DISCLAIMER: Don't own Alias...I think that's obvious though

Ship: there is only one... SV

Timeline: after Facade

A/n hey! K...I know you probably hear this all the time but this is my first fanfic (hence the pre-fic quivering) and so I'm a little nervous...you don't have to be overly kind if you think its rubbish...but feedback would be kewl

A/n ... again...I'm a 16 year old English girlie so that's why my spelling may seem deluded to the majority of you...ooo! And also we're only half way through season 3 on the other side of the pond so pleeeease don't gimme any spoilers and excuse my general behindness

A/n italics are thinking (but you probably new that)...I'll go now...ahem

All I needed

Vaughn POV

Even though Dixon had insisted that everyone involved in the events of the last 48 hours took today off, no one but Marshal had. I thought this was perfectly understandable, he had just become a father after all, and after staring at a computer for 12 hours a day 6 days a week without any sleep could hardly be relaxing for the guy. I leant back on my chair, stretching my arms lazily letting my hands idly ruffle through my hair. I felt the uncomfortable cold metal of my wedding ring against my neck and shivered slightly. 'That can't be normal' I thought 'After all this time, I'm still not use to this damn thing'. I casually toyed with my ring suddenly realising Lauren hadn't bothered to call me in three days. I dropped my hands in my lap sighing loudly deciding I was just as much to blame as she was- I could have called her.

The only reason I had even bothered to show up to work today was because I didn't really feel like staying at home on my own with Donovan, and I knew Eric had only come in because the exterminators were at his house and there was a secretary he wanted to harass for a date. Jack, well I wasn't sure if Jack had ever willingly taken a day off in his life, but he had gone to interrogate Sark, and Sydney, well Sydney was Sydney- as stubborn as ever. She annoyed me sometimes: coming in despite her emotional and physical exhaustion, always putting her job and the people around her before herself and her own priorities. I read what I had written over the few hours that had passed-' Agent Bristow, by using her amazing espionage skills and stunning visage managed to convince Ryan I love her'. I did a double take a chuckled nervously. 'I should so give this into Dixon!' Maybe Jack could skim over it too. I'm sure my wife would appreciate it on some level' I quickly highlighted it and tapped on the delete key.

I looked up from by blank monitor over to her desk where she quietly sat. I knew she thought no one had noticed her being there, but she was wrong. I had. For the past two hours I glanced at her every time I typed something just to check she was really there. Those two years had been the worst in my life, and even though I told myself I had moved on, I hadn't. Not even with Lauren, who I realised, when looking at my father's watch, was a rebound girl. I felt absolutely terrible, vile in fact for admitting this to myself, but I knew it was true; Sydney was and would always be my love and there was nothing Lauren, who I thought of as a nice and caring person who I in returned cared for very deeply, could do. Our relationship was a comfortable one, but becoming slightly strained since North Korea. I feared she knew what happened between us on that day, but would brush it aside. There was no way she could know; the casual and mostly subconscious physical contact I kept finding myself doing, and occasional across the table glances in meetings were subtle enough to go unnoticed. But I didn't mean to- what I told Sydney in Korea was right- it's just too easy to be with her. I would never or could never cheat on Lauren, but emotionally, adultery was something I was too familiar with.

Every fleeting look in Syd's direction had caused my heart to swell a little only to be broken again by seeing her pain stricken eyes dance over the screen, flitting occasionally to the keyboard. I realised I was lucky- she hadn't caught me watching, but some of my 'glances' weren't glances at all, they were studies, studies of her beauty, her grace and of her charm, something that after all this time still astounded me. And however much I tried, all I could think of was our last encounter...

Sydney POV

'This is pointless. God I annoy myself sometimes; I never should have come in. I'm never going to get any work done at this rate' I snorted at the few words I had written over the past few hours- 'Daniel Ryan proved to be a complex and layered character. In order for him to believe we were the Covenant we had to construct a Vaughn '. 'Ooo now that's focus. Bravo Sydney' I mused as I held the delete button down. I looked over at Vaughn for what must have been the thousandth time today. I knew he, like the rest of the rotunda, probably hadn't even noticed I was there. I could see him fiddling with his ring, obviously thinking about Lauren and how I had completely screwed up some of the best years of his life by coming back. His stunning eyes seemed pensive and full of longing; he clearly missed his love, and I could empathise with his yearning; for I had lost him, and I now know what it truly is to miss. 'I'm sure their relationship is a secure and happy one' I reasoned. He looked so amazing. He was...is, such a beautiful man; his slender yet perfectly muscular body, his angelic but masculine face, those sparkling caring eyes, the gentle lips every part of my body misses, and his flawlessly tousled hair, done the way I love so much.

I saw him editing part of his report; clearly he had written loads. I looked back at my own now empty screen making sure he didn't catch me watching him. I began typing half-heartedly as I slowly turned over our last meeting in my head over and over...

She slowly and heavily walked towards her car, repeating the reassuring little mantra she had created for herself in her head 'It wasn't your fault. It was the only way you could have made them trust you. He was a bad man. A nasty, horrible man' She came to a stand still, it all becoming too much for her. The resistance she had created against the impending tears crumbled as she leant against the car, letting a silent sob escape her lips. She shook gently and elegantly, letting the warm tears sweetly cascade down her graceful features. She didn't even notice the car silently pulling up behind her.

Vaughn was tired. He was tired and in pain. He needed to go home. He needed Sydney. 'But Syd isn't home' he thought to himself. Lauren was. Lauren was where he had to be, but Syd, his beloved Syd was where he should be, where he wanted to be, where he was meant to be. He drove into the garage, heading for his usual spot near the entrance, and that's when he saw her. He didn't see her face but he knew who it was and she was crying; his strong beautiful Sydney was crying. She wasn't meant to be crying, it wasn't meant to be like this. She was supposed to be happy, strong, in love with a man who could tell her he loved her in return. He was supposed to be her Guardian Angel and he had failed her. Vaughn got out his car, repeating the same passionate and tender steps towards her he had taken all those years ago in SD-6.

Sydney heard a door close. She pretended she didn't, but she knew who it was; it was Vaughn. She wiped away a tear and turned around, coyly glancing into his familiar and loving eyes. Her voice cracking with over-whelming emotion, she spoke his name softly. He silently beckoned her to him and without hesitation gathered her into his arms, letting them fall into each other. They swayed gently from side to side as he soothingly stoked her hair breathing her in. Their eyes were closed, forgetting their predicament and pain, not allowing for any more tears to be spilled over one another. In all their time together, and all their time apart, this was the most intimate they had ever felt. The raw emotion lay bare, out in the open for all to see; but they didn't care. They had waited for this for so long. They had wanted this for so long. They had needed this for long.

Both had been replaying this event in their minds, storing it deep within themselves, a private moment to share and relive alone but together over and over. Sydney held her head in her hands trembling slightly. Vaughn had sat back in his chair, emotion running through him, humming like electricity. Their eyes were glassy, their mouths were dry, and their hearts were aching. They smiled gently to themselves; silently oblivious to the moment they were sharing.

"That was all I needed," they both whispered, "That was all we needed."

Fin