Title: This Tear
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Note: So I had another busy two weekends and didn't get a chance to work on the story, but for those of you who don't know, the reason I had a busy weekend last weekend was because I went to the Malibu Triathlon and got to see Jennifer again. It was such a blast, and she actually knew my name! My roommate and I said hi to her and she was like "Rachel!" My mouth hung open for a while lol. If you want to see a picture, you can go to basically any of the sites and the picture of her standing with two teenage girls is it. It's me and my roommate, I'm the one with the brown hair. There's a link to it on my livejournal too. I'll post the URL for the journal again at the end of the story. Hopefully, this chapter will make up for the delay because it's pretty damn long lol. It took me forever to write, because it was such a huge part of the story, so I hope I did it justice and didn't completely screw it up. If you want to get the full effect of the story, though, there's something I'd suggest. There's song lyrics that I use for part of this story (you'll know them because they have stars around them), and if you really want to get the full feel for that part, I suggest downloading that song or putting on the CD if you have it. It's called "My Last Breath" by Evanescence. It's an amazing song and I guarantee the chapter will be much more intense if you listen to it while you read. Obviously you don't have to, it's just a suggestion. Either way, I hope you really like the chapter!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"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.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 31: Holding My Last Breath
Vaughn, Jack and Weiss were all awake by 6:30 the next morning. Vaughn could tell by looking around the table that no one had slept much. The same went for himself. The promise of the day ahead was just too great. Some part of him, he could finally admit, had thought this day would never come. More recently, he'd spent a great deal of time worrying that Sydney would not live long enough to see her years of work finally pay off. But that day had finally come, and when then clock struck seven, Vaughn knew it was time to go up and wake Sydney.
He was surprised, as he opened the door to her room, to find her dressed and sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair. She turned when she heard him come in and smiled at him. Vaughn noticed she'd already gone to the trouble of applying make0up, yet he knew the flush in her cheeks was at least partially natural. He couldn't help thinking that she looked better than she had in weeks. Taking into account all she'd suffered over the past few weeks, Vaughn thought she hardly looked sick at all. It was moments like these when he could almost convince himself it had all been a bad dream.
"Hi," he said softly to her, still standing near the door.
"Hi," she repeated.
"How'd you sleep?" He asked.
"I slept well. I think it took me a while to sleep off the affects of the morphine," she admitted.
"How are you now?" He asked, finally bringing up the question that had plagued him all morning.
"No pain," she replied simply.
"Good," Vaughn replied. "How's your energy?"
"It's better than yesterday," she offered almost jokingly before she sobered. "I couldn't run a marathon or anything, but I'm okay."
Vaughn nodded, crossing the room and sitting, facing her. He reached out and touched her face. "You look great."
"Vaughn," she said, shaking her head with a smile. His face remained serious, though.
"I'm not just saying that, Syd. You have this glow that I haven't seen in a long time. I missed it," he admitted to her. She gently laid her hand over his.
"Me too," she agreed.
"We're going to take them down today, Syd. They'll finally get what they deserve."
She smiled then, closing her eyes as he enveloped her in his embrace.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
They left at eight, as planned, all piled into another black van. They were scheduled to arrive at ops at 8:30. Agent Watters drove with Dr. Anderson sitting next to him up front. Vaughn had opted for the back with Weiss, allowing Sydney to sit with her father in the middle. The ride was completely silent, everyone pretty much caught up in their own thoughts. Somewhere during the middle of the drive, though, Vaughn noticed Sydney reach around to run her hand over her lower back. Something immediately squeezed at his heart. He leaned forward and touched her shoulder to get her attention.
"You okay?" The question was soft, but still enough to bring everyone out of their collective dazes. Jack immediately looked worriedly at Sydney.
"Oh, no, it's okay. It doesn't hurt, just feels a little tight," she replied, but her assurance didn't seem to put anyone at least, least of all Vaughn.
"Dr. Anderson, is there anything she can do to try and prevent any pain?" Vaughn asked, his focusing shifting to the front seats.
"There's not much to do about the headaches besides avoiding violent movements or bright lights, but we'll see what we can do about her back. Agent Bristow, I'll give you a warming patch to place on your back, which may help a bit. I'd also suggest you stay off your feet until the takedown."
"I can get a wheelchair from medical services when we get there," Agent Watters offered.
"I don't need a wheelchair. I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own," Sydney argued immediately. It was a toss-up who moved to speak first: Vaughn or Dr. Anderson. It was Jack, though, in a tone that was surprisingly soft, who beat them to it.
"Sydney, we realize that it's important to you to have some control, especially in the agency, but it doesn't matter what anyone at the agency thinks. What matters is that you save your strength to walk into SD-6 and assist in the takedown. I know it matters to you much more to appear healthy in front of Sloane than a group of agents you hardly know. I'd suggest listening to Dr. Anderson if you want to ensure your participation today."
"Fine," Sydney agreed in a low voice. "But I will not have some low-level agent assigned to pushing me around."
"I assumed as much," Jack stated. "Agent Vaughn, you'll escort Sydney around ops for the day."
As Sydney and Vaughn both looked at Jack in surprise, Agent Watters turned the car into the private lot. He drove about a minute in the maze of a garage until he could pull right up to the underground entrance. Announcing he would run up to get the wheelchair, he quickly exited the car. It was then that Dr. Anderson dug into his kit and pulled out the patch for Sydney. In silence, as every occupant in the car watched, she placed it carefully on her lower back. The silence continued to hang over them, quickly growing tense and uncomfortable. Sydney was actually relieved when she saw Agent Watters come back out, pushing the empty wheelchair.
Sydney exited the car first, making a point of walking the few steps and getting into the chair herself. Everyone else quickly followed suit and exited the car. Vaughn immediately walked over and took the handles of the wheelchair from Agent Watters. Once everyone was out, Agent Watters turned and led them into the building. Vaughn waited for Jack, Weiss, and Dr. Anderson to precede him before following with Sydney. Once inside, they quickly piled into the elevator to take them up a level to the actual ops center. Vaughn looked down at Sydney during the brief ride, quickly noting the apprehensiveness in her eyes. As discreetly as he could, he dropped a hand to her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. She looked up and met his eyes. He wanted to smile to reassure her, but the moment was simply too heavy. Instead, he held her gaze until the elevator chimed their arrival.
Vaughn once again made sure that he and Sydney were last out of the elevator, knowing that Sydney didn't particularly want to be noticed. They proceeded into the crowded room as Vaughn, Weiss, and Sydney all looked around in awe, not quite believing they were finally back. Agent Watters quickly spotted Kendall in the middle of the room and led the group of them over. Vaughn noted how the looked on his boss's face quickly changed when he saw all of them. If Vaughn thought the man were capable of real emotions, he might almost describe the look as happy.
"Jack, Dr. Anderson, Agent Weiss, Agent Vaughn," Kendall paused slightly, looking down at Sydney. "Agent Bristow. It's good to have you all here. Welcome back, you three," he finished, looking from Weiss to Vaughn to Sydney.
"Thank you, sir," they all replied.
"I'll cut right to it. We're right on schedule so far. We've got Dixon inside and he's going to call and confirm in a few hours if we're still good to go. The briefing starts in about ten minutes," he explained to them. As everyone took everything in, Vaughn took the opportunity to look down at Sydney. He immediately noticed that she'd noticeably tensed, something obviously bothering her. It was only then that Vaughn noticed the agents passing by and the looks they were casting at Sydney. Vaughn could only imagine what he'd be thinking if he were on the other side of the situation. To have a fellow, somewhat well-known agent among the agency go into hiding only to suddenly return months later in a wheelchair. No wonder Sydney had protested the idea. And Vaughn wasn't the only one noticing anymore.
"Agent Vaughn, why don't you take Sydney to the briefing room now? We'll meet you there in a few minutes," Jack suggested. Vaughn nodded and Sydney looked at him gratefully. He had to give her credit, though. As he pushed her across the room, agents looking on, she held her head and acted as if she hardly noticed. She never ceased to amaze him. A predicament arose once they reached the door, though, as Vaughn quickly realized he needed someone to hold it open for them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rick was there, opening the door for them. Relieved to see someone both he and Sydney knew, Vaughn gave him a grateful smile.
"Welcome back," he said to both of them.
"Thanks," Sydney replied before Vaughn even had the chance. Vaughn couldn't help but notice the obvious look of admiration in Rick's eyes as he looked at Sydney. The sadness was there, as it always was, but hidden behind respect. Vaughn, swallowing around the lump in his throat, then pushed Sydney through the door.
Once inside the briefing room, Sydney was almost immediately out of the wheelchair. Vaughn watched her carefully lower herself into the one of the chairs around the table as he folded up the wheelchair and stowed it in the corner. Once he was done, he walked over and claimed the seat next to Sydney, turning in it so that he could look at her only to find that she was already looking at him.
"You okay?" He asked her softly.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah." She paused. "Are you?"
He looked straight into her eyes, not quite sure how to answer. Before he had the chance, though, people began to file into the room. A group of agents flowed in, some Vaughn recognized and others he'd never seen before. They all took seats around the table as Jack, Weiss, and Kendall entered the room last. Kendall shut the door and took his seat at the head of the table. He took a moment to look from face to face around the table before finally taking a deep breath and starting.
"As you all know, this is a big day for the agency. This is our opportunity to raid and take down SD-6, a long-time adversary of the CIA. You've all been selected for this team, and should've already signed all the agreements, confidentiality and otherwise. If there's anyone who feels they shouldn't be here, I suggest you leave now." Everyone remained. "Good. Then let's get started. This afternoon at approximately four, we should hear from Agent Dixon at SD-6. If he gives us the go, we gather our equipment and load into four separate vans. You'll breech security in the garage."
As Kendall continued to give the team directions, Sydney couldn't help her mind from wandering. How many times had she imagined this day in her mind? How many dreams had she had about it? And yet this day was far from what she'd imagined. She dared a glance at the wheelchair tucked in the corner of the room. She knew that if this had been delayed even just a few short weeks, she probably wouldn't be there. Though her situation wasn't ideal, she had to stop for a moment and recognize that in ways, luck had been on her side. She was being given the chance to die with no unfinished business. And she was also being given the chance to say goodbye. How many people had she seen in her job who'd gotten the chance at neither? More than she could count.
"Agent Weiss, I'm going to put you in charge of Sloane's initial arrest," Kendall continued as Sydney tuned back in. "Assuming he'll be in his office, I want you to head there as soon as you're clear. Agent Vaughn will assist you and then retrieve Agent Bristow once we have control of the building. Agent Bristow will escort Sloane out of the building and we'll take him into custody. Everyone got it?" One by one, they nodded their confirmation. "Okay. Now I know we've got a few hours, but as a precaution, no one is to leave the building. We'll meet back here at 3 PM unless you hear something from me sooner. That's it for now. You're dismissed," Kendall finished finally.
Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and Jack all stayed behind as the agents filed out. Kendall stayed as well, shutting the door once the room was emptied. It was only then that Vaughn got up and retrieved the wheelchair from the corner, unfolding it and bringing it close to Sydney's chair. She stood up, making a point of avoiding eye contact with anyone, and lowered herself once again into the chair.
"We have a few hours until we're supposed to be called back. I sent Dr. Anderson out to bring back some food," Jack informed them all. "He should be back by now. Maybe you should try to eat something, Sydney. There's no predicting how long we'll be there tonight and you need to keep your strength up."
Sydney sighed. "I'll try eating something in a bit. First, there's something I need to do."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As the gate opened, Sydney felt herself being slowly pushed o the next set of bars, which opened before they were even reached them. Before she knew it, she could see the gleam from the glass wall ahead. More and more of it came into view until she was finally positioned directly in front of it, Vaughn standing behind her. She saw her mother rise from her small bed, setting down the book she'd been reading instantly and walking over to the glass. The look on her face was one of obvious surprise, but her eyes held a deep sadness. It was a look Sydney had grown quite used to over the past few weeks.
"Sydney," her mother said softly, smiling slightly. "I'd hoped you'd be here today. Congratulations on SD-6."
"Well, they're not gone yet, but thanks," Sydney replied. Her mother nodded, obviously trying to take in every detail of her daughter for the first time in months. Sydney allowed her, remaining silent and making a few observations of her own. Suddenly, she felt Vaughn lean down.
"Do you want me to see if they'll let you in?" Vaughn whispered in her ear. She twisted around a bit more so that she could look into his eyes, their faces only inches apart. She nodded slowly. He nodded back and stood up, walking back towards the guard. Sydney opted to watch their conversation before turning back to her mother. In a matter of seconds, Vaughn was walking back with the guard. Vaughn stopped when he reached Sydney, taking hold of the handles on the chair again, but the guard continued to the door. As he opened it, Sydney looked up at Vaughn and mouthed her thanks. He only nodded before proceeding to push her through the now open door. By then, Irina had stepped back towards her bed again, allowing them room in the small cell. Vaughn stopped the wheelchair about a foot in front of the bed before putting the break on. The guard retreated back to the door and waited. Vaughn leaned down again and she turned her head to look at him.
"I'll be back in about twenty minutes, okay?" He asked softly. She nodded. Not caring who saw, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before standing up and leaving the cell. The guard followed him, closing the door and walking down the corridor until he was out of sight. Sydney then returned her focus to her mother, who was lowering herself to sit on the bed so that she was level with Sydney. It was at least a moment before a word was spoken.
"How are you?" Irina asked.
"Um," Sydney hesitated, looking around the room. "That's a complicated question." Irina nodded in understanding. "How much do you know?"
"Your father's kept me updated. If he's telling the truth, I know everything he does," she replied. Sydney looked at her mother, surprised. Her father had never mentioned giving her mother updates.
"You spoke to Dad? How?" Sydney questioned.
"They've allowed me limited e-mail access. I wasn't allowed his e-mail address, obviously, but he was given mine. He was kind enough to send me updates from different untraceable accounts," she explained, pausing suddenly. "I was worried about you," she admitted softly. "But I can see now that you were well protected."
"What do you mean?" Sydney asked. A ghost of a smile crossed over Irina's face.
"He cares for you very much," she said simply. Sydney understood suddenly and looked down at her hands. It was all the confirmation Irina needed. "And you care for him," she continued. It was a long moment before Sydney looked up again. Though she was sure the look on her face was all the assurance her mother needed, she still nodded just once to confirm her statement. "I'm happy for you, Sydney."
Sydney found herself at a loss for words. "It's been a long few months," was all she could manage to say.
"What happens after today? I mean, if all goes as planned," Irina asked her daughter.
Sydney shook her head. "I have no idea. I've been trying not to think that far ahead," Sydney replied, the double meaning of her words not lost on either woman. There was a brief silence.
"You can't lose faith, Sydney," Irina practically whispered suddenly, breaking the silence.
Sydney looked down, ready to argue her mother's words, but lost heart when she looked back up. There was degree of emotion in her mother's eyes that she'd never seen before. She could swear she even saw tears. Sydney recalled the many times she'd go over a friend's house as a child and envy the way their mothers looked at them. The love that was so plainly stamped across their faces. For the first time since Sydney was eight, she was finally on the receiving end of one of those looks. And it was only then that she realized, in all likelihood, this was the last time she'd ever see her mother again.
"I won't."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was around five in the evening when Dixon was finally able to contact the agency on a secure line, though still speaking in code, to tell them they were on. The conversation occurred in the briefing room, where the team had already been assembled since they'd gone over last minute details at three. They geared up immediately afterwards and proceeded to the underground garage, where they were divided among four different vans. Vaughn, Weiss, Jack, and Sydney were all placed into the same van, along with three other agents. Once everyone was loaded into the vans, they all heard Kendall's instructions to proceed through their earpieces. Sydney felt the van begin to move.
She looked around at all the other agents gathered there, all sitting quietly in the limited floor-space. Her father had on his poker face again, though she could still see the determination burning in his eyes. Weiss looked more serious than she'd ever seen him before. Finally, she turned her head to look at Vaughn. Immediately, brown met green and their gazes locked. Not taking his eyes from hers, he reached for her hand and found it easily. Their fingers intertwined and Vaughn had to fight the urge to disregard the other agents and just pull her into his arms.
A bump in the road caused Sydney to tear her eyes from Vaughn's and look around. There were no windows, so she had no idea where they were, but she was guessing they'd just hit a pothole somewhere on the road. Instead of returning her focus to Vaughn, she suddenly looked down at their joined hands. Silently, she recalled to herself the many trips she'd made to SD-6, wishing Vaughn could be with her. Wishing that it could finally be her last trip. And now that day was here. She became so lost in her thoughts that the next thing she knew, the car was stopping, and the driver was getting out. It was only then that she realized they were there.
The driver used the code given to them by Dixon to access the private SD-6 garage. He got back in the car and proceeded. Less than a minute later, Sydney felt the car stop and turn off. The agents all suddenly snapped into action. The driver came around and opened the back door, letting all the other agents out before returning to his seat up front. The drives of each van were instructed to remain there should something go wrong and they need a quick escape. They had equipment set up in the back that would allow them to hear the agents from inside, as well as Kendall through their earpiece. Sydney watched as the agents all gathered their weapons, a few of the agents already scattering to disable some of the security devices. Before she knew it, the agents were all pulling on their masks and lining up to go.
She stood up from her perch on the edge of the van and looked over at Vaughn, who was only a few feet away. He was about to pull his mask on when he saw her. He stopped abruptly and walked quickly over to her. He reached up, laying his hand over her cheek. Sydney was overwhelmed at the amount of emotion his eyes held as they gazed into hers. She knew he was the only person who truly understood what this moment meant to her.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered. She nodded, unable to stop the tears that suddenly filled her eyes.
"Be careful."
He gave her a small smile. "You too." He couldn't help himself anymore, ignoring the people around them, and leaning in to give her a lingering kiss.
"I love you," she told him when they broke apart.
"I love you too," he replied, starting to back away to where the other agents were now waiting. "I'll be here when it's over!" He called out to her as he slipped his mask on and joined them.
"I'm counting on it," she whispered to herself as she watched them disappear into the elevator and out of sight.
She climbed into the back of the van again, shutting the doors behind her. The driver was already back there, hooking up the equipment for them to hear what was going on inside. Sydney watched anxiously and was relieved when voices suddenly filled the van through the speakers. She recognized her father's voice instantly, speaking to the other agents in a very urgent tone.
"Agent Dixon's meeting with Sloane should have started approximately five minutes ago. Dixon's been ordered to keep Sloane there as long as possible, so I want everyone to try to clear the path for Agents Vaughn and Weiss to get in there to apprehend Sloane. Those of you assigned to provide them cover fire, make sure you do so when they need it. The rest of you, I just want you to focus on the security section agents and anyone else who should fight back. I'm sure I don't need to remind you, but we don't want any unnecessary casualties. Anyone not fighting back, just leave them be until the building's clear to arrest them." She suddenly heard the elevator stop and all the agents went very silent. She assumed the doors were opening. "Proceed," her father ordered. She heard footsteps. And then they stopped.
*Hold on to me love* *You know I can't stay long* *All I wanted to say was* *I love you and I'm not afraid*
There was a loud explosion and then someone yelling "Go! Go! Go!" Sydney couldn't tell if it was her father or not. She heard rushed footsteps and could almost picture them running into the office. There gunshots, more than she could count. There were screams, both of surprise and of pain. "Get down!" She heard someone shout. It sounded like Weiss's voice.
*Can you hear me?* *Can you feel me* *In your arms*
The static was getting heavier now with all the commotion she could only imagine was going on in there. After what seemed like an eternity of static and gunshots and crashes, she finally heard Vaughn's voice through the noise.
"I can see the office door. It's still closed!" He shouted.
"Are we clear?" She heard Weiss yell.
"We'll cover you!" Another voice said. She heard several gunshots and could only assume that Weiss and Vaughn were making their way to Sloane's office.
"Mike, watch out!" Weiss shouted suddenly. She heard a shot and a cry of pain. Sydney's heart stopped. She looked to the driver frantically, but he too was staring at the speakers in shock.
"Thanks," she suddenly heard. It was definitely Vaughn's voice. She breathed a sigh of relief and kept straining to hear. And then, there was what sounded like the opening of a door.
*Holding my last breath* *Safe inside myself* *Are all my thoughts of you* *Sweet raptured light* *It ends here tonight*
"Get down! Get down!" There were simultaneous shouts, both from Vaughn and Weiss.
"It's okay," she heard someone say. Was that Dixon? She couldn't completely tell through the static. "I got him."
"Agent Vaughn, Agent Weiss, what's going on?" She heard Kendall speak up through her earpiece for the first time.
"Suspect is apprehended. Agent Dixon has him handcuffed to the desk. The bastard appears to have suffered a minor head injury," Weiss reported.
"I hit him with that statuette when I heard you guys come in," she heard Dixon say.
"Who are you?" Shouted a voice in the background. A chill instantly ran up her spine. Sloane.
"Who we are is the least of your worries right now," Weiss replied, almost causing Sydney to smile.
"What's going on out there?" Vaughn asked.
"Jack! Can you give me a status report?" Kendall asked. There was only static. Sydney held her breath. Where was her father? "Jack, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, I'm here. I believe Agent Kay just took out the last of the security section agents. The lower levels all seem to be unarmed. I think it's over."
"Okay. I want the team to do a quick check, make sure no one's going to start shooting, and then start with the arrests. Agent Vaughn, when Jack says it's clear, you can retrieve Agent Bristow," Kendall instructed.
"Go ahead, Vaughn. I think the building's as good as clear. We'll do a quick sweep while you go," she heard her father say.
"Okay," Vaughn replied.
*I'll miss the winter* *A world of fragile things* *Look for me in the white forest* *Hiding in a hollow tree*
Sydney took a deep breath and looked down at her trembling hands. It was really over. They'd all made it. She didn't know how long she sat pondering that simple thought when she heard the back door to the van being opened. She whipped around instantly. She was met with Vaughn's smiling face. She scrambled out of the van and was instantly in his arms. She held him tighter than she ever had before, biting down on her lip to ward off the tears. He buried his face in her neck, eyes closed, breathing her in.
"We did it, Syd," he whispered in her ear before pulling back suddenly. "What do you say we go make some arrests? I can think of one in particular I'd like to see right about now," he said with a smile. She nodded, took his hand, and followed him to the elevator. They stood there for the brief ride, hands still twined. Sydney felt her whole body shaking slightly, though she wasn't sure whether weakness or adrenaline was to blame. She took a deep breath and looked at Vaughn as the elevator came to a stop. He smiled at her and reluctantly let go of her hand.
The doors opened and Vaughn led Sydney through the same halls the team had just run down earlier. As they neared the main offices, she couldn't help but close her eyes briefly, not quite sure what to expect. The sight, as the turned the corner, was something that took her breath away. She saw the room she'd worked in for the last decade in shambles. The desks she'd watched the unknowing agents sit at every day were mostly turned over, items from them strewn across the floor. A few of the lights had hit the ground and broken. Pieces of the ceiling had come down all over the place. There was a smoke in the room that smelled both of gunfire and explosions. There were CIA agents everywhere, some with their masks still on. They were combing the room, handcuffing a number of the people she used to see on a daily basis. Looking across the room, she thought she even saw one of the CIA agents apprehending Marshall, but knew now was not the time to go and explain it to him.
She felt Vaughn touch her arm suddenly, bringing her back to the task at hand. She nodded at him and focused then on the door that loomed in front of her across the room. She knew that behind that door was the man who destroyed so many years of her life. And once she entered through that door, she would finally pay him back. She watched Vaughn walk ahead of her as she willingly followed. He helped her step over some of the larger objects that blocked their path. Finally, they were at the door. Vaughn looked at her as he reached for the knob.
"You ready?" He asked softly.
"Yeah, I am," she replied with more certainty than she'd ever felt before. Vaughn nodded and opened the door, entering the room. Sydney took a deep breath and followed.
*I know you hear me* *I can taste it* *In your tears*
The room held signs of a struggle, she assumed between Dixon and Sloane, but was not nearly as bad as the offices outside it. Dixon was still in the room, standing near Sloane's desk and holding a tissue to his bloody lip. And in the middle of the room stood Sloane, his hands twisted behind his back as Weiss locked his wrists into handcuffs. He had a large cut on the side of his head and one of the lenses of his glasses was cracked. The look on face was the stoniest Sydney had ever seen.
Finally, he noticed that more people had joined him in the room. He looked up at Vaughn and then over at Sydney. His face registered an obvious look of shock. His mouth hung open slightly and his eyes narrowed.
"Sydney," he practically breathed. "It can't be. I had you killed!"
"Did you honestly think you could get rid of me so easily?" Sydney spat back. "I wasn't about to let you get away with the thousands of lives you've destroyed."
"So I have you to thank for this little raid, do I? I guess your betrayal to this agency is finally complete," Sloane replied, his voice cold and angry.
"And your days of betrayal end here. You are going to spend the rest of your days locked up in a small, dark cell where you can never hurt anyone again," she informed him in a low voice. "Agent Weiss, you may escort him to the car," she said before Sloane had the chance to respond.
Weiss nodded at her, a questioning look in his eye. She nodded back her confirmation, knowing that she'd been given the option of escorting Sloane herself, but she longer wanted that responsibility. She knew she was done here. She'd said all she wanted to say. She watched Weiss start to push Sloane towards the door. He resisted slightly. She heard him mutter, "You'll pay for this" just as Weiss shoved him through the door. She shook her head and turned to Vaughn. He crossed the room and stood in front of her.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I just didn't want to look at him anymore. I've done what I came for."
He reached out once again and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "Syd, you're shaking," he said worriedly as he held her tighter, his hands rubbing soothingly over her back.
"I'm okay," she assured him.
"Come on," he said as he pulled back suddenly. "Let's get out of here." She nodded her agreement and took his hand. He led her back through the door.
She looked around again as she walked back through. The lower level agents had been cleared out so that only some of the CIA agents remained. The room was still in shambles. She realized it would probably forever remain this way: broken. And as she exited the offices for the last time, she knew that she had been one of its main demolisher and joined to her by hand was another. And nothing in the world made her happier. They'd finally done it.
*Closing your eyes to disappear* *You pray your dreams will leave you here* *But still you wake and know the truth* *No one's there*
Once they reached the garage, she saw a number of agents being loaded into the vans. She knew the CIA was sending more for them to be transported back. She looked to her side and just barely caught Sloane being loaded into the car by Weiss. She squeezed Vaughn's hand and felt him squeeze back, knowing that he was watching the same thing. Once Weiss shut the door, Sydney looked away, gazing instead at some of the other agents she recognized. Suddenly, she noticed her vision was beginning to swim a little. She blinked rapidly a few times, trying to clear it. Of course, Vaughn noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly enough so that none of the other agents could hear.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little dizzy," she replied.
"Maybe you overdid it a little. It's been a hell of a day. Let me go ask Jack how long it'll be until we can get you out of here. Will you be okay here for a minute?" He asked.
"I'll be fine, go ahead," she replied, waving him off. He looked at her for another second as if debating with himself whether he should actually leave her there, but finally gave in and walked away to find her father.
Vaughn searched between a few of the vans and watched two of them, including Sloane's, pull away before finally finding Jack. He approached him quickly, immediately earning his attention.
"Is everything okay?" Jack asked Vaughn.
"Yeah, I was just wondering how long it'll be until the CIA gets more vans here. Sydney's not feeling so well. I just think it would be better to get her out of here as soon as possible so she can get some rest," Vaughn explained.
"I agree. She'll have to go back to headquarters for now, though. You can take her to medical services until we can verify that it's safe for her to go somewhere else," Jack told him. "I'll make sure that you're on the first van back. It should be arriving any minute."
"Thanks," Vaughn said before turning and walking away.
He was crossing between some of the vans to get back when he suddenly heard shouting. Everyone else seemed to have just heard it too, because all the conversations around him stopped. He listened carefully to see what the shouting was.
"I need a doctor here! Agent down! Someone get an ambulance *now*!" Vaughn froze. It was Weiss's voice. He picked up the pace, running now between the cars and the agents that were in his path. He rounded the corner of one of the vans when he suddenly saw a group of agents gathered around something. He ran over and pushed his way through them. His heard suddenly stopped.
Sydney was laying on the ground, unconscious. Weiss was next to her on his knees, looking frantic. He looked up, noticing Vaughn for the first time.
"Mike! I don't what happened! She just collapsed," Weiss explained, his voice uneven. Vaughn dropped to his knees on the other side of Sydney as he lowered his face to hers, trying to hear her breathing.
"She's still breathing," Vaughn announced, somewhat relieved, but still terrified. "It's shallow, though. Someone needs to get a doctor here *now*!"
Vaughn immediately heard agents shouting back and forth about getting a doctor. Someone got on the phone. Once he was assured that someone was on their way, his focus was instantly back on Sydney. He tore off his jacket as quickly as he could and folded it up. He gently lifted Sydney's head off the ground and placed the piece of clothing underneath, so it could act as a pillow. Once her head rested on it, he brought his hand to her face.
"Syd, wake up. Please wake up," he begged softly.
But her eyes remained closed.
*Say goodnight* *Don't be afraid* *Calling me, calling me* *As you fade to black*
To be continued.
A/N: Wow, that was a big one. I'm actually kind of nervous about posting this chapter, because that was so hard to write and I'm so afraid that I didn't elaborate enough or I didn't emphasize it enough or whatever. But hopefully you liked it anyway. Please please review, though, because if it really sucks, I'd like to know lol. Hopefully I'll get a new chapter out really soon. I promise I'll try!
Livejournal: www.livejournal.com/users/imetgillya
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Note: So I had another busy two weekends and didn't get a chance to work on the story, but for those of you who don't know, the reason I had a busy weekend last weekend was because I went to the Malibu Triathlon and got to see Jennifer again. It was such a blast, and she actually knew my name! My roommate and I said hi to her and she was like "Rachel!" My mouth hung open for a while lol. If you want to see a picture, you can go to basically any of the sites and the picture of her standing with two teenage girls is it. It's me and my roommate, I'm the one with the brown hair. There's a link to it on my livejournal too. I'll post the URL for the journal again at the end of the story. Hopefully, this chapter will make up for the delay because it's pretty damn long lol. It took me forever to write, because it was such a huge part of the story, so I hope I did it justice and didn't completely screw it up. If you want to get the full effect of the story, though, there's something I'd suggest. There's song lyrics that I use for part of this story (you'll know them because they have stars around them), and if you really want to get the full feel for that part, I suggest downloading that song or putting on the CD if you have it. It's called "My Last Breath" by Evanescence. It's an amazing song and I guarantee the chapter will be much more intense if you listen to it while you read. Obviously you don't have to, it's just a suggestion. Either way, I hope you really like the chapter!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"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.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 31: Holding My Last Breath
Vaughn, Jack and Weiss were all awake by 6:30 the next morning. Vaughn could tell by looking around the table that no one had slept much. The same went for himself. The promise of the day ahead was just too great. Some part of him, he could finally admit, had thought this day would never come. More recently, he'd spent a great deal of time worrying that Sydney would not live long enough to see her years of work finally pay off. But that day had finally come, and when then clock struck seven, Vaughn knew it was time to go up and wake Sydney.
He was surprised, as he opened the door to her room, to find her dressed and sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair. She turned when she heard him come in and smiled at him. Vaughn noticed she'd already gone to the trouble of applying make0up, yet he knew the flush in her cheeks was at least partially natural. He couldn't help thinking that she looked better than she had in weeks. Taking into account all she'd suffered over the past few weeks, Vaughn thought she hardly looked sick at all. It was moments like these when he could almost convince himself it had all been a bad dream.
"Hi," he said softly to her, still standing near the door.
"Hi," she repeated.
"How'd you sleep?" He asked.
"I slept well. I think it took me a while to sleep off the affects of the morphine," she admitted.
"How are you now?" He asked, finally bringing up the question that had plagued him all morning.
"No pain," she replied simply.
"Good," Vaughn replied. "How's your energy?"
"It's better than yesterday," she offered almost jokingly before she sobered. "I couldn't run a marathon or anything, but I'm okay."
Vaughn nodded, crossing the room and sitting, facing her. He reached out and touched her face. "You look great."
"Vaughn," she said, shaking her head with a smile. His face remained serious, though.
"I'm not just saying that, Syd. You have this glow that I haven't seen in a long time. I missed it," he admitted to her. She gently laid her hand over his.
"Me too," she agreed.
"We're going to take them down today, Syd. They'll finally get what they deserve."
She smiled then, closing her eyes as he enveloped her in his embrace.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
They left at eight, as planned, all piled into another black van. They were scheduled to arrive at ops at 8:30. Agent Watters drove with Dr. Anderson sitting next to him up front. Vaughn had opted for the back with Weiss, allowing Sydney to sit with her father in the middle. The ride was completely silent, everyone pretty much caught up in their own thoughts. Somewhere during the middle of the drive, though, Vaughn noticed Sydney reach around to run her hand over her lower back. Something immediately squeezed at his heart. He leaned forward and touched her shoulder to get her attention.
"You okay?" The question was soft, but still enough to bring everyone out of their collective dazes. Jack immediately looked worriedly at Sydney.
"Oh, no, it's okay. It doesn't hurt, just feels a little tight," she replied, but her assurance didn't seem to put anyone at least, least of all Vaughn.
"Dr. Anderson, is there anything she can do to try and prevent any pain?" Vaughn asked, his focusing shifting to the front seats.
"There's not much to do about the headaches besides avoiding violent movements or bright lights, but we'll see what we can do about her back. Agent Bristow, I'll give you a warming patch to place on your back, which may help a bit. I'd also suggest you stay off your feet until the takedown."
"I can get a wheelchair from medical services when we get there," Agent Watters offered.
"I don't need a wheelchair. I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own," Sydney argued immediately. It was a toss-up who moved to speak first: Vaughn or Dr. Anderson. It was Jack, though, in a tone that was surprisingly soft, who beat them to it.
"Sydney, we realize that it's important to you to have some control, especially in the agency, but it doesn't matter what anyone at the agency thinks. What matters is that you save your strength to walk into SD-6 and assist in the takedown. I know it matters to you much more to appear healthy in front of Sloane than a group of agents you hardly know. I'd suggest listening to Dr. Anderson if you want to ensure your participation today."
"Fine," Sydney agreed in a low voice. "But I will not have some low-level agent assigned to pushing me around."
"I assumed as much," Jack stated. "Agent Vaughn, you'll escort Sydney around ops for the day."
As Sydney and Vaughn both looked at Jack in surprise, Agent Watters turned the car into the private lot. He drove about a minute in the maze of a garage until he could pull right up to the underground entrance. Announcing he would run up to get the wheelchair, he quickly exited the car. It was then that Dr. Anderson dug into his kit and pulled out the patch for Sydney. In silence, as every occupant in the car watched, she placed it carefully on her lower back. The silence continued to hang over them, quickly growing tense and uncomfortable. Sydney was actually relieved when she saw Agent Watters come back out, pushing the empty wheelchair.
Sydney exited the car first, making a point of walking the few steps and getting into the chair herself. Everyone else quickly followed suit and exited the car. Vaughn immediately walked over and took the handles of the wheelchair from Agent Watters. Once everyone was out, Agent Watters turned and led them into the building. Vaughn waited for Jack, Weiss, and Dr. Anderson to precede him before following with Sydney. Once inside, they quickly piled into the elevator to take them up a level to the actual ops center. Vaughn looked down at Sydney during the brief ride, quickly noting the apprehensiveness in her eyes. As discreetly as he could, he dropped a hand to her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. She looked up and met his eyes. He wanted to smile to reassure her, but the moment was simply too heavy. Instead, he held her gaze until the elevator chimed their arrival.
Vaughn once again made sure that he and Sydney were last out of the elevator, knowing that Sydney didn't particularly want to be noticed. They proceeded into the crowded room as Vaughn, Weiss, and Sydney all looked around in awe, not quite believing they were finally back. Agent Watters quickly spotted Kendall in the middle of the room and led the group of them over. Vaughn noted how the looked on his boss's face quickly changed when he saw all of them. If Vaughn thought the man were capable of real emotions, he might almost describe the look as happy.
"Jack, Dr. Anderson, Agent Weiss, Agent Vaughn," Kendall paused slightly, looking down at Sydney. "Agent Bristow. It's good to have you all here. Welcome back, you three," he finished, looking from Weiss to Vaughn to Sydney.
"Thank you, sir," they all replied.
"I'll cut right to it. We're right on schedule so far. We've got Dixon inside and he's going to call and confirm in a few hours if we're still good to go. The briefing starts in about ten minutes," he explained to them. As everyone took everything in, Vaughn took the opportunity to look down at Sydney. He immediately noticed that she'd noticeably tensed, something obviously bothering her. It was only then that Vaughn noticed the agents passing by and the looks they were casting at Sydney. Vaughn could only imagine what he'd be thinking if he were on the other side of the situation. To have a fellow, somewhat well-known agent among the agency go into hiding only to suddenly return months later in a wheelchair. No wonder Sydney had protested the idea. And Vaughn wasn't the only one noticing anymore.
"Agent Vaughn, why don't you take Sydney to the briefing room now? We'll meet you there in a few minutes," Jack suggested. Vaughn nodded and Sydney looked at him gratefully. He had to give her credit, though. As he pushed her across the room, agents looking on, she held her head and acted as if she hardly noticed. She never ceased to amaze him. A predicament arose once they reached the door, though, as Vaughn quickly realized he needed someone to hold it open for them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rick was there, opening the door for them. Relieved to see someone both he and Sydney knew, Vaughn gave him a grateful smile.
"Welcome back," he said to both of them.
"Thanks," Sydney replied before Vaughn even had the chance. Vaughn couldn't help but notice the obvious look of admiration in Rick's eyes as he looked at Sydney. The sadness was there, as it always was, but hidden behind respect. Vaughn, swallowing around the lump in his throat, then pushed Sydney through the door.
Once inside the briefing room, Sydney was almost immediately out of the wheelchair. Vaughn watched her carefully lower herself into the one of the chairs around the table as he folded up the wheelchair and stowed it in the corner. Once he was done, he walked over and claimed the seat next to Sydney, turning in it so that he could look at her only to find that she was already looking at him.
"You okay?" He asked her softly.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah." She paused. "Are you?"
He looked straight into her eyes, not quite sure how to answer. Before he had the chance, though, people began to file into the room. A group of agents flowed in, some Vaughn recognized and others he'd never seen before. They all took seats around the table as Jack, Weiss, and Kendall entered the room last. Kendall shut the door and took his seat at the head of the table. He took a moment to look from face to face around the table before finally taking a deep breath and starting.
"As you all know, this is a big day for the agency. This is our opportunity to raid and take down SD-6, a long-time adversary of the CIA. You've all been selected for this team, and should've already signed all the agreements, confidentiality and otherwise. If there's anyone who feels they shouldn't be here, I suggest you leave now." Everyone remained. "Good. Then let's get started. This afternoon at approximately four, we should hear from Agent Dixon at SD-6. If he gives us the go, we gather our equipment and load into four separate vans. You'll breech security in the garage."
As Kendall continued to give the team directions, Sydney couldn't help her mind from wandering. How many times had she imagined this day in her mind? How many dreams had she had about it? And yet this day was far from what she'd imagined. She dared a glance at the wheelchair tucked in the corner of the room. She knew that if this had been delayed even just a few short weeks, she probably wouldn't be there. Though her situation wasn't ideal, she had to stop for a moment and recognize that in ways, luck had been on her side. She was being given the chance to die with no unfinished business. And she was also being given the chance to say goodbye. How many people had she seen in her job who'd gotten the chance at neither? More than she could count.
"Agent Weiss, I'm going to put you in charge of Sloane's initial arrest," Kendall continued as Sydney tuned back in. "Assuming he'll be in his office, I want you to head there as soon as you're clear. Agent Vaughn will assist you and then retrieve Agent Bristow once we have control of the building. Agent Bristow will escort Sloane out of the building and we'll take him into custody. Everyone got it?" One by one, they nodded their confirmation. "Okay. Now I know we've got a few hours, but as a precaution, no one is to leave the building. We'll meet back here at 3 PM unless you hear something from me sooner. That's it for now. You're dismissed," Kendall finished finally.
Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and Jack all stayed behind as the agents filed out. Kendall stayed as well, shutting the door once the room was emptied. It was only then that Vaughn got up and retrieved the wheelchair from the corner, unfolding it and bringing it close to Sydney's chair. She stood up, making a point of avoiding eye contact with anyone, and lowered herself once again into the chair.
"We have a few hours until we're supposed to be called back. I sent Dr. Anderson out to bring back some food," Jack informed them all. "He should be back by now. Maybe you should try to eat something, Sydney. There's no predicting how long we'll be there tonight and you need to keep your strength up."
Sydney sighed. "I'll try eating something in a bit. First, there's something I need to do."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As the gate opened, Sydney felt herself being slowly pushed o the next set of bars, which opened before they were even reached them. Before she knew it, she could see the gleam from the glass wall ahead. More and more of it came into view until she was finally positioned directly in front of it, Vaughn standing behind her. She saw her mother rise from her small bed, setting down the book she'd been reading instantly and walking over to the glass. The look on her face was one of obvious surprise, but her eyes held a deep sadness. It was a look Sydney had grown quite used to over the past few weeks.
"Sydney," her mother said softly, smiling slightly. "I'd hoped you'd be here today. Congratulations on SD-6."
"Well, they're not gone yet, but thanks," Sydney replied. Her mother nodded, obviously trying to take in every detail of her daughter for the first time in months. Sydney allowed her, remaining silent and making a few observations of her own. Suddenly, she felt Vaughn lean down.
"Do you want me to see if they'll let you in?" Vaughn whispered in her ear. She twisted around a bit more so that she could look into his eyes, their faces only inches apart. She nodded slowly. He nodded back and stood up, walking back towards the guard. Sydney opted to watch their conversation before turning back to her mother. In a matter of seconds, Vaughn was walking back with the guard. Vaughn stopped when he reached Sydney, taking hold of the handles on the chair again, but the guard continued to the door. As he opened it, Sydney looked up at Vaughn and mouthed her thanks. He only nodded before proceeding to push her through the now open door. By then, Irina had stepped back towards her bed again, allowing them room in the small cell. Vaughn stopped the wheelchair about a foot in front of the bed before putting the break on. The guard retreated back to the door and waited. Vaughn leaned down again and she turned her head to look at him.
"I'll be back in about twenty minutes, okay?" He asked softly. She nodded. Not caring who saw, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before standing up and leaving the cell. The guard followed him, closing the door and walking down the corridor until he was out of sight. Sydney then returned her focus to her mother, who was lowering herself to sit on the bed so that she was level with Sydney. It was at least a moment before a word was spoken.
"How are you?" Irina asked.
"Um," Sydney hesitated, looking around the room. "That's a complicated question." Irina nodded in understanding. "How much do you know?"
"Your father's kept me updated. If he's telling the truth, I know everything he does," she replied. Sydney looked at her mother, surprised. Her father had never mentioned giving her mother updates.
"You spoke to Dad? How?" Sydney questioned.
"They've allowed me limited e-mail access. I wasn't allowed his e-mail address, obviously, but he was given mine. He was kind enough to send me updates from different untraceable accounts," she explained, pausing suddenly. "I was worried about you," she admitted softly. "But I can see now that you were well protected."
"What do you mean?" Sydney asked. A ghost of a smile crossed over Irina's face.
"He cares for you very much," she said simply. Sydney understood suddenly and looked down at her hands. It was all the confirmation Irina needed. "And you care for him," she continued. It was a long moment before Sydney looked up again. Though she was sure the look on her face was all the assurance her mother needed, she still nodded just once to confirm her statement. "I'm happy for you, Sydney."
Sydney found herself at a loss for words. "It's been a long few months," was all she could manage to say.
"What happens after today? I mean, if all goes as planned," Irina asked her daughter.
Sydney shook her head. "I have no idea. I've been trying not to think that far ahead," Sydney replied, the double meaning of her words not lost on either woman. There was a brief silence.
"You can't lose faith, Sydney," Irina practically whispered suddenly, breaking the silence.
Sydney looked down, ready to argue her mother's words, but lost heart when she looked back up. There was degree of emotion in her mother's eyes that she'd never seen before. She could swear she even saw tears. Sydney recalled the many times she'd go over a friend's house as a child and envy the way their mothers looked at them. The love that was so plainly stamped across their faces. For the first time since Sydney was eight, she was finally on the receiving end of one of those looks. And it was only then that she realized, in all likelihood, this was the last time she'd ever see her mother again.
"I won't."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was around five in the evening when Dixon was finally able to contact the agency on a secure line, though still speaking in code, to tell them they were on. The conversation occurred in the briefing room, where the team had already been assembled since they'd gone over last minute details at three. They geared up immediately afterwards and proceeded to the underground garage, where they were divided among four different vans. Vaughn, Weiss, Jack, and Sydney were all placed into the same van, along with three other agents. Once everyone was loaded into the vans, they all heard Kendall's instructions to proceed through their earpieces. Sydney felt the van begin to move.
She looked around at all the other agents gathered there, all sitting quietly in the limited floor-space. Her father had on his poker face again, though she could still see the determination burning in his eyes. Weiss looked more serious than she'd ever seen him before. Finally, she turned her head to look at Vaughn. Immediately, brown met green and their gazes locked. Not taking his eyes from hers, he reached for her hand and found it easily. Their fingers intertwined and Vaughn had to fight the urge to disregard the other agents and just pull her into his arms.
A bump in the road caused Sydney to tear her eyes from Vaughn's and look around. There were no windows, so she had no idea where they were, but she was guessing they'd just hit a pothole somewhere on the road. Instead of returning her focus to Vaughn, she suddenly looked down at their joined hands. Silently, she recalled to herself the many trips she'd made to SD-6, wishing Vaughn could be with her. Wishing that it could finally be her last trip. And now that day was here. She became so lost in her thoughts that the next thing she knew, the car was stopping, and the driver was getting out. It was only then that she realized they were there.
The driver used the code given to them by Dixon to access the private SD-6 garage. He got back in the car and proceeded. Less than a minute later, Sydney felt the car stop and turn off. The agents all suddenly snapped into action. The driver came around and opened the back door, letting all the other agents out before returning to his seat up front. The drives of each van were instructed to remain there should something go wrong and they need a quick escape. They had equipment set up in the back that would allow them to hear the agents from inside, as well as Kendall through their earpiece. Sydney watched as the agents all gathered their weapons, a few of the agents already scattering to disable some of the security devices. Before she knew it, the agents were all pulling on their masks and lining up to go.
She stood up from her perch on the edge of the van and looked over at Vaughn, who was only a few feet away. He was about to pull his mask on when he saw her. He stopped abruptly and walked quickly over to her. He reached up, laying his hand over her cheek. Sydney was overwhelmed at the amount of emotion his eyes held as they gazed into hers. She knew he was the only person who truly understood what this moment meant to her.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered. She nodded, unable to stop the tears that suddenly filled her eyes.
"Be careful."
He gave her a small smile. "You too." He couldn't help himself anymore, ignoring the people around them, and leaning in to give her a lingering kiss.
"I love you," she told him when they broke apart.
"I love you too," he replied, starting to back away to where the other agents were now waiting. "I'll be here when it's over!" He called out to her as he slipped his mask on and joined them.
"I'm counting on it," she whispered to herself as she watched them disappear into the elevator and out of sight.
She climbed into the back of the van again, shutting the doors behind her. The driver was already back there, hooking up the equipment for them to hear what was going on inside. Sydney watched anxiously and was relieved when voices suddenly filled the van through the speakers. She recognized her father's voice instantly, speaking to the other agents in a very urgent tone.
"Agent Dixon's meeting with Sloane should have started approximately five minutes ago. Dixon's been ordered to keep Sloane there as long as possible, so I want everyone to try to clear the path for Agents Vaughn and Weiss to get in there to apprehend Sloane. Those of you assigned to provide them cover fire, make sure you do so when they need it. The rest of you, I just want you to focus on the security section agents and anyone else who should fight back. I'm sure I don't need to remind you, but we don't want any unnecessary casualties. Anyone not fighting back, just leave them be until the building's clear to arrest them." She suddenly heard the elevator stop and all the agents went very silent. She assumed the doors were opening. "Proceed," her father ordered. She heard footsteps. And then they stopped.
*Hold on to me love* *You know I can't stay long* *All I wanted to say was* *I love you and I'm not afraid*
There was a loud explosion and then someone yelling "Go! Go! Go!" Sydney couldn't tell if it was her father or not. She heard rushed footsteps and could almost picture them running into the office. There gunshots, more than she could count. There were screams, both of surprise and of pain. "Get down!" She heard someone shout. It sounded like Weiss's voice.
*Can you hear me?* *Can you feel me* *In your arms*
The static was getting heavier now with all the commotion she could only imagine was going on in there. After what seemed like an eternity of static and gunshots and crashes, she finally heard Vaughn's voice through the noise.
"I can see the office door. It's still closed!" He shouted.
"Are we clear?" She heard Weiss yell.
"We'll cover you!" Another voice said. She heard several gunshots and could only assume that Weiss and Vaughn were making their way to Sloane's office.
"Mike, watch out!" Weiss shouted suddenly. She heard a shot and a cry of pain. Sydney's heart stopped. She looked to the driver frantically, but he too was staring at the speakers in shock.
"Thanks," she suddenly heard. It was definitely Vaughn's voice. She breathed a sigh of relief and kept straining to hear. And then, there was what sounded like the opening of a door.
*Holding my last breath* *Safe inside myself* *Are all my thoughts of you* *Sweet raptured light* *It ends here tonight*
"Get down! Get down!" There were simultaneous shouts, both from Vaughn and Weiss.
"It's okay," she heard someone say. Was that Dixon? She couldn't completely tell through the static. "I got him."
"Agent Vaughn, Agent Weiss, what's going on?" She heard Kendall speak up through her earpiece for the first time.
"Suspect is apprehended. Agent Dixon has him handcuffed to the desk. The bastard appears to have suffered a minor head injury," Weiss reported.
"I hit him with that statuette when I heard you guys come in," she heard Dixon say.
"Who are you?" Shouted a voice in the background. A chill instantly ran up her spine. Sloane.
"Who we are is the least of your worries right now," Weiss replied, almost causing Sydney to smile.
"What's going on out there?" Vaughn asked.
"Jack! Can you give me a status report?" Kendall asked. There was only static. Sydney held her breath. Where was her father? "Jack, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, I'm here. I believe Agent Kay just took out the last of the security section agents. The lower levels all seem to be unarmed. I think it's over."
"Okay. I want the team to do a quick check, make sure no one's going to start shooting, and then start with the arrests. Agent Vaughn, when Jack says it's clear, you can retrieve Agent Bristow," Kendall instructed.
"Go ahead, Vaughn. I think the building's as good as clear. We'll do a quick sweep while you go," she heard her father say.
"Okay," Vaughn replied.
*I'll miss the winter* *A world of fragile things* *Look for me in the white forest* *Hiding in a hollow tree*
Sydney took a deep breath and looked down at her trembling hands. It was really over. They'd all made it. She didn't know how long she sat pondering that simple thought when she heard the back door to the van being opened. She whipped around instantly. She was met with Vaughn's smiling face. She scrambled out of the van and was instantly in his arms. She held him tighter than she ever had before, biting down on her lip to ward off the tears. He buried his face in her neck, eyes closed, breathing her in.
"We did it, Syd," he whispered in her ear before pulling back suddenly. "What do you say we go make some arrests? I can think of one in particular I'd like to see right about now," he said with a smile. She nodded, took his hand, and followed him to the elevator. They stood there for the brief ride, hands still twined. Sydney felt her whole body shaking slightly, though she wasn't sure whether weakness or adrenaline was to blame. She took a deep breath and looked at Vaughn as the elevator came to a stop. He smiled at her and reluctantly let go of her hand.
The doors opened and Vaughn led Sydney through the same halls the team had just run down earlier. As they neared the main offices, she couldn't help but close her eyes briefly, not quite sure what to expect. The sight, as the turned the corner, was something that took her breath away. She saw the room she'd worked in for the last decade in shambles. The desks she'd watched the unknowing agents sit at every day were mostly turned over, items from them strewn across the floor. A few of the lights had hit the ground and broken. Pieces of the ceiling had come down all over the place. There was a smoke in the room that smelled both of gunfire and explosions. There were CIA agents everywhere, some with their masks still on. They were combing the room, handcuffing a number of the people she used to see on a daily basis. Looking across the room, she thought she even saw one of the CIA agents apprehending Marshall, but knew now was not the time to go and explain it to him.
She felt Vaughn touch her arm suddenly, bringing her back to the task at hand. She nodded at him and focused then on the door that loomed in front of her across the room. She knew that behind that door was the man who destroyed so many years of her life. And once she entered through that door, she would finally pay him back. She watched Vaughn walk ahead of her as she willingly followed. He helped her step over some of the larger objects that blocked their path. Finally, they were at the door. Vaughn looked at her as he reached for the knob.
"You ready?" He asked softly.
"Yeah, I am," she replied with more certainty than she'd ever felt before. Vaughn nodded and opened the door, entering the room. Sydney took a deep breath and followed.
*I know you hear me* *I can taste it* *In your tears*
The room held signs of a struggle, she assumed between Dixon and Sloane, but was not nearly as bad as the offices outside it. Dixon was still in the room, standing near Sloane's desk and holding a tissue to his bloody lip. And in the middle of the room stood Sloane, his hands twisted behind his back as Weiss locked his wrists into handcuffs. He had a large cut on the side of his head and one of the lenses of his glasses was cracked. The look on face was the stoniest Sydney had ever seen.
Finally, he noticed that more people had joined him in the room. He looked up at Vaughn and then over at Sydney. His face registered an obvious look of shock. His mouth hung open slightly and his eyes narrowed.
"Sydney," he practically breathed. "It can't be. I had you killed!"
"Did you honestly think you could get rid of me so easily?" Sydney spat back. "I wasn't about to let you get away with the thousands of lives you've destroyed."
"So I have you to thank for this little raid, do I? I guess your betrayal to this agency is finally complete," Sloane replied, his voice cold and angry.
"And your days of betrayal end here. You are going to spend the rest of your days locked up in a small, dark cell where you can never hurt anyone again," she informed him in a low voice. "Agent Weiss, you may escort him to the car," she said before Sloane had the chance to respond.
Weiss nodded at her, a questioning look in his eye. She nodded back her confirmation, knowing that she'd been given the option of escorting Sloane herself, but she longer wanted that responsibility. She knew she was done here. She'd said all she wanted to say. She watched Weiss start to push Sloane towards the door. He resisted slightly. She heard him mutter, "You'll pay for this" just as Weiss shoved him through the door. She shook her head and turned to Vaughn. He crossed the room and stood in front of her.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I just didn't want to look at him anymore. I've done what I came for."
He reached out once again and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "Syd, you're shaking," he said worriedly as he held her tighter, his hands rubbing soothingly over her back.
"I'm okay," she assured him.
"Come on," he said as he pulled back suddenly. "Let's get out of here." She nodded her agreement and took his hand. He led her back through the door.
She looked around again as she walked back through. The lower level agents had been cleared out so that only some of the CIA agents remained. The room was still in shambles. She realized it would probably forever remain this way: broken. And as she exited the offices for the last time, she knew that she had been one of its main demolisher and joined to her by hand was another. And nothing in the world made her happier. They'd finally done it.
*Closing your eyes to disappear* *You pray your dreams will leave you here* *But still you wake and know the truth* *No one's there*
Once they reached the garage, she saw a number of agents being loaded into the vans. She knew the CIA was sending more for them to be transported back. She looked to her side and just barely caught Sloane being loaded into the car by Weiss. She squeezed Vaughn's hand and felt him squeeze back, knowing that he was watching the same thing. Once Weiss shut the door, Sydney looked away, gazing instead at some of the other agents she recognized. Suddenly, she noticed her vision was beginning to swim a little. She blinked rapidly a few times, trying to clear it. Of course, Vaughn noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly enough so that none of the other agents could hear.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little dizzy," she replied.
"Maybe you overdid it a little. It's been a hell of a day. Let me go ask Jack how long it'll be until we can get you out of here. Will you be okay here for a minute?" He asked.
"I'll be fine, go ahead," she replied, waving him off. He looked at her for another second as if debating with himself whether he should actually leave her there, but finally gave in and walked away to find her father.
Vaughn searched between a few of the vans and watched two of them, including Sloane's, pull away before finally finding Jack. He approached him quickly, immediately earning his attention.
"Is everything okay?" Jack asked Vaughn.
"Yeah, I was just wondering how long it'll be until the CIA gets more vans here. Sydney's not feeling so well. I just think it would be better to get her out of here as soon as possible so she can get some rest," Vaughn explained.
"I agree. She'll have to go back to headquarters for now, though. You can take her to medical services until we can verify that it's safe for her to go somewhere else," Jack told him. "I'll make sure that you're on the first van back. It should be arriving any minute."
"Thanks," Vaughn said before turning and walking away.
He was crossing between some of the vans to get back when he suddenly heard shouting. Everyone else seemed to have just heard it too, because all the conversations around him stopped. He listened carefully to see what the shouting was.
"I need a doctor here! Agent down! Someone get an ambulance *now*!" Vaughn froze. It was Weiss's voice. He picked up the pace, running now between the cars and the agents that were in his path. He rounded the corner of one of the vans when he suddenly saw a group of agents gathered around something. He ran over and pushed his way through them. His heard suddenly stopped.
Sydney was laying on the ground, unconscious. Weiss was next to her on his knees, looking frantic. He looked up, noticing Vaughn for the first time.
"Mike! I don't what happened! She just collapsed," Weiss explained, his voice uneven. Vaughn dropped to his knees on the other side of Sydney as he lowered his face to hers, trying to hear her breathing.
"She's still breathing," Vaughn announced, somewhat relieved, but still terrified. "It's shallow, though. Someone needs to get a doctor here *now*!"
Vaughn immediately heard agents shouting back and forth about getting a doctor. Someone got on the phone. Once he was assured that someone was on their way, his focus was instantly back on Sydney. He tore off his jacket as quickly as he could and folded it up. He gently lifted Sydney's head off the ground and placed the piece of clothing underneath, so it could act as a pillow. Once her head rested on it, he brought his hand to her face.
"Syd, wake up. Please wake up," he begged softly.
But her eyes remained closed.
*Say goodnight* *Don't be afraid* *Calling me, calling me* *As you fade to black*
To be continued.
A/N: Wow, that was a big one. I'm actually kind of nervous about posting this chapter, because that was so hard to write and I'm so afraid that I didn't elaborate enough or I didn't emphasize it enough or whatever. But hopefully you liked it anyway. Please please review, though, because if it really sucks, I'd like to know lol. Hopefully I'll get a new chapter out really soon. I promise I'll try!
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