A/N: I'm so sorry I didn't update for a while! My teachers all got together
and decided that the last two weeks of school should be when they gave me
the most work. I've been overwhelmed with work! Now that school's pretty
much done with, I can get back to writing. I hope this chapter makes up for
it!
*~*~*~*
Sydney bolted up from the bed. She was drenched in sweat and had trails of tears down her face. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could hardly breathe as she remembered.
Her dream had been a playback of her earlier session.
Her hand shook as she gingerly raised it to wipe her hair from her forehead. She felt the moisture on her cheeks and thought back to the child she had only recently discovered.
Tears began to fall once again as she tortured herself with images of Arvin Sloane taking her child.
Where had he taken the baby? Was she still alive? Was he raising her as his own?
The only person she wanted to talk to was Vaughn - he needed to know and he always knew just what to say to make her feel better. Reaching out her hand to the nightstand, she fumbled in the darkness for her phone.
The tears and stress made her forget, momentarily, that she was in a hotel, and that her phone was in the suit she had shed earlier.
Trying to see in the dark and through tears, Sydney found her way to the pile of clothes on the floor. Pulling out her phone, she hit speed dial #2.
On the fifth ring, right before voice mail would have picked up, she heard a groggy hello.
It was decidedly feminine.
Sydney hit the end button with lightning speed.
She had forgotten he was married. She had just spoken to his wife.
Instead of comfort, the call to Vaughn brought a fresh wave of tears. It reminded her of all she had lost: not just a child, but its father as well.
Sydney cried herself to sleep on the cold hotel rug.
* * * *
The next morning, Sydney walked into the Joint Task Force Center with large circles under her eyes. The rest of her night had not gone any better. The same horrifying dream kept repeating itself, over and over, until she became afraid to sleep.
She looked up as she headed toward her desk. Sitting in her chair was Michael Vaughn.
He made a small smile in greeting before he took a good look at her appearance and the wrinkles made their presence known.
"Are you OK?" The concern was evident in his voice, but Sydney was irritated by it.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in an attempt to convince Vaughn it was the truth.
It didn't work. The next question popped out of his mouth.
"Then why did you call last night? And why did you hang up?"
Any semblance of a smile dropped off Sydney's face.
"I hit the wrong button on speed dial. When I heard your wife, I realized I had the wrong number. Sorry."
The lie slipped out easily. During her time away, she had obviously not lost her ability to fib when it was necessary.
"Don't lie to me Sydney. That's not something we do." His eyes reflected he was hurt she would even try.
"Do we marry other people?" The biting comment slipped out before she had the chance to process it.
Sydney bit her lip and bowed her head, missing Vaughn's reaction. The sadness on his face became more prevalent and he, too, lowered his head in shame.
Knowing that hearing Karen's voice had been the reason Sydney had hung up, he looked up again.
"Why did you call last night?"
Something about the desperate, caring, tormented tone of his voice caused Sydney to raise her head and look into his eyes.
When he saw tears in her eyes, he reached out wipe them away. She flinched when his thumb brushed lightly over her smooth cheek.
Vaughn quickly withdrew his outstretched arm.
In a voice just barely audible, Sydney stated, "We need to talk."
Vaughn reached out again, took her hand and led her to the closed room, which Weiss used to refer to as "The Flirting Corner."
As Vaughn led the way, Sydney allowed herself the small pleasure of enjoying the feel of his hand in hers. It was meager compared to what she used to have, but it soothed her for the time being.
When the door had closed behind them, Sydney began, without preamble, to tell Vaughn about the session yesterday with Ms. Kerr.
Vaughn was first surprised by the openness with which she told him, but soon the surprise was replaced with a deep sadness coupled with horror. He silently berated himself for not having been waiting for her outside. Not to mention so many other places he should have been for her.
As her story came to a close, neither could say anything. Vaughn had no idea where to start. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hug her until it didn't hurt anymore, but he knew he couldn't do that.
It slowly entered his mind that she had said their child. Not hers. Theirs.
Just as he was about to form a response, in something akin to déjà vu, Weiss stuck his head in the door.
"Kendall called a meeting. Everyone needs to be there. Now." He pulled his head back and quietly shut the door.
Sydney and Vaughn shared a meaningful look before they both turned and headed out the door.
* * * *
"As many of you know, Agent Sydney Bristow, who had been presumed dead for the past two years, called in a few days ago. She has no memory of those two years, or even that time has passed. Due to new Intel, it is presumed Arvin Sloane was responsible."
Sydney hated being referred to as if she wasn't even in the room. Across the room, Will was looking at her. Marshall was trying to catch her eye. Next to her, she could feel Vaughn's gaze. Other than those three men, and Kendall, currently speaking, she recognized no one.
It bothered her that her father was not there. It bothered her she hadn't seen him since she had returned. She thought he could have been on a mission, but he should have been back.
As if her thoughts had conjured him, her father's picture appeared on the screen at the front of the room.
"This morning, Agent Jack Bristow went missing. Surveillance witnessed Agent Bristow being pulled into a black van late last night. There has been no sign of him since. For the past two years, Agent Bristow has been working to stop Sloane. We believe Sloane has taken Agent Bristow."
Sydney sat stunned. Her father was missing.
"Agent Bristow, Agent Anderson, you two are headed for Tallinn, Estonia. Intel from Agent Bristow indicates Sloane has a base there. Hopefully we'll find something."
Sydney glanced to her left at the severe looking woman who must be Agent Anderson.
Vaughn didn't know Agent Anderson, but that wasn't the only reason he didn't want Sydney on this mission.
"Sir, isn't too soon to be sending Sydney back into the field? She's barely started therapy."
He could feel Sydney become angry beside him, and Kendall simply stared at him.
"I'm curious Mr. Vaughn, why you felt the need to make that comment. We need her skills on this mission, regardless of whether she's ready. Not to mention the fact you don't even work here. You're here because Jack Bristow felt it would help. Don't make me overturn his decision."
Vaughn slumped back in his chair, defeated. He knew Sydney was angry with him for interfering, and he felt useless. All he could do was get up and leave.
As he headed out the door, he could hear Kendall speaking to Will. "Tippin, what do you have?"
He quickly and quietly made his exit. Heading towards his car, he couldn't stop the stinging in his eyes from turning into betraying tears.
While the mother of his child sat in a briefing, he had to head home to his wife.
*~*~*~*
A/N: Too angsty? I kinda think so. I don't think I've ever written the word "tears" so many times in one sitting my entire life. Anyway, tell me what y'all thought! It'll make my day!
Alias isn't mine, blah, blah, blah.
*~*~*~*
Sydney bolted up from the bed. She was drenched in sweat and had trails of tears down her face. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could hardly breathe as she remembered.
Her dream had been a playback of her earlier session.
Her hand shook as she gingerly raised it to wipe her hair from her forehead. She felt the moisture on her cheeks and thought back to the child she had only recently discovered.
Tears began to fall once again as she tortured herself with images of Arvin Sloane taking her child.
Where had he taken the baby? Was she still alive? Was he raising her as his own?
The only person she wanted to talk to was Vaughn - he needed to know and he always knew just what to say to make her feel better. Reaching out her hand to the nightstand, she fumbled in the darkness for her phone.
The tears and stress made her forget, momentarily, that she was in a hotel, and that her phone was in the suit she had shed earlier.
Trying to see in the dark and through tears, Sydney found her way to the pile of clothes on the floor. Pulling out her phone, she hit speed dial #2.
On the fifth ring, right before voice mail would have picked up, she heard a groggy hello.
It was decidedly feminine.
Sydney hit the end button with lightning speed.
She had forgotten he was married. She had just spoken to his wife.
Instead of comfort, the call to Vaughn brought a fresh wave of tears. It reminded her of all she had lost: not just a child, but its father as well.
Sydney cried herself to sleep on the cold hotel rug.
* * * *
The next morning, Sydney walked into the Joint Task Force Center with large circles under her eyes. The rest of her night had not gone any better. The same horrifying dream kept repeating itself, over and over, until she became afraid to sleep.
She looked up as she headed toward her desk. Sitting in her chair was Michael Vaughn.
He made a small smile in greeting before he took a good look at her appearance and the wrinkles made their presence known.
"Are you OK?" The concern was evident in his voice, but Sydney was irritated by it.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in an attempt to convince Vaughn it was the truth.
It didn't work. The next question popped out of his mouth.
"Then why did you call last night? And why did you hang up?"
Any semblance of a smile dropped off Sydney's face.
"I hit the wrong button on speed dial. When I heard your wife, I realized I had the wrong number. Sorry."
The lie slipped out easily. During her time away, she had obviously not lost her ability to fib when it was necessary.
"Don't lie to me Sydney. That's not something we do." His eyes reflected he was hurt she would even try.
"Do we marry other people?" The biting comment slipped out before she had the chance to process it.
Sydney bit her lip and bowed her head, missing Vaughn's reaction. The sadness on his face became more prevalent and he, too, lowered his head in shame.
Knowing that hearing Karen's voice had been the reason Sydney had hung up, he looked up again.
"Why did you call last night?"
Something about the desperate, caring, tormented tone of his voice caused Sydney to raise her head and look into his eyes.
When he saw tears in her eyes, he reached out wipe them away. She flinched when his thumb brushed lightly over her smooth cheek.
Vaughn quickly withdrew his outstretched arm.
In a voice just barely audible, Sydney stated, "We need to talk."
Vaughn reached out again, took her hand and led her to the closed room, which Weiss used to refer to as "The Flirting Corner."
As Vaughn led the way, Sydney allowed herself the small pleasure of enjoying the feel of his hand in hers. It was meager compared to what she used to have, but it soothed her for the time being.
When the door had closed behind them, Sydney began, without preamble, to tell Vaughn about the session yesterday with Ms. Kerr.
Vaughn was first surprised by the openness with which she told him, but soon the surprise was replaced with a deep sadness coupled with horror. He silently berated himself for not having been waiting for her outside. Not to mention so many other places he should have been for her.
As her story came to a close, neither could say anything. Vaughn had no idea where to start. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hug her until it didn't hurt anymore, but he knew he couldn't do that.
It slowly entered his mind that she had said their child. Not hers. Theirs.
Just as he was about to form a response, in something akin to déjà vu, Weiss stuck his head in the door.
"Kendall called a meeting. Everyone needs to be there. Now." He pulled his head back and quietly shut the door.
Sydney and Vaughn shared a meaningful look before they both turned and headed out the door.
* * * *
"As many of you know, Agent Sydney Bristow, who had been presumed dead for the past two years, called in a few days ago. She has no memory of those two years, or even that time has passed. Due to new Intel, it is presumed Arvin Sloane was responsible."
Sydney hated being referred to as if she wasn't even in the room. Across the room, Will was looking at her. Marshall was trying to catch her eye. Next to her, she could feel Vaughn's gaze. Other than those three men, and Kendall, currently speaking, she recognized no one.
It bothered her that her father was not there. It bothered her she hadn't seen him since she had returned. She thought he could have been on a mission, but he should have been back.
As if her thoughts had conjured him, her father's picture appeared on the screen at the front of the room.
"This morning, Agent Jack Bristow went missing. Surveillance witnessed Agent Bristow being pulled into a black van late last night. There has been no sign of him since. For the past two years, Agent Bristow has been working to stop Sloane. We believe Sloane has taken Agent Bristow."
Sydney sat stunned. Her father was missing.
"Agent Bristow, Agent Anderson, you two are headed for Tallinn, Estonia. Intel from Agent Bristow indicates Sloane has a base there. Hopefully we'll find something."
Sydney glanced to her left at the severe looking woman who must be Agent Anderson.
Vaughn didn't know Agent Anderson, but that wasn't the only reason he didn't want Sydney on this mission.
"Sir, isn't too soon to be sending Sydney back into the field? She's barely started therapy."
He could feel Sydney become angry beside him, and Kendall simply stared at him.
"I'm curious Mr. Vaughn, why you felt the need to make that comment. We need her skills on this mission, regardless of whether she's ready. Not to mention the fact you don't even work here. You're here because Jack Bristow felt it would help. Don't make me overturn his decision."
Vaughn slumped back in his chair, defeated. He knew Sydney was angry with him for interfering, and he felt useless. All he could do was get up and leave.
As he headed out the door, he could hear Kendall speaking to Will. "Tippin, what do you have?"
He quickly and quietly made his exit. Heading towards his car, he couldn't stop the stinging in his eyes from turning into betraying tears.
While the mother of his child sat in a briefing, he had to head home to his wife.
*~*~*~*
A/N: Too angsty? I kinda think so. I don't think I've ever written the word "tears" so many times in one sitting my entire life. Anyway, tell me what y'all thought! It'll make my day!
Alias isn't mine, blah, blah, blah.