Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't Sue. Do Review.
A/N: Hey, sorry about the wait. I hope it wasn't too long. I've been getting over loaded with revision and my test are coming up soon, so I may be slow updating all of my stories, but I'll try not to be. Thanks again to all you wonderful reviews; Beth, S. Nicolai and aaa. Please keep them coming. Any way, here's the next chapter. R&R and Enjoy!!! - Bex
'For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.' - James Baldwin
~*~*~*~*~
She stood in the middle of the chaos, staring around like a lost child. The safe house lay in ruins; furniture was turned upside down, pages of books were spread across the floor, items in the room were smashed into a million pieces and Alec's picture were scattered in with the mess. It was exactly how they had found it. Except the bodies had been removed now.
The alarm had been raised when Agent Walker failed to ring headquarters at the check-in time. Vaughn and several other agents had raced there to find his dead body lying outside the door, a neat bullet hole in his forehead.
They'd rushed inside with their guns ready and raised to be greeted by the chaos. And the eerie silence. A silence so quiet that it screamed. Vaughn's first instinct was to sprint to the twins' bedroom, only to find both of the beds were turned over and empty. But it was the sight in the bathroom that froze his heart.
Slowly, the door had sung open after he'd pushed it. The first thing his eyes meet was the crimson river, which flowed down the shimmering white tiles, trailing downwards to Tatiana's lifeless figure. She was curled unnaturally; shut eyes trapping her in an everlasting sleep, legs and arms bound behind her by rope. Then there was the bullet in the back of her head, execution style, staining the raven black hair with streaks of red.
Helpless to stop them, as Vaughn stared at Tatiana's fate, Sydney words chillingly flooded his head: 'People who disobey Irina Derevko are just corpses walking around on borrowed time'
He stared at Sydney; the blank expression, pale skin and the statue like form she stood in, making her resemble a corpse as well. How much time did she have?
She moved slowly, wondering into the deserted bedroom. Vaughn followed her, watching carefully as she searched the room. Sydney froze and gently picked something from the mess. She gingerly held the teddy bear, which had once belonged to Katia, absentmindedly stroking its face.
Vaughn didn't know why she had so forcefully demanded that she was brought here. Maybe it was to survey the destruction with her own eyes? Maybe it was to see the empty beds where two children should be lying in peaceful sleep? To let reality sink in? But, just like when he'd told her, not a single tear had escaped her stone eyes. It was as if she didn't know how to cry anymore, reminding him that Sydney Bristow was dead.
He stared at the hollow shell as she turned around, locking their cold eyes in place.
"We need to find them," She stated, her voice as emotionless as ever.
"We?" Vaughn repeated.
"I'm coming with you."
He firmly shook his head; "I don't think..."
"Agent Vaughn, they're my children," She snapped across. "I'm going to find them, bring the back and no one's to stop me from doing just that. So the CIA can help me or stay out of my way. Either way, I'm going to get them back. The choice is yours Agent Vaughn, what will it be?"
~*~*~*~*~
He watched her with half an eye as he collected the polystyrene cups of bitter coffee off the counter. He hated cheap airport coffee. Like a normal person, he handed the cashier the money, but paid no attention to the person. His mind was elsewhere, trying to figure out how he got tangled up in this again.
The cashier handed him his change and with a cheery smile, wished him in a singsong voice to 'have-a-nice-day'. Vaughn could only force a thin smile in return. He clasped the cups, the gold ring on his finger shined as it caught the light. It was probably Kendall's way of getting revenge when Vaughn had insisted that Sydney Bristow was brought on the mission; giving him and the woman he despised the alias of a happily married couple.
She had been implanted with a tracking chip in the base of her neck, but Vaughn still didn't want her out of his sight. Apart of him suspected that she'd set the whole thing up to escape. Another part reminded him that even she wasn't that twisted. Only time would tell which was right.
He sat down on the stiff departure lounge bench next to a woman with honey- blond hair and sky blue eyes, which he knew concealed the true face of Sydney Bristow. Just like the light, brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes the concealed his.
It surprised him when she didn't glance at him as he slid down beside her. She didn't even seem to register he was there, just continued to look straight ahead. He followed her gaze and his eyes fell upon two children. A brother and sister, who shared the same blond hair, playing together without the knowledge of what horrors the world around them held. Just how Alec and Katia should be.
She saw the hint of longing mixed with pain in her eyes under the contacts. She continued to stare at the children, as if they'd been sent to taunt her. To be another blade stabbing her Achilles heel.
Without realising what he was doing, Vaughn placed down the coffees and took Sydney's hand in his. Entwining gold ring with gold ring. The action caused her to break her gaze from the children and stare at him. He didn't look at her, his own eyes fixed blankly ahead. She scanned his face questioningly for a few minutes, before turning her head back. And gently squeezed his hand in return.
A/N: What do you think? I want your feedback people, because that's the only way I'll ever know. So hit that little review button NOW! Lol, can't wait to hear from you. :o)
A/N: Hey, sorry about the wait. I hope it wasn't too long. I've been getting over loaded with revision and my test are coming up soon, so I may be slow updating all of my stories, but I'll try not to be. Thanks again to all you wonderful reviews; Beth, S. Nicolai and aaa. Please keep them coming. Any way, here's the next chapter. R&R and Enjoy!!! - Bex
'For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.' - James Baldwin
~*~*~*~*~
She stood in the middle of the chaos, staring around like a lost child. The safe house lay in ruins; furniture was turned upside down, pages of books were spread across the floor, items in the room were smashed into a million pieces and Alec's picture were scattered in with the mess. It was exactly how they had found it. Except the bodies had been removed now.
The alarm had been raised when Agent Walker failed to ring headquarters at the check-in time. Vaughn and several other agents had raced there to find his dead body lying outside the door, a neat bullet hole in his forehead.
They'd rushed inside with their guns ready and raised to be greeted by the chaos. And the eerie silence. A silence so quiet that it screamed. Vaughn's first instinct was to sprint to the twins' bedroom, only to find both of the beds were turned over and empty. But it was the sight in the bathroom that froze his heart.
Slowly, the door had sung open after he'd pushed it. The first thing his eyes meet was the crimson river, which flowed down the shimmering white tiles, trailing downwards to Tatiana's lifeless figure. She was curled unnaturally; shut eyes trapping her in an everlasting sleep, legs and arms bound behind her by rope. Then there was the bullet in the back of her head, execution style, staining the raven black hair with streaks of red.
Helpless to stop them, as Vaughn stared at Tatiana's fate, Sydney words chillingly flooded his head: 'People who disobey Irina Derevko are just corpses walking around on borrowed time'
He stared at Sydney; the blank expression, pale skin and the statue like form she stood in, making her resemble a corpse as well. How much time did she have?
She moved slowly, wondering into the deserted bedroom. Vaughn followed her, watching carefully as she searched the room. Sydney froze and gently picked something from the mess. She gingerly held the teddy bear, which had once belonged to Katia, absentmindedly stroking its face.
Vaughn didn't know why she had so forcefully demanded that she was brought here. Maybe it was to survey the destruction with her own eyes? Maybe it was to see the empty beds where two children should be lying in peaceful sleep? To let reality sink in? But, just like when he'd told her, not a single tear had escaped her stone eyes. It was as if she didn't know how to cry anymore, reminding him that Sydney Bristow was dead.
He stared at the hollow shell as she turned around, locking their cold eyes in place.
"We need to find them," She stated, her voice as emotionless as ever.
"We?" Vaughn repeated.
"I'm coming with you."
He firmly shook his head; "I don't think..."
"Agent Vaughn, they're my children," She snapped across. "I'm going to find them, bring the back and no one's to stop me from doing just that. So the CIA can help me or stay out of my way. Either way, I'm going to get them back. The choice is yours Agent Vaughn, what will it be?"
~*~*~*~*~
He watched her with half an eye as he collected the polystyrene cups of bitter coffee off the counter. He hated cheap airport coffee. Like a normal person, he handed the cashier the money, but paid no attention to the person. His mind was elsewhere, trying to figure out how he got tangled up in this again.
The cashier handed him his change and with a cheery smile, wished him in a singsong voice to 'have-a-nice-day'. Vaughn could only force a thin smile in return. He clasped the cups, the gold ring on his finger shined as it caught the light. It was probably Kendall's way of getting revenge when Vaughn had insisted that Sydney Bristow was brought on the mission; giving him and the woman he despised the alias of a happily married couple.
She had been implanted with a tracking chip in the base of her neck, but Vaughn still didn't want her out of his sight. Apart of him suspected that she'd set the whole thing up to escape. Another part reminded him that even she wasn't that twisted. Only time would tell which was right.
He sat down on the stiff departure lounge bench next to a woman with honey- blond hair and sky blue eyes, which he knew concealed the true face of Sydney Bristow. Just like the light, brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes the concealed his.
It surprised him when she didn't glance at him as he slid down beside her. She didn't even seem to register he was there, just continued to look straight ahead. He followed her gaze and his eyes fell upon two children. A brother and sister, who shared the same blond hair, playing together without the knowledge of what horrors the world around them held. Just how Alec and Katia should be.
She saw the hint of longing mixed with pain in her eyes under the contacts. She continued to stare at the children, as if they'd been sent to taunt her. To be another blade stabbing her Achilles heel.
Without realising what he was doing, Vaughn placed down the coffees and took Sydney's hand in his. Entwining gold ring with gold ring. The action caused her to break her gaze from the children and stare at him. He didn't look at her, his own eyes fixed blankly ahead. She scanned his face questioningly for a few minutes, before turning her head back. And gently squeezed his hand in return.
A/N: What do you think? I want your feedback people, because that's the only way I'll ever know. So hit that little review button NOW! Lol, can't wait to hear from you. :o)
