A/N: Once again, so sorry for not updating recently, but it's all because of school and marching band. Once November comes along, I hope to update more often. Thank you, thank you for all who reviewed! It means a lot to me. Please read!

Chapter 23

"You're early, so why do I have a feeling it's because something went wrong?"

"We lost Nadia and Sydney."

"You better have a good reason why."

"We believe that the CIA betrayed us. Shots opened fire on Lauren just as we were about to make the trade."

"You're not coming back to this country alive without Nadia."

"Any suggestions?"

"Where are they?"

"The majority of them are at the hospital. We're assuming the rest of them are staying at a safe house somewhere. We are working on locating it."

"Forget it, any break-in into the safe house is set up for failure. Bomb the hospital."

"What?"

"Rig the hospital and state our demands to the CIA, if they don't comply, blow up the hospital."

"With all do respect, won't that compromise the secrecy of this agency?"

"First of all, I make the orders and you follow them. Second of all, the CIA in no way wants publicity. They make a speech about terrorism or something, but they won't mention us."

"Then I apologize."

"I'll accept your apology when you bring me Nadia. Get me results, Sark, or don't bother coming back."

23232323

Her whole world was dark, and everything she tried to move sent back relays of pain through her body. Sydney suddenly felt dread pass through her, thinking that she would open her eyes and find herself staring back at those ugly green walls, or even worse, into Lauren Reed's face. Suddenly, through her haze she could make out the angry sound of a very familiar voice. It didn't belong to Sark, or even Vaughn. It was her father.

"Listen to me, if you think the CIA will comply—"

Sydney thought hard trying to comprehend what her father was saying. What was odd was there didn't seem to be anyone else in the room responding to his comments. Sydney suddenly forced her eyes open. Her father had his phone in hand and seemed to be looking at it in disgust. When he realized that she was awake however, he shoved it roughly into his jacket pocket.

"Sydney," he said to her, relief replacing the tense angry wrinkles on his face.

"Dad, what—" Sydney started, before her eye caught sight of the red spot through the tear in his jacket. Suddenly the whole episode came back to her. A shot had been fired. She remembered it hitting her. She had been surprised. She had thought that from the direction it had been fired that it had been the CIA who fired at her, but that wouldn't make sense. Then she remembered the intention of the trade.

"Dad, Nadia—Is she okay?" Sydney asked anxiously.

"Relax," Jack surprising soothingly. "Nadia's fine. You need to rest."

Sydney was indeed tired, but there were a few things she still needed to clear up. "Dad, during the two years that I was missing, I was working for the Covenant. They tried to convince me I was Julia Thorne and I went to Kendall. For those two years I was a double agent."

"Sydney, how do you know this?" Jack demanded, his spy instincts taking effect.

"Lauren and Sark had a file on me. It was all there. I need to talk to Kendall, I need to know why I can't remember any of this," Sydney said, her eyes beginning to tear.

"We'll worry about that when we get back to the states. Right now you need to rest."

Sydney settled back down into the pillow, grimacing slightly, as pain soared through her body.

"I'll have the nurse brought in here," Jack said upon seeing his daughter in pain.

"No, no drugs. It doesn't hurt that bad. Just Tylenol would be fine," Sydney protested. She hated the drowsy feeling drugs left her in.

"Alright. Take care, Sydney. I'll be back later, I need to speak to Dixon." Jack said turning to leave.

"Thank you, Dad," Sydney said smiling slightly.

"For what?" Jack asked looking a little perplexed.

"Taking care of me." Jack gave her a small smile. It was now more than ever, that he regretted not having spent more time with his daughter as a child.

"I need to see her," Vaughn pleaded the agent outside Sydney's door.

"Sorry, but only Agent Bristow and Director Dixon are allowed to see Sydney Bristow."

"She knows who I am. It's necessary that I talk to her."

"Look, Agent Vaughn, I let you in and it's my ass."

"Ten minutes."

"Five."

"Fine."

"But if someone comes to the door, you better be a good hider, otherwise you'll hear from me." Vaughn ignored the threat, just excited that he was given the chance to see her again.

Quickly looking both ways, Vaughn turned the knob and walked inside. It was dark inside except for the few lights that illuminated the machines so that the nurses could check them with no problem. His eyes turned to Sydney. Her eyes were closed. The sheets were pulled up to her neck and she was sleeping peacefully on her left side. He could see the white bandage that shown out from the part of the sheet that had been pulled out from under her arm. Her dark brown hair dangled in slightly greasy chunks over her pillow, but nothing prevented her from looking beautiful. Her features were no longer as pale as they had been when she had been brought in three days ago, and the ventilator was no longer hindering her features. Vaughn was saddened about what he was about to do. If he had a choice, he would spend all his time just watching her.

"Sydney," he whispered softly as he walked towards her. "Sydney, wake up." Sydney's eyes fluttered, and then opened rapidly. She took only seconds to blink and focus on the person speaking to her.

"Vaughn," she whispered. Mix emotions passed across her eyes as she said his name. There was love and happiness, but at the same time hurt, pain, and betrayal. There was silence between them. Vaughn suddenly didn't know what to say, or how to convey what his heart was telling him to say. Hesitantly, he took his hand and placed it on hers. Sydney however, moved it almost immediately and then slowly rolled onto her back, pulling the covers closer up to her chin as she did so.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her question filled with sorrow. Vaughn didn't have to ask to know what she was referring to. She had found out. Some how she had discovered his secret. All the pain she was going through right now—he was sorry to have added to it. He knew he should have told her in the first place.

"Syd, I—" Vaughn started.

"You've changed, Vaughn," Sydney interrupted. "Do you realize that?" She turned her head and faced him. "I miss the Vaughn who would know exactly what I was feeling. I miss the Vaughn who promised me that I was the only one for him. I miss the Vaughn who would die for me before he'd ever lie to me. Tell me, what happened to my Vaughn?"

Vaughn was speechless. Tears were falling down Sydney's cheeks. Rarely had he seen this warrior cry, and now she was crying because of him. Because he had decided to marry Lauren, because he had decided to keep secrets…

"Sydney, you know that my intentions were never to hurt you. I love you more than anything in the world. I would never—"

"Stop it! Just stop!" Sydney cried out. "You failed at that job. You lied to me. You gave me up to Lauren! You got married just over a year after I died. Your words are meaningless now," Sydney finally croaked out, her voice horse from crying.

"That's not fair. I loved you, but I thought you were dead," Vaughn said giving his weak defense.

Sydney sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Consider this scenario to your feelings now or the way they were two years ago. What if I thought you were dead, Vaughn. I married another man after a year. You come back thinking only one day had passed and I am now married. I don't doubt that you'd be feeling the same way I am right now. That is, if you really cared for me in the extent I cared for you."

Vaughn knew that she was right. Then or now, he felt his heart quicken at the idea of Sydney with another man. The day in Korea when Sydney told him that she had slept with Will had hurt more than she knew, and that compared to marriage was only a taste of Sydney's pain. Not to mention that her use of "cared" significantly upped his anxiety level.

"Cared?" Vaughn asked, searching her eyes, hoping that she wasn't trying to say that this was the end.

"Vaughn, you hurt me in a way that I'm not sure you'll ever understand," Sydney said fixing her eyes on his. "But if you were to ask me to look into your eyes and tell you that I don't love you those words would be a lie. What that means to you, I don't know."

"Syd, tell me. Tell me what I can do to make things right," Vaughn pleaded.

"The only thing you can do is change back into the man I knew. The man I trusted, and trust is only built over time," Sydney concluded.

"Syd," Vaughn said, his eyes tearing. He placed his hand on her cheek, half expecting her to pull away. Her eyelids closed for a moment and he took it as a good sign. In a movement filled with desperation to prove himself faithful, he leaned over her and moved his lips towards hers.

"Vaughn, please go," Sydney whispered quietly without opening her eyes. The damp streaks that his hand had dried from her cheeks began to refill as Vaughn pulled his face away from Sydney's.

"Please, Vaughn," Sydney said, opening her eyes. Vaughn slowly removed his hand and without another word, moved dejectedly towards the door.