Title: Family Secrets Chapter Ten

Author: Jaycee

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. Alias is a creation of a wonderful man named J.J. Abrams and Bad Robots Productions.

Archive: Go on… archive it! Just tell me where okay?

Rating: G

Spoilers: Post confession

Category/Genre: A little bit of everything

Summary: After learning that Sydney's mom was the one who killed his father, Vaughn finds out another secret from his father's past.

Author's note: Feedback is more than welcome…. Please tell me what you think okay? I'm more than happy to hear from you!

Pier,

Los Angeles

Night

"Hey." Sydney greeted him as soon as she was within earshot.

"Hey." Vaughn greeted back and stared back out to the clear ocean. "Thanks for coming. And I'm sorry for calling, I know that you probably have…" He trailed off.

She held up a hand to stop his stream of words. "Your welcome. You know that I'm here for you, just like you're there for me." She answered, as she moved closer to him and stared at the ocean. "So, what is the problem?"

He stared at her right in the eyes, not caring if anyone can see them. Damn protocol! He needs to talk to her right now.

"I don't know how to say this. I…" He stammered.

Sydney placed a hand on top of his own that was clutched on the railing so tightly that even in the luminous moon light, you can see that his knuckles were white. "Don't worry Vaughn. It's me. Sydney. You can tell me everything and anything."

"Okay, here goes. You remember Samantha?" He asked.

Sydney felt a pang of jealousy pass through her. Is this what this is? Is he having feelings for Samantha? Oh God… please no…

"She's my sister." He finished, sighing hugely.

I don't think I can handle it if he says that he's attracted to her…. wait! What did he say?

"What?" She asked.

"Sam… she's my sister." He said barely above a whisper.

"Your sister?" She echoed. "How… when…?"

He turned to look at her and then down at her hand still on top of his. "I found out. Our blood types were the same, right down to the DNA, and I saw her at my dad's grave… I heard her… she called him daddy, and my mom… she knows… she knows about her…" His voice cracked at the last word, and he bit his lower lip, trying to control his frustrated tears from falling.

Damn it! I came here to talk to her, not to bawl my eyes out! Control Vaughn! Control!

He returned his gaze to Sydney and he saw her staring at him with the most gentle and most understanding look on her face. "Oh Vaughn, that is such a…" She fumbled for the words but came up with none.

He nodded understandingly and looked back at the ocean. "I've always looked up to my dad, you know? I thought everything about him was perfect. That he was just the perfect man in the whole wide world. But then… I found out about all of this and…" He felt the tears start to come and he closed his eyes tightly to stop them from overflowing.

Sydney moved even closer to him and took his hand off the railing and placed it in between her own. She waited for him to continue.

"I just… I just don't know what to do you know? I don't know what to think… I don't know who I should be more mad at… my dad for not telling me anything before he died of for my mom for not telling me everything that she knows. She kept all of this from me for twenty-five years! How can she do that? Or maybe I should be mad at Sam for coming here and making me know all about this."

Sydney felt his body tremble and she looked at him in alarm. What she saw nearly broke her heart.

His wonderful green eyes were quickly filling with tears. "Oh Vaughn…" She whispered and without a moment's hesitation, she quickly filled the gap between the two of them and enclosed him in a hug.

This was not the agent that she knows. This wasn't the strong Vaughn, strong, cynical, composed CIA Agent Vaughn. For the first time, she was seeing the softer side of Vaughn, the gentler and sensitive side. The young scared boy inside was again coming out.

He sighed and returned her hug tightly, he was afraid that if he let her go too soon, he would lose all semblance of self-control.

Sydney sighed. She had wished for such a long time to feel Vaughn's arms around her.

She just wished that it were not now, right when he was at his most lowest.

She rubbed his back gently and hoped that he wouldn't cry. She doesn't think her heart can handle that right now.

They stayed like that for an hour, but to Sydney it only seemed like a few minutes.

Vaughn was the first one to break away, the tears from his eyes long gone, and back was the Agent Vaughn that she had always known.

"Are you okay?" She whispered. He shook his head and stared at the ocean.

"Wanna know what I think?" She asked, not really sure if she should say what she's about to say. He just nodded without making eye contact.

"Vaughn, you shouldn't be mad at your dad. Not anymore anyway. He didn't get the chance to tell you because he died early." She stopped for a while as she remembered the reason why that happened. She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind and continued. "I know that he didn't really mean it when he had the affair. I know that he loved your mom very, very much and that he would never intentionally hurt her or you for the matter."

"Your mom. I know. It hurts to know that she has known everything about your dad and Sam for the past twenty-five years, but you have to understand that she just wanted to let you keep the image of how perfect your dad was in your mind. She didn't want to ruin all of that for you. She didn't want you to find out that you're father is not everything that you've imagined him."

Vaughn turned to her and a look of understanding passed his face. But as quickly as it came, it was gone.

Sydney took a deep breath and continued. "Your mom didn't intentionally try to hurt you, kind of like what your father did. She loves you, you know that right?" He nodded and urged for her to continue.

"Just try to understand her and your father. They love you." She turned to him and saw him still staring out into the ocean. She looked at him understandingly and continued.

"And with Sam. It wasn't her fault that her mother was your father's mistress. She didn't plan all of this. I'm willing to bet anything that she told you that she was planning to tell you everything before you found out right?"

Vaughn silently agreed with her.

"See? She loves you Vaughn. I can see that. And before you found out that she's your sister, you must have felt a certain connection with her right?"

Vaughn nodded again.

"Without really knowing it, you were already accepting the fact that she's your sister." Sydney said, smiling gently at him.

"And besides, isn't it great to know that you have a sister? That you're not an only child after all? Forget the fact that your mothers are different, what matters is what you both feel inside."

"And besides, having a younger sister gives you an instant maid, right? You have someone to boss around and somebody to tease and all that… and that's going to be so much fun." She kidded.

Vaughn chuckled quietly. Sydney smiled at the sound. "And most of all, it feels good that you have someone to protect, someone to look out for and someone who looks up to you. Its fun to have a baby sister or brother. I know I've always wished for one." She concluded.

"Just understand them. My dad did the same thing to me remember? But you told me that he only did what he did because he loves me so much. Now its time that you follow your own advice."

Vaughn took a deep breath and smiled at her. "Thanks Syd."

"Your welcome. And I'm just doing what you have done so many times in the past for me." She replied. "So, you know what you're going to do now?"

He nodded and took her in his arms in a tight hug. "Yup. I know now." He whispered.

Sydney snuggled in his embrace, savoring the wonderful feelings swirling her. Hugging Vaughn was the most perfect thing in the world.

They parted and Vaughn smiled at her. "Thanks."

Sydney smiled back. "Your welcome. And anytime you need to talk or something, remember…. You got my number." She said, smiling into his eyes.

He chuckled as he remembered those words that he uttered not so long ago. "I know." He replied.

Vaughn took her left hand in his and held it tightly.