Hey! Thanks for reviewing Alpineracer 88! You are the greatest! I have put up the next chapter just for u!!!!! lots of love, lataz, Kris

The Other Side of the Story Season 2 Part II

While Sydney was getting pretty chummy with Agent Camden and Leighton was being bombarded by hugs~~~across the ocean in the good o'l task force~~~

Weiss was working at his station on the find the missing Sloane case when he got a tap on the shoulder. He raised his weary eyes and saw Dixon.

"Hey man."

"Kendall has received intel that Agent Bristow has successfully arrived in the London field office," Dixon reported, relief flooding his face.

"Great news! Now maybe I can finally get out of this office and get some shut-eyes," Weiss exhaled, rubbing his tired red eyes, a result of staying awake and at the office for forty-eight hours straight.

"Before you do that, make sure you give Kendall the info you've found on the substance," he reminded Weiss who gave him a "yeah, yeah."

"Now Michael would gladly stay at the office," Eric grinned to himself. Hmm~~~Maybe he could pull a few strings and get Vaughn right where he should be, on a headset, listening to Sydney breathe if nothing else.

Eric made himself a mental note and then charged upstairs with the disk in hand.

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"Vaughn?" Carrie gasped when she saw the ravishingly handsome French Agent come into the Joint Task Force.

"Hey! When did you get back?" Vaughn chuckled and grabbed her into a hug.

"Just now actually. Things sure are crazy in Iran," Carrie muttered and Vaughn grinned, only wishing Sydney could be here to see her dear friend again.

"So I guess you wouldn't know if we've had any word on Syd yet?"

"Not that I've heard," she replied, apologetically. "Did Kendall call you in?"

"No~~~I just couldn't stay home," Michael admitted, his eyes red with worry, wishing he could be a bit more enlightening for Carrie'' sake.

Carrie shook her head, chuckling to himself before she was met herself by her own soulmate, Marshall. "So I take it, you and Syd are back together?"

"Maybe," Michael grinned mysteriously. "We'll talk later."

"Right."

Michael smiled, glad to see some people were happy and enjoying their lives. He watched Marshall pull her into an embrace and then started stammering apologies about the PDA. He then shook his own and head and went over to his desk and sat down.

He couldn't do it. He hadn't been able to give Jessica a real chance.

They'd made it through dinner.

He'd come up behind Jessica and had cuddled her while she washed the dishes, then ultimately diverted her from the chore and taken her upstairs to their bed.

But it hadn't gotten farther than that.

He'd helped her pull of her clothes and laid her down on their bed, and he'd kissed her and kissed her, but he wasn't aroused. He didn't grow hard anticipating what could happen next.

In fact Jessica had actually squirmed away when she'd seen the bruise like marks around his neck, evidence that Michael had slept with his former girlfriend.

He'd even accidentally called her Syd and then covered that up with an imaginary phonecall he told Jess he'd received a breather and had left her again, without so much as a kiss goodbye.

And so he was here, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, no matter how hard he tried. Or if he did, it would be just for a second either because he was jolted by a nightmare or just because his body seemed to automatically fall into that pattern.

"Mike!"

Vaughn rose his head and smiled. "Hey."

"H~hey, what are you doing here? Kendall told you you don't have to be here till eight tomorrow morning."

"I know. I just~~~I can't sleep with Jessica, not tonight, I felt so disgusted with myself for violating Syd."

"Well, if you don't mind me getting technical, you're actually violating Jessica."

"Weiss please, I'm trying to be happy about reuniting with Sydney," Michael complained and then rubbed his face with his hand.

"Un Mike~~~is it just me or is that a new ring?" Eric demanded.

Crap! He'd forgotten to change it.

He didn't say a thing and lowered his hand but not fast enough that Weiss couldn't grab it and get a closer look.

"That is a new ring, but no~~~wait," Weiss stammered holding it up for closer inspection then dropped it as his thoughts came together. "That's not a new ring~~~that's the ring you were going to give Sydney."

Man, Weiss had a good memory.

Vaughn shrugged his shoulders, trying to look nonchalant which wasn't working too well considering the sweat that poured down his face and the flow that was in his heated cheeks. He decided to turn away, only to have Weiss pull on his shoulder and gripped his suspender.

"Spill Mike or you're going to have a big red mark when I snap this," Weiss warned him and to Michael's dismay he couldn't any humor lurking within Weiss's eyes.

"Weiss, I would but I'm verbally stopped by a verbal contract with Syd," Michael protested. "Ow!" he groaned when the suspender snapped against his shoulder.

"What? You've got a verbal contract with Syd? Now you've got to tell me what's going on."

"I can't~~~Sydney made me promise her."

"Please Mike, you're talking to the Weiss, the best love doctor you've got!" Eric beamed grinning from ear to ear.

"You mean the only," Michael quipped.

"Verbal contracts are meant to be broken," Weiss educated him. "Syd has already revealed you two spent the night together."

Michael took a moment to think but none of it was logical, not when Weiss's puppy dog eyes were in his face.

"Mike?"

"What Syd told you is true. And yes, this ring is the half of the one Sydney had on her own finger," Michael explained, growing hard just reminiscing about yesterday.

"Wait, so what are you two, engaged?"

"Married."

Weiss stared at his pal, that goofy smile on his face fading as he reached for his shoulder. "Uh Mike~~~look, I'm happy for you, and it's really great that you finally got through to her but unless you finally convinced Jessica to give you a divorce, you can't be married to Sydney."

"Get technical, will you?" Michael complained, slapping Eric's hand away. "I expect that from Marshall, not you."

"Sorry man, but hey~~~congrats. I guess you finally got that heart to heart you've been waiting for, huh?"

Michael nodded, grinning at his screen that was finally letting him back into the database.

"So it's back to insomnia and begging the Weiss for caffeine pills," Eric smirked, not looking as tired as he had been.

"Yeah," he groaned and then looked over at Weiss with two distinct wrinkled on his forehead. 'Have you heard about Sydney?"

"Yup. Just got intel from Kendall. Sydney and Cowell have both made it safely tot he British field office. They've been given the grant tour, security briefing, history lol. You know that kind of stuff."

"What about her check ups. They do have an American medical team to keep up with the proper health care she'd been getting," Michael interjected going through his mental list.

"Yes, she's got her own doctor, Agent Ethan Camden," Weiss informed him as he puled up his file and turned the screen toward Vaughn. "He's strong in cardiovascual and gastrology, even does a bit of gynecology. And as you can see he's a very handsome young man, speaks French, Russian, Italian and German. Reminds you of someone, don't it?"

Vaughn stared at the screen and rolled his eyes. Sydney wouldn't have Vaughn-withdrawl, he could be his twin. Michael had to force back the jealousy that was trying to overcome his body

"He'll take care of her, but I think you're more excited about that than she is."

"Hey, I just want my baby in tip top shape," Vaughn argued and leaned back in his seat. "So I guess today she'll be safe."

"Snug in her hotel room," Weiss yawned. "The briefings for the mission don't' start till tomorrow."

Cold sweat broke on Michael's forehead.

"So you can sleep tonight, and you might want to get it. You might be up the next few days. Your shift doesn't start till eight and remember you're not supposed to know about the mission."

"I~I know, but I can't. I want to be here. If something happens maybe Jack will tell me. After all, I'm now his son-in-law."

Weiss smiled, feeling that as his best friend he should just be happy for him no matter how wrong it sounded to him. He then reached into his wallet and pushed a hundred-dollar bill towards Michael. "If you sleep deprivation is because you can't sleep with Jess, go to a motel. I'm not sure you're used to those now."

"Man Eric, I don't need your money."

"Take it, Sydney'll kill me if I let you stay awake the days she's not going to be here."

"Well, that's going to give me the time to break up with Jess," Michael muttered, closing his eyes to suppress his tears. He felt so bad about it.

"Yeah~~~well listen, I'm heading home but the Weiss line is accessible twenty-four seven during Sydney-withdrawl so you know, I'm here."

Michael grinned and then pulled Weiss into a bone crunching hug.

"Thanks Weiss. Thanks a lot."

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"You sure you'll be okay alone?" Leighton inquired, peeping through the little bit of space she'd left the door open. "You don't want me to come in?"

"No, I'll be fine. I think I'm going to turn in. I'm so exhausted from all that today," Sydney stammered.

"I understand but Sydney, we were finally on the same foot, and I'm afraid we won't have it the next time you wake. We should exchange stones get to know each other better."

"Some other time, Cowell," she murmured sleepily.

"You gave Ethan Camden a chance," Leighton argued, stubbornly. "And he's practically a stranger."

"Good night Cowell," she cut in, her teeth a flash of white in the darkness before she closed the door and Leighton listened to it lock and retired to his room.

Sydney pulled her suit off and changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and a tank. She sat down at her dresser and carefully pulled a brush through her long hair, then paused to examine herself in the mirror.

She was sure her hair was shinier than usual, and the pale flag that had crossed her cheeks over losing Vaughn had been replaced by a heavenly glow. Her pupils danced within her eyes and she couldn't fight her mouth's urge to pull it's corners up into a pleasant smile.

She was glowing.

She stared down at her ring as she carefully removed it from her finger. Such a beautiful yellow diamond, such a happy color.

But of course nothing could make her happier than three fabulous words.

She was "Mrs. Michael Vaughn."

She decided to take a quick shower, then climbed into her bed and slipped under the silky covers, the ring on her finger close to her heart exuding Michael's love for her and she drifted slowly to a restful sleep, imagining the next moment she could be in her husband's arms.

And at the Joint Task Force, Vaughn sat with red-rimmed eyes and pale skin, cold sweat forming on his back giving him a very uncomfortable tingle as he pulled his hand to his mouth and let the ring set against his lips, praying for exactly Sydeny was doing. Being safe in her suite and would wake up in the morning exactly where she should be.

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