EXT. SYDNEY'S PLACE - MORNING

Vaughn is standing at her door. He's dressed in jeans and a black slim fitting sweater with just the hint of a white shirt sticking out of the top. Think CIA Plane outfit. He hesitates then nods to himself and knocks on the door. Sydney answers wearing jeans and a long sleeved gray shirt. The top layer of her hair is pulled back while the bottom hangs freely. It's a simple look she's worn thousands of times but Vaughn is still taken aback by how gorgeous she is. She smiles shyly and tucks a non-existent strand of hair behind her ear cause she thinks he looks pretty damn good too. He looks down and then up and returns her shy smile. They smile at each other until the awkwardness starts to creep in. She's the first to speak.

SYDNEY
Morning.

VAUGHN
Mor-

His voice comes out in a croak and he has to clear his throat.

VAUGHN
Morning.

She smiles at that. He looks down again swallows hard before looking at her.

VAUGHN
Um... You ready to go?

SYDNEY
Yeah. Let me just get my purse.

She grabs her purse and locks the door. When she turns back around to him he steps aside and motions for her to go first. She grins at that. As she walks past him he starts to put his hand on the small of her back but then stops himself and puts it in his pocket to get the keys to the car. He opens the door for her and then moves around to get in on the other side. She looks at him as he sits down and when he notices he gives her another shy smile. She returns it and quickly looks out the window. He starts to drive. Fantastic Café isn't far but the entire ride is spent with the two of them stealing glances at each other. They're a regular pair of teenagers.

CUT TO:

INT. FANTASTIC CAFÉ

Vaughn and Syd walk into a local café made up almost entirely of booths with a counter to order from in the front. During breakfast they have waitresses and one of them notices the nervous couple standing at the door. She's a typical old school waitress with a bun and a pencil stuck in it. She looks like a Ruby, which is good cause that's her name.

RUBY
Go ahead and find a seat. I'll be right with you.

Vaughn and Syd take one toward the back by a window. They sit on opposite sides of the booth and pick up the menus sitting next to the salt and pepper. They exchange a few more furtive glances until Vaughn finally speaks.

VAUGHN
Um... so what are you gonna get?

SYDNEY
I think I'll try the chorizo and eggs. (beat) I mean I've had them before so I wouldn't really be trying them I'll just be having them again. (beat) So, yeah, that's what I'm getting. You?

She hides behind her menu. Vaughn looks over his menu at her and smiles. She's cute when she's nervous. Plus he's starting to sweat profusely and is happy to see she's just as wound up about this as he is.

VAUGHN
I think I'll have that too.

SYDNEY
It's good. But you knew that cause you've had it before.

She sighs and curses silently. Thankfully Ruby comes over and saves the two of them from further embarrassment, at least for the moment.

RUBY
Can I start y'all off with something to drink?

SYDNEY
Coffee, please.

VAUGHN
Me too.

RUBY
Are you ready to order or do you need more time?

Vaughn and Syd look at each other for confirmation even though they just talked about what they were having. Vaughn realizes this and speaks up.

VAUGHN
Uh, yeah, we'll both have the number 7.

RUBY
Chorizo and eggs. Good choice. Corn or flour?

VAUGHN
Flour.

SYDNEY
Flour.

RUBY
Alright. I'll get your coffee and put in your order.

VAUGHN
Thanks.

Ruby leaves them alone with a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head. Poor kids. Meanwhile Vaughn and Syd are back to looking out the window punctuated with glances at each other. Ruby brings them their mugs and fills them up. Syd reaches for the sugar and cream while Vaughn just puts his hands around his mug cause he doesn't know what else to do with them. He likes his coffee black anyway. Syd is stirring in the sugar and cream when Vaughn takes his first sip. Her eyes are drawn to his left hand.

SYDNEY
You took off your ring?

Vaughn looks at his left hand and then down into his cup.

VAUGHN
Oh. Yeah.

SYDNEY
You're really going to do it, aren't you?

VAUGHN
You thought I wouldn't?

SYDNEY
I don't know. I thought maybe when she came back you'd try to work things out.

VAUGHN
I did think about that but the truth is sometimes it just gets too hard and it's not worth the effort anymore.

Syd looks down. Her voice is soft and reticent.

SYDNEY
Is that what's going to happen to us?

Vaughn looks up in surprise.

VAUGHN
I hope not. (beat) Syd, we have out issues but it's not like we were together long enough to try and work any of them out.

SYDNEY
I know. When we got together I was just so happy to be able to look at you and be with you without worrying about getting caught that I wanted to enjoy it for as long as I could. And things seemed to be going pretty well.

VAUGHN
I felt the same way. Why mess with a good thing, right?

SYDNEY
Well, we did deal with some issues. There was your investigation into my mom and then what happened with Dixon.

VAUGHN
That's true. But there was still so many things left unresolved between us.

SYDNEY
Let's deal with them then.

VAUGHN
All of them? Right now?

SYDNEY
Well, not all of them, we'd be here til Christmas if we tried to do that. But we should at least talk about some of the bigger problems we have so we can figure out what we want to do.

VAUGHN
You've been talking to Weiss, haven't you?

SYDNEY
My dad.

VAUGHN
(under his breath) Oh, great. (beat) Okay, well, actually there is one thing I wanted to tell you. I won't tell you that the divorce has nothing to do with you cause that's not entirely true but I can say with absolute certainty that it's not your fault.

SYDNEY
Why does everyone keep telling me that?

VAUGHN
You do have tendency to blame yourself for things you have no control over.

SYDNEY
But if I hadn't come back you'd still be married.

VAUGHN
And how much control did you have over that? Besides I don't know if we would still be together. Our relationship progressed pretty fast and things weren't always easy, even before you came back. Like for instance she was always telling me that I was too emotionally closed off.

SYDNEY
Well, she's right about that.

VAUGHN
Hey, you know, after my dad died my mom had enough to worry about without her son coming to her with every little problem. So I got used to taking care of myself.

SYDNEY
Do you think it was any different for me? When my mom left I was on my own, too. Sure, I had a nanny but for the most part I had no one to rely on but myself. At least your mom was available to talk. My dad wasn't even an option.

VAUGHN
I know. And we did talk. But sometimes it's just easier not to.

SYDNEY
Is that why you never told me about Alice?

Vaughn sighs. Here we go.

VAUGHN
Syd, you were deep undercover and I was your handler. My job was to support you in every way possible not to dump all my relationship problems on you.

SYDNEY
At that point you were more than just my handler and you knew it.

VAUGHN
Did I? After Noah I wasn't sure?

SYDNEY
You started dating Alice again cause of Noah?

VAUGHN
At the time it was becoming abundantly clear that you and I didn't have a chance in hell. Who knew when we were going to bring down SD-6? Even then how did I know that you even wanted a relationship with me? I wanted to wait but after you shut me out with Noah...

He's been speaking faster and getting more and more agitated so he stops to take a deep breath. He begins again, much calmer.

VAUGHN
So when I saw Alice again and she asked me out I said yes. And I have to admit that it was nice to be able to go out on a normal date where I didn't have to worry about the ramifications to national security. Even if I wasn't with the woman I truly wanted.

SYDNEY
Vaughn, Noah was... When I first joined SD-6 he was there for me and it hurt like hell when he left. Then when he came back everything was so crazy with my mom and that damn prophecy... Being with him was... easy, comfortable, a reminder of simpler times.

VAUGHN
That's kind of how I felt with Alice.

Syd sighs.

SYDNEY
Are we the poster couple for emotional dysfunction or what?