A/N: Here's the final part. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Enjoy.

Epilogue

The idea of going back to the restaurant in Nice – it was a nice promise… and one that was not broken. Amazingly, they had not so long to wait to realize it either. They were able to obtain the necessary information to attack the Alliance where it hurt the most, to deliver the agonizing, killing blow. They were victorious. Everything that had been barring them from each other was gone. And they were immediate in celebrating this freedom.

Peering through the smoke and rubble, almost in a daze that the hellish place was destroyed, she searched for him. He pulled off his mask, also searching for her. Their eyes locked. The months of built-up tension were released in a spectacular explosion of emotion. Relief, gratitude, pride, and most of all, love flooded through the both of them, each drawn together like a magnet. They approached each other with only one thought on their minds – we made it through everything.

The kiss was everything each had dreamed of. It was passionate, but not clawing, raw, but not bruising; breathless, and endless. They each seemed to lose track of themselves in the other, not caring as long as they had the other. Though their eyes were closed, they saw nothing but bright color, dreaming of what would come next for them. Intimate dinner dates, walks along the beach, an infinite number of kisses like this one, passionate love-making; the list was endless. They dreamt of the future, but they were tied to the present by their kiss. They felt content to simply dream for now, not wanting to let this moment pass.

Eventually, they came up for air. They pulled back only far enough so they could look in each other's eyes. Vaughn traced his hand down Sydney's cheek.

"Are you all right?" he asked, still slightly breathless.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Couldn't be better." They both smiled.

"I can't believe we did it." She looked around in wonderment.

He nodded. "Want to get out of here? We have a date to make, after all."

"We have a debrief, Vaughn. Kendall will have our asses if we're not there."

"He'll get over it." He looked at her expectantly.

After a pause, she said, smiling, "Okay. Let's do it."

And just like that, they shed their identities as solely handler and asset (titles that were tenuous at defining them at best), and stepped into a new chapter of their lives. Arms wrapped around each other's waists, they strode happily out into a new world. Together.

They boarded the ordinary plane like any normal couple, but they were nearly giddy with excitement. They were finally getting some time away just for themselves, not traveling around the clock for someone else's agenda. They were free, and were completely enjoying the feel of it. They held hands the entire flight and couldn't keep from glancing at each other and smiling. They were so connected, so in tune with each other, that words were hardly needed. Eventually, they cuddled together, and closed their eyes, giving way to dreams of what would come.

They arrived at the Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport early in the morning, so they decided to rent a car and explore the coast a little. The sun was just rising forming a subtle glow along the horizon, making its appearance through the forming clouds.

They had been driving for about twenty minutes when suddenly, Sydney tugged on Vaughn's arm and said, "Pull over right here."

He didn't question her. He could see what she wanted to do. He pulled into a small area on the side of the road that was a designated viewpoint.

Sydney immediately stepped out of the car and went to the edge of the viewpoint overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. She took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe that she was finally away from it all. And with her was the only person she could have wanted in her life. After a few moments of ruminating over her sudden streak of luck, she felt Vaughn come up behind her and wrap his arms around her, putting his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to face him and opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she said softly.

"Good morning," he smiled. "What were you thinking about?"

"You. Being here with you. That's all I ever want to think about."

"Me too."

They stood in silence for a few moments, just peacefully enjoying the breathtaking view, until they felt some rain drops fall.

"Come on, Syd. It's starting to rain."

"Wait, Vaughn." She pulled his arm as he started to walk back to the car. "I like the rain."

He couldn't deny her anything, not after everything they had been through, and he doubted that that would ever change. "All right," he said, "but I don't know what's so great about being cold and wet."

"It's not that cold yet. You'll like it, I promise."

He walked back to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I definitely like this," he said, and leaned down to bring his lips to hers. She met him eagerly, forgetting the fact that they were standing in the rain next to a highway in the early morning in France. She could only think of him.

Neither of them pulled back until they were thoroughly soaked. "I told you that you would like this," she teased him.

"Yeah. I guess you know me better than I do." He looked into her eyes and saw something he hadn't seen before. It could have been there all along, but clouded over by other emotions, but he definitely saw it now. It was the same thing he was sure she was seeing in his eyes. It was love. And at that moment, he knew he could do nothing but defy reason that was telling him they were moving to fast, and just say it.

"I love you, Sydney."

She didn't seem surprised by his declaration, rather almost expecting it at that moment.

"I love you too, Vaughn."

They smiled into each other as they kissed again.

They sat down to another quiet, romantic dinner that night, although they were eyed warily by the host this time. There was none of the awkward silence that had been there before, although, they still ended up glancing up at each other frequently while trying to read the menus.

Neither could stop smiling throughout the whole meal. They conversed on books, movies, Vaughn's mother, and childhood stories. When the host brought the check, Vaughn said, "We'd like a room upstairs, please."

"Of course, Monsieur. But I'm afraid that you'll have to pay this time. After what happened the last time you were here, I…"

"I understand," Vaughn answered. "But don't worry. That won't happen again."

"Thank you, Monsieur. Madame," he nodded to both and went to retrieve the key.

Neither Vaughn nor Sydney had to say anything. They both knew they were ready to take this unforgettable step and not have any regrets. This had been a long time in coming, and they weren't going to waste any more time in wondering whether this was a good idea. And anyway, there was no need; this was a great, no, a spectacular idea.

The host brought the key. Sydney and Vaughn walked hand in hand up the stairs to the room.

And they made love throughout the night.