INT. A HOSPITAL (ROME) - CONTINUED

Although Sydney is no longer there Weiss is.

WEISS
Sorry, man, it's just me.

Vaughn is confused.

VAUGHN
Eric? What are you doing here?

WEISS
Kendall sent me.

VAUGHN
Kendall? But how did he...

WEISS
When a CIA agent gets beaten up they tend to worry. They sent me to make sure that an enemy agent didn't assault you.

Vaughn is still a bit out of it after his talk with Syd. He's looking around for evidence she was even there so his response is distracted.

VAUGHN
Oh... I didn't even think about that.

Weiss looks at his friend with concern.

WEISS
No. I doubt you did. (beat) Mike, what the hell are you doing?

Vaughn looks back at his friend with a sigh.

VAUGHN
That seems to be the question of the day, doesn't it?

Weiss doesn't know what he's talking about so Vaughn answers his question.

VAUGHN
I don't know. (beat) Actually that's not entirely true. I do know. I just haven't wanted to admit it to myself.

He looks at Weiss with sadness and fatigue.

VAUGHN
I miss her so much.

Now Weiss understands.

WEISS
I know you do.

Weiss smiles at him.

WEISS
But, hey, it's probably a good thing that she isn't here cause you know what she'd do if she was.

VAUGHN
Kick my ass for being an idiot and getting into a bar fight?

WEISS
Damn straight. (beat) What was the fight about anyway?

VAUGHN
I don't even know how I ended up at the bar let along how the fight started. Why don't you ask the other guy?

WEISS
He didn't know either.

He looks at Vaughn's face.

WEISS
Well, at least you got a nice shiner out of the deal.

VAUGHN
Yeah, but how does the other guy look?

WEISS
I'd love to tell you that he's still unconscious in the next room after the sound beating you gave him but he pretty much walked away from the whole thing. After the local CIA station chief scared the crap out of him while questioning the poor guy they released him.

VAUGHN
I take it he wasn't an enemy agent then.

WEISS
Nope. Just a florist.

VAUGHN
A florist?! I got the crap beaten out of me by a florist?

WEISS
Well if it makes you feel any better he was the biggest meanest looking florist I've ever seen.

VAUGHN
Aww, hell. (beat) So I guess Kendall's pretty pissed at me.

WEISS
Oh, yeah. He wants me to bring you in for a disciplinary hearing

VAUGHN
I took an indefinite leave of absence.

WEISS
But technically you're still CIA.

Vaughn gets serious.

VAUGHN
Maybe I should do something to change that.

Weiss doesn't like that one bit.

WEISS
Mike, all you've ever wanted to do was work for the Agency. Maybe you should think about this for a while first.

VAUGHN
What do you think I've been doing for the last few months? There's nothing left at the CIA for me.

That hurts. Vaughn realizes what he said and we can tell he feels bad.

VAUGHN
Other than my friends. But still, I just don't see the point in going back. My dad gave his life to the Agency and all it did was get him killed. And now I've given most of my life to them and for what? Yeah, I found his killer but they already knew and then they let her go.

WEISS
What about Sydney?

Vaughn just looks at Weiss with an expression that conveys all his frustration, pain, and grief. It's a look that says, "Exactly."

WEISS
Alright, so don't come back to the CIA. But now what? Time for some more drinking while getting beat up by freakishly large Italian florists?

VAUGHN
No. I have to move on. If for no other reason than Syd would want me to. It's just hard to imagine my life outside the CIA, especially without her. (beat) You know she considered quitting once. I couldn't figure out why. I mean, given everything she'd been through it made sense that she'd want to get out but it was hard to reconcile that with how amazing she was in the field. And I know there were times when she loved it. Despite nearly getting killed practically every week.

WEISS
I remember. Some of the stunts she'd pull...

VAUGHN
Tell me about it. And she wondered why I couldn't sleep when she was on a mission. (beat) But I think the thought of leaving was always there. I still remember the day she told me she was graduating from college. She worked so hard to get that degree when it would have been so much easier to just give it up, finish it later.

WEISS
Did she ever say why she did it?

VAUGHN
She needed a light at the end of the tunnel, something to tell her that someday she would have a life outside of all this. She was so tired when she told me. We'd just taken down SD-6 and she was done. She just wanted to be a teacher and live a normal life.

WEISS
Sydney Bristow living a normal life? She'd get bored in a week.

VAUGHN
That's what I told her. But I think she could've really enjoyed it, the honest uncomplicated existence that kind of life would give her. I was so used to seeing her in the field that it wasn't until we started dating that I realized she had this whole other side to her. This adorably goofy normal side that loved all the simple pleasures in life like a quiet afternoon reading good a book. After that I could just imagine her standing up there introducing her students to her favorite novels and authors. She always looked so happy and peaceful when she would read. And she was constantly sharing her favorite passages with me.

Vaughn smiles thoughtfully.

VAUGHN
Maybe that's what I should do.

WEISS
What? Become an English teacher? When was the last time you even read a book?

VAUGHN
Gee, your confidence in me is overwhelming. Actually if I taught anything it would be French. My mom taught me when I was a kid and she showed me all these little memory aids that I could use with my students. It could be fun.

WEISS
I guess if that's what you really want to do...

VAUGHN
I'm not sure. It's just an idea. But I know I can't keep doing this.

WEISS
Does that mean you're coming back to LA?

VAUGHN
I'll come back for a visit but I think I might try to find something over here and see where that goes. Although I don't even know how to become a teacher or if I can so I'll have to look into that first. And, you know, there's Kendall.

WEISS
You let me worry about Kendall.

VAUGHN
Thanks.

WEISS
No worries. I'm just glad to have you back.

VAUGHN
Yeah. Me too.

CUT TO:

INT. SYDNEY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUED

Syd is overwhelmed by all this and can't sit still any longer. Vaughn just watches her pace around the room, letting her absorb what he's just told her. She looks at him and starts to say something but then she turns back to her pacing. Finally she faces him again.

SYDNEY
That's what you meant when you said I was the reason you moved on.

VAUGHN
Pretty much. I don't know if it was a dream or a hallucination or what. I'd talked to you before but that was the only time you ever talked back. I thought I was going crazy. Maybe I was. It doesn't really matter. You or whatever told me exactly what I needed to hear. Cause if I hadn't found a way to get on with my life... I don't think I would've lasted much longer.

He smiles.

VAUGHN
And then I wouldn't have been able to see you again. That's why I don't regret moving on.

Syd is still trying to process everything.

SYDNEY
And that's why you became a teacher? Because of me?

VAUGHN
It just felt right. And it reminded me of you, which thankfully was no longer a bad thing. You know, I didn't teach for all that long but I actually enjoyed it. I can see why you wanted to do it.

Syd sits down with a dejected look in her eyes.

SYDNEY
Yeah. Although it look like that's never going to happen.

VAUGHN
You don't know that. Look how fast we brought down SD-6.

SYDNEY
But it didn't stop with SD-6. It still hasn't stopped. And I'm beginning to wonder if it ever will.

Vaughn moves over and sits next to her on the couch. He puts his hand on hers.

VAUGHN
Syd, I thought you were dead. I was certain I would never see you again. And then one phone call and a plane ride to Hong Kong and there you were. (beat) As far as I'm concerned nothing is impossible.

She looks down at his hand on hers. It's his left one.

SYDNEY
Some things still are.