DISCLAIMER: Adrian Lazarey belongs to J.J. Abrams...however, I'm taking creative license and changing his character a bit...


He was delusional. The walls were spinning, his head was pounding. Faces blurred together, as did miscellaneous objects around the room. His mind shouted at him as he stumbled out of the room he was in, onto an object that slightly resembled a couch. He just had to be delusional.

That was the only explanation for this insane turn of events.

"Vaughn," a voice said, threatening to snap him out of his trance. But oh, he wasn't coming out yet. Not until he figured this out. Sydney said she was married to Sark. Sark. That bastard. He probably took advantage of Syd while she was grieving over...Oh God. She really had moved on. He had been dead. This new revelation made that fact all the more real. Suddenly, his own voice became audible.

"Syd, what is going on?" he demanded, looking up to her face, which was beginning to look a little less like a work by Picasso.

"Vaughn, are you alright?"

"Syd, I'm fine. What is going on? You're married to him?" he asked, pointing to a disheveled Sark.

"Vaughn...look...I know nothing makes sense right now, but let me get you something to drink, and I promise you, we will explain everything," Sydney said, arms extended toward him.

"Why should I believe a word that lying manipulator says? He was there when Sloane knocked me out Syd...it's the last thing I remember. He took me!" Vaughn shouted, pointing at Sark, who was now standing beside Sydney.

"Vaughn, yes you saw Sark, but he didn't take you! Sloane did, this is all his doing!"

Vaughn stood up at this.

"You mean to tell me that you believe what this guy says? Sydney, he was your enemy for years!" he said, pointing his finger in Sark's face.

"Yes! I believe what he says Vaughn! I love him!" Sydney shouted, but immediately regretted her outburst. Vaughn's eyes filled with tears as he struggled to cope with this information.

She loved him. How did this happen? He turned away from them, and sat again on the nearby couch.

"How did this happen?" he asked, his voice becoming calm. Sydney looked to her husband, who nodded, and proceeded to leave the room. Sydney walked over to the couch slowly, and sat next to her former handler cautiously. She hesitated before she began.

"Vaughn, that night that you disappeared, I was taken to the hospital. I was in a coma for two weeks. They didn't think that I was going to live; I had extensive internal injuries. When I came to, the first person I asked to see was you. Weiss was there; he told me that you were missing," she paused for a moment, and Vaughn finally lifted his eyes to her own. He nodded for her to go on.

"When I was released, I focused all my energy on finding you. Two months after your disappearance, I went on a mission and ran into Sark. By this time, I had discovered that Sloane was responsible for Francie's death, for putting Doren in my house. I assumed that Sark has a part in that plan. I attacked him, nearly killed him, I was so blinded by anger. Weiss and I brought him into the CIA, and through questioning, we discovered that he had been involved with Doren, intimately," Sydney paused to take a sip of her iced tea before she continued.

"Through this same line of questioning, we discovered Sark's real identity,"

"Real identity? What are you talking about?" Vaughn interrupted.

"Sark...Andrew...is the son of a former KGB officer, Adrian Lazarey. Lazarey was assassinated by officers of the KGB when they discovered that he was a double agent..."

"For who?" Vaughn's eyes grew wide.

"The CIA, Vaughn. Lazarey was CIA," Sydney said.

"What does that have to do with Sark?" Vaughn asked.

"Andrew Lazarey, the man you know as Sark, was granted immunity by the CIA, when it was discovered that he was in league with my mother, and their mission was to destroy the remnants of the KGB, and Sloane," Sydney said.

"Why Sloane?" Vaughn asked. Sydney smiled.

"My mother always hated that man, even when she was Laura Bristow. She said that he made her skin crawl. She loves my father. She loves me. She vowed to get revenge against the KGB and Sloane," Sydney said.

"Sure, he's been granted immunity, that's just great," Vaughn scowled.

"Look, I know this is all really strange Vaughn, but it's the truth. You know me. I fought Andrew for years...you know I would not have accepted that he was innocent unless it was absolutely true," Sydney said. Vaughn looked down at his lap for a moment. He had to admit that she was right. So it must be true. He sighed.

"How did all this happen then?" he asked, motioning at their surroundings, her bulging stomach, and the silver band on her left hand. Sydney sighed.

"Five months after you were gone, they found a body. The lab ran extensive tests on it, and determined that it was you," she said.

"So you just gave up?" he asked, his voice becoming shaky.

"Vaughn, I loved you. I searched the world for you; but when they had your body, solid evidence that you were gone...I freaked out. I realized that it was over; you were dead," she paused to wipe tears from her face.

"Anyway, after Andrew was granted immunity, he began working for the agency. We used all his old contacts in attempt to bring down Sloane. However, we haven't. Not yet," she spoke, with the determination he recognized so very well. She continued.

"Andrew and I went on missions together. Through those missions, I got to know him. I stopped hating him and learned to respect him. We became friends, and then, after you had been missing for about a year, I realized that I had fallen in love with him," she said, looking into his eyes.

"Vaughn, I know all of this hurts you, and I'm so sorry that I gave up on you. That I gave up on us. But I don't regret moving on with my life. I don't regret forgiving Andrew...and I don't regret loving him," Sydney said, finishing her story at last.

Vaughn remained silent for a few moments, before standing up to look around the room. On an opposite wall stood a bookcase, where assorted pictures sat. Sydney and Sark...Andrew...sitting on a bench in the park, laughing and cuddling. The two of them on their wedding day. Will giving, what Vaughn assumed, was a best man speech. Finally, Sark and Sydney standing in front of their house, Sydney's belly beginning to grow.

It was in this moment, gazing at these pictures, that it hit him. He had been dead. How could he expect Sydney to wait for him? She had moved on to loving him after Danny had died. How was this any different?

He turned around to her, and watched her for a moment. Her head was propped up on her arm, and her arm was rested upon her knees. Her shoulders shook, though not very noticeably, and he knew she was crying. He stepped over to her, and kneeled down on the ground. He lifted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Syd...I already told you...I understand...you had the right to move on. I just need some time to adjust to all of this. To me, it's like I've been gone for three days. I'm still in love with you,"

"Vaughn..."

"Wait. I'll be alright. You don't need to worry about me. I need to focus on finding out what happened to me, and you need to focus on your...your family. Okay?"

"Vaughn..."

"Okay?" he said rather forcefully.

"Okay. But look, Vaughn, as soon as I have this baby, I'm helping you,"

"Syd..."

"No. Now you wait Michael. I'm helping you find out what happened to you, and that's that. And if you'll let him, Andrew will help you too. I know it's hard to believe, but he's a good man Vaughn. He can help," Sydney said, her eyes pleading with him.

Vaughn sighed. Who was he kidding? He couldn't tell her no two years ago; he certainly wasn't going to now.

"Alright. It's just going to take a while for me to trust him Syd, please understand that,"

"I do Vaughn," she said quietly, and smiled at him. Vaughn looked down at his wrist, noticing how late it was.

"Syd, I'm going to go..."

"You don't have to..."

"I need to. I need to think about all of this."

"Okay. Are you going to go back to work now that you're back?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know, okay?"

"Okay."

At this point, they had reached her front door. As he began to walk down the sidewalk that led to the street, she called his name.

"Yeah?" he said, looking back to her. She hesitated.

"I missed you," she said. He smiled at her.

"I know," he said, his eyes sad, and turned to walk to his car.


*****


Sydney closed the door after watching him pull away, and went back into the kitchen, putting her empty glass into the sink. Andrew sat at the table, and she walked to him slowly, and sat down next to him. He looked at her, eyes filled with concern.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

"I will be," she said quietly, "I'm just still in shock."

"I understand sweetheart," he said, stroking her faces, wiping away her tears.

"Andrew, I just can't believe..." she began, but her voice broke.

"I know honey, I know," he said, and he pulled her to a standing position, embracing her tightly. "It will be alright Syd, we're going to find out where he was, and what happened to him."

Sydney looked up at her husband, smiling softly.

"I love you so much...thank you for understanding. If you're uncomfortable with me helping him, I can tell him that I..."

"Don't say another word Bristow. You're helping him," Andrew said. She laughed.

"Old habits die hard Andrew. You're too used to calling me Bristow...It's Lazarey now," she said, smiling.

"I almost forgot..." he said, smirking, and kissed her forehead.

"Well...let me remind you.." she said, and as she kissed her husband, she almost forgot that Vaughn was alive.

Almost.