14.

"…But I couldn't shoot her. I looked up and saw my two best friends, who by the way will probably never speak to me again. They were staring at me as if they'd never laid eyes on me before. Although I have previously had numerous encounters with Anna Espinosa I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. In all my years as an agent I have never voluntary killed someone and I didn't intend on doing it with the two people who are closest to me in this world watching. So I tied her up with some rope I found in a kitchen drawer and pulled her over to where the two soldiers I had shot were lying. I pulled Owens over too and was in the process of checking for pulses when Agent Vaughn here rang my doorbell. Any questions?" Sydney asked looking around the room. As everyone shook his or her heads she stood to leave.

After Francie and Will left her apartment with the two agents Vaughn had taken Sydney's car keys and drove Sydney and her father to the HQ, leaving the remaining two agents to wait with Anna and her men for a car to pick them up.

Once at the CIA Sydney had been whisked away to the medical department where the CIA's finest doctors put a plaster cast on her broken hand and stitched up the cut on her head. She was then given a few minutes to straighten up, were she changed into her CIA 'uniform' of a dark skirt suit, before she was taken to her first debriefing.

It was now three hours later and she was leaving her forth and final debriefing, desperate to find Will and Francie. Before she could get out the room though, her father put his hand on her arm, carefully avoiding the bulky sling on her right arm.

He waited for the room to clear before he spoke. "You've done well today Sydney." He said planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm proud of you honey."

"Thank you Daddy." Sydney replied looking into his eyes. Putting her arm around him she felt like a little girl again. It had been such a long time since her father had shown her any approval.

There was a knock on the door. "Are you ready for this Sydney?" Vaughn asked from the doorway.

Sydney pulled back from her father and looked at him again, a tear running down her face. She nodded. "I'm ready." She said, straightening her jacket and followed Vaughn down the hall to the room her friends were in.

As they walked Vaughn informed Sydney that Francie and Will had been debriefed on Sydney's job status. They knew that her job at 'the bank' was a cover for her working as an international spy for SD6 and they knew she was now working as a double agent for the CIA. Sydney began to feel relieved now that her friends knew.

After what seemed to Sydney like a mile long walk they reached the door. Vaughn raised his hand to knock. "Come in", a voice called from inside. Sydney entered and took a deep breath, taking in the scene before her. Francie and Will were sitting in silence around a small conference table. Agent Weiss was sitting around the table too. As she came in she turned to Vaughn. "Aren't you coming in?" She asked him.

"No Sydney, this is something you should do alone." He said, putting his hand on the doorknob. Pausing for a moment Vaughn looked at Sydney. "I will always be amazed at what you are capable of achieving, Sydney Bristow." He added with a smile before shutting the door. Normally her heart would have fluttered wildly in her chest but she didn't have time to think of that now.

Sydney tried to put all her energy into looking confident as she walked across the room. Weiss stood up and helped her into a chair. "Thanks Weiss." She tried to keep her voice steady.

"Anything for you m'lady." He said jokingly, trying to lift the mood in the room, and added a bow. "Good going Agent Bristow." He added with a wink and left.

"Agent Bristow! I've heard that so many times in the last few hours and I still can't get used to it." Francie, who had been looking at her hands looked up at Sydney. She said it with a laugh but there was no humour in it. "I mean how many people can say their best friends a spy for the CIA?"

"You can't tell anyone!" Sydney said, slightly panicked.

"Who are you to tell me what to do Syd?" Francie was becoming hysterical. "You've been lying to me for the last seven years and not once did you think to tell me! I thought we were best friends."

"We still are Fran."

"No, you let me decide if we're friends or not." She was raising her voice but didn't care. "You can not keep something this big from someone you care about."

"Oh, Fran. It's not like that." Sydney's voice was rising too.

"Isn't…"

Will, who had been quiet for a while suddenly spoke up. "It's because of Danny isn't it?" He interrupted. " I mean that's what killed him wasn't it? You told him what you did! I get it now. I didn't until now." He laughed. "I thought you didn't tell us because you didn't care. But it was exactly the opposite. You didn't tell us because you cared so much."

Francie looked stunned.

"Yes." Tears were running freely down Sydney's face now. "I couldn't marry Danny whilst living a lie. I told him I worked for a covert branch of the CIA and when they found out they murdered him." She looked at her friend. "They murdered my fiancé Francie." She sobbed as Francie got up, walked over to Sydney and gave her a hug. "I didn't couldn't let that happen to you too."

"Oh, Syd." Will said as he joined in.

At that moment Vaughn and Weiss entered the room.

"Come on man, let's give her some space." Weiss said.

"No," Sydney called out, wiping her cheeks with her left hand. "That's ok, I think we're done in here. What is it?"

"I just thought you'd like to know that it's getting late. Would you like me to take all of you home?"

"Sure."

They all grabbed their jackets and followed Vaughn out to Sydney's car.

He drove in silence until Sydney suddenly pointed out the window. "Hey Vaughn, pull in there."

"Huh? Where?"

"Over here." She replied pointing to a late night ice cream parlour.

As they squeezed in to a booth a waitress came over and took their orders. Once she'd left Sydney pulled out what looked like a lipstick.

"This is a device that will prevent anyone listening to our conversation." She explained to Will and Francie, twisting the lid until she heard a beep. "Ask me anything you want to know."

"Syd, have you told us everything you think we need to know?" Will asked.

"Of course."

"Then we have nothing to ask." He added, "We know that when the time comes you'll talk to us but for now we trust you Syd."

As their order's arrived at the table Francie spoke. "There is one thing I'd like to know." She said sheepishly.

"What is it?" Sydney asked.

Francie looked at Vaughn and Sydney.

"Are you two dating?"

"No!" They said in unison, maybe a little too quickly.

"Really!" Francie asked, surprised. "It's just this vibe I'm getting from you."

"We're definitely not dating." Sydney answered, embarrassed.

"Really!" She repeated. "You'd look good together!"