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Disclaimer: The title of this chapter comes from the song 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' by Coldplay

When You Work It Out, I Want It Too

Vaughn ran a hand through his hair. "I want to see justice served, but that is not what we are talking about."

"Right, it's me. Because I am the one with the problem, right? Poor old, Sydney. An estranged father, criminal mother, separated after a year of marriage. It's no wonder she doesn't know how to control her life."

"That is not what I am saying, Sydney." Vaughn protested. "I just—"

"You know what?" Sydney stood up, cutting him off. "I'm not that hungry and I don't really want to sit here listening to this. I am going back to work."

"Syd—"

"Good bye, Vaughn."

With that she turned on her heel and walked out the door.

When Vaughn returned to Operations Sydney refused to even look at him, let alone speak. She was absolutely livid. How dare he try and dictate how she lived her life?

'But he wasn't, was he?' A tiny voice in the back of her mind spoke up hesitantly. 'He was only—"

With a quick shake of her head, Sydney shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind, and turned back to the work in front of her. She had more important things to concentrate on.

From her first day at the CIA, Jack had been watching Sydney. From a distance, of course. If she discovered that he had been keeping an eye on her…well, with both Bristow and Derevko blood running through her veins, he could only imagine her reaction.

He'd seen the way in which she had been throwing herself into work, and as the days passed he grew more and more concerned. Because, in his daughter he could see himself. And that was the last thing that he wanted to happen.

Vaughn was walking out of the Ops centre, a few days after his and Sydney's fight, when somebody fell into step beside him. Looking to his left, he did a double take. It was Jack Bristow.

"Jack?"

The older man did not answer right away and Vaughn wasn't about to start playing a guessing game, so it was just silence.

"I, uh, wanted to talk about Sydney," Jack finally spoke up.

Alarm bells went off in Vaughn's head. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Excuse me?"

'I don't think we should be discussing Sydney behind her back," Vaughn explained. "Whatever the issue, you should speak with her."

"The last person Sydney wants to talk to is me," Jack replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "You, on the other hand—"

"I'm not going to be able to help you with this, Jack," Vaughn cut him off.

"Why?" Jack demanded. "What have you done?"

Vaughn ignored the question, knowing that Jack was simply attempting to bait him. "I know what you are concerned about, but you are going to have to be the one to deal with it. Go and talk to your daughter."

Sydney was walking back to her desk, having just made herself a cup of coffee, when she heard somebody calling out her name. Recognizing her father's voice, she mumbled a quick "I'm busy", and went to continue on her way.

"Sydney, wait." His response sounded more urgent.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she stopped. "What?" she asked not even trying to keep the irritable tone out of her voice.

"I need to talk to you."

"And I need to get back to work."

"Sydney—"

"No," she held up a hand. "Not now. I don't want to speak with you." With that she turned and started to walk away.

After a split second of hesitation, Jack called out after her. "You looked beautiful."

It was enough for Sydney to cease her steps. "Excuse me?" she said, looking over her shoulder.

"You looked beautiful," he repeated. "At your wedding."

Sydney slowly turned, her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I got there in time to see you walk down the aisle," Jack started, his voice low. "The song you walked to, 'At Last', it was one of your mother's favourites."

Sydney was staring at him, her eyes wide. "I know," she whispered. "That's why I picked it."

Jack nodded shortly. "I figured."

Sydney shook her head incredulously. "You were there?"

"Yes."

Sydney did not respond immediately, instead placing her coffee mug on a table near her. Running a hand through her hair, she turned back to Jack.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Why didn't you respond to your invitation like a normal person?"

"I felt like a hypocrite," Jack admitted. "I had been an absent figure in your life, I had no right showing up on your wedding day."

"You would have never got an invitation unless I wanted you there," Sydney said and then inhaled deeply. "I wanted so badly for you to be a part of my life and yet you continuously disappointed me. Why? Why could you not give me event the illusion of a normal father?"

Jack glanced around and then motioned to a nearby conference room. With a nod, Sydney followed.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Sydney." Jack said as he closed the door behind them.

"I want some answers."

"No answer I give is going to satisfy you."

"Why don't you just give it a try?"

"I wanted to protect you. If I were close to you, I didn't know if I would be able to keep the truth about your mother from you. How was I supposed to look at my daughter and lie to her everyday?"

"Or more like how were you supposed to look at the constant reminder of your wife's betrayal?"

"I never saw you that way, Sydney. Not once, not ever." Jack said adamantly. "When I see the woman that you've become, I know that you were better off without my influence."

Sydney looked at him, aghast. "I was better off? Instead of losing one parent, I lost two. How does that make sense?"

"It made sense to me," Jack replied. "I did not want you to grow up under the influence of a bitter and twisted man. You deserved more than that."

"No," Sydney said quietly. "What I deserved was to know that my father loved me."

"Sydney you should never doubt the fact that I love you for a second, and that is why you need to hear what I have to say."

Sydney didn't reply. She had the feeling that she knew exactly what issue Jack was going to raise.

"I see what's happening to you, Sydney. I see it because it's exactly the same thing that happened to me." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "When I found out the truth about your mother, I let it take me over. Even though I thought she was dead, I became obsessed with bringing down those she worked with. The need for justice…revenge, it became like oxygen to me."

"Look, I don't—"

"Sydney, don't even bother trying to deny it with me. Your desire to find your mother, to get some answers, revenge, justice- whatever your motivation is, it is with you 24/7."

"So what?" Sydney's voice took on a sharp edge. "You think that I should step down?"

"No, you do what you need to do in order to get your life back." Jack replied. "Personally, I want nothing more than to see you out of this life and having nothing to do with Irina Derevko, but this is your decision to make. I am not going to stand in your way."

Sydney couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. She never expected to hear that come out of her father's voice.

"I am not going to tell you to step down," Jack continued. "I know you need to do this. What I am telling you is not to let that need control you. Don't let her control you."

"How am I supposed to do that, dad?"

Jack shrugged. "I'm still trying to work that out," he admitted. "But if I ever do, you'll be the first person I tell."

Sydney nodded, getting the feeling that the conversation was over. "I'll take that on board," she said. "Um, I'm just, um, I should probably get back to work."

"Ok," Jack said, but as she turned to open the door, he spoke up again. "Sydney?"

"Yes?"

"The loathing I felt towards your mother, it transpired into feelings of self-loathing, which cost me my relationship with you," he said, his face expressionless. "Irina Derevko has caused enough damage to more than enough relationships. Don't let her do it to you."

Vaughn couldn't keep the shock of his face when he opened his door and saw Sydney standing on the front step. So shocked that it slipped his mind to even say hello.

"Uh, hi." Sydney gave him a small smile. "Um, are you busy?"

Vaughn shook his head. "No."

"Feel like a walk?"

Vaughn blinked. "Ok," he agreed.

Five minutes later they were walking though a nearby park. No word had been exchanged since the two of them had left Vaughn's place.

"I talked to my dad today," Sydney finally said. "A real, genuine conversation." She paused, looking up at Vaughn. "I owe you an apology."

"Sydney, you don't have—"

"Yes, I do," Sydney said firmly. "You were only raising your concerns with me. Valid concerns. I have become obsessed with finding my mother, with putting her where she belongs- behind bars."

Vaughn nodded. "I never wanted to upset you. I just didn't want to see you become…"

"My father?" Sydney suggested and Vaughn nodded. "He said the same thing to me today."

"So what are you going to do?" Vaughn asked, tentatively.

"I'm not going to step down," Sydney said with conviction. "But I am not going to let it control me anymore."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Sydney smiled. "I'm still trying to figure that out. But I figure it's beneficial enough that I have acknowledged it. And with the support of my friends, I know I can do it."

"Well," Vaughn grinned back. "When you work it out, let me know."

""Will do."

A companionable silence fell between the two for a minute or so, until Vaughn spoke up.

"Hey Syd?"

"Hmm?"

"We are going to find her." He paused as Sydney looked up at him. "There is going to be an end to this one day."

Before Sydney realized what she was doing, she had wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "You can't know how badly I needed to hear that."

"Oh, I think I've got a fair idea," he murmured back. That would have been the pointin which Sydney would have normally stepped back, ending the friendly embrace. But, for some reason, she felt as if she could have stayedthat way forever.

Vaughn, too, was surprised at how much he was relishing inSydney's touch and when the two of them did separate there was an awkward second or two, as if both of them knew that the embrace had transpired into something a little less innocent.

But with a small laugh from both Sydney and Vaughn, the feeling disappeared.

"Coffee?" Vaughn suggested.

Sydney nodded. "That would be great."

Danny stood rooted on the spot. Sydney. With another man. In public. He couldn't believe that she was with somebody else, so soon.

'Nearly eight months,' an annoying voice in his head spoke up. 'I wouldn't call that soon.'

But still he could not fight the feelings of jealousy bubbling up inside. He calmed down as the months had passed, and it had recently occurred to him that walking out on Sydney was quite possibly one of the biggest mistakes he'd ever made. He knew that he loved Sydney. She had been such a huge part of his life. And, technically, she was still his wife.

He wasn't ready to let her go. And it was time to make sure that he didn't have to.

A/N: Just a note to let you know that there is only five more chapters to go...