Sydney's eyes went wide and tears began to fall from them. She half smiled and Vaughn's heart fluttered. Just as Sydney opened her mouth to say something…her beeper went off.
"Oh god." Sydney frowned at the beeper. "I told them I wanted a week…off." Sydney stared down at her beeper with a shocked expression on her face.
"What is it?" Vaughn was anxious to know who had interrupted their conversation.
"Work." Whispered Sydney. She jumped up, wiping her tears away and headed back inside. Vaughn followed her.
"Sydney, we weren't exactly finished." Sydney turned back to him with a hurt expression on her face.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go." Francie, Will and Weiss all looked up as the two entered the living room. "I'll…I'll call you." With that Sydney grabbed her coat and ran out the door.
"What happened?" Weiss got up and looked concerned.
Vaughn sighed and ran his hands through his hair and over his face. "We were talking. I explained what really happened all those years ago…"
"Wait." Francie stood up, suddenly very sober. "What do you mean, what really happened?"
"What you and Syd saw that day was me comforting a friend whose dad had just died."
"You mean you weren't cheating?" Asked Francie.
"No." Said Vaughn.
"Wait, Vaughn cheated on Sydney?" Will looked up.
"Do you remember the summer after grade 11 when Syd was practically comatose?" Vaughn's heart sank at Francie's question to Will.
"Yeah." Suddenly it was like a light bulb went off in Will's head. His face darkened at he looked at Vaughn. "Oh yeah."
"Okay." Sighed Francie as she turned back to Vaughn. "If you knew the truth, why wait nine years?"
"I was scared." Vaughn knew in his heart it was his fault. "I didn't think Sydney would ever forgive me."
"Maybe it was better you didn't." Sighed Will. "Or she wouldn't be where she is today."
Inside Vaughn felt terrible. He could've prevented Sydney's pain. Weiss saw his buddy falling and quickly covered.
"You mean she would have never been able to reconcile with Danny if Vaughn had told her the truth. Not her job?"
"Uhn, her job." Francie groaned and flopped on the couch. "NO matter what, Sydney caused that one by herself. I swear that bank has been watching her forever, just waiting to make her life a living hell."
Weiss was glad to see that Vaughn believed Francie, but he knew it would take a talk with Sydney to really clear everything up.
Sydney stepped out of the elevator and waited fro the scan to finish, before walking into the SD-6 headquarters. She walked quickly through the desks and into the briefing room. She glared angrily at Arvin Sloane as he smiled at her.
"I asked for a week off. I believe that to be a understandable request considering what I went through for the company."
"It is good to see you back to your normal self, Sydney."
"Sloane, I…"
"Emily asked me to ask you to come over for diner." Sydney stopped short. She eyed Sloane before she smiled thinly.
"Tell Emily I'd be delighted. Is that all?"
"No, actually." Sloane motioned for Sydney to sit. Begrudgingly, she did. "We have received some very disturbing news."
"What is it?"
"Two hours ago, we received Intel that one of our operatives has been captured and is being tortured for information."
"I don't mean to be blunt, but that is a common occurrence with SD-6 operatives, why is this one different?"
Sloane looked at Sydney curiously. "Do you remember an agent named Noah Hicks?"
Sydney felt as if for the second time tonight, her whole world dropped out form under her.
The next day Francie wandered into her best friend's room and was surprised to find her not a sleep, but packing.
"Sydney." Francie flopped down on the bed with a frown. "I thought you asked for the week off."
"This isn't business." Francie noticed Sydney's tear stained face and she relented.
"Oh Syd, what is it? You dad?"
"No, no. An old friend was attacked, I'm going to go and see him. I shouldn't be more than a few days."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"As much as I would." Sighed Sydney. She sat down beside her friend and laid her head on Francie's shoulder. "My plane leaves in an hour and you have work."
"I know." Sighed Francie. Just then the phone rang and Sydney reached over and picked it up.
"Joey's Pizza."
"Wrong number." She put down the phone and got up. "I'm going to head out. I'll see you when I get back."
Francie nodded and embraced Sydney.
"Stay safe sweetie."
As Sydney walked into the enclosure where in the old warehouse she had been told to meet Weiss in, Sydney was shocked to see her handler was not there. Instead, Michael Vaughn waited for her.
"Hello Sydney."
"Vaughn." Sydney took a deep breath in. "Where's Weiss?"
"He got held up." Vaughn knew Sydney didn't believe him, but he pressed on. "Paper work. Look, we heard about your rescue mission."
"To Germany."
"Yes. We went back through your statement and found information about Agent Hicks."
Inwardly Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing she had never mentioned her brief love affair with Noah to anyone.
"He also has no knowledge of the true nature of SD-6, but we can't be sure. The CIA is going to extract him on his way to SD-6. Sloane wants your safety and has ordered you different cars…"
"Wait. You're going to extract Noah?"
Vaughn looked at her questioningly. "Noah?"
"Agent Hicks. This could affect him in huge ways. We don't know if he is mentally stable or even if he is alive after what they have done to him."
"Syd, calm down." Vaughn moved forward and placed his hand on Sydney's arm. "It's going to be okay."
Sydney sighed and put on a brave smile. "I know." She looked at her watch. "I have to go. Dixon will be wondering…"
She made to move but Vaughn kept his hand on her arm.
"Syd…" Seeing that now was not the time, Vaughn sighed. "Come home okay."
What happened next made Vaughn's heart soar. Sydney smiled like she used to when they had been going out. It was one of her 'I have a little secret' happy smiles.
"I will."