Ah here I am again. And here you are again. Yay, another chapter. We're getting the end here folks. Another couple of chapters will probably do it. They are going to be some fun. I don't really have much to say about this chapter except there's a lot of talking. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted but I'm done toying with it. The end of the chapter is a little confusing but you know when hasn't this story been confusing? Why change it now? Hope you guys enjoy it and thanks for all your replies. It means a lot.

Erica

Vaughn pulled Sydney closer into his arms as her eyes started to flutter open. She stared wide eyed at her surroundings. She felt the warmth of his body against hers and tried to push him away.

"Don't fight it, Sydney. They injected you with a neurotoxin it's just starting to wear off now. If you fight it you'll regret it. Your body will be so sore you'll curse yourself for a week."

Sydney didn't listen, he could feel her trying to move her arms and legs. He kept his firm grip. "Just stop. I know what it feels like but just stay still."

She still tried. She stopped after a half an hour of constant struggle. He had been injected with the same drug more times than he could count. Lauren would get bored of looking after him. She would inject him and leave for hours. He would struggle the whole time thinking he might have a chance of getting away. He made it worse for himself. This hell he lived in. He ran his hand through her long hair and stared in her eyes. He knew she couldn't speak. He took his opportunity.

"Sydney, I know you're confused. I know you hate me right now. I need to talk to you before they come back. I don't know how much time we have." Vaughn started stumbling over his words.

"They need you. Sloane and Sark, they need you. You're part of this fucking Rambaldi scheme. They took me from you. I've been sitting here for the past few hours just staring at you and I know how much I love you. You know that I love you?" Sydney was overwhelmed as she listened to his spiel. She didn't love this man; she didn't even know this man. She hated this man.

"No matter what happens, I love you…" He brushed his fingers across her face. She flinched at his touch, trying to pull back. "Please don't, I've been waiting for so long to see you again." She stared at him her eyes full of confusion. "You didn't know."

"It was never me." He started. "I've been gone for months Sydney. Do you remember the night, that first night we were together? When I went into the bathroom they came in the window. I turned around to see where the noise was coming from I saw myself." He shook his head.

"I was staring right at myself and there was no damn mirror there. They doubled me; I was the second person that they doubled." His voice was full of rage and his eyes flared with anger. "I don't know how. He knocked me out. I was caught off guard and then I woke up I was here. I've been here since then."

"She made me watch." He pointed at the small tv in the corner. "She made me watch everything he did to you. Everytime he hurt you I saw myself doing it. I couldn't believe it, it made me sick. It made me sick to think that that was happening to you and that I was the cause of all your problems." He shook his head in shame and a tear slipped down his cheek leaving a path through the caked on dirt.

"I talked to you a lot. I saw you a lot. I would crawl around in the darkness of this damn room trying to find you but you were never there. I thought I was going crazy, things like this just don't happen."

"Why do these things happen to us?" He leaned against the cold wall banging his head gently. "I was giving up. I would sit here and think of you. I would hear your voice and I would see you in the shadows. I heard her talking one day, the woman that kept me here, Lauren; she said that you were coming. When I knew I would see you again I couldn't believe it." He subconsciously rubbed her arms. "I can't explain how amazing it is to see you again."

"I never thought…"He could feel Sydney's body tense against his. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head violently. "It hurts."

"I know it hurts. I know but it will be okay."

Every muscle, every part of her body ached. The last numbing effects slipped away as struggled to sit up.

"I can't believe it." She sighed as the tears slid down her cheeks. "It was never you." Vaughn leaned down placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I would never hurt you, Sydney. I love you so much."

She pushed away from him and crawled to the other side of the small cell. "It's almost ironic isn't it? The man who beat me said the exact same thing. It was always your face, always your voice. It was you, don't lie to me."

"Sydney, don't push me away. Let me try and explain everything."

"I don't know how to deal with this. It was always you." She cringed as she pulled her knees to her chest rocking back and forth in the corner.

What if he was telling the truth? What if this man was actually Vaughn and the man she had spent the last 4 months with was Sark? It seemed impossible but every time she thought she had seen the worse or the most unbelievable. The tears were streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't deal with this.

She tensed as she heard loud foot steps coming down the hallway. He rushed over to her side.

"Sydney, I don't care if you don't believe me. It's hard but listen to me before they come." She looked up into his eyes and she knew. They were his eyes, the unmistakable green she would stare at for hours. She smiled and stared in them again, those eyes she hadn't seen for months.

"I think I believe you." She replied. He cradled her face in his hands wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

"Whatever happens Sydney, don't let them break you. Don't give in. They need you for this sick plan, whatever happens, whatever they say they'll do to me, I can deal with this. You can get out of here, I promise. I'll get you out of here."

"You know I don't break." She smiled. "We'll get out of here."

The door flew open. A young blond woman barged into the room. She pulled Vaughn to his feet. "I told you not to talk to her." She yelled in his face and pushed him onto the ground.

She yanked Sydney's head back. "Mr. Sloane is waiting for you." Sydney stood slowly, stumbling around the cell crying out in pain as she tried to find her footing. "I'll help her." Vaughn stood, scooping Sydney into his arms.

Lauren shook her head as he led Vaughn down the hallway. "They say she's the best, I don't believe them. She's a wreck."

-

"Sydney." Sloane stroked her hair. "I'm sorry you're in so much pain. We had to take some precautionary measure. We all know how you can over react sometimes."

"Over react? You've got to be kidding me. I'm a prisoner." She yelled.

"I would hardly say that you're a prisoner. It's your own fault I have to keep you this way. If you would co operate you could be very comfortable." Sloane replied calmly.

"I'm rather comfortable." Sydney stated cringing as a wave of pain ripped through her side.

Sloane smiled. "You don't have to lie to me."

"Sydney I know you are aware of my interest in the world of Rambaldi. When I began this journey I knew we would come together again. You're in his prophecy you know? He writes about you. He wrote things that scare even me; I won't tell you what he says you'll do."

"Aidan Champlain was just a playing card. He had what I needed. I have it now. I have men that are deciphering everything that book said right now. When it's done, Sydney, I'll know what to do and I'll be one step closer." Sydney shuddered at the look on his face. She refused to be any help to this man.

The door creaked open. A man came in from the hallway. It was Vaughn. She didn't know anymore. Who was it this time? "Mr. Sloane… I see we have company. Hello love."

"I sense that Agent Vaughn may have told you what's been going on. You can believe every word of it Sydney."

Sydney shook her head again. She wouldn't humor him by crying and yelling at him. That's what he wanted. He wanted to hurt her more than he already had. She stared at the ground. He tugged at her hair and lifted her head up. He kissed her hard. She pushed him away with all the strength she could muster. He gave her a huge smile and turned on his heel. "I'll miss that."

"Please, Mr.Sark. This isn't a game." Sloane gave him a harsh look as he headed for the door.

"Arvin, we have to talk when you're done here."

Sloane's eyes bore into her. "Sydney you don't know what you're capable of and I hope that I can help you realize that power. I'll help you. He would want you to."

She screamed loud pushing her hands against her ears blocking out his voice. Sloane emerged from his chair swiftly. He walked over to Sydney taking her hands from her ears. I placed his hand over her mouth gently. "This is how it's supposed to be."

He exited the room quickly leaving Sydney with her own thoughts. She didn't know how long she sat there in shock. She laid down on the stiff bed as the tears streamed down her face.

-

The sound of a gunshot is unmistakable. Sydney bolted up right in the small bed and cursed herself as she doubled over in pain. Her muscles still ached as a man rushed into her room. It was dark but she would recognize the figure anywhere.

"Sydney, get out!" The voice came from the hallway.

Vaughn stumbled around the room. Vaughn emerged from the hallway. Sydney stood up slowly as another gunshot ripped through the room. Vaughn fell to his knees in front of her, the blood was pouring from his side. He slid to the floor. She jumped over his body. "Sydney, we have to move fast. The guards are coming."

Sydney jumped over the writhing body. A hand reached up grabbing her ankle. "Sydney…" he gasped breathing hard. "Don't…"

She kicked away his hand and grabbed Vaughn's hand as he bolted of the door. "We're going to get out of here." She smiled as they weaved through the tiny hallways.

Lauren ran out of one of the rooms. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled pulling out her gun. Vaughn was too quick for her. She fell to her knees blood spilling from her chest.

They busted through the door and she took a deep breath of the fresh air. She collapsed into Vaughn's arms and he covered her face with gentle kisses. "We've got to be quick. We'll go to the safe house. We're going to be fine." He pulled her into his arms not wanting to let her go now that he had her again.

The warehouse emptied quickly after the gunshots. Sloane couldn't be caught anywhere by anyone. Sloane and his men abandoned the warehouse without a thought.

A young man lay on the floor pushing hard on the deep gun shot wound. He hallucinated as his blood spilled on to the floor. He saw her face, the dimples, the soft brown eyes, he could smell her hair. He talked to her as he slipped into the darkness. He gasped for breath. Sobs wracked his weak body. Those unmistakable green eyes took one last look at their surroundings and slowly closed.

pouring down all over me

it's so hard to lay down in all of this

red rain is coming down

-

Thanks for reading. Please review but don't kill me. ) I'll think about fixing it, I promise.

Erica