Title: Learning to Live Again
Author: Cara
Disclaimer: The things I would do with the characters if Alias belonged to
me. I'm content just watching though.
Rating: PG (In Australia we have different ratings and PG is suitable for
anyone)
Chapter: 2 Reality is catching up with Vaughn.
Author's note: Thanks to everyone who replied. I wasn't going to continue
but I do want to see where this story is going.
The first meeting was the hardest. When she stood in front of the Vaughn's door it took everything she had to lift her hand and knock. SHE answered the door. Lauren. Vaughn's wife. Sydney tried to smile. Tried to act as though everything was normal. 'Is Michael home?' 'Sure, maybe you can get him in a better mood. He's been terrible over the last couple of days.'
Vaughn appeared looking disheveled. The look he gave Sydney was so full of pain she wasn't sure that she would be able to do this. All she seemed to do was ruin people's lives. First Danny, then Noah. Vaughn was happily married and to some extent Syd knew that she should just let him be.
'Can you please give us a couple of minutes Lauren?' Lauren gave him a very suspicious look. She wasn't stupid. Something had been up for the past couple of days. Maybe it was this girl who had changed her husband. What wife would leave their husband with a beautiful woman even if it was only for a couple of minutes. 'Can I talk to you for a second honey?'
Vaughn looked over in despair. Sydney had finally taken the first move to come and see him and his wife was making the situation as tricky as it probably should be. They moved over to the living room. 'Who is she?' Lauren asked accusingly. 'Just someone I work with,' Vaughn replied. 'She's pretty,' Lauren commented. Vaughn had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Sydney wasn't pretty. She was the most beautiful woman Vaughn had ever laid eyes on. But he wasn't up to dealing with a jealous wife as yet. 'She's okay, not really my type.' Vaughn moved back into the hallway while Lauren stayed in the living room to hear what they had to say.
'Sorry about that,' Vaughn said. 'I think she suspects something's going on between the two of us.' 'What is going on? From what I remember I'm all ready to get in your car and drive to Santa Barbara. It was meant to be the most romantic holiday of my life. The next thing I know I wake up in Hong Kong, Francie is dead and YOU'RE MARRIED. EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME VAUGHN. How could you just give up on me? I loved you more than anything. If it were you who had disappeared, I doubt that I would have had one night of sleep. Yet you're able to resume your normal life. Get married and just forget about me. Forget about what we had.'
Sydney stopped at that. Lauren was peaking into the hallway in disgust. Vaughn was looking at her in wonder. And she was shaking. Sobbing. Laughing hysterically.
Vaughn gently lead her to the living room where she collapsed on the couch. Lauren sat perched on the other suite. Not willing to leave Michael with this other woman for one second longer out of her earshot. Vaughn began, 'I do love you Sydney. I'll always love you. You're the one for me and you know it. When you didn't return we all looked. The CIA helped us for months. The time and energy spent trying to find you was amazing. As the months went by and we had no signal that we were on the right track, everyone started to give up. I was treated as a male widow. Only Jack would believe that you weren't dead. Jack and I kept looking. We spent a year believing that somewhere, somehow, you were still alive. But slowly, reality seemed to creep in. The likeliness of you still being alive after what you must have gone through was so slim that it was practically impossible. I should have known that it would be you who can conquer the impossible though Syd.'
'So you just gave up *hiccup* on me? After all we'd been through *hiccup* you didn't have enough faith that I'd be *hiccup* able to conquer whatever was keeping *hiccup* us apart?' 'Lauren, can you get Sydney a glass of water?' 'NO!' she hissed. 'If understand correctly, you're sitting here with the love of your life and I'm meant to walk out of the room. Did you only marry me to get over her Michael? What about the vows you took. I LOVE YOU. You're my husband and I understand that you're going through a lot at the time being.' She turned her head to Sydney. 'As for you, could you please leave us alone. I'm terribly sorry for what you've been through. No one should have to go through it. But Michael is MY husband. We love one another and nothing is going to keep us apart.'
As Sydney stood up, Vaughn quickly rose with her. 'I'm going with you Sydney. This isn't going to work Lauren. I've been utterly unfair on you. I love Sydney and she should have been my wife a long time ago. I'll organize everything. Good-bye'.
The first meeting was the hardest. When she stood in front of the Vaughn's door it took everything she had to lift her hand and knock. SHE answered the door. Lauren. Vaughn's wife. Sydney tried to smile. Tried to act as though everything was normal. 'Is Michael home?' 'Sure, maybe you can get him in a better mood. He's been terrible over the last couple of days.'
Vaughn appeared looking disheveled. The look he gave Sydney was so full of pain she wasn't sure that she would be able to do this. All she seemed to do was ruin people's lives. First Danny, then Noah. Vaughn was happily married and to some extent Syd knew that she should just let him be.
'Can you please give us a couple of minutes Lauren?' Lauren gave him a very suspicious look. She wasn't stupid. Something had been up for the past couple of days. Maybe it was this girl who had changed her husband. What wife would leave their husband with a beautiful woman even if it was only for a couple of minutes. 'Can I talk to you for a second honey?'
Vaughn looked over in despair. Sydney had finally taken the first move to come and see him and his wife was making the situation as tricky as it probably should be. They moved over to the living room. 'Who is she?' Lauren asked accusingly. 'Just someone I work with,' Vaughn replied. 'She's pretty,' Lauren commented. Vaughn had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Sydney wasn't pretty. She was the most beautiful woman Vaughn had ever laid eyes on. But he wasn't up to dealing with a jealous wife as yet. 'She's okay, not really my type.' Vaughn moved back into the hallway while Lauren stayed in the living room to hear what they had to say.
'Sorry about that,' Vaughn said. 'I think she suspects something's going on between the two of us.' 'What is going on? From what I remember I'm all ready to get in your car and drive to Santa Barbara. It was meant to be the most romantic holiday of my life. The next thing I know I wake up in Hong Kong, Francie is dead and YOU'RE MARRIED. EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME VAUGHN. How could you just give up on me? I loved you more than anything. If it were you who had disappeared, I doubt that I would have had one night of sleep. Yet you're able to resume your normal life. Get married and just forget about me. Forget about what we had.'
Sydney stopped at that. Lauren was peaking into the hallway in disgust. Vaughn was looking at her in wonder. And she was shaking. Sobbing. Laughing hysterically.
Vaughn gently lead her to the living room where she collapsed on the couch. Lauren sat perched on the other suite. Not willing to leave Michael with this other woman for one second longer out of her earshot. Vaughn began, 'I do love you Sydney. I'll always love you. You're the one for me and you know it. When you didn't return we all looked. The CIA helped us for months. The time and energy spent trying to find you was amazing. As the months went by and we had no signal that we were on the right track, everyone started to give up. I was treated as a male widow. Only Jack would believe that you weren't dead. Jack and I kept looking. We spent a year believing that somewhere, somehow, you were still alive. But slowly, reality seemed to creep in. The likeliness of you still being alive after what you must have gone through was so slim that it was practically impossible. I should have known that it would be you who can conquer the impossible though Syd.'
'So you just gave up *hiccup* on me? After all we'd been through *hiccup* you didn't have enough faith that I'd be *hiccup* able to conquer whatever was keeping *hiccup* us apart?' 'Lauren, can you get Sydney a glass of water?' 'NO!' she hissed. 'If understand correctly, you're sitting here with the love of your life and I'm meant to walk out of the room. Did you only marry me to get over her Michael? What about the vows you took. I LOVE YOU. You're my husband and I understand that you're going through a lot at the time being.' She turned her head to Sydney. 'As for you, could you please leave us alone. I'm terribly sorry for what you've been through. No one should have to go through it. But Michael is MY husband. We love one another and nothing is going to keep us apart.'
As Sydney stood up, Vaughn quickly rose with her. 'I'm going with you Sydney. This isn't going to work Lauren. I've been utterly unfair on you. I love Sydney and she should have been my wife a long time ago. I'll organize everything. Good-bye'.