AN: Hey! Sorry for the late update! I had community service today and then homework, which was really bad. Darn it. Okay so to answer a question that came up. Sydney and Vaughn were about sophomores or juniors. I couldn't decide so that's why I didn't put it in there. Alright onto the fic! Please read and REVIEW!!!!!

**************************************************************************

Chapter 2

Sydney's POV

Sydney took a deep breath as she surveyed her childhood home. It had been a while since the last time she had been there. 7 years to be exact. Sydney used to go back to visit her dad during college, but after she started working at SD-6, there had been no time.

It hadn't changed very much. The paint looked older and the plants were wilting a little, but that was about it. She started down the walkway towards the door. Her dad had given her a spare key since Jack was going to be at work.

When Danny and her had moved in together, Sydney had stored some of her things here because there hadn't been enough room in the apartment. Now that Danny was...gone and she was moving into a new apartment, Sydney wanted to bring the rest of her stuff.

It would make her new place less lonely with more stuff. Sydney needed that. She needed to move on. She opened the door and headed up to the attic.

The stairs creaked as she made her way up and the room was dark once Sydney got up there. The only rays of light came from the small window at the back of the attic.

She quickly found a lamp and clicked it on. Looking around, Sydney found a dusty box and opened it. She smiled wistfully as she spotted a hockey puck in the box.

******* Flashback*******

Sydney went down the players' area to find Mike. After looking around a couple of times, Sydney spotted him and waved. He saw them and skated over.

"Hey Syd." He gave her a big smile.

"Mike!" Sydney said as she gave him a quick hug.

"So what are you doing here?" He gave her a questioning look.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck before the big game," Sydney said.

"Oh, I don't need it." Sydney rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the arm.

"Whatever, Mike. You're so full of yourself."

Michael chuckled. "Just kidding, Syd."

Sydney pretended to pout, but just ended up laughing more. Finally they were both done laughing and calmed down.

"Hey Sydney. Do me a favor?" He raised his eyebrow slightly. She always envied him for that ability. Sydney could never do that.

"Sure, Mike."

"Hold on to my lucky puck for me?" Sydney nodded her head as Michael handed her the puck.

"I got to go get ready to play. See you after the game." He waved back at Sydney as he skated towards the other players.

********

As he skated towards the center of the ice, Michael could feel the adrenaline rush through him. It was like that every game. Hockey never ceased to excite him.

Michael looked up and saw his archrival, Steven Haladki, standing in front of him.

"Ready to play, Vaughn?" Haladki gave him a little smirk.

Michael rolled his eyes. It was like this every time they played each other.

"Just shut up, Haladki."

Haladki raised his eyebrows in mock confusion. "What? No comeback? Has your girlfriend got you tongue-tied?"

"What girlfriend?"

"Oh you mean that brunette chick isn't involved with you?"

"No," Michael replied in a terse voice.

"Great! Can I have a piece of her then because that chick was hot."

Michael knew Haladki was just pulling his string, but it still made his angry that Haladki was talking about Sydney like that.

"Stay away from her, Haladki." Michael said in a warning tone.

"Oh, scared of some competition, Mike?"

Michael laughed. "Like you would ever be competition, Haladki."

Haladki ignored him and continued with his antagonizing. "You know I'm surprised you two aren't involved. I mean if I were you, I would have jumped her already."

That did it. It was like something in Michael just snapped when Haladki said that. "Alright, that's it. I'm gonna kick your ass!" Michael grabbed the collar of Haladki's hockey jersey and pinned him against a nearby wall. Soon it was all out confusion. Michael wasn't even sure of what he was doing anymore. Guys from both teams were trying to pull them apart and referees kept blowing their whistle. He could hear punches being thrown, but he wasn't sure if he was doing the punching or Haladki was.

Finally things settled down and Michael was put into the penalty box for starting the fight. He was furious even though he knew it was his own fault. It was Haladki's fault too though for antagonizing him so much.

He was still fuming at the end of the game when Sydney came over to talk to him. The only thing keeping him calm was the fact that Haladki had gotten body checked by three of Michael's friends and Haladki's team lost the game.

"Mike? What was that all about?"

"Nothing." Sydney rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips like she didn't believe him.

"Come on, Michael. You're not the type that would start a fight with a guy without a valid reason."

Michael sighed. "He was talking trash about you."

"Me?" Sydney asked in a shocked tone.

Michael nodded. "You know you didn't have to do that for me."

He looked at Sydney intently for a moment and then looked down at his hands. "Yes, I did. You mean a lot to me, Syd."

Sydney was quiet for a moment and then she smiled. "You mean a lot to me too, Mike."

******* End Flashback *******

Sydney wiped the tears out of her eyes as she pulled out of her memories. Michael and her had gone through so much together. It was shame that they weren't even speaking anymore. Sometimes she would pick up the phone to call him, but Sydney never had the nerve to actually dial his number. Maybe because it was her fault they weren't friends anymore. Her fault for being scared of a good thing.

Sydney had thought her luck was changing when Danny came along, but fate took its toll and took Danny away from her as well or should she say Sloane took Danny away from her. As long as she lived, she would make Sloane suffer for what he did to Danny and for the pain he had caused her. At least, Sydney was working for the good guys now. Although right now, she didn't have a handler. Her previous handler had decided that the spy life wasn't for him and had quit after a month of working with Sydney. He should be so lucky as to have a say in the matter. For Sydney, there was no choice. If she just picked up and left, there would be consequences, terrible consequences.

She shook herself of her depressing thoughts as Sydney heard her cell phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Sydney, I just wanted to tell you that you are to meet your new handler tomorrow morning at 8:00 am."

"Alright, where?"

"The paper's on my desk in my office. I have to go. I have a meeting. Goodbye."

"Bye, Dad."

Sydney felt a shiver go down her spine as she heard herself repeat her father's last word.

"Goodbye."

*Wow, this ended up being kind of long for me. Next chapter we will go back to where we left off in chapter one. :D