Author's Comments: Okay, I got a few things to cover before you all start reading. One, thank you all for reviewing. You have no idea how excited I am about all the positive feedback. Two, this is a somewhat short chapter, but that's only because I like to keep you all guessing. Three, there have been questions from particular readers, so I'm going to address them in a second, so you can go ahead and start reading if you'd like. Keep reviewing everyone!

Ryanne: Vaughn did not shoot Sydney, Sloane did. Vaughn tried to warn, Syd, but he was too late.

Molly: I'm not cruel, I just like action. As you may have noticed, I don't spend too much time describing settings because I feel that no matter how I explain it, every reader will have a different opinion. It's the action that keeps me interested and excited along with the reader, but I'm glad you can see past my "cruelty" and enjoy the story!

Colly E.: About the snow days. We are required to be in school for a total of 180 days each school year. We are given three snow days that we can use up without penalty. Every day after that is made up by taking away some sort of holiday, mostly teacher workdays. However we've had a total of eleven snow days this year, and the county has several options. They can say the hell with them, and we don't have to make them up, they can add the missed days to the end of the year, or they can make the remaining days we have left longer by adding an hour. However, there are problems with every single option and at this point, the county has no idea what it plans to do. My guess however is that they'll add hours to every day. Personally, the only idea I like is to forget the whole thing never happened, but it's doubtful that'll happen. I hope I answered your question!

Chapter 15

ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS

The Alliance of twelve, only had eleven. In the world of espionage there was much deceit, especially as an association working against the United States.

The meeting was called at approximately ten o'clock on Saturday, to exclude one member of the Alliance. They had all heard about what had taken place on Fadell street the previous day, and none were happy.

"We will discharge Agent 3471 from the basement facility," the SD-1 leader said. "She is of no more use to us."

"Don't you think we should terminate her. She does work with the CIA," the SD-10 leader suggested.

"Maybe, in time. But she is of no asset to the CIA right now. The CIA has gained little if any new information on the Alliance from her. Besides her condition is critical, and there is a possibility that Sloane may have taken care of her termination himself," the SD-1 leader explained.

"And Sloane?" the SD-3 leader inquired.

"He will be dealt with."

* * *

Vaughn stood in the hospital doorway of the ICU unit. He couldn't bring himself to go in and disrupt Jack Bristow who was holding Sydney's hand at her bedside. It was hard for him to even look into the room and see Sydney so lifeless.

Tubes seemed to be coming out of every part of her body, and her face was pale and lifeless. Her eyes were closed. Vaughn turned away from the two as he remembered last night's events.

He had seen Sloane pull the gun from his pocket and he had seen him fire. The moment after the deed was done, Sloane ran. Vaughn didn't even have to think twice about who he was going to focus on at that moment. He let Sloane run to the exit and headed for Sydney who was now lying on the ground, red surrounding her wound.

He remembered briefly the scene around him. Kendall and Jack were focused on Sloane, not even realizing that Sydney was down. The warehouse had erupted into a firing range, but in the end Sloane got past the CIA's barricade and in the clear.

Vaughn had called her name over and over. Telling her to hang on, but the moment she let go of his hand, he lost it. He cried. Maybe under any other circumstances, with any other person he would have acted rationally and gone for help, but he couldn't handle it. The whole week's events combined with the lifeless form of the woman he loved were enough to send him over the edge. He wasn't even aware that Jack and Kendall had arrived and were using the phone to call an ambulance.

Who said men had to be strong? Whoever made up that stupid rule anyway? Vaughn asked himself, bringing his consciousness back to reality, as he turned his gaze back to father and daughter. Jack was in fact was sitting there with more strength than Vaughn could compose, but even Jack wasn't without pain at that moment

His hand never left hers as he sat there in the little silence that was provided in between beeps of Sydney's heart monitor. He said nothing to her, but his eyes fully expressed everything he was thinking. His hope, sadness, and love were all seen in full view. The man before Vaughn was strong, but he was not the intimidating Jack Bristow that Vaughn had grown to know and understand. He was a father.

Vaughn finally got the courage to step into the room. Jack looked up slightly and then turned his attention back to his daughter. Getting a full view of Jack's face at that moment allowed Vaughn to fully realize the toll last night's events had taken on him.

The EMT's were working feverishly on Sydney the whole way to the hospital, but the whole way her pulse was weak. The moment they arrived, Sydney was rushed into the operating room, and was not seen for several hours. Vaughn and Jack remained in the waiting room all night, though neither of them said a word to each other. Neither could say anything to comfort the other because they were so used to the truth. Death was not uncommon among the life of a field agent and there was a chance Sydney wouldn't make it. Who could increase the hopes of another without believing their own words?

It was seven before anyone came out with any news. They were told damage was severe with the shot having been at such a close range, but they got her stable. She was put on a respirator, though there was still apparent brain activity. Surgery had been successful but they still needed to make sure that the brain was receiving oxygen. She was assigned to the ICU for the next twenty-four critical hours.

Vaughn stepped up to the opposite side of the bed and touched her hair. He could see that at the roots, it was brown. The familiar brown hair he had always loved.

"How are you, Mr. Bristow?" Vaughn finally asked.

"She's doing alright," Jack said gruffly without really hearing the question.

"No, Mr. Bristow. How are you doing?" Vaughn asked the question again.

Jack looked somewhat surprised at this line of questioning. "Fine." He didn't make any attempt to continue their small talk, and frankly that was fine with Vaughn, because apparently Jack wasn't very good at it.

The two men turned their attention back to the girl in front of them. Vaughn looked at her pale body and realized she had gauze taped over her neck.

"The transmitter?" Vaughn asked.

"Removed," Jack confirmed. "X-ray showed it was inactive, so they removed it." At least something is going right, Vaughn thought to himself.

But to even think such an idea seemed to anger some one, as Sydney's heart beat suddenly became more irregular. Jack and Vaughn stepped away. Before either one could even go for help, the room was filled with doctors.

Vaughn could only hear bits and pieces of the bustle of technical terms being thrown around him, but he got the just of it. Sydney had coded and was falling into cardiac arrest.

* * *

The surgical room became a circus around the newcomer who was in full cardiac arrest. It had been a full forty-five minutes since the patient had entered the room, and there was still no pulse.

"Call it, Sam," Nurse Terry said as she began to peel off her gloves.

Dr. Sam Williams looked at the clock on the wall. "12:03 a.m." Dr. Williams said as Nurse Terry covered the body. "Good job, everyone."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hehehehe, I'm an action woman who says leave the readers hanging. I guess it's lucky I update often, huh?