Golden Child Sydney has finally reached a new level of happiness in her life: Her first baby. But what if the baby she longed to hold for nine long months is the force behind the complete change in the man she loves, and the result of a brief lapse in judgment?
Chapter 1: Silver Spoon
Disclaimer #1: I don't, nor did or will I ever, own any aspect of Alias. All recognizable characters and plot strands belong to JJ Abrams, not to me.
Disclaimer #2: The basis for this fic is not mine, either. It originally belonged to Aiden Burn, under the same title. When I pestered her to put skin on the bones of a wonderful fic, she professed to be such a busy little bee she didn't have time to write another fic. Well, I am limited by no such inhibitions, even though at the time of initiation of this project I have three other fics in the works. So, I offered to take it over and run with it for her, and she gave me very strict guidelines and said go for it. So please read and review Aiden Burn's bones before you read the skin, out of gratitude…Hopefully, I can turn her dabble into a decent or better fic.
Disclaimer #3: I'm a die-hard S/V shipper. Please don't shoot me. This fic is Sarkney, and the particular scene Aiden Burn laid out caught my imagination. It was by no fault of my own, the story simply possessed my pen. And my keyboard.
The man stands, seemingly relaxed, holding binoculars to his eyes as he stares out the window. The hospital across the street sports delightful picture windows, and his girl had always taken a special liking to the outdoors, he recalls fondly. He'd known she would want the blinds raised once the medication wore off and she was herself again.
She looks remarkably well for a woman who has given birth just a few hours ago, but her resilience is one of the things he loves about her.
Switching his focus to encompass the entire room, he sees her fiancé standing beside her bed, looking extensively proud.
The man scoffs. The fiancé hadn't even been there at the hospital when she'd given birth due to very convenient roadwork on the highway that had been seen to before he himself had taken up his post. And he'll just see who is so proud once that nurse in pink scrubs brings the baby back in.
He squints, trying to focus on the nurse's lips.
Would…like…see…baby now?
The fiancé nods enthusiastically, but the woman's smile is nervous.
The man across the street feels the beginnings of a smile begin to pull at his lips.
Ah, she remembers, he thinks appreciatively.
The nurse leaves and soon returns with a soft blue bundle in her arms. A strange look crosses the fiancé's face as the nurse crosses the room to place the baby in his mother's arms, and her look of anxiety is amplified ten times as her gaze lands on the baby. Her eyes are unconditionally loving, but they hold a fear as she takes in his tiny features.
The fiancé makes no move to stand over the bed now; he stands rooted to the spot where he stands. He recognizes the look in the eyes of the baby's mother for what it is.
The woman shifts slightly, allowing the man to see the baby for the first time. A grin lights across his face, and he revels in the fiancé's anger.
The baby isn't his.
Well duh. It doesn't take a genius to work that out.
The smile widens.
Of course he's hurt; Michael's crushed.
As the nurse steps out, he moves to stand over her. Not lovingly as he had, but menacingly, accusing her of all the evil he can see held in her arms. She looks up at him in horror.
The man can't hear their words, but he knows she can't lie to him.
He gets a perverse sense of pleasure out of Michael's pain. He'd been so happy at first. It had been so perfect, in hindsight. After Lauren, it would have served him to be a little more suspicious.
Vaughn, as he storms out the door for fear he'll do something horrible, suspects he knows who the real father is, and it makes him sick with such a bitter, envious rage.
After all, neither he nor Sydney are blondes.
He walks slowly after a while, through the hospital's winding halls, not sure what he's feeling. Slowly, even more so than he walks, a smothering sensation pervades his consciousness. He needs fresh air, an escape. He needs to get away from the nightmare his life had suddenly dissolved into.
His baby belongs to another man.
It's the middle of LA; Michael knows there is no fresh air to be found. But the stale air he breathes as he shoves open the doors simultaneously chokes him and fuels the fire of the fury growing in his chest. His walk does not quash his anger as he had hoped. In fact, the further he walks the more frustrated he gets.
There are probably miles of hallways in this hospital, he thinks, starting down a staircase when he steps back inside and heading toward the maternity ward. He stops at the nursery window, seeing all the dark haired babies.
Any one of them could have been ours, he thinks, his gaze landing angrily on the one light haired boy amidst several darker haired ones.
A couple walks down the hall, cooing over a beautiful blonde baby boy. As Vaughn watches, their faces morph before his eyes into Sydney's and Sark's. For a moment, all he can see is red, then he feels something snap inside.
Stoically, he turns and makes the walk back to Sydney's room.
Lauren. Sark. Sydney. Now that damn child…
But the prospect of revenge has suddenly made him calm.
He's going to give them what they deserve.
All of them.
So, what do yall think? This is just the beginning, mind you. I will explain all the questions and fill in the blanks as we go along. I know this is vague, but I told you: this entire chapter is merely putting meat on the bones of someone else's work. I love its vagueness, anyway. So, you know the drill. Read and review, please!