The Watch and the Other Shoe

by Cristabel

Short stand-alone fic. SV with angst. Once the Alliance is gone, it's so easy for them to assume everything is fine. But they've forgotten something.

Title: The Watch and The Other Shoe

Setting: Post Double Agent

Rating: PG-13

Ship: S/V

Summary:  Just a short standalone fic that I was inspired to write.  This will make more sense if you're familiar with the watch scene.

Disclaimer:  Not mine.  I'm just borrowing them.  

Feedback:  Any and all reviews that you have are more than welcome.

Author's Note: Thanks to my incredible beta, Amy.  She is completely amazing and this would be full of grammar mistakes and weird wording if it weren't for her.

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The watch rested on the nightstand where she'd gently placed it.  He'd given the box to her, looking almost embarrassed.  She'd opened the lid and gasped when she saw it sitting there, his father's watch.  The first time he'd told her he loved her, albeit indirectly, he'd used that watch to tell her.  And then, tonight, he'd given it to her and had said those three words aloud.

"I love you, Syd.  And I want you to have this.  It belongs to you.  It has since the day I met you."

Afterwards, in bed, her head lightly resting on his chest, she had a rare moment of peace.  Everything they'd gone through, the past two years, it had all been worth it to end up here.

Sydney woke up in the middle of the night; afraid it was all a dream.  But she found herself in his arms and she dimly saw the watch on the nightstand and she knew that they'd done it.  They'd destroyed the Alliance and they'd gotten rid of all of those obstacles that had stood in their way and now they were together.  So she closed her eyes and nestled her body into his and fell back to sleep, feeling protected.

Vaughn kept his arms around her all night as he slept, as if he were afraid he might lose her.  As the morning sun began to fill the room, he softly murmured her name and tightened his hold around her.  And she, barely awake, heard his whisper and smiled.

In the morning, as they talked about their lives and the future, the graduation and the jobs ahead, the watch remained on the bedside table.

And neither of them stopped to think about what the watch was, other than a symbol of love. 

It was the watch William Vaughn had given his son three weeks before he was killed by Irina Derevko.  

It should have told them to be careful, that the careers they had chosen did not stop being dangerous because they were in love.  It should have reminded them not to let their guards down, not to assume that they'd won because they'd destroyed one of the monsters.

 It should have been a warning to them.   But they were in love and finally together.  And they pushed any doubts that they might have had into the corners of their minds.

The watch sat on the bedside table and waited for the other shoe to drop.