Hey! This is my first fanfic. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please review!
Title: Lasting Friendships
Author: DrtyMxcnOfAsz
Summary: S/V of course! Months after the season 3 finale, ATY, Vaughn was assigned to go head up the CIA office in DC. Ten years later, he has returned to LA, trying to rebuild the friendship and rekindle the romance he once had with Sydney.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of this.
Rating: K+ or PG
Lasting Friendships
Chapter 1
Sydney Bristow walked to the back booth of a café in LA where she was supposed to meet a man she hadn't seen or talked to in ten years. Of course there were letters and Christmas cards. When Sydney saw Vaughn, she froze in her tracks. He still was as gorgeous as ever. His eyes still had that hypnotizing gaze that a girl could stare at for hours and his smile that could light up any dark room.
Michael Vaughn stood from his seat when his former girlfriend and agent, Sydney Bristow, arrived at his table. They had arranged to meet at the local bar, Walker's, when she learned that he would be back in LA for a couple weeks, months, or maybe even permanently.
Sydney remembered that horrible day in August when she learned that Vaughn was going to move to DC with his new wife, Lauren.
CIA Headquarters
Ten Years Earlier
Ever since waking up in Honk Kong and learning Vaughn was married, the past six months of Sydney's life had been hectic and exhausting. However, over the past months, she had learned to deal with Vaughn's marriage on the inside, careful to never let her true feelings show.
A couple weeks after she was rescued from Hong Kong, she couldn't take it any longer and had to go talk to Vaughn. He agreed to meet with her at a restaurant so that they could discuss their situation. For the better part of the first hour, they both tried different ways to break the uncomfortable silence. But, at the end of the night, Sydney and Vaughn agreed that they would try hard to mend their broken friendship after giving each other an awkward hug.
It was tough at first, especially with Vaughn being married to Lauren and her working at CIA headquarters. Over the past months, their friendship with one another was rebuilding its way back to how it used to be. One day, the latest secretary, Sarah, knocked on Sydney's door telling her that Devlin wanted to see her.
Wondering what it was about, Sydney knocked on the conference door and entered. She saw that everyone was already in there. The group consisted of her father, Marshall, Dixon, Weiss, Vaughn, and Lauren. "Sydney, please have a seat," Devlin said while gesturing to her chair.
Devlin continued, "You're all probably wondering why I called you in here today. Well, I'm just going to come out and say it. Mr. Vaughn has been appointed to head up one of the offices in the DC area and Ms. Reed has been called back to the DC branch of the NSC. So, I just wanted to inform all of you of this. That is it people."
Sydney's heart dropped on the inside while forcing a small smile and congratulations to Vaughn and Lauren, who was sitting beside her. Devlin informed Vaughn and Lauren that they were due in DC in two weeks and that they should go home and start packing.
Vaughn said goodbye to several friends and colleagues and left promises to write, call, and even email.
But, he quickly broke his promise. At first, he would email Weiss, Sydney, and even Marshall every week. That turned into once a month and then into just Christmases and birthdays. On his second Christmas card, Sydney noticed that it was signed only by Vaughn, and not Vaughn and Lauren, like the first Christmas card he had sent. This went on for the next couple of years until he called her one day at the office, telling her that he wanted to meet with her.
Sydney's Office
That Morning
"Ms. Bristow, there's a call for you on line one," said Sydney's secretary.
"Thank you Liz." Syd picked up the phone and was surprised to find out who was on the other side.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey Syd," came the voice of Michael Vaughn.
"Vaughn. Hi."
"Hi, Syd. Listen, I'm going to be in LA for a couple of weeks or months and I was wondering if we could get together."
"I don't know Vaughn, I'm really busy."
"Are you too busy to see one of your best friends?"
"I don't see what you mean Vaughn. I seem to remember one of my best friends left ten years ago."
"Please tell me you're still not mad about me leaving. It was a great opportunity for me and besides, Devlin assigned me to it."
"Vaughn, I wasn't mad at you for leaving, but if you were a good friend, you would have called or written."
"Sydney, I'm sorry, I got busy. It's not exactly very easy to head up a CIA office. Look, can I at least try make it up to you by meeting me for dinner at Walker's off of Tenth Street."
"I'm not sure if I can Vaughn."
"Okay, but I'll be there waiting for you in case you change your mind."
They both hung up the phone, wondering what it would be like to see each other again after all these years.
Walker's
"How have you been Syd?" asked Vaughn once they were seated.
"Good and you?" she replied, trying to keep the conversation as impersonal as possible.
"Busy. How's everyone doing?"
"Marshall married Carrie and they have three kids altogether. Oh yeah, Francie and Will just had their second child, a very adorable little boy."
"Really? What did they name him?"
"Devin Joseph. You should see him Vaughn, he's so cute."
"Anything else I should know about?" he asked, trying to keep the small talk going.
"Eric got married."
"Yeah, I know. I was at the wedding." Vaughn looked down at where his hands were folded and resting comfortably in his lap.
"You were? I didn't see you."
"I arrived right after the ceremony started and slipped in quietly in the back. I stayed just long enough to congratulate Eric and Jen, but I had to fly back to DC real soon."
They both sat in the uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes until Sydney spoke up. "Vaughn, where's Lauren?"
"She and I divorced nine years ago," he said bluntly.
"I'm very sorry," Sydney said genuinely, while she tried to cover the smile slowly creeping upon her face.
"Don't be. Lauren and I were just never meant to be together. So, how about you Syd? Is there anyone in your life?" Vaughn asked as the waitress came up to take their order, trying to change the topic as quickly as possible.
"I'll have a coffee, black. Syd?"
"I'll have a coke." Sydney ordered and waited for the waitress to leave so that they could continue the conversation.
"So…" Vaughn continued.
"So what?"
"So, has there been a person to capture Sydney Bristow's heart?"
"Yeah…" Sydney smiled as she thought about the one waiting for her at home.
"What's he like? Do I know him?" Vaughn asked while the waitress placed their drinks and orders in front of them.
"No, you don't know him Vaughn. But, you would like him though."
"Tell me about this mysterious man that's got a hold of your heart."
"Well," Syd took a sip from her coke and continued. "He doesn't send me flowers or big pearl necklaces, but he can show me his smile and stop all my tears."
Syd stopped and laughed at a memory.
"What's so funny?" Vaughn asked.
"He always leaves me notes on the refrigerator when I come home from work and in the mornings, he always finds a note from me with his lunch."
"Wow, lucky guy," Vaughn stated.
"No, I'm the one who's lucky. He doesn't judge me for my past or for the dysfunctional family that I have."
Vaughn, who had a sad expression on his face, looked up and smiled.
"Vaughn, why did you want to meet with me?" Sydney asked, noticing his sad look.
"Truthfully?"
"Yes."
"I was going to be assigned back here in LA and since I would be here, I thought that we could start a relationship again or something like that. But, I can see that can't happen." Vaughn quickly changed the melancholy mood to a lighter one. "So Syd, tell me about prince charming."
"Wait a minute and I'll show you a picture." Sydney dug around in her purse and pulled out a wallet sized picture.
"We had these taken a couple of weeks ago."
She handed Vaughn the picture, which he quickly turned it over.
"Vaughn, that's my son, Jonathan Christopher Bristow."