She awoke only moments later to find Eric kneeling over Vaughn, who had apparently been shot. She immediately shook off the effects of her blackout and ran to them both.

"What happened?" she demanded, looking around for her sister, "Where's Melina?"

Eric looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "She and Vaughn got in a fight. She told him who she was, claimed to love him, love Taryn. He said that she was just like her mother. That made her angry and she...she shot him. Then she did the weirdest thing...she leaned over him, kissed him and just tried to leave. I ran after her, gunned her down..."

"Is she alright?" She smirked at his look of shock, "Don't look so shocked Eric, she is my sister, no matter how twisted...oh God, I can't believe she shot him..."she said, looking down at Vaughn, holding his face in her hands.

"An ambulance is on the way...I asked the other guys to leave...I figured you wouldn't be out long...I wanted to give you guys time to..." he trailed off, his voice breaking. He didn't need to say it. He was giving her time to say goodbye to Vaughn, because he was going to die.

"I'll be right outside Syd," he kissed her cheek and before he left, she surprised him by embracing him tightly. He held onto her hand for a moment, and then left the room, looking at Vaughn once more. They had already said their goodbyes...and he didn't think he could stand to watch another person say goodbye to his best friend.


*****


Irina answered the phone as she always did, very politely.

This conversation however, would change her life.

Director Dixon called to inform her of the CIA's latest capture.

Her daughter, Melina Bristow was in custody.

"What?" she shouted, calling Jack to her side.

"Mrs. Bristow, she's alive. As it turns out, she was posing as Meg Vaughn. She was married to Vaughn to get to Sydney...she planned to kill Sydney..." at this point, the Bristows had Dixon on speaker phone, and Jack interrupted him.

"What? Is Sydney alright, where is she?"

"Agent Weiss called, Sydney is fine. Vaughn is not."

"Oh no," Irina whispered.

"I'm sorry to let you know this way. I just wanted you to be informed."

"Thank you, Director. Please have Sydney call us when she has the opportunity."

"Will do. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," they said, in unison.

A few moments of silence passed by before either of them spoke.

"I thought you said she was dead."

"That's what they told me," Irina whispered, and then added, "Jack, we have another baby. Oh God, what have I done?" she cried.

"Honey, what? What are you talking about?" Jack held her at arm's length, looking into her beautiful brown eyes.

"Oh God Jack, she pursued Sydney because she's angry at me, most likely for not looking for her adequately. I'm thrilled that she is alive, but she could've hurt Sydney. Oh Jack, what kind of mother am I?" she cried, burying her head in his shoulder. He stroked her hair, then stepped back to look into her eyes.

"I may not agree with all the decisions you've made...but you love our daughter...you love both of them. You've done everything you've done, good and bad, for them. You're the kind of mother who would do anything for her children. And that's what I love about you."

She looked at him, the fiery determination returning to her eyes.

"I must see her Jack, I must see Melina," she stated. He looked at her, hesitating. He wasn't sure if that was the best idea. However, if it would make his wife happy, he would allow it.

"I'll make the arrangements," he said, and left her in the living room, where she collapsed on the couch, crying over her mistakes, her regrets, and her daughters.

Daughters. Oh, how things were still changing.


*****


"Hey you've got to hang in here for me Vaughn. We've been through much worse than this," Sydney said, stroking his tousled hair, looking into his green eyes, which were becoming more unfocused as the moments passed.

"Syd," he coughed, "I always knew that this day would come. With my father's death, I somehow knew that it was inevitable," he began weezing, coughing loudly.

"Shh...hey, don't talk, okay, don't talk. Let me do the talking."

"As always."

"I mean it, Michael." At the sound of his first name, he was quiet.

"I'm sorry that I was so angry with you. I loved you. I woke up feeling like only one day had passed. I couldn't understand how you could move on so quickly. I do now. I'm just so sorry that I'm only telling you this now," she was crying, tears rolling off her own cheeks and unto his own, and she kissed his cheeks, trying to remove them all.

"I loved you too, I still do. You know that. I'm sorry I wasn't faithful..."

"You had a right to fall in love Vaughn. You had a right. I'm sorry that I didn't see that. I'm sorry that I didn't understand. I'm sorry that in your last moments I have nothing really important to say, or anything that really matters. But really all I want you to know is that I loved you. Even when I was angry, scared, confused, hurt...I loved you."

He seemed to contemplate her words for a few moments, and Sydney wasn't sure if he just did not know what to say, or if it just hurt to much to speak. She was answered when he took a deep breath, looking up to meet her eyes.

"I told Eric I want him to look out for Taryn," Sydney's eyes welled up at the mention of his daughter - she had almost forgotten..."What I did not tell him was that I want you to take her too."

She looked at him, wondering if delirium was kicking in. She wasn't quite sure what he was trying to say. He recognized this, and took another breath.

"I want you and Eric to be together," he said, looking in her eyes.

"Vaughn..."

"No, listen. I loved you Syd, but the truth is, for me, love just wasn't enough. I didn't have faith in you, in us. From the moment you were pronounced dead, Eric didn't believe it. He pursued every lead he found, he didn't give up. I did. You need him in your life. You deserve better than me." Sydney looked at him, shocked at his words. She didn't know whether to be frightened or touched that Vaughn was thinking of her in his final moments. Even in death, he remained her guardian angel.

"He loves you Sydney. I've known it for a while," Sydney looked to the ground, "and you care for him too. I don't want you to feel guilty about me...I want you to see where it leads...follow your heart...and have the kind of love that I never had."

Sydney looked at him, his face growing paler, eyes completely unfocused, and watched as his lips moved for the last time.

"Remember what I said. I love you. Tell Taryn I love her. Tell Meg..." he winced, "...Melina, that surprisingly I love her too," with this, he took his last breath. Sydney watched, closing his eyes with two fingers, and held him in her arms as she sobbed.

"I love you, I'm so sorry Michael...God I'm so sorry!" she whispered, and as she started to sink to the floor, Eric came back inside, lifting her up to allow her to fall into his arms to cry until she could cry no longer.