Title: Full Circle
Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com)
Category: Drama/Romance
Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Lauren
Spoilers: General season 3 stuff, including the last two episodes, "Full Disclosure" & "Crossings"
Rating: PG
Archive: Sure, just let me know where.
Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of
a love for the show and no infringement is intended.
Summary: After learning the truth about Lauren, Vaughn must face saving Sydney from her.
Note: Hey guys! This was supposed to be much shorter, but just kept growing. Just something I thought would be interesting to write. Oh and I kind of set it up a little different. You'll see when you start reading. It's very Alias! Very JJ! Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! :) ~Steph
* * * Full Circle: Part 1/1 * * *
Lauren pressed the barrel of her gun into Sydney's temple. Sydney sat staring straight ahead at Vaughn, her arms and legs chained to the immovable chair. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, but she swore she wouldn't let Lauren see how scared she was. She wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.
Lauren could feel her throat begin to tighten. Somewhere deep down inside, she hadn't believed it would actually come to this. Yet, here she was...daring her husband to kill her in order to save his one true love.
"Ten," Lauren said.
Vaughn focused his eyes squarely on Lauren's figure.
"Nine."
Sydney could feel a tear begin its stroll down her cheek. It wasn't out of fear though. It was for Vaughn...for the act he would have to commit to save her.
"Eight."
Lauren still had the gun pressed to Sydney's temple, but her body was defiantly facing her husband, as if daring him to hit her in her broken heart.
"Seven."
Vaughn moved his gun slightly to the right, aiming at Lauren's chest. A lump had taken up residence in his throat. He couldn't have swallowed if he had to.
"Six."
Sydney felt numb now. There was nothing left to feel.
"Five."
Lauren could feel her heart rate begin to pick up. This was it. There was no turning back now.
"Four."
Vaughn searched Lauren's face, trying to find some piece of the woman he had married. But there was nothing left. If any part of her had ever loved him, it was gone now.
"Three."
Sydney looked at Vaughn one more time, before squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't watch him kill for her.
"Two."
Lauren's mouth suddenly felt dry as she approached the moment of truth. She had no doubt what fate awaited her. He would surely kill her. He would kill for Sydney without a second thought.
She licked her lips...
~~Earlier That Day~~
Dixon pointed at a picture on the screen.
"We have recently received intel that this man works for The Covenant. His name is Zisman. Our intel indicates that he has been in contact with someone here at the CIA. The identity of that person is currently under investigation."
Dixon paused and looked at the occupants of the room: Jack, Marshall, Weiss, Sydney, Vaughn and Lauren.
"Obviously, if you are in this room right now, hearing this information, then we do not believe you to be the mole. In fact, we hope that you will be especially vigilant in the coming days and will not hesitate to report any suspicious behavior you may notice from one of your colleagues."
Lauren shifted uncomfortably in her seat, before moving her eyes to the table.
With that, Dixon dismissed them. All but Jack and Dixon filed out of the room. They waited until everyone had left before speaking.
"Do you think she'll take the bait?" Dixon asked Jack.
"I think she's nervous. I think she realizes we know more than we revealed. She'll try to be discreet about it, but she'll make contact with him."
"I'm not so sure. It would be an incredibly risky move to make contact with Zisman when she knows we must be surveilling him."
"She knows it's only a matter of time until we discover she's the mole. Our intel says her only contact with The Covenant is Zisman. If she has any hope of saving herself, she must meet with him to discuss a plan of action."
Dixon shook his head. "What if this information is incorrect or a trap? It came from Sark."
Jack nodded. "Sark is angry with The Covenant. He has bankrolled their organization and they have treated him like little more than an employee. He had to do his own digging to even discover that Lauren is the CIA contact. Once he did, he knew he had something to hold over their heads in order to gain more control. My guess is that The Covenant didn't bite. They were willing to sacrifice Lauren in order to keep that control. So, Sark managed to feed the information to us. It was probably little more than an act of frustration and vengeance, but with Sark one never knows. He may be playing an angle here that we have yet to see. Whatever the case, I believe the intel to be true. We checked the information he gave us against Lauren's activities and noticed some inconsistencies. She's the mole."
Dixon sighed. "This isn't going to be easy on Vaughn."
Jack jaw tightened. "It's never easy finding out your life's a lie."
* * * *
Lauren sat staring blankly at her computer screen, her mind racing. She didn't even notice Vaughn approach her desk.
"Lauren? Are you okay?"
She snapped her head in his direction. "What? I mean, yes, I'm fine. I was just...thinking about this whole thing. To think there's someone here, someone we've been working with, who is disloyal. It's just so unbelievable."
Vaughn nodded. "I know." He paused and then added, changing the subject, "So, I was thinking we could have dinner at Lino's. I'm starving. What do you think? Are you ready to go?"
"Now? I can't. I have a mountain of work to do. There's no way I'm getting out of here before ten."
Vaughn shrugged. "Well, I'll probably just grab a bite with Weiss then. Want me to bring you home something?"
She smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. It'll be too late to eat when I get home. I'll just grab something quick around here. I'll see you at home."
He smiled and leaned down to quickly kiss her cheek. "All right. See you later."
Lauren watched him leave, her smile slowly fading.
* * * *
"Not Italian again. I want Chinese," Weiss whined.
Vaughn smiled. "You're not fooling me. You just want to hit on that hostess at the Panda Garden."
"I am this close to getting her to go out with me," he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.
"Right."
"I'm telling you, I'm breaking her down. Last time, she only hit me with chopsticks once. That's a significant decrease. I'm definitely making progress with her."
Vaughn shook his head in defeat. "All right, we'll go to Panda Garden."
They had reached the parking garage and were just about to separate to go to their cars when Jack appeared before them, seemingly out of nowhere.
Weiss reacted with a start. "Jesus, Jack, way to give a guy a heart attack."
Jack spoke without acknowledging him. "Mr. Vaughn, I need you to come with me," he said, gesturing to a white van behind him.
Vaughn's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? What's going on? Did something happen to Sydney?"
Jack found it revealing that his first concern was always for Sydney, not his wife.
"Sydney is fine. I will explain everything once you comply with my request."
Vaughn shrugged. "It's not like I really have a choice."
"No, I suppose you don't."
"Fine."
Jack looked at Weiss. "You're welcome to come, Mr. Weiss. This does not directly concern you, but it will be a matter of public knowledge soon enough so I see no harm in allowing you to be privy to it now."
Weiss nodded. "Such intrigue. How could I refuse?"
"Very well," Jack said and again gestured to the van.
Vaughn and Weiss moved toward the van. Vaughn entered first, surprised to find Sydney sitting in the back seat.
His eyes widened. "What are you doing here? Do you know what this is about?"
Sydney shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine. My father was just as cryptic with me."
Vaughn sighed and sat back.
As Weiss settled into his seat, he looked at Jack, who was about to close the door.
"There's no chance of us making a quick stop at Panda Garden is there?"
Jack simply slammed the door in his face.
"I'll take that as a no."
As the driver headed towards downtown L.A., Jack swiveled in the passenger seat to face Vaughn.
"I must preface what I am about to say with this: you are not going to want to believe what I am about to tell you. However, it is in the best interest of all concerned if you overcome your disbelief quickly." Vaughn simply stared at Jack in confusion, as he went on. "These things you know to be true. Your wife's name is Lauren Reed. Her father is a senator from Virginia. She works for the NSC. These are facts and they are undisputed. What you do not know is that she also works for The Covenant. She is our mole."
Vaughn's mouth involuntarily dropped open. Sydney and Weiss nearly mirrored his reaction.
It took a moment for Vaughn to form any words. He finally shook his head slightly, saying, "No, there must be some mistake. Lauren would never...Jack, this is impossible."
Jack had little patience for his shock. "Your disbelief is understandable, but unacceptable at the moment."
Sydney leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Dad! Give him a second to take in what you just told him. You of all people should understand how difficult it is to hear such a thing."
Jack looked at his daughter for a long moment, before lowering his head.
Weiss finally closed his mouth long enough to form a few words. "The accent is fake, right? I never bought that whole 'my dad was stationed in London so I started speaking like a Brit' thing."
Jack focused his attention on Weiss. "Her background is all true. We do not yet know how long she has been working for The Covenant, but our intel indicates that she joined the NSC with good intentions and was turned sometime later."
Vaughn was still shaking his head. "Jack, you just started the investigation into the identity of the mole. How can you possibly be so sure already?"
"You are not this naïve, Mr. Vaughn. That debrief today was a set- up, meant to drive Lauren to her contact, ......."
Sydney looked at Vaughn sympathetically, before placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Jack gave Vaughn a moment before going on. "Details are sketchy right now, but we believe that Lauren was ordered to develop a relationship with you. She was probably meant to leak information from the CIA to The Covenant, as well as keep tabs on your activities. The Covenant was concerned that Sydney may have been faking her conditioning. If that were true, they believed she would contact you. Lauren was to report anything in your behavior that would indicate this. Of course, once you left the agency, Lauren lost her link to the CIA. It took her a while, but she worked on becoming the NSC liaison for the agency to renew that link."
Vaughn squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at his temples. "It was all a lie," he whispered to himself.
Sydney wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms and tell him everything would be okay, but knew it would be deemed inappropriate by present company.
Vaughn swallowed hard and met Jack's gaze. "Where are we going now? What does this have to do with anything?"
"We have Lauren under surveillance. We have tracked her to a condemned apartment building where we believe she will be meeting with Zisman." He paused and then added, "I feel certain that any lingering doubts you may harbor will be quickly extinguished."
The driver turned down an alley and stopped in front of another abandoned apartment building. Jack got out first and Sydney and Vaughn followed. Weiss tried to leave too, but Jack shook his head. "I don't believe you need to be here for this." He then addressed the driver, "Return him to his car and then come back."
Weiss held his hands up. "What? You let me in on the secret and then you don't let me see the payoff? That's like not watching the end of the movie. Or the last pages of the book being ripped out. Come on-..."
Jack once again closed the door on him.
"That man has the manners of a monkey," Weiss muttered.
Jack led the way into the building. All three quickly climbed the fourteen flights to the top floor. They walked halfway down the dingy hall and stopped at a door. Jack opened the door and they entered. The apartment was little more than a 15 by 15 box with grimy white walls and a large, dirty window. A surveillance team was already set-up in front of the window. Jack took one of the binoculars and aimed it at the roof of the abandoned apartment building across the way. He handed Vaughn and Sydney their own, directing them where to look.
Vaughn's heart sank as he spotted his wife. Jack was right. If there had been any doubt left in him, it had been quickly extinguished.
* * * *
Lauren stood on the roof of the building, tapping her right foot nervously and resisting the urge to leave.
This was a mistake. She just knew it. She should be laying low now. But she couldn't help it. It was only a matter of time until the CIA discovered she was the mole. She needed to know how to proceed. Maybe The Covenant would want to pull her out now. She had no way of knowing without contacting Zisman. He was her only link to The Covenant.
She had been as discreet as possible, contacting him using a method they had developed in case of danger. Using this complex form of communication, she had effectively warned him that he was likely under surveillance and to proceed with caution in order to meet with her. She hoped that their communication had not been discovered and that he would be able to meet with her without detection.
Lauren heard footsteps behind her and whirled around.
"Were you followed?" she asked by way of a greeting.
"No, we're safe here."
"They know The Covenant has a mole at the agency."
"How?"
"I don't know, they didn't say. But they have launched an investigation."
"And how do you know this? Why would they let a potential traitor in on such an investigation?"
Lauren thought about that for a moment. "Dixon said that if we are being told, then we are not under investigation. He wanted us to be alert to any suspicious behavior."
"Then why are you worried? No matter how misguided, they obviously believe you to be loyal."
"Why am I worried? They know there's a mole. I may not be under investigation at the moment, but it won't be long until the trail leads to me."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"Pull me out."
"I can't do that."
"Why not? I can be of no use to The Covenant while they are investigating the identity of the mole. After this, we cannot have any contact. I won't be able to feed you any information. So why not pull me out?"
"I have my orders. You are not to be pulled out under any circumstances."
Lauren's face fell, realizing what that meant. "They're going to sacrifice me, aren't they?"
He remained silent.
"They're going to hang me out to dry. The moment the CIA realizes I'm the mole, The Covenant will have me killed to prevent me from talking."
Silence.
Lauren's face grew red with anger. "I will not let that happen. I'll disappear."
He grinned. "Oh, you'll disappear all right, but it won't be your own doing. Your best bet is to lay low and hope they don't come up with anything. In the meantime, I'll try to arrange for a frame of one of your colleagues. This is your one and only warning: do not try to run. You can't hide. We will find you...and then you won't have a snowball's chance in hell."
Lauren swallowed hard and then watched him walk away.
It didn't matter what he said. She would run. A frame would take too long and would likely fail. Running was her only chance.
* * * *
Vaughn carelessly threw the binoculars to the ground and wandered across the room. Sydney watched him go, giving him a few moments, before following.
He leaned up against the dingy wall and bowed his head. "I was such a fool," he said softly.
Sydney took her place beside him, turning her head in his direction. "She fooled us all, Vaughn. You can't blame yourself."
Vaughn snapped his head up in her direction. "None of you married her."
Sydney didn't know what to say to that. She wished her father could be more compassionate in times like these. He could use his experience with her mother to make Vaughn feel better.
He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly staring into hers. "I wasted so much time."
Sydney knew she could easily get lost in those eyes, like she had a thousand times before. If she let herself, she would start thinking about what this could mean for them. But it wasn't the time or the place for that. Sydney couldn't let this be about her right now. She had to focus on Vaughn.
"Let's not talk about that right now," she replied.
He shook his head sharply. "No, it's just that...since you've been back I've been so concerned with hurting Lauren, consumed with guilt because of my feelings for you and...for what? A sham of a marriage? A wife who's nothing more than a stranger?" He paused, his voice growing abruptly low, "Everything could have been different. God, Sydney she nearly killed us.We nearly died before-."
Vaughn inhaled deeply and tried to go on, but Sydney touched his hand to stop him, saying softly, "Later, Vaughn. There will be plenty of time for this later."
Jack approached them, managing to conceal his discomfort at intruding on the intimate conversation. "Mr. Vaughn, I realize this is a difficult time for you, but, nonetheless, the agency needs your assistance. We have reason to believe that your wife-..."
"Don't call her that," Vaughn said in a low, biting tone.
Jack looked at him for a moment, realizing he had been him more than twenty years earlier. He'd said similar words to Kendall regarding Irina a hundred times.
He went on, "...that Lauren will try to disappear tonight. We believe that she realizes The Covenant will kill her in order to stop her from talking to the agency once she is captured. Anticipating that and her identity as the mole being revealed soon enough, we believe she will try to run tonight."
Vaughn stared at Jack as if he had three heads. "I don't understand what that has to do with me. I don't care where she goes. I never want to see her again."
Jack was growing impatient with Vaughn. "It has everything to do with you. After tonight, you never have to see her again. Lauren still believes that you think of her as a faithful wife and patriot of this country. She's going to go home to pack and make preparations to leave. You coming home won't seem unusual. You'll leave all the doors to the house unlocked for our tactical team to gain easy entrance and try to keep her in one room, preferably the bedroom. Then we'll move in. It'll all be over in a matter of minutes."
Vaughn simply shook his head, the thought of having to go home and pretend to be a happy husband making his stomach turn.
Sydney stepped forward and moved her father away, addressing him quietly. "You don't need him for this. You can move on that house with the tactical team and take her without resistance. She's one woman."
Jack's mouth tightened, his eyes boring holes into Sydney's forehead. "Your mother was one woman, Sydney. She managed to escape numerous times, against all odds. I will not let that happen again. Every precaution will be taken."
Sydney looked into her father's eyes, realizing how hard this must be for him. It was like reliving the nightmare all over again.
"Lauren's not Mom, Dad. And Vaughn's not you," she had said similar words before. This wasn't the first time her father had been forced to revisit the past.
A hint of a bitter smile appeared on Jack's face. "No, I suppose not. I was actually foolish enough to fall in love with your mother, a mistake Mr. Vaughn avoided because of you." He paused and then added softly, "He also didn't lose ten years of his life."
They looked at each for a moment, before Jack turned his attention back to Vaughn. "If you're going to assist us then I need to know now."
Vaughn looked at Sydney as he answered. "I'll do it. I just want this all to be over as soon as possible."
"Very well. I will alert the team." With that, Jack turned on his heel and headed back towards the surveillance team.
Sydney stood in front of Vaughn. "You don't have to do this, you know."
He couldn't meet her eyes as he spoke. "Yes, I do."
* * * *
Lauren's hands shook as she haphazardly packed her bags. Her nerves were shot. She needed to get out of there...Put all of this behind her.
As she reached for something on the night table, she caught a glimpse of a picture of Vaughn. She stopped her motion and simply stared at it.
Put him behind her.
Lauren had married Vaughn because she was ordered to, but she had fallen in love with him. It was the first time in her life that she had experienced love of any kind and he made her feel alive again..something she hadn't felt since she was a young child.
She had loved him, that was not an illusion. But his love for her had been. He had never been in love with her. He had never loved her the way a husband should love a wife... the way he loved Sydney.
He had committed the biggest deception of all...the biggest betrayal. He was the one who hadn't meant the words he spoke to her on their wedding day.
If this marriage was a sham, it wasn't because of her.
Her trembling hands picked up the frame. Tears were now streaming down her face, but she paid them no attention. She ran her fingers across the glass, her eyes looking into his. She whispered, "Why couldn't you have just loved me like you loved her?"
Her hands were shaking so badly that the frame fell from them onto the hardwood floor, the glass splintering into several pieces. On wobbly knees, she bent down to pick up the pieces.
The slamming of the front door caused her to cut herself. She looked at the blood pooling on the tip of her finger, the same one that still held her wedding ring.
She was suddenly reminded of that line from the Goo Goo Dolls' song "Iris".
And you bleed just to know you're alive.
Was she alive? She hadn't felt anything in months...not since Sydney had returned.
That part of her that had come alive for the first time after meeting Vaughn was gone again...dead.
Suddenly, she was ten years old again.living in that beautiful house of horrors, with all of its closets filled with her perfect father's skeletons. All the dirty little secrets of the great Senator Reed.
She had died at ten. Just given up. It was easier than feeling. Feeling meant hurting. She didn't want to hurt anymore. Numb was good. Cold was good.
She had made the mistake of feeling after she met Vaughn. She would never make that mistake again.
* * * *
Vaughn had a nearly invisible earpiece hidden in his ear, so that Jack and the tactical team could communicate with him. They would be able to hear everything. His job was simple: Unlock all the doors, keep her in the bedroom. Saying, "I'm going to get ready for bed now," would be the cue for the team to move in.
Vaughn quietly moved about the house, unlocking the front and back door. He then moved towards the master bedroom. He swallowed hard before plastering a smile on and entering.
The smile quickly faded when he saw Lauren on the floor with glass in front of her and her finger bleeding. He moved toward her, concerned, but guarded.
"Lauren, are you okay? What happened?"
It took her a few moments to even realize he was there. She shook her head violently, as if emerging from a trance, and looked up at him. "Oh, this? I'm fine. I just knocked it over when I was packing. I cut my finger a little cleaning it up."
"Well, you should go put something on it. I'll clean this up."
"I'm fine," she replied, standing up.
Vaughn looked at the mess of clothes and toiletry items scattered across the bed and the floor. He tried to act as if he hadn't been expecting it.
"Are you going somewhere? I thought you said you had a lot of work to do tonight and wouldn't be home till late."
She moved her eyes to the ground. "I did have a lot of work to do, but now I have to fly to Tokyo tonight. It just came up."
Vaughn figured he'd spare her from having to come up with a more detailed excuse. "How long will you be gone?"
She shrugged and began to fold some clothes. "There's no telling."
Vaughn simply stared at her while she folded. She could feel his eyes on her and turned towards him, "What?"
"Nothing," he said, his mouth forming a pursed smile.
She came closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
It took all of his strength not to vomit, the stench of her artificiality making him nauseous.
She slowly brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. He had to force himself to make some effort to respond.
She then pulled back and continued with her task of packing.
Vaughn took a deep breath, before saying quietly, "I'm going to get ready for bed now."
* * * *
"Go!" Jack directed the tactical team. All five immediately jumped out of the van and headed for the house. Two went in the front door, two in the second, with the fifth securing the perimeter of the house.
Sydney looked over at Jack, concern etched into her face. "She could have a weapon in there, you know. You might be endangering Vaughn's life."
"He's capable of taking care of himself, Sydney."
The four in the house walked quietly around it, before starting up the stairs to the master bedroom. As the last member of the team stepped on the final step before reaching the hallway, it creaked.
Lauren's head snapped in the direction of the door, her senses now keenly alert. She shot Vaughn a suspicious look.
He looked at her blankly, pretending he didn't hear anything. But she knew.
As if a mask had been torn from her face, her placid expression morphed into one of unbridled rage. Her eyes were now daggers aimed at Vaughn.
When she spoke, Vaughn expected her voice to explode in anger. Instead, it emerged oddly calm. "They're here," she stated simply.
Vaughn breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he could finally drop the act. "A team is in the house, Lauren. There's no where for you to run."
She smiled bitterly at him. "One last deception. One last betrayal. How poetic."
Vaughn's face twisted in confusion. "I deceived you? I betrayed you?"
"You're in love with another woman. There's no greater betrayal."
Vaughn shook his head. "This was never a marriage. I had no idea who you were. You even tried to kill me. Damn it, Lauren! This marriage never would have happened if you didn't work for The Covenant!"
Lauren looked at him for a long moment, face devoid of emotion. She moved so quickly he barely had time to react. In one swift motion, she pulled a semi-automatic out of her suitcase and aimed it at him. He was one-second behind her, removing his gun from the back of his waistband and pointing it at her.
"Call them off," she said. "Or I will kill you."
"It's over."
"Call them off!" she screamed. "I'm smart enough to realize you're wearing a vest, so I know where to shoot to kill. Your cute, wrinkly forehead should do just fine. You'll be dead before those little armed mice ever get in here. I'm a good shot. Trust me."
Vaughn glanced toward the doorway. The team had heard everything and now stood just outside the door.
Jack and Sydney sat in the van listening. Jack spoke to Vaughn, "You proceed as planned, Agent Vaughn."
Sydney squeezed her father's arm. "Dad! She's going to kill him!"
Jack shook free of her grip. "Stop it, Sydney! We will not give into the demands of a madwoman. Not ever again."
Sydney stared at her father worriedly. His past was clouding his judgment and she feared it could cost Vaughn his life.
Vaughn looked at Lauren. "Look, you kill me and you'll undoubtedly get the death penalty. You're not getting out of here either way. Our way, at least you have a chance."
"A chance? A chance for what? For a lifetime stay at one of your five-star concrete hells on earth? I'll pass."
"The team's not going anywhere, Lauren."
She grinned and cocked her gun. "Then I guess we'll do this the hard way."
Sydney turned to her father. "Call them off, Dad!"
Jack simply shook his head. Sydney reacted without thinking. Before Jack could stop her, she had hopped out of the van and headed toward the house.
"Sydney!" Jack yelled after her. He then spoke into the headset, "Be aware, Agent Bristow has gone against orders and entered the premises."
Vaughn tried to hide the surprise and fear he felt at hearing Sydney was headed toward this from Lauren.
Sydney spotted the master bedroom from the ground. There was a rain gutter that ran up beside the French doors that opened onto a small balcony. She quickly climbed the gutter and jumped onto the balcony. Crouching, she pulled her gun from her waistband and looked inside. Lauren and Vaughn stood opposite each other. The bed was all that stood between her and Lauren. She had a clear shot. Sydney brought her gun up and aimed.
At that moment, Lauren's head snapped in the direction of the doors. She smiled, noticing Sydney's huddled form. In one quick motion, she aimed the gun at the doors and sent glass flying.
Vaughn turned toward the balcony. "Sydney," he whispered.
Sydney slowly stood up. Lauren grinned at her, "Drop your gun, sweetie."
Sydney did as she was told. Lauren then gestured with her gun for her to go stand by Vaughn. "Go ahead. I'd hate to keep you two star- crossed lovers apart any longer."
Sydney rushed to Vaughn's side. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, but kept his gun aimed at Lauren.
"Are you okay?" Sydney asked.
Vaughn spoke without removing his eyes from Lauren's figure. "I'd be better if you hadn't just put yourself in harm's way."
"I wasn't going to just leave you in here to die."
Lauren rolled her eyes. "How very touching." Suddenly, her eyes brightened and she moved her gun slightly to the right, so it was now aimed at Sydney's forehead.
"Well, well, well. It looks as if Super Girl just made things a whole lot more interesting."
"Leave her out of this. This isn't about her, Lauren," Vaughn said sharply.
Lauren laughed...a cold, hollow laugh. "Of course it's about her. It's always been about her. Now, dear husband, put your gun down or I'll put a hole in her perfect little forehead." She paused and then added, "I promise you. I am faster than you...and I won't miss."
Vaughn slowly put his gun down.
In the van, Jack threw his headset to the ground, realizing that he had complied without having to see it. "Damn it, Sydney!"
Lauren smiled at Sydney. "Well, I think I just found my ticket out of here. But I think you'll be surprised what I have in mind." She paused before demanding, "Come here."
Vaughn tightened his grip on Sydney's waist, but she managed to wriggle free. "Syd, no," he breathed.
She smiled gently and squeezed his hand in hers. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."
Lauren moved toward them, her patience growing thin. She grabbed Sydney roughly by the arm and then spoke to Vaughn. "Get out of here and take your friends with you. I'm waiting fifteen minutes before we go anywhere. If I even think you've followed us or tried to track us somehow, I will not hesitate to kill her."
Vaughn looked at Sydney one last time, before reluctantly exiting the room.
Lauren grinned at Sydney. "Isn't this nice? Just us girls."
* * * *
Vaughn threw the door open to the van and was met with Jack's angry face. "You let that situation get out of hand in there!"
Vaughn's face grew red, coming close to matching Jack's. "This was handled incorrectly from the start, Jack, and you know it!" He paused to take a breath and then spoke more calmly. "Look, none of that matters now. All that matters is that we get Sydney back unharmed. Lauren said not to track-..."
"I know what she said, Agent Vaughn! But you and I both know that I cannot allow her to take my daughter to points unknown without having someway of tracking them."
"Lauren said she will kill Sydney if she even suspects you have, Jack."
"She's planning on killing her either way. This is our only chance. I've already placed an undetectable tracking device underneath her car."
"Undetectable? You're sure?"
Jack looked as if he detested the question, but nodded anyway. "I've been assured by Marshall."
Vaughn sat back in his seat and sighed. He rubbed at his face as he spoke. "We have to go. Let's get out of here."
* * * *
Fifteen minutes later, Lauren and Sydney emerged from the house. Sydney was now blindfolded and her hands were handcuffed behind her back. Lauren pushed her toward the car and then shoved her in the back seat.
She then moved to the driver's seat, got in and began to drive. Sydney didn't believe for one-second that her father would allow her to leave with Lauren without having a tracking device. Apparently, Lauren didn't have anything to properly check for one since she had not searched the car. Still, she counted how much time passed and listened for any significant sounds she could use to locate her if she had to.
Thirty minutes later, the car stopped moving. Lauren got out, opened the back door and yanked Sydney by the arm to remove her. She then pushed her forward a few yards and helped her maneuver down a flight of steep concrete steps. They were going underground. Sydney could hear Lauren unlatching a big, heavy door. She then shoved Sydney ahead and closed the door behind them. The air inside was cold, still and musty. It felt like a basement to her.
They moved twenty or so more feet and then Lauren pushed her down into a cold, steel chair. Sydney immediately wiggled around in it, finding it to be immovable. Lauren placed Sydney's handcuffed hands behind the chair and then chained her chest to it. She then placed ankle cuffs she found near by around her ankles and chained her legs to the chair. Sydney couldn't have moved if she wanted to. The entire time, Lauren had a gun pressed against some part of her body.
Finally, Lauren removed the blindfold. It took Sydney a moment to adjust to the darkness. They were in a concrete room about 30 by 30. The only furnishing was the chair Sydney sat in. It was dark except for a lone light bulb that hung from the low ceiling.
Sydney licked her dry lips and swallowed before speaking. "Where are we?"
Lauren shrugged, seemingly willing to give up this information. "The basement of a Covenant safe house."
"Why are we here? If you were going to kill me, you could have just done it at your house."
Lauren smiled. "Now what would be the fun in that? No, that would be too quick. I want you to suffer from the waiting a little bit. You know, like I have all these months...just waiting for my husband to turn his back on me for you."
Sydney's eyes narrowed. "This isn't about your marriage, Lauren. This is about betraying your country."
Lauren laughed. "I've always felt more like a British gal anyway."
Sydney looked at her for a long moment, realizing something. "You don't plan on getting out of here alive, do you?"
Lauren's jaw tightened. "The Almighty Sydney, Queen of the Know-It- Alls."
"It's true, right? If you really wanted to escape, you could have just left me. You could have found another car. You know as well as I do that that car has a tracking device. You didn't even bother checking, not that it would have mattered. I'm sure it's undetectable. My father and Vaughn will be here soon and that's exactly how you wanted it."
Lauren's eyes met hers. "I was going to disappear, but I realize now that would have been foolish. There is no disappearing from this life. The Covenant would find me. They would kill me. If I'm going to die, I'd rather do it on my terms. I'd rather have a little fun first."
Sydney simply stared at her. When you go up against someone with nothing to lose, you're always at a disadvantage.
* * * *
Jack and Vaughn pulled up in front of the Ranch-style house. They spotted Lauren's car parked in the gravel driveway.
"The basement. It looks like there is a basement to the right of the car. That's where they must be."
Vaughn shook his head. "Something's not right. She parked her car right out in front, made no effort to hide it. She wants us to come. She's waiting for us."
"I'm going in," Jack stated, as if it were a forgone conclusion.
"No, Jack, this is about me. This isn't going to end without me."
Jack sighed heavily. "Fine."
He then watched Vaughn leave the van and head toward the basement entrance. Vaughn quickly made his way down the steps and opened the door. Unlocked. She was definitely waiting for him. This is how she wanted it to be. Not at their house. That would be neutral territory. This was her territory now. She felt as if she had home field advantage.
His eyes soon adjusted to the darkness. Gun drawn, he made his way toward a faint light. As he got closer, he could make out two forms. Sydney sat chained to a chair and Lauren stood next to her, gun aimed at her head.
He finally stopped when he was about 20 feet away from them. Lauren turned to him and smiled. "We've been waiting for you. I'm so glad you could make it."
"Let her go, Lauren. I'm here now. This is what you really wanted."
She laughed, low and haunting. "Oh, honey, you're so amusing. And here I was thinking Weiss was the funny one."
Vaughn looked at Sydney sitting there helpless and his heart nearly broke. This was all because of him. She could die because of him. This incredibly strong woman was now forced to depend on someone else to decide her fate...and he was to blame.
Lauren pressed the gun into Sydney's temple. She then turned in Vaughn's direction. He stared ahead, gun trained on her.
"What do you want, Lauren?"
She smiled, "I want you to make a choice, Michael. I plan to kill her. There is no doubt about that. But, in the name of fairness, I will give you a chance to save the love of your life. It's a game, really. I want to see what kind of man I married."
Vaughn stared at his wife as if she were a stranger. The woman he had come to know, even love to some degree, had been an illusion. Little more than a brilliant pretense. The illusion was no longer. The woman who looked at him now with cold, calculating eyes was someone he had never met before.
His jaw tightened, his gaze only moving off Lauren's for a moment to lock eyes with Sydney. He could tell she was putting up a brave front, she always did, but if you looked deep into her eyes you could see how truly frightened she was. And, here he was, holding her fate in his hands.
"What are you talking about, Lauren?"
She smiled sadistically. "I thought you'd never ask. I will give you a chance to save her life. It's simple really. All you have to do is kill me first."
Vaughn's eyes grew wide. He swallowed hard, but tightened his grip on the gun. "What do you mean?"
"I will count to ten, complete with those Mississippis you real Americans are so fond of. When I reach one, I will pull the trigger, blowing your dear, sweet Sydney's brains all over the place. All you have to do is pull your trigger first. You have to kill me."
Vaughn could feel the sweat begin to trail down his face. He was dying to wipe it away, but didn't dare move a muscle. It took a moment for her words to register. She wanted him to kill her. What was she up to?
"How can I be sure you won't just pull the trigger anyway?"
"A deal's a deal. I always keep my word."
"Why, Lauren? Why not just kill Sydney?"
She grinned at him now. "I told you. I want to see what kind of man I married. Did I marry a man who could kill his own wife to save his love? I suppose I'm morbidly curious."
"So, that's it? You're just willing to sacrifice your life to satisfy your curiosity?"
Lauren's grin disappeared and her tone suddenly softened. "Well, it seems I no longer have anything to lose, so why not?"
Vaughn looked at her for a long moment, noting something in her tone. "The woman I'm looking at right now is not my wife. What makes you think this is even a choice?"
Vaughn could see her eyes narrow. He even thought he detected a hint of pain at his words.
"I never had a chance, did I?" she said bitingly, but with a vulnerability she couldn't hide.
Vaughn looked at her for a long moment, her words making him realize something. "You really loved me, didn't you? At least for a time."
Lauren's eyes moved to the ground, before meeting his again. "Nothing mattered after she came back."
Lauren jammed the barrel into Sydney's temple, causing her to wince.
Vaughn took a deep breath. "So, you're willing to die now?"
"I told you. I have nothing to lose."
And it was the truth. Sydney changed everything. He would never really be hers. Once she realized that, nothing else mattered. She could orchestrate his death with little apprehension. She could die. She was ready. She was willing.
Now, she just wanted to see if he had any real feelings for her. Could he do it? Could he kill her?
Lauren shook her head roughly. "Look, enough talking. You have a decision to make."
Vaughn looked at Sydney, trying to communicate with his eyes that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She slowly blinked her eyes in response.
"Do it," Jack said in his ear. "Take the shot."
He looked at Lauren. "Start counting, but forget the Mississippis. I see no need to prolong this."
Lauren pressed the barrel of her gun into Sydney's temple. Sydney sat staring straight ahead at Vaughn, her arms and legs tied to the immovable chair. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, but she swore she wouldn't let Lauren see how scared she was. She wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.
Lauren could feel her throat begin to tighten. Somewhere deep down inside, she hadn't believed it would actually come to this. Yet, here she was...daring her husband to kill her in order to save his one true love.
"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two..."
Lauren was just about to form the last word, her finger beginning to apply pressure to the trigger, when Vaughn pulled his trigger. The bullet pierced the still air of the concrete room. He watched as it hit the arm holding the gun, causing her to yell out in pain and drop the weapon. She then fell to the ground, clutching her wounded arm.
Vaughn rushed to the two women, picking Lauren's gun up and placing it in his waistband. He then quickly knelt in front of Sydney.
"Are you okay?"
She managed a small smile. "I am now."
He caressed her cheek for a moment, before moving his gaze to Lauren, who still lay on the ground, moaning in pain.
He moved to her. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you kill me?"
He looked at her for a long moment before saying, "How do you kill someone who's not really alive?"
Lauren simply stared at him. She was already dead in every other sense, why couldn't he have just put her out of her misery? Why couldn't he do that one last thing for her?
A moment later, Jack and the tactical team entered the building and apprehended Lauren. The team left with her and then Jack worked on freeing Sydney. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"
Sydney nodded. "I'm fine, Dad."
When he finished freeing her, Sydney stood up and hugged him. She then moved to Vaughn, practically falling into his arms. She buried her head in the crook his neck and clung to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"I thought I was going to lose you again," he whispered.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said with a smile, as she pulled back, tears now falling down her cheeks.
He returned the smile and then lifted his thumb up to wipe away a tear from her cheek.
* * * *
Hours later, Jack made his way to Lauren's cell, the same one Irina had inhabited. Lauren approached the glass, as Jack came to stand in front of her.
"How lovely of you to visit, Jack."
"I came to inform you that in the morning you will be thoroughly debriefed."
"I have nothing to say."
"If you hope to avoid the death penalty, then I suggest coming up with something."
"Death penalty," she repeated, unconcerned.
"It's a definite possibility. We have yet to determine all of your illegal activities, but the list is already quite long and damaging."
She offered him a wide grin. "The death penalty. Just what I wanted."
Jack simply shook his head. He then turned on his heel to leave.
"It couldn't have been easy reliving your past. You must see Irina when you look at me. You must see every mistake you made."
Jack slowly turned around to face her. "You know what I see when I look at you? I see a damaged woman. A woman who has nothing left to live for. No wonder Vaughn never really fell in love with you. You can't even compare to my daughter. I pity you."
Lauren stared at him stone-faced and then watched him go.
* * * *
Vaughn now stood where Jack had an hour before. Lauren rose and walked over to him.
"I hope I didn't pull you away from anything important. I know it's late or early, depending on how you look at it. I hope I didn't interrupt any activities with Sydney."
"We've been here, sorting through your mess."
"You always have been a tireless worker, even when you were that pathetic professor."
"You asked to see me, Lauren. Get to the point or I'm leaving," he replied sharply.
Lauren looked at him for a long moment, before finally speaking. "I just wanted to wish you and Sydney well."
Vaughn scoffed at that. "Spare me."
"No, I mean it. I hope you live happily ever after with your perfect little spy. You can have perfect little kids, live in a perfect little house with a perfect little white picket fence and a perfect little dog."
Vaughn curled his lips in disgust. "I didn't do this, Lauren. I was committed to you...to our marriage."
She shook her head. "But your heart was somewhere else. Admit it, a part of you is happy this happened because now you can be with Sydney. You should be thanking me."
Vaughn thought for a moment and then offered her a smile. "You're right, I should thank you. Thank you for making me realize exactly what I was missing. I won't waste another moment."
Vaughn offered his wife one last look before leaving. Lauren watched him go until he disappeared from view. She then moved to the cot, sat down with her back against the wall and pulled her knees up to her chest.
There were no tears. There was nothing but emptiness. She was dead.
* * * *
Vaughn and Sydney pulled up in front of her house. He turned off the ignition and moved in his seat to face Sydney.
She smiled at him. "It's been a long time since we did this."
He nodded, but bowed his head. "Lauren accused me of being grateful this happened...That I'm happy because now we can be together."
Sydney stared at him, but remained silent. He raised his eyes up to hers. "And you know what? She's right. That's the worst part of this. A piece of me is so happy. How twisted is that?"
Sydney touched his hand. "It's not twisted. It's human."
He shook his head. "I tried so hard to fight this. I was determined not to hurt Lauren, to honor my commitment. But she saw what I wasn't willing to. It was never going to work. No matter who Lauren really was, it never would have worked." He paused and then sighed, lowering his head, "I wish I had just realized that earlier. I wasted so much time caring about this woman I didn't even really know. We wasted all these months, Sydney. I'm sorry."
Sydney touched his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Another day," she said softly, mirroring his words from more than two years earlier.
The moment was not lost on him. He smiled, but it soon faded. "I never told you this before, but I regretted not going in with you that night. I felt something...something inside of me said to go inside, but I ignored it. I dismissed it as paranoia." He stopped and looked into her eyes, his voice emerging softly. "I won't make the same mistake twice."
Sydney smiled and took his hand in hers. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
* * * *
Vaughn followed Sydney into the house. He looked around, taking in the surroundings. He then smiled at her. "I think I like this one even better."
She returned the smile. "Me too." She then gestured to the bathroom. "I'm going to go take a bath."
Vaughn watched her go, before heading to the kitchen. He found a bottle of wine and then located a glass. He poured some in and then moved toward the bathroom.
Sydney smiled as he approached, handing her the glass and sitting down beside her.
They'd done this so many times before. It was surreal. Since her return, they'd felt so uncomfortable around each other. They didn't know how to be around each other.
But, now, they seemed to step right back into the past without any problem. It was as if nothing had ever changed. This still felt so right.
Vaughn brought his hand up and cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and let the feeling his touch stirred in her wash over her. She wondered how she had lived without this for so long.
"Can I tell you something?" she finally said.
A nod was his response and she went on, "When we were facing that firing squad in North Korea, just waiting for the end, I looked at you and I felt at peace. I accepted it and a part of me was actually content because I knew that at least now we could be together." She paused, her face reddening in embarrassment. "I know, it's ridiculous to be thinking that as you're about to die?"
Vaughn shook his head. "No, it's not. I was thinking the same thing."
Sydney smiled and covered his hand with hers, before bringing it up to her lips. She kissed it softly.
They stayed like that for a long time, simply enjoying the feeling of finally being together again.
* * * *
Sometime later, Sydney wandered into the bedroom, a towel in her hand that she was using to dry her hair. Vaughn hovered in the doorway and watched her. She could feel his eyes on her and turned around to face him. She smiled.
He swallowed hard and gestured toward the front door. "I guess I better get going."
Sydney walked towards him, nearly closing the distance between them. "I don't want to be alone tonight. I've spent too many nights without you."
He simply stared at her and didn't resist when she took his hand in hers and led him toward the bed. She climbed onto the bed and faced away from him. She then stretched out her arm back to him.
"Hold me," she breathed, nearly inaudibly.
Vaughn took a deep breath before climbing onto the bed. He glided in behind her, pressing his body up against hers and wrapping an arm around her waist. She moved her left hand up and linked her fingers with his. She then moved his arm so that it wrapped around her upper body. She'd always loved feeling his strong arms around her.
Vaughn placed a soft kiss on her neck, before resting his head next to hers.
Sydney didn't move as she spoke, her whisper piercing the still air. "I told you we'd find each other."
Vaughn simply smiled and pulled her even closer to him.
Things were finally the way they should be. It wasn't how it should have gone, but it had happened.
They had come full circle.
*******************************THE END*******************************
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph
Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com)
Category: Drama/Romance
Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Lauren
Spoilers: General season 3 stuff, including the last two episodes, "Full Disclosure" & "Crossings"
Rating: PG
Archive: Sure, just let me know where.
Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of
a love for the show and no infringement is intended.
Summary: After learning the truth about Lauren, Vaughn must face saving Sydney from her.
Note: Hey guys! This was supposed to be much shorter, but just kept growing. Just something I thought would be interesting to write. Oh and I kind of set it up a little different. You'll see when you start reading. It's very Alias! Very JJ! Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! :) ~Steph
* * * Full Circle: Part 1/1 * * *
Lauren pressed the barrel of her gun into Sydney's temple. Sydney sat staring straight ahead at Vaughn, her arms and legs chained to the immovable chair. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, but she swore she wouldn't let Lauren see how scared she was. She wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.
Lauren could feel her throat begin to tighten. Somewhere deep down inside, she hadn't believed it would actually come to this. Yet, here she was...daring her husband to kill her in order to save his one true love.
"Ten," Lauren said.
Vaughn focused his eyes squarely on Lauren's figure.
"Nine."
Sydney could feel a tear begin its stroll down her cheek. It wasn't out of fear though. It was for Vaughn...for the act he would have to commit to save her.
"Eight."
Lauren still had the gun pressed to Sydney's temple, but her body was defiantly facing her husband, as if daring him to hit her in her broken heart.
"Seven."
Vaughn moved his gun slightly to the right, aiming at Lauren's chest. A lump had taken up residence in his throat. He couldn't have swallowed if he had to.
"Six."
Sydney felt numb now. There was nothing left to feel.
"Five."
Lauren could feel her heart rate begin to pick up. This was it. There was no turning back now.
"Four."
Vaughn searched Lauren's face, trying to find some piece of the woman he had married. But there was nothing left. If any part of her had ever loved him, it was gone now.
"Three."
Sydney looked at Vaughn one more time, before squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't watch him kill for her.
"Two."
Lauren's mouth suddenly felt dry as she approached the moment of truth. She had no doubt what fate awaited her. He would surely kill her. He would kill for Sydney without a second thought.
She licked her lips...
~~Earlier That Day~~
Dixon pointed at a picture on the screen.
"We have recently received intel that this man works for The Covenant. His name is Zisman. Our intel indicates that he has been in contact with someone here at the CIA. The identity of that person is currently under investigation."
Dixon paused and looked at the occupants of the room: Jack, Marshall, Weiss, Sydney, Vaughn and Lauren.
"Obviously, if you are in this room right now, hearing this information, then we do not believe you to be the mole. In fact, we hope that you will be especially vigilant in the coming days and will not hesitate to report any suspicious behavior you may notice from one of your colleagues."
Lauren shifted uncomfortably in her seat, before moving her eyes to the table.
With that, Dixon dismissed them. All but Jack and Dixon filed out of the room. They waited until everyone had left before speaking.
"Do you think she'll take the bait?" Dixon asked Jack.
"I think she's nervous. I think she realizes we know more than we revealed. She'll try to be discreet about it, but she'll make contact with him."
"I'm not so sure. It would be an incredibly risky move to make contact with Zisman when she knows we must be surveilling him."
"She knows it's only a matter of time until we discover she's the mole. Our intel says her only contact with The Covenant is Zisman. If she has any hope of saving herself, she must meet with him to discuss a plan of action."
Dixon shook his head. "What if this information is incorrect or a trap? It came from Sark."
Jack nodded. "Sark is angry with The Covenant. He has bankrolled their organization and they have treated him like little more than an employee. He had to do his own digging to even discover that Lauren is the CIA contact. Once he did, he knew he had something to hold over their heads in order to gain more control. My guess is that The Covenant didn't bite. They were willing to sacrifice Lauren in order to keep that control. So, Sark managed to feed the information to us. It was probably little more than an act of frustration and vengeance, but with Sark one never knows. He may be playing an angle here that we have yet to see. Whatever the case, I believe the intel to be true. We checked the information he gave us against Lauren's activities and noticed some inconsistencies. She's the mole."
Dixon sighed. "This isn't going to be easy on Vaughn."
Jack jaw tightened. "It's never easy finding out your life's a lie."
* * * *
Lauren sat staring blankly at her computer screen, her mind racing. She didn't even notice Vaughn approach her desk.
"Lauren? Are you okay?"
She snapped her head in his direction. "What? I mean, yes, I'm fine. I was just...thinking about this whole thing. To think there's someone here, someone we've been working with, who is disloyal. It's just so unbelievable."
Vaughn nodded. "I know." He paused and then added, changing the subject, "So, I was thinking we could have dinner at Lino's. I'm starving. What do you think? Are you ready to go?"
"Now? I can't. I have a mountain of work to do. There's no way I'm getting out of here before ten."
Vaughn shrugged. "Well, I'll probably just grab a bite with Weiss then. Want me to bring you home something?"
She smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. It'll be too late to eat when I get home. I'll just grab something quick around here. I'll see you at home."
He smiled and leaned down to quickly kiss her cheek. "All right. See you later."
Lauren watched him leave, her smile slowly fading.
* * * *
"Not Italian again. I want Chinese," Weiss whined.
Vaughn smiled. "You're not fooling me. You just want to hit on that hostess at the Panda Garden."
"I am this close to getting her to go out with me," he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.
"Right."
"I'm telling you, I'm breaking her down. Last time, she only hit me with chopsticks once. That's a significant decrease. I'm definitely making progress with her."
Vaughn shook his head in defeat. "All right, we'll go to Panda Garden."
They had reached the parking garage and were just about to separate to go to their cars when Jack appeared before them, seemingly out of nowhere.
Weiss reacted with a start. "Jesus, Jack, way to give a guy a heart attack."
Jack spoke without acknowledging him. "Mr. Vaughn, I need you to come with me," he said, gesturing to a white van behind him.
Vaughn's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? What's going on? Did something happen to Sydney?"
Jack found it revealing that his first concern was always for Sydney, not his wife.
"Sydney is fine. I will explain everything once you comply with my request."
Vaughn shrugged. "It's not like I really have a choice."
"No, I suppose you don't."
"Fine."
Jack looked at Weiss. "You're welcome to come, Mr. Weiss. This does not directly concern you, but it will be a matter of public knowledge soon enough so I see no harm in allowing you to be privy to it now."
Weiss nodded. "Such intrigue. How could I refuse?"
"Very well," Jack said and again gestured to the van.
Vaughn and Weiss moved toward the van. Vaughn entered first, surprised to find Sydney sitting in the back seat.
His eyes widened. "What are you doing here? Do you know what this is about?"
Sydney shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine. My father was just as cryptic with me."
Vaughn sighed and sat back.
As Weiss settled into his seat, he looked at Jack, who was about to close the door.
"There's no chance of us making a quick stop at Panda Garden is there?"
Jack simply slammed the door in his face.
"I'll take that as a no."
As the driver headed towards downtown L.A., Jack swiveled in the passenger seat to face Vaughn.
"I must preface what I am about to say with this: you are not going to want to believe what I am about to tell you. However, it is in the best interest of all concerned if you overcome your disbelief quickly." Vaughn simply stared at Jack in confusion, as he went on. "These things you know to be true. Your wife's name is Lauren Reed. Her father is a senator from Virginia. She works for the NSC. These are facts and they are undisputed. What you do not know is that she also works for The Covenant. She is our mole."
Vaughn's mouth involuntarily dropped open. Sydney and Weiss nearly mirrored his reaction.
It took a moment for Vaughn to form any words. He finally shook his head slightly, saying, "No, there must be some mistake. Lauren would never...Jack, this is impossible."
Jack had little patience for his shock. "Your disbelief is understandable, but unacceptable at the moment."
Sydney leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Dad! Give him a second to take in what you just told him. You of all people should understand how difficult it is to hear such a thing."
Jack looked at his daughter for a long moment, before lowering his head.
Weiss finally closed his mouth long enough to form a few words. "The accent is fake, right? I never bought that whole 'my dad was stationed in London so I started speaking like a Brit' thing."
Jack focused his attention on Weiss. "Her background is all true. We do not yet know how long she has been working for The Covenant, but our intel indicates that she joined the NSC with good intentions and was turned sometime later."
Vaughn was still shaking his head. "Jack, you just started the investigation into the identity of the mole. How can you possibly be so sure already?"
"You are not this naïve, Mr. Vaughn. That debrief today was a set- up, meant to drive Lauren to her contact, ......."
Sydney looked at Vaughn sympathetically, before placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Jack gave Vaughn a moment before going on. "Details are sketchy right now, but we believe that Lauren was ordered to develop a relationship with you. She was probably meant to leak information from the CIA to The Covenant, as well as keep tabs on your activities. The Covenant was concerned that Sydney may have been faking her conditioning. If that were true, they believed she would contact you. Lauren was to report anything in your behavior that would indicate this. Of course, once you left the agency, Lauren lost her link to the CIA. It took her a while, but she worked on becoming the NSC liaison for the agency to renew that link."
Vaughn squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at his temples. "It was all a lie," he whispered to himself.
Sydney wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms and tell him everything would be okay, but knew it would be deemed inappropriate by present company.
Vaughn swallowed hard and met Jack's gaze. "Where are we going now? What does this have to do with anything?"
"We have Lauren under surveillance. We have tracked her to a condemned apartment building where we believe she will be meeting with Zisman." He paused and then added, "I feel certain that any lingering doubts you may harbor will be quickly extinguished."
The driver turned down an alley and stopped in front of another abandoned apartment building. Jack got out first and Sydney and Vaughn followed. Weiss tried to leave too, but Jack shook his head. "I don't believe you need to be here for this." He then addressed the driver, "Return him to his car and then come back."
Weiss held his hands up. "What? You let me in on the secret and then you don't let me see the payoff? That's like not watching the end of the movie. Or the last pages of the book being ripped out. Come on-..."
Jack once again closed the door on him.
"That man has the manners of a monkey," Weiss muttered.
Jack led the way into the building. All three quickly climbed the fourteen flights to the top floor. They walked halfway down the dingy hall and stopped at a door. Jack opened the door and they entered. The apartment was little more than a 15 by 15 box with grimy white walls and a large, dirty window. A surveillance team was already set-up in front of the window. Jack took one of the binoculars and aimed it at the roof of the abandoned apartment building across the way. He handed Vaughn and Sydney their own, directing them where to look.
Vaughn's heart sank as he spotted his wife. Jack was right. If there had been any doubt left in him, it had been quickly extinguished.
* * * *
Lauren stood on the roof of the building, tapping her right foot nervously and resisting the urge to leave.
This was a mistake. She just knew it. She should be laying low now. But she couldn't help it. It was only a matter of time until the CIA discovered she was the mole. She needed to know how to proceed. Maybe The Covenant would want to pull her out now. She had no way of knowing without contacting Zisman. He was her only link to The Covenant.
She had been as discreet as possible, contacting him using a method they had developed in case of danger. Using this complex form of communication, she had effectively warned him that he was likely under surveillance and to proceed with caution in order to meet with her. She hoped that their communication had not been discovered and that he would be able to meet with her without detection.
Lauren heard footsteps behind her and whirled around.
"Were you followed?" she asked by way of a greeting.
"No, we're safe here."
"They know The Covenant has a mole at the agency."
"How?"
"I don't know, they didn't say. But they have launched an investigation."
"And how do you know this? Why would they let a potential traitor in on such an investigation?"
Lauren thought about that for a moment. "Dixon said that if we are being told, then we are not under investigation. He wanted us to be alert to any suspicious behavior."
"Then why are you worried? No matter how misguided, they obviously believe you to be loyal."
"Why am I worried? They know there's a mole. I may not be under investigation at the moment, but it won't be long until the trail leads to me."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"Pull me out."
"I can't do that."
"Why not? I can be of no use to The Covenant while they are investigating the identity of the mole. After this, we cannot have any contact. I won't be able to feed you any information. So why not pull me out?"
"I have my orders. You are not to be pulled out under any circumstances."
Lauren's face fell, realizing what that meant. "They're going to sacrifice me, aren't they?"
He remained silent.
"They're going to hang me out to dry. The moment the CIA realizes I'm the mole, The Covenant will have me killed to prevent me from talking."
Silence.
Lauren's face grew red with anger. "I will not let that happen. I'll disappear."
He grinned. "Oh, you'll disappear all right, but it won't be your own doing. Your best bet is to lay low and hope they don't come up with anything. In the meantime, I'll try to arrange for a frame of one of your colleagues. This is your one and only warning: do not try to run. You can't hide. We will find you...and then you won't have a snowball's chance in hell."
Lauren swallowed hard and then watched him walk away.
It didn't matter what he said. She would run. A frame would take too long and would likely fail. Running was her only chance.
* * * *
Vaughn carelessly threw the binoculars to the ground and wandered across the room. Sydney watched him go, giving him a few moments, before following.
He leaned up against the dingy wall and bowed his head. "I was such a fool," he said softly.
Sydney took her place beside him, turning her head in his direction. "She fooled us all, Vaughn. You can't blame yourself."
Vaughn snapped his head up in her direction. "None of you married her."
Sydney didn't know what to say to that. She wished her father could be more compassionate in times like these. He could use his experience with her mother to make Vaughn feel better.
He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly staring into hers. "I wasted so much time."
Sydney knew she could easily get lost in those eyes, like she had a thousand times before. If she let herself, she would start thinking about what this could mean for them. But it wasn't the time or the place for that. Sydney couldn't let this be about her right now. She had to focus on Vaughn.
"Let's not talk about that right now," she replied.
He shook his head sharply. "No, it's just that...since you've been back I've been so concerned with hurting Lauren, consumed with guilt because of my feelings for you and...for what? A sham of a marriage? A wife who's nothing more than a stranger?" He paused, his voice growing abruptly low, "Everything could have been different. God, Sydney she nearly killed us.We nearly died before-."
Vaughn inhaled deeply and tried to go on, but Sydney touched his hand to stop him, saying softly, "Later, Vaughn. There will be plenty of time for this later."
Jack approached them, managing to conceal his discomfort at intruding on the intimate conversation. "Mr. Vaughn, I realize this is a difficult time for you, but, nonetheless, the agency needs your assistance. We have reason to believe that your wife-..."
"Don't call her that," Vaughn said in a low, biting tone.
Jack looked at him for a moment, realizing he had been him more than twenty years earlier. He'd said similar words to Kendall regarding Irina a hundred times.
He went on, "...that Lauren will try to disappear tonight. We believe that she realizes The Covenant will kill her in order to stop her from talking to the agency once she is captured. Anticipating that and her identity as the mole being revealed soon enough, we believe she will try to run tonight."
Vaughn stared at Jack as if he had three heads. "I don't understand what that has to do with me. I don't care where she goes. I never want to see her again."
Jack was growing impatient with Vaughn. "It has everything to do with you. After tonight, you never have to see her again. Lauren still believes that you think of her as a faithful wife and patriot of this country. She's going to go home to pack and make preparations to leave. You coming home won't seem unusual. You'll leave all the doors to the house unlocked for our tactical team to gain easy entrance and try to keep her in one room, preferably the bedroom. Then we'll move in. It'll all be over in a matter of minutes."
Vaughn simply shook his head, the thought of having to go home and pretend to be a happy husband making his stomach turn.
Sydney stepped forward and moved her father away, addressing him quietly. "You don't need him for this. You can move on that house with the tactical team and take her without resistance. She's one woman."
Jack's mouth tightened, his eyes boring holes into Sydney's forehead. "Your mother was one woman, Sydney. She managed to escape numerous times, against all odds. I will not let that happen again. Every precaution will be taken."
Sydney looked into her father's eyes, realizing how hard this must be for him. It was like reliving the nightmare all over again.
"Lauren's not Mom, Dad. And Vaughn's not you," she had said similar words before. This wasn't the first time her father had been forced to revisit the past.
A hint of a bitter smile appeared on Jack's face. "No, I suppose not. I was actually foolish enough to fall in love with your mother, a mistake Mr. Vaughn avoided because of you." He paused and then added softly, "He also didn't lose ten years of his life."
They looked at each for a moment, before Jack turned his attention back to Vaughn. "If you're going to assist us then I need to know now."
Vaughn looked at Sydney as he answered. "I'll do it. I just want this all to be over as soon as possible."
"Very well. I will alert the team." With that, Jack turned on his heel and headed back towards the surveillance team.
Sydney stood in front of Vaughn. "You don't have to do this, you know."
He couldn't meet her eyes as he spoke. "Yes, I do."
* * * *
Lauren's hands shook as she haphazardly packed her bags. Her nerves were shot. She needed to get out of there...Put all of this behind her.
As she reached for something on the night table, she caught a glimpse of a picture of Vaughn. She stopped her motion and simply stared at it.
Put him behind her.
Lauren had married Vaughn because she was ordered to, but she had fallen in love with him. It was the first time in her life that she had experienced love of any kind and he made her feel alive again..something she hadn't felt since she was a young child.
She had loved him, that was not an illusion. But his love for her had been. He had never been in love with her. He had never loved her the way a husband should love a wife... the way he loved Sydney.
He had committed the biggest deception of all...the biggest betrayal. He was the one who hadn't meant the words he spoke to her on their wedding day.
If this marriage was a sham, it wasn't because of her.
Her trembling hands picked up the frame. Tears were now streaming down her face, but she paid them no attention. She ran her fingers across the glass, her eyes looking into his. She whispered, "Why couldn't you have just loved me like you loved her?"
Her hands were shaking so badly that the frame fell from them onto the hardwood floor, the glass splintering into several pieces. On wobbly knees, she bent down to pick up the pieces.
The slamming of the front door caused her to cut herself. She looked at the blood pooling on the tip of her finger, the same one that still held her wedding ring.
She was suddenly reminded of that line from the Goo Goo Dolls' song "Iris".
And you bleed just to know you're alive.
Was she alive? She hadn't felt anything in months...not since Sydney had returned.
That part of her that had come alive for the first time after meeting Vaughn was gone again...dead.
Suddenly, she was ten years old again.living in that beautiful house of horrors, with all of its closets filled with her perfect father's skeletons. All the dirty little secrets of the great Senator Reed.
She had died at ten. Just given up. It was easier than feeling. Feeling meant hurting. She didn't want to hurt anymore. Numb was good. Cold was good.
She had made the mistake of feeling after she met Vaughn. She would never make that mistake again.
* * * *
Vaughn had a nearly invisible earpiece hidden in his ear, so that Jack and the tactical team could communicate with him. They would be able to hear everything. His job was simple: Unlock all the doors, keep her in the bedroom. Saying, "I'm going to get ready for bed now," would be the cue for the team to move in.
Vaughn quietly moved about the house, unlocking the front and back door. He then moved towards the master bedroom. He swallowed hard before plastering a smile on and entering.
The smile quickly faded when he saw Lauren on the floor with glass in front of her and her finger bleeding. He moved toward her, concerned, but guarded.
"Lauren, are you okay? What happened?"
It took her a few moments to even realize he was there. She shook her head violently, as if emerging from a trance, and looked up at him. "Oh, this? I'm fine. I just knocked it over when I was packing. I cut my finger a little cleaning it up."
"Well, you should go put something on it. I'll clean this up."
"I'm fine," she replied, standing up.
Vaughn looked at the mess of clothes and toiletry items scattered across the bed and the floor. He tried to act as if he hadn't been expecting it.
"Are you going somewhere? I thought you said you had a lot of work to do tonight and wouldn't be home till late."
She moved her eyes to the ground. "I did have a lot of work to do, but now I have to fly to Tokyo tonight. It just came up."
Vaughn figured he'd spare her from having to come up with a more detailed excuse. "How long will you be gone?"
She shrugged and began to fold some clothes. "There's no telling."
Vaughn simply stared at her while she folded. She could feel his eyes on her and turned towards him, "What?"
"Nothing," he said, his mouth forming a pursed smile.
She came closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
It took all of his strength not to vomit, the stench of her artificiality making him nauseous.
She slowly brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. He had to force himself to make some effort to respond.
She then pulled back and continued with her task of packing.
Vaughn took a deep breath, before saying quietly, "I'm going to get ready for bed now."
* * * *
"Go!" Jack directed the tactical team. All five immediately jumped out of the van and headed for the house. Two went in the front door, two in the second, with the fifth securing the perimeter of the house.
Sydney looked over at Jack, concern etched into her face. "She could have a weapon in there, you know. You might be endangering Vaughn's life."
"He's capable of taking care of himself, Sydney."
The four in the house walked quietly around it, before starting up the stairs to the master bedroom. As the last member of the team stepped on the final step before reaching the hallway, it creaked.
Lauren's head snapped in the direction of the door, her senses now keenly alert. She shot Vaughn a suspicious look.
He looked at her blankly, pretending he didn't hear anything. But she knew.
As if a mask had been torn from her face, her placid expression morphed into one of unbridled rage. Her eyes were now daggers aimed at Vaughn.
When she spoke, Vaughn expected her voice to explode in anger. Instead, it emerged oddly calm. "They're here," she stated simply.
Vaughn breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he could finally drop the act. "A team is in the house, Lauren. There's no where for you to run."
She smiled bitterly at him. "One last deception. One last betrayal. How poetic."
Vaughn's face twisted in confusion. "I deceived you? I betrayed you?"
"You're in love with another woman. There's no greater betrayal."
Vaughn shook his head. "This was never a marriage. I had no idea who you were. You even tried to kill me. Damn it, Lauren! This marriage never would have happened if you didn't work for The Covenant!"
Lauren looked at him for a long moment, face devoid of emotion. She moved so quickly he barely had time to react. In one swift motion, she pulled a semi-automatic out of her suitcase and aimed it at him. He was one-second behind her, removing his gun from the back of his waistband and pointing it at her.
"Call them off," she said. "Or I will kill you."
"It's over."
"Call them off!" she screamed. "I'm smart enough to realize you're wearing a vest, so I know where to shoot to kill. Your cute, wrinkly forehead should do just fine. You'll be dead before those little armed mice ever get in here. I'm a good shot. Trust me."
Vaughn glanced toward the doorway. The team had heard everything and now stood just outside the door.
Jack and Sydney sat in the van listening. Jack spoke to Vaughn, "You proceed as planned, Agent Vaughn."
Sydney squeezed her father's arm. "Dad! She's going to kill him!"
Jack shook free of her grip. "Stop it, Sydney! We will not give into the demands of a madwoman. Not ever again."
Sydney stared at her father worriedly. His past was clouding his judgment and she feared it could cost Vaughn his life.
Vaughn looked at Lauren. "Look, you kill me and you'll undoubtedly get the death penalty. You're not getting out of here either way. Our way, at least you have a chance."
"A chance? A chance for what? For a lifetime stay at one of your five-star concrete hells on earth? I'll pass."
"The team's not going anywhere, Lauren."
She grinned and cocked her gun. "Then I guess we'll do this the hard way."
Sydney turned to her father. "Call them off, Dad!"
Jack simply shook his head. Sydney reacted without thinking. Before Jack could stop her, she had hopped out of the van and headed toward the house.
"Sydney!" Jack yelled after her. He then spoke into the headset, "Be aware, Agent Bristow has gone against orders and entered the premises."
Vaughn tried to hide the surprise and fear he felt at hearing Sydney was headed toward this from Lauren.
Sydney spotted the master bedroom from the ground. There was a rain gutter that ran up beside the French doors that opened onto a small balcony. She quickly climbed the gutter and jumped onto the balcony. Crouching, she pulled her gun from her waistband and looked inside. Lauren and Vaughn stood opposite each other. The bed was all that stood between her and Lauren. She had a clear shot. Sydney brought her gun up and aimed.
At that moment, Lauren's head snapped in the direction of the doors. She smiled, noticing Sydney's huddled form. In one quick motion, she aimed the gun at the doors and sent glass flying.
Vaughn turned toward the balcony. "Sydney," he whispered.
Sydney slowly stood up. Lauren grinned at her, "Drop your gun, sweetie."
Sydney did as she was told. Lauren then gestured with her gun for her to go stand by Vaughn. "Go ahead. I'd hate to keep you two star- crossed lovers apart any longer."
Sydney rushed to Vaughn's side. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, but kept his gun aimed at Lauren.
"Are you okay?" Sydney asked.
Vaughn spoke without removing his eyes from Lauren's figure. "I'd be better if you hadn't just put yourself in harm's way."
"I wasn't going to just leave you in here to die."
Lauren rolled her eyes. "How very touching." Suddenly, her eyes brightened and she moved her gun slightly to the right, so it was now aimed at Sydney's forehead.
"Well, well, well. It looks as if Super Girl just made things a whole lot more interesting."
"Leave her out of this. This isn't about her, Lauren," Vaughn said sharply.
Lauren laughed...a cold, hollow laugh. "Of course it's about her. It's always been about her. Now, dear husband, put your gun down or I'll put a hole in her perfect little forehead." She paused and then added, "I promise you. I am faster than you...and I won't miss."
Vaughn slowly put his gun down.
In the van, Jack threw his headset to the ground, realizing that he had complied without having to see it. "Damn it, Sydney!"
Lauren smiled at Sydney. "Well, I think I just found my ticket out of here. But I think you'll be surprised what I have in mind." She paused before demanding, "Come here."
Vaughn tightened his grip on Sydney's waist, but she managed to wriggle free. "Syd, no," he breathed.
She smiled gently and squeezed his hand in hers. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."
Lauren moved toward them, her patience growing thin. She grabbed Sydney roughly by the arm and then spoke to Vaughn. "Get out of here and take your friends with you. I'm waiting fifteen minutes before we go anywhere. If I even think you've followed us or tried to track us somehow, I will not hesitate to kill her."
Vaughn looked at Sydney one last time, before reluctantly exiting the room.
Lauren grinned at Sydney. "Isn't this nice? Just us girls."
* * * *
Vaughn threw the door open to the van and was met with Jack's angry face. "You let that situation get out of hand in there!"
Vaughn's face grew red, coming close to matching Jack's. "This was handled incorrectly from the start, Jack, and you know it!" He paused to take a breath and then spoke more calmly. "Look, none of that matters now. All that matters is that we get Sydney back unharmed. Lauren said not to track-..."
"I know what she said, Agent Vaughn! But you and I both know that I cannot allow her to take my daughter to points unknown without having someway of tracking them."
"Lauren said she will kill Sydney if she even suspects you have, Jack."
"She's planning on killing her either way. This is our only chance. I've already placed an undetectable tracking device underneath her car."
"Undetectable? You're sure?"
Jack looked as if he detested the question, but nodded anyway. "I've been assured by Marshall."
Vaughn sat back in his seat and sighed. He rubbed at his face as he spoke. "We have to go. Let's get out of here."
* * * *
Fifteen minutes later, Lauren and Sydney emerged from the house. Sydney was now blindfolded and her hands were handcuffed behind her back. Lauren pushed her toward the car and then shoved her in the back seat.
She then moved to the driver's seat, got in and began to drive. Sydney didn't believe for one-second that her father would allow her to leave with Lauren without having a tracking device. Apparently, Lauren didn't have anything to properly check for one since she had not searched the car. Still, she counted how much time passed and listened for any significant sounds she could use to locate her if she had to.
Thirty minutes later, the car stopped moving. Lauren got out, opened the back door and yanked Sydney by the arm to remove her. She then pushed her forward a few yards and helped her maneuver down a flight of steep concrete steps. They were going underground. Sydney could hear Lauren unlatching a big, heavy door. She then shoved Sydney ahead and closed the door behind them. The air inside was cold, still and musty. It felt like a basement to her.
They moved twenty or so more feet and then Lauren pushed her down into a cold, steel chair. Sydney immediately wiggled around in it, finding it to be immovable. Lauren placed Sydney's handcuffed hands behind the chair and then chained her chest to it. She then placed ankle cuffs she found near by around her ankles and chained her legs to the chair. Sydney couldn't have moved if she wanted to. The entire time, Lauren had a gun pressed against some part of her body.
Finally, Lauren removed the blindfold. It took Sydney a moment to adjust to the darkness. They were in a concrete room about 30 by 30. The only furnishing was the chair Sydney sat in. It was dark except for a lone light bulb that hung from the low ceiling.
Sydney licked her dry lips and swallowed before speaking. "Where are we?"
Lauren shrugged, seemingly willing to give up this information. "The basement of a Covenant safe house."
"Why are we here? If you were going to kill me, you could have just done it at your house."
Lauren smiled. "Now what would be the fun in that? No, that would be too quick. I want you to suffer from the waiting a little bit. You know, like I have all these months...just waiting for my husband to turn his back on me for you."
Sydney's eyes narrowed. "This isn't about your marriage, Lauren. This is about betraying your country."
Lauren laughed. "I've always felt more like a British gal anyway."
Sydney looked at her for a long moment, realizing something. "You don't plan on getting out of here alive, do you?"
Lauren's jaw tightened. "The Almighty Sydney, Queen of the Know-It- Alls."
"It's true, right? If you really wanted to escape, you could have just left me. You could have found another car. You know as well as I do that that car has a tracking device. You didn't even bother checking, not that it would have mattered. I'm sure it's undetectable. My father and Vaughn will be here soon and that's exactly how you wanted it."
Lauren's eyes met hers. "I was going to disappear, but I realize now that would have been foolish. There is no disappearing from this life. The Covenant would find me. They would kill me. If I'm going to die, I'd rather do it on my terms. I'd rather have a little fun first."
Sydney simply stared at her. When you go up against someone with nothing to lose, you're always at a disadvantage.
* * * *
Jack and Vaughn pulled up in front of the Ranch-style house. They spotted Lauren's car parked in the gravel driveway.
"The basement. It looks like there is a basement to the right of the car. That's where they must be."
Vaughn shook his head. "Something's not right. She parked her car right out in front, made no effort to hide it. She wants us to come. She's waiting for us."
"I'm going in," Jack stated, as if it were a forgone conclusion.
"No, Jack, this is about me. This isn't going to end without me."
Jack sighed heavily. "Fine."
He then watched Vaughn leave the van and head toward the basement entrance. Vaughn quickly made his way down the steps and opened the door. Unlocked. She was definitely waiting for him. This is how she wanted it to be. Not at their house. That would be neutral territory. This was her territory now. She felt as if she had home field advantage.
His eyes soon adjusted to the darkness. Gun drawn, he made his way toward a faint light. As he got closer, he could make out two forms. Sydney sat chained to a chair and Lauren stood next to her, gun aimed at her head.
He finally stopped when he was about 20 feet away from them. Lauren turned to him and smiled. "We've been waiting for you. I'm so glad you could make it."
"Let her go, Lauren. I'm here now. This is what you really wanted."
She laughed, low and haunting. "Oh, honey, you're so amusing. And here I was thinking Weiss was the funny one."
Vaughn looked at Sydney sitting there helpless and his heart nearly broke. This was all because of him. She could die because of him. This incredibly strong woman was now forced to depend on someone else to decide her fate...and he was to blame.
Lauren pressed the gun into Sydney's temple. She then turned in Vaughn's direction. He stared ahead, gun trained on her.
"What do you want, Lauren?"
She smiled, "I want you to make a choice, Michael. I plan to kill her. There is no doubt about that. But, in the name of fairness, I will give you a chance to save the love of your life. It's a game, really. I want to see what kind of man I married."
Vaughn stared at his wife as if she were a stranger. The woman he had come to know, even love to some degree, had been an illusion. Little more than a brilliant pretense. The illusion was no longer. The woman who looked at him now with cold, calculating eyes was someone he had never met before.
His jaw tightened, his gaze only moving off Lauren's for a moment to lock eyes with Sydney. He could tell she was putting up a brave front, she always did, but if you looked deep into her eyes you could see how truly frightened she was. And, here he was, holding her fate in his hands.
"What are you talking about, Lauren?"
She smiled sadistically. "I thought you'd never ask. I will give you a chance to save her life. It's simple really. All you have to do is kill me first."
Vaughn's eyes grew wide. He swallowed hard, but tightened his grip on the gun. "What do you mean?"
"I will count to ten, complete with those Mississippis you real Americans are so fond of. When I reach one, I will pull the trigger, blowing your dear, sweet Sydney's brains all over the place. All you have to do is pull your trigger first. You have to kill me."
Vaughn could feel the sweat begin to trail down his face. He was dying to wipe it away, but didn't dare move a muscle. It took a moment for her words to register. She wanted him to kill her. What was she up to?
"How can I be sure you won't just pull the trigger anyway?"
"A deal's a deal. I always keep my word."
"Why, Lauren? Why not just kill Sydney?"
She grinned at him now. "I told you. I want to see what kind of man I married. Did I marry a man who could kill his own wife to save his love? I suppose I'm morbidly curious."
"So, that's it? You're just willing to sacrifice your life to satisfy your curiosity?"
Lauren's grin disappeared and her tone suddenly softened. "Well, it seems I no longer have anything to lose, so why not?"
Vaughn looked at her for a long moment, noting something in her tone. "The woman I'm looking at right now is not my wife. What makes you think this is even a choice?"
Vaughn could see her eyes narrow. He even thought he detected a hint of pain at his words.
"I never had a chance, did I?" she said bitingly, but with a vulnerability she couldn't hide.
Vaughn looked at her for a long moment, her words making him realize something. "You really loved me, didn't you? At least for a time."
Lauren's eyes moved to the ground, before meeting his again. "Nothing mattered after she came back."
Lauren jammed the barrel into Sydney's temple, causing her to wince.
Vaughn took a deep breath. "So, you're willing to die now?"
"I told you. I have nothing to lose."
And it was the truth. Sydney changed everything. He would never really be hers. Once she realized that, nothing else mattered. She could orchestrate his death with little apprehension. She could die. She was ready. She was willing.
Now, she just wanted to see if he had any real feelings for her. Could he do it? Could he kill her?
Lauren shook her head roughly. "Look, enough talking. You have a decision to make."
Vaughn looked at Sydney, trying to communicate with his eyes that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She slowly blinked her eyes in response.
"Do it," Jack said in his ear. "Take the shot."
He looked at Lauren. "Start counting, but forget the Mississippis. I see no need to prolong this."
Lauren pressed the barrel of her gun into Sydney's temple. Sydney sat staring straight ahead at Vaughn, her arms and legs tied to the immovable chair. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, but she swore she wouldn't let Lauren see how scared she was. She wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.
Lauren could feel her throat begin to tighten. Somewhere deep down inside, she hadn't believed it would actually come to this. Yet, here she was...daring her husband to kill her in order to save his one true love.
"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two..."
Lauren was just about to form the last word, her finger beginning to apply pressure to the trigger, when Vaughn pulled his trigger. The bullet pierced the still air of the concrete room. He watched as it hit the arm holding the gun, causing her to yell out in pain and drop the weapon. She then fell to the ground, clutching her wounded arm.
Vaughn rushed to the two women, picking Lauren's gun up and placing it in his waistband. He then quickly knelt in front of Sydney.
"Are you okay?"
She managed a small smile. "I am now."
He caressed her cheek for a moment, before moving his gaze to Lauren, who still lay on the ground, moaning in pain.
He moved to her. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you kill me?"
He looked at her for a long moment before saying, "How do you kill someone who's not really alive?"
Lauren simply stared at him. She was already dead in every other sense, why couldn't he have just put her out of her misery? Why couldn't he do that one last thing for her?
A moment later, Jack and the tactical team entered the building and apprehended Lauren. The team left with her and then Jack worked on freeing Sydney. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"
Sydney nodded. "I'm fine, Dad."
When he finished freeing her, Sydney stood up and hugged him. She then moved to Vaughn, practically falling into his arms. She buried her head in the crook his neck and clung to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"I thought I was going to lose you again," he whispered.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said with a smile, as she pulled back, tears now falling down her cheeks.
He returned the smile and then lifted his thumb up to wipe away a tear from her cheek.
* * * *
Hours later, Jack made his way to Lauren's cell, the same one Irina had inhabited. Lauren approached the glass, as Jack came to stand in front of her.
"How lovely of you to visit, Jack."
"I came to inform you that in the morning you will be thoroughly debriefed."
"I have nothing to say."
"If you hope to avoid the death penalty, then I suggest coming up with something."
"Death penalty," she repeated, unconcerned.
"It's a definite possibility. We have yet to determine all of your illegal activities, but the list is already quite long and damaging."
She offered him a wide grin. "The death penalty. Just what I wanted."
Jack simply shook his head. He then turned on his heel to leave.
"It couldn't have been easy reliving your past. You must see Irina when you look at me. You must see every mistake you made."
Jack slowly turned around to face her. "You know what I see when I look at you? I see a damaged woman. A woman who has nothing left to live for. No wonder Vaughn never really fell in love with you. You can't even compare to my daughter. I pity you."
Lauren stared at him stone-faced and then watched him go.
* * * *
Vaughn now stood where Jack had an hour before. Lauren rose and walked over to him.
"I hope I didn't pull you away from anything important. I know it's late or early, depending on how you look at it. I hope I didn't interrupt any activities with Sydney."
"We've been here, sorting through your mess."
"You always have been a tireless worker, even when you were that pathetic professor."
"You asked to see me, Lauren. Get to the point or I'm leaving," he replied sharply.
Lauren looked at him for a long moment, before finally speaking. "I just wanted to wish you and Sydney well."
Vaughn scoffed at that. "Spare me."
"No, I mean it. I hope you live happily ever after with your perfect little spy. You can have perfect little kids, live in a perfect little house with a perfect little white picket fence and a perfect little dog."
Vaughn curled his lips in disgust. "I didn't do this, Lauren. I was committed to you...to our marriage."
She shook her head. "But your heart was somewhere else. Admit it, a part of you is happy this happened because now you can be with Sydney. You should be thanking me."
Vaughn thought for a moment and then offered her a smile. "You're right, I should thank you. Thank you for making me realize exactly what I was missing. I won't waste another moment."
Vaughn offered his wife one last look before leaving. Lauren watched him go until he disappeared from view. She then moved to the cot, sat down with her back against the wall and pulled her knees up to her chest.
There were no tears. There was nothing but emptiness. She was dead.
* * * *
Vaughn and Sydney pulled up in front of her house. He turned off the ignition and moved in his seat to face Sydney.
She smiled at him. "It's been a long time since we did this."
He nodded, but bowed his head. "Lauren accused me of being grateful this happened...That I'm happy because now we can be together."
Sydney stared at him, but remained silent. He raised his eyes up to hers. "And you know what? She's right. That's the worst part of this. A piece of me is so happy. How twisted is that?"
Sydney touched his hand. "It's not twisted. It's human."
He shook his head. "I tried so hard to fight this. I was determined not to hurt Lauren, to honor my commitment. But she saw what I wasn't willing to. It was never going to work. No matter who Lauren really was, it never would have worked." He paused and then sighed, lowering his head, "I wish I had just realized that earlier. I wasted so much time caring about this woman I didn't even really know. We wasted all these months, Sydney. I'm sorry."
Sydney touched his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Another day," she said softly, mirroring his words from more than two years earlier.
The moment was not lost on him. He smiled, but it soon faded. "I never told you this before, but I regretted not going in with you that night. I felt something...something inside of me said to go inside, but I ignored it. I dismissed it as paranoia." He stopped and looked into her eyes, his voice emerging softly. "I won't make the same mistake twice."
Sydney smiled and took his hand in hers. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
* * * *
Vaughn followed Sydney into the house. He looked around, taking in the surroundings. He then smiled at her. "I think I like this one even better."
She returned the smile. "Me too." She then gestured to the bathroom. "I'm going to go take a bath."
Vaughn watched her go, before heading to the kitchen. He found a bottle of wine and then located a glass. He poured some in and then moved toward the bathroom.
Sydney smiled as he approached, handing her the glass and sitting down beside her.
They'd done this so many times before. It was surreal. Since her return, they'd felt so uncomfortable around each other. They didn't know how to be around each other.
But, now, they seemed to step right back into the past without any problem. It was as if nothing had ever changed. This still felt so right.
Vaughn brought his hand up and cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and let the feeling his touch stirred in her wash over her. She wondered how she had lived without this for so long.
"Can I tell you something?" she finally said.
A nod was his response and she went on, "When we were facing that firing squad in North Korea, just waiting for the end, I looked at you and I felt at peace. I accepted it and a part of me was actually content because I knew that at least now we could be together." She paused, her face reddening in embarrassment. "I know, it's ridiculous to be thinking that as you're about to die?"
Vaughn shook his head. "No, it's not. I was thinking the same thing."
Sydney smiled and covered his hand with hers, before bringing it up to her lips. She kissed it softly.
They stayed like that for a long time, simply enjoying the feeling of finally being together again.
* * * *
Sometime later, Sydney wandered into the bedroom, a towel in her hand that she was using to dry her hair. Vaughn hovered in the doorway and watched her. She could feel his eyes on her and turned around to face him. She smiled.
He swallowed hard and gestured toward the front door. "I guess I better get going."
Sydney walked towards him, nearly closing the distance between them. "I don't want to be alone tonight. I've spent too many nights without you."
He simply stared at her and didn't resist when she took his hand in hers and led him toward the bed. She climbed onto the bed and faced away from him. She then stretched out her arm back to him.
"Hold me," she breathed, nearly inaudibly.
Vaughn took a deep breath before climbing onto the bed. He glided in behind her, pressing his body up against hers and wrapping an arm around her waist. She moved her left hand up and linked her fingers with his. She then moved his arm so that it wrapped around her upper body. She'd always loved feeling his strong arms around her.
Vaughn placed a soft kiss on her neck, before resting his head next to hers.
Sydney didn't move as she spoke, her whisper piercing the still air. "I told you we'd find each other."
Vaughn simply smiled and pulled her even closer to him.
Things were finally the way they should be. It wasn't how it should have gone, but it had happened.
They had come full circle.
*******************************THE END*******************************
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph