Chapter 14
An hour later Sydney returned after having her tests. She entered the room to find Vaughn sitting on the bed, with Lauren's sleeping head resting on his lap. His face looked deeply worried, whereas Lauren appeared to be quite content. Whilst Lauren was asleep Vaughn had been sitting tossing his wedding ring backwards and forwards thinking about the mess he had got himself into. He wanted to be with Sydney so badly, but a part of him felt a duty to stay with his wife and unborn child. He noticed Sydney walking in, and immediately felt uncomfortable. He looked down at Lauren silently hoping that she would wake up, so he wouldn't have to face explaining to Syd why he couldn't be with her.
"Hey." Even though she was smiling at him, he could tell that she was upset. "Hi." He just about managed to get the words out. "How were you tests?" "Erm...they were ok I guess." She had so much that she wanted to say to him, but she was unsure where to start. Luckily for her, Vaughn found a way to start the conversation they both knew they had to have. "Syd, we need to talk." He carefully picked Lauren up and placed her on the bed. He stood up, his hands in his pockets. "What ever gave you that idea?" She asked sarcastically.
Vaughn was hurt by this remark but he knew that he deserved it. "I take it you know about Lauren?" It was killing him to have this conversation with her. "Yes. She already broke the happy news to me." During the time that she had known Vaughn, they hadn't argued much. Their friendship had had a rocky start, but over time they had become good friends, they had even fallen in love with one another, even though neither admitted it. The feelings they had shared for each other often had no effect on their friendship, except for one time.
Flashback
Sydney and Vaughn were standing in the warehouse where they always met. They were talking about Sloane, but that wasn't the only thing that was on Sydney's mind. She had just found out about her father being suspected of betraying SD-6, and she feared for both his safety and her own. But right now she had to concentrate on Sloane. "There are so many things I hate about Arvin Sloane, but the thing that I hate the most is the way he wraps his criminal activity in a flag." It made her angry how he always tried to make it seem like what he was doing was for the good of the country. But she now knew the truth.
"Well, we won't let him get away with it. Before you go we'll make a defective copy of that gyroscope for you to give to SD-6. We'll need to see those photographs." As usual Vaughn was dressed in one of his work suits. He had his hands in his pockets, a small smile spread across his face. "Dixon has them. He's already on his way to Nice." Sydney replied.
"Then we'll have to get a team to France. When you're through with the mission make sure you're holding the gyroscope. We'll duplicate it on-site. And, Syd, you should know that, uh, we've been doing everything we can to help your father." Vaughn always managed to find a solution for problems, but the last thing he said caused a big problem for Syd. "You've been helping my father." She asked puzzled. "Yeah." He was quite unsure why she was asking him this, but he answered her anyway. "You knew the Alliance was investigating my father?" The tone raised in her voice slightly, as she realized she had been betrayed by the one person that she trusted the most. Vaughn. "Yes." He still couldn't figure out where she was going with this.
"For how long." Her eyes filled with tears as she waited for an answer. "Two weeks. Syd, I understand you're upset." His forehead creased with wrinkles, as it all became clear to him. She was upset because he hadn't told her about what was going on with her father. "Yeah, I am."
"Your father explained why we hadn't told you." He was trying to reason with her, but Sydney Bristow was a stubborn person, if something made her angry, she wouldn't let it drop. "Now that I've had time to think about that..." Vaughn cut her off as she began to yell.
"It was a question of your safety." He admitted to her. "He was almost killed! I saved him!" She continued to yell, her arms waving frantically in front of her. "It hadn't gotten to that..." Vaughn's voice was getting louder, as he too grew angry.
"Yeah, but it did!" Syd stated, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"I didn't want you to have more on your mind." Even though he had a girlfriend, he couldn't stop himself from worrying about Sydney. "Why are you worrying about what's on my mind?" She asked questioningly. It wasn't like they were dating. So why should he be concerned about her?
"It was a judgment call." He tried to convince himself that by not telling Sydney, he was doing his job. But the truth was he was just being protective of her whether he had the right to or not. "It's a judgment call you've been making for the past three months!" "Involving you had no upside"
Sydney burst into hysterics. "There's no upside to keeping me informed? You didn't tell me about Monolo or that you had discussions with my mother! You didn't even tell me that you were seeing Alice again!" She hadn't meant for that last statement to come out, but it was part of the reason why she was so mad with him. The night before her and Will had bumped into Vaughn and Alice as they were leaving a cocktail bar. Syd was under the impression that they had broken up, but obviously they hadn't. She thought that she could handle seeing them together, but she couldn't. She knew that she couldn't date him, as protocol forbid it, and also there was a list of people who would kill them if they were seen together. But she couldn't stand the fact that somebody else was allowed to date it.
"Wait. What is this about?" Although he was sadden at the fact that seeing him and Alice together had upset Syd, part of him was glad that she was jealous. It showed him that she had feelings for him, just like he had for her. "This is about me being too old to be coddled!" She replied.
"Your life is complicated, Sydney! Forgive me for trying to make it any easier!" "I don't need you for that!" She said harshly, glaring at him. She turned and left the warehouse, leaving Vaughn standing in the warehouse. Alone.
End Flashback
"Sydney...I didn't want you to find out this way..." He was trying to apologize but it was no use. "How did you want me to find out Vaughn?" She glared at him, the tone in her voice making Lauren stir in her sleep. "You have every right to be upset Sydney..." "Oh why thank you Vaughn, for allowing me to be upset. I find out that the man I love is about to have a baby with another woman, I think I deserve to show a little emotion." The tears flowed freely down her cheek.
"What we talked about this morning, about Lauren not being the person I wanted to be with...I still mean that. But this baby changes everything."
Sydney swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Are you going to stay with her?"
"While you were having your tests, I've been thinking about the baby. I don't want to be one of those fathers who only see their children every other weekend, or for a couple of hours during the week. I don't want my child to grow up having only one parent. I did that Syd; I grew up with only my mother. I now have the chance to stop this from happening to another child." He wanted to run up and hold her, to tell her that everything would work out. But he couldn't, he didn't want to hurt her anymore.
An hour later Sydney returned after having her tests. She entered the room to find Vaughn sitting on the bed, with Lauren's sleeping head resting on his lap. His face looked deeply worried, whereas Lauren appeared to be quite content. Whilst Lauren was asleep Vaughn had been sitting tossing his wedding ring backwards and forwards thinking about the mess he had got himself into. He wanted to be with Sydney so badly, but a part of him felt a duty to stay with his wife and unborn child. He noticed Sydney walking in, and immediately felt uncomfortable. He looked down at Lauren silently hoping that she would wake up, so he wouldn't have to face explaining to Syd why he couldn't be with her.
"Hey." Even though she was smiling at him, he could tell that she was upset. "Hi." He just about managed to get the words out. "How were you tests?" "Erm...they were ok I guess." She had so much that she wanted to say to him, but she was unsure where to start. Luckily for her, Vaughn found a way to start the conversation they both knew they had to have. "Syd, we need to talk." He carefully picked Lauren up and placed her on the bed. He stood up, his hands in his pockets. "What ever gave you that idea?" She asked sarcastically.
Vaughn was hurt by this remark but he knew that he deserved it. "I take it you know about Lauren?" It was killing him to have this conversation with her. "Yes. She already broke the happy news to me." During the time that she had known Vaughn, they hadn't argued much. Their friendship had had a rocky start, but over time they had become good friends, they had even fallen in love with one another, even though neither admitted it. The feelings they had shared for each other often had no effect on their friendship, except for one time.
Flashback
Sydney and Vaughn were standing in the warehouse where they always met. They were talking about Sloane, but that wasn't the only thing that was on Sydney's mind. She had just found out about her father being suspected of betraying SD-6, and she feared for both his safety and her own. But right now she had to concentrate on Sloane. "There are so many things I hate about Arvin Sloane, but the thing that I hate the most is the way he wraps his criminal activity in a flag." It made her angry how he always tried to make it seem like what he was doing was for the good of the country. But she now knew the truth.
"Well, we won't let him get away with it. Before you go we'll make a defective copy of that gyroscope for you to give to SD-6. We'll need to see those photographs." As usual Vaughn was dressed in one of his work suits. He had his hands in his pockets, a small smile spread across his face. "Dixon has them. He's already on his way to Nice." Sydney replied.
"Then we'll have to get a team to France. When you're through with the mission make sure you're holding the gyroscope. We'll duplicate it on-site. And, Syd, you should know that, uh, we've been doing everything we can to help your father." Vaughn always managed to find a solution for problems, but the last thing he said caused a big problem for Syd. "You've been helping my father." She asked puzzled. "Yeah." He was quite unsure why she was asking him this, but he answered her anyway. "You knew the Alliance was investigating my father?" The tone raised in her voice slightly, as she realized she had been betrayed by the one person that she trusted the most. Vaughn. "Yes." He still couldn't figure out where she was going with this.
"For how long." Her eyes filled with tears as she waited for an answer. "Two weeks. Syd, I understand you're upset." His forehead creased with wrinkles, as it all became clear to him. She was upset because he hadn't told her about what was going on with her father. "Yeah, I am."
"Your father explained why we hadn't told you." He was trying to reason with her, but Sydney Bristow was a stubborn person, if something made her angry, she wouldn't let it drop. "Now that I've had time to think about that..." Vaughn cut her off as she began to yell.
"It was a question of your safety." He admitted to her. "He was almost killed! I saved him!" She continued to yell, her arms waving frantically in front of her. "It hadn't gotten to that..." Vaughn's voice was getting louder, as he too grew angry.
"Yeah, but it did!" Syd stated, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"I didn't want you to have more on your mind." Even though he had a girlfriend, he couldn't stop himself from worrying about Sydney. "Why are you worrying about what's on my mind?" She asked questioningly. It wasn't like they were dating. So why should he be concerned about her?
"It was a judgment call." He tried to convince himself that by not telling Sydney, he was doing his job. But the truth was he was just being protective of her whether he had the right to or not. "It's a judgment call you've been making for the past three months!" "Involving you had no upside"
Sydney burst into hysterics. "There's no upside to keeping me informed? You didn't tell me about Monolo or that you had discussions with my mother! You didn't even tell me that you were seeing Alice again!" She hadn't meant for that last statement to come out, but it was part of the reason why she was so mad with him. The night before her and Will had bumped into Vaughn and Alice as they were leaving a cocktail bar. Syd was under the impression that they had broken up, but obviously they hadn't. She thought that she could handle seeing them together, but she couldn't. She knew that she couldn't date him, as protocol forbid it, and also there was a list of people who would kill them if they were seen together. But she couldn't stand the fact that somebody else was allowed to date it.
"Wait. What is this about?" Although he was sadden at the fact that seeing him and Alice together had upset Syd, part of him was glad that she was jealous. It showed him that she had feelings for him, just like he had for her. "This is about me being too old to be coddled!" She replied.
"Your life is complicated, Sydney! Forgive me for trying to make it any easier!" "I don't need you for that!" She said harshly, glaring at him. She turned and left the warehouse, leaving Vaughn standing in the warehouse. Alone.
End Flashback
"Sydney...I didn't want you to find out this way..." He was trying to apologize but it was no use. "How did you want me to find out Vaughn?" She glared at him, the tone in her voice making Lauren stir in her sleep. "You have every right to be upset Sydney..." "Oh why thank you Vaughn, for allowing me to be upset. I find out that the man I love is about to have a baby with another woman, I think I deserve to show a little emotion." The tears flowed freely down her cheek.
"What we talked about this morning, about Lauren not being the person I wanted to be with...I still mean that. But this baby changes everything."
Sydney swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Are you going to stay with her?"
"While you were having your tests, I've been thinking about the baby. I don't want to be one of those fathers who only see their children every other weekend, or for a couple of hours during the week. I don't want my child to grow up having only one parent. I did that Syd; I grew up with only my mother. I now have the chance to stop this from happening to another child." He wanted to run up and hold her, to tell her that everything would work out. But he couldn't, he didn't want to hurt her anymore.