Hi everybody! Thanks for the reviews! Sarabethl, alias gurl and megvaughn2003, where d'ya go????? LOL, thanks Sheeplover, alpineracer88, pickynicky, max x., ms. Mv and whoever else is reading this! Thanks for the support! Five reviews people and I'll give you Part XIII! Guess what I actually wrote a whole part again! Hee hee, enjoy! Without further ado..

Part XII The Other Side of the Story Leo's l'il sista

Two Weeks Later: MISSION STATUS: 2 DAYS PENDING!!!

"There, last vial for the day," the doctor told Sydney soothingly as he drew the third and last vial from Sydney's arm.

Sydney shrugged and let the physician pull of his gloves and prepare for the next procedure.

"I honestly can't believe you're taking on another Mission so soon after your return," the nurse chided her, dabbing the injection site with gauze and then taped gauze to the area to stop the bleeding.

"I want to get back into the run of things," Sydney told her as the nurse helped her onto the cold metal table.

"But aren't you in rehab?"

"I guess, only my psychiatrist sucks. I miss Dr. Barnett," Sydney confided as the nurse rolled up her gown to expose her abdomen and cleansed the scar site with germicide.

"Well you know, she went through some depression after she realized you wouldn't be coming back, she even got the best psychics from around the country to connect with you , but when all that failed, she went a bit off and the CIA gave her indefinite leave," the nurse informed Sydney as she gave her an I.V. "I'm giving you fettynal to keep you out of as much discomfort as possible. If I remember right, Lidocaine didn't do enough for you."

Sydney nodded, wincing slightly as the needle slid into a vein. "So does Dr. Barnett know I'm alive?"

"I believe she does. Michael Vaughn was doing nothing but making phonecalls to everyone you knew, that is, when he wasn't crying in shock and pure relief," she added for what she thought was Sydney's benefit. "And one of those calls was to Dr. Barnett. I don't' know how he located her since we haven't been able to for six months, but I guess that's what you call persistence. He asked her to be your therapist but he said she slammed the receiver, thinking it was a sick joke. We haven't heard from her since."

"Well, that's another person who doesn't appreciate my coming home," Sydney thought to herself but didn't say anything.

At that moment, the doctor re-entered the room, bringing a close to Sydney's conversation with the nurse. He sat down and then pulled on some gloves and gently felt the scar.

"Does it hurt when I do this?"

Sydney shook her head.

"Good, that means nothing is festering under there," he told her. He then rubbed some cold jelly onto her abdomen and did a quick ultrasound. "Belly is clean."

Sydney sighed with relief, so far so good.

"So, let's move onto the part you don't like," the doctor suggested as he took the brush the nurse was handing him. "But today, I've been asked to do a surgical exploration."

"What?!" Sydney demanded, trying to get up but the nurse held her back down.

Sydney groaned as the doctor rubbed betadine onto her skin. It always stung a little.

"Sorry, Agent Bristow. I'll try not to make this too painful and I'll do it as fast as I can," he assured her. But for some reason, Sydney was not assured.

He draped the affected area then injected some local anesthetic into the area.

"Okay nurse, why don't you hand me a curette."

Sydney felt the blade slide into her skin and cringed. It didn't really hurt but it felt uncomfortable as hell. She'd had a similar procedure done at least ten times, but there was no getting used to this.

"Okay, why don't you hold that open for me, and do some suction while you're at it."

The nurse obliged and clamped the wound open. The suction machine made a disgusting gurgling noise. She felt the doctor insert his fingers into the opening and feel around.

"Ow! Nurse!" Sydney complained. She felt that.

"Looking good. Let's pull the samples and then we can move onto cleaning and then we'll close you up" the doctor told her. "Forceps."

This was the part Sydney hated most. She felt the forceps pause, position and then the doctor yanked.

"Ugh!"

"Two more, Syd," he told her cheerfully, gave the nurse the sample and proceeded on taking the other two.

"Good, you're being a good sport about this," the doctor praised as he smeared a paste-like substance to the area to stop the bleeding.

"Good, gauze."

That was the last thing she heard her doctor say before the fettynal kicked in and Sydney drifted to sleep.

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

"How is she doing?" asked a male voice.

"She's doing well. We gave her something to make her drowsy. She doesn't like this part of the treatment so we tried to make her as comfortable as we can."

"Good. Thank you, and the results?"

"Still clear. And we still don't know why the scar is even there, we're leaning toward it being self-inflicted."

Sydney heard that and forced herself to open her eyes. She was now lying down on a cot. The procedure was obviously done.

"Oh, looks like Agent Bristow has decided to join us," the doctor beamed and sat down next to her bed, and applied a stethoscope to her chest. "I think you're good to go, Ms. Bristow."

"Thank you," Sydney replied, trying not to look at Agent Cowell who had also joined the room.

"Doctor, can you leave and give me and Agent Bristow a moment alone, please?" Agent Cowell requested, daring the doctor to argue with him.

"Of course, Agent Cowell," the doctor told him. "The results will be hand carried to Kendall's office when I've processed them."

"Good, thank you."

The doctor nodded. "You take care of yourself, Agent Bristow." And then he left, leaving Sydney and Leighton in the room.

"Good morning, Agent Bristow."

"How did you get in here! Didn't Kendall inform you that I don't want anything more to do with you?" Sydney shot back, coldly.

"He told me I am not to be your handler after this mission, but he thinks I would be an asset to you since my father, brother and I was of the British field office."

"Whatever," Sydney retorted. "Just know that I will torture you if I find out you're the one who suggested surgical exploration of the scar."

"No, I'm not that mean," Leighton teased, his eyes crinkling. "How was it? Should I get you anything for your pain?"

"I have a pain in my head. Maybe if you leave me alone, it will go away," Sydney suggested as she got out of the bed.

"Sydney, we're going to be around each other for a little while longer. Don't you think we should bury the hatchet and give each other a real chance?"

"No," Sydney argued. "I don't think I can ever give you a chance. You took the last normal thing in my life away from me by making yourself my Ops officer which you're poor at, even more pathetic than your psychiatric duties. I don't think I want to give you a chance."

Cowell was stung and found he couldn't shrug it off.

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

Will watched the city that looked so still from the high point he was sitting at. Being up here, you would never imagine over 20 million inhabited the buildings and there were at least ten gangs and other evil doers that disrupted the peace and took at least one life daily.

He heard a car drive up and glanced over at it. It was a professional looking vehicle, shiny and polished.

"Bout time," Will thought to himself as he watched Michael emerge from his vehicle.

"Hey, Mike," Will said so suddenly it startled Michael.

"Will, you're all ready here," Michael gasped as he locked the door and pocketed his keys. "I thought you were busy, you said the CSI gave you the position as senior analyst."

"Yeah, but I don't start working for another two weeks, that's when the former analyst leaves the job," Will told him.

"Well congratulations, I'm glad things are looking up for you," Michael praised, wearing a smile. "I'm glad you're making a life out of the CIA since you have a family now. How's your little girl and your girlfriend?"

"Oh, great. Sydney is just getting more beautiful and independent each day and me and Jane, we're engaged," Will reported, feeling awful that he was so happy when Michael couldn't be farther from it.

"Engaged? Wow, so you finally popped the question, huh? That's a big step. I hope you're ready for it."

Will only nodded, feeling Michael was referring to himself.

"Nah, but really, I think that's great. Jane's a sweet girl. I know things will be good for you, congratulations," Michael beamed, giving Will a strong handshake.

"Thanks, Mike," Will responded. "So, what's going on with you?" Will asked carefully, trying not to hit the subject in a hard way.

"Guess you're wondering why I called you out here."

"Y~yeah, I am."

Michael grinned at the effort Will was making in trying to make the situation more comfortable for him.

"Sydney, what else?"

Will tried not to cringe. This wasn't going to be easy. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"First off, I want to thank you for coming out here. There's just some things I didn't want to say on the phone. It's nice that made the time out of your busy schedule so I can talk to you about the girl we both fought over."

"Mike, those days are behind us, and I'm here for you, man. Tell me, what was it you couldn't say on the phone."

"I~I wanted to thank you for taking Syd in. I don't know what happened with her roommate, and had she told me I would have don't something but like I told you, she's avoiding me."

"Michael, I don't think that's true."

"It is, Will. I know."

Will didn't feel like arguing so instead he said, "well don't worry about Syd, we'll watch over her until she comes to her senses and realizes what a big mistake she's making. And it kind of works, our Sydney loves her and she's babysat for me so I could take Jane out on a real engagement dinner, though mac and cheese would have been equally romantic."

Michael ginned.

"She seems really happy with you guys," Michael sighed, but with relief. "I've always thought Sydney could be a great mother. Yeah, she kicks but in the CIA, but a baby, nestled in her arms as she nurses her fits too. I've been thinking and I think I would be happier with Syd out of the CIA."

"Don't we all? Especially after that really cruel joke they made her play on us."

"I'm serious, Will. There's this fantasy that keeps popping up in my head, to take Sydney away from everything and fly of to, I don't' know, England. And just start a life there. And every time I get the fantasy something materializes like, I don't know, the color of the ceiling, the comfortable sofa sitting in the living room. My latest was of the balcony that Sydney and I would stand on to gaze at the beautiful sunset before I bright out some tea sandwiches for a dinner snack."

"Sounds real romantic, Mike," Will told him, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, unfortunately if I wanted this to happen I'll have to kidnap her and then not tell her what's going on till we get there, but knowing her, the moment I look away to grab some peanuts off the steward's cart and look back, she'll be gone," Michael grumbled. "Which is why I'm wondering if I should even go through the painful hassle of trying to get her back."

"You serious, Michael? You're going to give up?"

"I don't want to but what choice do I have when she doesn't want to be with me?" Michael retorted, chugging the contents of his soda can then smashed it in his hand.

"Mike, give her time, it's been only what? Three months since she's been back? She's still recooperating," Will reminded him. No, he couldn't let Michael give up, not when he didn't know the truth about Sydney.

"Well you know what, Will. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of lying to her, I'm tired of people telling me she'll come around and forgive me, I've all ready lost two years with her, who know what else can happen. I told you that she's got that mission and I won't know if she takes it or not!"

"Michael, I hate to stare the obvious but you committed the ultimate betrayal. You got married," Will broke in as gently as he could. "You can't blame her for being angry."

Michael looked for a second like he wanted to punch the daylight out of him but at the last moment he lowered his hands.

"You're right, Will. I have no one to blame but myself. It seems like the whole world doesn't want me and Sydney together. Makes me wonder why I should even try."

"You've got to, Mike. If you don't, you and Sydney are going to be miserable for the rest of your lives."

"I'm ready to tell her! I am! I'm not even living with my wife right now! We're on an un-consented period of separation," Michael informed him. "My plan is to lay everything on the table and have a real talk with Sydney. We haven't had a chance to really talk about what I went through or how she's really feeling. And I think we really need to do that. That way I can know if there is hope for me and Syd or if she really is okay with this marriage I'm stuck in. Then we can both move on whichever way she choose."

Will stared at Michael's profile. Fantasies about living with Syd? Ready to tell Syd how he feels? Separated from Jess? This seemed like an opportune time for Sydney and Michael to start up again.

"I didn't see her at work again," Michael confessed them. "It's been two weeks now. You are telling me the truth that Sydney is ill, right? You would tell me if Syd told you anything about taking on the mission, wouldn't you?"

Oh yes! Will would if Sydney didn't have a verbal contract with him. It was taking all his self-control not to tell him, knowing he would tell if Sydney didn't was the only fact keeping him sane.

"Of course, Mike. I want to see Syd happy, you're the only man that comes to mind that can do that for her."

"Thank you, it's nice knowing I have at least one person I can totally count on," Michael sighed, after a beat. "I don't think I can count on Syd anymore, not even Weiss, but that's because he's bound by the CIA."

Weill listened to Michael's voice break and couldn't imagine how much pain he must be in. Will was just reaching over to squeeze Michael's shoulder when he suddenly asked.

"Does Syd talk to you about me?"

Will nodded. "Well yeah, she does. I think she still considers the two of you friends."

Friends? Ouch. That felt like such a low place after the intense relationship they'd had.

"Do you think she wants to get back with me, or do you think I should stop trying?" Michael inquired, a touch of finality to his tone.

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

(flash back)

"I put it in today."

"So this is it then?

"Not quite. He still has to approve of it first. But I don't see why he would deny my request."

"Okay, but have you told Michael?"

"N~no, and I'm not. Will, you have to promise me you'll still keep your word."

"I~I promise."

(end flashback) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No don't stop trying. Don't ever stop trying if you still love her. If your feelings change, do what you want, but if you love Syd, get her to love you back. You did it before Michael. I know you can do it again," Will insisted, despite the phone conversation flashback that was trying to guilt him.

"Will, if I~~~"

Michael's phone rang.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^

"Vaughn."

"Agent Vaughn, this is Kendall. We got an interesting break in the pier case."

"Interesting break?"

"Yes. Appears the contents the gang were shipping was not marijuana."

"What was it then?" Michael inquired. "We're not quite sure but the lab insists it was powdered H2O."

"Water?"

"Yes, Agent Vaughn, water," Kendall repeated, briskly, but Michael could tell Kendall had been irritated with those news. "I just don't understand why the gang members would be shipping powdered water."

"I don't either, sir."

"Well, I want you back here and help try to figure out what it really is. I all ready have Cowell on the job."

Cowell? Did he just say "Cowell?"

"Right sir, I'm coming in," Vaughn told his boss.

"Good. That is all."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^

Michael put his phone away and looked apologetically at Will.

"Duty calls?"

"Yeah, sorry about all this."

"No, don't be. It's fine. I should be getting back, Jane's leaving for work, I have to go to my daughter," Will assured him. "Hope it won't be too long before we talk again."

"It won't be," Michael promised. "If you can, and if you believe Sydney and I still have a chance, please ask her to stop avoiding me, to hurry and get better so we can talk and then we can finally move on," then Michael paused before adding. "Tell he I love her, Will."

And with that, Michael sped back to work.

Will watched the car and mumbled, "One more day, Mike. One more day and I will tell you everything, just hold on. Hold on.

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

"So, are you engaged to his paramour of yours, Ms. Derevko?" Jack chuckled, actually smiling as he teased his former wife.

"Absolutely not! And he was my boyfriend, Mr. Bristow, not a paramour."

"Well excuse my misunderstanding, please don't shoot me!" Jack mock- squealed and Irina began to laugh.

"I would never and besides, he's no longer my boyfriend," Irina told him, with a pout.

"Well, how long did that relationship last?"

"You called me in a very inappropriate manner. I had to leave that night and I certainly couldn't bring him with me, so I knocked him out."

"What?"

"I knocked him out with those tranquilizer deals," Irina admitted and Jack started to laugh hard.

"And you told me you've been straight as an arrow these past two years," Jack guffawed.

"I was, but what else could I do?" Irina demanded, blushing from embarrassment.

"Hello, mom, dad."

Irina and Jack paused in conversation and turned to their daughter who had entered the room.

"Sydney, hi."

"You look tired, are you all right?" Jack asked, helping his daughter sit down but Sydney of course thought she could do it all herself.

Jack tried not to be offended as he backed off and watched with pain as Sydney cringed and sat down in her seat.

"Are you not well, Sydney?"

Sydney shook her head. "I'm fine, don't worry. I just came back from my latest treatment."

"Ah," Jack replied, knowingly while Irina was trying to exchange a worried glance with her husband.

"Appears someone suggested surgical exploration of my scar," Sydney grimaced, leaning back in her seat.

"Was it Agent Cowell?"

"He completely denies it," Sydney sniveled. "I warned him so he knows not to do it again."

"How is it looking?" Irina asked, now enlightened.

"The same, they still don't know what it's from," Sydney told them angrily.

Irina felt Jack's hand on her shoulder and pulled back. Jack had been around Sydney longer than she, she had no choice but to trust him.

"But, you guys. I'm fine. Enough about me," Sydney cut in. "You two seemed to for once, actually having a conversation."

"Your father and I do have conversations, Sydney," Irina protested.

"Yeah, but it's been about either one trying to convince the other they are no longer a traitor," her eyes flashed towards her mother. "Or about accusing each other of who's more responsible for filling me with poison to want to join the CIA, or making that my last option."

Jack and Irina looked very uncomfortable.

"But today, you two, I don't know, were you flirting with each other? You guys get that old spark back?" Sydney teased.

"Absolutely not!" Jack stated stubbornly, in disbelief that Sydney would mention such a thing.

"Oh come now, Jack. She caught us, why don't you admit it, "honey?" Irina cooed, while Jack continued to look mortified.

"Now look, Irina, you know that's not true. Are you going to stay lying to her already?"

"I don't think I'm lying, Jack," Irina replied with the slightest of smiles. "Weren't you just asking me about my lover in Paris/"

Sydney rose an eyebrow at him.

"Really, dad?"

"He was getting very personal about it, too," Irina added as Jack's face grew to a deeper scarlet.

"Well, I guess the daughter will so you two can get back to whatever you two were doing," Sydney announced, getting up from her seat.

"Leaving so soon? We didn't even get a chance to talk," Irina complained.

"I'm sure we'll get another chance again soon. I actually have to be somewhere right now," Sydney confided.

"Home, I hope," Jack grumbled. He'd wanted Sydney home ever since he'd learned she'd been shot at.

"I have some things to do, but after that, yes, I will return home," she assured him. "I think you should know I'll sleep better If I can trust you two will be nice to each other when I'm gone."

"Now listen here, Sydney," Jack began but Irina cut in with a , "of course we will, Sydney."

"Good," Sydney approved and then hugged each parent. "It's okay to give mom a chance, dad."

And with that, Sydney left for whatever she had to do.

Leaving Irina and Jack in an awkward silence.

"She's right, you know," Irina brought up. "It's okay to give me a chance, Jack."

Jack was either fighting his urge or just being plain evil. Either way what he said nest was mean.

"I've had enough of you for today," jack growled and got up from his seat and signaled to the guards. "We are finished."

The guard came by and opened the door to let Agent Bristow out.

"Jack, I hope we can finish our conversation next time."

Jack paused and turned to Irina.

"If you really want that, you better not make a spectacle of me in front of my daughter like that again. I asked you to come because I thought you should know Sydney is alive, that doesn't mean my feelings for you have changed in the slightest."

The door slamming closed any door of hope Irina had of reconciling with her former husband.

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

"Director Kendall, you called?"

Kendall looked up and saw Agent Cowell was talking to him.

"Agent Cowell. Yes, I did, please, please come in."

Leighton nodded, closed the door behind him and tentatively approached the desk.

"Sir?"

"Sit down, please, Agent Cowell."

"Sir, I hope this won't take long. Agent Vaughn is still down there with the powder."

"I understand, but don't worry Agent Cowell. Agent Vaughn has been with us for a long time, he knows what he is doing. The results?"

"For the substance, sir? It's not finished, but I will deliver then personally myself," Cowell told him.

"That won't be necessary, tell Vaughn I want him to handle it. You and I have a more dire matter of importance at hand that we need to discuss. Where are Agent Bristow's test results?"

Cowell handed the folder to Kendall.

"So, still conclusive that she's normal? Good, then there is not a reason I must object to allowing her to go on the mission," Kendall muttered and then laid the folder down. "So, have you met with Agent Bristow today?"

"I have sir, I went to see her in recovery."

"And?"

"She accused me of suggesting surgical exploration. I hope you will go and set her straight."

"Of course I will, Agent Cowell."

Cowell bowed in thanks. "So is that it, sir? Because that is all I can report."

"No, I actually called you up here so that you may assist me with your psychological skills," Kendall clarified and Cowell's expression tightened.

"Sir, if you don't mind my saying, you took me off my position as Bristow's therapist."

"Very true," Kendall acknowledged. "But that is more Agent Bristow's doing, she doesn't want you to help her, I assumed without her cooperation, there wouldn't be much you could get done."

"I guess I can't argue with that," Cowell sighed. "But then what do you want with me?"

"To offer your guidance to me," Kendall said simply.

Cowell looked at Kendall. "I'm listening."

"One of my agents have come to me with a request for transfer and I want to do more than okay it and give them what they want. I want to make sure it's really what they want and not something they think they have to do."

"Sir, would you be referring to Agent Bristow?" Cowell inquired, pretty sure he was right.

Kendall opened and closed his mouth a few times before he nodded. "Yes, that's who I'm talking about. It seems Sydney wants to go to England and stay there even after the mission is over."

"What?"

"That's exactly my thoughts, Agent Cowell. I was shocked and I blamed Agent Vaughn for putting such vile ideas into her head."

"But he doesn't know about the mission am I correct?" Cowell reasoned.

"Yes, Leighton, but I don't know with Sydney. She might have spilled to Vaughn," Cowell corrected, very unhappy.

"I see sir. But a transfer, I don't think that's an irresponsible request. She obviously wants to get away from all that reminds her of the past, especially since she can't remember two years of it."

"That's not all, Agent Cowell," Kendall informed Leighton, his lips quivering. "She wants to disappear, totally from our world."

"I don't understand," Leighton complained, wondering for a sec if the Director's head was screwed on straight. "Does she want to die?"

"No, not physically at least. She wants the CIA to confirm Sydney Bristow as confirmed dead so that way whoever did this to her would no longer look for her," Kendall told him. "She did mention to you she wants to have been dead than come back to a world where everybody has obviously moved on."

"Yes~~~she has."

"Well, that's what she wants, she wants "Sydney," dead and she wants to live as a different Alias. That way the people she's affected like Vaughn, her parents and the rest of the world two years ago will know she's alive and can go back to the lives they've created after Sydney disappearance," Kendall concluded, his brow fevered. "But I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise to you."

"I~ I knew Sydney was going to do something, yes, I never thought it would be this drastic," Leighton confided.

"So, what should I do? I shouldn't let this go should I? Maybe she'll get better after more therapy?" Kendall demanded, really not sure what to do.

"Do you want my opinion, sir?"

"DAMN RIGHT, I want you OPINION!" Kendall thundered, slamming his hand on the table. "That's what I called you up here for!"

"Well sir, due to her individual circumstances, I think you should grant her request," Cowell replied simply. "She's obviously thought this through, she couldn't have requested something so hurtful and life-altering if she hasn't gone through all the pro's and con's. Sydney wants to move on and let these people that affected her to move on as well, I think it's a smart move she is making."

"Agent Cowell, you don't think this is a rash decision? She's still healing, doc! What if she regrets it later. A process like this, you can't turn it back," Kendall reminded Cowell as if he were dense.

"Sir, you have my opinion and Sydney has laid all the cards on the table. Now it's your decision to give her what she wants or deny her request."

Kendall nodded and collapsed into his chair.

"You may leave, Agent Cowell, thank you for your assistance," Cowell nodded, grinning mysteriously, as he left.

Okay! I guess That's it for now! You'll have another "episode" next week! Love to all you who review! And for those who just read it! That's fine too! Thanks, talk to you again next week! So let's start the 2 day countdown to Sydney leaving, and Will doing the right thing!!!!

Leo's l'il sista