ILOVEALIAS4EVER, smilez4eva, Kate Bridges & Shniblet47: Thank you all so much for your feedback.

Kate Bridges: Glad that you approve of my music choices. It is a real process when I decide to use music somewhere in my stories- it usually ends up with me pulling out my CD collection and going through the whole thing trying to find the perfect song!

Shniblet 47: No, Lauren is not evil in this story. There was too much that I wanted to do with Syd, Weiss and Vaughn, and didn't want another plot line to detract from the main story.

ILOVEALIAS4EVER: I mistake when answering you question last chapter. I looked at my book with Dirty Little Secret and gave you the chapter numbers for that one (total min blank that day). Anyway, for this fic, I have written 9 chapters and it looks like there will be 12 in all.

Chapter Four:
Where I Belong

"Right…" he trailed off, a knock on the door distracting him. "I'll get that."

Sydney did not reply and instead closed her eyes. The idea of going to bed without dinner was highly enticing…even with the fear of more dreams. However, seconds later, Weiss walked back into the living area.

"Uh, Syd."

"Hmm?"

"Its…its Vaughn."

Sydney's eyes flew open and she sat up straight. She was suddenly wide awake.

"Syd," Weiss started. "Are you up for this? Because—"

"It's fine," Sydney cut him off. "I'll see him."

Weiss turned back to the front door and when he returned, Vaughn was right behind him.

At the sight of Vaughn Sydney found herself unable to speak. What was she supposed to say? "Hi, heard you were engaged, congratulations"…she didn't think so.

"Um," Weiss spoke up, breaking the silence. "I think I'll just drive in and get dinner." Grabbing his keys, he walked out, leaving Sydney and Vaughn alone.

After several more, very long, silent moment, Vaughn stepped forward. "Hi."

"Hi," Sydney replied.

"I," he shifted awkwardly on his feet. "I wanted to come and see you at the hospital but…there were…"

"I know," Sydney said, realizing that Weiss had not told Vaughn everything. If he was aware that his best friend had known that she was alive, there was no chance he would be acting so reserved. It surprised Sydney, to think that she hadn't thought of this until then, hadn't asked Weiss what he had told Vaughn.

"You do?"

Sydney nodded. "My dad told me about your impending nuptials."

"Well," Vaughn cleared his throat. "They're not all that impending. We only just got engaged."

"Impending or not, you are still getting married," Sydney replied bluntly. She wanted the topic to change. The last thing she wanted to hear was Vaughn trying to explain. All she was feeling was hurt and could only see it as him giving excuses.

"I just…I just wanted to see how you are," Vaughn said, taking another step forward.

"Don't," Sydney shook her head. "Don't ask me that. Because you are not going to get the answer that you want…that you need."

"Who said anything about wanting a specific answer?" Vaughn asked blankly.

"Oh, come on, Vaughn, you want to hear that even though returning after two years has been 'slightly difficult' I am doing pretty well, that I should be A-Ok in a matter of days." She paused, standing up. "Because if you hear that then you'll be able to go back to your life without a backwards glance."

"That is not why I came here," Vaughn protested.

"Fine then. Do you want to know how I really am?" Sydney asked as she walked towards the kitchen and opened the fridge. "I am pretty much at the lowest that I have ever been. Finding out the truth about SD-6, nothing compared to this. Being betrayed by my mother- a breeze. I could do something about those situations. But this one…" She pulled out a beer and without offering one to Vaughn, took a mouthful. "And this is not just about you. You are such a small part of this…I woke up like it was one night. Two years, Vaughn. Two years. Don't even try to pretend that you understand."

"I wasn't going to," Vaughn said quietly. "I came by because I had…I wanted to see you. We were all forced to say good-bye to you, Sydney. Forever." He paused, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Having you back, alive and safe…if we could only ask for one thing, that would be it."

"Glad to know that you got what you wanted," Sydney replied, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "If only I knew what happened to me, then we'd all be celebrating, wouldn't we?"

She hated the way she sounded, all sarcastic and hostile, but she couldn't help it. This had all been festering inside her since she opened her eyes and she needed to lash out.

"Don't let this distort you, Syd," Vaughn said as if reading the emotions inside her. "Yes, what happened was unfathomable and horrific, but don't let it eat at you until you are unrecognisable. We all care about you too much to watch that happen."

Sydney's eyes narrowed. "And why do you care, Vaughn? You shouldn't, you know. You've got somebody else to care about now. You are officially free of Sydney Bristow and the dramas that serve as her shadow."

"Sydney—"

"Please, just go," Sydney said, her tone dull. "Enough has been said already. Let's not make it worse…just go."

About thirty minutes later Weiss returned, carrying several bags of Thai take out. Walking in he discovered Sydney on the couch, staring blankly into space.

"Syd? You ok?"

She turned and looked at him. "You didn't tell Vaughn what you knew…that I came to you."

"No," he replied, sitting beside her. "I didn't."

"Why not?"

"Because you asked me not to tell anyone. Until you say that it's ok, that information will stay with me."

Sydney let out a long breath. "I think that maybe we should keep it to ourselves…for now. Things are crazy and confusing enough as it is. If news gets out that you knew and that I came back during those two years, it is going to stir up everything even more."

"Well then, if it's just the two of us, then we've got our work cut out, don't we?"

Sydney nodded. "You still in?"

"Of course…the only question is, where do we start?"

"Dinner," Sydney said with a small smile.

Sydney stood on the side of the street, watching the scene unfold. She could not speak, she could not move, there was not a thing she could do to stop it from evolving.

She watched as Vaughn turned around and saw her sitting in the car. She watched as she did not drive away.

With a loud cry, Vaughn rushed forward, towards the car. But with each step a bullet hole appeared on his body. No shots were heard, but every time he placed a foot down, there was another gaping and bleeding wound.

Sydney watched herself in the car. She was saying nothing. Just watched, her expression sad, almost as if she had been expecting this to happen.

Vaughn continued to move forward, even though in obvious pain. He was determined to make it to the car. Ten steps to go. Five steps to go, four, three, two…

With one step left, Vaughn crumpled to the ground in a bright red pool of his own blood.

And Sydney could only watch as a loud wail filled the air and…

Sydney's eyes flew open, the crying still ringing in her ears. It wasn't until she tasted salt that she realized it was her who was sobbing.

"Good morning," Weiss said, holding out a mug to Sydney as she walked up to the kitchen bench. "Sleep well?"

"Uh," Sydney fought back a yawn, failing miserably. "Not really."

"Maybe you shouldn't be going back to work today. Take some time off, giver yourself a break. It might do you some good."

Sydney shook her head vehemently. "The last thing I need to do is sit around by myself all day, driving myself crazy with the what, where, who, why and how. I need to go back."

"So that way you can spend all day in the Rotunda surrounded by people and driving yourself crazy with the what, where, who, why and how?" Weiss said with a smile.

Sydney grinned back. "Exactly."

Walking back into the JTF was completely surreal, but with Jack and Weiss flanking her sides, Sydney felt strong.

"There are so many new faces," she murmured, gazing around the bustling space.

"Yeah, well the ones that count are still here," Weiss replied as he spotted Dixon and Marshall walking over.

"Hmm," Sydney smiled, not wanted to think about the major omission from that group.

"Syd!" Marshall reached her first, throwing his arms around her. "Oh my god! I can't believe that you are here…" He trailed off, taking a step back. "You do remember me, right? Marshall Flinkman? I run—"

"Marshall," Sydney cut him off. "Of course I remember you. How could I forget?"

"Well," Marshall shrugged. "Two years is kinda—" He was silenced by a look from Jack. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Sydney said with a small laugh. "And anyway, dad told me about Carrie. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Marshall beamed, his elation more than evident. "Who would have thought, hey?"

"Well, you are going to be a great dad. And you," Sydney turned to Dixon. "Congratulations as well, Mr Director."

"Now, I don't want to hear that coming from you. Dixon, Syd. Just Dixon is fine," he said, stepping forward and wrapping her in a tight hug. "Ok," he whispered. "It really is you, you really are back."

"Right where I belong," Sydney whispered back.

"Ok," Dixon said as they broke their embrace. "Now that the reunion is over, are you ready to get back into this?"

Sydney looked around the Rotunda, and then at the four family members standing in front of her. "As I just said, I am right where I belong."