You guys... I'm being totally and completely serious when I say that I have absolutely no idea when this story will end. Are you guys sure that you won't mind a super-long one?

Dedications:

sk8erboichick17

donatellaMarks

All the anonymous readers who don't sign their reviews ;)

KaZ

Untannasg

Okay… so you guys almost made it to 40… more like 33 but who's counting? Anyway, I got restless because the chapter was ready so here it is… it's short (especially compared to the other one) but here is it. Review anyway (especially the people that promised that they would ;) … I'm not a bitch I promise, I'm at least half-kidding.)

25.

Arvin Sloane picked up the phone. "Yes, I'm requesting immediate retrieval. I want him here by noon. Alive."

~:~

Vaughn opened his eyes first. Getting up carefully so he wouldn't wake Sydney, he gently replaced the blankets over her and lightly kissed her forehead before walking into the next room.

"Hello? Carlos? Yes. I need you on standby to pull the hotel security tape. All right thanks."

Putting his phone back on the table, he sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands, thinking.

What had Danny done to their perfect lives? Turned them completely upside down in the span of a day.

And what could happen still as a consequence? If SD-6 took Danny back and Sydney had to keep on pretending to love him... To what extent would she be willing to do that? And would there ever be a point where the line was blurred and Sydney found the Danny she had fallen in love with again?

He sighed and got up. There was no use worrying over it. Sydney loved him. And if she still had feelings left for Danny... Well, that was understandable.

But frankly, as engagements went, this one wasn't going as planned. He sighed, remembering last night; how Sydney had burst into tears again and again in and out of sleep. Even when they... he couldn't imagine how this was affecting her. And he couldn't even do anything to help her. All he had been able to do was kiss her tears away as they fell.

He put on the coffee and walked back into the room. Sydney was sitting up, looking like some sort of exotic goddess wrapped up in the sheets.

"I'm sorry."

Vaughn sat down on the bed. "Have you ever read or seen Love Story, Sydney?"

She tilted her head. "I've heard that theme song."

He laughed. "Who hasn't heard that theme song? I can't believe you've never seen it."

"Why should I have seen it?"

"Never mind." He picked up his phone. "Are you feeling okay? Can you go to work today?"

Sydney looked up at him. "I don't think so."

Vaughn could still see the puffiness of her eyes and knew that she still had a lot of things to work out. He nodded at her.

"I think I'm just going to take the whole day off. Emotional distress." She paused. "I think you should take the day off too."

Vaughn looked at her, puzzled. "I can't do that. It would be too suspicious-looking. I mean, that would be the second time I missed work in-"

"Yes. I know. The second time you miss work in 3 months. It would completely tarnish your record and ruin the lives of everyone."

She grinned at him. "You're staying here with me. I'm going to rent Love Story and we're going to watch it together."

Vaughn hesitated. "I have Carlos on standby to pull the hotel tapes."

"So keep him on standby."

"Sydney..."

"Vaughn. Please. Tell them anything. Tell them the truth if you want. But don't leave me alone. Not today."

He gulped. It was so incredibly difficult to say no to her. But he had to. Didn't he?

Though the way that she put it, his attendance record wasn't as tarnished as he thought it would be in his mind.

And so far, his only case had been the infiltration and destruction of SD-6 and without Sydney, he couldn't do anything anyway.

Kendall, he knew, would have a load of paperwork waiting for him.

"I guess that it would be okay... But why would I miss work?"

"Umm... isn't the fact that you need a day off reason enough?"

"I'm not sure. Everyone works hard Syd."

"I know."

She closed her eyes, accepting it.

He sighed. He just couldn't deny her anything could he?

Schmuck.

Ahh… but a schmuck in love. And that made all the difference in the world.

Picking up the phone, he dialed. "Carlos? I'm going to need you to stay standby for the tapes a while longer... business is taking longer than usual. Thanks."

Hanging up, he looked at Sydney and smiled.

~:~

She was crying again but because it was because of the movie, it felt okay that she was. And she knew that Vaughn would know how she would feel. How it would be easier for her to let all her emotions out if there were some apparent reason for her to.

And then he had given it to her.

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

He rubbed her back as she closed her eyes; wanting to wake up from a bad dream and find herself back in bed the night after she was proposed to. It was strange to think that that had only been yesterday.

She wiped away the last of the tears. "Okay, I'm done crying and feeling sorry for myself. It's not fair to you and it's not fair to me. I'm fine. Danny may be alive but he's a different person to me. So he might as well not exist right?" She looked up at him but wasn't sure how to interpret his expression. "I just... I just don't know what to do. I feel so helpless and I don't like feeling that I'm burdening you. I'm sorry I'm such a baby right now."

"Sydney don't you remember what I told you three months ago? I said that everyone has a point in their life when things don't go their way. And it is during those moments that they need someone the most. I promised you that I would be that person for you. And I'm not going to back out of it when you need me the most. And more importantly, I don't want to.

"And stop apologizing."

He grinned at her slowly.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry."

Smiling slightly, she placed her hand in his and repeated the words back.

TBC...

Short chapter I know...

But finals are next week and this may be the last update until the end of the month.

I know that a lot of you guys will probably be in the same situation so I don't feel as bad... You probably won't be that deprived.

Umm... How was it? I'm not sure if I like it.

Is the pace too slow? I know that it has slowed a bit but it that a good or bad thing? Let me know.

I know… it's soooo long. I'm sorry. I know basically how it's going to end and what major steps I'm going to take but getting to the steps is taking so long and my pace keeps getting slower and slower and for that I apologize. But hey, if you've read this much, it must mean that you love this story right? And love means never having to say you're sorry. ;)

Review and good luck!

-Jenn