Thank you for the reviews!!! I'm loving the feed back! I hope you'll enjoy part III because this is going to be the best installment yet!!! Keep the feed back coming, I don't write without it!!!

Part III

" What should we drink to?" Jessica inquired as she poured win from the bottle she'd just uncorked into two glasses, one for herself and one for her husband, who wasn't even listening. " Oh no you don't," she giggled to herself, realizing Michael's mind was far away from their table.

" Michael !" Jessica shouted so bluntly that Michael jolted out of whatever reality he'd been in back to the one with her and looked at her.

" What is it, Jess?" Michael inquired gently, seeing the anger and alarm present on her expression.

" Don't, " what is it, Jess?" me, Mr. Vaughn! I understand that meeting an old girlfriend can be uncomfortable but you haven't been here all evening!" Jessica wailed, her beautiful face scrunching into a frown. " If anything, you should be thankful that I'm even allowing you to sit at the same table with her. Most wives would be jealous!"

" And you're not," Mcihael thought to himself. He remembered the first moment he'd met Jessica Cozier, how she'd cared for him, how eager she had been about healing his shattered heart. She hadn't even pushed it past friends. That had been his idea. So of course Michael felt guilty of leaving her because that could only mean he'd led her on and now she wasn't good enough that Sydney was back. Still he had to admit, the Jessica he'd asked to marry him couldn't be the evil conniving Jessica that seemed only out to hurt Sydney, tonight.

" Michael, are you going to say anything to me tonight?" Jessica demanded, tears pooling on her dark lashes.

Michael saw the glint of the ring when she reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes. The light seemed to be saying in a teasing voice, " you married me! You're stuck with me! Bye, bye, Sydney!" Michael pulled her hand down and gently rubbed the edges of her eyes with his thumb.

" Michael?"

" I'm sorry, Jess. I never meant to make you cry," he languished, his face spread with a genuine expression of shame. " And you're right, baby."

" I.I am?" Jessica gasped, surprised at the change in her husband's behavior. It was as if Sydney had never existed in his mind, for the moment. The soul within his eyes were reaching out to her, focused on her.

" Yeah you are, Jess. I mean, I claim to be married to you but I haven't given you nearly the attention you deserve," Michael admitted, looking gently at his wife.

" If you understand, that's enough for me, Michael," Jessica protested, now feeling a bit guilty herself. After all, she'd set up the little get together so his former lover would get it that whatever they'd had was gone and he had a new life with her.

" Sshhh, just come here," Michael whispered, then pulled Jessica's face to his and gave her a deep kiss.

Usually Jessica was against showing PDA but right now, the moment was just perfect. She was in the arms of the man she loved, kissing his tender lips.

" Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn," announced the voice of Mr. Bertino.

" We're busy," Michael was about to say until he heard the second part of the announcement.

" Mr. and Ms. Bristow have arrived."

Michael suddenly felt ashamed and disgusted. Jessica's lips that had just had a delicious sugary taste had melted into a sourness he could no longer deal with. He pulled back but Jessica was still tugging on his lip.

" Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn?"

Michael could feel his face heating from embarrassment, his mind racing with images and fantasies of Sydney. " Please, Jess," he begged inwardly. "Pull back, pull back."

" Excuse me, Ms. Sydney and Mr. Bristow, maybe you should just take your seats," Mr. Bertino suggested uneasily, wondering what Michael could be thinking, it should be hard enough for Sydney to see Michael with his wife. So what was he doing now, rubbing it in her face?

" We'll do that, thank you," Jack told the waiter and took his seat.

" Um, I'll be by with the water," Mr. Bertino stammered and trotted away as fast as he could.

Sydney gaped at her father, wondering how he could sit at the table when the ones who'd invited them were, " going at it,." She was ready to do an about face and tease Sean about how he couldn't get a hot chic. But for some reason, she stood there, as though rooted to the spot.

" Sydney, aren't you going to sit down?"

Jessica heard that and took that moment to end the embrace and gasp as though she hadn't noticed the Bristows had arrived.

" Oh my! M.Michael!" she shrieked and shoved him. " Our guests have arrived."

Michael knew that. But he couldn't hide the shock that Sydney had witness what was supposed to have been an, " I'm sorry," kiss.

" Sydney, Mr. Bristow," Michael sputtered and got to his feet, hastily wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.

" Good evening, Michael. This must be the wife I've heard so much about."

" Um.well, I guess you two haven't formally met. This is, Jessica."

" Well, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Jack replied, kissing her hand.

" You must be Jack Bristow, my husband's boss," Jessica piped up, pulling her hand back. " Now, I know that Michael would make a good CEO, Mr. Bristow. After all, he is my husband."

" CEO?" Jack wondered, shooting Vaughn a piercing glance.

" Um yes, at Bristow Electronics," Jessica clarified, raising an eyebrow.

That's when Jack got it and nodded his head. " Oh yes, Bristow Electronics. Well, we're just a budding company. We have yet to get in the main stream of things. And excuse the abruptness. I just prefer not to mix work with having a good time."

" Well, my Michael is a very capable man, just asking you to keep him in mind," Jessica continued, the confusion and suspicion fading from her face. She then turned to her rival.

" And who may you be?" Jessica demanded, " death rays," shooting out of her narrowed eyes. " You wouldn't happen to be a waitress would you? Because we're not ready to order."

It took all of Sydney's self control not to sock her in the face.

" Um, Jess, this is our other guest," Michael corrected his wife, looking mortified. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her.

" Oh, I'm so sorry," Jessica gasped, covering her mouth for emphasis. Her face reddened at the perfect moment.

Sydney almost bought it.

" Oh, you have to forgive me, you must be Ms. Bristow," Jessica gushed, and took hold of Sydney's hand as though she were some movie star. " I apologize. I'm not usually like this. You have to understand this is my first time meeting with my husband's boss and employee."

" It's okay," Sydney protested, still reeling from Jessica calling her Michael, "her husband."

" It's really, just, Mr. Bristow was already seated and I would assume that you would have been seated as well," Jessica added, still, "drowning," in her "pool of shame."

" Yes, it would be my fault for standing like a tree," Sydney agreed in the nicest tone she could muster.

" And Michael, you must excuse him. We've been married for an year but he still acts like everyday is our honeymoon," Jessica gushed, pinching Michael on the cheek. " He totally forgets what's going on around him."

" We understand," Jack cut in, knowing Sydney was ready to burst. " After all, I was a newly wed once upon a time."

" Ha! Does a loveless marriage with Irena Derevko count?" Sydney thought sarcastically. Michael was thinking the same thing.

Jessica smiled graciously and then jabbed her husband in the ribs. " Michael, sweetheart, aren't you going to introduce me to your other guest?"

"Oh, yeah.of course," Michael stammered. " Jess, this is Sydney, and Sydney, this is my wife."

Was it just her or did Michael sound very unhappy?

" Hi, Sydney. Nice to meet you!"

" Like wise," Sydney drawled,, taking hold of Jessica's perfectly manicured hand.

" This is going to be a long night," Michael muttered under his breath. Jessica and Sydney seemed ready to kill each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " Mmm, this is good," Jack complimented as he forked up some garlic roasted shrimp from his shrimp scampi. He looked over at the seat next to him.

" Sydney, what are you doing?" he hissed to his daughter. " You haven't touched your spaghetti."

" So?"

" So? Sydney, the Vaughns are going to think something is wrong and that's what you don't want," Jack hissed between bites.

" Oh and you would be an expert on making people feel comfortable how? All you've down your life is betray, deceive, lie and hurt to do your so-called life work," Sydney retorted.

" I thought you didn't want Michael to know you still feel for him?" Jack reminded her.

" I don't, but whether I eat or not is none of your concern," she rasped, gulping down some water.

" Oh honey, that looks really good," Jessica pronounced, gazing at her husband's entrée. " Oh, yeah?"

" Yes, do you mind if I had some?"

Michael shrugged and pushed the nearly full plate towards her. It wasn't like he was hungry anyway. " Sure, knock yourself out."

" Oh come on, Michael, none of that," Jessica purred and gently touched Michael's arm. Michael gave her a side way glance. She leaned over and cocked her head up.

" Jess, what are you doing?"

" Feed me, Michael. Just like you did when we got married," she cooed, staring up at him with sparkling eyes.

" Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," Sydney grumbled, but tried not to gag.

" Come on, Michael, please?"

" Sorry, you two, you've got to excuse Jess," Michael apologized, his level of mortification rising.

" Oh come on, I think they understand," Jessica continued, putting her head against his arm.

" Of course, after all, you two are newly weds," Jack chuckled, eating as though nothing was wrong. " And you better enjoy each other while you can, because after you have kids, romance goes out the door."

" You were married to Irena Derevko, how would you know what makes a happy marriage?" Sydney and Michael were thinking in unison. Their eyes met and a spark flew. Sydney cleared her throat and then forced herself to eat.

" You two are planning to have kids, right?" Jack asked then, eyeing the couple. Michael looked very uncomfortable while Jessica seemed to be beaming.

" Well.Michael, do you want to take that one?" she asked him. He glared at her and couldn't believe what his wife was doing to him.

" Yeah, Michael, enlighten us. Why don't' you say something?" Sydney chimed in, chugging his wine.

" Sydney, what the hell are you doing/" Jack hissed, taking hold of her glass.

" Excuse me, I think I'm going to use the ladies' room."

" Are you okay?" Jessica gasped, concern filling her eyes.

" Um, yeah, I'm good," Sydney assured them. " Really, I'll only be a minute, go ahead and mingle without me."

" Have sex on the table for all I care," Sydney thought to herself as she got to her feet. She flashed them a smile and then went off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" I can't believe I'm doing this," Michael moaned as he fed a third forkful of alfredo into Jessica's mouth.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Sydney had gone to the bathroom. Even Jack was starting to look worried. Maybe he had obtained some father genes.

" Mmm, that was good, Michael. Thank you, sweetheart," Jessica cooed, blotting her mouth with a napkin.

" No problem, gorgeous," he said wryly.

He caught Jack glancing at his watch and then shoot a glance at the bathroom. Jessica had also witness the action.

" You know, I think Sydney's been gone long enough. I think I'll go check on her.

" No," Michael argued at the same time Jack said, " can you do that?"

" Of course I can do that," Jessica replied, graciously. Then she kissed Michael on the cheek. " Don't look so worried honey."

I just don't think it's a good idea," Michael admitted, getting to her feet when Jessica did.

" What? Do you think I'm going to pick a fight with your old girlfriend?" she taunted.

" Well yeah."

" Please, if I didn't want to get to know your dearest Sydney I wouldn't have bothered to put this together. And besides, I trust you, I'm not jealous," she assured him. " I'll be back in a moment. Why don' t you two discuss business? I'm sure you've been dying to do so."

" Of course we have been," Jack spoke up, sounding very cheery. " Thank you again, Jessica."

" Be back in a minute," she told them and went off, grabbing her purse.

" Be careful, Jess," Michael cautioned her. As part of the CIA, he knew that somebody who wanted to get you always got you right where you didn't expect it and it was certainly easier to protect yourself as opposed to someone else.

" I'm just going to the bathroom, Michael, you silly boy," she chuckled, and then really went off to find Sydney.

" Mr. Bristow.I." he began the moment they were alone but Jack cut him off.

" Don't Mr. Bristow me, Vaughn. I've never liked you but now that you've committed the biggest mistake of hurting my daughter, I detest you beyond reason."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" So this is it, Sydney," she told her reflection that still looked in tact, not as though Vaughn's new wife had just torn her apart. And her father had done nothing but help her. " Well, this night sure has been a wake-up call," she chirruped. Marriage was bad enough, but with kids, Sydney was good as out of Michael's life. A moment ago, just seeing Jessica cozy up to Vaughn made her sick, but now, seeing no possibility of ever being in Michael's arms again made her wish Francie had killed her, or whoever had found her would have had the decency to do so in her place.

" Ms. Bristow?"

Speak of the devil.

Sydney turned the faucet on and acted as though she'd been washing her hands.

" Oh Sydney, there you are," Jessica sighed with relief. " I thought we would have to send a search party after you."

" Funny how they would to that when they obviously didn't come after a woman who disappeared for two years,," Sydney grumbled, wringing the water from her hands.

" Pardon me?" Jessica inquired as she twisted a strand of hair around her finger.

" And calling me a waitress, very classy touch there," Sydney sneered, wiping her hands on a paper towel. " You knew exactly who I was."

"So, I did," she admitted, gazing into the mirror, reapplying lipstick. " But I think you would understand."

" Understand?"

" Yes," Jessica whined, folding her arms under her voluptuous cleavage. " Oh come on, Sydney. You and I both know Michael still loves you."

The kiss from earlier that afternoon flashed in her mind but she forcefully pushed it away. " No, he loves you," Sydney corrected instantaneously.

" Well if he does, he's certainly not shown me he does, especially since you came back," Jessica whimpered.

" Well, that makes two of us who wishes I weren't here," Sydney laughed in a morbid way.

" Sydney, I've heard your story from Michael. And I sympathize with you. I can't imagine what I would do if I lost two years of my life."

" He's told you."

" Sydney, I know that this has got to be an awkward time in your life but I did not invite you to this dinner to spite you. I just.I love Michael. And I know that he loves me too. Michael is not the type of guy to make a commitment under false pretenses."

" Yeah, you're right about that."

" So, you would understand, I don't want to lose him. He just came into my life but now he's made it whole in a way I never thought it was possible and I."

"Please, Ms. Cozier, Mrs. Vaughn." she begged. It was heart wrenching, hearing Jessica talk about Vaughn in the same way she would have two years ago.

" I'm sorry, Sydney, but I can't lose him. He's such a huge part of my life."

" Well you know what? He was a really huge part of my life too," Sydney raged, not able to stop the tears any longer. " But then, you're right. He's your husband. You signed up with him for life. What's the going rate nowadays, seventy years?"

" I'm surprised you can joke about this. You would be in my position, married if it hadn't been for that tragedy."

" What?"

" I understand that you had a fiance, Danny, I think?" Jessica added and winced when Sydney slammed her hand on the ceramic counter sink.

" Don't you ever mention Danny again," Sydney threatened in a dangerous tone.

" I just wanted you to know honey that I'm serious. I know you would do anything to bring him back," Jessica smiled, an evil glint in her eyes.

" I get it. Just don't you make me angry again. I mean, we say we work for Bristow Electronics but that doesn't mean we've told you everything," Sydney rasped, making sure Jessica swallowed everything that she was saying.

" Ms. Bristow, are you threatening me?"

" Just telling you to watch your back, Jess," she spit and then stalked out of the bathroom.

" You too," she smiled secretively, powdered her nose and went back to joint he dinner party.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Well, Mrs. Vaughn, this was a very interesting evening," Jack said to Mrs. Vaughn who blushed when he picked up the check."

" I'm glad you enjoyed it, but, please. Michael would foot the check," Jessica was protesting but Jack had already had his credit card processed and handed back to him.

" Hey, why don't you let me walk you out and we'll call it even," he offered, holding out his arm.

" Well, okay.but that's it."

" Please, I'm a gentleman, ask my daughter."

Jessica turned to meet Sydney's gaze. " Really, Sydney?"

" Oh yea, he's never rubbed a girl, excuse me, woman, the wrong way," Sydney responded, her smile so big it was fake.

" Oh well, there's nothing better than hearing assurance from the daughter, especially such a sweet one like yourself. Michael, don't keep me waiting too long okay?"

" Huh? Oh yeah, right," Michael stuttered, his eyes constantly swerving to Sydney's profile.

Jessica blew him a kiss and added, " it was very nice to meet you, Sydney."

" Likewise," Sydney called back. Had it only been them two, she'd have shown the little bitch what she'd been talking about in the bathroom.

Jessica went out on Jack's arm, leaving Sydney walking in step with Michael. Michael wanted her to look at him, Sydney wanted nothing to do with him.

" You know, Syd. If you acted a bit more genuine, Jess might have bough the bit about your father being a gentleman," Michael teased, happy to be with Sydney. It was a bittersweet moment, that's what their relationship had been and he imagined, would continue to be.

Sydney stood stone-faced and continued to walk. Michael grabbed her arm

"Syd?"

" Don't touch me!"

Michael was taken aback. He'd never heard Sydney so angry with him in his life.

" Syd? What's wrong? Something has been bothering you all night. I mean, you chugged your wine and you didn't touch your food."

" So? Maybe I wasn't hungry. Besides, you didn't touch your either, you were too busy shoving it down Jess's throat!"

" Come on, I'm still the Michael that cares about you, your right hand, your "boy scout."

" N.no you're not," Sydney let out in a hollow tone. " You're only Agent Vaughn, my over-protective annoying Operations officer."

" E.Excuse me? Annoying?"

" You heard me right, Michael. And very classy of you to chum it up with Ms. "I'm gorgeous and I know it," right in my face. You two might as well had sex on the table," Sydney suggested in a cold voice.

" That's very disrespectful to my wife and me," Michael warned her, his anguish for her replaced little y little with anger.

" Not as disrespectful as your telling your wife that I had a fiance, who died!" Sydney broke in.

If Michael was faking his surprise, he was an expert because he clearly looked like he was clueless to what she was talking about.

" What are you talking about/"

" I would understand your telling your wife about Sydney being a bit off because she lost a part of her life but what business did you have telling her about Danny?!"

" What? Sydney, I don't' understand!" Michael pleaded, grabbing hold of her hands. " Sydney! Talk to me!"

" You're lucky, Michael. Your wife loves you so much. She deserves your 100% attention and devotion," she sobbed, looking very like a girl who's lost everything, as though her life had burned up before her eyes.

" Syd, what about you?" he demanded.

" Forget about me, Vaughn. You two clearly showed me that you're building a new life together, tonight. And you know you love her too. Be a man and admit it."

" Not the way I can't forget about you! I drive my wife crazy with my flashbacks and trips down memory lane about you!" he insisted, tears blinding his view.

" Even if I hypothetically love you, Vaughn. I would never take you away from Jess. I know what it's like to lose the most important thing in my life and I wouldn't wish in on my worst enemy. I would bring back yesterday to bring back my "if," with Danny and my supposed to have been promised life with you'

" Syd. I don't know what to say," he whimpered, squeezing her hands tighter.

" Don't say anything, Vaughn. Your job is not to please me, but to go to your wife tonight and assure her with every ounce of your being, she's the only woman in your life," she managed to say before she abruptly dropped his hands and left the scene.

The only thought left with Michael was that Sydney still loved him.

Lengthy but promising ( I hope!) Thanks for the nine reviews and keep them coming. This story is just getting heated up! I sincerely hope this will hold you out until Part IV! Thanks, love ya'll, Lataz!!!