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specialfrog: I honestly have not really thought about a sequel for this fic, but then who is say that something won't hit me in the near fututre? So sequel, who knows? Not even me:)

Disclaimer: The title of this chapter comes from the song 'Lay Lady Lay' by Bob Dylan

Why Wait Any Longer For The World To Begin

Sydney had been psyching herself up to speak to Vaughn, but when she arrived at Operations she found her resolve faltering. She knew that she felt something for Vaughn, but what exactly was it? Were the feelings sincere, or were they a result of the hurt and betrayal she'd been subjected to?

Whatever it was, she didn't get a chance to figure it out. As soon as she saw the look on Vaughn's face, she knew.

They had another lead.

"Schtat Pharmaceuticals, a small Scandinavian consortium, has been established quite recently. We have reason to believe that it is a front company for Sloane and Derevko's activities. It's network is connected to a server farm in Marseilles and could possibly hold vital information in regards to their whereabouts, as well as any other facilities that they may be using.
Agents Bristow and Vaughn will infiltrate, find the server that connects to Schtat, copy it and get out.
Given the suspected occupations of many of the farm's clients, the facility will be heavily guarded and any force necessary will be used to keep unwanted visitors out.
Be careful, get us what we need and get out."

"Boyscout to base," Vaughn whispered into his comms. "Ready to move."

"All appears to be clear, Boyscout," Weiss's voice replied, from back in Los Angeles. Sydney and Vaughn were going in alone, the team monitoring them via satellite, to lessen any suspicion. "Standing by for transmission."

Vaughn nodded towards Sydney and the two of them silently made their way into the facility. Taking it step by step, they slowly made their way through the halls. To rush this would be a fatal mistake.

"Boyscout, Mountaineer. Control room is straight ahead. All is clear." Weiss's voice came through Sydney and Vaughn's ears. With a glance at one another, they hastened their steps slightly.

When they reached the door, Vaughn gestured and Sydney nodded, reaching for her tranq gun as he opened the door. One shot was all it took to take out the guard.

"Which one?" Sydney asked, as she holstered her gun.

"Forty seven," Vaughn replied, unshouldering the small pack off his back and reaching inside as Sydney sat down in front of the main computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

"Got it. Schtat Pharmaceuticals."

"Here you go," Vaughn handed over a small device that resembled a palm pilot. As usual, it was a creation of Marshall's', and would allow them to make a hard copy of the server as well as transmit a copy to the team back in Los Angeles. More copies, the more security.

"Mountaineer to base. Ready for transmission?"

"Ready, Mountaineer."

As the information was being copied, Sydney took a few seconds to scan the contents. It all appeared to be encrypted, which meant only one thing. Whoever used this server did not want to contents to be read or understood. It had to be Sloane and Derevko. It just had to be.

A few minutes later it was over and Sydney and Vaughn were making their way out of the facility.

Sydney could not help but get her hopes up. This had been a real victory. She just knew it.

Irina stared at Sloane, her expression thunderous. "They went to Marseilles?" Sloane nodded and Irina closed her eyes briefly. "Did they find the server?"

"Yes."

"I told you that it was a bad idea to give them incentive to hunt us down," Irina hissed. "Are they still there?"

"A safe house. I'm still searching for the exact address."

"Well, when you do let me know. I'll have a team ready. We'll be taking them into custody tonight."

Sydney and Vaughn were to spend the night in a CIA safe house, until there was a plane ready to escort them home the following day.

Given that there was not all that much to do, Sydney took the opportunity to take a closer look at the copy they'd gotten from the server, settling down on the couch with a laptop.

"I can't quite get what they've used," she muttered, more to herself than Vaughn, who had made it his prerogative to explore all the cupboards and drawers in the house. "There's no starting point, I've got nothing to work with."

"Syd, give yourself a break," Vaughn called out from the kitchen. "The guys in analysis will be right in top of this."

Sydney threw herself back into the couch, rubbing her eyes. "I can't help but think that we're close. This has got what we need, Vaughn, I know it."

"You know what else we need?"

"What?" Sydney asked, looking up as Vaughn entered the small living room, a triumphant grin on his face.

"This." He held up a bottle of tequila. "Now, who would think that I would have found something like this in a CIA safe house. I must find out who was here last and thank them."

Sydney let out a small laugh. "Vaughn, we can't. We're technically still on the job."

"Come on, Syd." Vaughn protested. "We completed our mission successfully and so I think that we should take the time to relax and celebrate, don't you?"

Sydney smiled. "Fine," she sighed. "But just one drink."

Sydney looked at the empty bottle in front of them and turned to Vaughn. "You are such a bad influence."

"Me?" He placed his hands on his chest. "A bad influence? Moi?"

"Oui, vous," Sydney retorted.

"No, I am not."

"Oh yes you are," Sydney poked him. "You think that just because you are good looking that you can just get away with getting a girl drunk."

"So…I'm good looking, am I?"

"Like you didn't know," Sydney scoffed. "I can just imagine what you were like at high school- strutting around the halls, flashing around your licence to break any girls heart with just a smile."

"Wow," Vaughn let out a loud laugh. "That's a really great perception you've got of me there."

Sydney grinned. "You wanna know what I thought of you the first time that we met?"

Vaughn shook his head. "I don't think so."

"I thought that you were so uptight, a real stiff," Sydney trailed off with a laugh. She wasn't completely drunk, but she was relaxed enough not to give a damn about what she was saying. "Like stick up your bum uptight." She paused and then continued in a deep voice. "This situation is serious…there are some questions I need to ask you…"

"What about you, acting like a defiant child?" Vaughn protested, a grin on his face. "Getting you to co-operate was like trying to get blood out of a stone."

Sydney threw her head back, laughing. "Oh my god…I was, wasn't I?" She suddenly snorted and clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

Vaughn chuckled. "That was classy."

Sydney gave him a small shove. "Shut up."

"Hey," Vaughn shot her a wounded look. "Is that anyway to treat a friend?"

"You're right," Sydney sighed dramatically. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Vaughn glanced at the empty tequila bottle. "Do you reckon that we would be able to find another one in this place?"

Sydney's expression turned a little serious. "I couldn't have done it, you know."

"Done what?"

"Got through these past…wow, it's nearly been a year…I couldn't have done that without you."

"Sure you could have," Vaughn replied. "You're a strong person, Syd."

"But a strong person can only get so far by themselves," Sydney pointed out. "They can only stay strong if they have support. And I know that you will always be there…and I like that."

She looked directly into Vaughn's eyes and any hesitation that he might have been feeling dissolved and he leaned forward, pressing his lips into hers.

Immediately Sydney responded, but as the kiss grew more intense, she suddenly pulled back.

"Syd?"

"I'm sorry," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I shouldn't have…I'm sorry…"

"Sydney, don't." Vaughn said. "It was me, I shouldn't—"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Sydney reassured him. "I'm just confused…"

"About what?"

"About what I feel." Sydney paused. "In regards to us…you. I just don't…I don't know…ugh, I have no idea how to say, I don't know what to say." She let out a large sigh. "You say something, please."

Vaughn shrugged. "What do you want me to say? We've only gotten closer as the months have passed, and I love that you are a part of my life. I don't know how you feel, but I was under the impression that there was…I don't know, a mutual attraction."

"There is."

"Then why this confusion?"

Sydney drew in a deep breath. "I'm just not sure…I don't know if I am attracted to you, or if I am attracted to the fact that I have never had to hide the real me from you." She looked at Vaughn. "I've never known somebody who knows everything about me. Every damn intimate detail."

Vaughn's foreheard was creased thoughtfully. "But isn't that what being with somebody is about? To be yourself in your rawest form, to have somebody who knows inside and out and who will never judge you about it."

"My mother killed your father, Vaughn. How can you not judge me?"

"You are not your mother, Sydney. We have already established that."

"But what about the fact that I am still married?"

"By paper only." Vaughn replied, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Sydney, if you don't want anything to transpire from this, just tell me. Stop with the excuses, because you seem to be clutching at straws here."

"Vaughn, I do want something, but what if what I want isn't…I think that what I am feeling…but…what if I thought—"

"Sydney," Vaughn cut her off with a small smile.

"What?"

"Maybe you should just stop thinking," he said, his voice low. Cupping her face in his hands, he leant forward, pausing as their faces neared. After a second, Sydney nodded and then closed the gap between them, pressing her lips into his.

As the slow kiss deepened, Vaughn wrapped his arms around Sydney, making he feel as if this were the only place that she was meant to be. Vaughn was right. She had to stop thinking. Stop analysing everything and just go with what she wanted.

Who knew how far things would have gone that night. Neither Sydney nor Vaughn got the chance to find out. The kiss abruptly ended when, with an extremely loud bang, the front door flew off its hinges, followed by a large groups of masked people entered the house.

"What…" Vaughn went to jump up but stopped when one of the masked thugs cocked his gun.

"Stay right where you are and nobody gets hurt…"

A/N: Only three more chapters to go...