Title: Coming to Terms (Chapter 3)
Author: UConn Fan (Michele)
E-Mail: LoveUConnBasketball@yahoo.com

Authors Note: Hey all! Anyone even miss me? Somehow I doubt it. Anyway. Somethings I want to clarify (does anyone actually read AN's but me?!):
Michael Vartan is a Mets fan, thus so is Vaughn - do not mistake my NY baseball affiliation sob
There's a character with the last name Jeter - he's essentially a good & bad guy - he's named after Derek Jeter :) 3
I have an excellent relationship with my Father. Excellent. I'm a total Daddy's girl. So writing a relationship like Jack & Sydney's is a real challenge, however I just LOVE their interaction - I think Victor Garber's an excellent actor and Jack Bristow's a kick ass character. Writing their scenes are some of the most rewarding and challenging that I've encountered while writing this story. Please comment on their scenes if you wouldn't mind.
I'm also a HUGE X-Files fan, but I was so angry after David Duchovny wrote "William" in season 9 - the plot is mentioned in this story; if you are an X-Files fan who has not seen or found out what happens in that episode, please be warned that, while I don't spell it out, the plot is heavily hinted at.
Several mentions of Dirty Dancing, one of my all time favorite movies; character with the last name Cavilerri (not sure if the character is in this chapter) I got the last name from reading & falling in love with Love Story this past weekend.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the X-Files, Mulder or Scully, Twinkies, Dirty Dancing, Love Story, The Rugrats, the Mets or Dodgers, ESPN, the Kings or Canucks, Scrabble, Charlie Brown and certainly not any Alias-related character, place, etc. I'm having fun, please don't sue. My life is so unbelievably depressing that you don't waven want to get involved, trust me.

PLEASE NOTE: This was written PRIOR to MANY MANY MANY late season 1 episodes. Sydney's Mother has not been found. Will is still oblivious to Syd's true occupation. Charlie isn't a creep (obviously, they're married). I mention Emily still being alive. It's all pretty obvious. Please don't hold the timeline against me. I had no idea of all the twists and turns JJ was going to make. Please just enjoy the story as it, and please please PLEASE give me feedback! :) I just LOVE everyone that has!

Okay, finally, here's the story! (Please read & respond :))



Will walked in through Sydney's front door, feeling very generous as he carried a plastic grocery bag. Either very generous or very dumb for coming over with goodies and the fixings to make his best friend - who he happened to be in love with but was also pregnant with another unidentified mans baby - dinner. Generous just sounded better. He hated to consider himself dumb and pathetic . . .well, anymore dumb or pathetic. After all considering himself pathetic only made him feel dumb.

"Will, I'm so glad your here!" Sydney smiled at him from the kitchen, beckoning him in. "Could you please do me a favor?" She questioned, smiling sweetly as she held a bottle of dishwashing liquid in her hands.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked, placing the bag down and approaching her.

"Please pour the liquid in for me? My back's so bad that I can't even bend down." She explained, her eyes widening and her smile growing.

"No problem," he agreed, doing as she asked. "How's your stomach?"

"Oh, it could be better." She admitted, grabbing a glass of water and sitting down. "What's in the bag?"

"Just some stuff for dinner. I thought I could make you dinner."

"You're going to make dinner?"

"I'm going to try to make you dinner." He rephrased to her amusement. "I bought you Twinkies though."

"Twinkies!" Her eyes lit up gleefully as he handed her the box. "How did you know I wanted some of these?" She asked, eagerly opening the box and pulling out a handful.

Will shook his head as she offered him a Twinkie and watched in awe and disgust as she started to eat one. "When my cousin was pregnant she probably bought enough to keep Hostess in business for a year." He said as she laughed.

"Very good guess," she complimented, forgetting all manners as she spoke with a mouthful of food. "This is the best thing I've ever eaten."

"Really?" He asked skeptically. They both laughed and she shook her head.

"Not really, but it seems like that right now." She confessed. "I didn't know you had a cousin who had a baby."

"Yeah, my cousin Dana. I was only seventeen," he shrugged. "I was there when the baby was born. Now that's a horror picture." He said as she laughed. "If you like the Twinkies, you'll definitely like what I got for after dinner."

"What did you get?" She asked, her eyes lighting up at the possibility of more goodies.

"It's a surprise." Sydney's face fell slightly. "I'll tell you if you tell me who the baby's Father is." He bargained, causing her lips to form a pout.

"That's not fair Will. You don't tell me about your sex life."

He laughed, starting to prepare dinner. "That's because I don't have a sex life."

She shook her head in amusement, devouring another Twinkie. "So how's work going?" She asked him.

"It's fine," he shrugged. His low-level job, with the occasional A-section piece but wound up mostly in tiny D-section blurbs, wasn't what he had wanted or planned for his career. Both of them knew it. Then again, her job at the bank wasn't her life plan either. "Did you start reading the book Francie bought?"

"Yeah," she sulked. Sydney knew she sounded more like a spoiled, upset three year old then a twenty nine year old double agent but for a brief time her hormones kicked in and she didn't care.

"Listen Syd, you're the one who chose to be a single Mom. We're just trying to help."

"I didn't choose this Will!" She snapped, suddenly angry with her friend. "I didn't purposely go out there and get pregnant. This just happened."

"You're still the one who has decided to raise this baby." He pointed out.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"I'm not talking about abortion. There's adoption. There are plenty of couples out there who want to be parents."

Once again she grew contemplative and sad, looking down at the Twinkie wrapper in her hand. "I might not have planned this baby, but I want it."

"Fine Syd, I'm happy for you." His words were sincere as was his smile. "Just don't cut yourself off from any options. C'mon, if Scully can do it, so can you." He said as she laughed.

"Will, I'm not on the X-Files." She reminded him.

"Yeah . . . I was so angry with David Duchovny when he wrote that. " He said to himself as she stifled a giggle. "I'd take his wife though."

"I thought Charlie was trying to set you up with the new lawyer at his firm."

"He is. Her name is Jennie. She just graduated law school."

"Another Jennie?" Sydney asked with a smirk.

"It's a pure coincidence." He insisted as she laughed.

"If you say so."

"If he says what?" Francie called, walking through the front door.

"Hey," Sydney smiled at her as she walked into the kitchen. "Did you know the girl Charlie's trying to set Will up with is named Jennie?"

"Yeah, I know, how freaky is that?" Francie agreed as Will rolled his eyes.

"It's not freaky. Jennie's a nickname for Jennifer. Jennifer's what, like the most popular name of the past three decades?" He pointed out as the two women shrugged. "Anyway, where's your husband?"

"He'll be over later. Had to work late. The restaurant was running fine without me, so I thought I'd come over here." She explained. "Oh, Twinkies."

"Only take one Francie." Sydney pleaded.

"They're the new love of her life." Will explained.

"How are you feeling?" Francie asked her friend, sitting down at the table while Will worked on his meal preparations.

"My back is sore. My stomach's better today."

"Do you have any gut feelings on what the baby might be?" Francie questioned eagerly.

"I think it's a little too soon for that." She smiled. It was only the middle of September; she was only eight weeks pregnant.

"C'mon, you have to want one over the other." Will interjected. Sydney sighed and shrugged.

"Not really," she smiled. "Just a healthy baby."

"I think it's a boy." Will insisted.

"You just want a boy so that there are more boys then girls hanging around here." Francie pointed out. With Charlie around most of the time the count of males to females in the Bristow apartment was even. Occasionally Amy came around to give the girls the advantage. Now with the possibility of Jennie being around more often, Will needed another boy - even an infant - to lean everything towards the men's side. "What about names?"

"What about them?" Sydney asked, standing up and getting another Twinkie. Will stood by the stove and wrinkled his nose in slight disgust.

"If it's a girl you could name the baby Laura. After your Mom." Francie suggested helpfully. Syd stopped midstride. Her best friend's suggestion had been good-natured, as were all of Francie and Will's suggestions. She couldn't just explain to them that Laura Bristow had never really existed. She had been a fabrication of an evil woman who had killed twelve CIA agents - including Vaughn's Father. Naming this child Laura was out of the question. "Syd? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. . I'm fine." She forced a smile and sat down. "I'll think about it." She said as Francie nodded. "So when is your first date with Jennie?"

Will groaned. "This Friday."

"Oh," Sydney and Francie teased.

"That gives you less then five days to prepare." Sydney pointed out, given the fact that it was a Monday night.

Before Will could retaliate, the phone rang. "That's probably Charlie." Francie sighed, standing up and answering it. After a few seconds Syd and Will watched as she let out an aggravated sigh. "Yeah, y'know what, this is Joey's Pizza. Tonight our special is Twinkie's on your pizza, how about it?"

Sydney and Will laughed as she hung up the phone. "How long have we been getting those stupid calls?"

"Too long." Will insisted.

"I think it's funny." Sydney insisted, smiling as she stood up. "I'm going to run out of these within an hour." She smiled, her eyes wide as she held up the nearly empty box of Twinkies. "Do we need anything else while I'm out?"

"Nah, we're fine. Don't take too long, dinner will be ready soon." Will directed.

"I won't be long." She promised, smiling at them as she walked out of her house.

Fifteen minutes later she walked into the familiar warehouse. In her hands she carried the box of Twinkies, in the middle of eating one as she stepped into the cage. "Hi."

Vaughn resisted the urge to laugh at the sight she made. "Hi."

"Do you want one?" She asked, holding her box out to him.

"No, I'm fine." He assured her with a grin. "Francie didn't sound too happy to hear from me."

"She never is." Sydney reminded him as she sat down. "So, why'd you call?"

"We've finally finished decoding a small portion of the Bible."

"And?"

"It appears to be the notes . . Memoir's even, of a man named Otto Jeter."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"He's a member of the Alliance. He's the head of SD-1." Vaughn explained.

"Why did SD-6 want the information if he's already a member of the Alliance?"

"If the CIA is reading it right, it seems as though Jeter wants out of the organization. He's already stockpiled a fortune in various locations throughout the world. We did some more research and found out that he was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness."

"So he's trying to clear his conscience?"

"So it seems."

"This is good then?"

"Yes," he smiled. "This is a huge step in taking down SD-6 and the Alliance."

"That's wonderful." She smiled.

Vaughn nodded before his expression changed and his eyes seemed warmer. "How are you feeling?"

"My back's bad. I couldn't even pour the dishwashing liquid." She admitted with a soft laugh. "I love Twinkies."

"Have you always loved Twinkies?" He asked as she shook her head. "My sister would only eat Devil Dogs during her second trimester with Maya. It was disgusting." He remembered as they both laughed.
"I never realized how tasty these are." She smiled, eating another one.

"When's your next doctor's appointment."

She sighed and closed the box of Twinkies before she looked at him. "Not for nearly a month. It feels like I've been pregnant forever and I'm not even in my second trimester."

"My sister always said the easiest part of parenthood is pregnancy." He commented as she nodded. "Your taking it easy, right?"

"As best I can." She promised. "How's your sister doing?"

"Fine. Excited, they're hoping it's a boy."

She nodded and looked down at her feet. Vaughn dared to step closer to her, sensing something was bothering her. Sydney was rarely so passive or quiet, although he knew pregnancy could do weird things to a woman. "What's wrong?"

"It's my Dad . . ." She explained, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I've seen him . . . at SD-6. He hasn't spoken to me one on one since I announced I was pregnant. I mean, we've never been that close . . . " She trailed off, looking up at him, her eyes sad. "I'd rather him yell at me then avoid me at all."

"He's your Father Syd. He loves you, regardless of whether or not he agrees with things in your life." He gently reminded her. "I'm sure he'll stop by to talk to you soon."

"Yeah," she agreed although it was obvious she didn't believe it. "I better go. Francie and Will are at the house. Will's making dinner." She explained with a smile. Vaughn nodded sadly. "Thanks for the update."

"No problem." He smiled. They shared a few seconds of eye contact before she looked away, still grinning. Sydney slowly stood and then grabbed her box of Twinkies before she walked out of the warehouse.

Vaughn walked into his office the next day, his mind jumbled with scattered thoughts. With the discovery of the Bible and the possibility of the take down of the Alliance, work had kept him busy. Devlin had been scrutinizing his every move. While no one could prove that Sydney's pregnancy had any connection with him, he didn't doubt that his boss had strong suspicions of the baby's origins. There had been no disciplinary action taken towards him - and certainly none towards Sydney, since that was illegal. He knew all it would take would be one wrong move and he'd be out of the CIA on his ass.

Eric walked into his office a few minutes later, getting comfortable in the seat across from him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Vaughn responded, kicking on his computer and organizing the papers on his desk. "Did you hear anything else about the Bible from linguistics?"

"Not yet. I did hear something about Bristow." He explained. Vaughn looked up at him sharply but Eric nonetheless continued. "Sydney, actually. I'm surprised you didn't tell me."

"I have actual work to do today." He impatiently reminded him.

"I heard Sydney's pregnant." Eric spoke in a low voice. Vaughn paused briefly before returning to his papers. "Well, is she?"

"I'm Sydney's case handler, not the office gossip."

"I'm just surprised your taking it so well."

"What does that mean?" He questioned, his brow scrunched in confusion and slight frustration.

"It's just . . I know you've got this secret girlfriend . . . But you obviously feel something for Sydney. . Unless . . "

"Unless what?"

"Unless you don't have to worry about Sydney because you know exactly where this baby came from." Eric whispered.

"Eric, I really don't have time for this today. Do you know if Jack's here today?"

"Yeah, I just saw him heading towards Devlin's office."

"Thanks," Vaughn responded, quickly standing and moving out of the office.

"I guess we'll talk later." Eric mumbled, standing up and walking out of the office alone.

Vaughn nearly ran into Jack Bristow as the older man was walking out of Director Devlin's office. "Agent Vaughn." Jack said in an emotionless voice.

"Do you have a second to talk?" Vaughn asked. "It's about Sydney."

Jack stood motionless for a second before giving a slight nod. Without a word Vaughn followed the senior agent down the hall and into an abandoned conference room. "What about Sydney?"

"I know that your relationship with your daughter is none of my business -"

"You're right, it is none of your business."

"However," Vaughn said, his frustration growing more apparent. "Jack, with all due respect, your daughter needs to talk to you. Sydney would rather you yell at her then ignore her." He explained. He noticed that if he looked close enough, Jack's face softened at his words. "She understands the repercussions of her actions. You're her Father. She needs to talk to you. I'm not a family counselor, and I would never say anything unless I felt it was absolutely necessary. I feel this is absolutely necessary. This is going to be extremely difficult for her. Even if you don't approve of the situation or her actions, she needs to talk to you."

"Thank you, Agent Vaughn, for your advice. I believe that I know how to interact with my daughter."

Without another word, Jack turned around and left the room, leaving Vaughn alone and frustrated.



Sydney was home alone Friday night. With neither SD-6 nor the CIA having any new leads on the Bible, and the CIA busy decoding it, there was no mission for her that weekend. That night was traditionally the busiest night at the restaurant, keeping Charlie and Francie busy, and Will was on his dreaded first date with Jennie. So she was going to spend the evening alone, along with her box of Twinkies, grape juice and stack of Patrick Swayze movies. The evening might not have been the most interesting, but Sydney knew anything was better then the possibility of crawling around air vents and jumping off of roofs during a mission.

She had settled on to the couch. It was a chilly mid-September night and she had a blanket to keep her warm on the sofa. She had just slipped in Dirty Dancing and was fast-forwarding through the previews when someone rang the doorbell. Frustrated, she turned off the VCR and wrapped the blanket around her. She walked towards the door and did a double take when she saw her Father through the peephole.

"Dad?"

"Sydney." He nodded at her. "May I come in?"

"Sure," she moved out of the way as he stepped into the living room.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She answered with a slight nod. "Do you want a Twinkie?"

"No . . No thank you." He said as she nodded. "How is the baby?"

"Fine . . Fine. I'm eight weeks."

Jack nodded and looked around the room. After a few tense seconds he glanced back at his daughter. "Sydney . . Perhaps your situation isn't ideal . . .I want you to be happy. I only want what's best for you."

"I know." She smiled.

"Things . . . They weren't always as they are now. When you were younger . . . " He trailed off. After a few seconds he looked back at you. "If you or the baby need anything, just ask."

"I will." She promised.

"Sloane . . . Emily found out about the baby. She's thrilled for you. It appears that Arvin won't be doing anything to harm the baby. Right now. We have a bug in his office at home so if that changes we'll know about it." He explained as she nodded, remembering the evening a few years ago where she dropped the paperclip bug into the office. "Are you happy?"

Sydney took a few seconds before she smiled. "As happy as I can be."

Jack nodded, understanding her answer. "I better go . . ." He said as she nodded, walking him out the door.

Once Jack's car had pulled out of the driveway, Sydney quickly walked back towards her bedroom. Going to her closet, she pulled out a shoebox from the top of her closet. While she had kept all of her Mother's memento's in a beautiful hat box - one she now rarely looked at - as a teenager she had thrown anything of sentimental value related to her Father into a shoe box. It had been haphazardly thrown at the top of her closet when she moved. That evening was the first time she had looked at it since she had started boarding school at fourteen.

She sucked in a deep breath when she opened the box. When her Father had mentioned the relationship they had had when she was younger, she remembered everything. It had been so long ago that they had been close, but it had happened. The box was proof of that. The picture on top of the pile of mementos was a close up of their faces. She was three or four and her hair was up in pigtails. She and her Father were giving goofy smiles to the camera. The picture bought a small, sad smile to her face.

Another picture that caught her eye nearly brought her to tears. A much younger version of her Father sat in a rocker that she remembered from her childhood. She was there in his arms, a newborn with a pink knit cap on the top of her head. They were looking at each other, completely oblivious to the person taking the picture. On the back of the photo, her Mother's fluent hand had written '4/17/74 - Jack & Sydney's first photo'. The young Father in the picture obviously loved the infant in his arms and the newborn girl looked up at him with infant eyes of awe.

Other pictures flipped from the shoebox and into her hands . . . An infant Sydney laying on her Father's chest as they both slept soundly . . . She and her Father at her kindergarten graduation, smiling widely as Sydney clutched her Father's hand . . . A picture of them standing in front of a cabin on one of the camping excursions the family of three had taken when she was younger . . . Jack smiling and Sydney giggling as she rode the carousel . . . Jack attempting to teach Sydney how to hit a baseball off of a tee, a photo taken just weeks before 'Laura' had 'died' . . .

Underneath the photos were various other mementos. Handmade cards with crayon scribbles and colored constructions paper. Most included a 'Dear Daddy . .' And all ended with a 'Love Sydney'. There were seashells and ticket stubs from Disney movies. She found various tiny, colorful pieces of paper that had obviously been tickets to various carnivals or fairs from over the years. Even the program from a 'Daddy and Me' class that they had taken when she was a toddler. That box had everything to indicate that they had been as close as a daughter and her Daddy could be.

The photographs and mementos in her hands were evidence of yet another life that Irina Derevko had ruined. Not only had she killed countless CIA agents, breaking their families, she had broken her own family. When 'Laura' had 'died' and the truth had come out to Jack, he had pulled back emotionally from her. At six she hadn't understood it - she hadn't understood why until she was an adult woman. Even after two years of working to open up to one another, it would be a long road to regain the closeness that they had shared prior to Irina's ultimate betrayal.

Forty-five minutes later, Sydney stalked into the warehouse and towards the cage. Vaughn, clad in jeans and a leather jacket over his t-shirt, turned towards her in confusion. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

Sydney shook her head and wiped away her tears. "It's my Dad." She explained, sitting down as he positioned himself next to her. "He came by tonight. He explained that he wanted me to be happy. After he left I went to my room," she explained. She paused for a few seconds, bringing her breathing pattern back to normal and accepting his tissue. "I have this box. It's a shoebox. When I went to boarding school, I tossed everything important about my Father - pictures, cards, ticket stubs - into this box. I haven't looked at it since then." She confessed softly. "I looked at it tonight. I wish you could see it Vaughn. These pictures . . . My Dad and I used to be so close. I loved him so much. I really thought he was the bravest, smartest, greatest guy in the world. When I was five I even asked him to be my Valentine."

Vaughn smiled at the sweet memory and nodded. She took a few seconds, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, before she started again. "When my Mom . . Died." She worded carefully. "She ruined us. My Dad just pulled back from me, completely. It's going to take us so long to get back there, to get back to where we were when I was younger. We might never get there," she realized. Sydney turned back towards Vaughn, making eye contact with him. "He's my Dad," she shrugged. "He's not perfect. Throughout my life, regardless of whether I saw it or not, he was the only person who always looked out for me. All he ever wanted was what was best for me, to protect me. Now . . . He's always going to be my Dad. I need him now." She admitted, the tears starting again. "I don't know how to tell him, but I need him. I need my Daddy back." She said softly before she burst with a hysterical laugh. "I'm twenty nine years old and I need my Daddy, have I lost my mind?"

"No," Vaughn said softly with a shake of his head. "It's not insane at all. Your Dad needs you too Syd, whether he admits it or not. You're right; you'll probably never get back what you had when you were younger. You are both different people now. It will take a lot of work, but I don't see why you two can't be close again."

"Really? Even after everything? Even though I look just like my Mother - "

"Sydney, you are *not* your Mother. I know it. Your Father knows it even more then I do. No one who really knows you believes that you're like your Mother. You have a good heart. You may look like her, but you are *not* her Sydney, don't ever believe that you are."

"What if I'm the kind of Mother she was? One who pretends to be wonderful only to abandon her child?"

Vaughn gave her a sharp look. After a second of contemplation, he reached out for her hands. "You are not your Mother Syd. You and I both know you would never do anything like that, ever. You are a good person. There might not even be an SD-6 or Alliance when the baby is born."

"Really?" She hopefully asked. "It could be that soon?"

"If this Bible is as credible as it appears to be, we could have a majority of the Alliance dissembled within a year."

"How are we going to do that when I'm not going to be able to go on missions?"

"There are other ways. We still have your Father in place. You'll be in the Credit Dauphine offices, which may be more helpful then if you were on a mission."

"I hope so. I don't want to sit around and do nothing for seven months."

"Your health and the baby's come first, taking down SD-6 is no longer your first priority." He reminded her as she nodded.

"It's still important. This baby and I can never be completely safe until SD-6 and the Alliance are gone." She pointed out as Vaughn nodded.

"I know," he agreed. "So, where are Francie, Charlie and Will?"

"Will's got a blind date. This girl named Jennie. She's from Charlie's law firm." She explained as he nodded. "Francie and Charlie are working. Tonight's the busy night for the restaurant." She added. "I should go." She realized.

Vaughn nodded, squeezing her hands before letting them go. "Get some rest."

"I will." She promised.

"Take care."

Sydney nodded and smiled at him. Looking at him closely, she dared to lean over and quickly kiss his cheek before she walked out of the warehouse.

Sunday evening Michael did something he had promised he'd do for a while - have dinner at his Mother's house. Brigitte was beside herself with excitement, preparing a large meal not only for her son but her daughter, son in law and granddaughter. The house was already bright and busy with activity when he arrived. Charlotte and Maya were sitting in the front yard when he got out of the car. A grin instantly spread over his niece's face and she tumbled over towards him on her toddler legs.

"Mickey!"

Michael smiled as he picked up his niece, kissing her cheek. "How are you Maya?"

"Okie dokie Jones!" She cried, imitating her favorite cartoon - Rugrats.

"How many hours a day does she watch that show?" He asked his sister, kissing her cheek as he placed Maya back in her lap.

"Three. At least." Charlotte laughed. "How are you doing Mike?"

"Good, I'm doing good." He smiled as she nodded.

"Mike, for someone who works for the government and tells everyone else he's a political analyst, you're a shitty liar."

"Char!" He exclaimed, motioning towards his niece.

"What? It's French, she's French." She shrugged as Mike laughed. "Maman said that a girl has you all upset."

"It's not a girl and I'm not upset, I'm fine." He sharply insisted. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, okay. I feel a lot better then I did with Maya."

Mike nodded. "Well, you can't even tell."

"I should hope not! I'm not even two months! Do you want me to be a blimp when I'm done?" She asked as they both laughed. "Take her so I can get up. We should go in, I know Maman's thrilled your coming."

"What's Pat doing?" He asked as his sister slowly stood up.

"Watching a baseball game."

"Who?" He asked, his interested peaked.

"Mets versus Dodgers."

"Go Mets." He said as his sister laughed, leading them into the house.

Dinner at the Vaughn house was always a happy occasion. Brigitte still lived in the house that she and her husband had raised their family in. It was the house that held nearly all of Charlotte and Michael's childhood memories, and Maya loved playing in the toys her Grandmother had kept. Pat and Mike watched the baseball game before dinner was ready. Then they all sat around the large mahogany table, taking about life and work. Michael watched his sister and brother in laws interaction closely. Patrick had always been a considerate husband, but with Charlotte pregnant he was even more protective. He held chairs for her and made sure she was eating and drinking. A few times Michael even caught Patrick's hand briefly touching Charlotte's still flat stomach. Despite his joy for his sister, he couldn't help but feel slightly left out and melancholy by the end of the evening.

"Michel, are you sure your okay?" Brigitte asked in a soft French when she walked him to the door.

"I'm fine Maman," he replied in kind. His Mother's eyebrow raised slightly and her lips turned into a small frown.

"Your sad Michel, don't lie to me. Whenever you look at Patrick and Charlotte, you're sad." She pointed out, still in her native tongue.

"I can't tell you Maman . . "

"I wish you would Michel, who am I going to tell?"

"Maman . . It's dangerous. . . " He trailed off.

"Your work always is."

Michael sighed and looked up into his Mother's eyes. He wanted to tell her the truth. With every fiber of his body he wanted to tell her the truth. Brigitte was his Mother and he loved her. The truth was, however, that he loved Sydney and his unborn child more. Telling his Mother the truth could potentially jeopardize Sydney and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take for anyone - not even his own Mother.

"You must really love her if you won't tell me." Brigitte commented. "Will I ever get to meet her?"

"One day I hope." He explained as she nodded. She pulled him into a hug, silently reminding him how much she loved him. "Don't shut me out Michel, your Father did when he thought it was best for me and I only drove me insane." She said as he laughed.

"I'll try not to Maman."

"Have a good week at work." She advised as he smiled and walked to his car.

Sydney didn't see her Father roaming the halls of SD-6 until the next Friday. She was nearing the tenth week of her pregnancy and hadn't seen him since he stopped by the previous Saturday. Not to say she hadn't been busy. Sloane had sent her and Dixon on a small reconnaissance mission. She had done op tech while Dixon broke into the master bedroom of an elderly, eccentric millionaire. Her husband had been the former head of an Alliance cell and he had kept a disk of information in the bedroom, where it remained after her death. The mission had been in Sacramento, just far enough away to need to take a plane. While Dixon slept Sydney snuck out the disk and snuck a phony copy back in to give to SD-6. Thus, the CIA got the disk - one step closer to taking down the Alliance. It was a goal that seemed more tangible then ever. Of course, with the life growing inside of her, it was more important then ever.

"Dad," Sydney called, as Jack was about to pass her desk at Credit Dauphine. He stopped and nodded, leading her to the conference room.

"We've got three minutes," he reminded her as he pulled out the pen.

"Thank you . . For coming by last week." She said as he nodded.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I'm fine. I was on op-tech for the reconnaissance in Sacramento. It went off without a hitch."

"Do you . . Need anything?"

"No, I'm doing okay."

"Enough Twinkies?" He asked somberly as she laughed.

"Plenty."

"Good." He nodded. "If you need anything . . "

"I know." She smiled. "I should get back to work." Jack nodded as she stood up and walked quietly out of the room.




Early October came around as Sydney's pregnancy progressed. The California air grew chillier and her stomach grew slightly. The waistbands on her skirts and pants grew tighter as her jackets and shirts grew heavier. Dixon was insisting that she take on more and more of the op tech and leave him with the dangerous work. Vaughn was more then happy to agree with him, although it made it more difficult for Sydney to get the right information to the CIA and the counterfeit information to SD-6. Thus far she hadn't made any faux pas and the CIA remained busy decoding the Bible.

Will and Jennie went out on a few more dates and Will even mentioned the possibility of bringing her over one weekend. Charlie was put in charge of an important case at work while Francie juggled all the aspects of owning a restaurant. Friday nights, however, they still made an effort to get together. Sometimes Amy would come by, sometimes she wouldn't. The group would sit in Sydney's living room eating pizza - and in her case, Twinkies - and playing board games. When they played 'Life', Sydney would even screw protocol and name the tiny blue piece representing her husband Michael.

Sydney hit the twelfth week of her pregnancy on the second Monday of October. She woke up, as usual, in an empty house. For the first morning in awhile she didn't feel nauseous nor did she feel the desire to devour a box of Twinkies. Instead she had juice and some toast before she got dressed. That morning she'd be going into Credit Dauphine late - she had a doctor's appointment first.

The doctor's waiting room was lit with harsh fluorescent lights with ugly plastic chairs and a table in the corner covered with pregnancy and parenting magazines. Sydney wriggled in her plastic chair and glanced around the room. Although she had made the earliest appointment possible, there were already other couples there. Just couples, too, leaving Sydney feeling terribly out of places. One woman didn't appear to be showing at all, and another kept readjusting her seat to accommodate her protruding belly. Men accompanied all. Some rested their hands over their wives bellies and others just held their wives hands. They were all there, a painful reminder that she was doing this alone. Sydney the Super Spy and Solo Mommy. She couldn't help but think it sounded like a children's book series.

After she fingered through a few pregnancy magazines, picking up various tidbits, the rude secretary showed her to a tiny, green exam room. She changed into the paper gown and slid up onto the exam table. The room reminded her of the pediatrician she went to in her childhood. There was a weighing scale and a cabinet full of various medicines. It was a doctor's office, and regardless of all her years of training, she still squirmed with discomfort.

"Miss Bristow," the doctor pleasantly greeted her, walking into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better today." She smiled as her doctor quickly looked over her chart.

"Well I'd say that you're doing fine. All your results seem fine. How about we check and see how you're doing with you weight." She suggested.

Sydney scooted off the table and onto the scale. She wasn't surprised when it showed that she had actually lost three pounds. With all of the nausea she had had, as a result of the pregnancy and job related stress, she hadn't retained much of the Twinkies she had inhaled. She and the doctor spoke for a few minutes about how work was going, about what she was eating and her general lifestyle. Finally, after anxious moments of waiting, came the moment she had looked forward to.

She got down on the uncomfortable table, blinking as the fluorescent light glared back at her. Despite all that she and the doctor had just discussed, she closed her eyes in anticipation. Within seconds, however, she opened her eyes when a distinct hoofing sound filled the room. A look at the doctor confirmed her suspicions - it was her baby's heartbeat.

"Well Miss Bristow, I'd have to say that everything appears healthy. At your next appointment we'll schedule your ultrasound, which will probably be in about two months."

"Okay," she smiled as the doctor helped her sit up.

"You should be feeling better in the weeks to come. Just pace yourself, don't push yourself too far."

"Any ideas on whether it's a boy or a girl?" Sydney asked hopefully. The doctor laughed and shook her head.

"It's a little too soon to tell. We can probably look at the ultrasound, if you still want to know."

"Thank you." She smiled as the doctor nodded, reminding her to make an appointment on her way out before leaving her to change.

She walked purposefully into SD-6 headquarters later that morning. People worked around her, oblivious to her entrance as she approached her desk. Dixon was on the phone, but smiled and waved at her as she put her briefcase down. She was about to sit down and start some paperwork when Jack came up.

"Today was your appointment . . Wasn't it?" He asked as she smiled and nodded. The simple fact that her Father had remembered something she had mentioned so off-handedly meant a lot to her. Every little step counted, as a Mother to be she appreciated it even more. "How was it?"

"It's fine. I heard the baby's heartbeat." She explained in a low voice. "It was amazing."

"Yes . . Well, I remember." He said as she nodded. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm okay. I'm feeling better this morning too."

"I'm glad." He said, offering her the tiniest hint of a smile. "Well, I'll let you return to your work." He said in his normal tone. She nodded and smiled at him before she returned to her paperwork.

Since it was the day of a doctor's appointment, it was an understandably busy day for Sydney. Will, Francie and Charlie had already convinced her to let them come over that evening and make her dinner so they could hear all about the baby. Her friend's sweet words and insistence had made her smile. Maybe the women in the doctor's waiting room had had their husbands with them, but she had one thing they didn't - three of the best friends in the world. Before she could return to her warm home and comfortable pajamas, she had agreed to meet Vaughn at the warehouse.

When she walked into the cage she was disappointed and slightly alarmed to see him still in his suit from the office. When he stood to greet her, his expression was one of business, causing her heart to drop a level with more disappointment. "We had a walk in at the CIA today."

"What? Who?"

"Otto Jeter." Sydney recognized the name as that of the man who headed one of the more powerful SD cells.

"What? Sloane didn't say anything - "

"Sloane most likely does not know. He claims he wants to help bring down the Alliance. On one condition."

"Which is?"

"He wants total immunity for his actions. Including ordering the deaths of a few dozen agents from the CIA and other various law enforcement agencies."

"Well are you going to give it to him?"

"We have to check out the rest of the Bible before we agree to anything." He explained. "Right now he's in custody until we decide what to do next."

"I can't believe he'd just walk in like that . . . why the CIA?"

"We don't honestly know. Other then Jeter spent extensive time in New York growing up and most likely feels he can get the best deal from the CIA."

"This could be huge . . "

"Well, even if it is, I don't want you talking to him."

"What? Why not?"

"There is a very slim possibility that Jeter's still in contact with someone on the outside and in the Alliance. We don't want him to report talking to you in CIA headquarters and have it end up back with Sloane." Vaughn pointed out. Sydney nodded and sat down, still in shock.

"I can't believe this . . . "

"Even with Jeter's cooperation, taking down the Alliance isn't going to happen over night." He reminded her. She nodded, already aware of that.

"So what can I do?"

"Just wait. Continue to do what your doing. For the mean time you can't do anything that involves Jeter." He explained as she sighed, frustrated but knowing it was true. "So . . How was your appointment today?" He asked, hoping to sound blasé.

"It was good." She said with a small smile. "I got to hear the baby's heartbeat . . . It was . . Incredible." She explained, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as her smile grew. "How's Charlotte doing?"

"Fine. She's fine." He answered as she nodded.

"Well . . I should go. Charlie, Francie and Will are waiting for me." She explained as he nodded. Seconds before she turned to leave, he grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. They stood silently for a few seconds, just looking at one another. A goofy grin spread over her face from instinct. Stolen moments, simple touches even prolonged looks were gifts when she was with him. Her expression grew serious as she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. Although it couldn't be seen, he could feel a slight pouch where the baby was growing. Vaughn swallowed and closed his eyes as his hand rested there. Even with the magnitude of the unspoken love he felt towards her, it was the most powerful connection he had ever felt with her. Their baby was an amazing miracle, one they had made together, and it was right there inside of her. Thoughts of how much he loved her, how much he loved this unborn child, and how amazing he truly believed she was floated around his head. Hesitantly he forced his eyes open and she offered him a sweet smile while she squeezed his hand. Seconds later he let go and she walked out of the warehouse.

Standing there, his hand on her stomach, he had felt it. It was different, although no weaker then the instant connection he had felt with Sydney the first time she walked into his office, bozo red hair and all. The connection was now there. That was his child in there. That marked the very first moment he felt close to being a Father. Vaughn had never felt more love or more helplessness in his entire life.

Sydney's house was warm and busy with her friends when she walked in the front door. Francie spotted her first, smiling and hugging her as she walked in. "So how was it? Did you hear the heartbeat?" She asked eagerly.

Charlie and Will laughed at her eagerness while Sydney put down her keys and briefcase. "Give her a break Francie, she just walked in." Will reminded her.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Sydney asked him, noticing that it was just the four of them.

"Her name is Jennie and we've only been on a few dates." He corrected. "Tonight she's working on a very important deposition."

"Do you even know what a deposition is?" Francie teased as they all laughed. "C'mon Syd, how was the appointment?"

"It was scary, but wonderful. I heard the heartbeat too, it was amazing." She said as Francie's eyes softened.

"I am so happy for you!" Her best friend declared as they shared another hug. As they were separating, the doorbell rang. Sydney shrugged and went over, surprised to see her Father standing there.

"Dad . . . Would you like to come in?"

"I was hoping we could share a word out here." He said carefully. She nodded, stepping onto the front stoop. "I was going through some things this past weekend . . I came across this. I thought you might like it." He explained. Going inside his coat, he pulled out a tiny folded bundle of aged white cotton. Sydney unfolded it to find an obviously aged but beautiful christening gown. She looked up at her Father, confusion evident on her face. "It was mine . . . My Mother's, actually. Your Great Grandmother's best friend made it. It's a family heirloom. You and I were both christened in it."

Sydney blinked back the tears she felt brimming. This wasn't something her Father would have simply come across while cleaning - this was something he had sought out for her and her baby. "Thank you . . It's beautiful."

"There are some other things . They're mostly in storage. Heirlooms from my family . . . I believe there might be a crib. If you'd like to have them, perhaps one weekend we could . . . Look through it together." He suggested with slight discomfort.

Although Sydney knew he was struggling, she also saw her Father working to be the Father she remembered from the youngest days of her childhood. After a few seconds, she leaned over and hugged him. Jack remained frozen, but slowly his arms wrapped her close to him. "Thank you Dad," she said softly, still wrapped in the safety of his arms.

Slowly they broke apart. "Yes, well, you should probably be going inside. You need to get rest." He advised her. Sydney brushed away her tears and nodded.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome." He said, giving the smallest of smiles before turning around and heading towards his car.

Sydney walked into the house, careful to lock it behind her. Walking in to the kitchen, she folded the outfit as she walked. "What was that about?" Will asked.

"This is my Christening gown. It's from my Dad's family . . My Grandmother was christened in it too." She explained.

"That's so sweet of your Dad." Francie commented.

"Yeah, it was." She agreed with a smile. "I'm going to go put this in my room and change, I'll be back in a few minutes."



Sydney anxiously waited that weekend. It was the first weekend in awhile that she anticipated. Usually she dreaded weekends. It meant she rarely saw Vaughn, or Francie and Charlie since they had the restaurant. Now that Will had Jennie, Sydney was officially by herself on Friday nights. She didn't mind that night; instead she stayed in and watched a Kings vs. Canucks hockey game on ESPN, knowing that somewhere Vaughn was doing the very same thing.

She was up bright and early Saturday. The doctor had told her she'd feel better, and she did. For the first time in a few weeks she went for her morning run, breathing in deep to take in the autumn air - at least what wasn't polluted with smog. Once in awhile she'd pause if her eyes fell on a baby in a stroller or a toddler being chased by its older brother. She had always liked children, but during those days she was drawn to them far more then ever before.

Early in the afternoon she and her Father met in the parking lot of an old self-storage building in western Los Angeles. Jack was already waiting by his car when Sydney parked next to him. Although he was wearing his long trench coat, her Father had dressed casually, sending her slightly off guard. Especially when he threw a small smile in her direction and led her towards their storage.

The afternoon marked a milestone for the two of them. There were things that Sydney had forgotten all about. Heirlooms and puzzle pieces of her childhood. Various aged stuffed animals and dolls that she had treasured at various points in her life. Her Father had been correct and there was a beautiful, handcrafted sleigh cradle and matching crib that had been in the Bristow family for generations. Along side those were photo albums from her childhood and her Father's childhood. They sat looking through the photos, Jack occasionally offering an anecdote for a particular photo. It was a cherished, unexpected insight into her family and a glimpse of the Father she had nearly forgotten existed.

After they finished searching through the storage facility, her Father surprised her by suggesting they go to dinner. In the years since she had discovered the truth about SD-6 she had made several failed attempts to have dinner with him. Then to have Jack suggest it was something she hadn't expected but wasn't foolish enough to turn down. Their cars were parked in the restaurant of Francie's restaurant, which wasn't too crowded since it was still early evening. They sat across from one another, their orders having just been taken.

"I have to start interviewing for Nannies soon," Sydney commented, taking a sip of her water. Jack gave her a sharp look and leaned in close to her.

"Sydney, don't do that."

"Dad, I work full time, it would be impossible - "

"You do not want to get a nanny." He insisted in a low, sharp voice. "Sloane will not try to hurt you this late into the pregnancy, that would cause too much attention. He would have no problems planting a nanny and arranging a convenient case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome."

Sydney's eyes widened and she nodded, fully understanding the implication. Her Father was right, and she knew it. There were so few people she could really trust, and when her baby was born the list would be even shorter. Even with Jeter's cooperation there was still bound to be time between the baby's birth and the destruction of the Alliance and SD-6.

"What am I going to do?"

"There is Francie and her husband. Your friend Will." He explained before taking a sip of his drink. "Then there's always me."

She didn't bother to hide her surprise of skepticism. The waitress approached, serving them their food. They kindly thanked her before returning to her conversation. "There's no need to be so surprised. I know how to change a diaper and care for an infant." He said in a blank tone.

Sydney nodded. Her Father had a point. Jack Bristow was one of her few and best options in childcare. "You work too Dad."

"When was the last time Sloane sent me on a business trip?" He reminded her.

Once again her Father was correct. Perhaps he hadn't been Father of the Year for the majority of her childhood. He had always protected her though; at least done his best to do what he thought would protect her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would never willingly let anything happen to her, or in a few months, her child. "We'll make the arrangements when the time comes. The baby would be much safer with myself or one of your friends then some stranger that Sloane could have ties with."

"Dad?" She said softly. Jack stopped, about to cut his steak, and looked up at her. She was smiling as she spoke, "thanks."

"The baby will, of course, have to be born at Our Lady of Mercy," he continued. Sydney nodded, already aware that her child would enter the world in an SD-6 hospital. "They will not, under any circumstances, allow you to have this baby any way but naturally." He added, causing her eyes to sparkle with confusion. "If you have a cesarean section it would be a mandatory six week maternity leave, and I assure you Sloane intends to have you back sooner then that."

"I'm entitled to my six weeks if I want to take them," she reminded him.

"Legally, Sydney, but I don't need to remind you the legal system isn't always relevant in the world we live in."

"I know," she softly agreed.

"So, have you begun to think about the theme for the nursery?" He asked pleasantly.

"I haven't had too many ideas. Francie already has a whole list made. She's always been better at things like that though. She keeps telling me it'll be easy to make the nursery if I find out what I'm having."

"Well, will you?" He asked, glancing at her.

"No, I want to be surprised."

"Then be surprised. There are plenty of neutral themes." He reminded her.

"What was the theme of my nursery?" She asked suddenly.

Jack paused for a moment before he allowed a tiny smile to cross his usually stoic features. "Teddy bears. Growing up you loved teddy bears. Actually, you loved them until you went away to school. I'd come home at night and you'd always be asleep, but up until you started high school you kept a row of thirteen or fourteen bears of various sizes on the side of your bed when you slept. When you were younger you'd show me how you could make your bed and how the bears had names and were to be strategically placed on a specific place on the bed . . . You loved those teddy bears." He concluded, returning to his dinner.

"I had forgotten about that . . .I still have all of those bears . . Somewhere."

"You took ten of them with you to high school, and then all thirteen with you to college."

Sydney laughed. "I have sentimental weaknesses . . . "

"Sydney, there's nothing wrong with being sentimental." He insisted, causing her to look up at him once again. "I know . .I Don't tell you this nearly enough . . . However . . . I am very proud of you . . . Of the woman you've become. I have no doubt you'll be a wonderful Mother."

"Thanks Dad." She smiled warmly before returning to her food.

Sydney didn't return home until late in the evening, carrying a bag full of various baby clothes, photo albums and old toys that had caught her interest. The heirloom furniture had been too big to move and it was too soon for it anyway. Francie and Will's cars were in the driveway when she arrived home and she frantically searched her memory and her purse, hoping to find her keys and remember if she had a predetermined meeting with her friends. Luckily she found her keys under her checking book and remembered that they had casually said they'd drop by Saturday night after the rush at the restaurant.

"Hey Syd," Francie smiled at her, walking into the living room with a glass of wine.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"I'm beating everyone at Scrabble." Will proclaimed.

"That's because you have a lame job and we're letting you." Jennie bantered and smiled at Sydney. Sydney had met Jennie only once before, not only because of her personality but because she made Will so obviously happy.

"What's in the bag?" Francie called as Sydney walked into the kitchen.

"Just some things from storage. There are some photo albums. Some old toys and baby clothes of mine."

"Did you have a nice time with your Dad?" Charlie asked. She walked back in, kicking her shoes off into the corner as she sat down between Charlie Jennie.

"Yeah, we did. We stopped by the restaurant, we must have just missed you guys."

"Next time," Francie suggested. "The important thing is that you and your Dad had a nice afternoon together."

"I decided not to get a nanny," she declared. "Instead my Dad's going to help."

"Well I thought a nanny was absurd to begin with," Will reminded them. "We can help."

"Yeah, and the bank's just going to have to cut down on your trips, especially at first." Francie added.

"Or you could quit the bank and become a teacher." Charlie suggested.

"I can't quit the bank . . . Not yet at least." She said softly. There was no easy way to explain her predicament without endangering her friend's lives. Soon enough, she thought hopefully, with Jeter's cooperation and a bit of luck and work and it would all be over. "Francie, what do you think of Teddy Bears for the nursery theme?"

Francie looked up from her letters to smile at Sydney. "I love that! I considered that but I wasn't sure you'd go for it! That way your ready for either a boy or girl!"

"I still say William Bristow is an awesome name." Will chimed in as Jennie hit him with a pillow.

"I really think Laura would be nice for your Mom." Francie gently added as she smiled, once again thankful for her best friends sweet thoughts.

"I'm thinking about it," she reassured them.

"So when can we start the nursery?"

"Well we're going to need the guys help . ." She trailed off, looking hopefully at Will and Charlie.

"Fine, fine, we'll help." Charlie agreed as Will nodded.

"There are some really nice family pieces in storage. There's a crib and a smaller cradle that I thought we could keep out here. I have an armour and the glider and ottoman that belonged to my Mom."

"I think those will be awesome to use," Jennie spoke up. "You aren't even showing yet."

"If you look hard enough you can see it," Sydney insisted with a smile. "I'm in no rush to show, I'll be showing soon enough." She promised. There was a tiny part of Sydney that wanted to start showing sooner rather then later - the sooner she showed the sooner she had insurance that she was unable to be the point part of a mission.

"Your so thin you'll never show." Francie teased.

"I'll show," Sydney promised with a smile. "So, when do I get to play?"

Her friends stayed late into the night, playing Scrabble and laughing. They were quickly learning why Will was so infatuated with Jennie. She was a sweet girl, but she also managed to tell jokes that were even lamer then his were. Discussion ranged from problems at the restaurant to Jennie's newest case to Sydney's 'evil' boss - a discussion that she remained silent on. Her friends were unaware of just how true their insults were. Arvin Sloane was far more evil then they could ever know.

The following weekend Sydney laid around her house, lacking all energy. During the course of the week she had caught a terrible head cold from Dixon, who had caught it from his daughter who had caught it at a Halloween party. There hadn't been any missions that week, instead filling out paperwork and discussing various strategy. She had only seen her Father briefly, but he always asked how she was feeling and if he needed something. It was the thought that counts.

Charlie was running the restaurant that night and Will and Jennie were on a date. So Francie had volunteered to come over and hang out with her. She had been too tired to argue. Instead she laid in the living room while she listened to Francie listing all the various things they were pulling together for the Halloween party the restaurant was having. It was the second annual party; the first had been a smashing financial and public relations success for the cafe. That year Sydney was understandably ducking out, instead she was going to stay home and hand out candy - that was if she wasn't on some mission for SD-6.

"Are you going to dress up?" Francie asked her as they watched Dirty Dancing on USA.

"What am I going to be, a pumpkin?"

"That's a great idea!" She eagerly agreed. "We can paint your stomach-"

"Francie, no thanks." She cut her off with a smile. "I'm going to wear regular clothes and answer the door. If I don't have a lot of trick or treaters I'll just go to the restaurant."

"We'll come over afterwards if it's not too late. You need your rest."

"Thanks." She smiled, glad her friend understood.

"Hey, are those maternity clothes yet?"

Sydney looked down at her outfit, regular jeans and a t-shirt. The clothes were tight but they were still hers. "No, not yet."

"Maybe we could go shopping next week and pick you up some. Some of the stuff is just so cute!"

She laughed. "Are we talking about maternity clothes or baby clothes?"

"Both!"

The phone rang and Sydney smiled by way of apology and answered it. "Hello?"

"Joey's Pizza."

"Sorry, wrong number." She said, her heart lifting. Her mind raced as she tried to consider why he'd be calling her for business. If it was for personal reasons he would have used another call then Joey's pizza. Either way, she now had to meet him. Turning towards Francie, she smiled. "I really need Twinkies. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Do you need me to go?"

"I can do it. Watch the movie. 'Mambo Madness' is soon," she reminded her, motioning back to the television. Francie smiled and nodded and Syd slipped out of the house.

Although Vaughn was waiting for her in jeans and a leather jacket, she knew by his posture that he was about to tell her business. "Have you ever heard of a man named Oliver Cavilerri?" He questioned, skipping all formalities.

"No, why?"

"He's mentioned several times in the Bible and Jeter mentioned him in his debriefing. Now that we've finished decoding the Bible, we'd like to take him in to custody. Jeter claims that he can convince Cavilerri to meet him and then we can bring him in. You need to know that Cavilerri is reported to be in close contact with several SD leaders, Sloane among them."

"So what's Sloane going to want us to do?"

"Well if we can get Cavilerri into custody, he won't do anything. Sloane needs to keep up the pretense that SD-6 is part of the CIA. Sending anyone in to free Cavilerri would quickly end that farce."

Sydney nodded and sat down. "I can't see or talk to Cavilerri if you get him?"

"No, you can't. It's just too much of a risk that your double agent status would be leaked out."

"Sloane's not too thrilled with me right now anyway," she mumbled. Vaughn nodded and then looked down at his shoes. After a few tense seconds, he glanced back at her.

"How did last weekend go with your Dad?"

"Good," she smiled. "We had a really nice time. We're still working on getting to know one another better, but we had a nice time. We even went out to dinner afterwards."

He nodded, "good, I'm glad. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." Sydney knew he was concerned and she never doubted that she was ever too far from his mind. She didn't want him to have to worry any more then he already was. Then, suddenly, without warning her eyes started to well with tears.

"Syd?" Vaughn's voice was laced with concern as he knelt down next to her, searching his jacket until he handed her a tissue. "Syd, what's wrong?"

What's wrong? What wasn't wrong? This was supposed to be one of the best times of her life. On the surface it was. Her friends were some of the most good-natured people she had ever encountered. They loved her and were going to help her with her child without question. Her relationship with her Father was being successfully albeit slowly pieced back together again. She was having the baby she never thought she'd have, and her pregnancy was progressing well.

The rest of it was a mess. Her boss was an evil man who wouldn't hesitate to kill her child at the first chance he'd get. There was no possibility of even looking at the Father of her Child in public, let alone having him at her side when she gave birth. Her only chance to see him was in a cold, dark warehouse where no one in the outside world could know or see. Together they were working to tear down the Alliance so that they could be free to be together and she could be safe again. It was a tangible, yet still distant goal.

"I'm okay . . I'm fine," she promised as she calmed down, wiping her eyes with the tissue. "I have these horrible hormones," she excused as he laughed and nodded.

"Can I do anything?" He asked, his eyes sad, as she shook her head no. The reality was that he could do absolutely nothing for her, no matter how desperately he wanted to help.

"I should get going," she realized and stood. "Francie's waiting for me. I told her I needed to get Twinkies." She explained as he smiled. "You'll contact me if you make any progress?" She asked as he nodded. After they shared another smile, she turned and walked out of the warehouse.




Will sat on the living room sofa, watching a Charlie Brown cartoon while Sydney walked in carrying two big bowls of candy. His eyes widened as she put them down and she swatted his hands away. "The candy is for the trick or treaters."

"I could be a trick or treater." Will protested as she rolled her eyes. Jennie had agreed to work late to prepare for a big case that went to trial on Monday so he had come over to spend Halloween with her. After a long workweek, Sydney welcomed the company.

The CIA and Jeter had convinced Cavilerri to meet them at a park in Los Angeles. He was captured and had been in custody since Wednesday night. The only problem was that Cavilerri wasn't willing to talk or even negotiate the possibility of immunity. As a result of Cavilerri's capture, Sloane had spent most of the week angry and brewing in his office, although there was nothing he could do without risking SD-6's CIA-cover story.

On a positive front, the CIA had managed to finish decoding the entire Bible. Sloane had spoke of a mission to New York City that he was considering sending them on next week. It would entail stealing a dozen computer disks with information essential to keeping SD-6 functioning. Through Jeter's cooperation the CIA had already discovered that the disks contained vital information not only on SD-6 but the entire Alliance and it's leaders, past and present. Obtaining the disks would be a huge hurdle in destructing SD-6, and with Jeter's help the CIA was compiling computer disks with enough realistic information to keep Sloane happy for a while.

"Are you going to go trick or treating next year?" Will asked her as she sat down, nibbling on a miniature Snickers bar.

"With a six month old?" She reminded him as he shrugged. "No, I think we'll probably stay home next year, " she smiled.

"That's going to be so much fun."

"Are you going to brainwash my child into adoring you?" She teased.

"There's no brainwashing involved. To know Will is to adore Will." He declared as she laughed and tossed a pillow in his face. "So are you going to tell me what names your thinking about?"

"No Williams, Francine's, Jennifer's or Charles'." She told him as he sighed.

"Keep William open. It is a good name." He said as she laughed and shook her head.

"Give it a rest." The doorbell rang before he could retort. Suddenly Will was too absorbed in his cartoon to answer the door. "It's still early."

"Probably toddlers," Will called as she grabbed the bowl. Sydney smiled and opened the door. Will's assessment had been right and it was a large group of toddlers and their parents.

There were astronauts and dinosaurs and firefighters and policemen. A few little girls were Barbie or animals or even a few Winnie the Pooh characters. Everyone was clamoring for candy, and every tiny little face smiled brightly and thanked her. Sydney was seconds away from closing the door when a tiny ballerina wobbled down the pathway and a familiar voice calling out for the tiny ballerina to stop.

The brunette ballerina, who was surprisingly tall but still obviously a toddler, smiled up with big blue eyes and held out her bag with a "pwease."

"Where's your Mommy or Daddy?" She asked, bending down and smiling at her. She shrugged, smiling mischievously. Just then Vaughn emerged, clearly out of breath and in casual clothes.

"Maya, don't ever do that ever again," he scolded. Sydney looked down at her carpet and wondered what in the worlds the odds were of this encounter. Vaughn had no idea where she lived - at least not to her knowledge, and she doubted he would purposely stop by her house.

"Candy pwease," she said again as Sydney smiled and put a handful of candy into her basket. Slowly she stood up and smiled apologetically at Vaughn, who looked surprised to see her.

"Sorry about her . ." He said awkwardly.

"It's okay." She promised and then looked down at Maya. "I like your costume a lot."

"Thanky." She grinned and then took her Uncle's hand. "C'mon, more candy!" She reminded him, tugging at his hand and leading him back down the path. Vaughn looked at her one more time over his shoulder and smiled softly before he continued on his way with Maya.

Sydney sat back down in the living room and smiled at Will. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine . ." She promised and shrugged. "Do you think children can turn out okay without ever having a Father?"

"I guess. It depends. Your going to be a great Mom Syd, and I'm sure that eventually you'll get married and your baby will have a Father. You and the baby already have Danny as your guardian angels, so this baby's got one up on the competition." He reasoned as she laughed and nodded. "So Syd, girl or boy?"

"What do you think?"

"I want you to have a boy, but I think we already know that's for my own selfish reasons." He confessed as she smiled. "Have you started thinking about childbirth classes?"

Sydney was obviously surprised he would think of something like that. "I talked to my Mom today. We were talking about it. She says congratulations," he confessed.

"Tell your Mom thank you. I really haven't thought about it. I'm going to have the baby at Our Lady of Mercy."

"That's a good hospital. I wrote a story about them once. They have an extremely low cesarean section and newborn mortality rate." He explained as she smiled, not sure if that was comforting or upsetting. "What about a labor partner?"

"Francie's out of the question . . " she thought aloud as he nodded.

"I'll do it." He offered as she looked at him. "What? Don't look so surprised. I'll be there for you if you want me there."

"Thank you Will, that's so sweet." She smiled and leaned over to hug him. The doorbell rang again as they separated. "Here we go again," she stood up and went to answer the door.

Francie and Charlie didn't come by until long after the trick or treaters had stopped coming. The Halloween party had been a huge success and their initial count of the profits was huge. They talked about how the party went - Francie mentioned that her Father had stopped by and asked for her. Aside from that it was wonderful. All of the patrons loved the food and the decorations and the music. It had been another sounding success for FC Cafe.

Monday morning Sydney sat in the SD-6 conference room with Dixon and Marshall, awaiting Sloane's arrival. Having spoken to Vaughn she already suspected that this meeting was to inform them that they were going to leave for New York City that night. The information on those disks was too vital to not take action and she knew it was a mission that she was going to have to take the point on, whether she wanted to or not. She was starting to doodle and make a list of baby names in her portfolio when Sloane walked in, obviously fuming anger as he stormed to the front of the room.

"This is Otto Jeter," he explained as a picture of a balding, aging man popped up onto the screen. "He's the head of SD-1. Unfortunately . . He along with several other SD heads have been . . . Detained and possibly compromised." That's one way of putting it, Sydney thought.

"So what are we going to do?" Dixon asked.

"This is where Jeter keeps some of his offices," he continued as the image flipped to a large building. "He works from New York City. You two are going to leave tonight," he explained and handed Dixon and Sydney the Intel. "In Jeter's office on the fifteenth floor there is a case of a dozen computer disks. On those disks there is information that is essential to the countries security and safety. Sydney, I'd like you to go in and pose as someone interviewing for a consultation job in Jeter's office. Since Jeter is detained, you will be meeting with a business associate of his. Dixon will be on op tech. At some point he will create a diversion that will cause Jeter's associate to leave the room. In that time you are to find the disks, which we believe to be in his desk, and then excuse yourself immediately after he returns. Will you be able to do this in your . . Condition?" He asked Sydney. Despite his words, his tone left no room for discussion.

"I'll be fine." She promised with a half smile.

"That's all. Marshall will fill you in on the op tech. Now if you excuse me, I have a meeting to attend." Sloane explained and then stalked out of the room.

Sydney walked into the warehouse that afternoon. She had just left the Credit Dauphine offices for the day, having agreed to meet Dixon at the assigned airport later in the evening. Now all she had to do was be assigned her counter mission before she could return home to pack and rest for a little while. Having been assigned the point in this mission wasn't something she was thrilled about, but she knew it was necessary to obtain the information. Doing Optec on this mission would be too risky, leaving open the possibility that SD-6 could have the correct information would only put the CIA behind. They were too close to tearing down the Alliance to risk it.

"Are you sure your going to be able to do this?" Vaughn asked immediately.

"I'll be fine, I just walk in, pick a couple of locks and walk back out." She shrugged.

"These are for you," he said, handing her a stack of computer disks. "The secretary outside Jeter's associate's office is going to be a CIA agent. When you walk out you'll hand her the real disks and then give SD-6 these. We have a couple of agents inside the building so you should be okay."

"Got it," she nodded and put the disks into her bag.

"We have an EDD." He said as she looked at him on confusion. For her EDD was Estimated Due Date, she had no idea what he could possibly mean. "Estimated Date of Destruction. D-Day. It's just an estimate, and it could be up to a month before or after, but around the date."

"Well, what's the EDD?"

"May 16th."

"Really? That soon?" She asked, although she couldn't hide her smile.

"Yes. As the date gets closer, we'll have to see whether you're back at work or not. If you are were going to figure out a way to keep your double agent status a secret during all of this, just in case Sloane has any hit men still left when the time comes." He explained as she nodded.

"Not the Witness Protection Program though."

"No, nothing that extreme. Possibly arrest you with everyone else. Or have you out of the building at the time. As much as you'd like to confront Sloane when the time comes, it will most likely be too dangerous for you to do so."

Sydney nodded. Her safety came before her need to insult revenge on Arvin Sloane. "When the time comes, I'd like Dixon and Marshall to be treated carefully. They're good people, good men. Just like most people in that office, they believe they're already doing good and working for the government." She reminded him as he nodded. "Who knows, maybe Marshall could teach your Optec guys something." She suggested with a shrug.

"I'm sure he probably could," he agreed with a smile.

"I should go. I have to go pack and get ready to meet Dixon." She explained.

"If anything goes wrong, don't forget we have an agent right outside the office. You won't be wearing a CIA comlink for the mission, but she will, and she'll be able to hear everything that's going on inside the office." Once again she nodded and he gave her an encouraging smile. "Good luck."

Under the alias of Jennifer Barrett, Sydney had a meeting the next afternoon in Jeter's building in Manhattan. Dixon was sitting in a parked van outside, waiting for her to get in position before he created a diversion. She was let immediately into the waiting room. There was a pleasant looking woman sitting behind the desk, who smiled at her. To Sydney's trained eye the pin on her lapel was obviously a comlink that matched the earrings she was wearing. Before she was able to say anything to the woman, Jeter's associate let her in.

"Ms. Barrett, what brings you to our humble establishment?" He asked as they sat down.

"I just finished my graduate studies at MIT," she explained as he nodded. "Throughout my education I have heard only wonderful things about this place. When I heard that you had a consultation position available . . . I just jumped at the chance." She finished with a bit of an added southern drawl and a sweet smile.

Before the man could respond, his secretary paged him out into the waiting area. As the door closed behind her, she heard Dixon's voice tell her it was clear on her comlink as he created a diversion. Quickly she walked behind the desk and started pulling at the desk drawers. Not surprisingly she was unable to find the disks in any of the unlocked drawers. Using Marshall's simple lock picking device she opened the bottom right hand drawer and let out a sigh of relief when she found the disks under a pile of old newspapers. "I've got them Dixon," she whispered as she walked around the desk and stuffed the disks into her bag, glad that the CIA had put the counterfeit disks into blue cases.

Sydney had just enough time to sit down and zip her bag shut when the man walked back in. "I apologize Ms. Barrett, we had a slight problem with our computer system. It's the first time it's ever happen, please don't consider this a usual problem," he smiled at her. Before she could respond, her beeper went off.

"I'm so sorry . . It's my housekeeper. 9-1-1. I have to go," she said in distress, standing as the man did so.

"Yes, then, go. Please call when you're able to reschedule another interview. We're very interested in getting to know you." He said as she smiled and shook his hand, letting herself out the door.

The secretary was waiting when she walked out. Without a word she placed the legitimate case of disks on the secretaries desk and moved the counterfeits to the top of her bag. Both women exchanged a smile before Sydney started to walk out of the office. "I've got the disks Dixon, meet me at the extraction point."

"Gotcha Syd," he spoke back into her ear as she hurried to the elevator. The sooner she was back in Los Angeles, the better.