Disclaimer; Alias remains the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot, ABC etc. I don't own it; it's characters or storylines and just borrow them for fun!!

Part 7

Pressing his forehead to Syd's Vaughn whispered, "I love you" "I love you too – Vaughn, do you think we could get up off the floor?" "Yes sweetie we could" and he stood pulling her up with him and leading her over to the bed in the corner where they laid and Vaughn held her in his embrace as they drifted off to sleep peacefully, both knowing that whatever was to come could wait until tomorrow when they would face it together.

It was Vaughn who awoke first the next morning following the best nights sleep he had had in a long time. Feeling the precious bundle he held in his arms shift he remembered the reason for his existence. Looking down at his soul mate, he watched her slumber peacefully marvelling at her pure beauty. The passage of two years had scarcely affected her with the exception of the addition of a few more worry lines to her face which Vaughn now gently kissed in an effort to iron them away. He wanted to take all the pain that Syd undoubtedly felt and make it disappear. He was drawn from his thoughts by Sydney's awakening. Meeting her gaze as her eyes fluttered open to the early morning light he whispered "I love you" "I love you too" was her response as she pressed her lips to his in a loving kiss. Pulling back only when the need for air consumed them both Sydney asked, "So what happens now?"

"Well our plane to LA leaves in" Vaughn checked his watch "90 minutes. I should warn you that once we land you'll be placed into custody-"

"What? Why?"

"Oh, you know the CIA – it's only in the spy world that the thought that you could be a double would cross anyone's mind!"

Syd smiled at this "And how exactly Mr Vaughn do you know I'm not a double?"

"Because my dear – you're you and only you would have reacted to the idea that I may have been married in the way that you did!" Syd smiled at this before speaking once again, "And after I've been subjected to all these tests?"

"Well, then you'll get the pleasure of listening to Kendall ramble on for hours in debrief!"

"Well, nothing quite says Welcome back from the dead like a CIA debrief" she joked before once again turning serious "Wait a minute – you said there was a fire at my place!! Where am I going to live?"

"You think I'm just going to let you sleep on the streets – you're coming home with me – I'm not letting you get away again" She grinned at this "Besides you've been dead for two years and the only thing you're worried about is where you're going to live!" he teased "Cause if I were you I'd be worried about the fact that I'd no money, no job and a whole load of people who think I'm dead!!"

Vaughn stopped as a strangled sob escaped Syd's mouth and the stupidity of what he'd just said hit him. Pulling her onto his lap he rocked her back and forth as he whispered "Oh baby – I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, that was so stupid, please don't cry baby, please"

"You're right though" came her voice "you're right! I was dead to you guys. You all thought I was gone and I caused you pain and my dad and Dixon, and Will and everyone! I'm so sorry!"

"What! Why are you blaming yourself!! Syd, sweetheart there was nothing you could do – it was not your fault"

"But – "

"No buts Syd IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT! Do you understand that?"

She nodded into his chest – "Good" he continued "Come on we'd better get to the airstrip"

An hour and a half later, Sydney sat in Vaughn's arms on the CIA chartered plane as it headed back to Los Angeles. Sydney looked up at Vaughn, wondering what had happened to her friends and other loved ones.
"What happened to everyone else? To Dad, to Will, to Dixon to everyone?"
Vaughn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Who would you like to hear about first?"
"I don't know. Who hasn't betrayed the CIA or died because of me?"
"You know that that isn't true."
Sydney looked at him for a moment, then turned her head and looked out the window and into the clouds.
"You know it is. How many people have died because of me?"
"Syd..."
"Danny, those agents in Badenweiler, Francie, Noah...the list goes on and on forever. You'd better watch your back, you may be next!"
"You know that Hicks was a bad guy."
The image of Noah dying in front of her very eyes played in her head and she quickly blinked it away. "Maybe, but I forced the fight. You have no idea what it was like." She paused. "When I first came to SD-6, Noah was one of their highest operatives. I looked up to him as a role model, someone I wanted to work with. He was more than a friend, yes. But he was always there for me." Sydney stopped, realizing Vaughn probably didn't want to learn about an old relationship.
Vaughn sighed, and switched back to their original subject.

"I'm not playing this game Syd – I'm not going to let you blame yourself for things that you had no control over – Danny died at Sloane's hands not yours, the agents in Badenweiler were killed in an accident – you had no way of knowing Dixon would set up another detonator, Noah Hicks was a bad person who you killed in self defence – he could have killed you. And Francie – well the double had us all fooled – not just you! She fooled Will, me even her parents – don't blame yourself"

"But if I wasn't an agent – "

"If you weren't an agent then Sd-6 would still exist, none of the good that you have done would have happened and I wouldn't have met you! I couldn't stand not knowing you, not being with you, not â€.. "

"Not what?"

"Not loving you. I love you Sydney – more than anything on this world. I was so lost without you" She kissed him gently before pulling back and saying

"My dad, start with my dad"

"Well he's OK I think – I last saw him a few months ago at Dixon's new year's eve party. He stopped doing fieldwork after you disappeared, he works as an analyst now. He doesn't know you're back yet – would you believe that your father has actually gone on vacation – they were trying to trace him when I left"

He paused for a moment before continuing "Kendall's still in charge at the centre and he's still as much of an ass as always. Dixon got promoted he's just below Kendall now and he and the kids are moving on with their lives as best as possible – he can't wait to see you. Marshall and Carrie got married a year and a half ago – they have a little girl now, Katie Lily, she was born in December. And Will's fine – no permanent damage was left as a result of the stabbing although according to Weiss he did have a slight case of post-traumatic dating syndrome that he got over – he lives with his girlfriend Jess now and is still an analyst at the agency."
Sydney smiled slightly, glad to hear that her friend had a semi-normal life.

"How is Weiss these days?"
"Never changed, unless you count the 50 pounds he lost. Oh, that and his fiancée"

"He's getting married! Really!"

"Yep – who'd have thought it Eric Weiss is going to beat US up the aisle!"

An uncomfortable silence followed this statement before Vaughn, in an attempt to diffuse the sudden tension, stood up.

"We land in a few hours you should get some rest."

"Why don't you do the same?" She looked up at him, "You look exhausted".
"I will, as soon as I finish the report regarding your resurrection." He leaned down and kissed her softly before walking to another seat, where he settled himself to work on his laptop watching as Sydney dozed off into a peaceful sleep.

TBC

A/N 1: Ok I did say that I wouldn't update till I got 25 reviews but 22 is damn close so an update you're a getting!! However, if you want more you're going to have to press that little purple button and REVIEW!! Go on – please – It'll make my day!!

A/N 2: I want to dedicate this chapter to my great beta Sydney at allalias cause without her there would be no chapter. Thankyou soo much for all your ideas, patience and cheering on – this one's for you!