I couldn't have been at the park more than five minutes before someone sat next to me.

"What did you find?" Irina asked, and I noticed her glancing around nervously.

"It came from Lithuania. He couldn't narrow it down anymore than that." She frowned, and I could see the wheels turning behind the deep brown eyes that were so much like her daughters. I had to pull my gaze away.

"That's not much to go on," she finally observed.

"I know." After another bout of silence, she spoke again.

"If that's all we have to work with, that's what we'll work with." Irina pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number.

"Sark?" I heard her ask, before she switched to a language I didn't understand. A moment later, she hung up.

"He's getting the plane ready. We'll be on our way within two hours." I nodded.

"Let me know as soon as your men find anything." For the first time since she had sat down, Irina looked straight at me.

"My men? Agent Vaughn, I'm going out there myself." With that, she stood up and was on her way. I stared after her for a long while, even after she had disappeared. Had I been underestimating her all along? Perhaps she truly did care about Sydney. I had never wanted to accept that possibility; I'd just known that she had resources that would help in the search, and that made it a good idea to make her part of it. I didn't like the changing depths of Irina Derevko; it was much easier to hate her and label her a monster.

Deciding it was useless to attempt any organization to my thoughts regarding Derevko, I stood up and left the park. I didn't particularly want to go back to the JTF, but I knew I'd get into even more trouble if I didn't. Not that I particularly cared, I mused as I headed back.

When I got there, I was less than surprised to find Kendall waiting at my desk. I wondered if he had been there the whole half hour I was gone.

"Don't you have anything better to do? Like, say, run important government intelligence operations?" He glared at me.

"And just where the hell did you go running off to, Agent Vaughn?" I didn't answer. I couldn't tell him the truth, and I wasn't up to fabricating a lie, so I remained silent.

"You need to get your priorities straightened out. You're constantly disappearing, and-"

"My priorities are straight. Sydney Bristow is my priority."

"Sydney Bristow has been missing for over two years!" Kendall seethed.

"Yeah, and in those two years, you have done next to nothing to find her! Someone has to pick up the slack on your part."

"How do you expect to find her on your own? You don't have the resources," he spat.

"I have my ways."

"Such as…?" I shook my head.

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"And suppose I make it an official request?"

"Have at it. I still won't tell you anything." He nodded slowly.

"Fine. Have it you way, Agent Vaughn. But be warned: I will be keeping a very close eye on you, and your job is on the line." After a brief stare down, he turned and walked away. He paused briefly as he noticed the majority of the other agents had been watching our argument.

"Get back to work!" he barked before he stormed to his office and slammed the door. I smiled to myself.

"You're a brave man, Vaughn, a very brave man," Weiss declared as he seated himself at my desk.

"Hey, Weiss, make yourself comfortable."

"I did. Now, want to tell me what's going on?"

"Do I want to? Yes. Can I? No."

"No fair."

"What can I say? Life isn't fair." My argument with Kendall had buoyed my spirits, but I was brought back down by the realization of how true that statement was. Weiss seemed to realize this, as he soon stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Things are going to work out." He grabbed his soda from my desk and walked away.

"You don't know that," I sighed as I sat down.

"Yes I do," he called over his shoulder, leaving me to wonder how he could possibly have heard me. The rest of the day passed without incident, and I arrived home around 10. The phone started ringing as soon as I walked through the door, and I lunged for it.

"Hello?" I was expecting it to be Jack, calling for an update. It wasn't.

The other side of the call was garbled and I couldn't make out anything specific. I could tell that someone was there, but it wasn't clear. I became annoyed.

"Prank calls aren't funny," I growled before slamming the phone down. I took off my tie and jacket, setting them on a chair before unbuttoning the first few buttons of my shirt. Then I walked to the refrigerator and started rummaging for food. I was interrupted by the phone, which started ringing again. With a sigh, I slammed the refrigerator door and leaned over the counter to grab the phone.

"Hello?" It soon became obvious that it was the same caller as two minutes ago. I was about to hang up again when one word came through loud and clear.

"Help…"

"Syd, is that you? Hello?" The mangled noise continued for a moment, and then died. I gently set the phone down and sank into a chair, confused. All my doubts and worries came back full force, and I soon collapsed onto the couch, falling into another night full of dark dreams.

Ryanne: Yes, she was on a mission when she disappeared, and no, Sark and Irina had nothing to do with it.

My favorite thread stalker: Sounds like a good deal! But, uh… suppose I write un-amazing stories. Then what? ;)

miss.pebbles: I have something planned, involving Syd and an explanation, but… I can't tell you. That would just ruin all the fun!

Secret Agent Girl: Fights with Kendall are such fun to write! Hehe. I know it's taking forever to get back to the F/V stuff, but I do have a plan for that, other stuff just has to be done first.

Carrie: Yeah, Vaughn could very well lose his job… tee hee, that'd be funny! I wonder how he'd pay his bills though…