AN: Sequel to Delayed Tea. Spoilers for both that and Crossings.
As was the case with Delayed Tea, this story does tend toward the crack side of things.
Chapter One: Family Games"Get up."
Unknown hands ripped off her blankets in the dark, letting the cool night air attack her skin. She fumbled to find the drawer on the nightstand next to the bed where her gun waited, knowing that she was too slow, far too slow.
"Don't bother," the heavily accented voice stated. "We already took your gun."
"Are you sure you're Rina and Jack's child?" another voice asked suspiciously. "You have the reflexes of a very slow dog. I'm beginning to have serious doubts about your parentage."
"Do sit up," the other woman said. "We'd like to have a chat with you."
"Who are you?" she gasped out, twisting cautiously from her prone position on the bed to sitting on the edge. "Covenant?"
"Not everyone is Covenant, dear," the second woman said. "It's a difficult concept, but I'm certain you'll grasp it eventually."
Abruptly, the lights flashed on. Sydney's gaze ran from the hand on the switch to the two dark-haired women who stared back at her. One, with almost shockingly short hair, raised a brow in a look bordering on glee.
"Sydney," she asked, "do you always sleep so heavily? It's a bad habit, you should break it."
The other woman, crowned by a tempest of curls, decided to throw in her own lot. "And you should really reinforce your windows, and in general up your security. It's frightfully bad for a CIA agent."
The shorthaired woman laughed. "CIA agents know about security?" she replied in Russian, amused.
"You do have a point," the other conceded. "Come along, Sydney. Let's move this chat to the kitchen. We made tea."
Sydney made no effort to move.
"Well?" the second prodded. "What are you waiting for?"
Sydney scowled, but was given no time to speak.
"She has Rushka's scowl," the first laughed. "How lovely to see it on the second generation." She grabbed Sydney's wrist and pulled her forcefully to her feet. "Don't make me carry you," she warned, towing Sydney behind her through the hall.
Sydney was, as expected, rather shocked. "But… I… who…"
"She must get that from Jack," the first tsked. "Rina was never at a loss for words." Pause. "Much."
"A notable exception would be the morning after our lovely family dinner a few weeks ago," the second replied, and looped her right arm through Sydney's left.
"The poor dear-" and there was no mistaking the sarcasm in her tone, "-had screamed herself hoarse."
Sydney gave up on trying to break into the conversation. But… but…
They weren't talking about her mother, were they?
Sydney suddenly felt the unmistakable feeling of squickiness settle in her stomach.
"Don't you have anything to say, dear?" the second asked as they half-dragged her into the kitchen and forcefully seated her on a chair. "Frankly, I would have expected you to have put up more of a fight. Being her child and all."
She handed Sydney a mug of tea, which Sydney hastily put down. There was no telling when liquid contained poison these days.
The first looked up, searching for someone in the back of the room.
"Rushka, come out of the shadows and give your daughter a hug. We may have frightened her."
Sydney twisted around in her chair, eyes wide. "Mama?"
Irina stepped forward to clasp her hands on Sydney's shoulders. "Did they hurt you?" she asked seriously.
Sydney pulled away abruptly, knocking her chair against the table and onto the floor. The table shook, throwing the precariously balanced mug to the tile, where it shattered and spattered everyone with steaming liquid.
Katya sighed. "Rina can't protect hers, you can't keep yours in one piece…" she muttered, kicking an especially large shard under the table.
Sydney backed right into the fridge. "Okay," she almost babbled. "You will explain this right now."
The three women exchanged a glance, each expressing a radically different emotion. The first looked almost disgusted. The second, amused.
Irina just looked sympathetic. My poor, ignorant child, her look said. You have no idea what hell you're about to go through.
As if on cue, they each tucked their hair behind their ears, even the first, who seemed to find it instinctive despite her lack of long hair.
Family resemblance had been well and good, and startlingly easy enough to ignore.
The hair-tuck, however? Difficult evidence to brush aside.
Sydney slid slowly down the fridge until she was sitting on the floor of her apartment, knees pulled up against her chest. "Oh, my God. Oh. My. God."
Irina sighed and sat next to her. "I know, Sydney. I know." She shot a teasing glance at the other two. "I can't believe I'm related to them, either."
The first woman rolled her eyes and righted the overturned chair. "Rushka, don't be difficult. Both of you come and sit down. Watch out for porcelain splinters."
Irina pulled Sydney up. "Don't worry; her bark is worse than her bite. As long as you don't do something completely absurd, of course."
Sydney slumped down in the chair once more. "That's so nice to hear," she mumbled, and buried her head in her hands.
"I'm Katya, by the way," the first woman stated, leaning forward to rap sharply on the table in front of Sydney to jerk her into responding. "Really it's Ekaterina, but I wouldn't advise using that name."
"The last time somebody did he got his liver groped," Irina said sourly, wrapping a protective hand around the mug of tea the second woman handed her, and glaring daggers at Katya.
"Liver?" Sydney asked faintly, tracing a finger hesitantly around the rim of her new mug.
Irina ignored her.
"And I'm Aunt Elena," the second said cheerfully. "Don't mind your mother, she's the youngest."
Sydney stared at her. "I'm afraid that doesn't explain everything."
Elena nodded. "That's right, you are an only child. Irina never gave you brothers and sisters to help acquaint you with sibling politics."
Irina scowled.
"You see," Elena said seriously, "your mother, due to extenuating circumstances directly related to being the youngest child, is prone to fly into irrational rages-"
"Elena…" Irina hissed warningly. "We didn't come here to discuss my so-called problems."
Katya drummed her fingers on the table, bored. "Basically, child, your mother is a bit of a brat."
Sydney and Irina drew in simultaneous indignant gasps, Sydney even going so far as to rocket out of her seat.
"How dare you talk about my mother that way!" She slammed her hands on the table in fury.
Irina blinked in shock, Katya's remark forgotten. "Sydney, sit down," she said gently.
"Mom, are you going to just let her say that?" Sydney replied, stunned.
Irina sighed. "You never had siblings, Sydney. You don't know how this works. Sit down."
Sydney continued to stand, stubborn.
Katya thunked her mug onto the table, splashing tea on the wood. "Sydney, sit. Now."
"Why should I?"
"Because I was almost your mother, young lady. Sit!"
Sydney sat.
Irina sighed. "You have to stop playing that card, Katya."
"Why?" Katya asked. "It always gets results, doesn't it?"
Irina sighed again. "Tell her about your… game."
"Game?" Sydney asked suspiciously. "This is about… a game?"
"We love games," Katya replied bluntly. "How about you?"
Sydney looked slowly between her two aunts. "Err…"
Elena held up a hand. "It's okay. Just listen, alright?"
Sydney acquiesced reluctantly. Katya nodded sharply. "Right then," she said. "This is about your Michael Vaughn."
Sydney nearly dropped her mug. "Excuse me?"
"Michael Vaughn, your little French boyfriend." Katya looked over at Irina. "Are you sure this is your child, Rushka?"
Irina shot her a warning look. "Twenty-two hours of labor says she is definitely my child. Stop baiting her, Katya."
"He's not my boyfriend," Sydney protested. "He's married," she admitted slowly. "He's not mine anymore." She seemed to curl in on herself.
"Which isn't your fault at all, as we all know," Elena said efficiently, pinching Katya under the table. "Right, Katya?"
"Of course, Elena," Katya replied smoothly. "Anyway, this game really has to do with his wife."
Sydney looked skeptical. "What, are we going to play chutes and ladders with her?"
"Of course not. At least, not the board game," Katya amended. "If you like, we could find a lovely spot to end our game that contains chutes and ladders of various kinds."
"Almost like a theme game," Elena said cheerfully, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Indeed," Katya said curtly. "Rather, we're going to trap her, and ultimately kill her. That is the ideal ending of the game."
Sydney shook her head and stood up. She began to pace. "Marrying my former boyfriend isn't exactly an offense," she pointed out. "You can't just kill her for any reason-"
"She's Covenant," Katya interjected, "and she's playing him the exactly same way your loving mother played your dad. Just, of course, without as much skill and, err, beauty." She looked over at Irina. "Obviously not as intoxicating as you were, Rushka."
Sydney considered this for a moment, looking out the small window. Finally she nodded slightly and sat down smoothly, folding her hands neatly on the table.
"Well?" she asked patiently. "What do you suggest?"
Katya allowed herself a moment of approval for her niece.
And then stole Irina's tea, as her own mug was empty.
"Very well," she said, ignoring Irina's low growl. "We begin."