A/N: Finally an update!
Enjoy and please review.
A Life Like This
She had no reason to believe a word this chronic liar was feeding her. She was through playing his sick, little mind games – she had been for years. Yet she had been drawn back to him after vowing to not let anything like this happen again, all for the love of a man who had buried her and whom she herself had left once she had been resurrected.
She had come back to the life that she hated willingly, albeit after a long time of analyzing just what she would get out of it. Her answer was nothing and everything. The nothing being what had driven her away in the first place – the constant lying and betrayal, the unpredictability and danger involved, the inability to ever really have time away from the job… But the everything is what would make it all worth it in her eyes; because the everything was Vaughn and starting a life with him when all of the nothing would be thrust away once the final bit of work was done.
She entered the main office, and Vaughn immediately spotted her, as he was hardly even making an effort to be occupied by work. She was deep in thought even as Vaughn led her back to his desk.
“Syd, are you alright? What did Sloane say?” he asked, trying to break her out of her silence.
She sighed heavily as she leaned against Vaughn’s desk and crossed her arms. “I don’t really know. I mean, I know what he said, but I don’t know what he really
meant.”
Ever since she had learned the truth about SD-6, it had always been a guessing game with Sloane – whether to believe what information he passed on or not. Even though it was nearly always the latter, the game had changed. Sloane was in custody, so there was no benefit foreseeable benefit for him to be misleading; but there was a new pawn thrown into the mix, one that Sloane would likely do anything to protect – his daughter. What other explanation could there be other than wanting to save Nadia’s life if Sloane would be willing to have her taken into custody? Could it really be as simple as that for once?
Vaughn nodded in understanding. “Did he say anything about Lauren?”
She shook her head. “Only that he’ll tell us what happened to her when we bring back Nadia and the Sphere of Life.”
Vaughn’s brow crinkled as he tensed visibly and muttered under his breath, “That bastard…”
Sydney thought for a moment then spoke again, “Vaughn, how is Sloane even here? If he hasn’t cooperated after all this time, why—“
“He has cooperated, to an extent. He gave us the information needed to dismantle numerous terrorist cells, but knowing he wouldn’t get full immunity without disclosing the whereabouts of the Sphere, he settled for a furnished cell. That has been the only thing he’s kept from us – that and the reason why it had to be you he would confess to.”
“I don’t understand that either, but it has to mean something… some reason why I have to be involved…” They both drifted into thought for a few moments until Vaughn brought the attention back to issues at hand.
“How are we supposed to find Nadia and the Sphere?”
“Sloane gave me a location – an apartment in Moneghetti, Monaco. He said Nadia is still there.”
Vaughn started. “Are you kidding? How can he possibly know that?”
“I know it’s unlikely, but… Maybe they set up a protocol if they were ever to get separated or something like that. It may be taking a long shot, but what other choice do we have?”
“You’re probably right,” he nodded. “And if Sloane is finally giving us the information we want, we should jump on it.” After a pause, he went on, “You know, you never answered my first question… Are you okay?”
She looked down briefly then back at him, and unfolded her arms to support her as she leaned on the desk. She shrugged and said, “I’m fine, I guess.”
Vaughn kept his eyes locked with hers, telling her silently that he wanted more than that.
She sighed a little and continued. “It’s strange being back, but also all too familiar. There are things about a life like this that I will never stop hating, no matter how long I’ve been accustomed to them. But, I hoped that coming back to you would make it all not seem as bad,” she paused but he was too touched to say anything. “…Because you had that effect before.”
She watched his smile grow, his face lit up with color. “I missed you… so much,” he said softly, stepping closer to her.
Standing up completely, she said, “Me too. And, I hated the way we left each other. There was so much more that needed to be said, so many ways that situation could’ve been fixed…”
“I know. You have no idea how many times I thought about going back to you. But, it always ended up with the thought that you wouldn’t have me back.”
She smiled sadly. “There were times when I wished you had. I wished you could’ve just dumped your feelings for Lauren to the wayside and set off to start a life away from anything but peace.
I wish you would’ve stayed with me.” She turned her head away as a few tears fell out of regret for what wasn’t in her and Vaughn’s past together.
“Hey,” he said softly, bringing his hand to turn her face back to him. “We’re here now, right?”
She bit her lip and smiled as she nodded.
He continued, “Then that’s what counts.” He lifted her chin and kissed her gently. “God, I love you so much,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” she breathed. She laughed a little through her tears that were now out of joy before she kissed him again.
TBC