Losing Sydney

Title: Losing Sydney

Author: phoenix shotgun 47

Summary: Just a sad little fic about Vaughn losing Sydney.

Disclaimer: Alias doesn’t belong to me.

A/N: Ok, first of all, I really hope I’m posting this in the right place. If not, then I’m really sorry.

Many thanks to Jess (Michael Vartan Hottie) for betaing this.

Please R/R


<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>


A single letter catches his eyes. There is no return address but he knows her handwriting. He hastily opens it and begins to read.


The first thing he notices is that “Dear Michael…” is crossed out and replaced with “Dear Vaughn…” only to be crossed out as well. She finally chooses Mr. Vaughn. It breaks his heart that she no longer feels right calling him Vaughn or Michael and that they have resorted to such formality.


Dear Mr. Vaughn,


I am writing this to you as I prepare to leave L.A. forever. I am leaving, and I do not under any circumstances want you to follow me. These last few months have been to hard on you, Lauren, and me.


I really thought we could make this work, I really did, but it’s grown harder and harder over the weeks. You told me once how hard it was for you to sleep when I was out on operations and how every time we were in briefing you had to force yourself to remember what the hell we were talking about. That is exactly how I’ve felt these past weeks.


I really don’t think that I can live anymore. Not like this. I’ve lost my soul.


My dad was the one who suggested that I leave. And I was happy he did because that what I wanted: to get away from what I can’t have. So, I’m headed to an undisclosed location to begin my new life as something other than a spy. My final request is that you don’t follow me and that you don’t try to find me.


So we can both be happy


That is how she closes the letter. It is brief and he wonders why. “So we can both be happy” That is the last thing she wishes to say to him. But there is so much more he wants to do. He wants to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her exactly how much he misses and loves her. He wants to tell her that he can’t be happy without her. But he knows that he missed his chance. He curses himself for letting the woman he loves walk out of his life as a single tear lands on her parting message.


“I’ve lost my soul” Her words sends a shiver up his spine. Because he never really moved on. He just learned to survive. He knows that she’s lost her soul because of him. And there’s nothing he can do to fix that.


He doesn’t know where he is going, but he grabs his coat and walks outside. He walks and tries not to shed another tear. He reminds himself that her leaving was partly his fault. He doesn’t know how he got there, but he ends up at the pier. Their pier. It’s deserted now, being almost midnight.

Then he sees a lone figure standing there, her hair blowing in the breeze.


“Sydney?” His voice is hoarse. “I thought…”


“I knew you’d come.” Is her only reply. She doesn’t turn to face him, doesn’t offer an explanation.


He takes a few steps closer to her before her sweet voice pierces the air. “My final request is… don’t follow me and don’t try to find me.” She repeats the words she wrote in the letter.


He stands there confused. But then he realizes what she intends to do. His heartbeat quickens as he rushes forward to try and save her. But he is too late.


She doesn’t scream. She just falls back over the railing with an eerie look of peace etched on her face. The only sound that he can hear is his own scream. He watches helplessly as his beloved plunges to her death. She barely makes a splash in the water and he expects her to break the surface. But she doesn’t. Minutes pass but still he doesn’t want to admit the obvious. She is gone.


He is frozen. He cannot move. He cannot breath. He can barely think. His fragile heart, that he carefully tired to mend, has once again been ripped apart. He feels like his soul died with her.


And he cannot take it. He braces the railing and prepares to take the same fateful plunge, to either rescue her or join her.


But he can’t do it. He has a pregnant wife at home. He has his mother, his friends, and his job. He can’t leave them.

And she didn’t want him to follow.


So instead, his shaky hand reaches for his cell phone.


He quickly dials the 3 digits. The operator answers. He opens his mouth to speak but the only sound he produces is a pitiful sob. It is then that he realizes he is crying. The man on the other end of the phone asks him to state his emergency.


He can’t do it. He can’t disobey her last wish. And he already knows it’s too late. She's gone. There is nothing they can do. So he hangs up the phone, and hangs his head in his own cowardliness.


He walks. And he cries. He remembers the sweet memories they made together. He walks to the bluffs, the palisades, the observatory, and the train station. All the places she had loved. The places that she would go when she had wanted to disappear. His hope was that it would calm him, but it did exactly the opposite. It triggers the many memories. His breathing becomes shallow and people cast him worried looks. Some even stop and ask him if he is all right. But he could only manage to nod his head, gasp for breath, and stagger away.


He walks to where her old apartment was. He remembers what it was like that day. The day her house had burned down and his life was changed drastically. What he had felt that day was exactly how he was feeling right now. There is a new building in place of her old apartment. A new home. There is a small family out in the yard. A woman and her husband were watching their baby girl and their dog run around on the lawn. There is even a white picket fence. He sobs even more at this sight. That should have been them. They should have been happy together, married, with a child, and out of the spy life.


He was going to marry her. He had the ring and everything was planned out. But he was too late. She had been taken away from him. Just like today. He had been too late.


He continues to walk and finds himself at the foot of her best friend’s grave. He used to visit Francie’s grave, although she was a woman he never truly knew. It made him feel close to her, being near someone she had loved so much.


And also because she didn’t have a grave. They had cremated her. He had spread her ashes at sea. The sea. She was there now, floating lifelessly in the ocean. He tried to erase the image from his mind and continued to walk.


Then another grave caught his attention as the rain slowly comes down. Her dead fiancé’s grave. It was so unfair for her to lose so many people she loved. He knows she loved him. Even though she never said it, he knows. He loved her. He still does.


He looks at the grave and he speaks. “Danny, I’m so sorry. I lost her. I couldn’t protect her. I just gave up.” He doesn’t know why he is saying this but just continues. “I loved her so much, but I guess I can’t have her anymore. So, Danny, I want you to take care of her. I want you to watch over her. Be her guardian angel now that I can’t.” He falls apart at his last words and lets go of the last tether to sanity he possessed.


He collapses. He pounds his fists on the ground. The skies have darkened and it begins to rain harder. “Why did you have to leave me?” He screams out in agony. “Why did you have to make me lose you twice? Wasn’t it enough to have to bury you once? Why did you have to torture me? I know I was wrong to give up. I know I should have waited. Why have you done this to me?” he continues to scream out questions to her, a passerby stares at him with pity. His throat is now sore from the effort, but he continues to scream, the pain reminding him that he is alive. “Why… why Sydney.” He whispers minutes later. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”


“I love you!” He shouts one last time to the heavens, hoping that she has heard him, and that she had forgiven him for his mistakes.


And that is all he can say, because he knows that he has failed in taking away her pain. He has failed in being there for her when she needed him most. He failed. He has failed her.


He slowly stands up, his whole body shaking from the effort. His cloths are muddy from the rain, his vision blurred by his own tears more than mother nature. Once more, his heart is broken and his soul is gone. Once more, he has lost the very oxygen to his life.


He cannot go home to his wife like this. He just cannot face her.


He walks to the only place he can think of where he can be alone and gather his composure.


He pushes the gate of the warehouse open and sits on the old crate. He remembers their many clandestine meetings here. He remembers the tears she shed, the frustration he felt, and the joy they had shared. The feelings of loss and grief overtake his body and he rests his head against the wall, trying to steady his breathing.


When he feels calm enough, he calls his best friend.


“She’s gone.” He says when Eric picks up the phone.


“What? Vaughn?” Eric says confused.


“She’s gone, Eric. She jumped. I tried to stop her but I was to late. She asked me not to follow her. She doesn’t want me to look for her. So, I couldn’t call the police. I know I should have but I just didn’t.” he said, his voice hoarse from the screaming.


“Are you talking about Sydney?” Eric asks.


“Who else would I be talking about?” He snaps. He apologizes and then falls silent.


“Where are you?” Eric asks after a minute of silence. He doesn’t reply. “Vaughn where are you?” Eric asks with more force.”


“The warehouse.” He finally mutterers.


He hears the click and knows that his best friend is on the way.


He fingers the gun in his holster. He takes it out and examines it. What would it feel like, to pull the trigger? He thinks. What would it feel like to face death? He wants so desperately to be with his beloved. Would death really be worse than living a life like this? Is death worse than living a lie?


The minutes pass as he just stares at the gun in his hands.


Footsteps grow louder and louder but it doesn’t register in his brain.


He slowly lifts the gun to his head. He places his finger on the trigger. He closes his eyes and takes his final, shaky breath.


“So we can both be happy, Sydney.” He whispers.


And finally, a gunshot rings through the air.


It is done.


<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>
 
Interesting start so far... very even... especially on the emotional part...

If you do have a PM list please put me on :smiley: Would love to read more and see how this story develops!

It's one of the first times I see Vaughn talking to Danny's grave (I used it once too in one of my fics) :angelic:

Wonderful

:hug: cookie
 
omg that was so :sadangel: :depressed: (n) deep and heartfelt and sad and so i cant think of the words...

derevkointraining Posted Today, 05:44 AM
wow.. that was deep.

i wonder if it was sydney who swam out of the water to find him in the warehouse or eric coming to get him...
i just thought about that, can u imagine it...that would be so romeo and julliet!!!


awesome start ....can u add me to ur pm list if you have one :Please:
 
omg that was so sad (n) i seriously have tears in my eyes right now.
great job!!! (y) i love it!!!
if you're writing more, please add me to the pm list.
 
Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update, school's just been crazy.

Thanks to Kelly and Jess.

<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>


He slowly lifts the gun to his head. He places his finger on the trigger. He closes his eyes and takes his final, shaky breath.


“So we can both be happy, Sydney.” He whispers.


And finally, a gunshot rings through the air.


It is done.


Vaughn wakes up with a start, gasping. He looks around and finds himself lying in bed. His wife is sleeping next to him.


It was just a dream.


He slowly gets out of bed, wiping the tears off his face. He sits in the kitchen, drinking water, and trying to to calm down.


His wife walks in. “Michael? What are you doing up so late?”


He knows he can’t tell her about the dream so he lies. “Couldn’t sleep.” He tries to smiles but fails. He doesn’t look into her eyes because he knows that if he does, he’ll break down in tears.


“What’s wrong?” Lauren asks, sitting down next to him. She reaches out for his hand, but he quickly picks up the glass and takes a drink. She finally grabs his hand and he gets the sudden urge to push it away, but he doesn’t.


After a long silence, he speaks. “I’m just stressed, I guess. We haven’t made any progress at the CIA.”


To his relief, Lauren lets go of his hand and nods, believing him. “Ok. I’m going back to bed.” She kisses him softly on the lips before leaving.


He puts his head in his hands and thinks. This isn’t working, he finally admits. He knows that his heart doesn’t belong to Lauren.


He loves Sydney. He always has and always will.


He is still so disturbed by the dream. It was so real. Without glancing at the clock, he makes a phone call.


“Hello?” Eric answers groggily.


“It’s me. Is Sydney ok?” he asks.


“Mike, why the heck are you calling me so early?” Eric asks. “It’s 2 o’clock man. Like in the morning. You know, the time when normal people are usually sleeping.”


“Sorry. I just need to know. Is she ok?” he reiterates.


“Mike, couldn’t this wait until morning?” Weiss begs.


“Weiss, please, I need to know.” He begs.


“Well, it depends on your definition of ok. Emotionally she’s a wreck.” Weiss says. He pauses. “She was fine when I left at 9 last night.”


“Well what about now?” he pressed. “Is she still there?”


“I don’t know?” Weiss complained. “Let me remind you that it’s 2 a.m.”


“Go check.” Vaughn says with force. “She’s right next door. It’s not like I’m asking you to fly to Italy or something.” He adds.


Eric grumbles but gets out of bed. He slips into Sydney’s house, using the spare key she gave him.


“And what am I supposed to say if she wakes up and I’m in her house at 2 in the morning?” Eric hisses, stressing the fact that it was so early.


“Tell here that I asked you to go. She can get mad at me.” Vaughn replies.


“Fine.” Eric grunts. He slowly opens the door to her bedroom and sticks his head in. His eyebrows furrow and he opens the door fully, approaching the empty bed.


“She’s not here.” He whispers.


Vaughn’s heart rate increases. He’s about ready to jump into his car and drive over.


Then Eric notices a light in the bathroom. He steps closer and hears the sound of Sydney crying and vomiting. He lets out a sigh and quickly walks out of the room.


“She was in the bathroom.” Eric whispers as he walks out of the house, locking the door behind him. He doesn’t tell Vaughn about her vomiting. That would just make him more upset. “Everything’s fine.” Weiss says as he walks into his apartment. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He tosses his cell phone onto the desk and is asleep before his head hits the pillow.


Vaughn puts down the phone, his hand still shaking. He sighs, not knowing what to do. All he knows is that his heart can no longer take this strain. He knows that one way or another, he’s going to have to break a woman’s heart.


He stands in the doorway of the bedroom, gazing at his wife, Lauren. He knows in his heart that it should be Sydney. Him and Sydney should be married. They should be living together, out of the spy world, happily expecting a child.


But fate is a cruel thing and his life has ended up like this.


Vaughn sighs. He can’t bear to step into the bedroom and lay down next to Lauren. Instead, he wanders out to the living room. He collapses on the couch and runs his hand through his hair. His gaze travels to the TV. He picks up the remote and begins to flip through the channels, searching for anything to take his mind off of the horrible lie he called his life.


The first show he stops at is a soap opera. He quickly changes the channel. He can’t handle the thought of betrayal or lies. After 10 more minutes of channel surfing, he finally turns of the TV and tosses the remote onto the coffee table. After staring at the ceiling for countless minutes, his heavy eyelids finally close.


<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>


He awakens 6 hours later. The light streaming in from the window blinds him momentarily. He pushes the blanket off of his body and stretches. He stares back down at the blanket, confused. He doesn’t remember grabbing it. Then he notices the note on the table.


Michael,

Went to work. You looked so tired, so I told them you’d come in after lunch if you felt better.

Love,
Lauren


The note almost brings a smile to his face until he reads her name. Lauren. It should be Sydney.


He groans in frustration, lets the note flutter down onto the table, and shuffles into the kitchen to make breakfast. He absentmindedly prepares oatmeal. It burns his tongue but he is too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice or even care. Nothing really matters to him anymore.


He washes the dishes and takes a shower. He still has 3 hours until he has to be at the JTF. He grabs his hockey equipment and his keys and heads to the rink.

<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>


He skated around the rink and fell back into an old ritual. When he used to pretend that the pucks were the heads of people he was mad at. He chuckles lightly now as he realizes how grotesque it was.


“Julian Sark.” He hisses as he swings at the puck. He’s angry with Sark for endangering Sydney.


Wack! The puck slams into the goal.


“Arvin Sloane.” He’s mad at Sloane for lying to Sydney and putting her in danger.


Wack!


“Jack Bristow.” He’s angry that Jack lied to Sydney.


Wack!


“Irina Derevko.” He’s angry at her for murdering his father and for hurting Sydney.


Wack!


“Kendall.” He’s angry with Kendall for never telling him that Sydney was alive.


Wack!


“Eric Weiss.” He’s angry with Weiss for being her friend while he can’t.


Wack!


“Lauren Reed.” He’s mad at her for getting between him and Sydney.


Wack!


He stops. He just pretended to hit his own wife’s head. He shakes his head and takes the next puck.


He pictures his own head.


He’s mad at himself for having feelings for another woman who isn’t his wife. He’s mad that he gave up, that he lost hope. He’s made that he got married. He’s mad that he hurt Sydney so bad.


He hits the puck so hard that it bounces out of the goal and back to him.


He sighs and tries to think of another person. The only person that comes to mind is Sydney.


“Sydney Bristow.” He whispers, trying to think of reasons to be mad at her.


He pictures her beautiful face. His stick hovers about the puck. He pictures her eyes, eyes that he could lose himself in. He pictures them the way they used to be, so full of joy, happiness, and… life. Now, now when he looks at them, all he sees is pain, sadness, and fear. The sparkle is gone and he knows it’s because of him. He pictures her with a big smile on, the dimples in her cheeks showing. He closes his eyes and he swears that he can still hear her laugh. He still knows that she smells like vanilla and strawberries.


He sighs and leaves his last puck to gather the other in the next. He skates back and with a heavy heart, picks up the last puck.


He throws everything into the trunk and starts the engine. He arrives at the house and after putting everything away, he walks into the kitchen for a glass of water. A note on the counter catches his eyes.


His name is scrawled on the envelope in her familiar writing. It’s from Sydney. He opens the letter and as he begins to read, he gets and eerie sense of déjà vu.


Just like in his dream the “Vaughn” is crossed out and so is “Michael”.


Dear Mr. Vaughn,


I am writing this to you as I prepare to leave L.A. forever. I am leaving, and I do not under any circumstances want you to follow me. These last few months have been to hard on you, Lauren, and me.


I really thought we could make this work, I really did, but it’s grown harder and harder over the weeks. You told me once how hard it was for you to sleep when I was out on operations and how every time we were in briefing you had to force yourself to remember what the hell we were talking about. That is exactly how I’ve felt these past weeks.


I really don’t think that I can live anymore. Not like this. I’ve lost my soul.


My dad was the one who suggested that I leave. And I was happy he did because that what I wanted: to get away from what I can’t have. So, I’m headed to an undisclosed location to begin my new life as something other than a spy. My final request is that you don’t follow me and that you don’t try to find me.


So we can both be happy


He finds himself sobbing as he finishes reading the letter. He hyperventilates and can’t breathe. He grabs his keys and jumps into his car, still clutching the letter. He hides it in the glove compartment, fearing that it might be the last letter he will ever get from him.


He’s going to the pier.


He’s going to try and save her.


This time he can’t be late.


20 minutes later, he’s still sitting in the car, stuck in traffic. He honks the horn angrily. Finally, fearing that he’s already too late, he jumps out of the car and begins to run. He can see the pier now and he quickens his pace. The people in the cars glance up at him curiously. He around, desperately hoping to find her.


He lets out a small sigh of relief when he spots her.


Her hair was blowing in the wind, just like he had pictured.


He watches her take a deep breath and prepare to jump.


His heartbeat quickens and he runs forward. A large group of tourist cuts him off. He fights his way through the crowd until he’s just 10 feet away from her.


“Sydney!” he yells drawing her attention.


She smiles slightly. “Don’t follow me and don’t try to find me.” She whispers. The familiar words send a shiver down Vaughn’s spine.


“Sydney no!” He screams again, but she falls over the rail, completely silent.


Others notice her take the plunge and begin to scream with him.


He knows that he’s got not time to lose. Without a second thought and with tears streaming down his face, he launches himself over the railing.


<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>

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Holy felgercarb... This is deep!!! So sad and dark... Can't wait for the next chapter, please put me on the PM... :smiley:
 
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