"Vaughn?" The door opened a familiar voice filled the room.

"You shouldn't have come, Syd." He responded coldly.

"I know but I couldn't not come."

"It's five o'clock." The tone of his voice scolded her.

"Couldn't sleep." She felt like she was a five year old that got her hand caught in the cookie jar. I couldn't not come.

"Yeah, I know." His heart started to do summersaults and his tone lightened "Hey, could you..turn on the light? I can't sit here in the dark anymore."

She made her way towards the bed and flicked the overhead light on. "Okay." Suddenly, she was so grateful that she had come. His body was turning on, basically turning itself inside out and if she didn't find an antidote soon.... "Can I?" She motioned towards the stool, sitting innocently nearby.

"Yeah." He attempted to sit up, lying on his back.

"No, don't." She turned back to him, fought through the plastic and pressed him back down to bed. His skin felt exceedingly warm to her touch. "You need to stay down. I just came to see you." She wasn't suppose to be there but it was okay.

"I'm glad." He settled down and managed to smile up at her. That smile made everything worth while. It made her stubborn knees shake and her heart flutter faster than ever before.

Her body turned back towards the stool and sat down upon it. Her form felt tired all of a sudden. Maybe because it was so early? "How did you sleep?"

He wanted to be honest with her. He wanted to tell her how he loved her and how afraid he was that he would die because of her mother. That her mother had managed to kill all of the men in the Vaughn family line. How he loved Alice but he would he would leave her in a second. But a partial lie escaped his lips. "I've had better nights."

"I hear that." She sighed and rested her head on her hands that were propped up on her knees. "I didn't sleep."

"Why?"

"It's not important."

"It is important." Vaughn pressed her.

"Fine. I was worried about you." She admitted, letting the blush flood her pale face. No, she felt like a teenager that had been caught after partying all night.

"You shouldn't be. You're going to Malaysia in a few hours."

"I know but still. It doesn't stop me from worrying about you."

"And it never stops me from worrying about you." Vaughn tilted his head to the side.

"I'm always safe." Sydney responded and watched his tired green eyes flicker with every breath. She straightened up and starred at him for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly decided against it.

"What?" he asked drowsily.

"I don't want to go." She admitted finally. "There, I said it. I feel so guilty, Vaughn. If I hadn't gone radio silent in Taipei, then you wouldn't have come after me and then Khasinau wouldn't have caught you and then-"

"Sydney, stop it." His voice was a little more firm. He continued to sit up a little but failed.

"You stay." She advanced forward again and pressed him down onto the bed.

He admitted defeat. "You know you need to go."

"Yeah, I know."

Vaughn signed again.

"Are you in pain?"

"No, no." He looked away from her eyes. "It's just that-"

"What is it?" Sydney jumped in.

"Well, basically...this is gonna be the first op that you...well you see...if you're in trouble, it's my duty to bail you out and while you're away, I never know if I need to bail you out. And I wont' be there this time."

"What?"

"Let's just say I sleep with my cell very close to my pillow."

Sydney forced herself to laugh. It filled the space between them. She was exhausted and tried not to let it show. She had to assume it was the drugs talking. He was on very high doses of morphine to numb is failing body.

"This is your first op for us that I won't be there on the other end making sure you're okay."

"No..Weiss filled in for you once." She looked at him with the purest looking of eyes. It would so easy to flirt with him, to want him, to want to feel his touch against her body but it couldn't work. She tilted her head to the side and let her hair grace her shoulder. "And did a rather crappy job, compared to you. But he did fill in for you." Damn, she was flirting with him!

"Doesn't count." He smile even broader and even managed to laugh lightly. "Definitely doesn't count."

"Whatever you say." *I'll listen to you and follow you like a helpless puppy dog*, she thought. "Well, I uh, I guess I should get going. You look like you need some sleep." She went to get up but he grabbed her wrist. His touch was reassuring sensation she had felt in such a long time. She hadn't felt close to anyone, not since Noah.

"Hang on. Please, wait. Don't go."

"What?" She was shocked that he wanted her around but she was pleasantly surprised.

"I've never asked you for anything Syd but please, don't leave me alone."

"Don't be afraid. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine." She sat back down on the bed and held his hand tightly in both of hers. They had only felt each other's touch a select amount of times. She loved the way his soft skin felt on hers. She never dreamed that first day that should start to have feelings for him.

He felt her nails but didn't cringe at her nails. Her touch was sweet and simple.

She fought the tears coming rapidly to her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Please Sydney. Don't go." He watched her for a few moments, debating if he should tell her what he was thinking. "I just need you to stay for a few minutes. I'm..I'm....I'm scared. I don't want to die."

He admitted this to her and tears sprang to both of their eyes. "You're gonna be fine." Her voice started to shake.

"If I...if I die...I want you to know-" He attempted to keep his voice steady.

"Vaughn, please don't talk like that."

It wouldn't be so bad to get into an argument with her. She was fun to argue with. She was that girl in high school that did so much and was so outspoken, every guy had a crush on her but would never ask her out because they were scare that she would scream or threaten a debate on women's rights issues. No, he had to keep his voice strong as he said this. "If I die, I want you to know that I wouldn't change anything. I would never change joining the CIA or becoming your handler. I wouldn't change a thing." Tears started to glaze over his eyes and one threatened to roll down his cheek.

Her face was already moist with tears..tears he wanted so desperately to wipe them away. She wanted to say something but the wrong thing came out. "I spoke to my mother."

He didn't know why he felt so angry at hearing this. Maybe it was because he wanted her to admit the same thing. "You what? Sydney!" His cheeks began to blush a little. "Well, so did I."

"That's where you collapsed." She responded in a matter-the-fact toe. "She told me where the antidote is and it's in Malaysia. She thinks as soon as I get it, you're gonna be fine. Vaughn, don't think for a second that I'm gonna let you go that easily. The assigned me a handler that first day and they told me that his soul job would be to look out for me. Well, I'm. I'm gonna get the antidote and you'll see, you're gonna be driving everyone nuts again. I won't let you..let you.." She couldn't bring herself to say it and sighed despite of herself. "You know, I'm always so good at keeping my emotions in check! G-d!"

He wanted to harp on something remotely funny. "I drive everyone nuts?" He coughed again.

"Well, you drive Francie nuts as Joey's pizza."

He laughed lightly again. The medication was taken a hold of his frail body. "Not exactly the best idea that Devlin came up with. One day, let's say that you and I go find Joey's Pizza. I'm sure there's one somewhere."

She smiled sadly. "Sounds good. Make up for that hockey game or the restaurant we never went to." She shifted her weight on her thigh and almost made a move to leave. "I'll letcha go back to sleep. And remember, I'll hold you to that promise." She got up but was promptly stopped.

He held onto her again. His body shook from the pain he was admit. "Stay for just a few minutes...I don't need sleep that badly. I was asleep for forty hours...I don't need sleep." Vaughn repeated again, his eyelashes were fluttering.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep, how's that?"

"Quoi s'agit-il?" He murmured quietly as his eyes started to close. *What's it all about?"

"Il s'agit d'amour." Sydney responded. *It's all about love.*

"Yeah," he sighed contently. "It's all about love." He took one last look at her and his eyes fluttered shut. He was out cold.

She sat there for a moment, listening to his breath and watching his chest rise and fall. He was so peaceful when he slept. She sat in the hospital almost alone but she had Vaughn right in her owns hands and all she could do was sit there and hold onto him tightly.

Lying here in the darkness

I hear the sirens wail

Somebody's going to emergency

Somebody's going to jail

When you get somebody to love in this world

You better hang on tooth and nail

The wolf is always at your door

In A New York Minute

Anything can change