Title: This Tear
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Note: Okay, so this time the wait was completely unavoidable, I promise. I've been traveling up the coast with my family before I start school on Saturday and we can't get the internet *anywhere*! It's the most frustrating thing ever. But anyway, who besides me is psyched that Jen and Michael finally came out and admitted their relationship??? Congrats to them! Also, I'm very fortunate to be able to say that I've just recently found out that they paired me with my new college roommate mainly because we both put "watching Alias" as a thing we do in our free time! Turns out she's a huge fan like me. I'm totally psyched. We already have plans to turn our room into an Alias shrine and have a premiere party lol. And I just found out that two people in my acting classes have been in Alias! Lucky people! And to completely top things off, the thing that all the Alias people are going to at Disneyland (which is pretty close to my school) is on my 18th birthday! What a birthday present huh? Meeting the Alias cast! I love my luck lol. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. Hope this one answers a few more questions. And I appreciate everyone still keeping an open mind for the way this story will end, because I promise you, anything can happen. Speaking of the end, I was brainstorming the other day and had this great idea for this story, so I think it'll end up being a bit longer than I originally thought. Don't know if that's good or bad, but I just thought I'd let you know lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After a moment, he reached out and gently pulled her hand away from her face. She continued to look down for only another few seconds before finally meeting his gaze. Her eyes were full, her lip quivering. The silence was almost deafening. It seemed like ages until she finally spoke.
"We're going home."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 29: Waiting
For about the millionth time since they'd all been placed into hiding, time seemed to stand still as Vaughn absorbed Sydney's words. He half-expected her to start laughing and tell him she was kidding, or even to feel her shaking him out of a dream. But he watched that one tear continue down her face, suddenly remembering the rest of their situation, and he knew instantly that this was as real as it got.
"The CIA decided?" Vaughn asked in a whisper. Sydney nodded. "And they got enough intel? Everything they needed?" Vaughn pressed further.
"They're planning the takedown as we speak," she replied, a hint of a smile finally creeping onto her face.
"When?"
"My dad says the initial estimate is two to three weeks. It'll take them about that long to finalize the plans, though, so we probably won't know exactly when until pretty much right before."
"And are we being flown out before or after the takedown?" Vaughn asked hesitantly, praying for the former, knowing that this was her number one. This was her dying wish.
"Kendall's agreed to let us be there for the takedown, to participate as much as possible." Her smile was full now, stretching practically from eye to eye, brightening her entire face.
"We're going home," he whispered, repeating her earlier words. She nodded again before leaning in and wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt her hands in his hair as his own arms went around her waist.
"All the countermissions, all the lying, all the hiding, it's finally over, Vaughn."
Vaughn closed his eyes, hardly able to believe it himself. He silently thought back over the last two years. Meeting with Sydney in the warehouse, in the supermarket, at the gas station, at the pier. Hardly ever allowed to look at her. Barely having time to talk about anything but work. Watching her walk away before every mission and worrying she may not come back this time. He'd dreamt about this since the day he'd been assigned to be Sydney's handler. And though he certainly never pictured it happening this way, he still found himself incredibly grateful. It was one of the few things they'd still had hope for. One of the few prayers to actually be answered.
"I love you," he suddenly heard her whisper into his ear. He couldn't hold back the tears that sprung to his eyes this time, couldn't stop them as they trickled down his face, and couldn't help the way his arms tightened around her, unable to let her go.
"I love you too."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It took Sydney another day to fully regain her strength, but the important thing to everyone was that she did. Her lifted spirits from the news about the takedown also did a number on keeping her energy up. The next day was extremely busy between e-mails and phone calls and arrangements. Though Sydney spent a large part of the day resting, she insisted on being kept up- to-date in everything. It was almost a full 48 hours after they had received the news that they were finally all able to sit down with Dr. Anderson and discuss their plan of action.
"I've spoken to Kendall, as well as your father, Agent Bristow. It's been decided that I am to make the trip with you and stay in Los Angeles for as long as I'm needed," Dr. Anderson explained to Sydney from across the table in the main room.
"I'm assuming we're making this trip by plane," Sydney stated, looking to Weiss.
"Yeah, we are. They're sending a jet to us, to the same airfield that I picked Dixon up from before. That'll fly us into a private airport in Los Angeles, where a car will pick us up and take us to your father's safe- house. We'll stay there a night or two, depending on how early they fly us out and then we'll be transported to the ops center the morning of the take- down," Weiss explained.
"And what happens there?" Sydney asked.
"I spoke to Kendall," Vaughn suddenly spoke up. "According to him, we'll be briefed with the team before we leave. Then we'll be transported with them to Credit Dauphine. Kendall says until he puts the team together and finalizes all the plans, he can't tell us how active we'll be able to be in the actual takedown, but he says no matter what, we'll be there."
"In that case, I think it's time for me to ask what I know everyone's afraid to bring up," Sydney told them, looking from person to person, her focus settling on Dr. Anderson. "I know it's hard for you to make exact prognoses, doctor, but I need some estimate." She paused. "How much worse will I be in two or three weeks?"
Everyone reacted immediately. Weiss looked at the ground. Vaughn's eyes slipped shut. Dr. Anderson took a deep breath and sighed softly. She knew she'd been right in assuming the same question had been on everyone else's mind as well.
"Best case scenario, you'll feel exactly as you do right now. Worst case scenario, you'll be in a coma." He paused. "I don't, however, think either one of these will be the case. As hard as this is to say, I can see you're already weakening. Slowly, yes, but steadily. Most likely, you'll continue to do so over the next few weeks. At this rate, I think you have every reason to hope that you'll still be up and around. I have warn you, though, that loss of vision, loss of balance, and partial paralysis are all possibilities in that time frame, as well as a few other things. Loss of memory usually doesn't occur until the later stages, but the tell-tale signs may be there much earlier. What I *can* tell you is that I believe very strongly that, barring any serious complications, you will be alive and most likely conscious. Aside from that, we'll just have to wait and see." The room was quiet for a moment as they all considered the doctor's words.
"I'm going to be there," Sydney said suddenly, her voice low and firm.
"Syd-" Vaughn said suddenly.
"I'm going to be there," Sydney repeated, louder this time, cutting Vaughn off. "I understand what the doctor's saying, but I know my body and I know my limits. I *will* be there to see them go down."
Vaughn looked as if he was about to say something, but Dr. Anderson spoke up before he had the chance. "With a careful watch on your illness, all the support you have, and an attitude like that, I think you will too."
Sydney smiled then, knowing in her heart that he was right.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was a week and a half later when Weiss, Vaughn, and Sydney packed everything into suitcases in order to be ready to leave whenever they received the call. There had been no updates in that time aside from an e- mail from Jack saying to be patient, that things were still being worked out. They knew they could be flown out in two days or two weeks. There was no way to know. All they could do was be ready for it.
In the time since Jack's phone call, everyone's main focus had been Sydney and how she was maintaining her strength. Dr. Anderson had worked with Sydney to devise a diet for her to follow for the remainder of their time in hiding, consisting mainly of health foods. She made sure to adhere to this diet, eating meals even when everyone knew she had no appetite. Vaughn never had trouble getting her to rest anymore when she seemed tired or in pain. She drew a careful line between limiting herself and exercising in order to keep herself in the best shape possible. She'd even agreed to going back into the hospital for a few radiation sessions. She had yet to experience any of the things the doctor had mentioned aside from decreased energy and increased pain. Yes, she tired much easier now and required higher doses of pain medication, but she wasn't losing her sight, wasn't losing her ability to move, wasn't losing her memory. Vaughn knew that was about all they could ask for.
The call came after they'd been living out of their suitcases for exactly a week. It was late afternoon and Vaughn and Weiss were watching TV in the main room. Sydney had been sleeping for the past hour after taking some pain medication for a bad headache. When the phone rang, both men turned and looked at each other instantly. Dr. Anderson never bothered to call before coming by anymore, which meant only one other person would be calling. Weiss muted the TV and got up. He turned to walk away when he felt Vaughn's hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his friend standing right behind him.
"Let me," Vaughn requested, looking at the still ringing phone. Weiss nodded and moved aside so that Vaughn could go answer it. He did.
"Hello?"
"It's Jack." Vaughn nodded at Weiss.
"Have they decided?" Vaughn asked, wasting no time with pleasantries.
"Yes, everything's been approved and finalized. You're being flown out tomorrow," Jack replied.
"Tomorrow?" Vaughn asked, surprised, noticing Weiss's eyes go wide at hearing the word.
"Yes. You have to be at the airfield by 10 AM. I've already contacted Dr. Anderson. He'll meet you there."
"We'll be there," Vaughn assured him, still reeling from the idea of not only taking down SD-6, but actually getting to go home.
"How's Sydney?" Jack asked suddenly, regaining Vaughn's attention.
"All things considered, she's doing well. She's sleeping now, but she's really determined to keep her strength up for this."
"Good. I've spoken to Kendall and I know that I've been approved to be part of the task force. I don't think we'll know exactly what role the three of you will play until you're here, though," Jack informed him.
"It doesn't matter much. We just want to be there, especially Sydney."
"I know."
"Please just assure me that this is going to work. That nothing's going to go wrong this time," Vaughn requested, desperate to hear it from someone who cared about Sydney as much as he did.
"We wouldn't be getting Sydney involved in her condition unless we were sure this was it. She's my daughter, Agent Vaughn," Jack replied, his tone speaking volumes. Vaughn suddenly felt a strong connection to him, a man he'd disagreed with endlessly and even feared at times. It was a rare occasion when they were both fighting for the same thing. And now, because of Sydney, they were finally on the same side.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sydney awoke to find all of her suitcases closed and stacked at the foot of her bed. Though her mind was still hazy from the pain medication, she knew they'd been open and scattered around the floor when she'd fallen asleep. Looking at them now, she knew it could only mean one thing. As quickly as she could without making herself dizzy, she pushed herself out of bed. Standing up, she realized that the drugs were definitely still in her system, but she'd slept off most of their affects. She left her room and walked down the hall until she reached the main room. She saw Weiss standing in the kitchen area, putting a plate in the sink. He turned suddenly and saw her. They simply stood and stared at each other for at least a full minute. Even across the room, his eyes told her everything she needed to know. She walked closer until only the counter separated them.
"When?" She asked quietly.
"Tomorrow," Weiss replied. She couldn't help but let her eyes slip shut at the wave of relief she suddenly felt. Tomorrow, they would all be returning home. She finally let her eyes open again and meet Weiss's.
"Where's Vaughn?"
"Outside."
She found him on the porch, sitting on one of the chairs that was just barely in the shade. He looked so deep in thought that she almost turned and went back inside, but ultimately decided not to. He didn't seem to notice her until she was only a few feet away. As soon as he did, the creases disappeared from his forehead and the worry left his eyes. He smiled as their eyes locked, communicating in a way that only two people who'd been through as much as they had could. No greetings or questions required, she simply walked over and lowered herself sideways onto his lap and leaned into him, resting her head on top of his. He sat up a little more and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms soon migrated to rest on top of his.
"Did Weiss tell you?" Vaughn whispered as his face rubbed against her shoulder.
"Yeah," she replied, equally soft. "Thanks for finishing my packing."
"You're welcome." A silence settled over them for a moment or two.
"Are you ready for this?" She asked suddenly. There was no need to clarify what she meant.
"Are you?" he countered. She pulled back then and looked down at him, noticing for the first time that he had the faintest shimmer of tears in his eyes.
"Physically, I guess we'll just have to see. Mentally and emotionally, I think I've been ready for this for a long time."
He nodded. "Then I'm ready too."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn awoke at 7:30 the next morning to the alarm blaring in his ear. He reached over and shut it off quickly. Looking down, he wasn't surprised to see Sydney still sleeping soundly, her head resting on his chest. He knew the only had a half-hour until they had to leave for the airfield and that if he didn't wake her now, they may not make it out of the house in time. One hand rubbing her back, the other touching her face, he softly said her name a few times, asking her to wake up. It didn't take long for her eyes to crack open and look around until they found him.
"Hey," he whispered, smiling down at her. "I know it's early, but we have to get up if we want to make it to the airfield on time. You can get some more sleep in the car and on the plane."
She sighed tiredly before nodding at him. "Okay." She pushed herself off his chest and into a sitting position before bringing her hands up to rub her eyes. Vaughn leaned over and kissed the top of her head before getting up.
"I'm going to get dressed and start bringing stuff out to the car. You just take your time, okay?"
"Okay," she replied. With that, Vaughn retreated to the bathroom and changed into khakis and a comfortable, long-sleeved shirt. Having showered the night before, he simply brushed his teeth and hair before throwing the few things he'd kept in the bathroom into a bag to put into his suitcase. He opened the bathroom door and walked back into the bedroom. He was about to walk over to his suitcase just a few feet away when he noticed Sydney now on the edge of the bed, hunched over slightly, one hand pressed into her lower back. He felt his heartbeat speed up, knowing exactly what that meant. He quickly walked over and dropped down in front of her.
"Is it your back?" He asked simply. She nodded, eyes squeezed shut. He quickly snapped into action, walking over to his suitcase and throwing his stuff inside. He then walked over to hers and unzipped it. Kneeling on the floor, he ruffled through it for a minute before pulling out underwear, a white T-shirt, and a pair of gray draw-string sweatpants for her. He carried them over and set them in her lap.
"If I go get your medication before Weiss packs it, do you think you can dressed while I do that?" Vaughn asked softly. She opened her eyes and met his before nodding. She grabbed the clothes with one hand and pushed herself up with the other, managing to grimace only slightly in the process. Once she was standing, Vaughn was satisfied enough to make his way out to the main room in search of her medication. He found Weiss there, dragging a suitcase toward the door.
"Hey, did you pack Syd's medication?" Vaughn called out from across the room. Weiss put the suitcase down and turned to Vaughn.
"No, I left it out. I thought we may want to bring it with us. It's on the counter," Weiss replied, watching Vaughn walk over to the kitchen. "Is she okay?"
"Her back hurts again," Vaughn replied, grabbing the pills and walking back out of the kitchen. He met Weiss's eyes briefly before quickly making his way back to Sydney's room. He entered to find her sitting on the bed, changed into the clothes he'd picked out for her. She was in the process of pulling her hair into a ponytail when he entered and was finished by the time he rounded the bed and faced her. She looked up at him as he handed her the pills.
"Oh God, I forgot water. Hold on, let me get you some."
"No, it's okay," she said quickly, stopping him. "I can take them dry. You go help Weiss. I don't want to make us late."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, go." He nodded and walked over to the suitcases. Managing to carry one in each hand, he brought them into the main room for Weiss to bring outside.
Once the car was packed and Weiss announced that they were ready to go, Vaughn went back to get Sydney. She was still sitting on the bed, still obviously in pain. Vaughn had hoped the medication would kick in by now, but knew there was nothing he could do. He walked over and touched Sydney's shoulder, causing her to open her eyes and look up at him.
"Ready?" He asked. She nodded. He didn't bother to ask if she needed help, just leaned down and wrapped his arm around her waist. She automatically draped her arm over his shoulder, leaning on him as she stood. He helped her out the room, down the hallway, and out into the main room. Seeing it was empty, he assumed Weiss was already in the car, so he continued to lead her outside. Once at the running car, he opened the door to the backseat and helped her inside. He climbed in after her, deciding to sit with her instead of up front. He closed the door and told Weiss they were ready.
To be continued.
A/N: Okay, well I intended to put a lot more into this chapter, but I came to this point, realized it was already longer than a lot of the previous chapters, and thought this may be a good place to stop for now. I'm now at the point where I'm moving into my dorm in like nine hours and I really need to get some sleep because I have a looooong first day of orientation tomorrow. And I definitely have to get started on turning my dorm room into a live-able, Alias shrine with my roommate lol. Anyway, hope you like the chapter. The next few I've had planned out for a long time and I'm so excited about writing them so hopefully starting college won't take up so much time that I can't write lol. Wish me luck! And review, please!
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Note: Okay, so this time the wait was completely unavoidable, I promise. I've been traveling up the coast with my family before I start school on Saturday and we can't get the internet *anywhere*! It's the most frustrating thing ever. But anyway, who besides me is psyched that Jen and Michael finally came out and admitted their relationship??? Congrats to them! Also, I'm very fortunate to be able to say that I've just recently found out that they paired me with my new college roommate mainly because we both put "watching Alias" as a thing we do in our free time! Turns out she's a huge fan like me. I'm totally psyched. We already have plans to turn our room into an Alias shrine and have a premiere party lol. And I just found out that two people in my acting classes have been in Alias! Lucky people! And to completely top things off, the thing that all the Alias people are going to at Disneyland (which is pretty close to my school) is on my 18th birthday! What a birthday present huh? Meeting the Alias cast! I love my luck lol. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. Hope this one answers a few more questions. And I appreciate everyone still keeping an open mind for the way this story will end, because I promise you, anything can happen. Speaking of the end, I was brainstorming the other day and had this great idea for this story, so I think it'll end up being a bit longer than I originally thought. Don't know if that's good or bad, but I just thought I'd let you know lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After a moment, he reached out and gently pulled her hand away from her face. She continued to look down for only another few seconds before finally meeting his gaze. Her eyes were full, her lip quivering. The silence was almost deafening. It seemed like ages until she finally spoke.
"We're going home."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 29: Waiting
For about the millionth time since they'd all been placed into hiding, time seemed to stand still as Vaughn absorbed Sydney's words. He half-expected her to start laughing and tell him she was kidding, or even to feel her shaking him out of a dream. But he watched that one tear continue down her face, suddenly remembering the rest of their situation, and he knew instantly that this was as real as it got.
"The CIA decided?" Vaughn asked in a whisper. Sydney nodded. "And they got enough intel? Everything they needed?" Vaughn pressed further.
"They're planning the takedown as we speak," she replied, a hint of a smile finally creeping onto her face.
"When?"
"My dad says the initial estimate is two to three weeks. It'll take them about that long to finalize the plans, though, so we probably won't know exactly when until pretty much right before."
"And are we being flown out before or after the takedown?" Vaughn asked hesitantly, praying for the former, knowing that this was her number one. This was her dying wish.
"Kendall's agreed to let us be there for the takedown, to participate as much as possible." Her smile was full now, stretching practically from eye to eye, brightening her entire face.
"We're going home," he whispered, repeating her earlier words. She nodded again before leaning in and wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt her hands in his hair as his own arms went around her waist.
"All the countermissions, all the lying, all the hiding, it's finally over, Vaughn."
Vaughn closed his eyes, hardly able to believe it himself. He silently thought back over the last two years. Meeting with Sydney in the warehouse, in the supermarket, at the gas station, at the pier. Hardly ever allowed to look at her. Barely having time to talk about anything but work. Watching her walk away before every mission and worrying she may not come back this time. He'd dreamt about this since the day he'd been assigned to be Sydney's handler. And though he certainly never pictured it happening this way, he still found himself incredibly grateful. It was one of the few things they'd still had hope for. One of the few prayers to actually be answered.
"I love you," he suddenly heard her whisper into his ear. He couldn't hold back the tears that sprung to his eyes this time, couldn't stop them as they trickled down his face, and couldn't help the way his arms tightened around her, unable to let her go.
"I love you too."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It took Sydney another day to fully regain her strength, but the important thing to everyone was that she did. Her lifted spirits from the news about the takedown also did a number on keeping her energy up. The next day was extremely busy between e-mails and phone calls and arrangements. Though Sydney spent a large part of the day resting, she insisted on being kept up- to-date in everything. It was almost a full 48 hours after they had received the news that they were finally all able to sit down with Dr. Anderson and discuss their plan of action.
"I've spoken to Kendall, as well as your father, Agent Bristow. It's been decided that I am to make the trip with you and stay in Los Angeles for as long as I'm needed," Dr. Anderson explained to Sydney from across the table in the main room.
"I'm assuming we're making this trip by plane," Sydney stated, looking to Weiss.
"Yeah, we are. They're sending a jet to us, to the same airfield that I picked Dixon up from before. That'll fly us into a private airport in Los Angeles, where a car will pick us up and take us to your father's safe- house. We'll stay there a night or two, depending on how early they fly us out and then we'll be transported to the ops center the morning of the take- down," Weiss explained.
"And what happens there?" Sydney asked.
"I spoke to Kendall," Vaughn suddenly spoke up. "According to him, we'll be briefed with the team before we leave. Then we'll be transported with them to Credit Dauphine. Kendall says until he puts the team together and finalizes all the plans, he can't tell us how active we'll be able to be in the actual takedown, but he says no matter what, we'll be there."
"In that case, I think it's time for me to ask what I know everyone's afraid to bring up," Sydney told them, looking from person to person, her focus settling on Dr. Anderson. "I know it's hard for you to make exact prognoses, doctor, but I need some estimate." She paused. "How much worse will I be in two or three weeks?"
Everyone reacted immediately. Weiss looked at the ground. Vaughn's eyes slipped shut. Dr. Anderson took a deep breath and sighed softly. She knew she'd been right in assuming the same question had been on everyone else's mind as well.
"Best case scenario, you'll feel exactly as you do right now. Worst case scenario, you'll be in a coma." He paused. "I don't, however, think either one of these will be the case. As hard as this is to say, I can see you're already weakening. Slowly, yes, but steadily. Most likely, you'll continue to do so over the next few weeks. At this rate, I think you have every reason to hope that you'll still be up and around. I have warn you, though, that loss of vision, loss of balance, and partial paralysis are all possibilities in that time frame, as well as a few other things. Loss of memory usually doesn't occur until the later stages, but the tell-tale signs may be there much earlier. What I *can* tell you is that I believe very strongly that, barring any serious complications, you will be alive and most likely conscious. Aside from that, we'll just have to wait and see." The room was quiet for a moment as they all considered the doctor's words.
"I'm going to be there," Sydney said suddenly, her voice low and firm.
"Syd-" Vaughn said suddenly.
"I'm going to be there," Sydney repeated, louder this time, cutting Vaughn off. "I understand what the doctor's saying, but I know my body and I know my limits. I *will* be there to see them go down."
Vaughn looked as if he was about to say something, but Dr. Anderson spoke up before he had the chance. "With a careful watch on your illness, all the support you have, and an attitude like that, I think you will too."
Sydney smiled then, knowing in her heart that he was right.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was a week and a half later when Weiss, Vaughn, and Sydney packed everything into suitcases in order to be ready to leave whenever they received the call. There had been no updates in that time aside from an e- mail from Jack saying to be patient, that things were still being worked out. They knew they could be flown out in two days or two weeks. There was no way to know. All they could do was be ready for it.
In the time since Jack's phone call, everyone's main focus had been Sydney and how she was maintaining her strength. Dr. Anderson had worked with Sydney to devise a diet for her to follow for the remainder of their time in hiding, consisting mainly of health foods. She made sure to adhere to this diet, eating meals even when everyone knew she had no appetite. Vaughn never had trouble getting her to rest anymore when she seemed tired or in pain. She drew a careful line between limiting herself and exercising in order to keep herself in the best shape possible. She'd even agreed to going back into the hospital for a few radiation sessions. She had yet to experience any of the things the doctor had mentioned aside from decreased energy and increased pain. Yes, she tired much easier now and required higher doses of pain medication, but she wasn't losing her sight, wasn't losing her ability to move, wasn't losing her memory. Vaughn knew that was about all they could ask for.
The call came after they'd been living out of their suitcases for exactly a week. It was late afternoon and Vaughn and Weiss were watching TV in the main room. Sydney had been sleeping for the past hour after taking some pain medication for a bad headache. When the phone rang, both men turned and looked at each other instantly. Dr. Anderson never bothered to call before coming by anymore, which meant only one other person would be calling. Weiss muted the TV and got up. He turned to walk away when he felt Vaughn's hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his friend standing right behind him.
"Let me," Vaughn requested, looking at the still ringing phone. Weiss nodded and moved aside so that Vaughn could go answer it. He did.
"Hello?"
"It's Jack." Vaughn nodded at Weiss.
"Have they decided?" Vaughn asked, wasting no time with pleasantries.
"Yes, everything's been approved and finalized. You're being flown out tomorrow," Jack replied.
"Tomorrow?" Vaughn asked, surprised, noticing Weiss's eyes go wide at hearing the word.
"Yes. You have to be at the airfield by 10 AM. I've already contacted Dr. Anderson. He'll meet you there."
"We'll be there," Vaughn assured him, still reeling from the idea of not only taking down SD-6, but actually getting to go home.
"How's Sydney?" Jack asked suddenly, regaining Vaughn's attention.
"All things considered, she's doing well. She's sleeping now, but she's really determined to keep her strength up for this."
"Good. I've spoken to Kendall and I know that I've been approved to be part of the task force. I don't think we'll know exactly what role the three of you will play until you're here, though," Jack informed him.
"It doesn't matter much. We just want to be there, especially Sydney."
"I know."
"Please just assure me that this is going to work. That nothing's going to go wrong this time," Vaughn requested, desperate to hear it from someone who cared about Sydney as much as he did.
"We wouldn't be getting Sydney involved in her condition unless we were sure this was it. She's my daughter, Agent Vaughn," Jack replied, his tone speaking volumes. Vaughn suddenly felt a strong connection to him, a man he'd disagreed with endlessly and even feared at times. It was a rare occasion when they were both fighting for the same thing. And now, because of Sydney, they were finally on the same side.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sydney awoke to find all of her suitcases closed and stacked at the foot of her bed. Though her mind was still hazy from the pain medication, she knew they'd been open and scattered around the floor when she'd fallen asleep. Looking at them now, she knew it could only mean one thing. As quickly as she could without making herself dizzy, she pushed herself out of bed. Standing up, she realized that the drugs were definitely still in her system, but she'd slept off most of their affects. She left her room and walked down the hall until she reached the main room. She saw Weiss standing in the kitchen area, putting a plate in the sink. He turned suddenly and saw her. They simply stood and stared at each other for at least a full minute. Even across the room, his eyes told her everything she needed to know. She walked closer until only the counter separated them.
"When?" She asked quietly.
"Tomorrow," Weiss replied. She couldn't help but let her eyes slip shut at the wave of relief she suddenly felt. Tomorrow, they would all be returning home. She finally let her eyes open again and meet Weiss's.
"Where's Vaughn?"
"Outside."
She found him on the porch, sitting on one of the chairs that was just barely in the shade. He looked so deep in thought that she almost turned and went back inside, but ultimately decided not to. He didn't seem to notice her until she was only a few feet away. As soon as he did, the creases disappeared from his forehead and the worry left his eyes. He smiled as their eyes locked, communicating in a way that only two people who'd been through as much as they had could. No greetings or questions required, she simply walked over and lowered herself sideways onto his lap and leaned into him, resting her head on top of his. He sat up a little more and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms soon migrated to rest on top of his.
"Did Weiss tell you?" Vaughn whispered as his face rubbed against her shoulder.
"Yeah," she replied, equally soft. "Thanks for finishing my packing."
"You're welcome." A silence settled over them for a moment or two.
"Are you ready for this?" She asked suddenly. There was no need to clarify what she meant.
"Are you?" he countered. She pulled back then and looked down at him, noticing for the first time that he had the faintest shimmer of tears in his eyes.
"Physically, I guess we'll just have to see. Mentally and emotionally, I think I've been ready for this for a long time."
He nodded. "Then I'm ready too."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn awoke at 7:30 the next morning to the alarm blaring in his ear. He reached over and shut it off quickly. Looking down, he wasn't surprised to see Sydney still sleeping soundly, her head resting on his chest. He knew the only had a half-hour until they had to leave for the airfield and that if he didn't wake her now, they may not make it out of the house in time. One hand rubbing her back, the other touching her face, he softly said her name a few times, asking her to wake up. It didn't take long for her eyes to crack open and look around until they found him.
"Hey," he whispered, smiling down at her. "I know it's early, but we have to get up if we want to make it to the airfield on time. You can get some more sleep in the car and on the plane."
She sighed tiredly before nodding at him. "Okay." She pushed herself off his chest and into a sitting position before bringing her hands up to rub her eyes. Vaughn leaned over and kissed the top of her head before getting up.
"I'm going to get dressed and start bringing stuff out to the car. You just take your time, okay?"
"Okay," she replied. With that, Vaughn retreated to the bathroom and changed into khakis and a comfortable, long-sleeved shirt. Having showered the night before, he simply brushed his teeth and hair before throwing the few things he'd kept in the bathroom into a bag to put into his suitcase. He opened the bathroom door and walked back into the bedroom. He was about to walk over to his suitcase just a few feet away when he noticed Sydney now on the edge of the bed, hunched over slightly, one hand pressed into her lower back. He felt his heartbeat speed up, knowing exactly what that meant. He quickly walked over and dropped down in front of her.
"Is it your back?" He asked simply. She nodded, eyes squeezed shut. He quickly snapped into action, walking over to his suitcase and throwing his stuff inside. He then walked over to hers and unzipped it. Kneeling on the floor, he ruffled through it for a minute before pulling out underwear, a white T-shirt, and a pair of gray draw-string sweatpants for her. He carried them over and set them in her lap.
"If I go get your medication before Weiss packs it, do you think you can dressed while I do that?" Vaughn asked softly. She opened her eyes and met his before nodding. She grabbed the clothes with one hand and pushed herself up with the other, managing to grimace only slightly in the process. Once she was standing, Vaughn was satisfied enough to make his way out to the main room in search of her medication. He found Weiss there, dragging a suitcase toward the door.
"Hey, did you pack Syd's medication?" Vaughn called out from across the room. Weiss put the suitcase down and turned to Vaughn.
"No, I left it out. I thought we may want to bring it with us. It's on the counter," Weiss replied, watching Vaughn walk over to the kitchen. "Is she okay?"
"Her back hurts again," Vaughn replied, grabbing the pills and walking back out of the kitchen. He met Weiss's eyes briefly before quickly making his way back to Sydney's room. He entered to find her sitting on the bed, changed into the clothes he'd picked out for her. She was in the process of pulling her hair into a ponytail when he entered and was finished by the time he rounded the bed and faced her. She looked up at him as he handed her the pills.
"Oh God, I forgot water. Hold on, let me get you some."
"No, it's okay," she said quickly, stopping him. "I can take them dry. You go help Weiss. I don't want to make us late."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, go." He nodded and walked over to the suitcases. Managing to carry one in each hand, he brought them into the main room for Weiss to bring outside.
Once the car was packed and Weiss announced that they were ready to go, Vaughn went back to get Sydney. She was still sitting on the bed, still obviously in pain. Vaughn had hoped the medication would kick in by now, but knew there was nothing he could do. He walked over and touched Sydney's shoulder, causing her to open her eyes and look up at him.
"Ready?" He asked. She nodded. He didn't bother to ask if she needed help, just leaned down and wrapped his arm around her waist. She automatically draped her arm over his shoulder, leaning on him as she stood. He helped her out the room, down the hallway, and out into the main room. Seeing it was empty, he assumed Weiss was already in the car, so he continued to lead her outside. Once at the running car, he opened the door to the backseat and helped her inside. He climbed in after her, deciding to sit with her instead of up front. He closed the door and told Weiss they were ready.
To be continued.
A/N: Okay, well I intended to put a lot more into this chapter, but I came to this point, realized it was already longer than a lot of the previous chapters, and thought this may be a good place to stop for now. I'm now at the point where I'm moving into my dorm in like nine hours and I really need to get some sleep because I have a looooong first day of orientation tomorrow. And I definitely have to get started on turning my dorm room into a live-able, Alias shrine with my roommate lol. Anyway, hope you like the chapter. The next few I've had planned out for a long time and I'm so excited about writing them so hopefully starting college won't take up so much time that I can't write lol. Wish me luck! And review, please!