Note: Thank you so much foryour feedback. I really appreciate it. As you'll notice, this story has turned into 4 parts, instead of 3. It was done, but then I realized there were some scenes that just needed to be added. It got a bit longer and made more sense as 4 parts. Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. Thanks!Steph

Bless the Broken Road: Part 2/4

I lie awake in bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. I should be used to this by now. Before I left the CIA, it seemed every other week my world came crashing down. But I've gotten used to a sense of normalcy. No secrets or doubles or people returning from the dead.

And then I saw him. Standing in the doorway, smiling at me. It was like a dream. I felt like at any moment I might wake up and he'd be ripped away from me again. But it wasn't a dream. It was real. He was real. When I put my arms around him, I never wanted to let go.

God, how can this be happening? I am filled with this incredible sense of happiness to know he's alive, to be able to see him again. But I have a life. I have a husband I am committed to...a husband who loves me and my daughter very much.

I squeeze my eyes shut. This can't be about me. Vaughn and I lost our chance a long time ago. I'll just have to try to control these feelings. This is about what's best for Isabel. Vaughn is a wonderful man and she deserves to know him.

But how can I stand seeing him, watching him with our daughter, and not think about what could have been? What could still be if I were willing to make that choice.

How could I do that to Will? He's been nothing but wonderful to me and Isabel. I can't just throw away what we have because Vaughn's back. It wouldn't be fair to him.

I'm thrown from my thoughts by his voice. "You awake?"

I turn my head to find Will staring at me. "Yeah."

"Can't say I'm surprised. Pretty crazy day."

"That's putting it mildly."

He pauses, seemingly reluctant to speak. "How did it feel to see him again?"

I move my eyes back to the ceiling. "I was shocked, to say the least."

"And after the shock wore off?"

"I was happy. Relieved," I say, carefully choosing my words.

"What did you two talk about? I mean, after he told you what happened to him."

I lick my dry lips. "We talked about you, our family. What kind of role he wants to play in Isabel's life."

"He's still in love with you, isn't he?" Will asks softly.

I close my eyes. "Will."

"No, no, it's okay, Syd. Why wouldn't he be? You were probably the only thing that kept him going all those years. I know that's how it would have been if it were me."

I take a deep breath. "He made it clear he does not intend to interfere in our marriage. He just wants to get to know his daughter."

Will's hand touches my cheek and I turn to look at him. He smiles sadly. "Sydney, we all know about intentions. They don't mean a thing if they don't agree with how you feel."

"I can't speak for him, Will. I can only tell you what he told me. And I want you to know that none of that matters anyway. I'm committed to you. You're my husband."

He leans over and kisses my forehead, but never meets my eyes.

I take a deep breath and raise my hand to knock on the door. A few moments pass and I hear nothing, so I knock again, louder this time.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Just stop pounding. I've got the mother of all hangovers and you're not exactly helping the-..."

He stops mid-sentence as the door swings open and his eyes land on me.

"Okay, exactly how much did I have to drink last night?"

I smile, pat him on the shoulder, and walk past him. Weiss closes the door behind me, his mouth still hanging open in shock.

"Probably a lot, but I'm not a result of it," I say.

He shakes his head. "Oh my God. Mike, I can't believe it."

He rushes toward me and envelops me in a bear hug. I smile and then gently push him away.

"Okay, I don't like you like that."

He smiles and wags a finger at me. "I thought you were dead for five years. If I want to squeeze the breath out of you I will." He pauses and then asks, "So, where the hell have you been?"

I quickly recount the same story I told Sydney. He shakes his head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable. I gotta tell you. I'm starting to get a little jealous. I'm like one of the few remaining people I know who hasn't come back from the dead."

I chuckle. "It's not all it's cracked up to be."

He nods. "Have you seen Sydney yet?"

"Yesterday."

"And?"

I smile. "And it was so great to see her again. I also got to meet my daughter."

Weiss grins. "Oh, I love that kid. She's like a mini-adult. Sydney and Will have done a great job with her."

I move my eyes to the floor, which does not go unnoticed by Weiss.

"You knew she married Will before you went there, right? No way Mr. Intel went in there unprepared."

"Yeah, I knew."

"Didn't make it any easier though, did it?"

I shake my head. "No."

Weiss sighs. "I know you don't want to hear this. I know you probably want me to say they're miserable and Will's a jerk who, like, drinks and gambles away Isabel's college money, but I can't. They're good together. They're a real family. And Will adores that kid."

"You're right, I didn't want to hear that. But I'm not surprised. I could tell they're happy."

Weiss moves to the living room and sits down. I follow after him. "You know, Sydney was devastated when she lost you. She missed you so much. And she was so scared to have to raise that baby all alone. But you know how strong she is. She made it through. She moved on. She built a family with Will."

"Did they fall in love? She didn't make it sound like they did. She made it sound like she wanted a stable family for Isabel and she knew Will could give her that. When I asked her if she was in love with him-..."

"You asked her that?"

"I had to know."

"What did she say?"

"She said he's her husband," I say with a small smile.

He offers me a warning look. "That doesn't mean anything."

"That's what I used to say about Lauren."

"You called Lauren your husband?"

"Very funny. You know what I mean. The answer should be easy: Yes. But that's not what she said."

"That doesn't mean that's not what she meant."

"Well, what do you think? Is she in love with him or not?"

"Does it really matter, Mike? You have a right to know your daughter, but you don't have a right to try to break up Sydney's marriage."

"It's not my intention to do that."

"It doesn't have to be."

I rub at my face. "What do you expect me to do? I'm still in love with her. The hope that we could still be together kept me going, no matter how unrealistic that may have been. We should have been a happy family. And we still can. I know she's still in love with me, Eric. I saw it in her eyes."

Weiss groans. "Look, Sydney may not be in love with Will, but he's always been in love with her. He's not just going to let her go without a fight."

"I am grateful for everything Will has done for Sydney and Isabel. But if there's even the slightest chance that Sydney, Isabel, and I could be the family we were meant to be, then I can't ignore that."

"It doesn't matter what I say, does it? You're not going to let this go."

"Would you?"

"No, I guess not. But just listen to me for a minute. You've got to follow Sydney's lead on this one. If she wants to stay with Will, even though she may not be in love with him, then you have to respect that. You have to let her go."

"If I believe that's what she really wants, then I won't have any other choice. I'll follow her lead."

Weiss leans back and lets out an exaggerated sigh. "And here I was thinking nothing exciting ever happens since I left the CIA."

"Yeah, I heard you went to work for the White House after you thought I died. How did you end up back here?"

"D.C. was boring. And cold. I only lasted a couple of months and then I came back here. I've been working for the state department since."

I smile and look at him. "So, you miss me?"

He offers me a crooked grin. "Are you kidding? I've had to rely on soap operas for all of my relationship drama since you left. Thank God you're back!"

I chuckle and he goes on. "So, here's what you missed. Two more Jennifer Lopez husbands have come and gone. The Kings still haven't won. And I'm still as single as they come."

"I can't believe someone hasn't snatched you up yet."

"I know, I'm a catch.

I laugh and look at him. "So can I stay here for a bit? I've been staying at a motel, but there aren't any Cheese Nips on their sleeping accommodations. I have standards."

He smiles. "Anytime. For as long as you need. You know that."

I nod, "Thanks."

I'm grateful that some things haven't changed.

I walk down the hallway towards Isabel's room, stopping when I hear their voices. I peer around the door frame.

Will is sitting on the bed and Isabel is standing in front of him. He's attempting to do her hair.

"How about a French braid?"

"You can't do a French braid. Last time you did one my head looked all lopsided."

I smile at that. Hairdressing is not one of Will's better skills.

"How about pigtails?"

She shakes her head. "No, you made me look like a dog last time."

Will laughs and gently turns Isabel around to face him. "Okay, I'm all out of hairstyles." His smile fades. "Isabel, he's going to pick you up soon. You need to be ready."

She shrugs. "Well, if my hair's not done, I guess I can't go."

He raises his eyebrows. "Is that what this is about? Because you usually let me do whatever I want to your hair."

She lowers her eyes. "I don't want to go."

"Why?"

"Because I don't even know him."

Will takes a deep breath. I can see how hard this is on him and it breaks my heart. "Not yet, but you will."

She looks up at him, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Did you know him before?"

Will nods. "Yeah, I did."

"Did you like him?"

He looks down at the floor. "He's a good guy."

Isabel puts her hand in his. Her voice grows soft. "Will you be mad at me if I like him?"

Will shakes his head and touches her cheek. "Of course not, sweetheart. He's your biological father. I hope you like him. I just want you to be happy."

I feel tears spring to my eyes but I quickly blink them back. Will looks up then and finds me standing in the doorway.

He clears his throat and stands up. He walks over to me and hands me the brush.

He offers me a weak smile. "Maybe you'll have better luck."

I take the brush from him, walk to the bed and sit down.

I turn Isabel around and attempt to brush her hair, but she won't stand still.

"Isabel, you have to stand still. I can't do your hair if you keep squirming."

"I want to leave my hair down or I'm not going!"

She knows I don't like her hair down and must think this is her ticket out.

"Sweetie, you know how it gets in your way and always gets tangled when it's left down. Don't you want to look pretty for your daddy?"

She wriggles free of my grip and turns around to face me, her hands planted challengingly on her hips.

"Don't call him that. He's a stranger. I can't call him daddy. I already have a daddy."

I sigh. I should have known better than to say that, considering the conversation I just heard between her and Will.

Maybe we're taking this too fast. I can't expect her to just start thinking of Vaughn as her father when Will's been the only one she's really known for two years.

"I know this is hard, honey. And I don't expect you to start thinking of him as your daddy right away. You can call him whatever you want and think of him however you like. You're a lucky little girl, you know. You have two men who want to be your daddy."

She looks down at the floor. "What if he doesn't like me?"

I place my hand to her chin and lift her face so she looks at me. "He already loves you and I know he'll end up liking you, too. You're smart and funny and beautiful. What's not to like?"

She rolls her eyes at me. "You have to say that. You're my mom. It's your job."

I smile. "Maybe so, but I'd say it even if I weren't your mother."

She pauses for a moment and then her eyes narrow. "Well, what if I don't end up liking him?"

I shake my head, thinking this to be impossible. I always knew Vaughn would be a great father and I know he and Isabel will eventually form a wonderful bond.

"He's a great man, Isabel. I promise, if you give him a chance, you're going to like him."

She shrugs her little shoulders. "I'll try anything once."

I laugh and then pull her into a hug. I give her a kiss and whisper, "I love you," in her ear.

Just then, the doorbell rings. I breathe deeply and take her hand in mine. "Let's go."

We walk downstairs and Isabel runs ahead of me. She pulls the door open, revealing Vaughn. I feel the air go out of my lungs. I still can't believe he's standing in front of me. And, even after all this time, he still takes my breath away.

Our eyes meet and he smiles at me. He then bends down to Isabel. "Are you ready to go? I have a lot of fun things planned for us today."

I can't take my eyes off of them. I tried to imagine what they would look like together, but I could never get a complete picture in my mind. And, now, here they are. I can see the love in his eyes when he looks at her and my heart aches for all of the time they lost, all of the moments they never got to share.

"I'm ready," she says. She turns to me and waves. "Bye, Mommy. See you later." She then runs out the door and down the walk.

Vaughn stands up and meets my gaze. "I'll have her home by 6 o'clock."

"Don't worry about it. Take as much time as you need."

He nods. "Thanks."

He turns around and only makes it a few feet before my voice stops him.

"Vaughn?"

"Yeah?" he says, as he spins around to face me.

"Have a good time," I say with a smile.

His lips curl into a grin. "Thank you. We will."

I adjust my rearview mirror and see her staring back at me from the backseat. I swallow hard. I suddenly feel like I'm back in high school and going on a first date. My palms are sweaty. My mouth's dry. I can't think of anything of substance to say.

I swallow hard. "So, uh, I was thinking we could go get some lunch first. Where do you want to go?"

She shrugs. "I don't care."

I eye her. "Now I don't believe that. You seem like a girl with opinions. What kind of food do you like?"

"Sushi."

I raise an eyebrow. "Sushi?"

"Yeah, Mommy and Daddy don't really like it so we never get to have it."

I have to force myself not to wince at that Daddy word again.

"Well, sushi it is then."

Her eyes light up. "You like sushi?"

I nod. "Sure, I love it."

I hate sushi. I guess this is my first fatherly sacrifice.

I drive to the nearest sushi restaurant. I help Isabel out and we walk in. We're seated in moments. I let Isabel order for us and then we sit in an awkward silence.

I try to break it. "So, you're in kindergarten, right? Do you like school?"

She wrinkles her nose. "No, it's boring. We do baby stuff."

I smile to myself. Figures the daughter of two former CIA agents would be bored with kindergarten.

"Well, what do you like to do?'

"Read."

"You already know how to read?"

She looks at me like I have two heads. Stupid question, I guess.

"Since I was three."

My eyes widen. "Wow. Three."

She looks at me curiously. "What do you like to do?"

"Well, Mommy told you how I like to play hockey."

"She said you were the best hockey player she's ever seen."

I smile at that. I always loved playing with Sydney. I used to have this picture in my head of us going to the hockey rink with our kids and having a family game.

"Has Mommy ever taken you skating or to play hockey?"

She shakes her head. "No, I've asked her to a bunch of times, but she always makes an excuse. I think it would make her too sad."

My brow furrows. "Sad? Why?"

Her big, green eyes meet mine. "Because it would make her think of you."

"Oh," I say softly.

We fall into an uncomfortable silence then. We're saved a few minutes later by the arrival of our food. Isabel digs right into the raw fish wrapped around rice. I approach mine a little more cautiously. And by cautiously I mean I stare at it.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" she asks.

"Sure, I'm just taking my time."

She eyes me knowingly. "You don't like it, do you?"

I raise my eyebrows. "You got me."

"Why did you say you liked it then?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I guess I just wanted to make you happy."

She smiles at me. "You don't have to lie to do that. Just be yourself. That's what Mommy always says."

This kid may be wiser than I am. I can see more and more of Sydney in her with every passing moment.

We finish our meal. Or, rather, she finishes her meal and I pay. We exit the restaurant and I turn to her. "So, I was thinking we could go down to the arcade on the pier and play some games."

She shakes her head. "Nah."

"Well, what do you want to do then?"

"Go to the train station."

My eyes widen in surprise. "The train station?"

"Yeah, Mommy takes me there all the time. We like to watch people. We make up stories about their lives. It's really fun."

I smile. I can't believe Sydney takes her to the train station. Our train station. She must go there to remember. To feel closer to me.

I bob my head. "The train station it is then."

We get in the car and drive to the train station. We find seats and sit side by side.

Isabel points out a little boy about six sitting on a bench with a woman who is probably his mother. "He doesn't want to go."

"Go where?"

"Where ever it is they're going."

I look at the boy, his head bent, staring at his hands. "How can you tell?"

"He looks sad. He'd look happy if he wanted to go."

I look down at her, wondering how she got to be so perceptive.

"Your turn," she says.

I survey my surroundings, my eyes landing on a young couple sitting a few yards away. The woman's wiping away tears. The man looks as if he's barely containing himself, but his eyes are focused solely on hers. His hands hold hers as if holding on for dear life.

"He's leaving," I say softly.

She tilts her head in their direction. "How do you know?"

"Because he can't take his eyes off of her."

She twitches her nose. "Maybe she's just got something stuck in her teeth and he can't stop looking at it."

I laugh. Leave it to a five year old to pull me out of my romantic funk. I smile. "Maybe."

She looks up at me and grins. And I realize we just spent a day making memories. Memories no one can ever take away from me.

I hear his car pull up and rush over to the window. I pull back the curtains and smile as my eyes land on his figure helping our daughter out of the car. They walk a few feet and then she looks up at him. She smiles and slips her hand into his.

My heart catches in my chest at the sight of them. God, they're beautiful together.

He looks up and in my direction, so I quickly pull back out of sight. A moment later, the doorbell rings. I wait a few moments so as not to seem as if I were standing there waiting for them. I then walk to the door and open it.

Our eyes meet and hold. He smiles at me. "Hi, Sydney."

"Hi. You guys are back." I move my gaze down to Isabel. "Did you have fun?"

She smiles and nods enthusiastically. "Oh yeah. We ate sushi and went to the train station."

I can feel Vaughn staring at me at the mention of the train station. It was obviously Isabel's suggestion and I'm sure the significance is not lost on him.

I pat Isabel's head. "I'm so glad you had fun, sweetie. Why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner?"

"Okay," she says. She then looks up at Vaughn and smiles. "Thanks for today. Maybe we can do it again sometime."

His eyes twinkle as he replies, "I'd like that."

With that, Isabel runs upstairs. We both watch her go and then turn back to each other.

Vaughn shakes his head. "She's an amazing little girl. You've done a great job with her." He pauses and then adds, "I see so much of you in her, Syd."

I feel my face flood with red. I swallow hard. "And I see so much of you in her." I blink back a sudden rush of tears. "Being with her was like being with a piece of you, Vaughn. I'd look into her green eyes and feel you staring back at me. Whenever I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, whenever I felt like I couldn't stand being without you for one more moment, I'd look at her. It gave me comfort."

I see the tears spring to his eyes and he looks down, hoping to hide it from me. I take a deep breath and attempt a lighthearted smile.

"Sushi, huh? You hate sushi."

He raises his head to look at me and grins. "Yeah, I wanted to impress her so I told her I loved it. It didn't take her long to figure out I lied."

I chuckle. "She's like a little human lie detector. Nothing much gets past her."

He smiles and then we fall into an awkward silence until I finally break it. "Well, I better get going. Dinner's getting cold."

His eyes seem to flash with disappointment. "Okay. Um, could I maybe see her next Saturday?"

I nod. "You can see her anytime you want, Vaughn."

"It's probably best to keep it as a scheduled thing right now. I don't want to overwhelm her."

I bob my head and meet his eyes. "All right. I'll see you next Saturday then. Bye."

I move to close the door when his voice stops me. I meet his piercing gaze.

"You take her to the train station," he says softly.

I nod with a sad smile. "Yeah, I do." I pause and then add, as I battle the emotion now constricting my throat. "It helps me feel closer to you. When I'm there I can sit down and pretend you're sitting behind me. I can hear your voice telling me how you looked everywhere for me and how you remembered some simple statement I made a million years ago. And I can close my eyes and feel your arms around me as we dance to the sounds of a busy train station." I stop and then add softly, "It doesn't make me feel sad. I tried to go to the hockey rink once and Isabel is always asking to go, but it just hurt too much. It made me think of how one day we could have brought our family there. The train station is different somehow. It helps me remember. It brings me comfort."

He rubs at his eyes and then looks down. "Memories like those are the only thing that got me through those five years."

I ache to reach out and wrap my arms around him, but force myself to resist.

He clears his throat. "Well, I'll let you go. See you next week."

He turns around and I watch as he walks away from me. It takes all of my strength not to run after him. I wait until he's driven away to close the door. I lean my forehead against the door and squeeze my eyes shut.

"He's gone, Syd."

Will's voice takes me by surprise and I quickly turn around. He's simply staring at me and for some reason I feel guilty.

"I know," I say softly.

"Dinner's getting cold."

I shake my head. "I'm actually not feeling too well. I think I'm going to go lie down. You two eat without me."

I start up the stairs but his voice stops me. "Is this how it's going to be?"

I turn around to face him, my features twisted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Will's eyes flood with hurt. "You can't be with him, so you're going to pull away from this family...from me."

I walk down the stairs and stand in front of him. "That is not what I am doing. I don't feel well. It's just dinner."

He shakes his head. "Two years, Syd. We haven't missed a dinner together as a family in the two years we've been married. You were obsessive about it or don't you remember? You never got to have family meals and you wanted things to be different for Isabel. I had to drop everything at work to make sure I was home for dinner. And I did it gladly because this is where I wanted to be. You had the flu and sat there and ate with us. But he's been back for three days and that's all it took for things to change."

I see the hurt in his eyes and I can't stand that I put it there. But I also can't deny what he said. And I can't sit down to a meal as a family right now.

"I have a headache, Will. Don't make more of it than it is."

I turn to walk away.

"He's still in love with you and that's not going to change. You don't just fall out of love with Sydney Bristow. I learned that lesson a long time ago. He's not going to just let you go. I know because I wouldn't."

I squeeze my eyes shut and a tear slips down my cheek. I then walk up the stairs, his eyes following me all the way.

End of Part 2

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. Steph