Disclaimer: Sorry to disappoint you, but these characters aren't mine. I know, I know, you thought I was JJ Abrams, didn't you? Or someone from ABC or Touchstone Television? But I'm not. I wish I was in on it, but I'm just a lowly fan, writing some fiction. So don't sue me.

Rating: I'm gonna go with PG-13. Maybe a smidgen higher. In Ontario we have 14A, which may be more fitting. A little sexually themed stuff, but nothing too bad. Also, be forewarned that this story is full of 'shippy fluff and fluffy 'ship.

Author's Note: Okay kids, I went through and edited the whole thing. I updated all the chapters, taking out the author's notes at the beginning of each one, seeing as they aren't really necessary now that the whole story is posted. I also want to say THANK YOU to everybody who reads this and reviews. I really, really appreciate it. As stated, the whole story is here, so enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Emotional Involvement

It was one thing when she came to him angry, or frustrated, or tired, or even happy and excited. But it was quite another thing when she came to him crying. That was when he found it the hardest to control himself, to not reach out to hold her and kiss her and dry her tears. Sometimes it was just easier to fight with her. If he was angry with her, or at least pretending to be, it was much easier to walk away.

"Hey, Sydney." He slid down off the low wooden crate where he had been sitting as she entered, taking a few steps forward to meet her.

"What?" She snapped her head up, glancing around the dark warehouse, as if realizing for the first time where she was. "What did you say?"

"I just said hi. Is something wrong? You seem… distracted. And I've been waiting over a hour." His tone softened as he added, "I was worried." He smiled, but she looked away.

"You needn't have been." Her tone was cool. "I was at lunch with my father."

"Oh, I didn't realize. I'm sorry I interrupted. You could have said…"

"It's fine." She snapped, cutting him off.

He glanced quickly up at her, taken aback. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

"No, actually." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned away from him. His heart broke. "My father thinks I need a new handler. He wanted me to go with him to talk to Devlin this afternoon."

"Wha…"

"After Casablanca" she continued quickly, staring intently at her shoes "he thinks you, we, might be getting too… emotionally involved."

"Emotionally involved!" His head reeled. "Syd, you were almost killed in Morocco! Of course I may have broken a few rules, but it was to save your life. Isn't that their main focus, to keep their agents alive?" He waited for what seemed like minutes for her to turn, and raise her eyes to meet his before he continued. "What do you want, a handler who won't take a chance for you?"

"Vaughn…I…" she paused, glancing away from him again.

"What, Sydney?" He wanted to go to her, and hold her, and tell her it would be all right, and they would get through it together. But he couldn't, so instead he got angry. "Damn it, look at me!"

"I'm sorry." She wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I just don't want you to get in trouble. Over me."

He sighed. "But this is my job. You're my job." He turned, and walked away a few steps, running both hands through his hair. Was he too involved? Were his feelings for her clouding his judgment? He turned back to her, but she had moved away, as he had. "What did you say?"

She turned around quickly, staring at him blankly. "What?"

"To your father, I mean. What did you say to him?"

"I told him he was wrong."

"But…?" he prompted, knowing there was more.

"But nothing. I know you were just doing your job. You're good at what you do. Better than most. You care, and that's what I like about you." She sighed, and moved closer to him. "You make my job easier, just knowing your there, watching me. That you won't let me fall." She smiled up at him, and his heart melted. God he loved her. "I couldn't do it without you."

"You said all that to him?" he asked softly.

"Well, no, not exactly that." She gave a small laugh of recollection. "But I think he got the gist."

"Is he going to do anything then?"

"No, I think I talked him out of it. For now. You…, we'll, just have to be more… careful. That's all."

He didn't know why that made him angry, but it did. "But we're not doing anything wrong."

"No." She leaned her head back, running her hand over her hair to her neck, where it stayed. "No."

"So you want me to stop caring about you, looking after you, for no reason? You never want me to speak to you about anything other than counter-missions again?"

"Vaughn, no, I just don't think…"

"You know what Syd, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" He saw the hurt in her eyes, and was instantly sorry for his words, but it was too late.

"All right, fine" she said coldly. She turned on her heel and quickly left the warehouse.

With every sharp footstep his heart broke a little more. " Smooth, man, smooth. I am an idiot. I suck at this. I should be locked up, away from women, for the rest of my life" he mumbled in the darkness, rolling his eyes. Far away, the door shut with a dull thud, and he sat down heavily on a crate.

***

Well, that certainly could have gone better, she thought to herself as she exited the warehouse. She turned, and for a split second, considered going back in, but decided against it. He needed to cool down. Besides, what would she say? She sat down heavily in her car, and closed her eyes. A single tear slipped down he cheek. Then, abruptly, she wiped her eyes and started the car. "I need ice cream. And a bubble bath."