Chapter 6

Disclaimer: No! I won't say it. You can't make me. Ow! Okay! Alias isn't mine.

CallistoRevo: I gotta love my fan base! I hate to tell you, but it isn't going to be nearly as S/V as I'd like. I mean, it's there, but it sorta takes a backseat. This story has a mind of its own…

Erin: An honest critique! Thanks! And Vaughn is just suspicious. I mean, Syd disappeared completely a long time ago, so he's just being cautious. And Leah's just…well, you'll see. She's not meant to be a brat, I promise!

Lady Prongs of Rohan: I only have one word for you. SARCASM! Oh, well, I guess that's what I get for a sarcastic comment in the first place…

Largemarge416: No, no! She just has a quick temper! She's not really that bad…Give her a chance!

Windystar47: Hey, it's set a long time after the show…I couldn't keep them completely in character and still follow the same plot!

A/N: Geez…you guys are great about reviewing, but must you attack my characters??? Go after me or something…they're defenseless! lol

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Sydney stood wide-eyed in a corner of Vaughn's office. He'd barely spared her a glance after he'd told her what had happened, he'd been so busy. Being in the CIA building and having explicit instructions, issued by both her father and Vaughn, not to leave the office was driving her insane.

Her daughter had been kidnapped by SD-6, damn it! She should be able to do something!

Of course, Sydney had taken precautions with Leah, but how was she to know if any of it had worked? Leah had taken to martial arts like a duck to water, but that didn't mean…

"Sydney, good news," Vaughn walked in, giving her a look she couldn't read. "Leah called."

"Oh!" Sydney rang her hands nervously in a completely uncharacteristic gesture. "Is she okay? Did she get away from them? Did you trace the call? Where is she? What did she say? Oh, my baby…"

Vaughn was still looking at her strangely, but his mouth twitched.

"We traced the call to a suburb in Arizona. Apparently, she's okay. She didn't seem nearly as hysterical as your average eighteen year old girl who's been kidnapped by and somehow escaped form a criminal organization in the last six hours." His voice held an obvious accusation.

Guilt assailed Sydney. "Well, she's trained in martial arts…" But she dropped her eyes.

"What did you do to her Sydney?" Vaughn asked harshly, his voice low and threatening.

Sydney hung her head and when she'd gathered the courage to speak it was in a barely audible tone.

"It was a modified version of Project Christmas, geared toward self-preservation."

"What?!?" Vaughn exploded.

Sydney held up a hand.

"I was a fugitive, both from SD-6 and from the CIA. I wanted my daughter to be able to survive if this ever happened. I've worked against it from the say she was born. The version of the Project I used only programmed her to survive, to be able to think even while she feared for her life. I don't know if that worked, or had any effect at all. I never used the memory erasing process, but the only times I helped her learn was during her karate classes, as a child. When she was older and I was working with her on that skill, I would tell her stories that contained information she might someday need. Or I'd casually start a conversation on something like tracing a phone call. Stuff she'd need to remember if she was ever in this situation.. I was only teaching her to survive! I wanted her to be able to get away…" Feeling like an idiot, she dissolved into tears.

Vaughn made no move to comfort her, but took a deep breath to keep the angry words he wanted to shout in check.

"You were devastated when you learned what your father had done to you. Why would you turn around and do the same thing?" he pointed out carefully.

Shakily, Sydney said, "I understand a little more now why he did it. I still hate that he took away my choices, but I understand. I haven't taken away Leah's choices. She'll only survive, Vaughn. It won't be a way of life for her. I can promise you that." She looked up at him defiantly.

His resolve melted. As long as she'd looked guilty, or nervous, or out of place, he'd been okay because that hadn't been his Sydney. But her defiant, kiss-my-ass expression was too reminiscent of his Sydney for him not to react.

Vaughn grinned and stepped close to her. When she looked up at him with surprise in her eyes, he kissed her forehead lightly and let his hands rest on her shoulders.

"Damn it, Syd, I should be furious with you," he whispered. "You took my child from me, took away seeing her grow up. But I still feel the same way I did that night we spent together."

Sydney leaned into him and choked back a sob.

"I'm so scared, Vaughn," Sydney murmured against his shoulder. "She's been all I've had for so long…"

Vaughn shifted to wrap his arms around her waist.

"I would have helped you, Syd. We could have gone away together. I'd have done anything you wanted if I'd known."

"I thought what I was doing was best…"

"Ahem."

Sydney and Vaughn parted quickly, although reluctantly.

"Uh, Dad, hi," Sydney said.

Jack didn't respond immediately.

"There's a team leaving for Arizona in one hour," he finally said, looking at Sydney. "I've cleared it for you to go, too, since you've been officially listed as MIA. Keep an eye on her, Agent Vaughn," Jack added with a hint of a smile.

Sydney's face fell, and she felt the fear she'd thought she'd mastered a long time ago threaten to overwhelm her.

"Syd?" Vaughn said after Jack left, rubbing her arms gently. "It'll be okay. We'll find her."

Sydney shook her head. "It won't be that easy. She's afraid to be found."

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Jeff paced. Around the living room. Through the kitchen. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Onto the back porch. And the phone still didn't ring.

Leah had just called that same afternoon. She probably wouldn't call again, Jeff rationalized.

Yet he still paced, hoping she would. Something just wasn't right, and Jeff feared he'd pace himself to death if he didn't hear from his girlfriend soon.

Then it hit him: he had the number Leah had given him so her mother could reach her. He could call her, too! He could hear her voice, and set his mind at rest. Of course Leah was fine. Nothing could happen to Leah.

Jeff hastily dialed the number and walked out onto the back porch with the cordless phone.

"Hello?" a clipped, male voice answered.

"Oh, uh, sorry, I think I must have dialed a wrong number," Jeff stuttered. Only he hadn't. "I was, uh, trying to call my…Leah Bristow."

There was along pause, but there was more than enough background noise to tell Jeff the man hadn't hung up.

"I, uh, guess I dialed a wrong number," Jeff repeated.

"No! Uh, no, this is the number Leah gave you," the man said quickly. "Jeff, right?"

"Yeah, who are you?"

"Michael Vaughn," the man sighed. "Leah's father."

Jeff gasped, but quickly recovered.

"UH, can I talk to Lee?" he asked.

There was another awkward pause.

"May be you should talk to Sydney, "Vaughn said softly. "Syd! Her boyfriend's on the phone!" Jeff heard him hiss. There was some reply, then, "What the hell am I supposed to say to him?" Vaughn sighed. "There's been a…situation," he told Jeff.

Jeff stomach did a flip, and his heart leapt into his throat.

"What kind of a situation?" His hands shook.

"Leah was kidnapped, but we know she was okay as of two hours ago," Vaughn began.

"What?!?!?" Jeff screeched.

"She got away, and called me…"

"How the hell did that happen?!? Why would anyone want Leah?!?"

Vaughn put his hand over the phone and spoke to Sydney, then handed her the phone.

"Jeff, there's a lot you don't know, so just listen, okay?" Sydney ordered.

"But Ms. Bristow…"

"Jeff, just listen," she snapped, already at the end of her short patience. "I didn't just work for the government, I was CIA. A double agent, acting as a mole inside an agency called…well, never mind. They still exist, and security section recognized Leah. When I got pregnant, I ran, so they saw her as a link to a missing agent they'd never confirmed as dead. They had her, but she got away and called. The call was traced, and Vaughn and I are on a plane to search for her. Jeff, I know you're worried about her, but that's all you need to know. I promise I'll call you the second I know anything. I have to go."

"But…wait!" Jeff pleaded, and very nearly threw the phone to the wooden planking of the deck when he heard the dial tone. "Damn it!" he snarled, thankful his parents were out for the evening.

So much for his call having a calming effect. He'd have been better off pacing all night!

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Sorry it was such a short chapter, but there was a lot in it. That was about all I figured ya'll could handle for now. Now, no threats, please. I'll have the next chapter up in a couple of days, I promise!