Alice sat up straighter, "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Jake! Don't you dare!" Her hands flared out with anger. They instantly coursed through her bed-ragged hair. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest. She felt her fingertips begin to tingle and her pulse raged in her feet.

The man on the other side of the line took a slow inhale and snapped back, "Fine. Have it your way. I want to see you, Alice. We need it."

"We've already had this discussion. There's really nothing more to say." Alice retorted, covering her eyes with her hands. She needed to make him stop. This had gone too far as it was. She never should have let it get like this. Oh G-d.

"Please, I'm asking you to do this for us. Please." Jake pleaded with her mercilessly over the phone. She could hear the emotions straining in his chest.

She took a long moment to decide. Her heart was split into two; she could either concede or see him one last time or she could cut him out of her life permanently, losing them forever. Regardless, her decision would tear her world apart. Her mistake from four and a half years ago held the potential to collapse the neat little world she had created since then. She felt her lower lip start to tremble, "How are you doing?" She managed to ask at last. Her hand was clenched around the phone and she felt like she dying all over again. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces. This was going to destroy her life. Their exchanges could kill her easily.

"Okay…not great….just okay." Jake replied cryptically.

She could hear the tension in his voice and knew what his face looked like. His dark brown eyes were set deep and bore pain and love. She was responsible for that pain and partially responsible for that love. They shared something that she never really thought she would. She had never really thought about it before and then four and a half years ago, it was the only thing she could. For now, all she could think of was the man with the statuesque face with a long scar going from cheekbone to jawbone. She remembered how many times her fingers traced that scar, planting kisses along his face. She remembered what it felt like to look into his eyes and only see love. She knew that he hid no secrets from her. They were truly in love. But they were young and naïve. They were blind and it hurt them in the end. And it caused the end of them. "Oh Jake." She sighed heavily and shook her head back and forth.

"Is that a yes?" He jumped immediately. The desperation was becoming more and more evident in his voice.

"That's a yes." She answered, coming so close to tears. Her voice choked and strangled against her emotions. She covered her eyes and bore into the self-induced darkness. She just wanted it to stop.

"When?"

"Meet me in the park where we always went in thirty minutes." She answered, closing her eyes and falling back against on the couch. This wasn't the way she envisioned the day going. It was just three minutes ago that she was thinking of visiting with Michael at the hospital. Now, Jake Santos was back in her life. She sighed and shut the phone, barely hearing his response. She knew it would be affirmative. He was desperate to see her…they barely spoke now….She kept their phone calls to a minimum and their visits even fewer. She shook her head softly, trying to get a clear a head. This was only going to be bad. Really, really bad. She could only hope that she could continue to keep this from Michael.

Alice Williams, interior decorator, adoring daughter of John and Lucy Williams, loving girlfriend of Michael Vaughn had a secret.

OHNEVERADULLMOMENT

Vaughn was alone with Sydney, sitting on the motel room bed, desperately wanting to wrap her into his arms. Will had stepped out for the third time, scouting out the area. Surveillance. They had to be so careful if they wanted to move her. Despite her regaining consciousness, Vaughn still wasn't convinced that the area was entirely secure. So, they were taking turns examining the less than constant activity of the road in front of the hotel. It was almost his turn. He continued to watch her sleep, keeping careful time. It had been an hour since she opened her eyes for a moment and then fallen back to sleep. Vaughn prayed that it would be peaceful. Her cries of a nightmare plagued sleep haunted him. He sighed, not really knowing what to do and becoming increasingly nervous about the situation. He knew in his heart that he was making the right decision but, there were still things that could go wrong. It came down to the question of whether he was willing to risk her life for her supposed safety. He rested his head in his hands and sighed. Watching her sleep, he felt his phone vibrate on his hip. He opened his phone and got to his feet. With a hushed voice, he maneuvered his body over towards the bathroom, "Vaughn."

"Hey, baby." Alice though she sounded a little too sweet as she answered.

"Hey," he cleared his throat, "hey, what's going on?"

"Wanted to make sure everything was okay with you…and um…just wanted to let you know that I was going out for a little while--I won't be home when you get home, most likely." She hurried through her sentence, terrified she was going to get caught.

"Sweetie, is everything okay? You sound a little off." He replied, feeling his brow wrinkle in concern. His hand flew to the face and rubbed his eyes. He didn't need this right now. Things with her needed to be okay just for now. She could fall apart when Sydney was well. He couldn't have both of the women in his life falling apart at the seams. He instantly became claustrophobic and his throat felt like it was tightening. This wasn't happening.

"You sound just as off." Alice countered, slightly apprehensive at lying to her love.

He laughed lightly, a forced soft laugh. Maybe he had jumped to conclusions slightly. "Fair enough. Fair enough. Where are you off to?"

"Just going to the park for a run. Maybe meeting some of the girls there." She lied, feeling herself sink faster and faster into this pit.

"Oh very nice." He took a deep inhale, "Have fun. Be careful?"

"Always am." Alice replied, digging her nails into the palm of her hands.

"Alright sweetie, I need to…there's things…I gotta go…bye." He managed to stammer, feeling the weight of his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.

"Bye."

Vaughn snapped his phone shut and returned it to his pocket. His hands went through his hair. Something was up with her and he couldn't put his finger on it. He tried so hard to shake that from his mind. There was not enough room in his brain to worry about his girlfriend. As horrible as that sounded, he hand to keep his love live and his business life separate. It was the only way that he could survive. It was defense mechanism. He would simply put her on the back burner and wait for all of those emotions to resurface whenever Alice got home. On an positive note, he wouldn't have to worry about getting Alice out of the house. Just a matter of keeping her out of the house. But normally when she went for a run, she was gone for hours. She always stopped to grab something to eat and most importantly, get her iced latte and whatnot. He managed to breathe again. It was a little bit better.

Will walked in a few moments later and Vaughn barely noticed. His mind was drifting from one thing to another. Now, instead of looking at Sydney, he was looking out to the highway. Absently, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a new carton of cigarettes. There were only two or three missing. He had tried to quit but with the stress of his job, it was easier not to. He honestly felt like it was keeping him sane. He reached deep into another pocket and found a box of matches. It was nostalgic of him to use matches. His father smoked and always had a box of matches that shook slightly with each step. It was just a reminder of his father, he assumed. He took one stick and lit it with a sharp crackle, lighting the bottom of the cigarette. He shook the match abruptly and dropped it to the ground. Not thinking anything more, he brought the cigarette up to his mouth and took a long inhale, feeling the nicotine rushing through his system. He took half a moment to close his eyes and savor the initial rush. Letting out a long puff of smoke, he opened his eyes and scanned the horizon line. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but he would know it when he found it. Trying to look casual, he paced up and down the walkway, taking slow drags until his cigarette faded into ash. He lit another and continued his walk. He had no idea how long he was out there until Will had stepped outside to relieve him of his duty. Vaughn flicked his fourth cigarette onto the ground and pressed it into the cement with the bottom of his shoe. He was numb. His brain was working overtime and the only thing he could really do was see everything in black and white.

Vaughn moved back inside, returning to Sydney's bedside. Without realizing it, an hour and a half had past and he hadn't thought of Alice once. Will shut the door firmly behind him and Vaughn settled down by her side. He took a slow inhale, devoid of any new nicotine and rested his hands on his thighs. He shook his head softly back and forth, unsure of what was really happening. It was then that she started screaming. Beneath the veil of exhaustion, her body started toss and strain.

"Syd, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay." There was nothing he could do to make this stop. It felt like it was only a moment ago that he feared for her life, and now, her sanity. He sighed in frustration as he attempts to calm her didn't work. He wondered how thin the walls were. That's all that they needed right now-someone calling the police because they think that a woman was being abused. Well, she had been abused-just not by the men in that room at that time. She wouldn't stop. Her lungs empty of oxygen and her desperate inhales wracked her body. She continued, four and a half minutes passed and she still struggled for sanity.

The Irish man, the one with dark black hair and even darker eyes, was standing over her again. He was smiling. His eyes were degrading her. His hands were- -

The door opened and Vaughn snapped to his feet, one hand on the gun in his holster, "Will?"

"Yeah, yeah it's me." Will replied, coming into view. "You can hear her all the way down the hall."

Vaughn looked down towards Sydney, who was still wailing against her ghosts. "We can't wake her up."

The two men just starred as the woman they loved slowly started to regain her breath. The screams stopped and now, only tears seeped from her eyes. "We're all clear outside, Vaughn. This is getting ridiculous. We have to move her. We have our window. We have to risk waking her up. There's nothing else we can do."

"I agree." He took another moment, "I'll get her and we'll get her to my place. You pay the bill?"

"Yeah-signed it under Nick Orpehus. You always carry pseudo credit cards?"

Vaughn smiled and nodded his head, "Yeah. Hazard of the trade, I guess." He didn't really feel like ins and outs of being a spy. He was normally okay to talk about just about anything but today with Sydney and Alice, he just couldn't. He didn't have enough energy. Vaughn walked over to the bed and maneuvered his arms around her body. "It's all gonna be okay, Syd."

Her eyes fluttered open for the second time in over two hours. Her brain was dizzy and things were foggy. She felt salty tears course down her face and felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She was disoriented and confused. She retrieved her hand and reached up to touch Vaughn's face, "No." She sighed, taking so much effort for her to speak.

Vaughn gathered her into his arms and lifted her off of the bed, her hands still on his face. "If I promise you one thing in this life, I give you my word that you're going to make it and you're going to be okay."

She curled her arms close to her chest, rested her curled hands beneath her chin (a la Audrey Hepburn). Her head shook back and forth, "No." Her body ached more than before. It honestly hurt just to be alive. She started to cry a little bit, biting down on her lip to stop the tears. She was conscious enough to realize that she had cried enough in the last forty-eight hours to last her a lifetime. Her teeth gritted down into her dehydrated lip and soon, she felt blood trickle down to her throat.

Will looked on, slightly helpless. For the first time in his life, he realized that he was never going to be cut out for this life. He realized that the lies and dangers that people like Sydney and Vaughn faced on a daily basis. He had heard the conversation Vaughn had with his girlfriend. Those lies-how could Will ever tell them to a woman that he loved? He walked to the door, opening the door for the two agents. He took in a slow inhale as he was greeted with the highway. The noises overtook them and it flooded Will's mind for a moment. His blue eyes took a fleeting glance at Vaughn, waiting for approval to continue.

"Mine" was the only thing that Vaughn said and directed Will towards the chic silver sports car parked haphazardly in a nearby parking spot.

"Yeah." Will's brain was on auto-pilot as he climbed into the backseat and watched as Sydney was folded into his arms. Her head rested in the crook of his arm and he could feel the gentle inhale and exhale on his forearm. He had never loved her more than at that moment. He held her body in his arms and his blue eyes scanned over every bruise and cut on her face. Her hair was clinging desperately to the back of her neck and was soaking through his thin t-shirt. Absently, his hands stroked her hair.

Sydney was just coherent enough to understand what was going on, "Will?" She murmured into his fabric pants and her own hands.

Will leaned forward and pressed his ear close to her mouth as Vaughn slammed the door and got into the driver's seat.

She cleared her throat and tried so hard to speak clearly, "Where are we-"

"We're going to Vaughn's apartment. You'll be safe there." Will replied, not hazarding a look at Vaughn. He feared what he would find in the driver's eyes.

"SD-6." She replied breathily.

"SD-6 won't find you there. We've done everything make sure that you're going to be safe. It's gonna be okay, Syd." Will continued. He stroked her hair lovingly, making soothing noises beneath his breath. Anything to calm her down.

"You keep saying that. You both should-" She started to cough, letting it wrack her body and shake her. Will stroked her hair and back of her neck, in attempts to calm her down. He softly made soothing noises, trying so hard to make her quiet down. "You both should start a club."

"We're going to have t-shirts made." Will joked and adjusted his body weight beneath her, trying hard not to disrupt her. He wrapped one arm around her waist protectively, feeling how frail her body was. Enough beneath the bulk of the gauze, he could feel he ribcage. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss into her forehead, "We're not going to let anything happen to you. I promise you. You're going to be okay." He said more for himself than for her. It was the pain that ached in his chest that he selfishly tried to banish.

THINGSWEREBADBUTNOWTHEYREOKAY

Alice Williams strolled into the park, her heart ready to jump out of her chest. She had changed, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt/long sleeved shirt. Her blonde hair was pushed away from her face by a black ribbon that trailed down her back. Her feet were clad in black ballet flats and she kept her body warm with a periwinkle pashmina that was thrown over her shoulder. She continued walking along the path that led into the depth of the park. It was darker here, the trees fuller. There was a beautifully constructed playground nearby and the squeals of children seemed to echo throughout. Her blue eyes scanned around. The sight was worth a postcard. Children dressed in bright colors were running around while their adoring parents looked on. Joggers strode past her, leaving her alone in their wake. Some people were lying out on towel, soaking up the warm sun. She stopped in her tracks, however, when she caught sight of a tall, dark haired man. He was standing near the playground, bouncing a beautiful toddler in his arms.

She swallowed hard and walked up the man, all of the anger disappearing. She couldn't remember why they hadn't worked. She couldn't remember why she thought she had moved on. There was no logical that reminded her that she was in love with another. She had no idea that she could forget so quickly. She only saw his striking eyes and suave smile. Feeling ever less confident, she strode up to him and managed to greet him in a flirtatious tone, "Jake Santos." Never in her wildest moments would she think that she would be meeting him here again.

The man turned and smiled at her, adjusting the little girl in his arms. "Hey Alice." His smile was still the same. His eyes still glowed the same color. The scar was still etched across his face, although it was a duller shade of pink. His smile only grew as he turned his attention towards the little girl, "Olivia, can you say hi? Do you know who this?"

The hazel eye toddler looked at Jake, looking very insecure. Her eyes looked out on Alice as she buried her head into her father's shoulder. She started to suck on her hand and pouted her lips out in only a way that would be fitting for such a little girl. And with no voice above a whisper, she replied, "Hi Mommy."