Sydney glanced down at her watch and realised she was a little early. Jack had sent her to meet Vaughn in the reception area of the Credit Dauphine building. So she sat down in one the large plush chairs opposite the security desk while she waited. She looked outside to see people hurriedly walking down the street. She wondered what kind of lives they led and felt a pang of envy.
A moment later she saw Vaughn walk through the big glass door. She stood up and walked over to him. She smiled reassuringly and shook his hand.
"Good morning Mr. Stevens. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too." Vaughn replied.
"If you'll just follow me to the sign-in book first."
"Of course." Vaughn said. Sydney led the way to the security desk and distracted the security guard with small talk while Vaughn faked a signature and the reason why he was in the building.
"Done." Vaughn said a few seconds later.
Sydney smiled brightly once again at the security guard before walking with Vaughn to the elevator. "Don't worry." Sydney whispered. "Your profile was uploaded to the database this morning. Security section didn't question it." She added.
"I guess it's good to know the boss." Vaughn said feeling slightly more relieved even though he had been forced to leave his gun in his office locker. Sydney and Vaughn then walked into the executive elevator and remained in silence until it reached the SD-6 level.
"This is the scanning room." Sydney explained as the flash of bright red light made Vaughn blink his eyes a few times. Vaughn held his breath for a second, half expecting an alarm to sound, but instead the door to the SD-6 offices opened and he took a few steps forward into the unknown.
"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Sydney asked as they walked towards the conference room.
"I'm glad it all went according to plan." Vaughn replied. But he knew the most difficult part was still to come. He kept looking around him at all the people busy working at their desks. He'd had an image all this time of what the SD-6 offices looked like, but he never imagined it would actually look like that.
Sydney walked into the conference room and took an empty seat near the door. Vaughn looked around the room and saw Jack sitting at the head of the table with Dixon, Marshall and Sark occupying other seats around the table. Vaughn suddenly felt their eyes on him. He glanced across at Sydney and then to Jack. Jack then pressed a button to close the door to the conference room shut.
"This is Agent Vaughn." Jack announced. "Dixon and Marshall know that Mr. Sark now works for SD-6." Jack then explained.
"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sydney asked as she sat forward in her chair.
"Actually we can talk now if that's all right?" Jack replied as he looked across at Vaughn. Vaughn nodded his head, grateful that Jack Bristow wouldn't be watching his every move and uttered word during the meeting. "We shouldn't be that long." Jack said. Both Sydney and Jack stood up and went to Sloane's office.
~~~~
Sydney tapped her fingers against the pocket of her jacket as she waited for Jack to close the door and sit down. Jack chose to sit in the empty chair next to her rather than in the large leather chair across the desk. Jack glanced across at the chair Sloane used to sit in.
"Do you mind that we're in here?" Jack asked.
"No, it's fine." She said following Jack's eyes to Sloane's chair.
"The room doesn't have any listening devices in it." Jack explained.
"I know I should have discussed it with you first, but I went to see Mom."
"How did you know where she was being held?' Jack asked.
"Vaughn set it all up. But you shouldn't be angry with him. I asked him to arrange it."
"Why?" Jack simply asked.
"I thought that I could ask her a few questions and then be able to move on with my life. But she asked Vaughn to pass on this" She reached in to her pocket and found the photo. She moved forward and slid it across the desk in Jack's direction. Jack picked up the photo and studied it for a few seconds. Sydney's eyes remained on his face and she was surprised to see his expression soften. His gaze remained on the photo as he spoke.
"One of my most vivid memories of the time when you were born was when we all returned home from the hospital for the first time. We had moved home from our small apartment, just before you were born which was definitely the worst possible time to do that. Moving house and expecting a baby into the world at the same time really don't mix! Anyway I remember that the house was full of unopened boxes and there was hardly any furniture. But your mother didn't complain once. She said she was too happy to let anything spoil it for her." Jack finally looked at Sydney, but she was surprised that she didn't see any anger or regret in his face. He seemed to have enjoyed the chance to reminisce.
"I'm sorry for not telling you that I had gone to see her. But I promise it's all out of my system now. I don't plan on seeing her ever again." Sydney apologised.
"Thank you for your honesty." Jack said quietly.
"What about you? Is she out of you system too?" Sydney asked carefully.
"I wish it was the same for me." He sighed. "I've spent almost every minute since I met her letting her cloud my judgement and affect my decisions. Even now I still do that." Jack confessed.
"Well" Sydney said. "Why don't you do what I did? Go and see her one more time and close that chapter in your life once and for all?"
"I'll think about it." Jack finally said unsure if it would really work.
~~~
Vaughn sat down in the chair that had been occupied by Jack. He looked across the table at the faces waiting for him to explain what they were all doing there.
"Jack asked me here today so that I could answer any questions you may have after I tell you that I'm here on behalf of the CIA." Vaughn took out his CIA ID from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. Marshall picked it up first and examined it closely.
"It looks real." Marshall noted before passing it onto Dixon.
"Why are you here?" Dixon asked suspiciously. "SD-6 is meant to be a secret division."
"Not a division of the CIA, but The Alliance." Vaughn stated.
"What?!" Dixon said incredulously.
"All this time you were led to believe that it is part of the CIA." Vaughn said. "But it can't be further from the truth." Vaughn then launched into the lengthy history of The Alliance and SD-6 in particular and how Sloane had lied to them for so many years. Dixon was stunned, but finally managed to ask Vaughn a question.
"Why should we believe you?" Dixon asked.
"Jack took a massive risk in deciding to tell the truth, but he knew that the only way to destroy SD-6 was to involve all of us in this. If The Alliance finds out about any of this, we are all as good as dead." Vaughn replied.
"Where does Sark fit in to all of this?" Dixon asked.
"Do I get to be free of all of this soon?" Sark then asked Vaughn.
"You will be working for the CIA until SD-6 is destroyed. Once SD-6 falls we will all be free to get on with our lives." Vaughn answered.
"Does Sydney know about this all?" Dixon asked. "Is that why she isn't here?"
"You should talk to her about it." Vaughn said. Sydney had told him earlier that she wanted to tell Dixon the truth.
~~~
Jack and Sydney eventually walked back into the conference room. Jack looked across at Dixon and Marshall to see if they had believed what Vaughn had told them.
"What do you think?" Jack asked them. "We only have three months before The Alliance checks on our progress. We have until then to destroy SD-6."
"I'm in." Dixon said.
"Marshall, your expertise will be vital for us if we are to be successful in this." Jack said. Marshall still looked a bit apprehensive, but nodded his head in acceptance.
"Good." Jack said. "I have to finalise plans for a mission that will involve all of you. I don't think it would be a good idea for Vaughn to come back here so Sydney will be in contact with the mission details once they're done. That's all for now." Jack then stood up and walked back to his office. Sydney stopped Dixon before he too left the room.
"Dixon, can I talk to you?"
"I'll meet you in a few minutes Sydney." Dixon replied before walking to his desk. Marshall and Sark filtered out of the conference room leaving Vaughn and Sydney alone.
"It's nearly over." Sydney said. "I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel."
"Just a few more weeks." Vaughn said looking at Sydney. "Anyway I should leave. I don't like the idea of being at SD-6 for a minute longer than necessary!" Vaughn joked nervously.
"Okay. I'll see you soon with the mission specifics." Sydney replied. She then led him back towards the scanning room and then to the elevator. Sydney then headed back to Dixon's desk to tell him the whole truth about being a double agent. She sat down next to Dixon and clicked on her bug killer to make sure that their conversation wouldn't be overheard.
"I know you must have lots of questions to ask." Sydney said to Dixon.
"Why couldn't you tell me about it before today?" Dixon asked.
"I wanted to tell you so many times, but the thought of your wife and kids being in so much danger as a result forced me to keep quiet." She replied.
"When did this all start?" He asked.
"After Danny was killed. Dad told me the truth so I went to the CIA."
"I understand why you had to do this." Dixon finally said.
"Thank you." Sydney said earnestly. " And I promise no more secrets."
"Okay." Dixon replied.
~~~
Jack called Sydney early on the following Monday morning. As soon as the phone rang she had a feeling that it would be her father.
"Dad." Sydney said as she sat up in bed.
"Can you come into the office? I've organised everything." Jack replied.
"Sure."
"Have you said anything to Will and Francie yet?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, I told them that I was being transferred to another office for a few weeks." Sydney answered.
"Good. I'll see you soon." Jack said.
"Bye Dad."
Sydney couldn't believe this day was finally here. This would be her last mission for SD-6. 'In a few weeks it would all be over. One way or another.' she grimly thought.