Thank you all for your wonderful feedback. I love to hear what you think about this fic.

Acetoorian: I am absolutely LOVING season four. I spend all week hanging out for Thursday night.

moshizzle de fizzle: In your review you asked how the second chapter was different from the first, and I feel the need to defend Chapter Two. It was belief that they were completely different, with seperate points of view and focusing on different points in time. Initially I was going to run the two chapters simultaneously, but when editing made the choice to seperate them- I liked the myserious tone at the end of the chapter one.
To me, chapter two was crucial to the plot. It explained the events leading up to her leaving, established the point of Sydney and Vaughn's relationship before she left (which is integral to the story) and it revealed (even though I thought it was obvious) who exactly had shown up at the bookstore.
On that point, I really do appreciate you taking the time to respond. I realize that both the previous chapters were filled with exposition, and I understand that can be frustrating for a reader who is waiting for some action, and I promise, the story does start to move forward in this chapter.
I hope you- and all my other bloomin' brilliant readers (love you all)- enjoy it.

Chapter Three:
A Life Left Behind

"What are you doing here?"

"I promised, didn't I?" Vaughn took a step towards Sydney. Her face was a mixture of elation and disbelief. There was also a hint of something else lurking in her eyes, and Vaughn sensed that it was disappointment.

"It's over?" It was more of a statement than a question, but Vaughn still nodded in confirmation. He couldn't help but grin when he did.

"SD-6, The Alliance- Syd, they're gone."

Sydney closed her eyes briefly. "Say that again."

"Uh, SD-6, The Alliance-"

"No," she shook her head. "Say my name. I haven't heard it in two years."

Vaughn smiled. "Sydney."

Sydney returned the smile as she stepped forward and threw her arms around him. "Thank-you."

"You're welcome."

They held each other for a few seconds before Sydney pulled back, suddenly sombre. "I want to know everything that happened."

"Well, where do you want me to start?"

"Not here." Sydney replied. "I can close up early and we can head over to my house." She had never been able to refer to it as 'home'. Home was LA. Home was Francie and Will. Home was her sunny apartment. Home was the man standing in front of her.

"You sure you want to close early? It's still mid-afternoon."

"I'm sure. I have to know what has been going on these past two years."

Unfortunately on the way out to their cars, Sydney and Vaughn ran into Georgie. Sydney saw the inquisitive gleam in her neighbour's eyes and groaned inwardly. Here we go.

"Well, Audrey, am I going to get an introduction?"

"Georgie, this is Michael, an old friend." Sydney gestured towards Vaughn.

"Just an old friend?" Georgie winked.

"Well, actually back when I was a double agent for the CIA, he was my handler. We used to rendezvous in a secret warehouse to prevent our execution from a terrorist cell hell-bent on global domination." Sydney said, ignoring the bug-eyed expression on Vaughn's face.

Georgie reacted just as Sydney had predicted, bursting out into laughter and shaking her head. "When are we ever going to hear the truth about you, Audes?"

Sydney just smiled and shrugged.

"Perhaps, you can help us Michael. Give us some information on the real Audrey."

"I really don't have that much to tell you about Audrey." Vaughn replied, truthfully.

"Great." Georgie rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later Audes."

"Yeah, bye." Sydney waved her off.

"She seems nice." Vaughn commented.

"Yeah, she is." Sydney said, somewhat wistfully. "She is the only one in this place that Audrey was willing to get close to."

"Sounds like Audrey kept herself pretty guarded."

"Audrey had no choice."

"Do you want a coffee?" Sydney asked Vaughn as they walked inside the house.

"Sure."

"Take a seat in the lounge room. I'll be a few minutes."

"Ok." He stepped in the small room and sat on the one couch, gazing at his surroundings. There was something odd about the room, and when he stood up to look through the books on Sydney's bookshelf, he realized what was wrong.

There was nothing personal about this room. No photos, no mementos, nothing. He suddenly felt cold at the fact that Sydney had been forced to live in such an environment for these past years.

Absentmindedly he picked a book of the shelf and glanced at its cover- Alice in Wonderland.

"My mum gave me that." Sydney's voice came from the doorway, where she was holding two mugs of coffee. "For my fifth birthday. It was the only thing that the CIA would let me bring. My only connection to the real me."

Vaughn walked towards and took one of the mugs from her hand. The two of them sat on the couch.

"I couldn't even begin to imagine." Vaughn said, taking a mouthful of coffee. "Leaving everything behind."

"I didn't exactly have a choice Vaughn." Sydney shot back, her voice harsh. "Do you think that I would actually choose to live like this?"

"Hey, I wasn't saying that." Vaughn affirmed. "I think you're incredible to have survived in an environment like this- alone."

"I'm not incredible, Vaughn. There was so many times that I was ready to just pack up and go back to LA. It drove me crazy that I couldn't do anything."

"Syd, I think you did more than your fair share amount of work before you left."

"But I wasn't there when it really counted." Sydney paused, bringing her mug to her mouth and then stopped. "How did you do it? I mean with me gone and my father…" Sydney trailed off, not wanting to think about her father's demise.

"Dixon." Vaughn replied and Sydney's head snapped up in attention.

"What!"

Flashback:

"Agent Vaughn. We havea walk-in. I want you to take on the role as their handler. They're waiting in room 4 to notified of their verification."

Vaughn looked up at Kendall. "Why me?" Barely a week had passed since Sydney had gone and he wasn't that willing to take on another asset.

"Because you are going to want to handle this one." Kendall threw a file on Vaughn's desk and strode off.

After taking a peek inside Vaughn finally understood why Kendall had chosen him.

xxxxx

"Mr Dixon, I'm Agent Vaughn. I'm here to let you know that we have verified your statement." He paused. "You do realize what you are volunteering for, don't you?"

The older man stared at Vaughn coldly. "I don't really have a choice. I can't honestly, in good conscience, continue working for a man like Sloane, can I?"

"Maybe not. But there is the option of going into protective custody."

"And let Sloane get away with what his has done? I don't think so. I'm staying to fight."

"Ok. I just wanted you to be aware of the risks." Vaughn said.

"I know the risks Agent Vaughn. Two people I respect are now dead because of those risks."

"You've had confirmation on Jack Bristow's death?" Vaughn asked. Dixon had mentioned nothing of the sort in his statement.

"Not, but Sloane has him. Sydney told me that they had been compromised. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out his fate." Dixon stopped. "Sydney's too."

"Mr Dixon, Sydney is alive."

"She's what?"

"I can't give you any more information." Vaughn looked at him, thinking of one of his promises to Sydney. "Though she did ask me to tell you how sorry she was for lying to you. She wanted you to know that you were her anchor."

Dixon's expression froze as he listened to what Vaughn was saying. "And how do you know this?"

"I was Sydney's handler." Vaughn answered, but Dixon wasn't a spy for no reason. He could tell by the tone of Vaughn's voice that he was so much more to Sydney.

"Is she safe?" he finally asked.

"As safe as she can be. Until the Alliance is completely gone, there is no way of ensuring her total safety." Vaughn answered truthfully, feeling sick.

And the two men stared at each other, knowing it was up to them to bring Sydney home.

End flashback.

"Dixon turned double. With his help, the CIA managed to destroy the Alliance. SD cells all over the world were raided successfully last night." Vaughn explained.

Sydney could only stare dumbly into her coffee mug. Last night, while she had been sleeping peacefully, the CIA had been doing the exact thing she'd been dreaming about. The exact thing she'd been dreaming about for years.

"Syd?" Vaughn prompted gently, and she looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"It's just so hard to comprehend." Her head tilted slightly as if she was working through her thoughts. "I have so many questions- and not just about SD-6."

"Well, shoot. We have plenty of time."

"Will and Francie. How are they?"

"They're still together."

Sydney's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah. I see a lot of Will. He's now working as a senior analyst for the agency."

"And Francie? What about her restaurant?"

"Still going strong."

Sydney smiled slightly. "I missed them. Missed the companionship of people who know everything about me…Well almost everything."

"Well, after today, Francie will know everything Syd." Vaughn said. "Will wanted to tell her two years ago, but it wasn't safe."

"How am I going to face her Vaughn? She is never going to want to speak to me again."

"Will didn't stop speaking to you." Vaughn pointed out and Sydney looked at him gratefully. "There is another thing…"

"What?"

"They're engaged."

Sydney stared at him, her mouth agape. She had spent the past two years so focused on the fact that she couldn't be there to bring down the Alliance and Sloane, it had slipped from her mind that she would be missing out on so much more. Will and Francie, her two best friends, had gone through a major milestone of their lives and she hadn't been there to share it with them.

"Syd, are you ok?" Vaughn asked, putting his hand on her arm. Sydney couldn't speak, and so only shook her head as she finally began to cry.

Vaughn, who was for a second, a little startled by Sydney's sudden outburst, moved closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. For a selfish second he inhaled deeply, letting himself be consumed by the scent of her shampoo.

"It's not fair Vaughn," she choked out, her voice muffled by his chest. She pulled back, wiping her eyes. "I've been waiting for two years to go home. But everything has changed- it's not going to feel like home."

"Hey, you don't know that." Vaughn said, soothingly. "Because I know for a fact that the people who care about you are going to all they can to welcome you back."

Sydney was going to reply, but what cut off by a mobile phone ringing. She looked at Vaughn questioningly when she realized that it was a Get Smart ring tone.

"Weiss." Vaughn explained. "He programmed it in."

Sydney laughed through her tears, as Vaughn stood up to answer the phone. She watched as Vaughn's face dropped, and then as his eyes suddenly widened.

"OK, yeah, I'll tell her now. Bye." Vaughn snapped his phone shut and looked at Sydney.

"What did he say?"

"He said that Sloane has evaded capture. There was no sign of him at SD-6, and he seems to have dropped off the face of the planet."

Sydney felt a flash of anger seethe through her body. "Sloane got away?"

Vaughn nodded as he brushed a hand through his hair. "That's not all Syd."

"What?" Sydney asked warily

"You're father is still alive."