Author's Note: I don't know exactly the layout of Syd's new place, so bear with me ;)
Chapter 2 – "New Home?"
Sydney's House – Los Angeles
"Syd…where are we going to put everyone?" Vaughn asked wondering why they hadn't thought this through before packing up Isabella and Valentine and moving to LA.
"Well…I was /hoping/ that Christopher could stay with you…" Sydney admitted.
"Valentine and me?"
"That's not going to work," Christopher interrupted. "I'm Isabella's PA. PA stands for Personal Attendant…in case you didn't realize that. I need to make sure that she takes her pills…make sure she's breathing in the middle of the night… I pretty much sleep two hours…lightly…she could go into a grand mal seizure at anytime and I need to make sure she gets medical attention immediately.
Sydney frowned, "You can't show me?"
Christopher sighed, "I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with you two sleeping in separate rooms, no offense."
"Well, actually I was hoping that we could share…and maybe you and Vaughn could stay in the other room until I know what to do for Isabella…" Sydney said wanting badly for her to be able to be with her sister.
"It would probably make more sense for us to bunk together, Syd…and for Valentine to share a room with Isabella," Vaughn spoke up.
"I do-don't know if that's the best ide-"
"I have no problem with it," Isabella argued.
"Can I argue?" Christopher asked, but got hit for his efforts. "Guess that means no…"
"You like me, remember?"
Christopher rolled his eyes.
Isabella giggled and picked up a rather large fan from one of her classes and opened it in front of them. She leaned in and gently kissed Christopher. She smiled at him.
"Yes…I remember now…" he said slowly.
Sydney and Michael just looked at each other mouthing 'okay' and then moved on to unpacking.
Later that night…
Sydney's House Los Angeles
"You think she'll be okay?" Sydney asked quietly.
"I dunno, Syd…I just don't know…" Michael said quietly, his arms wrapped around her. He kissed the side of her head, "But no matter what… I promise that we'll get through whatever happens together…" He was really starting to worry about her. She was so happy about finding Isabella…and now…to have to worry about if Isabella died…what Sydney would go through…it broke his heart… And as much as he wanted to wish that she had never found her sister…he also knew that he wouldn't wish to take the joy that she had had from her face. She had seemed so full of life…and happy…
For once…since Lauren…since Hong Kong…she seemed happy…
Vaughn's eyes welled up with tears. He had been in some much pain…since finding out the truth…
That Sydney was alive…
That Lauren was covenant…
That his life for the last three years had been a lie…
He kissed the side of Sydney's head again, this time a bit longer as tears rolled down his face. What if he had really lost her? What if he lost her? What if Isabella dying tore Sydney apart? Or anything Jack could do to her? Sydney was already facing so much…and as selfish as it sounded to him…she was his heart…his conscience…his rock…and most importantly of all…the true love in his life…
How could he lose that?
"Vaughn?"
"Yeah?" he asked in a low whisper trying to calm down and not let Syd know that he was in fact upset.
Sydney wrapped his arms around her tighter and laid her head back on his shoulder. "Promise…to believe me…always…"
He blinked. "Of course…"
"Say it…I need to hear it…and believe it…"
"Syd, when have I not beli-" Vaughn began to ask, but then stopped suddenly realizing what she had been talking about.
Sydney turned and froze when she saw the tears on Vaughn's face. He was crying! "Vaughn, what's wrong?" she asked concerned touching his face.
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you about Lauren, Syd… I promise to always believe and trust you… I trust you with my life, you know that," he said wiping his tears away.
"Vaughn, why were you crying?" Sydney asked concerned. He looked awful…
"I'm just thinking about if I had lost you," he said pulling her close and holding her tight kissing the top of her head. "I love you…so much," he got out pained.
Sydney just clung to Michael Vaughn thinking of how he must feel… She had thought she had lost him…and her life…and not only lost Vaughn, but lost him to Lauren and her lies… But now, even though she felt like her life had been turned upside down again…now she had Vaughn and she had a sister… She closed her eyes feeling so comfortable and safe with Vaughn. "Can we stay like this forever?"
He kissed the top of her head, "I wish we could… I wish I could make everything perfect for you…"
"You do…" she told him looking up at him, bringing her lips to his and kissing him deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer.
Sydney's House Los Angeles
Christopher sat in a chair in the room. He watched as Isabella Bristow slept silently. She was beautiful… But it scared him, every night he was afraid he'd wake and she'd be gone. She was like his beautiful angel… He kept his faith alive. He prayed, he swore, twenty hours of the day…
For the first time…
They had both been happy for more than five minutes… It was like newsworthy… He just prayed it lasted.
He didn't know what he'd do if she had another major episode and slipped into another coma so soon. He took their time in between her major episodes as blessings…they were mostly wonderful times…
But this…this changed everything. This meant that everyone would be more emotionally charged. And that he'd have Sydney and Vaughn to rely on… But now that they were in LA…he'd need to start carrying a gun. He hated guns, but he knew it was completely necessary. He knew that Jack Bristow was an evil man, even though he gave him his job, he pretty much wanted Isabella dead. That was reason enough to carry a weapon while on Jack's turf. They were in the devil's court, and they needed to tread lightly…all of them.
Isabella stirred a bit, rolling over onto her side. Her brown hair covering her face. She mumbled a bit, lost in her dreamland.
He smiled and got up and walked over sitting on the edge of the bed. He pushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. It broke his heart to think that this twenty five year old woman could die any day…
He couldn't love her…he wanted to…but he still wasn't sure if he wanted to love her for the sake of loving her…because he knew how much time she had…or if he truly loved her beyond all others…
He stroked the side of her face gently. He had to admit, she was beautiful… He kissed her cheek and looked down at her. He had hated the fact that he'd been bumped down to this assignment for the longest time being like the youngest agent…but he had grown to love his job…and Isabella…
Maybe he was a lot like the great Michael Vaughn. Vaughn had fallen in love with Sydney, that was obvious, and he was supposed to be her handler. Well, he was supposed to be about the same thing, and he was starting to think he had fallen for Isabella.
His angel.
She was perfect to him.
No matter how sick, or how much pain they went through together.
She was perfect to him.
He settled down and lay down with her wrapping his arms around her. He closed his eyes and dreamed of the hopefully happy future.
The Next Day…
CIA Headquarters
Agent Sydney Bristow and Agent Michael Vaughn walked in like nothing had ever happened. They chatted back and forth about their weekend and how great breakfast was. They happily greeted everyone as they walked through towards their desks.
Dixon stopped the duo, "You two okay?"
They just looked at Dixon for a minute, "What's wrong?" Sydney asked.
"You two just seem…so…happy… Something I should know?"
"We had a good weekend is all," Vaughn told him smiling.
Sydney shook her head, "It's the whole not having to save the world 24/7 and having time off." She smiled at Dixon and then headed off.
Dixon just watched the two. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen Sydney so happy. She had been through so much through the years he had known her. It was good to see her happy. Though, he wasn't sure how long that would last.
Sydney and Michael got only a few minutes more of peace before Jack Bristow spun his daughter around, "We need to talk," he told her simply grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from Michael Vaughn.
Vaughn quickly grabbed Sydney's other wrist. He held his ground.
"Ow," Sydney let out a soft sound of pain. She looked back at Vaughn, pleading through her eyes. She didn't want to be separated from him. She was scared of her father. Of what he might do. Of even, what he might say.
"Agent Vaughn, I need to speak with Agent Bristow," Jack said trying to be civil and not cause a scene. He glared at Michael Vaughn.
"Not without me," Michael told him definitely.
"Agent Vaughn, I will not tell you again. Let her go."
"We're busy, Jack," he told him.
Sydney pulled out of her father's grasp and wandered back to Vaughn's side. "We're rather busy right now," Sydney said pulling Vaughn with her as she walked away from her father.
"I don't want you out of my sight while we're here," Michael said stopping her and looking into her eyes.
Sydney nodded in agreement.
CIA Headquarters
Sydney had stepped into the bathroom to hide. She felt like she was going to be sick from the stress. Yes, normally she dealt with all kinds of stress…but for some reason, she felt sick to her stomach. She had soaked a paper towel and then ringed it out a bit and gone into one of the stalls and locked it. She set down the seat and sat down fully clothed. She hung her head down and put the wet paper towel on her neck.
She just sat there breathing. She felt hot and her stomach was twisted.
She heard the door opened and got up and flushed the toilet for effect before walking out only to be pulled and slammed against a wall. The wet paper towel in her hand was torn from her and held over her mouth and nose. She can face to face with her father. She tried to struggle, but she couldn't breathe.
Jack Bristow moved close to his daughter's ear. "You listen to me and you listen to me good. Don't you ever /ever/ embarrass me like that again! I know you and Vaughn brought Isabella and Valentine here! I know you know she's your sister!" He watched as the life started to go out of his daughter's eyes. He eased up a bit knowing that she was close to passing out…and he wasn't finished with her yet. "You…Sydney…you have strayed from me… And I know this isn't your doing…you've been corrupted against me… But you shall learn what happens when you cross me. You and your sister both." He held her harder and waited until she passed out and let her go. He turned and left straightening his suit.
Sydney's lifeless body slid down the wall landing in a heap on the floor.
Vaughn was waiting for Sydney. He and Marshall were discussing a mission over coffee. He hadn't even seen Jack slip into the woman's restroom, but he had sure as hell seen him come out. He handed his coffee to Marshall, "Call Dixon."
"What?" Marshall asked confused juggling the two coffees.
"Call. Dixon. Now."
Marshall just nodded and went off to find the nearest phone.
Vaughn quickly entered the women's restroom. His heart stopped when he saw Sydney on the floor. She was so pale. He fell to his knees next to her. "Sydney! Sydney answer me!" he said panicking as he frantically searched for a pulse.
Dixon had shown up with Marshall and when he had heard Vaughn saying Sydney's name he slowly walked into the women's restroom. "Vaughn?"
"She needs a doctor!" Vaughn called cradling Sydney in his arms. "Sydney…Sydney please…talk to me…open your eyes…something…."
Dixon called for them to call someone and then walked over to Vaughn, "What's going on?"
"Jack did this," Michael finally said, his voice full of anger.
"She has a pulse?" Dixon asked, he had gathered it when Vaughn continued to call her.
Vaughn nodded. "She was on the floor when I found her… Jack came walking out right before I went in. He did this."