"Sydney," her mother said gently. Sydney turned her attention to her mother
with her eyes wide for fear of the worst and her heart pounding deafeningly
in her head. "Your father stayed with the CIA for a short while after your
disappearance, but - it was difficult for him. With both of our whereabouts
unknown, he could only asume..." she trailed off. "When he and Weiss
discovered that Kendall was a traitor, it was too much for him to take. He
committed suicide."
Sydney felt as though she were about to throw up. If the tears hadn't been blinding her, everything around her would have been spinning. She didn't care if she had just lots two years of her life. She didn't care if Kendall was working with Sloane. She didn't care. Only one thing mattered anymore. Her father was dead. Everything went blurry after that.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in a in bed with red silk sheets and sunlight pouring into the room through an oversized bay window. Sitting up and kicking her legs over the side of the bed, she failed to notice the rich mahogany paneling and the detailed murals stretching over one wall. Her eyes were as unfocused as her mind right now.
She followed a grand hallway for a few minutes, not caring where she was headed. She found herself wishing for the simple normality of being groggy when awoken, that her mind would be inactive and not register all the facts from yesterday. Those facts, unfortunately, were the only things she could think about. One in particular.
Sydney wasn't sure how long she kept walking for, but eventually she made her way into a kitchen. Vaughn and her mother were drinking coffee at a table and talking in hushed voices. They looked up when they noticed her enter the room.
"Syd, how are you?" Vaughn asked her in a concerned tone as he stood up. She stayed silent and allowed him to lead her to the table as he sat down next to her. He poured her a cup of coffee and looked at her worriedly.
She slowly sipped at her coffee, staring intently at the dark brown liquid. Her mother left the room, but Sydney barely noticed, entranced by the steaming drink. Sydney finally looked up when she felt a warm hand on hers.
"Everything's going to be okay, I promise," Vaughn said to her, searching her eyes.
Sydney shook her head. "No, it's not. Vaughn, please don't lie to me. I've just lost two years of my life. The only things I have left right now are you and my mother. Don't lie to me. Don't give me a reason to lose you, too."
For the first time since she had woken up in the streets of Hong Kong, Sydney began to cry. She felt the tears well up in her eyes until they finally overflowed. The tears spilled down her face and into her coffee, creating tiny ripples. She pushed it away and buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Vaughn put his arm around her, and she started crying into his shoulder. She felt him kiss her on the top of the head, and she looked up at him, her face damp from the tears.
She tilted her head slightly and leaned in to kiss him softly. She still knew every detail of his lips, the way his hair felt as she ran her hands through it-
He pulled back suddenly and looked at her apologetically. "Sydney, I can't do this. You're weak right now, vulnerable. This isn't right," he said.
Sydney turned her head in shame. "I know...I mean, I don't know what came over me...I wish..."
Vaughn held her close for a second and put his lips to her forehead. "I know."
Sydney sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair as she stared off to nowhere in particular, just thinking. She wasn't quite sure how long they stayed like that, but it didn't matter. She felt so safe, so protected in his arms.
"Look at me," he said quietly. She stood up a bit straighter and turned around to face him. He slowly raised a hand to her cheek and looked at her, smiling slightly.
"You're so beautiful." A hint of a smile played on her lips, and he took a long pause before speaking again. "There's something I should have told you," he said slowly.
Sydney's face fell. Her mind began racing with thoughts. Her first was that whatever he had to say, it would be bad - really bad. Her second was that if the news was bad, whatever it was, she wouldn't be able to handle hearing it. She couldn't take anymore right now.
She pushed her chair back a little. Its legs scraped against the hard metal floor. Vaughn looked at her in confusion, a question forming on his lips.
"I - I just can't right now," she mumbled, standing up quickly. She turned around to walk out of the room, but Vaughn grabbed her arm and she spun around.
With his hand still placed on her arm, they both looked at each other intently for a moment with varying expressions upon their faces. Finally, Vaughn broke the tense silence.
"I love you," he confessed.
Sydney bit her lip and blinked back tears. Here, in front of her stood this man, this wonderful man, who loved her unconditionally. She could be unconscious for nearly two years, yet he still loved her. Sydney took a moment to process this revelation and truly appreciate how lucky she was. She gave a laugh that became caught in her tears when she realized this was far from the bad news she was expecting.
"I love you," she said, closing her eyes and letting herself be wrapped in his arms.
"Once all of this is over, nothing can stop us from being together," he whispered to her. She nodded. He held her close as though afraid that if he let go, he couldn't protect her. Sydney had never felt more loved before in her life.
She heard heels clicking from down the hall. She and Vaughn broke apart to see her mother walk into the room. She face was severe, her lips thin.
"We have to go. Now."
***
Okay, so please don't be really pissed at me for killing off Jack. I actually think he's awesome, and I hated to do it, but otherwise everything would have been too messy. Big thanks to Kerry, Birdy, and Haley, as well as everyone who sent me feedback. Love you guys, keep sending it! Chapter 5 is on the way!
Sydney felt as though she were about to throw up. If the tears hadn't been blinding her, everything around her would have been spinning. She didn't care if she had just lots two years of her life. She didn't care if Kendall was working with Sloane. She didn't care. Only one thing mattered anymore. Her father was dead. Everything went blurry after that.
The next thing she remembered was waking up in a in bed with red silk sheets and sunlight pouring into the room through an oversized bay window. Sitting up and kicking her legs over the side of the bed, she failed to notice the rich mahogany paneling and the detailed murals stretching over one wall. Her eyes were as unfocused as her mind right now.
She followed a grand hallway for a few minutes, not caring where she was headed. She found herself wishing for the simple normality of being groggy when awoken, that her mind would be inactive and not register all the facts from yesterday. Those facts, unfortunately, were the only things she could think about. One in particular.
Sydney wasn't sure how long she kept walking for, but eventually she made her way into a kitchen. Vaughn and her mother were drinking coffee at a table and talking in hushed voices. They looked up when they noticed her enter the room.
"Syd, how are you?" Vaughn asked her in a concerned tone as he stood up. She stayed silent and allowed him to lead her to the table as he sat down next to her. He poured her a cup of coffee and looked at her worriedly.
She slowly sipped at her coffee, staring intently at the dark brown liquid. Her mother left the room, but Sydney barely noticed, entranced by the steaming drink. Sydney finally looked up when she felt a warm hand on hers.
"Everything's going to be okay, I promise," Vaughn said to her, searching her eyes.
Sydney shook her head. "No, it's not. Vaughn, please don't lie to me. I've just lost two years of my life. The only things I have left right now are you and my mother. Don't lie to me. Don't give me a reason to lose you, too."
For the first time since she had woken up in the streets of Hong Kong, Sydney began to cry. She felt the tears well up in her eyes until they finally overflowed. The tears spilled down her face and into her coffee, creating tiny ripples. She pushed it away and buried her face in her hands, sobbing. Vaughn put his arm around her, and she started crying into his shoulder. She felt him kiss her on the top of the head, and she looked up at him, her face damp from the tears.
She tilted her head slightly and leaned in to kiss him softly. She still knew every detail of his lips, the way his hair felt as she ran her hands through it-
He pulled back suddenly and looked at her apologetically. "Sydney, I can't do this. You're weak right now, vulnerable. This isn't right," he said.
Sydney turned her head in shame. "I know...I mean, I don't know what came over me...I wish..."
Vaughn held her close for a second and put his lips to her forehead. "I know."
Sydney sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair as she stared off to nowhere in particular, just thinking. She wasn't quite sure how long they stayed like that, but it didn't matter. She felt so safe, so protected in his arms.
"Look at me," he said quietly. She stood up a bit straighter and turned around to face him. He slowly raised a hand to her cheek and looked at her, smiling slightly.
"You're so beautiful." A hint of a smile played on her lips, and he took a long pause before speaking again. "There's something I should have told you," he said slowly.
Sydney's face fell. Her mind began racing with thoughts. Her first was that whatever he had to say, it would be bad - really bad. Her second was that if the news was bad, whatever it was, she wouldn't be able to handle hearing it. She couldn't take anymore right now.
She pushed her chair back a little. Its legs scraped against the hard metal floor. Vaughn looked at her in confusion, a question forming on his lips.
"I - I just can't right now," she mumbled, standing up quickly. She turned around to walk out of the room, but Vaughn grabbed her arm and she spun around.
With his hand still placed on her arm, they both looked at each other intently for a moment with varying expressions upon their faces. Finally, Vaughn broke the tense silence.
"I love you," he confessed.
Sydney bit her lip and blinked back tears. Here, in front of her stood this man, this wonderful man, who loved her unconditionally. She could be unconscious for nearly two years, yet he still loved her. Sydney took a moment to process this revelation and truly appreciate how lucky she was. She gave a laugh that became caught in her tears when she realized this was far from the bad news she was expecting.
"I love you," she said, closing her eyes and letting herself be wrapped in his arms.
"Once all of this is over, nothing can stop us from being together," he whispered to her. She nodded. He held her close as though afraid that if he let go, he couldn't protect her. Sydney had never felt more loved before in her life.
She heard heels clicking from down the hall. She and Vaughn broke apart to see her mother walk into the room. She face was severe, her lips thin.
"We have to go. Now."
***
Okay, so please don't be really pissed at me for killing off Jack. I actually think he's awesome, and I hated to do it, but otherwise everything would have been too messy. Big thanks to Kerry, Birdy, and Haley, as well as everyone who sent me feedback. Love you guys, keep sending it! Chapter 5 is on the way!