Title: Two Years

Author: Laura Dugan

Feedback / E-Mail: Please, at AliasGirl@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it: the show, the characters, nothing.

Category: Sydney/Vaughn romance, angsty

Summary: "She thought of things now in capitals and chunks of two."

Rating: PG

Notes: All of my Alias stories can be found on my website: .

Part II:

Slowly she stood, a small shiver of fear making its way through her body. She stared at the door. Heard knocking again. She shook her head, realizing there was nothing to be afraid of. The bad people were gone. Well, at least most of them.

Then another thought crossed her mind. Maybe it was him. Maybe he had remembered. She made her way over to the door and pulled it open, her smile fading slightly then growing to cover her disappointment.

"Don't worry," he said. "I know who you were hoping would be knocking on your door."

She let him in, her smile genuine. "I'm very happy to see you, Eric." He returned the smile and walked to her kitchen table where he set down some boxes: one large and two small.

"What's all this?"

"Birthday presents," he responded with a gleam in his eye. "Open this first," he said as he pointed to the large box. "But be careful and lift from the bottom."

Sydney looked at him, perplexed, then opened the box. A medium-sized object was inside wrapped in tissue paper. She gently lifted it out and removed the paper, finding a glass bowl complete with neon colored gravel and a happy looking goldfish.

"Oh, Eric! This is great!" She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, then crouched down to look closer at the fish. "He's cute!"

"Well… I figured you were all alone over here so I thought you could use a pet. And not knowing your allergies I figured a fish was a safe."

"It's perfect, really. Thank you," she responded, realizing how lucky she was to have such a great friend.

"You might want to open this, too," he said handing her one of the smaller packages. Fish food.

"Can I feed him?" Eric laughed. She sounded just like a little kid.

"Sure, he's due for a feeding. And he has quite the appetite."

"Good to know." She dropped a few flakes into the tank and watched as he gobbled them up quickly.

"What are you going to call him?"

"How about Weiss?"

Eric grimaced. "I don't know if I should be honored or appalled."

"Definitely honored." A giggle.

"Weiss it is, then."

Sydney reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. "Eric. Thank you. I needed this tonight."

"Don't thank me yet. There's more."

"You really shouldn't have…"

"I didn't," he interrupted. "That other package came for you in the mail with strict instructions not to give it to you until today."


Sydney's heart began to skip and she smiled. He did remember! Eric recognized the look on her face and grew serious. "I don't think it's what you're expecting."

Sydney's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who's it from?"

"Open it and you'll see."

Sydney slowly turned the package over in her hands, looking from it to Eric. He shrugged and she peeled the tape of both ends, sliding out a small wooden box. She ran her fingers over the carving in the wood, her initials etched in a curly script. She lifted the lid of the box and pulled out a locket. It was about an inch and a half by an inch, the same script on the front of the locket as was on the box. She popped the locket open and a recording started to play. Sydney couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Happy birthday, Sydney. I'm sorry that I haven't been in contact in so long, but I have had many things to take care of. Please don't feel like I've forgotten you. You're all I've been thinking about for the last four years."

Two plus two, Sydney thought.

"I once told you that truth takes time. Well, it's been time enough. It's time for me to tell you something I should have told you long ago." A pause. Indefinite to Sydney's ears. "I did not kill Michael Vaughn's father."

Sydney's breath caught in her chest and she stared wide-eyed at Eric.

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I am telling the truth. I have nothing to gain from this. I know that we are far beyond the point of me trying to win your love. But for your sake, and for Vaughn's, I had to let you know."

Sydney collapsed into a dining room chair, tears streaking her face.

"I was framed by an enemy who felt I was growing too powerful in the KGB. He wanted the CIA after me in hopes that they would capture me. It kept his hands from getting too dirty. The problem was, after all of these years, I didn't know who had framed me. I didn't until a few months ago. It was Sloane, Sydney. He killed Vaughn's father."

"No!" Sydney croaked. He did not destroy yet another part of her life. Of Vaughn's life.

"I hope that you know I am telling the truth." Another pause. "I miss you, sweetheart. We'll see each other again soon. I love you."

The recording stopped and Sydney stared, dumbfounded, at the image in the locket. She was about six in the picture; Sydney figured it was taken a couple of months before her mother disappeared. Her mother stood to her right and her father to her left and they all looked so happy. What she wouldn't give to be six years old again. Sydney closed the locket and began pacing. After a few laps, she stopped and opened the locket again. There was no message.

"She must have had it programmed to only play once," she said sadly.

"Do you believe her?" Eric asked softly.

"I don't know. She's right, though. She really doesn't have anything to gain by telling me this. But why now? Why did she wait?"

"I've never understood your mother. Honestly, I'm afraid of her." Sydney offered a half-hearted smile. "She seems to be a lesson in contradictions. I really think that she does love you. And sometimes I think she really loved your father. She did look for you after… you disappeared. But she always seemed to be playing mind games. Her motives are beyond my reasoning."

"Mine, too, and I'm her daughter." Sydney sighed heavily and Eric put an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. If I'd known… I mean I knew it was from your mother, but if I'd known what was inside…"

"You knew it was from my mother?!"

"Yeah. She sent a letter with the box, asking me to wait until your birthday."

"When did you get the package?" Sydney asked, her pacing growing furious.

"A couple of days ago. Look…"

"And you waited? You did what she told you?"

"Syd. I took advantage of the time to take it in to work. I had them scan it – make sure it wasn't anything dangerous. I didn't find out what the contents were, but the last thing I wanted was for you to get something that would hurt you. And I couldn't verify it was from your mother. I don't know her handwriting."

"Well it's certainly her voice," she said, calming down. She continued to pace the dining room, trying to put everything together. Sloane had killed Vaughn's father. She always thought her mother and Sloane had a special relationship, that they were allies. Not only would her mother not gain anything by telling Sydney the truth, she would get herself on Sloane's bad side. Even though he was in CIA custody, Sydney was sure he could still find a way to hurt Irina Derevko. So her mother could have been telling her the truth.

Sydney stopped pacing and looked Eric in the eye. "Why couldn't I have a normal family? A normal life? But no, I have a father who doesn't sell airplane parts, but who was a double agent for the CIA. My mother was a KGB operative and black ops mastermind. I lost my fiancé, my best friend, two years of my life, and the man that I love. What happened to Mom, Dad, 2.5 kids, a dog named Spot, and the house with the picket fence?"

"It's called The Disney Channel. You should watch it some time." Sydney sat down on her couch and propped her legs on her coffee table. She stared at the locket. Eric sat down next to her.

"Do you think Marshall can recover the message?"

"Probably."

"Well, that's something."

"Come on, Syd," Eric said, patting her leg. "There are still a few more surprises in store for you this evening." He glanced at his watch and sat up alarmed. "And if we don't get moving soon we're going to be late."

Sydney was staring at the picture in the locket again and only caught the end of what Eric said. "What? Late for what?"

Eric smiled. "I said I still have a few more surprises for you for your birthday. Now get moving."

"Thanks, but I really don't feel like going any where tonight. Not after this."

"Believe me, Syd, you're going to like what's planned. Go get dressed. And do something with your hair, it's a mess."

Sydney smacked him playfully on the arm. "What am I getting dressed for?"

"I can't tell you that. Just put on something nice. A dress."

She looked at him quizzically, but she knew she wasn't going to get anything else out of him. Her curiosity piqued, she stood and walked slowly to the bedroom. Looking back over her shoulder she said, "This better be worth it."

As she entered her bedroom, Eric muttered, "Oh, it will be." Then he smiled.