Title: Skeletons in the closet

Summary: Sydney faces her past at SD-6.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Alias related, only the characters you don't know.

Spoiler: 3:17 'The frame' and before, AU after that.

Rating: PG-13

Sydney left the briefing room quickly as Elliot went to sit down beside her. When she went to follow her Vaughn rose to his feet and followed her first.

"Syd, are you okay?" She stopped and shook her head.

"I need some time...maybe a few days to clear my..."

"Sydney." Elliot walked up beside Vaughn. "I got your note. You were really out of it last night, huh? Nothing happened Syd..." Sydney grabbed her arm and pulled her into Marshall's office, slamming the door as Vaughn tried to enter.

"You turn up in my life after four years...you force me to help you, disobey Dixon and then we get drunk and I...I have no idea what happened last night, all I know is tequila and ice cream is not a good mix for me." Elliot shook her head.

"We went back to the hotel, had a hell of a lot to drink and then we got talking about old times...you tried to hit on me and I stopped you." Sydney shook her head in disbelief. "I'm telling you Sydney, you were up for it, but I stopped you. I respect you that much. You passed out and I put you to bed." Sydney sighed as she slumped into Marshall's chair.

"When I confronted you about being a double agent you said a lot of things that I couldn't understand. I've been through it all now and when Dixon found out about me I knew how he felt, I know how much it hurts to feel betrayed. I still remember what you said 'you'll never know Syd. How patriotic I am. How devoted to my country I am and how devoted I am to you."

"And I remember what you said." Elliot looked bitterly at the floor and bit her lower lip. "You said you hated me and you said you'd never forgive me."

"It's hard to forgive, even when you the know the truth."

"You never said that last night." Elliot said sourly. "Maybe we should have another drink. At least last night you weren't worried about the past."

"If I drank I probably wouldn'tremember it and I'm sick of forgetting my life. I had to forget about you and Zac when I was with Dixon. I had to forget about you when I was with Vaughn. I lost two years of my life...I am sick of forgetting my life! I just want to remember!"

Marshall walked into his office and found Sydney and Elliot hugging. "Ah...I...um...I'll come back." Elliot burst out laughing.

"I forgot how funny he could be."

"C'mon, we should go back to the briefing room." Sydney and Elliot found the briefing room practically empty except for Jack, Zac and Vaughn.

"My daughter has been hurt repeatedly over the past four years..." Jack's gaze settled on Vaughn. "I will not have Elliot hurt her again. I remember her...unhealthy interest in my daughter and I will not..." Sydney cleared her throat loudly and all three men turned to see her.

"Syd, you're father was just threatening me. It's just like old times." Zac grinned as he walked over to her. "So, with us being CIA and all, does that mean we can all be buds again?"

"How does dinner at my place sound?" Sydney smiled as Zac took her into his arms and raised her off the ground. "Sounds great."

Sydney ran to the door as she heard it knocking. When she opened it she found Zac and Elliot standing in her doorway. "Come on in." She led them to the living room and went to serve dinner.

Three hours later Zac was asleep on her couch and Sydney and Elliot were reminiscing about one of their earliest missions together.

"You were so scared when that guy pulled the gun on you." Elliot said teasingly.

"Yeah, until you dropped ten feet and landed on top of him. You were my guardian angel, always dropping out of the sky. I can remember you did it at lest six times."

"I guess you're remembering for once." As Elliot leaned in to kiss her Zac fell off the couch with a thud and sprung awake.

"I also remember his timing." Sydney laughed. Elliot and Sydney laughed as Zac looked puzzled.

Suddenly three cell phones started ringing simultaneously and all three agents grabbed them. All received the same message. They were needed fast.

When they arrived at the CIA base of operations they were greeted by a mass of people scampering around and rushing to relay information to other people.

"Syd!" Dixon rushed over to her. "We have a serious situation." He led them to his office where Jack, Marshall and Weiss were waiting, solemn looks on their faces.

Dixon pressed the enter button on his keyboard and Sydney noticed her father's cell phone was attached to the computer. They were playing one of his voicemail messages.

"Jack it's Vaug...senator didn't kill himsel...found evidence...Lauren double...oh no...back." It cut off and Sydney's eyes darted to her father for an explanation.

"It was a bad reception, but he clearly said he had evidence that Senator Reed didn't kill himself, and Lauren is a double agent." Jack explained. "I had some suspicions that I was following up myself, they support Vaughn's claim. We intercepted a call on echelon, it was between Miss Reed and a man we believe to be Sark. At this point it is unlikely that Vaughn is still alive, but..." Sydney couldn't take anymore. She ran from the office and out of the building into the sunny park outside. The park where families picnicked and children played, coupled laughed, without any knowledge of the CIA or the Covenant or the arrogant Mr. Sark. She hated them all.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and pulled away from it. "Leave me alone." Elliot folded her arms to keep her hands away from Sydney.
"It's going to be..." Sydney pulled out her gun and pushed her towards the shadows, away from prying civilian eyes.

"You knew Lauren before coming here. It's seems a bit convenient that you and Zac turn up at the same base she works at, and when the net was closing in on her."

"I would never betray my country." Elliot objected and pushed Sydney away, grabbing her gun as she did. "I went through hell for my country. I had to leave you and my old life at SD-6, and as for Lauren it hurts me too. I've known her longer than I've known you and I trusted her. You want to know how we met? She was my girlfriend in college." Sydney was dumbstruck by the revelation.

"But she married Vaughn." Elliot shook her head.

"It was college Sydney, it was just a phase, but it still hurts. Up until a few minutes ago I would have trusted her with my life, so don't call me a traitor. The only thing in my life I have left to be loyal to is my country. Your father had a lead on Sark, we think he's somewhere in Rome..."

"I'm sorry." Sydney pushed her forward and knocked her head off the stonewall. She fell to the ground with a grunt and lay dazed but conscious. "I can't trust you anymore Elliot."