Almost 60 reviews… I feel special. You guys rock soo much! Any and all errors in this whole fic are mine, all mine, cuz I don't have a beta. Just thought I'd point that out, cuz I've noticed a few stupid mistakes when I reread… This chapter switches it back to Vaughn's POV.


Jack and I sat at the small coffee shop, waiting, I presumed, for Irina and Sark. We remained in relative silence for almost an hour. I was still trying to process everything I had learned that morning. Syd was alive; that was the most important thing. Irina and Sark were our allies- I was still uncertain about that. And I was in New Zealand, in a coffee shop with Jack Bristow, at a time when I should have been home with my family, preparing for the holidays. But that didn't matter.

Sydney was alive.
Maybe someday I could sit in a coffee shop with her, discussing plans for a family christmas. It was an appealing thought. Finally, around 11, I noticed Jack's eyes transfixed on something outside. Were Irina and Sark finally there? I turned to see for myself, and my eyes met the cool blue of Sark's. He stared at us for a moment before shaking his head briefly and disappearing into the streets of Auckland.
I turned to see Jack with his eyes shut tightly. I had no idea what the whole exchange had meant, exactly, but it was quite obviously not good. And where was Irina? Was that why he had shaken his head, to indicate that he couldn't get her out of that cell? I had no answers, and it didn't look like Jack was going to be offering them anytime soon.

My memory goes on hold briefly as I realize that the woman is once again seated next to me. I don't quite know when that happened. Not that I'm paying a lot of attention to the things around me. Some spy I am. She could have poisoned my drink and I wouldn't even have noticed. Paranoia kicks in and I glance at the glass beside me suspiciously. I sigh at my own idiocy and turn to stare at the wall again. She wouldn't kill me. That would be too easy. If there is a god, I don't think he could have that much mercy on me.

I glance over as I feel her eyes on me. She smiles somewhat nervously, looking a bit embarrassed that I caught her looking. I smile a little to ease her nerves, then turn back and take a sip of my drink. I'm not even sure what it is anymore. I notice her fidgeting with a napkin. She folds it and unfolds it, then repeats the process two more times before she finally seems to gather the courage to say something else to me.

"So, if you don't mind me asking- I mean, I don't want you to feel like you have to answer, because I'm just being nosy… actually, never mind. It's none of my business." She reminds me of Marshall. At least, of Sydney's descriptions of Marshall. I have to laugh at the comparison, prompting her to look at me quizzically.

"Sorry, you just kinda reminded me of someone. You can go ahead and ask your question. I doubt it's something I haven't heard before." She smiles uncertainly, as I realize that's probably the longest sentence I've said all night. She folds the napkin again, but this time doesn't unfold it.

"Um, what happened with your girlfriend... or whatever she was to you?" I kinda figured that was what she wanted to know. I don't mind answering, but this is definitely the first time I've spoken about Syd to anyone outside of the CIA. My family doesn't even know; it's just a lot easier to try to be normal around them, than to try to explain everything. And how do I explain anything to a complete stranger?

"It was… complicated," I begin. Her words suddenly run through my mind. 'whatever she was to you.' What were we anyway? We were never 'officially' together, we never could be. Not with SD-6 still around. But I loved her, and I know she loved me. Our relationship was complex, and I don't really feel like explaining it to a stranger right now.

"She had to go get something from this guy she knew in Michigan. She called me when she got there, and then again as she was on her way to the airport. But she never came back." Short, to the point, and more or less true. I leave out a few details, of course. Then I notice it.

A strange look has crossed her face. She tries to hide it, but is less than successful. Mentally, I go back over my words, trying to find something in them that may have been odd. There is nothing that I can see. But since she is now busy staring into her drink, looking deep in thought, I take the opportunity to continue reminiscing about what happened in New Zealand 4 years ago.

It took a few moments after Sark's disappearing act, but Jack finally opened his eyes and looked at me. He was silent for a minute, organizing his thoughts, before he spoke.

"Obviously, something has gone wrong. It seems most likely that whatever the problem is, it was on Irina's end. That means you need to get back to L.A. and figure out what. Keep your cell phone on and with you all day on christmas. I'll be in touch then." With that, he paid for both of our coffees and left. He dissolved into the crowd even faster than Sark had. Allowing ample time to be sure he was gone, I get up and head for my hotel. Within 20 minutes, everything was packed and I was on my way to the airport. I had absolutely no idea what to think of the situation. Had Kendall somehow caught wind of the planned escape? It was possible. The thought almost made me want to run away from the plane. I did not look forward to dealing with him if he found out about that.

12 hours later, I was home. I had not been apprehended the second I stepped off the plane, nor I had gotten any phone calls. I didn't know what to make of it. I had been home less than an hour when my cell phone rang. Thinking it was Jack, I answered without checking the caller ID.

"Vaughn."

"Get down here, now." A pissed off Kendall ordering me to the ops center the day before christmas. That couldn't be good. I quickly changed into a suit and made it there in record time. He was waiting impatiently.

"What the hell is going on, Agent Vaughn?" I frowned, having no clue what he was talking about.

"I don't know. I don't even know what you're referring to." He levels a hard stare at me.

"What I'm referring to is the escape of Irina Derevko from this facility just hours after you left."

"Escape? She escaped?" But she hadn't shown up in Auckland, and Jack seemed to think that Sark hadn't been able to get her out. Kendall nodded, looking more and more angry by the second.

"How? Did she have help?" He glared at me again, though in a slightly less accusatory way this time.

"They don't know for certain, but I'm she must have. All of our communications were down for 3 minutes. When they came back, her cell was empty, and all of the guards were unconscious." That was a bad sign, and I had no way of getting in touch with Jack. I wouldn't be able to warn him until tomorrow.

"But only someone who knew the codes would be able to shut down all of the communications." His eyes met mine.
"I know." Only then did I realize what should have been obvious all along: he thinks I helped her escape.

"Hey, wait a minute. You can't honestly believe-" he cut me off before I could finish my protest.

"Agent Vaughn, this is the first time anyone has been able to get in touch with you since you left her cell last night. You completely fell off the radar, and in that time, Irina Derevko managed to escape from this facility and disappear into thin air. So honestly, I most certainly can believe that you may have played a hand in this whole thing. You are, after all, the only person she has been willing to speak to in the last 2 years. I've been lenient with you, and your frequent requests for private meetings with Derevko, camera free. More often than not, I granted those requests. This, however, is not something that can be tolerated. Do you realize that I have been on the phone with Washington all morning, trying to explain how one of the most dangerous people in the world could have walked out of here?" I remained silent. He had a point; all of the evidence, no matter how circumstantial, pointed directly to me.

"Do you have anything to say, Agent Vaughn? Anything at all?" I could have very easily told him all about New Zealand. That would have gotten me off the hook right away. But I couldn't- I wouldn't- do that to Jack. Then I remembered that he needed me to remain in the CIA, to continue using any resources I could. I needed a way out of that mess, without implicating Jack or even Sark. But I came up with nothing but blanks.

"All I have to say is that I had nothing to do with this. You're right, all that evidence, when taken together, makes me look suspicious. And I have nothing I can offer you that would prove otherwise. But I swear to you, I did not help Irina Derevko escape. The last place she should be is out, free to do what she wants." Kendall continued to stare at me, and I could tell that he wanted to believe me. I didn't know if my word was enough to convince him though. Finally, he nodded.

"I believe what you're saying, Agent Vaughn. I do. But I can't guarantee that anyone else will." I sighed lightly; that was one hurdle cleared. Having him on my side would help in the long run. But I knew that if this went to any kind of trial, I would only have one option.

I would have to go on the run.


All my teachers are being pretty cool so far. Not a lot of homework, which means time to write. Ok, now I just have to tell you all something that happened when I was doing my German homework last night: part of the assignment was trying to translate movie ads. One of the movies was 'Nacht Uber Manhattan' which means Night Over Manhattan or something of the like. At any rate, that one caught my eye because one of the people listed in that ad was Lena Olin. That was just the funniest thing in the world to me… especially at 1 am… so yeah. That's my fun story of the day.