INT. VAUGHN'S STUDY - LATE NIGHT

Vaughn is passed out on a stack of papers on his desk. He's snoring lightly when the phone starts ringing. He sleepily answers the phone. We stay on Vaughn throughout the conversation.

VAUGHN
Yeah...

We hear Weiss on the other end. He sounds uncertain.

WEISS
Mike, it's Eric.

That wakes Vaughn up a little. He looks at the clock. It's 3 in the morning.

VAUGHN
What's wrong? Did something happen to Lauren?

WEISS
No. It's not Lauren. It's Sydney.

Now Vaughn is really awake.

VAUGHN
Sydney? What the hell are you talking about?

WEISS
She's alive. At least we think she is.

VAUGHN
What?! How? Where?

WEISS
She just called in from Hong Kong. Kendall directed her to the safe house.

VAUGHN
Kendall? But he transferred out of the division.

WEISS
She used an old code that still had a protocol to pass her on to Kendall.

VAUGHN
Are we sure it's her?

WEISS
I'm looking at video right now and it's either her or...

VAUGHN
They've somehow created another double.

WEISS
We don't have the tech to do an ocular scan over there but they did debrief her. Mike, she doesn't know how she got there and the last thing she remembers was fighting Allison.

VAUGHN
But that was two years ago. What the hell is going on?

WEISS
I don't know. But Dixon wants you to go and pick her up.

VAUGHN
Me? I'm not on active duty. And besides, I'd think Jack would already be on his way.

WEISS
Lauren never told you?

VAUGHN
Told me what? She never talks about work. Why? What happened? Is he okay? He's not dead, is he?

WEISS
No, he's just, um, unavailable.

VAUGHN
Unavailable? His daughter might be alive and he's unavailable?

WEISS
Look, I can't tell you anymore than that. Dixon wants you in the air in less than an hour.

VAUGHN
Eric, I don't know about this.

WEISS
We've got a video of her debrief and physically she seems okay but... Mike, she's scared. I mean it she is absolutely terrified. Dixon and I can't go cause of our responsibilities here and we don't want to send someone she doesn't know...

Vaughn sighs.

VAUGHN
Which leaves me. (beat) She's really that scared?

WEISS
I've never seen her like this.

Vaughn thinks about it. We can tell he wants to go and help her but one question is holding him back.

VAUGHN
But what if it's not her? Eric, I can't go over there thinking it's her and then find out...

WEISS
I know. But what if it is?

Vaughn knows he doesn't have a choice.

VAUGHN
I'll go. I'll know if it's her when I get there. See you in 30 minutes.

CUT TO:

INT. SYDNEY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUED

Sydney and Vaughn are still sitting next to each other on the couch and Syd is looking at him with new understanding.

SYDNEY
You didn't think it was me?

VAUGHN
I couldn't let myself think it was you. If I did and it wasn't it'd be like losing you all over again. I had to keep my distance until I knew for sure.

SYDNEY
That's why you were acting so weird.

VAUGHN
That and I was in shock. When I first saw you... I wanted so badly to believe it was you. But then you beat me up and made a run for it.

Syd looks down sheepishly.

SYDNEY
Yeah, sorry about that.

VAUGHN
It's okay. You were kinder than my friend the Italian florist. But when you did that it made me wonder. It wasn't until after I shot you - which I want to apologize for...

SYDNEY
It's okay. You had to do it.

VAUGHN
I know. But that didn't make it any easier. And then when you turned around you had this look on your face... That's when I knew without a doubt that it was you. I felt sick.

Syd gives him a reassuring smile.

SYDNEY
Vaughn, it's really okay. I hit you, choked you, and kicked you. Let's just call it even.

Vaughn laughs and rubs his chest.

VAUGHN
I had no idea how hard you could kick. I swear your leg was like a piston. The way you handed me my ass should have probably convinced me it was you.

SYDNEY
Well, apparently that's not all that hard to do.

Vaughn gives her a good-natured glare. She gets serious.

SYDNEY
Sorry. (beat) As you probably noticed, I wasn't sure it was you, either. Not until Dixon told me when I woke up in the hospital. Truthfully, I didn't want to believe it was you, that my Vaughn would get married without me.

She says it all without anger or recrimination but it still hurts.

VAUGHN
Sorry.

SYDNEY
You thought I was dead. That's really all there is to say.

VAUGHN
No, it's not.

He takes a deep breath and starts talking very much like he did in the Flirting Corner.

VAUGHN
Syd, I spent the entire ride back on the plane sitting next to you. I couldn't believe it. I thought I'd lost you forever and there you were. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I could hardly breathe. I kept waiting to wake up and find you gone like I always did. But I didn't. It was really you, the one person that meant more than anything to me, and you were okay.

SYDNEY
Vaughn...

VAUGHN
No, I need to say this. And you need to hear it. I know I haven't acted like it. I know I've been distant. But I'm tired and I can't do it anymore. I can't keep pretending that getting you back isn't the best thing that has ever happened to me. There hasn't been a day since I lost you that I haven't desperately wished for just one more second with you. Syd, I've missed you every second of every day ever since I dropped you off at your house two years ago.

She's just as surprised at hearing this in real life as she was in his dream.

SYDNEY
You have?

VAUGHN
Of course I have. And I am so sorry for making you doubt that. I love you, Syd. I always have and I always will.

Syd is obviously excited to hear this but her face falls when she remembers their situation.

SYDNEY
Vaughn, please... We can't...

VAUGHN
Look, I'm not suggesting anything. I couldn't do that. Not to Lauren. And certainly not to you. You deserve so much more than that, so much more than me.

Syd can't stand watching him beat himself up over this.

SYDNEY
Vaughn, you didn't do anything wrong.

VAUGHN
Yes, I did. I've been pushing you away ever since you came back, making you feel like I didn't care about you when I never stopped. But I've been too afraid to do anything because every time I see you it's like the last two years haven't happened and I want to pick right back up where we left off.

She starts to object.

VAUGHN
I know. We can't. But everything we had, everything we were, was based on our friendship. I knew that you would be there for me and I promised myself that I would always be there for you. I miss that and I want to try and get it back.

SYDNEY
What about Lauren?

VAUGHN
This isn't about Lauren.

SYDNEY
Vaughn, she's your wife.

VAUGHN
And you're my best friend. (quietly) At least you used to be. (beat) Now I know I made a commitment to Lauren but I made one to you too. It's like I told you last night, you've got my number and I will always be your ally.

SYDNEY
And like I told you last night, I don't know if I can be just friends with you.

VAUGHN
Neither do I. And I know it's going to be hard. But when has anything between us been easy? We had to fight for what we had. It was hard but we did it because we knew that in the end it'd be worth it. I have to believe that that's still the case.

SYDNEY
You're right. We struggled to get where we were. But look at where we are. What did we get? A few months? And then what?

VAUGHN
I wouldn't trade those months with you for anything.

She looks at him with infinite anguish in her eyes.

SYDNEY
Neither would I. But they're over. We're over. And as much as I miss you, as much as I would love to be your friend, I can't ignore the way I feel. It used to be that whenever I was sad or tired or angry all it took was the sound of your voice, the touch of your hand, the look in your eye, and I could believe that it was going to be okay. That's not how it is anymore. Now, when I look at you, all I see is everything I've lost.

Vaughn can't believe what he's hearing.

VAUGHN
Syd, you haven't lost me. I'm still here.

She looks at his hand again.

SYDNEY
Except now you're wearing that ring.