Wow. The response to this fic was incredible! Thank you all so much for your positive feedback, I am just completely stoked that people seem to be enjoying this.

Sloane Ranger: Vaughn, Jack and Sloane will all be playing a part within this fic.

Five Stories Fallen: The is no specific significance to the song that the title came from, except for the fact that it has been used in an episode of Alias (4.15: Pandora). You will find that all the songs I have chosen chapter titles from have been used in an episode of Alias at one point or another.

vaughnfan: You've read some of my other fics...of course the is going to be a S/V aspect to this story ;)

Missmeliss4251: I know this is completely irrelevant, but in regards to your name- my name is Melissa and one of my best friends actually calls me Miss Meliss. Sorry, but I just had to tell you. Oh, and the questions you raised will be answered in the next couple of chapters.

LilsurferSango: Ditto on the Mel front! And in regards to the story you were going to write, you should. I would love to see where you would have gone with it.

Disclaimer: The title of this chapter comes from the song 'Bad Day' by R.E.M

It's Been A Bad Day, Please Don't Take A Picture

"Uh, no thanks." Dixon said as Sydney shook her head as well.

"What? Hey, nobody can resist a little pig in a blanket. They're hot, fresh out of the oven."

Sydney, who was about to laugh, did not get the chance. Instead, she found herself diving under her desk, as the space around her seemed to explode in a loud bang.

Glancing up, Sydney saw that Marshall was still standing, his mouth and eyes opened wide in complete stunned shock.

"Marshall!" She reached up and grabbed him. "Get down."

As bullets rang out around them, Sydney looked over at Dixon, with questioning written all over her face. He could only shrug his shoulders helplessly. Nobody had any idea on what was going on. And as they were all unarmed, they had no choice but to stay put under their desks. Nobody, not even Sydney Bristow- super spy, would have a chance against whoever these people were.

The bullets seemed to stop almost as abruptly as they started. Seconds passed and Sydney was contemplating leaving the safety under the desk to survey what exactly was going on. But she did not get the chance.

A pair of hands grabbed her, placing restraints on her wrists. Yanking her up, Sydney was then escorted out of the Credit Dauphine building.

"Another fight, hey?" Will commented casually, as Francie handed him a beer. Francie eyed him. She knew that Will had been harbouring feelings towards Sydney for years. She had assumed that they would have ebbed after the wedding, however that had not been the case.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Over what?"

"The bank. Syd doesn't want to and isn't going to quit after graduation."

Will swallowed his mouthful of beer. "She's staying at the bank? Why?"

Francie shrugged. "How should I know? I understand Syd's obsession with that place as much as you do."

Sydney had lost track of time. Her watch and jewellery had been removed upon her arrival at…well, she still didn't know where. Sitting in a small, windowless room, she had no way of seeing the sky. Night, day? She had no idea. Danny, she knew, would go crazy if he did not hear from her soon.

At that point the door opened and a tall, sandy blonde haired man entered. He sat down at the opposite end of the table and opened a folder. Taking out a pen, he looked up at Sydney. "I am Agent Michael Vaughn. I take it that you have been informed that you are currently in federal custody?"

"Yes." Sydney could not keep the biting tone out of her voice. "But what I want to know is why. Why is the American government taking its own employees into custody? What the hell is going on?"

Agent Vaughn ignored her question. "May I have your name?"

Sydney blinked. "My what?"

"Your name. There are series of questions that you will have to be taken through before I can disclose any information to you."

Sydney's eyes narrowed. "You have got to be kidding me. If you think that I am just going to sit here and answer your questions with no understanding of why, then you have another thing coming."

Agent Vaughn looked at her for a few seconds, before leaning back in his seat. "I am not authorized to tell you anything specific at this point, but what I will say is that this situation is serious. I suggest you don't make trouble for yourself by refusing to co-operate."

While his words were anything but comforting, there was something about Agent Vaughn's voice that sated Sydney. She stared at him, directly into his lucid, green eyes. Her name, and that was it. At this point.

"My name," she gave a relenting sigh, "is Sydney Bristow."

A flicker of something, Sydney couldn't quite gauge what, crossed Agent Vaughn's face at the sound of her name. "Sydney Bristow?" he repeated.

"Yes." She watched him as he jotted something down. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he replied, looking up. "When were you first recruited to work for SD-6?"

"I want a phone."

"Excuse me?"

"I want to make a phone call."

"Well, I'm afraid that—"

"No, you listen to me. Myself, along with god knows how many other people you have in custody, all have close ones out there who believe that we work at a bank. I don't know how long I've been here and have no idea how much longer you are planning on keeping me here," she paused for a breath. "I need to call my husband. He needs to know that I am ok."

Agent Vaughn rubbed his chin. "Ms Bristow, I—"

"Please. Let me make the call and then I will answer whatever questions you have."

He looked at her and Sydney knew that she had succeeded. Reaching into his jacket, Agent Vaughn pulled out a phone.

"Any call made through this will be traced and recorded," he said, sliding it across the table. "If you call anybody other than your husband, we will know."

Sydney nodded as she picked up the phone. "Thank you," she said softly.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said, standing up. "Five minutes only."

Eric Weiss was waiting for Vaughn outside the interview room. As Vaughn walked out, he caught a glimpse at the brunette seated inside.

"How's it going?"

Vaughn sighed. "I'm letting her call her husband. Then, hopefully, she start to co-operate."

Weiss nodded. "Do you reckon she knows?"

"My guess is no," Vaughn replied, glancing at the door. "Her name is Sydney Bristow."

Weiss's eyes widened. "That's Jack's daughter? I would have never guessed…must take after her mother, hey?" The jokey grin fell off his face when he saw the hardened expression on Vaughn's. "Hey, sorry man. I didn't mean—"

Vaughn shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Weiss rubbed the back of his neck. "So if that's Bristow's daughter, are you going to put her through the whole interrogation thing?"

Vaughn shrugged. "That all depends on Jack. I'm calling him now."

"Hello."

"Danny."

"Sydney! Where the hell are you? You were supposed to be home hours ago."

"I know, Danny. I'm sorry. I've been called out on another business trip. I'm at the airport now."

Sydney could hear Danny exhaling loudly. "Another trip? You only just got back."

"I know. But it's an emergency and…" Sydney trailed off. What else could she say?

"It always is some emergency, Sydney." Danny said, his tone taking a sharp edge.

"Danny, I am sorry."

"Is this what you really want our life to be like?"

"Danny—"

"Because with you staying with that bloody bank, this is what our life is going to be like. How are we supposed to even consider starting a family if you are jumping on planes at a moment's notice?"

"Danny that is not fair and now is not the time to be having a conversation like this."

"Right. Not the time." Danny said. "I don't think it will ever be the time."

"How could you say that?"

"Because that is how I feel." Danny snapped. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know."

Danny let out a short laugh. "Yeah, that would be right," he paused for a loaded second. "Sydney, is there any point?"

Sydney's heart skipped a beat. "Any point to what?"

"To continuously trying to make this work."

"Danny…" Sydney's voice was a barely audible whisper.

"Look, Syd." Danny's voice was considerably gentler. "I think that I should go and stay at my brother's for a few days. Call me when you get back. We'll talk then."

"Ok." Sydney's head felt light as she hung up the phone. Resiting the urge to cry, she brought a hand up to her forehead. The life she knew, the life she had invested in for years, was crumbling at her feet.

Vaughn's brow furrowed with concern as he entered the room. Sydney's demeanour had completely changed. Gone was the powerful defiance she had radiated before, and all that remained was a woman who looked as if she were about to break.

"Are you ok?"

Sydney nodded. "I'm fine." She straightened up. "Thanks for the phone."

"You're welcome," Vaughn said as he placed his phone back in his pocket. "Now, there has been a slight change. The questions I spoke to you about, it's no longer necessary for you to be subjected to them."

"Why not? Will you still tell me what is going on?"

Vaughn shook his head. "Another agent has requested that they be the one to tell you everything."

"Who?" Sydney demanded.

Vaughn did not answer. Instead he just opened the door, allowing someone to walk in. The last person Sydney would have expected.

Inhaling sharply, she took a second to take them in, to make sure that is was whom she was seeing. Finally, exhaling, she spoke.

"Daddy?"