent into his steering wheel with nerves. He could handle the sounds of a struggle between Sydney and the guard, but the gasp of pain that escaped her lips struck a nerve with him and it took all he had not to run in and save her. He sighed with obvious relief when he heard her cough twice. That was the signal; she was okay and it was time for his part in this whole ordeal.
"Okay Sydney, I'm on my way!"
"Change of plans!" Sydney panted as Vaughn turned the key in the ignition and drove the car towards the club.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked impatiently, and Vaughn's foot nearly slipped off the gas pedal at the words. 'Change of plans' couldn't possibly be good.
"Khasinau, he's unconcious! He was waiting on the other side of the door for me. I broke his jaw! And I think the security cameras caught it! I'm gonna need back up with," she paused unsure of how to address the woman she was supposed to capture, "...Irina. Vaughn, she's seen you with me already, so it'd be least dangerous for you to assist me. Dad, Weiss? Khasinau is in the corridor immediatly on the other side of the door. Get him out of here and have a car waiting!"
As Vaughn listened to this he had already parked and was hurrying into the club. If Irina was alone, what Sydney was saying was a good and very convenient thing, but if not she was about to come face to face with an angry Irina and equally angry guards.
"I'm here," he murmered, cutting off the conversation and impromptu plans being made by Weiss and Jack. He was trying to discreetly yet hurridly shove his way through the crowds of people on the dance floor. Pushing aside a young blonde woman who seemed intent on dancing with him, Vaughn could see the door he and Sydney had broken in through the night before, "Give me ten seconds and I've got your back!" and with a look over his shoulder he made a subtle beeline to the door and down the corridor.
Sydney heard his quiet but hurried footsteps before she felt his hand rest quietly on her shoulder. "Ready?" she asked in a whisper, but she was already making her way down the corridor at a run with Vaughn directly behind her. There was no sense in being discreet when cameras lined the walls and Irina was obviously aware of their presence. Why she had yet to encounter anyone since Khasinau however; that scared her.
The silence was eerie with no sound other than their footsteps, and the hallway seemed endless. Nerves got the best of Sydney and she pulled the pistol out of her purse. She rarely fired her gun and had no one had ever died by her bullet; the thought sickened her, but she would do it if she had to. Vaughn already had his gun drawn and was aiming it at anything that could possibly hide a person in, under, or behind it.
"Think she's still here?" Sydney asked as they ducked in and out of any door that was unlocked and knocking loudly on those that were.
Vaughn closed a door and stepped back into the hallway, "There's a good possibility that she took off after last night."
"Or there's a good possibility that we just walked into a trap. Vaughn, someone would have noticed us by now. We've been walking down a camera lined corridor, and I doubt Khasinau was the only one here. It's too convenient!" As she spoke, Sydney moved closer and closer to Vaughn until they were almost touching. They wouldn't be seperated again if she could help it.
"I agree," he said to her and then spoke into the watch he was wearing, "Did you find Khasinau?"
A couple of nervous seconds passed and Weiss spoke, "Yes. We're waiting at the extraction spot with him now. What's taking so long?"
"Nothing, and that's what's making me uncomfortable. Since Khasinau, we haven't encountered a single guard, or Irina. The place is empty."
"If you're sure she isn't there, then you might as well get out. Khasinau still hasn't come around, so we can't interrogate him."
They agreed, with some reluctance from Sydney, to call off the search for tonight. Before they left though, she wanted to try the last door even though she knew there would be no one waiting on the other side. Turning the handle, she found that it was locked and said to Vaughn with a sigh, "Okay, let's go."
But as they headed towards the exit Sydney began to feel faint. She thought to tell Vaughn, but he seemed to be fine. It's probably just nerves, she thought and kept walking. She made it a couple more feet before things started to blur and she swayed. Bracing herself against the wall she took a deep breath and told Vaughn what was wrong. What she said both relieved and frightened him because he was feeling the same. Looking up he saw the vents near the ceiling and instantly knew what was happening. Someone was putting poison of some sort through the vents!
He came to her side and supported her by letting her swing an arm around his shoulder and supporting her waist, "Sydney, can you walk? We have to get out of here now!" She nodded sleepily and barely noticed her father's voice in her ear.
"Vaughn? Sydney? What's going on?"
"There's some sort of gas in the vents! Don't bother coming for us," Vaughn said, now leaning against the wall for support as he and Sydney trudged through the hallway. The room seemed to be spinning around him and it was all he could do to stay standing, "You'll only put yourselves in danger!"
Jack said something, or maybe it was Weiss, but neither Vaughn nor Sydney heard because Sydney was already unconcious in Vaughn's arms and he was soon to follow. His last thoughts were of his legs giving way, and sliding to the floor with Sydney landing lightly on top of him.
They were both unaware of the last door that she had checked swinging open, footsteps in the corridor, and Irina and another person standing before them, wearing gas masks.
Chapter Five
Vaughn's head was searing with so much pain that he wasn't sure if he could even force his eyes open, and even though he could, and did, it was with much painful effort. At first, opening his eyes did little good because everything was still a blur. He tried to bring his hands to his eyes, but they wouldn't budge. So he blinked repeatedly until the man sitting before him came into view.
The man before him was Asian, wearing a suit and glasses, and an expressionless face. Vaughn knew in the back of his mind that he should know who this man was, but he couldn't place an identity with him.
"Where's Sydney?" He asked weakly, looking around the room to discover that they were alone. It looked similar to the room he had found her in the night before, and sure enough his arms and legs were bound to a chair as if he had any strength to try and escape anyways. He was still incredibly dizzy and disoriented and knew that if he hadn't been bound to the chair he would have toppled to the floor.
"You're in no position to ask questions Mr... Vaughn, I presume?"
Ironically, Vaughn anwsered this remark with yet another question. One that was warily asked, "How do you know my name?"
"Not that I owe you any anwsers, but when Ms. Bristow came around she wouldn't stop calling for you. She even cried for you. Seeing as we had to pry her from your arms, I think it's fair to assume that you are Michael Vaughn. Now you answer my question; who are you affiliated with?"
"I am affiliated with no one," Vaughn responded coldly.
"Oh? She told me differently. Ms. Bristow swore she'd never betray you, but.. a little encouragement from me, and she told me everything." As he told Vaughn this, he gestured towards a small table with various medical and dental instruments lying on it's surface.
It was then that Vaughn realized who this man was. The same man Sydney had told him about so long ago; when she first ran into CIA headquarters bleeding, bruised, and with pink hair, pleading for someone to listen to her story about SD6. The same man who had tried to torture information out of her by pulling her teeth was sitting before him now. She hadn't spilled information then, why would she now? Vaughn decided that if this man was going to be the end of him, he wouldn't make things easy on him.
"Why would you be asking me if she already told you?" he asked with grim satisfaction at catching the man offguard.
"Ms. Bristow was very helpful before.... I'm just looking for confirmation. We can do this the easy way, Mr. Vaughn. Or, I can get my anwsers in a much more painful manner," he said, making a display of polishing the instruments on the table.
Vaughn was in no way concerned about any physical tortures that this man could was going to put him through. The way he trailed off when talking about Sydney was the worst torture possible, "Before what?! Where is Sydney?" he asked and recieved only silence and an amused grin in return, "Where is she?" he repeated angrily.
"Anwser my question and you may see her. Who do you work for?"
"You'll kill me as soon as I tell you," Vaughn responded distantly. He was trembling with a range of emotions so vast that he was certain it would drive him to insanity. Anger, hatrid, confusion, fear, love, regret. He loved Sydney. How could he have ever denied it? And now he regretted with all his heart that he had taken Weiss' advice when it came to her.
"Mr. Vaughn, I may not be a kind man, but I never go back on my word. Anwser my question and I will take you to Ms. Bristow."
Vaughn looked him in the eye and prepared to tell the what would probably turn out to be the most deadly lie he would ever voice, "I work for SD- 6..." he started, and spun a tale of being hired by Arvin Sloane to root out spies or double agents. His faith in his story grew as he spoke of being assigned to keep an eye on Sydney Bristow, as suspicians had arose surrounding her loyalty to SD-6. Through his investigations, she had proven to be loyal, and in the midst of the time he had spent with her, he had fallen in love but a relationship between agents was forbidden at SD-6.
As he spoke a strange calmness washed over him because in the midst of the lies there were small truths that he had told no one. Even if he was confessing his forbidden love for Sydney to a man who may very well prove to be the death of him; there was a strange comfort in voicing what he had hidden deep inside him for so long.
Finally, the man interrupted Vaughn's story, "Very well. Come with me," and unlocked the handcuffs that bound him to the chair, just to cuff his hands behind his back. He led Vaughn forcefully into a small room where Sydney sat; bruised, battered, and bleeding. She was barely recognizable and for a sickening moment Vaughn wondered whether she was dead or unconcious; she was restrained as he had been, and slumped forward in the chair.
He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but all that escaped him was a strangled noise that could have very well been a sob. He stood in the doorway helplessly until he was knocked forcefully to his knees by his captor. Before he could fully register what had happened he felt the cold steel blade of a knife at his throat and an equally cold voice,
"You're a liar."
Chapter Six
The words rang painfully loud in his ears, and Vaughn was sure that he was about to die. What could he do? His hands were cuffed behind him, he wasn't even standing, and he was still weak from whatever had been blown through the vents earliar. A small part of him accepted the fact that this was going to be the end and he was pained to think that his last image of Sydney was of her tortured, unconcious, and very possibly dead, but he felt it would be a betrayal to her if he looked away.
"DON'T!" the voice cut sharply through Vaughn's thoughts and were said with authority instead of as a plea, "He will be more beneficial to us if he is alive," Irina explained, "She won't cooperate if he's dead, but I'm certain she'll do almost anything for him. Maybe even bring us Jack Bristow. But they won't agree to anything until they've spoken to one another. She made that very clear, the stubborn bitch," she went on in Russian, and Khasinau thought that the remark about Sydney was spoken almost in admiration. Then, turning on her heels to leave Irina concluded, "But don't let that stop your fun."
'Suit and Glasses,' Vaughn remembered that Sydney had referred to him as such, took the last remark as permission to draw the knife against Vaughn's throat with just enough pressure to draw blood and inflict pain. He then pulled Vaughn to his feet and half led half shoved him back into the other room. Vaughn was prepared to fight with everything he had, but 'Suit and Glasses' has apparently anticipated this. Vaughn recieved a blow to the back of his head before he had even decided on a means of attack, and when he came around he was once again chained to a chair as he had been before. There was one difference however.
When he looked up he was sitting across from Sydney Bristow.
She was restrained in the same manner as he was, and to Vaughn's immense relief she was concious. It was the most frusterating and hopeless situation he had ever faced. She was so painfully close! If his arms hadn't been restrained he could have easily reached out and touched her.
Sydney sighed and stated what they were both obviously thinking, "I doubt this is an act of kindness. What's she trying to accomplish by letting us see each other?"
"Trying to play our emotions in regards to um.. each other.. to her benefit," he said awkwardly and then continued in a whisper, "She's going to try and use me to get you to lure your father to her. Syd, promise me that no matter what they do to me, you won't cooperate with them. As long as they want Jack they'll keep you alive. You're the only one who can lure him here, so they need you. If Jack shows up, we're all dead, your father included!"
"My father will be able to handle himself! He won't come here if he can't-"
"Sydney, promise me!"
"I can't! I can't promise to save myself and let you.. die! Vaughn, I won't!" she cried, infuriated at him for asking her to do such a thing. Vaughn winced at her words, and they both sat in silence; she looking at the ceiling and he at the floor, both trying desperately to avoid looking at one another.
Sydney shook her head in disbelief at the desperate situation, and a lock of hair swept across her ear. Such a simple thing, but with it she realized that she still wore her silver earrings. Irina hadn't thought to take them, which meant that Jack had just heard Vaughn and Sydney's entire conversation.
The communicator that Sydney had worn at the start of the mission consisted of two pieces; one, a somewhat obvious piece that she wore in her ear, allowing her to hear her father, Vaughn, and Weiss. The microphone however was contained in the pair of unobtrusive silver studded earrings. Though Jack and Weiss couldn't contact her, they were most likely monitoring everything that Sydney's microphone had picked up.
She wanted more than anything to tell Vaughn about the microphone, but she was certain that the room was being monitored by Irina so she continued to sit in silence and wait for something-anything to happen. But waiting gives way to thinking and Sydney had the morbid thought that if her father couldn't get them out of this, she would probably never see Vaughn once he left this room. She couldn't leave things in such a state between them, and she didn't care if her father heard what she was about to say.
"Vaughn..." she started weakly, earning her a pained look from him, "You have to understand why I can't promise you that. I couldn't stand to know that I'd not done everything in my power to protect you," then she looked up at him and whispered almost as if the words frightened her, "I love you."
"I know Sydney. I love you, too."
Sydney's eyes filled with tears at the words, and she thought that Vaughn was going to say something more, but at that moment Irina and Suit and Glasses entered the room.
"I'm sure you've had a nice conversation?" Irina said as she crossed the room to stand next to her daughter; she was holding a cell phone.
"You tell me," Sydney responded coldly, knowing that her 'nice conversation' had been observed.
"I was touched. It almost makes me feel guilty about doing this. You are going to contact Jack Bristow and tell him that you and Mr. Vaughn are waiting for extraction in the back alley. Convince him that there is no reason to worry and to come unarmed and alone."
"And if I won't?"
Irina gestured over her shoulder at Vaughn. She gasped at the sight of Suit and Glasses holding a gun to the back of his head.
"Sydney, don't listen to her!" Vaughn pleaded and heard a click that was the gun at his head, "Syd, don't look! Just close your eyes."
She was crying loudly and he had tears streaming down his face and Sydney just couldn't stand it, "NO! I'll do it! But only if you spare him!"
Chapter Seven
Jack and Eric Weiss exchanged worried looks as they listened to what Sydney's microphone was transmitting to them. The last bit they heard between Michael and Sydney before Irina walked in however, caused Eric to dig his fingernails into the palm of his hand and glance warily in Jack's direction. They had been waiting for their window of opprotunity, and this was as close at they were going to get. One chance to rescue Jack's daughter and Weiss' best friend and that was when Jack's cellphone rang and it was Sydney calling.
He half listened to Sydney's lie, and was at the same time formulating a plan to rescue she and Vaughn.
There weren't many options, especially with no assistant. So it came down to a crude plan based on luck alone. Jack would comply with Sydney's request to meet alone in the back alley, but he would be secretly armed. Weiss on the other hand would enter the club in the same manner as Sydney and Vaughn had, only doing his best to dodge camera's and make his way to them. To their knowledge it was only Irina and Suit and Glasses to worry about, so one of the two would be guarding their prisoners, and the other would be meeting Jack in the alley. Their only security and protection would be in bullet proof vests and guns.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Jack asked Weiss, who was buttoning a black shirt over his bullet proof vest. His dark hair had been spiked, he wore all black, and sported a fake ring on his lip. It was the closest he could hope to manage as far as fitting into a club on such short notice, and hoped that it would be enough for him to blend in.
"Sydney's your daughter, and Mike's my best friend. I can't just sit back and let this happen. I can do this, I have to."
Jack nodded in Weiss' direction; it was as close to any display of emotion that Weiss would see.
"I'm expected at the alley in fifteen minutes. You'll have to make it to the club just after I enter the alley if you're to retrieve Sydney and Vaughn. Meet back here as soon as they're safe. If I'm not waiting leave without me. Understand?"
Weiss nodded grimly and climbed out of the car. It was only a matter of a few blocks from where they were to the club, so he was going to walk. It would blow their entire plan if Jack was spotted with someone in the car when he was supposed to be arriving alone.
With Weiss gone Jack rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment, then put the car in gear.
-----------------------------------------
The entire time Sydney was speaking with her father, her eyes never left Vaughn. She wouldn't break eye contact, hoping that with her eyes alone she could find some way to reassure him that things would be alright. He just stared back at her hopelessly though, certain that she was signing away their lives, as well as her father's, with that phonecall.
When she had finished, Irina took the cell phone from Sydney's ear and turned it off. She looked at her daughter questioningly and Sydney nodded and said sadly that her father would be waiting in the alley.
Irina was pleased by this and pulled out a key that she used to free Vaughn from his hand cuffs. Looking him in the eye as she unpinned her hair she said to Vaughn, "You're coming with me. It would be in Sydney's best interest if you cooperate. If there are any problems he'll know, and Sydney will be immediatly executed." By 'he', she meant the man who was responsible for the gash on Vaughn's neck, who was holding a gun to Sydney's head. Vaughn didn't doubt for a second that Sydney's mother was bluffing, and couldn't believe how casually she could promise her daughter's death.
Vaughn marveled at how much Irina looked like her daughter when she let her brown hair tumble over her shoulders. If you weren't seeing her upclose it would be easy to mistake her for Sydney, which turned out to be what Irina was counting on.
"Then there'll be no problems," Vaughn said shakily as he got to his feet. He was desperately searching for a way he could get Sydney, Jack, and himself out of this alive and he would have attacked the second his hands and feet were free, but the tables were now turned with the gun pointed at Sydney, and he was unarmed. He had no choice but to comply and count on Jack to help them out of this.
Irina led him out of the room and ultimately to the back alley- with Sydney and Suit and Glasses staying behind- he looking over his shoulder at Sydney every step of the way. Looking at her he thought she seemed unusually calm and wondered for a moment if more had been exchanged in Jack and Sydney's conversation than Irina had caught on to.
Sydney watched Vaughn and her mother leave, never blinking for fear of missing what could be the last time she would ever see the man who had always been there for her without a second's concern for his own well being. She was looking at the doorway he had reluctantly left through for minutes after he was gone when she suddenly heard a door swing open open behind her.
Then feeling of cold metal against the back of Sydney's head was suddenly gone as Suit and Glasses turned to aim the gun at the man standing in the doorway.
"Don't shoot! Drop the gun!" but even as she realized that the voice yelling the commands belonged to Weiss, she heard the firing of a gun and for a sickening fraction of a second that seemed like an eternity, she thought it had been her captor's gun. She withdrew the breath she had been holding when Suit and Glasses fell to her feet.
"Sydney! Are you alright?! Where's Vaughn?" Weiss rained questions on her and she tried to come to her senses enough to anwser them as he frantically searched Suit and Glasses' body for the keys that would free her.
"My shoe! The keys are in my shoe!" she exclaimed as Weiss cursed that he couldn't find them.
"How in the hell-" he couldn't even form the question as he hastily unlaced and removed a black boot from Sydney's right foot.
"Vaughn had them from before.. from when he rescued me the first time!" she immediatly felt embarrassed at the statement. How many times had he rescued her, bailed her out of problems she had brought on herself? Weiss didn't pay any attention to the remark though, as he was fumbling with the key and the hand cuffs that bound her to that damned metal chair that had impaired her numerous times in the last two days.
When Sydney could finally stand Weiss asked her again about Vaughn's wherabouts, and he was absolutly pale when asking.
"He's with my mother! In the alley! Oh God, we have to help him! He and my dad!"
She turned to dart out the door when Weiss grabbed her arm. "Sydney, I made a promise that I'd get you out of here and to safety, and I intend to keep that promise!"
Sydney whirled around to twist her arm away and face Weiss, but he only tightened his grip.
"Dammit! Let go! If dad's armed, the second Irina sees the gun Vaughn'll be dead! She'll kill him in an instant!"
Weiss looked up at her as she continued to plead with him fiercely and relentlessly. It hurt him terribly to say what he was about to say, but when she heard it he thought he was watching her heart actually break before his eyes, "Sydney, listen to me. I heard what was said between you and Michael... all of it. I'm not going to share my feelings on that, I'm sure you already know how I feel, and I'm positive that Mike does.. but I will tell you this: He would never forgive me if I let you run in to save him, just to get yourself killed. If anything happened to you, it would be the end of his life as far as he was concerned-"
Sydney looked at Weiss blankly as he spoke, then the force of what he was saying hit her and she collapsed in a fit of tears. If Weiss hadn't caught her other arm she would have fallen to the floor. Everything he was saying, it was true, she knew it was true, and she respected and despised Weiss for being so honest. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to argue with him, all she could really do was accept that what he said was the truth. She would have to leave with Weiss and hope for the best.
When her tears finally subsided she allowed Weiss to lead her to his car, but by that time she was completely withdrawn and unresponsive to anything he said to her. She didn't even remember climbing the stairs of the apartment complex to the hidden room that was one of the Taipei safehouses.
Upon entering the room she threw herself down on the small couch and stared at the clock on the wall, not hearing Weiss say that Jack had said that he would try to meet them there within an hour, and if he didn't they were to catch a flight home.
She watched the second hand go around and around- 65 times she counted- until she felt a hand on her shoulder and Weiss told her that they should go. She thought of reasons to argue with him for the next 20 minutes, for no other reason but to keep them at the safehouse for 20 minutes longer.
Sydney wouldn't look or speak to Weiss the entire way to the airport, and cried silently for the entire over night flight back to L.A.
Chapter Eight
Sydney got home around 4 a.m. to find Francie waiting for her, distraught and demanding anwsers to where she had been and why she hadn't thought to call.
Sydney made some excuse about being held over in a heated business meeting, then retired to her room and to bed before Francie saw her burst in to tears.
Francie however, wasn't finished and stormed in after her, on the verge of tears, just as Sydney was throwing herself into bed.
"Don't seem so put out by me being worried about you, Sydney! I didn't know where you were and I thought that maybe something had happened to you, and Will! I haven't heard from him in the last three days! Do you know where he is?"
Sydney looked at Francie and tangled her fingers in her hair. She did know where Will was- in a CIA safehouse somewhere- but she couldn't tell Francie that. She searched for a lie that would calm Francie and fit whatever time limit Will would be gone.
"He didn't tell you?!" she exclaimed, "His boss put him on a pretty big story, but it's completely hush-hush until he gets all the details. He said it was going to involve some traveling on his part, and he wouldn't tell me where. All he'd say was, 'You'll see when it's published! Syd, this is going to be my big story!' and nothing more about it.... Look Fran, I'm sorry I was sooo.. irritable out there. It's just.. it was a hard trip, and I'm tired and need to sleep. I won't be such a monster in the morning, I promise."
Francie nodded and gave her a hug, and it took all the will power Sydney possessed not to cry on her shoulder and tell her everything that had happened the past few days, but she didn't and as soon as Francie left the room Sydney fell back into bed and somehow managed to sleep.
Sydney woke that morning to Francie exchanging a few irritable words on the phone. When she walked into Sydney's room to find her awake she sighed and asked, "Who in their right mind orders a pizza at 8:00 in the morning?!"
Sydney's heart pounded as she realized what the phone call had been, "The Joey's Pizza guy again, huh?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from steady.
"Yea! I swear.. one of these days, I'm going to get our number changed."
"No! Don't do that!" Sydney exclaimed before she could stop herself, earning her a puzzled look. "I mean, you have to admit that it's kind of funny. My day just isn't complete without the Joey's Pizza phonecall."
"Sure, if you say so," Francie muttered and left the room to make breakfast.
Sydney's mind raced with possibilities as she climbed out of bed and threw on a fitted tee-shirt and jeans. She took all of ten seconds to run a brush through her hair, not bothering to shower, but splashing water on her face and hastily brushing her teeth. With a quick glance in the mirror she decided that she was as presentable as she cared to be when about to recieve news that would shatter her life forever.
Francie glared at her as she headed for the front door, pointing out the fact that it was one of the few days she had off, and recieving an excuse from Sydney about being out of toothpaste. Francie nodded and asked if she'd pick up some milk as well, and let her on her way.
As she drove to the warehouse where she had met with Vaughn so many times, Sydney decided that it would probably be Weiss waiting for her. He would probably be the bearer of tragic news about Vaughn and her father, Sydney thought as she bit her lip. But I'll hear it and I won't let myself cry again, she told herself sternly, preparing for the worst.
She entered the warehouse biting her lip and waiting for Weiss to greet her, but as she turned the corner and approached the chain link gate she saw a man with sandy brown hair sitting on a crate with his back to her. It was Vaughn, and it took all she had not to vault over the fence and into his arms.
Instead she forced herself to take a breath, but found it desperatly hard to breathe as she walked through the gate and shut it behind her. She was standing about twelve feet away from him, scared that if she got too close he would prove to be nothing more than an illusion. When he finally turned to face her he simply said, "Hi."
"Hi," she responded shyly, not moving from where she stood. She willed herself to say something, anything, and when she opened her mouth to do so a question about her mother slipped from her lips, "So, Irina's in CIA custody?"
Vaughn looked at the floor and murmered, "Sydney, I'm so sorry but your mother, Irina.. she was killed last night."
Sydney was suprised that those words didn't hurt her, but she was strangly indifferent to the news of her mother's death, "It's... alright. She wasn't the woman I thought she was, or the woman I would have liked to get to know..."
She saw Vaughn nod slightly at this anwser, and they stayed in silence for minutes. Five? Ten? Fifty? Sydney didn't know, but she suddenly broke the silence and exclaimed as she burst into tears, "I was so worried about you! Vaughn, I thought I'd lost you again! For good!" And then they were in each others arms; Sydney crying with her face hidden against Vaughn's shoulder, he wrapping his arms tightly around her and running his fingers through her hair, never wanting to let her out of that embrace.
But eventually he did, and they both sat down on a crate holding hands and with his arm around her. They sat quietly for a moment, then he spoke up, "This will never work. You know that, right? Not as long as there's an SD- 6."
She nodded and said quietly, "But I want it to work. I'll wait until SD-6 is gone if I have to, and the day Sloane is taken out of the Credit Dauphine in hand cuffs, I want to run out of that building and into your arms, not worrying about who might be watching... but what if that day never comes?"
"It will. Irina had lots of files on SD-6 in her possession. That's a big step in taking them down. And Sydney, someday we will take them down, I promise. And when that day comes I'll be waiting to catch you in my arms and I'll never let you go-"
"But until then, we need to push this behind us. As long as you're going to be my handler- and I can't do this without you- it has to be professional. My father was right about that," she interrupted and looked up into his eyes, knowing that he agreed.
From there they went on to talk about everything. She told him about what Irina had said about Sloane, and about how she would never want a blood test or question anything because whether they were related by blood or not, Sloane would never be her father. Vaughn told her how he and Jack had escaped.
And he shocked Sydney by telling her that Jack had coldly but honestly said that he could forget about the conversation he had overheard between he and Sydney, so long as Vaughn didn't jeopardize Sydney or her missions by letting his feelings get in the way.
They talked about Will, and Eric, and Francie, and the day when they could all meet. At the mentioning of Francie though, Sydney realized that she should go before she got suspicious. Vaughn nodded and walked her to the gate, opening it for her. Before she left, Sydney looked back at him and into his grey-green eyes, knowing she wouldn't allow herself to look at him that way again until the end of SD-6.
She started to turn to leave when Vaughn leaned over and kissed her so sweetly and so gently that she thought her heart would break into a million pieces with longing for him. She looked at her feet and said goodbye, knowing that if she looked into his eyes again she would never leave.
Vaughn waited until she had been gone for five minutes as he always had, then walked through the gate, up the stone steps, and into the sunlight. Looking across the street he saw a couple walking hand in hand.
"Someday..." he sighed.