Disclaimer: If I owned alias this would have already happened. But I don't
Set: About 2 months after the season 3 finale
Shippy: Syd/Vaughn

Chapter one: So It begins

Sydney randomly banged and clattered her way through her kitchen as she unpacked her first proper grocery shop in over 8 months. Since her return she picked odd bits and pieces she needed as and when they were required- her life, never in any reliable or consistent pattern, provided obstacles for the normal everyday chores, the dullness of which she desperately she craved. Syd had also stopped off at the mall for the first time without Francie, the tiny sense of closure she felt made her smile momentarily, but she missed her more than ever. On the way back from her small shopping spree, she visited her dearest friend's grave for the first time.

Sydney walked across the grassy fields, beautifully littered with bouquets of flowers resting near modest grey headstones. She carefully scanned the perfectly carved letters scrawled across stone monuments until she found what she had been looking for.

Francine. D. Calfo
Beloved daughter, sister and friend
Taken away from us at her most glorious
01.01.75-1.26.03

She quietly gasped, her body turning cold, her spine heavy with guilt, her body itching with anger. Sydney sat, without tears admiring the spot chosen by Fran's family. The large emerald field was alive with the happy smile of those remembered with great fondness. She wanted to say something, but she realised now wasn't the time; this alone had a been a great step in gaining closure for Francie's death, but the pain of a wound re-opened still stung in the deeper regions of her soul. Sydney's brow knitted as she spotted a bunch of daises placed humbly behind the headstone. They had no card or letter, no label or over-glorified sentiment, but were tied neatly towards the base by some rustic string. The bow was even and the loops gathering the flowers, tidy. Whoever had left them, probably Francine's mother, she mused, had taken care with this token of affection and she smiled knowing Francie was still as cherished as ever. However, the daisies were fresh, not tinted with the brownish hue of death the other bouquets she had passed were showing. They, unlike the others, were untouched by the morning dew, their creamy white colour shining playfully in the early sun of the day. Francie's mom had obviously only been here hours before. Syd smiled again, stiffly rising from the damp ground. Her jeans now uncomfortable with the moisture green carpet did not bother her. She left quietly leaving behind some Lilies, a silent reminder of her presence.

Sydney, now finished unpacking trudged into her room, her body weary with fatigue and longing. The soft bed called to her, but she had other things on her mind now, images and thoughts that greedily occupied her busy mind, pushing thoughts of sleep to the back of her conscious .

Sydney smiled as she stepped into her bathroom turning on the shower. She left her arm underneath the warm water letting her fingers toy with its unusual texture. Within seconds her clothes were discarded on the floor, the door of the shower slammed shut. She bathed herself leisurely making a special effort to use the vanilla scented body cream she knew he loved. She smiled coyly as she remembered

...he kissed her stomach playfully, the feel of his lips and tongue against her bare skin making her gasp. "Vaughn..." she moaned. He smiled against her body "whatever you're wearing Syd, never stop...its your scent. Every time I-" he hummed gently "... this aroma...Vanilla- its yours now... every time I sense vanilla... I'll think about this. I'll think about making love to you...I'll remember how it feels to be inside you..."

Sydney turned the tap off, stepping out of the shower with a blush saturating her cheeks. Before now she would have chastised her self for thinking such thoughts, or worse, cried knowing she would have to face him at work not long after. But it was different now; it was like it was when all they had was the warehouse and unspoken promises. It was different now.

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"So why don't you just go over there man? Just tell her you love her and that you want her to be your wife and you want to have lots and lots of sex and babies"

"Because is more sensitive than that! Its more sensitive- it's more special"

"Jesus Mike sometimes I swear you're a woman" Vaughn punched his best friend in the arm

"Ow! Ok, well maybe not ALL woman... though saying that buddy, I think Syd could to take you"

"I know...so you think I should go over there"

"I don't know man, I mean she's waited 3 years for you, and you are both crazily in love with each other, you've kissed and pretty much told her you loved her more than your wife more times than I care to remember, you've risked you're lives for each other, and your like best friends...so, no, I don't think you should. There's nothing there man. No spark...it would never work... lost cause"

"Uh-huh that's cute... maybe I shouldn't"

"Mike! Are you crazy! You two are freakin' miserable without each other, and who had to listen to you two depressed crazy people whine and cry about each other! Me! It's been two months man. I think you've given her enough space"

"Did Syd cry over me?"

"Mike..." Eric hesitantly warned

"Answer the question Eric. I'll never get over how much I hurt her"

"Ok," Eric said shifting in his seat to face his friend "You loved Sydney and she loved you... you were crazy in love and if you don't mind me saying, to a lesser extent, lust. You guys finally the chance you deserve and you together bring down SD-6"

"Well actually Sydn-"

"Mike!" he shouted, "Eric is wearing the speaking hat now. Eric. Not Mike"

"Yeah but-"

"Dude! Seriously!" Vaughn sat back in his seat immediately silenced as if a chastised child " You and Sydney TOGETHER brought down SD-6. Without each other you would be dead many times over. You were very much her strength, and will all honesty, I think she was yours too." His best friend nodded softly in agreement "Right." Eric sighed ready to continue happy that his friend was quiet. "You were then making with all the happy and sex and the in loveness, I've never seen you so happy, and even though you looked it with the evil troll bitch of doom, I knew you were wishing it was her." They both remembered

"She's not Sydney man! She never will be! Syd is gone and marrying Lauren is not gonna make up for that"

"You said that I should move on! That that was what she would have wanted! I lover her so much you now that but I- I love Lauren... I- I love her more"

"Bullshit! You will NEVER love her more than Sydney. You know that, I know that, I'm pretty sure Lauren knows that! It hasn't even been a year and your already getting married! I mean, you can't even say her name yet! Its always I loved HER, SHE'S dead, that's what SHE would have wanted. Its never SYDNEY'S dead or I miss SYDNEY. Always she. Always her."

"What are you talking about!" Vaughn shouted back

"You flinch every time I say her name! Look! Sydney! Sydney! Syd-" Vaughn slammed his best friend against the wall

"STOP SAYING HER FUCKING NAME!" he roared "Stop it just stop it!" the familiar tears gathered in the corners of Vaughn's eyes; he let go of his best friend's shirt and moved to the other side of the room. He faced the wall, resting his head against its cool surface, his fist clenched and resting above his head. "I miss her man, I miss her so much, and I cant- I cant live alone anymore, I need to be with someone who fills the silence, someone else around me, someone to talk to. But that's only one reason as to why I'm marrying Lauren - because I can't stand to be alone when all I want is Sydney..." He stubbornly wiped his face with the back of his hand

"Look Eric I know you're trying to help but if I wanted a chronological list of my screw-ups I would have asked"

"Mike! Who-is-wearing-the-speaking-hat?"

"Bu-"

"Vaughn!"

"Eric. Not Mike" Vaughn answeredbegrudgingly

"Thank you. Now where was I?"

"Evil troll bitch of doom"

"Ah yes. Anyhoo, much to mine and your mother's dismay, if I remember correctly, you married weirdo posh psycho bitch and lived in fake happy ever after land. Now is that correct?"

"Mom refused to come to the wedding when I was, as she put it 'so blatantly not over Sydney', yeah"

"And, were you not, still in love with Sydney when you said 'I do'?" Michael nodded hesitantly. "And, are you not still in love with Sydney to this very day?" another shy nod "Mmhmm its as I thought" Eric mused allowed pretending to me a physiatrist. "You have the most extreme case of Sydnetitus I have ever seen." Much to Eric's joy Vaughn laughed "Sydnetitus is contracted by all who meet the beautiful vivacious miss Sydney Bristow. She causes her victims all to fall hopelessly in love with her, her charm has proved hypnotic and perilous and her laugh infectious. I'm so sorry to tell you this Mike, but its terminal." He shook his head sadly

"I always knew she's be the death of me" Michael smiled

"Look Vaughn, being serious for a second, you will never find anyone as perfect as Sydney, and she will never find anyone as perfect as you, and yes, you've hurt her, but that's part of living. Pain is everywhere- you know that. She's cried over you, and you've cried over her. I'm sure she's forgiven you and if she hasn't she will. She needs this as much as you do. Not taking this opportunity would be the worst thing to her you have ever done. You've promised yourselves this and you both deserve it. You've been given a second chance Mike. Don't waste it. Please. Jesus, now who's turning into a woman"

"Thanks man" he enveloped his friend into a hug

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Sydney sat in her pyjama bottoms and a pink camisole eating a tub of Ben 'n' Jerry's- a little luxury she had allowed herself whilst shopping for food. Her hair was tied haphazardly, half-pulled through a hair tie; she wore a pair or black-rimmed sixties-style glasses, which she adored but didn't need. She had worn them during a mission and was yet to return them to the people whose job it was to dress her for her aliases.

The doorbell rang; she ambled over to the door not even bothering to check through the peephole before opening it.

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Vaughn bobbed on his heels nervously. He had gone home to change and shower even though he was temporarily living at Eric's. The house he had shared with is not so beloved ex was now devoid of any personal belongs, all of which were in storage or being used as evidence, but the furniture remained as he and Lauren had only rented the property. This was first decided upon before they were married, empty promises of a family allowing them to look elsewhere without the hassle of selling up. He had also gone back there to gain space from Eric, he need to prepare for what he was about to do in a solitude he was all too familiar with.

He rang the doorbell and waited anxiously for it to open.

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Sydney stood with the spoon for her ice-cream fest hanging from her mouth, the tub of the slightly naughty substance in her left hand. She blushed at both of their appearances, as she was still clad in her pyjamas. He wore a simple grey t-shirt under a blue v-neck sweater she had never seen before. She enjoyed seeing him in non-work clothes, something she hadn't experienced since her return. His jeans were slightly faded and casual, and she knew he was completely oblivious to the way they flattered his physique. She blushed further after deliberating how his ass looked in them. As usual, and to her liking, his hair was unintentionally tussled, his eyes once again alive with colour but dark with an emotion she couldn't place. She could sense his subtle aftershave mingled with something pure and familiar. She hadn't seen him in over a month and in her mind there had been parts of him she couldn't remember and she missed him terribly. The shock of seeing him combined with his rugged appearance was exciting and made her feel frivolous, filling her with a warmth she hadn't felt since the night of her disappearance. They way he looked made her lustful igniting reactions she had forgotten existed. She bit her lip.

"Hey" he smiled

"Hi" she returned

Vaughn stood unable to breathe. As she'd opened the door he'd nearly dropped the flowers he'd been holding behind his back- she looked so achingly beautiful his brain had managed to lose the ability to perform any function other than studying her. She wore clothes he hadn't seen her in for over three years, bringing back memories of relaxed and mischievous times. Her her hair was messy and natural- the way he liked it, and the glasses, now sitting comfortably on her nose made her look adorably dorky. Her striking figure made his eyes darken with hunger and the the silk-like texture of her skin complemented by the tight top she wore. The white bottoms she wore hid her legs, the artistic pink flowered pattern, caused his eyes to follow their weaving path up her body. He imagined her toned thighs and remembered how it felt to have them wrapped around him. He detected the scent of vanilla, its presence nearly sending him over the edge; he couldn't help but smile.'Say something!' he commanded himself 'anything!'

"Hey" Genius.