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Sydney literally ran towards the door, stopping herself to take the final steps as calmly as possible. It was if she assumed that somehow he could see through the door and was watching her with some bemused expression. She opened the door coyly coming face-to-face with the most beautiful man she would ever see. Vaughn wore what Sydney had immediately nicknamed his 'ass enhancing jeans' and a black v-neck sweater. His attire was similar of that worn by him the previous night, immediately making the date seem more casual and her feel more relaxed. She was still nervous of course, but now it was a relished anxiety, moths tickling her stomach and flushing her cheeks a tinted pink. He had his hands resting in the pockets of his jeans and smiled at her warmly. She looked down shyly unable to hold his gaze, not trusting her ability to restrain herself.

Vaughn bit his lip as he saw her appear from behind the sturdy oak door. His breath hitched slightly at the way the most simplest of outfits could flatter her the most. The clothes she wore reminded him of their lazy weekends together where they'd go to the park or to the pier- nothing fancy, just comfortable yet unashamedly romantic, despite their normality. He smiled as he noticed her coyness, finding her naivety of her beauty irresistible, and her knowledge of everything but the power she held over him astounding. He was so close to letting the words fall out his mouth; he felt them trickling from his brain and up from his heart but fought the urge with all his inner strength. Instead, he compromised and went for the next best thing, something he'd been burning to tell her for the longest time

"You look beautiful," he whispered. She exhaled a smile looking down at her khakis and fitted white tank top unbelieving. She didn't agree, her modesty never failing her. She cocked her head to the side, her way of denying something he had once noticed. His adulation caused her to lose the ability to create coherent thought.

"I- I, it's" Vaughn anticipated what was coming next

"Syd, you always look beautiful," he whispered tucking her soft hair behind her ear. She looked into green and ran her tongue along her lip momentarily. She quickly bit it, knowing if she lost her composure now they would never see any hockey. He leaned over placing a chaste kiss on her cheek as she had the evening before. She turned her head just so slightly towards the sensation. Their mouths were nearly touching- she could almost taste him, his mouth so near to hers. He saw her bite down on her lip, hard. Their eyes connected

"I need to get my jacket" she stated coolly not moving. They were only a matter of millimetres away still, but undeterred he replied.

"And ten bucks if you want to eat something other than just a pretzel"

"Always the gentleman"

"Always the feisty swollen-mouthed red-head"

"Bite Me"

"Pleasure"

She raised an eyebrow impressed at his ability to stay cool under the pressure she was sure they were both feeling. She couldn't stand being this close without his touch. She turned back into the house grabbing the fashionably faded jean jacket hanging by the door. She closed the door behind her slipping the key into her pocket.

"What no money?" he teased

"Would you shut up?"

The car ride consisted of similar flirtatious and childish banter. He had managed to obtain a copy of Marshall's C.D, or, as it was scribbled on the front 'the ultimate compilation of music Sydney has missed over her two year death (which had been crossed out) disappearance'. Vaughn flicked through them disregarding them as he went. He mostly only played the opening notes before skipping to the next track

"This one's terrible. Ugh waste of time. Oh this ones all right...actually no, its rubbish too."

"Vaughn! Seriously. Are you gonna let me listen to any of them?" there was silence for a couple of seconds

"This one really sucks"

"Vaughn!"

"I'm sorry!" he said half shout, half laugh.

"Why do you hate them all so much?" she giggled. For a second, just a second he deliberated telling her the truth; that no music was worth listening to in her absence, because now, each brought back a new memory of his time without her. He settled for a lop-sided shrug.

They parked the car a couple of blocks away from the arena near a friendly looking bar. Much to Sydney's delight he gently took her hand as they walked the short distance to the small saloon. It wasn't for long but it took all the courage he had. She weaved her fingers into his enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, her stomach fluttering once more.

The bar was a typical guy bar, but she instantly loved it. It was the sort of place that had retro posters and neon signs up on the walls with t.v screens showing hockey and football- everywhere there was laughter and the sounds of friendship. Secluded in the corner sat a pool table next to a jukebox. A group of young men stood playing pool sharing a pitcher of beer, refilling their glasses every so often. Sydney turned around at the sound of a loud hospitable voice.

"Mike!"

"Gary! How you doing man! Its great to see you!"

"Thanks man its good to see you too- and if you don't mind me saying you look a damn sight better than the last time you were in here" Sydney wondered what the cheerful man meant, but dismissed it when he felt Vaughn place his arm around her waist resting just above her hip. The man was now behind the bar, which was surprisingly empty for a game night. He picked up a cloth and began to clean some glasses.

"Gary, this is Sydney" Vaughn stated

"Please to meet you," she said shaking his hand

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Sydn- wait. Sydney? THE Sydney? Sydney Bristow Sydney?"

"Uh" Vaughn started

"Oh my God" Gary whispered

"Gary please. Syd I-"

"I knew in our profession they dead never die, but- "

"What?" Sydney asked quietly looking at Vaughn for an answer

"Gary's ex-CIA. He knows all about you, and us, and your ...death"

"Do I ever. Mike came in here every night drinking away his sorrows after you died. He'd tell us stories of you -of your missions. He would talk about you for hours. I see he wasn't lying about how beautiful you are either" Sydney blushed and gave a half smile. She turned to Vaughn who was shifting uncomfortably, his eyes keep on shifting from place to place never settling on her. They seemed pained. Sydney took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She couldn't believe he spoken about her to other people, that he missed her so much. Gary, not understanding the turmoil his friend was in, continued.

"Yeah. He'd sit here every night with Jack-"

"Daniel's" Vaughn interjected "With a Jack Daniel's." Sydney eyed him sceptically, but her thought was too outrageous so she dismissed it

"Hey" he said in a whispered to Sydney squeezing her hand again "we should get going"

"Sure" she smiled at him

"Bye Gary" Vaughn said leaning over the bar to shake his friend's hand. Gary held on to his arm with his other hand as he shook it

"You take care Mike. And don't leave it two years before you're in here again." Vaughn smiled, "It was a real honour to meet you Sydney. You take care of our Micheal." She blushed

"I will Gary. It was lovely to meet you too" she waved

They left the bar hand in hand. When outside she confronted him; his back was to her

"Vaughn. What was that about?" he sat down on the bench. He didn't respond. "Micheal?" she said softly sitting down beside him

"That was one of many places I'd go to try and...forget you. I thought if I drunk enough I'd begin to forget what you looked like, what your voice sounded like, how it felt to be around you. That all the memories would somehow go away." He shook his head. Sydney sat facing him, her hand on his arm, listening silently. He lifted his hand to her cheek caressing her cheekbone with his thumb "God I was so lonely without you" he whispered. His studied her beauty: her lips, her hair, her sad eyes. She was so close to crying. "Oh Syd" he said quietly, "please don't cry, not over me, not anymore. I can't handle hurting you again. Please baby...Sydney?" his voice cracked as he spoke, pleading with her.

"Oh Vaughn" she cried, enveloping him into a hug. He pulled his arms around her pressing her close to him. She pulled away taking his face in her hands

"Vaughn, please stop blaming yourself. I don't understand why-why you feel this way. None of its your fault"

"Its not yours either" he replied in an equally exasperated tone. She studied him for a second; leaning in she pressed a kiss to his mouth- he responded gently. The kiss ended sweetly and they rested their heads together. It wasn't like their kiss in SD-6 or Korea, but it was similar to the unspoken promises and thankyous they shared on the doorstep and in the night when they were together.

"We better get to that game" he said gently, optimism in his voice once more

"Yeah" she affirmed softly "We should"

Ten Minutes later Vaughn a Sydney sat laughing at the mascot who had just fallen over on the ice.

"I don't know why you're laughing Bristow. He was a hell of a sight more graceful than you."

"I beg your pardon! I fell once, and it was very elegant I'll have you know"

"Uh I think you'll find you fell twice and both times you landed on your ass nearly bringing me down on top of you"

"Ah, so that's why you remember"

"Harsh" They smiled at each other "Hey wait here." He said pressing a kiss close to her temple. She followed him with her eyes but got distracted by a group of overweight topless men who each had a letters of the Kings spelt out on their chests. Well, actually who they were actually there to support were 'The Kigs' as clearly, one of them was missing. She smiled at a young boy who walked by her waving a flag above his head wildly.

"Ah I see the good old Kig supporters are back," Vaughn said from behind her making her jump.

"Stop doing that!" she said hitting his arm

"You know, Eric's right, for a spy, you really aren't very stealthy. Or graceful on the ice come to think of it"

"Oh just because you can skate like some prissy dancer" she joked wondering if he'd remember, "I bet you'd look cute in Lycra"

"Ah no, you see the real question is whether you're wearing the red or the black" he said looking casually at the other side of the rink. He didn't see her cocked eyebrow. He tried not to smile and bit into a hotdog.

"Excuse me?" she said nodding at his hotdog, beer and nachos.

"May I help you?" he asked innocently

"What about me?"

"Oh. Right" he said fumbling around "Ah. Here we are" he said producing a single miniature pretzel the size of a coin "Now, better watch that, it has to last you a whole evening" he turned back to face the rink taking a sip of beer. He cautiously turned to look at her but her head was faced away from him. He was beginning to get worried when he gained no response from her. He put down his food and placed his arm on her shoulder

"Syd?"

She quickly grabbed his hotdog and beer taking a bite and a sip. She laughed at his shocked expression.

"Men are too easy" she said shaking her head and taking another bite

"That was a low blow Bristow" she cocked her eyebrow at him. This time he saw it.

By now it was half time. The food had gone, including the mini pretzel, which had been hurled at the plastic wall of the rink in a fit of Bristow rage, and the Kings were losing. The half naked men were now supporters of the Kig, as one had fallen asleep on the floor. Sydney had stood up and cheered every time the Zamboni had scooted past them, attracting odd looks only to be returned by Vaughn who sat there calmly as if her doing this was one of the most natural things in the world. Once he had actually stood and cheered with her telling it to "move its shiny ass along faster"

She was quiet now, content to be seated with his arm wrapped around her. He was watching her and was gently playing with the tips of her hair. She looked at him earning a smile.

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"Being you," he said barely above a whisper, allowing their noses to touch gently

He kissed so softly she would barely know he was there. His hand now rested on her cheek as it had on the bench as their kiss deepened. Just as the strength of their tender kiss was building a loud whooping noise emanated from the crowd. Sydney and Vaughn broke away to discover their image was on the screen in the middle of the large arena. They blushed and Sydney buried her head in his shoulder. She could feel Vaughn laughing and stopped suppressing her own.

"Well that was embarrassing" Sydney quipped after the noise had died down

"It could have been worse" Vaughn stated, "Weiss could have seen it- then we would never live it down" she laughed in agreement. There was a slight pause

"Ooh! Ooh! Zamboni!"

Several hours later they walked up the path giggling about nothing of great importance. She fumbled around in the pockets of her jeans for the key; when she retrieved it she gave him a quick glance and turned to face the door. She twisted the key in the lock but it was stiff and wouldn't turn properly. He couldn't handle it anymore. Vaughn span her around and kissed her deeply; he pushed her up against the frame causing her to moan into him. The intensity caused her to grab the front of his t-shirt pulling him closer to her Similarly, his handed travelled to the small of her back pressing her into him. Her back was arched, her shoulder blades pressing into the smooth sanded wood of the doorframe, their bodies leaning into each other as the kiss became more zealous. Their tongues clashed and caressed; the kiss was tidy and gentle but contradictorily passionate- almost dark, the love and lust they held for each other culminating in this blissful release. The spark and tension they were used to playing with in the warehouse toyed with them mercilessly over the evening, and now, a thousand memories of their making love returned with each breath, each grasp, each gentle caress. His touch made her body hum its familiar tune, a song only he could hear, a song that was only for him. He groaned, her slender fingers grazing his back as it travelled up his body. She tugged at his hair becoming hungrier for him.

He fumbled with the key in the lock turning it half-heartedly, distracted. The door fell open and they clambered through it elegantly. They slammed the door shut behind them

hope it was ok and you enjoyed it! Please read and review thank you all so much so far! don't know if i can get a chapter out for saturday and/or sunday but i'll try...kinda exhasted now... xxx