Author: B'Elanna Paris

Summary: post-"The Telling".

Disclaimer: Alias and its characters belongs to ABC etc.

Notes: My post- Telling story. Angsty. Feedback would be much appreciated. Inspired by Blue's song 'If You Come Back'.

Chapter Three

That was two days ago. That's why I'm here in Santa Barbara. I needed to get out of Los Angeles. I told Will when I got home that night, about what had happened, he just kept telling me to stay out of Vaughn's way, to let him get on with his life and that's what I'm planning to do.

I booked myself into a hotel. Will didn't want me to go, he didn't think I should be alone in my state. I plan on going to all the places that Vaughn and I were suppose to visit. I need closure.

Will sat in his apartment staring at the television set, he was really worried about Sydney. Her meeting with Vaughn a couple days ago had really shook her up. Later that night, he walked past her room and he could hear her sobbing. His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Will got up to open the door- it was Vaughn.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She's... look, Mike, just leave her alone, okay. That talk you guys had the other day really upset her."

The way she had acted, it was worse then how she coped with mourning for Danny. I shouldn't have let her go off on her own.

"I just want to talk to her, you of all people should understand that," he stated matter of factly.

"Why?" I was curious.

"I just need to talk to her, is she in?" I shake my head. "When will she be back then?"

Sydney hadn't told me much about her conversation with Vaughn, only that they both had acknowledged that they wished things had been different and some other stuff she didn't want to elaborate on.

"She still loves you." I state.

Vaughn looked down at his hands, avoiding my gaze. His eyes come up to meet my mine.

"And I still love her. She's had two weeks to get use to what's happened but I have had two years, and I'm still not over her, I haven't been able to stop myself, hide, bury my feelings or whatever the hell I am suppose to do in this situation."

"She's gone to Santa Barbara, I don't know how long for."

"Oh..." Vaughn turns away and begins to walk down the steps leading up to my apartment.

I shout after him, "Do you want the address to the hotel?"

They still have things to sort out, she needs to close this chapter in her life.

Vaughn turns around, "Ok, maybe... I could book myself in there as well."

"Won't your wife ask questions as to where you're going?"

That is when I see it, Vaughn's whole expression changes. He lets out a small sarcastic laugh, "I don't think she'll care."

Will had only met Vaughn's wife, Jessica, at the reception after their wedding. He had been invited to the wedding itself, but had decided not to go. He had told Mike that he thought he was moving on to fast, getting married to fast. The two of them had only 'dating' for nearly two months before he proposed, a month and half later they were married. Only weeks, before the proposal Vaughn had confessed to Will, that this woman was a friend and nothing more. Adding he wouldn't date because he wasn't ready to move on and that he didn't feel a connection with her.

"What happened?"

Another laugh escaped his lips, "Believe me you really don't want to know."

After getting the address from Will, I walked back to my car and drove back to my place to get some clothes and then I was going to go to Santa Barbara. His wife wouldn't be there, after what had been said between them in the last two days.

*Flashback*

I walked into his house after his conversation with Sydney at the pier. He just wanted to go to sleep and then maybe he could try to forget about her, that was if he could. But it never was going to be that simple. All of the lights were off in the house, my wife, Jessica had obviously gone to bed. I walked into the kitchen, I hadn't ate anything since I left the office at 6.00 to go to Will's apartment. The clock on the microwave read: 11.49pm, I have been gone along time. I had just sat on the bench at the pier since Sydney had left, needing to think but trying not to think.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and started ruggmaging through the contents to find something to eat. I found a couple of small sausage rolls and some left over slices of turkey. As I sat at the counter in the kitchen finishing off my meal, I put my plate in the sink and began drinking my water.

"Michael, where have you been?" Jessica asked through her yawning.

"I had reports to finish off at work, there is a big case that we are handling tomorrow."

"Don't lie, I rang your work at 6.30, they said you had gone home." She's keeping tabs on me again? She doesn't trust me and maybe she shouldn't.

"I went to see a couple of friends." In part the truth.

"You could have called. Which friends? Where do they live?"

"I don't have to tell you everything, Jessica!" I shouted.

"Michael, I'm just worried about you, you've been acting strange for a couple of weeks now, ever since you got back from your trip to Hong Kong."

And that is when I lost it, I throw the open bottle of water at floor next to her feet. "Look, Jessica I don't need to talk to you, do you ever shut up?" I stormed out of the kitchen, into the study and slammed the door. She'll never understand.

"Michael, get back now." I heard her shout, a couple minutes later I heard her run up the stairs.

Next morning, she found me a sleep in the study chair with a open box which contained pictures of Sydney and I. Photographs of us at a King's game we has attended, others from days out we had had.

I woke up to find Jessica looking through the photos, picking some up for closer inspection, a look of disbelief on her face, examining them closely.

"Don't touch them." Isaid grabbing the photos from her hands.

"I don't understand... who is she? I.." She saw the look on my face, and immediately knew.

"This is her isn't it? Oh my god, is this some kind on anniversary for you two, is that why you have been acting strange these past couple of weeks?"

She rests her hand on my shoulder, thinking I felt that was comforting, from her.

I shake my head, "Jessica you'll never understand."

"Yes, I do you are obviously grieving over this woman it's a natural process, Michael."

"It.. she, Jessica you don't understand." I stood up and walked out the room. I couldn't stand it anymore, all her questioning, I just wanted Sydney but I was married to Jessica.

That evening I came home from work, Jessica was in the living room, sitting on the sofa. She stood up as I moved through the room to go to the study, I really didn't want to speak to her.

"Michael, we really need to discuss things. I need you to tell me what's wrong?" She asked in a very calm voice it wasn't to stay that way for long.

"I told you..."

"Don't give me that Michael, I want the truth!" She screamed.

"You want the truth, huh?" I screamed as well.

"Yes!"

TBC...