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Blaming not yourself, said the fault lies somewhere else
Repeated when the feelings high
I wish it all could just rely
On the depth of you and I

"Who died?"

Even though Vaughn's face was buried in his hands, he would know the voice of Eric Weiss anywhere.

"No one," he replied, his voice muffled. It had been two days since his last conversation with Sydney, and with the usual concern he felt when she was out in the field, combined with the Alice situation…well, to say he wasn't doing all that well was putting it lightly.

"Dude, you've been sitting with your head down for like an hour. People are talking." Weiss walked across and poked him. "Did you and Alice have a fight?"

Vaughn sat up abruptly at the sound of Alice's name, causing Weiss to take a step back.

"Whoa! I'm gonna take that as a yes…"

Vaughn's eyes narrowed slightly. "We didn't have a fight."

"Then what is going on?" Weiss asked, sitting down. "If it doesn't have to with Alice, then what?"

"It's Sydney." Vaughn sighed.

"Ohh." Weiss leant back in the chair. "What about her?"

"She might be in trouble at SD-6."

"Trouble?"

"Yeah. She thinks that Sloane suspects a mole within the office. He's got one of his employees…" Vaughn paused, swallowing hard. "One of his employees is interviewing all agents. Sydney thinks that she is a target."

"Does Devlin know?"

Vaughn nodded, picking up a pen and playing with it absentmindedly.

"Then don't stress. The CIA will keep her safe."

Vaughn didn't respond. Weiss waited, but all he did was sit and stare.

"Vaughn?" Weiss leant forward and clicked his fingers. "Vaughn!"

Right then and there something snapped inside Vaughn. He threw the pen back down on the desk. It bounced up and barely missed Weiss's head by centimetres.

Weiss stared at him in shock. He'd known Michael Vaughn a long time and he'd never been one to let his emotions get the better of him. Whatever was going on, it was big.

"It's not just Sydney." Vaughn muttered.

"Well, duh." Weiss replied without thinking, receiving a glare from Vaughn. "Sorry. Go on."

"It's Alice." Vaughn ran a hand through his hair. Come on, he told himself. Just get it out in the open. "She works at SD-6."

"Huh?"

Vaughn exhaled exasperatedly. "She works at SD-6, almost side by side with Sloane. The woman I've spent the last two years with knowingly works for the Alliance."

Weiss seemed to be having some real trouble comprehending what Vaughn was saying. "Alice? Alice Williams?"

"Yes."

"Your Alice?"

"Not for long," Vaughn murmured, more to himself. "Look, Weiss, I kinda want to be alone…"

"Yeah, sure." Weiss got up and headed towards the door.

"Hey Weiss."

"Yeah?"

"Could you do me a favour?" Weiss nodded and Vaughn continued. "Could you schedule a meeting with Devlin for me. I'd do it myself, but…"

"Vaughn, don't worry. I can do it."

"Thanks." Vaughn said quietly, before burying his head in his hands once more.

Alice was already seated in the small office when Sydney entered.

"Agent Bristow. Please sit."

Sydney sat. There was no element of surprise this time around and she was considerably more composed. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you earlier. I got tied up before my trip."

"That's fine." Alice replied, typing something into her laptop. "In fact this works out quite well. We can actually discuss your mission."

"What do you want to know?"

"Simply how it went."

"I was successful in my task. I got into Callosi's office, retrieved the data, destroyed the hard drive and got out undetected. The copy is now in analysis."

Alice was nodding as she continued typing. "You're quite a decorated agent, Miss Bristow and you showed just how much faith you have in SD-6 by returning to work after the death of your fiancé."

Sydney tried hard not to blanch. She didn't return to SD-6 because of faith, she returned to avenge Danny's death. To do some right in the world. To somehow make up slightly for the role she played in his demise.

"But let me ask you this." Alice's eyes were bearing down on Sydney's. "Are you loyal to SD-6?"

"Yes." Sydney replied, unblinkingly. "I am."

A small smile crossed Alice's face. "Thank-you. You may go."

Sydney walked back to her desk, her nerves more on edge than ever. That smile Alice gave her. Sydney could only interpret it as triumph. As a satisfaction that she had finally picked up on a lie of Sydney's.

It looked as if the walls were truly closing in.

She was lying. Alice knew it. There was not a chance that Sydney Bristow's loyalties lied with SD-6.

Glancing at her watch she realized that there was no time to type up a report for Sloane. She and Michael were going out that night and she couldn't risk being late. He was the only normal thing in her life, and for that Alice cherished him. It killed her that she had to lie about her job, but there was no choice. Even if she were allowed to disclose that information, there was no way Michael would understand the cause she was fighting for.

Grabbing her briefcase and laptop bag, Alice head out of the Credit Dauphine building. She'd type up her report tonight, when Michael was asleep. Some of her best work had been completed in the wee hours of the morning.

And hopefully, by this time tomorrow, Sydney Bristow would be in Alliance custody.

Devlin exhaled deeply. He felt a great empathy for the young man seated before him. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going through. Still, it could be worse. At least this girlfriend of his wasn't aware of his affiliation with the CIA.

He'd seen first hand how that situation could destroy even the greatest of men.

"Well, Mr Vaughn. We have a choice to make." Devlin started. "Whether we monitor Ms Williams or bring her in, I'm going to make your decision. I'd be happy with either path, but it's your life that we'll be altering."

Vaughn nodded mutely.

"Do you need some time?"

"No." Vaughn shook his head. "Alice poses a direct risk to Sydney Bristow. We need to bring her in as soon as possible."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Alice has the potential to destroy our entire operation inside SD-6. The CIA has worked too long and too hard for me to let that happen."

"Ok then." Devlin stood. "I'll organise a team. You'll be able to inform us of the best time and place."

"Yes." Vaughn's reply was monotonous. He had hoped that he would feel some relief, but all he was feeling was that same nauseating sensation in the pit of his stomach. The sensation he'd been experiencing since Sydney told him the truth about Alice.

"Mr Devlin."

"Yes."

"Would it be possible to have a team ready for tonight?"

"Michael, where are you taking us?" Alice asked quizzically, staring out of the car window. "I thought we were going to Giorgio's?"

"We are." Vaughn confirmed. "But there's somewhere else I want to show you before, ok."

A few minutes later Vaughn pulled the car off the road and stopped. Alice curiously followed him out of the car. Silently the two walked until the reached a small, look out point. They were the only ones there.

Or so Alice thought.

"Michael," Alice breathed. "It's beautiful."

Vaughn only stared at the skyline, unable to bring himself to speak. His throat and mouth felt as if they were filled with sawdust.

"Michael, are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he managed to choke out

"So how come you've never brought me here before?"

Vaughn shrugged. "I don't know. Tonight just seemed like the right time." He paused. After he spoke these next words, everything would change. A deep breath and then…"I discovered this place in high school."

A code passage established by Devlin and himself that afternoon. Seconds later, they were surrounded and Alice was in handcuffs.

"Michael?" Her expression was terrified. "What's going on?"

Vaughn looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

Suddenly the terrified expression disappeared and Alice stared stonily at Vaughn as if she understood.

And then, she and the agents were gone, and Vaughn was left alone, his thoughts taunting him. Just why had life led him on this particular path?