Story: Beyond All Limits
Author: Steph (stephanie406@juno.com)
Disclaimer: Don't own Alias, or any characters thus portrayed. It all belongs to JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, etc.
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Spoilers: post "After Thirty Years"
Sydney was used to being the one that did the rescuing. She didn't need rescued herself all that often.
But just when she'd resigned herself to her fate, just when she'd given up all hope… her knight in (dusty) armor had arrived to save her.
Sydney was still mulling this over.
God definitely must still love her, even though she rarely had occasion anymore to believe in Him. But only God could have created this wonderful man, her personal Savior and Guardian Angel all in one. Michael Vaughn.
Who, no doubt the darkness, had his eyes glued to her ass at the moment. She could still feel his burning gaze. She could still feel his lips on hers.
Why, oh why, had she kissed him?
Sydney didn't know. She'd acted on impulse. But she did know that she wanted to do it again, and again, and again… Even though she knew she could never do it again. Or, more precisely, she never could again as long as SD-6 existed and her life as a double agent continued.
She respected him, admired him, loved him too much to put him in that kind of danger. Danny had already suffered those consequences. So had Will.
But still. At any rate, thank God for Agent Michael Vaughn.
Sydney stopped at another duct intersection, peering at the hallway below for any sign of familiarity. She noticed some pen scratchings between her hands. She smiled.
Ah yes. Thank God in many, many ways for Michael Vaughn.
One last glimpse through the vent from another angle finally presented Sydney with a marker she could use—a door with another one of those strange numbers on the wall. Number 17. Suddenly, Sydney knew exactly where she was. She'd studied the blueprints her father had had earlier. And she did have the added bonus of a photographic memory.
"I know where we are," she whispered back at Vaughn.
"Thank God" he mumbled. "My knees are killing me."
She didn't give him more time to complain. She turned right and set off once more in the complicated maze.
Half an hour later, following their crawling up three stories of dusty ventilation, she and an equally dusty Vaughn stood quietly on the roof, taking in their surroundings.
Sydney crept quietly around the perimeter of the roof, leaning over to see how many, if any, guards they were up against.
Strangely, considering the amount of "high profile" people in the building, there was very little security she could see. And plenty of shrubbery off to one side. A virtual forest.
Sydney motioned Vaughn over to where she stood next to the edge of the roof. The side of the building against the shrubbery was completely unguarded. And even stranger enough, a few vehicles were parked hazardously next to the building.
Vaughn looked over the side and then back at her with his eyebrows rose in amazement. "You'd almost think they wanted us to leave," he whispered.
Sydney didn't like the sound of that. She did not like traps, not at all. But if all really was good, then she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if this did turn out to be a trap after all, it was a chance at escape they had to take. Their position on the roof was perilous at best.
They had a two-story drop to the ground. That was nothing. She'd jumped farther, in much different, more difficult situations. This time, no guards, no guard dogs to contend with if they could drop down quietly. And assuming there were no motion detection lights.
Strange. It was definitely all very strange.
Sydney didn't like it one bit. It didn't sit well with her. An easy escape route available with that woman in the building? Not very likely. But that's exactly what it seemed to be.
Sydney took a few deep breaths trying to calm her fears. All they had to do was jump, and run the few blocks to the car they'd left behind earlier.
Sydney took the step onto the ledge of the roof, and taking a lungful of precious air, she leaped, landing hard, but almost noiselessly on the ground below.
Seconds later, Vaughn joined her.
Sydney crept into the bushes and turned back to survey their surroundings. Still no evidence of security on this side of the building. But she could hear the guards talking from their posts on other sides of the warehouse.
Sydney crept farther into the shadows, making sure Vaughn was keeping close. As soon as she thought they were far enough away that snapping twigs under their feet wouldn't catch the attention of the security, she ran.
Well, if anything, Sydney Bristow always knew she had timing. Because all the sudden, bright lights were filtering through the woods and the warehouse exploded with sound.
It was still dark outside. But the moon hung low in the sky and a faint tinge of color lit the eastern horizon.
Sydney looked behind her, and seeing Vaughn lagging behind, she slowed till he'd caught up to her. Seeing him back there… it gave Sydney a sick sense of déja vu.
She wasn't going to leave him behind ever again.
Even if it meant grabbing his hand and pulling him along with her. Which is exactly what she did.
Sydney sighed with relief when she spotted their rental car. She punched the keyless code into the door and hopped into the driver's seat, unlocked Vaughn's door, and was peeling rubber before his door had even closed.
If the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach was anything to judge by, it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.
