Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction ever. I was inspired when re-watching season three to write this. It's based on episode seven entitled Prelude, so obviously the main plot belongs to J.J. Abrams, Alias,and so on and soforth. Maybe it's not much of a fan fiction rather than just a short one parter about what was going through Vaughn's head at the time, but non-the-less, here it is! I hope you enjoy it.

Always Her Guardian Angel

"Think about it. You know better than anyone. Lindsay will not hesitate to break the rules. If he learns about this, Sydney…"

I stopped. Lauren looked up at me with a hint of guilt in her eyes. It suddenly hit me that she had done the one thing I desperately didn't want her to do right then.

"Lauren. You already reported her." I hated to hear how she would respond.

"You followed your orders. I followed mine."

Sydney. The only thing on my mind right then was to get to Sydney. I had to before some one else did. I ran back inside to the Ops Center, ignoring my wife calling my name from behind. I wasn't even caring what she thought my feelings were for Sydney at that moment, all I could think about was to make Sydney safe.

Once inside the Ops Center, I grabbed my cell phone and dialed her number. She should be heading home by now from her last mission. I hoped she hadn't gone too far yet. Please answer, Sydney. Answer.

"Hello?"

"Sydney, it's me." I never had to tell her who I was, she always knew. "Don't go home. The NSC knows everything. Meet me at terminal one. I'll explain everything once I pick you up." I'm picking her up. It sounded so natural to say that to her.

Once I picked her up at the airport, after which seemed like an eternity, I explained the whole situation as I promised. She reacted exactly how I expected. She was hysterical. I needed to send her somewhere. Somewhere she could stay and hopefully be safe and not be found, at least, not for a while.

"Rome," she finally said. "I'm going to Rome." I picked up my cell and called who I needed to call.

We arrived at the airfield. I reluctantly got out of the car to walk her up to the terminal. I wish I didn't have to leave her again, but I had to. However, I told her I'd do anything to make sure that the NSC never got to her to destroy her with that invasive surgery, and I meant it.

I told her the information my contact told me over the phone, about her getting a new passport and money. "Good thing I'm already packed," she joked lightly. I always admired that in her. Even in the worst of her situations, which she had way too many of, she always could crack a small smile and say something to make it seem not so bad at all.

"You should go," I told her. I just wish I could go with her, to make sure she was safe, to protect her. Her guardian angel: I never wanted to stop being that for her.

She didn't go. She just stood there, an arm's length in front of me. She looked down, and then back up at me and I could see the tears forming in her eyes. "Vaughn, why are you doing this? My life is already a mess, now yours is too."

Why am I doing this? I just told my wife not hours before this that I didn't still love this woman. Actually, I didn't really give her a straight answer. I just told her that that had nothing to do with this situation. Maybe it does.

"What happened between us, everything, the way it is, isn't anyone's fault, Sydney. Even though everything's changed, some things don't." Yes, I do still feel that way. I do still love her.

She started crying. I know how she feels. I know she shouldn't have to be in this situation. I know that she doesn't want to come between me and my wife, and now she feels she has. I can't stand that she had to be in that place.

But I had to tell her one more thing.

"I'm not going to loose you twice." I couldn't stand loosing her, not the first time, and definitely not a second time. I didn't care what other obstacles were in the way. I was going to make sure that didn't happen again.

I took a step closer to her. I know I shouldn't be in this situation, either. Feeling something for another woman when you're married to someone else shouldn't be a situation anyone should be in. But anyone else's situation isn't like ours. So I still find myself there right now.

She gently put her arms around my neck, crying onto my shoulder. I hugged her back, almost as if I was afraid that if I let go I would loose her again. I closed my eyes and inhaled that soft scent of her hair that I never forgot. I would never forget that scent, nor would I forget how soft her hair is. She's still the same Sydney I once knew before, and now she's back in my arms. That's exactly where she should be, and this is exactly where I should be. Holding her. Comforting her. Protecting her. I suddenly had to swallow hard to keep the tears from forming in my own eyes. I used to miss her so much that it nearly killed me, but now she's back and I miss her so much more. I suppose I never really realized how much I truly missed her until this moment.

She started to pull away, and I reluctantly did the same. I didn't want to let her go. I looked down and saw her beautiful brown eyes, those eyes that I would constantly dream about. Those were still the same, too. I looked down to her lips. Those same lips that used to brush up against my own and I would loose myself in her and into a world where everything was just as it should have been. I haven't been to that world in almost two years.

Nothing else mattered anymore. Just her. Just me. Just us. The way things should be. I moved toward her a little more, hoping for us to return back to that world and never come back.

She pulled away and the look in her eyes began to change. They changed to a look that told me that we shouldn't be here, and that world was gone and could never be visited again. She began to recompose herself and eventually choked out a small, "Thank you."

I crept back into reality and looked over her tear-stained face. It was time for her to go. If I planned on protecting her like I promised, she had to leave now and find a safer place. I had to take faith that I would see her again, and maybe that someday, we could return to that perfect world.

I bent down to pick up her bag and then handed it to her. Looking at her once more, all I could think about was how much I missed her and how much I wished things were the way they used to be. I guess she could tell what I was thinking, she always could, and gave me the smallest of a smile, almost to reassure me that she would be fine, that I would be fine, and maybe, that we would be fine.

She walked off to the terminal. I couldn't even look her way to make sure she got there. I couldn't bear to see her walk away from me, because I didn't know for sure if that was going to be the last of her I would ever see. But I would do everything in my power to make sure that she was safe and that no one did her any harm, because just as I told her, even though everything has changed, some things don't. I did still feel strongly about her, and I would always be her guardian angel.