Disclaimer: I do not own Alias or the characters. Hey, look that was short and sweet!
A/n: Hello, all! I am really hoping to make this Alias post-finale story as true as I can make it (this goes for character development and plot as well). This story is far different from my original version, which no, you probably do not want to read. I hope it turns out much better than the original and due to what I have planned so far; it should turn out to be a lot better. So let me know what you think after reading chapter one, even if it's just a short note. Thanks!
Also thanks to Wikipedia for the Latin phrases and the website that provided my Thomas Jefferson Quotes that appear in this chapter.
Story name translated: This story is Alias: aequitas / uno flatu which is Latin for "justice" or "equality" and uno flatu which means, "in one breath."
Note: Sydney Narrating is in Italics except under certain circumstances.
2nd note: Part of the intro to this chapter is quoted directly from the show so… not mine except when it's added information that the show does not mention or comment on.
Chapter 1:
Sic Infit: So it begins
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A quote once read "Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind," and I guess that's correct in many circumstances—however, there are people who probably do not believe that simple truth. The definition of "happiness" depends on the person-- what may be called happiness for you or I might be quite different than from what we might assume the other should call it. Some have sought great power only to find themselves less happy than when they had not been seeking it…
- 0 -
Hong Kong –Rooftop
One week ago
"I'm afraid I can't allow you to be such a complication in my life any longer." Irina Derevko said, attempting to stand -- her muscles strained.
Sydney looked up only to see her mother's leg moving towards her and kicking her in the face causing her to roll on her side; she stopped once her body hit the wall to the rooftop entrance causing her to groan.
"For whatever it's worth, I truly do love you." Sydney heard Irina saying just before she backhanded her in the face. Sydney paused taking in a short breath, trying to calm herself before she sprang into action. Suddenly she turned and landed a successful blow to her mother's abdomen before executing a spin-kick that sent her mother landing on a paneled glass sky light. The slowly cracking was audible.
"The glass won't hold you. Mom, you need to come back." Sydney spoke, her words soft and sincere. Another pane cracked. Irina experimentally tested her weight moving in the slightest, another pane followed and cracked as well. Irina realized her predicament. Glass continued to crack, fear—overtook her she knew how this would end.
"Mom, you can make it. Give me your hand." Sydney said pleading, but Irina knew that was not an option. Her daughter's voice tore into her each time she spoke and finally she drew the courage to look upon her beloved daughter once again. Sydney looked so… innocent… peaceful… standing there. No, she couldn't do that to her—she wouldn't.
"I'm sorry, Sydney." Irina said, knowing very well those might be the last words her daughter would hear. With that she reached forward, knowing this was her only chance she had to grab the sphere.
Now, only inches away she had to reach it. She had to. "Mom, come back." Sydney called as Irina laid a hold of the Sphere. She had it!
Suddenly to both of their surprise a loud cracking sound was heard and Irina plunged forward towards the floor. Irina cried out in horror. Sydney could only gasp as she saw her mother plunge through the glass. As she stepped forward her emotions took a hold of her and her eyes filled with tears. Her mother now lay face up on the ground beneath --glass surrounded the body and even though she was several stories above her, Sydney could see a pool of blood forming beneath the body.
Sydney wiped her face with her sleeve when the door opened—Vaughn emerged.
As he walked toward her she could not find the words to speak and Vaughn simply took her into an embrace. He held her close stroking the back of her head before she pulled away. She wanted to look at him—for him to tell her everything would be alright to the contrary of what she knew to be true. He sighed slightly not being able to lie to her. He couldn't. She leaned in, clinging to him for dear life. She let him hold her, needing to know that, even if he couldn't lie to her that he would still be there for her. Forever.
And as they held each other or, rather as Sydney clung to him, a falling star streaked across the sky. Luck?
Either way—the world was changed—forever.
- 0 -
Rambaldi Cave- Mongolia
One week ago…
"I owe you an apology, Arvin." Jack Bristow smiled, staring down his former friend. "I never gave your faith in Rambaldi the credit it deserved."
"There's no need to apologize, Jack. You're a practical man. I always admired that in you. Jack, I didn't want to shoot you but Sydney forced my hand."
"Yes, she can be very… stubborn at times." Jack said, he meant it to have a somewhat comical spin, but he lacked the energy to show it. Besides, this was not the time for that.
Sloane ignored the joke as well and, taking on a more serious tone he stated, "You're dying I can help you."
"I don't want your help, Arvin." Jack spitefully stated, rage on his lips for offering in the first place. "You've cause my daughter so much pain. I could have prevented it. I won't continue to make that mistake." This was slowly turning into a confession and both of them knew it.
Sloane, Jack would have sworn almost smirked as he cynically said, "I think you've overestimated your position, Jack. You can't hurt me anymore."
"True. But I can keep you down here with me." Jack replied slowly smiling at the thought that Arvin would eventually realize Jack's plan, and though Jack usually didn't smile his eyes took a paternal glow of warmth at the thought of protecting his daughter from this lunatic. And as he pulled the C-4 out into the open, detonator in hand, Sloane's face slowly changed from one of pride to one of fear. "What are you doing?" Arvin asked unable to hide the slight twinge of fear that his voice contained, only intending to sound firm, his answer came far too quickly.
"You beat death, Arvin. But you couldn't beat me," and with that he shook his head and firmly pressed the detonator.
That was the last thing they saw….
"Nadia?" A voice called in the darkness—it was Sloane's. He turned his head in an attempt to move but found himself unable to; and, unintentionally, he found himself looking for her as well. "I can't move." He said, lamenting his situation. Then, suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure immerge from the darkness, "I don't think there's anything I can do," Nadia's voice said, it was haunted him as well as comforted him.
Sloane opened his mouth to reply, but found it considerably harder to do so than he first expected, once he managed to find his voice he found himself pitifully saying the meager words, "I can't move."
"Well, as you said you have all the time in the world." Nadia's voice spoke out of the darkness, her lifelike visage mocked. "Unfortunately, I think you'll have to spend it here." She said, her eyes scanning the room.
A moment of panic seized him, what she said was true; he would have to spend his days here, buried under rocks. But at least he wouldn't have to spend it here alone—Nadia would be there, wouldn't she? "At least you're here with me," he said, hoping to dwell optimistically on the situation.
To his horror, she shook her head, "No," and walked away slowly starting to fade.
"No, no, no No!" he said, with increasing panic. How could he spend his eternal life down here, trapped, and all alone? He worked this ultimate prize for years ignoring what it did to those around him, denied others their happiness, forfeited his future—for this?
"No, Nadia don't leave me here!" The last thing he wanted was to be alone—it would be enough for him if only to have the impression that Nadia was still by his side. "No, Nadia!" He said as she continued to advance away from his prone body, and she started to disappear completely. And as she faded away completely, his body seized in panic and fear finally truly terrified for once in his life, "No!" He screamed.
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Hong Kong—Rooftop
One week ago…
Sydney and Vaughn still held to each other on the rooftop as the shooting star fell from the sky. She felt empty… sick, like the night almost seven years ago when her SD-6 contact had been killed. She had called Vaughn that night because there was no one else she could go to on the matter, now Vaughn was here, again. Only this time, she hasn't called him—he had chosen to be there by her side—and not only that but, she hadn't anyone else to turn to, not this time.
Slowly she pulled herself free from his embrace, knowing that she couldn't stand here on this rooftop forever. Vaughn gazed at her, silently asking her if she was going to be alright. She gave his hand a tight squeeze in affirmation and smiled. He returned her smile in order to assure her that they could move past this and she led him to the sky light where her mother had fallen. As she looked down Vaughn noticed her facial expressions change—she looked confused, and angered, surprise overtook her as well. "What?" he asked her, trying to figure out what had caused this change in her.
She knew her mother was dead. What's so…?
"Backup hasn't gotten here yet, have they?" She both demanded and questioned.
"No, they won't be here for another half-hour at least," Vaughn replied, then, finally he looked down to where this line of questioning had come from, the floor beneath the sky light.
Where once Irina Derevko's body had lain, was now just glass scattered all over the floor – not a body was to be seen.
"Vaughn?" he heard Sydney ask him, "Where is she?"
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- 0 -
Rambaldi Cave- Mongolia
Five days ago…
Sloane still lay at the bottom of the cave. A mound of rubble still lay on his chest—not to mention the rest of his body. He had spent his first day in a fit of rage, struggling against the rubble which had pinned him to the floor. However, once he let it out he fell asleep only to find himself having nightmares of those he betrayed, one nightmare in particular contained images of Emily, Nadia, and Jack at first he remembered the good times they had shared, the happy moments he had long pushed out of his conscious mind, and he was happy. Then the images turned on him and he saw what he caused them, they blamed him with their eyes—they haunted him and he awoke screaming.
The second day had not been much better, the nightmares only continued to increase with his guilt.
However, on the morning of the third he heard a noise—which he couldn't quite place. At first, he thought maybe he had been imaging it, even have a waking dream. Then a little while later he heard it again. What was it?
He forced it out of his conscious though he continued to hear very regular interval ling noises. He wouldn't entertain the notion and he silently cursed himself for letting his obsession go this far.
A few more hours passed, and the noises had seemed to grow in intensity. They were louder more consistent that he formerly believed. He could not ignore them now. Another hour passed and this time he could almost hear—talking?
A small explosion occurred right afterwards and someone walked through the cloud of dust towards him. A moment later, the dust settled and the figure was now looking straight at him, "Sir?" It called.
"He's over here!" The figure called to a bunch of previously unseen men. They headed over to him and started chattering amongst themselves about how to remove the boulders that lay on top of him. "Julian?" Sloane asked in surprise.
"Yes, Sir. It's me." The figure's British accent replied.
"How?" Sloane meagerly called his voice horse.
Sark moved to get something and walked back towards Sloane's body. He opened the cap of the water bottle and helped Sloane to drink it before he replied, "When I didn't hear from you I figured something happened, at least this time I remembered not to wear my good shoes." He finished. He smiled at his own semi-private joke and took the bottle back closing the cap.
"Why? Why did you come back?" Sloane questioned, not entirely sure of the answer.
Sark grinned for a moment finding the answer rather amusing, "I like getting paid for my work." He said as he stood up, groaning slightly as he did so. He mentally cursed Michael Vaughn for those bullets.
"We're almost done here, sir." One man said, informing Sark. As Sark walked to Sloane's side, a couple of the men were helping him to stand. "Are you alright sir?" another man question appearing to be a medic of some kind. "I'll be fine, thanks." He said, briefly and the men filed out of the chamber. Sark followed him as Sloane made his way towards the exit of the chamber, suddenly before he even set foot to leave, Sloane turned.
"It appears you were wrong, Jack, after all," and he turned heading up the exit they had made to get there. Sark turned as he set foot again to leave scanning about the room as if looking for Jack and possibly the meaning to Sloane's words. Once satisfied, he left without looking back.
What he hadn't noticed however, was the pile of rocks in the corner of the room that covered a good section of the floor and exposed the pointer finger and part of a hand contract abruptly as Sark's shadow left the floor of the cavern.
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A/n (2):
Okay, okay. I know right? You hate me for my cliffhangers.
Most of the shows I watch have big cliffhangers and I think I've picked it up from them. What can I say? But okay so what do YOU say? Any thoughts? Opinions? Questions?
Do you like this as a post finale fic? Let me know via reviews-- please?! And yes, I am begging for reviews.
Thanks for reading!
--Vanessacarltonfan