A/N: I had intended to make this chapter part of the previous one, but somehow it wasn't on my back up. I have no idea why. So instead of editing what I already posted I decided to call this one Part 4.1.

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Second Chances

Part 4.1

Will was escorted into the Operations Headquarters three hours later, and as he looked around he was nearly overcome by a profoundly surreal moment. Ever since he'd been accidentally introduced into (He never kidded himself though. It was his fault.) Sydney's world he'd adopted an odd mantra: "This isn't happening. This can't be real." Now, as he stood in the center of the office that he never thought he'd be seeing again he was forced to re-define that mantra.

What am I doing here? I'm not a spy. I'm not.

Thankfully, he wasn't left to himself for too long. An aide came up beside him and told him to follow her, that "they" were ready to meet with him now. He had been hoping that Jack would meet him, but instead he was lead down a hallway off the main corridor. It wound and intersected with several different halls as he followed behind the aide and it occurred to him that maybe he should be worried. He'd never been this deep into Headquarters before. Sydney had mentioned that "debriefings" often weren't pleasant experiences but she had never gone into detail.

Just when Will was about to ask the aide where they were going she stopped in front of a door. She unlocked the door and then punched a series of numbers into a keypad before opening it. "Right in here, Mr. Tippin," she said. Will paused trying to decide whether or not he should do as she said, so the woman added, "Director Dixon and Agent Bristow will join you shortly. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee?"

Will laughed, the tension finally broken, "No. Thanks." She smiled and motioned for him to come in and sit down.

Inside, a long table and chairs that seemed better fit in a somewhat larger space dominated the dimly lit room. He couldn't understand why a seemingly innocuous room such as this required more than a regular lock. Because this is the CIA, he thought. And he thought that was as good a reason as any. He didn't want to think of the other options.

"Take a seat, Will." Jacks voice came from behind Will from where he stood in the doorway.

But Will stood firmly at the door. "We don't have time for this," he said, growing frustrated now that he was no longer worried about being 'debriefed'. "We have less than two days to find Sydney before I don't know what happens."

"Sit down, Mr. Tippin, don't you think I know that!"

Will sat down. As he did, the door opened again and Dixon walked in, taking the seat across from him.

"Will, thank you for coming to us." Dixon began, motioning for Jack to sit down as well.

"There wasn't anything else for me to do. He just handed me this phone and flew away."

Something passed behind Dixon's eyes, "But there was someone else with him."

"Yeah, a blonde woman. British. Why?"

"Because you are the first person to have seen Lauren Reed for the past six months."

"Wait a minute, Lauren Reed? Vaughn's wife?"

Jack cleared his throat, "Yes, it would seem that she was just as duplicitous toward him as Sydney's mother had been toward me. She's been working as a spy for the Covenant for nearly two years, passing off information, all the while pretending to be a loving wife and civil servant."

"Six months ago she was discovered by Agent Vaughn," Dixon continued. "She disappeared shortly after that and has been number three on our most wanted list ever since."

"Well, as of three hours ago she was in Wisconsin with Sark," Will said, adding more credence to his sense of the surrealness of the situation. He fidgeted in the chair. "So what are we going to do? What's the plan?"

Director Dixon gave him an almost piteous look. "That is why we've brought you here, Will. Langley's official position, as it always has been, is to never negotiate with terrorists. And they will in no way allow us to hand over anything concerning Rambaldi to the Covenant. They want us to disavow all knowledge of Sydney's actions."

Will leapt to his feet. "So, you're not gonna do anything?" He turned to Jack, "Jack, it's your daughter! You aren't going to let her die are you?"

"Of course I'm not," Jack said angrily. "Now if you would just hold off on the outbursts we would be able to explain."

Will sat down again, 'Well then explain."

Jack gave him a look of warning but continued. "Langley's official order is to disavow and we will have to abide by those orders or be shut down--but you don't."

"What do you mean?" he answered, incredulously.

"What he means is that our official position is to do nothing. And you, Mr. Tippin, will walk out of these headquarters a very angry man." A smile passed ever so briefly across Dixon's face. "By tomorrow morning there will have been a theft in the Rambaldi vault."

"You want me to steal this thing? How the –"

"You won't be going alone, Mr. Tippin," Jack interrupted. "This is a two person job. I'm going with you."

Not knowing what else to do, Will laughed. "Okay, tell me what to do."