Title: This Tear
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe I'm actually to this point of the story. I thought it would never come. I also can't believe I'm writing this from my college dorm. Another event that seemed like it would never come lol. So I *love* my school and all the people here, it's amazing! My roommate and I watch "Alias" non-stop and we're getting the whole hall into it. We also got to spend my 18th birthday on Saturday at Primetime Preview Weekend, which was *amazing*!!!! To give a few highlights, I won the Alias casting call and got to perform a scene with Kevin Weisman in front of an audience, I hugged Michael and Jennifer, and I talked to almost the whole cast. I was even on Entertainment Tonight on Monday! To read the whole story (because there's just so much more than that), you can go to my livejournal, though it's not letting me post the link right now. It's in a previous chapter if you need. I'll try to post it at the bottom of the story. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! I tried to make it longer to make up for my not posting for so long. What can I say? College keeps you damn busy! Lol.
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"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.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 30: Home Again
As Weiss pulled out onto the road, Vaughn felt Sydney's head drop onto his shoulder. His arm automatically went around her. He could tell she was still in pain by how tense her body felt against him. Knowing there wasn't much he could do, he simply rubbed his hand over her shoulder and waited for the pain medication to kick in. It only took Vaughn ten minutes to realize something wasn't right. Sydney's forehead now contained beads of perspiration and he could see her hands balled tightly into fists. Though the medication was never completely predictable, he knew it definitely should've worked by now.
"Medication's not working?" Vaughn asked softly into her ear, though already knowing the answer simply from looking at her. She shook her head against his shoulder and he saw her eyes were squeezed shut. "I don't understand. It should've worked by now," Vaughn mumbled, feeling frustrated and helpless.
"What's wrong?" Weiss asked from the front seat, looking at Vaughn in the rearview mirror.
"The medication's not working. She's still in pain," Vaughn replied.
"I'm sure Dr. Anderson will be able to help as soon as we get there," Weiss said, obviously trying to put Vaughn a little more at ease.
"If only it weren't such a damn long drive," Vaughn said, his focus once again trained on Sydney.
"I'll drive fast."
Vaughn sighed and gently rested his head on top of Sydney's, his arm still around her. The next few minutes of the drive seemed to stretch a lifetime. Vaughn could easily tell that the pain in Sydney's back was growing steadily worse. Her breath hitched a few times and though it had been faint, he'd heard her groan when they'd hit a particularly bad pothole. Vaughn had no idea how much time had gone by when she was suddenly off his shoulder, sitting straight up. Surprised, he looked up at her just as her hand flew to her mouth. Alarm bells suddenly started sounding in his head.
"Eric, pull over," Vaughn ordered quickly.
"What?" Weiss asked, confused by the sudden request.
"PULL OVER!" Vaughn then shouted. Weiss snapped into action immediately, jerking them very suddenly off the road and stopping the car on the side. Sydney had the door thrown open even before Weiss could shift the car into park and scrambled outside. Vaughn followed quickly after her. She made it two, maybe three steps before falling to her knees and leaning forward, losing the contents of her stomach very abruptly. It was so sudden that Vaughn only made it to her as the dry heaves began to rack her body. He quickly dropped to his knees right behind her, one arm going around her stomach to help hold her up and the other moving to soothingly rub her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered soft assurances to her. As soon as it had started, though, it was over and she all but collapsed into his arms, completely exhausted. He temporarily pushed aside the worry about getting to the airfield on time and just held her, wishing more than ever that he could take her pain away. The urgency of the situation quickly returned, though, and he took advantage of their position to hoist her to her feet while still in his arms. They'd only made it a few feet from the car, so helping her back in was easy. He helped her in and then climbed in himself, putting his hand on her shoulder and urging her to lay on his lap before the door was even closed. She complied as he shut the door and looked up at Weiss's concerned eyes in the rearview mirror.
"She okay?" He asked, his gaze flickering to Sydney in the mirror.
"Let's just get her to the airfield as quickly as possible," was all Vaughn could manage to say. Weiss nodded and pulled the car back onto the road.
The remainder of the drive was quiet and thankfully uneventful. Sydney spent the time laying down, shifting restlessly at times and squeezing Vaughn's hand when the pain got particularly bad. She was so spent by the time they reached the airfield, she didn't even protest when Vaughn lifted her out of the car and carried her over to the jet, where Dr. Anderson was already waiting just in front of it. Upon approaching the doctor, they exchanged very brief greetings before he focused his attention on Sydney.
"She doesn't look so great," he commented, looking at Vaughn.
"It was a rough trip. The medication hasn't even touched her pain. This is the worst I've ever seen it," Vaughn told the doctor.
"Well then the time has probably come that she transition over to morphine. Let's get her on the plane and I'll give her an injection."
Vaughn wasted no time complying and quickly carried Sydney up the steps and into the jet. It was a standard CIA jet with very comfortable leather seats, some gathered around a small table. Vaughn made his way over to a pair of the seats that were positioned next to each other and lifted the armrests, thanking the heavens that they were adjustable. He very carefully set her down on her side, helping her shift onto her stomach once she was down. He kneeled in front of the seats as he listened to Weiss and Dr. Anderson coming onto the jet, carrying suitcases. Vaughn almost offered to help, but when Sydney opened her eyes just a crack and reached for his hand, he knew he wasn't going anywhere. His free hand went to her face, gently stroking the soft skin of her cheek.
Dr. Anderson soon approached the two of them, breaking Vaughn from his daze. The doctor held an injection kit and Vaughn quickly moved aside so he could do his work. He knelt down in front of Sydney and held her arm out straight as he prepared the needle. Vaughn watched Sydney's face, noticing she didn't even flinch as the tip was pressed into the skin of her arm. The fluid was quickly injected into her arm and the needle was removed. Dr. Anderson moved aside immediately, allowing Vaughn his place back. Vaughn gave the older man a grateful nod. His attention was then back on Sydney, who has already visibly relaxed since receiving the injection. Her eyes were open half-way, blinking frequently, obviously trying to fend off sleep for as long as she could. Vaughn's hand returned to her face.
"Better?" He asked very softly. She managed a small nod. "Good. Now get some rest, we've got a long flight ahead of us." She smiled at him then, just barely, as if to mock him for being so protective. Her eyes then closed and within a matter of seconds, Vaughn knew she was fast asleep. By then, Weiss and Dr. Anderson had loaded everything onto the jet and taken their seats. Vaughn realized he'd better get to a seat for take-off so he didn't get thrown across the floor. He stood up and looked around, quickly opting for the seat next to Weiss. After one last lingering look at Sydney, he turned and claimed the seat.
"Is she okay?" Weiss asked almost immediately.
"The morphine did the trick. She's asleep," Vaughn replied. Weiss nodded slowly.
"Good," was all he said, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes.
"God, Eric, this means so much to her. If she doesn't improve, chances are she won't even be able to be there. She doesn't deserve this. At the very least, she should see them go down for all they've done to her."
"We'll figure it out. With Sydney's determination and Dr. Anderson's expertise, we'll make sure she's strong enough," Weiss assured his friend.
"I'm just not sure there's anything any of us can do now, even Syd. I just don't think it's up to us anymore," Vaughn stated. Weiss looked at him for a long moment before speaking.
"Well, if that's what you believe, then maybe you should try praying." Vaughn stared at Weiss blankly for a few seconds, both surprised at Weiss's suggestion and surprised he hadn't thought of it himself.
Before he had a chance to respond, the two men felt the plane ascend into the sky.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The first few hours of the flight were uneventful. Vaughn found himself alternating his time between talking to Weiss and dozing off. Every once in a while, he checked on Sydney to make sure she was still sleeping peacefully. Just about an hour and a half before they landed, though, they ran into some fairly bad turbulence. Only seconds after the plane began to bump about, Vaughn saw Sydney get jostled awake and nearly thrown from her seat. She held onto the armrest near her head, looking pretty dazed. Vaughn realized that since she'd been lying down, he'd never buckled her in. Ignoring a questioning look from Weiss, he unbuckled his own seatbelt and stood up, bracing himself against the seat. Walking as steadily and carefully as he could, he made his way over to Sydney. When he finally got there, he put both his hands on her shoulders and helped hoist her into a sitting position, noticing suddenly that she no longer looked dazed. Instead, her face was very obviously contorted in pain. He dropped into the seat next to her and reached over to buckle her seatbelt. He then buckled his own before focusing his attention on her. She was now leaning against the side of the plane, her head pressed into the shade over the small window.
He leaned closer to her. "Is it your head this time?" He asked just loud enough to be heard over the plane's engine. She nodded against the wall. Vaughn realized that there was nothing he could really do until the turbulence was over. The doctor certainly couldn't give her another injection while they were being jostled around so much. So, instead, he coaxed her to lie in his lap again, making sure her belt stayed buckled. She buried her face into his leg as he softly stroked her hair. After about five minutes that seemed to stretch twice as long, the turbulence started to dissipate. In another minute, they were flying along smoothly. Vaughn then looked over at Dr. Anderson, who was already out of his seat and opening the injection kit. He drew only a small amount of fluid into the needle and walked over to them.
"I can only give her a bit more, because morphine is lethal at high doses, but this should do the trick," he explained to Vaughn as he carefully took Sydney's arm and straightened it out in front of her. He injected the morphine into her vein and removed the needle, quickly returning to his seat. Seconds later, Vaughn felt Sydney relax in his lap. Her breathing quickly evened out and her body stilled in sleep. They remained like that for the duration of the flight.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Thankfully, the landing was much smoother than most of the flight. Sydney did not awaken, though Vaughn guessed that she was so out of it, even a rough landing wouldn't have brought her back to the world of consciousness. He received no reaction from her when he lifted her from the seat and carried her off the plane. As promised, a car was waiting not far from the plane. It was a government issue black van with shaded back windows. Vaughn allowed Weiss and Dr. Anderson to start unloading their bags from the plane so that he could get Sydney into the car. The driver was an agent that Vaughn vaguely remembered seeing around the office every once in a while. When he saw Vaughn approaching with Sydney, he hurriedly got out of the car and rounded to the other side so he could open the door for Vaughn. Vaughn gave him a thankful look and carefully climbed inside, depositing Sydney carefully onto the back seat. He crawled back out of the car to go back and help Weiss and Dr. Anderson, but stopped when he saw the diver staring at Sydney, a stricken expression on his face.
"I've talked to her a few times. She's been something of a legend since you all went into hiding. I guess I just didn't want to believe she was as sick as they said," the agent said sadly.
"I didn't want to believe it either," Vaughn replied, his eyes never leaving Sydney's sleeping form. "But she is."
Vaughn and the agent soon joined Weiss and Dr. Anderson in unloading the bags. With four men on the task, it was completed in no time. They piled into the car, placing Dr. Anderson up front, since he was technically the only one that would not be in any danger should he be seen. Vaughn and Weiss took the middle seat, leaving Sydney to continue sleeping in the back.
The drive to the safe-house was quiet and surprisingly short, though it had been made longer with a few unnecessary turns thrown in to confuse anyone that could be following them. As they drove past downtown Los Angeles and very briefly along the freeway, it finally started to hit Vaughn that they were really home again. The house was located in Eagle Rock, just a few minutes away from Pasadena. It was pretty secluded and somewhat up in the mountains, though not as much as their own safe-house in Vermont had been. It was a two-level house, but still pretty small. Vaughn assumed that was because it was previously hiding only one person. Now it would be hiding four, but hopefully not for long.
The driver pulled as close to the door as possible before parking and turning off the car. He then informed them that his orders were to have them stay put until he made sure that the assigned agents were in the house. He got out of the car and went over to the door, knocking on it lightly. Seconds later, they all watched the door open and two suited men emerge from the house. The driver had a brief conversation with them before all three men turned and headed toward the car. The driver then opened the back door.
"It's okay to go inside. Agent Bristow's in there and he'll show you where you'll all be staying. These agents are going to unload your stuff just to minimize the chances of you being seen should anyone walk by the house. They'll go over everything else with you later," he explained to Vaughn, Weiss, and Dr. Anderson.
"Thanks," Vaughn said to the agent.
"You're welcome. And good luck."
Vaughn allowed Weiss and Dr. Anderson to exit the car first so he could climb back and get Sydney, who still slept soundly. He carefully lifted her into his arms and exited the car, allowing Weiss to close the car door behind him. He then followed Dr. Anderson up the walkway and into the house. He found himself in a hallway, stairs in front of him on the left, and what was obviously a kitchen at the end of the hall. Off to the right was a living room, and there he saw none other than Jack Bristow rising from a chair and walking toward them. He gave a brief nod of greeting to Dr. Anderson before walking up to Vaughn and looking down at his daughter.
"Is she alright?" Jack asked, his eyes glued to Sydney.
"She was in a bit of pain on the flight over. I gave her some morphine, she just needs to sleep it off for a while," Dr. Anderson assured him.
"Where can I take her to lay down?" Vaughn asked, snapping Jack from his daze.
"This way," Jack replied, turning towards the stairs. Vaughn followed him up to the second floor and down the hall to the right. Jack turned to the first room on the left and went through the already open door. Vaughn followed to see it was a small bedroom with plain white walls and minimal furniture. There was a double bed and a desk nearby. There was only one window in the room and its shades were already drawn. Vaughn carried Sydney over to the bed. Jack walked over and rounded to the other side, pulling the blankets down. Vaughn gave him a thankful look as he set Sydney down as gently as he could. He then reached down and pulled the sheets up to her shoulders. She stirred only slightly, settling against the pillows, and slept on. Vaughn looked up at Jack, who couldn't take his eyes off his daughter. Vaughn couldn't say he blamed him.
"Is it always like this?" Jack asked very quietly.
"Only with the drugs. She just needs them more often now," Vaughn admitted seriously.
"The takedown has been scheduled for tomorrow. Will she be ready?" He asked.
Vaughn looked back at Sydney, knowing that though he was just as concerned as Jack, he needed his reply to sound convincing. "She'll be ready. She just needs some rest."
"We've got a lot to discuss anyway. Let's get back downstairs," Jack suggested, looking at Sydney for one more lingering second before walking away from the bed. Vaughn followed, closing the door behind him and leaving Sydney to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Once all the luggage was brought in and placed in the appropriate rooms, introductions were finally able to take place. They learned that the two agents currently staying at the safe-house were Agent Watters and Agent Kamin, both probably in their early forties. They decided to all gather into the living room to discuss the plan of action for the next twenty-four hours. It was Jack, though, who ended up doing most of the talking.
"Agent Watters here will drive us to the ops center tomorrow morning at eight. There we'll join the team in being briefed on the operation. The operation itself won't commence until the late afternoon, so we'll spent a few hours there before the team is gathered to go over the final details and be transported to Credit Dauphine. Agent Vaughn, Agent Weiss, you've both been approved to be part of the official team, should you want to. Because of Sydney's condition, she wasn't approved to be a part of the team that actually participates in the raid, but she has been approved go in after the building is secure to help with the arrests, including Sloane's. I figured that's something she would want to see for herself. It's entirely up to you whether you'd both like to be a part of the team," Jack explained to the two younger agents. Weiss and Vaughn looked at each other for a moment.
"I'm in," Weiss said almost immediately. Vaughn, however, hesitated visibly.
"Can I have a little time to think about it?" He asked.
Jack nodded slowly. "I suppose they don't officially need to know until tomorrow morning," he replied.
"Thanks," Vaughn said softly. "Is that all for now?"
Jack looked over at Agents Watters and Kamin, who didn't seem to have anything else to say. "We'll talk more at dinner," Jack responded finally. Vaughn nodded.
"Excuse me," he said, getting up from his chair and leaving the room. He climbed the stairs and made his way to the end of the hall, into the room he was sharing with Weiss. He sat on the bed and stared out the window, trying to think. He remained there only a few moments, though, before being drawn by some unknown force into Sydney's room. He opened the door quietly and entered the room, finding Sydney still asleep. Closing the door softly behind him, he made his way over to her bed. He went over to the other side, where the desk was, and started to drag the chair closer to her bed. Along the way, though, the chair stuck slightly on a crack in the wood floor and Vaughn accidentally tripped slightly and stubbed his toe on the foot of the bed. He couldn't help the sharp intake of breath at the sudden pain. He looked down at his foot and wiggled his toe inside his shoe to test the damage. Not broken, but it would probably have a bruise in a little while. Suddenly, he heard a soft giggle that made him look up abruptly. Sydney was watching him, eyes only half-open, suggesting she'd just woken up. The smirk on her face suggested she'd observed his stumble.
"I'm glad my pain entertains you," he joked with mock annoyance. Her smile grew at this, and he couldn't help smiling himself. He walked a few steps toward her and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Sorry I woke you," he said, reaching for her hand.
"I'd say it's more the bed's fault than yours," she joked softly. "I hope you didn't break it."
"No, just bruised it probably," he replied.
"No, I meant the bed," she joked again.
"Ha ha," he said sarcastically. His face then grew serious. "How do you feel?" He asked.
"Aw, don't do that. I liked the smile." His expression warned her not to avoid the question. She sighed, realizing it was back to reality now. "I'm okay."
"No more pain?" Vaughn asked, his voice hopeful.
"Not anymore," she replied.
"Energy level?" Vaughn asked, hoping she would answer him truthfully.
"Low," she replied honestly, "but improving,"
"Good."
"How long have we been here?" She asked.
"Just a few hours," Vaughn replied. "We've been going over stuff downstairs, you haven't missed much."
"What did you go over?" She pressed.
"We'll be taken to ops tomorrow at eight. We'll go over the mission in the morning with the team, have a few hours to spare, and then reconvene to go over last minute things and to be transported to SD-6," Vaughn replied.
"What then?"
"That's still a little up in the air," he informed her.
"Why?" She asked.
"Well, we've been given some options. You've been approved to go with the team, but not to enter the building until it's secure," Vaughn told her.
"I figured as much," she replied glumly.
"You will, however, be involved in the arrests, including Sloane's." Her face brightened then.
"They'll let me go in before he's taken away?" She asked hopefully.
"Right now, your job is assisting in his arrest."
"And yours?" She asked, knowing that's where this conversation was eventually headed.
"That's what's up in the air. Eric and I have been given the option of being part of the team basically as much as we want to. Eric's agreed to be a full member. I'm still not sure," he replied.
"Why the hell not?" She asked, surprising Vaughn.
"This is your thing, Syd, not mine. You helped make this happen. It wouldn't feel right being in there without you," he admitted. Sydney was obviously touched by his words, her eyes visibly filling with tears.
"Vaughn," she started slowly. "As much as you may believe what you just said, this is very much your accomplishment too. You were my partner on this, from day one. If I can't be in there to physically take them town, I'm glad you can be. Don't worry about me. I'm just grateful I get to be there. You should be a part of the team, you've certainly earned it."
He leaned down then and kissed her softly. "Only if it's what you want," he whispered, his face still close to hers.
"I want you to be in there, for both of us," she replied, her hands framing his face.
"Then I'll do it. I just have to tell your dad, he'll inform Kendall," Vaughn told her.
"He's here then," Sydney half-stated, half-asked.
"He's downstairs. You want to see him?" Vaughn asked.
"If he's not too busy," she replied.
"To see his daughter? Not likely." He kissed her again quickly before standing up. "I'll get him."
"Wait," she said, stopping him. "Can you just help me stack some pillows up so I can sit?"
Vaughn nodded, realizing it was important to Sydney that she appear as strong as possible for her father. He was relieved to see that she could hoist herself into a sitting position while he gathered pillows and piled them behind her. When she leaned against them, though, he could see how much the simple action had taken out of her. She leaned gratefully against the pillows and looked up at Vaughn. She nodded at him. He quickly leaned down and softly kissed her forehead.
"I'll be right back."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Jack," Vaughn called out, crossing through the kitchen to reach the older man where he sat at the table.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"Sydney's awake. She wants to see you," Vaughn replied. He just barely caught the emotion that crossed over Jack Bristow's face before he carefully hid it.
"I'll go up now. Thank you, Agent Vaughn," he said as he rose from his chair. Vaughn nodded at him and stepped aside so he could pass.
Jack quickly found himself at Sydney's door. Deciding against knocking, he simply took a deep breath and opened the door. The room was now very dimly lit by a small lamp on the nightstand, allowing Jack to easily see his daughter sitting in the bed. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Dad," she whispered. Without saying a word, Jack moved closer to the bed and dropped down to perch on the edge.
"Sydney." It was a long moment where father and daughter simply looked at each other, trying to take everything in.
And then, for only the second time in Sydney's memory, her father took her into his arms.
To be continued.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Please please please review! It'll keep me going through the insane amount of reading I have to do for classes. And the two auditions I have this week lol. And reviewing also should help me stay motivated enough to write more soon, hint hint lol. Thanks for reading!
Livejournal is here: www.livejournal.com/users/imetgillya
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe I'm actually to this point of the story. I thought it would never come. I also can't believe I'm writing this from my college dorm. Another event that seemed like it would never come lol. So I *love* my school and all the people here, it's amazing! My roommate and I watch "Alias" non-stop and we're getting the whole hall into it. We also got to spend my 18th birthday on Saturday at Primetime Preview Weekend, which was *amazing*!!!! To give a few highlights, I won the Alias casting call and got to perform a scene with Kevin Weisman in front of an audience, I hugged Michael and Jennifer, and I talked to almost the whole cast. I was even on Entertainment Tonight on Monday! To read the whole story (because there's just so much more than that), you can go to my livejournal, though it's not letting me post the link right now. It's in a previous chapter if you need. I'll try to post it at the bottom of the story. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! I tried to make it longer to make up for my not posting for so long. What can I say? College keeps you damn busy! Lol.
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"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.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 30: Home Again
As Weiss pulled out onto the road, Vaughn felt Sydney's head drop onto his shoulder. His arm automatically went around her. He could tell she was still in pain by how tense her body felt against him. Knowing there wasn't much he could do, he simply rubbed his hand over her shoulder and waited for the pain medication to kick in. It only took Vaughn ten minutes to realize something wasn't right. Sydney's forehead now contained beads of perspiration and he could see her hands balled tightly into fists. Though the medication was never completely predictable, he knew it definitely should've worked by now.
"Medication's not working?" Vaughn asked softly into her ear, though already knowing the answer simply from looking at her. She shook her head against his shoulder and he saw her eyes were squeezed shut. "I don't understand. It should've worked by now," Vaughn mumbled, feeling frustrated and helpless.
"What's wrong?" Weiss asked from the front seat, looking at Vaughn in the rearview mirror.
"The medication's not working. She's still in pain," Vaughn replied.
"I'm sure Dr. Anderson will be able to help as soon as we get there," Weiss said, obviously trying to put Vaughn a little more at ease.
"If only it weren't such a damn long drive," Vaughn said, his focus once again trained on Sydney.
"I'll drive fast."
Vaughn sighed and gently rested his head on top of Sydney's, his arm still around her. The next few minutes of the drive seemed to stretch a lifetime. Vaughn could easily tell that the pain in Sydney's back was growing steadily worse. Her breath hitched a few times and though it had been faint, he'd heard her groan when they'd hit a particularly bad pothole. Vaughn had no idea how much time had gone by when she was suddenly off his shoulder, sitting straight up. Surprised, he looked up at her just as her hand flew to her mouth. Alarm bells suddenly started sounding in his head.
"Eric, pull over," Vaughn ordered quickly.
"What?" Weiss asked, confused by the sudden request.
"PULL OVER!" Vaughn then shouted. Weiss snapped into action immediately, jerking them very suddenly off the road and stopping the car on the side. Sydney had the door thrown open even before Weiss could shift the car into park and scrambled outside. Vaughn followed quickly after her. She made it two, maybe three steps before falling to her knees and leaning forward, losing the contents of her stomach very abruptly. It was so sudden that Vaughn only made it to her as the dry heaves began to rack her body. He quickly dropped to his knees right behind her, one arm going around her stomach to help hold her up and the other moving to soothingly rub her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered soft assurances to her. As soon as it had started, though, it was over and she all but collapsed into his arms, completely exhausted. He temporarily pushed aside the worry about getting to the airfield on time and just held her, wishing more than ever that he could take her pain away. The urgency of the situation quickly returned, though, and he took advantage of their position to hoist her to her feet while still in his arms. They'd only made it a few feet from the car, so helping her back in was easy. He helped her in and then climbed in himself, putting his hand on her shoulder and urging her to lay on his lap before the door was even closed. She complied as he shut the door and looked up at Weiss's concerned eyes in the rearview mirror.
"She okay?" He asked, his gaze flickering to Sydney in the mirror.
"Let's just get her to the airfield as quickly as possible," was all Vaughn could manage to say. Weiss nodded and pulled the car back onto the road.
The remainder of the drive was quiet and thankfully uneventful. Sydney spent the time laying down, shifting restlessly at times and squeezing Vaughn's hand when the pain got particularly bad. She was so spent by the time they reached the airfield, she didn't even protest when Vaughn lifted her out of the car and carried her over to the jet, where Dr. Anderson was already waiting just in front of it. Upon approaching the doctor, they exchanged very brief greetings before he focused his attention on Sydney.
"She doesn't look so great," he commented, looking at Vaughn.
"It was a rough trip. The medication hasn't even touched her pain. This is the worst I've ever seen it," Vaughn told the doctor.
"Well then the time has probably come that she transition over to morphine. Let's get her on the plane and I'll give her an injection."
Vaughn wasted no time complying and quickly carried Sydney up the steps and into the jet. It was a standard CIA jet with very comfortable leather seats, some gathered around a small table. Vaughn made his way over to a pair of the seats that were positioned next to each other and lifted the armrests, thanking the heavens that they were adjustable. He very carefully set her down on her side, helping her shift onto her stomach once she was down. He kneeled in front of the seats as he listened to Weiss and Dr. Anderson coming onto the jet, carrying suitcases. Vaughn almost offered to help, but when Sydney opened her eyes just a crack and reached for his hand, he knew he wasn't going anywhere. His free hand went to her face, gently stroking the soft skin of her cheek.
Dr. Anderson soon approached the two of them, breaking Vaughn from his daze. The doctor held an injection kit and Vaughn quickly moved aside so he could do his work. He knelt down in front of Sydney and held her arm out straight as he prepared the needle. Vaughn watched Sydney's face, noticing she didn't even flinch as the tip was pressed into the skin of her arm. The fluid was quickly injected into her arm and the needle was removed. Dr. Anderson moved aside immediately, allowing Vaughn his place back. Vaughn gave the older man a grateful nod. His attention was then back on Sydney, who has already visibly relaxed since receiving the injection. Her eyes were open half-way, blinking frequently, obviously trying to fend off sleep for as long as she could. Vaughn's hand returned to her face.
"Better?" He asked very softly. She managed a small nod. "Good. Now get some rest, we've got a long flight ahead of us." She smiled at him then, just barely, as if to mock him for being so protective. Her eyes then closed and within a matter of seconds, Vaughn knew she was fast asleep. By then, Weiss and Dr. Anderson had loaded everything onto the jet and taken their seats. Vaughn realized he'd better get to a seat for take-off so he didn't get thrown across the floor. He stood up and looked around, quickly opting for the seat next to Weiss. After one last lingering look at Sydney, he turned and claimed the seat.
"Is she okay?" Weiss asked almost immediately.
"The morphine did the trick. She's asleep," Vaughn replied. Weiss nodded slowly.
"Good," was all he said, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes.
"God, Eric, this means so much to her. If she doesn't improve, chances are she won't even be able to be there. She doesn't deserve this. At the very least, she should see them go down for all they've done to her."
"We'll figure it out. With Sydney's determination and Dr. Anderson's expertise, we'll make sure she's strong enough," Weiss assured his friend.
"I'm just not sure there's anything any of us can do now, even Syd. I just don't think it's up to us anymore," Vaughn stated. Weiss looked at him for a long moment before speaking.
"Well, if that's what you believe, then maybe you should try praying." Vaughn stared at Weiss blankly for a few seconds, both surprised at Weiss's suggestion and surprised he hadn't thought of it himself.
Before he had a chance to respond, the two men felt the plane ascend into the sky.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The first few hours of the flight were uneventful. Vaughn found himself alternating his time between talking to Weiss and dozing off. Every once in a while, he checked on Sydney to make sure she was still sleeping peacefully. Just about an hour and a half before they landed, though, they ran into some fairly bad turbulence. Only seconds after the plane began to bump about, Vaughn saw Sydney get jostled awake and nearly thrown from her seat. She held onto the armrest near her head, looking pretty dazed. Vaughn realized that since she'd been lying down, he'd never buckled her in. Ignoring a questioning look from Weiss, he unbuckled his own seatbelt and stood up, bracing himself against the seat. Walking as steadily and carefully as he could, he made his way over to Sydney. When he finally got there, he put both his hands on her shoulders and helped hoist her into a sitting position, noticing suddenly that she no longer looked dazed. Instead, her face was very obviously contorted in pain. He dropped into the seat next to her and reached over to buckle her seatbelt. He then buckled his own before focusing his attention on her. She was now leaning against the side of the plane, her head pressed into the shade over the small window.
He leaned closer to her. "Is it your head this time?" He asked just loud enough to be heard over the plane's engine. She nodded against the wall. Vaughn realized that there was nothing he could really do until the turbulence was over. The doctor certainly couldn't give her another injection while they were being jostled around so much. So, instead, he coaxed her to lie in his lap again, making sure her belt stayed buckled. She buried her face into his leg as he softly stroked her hair. After about five minutes that seemed to stretch twice as long, the turbulence started to dissipate. In another minute, they were flying along smoothly. Vaughn then looked over at Dr. Anderson, who was already out of his seat and opening the injection kit. He drew only a small amount of fluid into the needle and walked over to them.
"I can only give her a bit more, because morphine is lethal at high doses, but this should do the trick," he explained to Vaughn as he carefully took Sydney's arm and straightened it out in front of her. He injected the morphine into her vein and removed the needle, quickly returning to his seat. Seconds later, Vaughn felt Sydney relax in his lap. Her breathing quickly evened out and her body stilled in sleep. They remained like that for the duration of the flight.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Thankfully, the landing was much smoother than most of the flight. Sydney did not awaken, though Vaughn guessed that she was so out of it, even a rough landing wouldn't have brought her back to the world of consciousness. He received no reaction from her when he lifted her from the seat and carried her off the plane. As promised, a car was waiting not far from the plane. It was a government issue black van with shaded back windows. Vaughn allowed Weiss and Dr. Anderson to start unloading their bags from the plane so that he could get Sydney into the car. The driver was an agent that Vaughn vaguely remembered seeing around the office every once in a while. When he saw Vaughn approaching with Sydney, he hurriedly got out of the car and rounded to the other side so he could open the door for Vaughn. Vaughn gave him a thankful look and carefully climbed inside, depositing Sydney carefully onto the back seat. He crawled back out of the car to go back and help Weiss and Dr. Anderson, but stopped when he saw the diver staring at Sydney, a stricken expression on his face.
"I've talked to her a few times. She's been something of a legend since you all went into hiding. I guess I just didn't want to believe she was as sick as they said," the agent said sadly.
"I didn't want to believe it either," Vaughn replied, his eyes never leaving Sydney's sleeping form. "But she is."
Vaughn and the agent soon joined Weiss and Dr. Anderson in unloading the bags. With four men on the task, it was completed in no time. They piled into the car, placing Dr. Anderson up front, since he was technically the only one that would not be in any danger should he be seen. Vaughn and Weiss took the middle seat, leaving Sydney to continue sleeping in the back.
The drive to the safe-house was quiet and surprisingly short, though it had been made longer with a few unnecessary turns thrown in to confuse anyone that could be following them. As they drove past downtown Los Angeles and very briefly along the freeway, it finally started to hit Vaughn that they were really home again. The house was located in Eagle Rock, just a few minutes away from Pasadena. It was pretty secluded and somewhat up in the mountains, though not as much as their own safe-house in Vermont had been. It was a two-level house, but still pretty small. Vaughn assumed that was because it was previously hiding only one person. Now it would be hiding four, but hopefully not for long.
The driver pulled as close to the door as possible before parking and turning off the car. He then informed them that his orders were to have them stay put until he made sure that the assigned agents were in the house. He got out of the car and went over to the door, knocking on it lightly. Seconds later, they all watched the door open and two suited men emerge from the house. The driver had a brief conversation with them before all three men turned and headed toward the car. The driver then opened the back door.
"It's okay to go inside. Agent Bristow's in there and he'll show you where you'll all be staying. These agents are going to unload your stuff just to minimize the chances of you being seen should anyone walk by the house. They'll go over everything else with you later," he explained to Vaughn, Weiss, and Dr. Anderson.
"Thanks," Vaughn said to the agent.
"You're welcome. And good luck."
Vaughn allowed Weiss and Dr. Anderson to exit the car first so he could climb back and get Sydney, who still slept soundly. He carefully lifted her into his arms and exited the car, allowing Weiss to close the car door behind him. He then followed Dr. Anderson up the walkway and into the house. He found himself in a hallway, stairs in front of him on the left, and what was obviously a kitchen at the end of the hall. Off to the right was a living room, and there he saw none other than Jack Bristow rising from a chair and walking toward them. He gave a brief nod of greeting to Dr. Anderson before walking up to Vaughn and looking down at his daughter.
"Is she alright?" Jack asked, his eyes glued to Sydney.
"She was in a bit of pain on the flight over. I gave her some morphine, she just needs to sleep it off for a while," Dr. Anderson assured him.
"Where can I take her to lay down?" Vaughn asked, snapping Jack from his daze.
"This way," Jack replied, turning towards the stairs. Vaughn followed him up to the second floor and down the hall to the right. Jack turned to the first room on the left and went through the already open door. Vaughn followed to see it was a small bedroom with plain white walls and minimal furniture. There was a double bed and a desk nearby. There was only one window in the room and its shades were already drawn. Vaughn carried Sydney over to the bed. Jack walked over and rounded to the other side, pulling the blankets down. Vaughn gave him a thankful look as he set Sydney down as gently as he could. He then reached down and pulled the sheets up to her shoulders. She stirred only slightly, settling against the pillows, and slept on. Vaughn looked up at Jack, who couldn't take his eyes off his daughter. Vaughn couldn't say he blamed him.
"Is it always like this?" Jack asked very quietly.
"Only with the drugs. She just needs them more often now," Vaughn admitted seriously.
"The takedown has been scheduled for tomorrow. Will she be ready?" He asked.
Vaughn looked back at Sydney, knowing that though he was just as concerned as Jack, he needed his reply to sound convincing. "She'll be ready. She just needs some rest."
"We've got a lot to discuss anyway. Let's get back downstairs," Jack suggested, looking at Sydney for one more lingering second before walking away from the bed. Vaughn followed, closing the door behind him and leaving Sydney to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Once all the luggage was brought in and placed in the appropriate rooms, introductions were finally able to take place. They learned that the two agents currently staying at the safe-house were Agent Watters and Agent Kamin, both probably in their early forties. They decided to all gather into the living room to discuss the plan of action for the next twenty-four hours. It was Jack, though, who ended up doing most of the talking.
"Agent Watters here will drive us to the ops center tomorrow morning at eight. There we'll join the team in being briefed on the operation. The operation itself won't commence until the late afternoon, so we'll spent a few hours there before the team is gathered to go over the final details and be transported to Credit Dauphine. Agent Vaughn, Agent Weiss, you've both been approved to be part of the official team, should you want to. Because of Sydney's condition, she wasn't approved to be a part of the team that actually participates in the raid, but she has been approved go in after the building is secure to help with the arrests, including Sloane's. I figured that's something she would want to see for herself. It's entirely up to you whether you'd both like to be a part of the team," Jack explained to the two younger agents. Weiss and Vaughn looked at each other for a moment.
"I'm in," Weiss said almost immediately. Vaughn, however, hesitated visibly.
"Can I have a little time to think about it?" He asked.
Jack nodded slowly. "I suppose they don't officially need to know until tomorrow morning," he replied.
"Thanks," Vaughn said softly. "Is that all for now?"
Jack looked over at Agents Watters and Kamin, who didn't seem to have anything else to say. "We'll talk more at dinner," Jack responded finally. Vaughn nodded.
"Excuse me," he said, getting up from his chair and leaving the room. He climbed the stairs and made his way to the end of the hall, into the room he was sharing with Weiss. He sat on the bed and stared out the window, trying to think. He remained there only a few moments, though, before being drawn by some unknown force into Sydney's room. He opened the door quietly and entered the room, finding Sydney still asleep. Closing the door softly behind him, he made his way over to her bed. He went over to the other side, where the desk was, and started to drag the chair closer to her bed. Along the way, though, the chair stuck slightly on a crack in the wood floor and Vaughn accidentally tripped slightly and stubbed his toe on the foot of the bed. He couldn't help the sharp intake of breath at the sudden pain. He looked down at his foot and wiggled his toe inside his shoe to test the damage. Not broken, but it would probably have a bruise in a little while. Suddenly, he heard a soft giggle that made him look up abruptly. Sydney was watching him, eyes only half-open, suggesting she'd just woken up. The smirk on her face suggested she'd observed his stumble.
"I'm glad my pain entertains you," he joked with mock annoyance. Her smile grew at this, and he couldn't help smiling himself. He walked a few steps toward her and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Sorry I woke you," he said, reaching for her hand.
"I'd say it's more the bed's fault than yours," she joked softly. "I hope you didn't break it."
"No, just bruised it probably," he replied.
"No, I meant the bed," she joked again.
"Ha ha," he said sarcastically. His face then grew serious. "How do you feel?" He asked.
"Aw, don't do that. I liked the smile." His expression warned her not to avoid the question. She sighed, realizing it was back to reality now. "I'm okay."
"No more pain?" Vaughn asked, his voice hopeful.
"Not anymore," she replied.
"Energy level?" Vaughn asked, hoping she would answer him truthfully.
"Low," she replied honestly, "but improving,"
"Good."
"How long have we been here?" She asked.
"Just a few hours," Vaughn replied. "We've been going over stuff downstairs, you haven't missed much."
"What did you go over?" She pressed.
"We'll be taken to ops tomorrow at eight. We'll go over the mission in the morning with the team, have a few hours to spare, and then reconvene to go over last minute things and to be transported to SD-6," Vaughn replied.
"What then?"
"That's still a little up in the air," he informed her.
"Why?" She asked.
"Well, we've been given some options. You've been approved to go with the team, but not to enter the building until it's secure," Vaughn told her.
"I figured as much," she replied glumly.
"You will, however, be involved in the arrests, including Sloane's." Her face brightened then.
"They'll let me go in before he's taken away?" She asked hopefully.
"Right now, your job is assisting in his arrest."
"And yours?" She asked, knowing that's where this conversation was eventually headed.
"That's what's up in the air. Eric and I have been given the option of being part of the team basically as much as we want to. Eric's agreed to be a full member. I'm still not sure," he replied.
"Why the hell not?" She asked, surprising Vaughn.
"This is your thing, Syd, not mine. You helped make this happen. It wouldn't feel right being in there without you," he admitted. Sydney was obviously touched by his words, her eyes visibly filling with tears.
"Vaughn," she started slowly. "As much as you may believe what you just said, this is very much your accomplishment too. You were my partner on this, from day one. If I can't be in there to physically take them town, I'm glad you can be. Don't worry about me. I'm just grateful I get to be there. You should be a part of the team, you've certainly earned it."
He leaned down then and kissed her softly. "Only if it's what you want," he whispered, his face still close to hers.
"I want you to be in there, for both of us," she replied, her hands framing his face.
"Then I'll do it. I just have to tell your dad, he'll inform Kendall," Vaughn told her.
"He's here then," Sydney half-stated, half-asked.
"He's downstairs. You want to see him?" Vaughn asked.
"If he's not too busy," she replied.
"To see his daughter? Not likely." He kissed her again quickly before standing up. "I'll get him."
"Wait," she said, stopping him. "Can you just help me stack some pillows up so I can sit?"
Vaughn nodded, realizing it was important to Sydney that she appear as strong as possible for her father. He was relieved to see that she could hoist herself into a sitting position while he gathered pillows and piled them behind her. When she leaned against them, though, he could see how much the simple action had taken out of her. She leaned gratefully against the pillows and looked up at Vaughn. She nodded at him. He quickly leaned down and softly kissed her forehead.
"I'll be right back."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Jack," Vaughn called out, crossing through the kitchen to reach the older man where he sat at the table.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"Sydney's awake. She wants to see you," Vaughn replied. He just barely caught the emotion that crossed over Jack Bristow's face before he carefully hid it.
"I'll go up now. Thank you, Agent Vaughn," he said as he rose from his chair. Vaughn nodded at him and stepped aside so he could pass.
Jack quickly found himself at Sydney's door. Deciding against knocking, he simply took a deep breath and opened the door. The room was now very dimly lit by a small lamp on the nightstand, allowing Jack to easily see his daughter sitting in the bed. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Dad," she whispered. Without saying a word, Jack moved closer to the bed and dropped down to perch on the edge.
"Sydney." It was a long moment where father and daughter simply looked at each other, trying to take everything in.
And then, for only the second time in Sydney's memory, her father took her into his arms.
To be continued.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Please please please review! It'll keep me going through the insane amount of reading I have to do for classes. And the two auditions I have this week lol. And reviewing also should help me stay motivated enough to write more soon, hint hint lol. Thanks for reading!
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