Title: Raw Precision
Author: UConnFan (Michele)
E-Mail: LoveUConnBasketball@yahoo.com
Story Summary: Post "The Telling"; be warned, it picks up immediately where ep leaves off.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own. Never will. Dream job is a writer on this show, but I'm only seventeen so I'll stick to fanfiction. Don't own anything else recognizable either. The only thing I have control of is Becky, and if you really want her (why would you want her?!) then you can have her.
Dedication: Happy birthday to my favorite (okay, only, but who needs two when you have the best to begin with?) beta Linda :)
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"I think you should sleep over at my place tomorrow night."

Sydney's eyebrows rose as she glanced over her food at Will. "A sleep over? What are we, fifteen?"

"It'll be fun Syd!" he insisted. After her stressful afternoon with Doctor Vaughn, Will had insisted they go out to an early dinner together. They'd driven around Los Angeles for nearly two hours before Sydney softly suggested Francie's restaurant. The decor hadn't changed, something that was a pleasant surprise, and most of the staff was still the same. Will had done a fabulous job of running the restaurant to fulfill Francie's dream. She'd squeezed his hand and insisted that their friend would have been proud of him.

"So what would we do on this sleepover?"

"You can have the bed, I'll be a gentleman," he vowed. "We can rent movies and pig out."

"Hey, what about the last season of Friends? Can we rent that? I want to see what happens!"

"I have a few episodes on tape," he laughed. "What is it with you and that show?"

She shrugged, a piece of hair casually landing on her shoulder. "Matthew Perry's cute."

Will laughed as she grinned. "We could go for a jog Saturday morning then."

"I don't know, I'm not sure if I'd be able to keep up with you. I literally don't remember the last time I took a jog."

"I know," he smirked. "I might actually be faster than you this time."

Playfully she balled up a napkin and tossed it at him. "Quit trying to make me look bad."

"That's impossible Syd." Sydney smiled at his insistence and picked at her food. "Hey, we could rent that movie with Ben Affleck," he offered.

"Which one?"

"The one where he played that blind comic book character… I can't think of the name of it," he shook his head. "Didn't you want to see it though?"

"No. I think that was you. Something about the 'hot girl' - your words, not mine," she reminded him with a grin. "I wanted to see that movie with Robin Williams."

"There are hundreds of those Syd."

"The freaky one. The one with the picture place?"

"Yeah, I've seen that one," he remembered. "The guy who plays the husband annoys me, but we could get it."

"I think he's cute."

Will's eyes widened, "Robin Williams?"

"No," she laughed. "The actor who plays the husband."

"So we'll rent those and then we can dedicate another weekend to 'Friends'."

"Sounds good," she agreed. Sydney's cell phone echoed from its resting-place, before they could continue the conversation. Obviously annoyed, she reached into her jacket and pulled it out. "Hello?"

"Agent Bristow, this is Director Kendall. You failed to make an appointment to see Doctor Vaughn again."

Sydney barely stifled a sigh, "I didn't realize -"

"I'm aware that you're displeased with Doctor Vaughn's personal life, but this is about more than your mere comfort. Don't forget that you're damn lucky to be outside of a room in medical services. Strictly speaking Agent Bristow, you're a threat to national security."

Will mouthed the word 'Kendall' and she nodded. Even if she did recall her two years, she was certain she'd never miss Kendall. "I'm sorry," she spoke tightly.

"Save your apologies Agent Bristow. You're to go see Doctor Vaughn Tuesday afternoon for a counseling session. From there we'll schedule your next hypno-regression session."

"Thank you," she said as he hung up on her.

"That man…"

"Nice to know his bedside manner hasn't changed, isn't it?" Will pointed out, as she laughed.

"I know he's obviously good at what he does, or he still wouldn't be doing it," she reasoned. "Still, he doesn't have to be so…"

"Callous Syd. That's the only nice thing to say about the guy. He's callous and the light doesn't glare off of his head."
She laughed at her friend's apt description. "He's just doing his job Will. One thing I've learned doing this is that if you can find some good in a situation you ignore the bad. As long as he does his job well, that's all that matters."

"Being my boss doesn't give him the right to be a pain in the ass."

"Will, you were a journalist. You *must* have had editors more annoying than Kendall."

"Yeah, but that guy's scary Syd."

"You said the same thing about my Father a few years ago."

"Your Father has a softer side Syd. It's not one he likes to show, or even really shows unless necessary, but I don't think Kendall *has* a softer side."

"Just do your job and he won't give you any trouble," she suggested.

Will nodded and added soberly, "Syd, I don't like the guy, but I do respect him. Kendall did everything he could to find you, and it was without your father being on his ass the entire time."

Sydney nodded and forced a small smile at her friend. "What's she like?"

"Syd…" he sighed the familiar nickname.

"I need to know. I just… I need to know that she's taking care of him."

"I don't know her that well," he conceded as he ordered another beer. If he was going to tell his best friend the worst news of her life, he didn't want to remember doing it. "I was at the wedding, and I met her a few times…" he fumbled for the right words. "She's a nice person," he shrugged. "Friendly, sort of distant but warm. Your typical psychologist. A fine person Syd, but she's not you," he added as a small smile graced her features. "You should also know that your Dad and I… We ran a background check on her, when he first started to see her…"

"She came up clean?"

"A few traffic tickets in college and a warning when she was eighteen for speeding, but nothing else."

"You're *sure*?" she pressed on, anxiety twisting her pretty features.

"She has no ulterior motive Syd," he sighed. "I almost wish she did."

"No," she shook her head. "He doesn't deserve to go through that."

"Even after all he's putting you through now?" he shot back.

"He still doesn't deserve that," she softly insisted.

"You just want him to be happy."

"Isn't that what you want for your friends? For them to be happy?"

"Yes," he sighed. "What did Kendall want?"

"I have to go back to the therapist on Tuesday."

"Another regression session?"

"No. This time it's just counseling."

"I could come down to the office and be with you."

She smiled at his offer, "I think I need to do this alone. Thank you though," she squeezed his hand.

"We're on for tomorrow night then?"

"I can't wait," she showed him her dimples as their dessert was served.







As much as Jack would have enjoyed his daughter's company Friday night, he was glad to see she was going out again. Sydney was not a social butterfly, but time with her friends could only be beneficial to her recovery. That was something he was sure even Dr. Becky Vaughn would agree on. Still, he wished she would stop sidestepping Agent Vaughn. Throughout her days at work, he had observed the small steps she'd take to insure that she didn't see him. To a casual observer it would have been a coincidence, but Jack, as a father and an agent, knew better.

Will and Sydney had run into Carrie and Marshall at the restaurant over Friday dinner. The four had sat together as Marshall gave a long-winded description of some of his newest inventions and Carrie openly beamed at him. Sydney was an eager audience for their upcoming baby plans, even though a small ache resonated through her soul at the thought of all she had lost. Carrie was just as sweet as Marshall, and the two had a lot of common interests to discuss. Even though they had stayed at the restaurant later then anticipated, she was smiling widely as they walked towards the video store.

The two friends stayed up until nearly dusk watching movies and telling stories. For the first time since her reappearance, she was able to tell and hear stories about Francie. Laughter bubbled from her instead of teary pools in her eyes. There were still so many good memories, and being with Will reminded her of that. If the two of them didn't remember her and laugh, what was the point of all of it? As long as she was still in their conversations and memories, she would never completely leave them.

Sydney was a few steps behind her usual pace on their Saturday morning jog, but her speed wouldn't have been considered slow. The park was just beginning to welcome people as they ran through. Families sat having breakfast on picnic blankets and friends stood playing catch or tossing Frisbees. Conversation swam back and forth between the two of them as he led her on the path he had perfected in her absence. To her amazement, people seemed to recognize him, waving or calling out his name in greeting. With a few young, pretty girls among those who knew him, she took the opportunity to tease him good-naturedly. The color that rose onto his face was priceless.

Over breakfast Sunday morning she scoured the classifieds in search of an apartment for rent. Jack repeatedly reminded her that she was welcome there for as long as she wanted and came as close as he could to admitting he wanted her there. Still, she wanted a place of her own, even if she did visit her father more often. There needed to be a place where she could go to just be alone, to be with her belongings and her thoughts without expectations. A new apartment, her *own* apartment, was a necessity on the road back to achieving the only brand of normalcy she'd ever known.

"I could ask my landlord if there's anything open in my building," Will offered. They sat at a table in the CIA cafeteria with Carrie, Marshall and Dixon the following afternoon.

"I think there are a few openings at my sister's complex," Carrie chimed in. "It's near the beach too, great view."

"Thanks guys," she smiled. "I'm not sure how much I'll be able to use for a down payment… I mean, my Dad was really careful about *not* using my money, and I've made some interest…"

"Your father's in no hurry to get rid of you," Dixon reminded her.

"I need my own place. I haven't lived with him in a long time."

"Maybe staying with him isn't such a bad idea," Carrie gently added. "I know that you two have your differences, but you're going through a difficult time right now. So is he. The past two years… They've been hell for him," she softly explained. "I agree that it's important for you to get a new place, but just don't be in such a rush."

"I won't," she smiled. "I promise."







Tuesday Sydney stepped into work determined to make her upcoming session with Dr. Vaughn a success. The sooner the CIA was content with all she could tell him, the faster she could rid herself of Dr. Vaughn. A shower, a quick breakfast with her father and then she was out the door, mindful not to bring up her afternoon appointment. Jack Bristow was not a man who forgot easily. Surely he remembered that his daughter was seeing the doctor that afternoon, but he was tactful enough not to mention it. Sydney had been through enough and he was not going to be the one to address the wounds she was desperately trying to lick away.

There had been no development over the weekend with her mother or Sark. One contact in Moscow thought he had spotted Sark, but when Kendall sent a team it turned out to be a false call. Jack had stepped in to defend Kendall when Sydney's anger rose. In his words, it was foolish to contact her at every little lead, particularly when a majority of them would go nowhere and she was just beginning to move past her ordeal.

Her modest high heels made no sound on the plush carpet as she approached Dr. Vaughn's office. As a result of listening to another one of Marshall's long-winded explanations, she was running a few minutes behind schedule. Briefly she wondered if she should have called the doctor to tell her that she'd be a few moments late. The last thing she needed was for Becky to cause her more trouble because she was a few seconds late for a mandatory meeting.

She knocked three times in rapid succession on the door. Muffled by the door that stood between them, she heard the doctor tell her to come in. One step into the room she paused. "I'm sorry, I must have mixed up our time." Sydney forced a polite smile as she saw that Vaughn already waited on the sofa. The relief to her soul was minimal when she noticed he looked as surprised as she felt.

"No Agent Bristow, this is the right time. Come on in."

Vaughn glared at his wife for a moment, then tried to be subtle as he watched Sydney join him on the sofa. As expected, she sat as far away from him as she could without toppling over. Whether the distance was for her own benefit or that of his wife, he wasn't sure. "How have you been feeling since we last met Agent Bristow? Any nightmares? Trouble sleeping?"

"I've been fine."

Becky nodded, made a slight note on her clipboard and sat back. "I asked you both here today because I felt it was necessary for both of you to address the obvious issues. The two of you share a… complicated history, that dates back before the two of you even met. You made a notable team as handler and asset, a successful team. When you disappeared Agent Bristow, neither of you had any inclination that you were pregnant?"

"Of course not!" she quickly shot back. Just as quickly, she sat back, her hands in her lap with a near-perfect rendition of Jack Bristow's poker face. "I had no reason to suspect that I was pregnant," she answered in a tone that was careful not to give anything away.

"This… relationship you two shared," she spoke cautiously. "Was it serious or just a sordid office affair?"

"I don't think that's any business of the CIA," Vaughn jumped in. The venom was barely controlled in his voice. A little voice in the back of his head was quick to remind him that this was his wife's job, but it did nothing to stem the anger that had begun to rise. "Our relationship did not impact the quality of our work."

"Yes," she flipped through her papers. "I see that was the conclusion of the investigation that was led by Jack Bristow," she pointed out.

"My father is a professional, the findings of that report are in no way biased."

"Agent Bristow, your father has shown paternal bias on more than one occasion."

"My father is not biased towards Agent Vaughn."

Becky appeared to accept this and looked back at her pad. "Understandably the two of you must still be upset with the recent discovery of Sydney's pregnancy," she spoke again cautiously. Neither nodded. "Would you have kept the child?"

"What does that matter?" Vaughn snapped.

Becky's voice was even when she explained. "It matters. If you two had no intention of keeping this child and raising it, perhaps it could be construed as less of a loss."

Sydney glanced briefly at Vaughn, surprised when his green eyes pierced hers, and then turned to face his wife. "I would have kept the baby."

"Even in your occupation Agent Bristow?"

"I'm not sure what I would have done with my job… I wouldn't have terminated the pregnancy though."

"You would have done it all on your own?"

"She wouldn't have had to," Vaughn jumped in.

"You would have played a part in your child's life?"

He answered without missing a beat, "Yes."

"Did the two of you ever discuss this possibility?"

"I was on the pill," Sydney recalled. "After all my body had gone through, half the time I didn't know what people were putting in my body."

"You didn't think a pregnancy was possible," Becky realized.

The brunette nodded. "I thought about it sometimes, about what it would be like to be a mother… my own experiences with a mother were not stellar so I didn't give it much thought."

"Still, you did sometimes?"

"Once in awhile," she nodded.

"What type of future plans did you two make?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her readjust her body on the sofa and felt the aggravation roll off of her in waves. "Doctor Vaughn, I understand that Agent Vaughn requested we work together and I'm sure that you're a competent professional, but is there any way that my case could be reassigned to another doctor?"

The sweet smile that the doctor sent her dropped Sydney's stomach to the ground. "Agent Bristow, this has been signed off by Director Kendall. I have experience in similar cases. Our meetings are mandatory," she explained. On the sofa the former handler and asset unintentionally caught one another's gaze, holding it for perhaps half a second too long before both studied their hands. "Now, what future plans were you two making?"

"Santa Barbara," he remembered. In an attempt to appease his wife, he kept his gaze focused on her forehead and hoped that she thought he was looking at her eyes. "We were going to Santa Barbara that weekend."

"Our first vacation together," Sydney clarified.

"No other future plans? No talk about settling down together? Marriage?"

Again they shared a look. Despite Becky's presence Sydney felt a warmth in her bones for the first time since her return. Vaughn gave her an almost imperceptible nod and turned back to his wife. "There didn't seem to be a point. Until Irina Derevko and Arvin Sloane were captured we could still be called out at a moments notice. It took us forever to arrange to go to Santa Barbara," he explained. "We didn't talk about a lot of things," he shrugged.

"Things that were implied?" Becky noted as they nodded. "So there was no discussion of marriage?"

Her focus on that subject irritated Sydney, who suspected she was more interested for personal than professional reasons. "As Vaughn said, we didn't get a lot of time to plan things. Most of our time was spent together anyway," she fondly recalled.

"You two both agree then that your relationship dealt with a lot of silent understanding?" she asked as they nodded. "Did you ever discuss Agent Bristow's mother killing Agent Vaughn's father."

"There was nothing to say," Vaughn answered. "Sydney never had to apologize for her mother's actions."

"So you didn't feel this made working together more difficult?"

"We wanted the same thing," Sydney shrugged. "We both wanted my mother and Sloane in custody."

"Was it difficult for you though Agent Bristow?"

"Initially," she looked down at her hands. "I felt guilty for my mother's acts."

"You were able to move past that guilt?"

"She had nothing to be guilty for," Vaughn supplied. "Sydney is *not* her mother. By the time we learned the truth about our parents, I knew her well enough to know that."

"Early on in your working relationship, Agent Bristow threatened to stop cooperating with the CIA unless Agent Vaughn was reassigned as her handler," she read from her notes. "You barely knew one another Agent Bristow, may I ask what prompted you to make such a drastic threat?"

"I trusted him. Vaughn wasn't going to use his status as my case handler to boost his career."

"But working with you did boost his status in the agency, didn't it?"

"My status in the agency was not my priority," Vaughn quickly replied.

"Right before you disappeared Agent Bristow, you discovered that your roommate was actually a double placed into your life by Arvin Sloane. How does that make you feel?"

Sydney was tempted to say stupid - how could she not have put two and two together? Still, she knew better than that. "Betrayed. Foolish for not realizing sooner… Francie was my best friend. She'd been dead for months and I hadn't even known." Her eyelids slid over her brown eyes as she regained her composure. On her comfortable perch, Becky noted that her husband's hand all but twitched in his desire to lean over and comfort Sydney. "I was angry too," she added, opening her eyes. "Angry at Sloane for ruining my life again. Things were going well in my personal and professional life and he ruined it."

"You believe Arvin Sloane is involved in your disappearance?"

"Yes."

"Agent Vaughn, do you share Agent Bristow's belief?"

"Absolutely."

"The both of you are working on investigating Derevko, Sloane and what happened to Agent Bristow since her disappearance. Has that been difficult for either of you?"

Another glance, another silent understanding. They'd been carefully dancing around one another so it *wouldn't* be difficult. "No," Sydney finally answered as he silently agreed with her.

"Agent Vaughn how do you feel now that Agent Bristow has returned, now that you know she is very much alive?" Becky asked.

Vaughn studied her for a moment, wondering if she posed the question as his wife or his therapist. "Relieved," he sighed. "When Director Kendall called to tell me she was alive, that I needed to go to Hong Kong… It was probably the best phone call I've ever received," he admitted.

The redhead nodded and made a few notes on her pad. "Just one last question and we'll conclude the session," she smiled at them. "The two of you have been through a great deal of pain, together and apart. I don't mean to sound cliche, but if you could go back and do it all over again, would you do it differently?"

The answer was said in unison, neither taking even half a moment to consider the possibilities. "No."
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A/N: I need some help. I'm looking for a fanfic. It's Alias (obviously) & takes place in a library right after V&S learn the truth about her Mother. Please please please help me. He tracks her down at the library . . Ugh, it's haunting me, I want to read it again!! Thanks to anyone who can help me!
If you want to read an EXCELLENT Vaughn/Syd/Shrink story, check out YanksLuver's "Subtext" in my favorite stories list!