Previous Truths

Disclaimer: Nope, most of these aren't my original characters.

A/N: So, this is progressing nicely, isn't it? I still want Amanda to be a likeable character, even though you're supposed to hate her for Sydney's sake. Let me know how I'm doing with that… _____________________________________________________________________________________

"Syd, you look great!" Will says as she steps into the parking lot in front the apartment building.

Sydney laughs.

"Give it up!" She's wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt that says "I didn't do it" across the front. Her long brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and she's wearing only the faintest trace of eye shadow.

"No, really," Will insists. "You've always looked great in jeans, but you look pretty good dressed up, too."

She laughs again, and so does Will.

"So, what are you up for?" he asks as they climb into his car. "I've heard the skating rink that just opened up is pretty neat."

"That sounds like fun," she agrees. "I haven't been skating since I was a kid."

"Skating it is!" he says dramatically, causing them both to laugh again.

"Eeeee!" Sydney squeals. The old quad skates are next to impossible, she thinks as she runs into Will. She stumbles yet again in the center of the round rink.

Will grabs her arm to keep her from falling, but she accidentally kicks his feet out from under him and they both end up in a heap on the floor. They're both laughing and out of breath. Sydney pushes a stray piece of hair out of her face as she gets unsteadily to her feet.

"I warned you!" she cries playfully. "You didn't believe me when I said I couldn't skate on these!"

"I believed you," Will teases, "I just didn't think you'd be *this* bad!"

She laughs.

"Why don't we go get something to eat while I'll still be able to move tomorrow?" she suggests.

"Good idea. That floor's a lot harder than I thought," he says, wincing slightly.

The restaurant is tiny, but very cozy, especially in their corner booth. Sitting there, Sydney finally admits what has been on her mind for the last week.

"Will, do you know how I could go about getting my baby?" she asks.

He looks up in surprise.

"You'll have to prove you're her mother," he begins. "DNA tests or something. Then, since you didn't sign off on her being adopted and you're alive, you can legally get her. But Syd," he adds quietly, "If she's happy and with good people, do you really want to mess with that?"

She shakes her head and blinks back tears.

"No. I want her to be happy. I don't want to take her away from a normal life and people that love her. I can't handle the thought of her someday wondering why her real mother abandoned her. I need her. I need my baby. I need someone who'll always be there, someone who'll always need me. Then, may be, I can move on," she tries to make him understand.

He holds her hands between his on the table.

"I know. I understand, you need someone that you *know* won't leave you," he says gently.

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

Amanda is outside Sydney's apartment early the next morning.

"Amanda?!?" Sydney says in surprise.

Amanda smiles bitterly.

"Hi. Can we talk for a minute?" she asks humbly. "I won't stay long."

"Uh, sure, come on in," she says, stepping back. "Sit down." She sits in her armchair, leaving Amanda the couch.

"Sydney, I'm leaving LA," she says.

"Huh?"

"I thought you should hear it form me," she continues. "I don't belong here. Don't belong in the CIA. Don't belong with Michael. You do." She smiles bitterly again. "He says your name in his sleep. Always has. When we got married," she explains carefully, "We were both okay with a comfortable relationship. And that's all it was. He's *never* looked at me the way he does you. He loves you. If I stay, I'm just making it hard for all of us. You two belong together. May be some day I'll find someone I belong with, but it's just not here."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sydney can't help asking.

"You should have hated me. Out of the two of us, you should have been the one to get mad. But you didn't. You helped me. You let me help look for my husband's baby, when anyone else wouldn't have even wanted me to know about it. I guess I felt like I owed you," she finishes lamely.

Sydney nods slowly.

"Thank you," she finally says, "For not hating me either."

"I have to go. Take care of him, okay?" Amanda says, her voice shaking almost imperceptibly. She forces a smile.

"Yeah," Sydney says dazedly.

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

"Kassie! No!" Lizzy scolds gently as the baby tugs on the table cloth.

"No!" Kassie mimics, giggling and clapping her tiny hands happily.

Lizzy sweeps the girl up in her arms and tickles her. Kassie squeals appropriately. Bobby walks in smiling and holding a soft rag doll.

"Come on, girl, nap time," he says, taking Kassie from Lizzy.

"No!" Kassie screams, reaching for Lizzy.

"She's so energetic!" Lizzy laughs. "She's never tired!"

"But you are. May be the two of you need naps," Bobby suggests.

"Sounds good. You putting Kassie down today?"

"Sure. Get some sleep, Mommy," he says, grinning.

"Okay, Daddy," she replies. She smiles back and kisses his cheek.

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

Sydney sits in a parking lot several blocks from the garage watching for Vaughn's car in the early morning light. she plans to "accidentally" arrive in the parking garage at the same time he does.

When she sees his car, she pulls out a good distance behind him. In the garage, she parks several rows away from him. He is already waiting for the elevator when she walks up.

"Hey," she says softly, walking up and standing beside him.

He looks up in surprise. He is sure she has been avoiding him.

"I'm sorry. What I said last week, I didn't mean any of it. I don't want to end anything. I don't want to move on. But I don't want to mess up your life. I'm good at that," she mutters sadly when he remains silent.

"Don't say that," he finally says as they step into the elevator, thankfully alone. "Amanda's leaving," he adds softly.

"I know. I saw her this morning," Sydney admits in a small voice.

"I'm sorry, Syd," he says after a moment.

She looks at him sharply.

"This is all my fault."

"No it's not, Vaughn! There was no way you could have know," she protests, moving closer and slipping her hand into his. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I hurt everyone I love," she whispers, choking back tears.

"No you don't. Syd, you just live a complicated life," Vaughn says softly, squeezing her hand.

"Will you come to my apartment tonight? After work? We can…talk," she says.

"Uh, yeah, we can talk," he repeats as the elevator opens and they separate.

"See you," she says dazedly.

"See you," he repeats.

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

Will sits at his computer, carefully looking into the adoption files at the agency where Sydney told him her baby was.

He soon finds a file of a girl of the right age. The word "abandoned" jumps out at him. He's found her.

According to the file, she's been adopted by a young couple, Elizabeth and Robert Gordon, adopted her. They live in Savannah, Georgia. They've tried to have kids but found themselves unable to. They both interacted wonderfully with the girl.

He prints the information out and runs to tell Sydney. But he stops. He decides to go through Vaughn instead.

"Look at this!" he says softly, walking up to Vaughn's desk.

"What is it?" Vaughn asks, looking at the papers.

"This is from a computer file from that adoption agency. This is her!" Will says excitedly.

Vaughn shuffles through the papers quickly.

"This *is* her!" he cries. "Did you show this to Syd?"

"If I had she'd be in Georgia now."

"I know. I'll talk to her," Vaughn says.

Will stands in silence for a moment.

"I, uh, talked to Amanda this morning," he says cautiously.

"Great. Seems she talked to everyone in the entire CIA except me this morning," Vaughn says sarcastically. "Sorry. She left before I got up," he reveals.

"I just thought you should know I knew about it," Will says. He walks off leaving Vaughn with the papers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Okay, I admit, I really wanted to have Sydney and Will together for a while, but I *swear* this story has a life of it's own. I couldn't stop it! Besides, now I have all of you wondering about their first confrontation after Amanda's gone…