Michael Vaughn was originally Sydney Bristow's handler while she was working as a double agent for the CIA within SD-6. But gradually, the two agents developed romantic feelings for each other as they worked closely together to bring down this corrupt espionage organization. This did little to endear him to Sydney's father Jack Bristow, another double agent within SD-6. Vaughn and Sydney's relationship became openly intimate after SD-6 was destroyed.After Sydney's apparent death, a heartbroken Michael leaves the CIA and leaves the country for six months, falling into a deep depression complete with alcohol abuse and talking to him and pretending Sydney was there. He eventually developed a new with a woman that came with some surprises.Michael demonstrates a repeated tendency to take such losses extremely hard, reacting with depression and sometimes violent outbursts.The first season established that Michael Vaughn's father was one of several CIA agents killed in the line of duty by Irina Derevko, Sydney's mother.Michael is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Italian, and has a master's degree in French Literature.