A/N: Just a note of warning -- my teeth started to hurt as I was writing this chapter. I'm cutting myself some slack, though, because this will be the last excessively fluffy chapter for a while. Also, I just wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed this so far. You guys are the greatest, and I appreciate all of your comments so much. Enjoy!
Chapter 6: "Resolutions"
Sydney stood on the balcony of her hotel room and tried in vain to suppress a giddy smile. It was just before sunset, and the turquoise blue water of the Pacific shimmered and danced in the distance. A gentle breeze blew her hair in her face as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. With each successive breath of warm, fragrant air, she could feel another one of her cares slip away. She stood with her eyes closed for a few minutes, opening them only when she heard a faint knock at her door.
She crossed the room and took a quick glance in the peephole before flinging the door open. She greeted Vaughn with a huge smile as she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside her room.
"Hi," she said excitedly.
"Hi," Vaughn said with a bemused smile. "You okay?" he asked skeptically. In the year and a half that he had known Sydney, he had never seen her look so ecstatically happy, not even in Lake Tahoe. After eleven hours on a commercial flight from Los Angeles to Nadi, another hour transferring from the airport to Malolo Lailai by boat, and the time waiting to collect their bags and check in at the hotel, he thought for sure that she'd be exhausted. Instead, she was standing before him, grinning like a fool. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't believe that we're here, *in Fiji* on a mission. It doesn't seem fair, does it? I almost want to thank my mother for storing her disks in a warehouse in the middle of paradise."
Vaughn nodded in agreement. If nothing else, he had to give Irina credit for her taste in hideaway locations. Both he and Sydney had been awestruck by the island's beauty as they rode from the pier to their hotel, which was part of a larger resort. In addition to the hotel, the resort's lush green grounds were dotted with two lagoons, a number of villas, beachhouses, and small thatched-roof bures. It was paradise, and if it weren't for the fact that they had a mission to complete tomorrow, he would have totally let himself get swept away by the fact that he there with the woman of his dreams. However, he forced himself to focus and remember that they were there for work, not pleasure -- or at least he had until he saw the blissful expression on Sydney's face.
"Okay, I know what you're thinking," Sydney began as she tugged at his hand and led him back out to the balcony. "We're here for work, and we can't let ourselves get distracted. *But* I think we should take at least a couple of hours to enjoy this," she concluded, gesturing to the tropical scene before them.
"You're right," he said as he gently massaged her shoulders. Surely they could wait a couple of hours to discuss the mission specs. Besides, he loved seeing the look of utter contentment on Sydney's face, and didn't want to break the mood. "You know, when we were in Tahoe, it felt like L.A. was a million miles away, but being here feels like being in another world."
"It does," she agreed, pulling his hands down and leaning back into his embrace. "It feels like nothing exists here but you, me, and the sunset," she said with a happy sigh.
They stood together for the next few minutes as the sun slowly slid from the horizon and the waves lapped at the beach's shore.
"Hey, Syd?" Vaughn drawled as he nuzzled her neck.
"Yes?" she asked as her fingers stroked the back of his hands.
"I love you."
She grinned and turned her head to his, becoming keenly aware that his lips were only a fraction of an inch from hers. "I love you too," she breathed just before capturing his lips in a slow, sweet kiss. As his fingers caressed her face and the kiss deepened, she felt as if she had left paradise and entered heaven.
Vaughn was unsure how long they had been kissing before he felt Sydney start to shiver. He wanted to believe her shivers were the result of his expert kissing technique, but he knew the temperature had dropped several degrees when the sun went down. He slid his hands up and down Sydney's arms, trying to warm her.
"Are you cold?"
"A little," she said sheepishly. "I didn't want to tell you, 'cause I didn't want you to stop kissing me."
"Syd, I don't mind moving the kissing inside," he smiled mischievously as he gently pushed her back inside the room..
"I know. It's just hard to think when you kiss me like that." She raked her fingers through her windswept hair as he sat on the edge of the bed. The effect he had on her both scared and thrilled her. It was so easy to block out the rest of the world when she was with him, and she was sure he felt the same way. She prayed that it wouldn't cause them to get sloppy in hiding their relationship.
"It's hard for *me* to think when I'm kissing you like that," he admitted with a wry smile. "You know, at some point tonight, we have to formulate a plan for tomorrow." He watched as the corners of her mouth turned down into a slight frown.
"But, hey, work can wait for a little while longer." He wanted to spend a few more hours with his girlfriend before it was time to discuss work with his colleague. "What do you want to do right now?" he asked as he pulled her down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"We could go to dinner," she offered as her fingers played in his hair.
"Or we could *not* go to dinner," Vaughn said suggestively as he flipped her onto her back.
"Not go to dinner and do what instead?" she asked as he slipped a hand underneath her white button down shirt and softly stroked her stomach.
"I'm sure we can figure something out," he murmured, lowering his mouth to hers and pulling her closer to him. He couldn't believ that it had only been nine days since they were last together; it felt as if it had been months. He knew that he was totally strung out on Sydney Bristow, and right now he wanted to overdose on her. One of her legs slipped between his as they moved together on the bed, and he could feel his entire brain growing fuzzy with desire for her. He had just started unbuttoning her shirt when a noise outside the door startled them both. Sydney drew herself up on her elbows and looked at him questioningly.
"Did you hear that?" she asked him with an urgent whisper. They remained perfectly still until they heard a knock on the door and she fell back to the bed with a groan. "If we don't answer it, maybe whoever it is will go away," she said just before they heard another knock.
"I don't think so," Vaughn said with an irritated sigh. Whoever was on the other side of the door was persistent and had lousy timing. "You should answer it," he said, sitting back on his heels and pulling her up with him. She gave him an apologetic smile as she stood up and made her way to the door, quickly buttoning her shirt back up. After smoothing her hair, she opened the door to see a uniformed hotel employee holding a package.
"Ms. Collins?"
"Yes, that's me," she said, slipping into a British accent. In the corner of her eye, she saw Vaughn sit up as he watched them with interest.
"A package was delivered for you downstairs by a Mr. Yuri Ivankov."
"Yes, I'll accept it," Sydney said when she recognized the name of her mother's contact. "Thank you very much," she said as she tipped him. As she closed the door, she studied the package, which was the size of a shoebox.
"Ivankov, isn't he the guy who's supposed to give us what we need to retrieve the disks?" Vaughn asked as he stood up and walked towards her.
"Yeah," Sydney frowned. "I thought we were going to meet him in the morning, but I guess not. Do you think it's safe to open this?" she asked suspiciously.
"What, you don't trust your mother?" Vaughn asked with a raised eyebrow as Sydney placed the box on the room's desk.
She shoved her hands in her pockets and took a deep breath. "Honestly, I don't know. She hasn't really given me a reason not to trust her yet."
"You mean other than missing the last 20 years of your life?"
Sydney glanced at him and sighed. "Well, yeah. I just meant that she's been helpful since she's been in custody. I think we can trust her, but I'm not sure I trust this Ivankov guy. How do we know that he's still loyal to my mom? There could be a bomb inside this package for all we know."
"Only one way to find out," Vaughn said as he picked it up and examined it. He didn't notice any unusual stains or residue on it, so he was fairly satisfied that its contents didn't contain a bomb. "Do you want to open it or should I?" he asked. When she nodded at him, he unwrapped and opened it himself. He heard Sydney gasp when she saw what was inside the box, and he could hardly believe his own eyes.
"Vaughn," Sydney breathed as she reached inside the box and pulled out a CD case. "Are these the disks?" she asked incredulously.
He reached into the box and pulled out all of the CD cases. Including the one Sydney had, there were twelve of them in all. "Do you have your laptop? I can go to my room and get mine if --"
"No, I have mine," Sydney said, walking over to the corner and removing her laptop from its case. She set it on the desk and waited for it to boot up. Vaughn handed her a disk, which she placed in the drive, and they both watched intently as an icon labeled SD-3 appeared on the desktop. Sydney clicked on the icon, pulling up a list of files. A random click on one of the files opened a document containing the numbers of various bank accounts and descriptions of their holdings. She quickly exited that file and clicked on another one, which brought up the floor plans for SD-3's Sao Paolo headquarters. Another click brought up a list of arms dealers with whom SD-3 had done business.
"Oh my god," she said in a shaky voice as she sat back in her chair. She couldn't imagine how much more information was on the disk or how long it had taken to acquire. She looked up at Vaughn and saw a similar expression of amazement on his face. "Can you believe this?"
"Actually, no," he said, running his fingers through his hair. He suspected that the disks contained more information about the Alliance than years of CIA investigations had uncovered. He didn't know whether to admire or fear Irina's ability to gather so much information that had eluded the CIA, but he knew that he was going to have a lot of questions for her when they returned to L.A. For the moment, he was simply in awe of her efforts. He wouldn't know for sure until the disks could be properly analyzed, but he was almost certain that Irina had just saved the CIA years of legwork.
"Sydney, if all of these disks contain the same kind of information that this one does, we might be able to destroy the Alliance much sooner than we had anticipated," he said, trying not to sound as excited as he actually was.
"Really?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah," he said, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe that your mother would just drop this information in our laps."
"Me either." Sydney shook her head slowly as a realization hit her. "Oh my gosh, she did this on purpose."
"What?"
"My mother asked Kendall to send us on this mission, but there *was* no mission. She never intended for us to retrieve the disks from that facility; I think she intended to just give them to us."
"So you're saying that your mother sent us here on a CIA-funded vacation?" Vaughn's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I think she did." She smiled slowly as she stood up and faced him. "I think she made up the mission so we could be alone together."
"Why would she --" Vaughn's voice broke off as he remembered his conversation with Irina following his illness. Obviously she knew how he felt about Sydney, but . . .
"Did you tell your mother about us?"
"Not exactly. I haven't told her, but she knows that I'm in love with you."
Vaughn looked at her with an amused smile. "How does she know that?"
"I don't know, maybe she can see it in my eyes," she shrugged. "She's my mother, Vaughn. I know she's missed almost every important moment of my life, but she's my mother, and sometimes I think she sees right through me. When I went to see her on Christmas Eve, she instantly guessed that you were the one who gave me my necklace, and when I came back from Lake Tahoe, she told me that I looked like I was in love. It's actually kind of scary that she can read me so easily."
"Yeah, you're not the only one," Vaughn said uneasily. He thought about his own interactions with Irina and realized that his feelings for Sydney had probably been written all over his face. Now that she knew how they felt about each other, she could so easily manipulate them if they weren't careful. She had just given them an amazing gift, but there was no way of knowing whether she had an ulterior motive for doing so.
"Why do you think she did this?" he asked, wondering if Sydney shared his concerns.
"Well, it could be part of some bigger plan, or maybe . . ." her voice trailed off.
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe she just wanted to do something that would make me happy," she shrugged. "She had to have known that nothing would make me happier than being alone with you, somewhere where no one could find us and we didn't have to worry about being caught." She stepped closer to him and gently tugged on his shirt. "She told me on Christmas Eve that the most important thing in the world was being with the person you love, and here I am."
"Irina Derevko, matchmaker? I'm not sure I buy that," Vaughn said with a wary smile. "I'm not sure that her motives for sending us here were entirely altruistic, but for now, I'll assume that they were. I'm just grateful that I get to spend 36 hours alone with you."
Sydney leaned back and smiled at him. "How are we gonna fill all those hours?"
"I don't know, but I'm open to suggestions," he said as he lowered his head to hers and kissed her.
*****
"I never want to leave this place," Sydney announced with a happy sigh.
"Where? Fiji or the bathroom?" Vaughn asked with a teasing smile.
"*Fiji*, silly."
"I kind of like the bathroom, too." He sunk down further in the bubble bath they were sharing and grinned at her.
"I'll bet," she said with a dimpled grin of her own. "Do you have any idea how insanely happy I am right now?"
"Well, you haven't stopped smiling since dinner, so I can guess. What's got you in such a good mood -- too much champagne?" He laughed as she playfully slapped at the water and sent bubbles flying in his face.
"No, I'm just happy to be here with you. We're thousands of miles away from everyone and everything that we know, and I couldn't be any happier. Sometimes I think that I'd be perfectly happy if we got stranded on a deserted island and couldn't be rescued. Is that healthy?"
"I guess it depends on what we'd be doing on that island," he smirked. "It's a nice fantasy."
"But it's just a fantasy," she sighed. "Couldn't we fake our deaths and not go back home?" she joked.
"We could, but I don't think you'd really want to do that. You have Francie and Will and your dad back in L.A."
"Yeah, but I have you *here,* and you're all I want right now. Actually, you're all I want forever," she said softly.
"You have me for as long as you want me, Sydney."
"Remember that you said that later tonight," she teased with a lascivious grin.
"Oh, I will," he said as he stroked her thigh. "I have to say that this is, without a doubt, the best mission I've ever been assigned."
"Be sure to tell Kendall when we get back." Sydney laughed before she grew serious. "Actually, if the information on those disks is as helpful as it looks, this really *will* be the best mission ever. Earlier, when you said that we might be able to bring down the Alliance sooner than expected, what kind of time frame were you talking about?"
"Well, I don't want to get your hopes up -- or mine -- but if all those files are legit, the Alliance might not exist a year from now."
"Seriously?" she gasped. The thought that she might be free in a year, that *they* might be free, was too good to be true.
"Well, it's hard to estimate these things, and you never know what might happen, but it's certainly possible. Looks like I might have to start saving my money."
"For what?"
"To take you away. Remember, when we were in Tahoe, you made me promise that I'd take you away to an island when everything was all over, and Fiji's going to be hard to top."
"Vaughn, you could take me to Coney Island, or Gilligan's Island, or even Riker's Island," she laughed. "It won't matter as long as we're together."
"Great, so we're gonna go hang out with prisoners on Riker's Island." he grinned. "What then?"
"What do you mean, 'what then'?'"
"I mean, what do you want to do after SD-6 is gone? Do you want to stay with the CIA, or teach, or start your own self defense school?"
She giggled at his teasing tone. "Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do. When Danny asked me to marry him, I thought I would leave SD-6 once we were ready to start a family, and then, I'd eventually become a literature professor like my mom. Even after I learned the truth about SD-6, I still thought that I would teach once everything was over. But now, I'm not sure what I want to do," she said with a heavy sigh. "The whole reason I wanted to be a professor was because I grew up thinking that was what my mom did, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Now that I know that her life was a lie, I'm not sure how I feel about teaching. Maybe being a spy was what I was actually meant to do."
"You're really good at it Syd, and maybe you were meant to be a spy, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't *want* to be a spy. Sydney, you got trapped into this life, but it doesn't mean that you have to stay in it forever. You deserve the chance to do whatever you want to do with your life."
"The weird thing is, that before I found out the truth, I really liked my job. I felt patriotic and important, like I was making the world a better place. Maybe I'd feel that way again if I was working for the CIA as just an agent rather than a double agent," she shrugged. "Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to stay with the agency after SD-6 is gone. What do you think about that?"
Vaughn raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you want my official, CIA-sanctioned answer? Because I know the agency would love for you to stay on after everything is over."
"Hmm," Sydney nodded her head. "Thank you, Senior Officer Vaughn. Now I want to know what *Michael* thinks."
"I just wants you to be happy, and I'll support whatever decision you make," he said firmly.
"Thank you for saying that," she smiled. "It didn't help me make up my mind, but I have plenty of time. It's not like SD-6 is going anywhere at the moment. Anyway, enough about me, what do *you* want when this is over?"
"Me? I'm just like all the guys in those action movies. In the end, when all the dust settles, I just want the girl."
"And then we walk off into the sunset together?" she teased. "C'mon Vaughn, you can do better than that. Do you want to get married?"
"Are you asking me to marry you, Bristow?"
"No!" she gasped, her face becoming flushed. "I'm just asking, *generally,* do you want to get married? Do you want to have kids?"
"Yeah. I want to get married and have 2.5 kids and a minivan. I've already got the dog," he grinned. He sobered when she shot him a "be serious" look. "Yes," he said, taking one of her hands in his and squeezing it. "I want to get married, and have kids. But I'm telling you I will *never* drive a minivan -- it's bad enough that I have to drive a government car most days," he laughed.
"Yeah, I'm not a minivan person, either," Her eyes widened in alarm when she realized what she had said. "N-n-n not that I meant to suggest that you --" she stammered quickly.
"That I what?" he asked, noticing how flustered she was.
She looked down, at the bubbles skimming the surface of the water as she tried to avoid his gaze. "I didn't mean to be presumptuous and suggest that you wanted any of those things with me."
"Sydney," he said, trying to catch her eyes. "Sydney, look at me. You are the *only* person that I want all those things with," he said, looking at her meaningfully. "The only one," he whispered as moved closer to her.
He reached out and pulled her onto his lap as his lips captured hers in a slow, sensual kiss. He knew that it would be a while before he and Sydney could start creating the family they wanted, but in the meantime, they could certainly work on perfecting their technique.
*****
The next morning, Vaughn stuffed his hands in the pockets of a fluffy bathrobe as he walked out of the bathroom. He stood at the foot of the bed and watched as Sydney slept. They hadn't spent many nights together so far, but this was the first time that he had woken up before she did. He had watched her sleep once before, in the medical services unit, but her sleep then had been restless and fitful; this was the first time he had gotten to watch her sleep peacefully and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Curled up on her side, with hair splayed across her pillow and a look of restful contentment on her face, she looked like a beautiful angel. He felt a deep longing stir within himself, realizing that he wanted to wake up to this sight every morning. He sighed as he wondered how long it would be until he could do just that.
He watched her sleep for a few more moments before walking over and pulling the room's heavy curtains back slightly. He was surprised that the sun was so high in the sky, and realized that it must be later than he thought. It amazed him how soundly he slept when he was with Sydney. Perhaps it was nature's way of repaying him for all the sleep he didn't get when she was out in the field. He was still peaking through the curtains when he heard her stir behind him.
"Vaughn?" she mumbled. He turned to see her laying on her back, hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight streaming into the room through the tiny crack in the curtains.
"Hey, sorry," he said softly. "Did the light wake you?"
"No. I reached over and you weren't next to me. What are you doing so far away? Come back to bed," she said with a sleepy smile.
It was an offer he couldn't refuse. He climbed back on the bed, gently sliding on top of her. He kissed her closed eyelids and her nose, then placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Morning, gorgeous."
Sydney opened her eyes again and when they finally focused, she found herself staring into the hazel-green eyes she loved so much. She reached up and ran her fingers through his rumpled hair.
"Good morning. I can't believe you woke up before I did," she laughed. "Just when I think you can't surprise me any more, you do."
"Syd, please. The fact that I woke up before you can't be *that* much of a surprise. I usually wake up at six every morning. I only sleep late whenever you're around," he said with a goodnatured smile.
"Right," she said disbelievingly. "Anyway, that wasn't the surprise I was talking about. You surprised me last night." She and Vaughn were still in the discovery stage, when every glance and touch seemed to reveal something new about each other, especially when they made love. She was sure that even if they had been in a "normal" relationship, they'd still be in the "can't keep our hands off of each other" stage, but the fact that their relationship was forbidden only intensified their desire for each other. Sydney imagined that at some point in the future, they'd be able to stop acting like two sex-crazed teenagers, but for the time being, she couldn't get enough of him, and last night had completely blown her mind.
"What did I do last night?" Vaughn asked, his forehead wrinkling with apprehension.
"You don't remember? Vaughn, you were . . . saying things to me . . . in French." She laughed at the blank expression on his face. "You really don't remember? Too bad, it was really sexy," she grinned.
"Honestly, Syd, I can't remember half the things I said to you last night. You make me less than coherent sometimes," he smiled. "So what did I say? Did I mention anything about frosting a pie?" he teased.
She opened her mouth in surprise and then laughed. "No, nothing about frosting a pie. Wow, we're a real pair. I talk in my sleep and you speak in foreign languages when you're . . . stimulated," she giggled. "Can you imagine if that information fell in enemy hands?"
Vaughn pulled the covers down slightly as he trailed soft kisses along Sydney's neck and collarbone. "How do you know that I'm *not* the enemy?"
"I guess I don't. But if you are, I don't really care," she said, drawing him into another kiss.
Vaughn rolled onto his back once they broke apart. "So, it's the last day of 2002. How do you want to spend it?"
"Oh my gosh, it's New Year's Eve. I'd forgotten. What do *you* want to do?"
"Nope. I asked you first," Vaughn grinned. "Tell me what you want to do, and whatever it is, we'll do it."
Sydney propped herself on her elbow and looked down at him. "You would do anything to make me happy, wouldn't you?" She interpreted his smile as an implicit "yes," and looked back at him seriously. "Do I make you as happy as you make me?"
"Well, that depends," he said slyly. "How happy do I make you?"
Sydney shook her head and placed her hand on his forearm. "Vaughn, I'm being serious. Since the day we met, you've been this incredible source of strength and comfort for me. You let me cry on your shoulder -- a lot," she added with a small laugh. "You give me pep talks whenever I get discouraged, and you haven't been scared away by my crazy parents. You give me so much, and sometimes I just wonder if I give you anything in return."
"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "We're not keeping score here, you know. Sydney, you make me indescribably happy. No one's ever made me feel the way that you do. Don't ever question how much better you make my life," he implored as his thumb caressed her cheek.
She smiled softly and leaned into his touch. "I don't ever solve your problems," she said regretfully.
"My life's not that complicated," he shrugged.
"That's not true, and even if it was, your life got a lot more complicated when I crashed into it. I just want to make sure that you know you can tell me about your problems. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, mine is available."
"I know, Syd," he said softly. "Trust me, you'll be the first person I'll come to. I promise."
"Okay, good."
"Actually, you can help me with a problem right now," he smiled up at her.
Her face lit up at the thought that she could actually help him for once. "Really? What is it?"
"Well, it's New Year's Eve, and I asked my girlfriend what she wants to do, but she hasn't given me any suggestions yet. So I need some help figuring out what to do."
He laughed as she rolled her eyes and gently pushed him away from her.
*****
"This reminds me of the movie 'Joe vs. The Volcano.' You know how Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were floating in the Pacific on those suitcases? It looked like they were on the edge of the earth, so far away from everything. That's how I feel right now," Sydney said as she leaned back in Vaughn's arms and swept her hair over her left shoulder. They were sitting on the beach, enjoying the soft sound of the surf lapping a few feet away from them. The stars shone brightly, and the water was calm and dark, reflecting the glow of the moon.
"We *are* far away from everything. We're a long way from L.A., that's for sure."
"What would we be doing tonight if we were at home?"
Vaughn shrugged. "I don't know . . . dinner and dancing in the warehouse?"
She made a face as she turned to look at him. "*That* was the big plan you told me about?"
"Of course not," he scoffed. "I didn't actually *have* a plan; I told you that I *might* have a plan. I was still brainstorming when Kendall told us we were coming here. You know, it takes a lot of planning to be wildly romantic," he laughed. "I thought about taking you to Mulholland Drive, but I figured that if there were fireworks anywhere in the city, we'd be able to see them from there. Sorry that there aren't any fireworks here on the island."
"We can make our own fireworks later," she said seductively as her hand caressed his knee.
"Definitely," he grinned. "Are you sure you don't want to go back up by the pool?" After dinner, he and Sydney had stumbled upon the resort's New Year's Eve party, and they had danced for a while before deciding to take a walk on the beach. They stopped at a secluded spot far enough away to give them privacy, but close enough that they could still hear the music and laughter from the party.
"I'm sure. Some of the women at the party were staring at you, so I figured I'd better drag you away if I wanted to keep you all to myself." she laughed.
"Funny, I noticed some guys checking you out too."
"Oh, they didn't stand a chance." She moved to a kneeling position facing Vaughn and placed her hands on his bent knees. "Hey, I've been dying to ask you what's your New Year's resolution?"
He made a face and shook his head. "I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions."
Sydney cocked her head to the side and studied him. "I should've known."
He looked back at her with amused surprised. "What does that mean?"
She shrugged. "Just that you don't seem like the kind of person who waits for an arbitrary date before you resolve to do something."
"I guess not. I've never really understood why people make a big deal out of it. Most New Year's resolutions just end up being broken anyway."
Sydney let out a shocked laugh as a huge smile spread over her face. "Oh my god, you're right," she said thoughtfully. She brushed away a few strands of hair that blew in front of her eyes. "My resolution was that I was going to learn to control myself around you. I told myself that I was going to be more professional and resist the urge to kiss you every time I saw you," she laughed. "I thought I'd impress you with my restraint."
"Impress me with your restraint?" Vaughn smirked. "Sydney, you wouldn't have impressed me, you would have driven me crazy!" He shook his head and grinned at her. "*That* was definitely a resolution that was meant to be broken."
She inched closer to him and smiled. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it? You should know that I've broken every New Year's resolution I've ever made. I certainly didn't have any intention of keeping this one for more than a week."
"Glad to hear it," he whispered as he brushed his lips against hers. As she gave into his kiss, she knew that there was no way in hell she could have kept her resolution for more than a day. She was the proverbial moth to Vaughn's flame, powerless to resist him. Just as she was getting lost in the feel of his mouth on hers, she heard the notes of a familiar song drifting over from the pool area. She gently pulled back from him and rose to her feet, leaving him with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Dance with me?" she asked, holding out her hand and pulling him to his feet.
"Sure," he smiled. He brushed off his pants and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her shiver as his fingers brushed against the small of her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Francie and I used to listen to this CD all the time in college," she murmured. "I love this song."
There must have been an angel by my side
something heavenly led me to you
look at the sky
it's the color of love
There must have been an angel by my side
something heavenly came down from above
he led me to you
he led me to you
He built a bridge to your heart
all the way
how many tons of love inside
I can't say
Sydney closed her eyes as they danced together. She couldn't imagine a more perfect way to celebrate the new year than dancing under the stars with Vaughn. When she opened her eyes and saw him smiling down at her, she made a new resolution: She was going to do everything in her power, whatever it took, to bring down SD-6 before the year was over. She wasn't willing to wait a minute longer than necessary to be with him all the time. She smiled as she buried her face in his shoulder. For the first time in her life, she had made a resolution that she had *every* intention of keeping.
When I was led to you
I knew you were the one for me
I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat
When I lay eyes on you
you wrap me up in
the color of love
You gave me the kiss of life
kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
the kiss of life
Vaughn wrapped his arms tighter around Sydney, loving the way she felt in his arms. He wasn't sure if he believed in destiny, but he was starting o believe that they were made for each other. They were amazing together, and all he wanted was to be with her always. So, for the first time in a long time, he made a New Year's resolution: That he would do everything in his power to protect her and free her from the clutches of SD-6, no matter the cost. He knew it was the one resolution he was incapable of breaking.
Wasn't it clear from the start
look the sky is full of love
yeah the sky is full of love
You gave me the kiss of life
kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
the kiss of life
Song: "Kiss of Life" by Sade
TBC . . .
Chapter 6: "Resolutions"
Sydney stood on the balcony of her hotel room and tried in vain to suppress a giddy smile. It was just before sunset, and the turquoise blue water of the Pacific shimmered and danced in the distance. A gentle breeze blew her hair in her face as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. With each successive breath of warm, fragrant air, she could feel another one of her cares slip away. She stood with her eyes closed for a few minutes, opening them only when she heard a faint knock at her door.
She crossed the room and took a quick glance in the peephole before flinging the door open. She greeted Vaughn with a huge smile as she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside her room.
"Hi," she said excitedly.
"Hi," Vaughn said with a bemused smile. "You okay?" he asked skeptically. In the year and a half that he had known Sydney, he had never seen her look so ecstatically happy, not even in Lake Tahoe. After eleven hours on a commercial flight from Los Angeles to Nadi, another hour transferring from the airport to Malolo Lailai by boat, and the time waiting to collect their bags and check in at the hotel, he thought for sure that she'd be exhausted. Instead, she was standing before him, grinning like a fool. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't believe that we're here, *in Fiji* on a mission. It doesn't seem fair, does it? I almost want to thank my mother for storing her disks in a warehouse in the middle of paradise."
Vaughn nodded in agreement. If nothing else, he had to give Irina credit for her taste in hideaway locations. Both he and Sydney had been awestruck by the island's beauty as they rode from the pier to their hotel, which was part of a larger resort. In addition to the hotel, the resort's lush green grounds were dotted with two lagoons, a number of villas, beachhouses, and small thatched-roof bures. It was paradise, and if it weren't for the fact that they had a mission to complete tomorrow, he would have totally let himself get swept away by the fact that he there with the woman of his dreams. However, he forced himself to focus and remember that they were there for work, not pleasure -- or at least he had until he saw the blissful expression on Sydney's face.
"Okay, I know what you're thinking," Sydney began as she tugged at his hand and led him back out to the balcony. "We're here for work, and we can't let ourselves get distracted. *But* I think we should take at least a couple of hours to enjoy this," she concluded, gesturing to the tropical scene before them.
"You're right," he said as he gently massaged her shoulders. Surely they could wait a couple of hours to discuss the mission specs. Besides, he loved seeing the look of utter contentment on Sydney's face, and didn't want to break the mood. "You know, when we were in Tahoe, it felt like L.A. was a million miles away, but being here feels like being in another world."
"It does," she agreed, pulling his hands down and leaning back into his embrace. "It feels like nothing exists here but you, me, and the sunset," she said with a happy sigh.
They stood together for the next few minutes as the sun slowly slid from the horizon and the waves lapped at the beach's shore.
"Hey, Syd?" Vaughn drawled as he nuzzled her neck.
"Yes?" she asked as her fingers stroked the back of his hands.
"I love you."
She grinned and turned her head to his, becoming keenly aware that his lips were only a fraction of an inch from hers. "I love you too," she breathed just before capturing his lips in a slow, sweet kiss. As his fingers caressed her face and the kiss deepened, she felt as if she had left paradise and entered heaven.
Vaughn was unsure how long they had been kissing before he felt Sydney start to shiver. He wanted to believe her shivers were the result of his expert kissing technique, but he knew the temperature had dropped several degrees when the sun went down. He slid his hands up and down Sydney's arms, trying to warm her.
"Are you cold?"
"A little," she said sheepishly. "I didn't want to tell you, 'cause I didn't want you to stop kissing me."
"Syd, I don't mind moving the kissing inside," he smiled mischievously as he gently pushed her back inside the room..
"I know. It's just hard to think when you kiss me like that." She raked her fingers through her windswept hair as he sat on the edge of the bed. The effect he had on her both scared and thrilled her. It was so easy to block out the rest of the world when she was with him, and she was sure he felt the same way. She prayed that it wouldn't cause them to get sloppy in hiding their relationship.
"It's hard for *me* to think when I'm kissing you like that," he admitted with a wry smile. "You know, at some point tonight, we have to formulate a plan for tomorrow." He watched as the corners of her mouth turned down into a slight frown.
"But, hey, work can wait for a little while longer." He wanted to spend a few more hours with his girlfriend before it was time to discuss work with his colleague. "What do you want to do right now?" he asked as he pulled her down into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"We could go to dinner," she offered as her fingers played in his hair.
"Or we could *not* go to dinner," Vaughn said suggestively as he flipped her onto her back.
"Not go to dinner and do what instead?" she asked as he slipped a hand underneath her white button down shirt and softly stroked her stomach.
"I'm sure we can figure something out," he murmured, lowering his mouth to hers and pulling her closer to him. He couldn't believ that it had only been nine days since they were last together; it felt as if it had been months. He knew that he was totally strung out on Sydney Bristow, and right now he wanted to overdose on her. One of her legs slipped between his as they moved together on the bed, and he could feel his entire brain growing fuzzy with desire for her. He had just started unbuttoning her shirt when a noise outside the door startled them both. Sydney drew herself up on her elbows and looked at him questioningly.
"Did you hear that?" she asked him with an urgent whisper. They remained perfectly still until they heard a knock on the door and she fell back to the bed with a groan. "If we don't answer it, maybe whoever it is will go away," she said just before they heard another knock.
"I don't think so," Vaughn said with an irritated sigh. Whoever was on the other side of the door was persistent and had lousy timing. "You should answer it," he said, sitting back on his heels and pulling her up with him. She gave him an apologetic smile as she stood up and made her way to the door, quickly buttoning her shirt back up. After smoothing her hair, she opened the door to see a uniformed hotel employee holding a package.
"Ms. Collins?"
"Yes, that's me," she said, slipping into a British accent. In the corner of her eye, she saw Vaughn sit up as he watched them with interest.
"A package was delivered for you downstairs by a Mr. Yuri Ivankov."
"Yes, I'll accept it," Sydney said when she recognized the name of her mother's contact. "Thank you very much," she said as she tipped him. As she closed the door, she studied the package, which was the size of a shoebox.
"Ivankov, isn't he the guy who's supposed to give us what we need to retrieve the disks?" Vaughn asked as he stood up and walked towards her.
"Yeah," Sydney frowned. "I thought we were going to meet him in the morning, but I guess not. Do you think it's safe to open this?" she asked suspiciously.
"What, you don't trust your mother?" Vaughn asked with a raised eyebrow as Sydney placed the box on the room's desk.
She shoved her hands in her pockets and took a deep breath. "Honestly, I don't know. She hasn't really given me a reason not to trust her yet."
"You mean other than missing the last 20 years of your life?"
Sydney glanced at him and sighed. "Well, yeah. I just meant that she's been helpful since she's been in custody. I think we can trust her, but I'm not sure I trust this Ivankov guy. How do we know that he's still loyal to my mom? There could be a bomb inside this package for all we know."
"Only one way to find out," Vaughn said as he picked it up and examined it. He didn't notice any unusual stains or residue on it, so he was fairly satisfied that its contents didn't contain a bomb. "Do you want to open it or should I?" he asked. When she nodded at him, he unwrapped and opened it himself. He heard Sydney gasp when she saw what was inside the box, and he could hardly believe his own eyes.
"Vaughn," Sydney breathed as she reached inside the box and pulled out a CD case. "Are these the disks?" she asked incredulously.
He reached into the box and pulled out all of the CD cases. Including the one Sydney had, there were twelve of them in all. "Do you have your laptop? I can go to my room and get mine if --"
"No, I have mine," Sydney said, walking over to the corner and removing her laptop from its case. She set it on the desk and waited for it to boot up. Vaughn handed her a disk, which she placed in the drive, and they both watched intently as an icon labeled SD-3 appeared on the desktop. Sydney clicked on the icon, pulling up a list of files. A random click on one of the files opened a document containing the numbers of various bank accounts and descriptions of their holdings. She quickly exited that file and clicked on another one, which brought up the floor plans for SD-3's Sao Paolo headquarters. Another click brought up a list of arms dealers with whom SD-3 had done business.
"Oh my god," she said in a shaky voice as she sat back in her chair. She couldn't imagine how much more information was on the disk or how long it had taken to acquire. She looked up at Vaughn and saw a similar expression of amazement on his face. "Can you believe this?"
"Actually, no," he said, running his fingers through his hair. He suspected that the disks contained more information about the Alliance than years of CIA investigations had uncovered. He didn't know whether to admire or fear Irina's ability to gather so much information that had eluded the CIA, but he knew that he was going to have a lot of questions for her when they returned to L.A. For the moment, he was simply in awe of her efforts. He wouldn't know for sure until the disks could be properly analyzed, but he was almost certain that Irina had just saved the CIA years of legwork.
"Sydney, if all of these disks contain the same kind of information that this one does, we might be able to destroy the Alliance much sooner than we had anticipated," he said, trying not to sound as excited as he actually was.
"Really?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah," he said, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe that your mother would just drop this information in our laps."
"Me either." Sydney shook her head slowly as a realization hit her. "Oh my gosh, she did this on purpose."
"What?"
"My mother asked Kendall to send us on this mission, but there *was* no mission. She never intended for us to retrieve the disks from that facility; I think she intended to just give them to us."
"So you're saying that your mother sent us here on a CIA-funded vacation?" Vaughn's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I think she did." She smiled slowly as she stood up and faced him. "I think she made up the mission so we could be alone together."
"Why would she --" Vaughn's voice broke off as he remembered his conversation with Irina following his illness. Obviously she knew how he felt about Sydney, but . . .
"Did you tell your mother about us?"
"Not exactly. I haven't told her, but she knows that I'm in love with you."
Vaughn looked at her with an amused smile. "How does she know that?"
"I don't know, maybe she can see it in my eyes," she shrugged. "She's my mother, Vaughn. I know she's missed almost every important moment of my life, but she's my mother, and sometimes I think she sees right through me. When I went to see her on Christmas Eve, she instantly guessed that you were the one who gave me my necklace, and when I came back from Lake Tahoe, she told me that I looked like I was in love. It's actually kind of scary that she can read me so easily."
"Yeah, you're not the only one," Vaughn said uneasily. He thought about his own interactions with Irina and realized that his feelings for Sydney had probably been written all over his face. Now that she knew how they felt about each other, she could so easily manipulate them if they weren't careful. She had just given them an amazing gift, but there was no way of knowing whether she had an ulterior motive for doing so.
"Why do you think she did this?" he asked, wondering if Sydney shared his concerns.
"Well, it could be part of some bigger plan, or maybe . . ." her voice trailed off.
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe she just wanted to do something that would make me happy," she shrugged. "She had to have known that nothing would make me happier than being alone with you, somewhere where no one could find us and we didn't have to worry about being caught." She stepped closer to him and gently tugged on his shirt. "She told me on Christmas Eve that the most important thing in the world was being with the person you love, and here I am."
"Irina Derevko, matchmaker? I'm not sure I buy that," Vaughn said with a wary smile. "I'm not sure that her motives for sending us here were entirely altruistic, but for now, I'll assume that they were. I'm just grateful that I get to spend 36 hours alone with you."
Sydney leaned back and smiled at him. "How are we gonna fill all those hours?"
"I don't know, but I'm open to suggestions," he said as he lowered his head to hers and kissed her.
*****
"I never want to leave this place," Sydney announced with a happy sigh.
"Where? Fiji or the bathroom?" Vaughn asked with a teasing smile.
"*Fiji*, silly."
"I kind of like the bathroom, too." He sunk down further in the bubble bath they were sharing and grinned at her.
"I'll bet," she said with a dimpled grin of her own. "Do you have any idea how insanely happy I am right now?"
"Well, you haven't stopped smiling since dinner, so I can guess. What's got you in such a good mood -- too much champagne?" He laughed as she playfully slapped at the water and sent bubbles flying in his face.
"No, I'm just happy to be here with you. We're thousands of miles away from everyone and everything that we know, and I couldn't be any happier. Sometimes I think that I'd be perfectly happy if we got stranded on a deserted island and couldn't be rescued. Is that healthy?"
"I guess it depends on what we'd be doing on that island," he smirked. "It's a nice fantasy."
"But it's just a fantasy," she sighed. "Couldn't we fake our deaths and not go back home?" she joked.
"We could, but I don't think you'd really want to do that. You have Francie and Will and your dad back in L.A."
"Yeah, but I have you *here,* and you're all I want right now. Actually, you're all I want forever," she said softly.
"You have me for as long as you want me, Sydney."
"Remember that you said that later tonight," she teased with a lascivious grin.
"Oh, I will," he said as he stroked her thigh. "I have to say that this is, without a doubt, the best mission I've ever been assigned."
"Be sure to tell Kendall when we get back." Sydney laughed before she grew serious. "Actually, if the information on those disks is as helpful as it looks, this really *will* be the best mission ever. Earlier, when you said that we might be able to bring down the Alliance sooner than expected, what kind of time frame were you talking about?"
"Well, I don't want to get your hopes up -- or mine -- but if all those files are legit, the Alliance might not exist a year from now."
"Seriously?" she gasped. The thought that she might be free in a year, that *they* might be free, was too good to be true.
"Well, it's hard to estimate these things, and you never know what might happen, but it's certainly possible. Looks like I might have to start saving my money."
"For what?"
"To take you away. Remember, when we were in Tahoe, you made me promise that I'd take you away to an island when everything was all over, and Fiji's going to be hard to top."
"Vaughn, you could take me to Coney Island, or Gilligan's Island, or even Riker's Island," she laughed. "It won't matter as long as we're together."
"Great, so we're gonna go hang out with prisoners on Riker's Island." he grinned. "What then?"
"What do you mean, 'what then'?'"
"I mean, what do you want to do after SD-6 is gone? Do you want to stay with the CIA, or teach, or start your own self defense school?"
She giggled at his teasing tone. "Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do. When Danny asked me to marry him, I thought I would leave SD-6 once we were ready to start a family, and then, I'd eventually become a literature professor like my mom. Even after I learned the truth about SD-6, I still thought that I would teach once everything was over. But now, I'm not sure what I want to do," she said with a heavy sigh. "The whole reason I wanted to be a professor was because I grew up thinking that was what my mom did, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Now that I know that her life was a lie, I'm not sure how I feel about teaching. Maybe being a spy was what I was actually meant to do."
"You're really good at it Syd, and maybe you were meant to be a spy, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't *want* to be a spy. Sydney, you got trapped into this life, but it doesn't mean that you have to stay in it forever. You deserve the chance to do whatever you want to do with your life."
"The weird thing is, that before I found out the truth, I really liked my job. I felt patriotic and important, like I was making the world a better place. Maybe I'd feel that way again if I was working for the CIA as just an agent rather than a double agent," she shrugged. "Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to stay with the agency after SD-6 is gone. What do you think about that?"
Vaughn raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you want my official, CIA-sanctioned answer? Because I know the agency would love for you to stay on after everything is over."
"Hmm," Sydney nodded her head. "Thank you, Senior Officer Vaughn. Now I want to know what *Michael* thinks."
"I just wants you to be happy, and I'll support whatever decision you make," he said firmly.
"Thank you for saying that," she smiled. "It didn't help me make up my mind, but I have plenty of time. It's not like SD-6 is going anywhere at the moment. Anyway, enough about me, what do *you* want when this is over?"
"Me? I'm just like all the guys in those action movies. In the end, when all the dust settles, I just want the girl."
"And then we walk off into the sunset together?" she teased. "C'mon Vaughn, you can do better than that. Do you want to get married?"
"Are you asking me to marry you, Bristow?"
"No!" she gasped, her face becoming flushed. "I'm just asking, *generally,* do you want to get married? Do you want to have kids?"
"Yeah. I want to get married and have 2.5 kids and a minivan. I've already got the dog," he grinned. He sobered when she shot him a "be serious" look. "Yes," he said, taking one of her hands in his and squeezing it. "I want to get married, and have kids. But I'm telling you I will *never* drive a minivan -- it's bad enough that I have to drive a government car most days," he laughed.
"Yeah, I'm not a minivan person, either," Her eyes widened in alarm when she realized what she had said. "N-n-n not that I meant to suggest that you --" she stammered quickly.
"That I what?" he asked, noticing how flustered she was.
She looked down, at the bubbles skimming the surface of the water as she tried to avoid his gaze. "I didn't mean to be presumptuous and suggest that you wanted any of those things with me."
"Sydney," he said, trying to catch her eyes. "Sydney, look at me. You are the *only* person that I want all those things with," he said, looking at her meaningfully. "The only one," he whispered as moved closer to her.
He reached out and pulled her onto his lap as his lips captured hers in a slow, sensual kiss. He knew that it would be a while before he and Sydney could start creating the family they wanted, but in the meantime, they could certainly work on perfecting their technique.
*****
The next morning, Vaughn stuffed his hands in the pockets of a fluffy bathrobe as he walked out of the bathroom. He stood at the foot of the bed and watched as Sydney slept. They hadn't spent many nights together so far, but this was the first time that he had woken up before she did. He had watched her sleep once before, in the medical services unit, but her sleep then had been restless and fitful; this was the first time he had gotten to watch her sleep peacefully and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Curled up on her side, with hair splayed across her pillow and a look of restful contentment on her face, she looked like a beautiful angel. He felt a deep longing stir within himself, realizing that he wanted to wake up to this sight every morning. He sighed as he wondered how long it would be until he could do just that.
He watched her sleep for a few more moments before walking over and pulling the room's heavy curtains back slightly. He was surprised that the sun was so high in the sky, and realized that it must be later than he thought. It amazed him how soundly he slept when he was with Sydney. Perhaps it was nature's way of repaying him for all the sleep he didn't get when she was out in the field. He was still peaking through the curtains when he heard her stir behind him.
"Vaughn?" she mumbled. He turned to see her laying on her back, hand shielding her eyes from the sunlight streaming into the room through the tiny crack in the curtains.
"Hey, sorry," he said softly. "Did the light wake you?"
"No. I reached over and you weren't next to me. What are you doing so far away? Come back to bed," she said with a sleepy smile.
It was an offer he couldn't refuse. He climbed back on the bed, gently sliding on top of her. He kissed her closed eyelids and her nose, then placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Morning, gorgeous."
Sydney opened her eyes again and when they finally focused, she found herself staring into the hazel-green eyes she loved so much. She reached up and ran her fingers through his rumpled hair.
"Good morning. I can't believe you woke up before I did," she laughed. "Just when I think you can't surprise me any more, you do."
"Syd, please. The fact that I woke up before you can't be *that* much of a surprise. I usually wake up at six every morning. I only sleep late whenever you're around," he said with a goodnatured smile.
"Right," she said disbelievingly. "Anyway, that wasn't the surprise I was talking about. You surprised me last night." She and Vaughn were still in the discovery stage, when every glance and touch seemed to reveal something new about each other, especially when they made love. She was sure that even if they had been in a "normal" relationship, they'd still be in the "can't keep our hands off of each other" stage, but the fact that their relationship was forbidden only intensified their desire for each other. Sydney imagined that at some point in the future, they'd be able to stop acting like two sex-crazed teenagers, but for the time being, she couldn't get enough of him, and last night had completely blown her mind.
"What did I do last night?" Vaughn asked, his forehead wrinkling with apprehension.
"You don't remember? Vaughn, you were . . . saying things to me . . . in French." She laughed at the blank expression on his face. "You really don't remember? Too bad, it was really sexy," she grinned.
"Honestly, Syd, I can't remember half the things I said to you last night. You make me less than coherent sometimes," he smiled. "So what did I say? Did I mention anything about frosting a pie?" he teased.
She opened her mouth in surprise and then laughed. "No, nothing about frosting a pie. Wow, we're a real pair. I talk in my sleep and you speak in foreign languages when you're . . . stimulated," she giggled. "Can you imagine if that information fell in enemy hands?"
Vaughn pulled the covers down slightly as he trailed soft kisses along Sydney's neck and collarbone. "How do you know that I'm *not* the enemy?"
"I guess I don't. But if you are, I don't really care," she said, drawing him into another kiss.
Vaughn rolled onto his back once they broke apart. "So, it's the last day of 2002. How do you want to spend it?"
"Oh my gosh, it's New Year's Eve. I'd forgotten. What do *you* want to do?"
"Nope. I asked you first," Vaughn grinned. "Tell me what you want to do, and whatever it is, we'll do it."
Sydney propped herself on her elbow and looked down at him. "You would do anything to make me happy, wouldn't you?" She interpreted his smile as an implicit "yes," and looked back at him seriously. "Do I make you as happy as you make me?"
"Well, that depends," he said slyly. "How happy do I make you?"
Sydney shook her head and placed her hand on his forearm. "Vaughn, I'm being serious. Since the day we met, you've been this incredible source of strength and comfort for me. You let me cry on your shoulder -- a lot," she added with a small laugh. "You give me pep talks whenever I get discouraged, and you haven't been scared away by my crazy parents. You give me so much, and sometimes I just wonder if I give you anything in return."
"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "We're not keeping score here, you know. Sydney, you make me indescribably happy. No one's ever made me feel the way that you do. Don't ever question how much better you make my life," he implored as his thumb caressed her cheek.
She smiled softly and leaned into his touch. "I don't ever solve your problems," she said regretfully.
"My life's not that complicated," he shrugged.
"That's not true, and even if it was, your life got a lot more complicated when I crashed into it. I just want to make sure that you know you can tell me about your problems. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, mine is available."
"I know, Syd," he said softly. "Trust me, you'll be the first person I'll come to. I promise."
"Okay, good."
"Actually, you can help me with a problem right now," he smiled up at her.
Her face lit up at the thought that she could actually help him for once. "Really? What is it?"
"Well, it's New Year's Eve, and I asked my girlfriend what she wants to do, but she hasn't given me any suggestions yet. So I need some help figuring out what to do."
He laughed as she rolled her eyes and gently pushed him away from her.
*****
"This reminds me of the movie 'Joe vs. The Volcano.' You know how Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were floating in the Pacific on those suitcases? It looked like they were on the edge of the earth, so far away from everything. That's how I feel right now," Sydney said as she leaned back in Vaughn's arms and swept her hair over her left shoulder. They were sitting on the beach, enjoying the soft sound of the surf lapping a few feet away from them. The stars shone brightly, and the water was calm and dark, reflecting the glow of the moon.
"We *are* far away from everything. We're a long way from L.A., that's for sure."
"What would we be doing tonight if we were at home?"
Vaughn shrugged. "I don't know . . . dinner and dancing in the warehouse?"
She made a face as she turned to look at him. "*That* was the big plan you told me about?"
"Of course not," he scoffed. "I didn't actually *have* a plan; I told you that I *might* have a plan. I was still brainstorming when Kendall told us we were coming here. You know, it takes a lot of planning to be wildly romantic," he laughed. "I thought about taking you to Mulholland Drive, but I figured that if there were fireworks anywhere in the city, we'd be able to see them from there. Sorry that there aren't any fireworks here on the island."
"We can make our own fireworks later," she said seductively as her hand caressed his knee.
"Definitely," he grinned. "Are you sure you don't want to go back up by the pool?" After dinner, he and Sydney had stumbled upon the resort's New Year's Eve party, and they had danced for a while before deciding to take a walk on the beach. They stopped at a secluded spot far enough away to give them privacy, but close enough that they could still hear the music and laughter from the party.
"I'm sure. Some of the women at the party were staring at you, so I figured I'd better drag you away if I wanted to keep you all to myself." she laughed.
"Funny, I noticed some guys checking you out too."
"Oh, they didn't stand a chance." She moved to a kneeling position facing Vaughn and placed her hands on his bent knees. "Hey, I've been dying to ask you what's your New Year's resolution?"
He made a face and shook his head. "I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions."
Sydney cocked her head to the side and studied him. "I should've known."
He looked back at her with amused surprised. "What does that mean?"
She shrugged. "Just that you don't seem like the kind of person who waits for an arbitrary date before you resolve to do something."
"I guess not. I've never really understood why people make a big deal out of it. Most New Year's resolutions just end up being broken anyway."
Sydney let out a shocked laugh as a huge smile spread over her face. "Oh my god, you're right," she said thoughtfully. She brushed away a few strands of hair that blew in front of her eyes. "My resolution was that I was going to learn to control myself around you. I told myself that I was going to be more professional and resist the urge to kiss you every time I saw you," she laughed. "I thought I'd impress you with my restraint."
"Impress me with your restraint?" Vaughn smirked. "Sydney, you wouldn't have impressed me, you would have driven me crazy!" He shook his head and grinned at her. "*That* was definitely a resolution that was meant to be broken."
She inched closer to him and smiled. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it? You should know that I've broken every New Year's resolution I've ever made. I certainly didn't have any intention of keeping this one for more than a week."
"Glad to hear it," he whispered as he brushed his lips against hers. As she gave into his kiss, she knew that there was no way in hell she could have kept her resolution for more than a day. She was the proverbial moth to Vaughn's flame, powerless to resist him. Just as she was getting lost in the feel of his mouth on hers, she heard the notes of a familiar song drifting over from the pool area. She gently pulled back from him and rose to her feet, leaving him with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Dance with me?" she asked, holding out her hand and pulling him to his feet.
"Sure," he smiled. He brushed off his pants and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her shiver as his fingers brushed against the small of her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Francie and I used to listen to this CD all the time in college," she murmured. "I love this song."
There must have been an angel by my side
something heavenly led me to you
look at the sky
it's the color of love
There must have been an angel by my side
something heavenly came down from above
he led me to you
he led me to you
He built a bridge to your heart
all the way
how many tons of love inside
I can't say
Sydney closed her eyes as they danced together. She couldn't imagine a more perfect way to celebrate the new year than dancing under the stars with Vaughn. When she opened her eyes and saw him smiling down at her, she made a new resolution: She was going to do everything in her power, whatever it took, to bring down SD-6 before the year was over. She wasn't willing to wait a minute longer than necessary to be with him all the time. She smiled as she buried her face in his shoulder. For the first time in her life, she had made a resolution that she had *every* intention of keeping.
When I was led to you
I knew you were the one for me
I swear the whole world could feel my heartbeat
When I lay eyes on you
you wrap me up in
the color of love
You gave me the kiss of life
kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
the kiss of life
Vaughn wrapped his arms tighter around Sydney, loving the way she felt in his arms. He wasn't sure if he believed in destiny, but he was starting o believe that they were made for each other. They were amazing together, and all he wanted was to be with her always. So, for the first time in a long time, he made a New Year's resolution: That he would do everything in his power to protect her and free her from the clutches of SD-6, no matter the cost. He knew it was the one resolution he was incapable of breaking.
Wasn't it clear from the start
look the sky is full of love
yeah the sky is full of love
You gave me the kiss of life
kiss of life
You gave me the kiss that's like
the kiss of life
Song: "Kiss of Life" by Sade
TBC . . .