Disclaimer: I don't own Alias.

Love and War
Loss for Words

Meanwhile, two seats ahead, Irina broke the silence.

"I wouldn't want to be Agent Vaughn right about now. She said with a hint of a smile.

"He can hold his own with my dad. In fact, I'm surprised he's gotten this far without having to suffer through 'the talk'."

"This has happened before, I take it?"

"When I started dating in high school, he would scare off every guy I went out with by essentially threatening their life." Sydney laughed softly. "Well, eventually I learned that if he didn't know I had a boyfriend, he couldn't scare him away." Sydney paused, lost in thought, and Irina took the silence as an opportunity to reflect upon their conversation thus far. She noted with pleasure that it seemed that Jack had finally acknowledged Sydney and Vaughn's inevitable fate, and was giving Vaughn a preemptive warning. A little possessive and domineering, but still progress. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Sydney's thoughtful voice.

"In fact, I don't think that Dad even knew about Danny until he got that courtesy call."

"Danny?" Irina asked, studying Sydney's face closely. That look on her face. It seemed familiar somehow. Sydney too a deep breath before speaking again.

"He was my fiancée. Ex-fiancée." Sydney quickly corrected herself. She looked up from her hands. "You don't know?" She questioned, surprised. Irina slowly shook her head, a confused and curious look on her face, yet acutely aware to the sadness on Sydney's face

Sydney was debating whether or not to tell her mother what had happened almost a yeah and a half ago, when Jack walked up from behind her, apparently finished with Vaughn for the moment.

Sydney slowly stood up to give Jack his seat back, aware of Irina's eyes on her as she returned to her own seat beside Vaughn.

"Congratulations." She said, the sad smile on her face replaced with a genuine one. She almost laughed at Vaughn's confused face. "You have survived your first one-on-one encounter with Jack Bristow. You can now proceed to Round Two." She teased, only half joking.

"Round Two?" Vaughn groaned.

"Hey. You should be proud you've made it this far. One guy took one look at my father and left. Haven't heard from him since." Sydney said, shaking her head sadly.

"I'm not surprised." Vaughn grinned. "Your dad is scary, Syd."

God she loved it when he called her Syd. Somehow, it made her feel like she was more than a spy. Like she was a person, and not just some machine.

"Seriously, though, Vaughn, I hope he wasn't too hard on you. He can be a little…" She paused, trying to think of a word that could accurately describe Jack.

"Possessive? Domineering? Over protective? Verbally abusive?" Vaughn supplied with a grin.

"All of the above." Sydney laughed. It felt good to laugh. She slid her hand into Vaughn's again. Looking up at him, she noticed that his grin had faded into a lopsided smile, although his eyes still sparkled.

"Thank you." She said,

"For what?" He asked, almost subconsciously intertwining his fingers with hers.

"For cheering me up. I needed it."

"Anytime." He replied, gently squeezing her hand. "Yeah. You looked a little down when you came back." He hesitated, wondering whether he wanted to ask the next question. "What were you and your mother talking about, anyways?"

Vaughn regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. Sydney's face instantly fell, and she turned her face to the side.

"It was nothing." She said, trying to withdraw her hand from his, but his hand was firm around hers. He gently reached up with his other hand to touch her cheek, turning her face back towards him.

"Syd… Please. I know that you feel like you have no one to talk to, but you can't just keep all of this inside of you. Your life is too complicated for one person. And you know I'm always here to listen." Vaughn tilted her chin up so he could meet her hazel brown eyes.

"You're right… In this line of work we can't be keeping anything from each other." She said softly. "Its just… Every time I have to explain to someone about Danny and what happened… I can't help but feel guilty. I just get this feeling that I am the most horrible person in the world and then…" Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, but Vaughn tenderly wiped them away with his hands. "And then… I can't help feeling so alone." The tears began to fall freely now, and Vaughn could no longer keep up with the rivers that were streaming down her face. Instead, he lifted the divider between their two seats, and pulled her close to him. Instinctively she clung to him, one hand on his shoulder and another around his neck.

Vaughn just held her, drawing on her back slowly as she calmed down in his arms. It just felt so right to hold her there as if they were the only two people in the universe.

"Shh Syd… Don't ever say that… You are never alone. Ever. You're the most beautiful, intelligent, virtuous, pure, and generous person I know. Don't ever say that you're alone."

"You can't mean all that, Vaughn." Sydney said into his shoulder.

"Have I ever lied to you?" He asked, wrapping his arms tight around her shoulders.

"No… but…"

"But what?"

"What about Alice?"

"Alice? I haven't seen Alice in months."

"You haven't? Why?"

"We broke up. I think she was sick of hearing about my beautiful, intelligent, virtuous, pure, and generous co-worker." Vaughn smiled. He meant it jokingly, but it was true. How could Sydney think that he could stand to have a girlfriend when he had already met the perfect woman? No woman would ever be good enough, if only because they weren't Sydney.

Sydney laughed a little, propping herself up against Vaughn's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I've thrown all this at you, Vaughn. Look at me. I've practically had a breakdown. You must think I'm so…" Sydney shrugged for the lack of a word to describe what she was feeling.

"Strong? Yes." Vaughn hesitated a moment. If he didn't say it now, he would never have the courage to again. But with Sydney here in his arms, there was no doubt in his mind. He had to say it. "Sydney… I've been wanting to say this for so long. Ever since I met you, Syd, there's been something about you. It's not one thing in particular, its all those little things you do that make you who you are. The way you always tuck that stray strand of hair behind your ear, the way your dimples come out when you smile, your eyes, your amazing ability with languages. All those little things, Syd, they're making me fall in love with you. I know I'm in love with you." Vaughn finished, anxiously awaiting Sydney's response.

A few minutes passed, but to Vaughn it seemed like days. Finally he spoke again.

"Syd?" He gently touched her shoulder. "Sydney?" He peered around to see her face. Her eyes were closed. She was asleep.

Vaughn slowly shook his head. She hadn't heard a word. But maybe it was for the best. Another day, perhaps.

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