Immortal Prophecy

Note: This Alias fanfic takes place during the second season of Alias. It begins during the episode "The Counteragent". It skips around some scenes of the next two episodes, up to Sydney and Vaughn's date during "The Getaway." It becomes mostly AU after that. I do not own Alias or any of it's characters. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Summary: What if the fluid in the red ball had an effect on Vaughn that no one could have foreseen? What if the virus spread by it was only the beginning of something more for some, and was the key to what Sloane and Irina have been searching for, the key to immortality, but an immortality of sensitivity to sunlight, allergy to silver, and an unnatural thirst for blood?

Chapter 1- The Recovery?

Sydney paced back and forth in the waiting room of the naval hospital, not sure whether to scream or sigh with relief. She had successfully gotten the antidote to Vaughn, and the doctors were administering it now.

Personally, she hated hospitals. The smell reminded her of death, which she got enough of already, but this time it meant that she had gotten there in time to perhaps save Vaughn's life.

But Sloane was also alive. It had taken all of her self control to keep from screaming out in shock when she had seen him alive in the office, and with Sark no less. Yet the thing that bothered her the most was that under the surprise of seeing him alive and well, she also felt relieved. Why should she feel relieved that her greatest enemy wasn't dead? Had she in fact felt guilty for supposedly trying to get him killed that way. Maybe her father had been right about her not really wanting to kill Sloane.

She still paced back and forth in the small cramped waiting room, quite impatiently waiting for the news on Vaughn. What if the antidote hadn't worked? What if her mother had lied to her? What if Sark had betrayed her?

The possibilities ran through her head of everything that could have gone wrong, of everything that could end in Vaughn's death. No, she thought, that is not going to happen.

Just then the doctor entered through the door of the waiting room. Sydney pounced on him before he could begin to speak.

"I don't want to hear details right away, " she said quickly, "just tell me whether he's going to be alright."

The doctor gazed at her with tired eyes, taken off guard by her abruptness.

"His symptoms have reduced considerably, and he's breathing on his own. We just sent in a blood sample, but my guess is that the results will show his blood infection free."

Sydney let out the breath she had been holding in, only to notice and underlying confusion on the doctor's face.

"What is it?" she asked, already sensing something was bothering him.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, "It's just that the symptoms dissipated much faster than expected. We had to check twice to make sure that the serum you provided had really worked."

"But it did work?" she asked, more of a statement than a question.

The doctor looked up and smiled. "Yes, as far as we can tell he is virus free."

A wave of relief swept through Sydney.

"May I see him?" she asked.

"Yes, of coarse. As a matter of fact, your father was already here to see him. He was here as he woke up."

"Yes, I know, I asked him to be here," she replied. She didn't mention that she had been indisposed because she had to go to SD-6, only to find out that Sloane was alive and well, and with Sark as his new ally. But she had to look on the bright side, she was only glad that the day had now ended well.

She walked into Vaughn's room. He was still on the same bed, but most of the equipment had been removed, and he was awake, distantly looking up at the ceiling. She approached the bed and sat down in the chair alongside him. He turned his head to look at her.

"Hey," he said, a smile smile sweeping across his face.

"Hi," Sydney replied. There was a silence that lasted a few seconds.

"I heard about Sloane," Vaughn said suddenly.

"That he was dead or that he's alive?" Sydney asked.

"Both, " answered Vaughn, the small smile still on his face.

Sydney sighed. "Yeah, he's alive. Turns out Sark didn't want to kill him, just join him, which in the long run may be worse for us."

Vaughn looked back up at the ceiling. "I'm glad, in a way, that he wasn't killed." Sydney looked at him quickly in surprise and confusion. "I wouldn't have wanted the burden of his death on you," he continued.

Sydney just stared into space. "I wouldn't have minded," she said flatly.

Vaughn reached over and took her hand. "I'm not so sure about that."

They shared a moment looking into each other's eyes for a moment, sharing the moment of quiet.

Vaughn then grimaced slightly and rubbed at his chest.

"What is it?" Sydney asked, suddenly worried.

"Nothing," Vaughn answered, "The doctors say it's left over from the virus, a little pain in my chest now and then, nothing to be worried about."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Another moment of silence passed between them, although this time it was more awkward.

"So I hear you met Alice."

Sydney looked at him, surprised by the statement, she did her best not to show a reaction.

"Yeah," she answered. She halfheartedly smiled. "She seems nice." Sydney tried hard not to betray her disappointment.

"We ran into each other, and things started again-"

"You don't have to explain yourself," Sydney said, but couldn't hide the sadness in her voice this time.

"Vaughn looked her straight in the eye. "I want to," he said.

"What you need to do is get some more rest. The CIA is falling apart without you."

Vaughn grinned at her. "Okay."

"See you soon."

Vaughn watched as she got up and left, mixed emotions running through his system.

His chest protested as the little pain returned, and he absentmindedly rubbed at it, as he kept thinking about Sydney.