A/N: Okay, this was a REALLY long time coming, and I totally apologize for that. What can I say? Studying for the MCAT is not conducive to fan-fiction… But, in any case I hope you enjoy this. It's short, and it's complete sap, absolutely no plot (well, almost), but hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing, right? Anyway, I'm trying to take this a little further from ATY, seeing as how the new season is now upon us… I think I have a pretty good jumping off point… ;-)

***The Softest Moment Ch. 3**** Marie Vaughn

Looking back on the whirlwind that was her week once the group returned from Taipei, Sydney can only remember one moment. Sure there had been hours of strategizing between her father, Vaughn, and herself; formulating plans, plotting moves and countermoves, figuring out how to counteract what Dixon would surely reveal about her, how to convince the CIA that they shouldn't be retired right then and there, how to keep Will alive… But once that was over, there was one phone call that Sydney would always remember; one phone call that would define that week for her. In that one moment, two words that she had heard countless times over the past year would suddenly have a whole new meaning.

            When Sydney arrived at the warehouse that night, she could hardly remember how she had gotten there. The entire drive over she had been hearing Vaughn's voice over and over in her head. "Joey's Pizza?" Those two words were all too familiar to her, but this time, they sent a jolt of worry straight to the pit of her stomach. Vaughn's voice had sounded haggard, detached, and it scared her more than she liked. She walked into the building, trying desperately not to run, not wanting to alarm him. "Vaughn?" she called out, her voice echoing in the empty room, making it sound more hollow than she had intended.

            "Hey." His voice, out of the darkness, sounded even more lifeless than it had on the phone. Her heart broke for him, knowing all too well the pain he was feeling, the pain that she had forced him to relive. "I'm sorry for calling you so late." He said softly as she approached him, standing in front of him as he sat on a pile of empty boxes. She shook off his apology quickly, giving him a knowing look, and he smiled slightly, staring at her feet. "Thank you for coming." The words were spoken barely above a whisper. She quietly took in his form, the slump of his shoulders, the way he clasped his hands tightly in his lap, his knuckles white, the dark circles under his eyes, telling her that this was probably not his first sleepless night in the recent past. Seeing him like this, she wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms, to feel his muscles relax beneath her hands, to smooth away the lines that now seemed permanently etched into his face, to soothe away his demons, if only briefly; to allow him some peace.

            "Vaughn, what is it?" she asked after a brief moment of silence. He slowly released a shuddering breath, and then looked up to meet her eyes.

            "Usually, I go get drunk." He said matter-of-factly. Her expression questioned him, "Weiss." He said, by way of explanation, and she smiled slightly, picturing the two of them at some bar, drinking until 2am, hitting on the waitresses. "He always seems to know when I've got something on my mind. By the end of the night, I've either spilled my guts, or forgotten the problem that got us there in the first place." He stopped then, his wistful expression disappearing. "Syd, I can't talk to Weiss about this." She nodded, stepping closer to him, until she was almost standing between his knees. "But her face-" he looked into her eyes then, examining her until she could no longer hold his gaze, "She looks like you, you know." She winced slightly, trying desperately to keep her face impassive, to be strong for him this once. "Except, your eyes-" He continued his examination of her face, "Your eyes aren't the same. Hers were cold, terrifying. I see them every night, and I know in my heart that they were the last thing my dad ever saw." At his last words, nothing else concerned Sydney except taking away the pain that was so obvious in his face. She moved closer, bridging that last step that separated them, and quickly wrapped her arms around him. Without hesitation his own arms went around her waist, holding her tightly to him as he buried his face in her shoulder. He took in slow, deliberate breaths, trying desperately to take control over his emotions, concentrating on Sydney's hands slowly rubbing his back, kneading at his sore, tense muscles. After several minutes he reluctantly pulled away from her, his arms still loosely wrapped around her, her hands slowly stroking his hair. She rested her forehead against his, and he closed his eyes, trying to picture Sydney's face, instead of her mother's.

            "If I'm playing Weiss' role here, maybe next time you should call for Frank's Tavern or something, and I'll know to bring large amounts of alcohol." She said softly. He chuckled, smiling in spite of their circumstances, looking up to meet her eyes.

            "Not Weiss." He said quietly, reaching up to softly tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. They stood there for what seemed an eternity, their breathing slowing in sync with each other's. But suddenly Sydney pulled away, leaving him feeling empty, and alone. He closed his eyes, kicking himself, knowing he had gone too far, had crossed that line that they had both silently vowed not to cross. His eyes opened again when he felt her presence next to him. He looked over at her, as she settled next to him, sitting close to him, their shoulders leaning against each other. She reached for his hand, wrapping her smaller one around his.

            "I asked you last week, what we were going to do." She said softly. He nodded, squeezing her hand gently, urging her to continue. "Vaughn, there's so much that I don't understand, so much that I'm confused about right now. And I know that you feel the same way." She paused again, taking a minute to gather what exactly she was trying to say to him. "Every day of my life is spent fighting for control, in one way or another. I realized this week, that the only time I truly feel like I'm on top, when I don't have to fight anymore, is when I'm with you." She looked into his eyes then, hoping that he was truly understanding her. "There were so many days over this past year, when you were the only thing that kept me fighting. You have kept me grounded, have kept me sane; have kept me happy. And now, as we both wonder what to do, with this-" she squeezed his hand between them, "I realize that the only thing I can do, the only thing I want to do, is to make sure I am to you, who you have been for me." She brought her free hand to his face, softly rubbing her thumb against his lower lip "Damn the consequences."

A/N: So, what do you thing? Good? Bad? Ugly? Way too sticky from the overload of sap? You know what to do… click the little button and review review review!!