The Last Nine Months
Sydney's tears finally began to subside and Vaughn loosened his grip a bit, but he still had his arms protectively around her. Sydney felt safe for the first time in months now that she was back in his arms.
Sydney looked deep into his green eyes, "Vaughn, we need to talk."
"I know"
"I've already told everything to Kendall, but I need you to know."
"Kendall?" Vaughn asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, when you have no where else to turn he is not a bad guy."
"I'm here"
"I know, you've always been there for me, but I don't want to dump all of this on you. I didn't want to bring you into this mess, but I had to see you," Syd looked at him guiltily.
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're alive, but how?"
"Okay, let me start from the beginning. . . . I went inside after you dropped me off and got some ice cream, coffee to be exact. There was a message on my phone from Will. He sounded, I can't even explain it, it was a mixture of hurt, confusion, and disbelief. He said that he thought the double was Francie. I could barely keep myself together, but I did. I tested her. I offered her some of my ice cream and she took it. Francie hates coffee ice cream. Heartbroken I went to my room. Then Francie came in with a gun and we fought. I saw Will in my bathtub. It reminded me so much of Danny. . . . I shot her three times and then I drifted into unconsciousness.
A couple of days later I woke up in a van. I was restrained. A man gave me a neurotoxin so I would not struggle. He told me that they extracted DNA from my teeth and planted it in the teeth of the body that was to be me. He turned me towards the window so I could see where we were. The van was at a beach and I could see a circle of people near the shore. Vaughn, they made me watch my own funeral. I saw everyone, Marshall, Weiss, my dad, you. I saw you let the ashes go into the wind. They wanted me to know that Sydney Bristow was gone to everyone that I cared about. I watched everyone walk up from the shore. I saw you at your car with Weiss. All I wanted to do was scream your name. I hated myself because I was hurting you and I was alive, right there. The neurotoxin temporarily paralyzed me so I couldn't do a thing. I wanted to run to you. They kept me in a small room in the dark and deprived me of food. They tried to brainwash me into believing that I was someone else, that I was someone they created, Julia Thorne. At first, I fought their efforts, but it just made the torture worse. Finally, I gave up and went along with their little game. Then they decided that they needed to test my loyalty. They had me kill and innocent man. They have me working as an assassin. I have to complete my assignments or they will kill. My god, what have I come to? I'm trading other people's lives for my own."
"Syd, if you don't, they'll just get someone else to."
"I guess so"
"Syd, who is the 'they' you keep referring to?"
"The Covenant. They're horrible. They have the power and the capabilities to be even more destructive than the Alliance ever was. McKenas Cole is only the second in command. I have no idea what type of evil could I contacted Kendall three months ago and I have been working as a double agent ever since."
"Sydney" Vaughn whispered.
"It's okay. It's harder now that I don't have my guardian angel, but Kendall's okay once you get to know him."
"Syd, I'm always here for you."
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't have Kendall tell you before, but we wanted to have as few people know about me because of my position. Dixon knew because he was in the room when I called. Kendall only told my dad a week ago. I just don't want to drag you back into this life, you don't deserve it."
"Neither do you"
"I have to keep doing this if we ever want the Covenant to be destroyed. I have to start to weaken them from the inside."
"Is there anything else I can do to help?"
"That woman you were with earlier-"
"Oh, her. I told her to go away and leave me alone. I could never replace you. Everyone has been telling me to move on and I went out with her a couple of times to make them happy, but she's not you."
"Vaughn, call Lauren Reed again and talk to her."
"What? Wait, how did you know her name? Did I tell you?"
"No, you have to keep your enemies close by," said Sydney sadly.
Vaughn was puzzled by what Sydney had just said. What did she mean? She was looking into his eyes and telling him to move on to another woman even though she was alive. He would wait for her forever. Her eyes looked so sad. She broke eye contact with him and looked at the ground. Why was she pushing him away? Was she worried about putting him in danger? Frankly, he didn't care. As long as he was with her, he didn't care what was going on around him or what happened to him.
"What?"
"Vaughn, you have to. Do this for me."
"Why?"
"Because, Lauren Reed is Covenant."
Sydney's tears finally began to subside and Vaughn loosened his grip a bit, but he still had his arms protectively around her. Sydney felt safe for the first time in months now that she was back in his arms.
Sydney looked deep into his green eyes, "Vaughn, we need to talk."
"I know"
"I've already told everything to Kendall, but I need you to know."
"Kendall?" Vaughn asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, when you have no where else to turn he is not a bad guy."
"I'm here"
"I know, you've always been there for me, but I don't want to dump all of this on you. I didn't want to bring you into this mess, but I had to see you," Syd looked at him guiltily.
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're alive, but how?"
"Okay, let me start from the beginning. . . . I went inside after you dropped me off and got some ice cream, coffee to be exact. There was a message on my phone from Will. He sounded, I can't even explain it, it was a mixture of hurt, confusion, and disbelief. He said that he thought the double was Francie. I could barely keep myself together, but I did. I tested her. I offered her some of my ice cream and she took it. Francie hates coffee ice cream. Heartbroken I went to my room. Then Francie came in with a gun and we fought. I saw Will in my bathtub. It reminded me so much of Danny. . . . I shot her three times and then I drifted into unconsciousness.
A couple of days later I woke up in a van. I was restrained. A man gave me a neurotoxin so I would not struggle. He told me that they extracted DNA from my teeth and planted it in the teeth of the body that was to be me. He turned me towards the window so I could see where we were. The van was at a beach and I could see a circle of people near the shore. Vaughn, they made me watch my own funeral. I saw everyone, Marshall, Weiss, my dad, you. I saw you let the ashes go into the wind. They wanted me to know that Sydney Bristow was gone to everyone that I cared about. I watched everyone walk up from the shore. I saw you at your car with Weiss. All I wanted to do was scream your name. I hated myself because I was hurting you and I was alive, right there. The neurotoxin temporarily paralyzed me so I couldn't do a thing. I wanted to run to you. They kept me in a small room in the dark and deprived me of food. They tried to brainwash me into believing that I was someone else, that I was someone they created, Julia Thorne. At first, I fought their efforts, but it just made the torture worse. Finally, I gave up and went along with their little game. Then they decided that they needed to test my loyalty. They had me kill and innocent man. They have me working as an assassin. I have to complete my assignments or they will kill. My god, what have I come to? I'm trading other people's lives for my own."
"Syd, if you don't, they'll just get someone else to."
"I guess so"
"Syd, who is the 'they' you keep referring to?"
"The Covenant. They're horrible. They have the power and the capabilities to be even more destructive than the Alliance ever was. McKenas Cole is only the second in command. I have no idea what type of evil could I contacted Kendall three months ago and I have been working as a double agent ever since."
"Sydney" Vaughn whispered.
"It's okay. It's harder now that I don't have my guardian angel, but Kendall's okay once you get to know him."
"Syd, I'm always here for you."
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't have Kendall tell you before, but we wanted to have as few people know about me because of my position. Dixon knew because he was in the room when I called. Kendall only told my dad a week ago. I just don't want to drag you back into this life, you don't deserve it."
"Neither do you"
"I have to keep doing this if we ever want the Covenant to be destroyed. I have to start to weaken them from the inside."
"Is there anything else I can do to help?"
"That woman you were with earlier-"
"Oh, her. I told her to go away and leave me alone. I could never replace you. Everyone has been telling me to move on and I went out with her a couple of times to make them happy, but she's not you."
"Vaughn, call Lauren Reed again and talk to her."
"What? Wait, how did you know her name? Did I tell you?"
"No, you have to keep your enemies close by," said Sydney sadly.
Vaughn was puzzled by what Sydney had just said. What did she mean? She was looking into his eyes and telling him to move on to another woman even though she was alive. He would wait for her forever. Her eyes looked so sad. She broke eye contact with him and looked at the ground. Why was she pushing him away? Was she worried about putting him in danger? Frankly, he didn't care. As long as he was with her, he didn't care what was going on around him or what happened to him.
"What?"
"Vaughn, you have to. Do this for me."
"Why?"
"Because, Lauren Reed is Covenant."