I want to thank the people who have read my story and those who have taken the time to post. I hope you like the next section. Stick with it. I promise it will be worth it.
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As she got out of the tub Samantha Bristow could hear her phone ringing. She thought that it could be one of two people – either her sister Sydney Bristow, or Eric Weiss. She and Eric had gone out earlier to celebrate their six month anniversary. Eric called her every night to wish her sweet dreams since about one month into their dating. At first they started dating because Syd thought that they should. No one had ever told Sydney Bristow about Samantha Bristow and Michael Vaughn’s relationship. Sam had told her that things just hadn’t worked out and that she was moving on with out him – Vaughn never corrected her.
At first it had been really awkward seeing Michael, not to mention working with him, and seeing him with Syd. She had seen their relationship coming before either of them did. She resigned her self to the unavoidable, and by now was actually moving on. It had taken about a year after she broke up with Vaughn to even think about dating and even then she never took the initiative. Syd had begged her to let her set her up on a date with Weiss, and while Sam had thought it was doomed to fail she had to admit she was happy with Eric – once they realized that they did have feeling for each other and simply were not dating to make Syd feel better and to make Vaughn not feel guilty. Weiss knew all about her relationship with Vaughn and she had even disclosed to him the real reason she had broken things off with him. He made her laugh, feel pretty again, and he worried while she was away on missions. She made him feel wanted, important, she got all his jokes, and she worried about him while he was away on missions.
Over dinner this evening Eric had tested the waters of their relationship and asked her to think about perhaps them moving in together. Sam was a little shocked, but flattered. She and Vaughn had never moved in together. She stopped to wonder why. Probably the age thing – Vaughn was always worried about the difference in their age. It was what he believed was the demise of their relationship and neither she, or Eric ever corrected him. It had taken her a long time to get over Michael Vaughn but she was there now. She could hang with him and Syd now and not feel much but the occasional pang in her heart, and usually when she felt those she could just push them into a box now. As she walked over to the phone she decided she would tell Eric tonight that she had made up her mind, she would like to get a place together. Samantha Bristow picked up the phone with a smile on her face.
“Hello?”
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“Has anyone told Sam?” Vaughn yelled to no one in particular.
Dixon came over and put his hand on Vaughn shoulder, “I called Jack personally Michael. He is on his way down. I’m sure he will tell her. Why don’t you let Eric take you home? I don’t think you should stay here, it’s no good for you Mike.”
Vaughn slide down onto the grass. He was home. He had been living at Sydney’s. Only going home to get new clothes and check his answering machine. What was he supposed to do at his apartment? He needed to make sure that Sam knew what was going on. He had promised Sydney that if anything ever happened to her that he would take care of her sister – he never bothered to tell her that he would always worry and care about her for reasons that she never knew existed. Thinking of the Bristow sisters made his breath fall short from pain. How could this have happened? How could Sydney be ………
“Michael?”
Michael Vaughn looked up to see Jack Bristow standing next to him. Vaughn thought it strange that Jack Bristow had used his first name. He didn’t think he had ever heard him call him that before – not in all the years he had known him – not while he was dating either of his daughters. Jack looked completely out of character to Vaughn. His suit was rumpled, and he was not wearing his jacket. Vaughn could tell that he was fighting back emotions.
“Yes, Jack?” He asked in inquiry.
“I need you to do me a favor. I can’t be here overlooking this,” at this point Jack’s voice dropped off and he looked behind him at the still smoldering house that his daughter had shared with her best friends, the first place she had felt at home – the home she had shared with Danny, the place he also had died.
“Anything Jack, just tell me what you need.” At the sound of Vaughn’s voice Jack was brought back to the present. He looked back down at Vaughn in the grass. He knew that everyone would think that he should ask Eric, but he knew better, he knew the way it had to happen.
“I need you to go over to my daughter’s apartment and let her know what has happened here tonight.” Jack said simply.
Vaughn was taken aback. Although this had been his first thought, he had been relieved when Dixon told him that he believed that Jack would handle this unenviable task.
“Jack. I don’t know about that. I mean not that I won’t do it, but don’t you think that your daughter should hear about, about,” He couldn’t make himself say death. It was to final. “About Syd from you?”
“You are correct Agent Vaughn she probably should, but I can best serve both my daughters here. We both know that I am not the best with emotion. I know that at one point you cared deeply for my youngest daughter. I also know that she loved you greatly – more than I believe even you knew. Joined with that, I know you cared deeply for my oldest daughter and that she loved you as well. If you feel that you are not up to the task of helping Samantha I will send someone else over there, but I cannot spare Agent Weiss, of Dixon.” Jack stopped as he watched Vaughn process his request and understand that Jack wanted him to tell Samantha.
“Jack if you think it is that important that I tell Samantha, then I will, but what should I tell her is the reason that you aren’t telling her yourself?” Vaughn asked his brow furrowed, his eyes still glistening – whether it was from the smoke, the pain of Sydney’s death, or both he couldn’t tell.
“Just tell her that I am here and that I am doing everything I can to figure how this could have happened. I assure that you remember her phone number and how to get to her apartment?” Jack asked while giving his hand to Vaughn to stand up.
“Of course I do.” Vaughn said a little too indignantly.
“I thought you would. Call her first. I do not believe that she will be expecting you. Just tell her that you have news and you want to tell her tonight – in person. Of course she will be suspicious Mr. Vaughn.” Jack said in answer to Vaughn’s look of concern. “But she will tell you that it is okay to come over. She still trusts you and because she knows nothing of Sydney she will only suspect things young women do.” At this Jack took back his hand that Vaughn was still holding and walked away towards Dixon and the remains of the house.
Vaughn thought that he should at least take the time to tell Eric that he was going to Sam’s to tell her what was going on. But then he realized that everyone but Samantha knew that Sydney was dead. At this realization Vaughn started walking toward his car, smelling of ash, looking like a shell of himself Michael Vaughn pulled himself into his car not caring about what he might do to the seats. He grabbed his cell phone off of the passenger’s seat where he had flung it after getting Dixon’s call. Looking straight out of the windshield he dialed the number he still knew by heart. He was actually praying that she was asleep and would not hear the phone. He knew that would not happen though. She was a trained CIA officer. A phone would always wake her, and even if it didn’t he would have to go over there and wake her up. He hit the send key and waited for her to answer.
“Hello?” She said perkily into the phone.
How am I going to do this Vaughn asked himself?
“Hey Sam – look I know that it’s kind of on the late side but I need to talk to you. Do you mind if I stop by?” He hoped that he sounded casual.
“Michael?” She asked not really sure why Michael Vaughn would be calling her. He had not done that since she had left him that day in his office. Even though they did double dates, and she hung out at Syd’s while he was there they never allowed themselves to become chummy. She believed that it was a safety buffer they had built. They had never told Sydney the truth about their relationship. Something that Vaughn probably would have told Syd, but Sam knew that Syd would never have allowed herself to date him if she had known. Sam had wanted them to be happy. So why would he be calling me she asked herself again. Then she thought about that far away beautiful California morning Danny had called her up and told her that he was in love with her sister. Vaughn must want to marry Syd she thought.
“Of course you can come over. Just grab Syd’s extra keys. They’re under the sink. I’m the one with the pink ring around it.” She said not sure how she felt about them getting engaged. ‘Oh well’ she thought. ‘Just something else I have to get used to.’
“Ya, about that, Sam I’m not at Syd’s right now. I’m in my car. Do you mind letting me in?”
“Um, no – just don’t knock to hard. Mr. Nevers hates that.” She said with a small laugh.
“He still lives there. I thought he was always saying that he was moving – that he couldn’t take living near so many young people?” Vaughn asked trying to keep the conversation light as he drove.
“Ya he’s still here and he still says he is going to move. I don’t let it get my hopes up anymore.”
“I’m like five minutes away. I’ll be right there.”
“Okay – see you in a few.”
She hung up the phone and picked it up again and dialed Syd’s number. She figured she would find out what she and Mike had done that day, just to be prepared. The number dialed once and then a mechanical voice told her that the number was experiencing temporary difficulty and to try latter. She thought it odd that at this time of night they were working on the phone lines. Maybe there was an accident she thought, but before she could think anymore of it she heard soft knocking on her door. She went to answer Michael’s knocking before Mr. Nevers heard him.
He knew that once she opened the door she would get upset. There was no hiding that something had happened. He was trying to think of how to attempt this when the door opened up.
Immediately she knew something was wrong. Michael was covered in soot and his pants were slightly wet. He smelled of fire and his face looked hollow. She stepped back into her apartment trying to put distance between her and Michael Vaughn. She didn’t want to know what he had come to tell her. It could only be one of three things, something had happened to her sister, her father, or Eric. Either one of those conclusions made her feel weak. She leaned on the sofa for support.
“Sam.” Vaughn said softly. “I have to tell you something, and you aren’t going to want to hear it anymore than I want to say it, but I need you to hear me. I don’t know if I can say this more than once. Your father sent me. He told me to tell you that he was there and that he is doing everything he can to figure how this could have happened.” Vaughn said all this more calmly then he was feeling as he walked toward her after he shut the door.
“Well that’s good. If Dad is on top of the situation then there isn’t one. He always takes care of everything. Thanks of stopping by Michael. I really appreciate the information but I really need to get to bed. I have to be in really early in the morning. I’ll make sure Dad knows that you stopped by.” She babbled all this trying not to leave any space in the air for Vaughn to say what he had come to. Whatever it was she didn’t want to know. She had been happy and safe in her little apartment not just fifteen minutes ago. She started to walk toward the door. That was when Vaughn took hold of her hand. He grabbed it tight and pulled her close to him. He hugged her close and walked her over to the sofa. With a tiny tug on her hand he sat her next to him. Michael could see the tears brimming over her eyelids – ready to fall. He had never wanted to inflict pain on her. Not even when she had broken his heart.
“Sam, its Sydney. We aren’t even really sure all that happened yet, but there was a fire, and….” He hadn’t even said the words in his head yet. He didn’t know if he could say them out loud. He looked away from her – looking for strength from somewhere. That was when he saw them. The small apartment was littered with picture frames filled with the history of the Bristow sisters - Babies, walking, biking, school pictures, beach times, proms, college, Will, Francie, Him, Eric, Jack, even Marshall, and Dixon and his kids. Every single picture had one of them in it, usually both. Across from him was a picture of Sydney sticking her tongue out at her sister. She was laughing, she looked so alive, she was there – it was like he could feel her watching him.
“Sam I don’t know how else to say this except to just say it. Sydney died tonight in the fire. Of course they are going to run tests on the body but Will was there and what he told the officers on the way to the hospital,”
“Will is okay?” Sam asked with her tears spilling over. Vaughn couldn’t tell if it was from the fact that Will was okay or that Sydney was dead, probably a combination. “What about Francie?” She asked.
It was then that Vaughn told her all of the pieces that they had been able to figure out in the short time, and when he was done he felt sick to his stomach. He looked over at Sam and she was just staring, at what he couldn’t tell. She was white and her lip was quivering. Just when he was about to ask the insane question ‘How are you doing?’ she let out a scream and drifted from the coach to the floor. As she landed on the rug she just kept saying ‘no’ over and over again. Michael allowed himself to land next to her and he placed himself beside her to support her body. She was crying freely now.
“Sydney can’t be dead Michael. She just can’t be. She would never break a promise to me and she just promised me today that we would spend Saturday at the pier and the beach – just the two of us. No, Sydney wouldn’t leave me. There has to be a reason. No, no, no, no.” She leaned into him and felt his arm go around her. Her face was wet with tears – hers and his. “She can’t be gone Michael. I can still feel her. I feel like she’s still here, like she is still watching me - Like she is still ready to go to the beach on her day off.”
“I know, but I saw everything. She’s gone Sam.” Vaughn pulled her face up to look at his, to look into his eyes. “Sydney’s dead.”
“NO! No I’m not. I’m not dead. Why are you doing this Sark? Where are we? How did you do this? Why?” Sydney Bristow demanded. She was watching the small black and white images of her sister and Vaughn in her sister’s apartment. They were saying that she was dead. She felt dead, and might even look dead, but she wasn’t - couldn’t be unless she was doomed to spend eternity with Julian Sark. She didn’t even remember Sark being anywhere near her in her last moments of lucidity before waking up in the van strapped to a chair.
“Sydney, Sydney – really why do I do any of the things I do? For my own purposes. You don’t need to no how or why, but where. Now that is something I can tell you. We are right in your sister’s apartment parking lot - right next to Agent Vaughn’s car, and no one is the wiser. Everyone and I mean everyone believes that you are dead. It will only take a few simple tests of the body they have found to confirm that you are dead. We’ll stay in town just long enough for you to be declared dead and see your friends and family burry you, but you Sydney Bristow have many things ahead of you.”
“I’ll kill you first before I let you take me away.” Sydney spat at him.
“Good. I was hoping some of your old spirit would come back. You would be such a bore otherwise. No get used to it Sydney – you’re dead.” And with that Julian turned up the sound on the monitor and angled it more towards her. He headed up to the front of the van and left Sydney with the images of her sister and the man she loved huddled on the floor crying. Listening to her sister’s soft moans of pain Sydney closed her eyes and tried to block the sounds out.