Author: Bookworm
Rating: T

AN: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I'm amazed to learn from your reviews and comments that there are still quite a few Alias/SV fanfic readers out there. You've made this experience a lot more fun :) As always, I'm fascinated by your take on the plot and SV's interactions so please keep the dialogue going.
I hope you enjoy this new chapter... more after...

Ripe ~ Chapter 10

I marvel at the amazing uterus within and skin without with their unceasing ability to stretch (Reed Richards would be impressed). I still have great admiration for the belly, but I also fear it. Sometimes I wonder if I should build a shrine to it, light some incense, offer up gifts in an attempt both to honor it and avoid its wrath. It does seem more like a mythic monstrosity you'd be wise not to awaken than a bulbous appendage. It had NEEDS. It has DEMANDS. It will not be taken lightly (believe me, there's nothing light about it). I must give it its own throne, lying sideways atop a cushion, or it will CRUSH MY ORGANS. This belly is its own creature, is subject to different laws of growth and gravity. No, it's not a cute belly, not a benevolent belly. ― Shannon Hale

.

Knowing they're in the home stretch, they both can't wait to finally meet their little girl. But they must first contend with the last weeks of Sydney's pregnancy. The severity of her symptoms seems to grow in proportion to their anticipation of the baby and she is beginning to loathe her pregnant body.

As irritated as she may be, Vaughn is always the difference. Without sounding contrived, he tells her how beautiful she is every chance he has. He becomes well versed in "pregnant Sydney" merely days after their reunion and can pick up signs of her discomfort almost instantly. He is most concerned about her nutrient in-take, when food is almost a taboo for her at times. He has been trying to come up with fun ways to coax her to eat more frequently and he carries snacks for her anywhere they go.

"I used to always worry about Donovan overeating – no matter how much food I put in front of him, he'd just eat it up." Vaughn reminisces as he watches Sydney push her dinner around.

"You wish I'm more like your dog, Mr. Vaughn?" She fakes annoyance.

"I just never realized it could be such a good problem to have." He smiles and stands to collect her plate. "Maybe we can reheat and you can nibble some more after we go for a walk. Donovan usually gets hungry after a good walk."

"I refuse to be likened to a dog but I'd love nothing more than a walk. I can't promise about eating again though…"

"I hope we won't have the same kind of dialogue with our child." He pinches her nose lightly on their way out.

…

Vaughn does all the heavy lifting to get the house baby-ready but he has her hang around to "supervise" his work so he can keep her company. They would chat about every decision they need to make and she sometimes dozes off during their conversation, overtaken by drowsiness. Her sleep at night has been more interrupted, making her more sluggish than she likes during the day.

Sydney isn't always a fan of her changing body. Self-conscious about her appearance and her weight gain, she honestly does not know what Vaughn sees the way he looks at her. He on the other hand cannot get enough of her pregnant figure. She looks so delectable despite how she typically feels. Her breasts grow fuller by day and look even more tempting. He loves putting his hands on her large belly whenever he can since he is always fascinated to feel their baby move and they have an active one in there. He now spends his time on seemingly mundane activities but nothing is more important than keeping her healthy and happy. Looking at his surrounding, he has gained entirely new perspective. All the time and energy he spent chasing Prophet Five and his father's ghost are no comparison to what he is given in this tucked away haven. The opportunity and the responsibility to cherish and safeguard what matters most to him.

Sydney has been putting on a brave face since the day she "buried" Vaughn in public. She has made up her mind the only person she wants involved with her pregnancy is the one taken from her. So she soldiered on alone. For close to nine months, she cried herself to sleep when she couldn't take another night without him; she held her own hair when she sat retching in front of the toilet; and she clutched her front doorframe to steady her heavily pregnant form when she nearly passed out after hours of L.A. traffic under the hot summer sun. She did eventually decide to let her father help but it wasn't easy for either of them. Her wall of pent-up emotions came tumbling down the second Vaughn's hand instinctively cradled her baby bump as he freed her from Irina's captivity. She knew he was real with the touch of his skin. The days of her fending for herself and her baby were finally over and they had found home. She cares not whether it is L.A. or Tambor, which would just be geography. She is home when she sleeps listening to his heartbeat, when her bouts of nausea are met by a kind hand rubbing and soothing her back, and when she counts on him catching her should she falter in her weakened state. Never one to play damsel in distress, she is surprised how easy it is for her to instantly go from kick-ass tough spy to being totally reliant on a man.

Dr. Campbell returns a few days later with her test results, having asked permission in advance to bring a guest along. He introduces Sydney and Vaughn to his wife, Susan, who has worked as a paediatric nurse before Jack relocated the family to Nepal. Feeling indebted to him for years, Susan volunteers to help when she hears Jack's daughter is going to be a new mom long way from home. Sydney welcomes a female voice after two weeks in the company of monks and doctor besides Vaughn. The two women hit it off right away. Sydney appreciates Susan's quick-wittedness and warmth and finds her easy to talk to; Susan thinks Sydney is truly lovely and a real trooper, touting a bump that size in such a rural locale. They're having a nice chat at the small dinner table over a fresh pot of tea. Vaughn rises to give Sydney a backrub when she starts to show discomfort after prolonged sitting. Given her honest effort to take it easy the past several days, they are concerned why she is still tired, weak and dizzy off and on.

"Sydney, good news first – you tested negative for strep B. However, your bloodwork comes back and you have mild iron-deficiency anemia. That's why you're looking a bit pale, feeling dizzy and short of breath more often." Dr. Campbell explains.

"But I wasn't anemic when I had my blood test at six months. And I have been taking my prenatal supplement." Sydney is puzzled.

"Well, I think there are several factors at play here. The week you were captured by your mother was also the start of the most physically taxing stage of your pregnancy. Instead of giving your body all the help it needs, you went through trauma. You were drugged repeatedly, given fluids, but not fed properly – my guess is you hardly ate during that time. You had a placental tear, you travelled long distance and it is hard for your body to recover from all the ordeals when your baby is growing so rapidly inside. Your system and your hormones are thrown off, your nausea and vomiting returned and you haven't had much of an appetite since." He eyes Sydney sympathetically, "Naturally, your placenta and your baby take all the iron needed for their development, leaving little for the rest of your body. If you didn't have excess to start with, which is likely the case, you would have had been fine in the first two trimesters when the fetus was relatively small. That explains your earlier blood test. But when demand for iron skyrockets during your third trimester, you just can't keep up."

"What does she need?" Vaughn asks urgently while keeping a protective hand on her back to provide extra support.

"I'm going to give her iron supplement, in addition to her prenatal supplement. I want to see her levels up before she goes into labor." Turning towards her, Campbell emphasizes, "Sydney, it is important for you to take in as much nutrient as you can. So try to eat – small portions, throughout the day, even if you don't want to. You will be carrying lower very soon, so hopefully your appetite will improve. Michael, you will see to it?"

"Wait, wait… I don't understand. I've always been in good shape – my job demands it – even throughout my pregnancy. When I was home, I made sure I ate enough for the baby. How did I suddenly become so out of shape?" Sydney contests.

"Of course you did." Susan chimes in, trying to provide a different perspective, "I've seen a lot of single moms at the practice. They do everything right with regards to the baby but they barely do anything for themselves because there is too much they need to take care of in their lives. Now, I'm not suggesting you're like the single moms – it just sounds to me you've kept real busy and you have been depleting without restocking as a result."

This is the moment of truth for Sydney as she realizes what a bad place she has been in emotionally. She has the tendency to throw herself into work when she needs an escape. That's how she met him in the first place. They fell madly in love and they got pregnant. Then he "died". She was angry at the people who robbed her of him – so she worked. She did not get to have the joy or the fun of anticipation – so she worked some more. She was envious of the other women at the doctor's office who had another hand to hold during their appointment – so she worked even more. Secretly, she also knew the work she was obsessed with was the only way for her to get to the other side. During those long, dreary nine months without him, she was depressed, lonely and scared – she has forgotten to breathe, to smile and to enjoy. She has depleted more than her iron supply. She has depleted her resolve, her strength and her core. No wonder she is so sick and tired once her guard is down.

She looks wistfully at him.

Through it all, they've kept their promise. They've found each other.

"Michael is as wonderful as Joe has described." Susan continues, smiling kindly. "Just relax and let him take care of you over the next weeks. You can go back to super mom mode later."

Sydney nods in agreement, glad that his charm is so apparent to all. She promises herself she will make the most of her remaining pregnancy weeks – since she now has every reason to be happy.

Vaughn sheepishly apologizes to her once the Campbells leave. "Syd, you should never have had to feel like a single mom. I'm sorry my stupid quest kept me away from you for so long." Caressing her cheek softly, his voice breaks with emotions, "Please don't hide anything from me anymore. Let me make it up to you, just a little bit. You don't have to be strong or kick-ass right now. You can be tired and feel lousy and you won't scare me away. You aren't doing this alone – I promise."

She lets out a soft sigh. He needs to know the truth.

"Prophet Five, or my mother, is never your fault. You're right to investigate them, to stop them – otherwise we'd never be truly safe." She holds his gaze with hers. "You've done plenty for me already – you stayed alive. That's what I really need. You don't ever have to make it up to me." She leans forward to kiss him – slowly, joyously, thankfully.

The last time Sydney took four weeks off was about a year ago and Vaughn had plans for their vacation in Santa Barbara. But their lives took a drastic turn on their way there when Prophet Five interfered. As if the revelation of Vaughn's true identity wasn't shocking enough, they were hit with the news of her pregnancy and Prophet Five's attempt on his life. The need to expose and destroy the evil organization led to a cascade of events that followed and Sydney has continued with black ops despite her growing bump. For her to be completely off work for such a long time takes a real mental shift, though it would have been obviously impossible to stay on even if she isn't in hiding. Her only job now is to focus on getting through her last month of pregnancy as she has no clue it can be such a burden.

Despite the irony of being forced into an extended leave, Syd and Vaughn cherish the simple joys during this much needed break.

"Vaughn, you're a saint!" She exclaims excitedly when she wakes to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It makes the effort to roll herself out of bed that much more worthwhile.

It has become their morning routine over the past two weeks. He makes just enough for a large mug –always hot and flavourful – and he only lets her have half of it. He will then finish the other half, before they get on with their day. Like alcohol, if Sydney is not allowed to enjoy it freely, Vaughn has also chosen to abstain.

"Good morning!" He walks up to greet her with a chaste kiss, holding her breakfast in one hand. "I'll bring you coffee once you finish this bowl of hot cereal."

She rolls her eyes at him but sits down at their small dining table. Sydney is slave to her caffeine addiction – and decaf simply doesn't cut it.

"It has been over two weeks without work… um, how are you managing?" He notes, sitting across from her.

"Surprisingly well." She swallows her next spoonful and sighs, "I won't tell my father this – but I don't know how I pushed myself to work so much, even though everyone was telling me to slow down. Nowadays I'm relieved to not have to think about running around or jetting to some distant places. Look at me, I can hardly get up from this chair without your help." She gives him a self-deprecating half-laugh.

"Syd, your life wouldn't have been that difficult if only I were there. I'm so sorry." He knows exactly why she worked the way she did.

"You felt guilty and you constantly worried about me… yeah, I get that. Will it surprise you if I tell you I felt the same way? You see, to me, being pregnant was barely hardship. I was in the comfort of my own home – I didn't have to fight for my life in some remote safehouse." She looks up at him with overwhelming emotions, "I have regretted letting Dad talk me into leaving you behind in Italy. I honestly can't say I would make the same choice if I could do it over again. I remember not wanting to let you out of my sight while you recovered at my place after Palermo. We were practically healing each other during that special time we shared. I wished so desperately we had done that again. My constant fear was that I would receive news one day that something terrible had …" Her face falls and she can't bring herself to complete the sentence. Bile rises in her throat and her stomach churns. She covers her month to quell the nausea.

While she has shared with Jack about missing Vaughn, she has never told anyone about her ultimate fear.

He hurries over to her side and folds her tightly into his embrace. "Hey… shh, you have saved me over and over again. I'm still here because I know what I have to live for."

It's a confession and a promise.

He stays holding her.

She finally speaks again. "I kept working to distract myself from my fear. I also thought I might be able to keep you safe if I could thwart some of Prophet Five's evil plans before they can get to you." She places her hand over his heart, "But I don't need that anymore. I can relax and let myself go now because you're with me."

...

AN: As a story about two top CIA operatives, this fic lacks the allure of action in traditional sense. Nevertheless, it is also what makes this story idea unique to me.

So instead of running away from or fist-fighting bad guys, I choose to have Sydney struggle with everything that comes with pregnancy, labor and birth. The action she will face is that of her battling herself in the days and weeks to come.

Still with me?