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Chapter Nine:

Face to Face

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The wind was stirring from the north, it raced over her skin, swirling the skirts of her dress around her legs. They stood together at the harbor, hand in hand, watching the boats come in. Sydney felt naked in the dress, exposed out in the open, she gripped Vaughn's hand tighter and he drew her close to his side.

"What time is it?" She asked, bringing his wrist up to look at his watch. "Almost six, is that our ferry?" She nodded to the ship coming into the harbor in front of them and Vaughn glanced around.

"Yeah, I think so. You ready?" He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and turned to her questioningly. Sydney nodded and glanced around quickly, searching for any suspicious behaviour.

Her eyes landed on a blonde woman approaching them from a distance. She was staring straight at them, garbed in black, Sydney could see a lump at her side beneath her jacket. Her hand rested easily on the holster of the gun and when she met Sydney's eyes, she smiled. It was a cruel smile that almost froze her to the bone.

"Vaughn," she whispered his name without thinking, frozen to the spot. Her hand slipped to her side, where her gun was strapped securely against her thigh. He glanced at her, alarmed by the way she spoke his name, the sudden way she stiffened at his side.

"What is it?" He followed her gaze and saw the woman, striding ever more rapidly now. Her gun had slipped into her hand and she looked at him, smiling even wider. Her expression twisted now to one of perverse lust and Sydney growled low in her throat. Vaughn averted his eyes from the woman and looked to Sydney, the woman he would die to protect. Gripping her hand even tighter, he led her to the ferry awaiting them.

"Just keep going, Syd. I'm not going to let her hurt you."

The two of them strode quickly onto the boat, handing their tickets to the man at the bottom of the ramp calmly, as if they weren't running for their lives. Neither turned back to see the woman break into a run, toward the ferry.

They got on board the ship and quickly moved to the other end. Sydney reached beneath her dress, slipping her gun into her hand and Vaughn did the same for the gun beneath his jacket. Hands clasped tightly, they ducked behind behind the boarding passengers and made their way up to the second level of the ship. At the far end, they crouched beside the railing, hidden by a tall pillar and watched the incoming passengers board the ship.

"Did you recognize her?" Vaughn asked, catching his breath as they slid to a stop beside the railing. Sydney shook her head and tightened her grip on her gun.

"No but she recognized me, and you. Covenant assasins will stop at nothing to catch their prey." Sydney's eyes darkened, memories washing over her briefly at the thought. Vaughn traced his fingers along the palm of her hand, soothing the pain that surged up in her.

"There she is," Sydney whispered. The blonde woman had boarded the boat, glancing around as if in wonder. Several other passengers spoke to her and she threw back her head in laughter. The gun had been slipped back into the holster, concealed by the dark jacket she wore. She had slipped into the role of naïve tourist, delighted by everything around her. Sydney gritted her teeth, it was the same role she and Vaughn were playing at that very moment. She cocked her gun and leveled it between the bars of the railing. Closing one eye, she struggled to gain a precise mark on the woman, but too many other tourists swarmed around her.

"Godammit," Sydney cursed under breath. "She's using the crowd as a human shield. I can't get a clear hit."

Vaughn glanced around and saw several other passengers coming up the stairs to the second level. His hand slipped over Sydney's and he eased the gun down to her side. "Put it away," he whispered. "We can't risk being arrested."

Sydney gritted her teeth and slipped the gun back under her skirt, securing it firmly to her thigh. The two of them stood quickly, embracing one another, appearing as two loves, enjoying a cruise. Several passengers walked by them, giving them knowing looks. Sydney buried her head in Vaughn's chest. "Can you see her?"

"Yes," he breathed. "She hasn't spotted us yet but its only a matter of time."

His words were drowned out by the sound of a whistle screaming through the air. The captain was speaking over the intercom and the boat was pushing away from the harbor. They stood now on a ship full of innocent people and one very lethal enemy.

Vaughn's eyes skipped over the parts of the boat, searching for an empty space. The ferry was fairly large and most of the people were cloistered on one end, waving goodbye to those on shore. The other end of the boat was empty. Vaughn slipped one hand around Sydney's waist and guided her down the steps to the empty part.

Vaughn's eyes followed the blonde woman as she moved to the opposite end, her eyes scanning the crowd for them. Quickly, they slipped by her gaze and ducked out of her line of sight.

The two of them stood at the railing of the ship, the ocean roaring below them. Concealed by several large pillars, each slipped their gun back into their hands. Vaughn nodded to Sydney and they turned away from one another, glancing furtively into the corners of the ship.

"I don't see her," Sydney whispered. Her dark eyes slid over the empty boat. The sun was low behind her, casting her shadow on the deck before her. Turning back to Vaughn, she froze, finger tensing on the trigger of the gun.

Vaughn stood frozen, eyes fixed on her, pleading. Lauren Reed gripped his throat with one hand, the other hand held the muzzle of her gun to his temple. Sydney forced herself to breathe.

"Put it down," Lauren ordered. Sydney noted the English accent and the cocky way her words slipped out. This woman was not accustomed to failure, it was both a strength and a weakness.

Sydney didn't move, her gun remained trained on Lauren's head. "Let him go," she demanded. Lauren sneered at her, thin mouth twisting at her words.

"Not on your life, Bristow."

"Oh, I think it will be on my life." Sydney whispered, stepping closer. Her eyes flickered to Vaughn's and she swallowed hard at what she saw there. He was begging her to forget him, to save herself. She couldn't do that. She couldn't let him die because of her.

"You were sent to find me," Sydney said, she felt herself slipping back into the mask of Julia Thorne. Julia would be able to deal with this situation, this woman was who Julia Thorne was supposed to be. Cold, ruthless and cruel, without a warm feeling in her heart.

"He is of no use to you." Sydney continued. Lauren's eyes hardened at her words and she let out a mocking laugh.

"Oh, I think you're quite mistaken." She turned her eyes to Vaughn's face and stroked his throat gently with the hand that was gripping it. "I think that I will be able to find many uses for this fine specimen of a man," Vaughn shuddered in her grip, swallowing the wave of bile that rose in his throat at her words. A wave of white hot rage washed over Sydney as the other woman's fingers stroked Vaughn's neck. She would murder her with her bare hands for touching him.

Vaughn met Sydney's eyes, forcing her gaze into his. She trembled beneath the force of his gaze. "Syd, don't give in. Kill her, you're more important than me." Lauren tightened her grip on his throat, choking off his words.

"Shut up," she hissed, spit sprayed from her lips and speckled his skin. Vaughn shuddered in disgust and kept his eyes on Sydney's. Fear gripped his heart, paralyzing him. He knew that any move he made would be the death of Sydney.

"You've made our employers quite unhappy, Bristow." Lauren shook her head slowly. "You should not have done that. The price on your head is quite high, but I'm happy to collect." Sydney stood frozen to the spot at her words, watching her every movement.

Sydney's head fell in defeat and the hand holding the gun fell to her side. With a clatter, she dropped it onto the deck and it slid to Vaughn's feet. His heart leapt into his throat. "Sydney, no…" She flinched at the sound of his voice, so full of love and despair. Tears filled her eyes as she raised her head to look up at him. Lauren threw her head back and laughed triumphantly, Sydney smiled, her eyes holding Vaughn's steadily.

"Now," she whispered.

A grin broke out across Vaughn's face and he pivoted in Lauren's grip, one hand coming up to push the gun away from his head. Lauren cried out in surprise, squeezing off a shot that careened wildly away from them and burned through one of the pillars nearby. The gunshot made hardly a sound as it whizzed past Vaughn, skimming his shoulder. He gasped in pain and shoved her backwards, she landed on her back on the deck. Sydney rolled across the the space between them and kicked one leg out, the gun went flying from her grip.

Lauren rolled away from Vaughn and turned to Sydney, hissing angrily. "You'll pay for that, bitch."

Sydney's face twisted in disgust and she threw a punch at the woman before her. Lauren caught her hand and twisted it around, her own fist colliding with Sydney's stomach. Sydney gasped in pain as the blow landed directly on her jagged scar. Lauren smiled cruelly, her eyes glinting with pleasure at the sound of Sydney's pain.

Vaughn rolled away from the two women, he pulled his own gun out of his holster and retrieved Sydney's from where it rested on the deck. With a gun in each hand, he turned back to the two women caught in the scuffle. He hesitated, Sydney and Lauren were engaged in a full blown brawl, he could not shoot without risking Sydney's life.

Lauren had a fist full of Sydney's black hair and was pulling her head down. Sydney winced in pain and wondered if the woman knew any methods of fighting that one didn't learn in junior high catfights. Still, it hurt like a bitch. Lauren yanked harder on her hair, ripping several strands from the roots. Sydney felt blood fill her mouth as she bit down hard on her lip. Twisting up under Lauren's arm, she brought her fist up to connect with the other woman's jaw. Lauren's head snapped back, blood spraying from her lips and Sydney smiled grimly in a brief moment of triumph. Lauren swung one leg beneath her and knocked Sydney off her feet. Hitting the deck, Sydney rolled away as Lauren launched herself at the spot where she had lain. Both women rolled to their feet simultaneously and Lauren staggered slightly as she stood. She was an assasin, a sniper by trade, she was not as trained for physical combat as Sydney was.

Lauren's eyes fluttered briefly from the pain and Sydney took the opportunity to spin around, stretching her leg out gracefully to kick Lauren in the face. Lauren stumbled backward, her head snapping forward as she collided with the railing. Sydney pinned her in that spot, her hand circling the other woman's throat the same way Lauren had gripped Vaughn's.

"You made one mistake, Ms. Reed." Sydney hissed, she recalled now where she had seen this woman before. It had been in that dark room, when Cole had forced her to kill an innocent man in cold blood. He had addressed her by name but Sydney had been too consumed by fear and anger to take note.

Lauren's eyes darkened and a cold fear crept over her, she had never been in this position before, never faced an adversary that could beat her. A burning anger rose in her heart, she would kill this woman very slowly and with much pleasure.

"What is that?" Lauren hissed, spitting into Sydney's face as she spoke. Sydney grinned, the cruel mask of Julia Thorne slipping into place for a brief moment. Her smile was cruel, a reflection of Lauren's perverse grin.

"You made this personal. You will die before you touch the man I love again."

With those words, Sydney shoved her hard against the railing. Lauren toppled over the edge with a shriek, catching hold of the edge of the ship. Sydney glared down at her with hatred in her eyes. Lauren looked up, pleading for her life. With a cruel smile, Sydney stepped on her fingers and watched with pleasure as the woman lost her grip. Her scream was swallowed by the roar of the ocean as it consumed her.

Sydney stepped back, her cold façade melting away as she turned to face Vaughn. He was collapsed on the deck, his face was pale, one hand gripped his shoulder as blood seeped out between his fingers. His eyes were fixed on her, filled with desperation. With a gasp, Sydney rushed to his side.

"Vaughn," she knelt beside him and touched his face lovingly. "You're hurt."

Vaughn shook his head, smiling weakly. "Just a scratch," he whispered. His voice was thick with pain and he grimaced as she touched his arm. Sydney swallowed hard, tasting the sharp sting of blood as she did so. She cursed herself for not being able to protect him better.

Vaughn smiled as he watched her rummage through the backpack beside him, searching for the first aid kit they had packed. Raising his uninjured arm, he touched her face gently, wiping away the blood that stained the corner of her mouth.

"You were amazing, just now." He whispered. Sydney shook her head and pulled a roll of gauze from the kit.

"Not amazing enough, she hit you didn't she?"

Vaughn shook his head, "My own fault. I didn't move fast enough. But your moves are still perfect."

Sydney eased his torn jacket away from his shoulder and he winced in pain. She inhaled sharply at the angry streak of red that carved his flesh. Unrolling the gauze, she began to wind it around the wound.

Vaughn watched her, his eyes filled with concern. "Did she hurt you?" He whispered, loathing mingled with love and concern for her. Sydney shook her head.

"Nothing I can't handle," she glanced around at the still empty deck. "I'm amazed no one heard us."

Vaughn shook his head, gesturing weakly toward the other end of the ship. "This is a pretty high class ship we're on here. Everyone is at dinner on the other end, can you hear the music?"

Sydney paused a moment, her head up and ears alert. Faintly she heard music drifting from the other end of the ship, a cheerful waltz. She chuckled.

"I guess our luck is better than we thought." She frowned. "Though the fact that that woman caused us to miss a meal makes me hate her even more. I'm hungry."

Vaughn laughed softly, the sound trailing away into a hiss as Sydney tied the makeshift tourniquet off. She looked into his eyes and lowered her head onto his chest. He stroked her hair gently, sitting up to wrap his arms around her, ignoring the pain that shot through him.

"Its okay, Syd. She's gone, we're safe for now. Your father will be waiting for us by the time we get to London. Everything is going to be okay."

Sydney shook her head and looked up at him, "That's just it, Vaughn. I'm not afraid anymore. I want more to come. I enjoyed pushing her off the edge, knowing that finally she would suffer a small amount of what I suffered." Sydney shivered and her eyes took on a distant look. "Have I lost myself in Julia Thorne?"

Vaughn shook his head and cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were filled with so much love, it made her heart break.

"You haven't lost anything, baby." He kissed her softly. "Besides," he grinned. "I have to admit that I enjoyed it just as much when you pushed her off."

Sydney laughed, blinking away the tears. She kissed him again and stood, helping him to his feet. She slid her arm around his waist, supporting his weight as he leaned against her. Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, the two of them made their way to the other end of the ship. Sydney looked up at him, a glint in her eyes.

"Do you think we could still make dinner?" She asked. Vaughn laughed and followed her into the room.

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Jack Bristow hurried through the airport, a single bag slung over his shoulder. He ignored the indignant people that he pushed out of his way, he was a man with a purpose. He moved through the crowd like a fish through water, the waves of people parted before him lest they be crushed beneath his feet. Vaughn's words still echoed in his head, if he had not recognized their code, Jack would have known the truth from the sound of his voice. Vaughn had come back to life and he had heard it over the thin wires that brought the message to him. Only one person ever held the power to make Michael Vaughn sound like that, Jack knew. Sydney was alive, his Sydney. His little girl.

Jack blinked back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. There was no time for this now, there would be plenty of tears when he saw her again. The moment Jack had hung up on Vaughn, he had phoned Dixon, informing him of what he knew. Jack recalled Dixon's shocked tone clearly, he knew that he was not fully convinced. He knew that Dixon wanted Sydney alive just as much as he did, but he could not be convinced until he saw her in person. Nonetheless, he had allowed Jack to take one of the CIA's private jets to London, with Jack's solemn promise that he would bring Sydney home safely.

Mentally, Jack ran through the list of places he and Vaughn had designated for a meet in case this ever occurred. There were two locations in London but one was closer to the coast, a safe house located in the East. He had traced Vaughn's phone call from Calais and from the makeshift code Vaughn had given him, he knew they would most likely be coming over water. He only hoped that they hadn't met with any enemy resistance just yet, he couldn't bear the thought of finding his daughter only to lose her again.

There was a private car waiting for him outside, CIA issue, with the keys still in the ignition. Jack slid inside and sped off as fast as he could. His mind was filled with thoughts of Sydney, memories buried deep inside. They had consumed him these past six months, tormenting him until he had been on the verge of madness. The thought of her alive brought his soul back to life. His heart was beating again, filled with love of his daughter.

"Hold on, baby." Jack whispered to the open road, his words lost in the rush of the wind. "Daddy's coming. I'm coming."

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She was trapped beneath the surface of the water, unable to tell which way was up and which was down. The heavy bulk of the ship was moving beside her, the current had pushed her to the side, out of the path of the ship's course. She narrowly avoided the whirring blades that powered the ferry. Cutting swiftly through the water, she shed her bulky jacket and empty gun holster. She stripped her clothes off as she swam, the icy water biting into her skin but it allowed her to move easier.

Her lungs were growing tight from lack of air, spots floated before her eyes in the dark water and she kicked harder. She could see nothing but the face of Sydney Bristow, looming in her mind's eye. She was filled with a burning hatred as she thought of the woman who had beaten her. And the way the man had looked at her, Vaughn. Jealousy washed over her like the currents of the waves on her skin. She was blinded to all else as she saw the two of them behind closed lids. She would make them pay.

Breaking the surface of the water, she saw the ship moving in the opposite direction. Cursing angrily, she treaded the water, searching for any other boats in the immediate vicinity.

A spotlight landed on her, blinding her to all else around her. She blinked and raised one hand as if to ward off the bright light. She was a creature of darkness, of pain and betrayal, such bright pure light physically hurt her.

A voice filtered through the megaphone, speaking rapidly in French. She strained to understand what they were saying over the roar of the water.

"Stay calm, we are a rescue boat. Are you hurt?"

Lauren shook her head and remained where she was, obeying their command. The small boat came up beside her and a raft was thrown overboard. Catching hold of it, she swam swiftly to the edge.

A man leaned over, his hand stretched out for her to grab hold of. She gripped his wrist tightly, pulling herself onto the ship. The man's eyes widened as he looked at her, scantily clad in a black bra and thong that clung to her skin. He swallowed hard, struggling to disguise his lust. Lauren smiled suggestively and threw her arms around him in relief, rubbing her slick body against him.

"Oh thank heavens you found me!" She let out a fake sob of distress and pressed closer to him. "I was sure that I was done for." Lauren glanced around the small boat quickly, finding no one else on board. She grinned in perverse pleasure, luck had turned her way once more.

Pressing harder against the pudgy man, Lauren drew back and thrust her hips against his. "Please," she murmured huskily. "Let me thank you properly."

The man's eyes widened with surprise and thinly veiled lust. Quickly he turned and switched off his radio so the men on the other end would not inadvertantly hear their cries of pleasure. Excitedly, he turned back to Lauren and slid his hands over her hips.

"You can thank me any way you'd like, baby." He whispered in french and Lauren smiled, wrapping her hands around her neck and gyrating against him.

He moaned and she smiled, quickly she twisted her hands in a circular motion and his neck snapped. He fell to the deck with his hand still gripping the zipper of his pants. Lauren sniffed with disgust and powered the boat up, speeding away into the distance after the quickly receding ferry. Once she hit the open water, she would dump his body and be rid of the smell. Rummaging through the boat's storage, she retrieved a wetsuit and slipped into it.

Her face was a mask of determination, mingled with overpowering hatred. She sped toward the ferry with that same twisted smile on her face. She would give Sydney Bristow the last surprise of her life.

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