The Counteragent

Episode Number: 2.07

Original Air Date: Nov 17, 2002

Summary:
Vaughn realizes he may be sick and goes to Irina before anyone else. He asks about a counteragent to the virus. Irina says she'll help him if he tells her how he feels about Sydney. He agrees to tell her what she wants to know if she helps him.

Will's investigation into the standardized tests hits a snag when he finds an entired year's worth of tests are missing. Syd tells Will about Project Christmas.

Kendall calls Syd in and tells her about Vaughn. Vaughn collapses before he even leaves the CIA offices. Irina warns Syd that going after the antidote isn't safe, she could be caught. Syd needs Vaughn's blood to put into the machine that will make the antidote. She gets to Vaughn right away. Vaughn has about 3 days to live. She holds his hand in the hospital and cries. He tells her to be careful, then suddenly he crashes. Doctor's rush to bring him back but he goes into surgery. Before he goes into surgery Syd meets Vaughn's 'girlfriend' Alice, who is his emergency contact. Syd's shocked at this.

Syd gets to the facility, but Sark captures her. He pours acid on her suit. He tells her that if she doesn't cooperate, he'll kill her. She agrees to his terms as long as she lets her go with the antidote. He agrees- but the terms of the agreement are that Syd has to kill Sloane.

She goes undercover at a massage parlor and poisons Sloane. But Sark saves him and hands him a note...the contents of which we don't see. Next thing we know Vaughn is given the antidote and Syd walks into SD-6 expecting to hear about Sloane's death, except that he's standing in his office with their newest co-worker: Sark.

Vaughn visits Irina and tells her what she wants to know. "I'm trying to live a normal life, which was always hard considering what I do. But it's gotten harder since I met your daughter. It's not that knowing her hasn't made my life better- it has. But it's also made it that much worse. I think I've said enough."

"The problem, Mr. Vaughn, is that to the one person that matters, you haven't said anything."

Syd sees Vaughn at the office. She hugs him hard and gets teary-eyed. Vaughn thaks her for what she did. She tells him Alice seems nice. He's about to explain when Syd stops him. She tells him not to. That she can't hear it. Vaughn watches her walk away, but after thinking about for a minute, he runs after her. But she's already left the office. Vaughn has a smirk on his face, realizing how he really feels about Sydney.