Title: Let Go

Author: taintedvision

Disclaimer: I don't own Alias, unfortunately. But it's fun to play with them, don't you agree?

Rating: PG for thematic elements

Summary: The sequel to Watching over You, Vaughn continues to watch Sydney and he slowly finds out that he has to let her go.

Timeline: Season 5, Post "Prophecy Five" AU

Sydney awoke three hours after she fell asleep outside and was surprised to find a blanket around her. Did she grab it before she came out here? She wasn't sure. Feeling the breeze blow her hair across her shoulder, Sydney got up and went inside. She poured herself a glass of wine and went to her room, her sanctuary. She took a cursory glance around and saw that nothing was changed. The magazine that she was reading earlier was left open on the bed and the bed was immaculate, not a crease on the sheets. She stood still for a moment and closed her eyes.

"Vaughn," she whispered. "Where are you?"

"I'm standing right next to you," he replied. Feeling some one else in the room, she turned in his direction, but all she saw was the wind rustling through her silk curtains. Sydney slowly made her way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. After thirty minutes, she was underneath the covers. She turned her back to Vaughn's side; she couldn't stand the emptiness. Instead she focused on the future of their unborn child.

"You're going to make your father proud," she said thoughtfully rubbing her stomach. "I won't let anything happen to you. And you're never going to join the CIA." She was serious, but Vaughn couldn't help but chuckle. It was what he wanted for their son too, but somehow he knew there was still the possibility. No one can ever detach themselves from the CIA, especially if you were operatives like they were.

"Maybe," she continued. "Maybe you can be an English teacher. Or even a French teacher." She began to cry again, remembering Vaughn was too painful for her.

"Syd, don't do this to yourself," he pleaded but there was nothing he could do. She couldn't see him.

Vaughn watched again as she slept. Now that he was gone she talked in her sleep. She would have nightmares and toss and turn and it would scare him and he would pray for God to calm her. And He always did. Sometimes he would enter her dreams and watch as she fabricated a life that might have been. He would stand aside and watch helplessly, knowing that it would never come true. His curiosity broke his heart.

The next morning he left her again before she woke up. But he was there when she went to the grocery store with Weiss. Vaughn watched as she browsed the aisles. It was amazing to him how unassuming and normal she could appear. Then again, this was Sydney, not one of the hundreds of fabricated aliases she used on the job. He remembered when he first set foot into her house, how homey and comfortable it was; it suited her. He remembered the first time she cooked for him. She is a good cook, a trait that he hadn't associated with her when he first met her with the crazy red hair. Bozo hair was what he called it. He watched as she picked up milk, bread, yogurt and other products. She saw Weiss perusing the chips when she turned into the snack aisle. Hearing the steady squeak of the cart, he turned around.

"Hey Syd," he called out. "Do you wanna get some chips or something? Just in case you get a weird craving or if I come over. Because looking at what you have in your cart, I don't think I would enjoy blueberry yogurt as much as you." Sydney smiled, she always smiled.

"Sure. Get the ones that Vaughn likes to eat."

"Uh, okay," Weiss replied hesitantly. "Syd, I hate to bring this up, but, you know Vaughn is gone, right? I don't mean to sound insensitive or anything, everyone is entitled to their grief, but--"

Yes, but somehow, I still feel that he's here," she answered cutting him off. Weiss raised his hands in a sign of defeat and placed the bag of chips in the cart.

"Here, let me push that," he said taking the cart. Sydney yielded and they headed toward the check out lanes. Vaughn left before they did. Instead of going back to Sydney's house, he went to the park and sat down on the bench where he and Sydney used to meet. He watched as people rode their bikes, ran and played Frisbee with their dogs. He enjoyed being able to observe people unobtrusively. He was happy for the moment, sitting in the sun under the clear blue sky when soft laughter reached his ears. Instinctively Vaughn turned his head in the direction of the laughter and saw a playground full of children. He saw little girls with pigtails and their toy dolls having tea parties in the sandbox and little boys running around and sliding down slides, not caring until they scraped their knees or elbows. His heart immediately began to feel heavy, yet he couldn't tear himself away from the children. His child. His son.

"You have to let her go," a voice said. Vaughn whipped his head around and saw a little green-eyed boy with a sticky ice cream covered face sitting next to him on the bench. Slightly alarmed, Vaughn shifted his weight to face the boy.

"You can see me?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course I can see you mister," he replied.

"Wait, what did you say before?"

"You have to let her go."

"Let who go?"

"You know who." The little boy soon became distracted with his untied shoelace and attempted to tie it. When he couldn't he looked up at Vaughn.
"You mean Sydney?" he asked taking the laces of the shoe. The little boy nodded.

"I don't think I can." The little boy laughed and wiggled his foot around inspecting the knot that Vaughn had tied.

"Of course you can. My mommy knows you can."

"Who is your mom?" Vaughn asked. The little boy laughed and pointed a sticky finger to the sideway behind Vaughn's back.

"There!" he giggled. "The lady in blue."

Vaughn turned around and saw Sydney walking home from the grocery store with Weiss.

"Wait, you can't be--" Vaughn started. He turned back around to face the little boy, but he was gone. He turned back around to watch Sydney and Weiss. That little boy must have made a mistake. Sydney couldn't be his mother; he can't be that little boy's father. Vaughn looked at Sydney.

"She's not even wearing blue," he thought to himself. Not a moment after that, however, Vaughn watched as Sydney stopped to take a sweater out of her bag and put it around her shoulders. It was blue. Vaughn immediately got up and left.

That night, after coming to terms with his sorrow, Vaughn visited Sydney one last time. She was sitting on the couch in front of the fire reading a book when he entered the room. The flames danced across her face giving her a rich glow. He sat next to her on the couch and she turned in his direction. Somehow, she knew he was there.

"Sydney," he whispered. "I love you." Feeling his presence, she closed her eyes and he kissed her forehead. "But I can't stay with you any longer" he said. Vaughn placed his hand on her stomach and felt the life energy exuding from within.

"Little Michael," he whispered. "You're all that she has left." Vaughn smiled when he felt him kick and he bent down and kissed Sydney's stomach. "I love you."

"Vaughn?" Sydney called out into the open. "Are you there?"

There was no answer.

Fin

AN: Okay, that's all folks! What did you think? I hope I cleared up some of the confusion from Watching over You. I didn't intend for both endings to parallel each other, but it just happened that way. If it sucks, I'm sorry. I tried. If you still don't get it, email me and I'll explain it, but I tried to make everything as clear as possible.

Thanks for all the reviews for Watching over You and future thanks for reviews for Let Go. BTW, I'm really bad at creating titles. Sorry!