4
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Also, I know there are some plot inconsistencies with the show, bare with me; I'll try to address them all later.
Thank you to all who reviewed, you people are amazing! Sorry this chapter took so long, I had to get a new computer, my old one nearly exploded.
"Your father is alive, Michael."
XXXX
"Vaughn, are you okay?"
Sydney asked, concern filling her voice.
As she searches through his eyes, containing so much pain and confusion, her own eyes grow concerned and worried.
In a cheesy and overdone gesture, Sydney reached up and placed her hand against the glass, wishing it wasn't there. Wishing she could reach out and touch him, comfort him the way he had done so many times before for her in the past five years.
Since she had met him, Michael Vaughn had been protecting her, comforting her, and most importantly, selflessly loving her. Now it was her turn. They needed each other now, and God damn it she was getting to the other side of that cell. Right now she wouldn't have even minded if they made her stay locked in there, as long as she was with him.
"He's in Moscow. Your father. He's been living there, working with my mother and Rambaldi researchers for over 20 years."
Vaughn remained unmoving, and his catatonic state scared Sydney. He had been through way too much in the past few weeks, this could be too much for him to handle.
"Vaughn, are you okay?"
When she still did not get a response, Sydney motioned to the guard. Vaughn needed her now.
Against his better judgment, the guard opened the cell for Sydney and then radioed for a doctor.
Sydney flew into the room and pulled Vaughn into her arms within seconds. Whispering "are you alright? Vaughn, speak to me. I love you so much" into his ear, hoping to coax him out of silence, into a response of any kind.
Their arms fully encircled one another, creating an almost protective barrier against the world; her hands stroked his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck as she waited for a response.
When Vaughn had finally processed what Sydney had told him, he broke down. He clung to her and wept. Wept for his father, for the childhood he missed out on, he wept for them. Now they would never escape this crap. Their lives and destinies had been mapped out for them, and nothing they could do or say could change it.
As he clung to Sydney, he let his stony façade fall. He allowed himself to be comforted by her, let her be the guardian angel for once. To be the person who kept him grounded as he had done for her so many times in the past.
"How? Why is this happening, Sydney?" He cried out through his tears "I thought this was it, we were finally going to get our chance to be happy... Syd, when does it end, when does it all end?" he asked as he pulled back to look into her eyes. His hands cupped her cheeks as he searched her brown orbs for the answers he so desperately needed.
"Oh, Vaughn, I don't know. I feel like I don't know anything anymore." Sydney answered as she pulled him into her arms once again.
"I love you so much, Sydney." He whispered into her ear as he pulled away from the hug. "I love you and I promise we will figure this out together." Then he kissed her, and for Sydney, the world and all of their problems just melted away.
The entrance of the doctor, broke them out of their reverie, and brought them crashing back down to the jagged and harsh reality they were forced to live in.
"Agent Vaughn, Agent Bristow, I see you've finally managed to find each other. Agent Vaughn, how are you feeling?" The doctor asked.
The significance of the doctor's words were not lost on the two, it was a miracle that they had found each other again. As Sydney had told him in North Korea they would find each other, they always find each other.
"Agent Bristow, would you mind leaving so I can do an exam?" When Sydney made no move to leave, Vaughn piped up "I'd actually prefer if she could stay."
"That's fine, shall we begin?"
XXXX
Fifteen minutes later, the doctor had examined Vaughn and was ready to leave. "Agent Bristow, are you supposed to be here? I was told Agent Vaughn wasn't finished being debriefed."
"I'm sure my father wouldn't mind my being here, doctor." Sydney replied, though in her mind she knew that her father would not be pleased at all that she and Vaughn had had a chance to talk without him knowing about it.
"Okay, let me know if you feel any discomfort, Agent Vaughn." With that, Sydney and Vaughn were finally alone again.
"Are you sure you're okay, Vaughn, you were so stupid to come after me in Palermo. Look what's happened to you! You're in a hospital bed again."
The next part was said with much regret on Sydney's part. Shown when she dipped her head down in shame, no longer meeting his eyes. "...and once again, it's my fault that you're here. I feel like all of it, every bad thing that has ever happened to you, to me, is my fault."
Struggling not to cry, Sydney refused to meet his intense stare, shameful of all the drama and angst she had brought into his life.
"Sydney... none of this, was or could ever be your fault. Look at me, baby, you didn't do anything wrong. God, Sydney, you are the closest thing to perfection there is. I don't know how you could ever do the wrong thing." Gentle and heartfelt was his quiet reply. As he said this, he had tilted her chin up, so her eyes met his and delicately wiped the tears she didn't even know she had cried off of her beautiful face.
"And even if it was stupid for me to go to Palermo, no one on this earth could have stopped me from getting to you. I lost you once, and I am never letting you go again. I mean that, this past year, I was stupid, so stupid, Sydney, I was blind and I was heartless, and the worst part of all of that wasn't that I was sleeping with the enemy, it was that I hurt you. I betrayed you. And even if you can forgive me, I don't know if I can forgive myself."
"Oh, Vaughn..."
"No, Sydney I have to say it... I'm so sorry. I love you so much, Syd, and if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I am going to spend the rest of my life proving to you how sorry I am and how much I love you."
"Vaughn, of course I was angry with you, for marrying Lauren, for abandoning me when I needed you the most, but Vaughn, I could never stay angry with you. I could always forgive you, because you are my life. Michael, I love you too much, there is nothing you could do that could stop me from loving you."
What followed was the sweetest kiss either had ever experienced. They found comfort in each other the comfort they so desperately needed after the news they had just received. "I love you, I love you so much." she whispered.
"So, what happens now?"
His question echoed throughout the tiny cell. Neither could ever even begin to try and answer it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Also, I know there are some plot inconsistencies with the show, bare with me; I'll try to address them all later.
Thank you to all who reviewed, you people are amazing! Sorry this chapter took so long, I had to get a new computer, my old one nearly exploded.
"Your father is alive, Michael."
XXXX
"Vaughn, are you okay?"
Sydney asked, concern filling her voice.
As she searches through his eyes, containing so much pain and confusion, her own eyes grow concerned and worried.
In a cheesy and overdone gesture, Sydney reached up and placed her hand against the glass, wishing it wasn't there. Wishing she could reach out and touch him, comfort him the way he had done so many times before for her in the past five years.
Since she had met him, Michael Vaughn had been protecting her, comforting her, and most importantly, selflessly loving her. Now it was her turn. They needed each other now, and God damn it she was getting to the other side of that cell. Right now she wouldn't have even minded if they made her stay locked in there, as long as she was with him.
"He's in Moscow. Your father. He's been living there, working with my mother and Rambaldi researchers for over 20 years."
Vaughn remained unmoving, and his catatonic state scared Sydney. He had been through way too much in the past few weeks, this could be too much for him to handle.
"Vaughn, are you okay?"
When she still did not get a response, Sydney motioned to the guard. Vaughn needed her now.
Against his better judgment, the guard opened the cell for Sydney and then radioed for a doctor.
Sydney flew into the room and pulled Vaughn into her arms within seconds. Whispering "are you alright? Vaughn, speak to me. I love you so much" into his ear, hoping to coax him out of silence, into a response of any kind.
Their arms fully encircled one another, creating an almost protective barrier against the world; her hands stroked his neck and played with the hair at the nape of his neck as she waited for a response.
When Vaughn had finally processed what Sydney had told him, he broke down. He clung to her and wept. Wept for his father, for the childhood he missed out on, he wept for them. Now they would never escape this crap. Their lives and destinies had been mapped out for them, and nothing they could do or say could change it.
As he clung to Sydney, he let his stony façade fall. He allowed himself to be comforted by her, let her be the guardian angel for once. To be the person who kept him grounded as he had done for her so many times in the past.
"How? Why is this happening, Sydney?" He cried out through his tears "I thought this was it, we were finally going to get our chance to be happy... Syd, when does it end, when does it all end?" he asked as he pulled back to look into her eyes. His hands cupped her cheeks as he searched her brown orbs for the answers he so desperately needed.
"Oh, Vaughn, I don't know. I feel like I don't know anything anymore." Sydney answered as she pulled him into her arms once again.
"I love you so much, Sydney." He whispered into her ear as he pulled away from the hug. "I love you and I promise we will figure this out together." Then he kissed her, and for Sydney, the world and all of their problems just melted away.
The entrance of the doctor, broke them out of their reverie, and brought them crashing back down to the jagged and harsh reality they were forced to live in.
"Agent Vaughn, Agent Bristow, I see you've finally managed to find each other. Agent Vaughn, how are you feeling?" The doctor asked.
The significance of the doctor's words were not lost on the two, it was a miracle that they had found each other again. As Sydney had told him in North Korea they would find each other, they always find each other.
"Agent Bristow, would you mind leaving so I can do an exam?" When Sydney made no move to leave, Vaughn piped up "I'd actually prefer if she could stay."
"That's fine, shall we begin?"
XXXX
Fifteen minutes later, the doctor had examined Vaughn and was ready to leave. "Agent Bristow, are you supposed to be here? I was told Agent Vaughn wasn't finished being debriefed."
"I'm sure my father wouldn't mind my being here, doctor." Sydney replied, though in her mind she knew that her father would not be pleased at all that she and Vaughn had had a chance to talk without him knowing about it.
"Okay, let me know if you feel any discomfort, Agent Vaughn." With that, Sydney and Vaughn were finally alone again.
"Are you sure you're okay, Vaughn, you were so stupid to come after me in Palermo. Look what's happened to you! You're in a hospital bed again."
The next part was said with much regret on Sydney's part. Shown when she dipped her head down in shame, no longer meeting his eyes. "...and once again, it's my fault that you're here. I feel like all of it, every bad thing that has ever happened to you, to me, is my fault."
Struggling not to cry, Sydney refused to meet his intense stare, shameful of all the drama and angst she had brought into his life.
"Sydney... none of this, was or could ever be your fault. Look at me, baby, you didn't do anything wrong. God, Sydney, you are the closest thing to perfection there is. I don't know how you could ever do the wrong thing." Gentle and heartfelt was his quiet reply. As he said this, he had tilted her chin up, so her eyes met his and delicately wiped the tears she didn't even know she had cried off of her beautiful face.
"And even if it was stupid for me to go to Palermo, no one on this earth could have stopped me from getting to you. I lost you once, and I am never letting you go again. I mean that, this past year, I was stupid, so stupid, Sydney, I was blind and I was heartless, and the worst part of all of that wasn't that I was sleeping with the enemy, it was that I hurt you. I betrayed you. And even if you can forgive me, I don't know if I can forgive myself."
"Oh, Vaughn..."
"No, Sydney I have to say it... I'm so sorry. I love you so much, Syd, and if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I am going to spend the rest of my life proving to you how sorry I am and how much I love you."
"Vaughn, of course I was angry with you, for marrying Lauren, for abandoning me when I needed you the most, but Vaughn, I could never stay angry with you. I could always forgive you, because you are my life. Michael, I love you too much, there is nothing you could do that could stop me from loving you."
What followed was the sweetest kiss either had ever experienced. They found comfort in each other the comfort they so desperately needed after the news they had just received. "I love you, I love you so much." she whispered.
"So, what happens now?"
His question echoed throughout the tiny cell. Neither could ever even begin to try and answer it.