Chapter One
The throbbing pain on the left side of her head reminded her that she was indeed, still alive. Even though she didn't want to be. There was nothing really left for her, except for her friends. Francie would be devastated if something were ever to happen to her best friend. Will, she didn't even want to think what would happen to Will. And what about her father? What would he do? Still work for the CIA? She cleared her thoughts for a brief second, and began to dream of her paradise. She walked outside, into the crisp, cool air, wearing her favorite brown turtleneck sweater. She was clutching something, but she didn't know what. She had a smile on her face, and she walked down a flowered pathway to the end of the hill. She looked out, across the mountainous landscape, and down, towards the fertile valley.
"Hey." A familiar voice.
"Hey yourself. When did you get here?"
"As soon as I could. It took me forever."
"I know what you mean." A smile. She narrowed the focus in her eye, on his forehead. She could see a cut beginning to form. "Wha.what's that?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little scratch." She shook her head, disapprovingly, and walked forward, lifting her finger to touch his wounded flesh. "God, that stings." She could feel him wince under her touch.
She looked sheepishly down. "Sorry. I only meant to help."
"Help? You.help? You've never helped me in your life! It was always about you. 'I need to find my mom', or 'My dad doesn't love me', or 'Rambaldi this, Rambaldi that'. What about me? What about my needs, Syd? Did you ever take a moment to think about me?"
Words were trying to slip out of her mouth, but nothing was coming out. Instead, she only moved back, walking backwards, in a defensive position. The man rattled on. "Were you too blind to see other people? Or are you always this selfish?"
"Stop it! Stop, Vau."
"Vaughn? Is that what you were going to say? God, how could I have been so stupid? I was never Michael to you, was I? I was always your handler.nothing more."
"But."
"No, don't 'but' me. You never loved me."
"But the protocol."
"FUCK the protocol, Sydney. I loved you, I even risked my own fucking life to help search for your precious mother. And look what that has gotten us. Weiss is DEAD. My best fucking friend is dead! You mother has killed too many of my loved ones. I hope your mother burns in fucking hell."
"Michael." Sydney's eyes widened to her own voice. "I hate my mother. Do you think I feel all warm and fuzzy inside? She is my own flesh and blood.she created me. That evil bitch created me!" She neared closer to Vaughn, and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt him immediately tense up. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. The way I've acted, my mother, and my reliability in you. I took you for granted, Michael. If you never forgive me, I'll completely understand." She took her hand off of his shoulder, and turned to walk away.
"Syd, wait." She spun around, and looked up to face him. She could see in his misty green eyes, with that worried expression on his face, that everything was going to be alright with them.
"I'm so sorry, Michael. I never meant to hurt you. I.I'm so scared."
"Ssh, come here." Sydney's feet shuffled towards Vaughn, and she melted into him, letting herself be comforted by his strong, enveloping arms. "I'm scared too. I'm scared of your mother, and what she can do to us. I promise you this, Sydney.I will never let her hurt you, ever. As long as I live, I will make sure to keep you safe."
"And I promise to protect you, Michael.so my mother will never get her hideous claws on you or any of your loved ones."
"That includes you, Syd."
Sydney blushed, and gazed into those gorgeous green eyes she'd grown so accustomed to. "Even after what you said?"
"Especially after that. Syd, I never, ever want to lose you again. You are my life, my soul. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."
"Don't ever think that, Mike.I will never leave you. Never. You have to believe me when I say that."
"I believe you, Syd. I believe."
Her dream was interrupted when she heard a door slam. She stirred in her seat, and raised her eyelids to meet the gaze of none other than Mr. Sark.
"Well, Ms. Bristow, we meet again."
The throbbing pain on the left side of her head reminded her that she was indeed, still alive. Even though she didn't want to be. There was nothing really left for her, except for her friends. Francie would be devastated if something were ever to happen to her best friend. Will, she didn't even want to think what would happen to Will. And what about her father? What would he do? Still work for the CIA? She cleared her thoughts for a brief second, and began to dream of her paradise. She walked outside, into the crisp, cool air, wearing her favorite brown turtleneck sweater. She was clutching something, but she didn't know what. She had a smile on her face, and she walked down a flowered pathway to the end of the hill. She looked out, across the mountainous landscape, and down, towards the fertile valley.
"Hey." A familiar voice.
"Hey yourself. When did you get here?"
"As soon as I could. It took me forever."
"I know what you mean." A smile. She narrowed the focus in her eye, on his forehead. She could see a cut beginning to form. "Wha.what's that?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little scratch." She shook her head, disapprovingly, and walked forward, lifting her finger to touch his wounded flesh. "God, that stings." She could feel him wince under her touch.
She looked sheepishly down. "Sorry. I only meant to help."
"Help? You.help? You've never helped me in your life! It was always about you. 'I need to find my mom', or 'My dad doesn't love me', or 'Rambaldi this, Rambaldi that'. What about me? What about my needs, Syd? Did you ever take a moment to think about me?"
Words were trying to slip out of her mouth, but nothing was coming out. Instead, she only moved back, walking backwards, in a defensive position. The man rattled on. "Were you too blind to see other people? Or are you always this selfish?"
"Stop it! Stop, Vau."
"Vaughn? Is that what you were going to say? God, how could I have been so stupid? I was never Michael to you, was I? I was always your handler.nothing more."
"But."
"No, don't 'but' me. You never loved me."
"But the protocol."
"FUCK the protocol, Sydney. I loved you, I even risked my own fucking life to help search for your precious mother. And look what that has gotten us. Weiss is DEAD. My best fucking friend is dead! You mother has killed too many of my loved ones. I hope your mother burns in fucking hell."
"Michael." Sydney's eyes widened to her own voice. "I hate my mother. Do you think I feel all warm and fuzzy inside? She is my own flesh and blood.she created me. That evil bitch created me!" She neared closer to Vaughn, and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt him immediately tense up. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. The way I've acted, my mother, and my reliability in you. I took you for granted, Michael. If you never forgive me, I'll completely understand." She took her hand off of his shoulder, and turned to walk away.
"Syd, wait." She spun around, and looked up to face him. She could see in his misty green eyes, with that worried expression on his face, that everything was going to be alright with them.
"I'm so sorry, Michael. I never meant to hurt you. I.I'm so scared."
"Ssh, come here." Sydney's feet shuffled towards Vaughn, and she melted into him, letting herself be comforted by his strong, enveloping arms. "I'm scared too. I'm scared of your mother, and what she can do to us. I promise you this, Sydney.I will never let her hurt you, ever. As long as I live, I will make sure to keep you safe."
"And I promise to protect you, Michael.so my mother will never get her hideous claws on you or any of your loved ones."
"That includes you, Syd."
Sydney blushed, and gazed into those gorgeous green eyes she'd grown so accustomed to. "Even after what you said?"
"Especially after that. Syd, I never, ever want to lose you again. You are my life, my soul. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."
"Don't ever think that, Mike.I will never leave you. Never. You have to believe me when I say that."
"I believe you, Syd. I believe."
Her dream was interrupted when she heard a door slam. She stirred in her seat, and raised her eyelids to meet the gaze of none other than Mr. Sark.
"Well, Ms. Bristow, we meet again."