Preservation
"Sydney, we need to stop by headquarters first," Vaughn said softly, "before you can go home."
Sydney drew back from Will and glanced at Vaughn who was now standing by her side. She gave him a small nod. "Okay."
"Let's get going," Jack put in, beginning to lead the way out of the terminal with Vaughn following him.
Sydney and Will exchanged glances and sighs, then Will draped an arm around Sydney's shoulders as she moved closer to him. They walked slowly, their steps in sync and the sound of their footfalls creating a comforting echo on the surface of the floor. Jack and Vaughn walked at a fast, but not really rushed pace, and Sydney and Will maintained a fair distance behind them.
"So," Sydney began, "how have you been?"
Will glanced down at her and grinned. He kissed the top of her head. "Listen to you," he started, laughter in his voice, "you're asking me how I've been as if it's only been a couple of weeks since we've talked."
Sydney looked away and stared at her feet as she walked. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I guess I just don't really know how to act when my last memory is of passing out and a short while after I wake up in a place I don't remember going to, I'm suddenly told that two years have gone by."
Will lifted her chin up and turned her face towards him. "I didn't mean it as if you were acting like nothing has happened and nothing has changed. I just meant that you're handling this really well, in your own way—the way you feel is right. I admire that, Sydney."
She looked away again, feeling her cheeks begin to burn with her previous misunderstanding. "Thanks," she said meekly.
Will pulled her closer to him and Sydney instantly felt better. Will glanced down at Sydney, seeing her eyes focused straight ahead, ignoring anything that may interfere with her concentration of getting from point A to point B. He realized how symbolic it was, given everything she had accomplished in the past and not letting outside forces interfere with the goals she had. He really *did* admire her—for so many reasons.
But still, something about her intense concentration unnerved him. Will frowned a bit and followed Sydney's gaze. It was always a good idea to remain focused on what one wanted to accomplish, but, it really wasn't a good idea to ignore everything else and avoid putting those other things into perspective. Will knew that Sydney wanted to get back on the straight and narrow as quickly and painlessly as possible. He knew she didn't want to have to go through a long process with all sorts of detours distracting her from where she ultimately wanted to end up.
He knew she would have to deal with those things even though she desperately wanted to sidestep them.
She would have to take baby steps to officially be able to return to the life she once led. First and foremost, she would have to be examined for any life-altering or life-threatening physical or mental changes. Even if nothing was found, she still wouldn't be clear. She might even have to be checked periodically to make sure that nothing had been overlooked.
All of that aside, she still had to be reacquainted with the people she knew—Kendall, Dixon, Marshall, and the nameless people that she had no doubt had an effect on if she was unaware of it herself. After that, she would probably have to undergo a rigorous training program to reintroduce to her what she may have forgotten in terms of being an agent before she would ever be allowed to return to the field.
Will knew that all of this would frustrate her to no end. He knew that whatever she had gone through, she wanted to put it all behind her and return to how she had been, so that she wouldn't be forced to focus on things she didn't wish to have brought up. He also knew that Sydney would need someone to help her through all of this, keep her head on straight and prevent her from giving up and just wasting away so she wouldn't have to deal with all of the trials and tribulations.
He would help her.
He would do whatever it took to allow her to be the Sydney he remembered and the Sydney that he knew she wanted to be.
So he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm tighter around her shoulders and smiling a bit when she burrowed closer to him. He kissed her hair as they rounded a corner and journeyed closer to the desired destination.
When the four arrived at the joint task force building, they entered through a back door, wanting to avoid any unnecessary contact with the bustling employees parading around the rotunda. Almost immediately, Sydney was taken into custody by several burly guards. She didn't protest but she did cast a questioning and angry stare over her shoulder. Jack, Vaughn, and Will fixed indifferent expressions on their faces as Sydney was carted away to the cell that had been frequented quite a bit in recent years with an assortment of prisoners or suspected traitors.
Once Sydney was out of view, Will sighed heavily and raked a hand through his hair. "I can't believe we couldn't tell her anything or give her some kind of warning," he said in exasperation, referring to Sydney being held in CIA custody until she was cleared of having any involvement of something that would put the agency, the country, and possibly even the world in danger.
Jack laid a steady hand on Will's shoulder. "We didn't have a choice. If we had told her that she was going to be apprehended on suspicion of possibly being a traitor, it is likely that she either would have resisted or tried to escape."
"But we know she's not a traitor!" Will exploded. "Plus, how is she going to even believe a thing we say now when we just betrayed her trust? Are you forgetting how we acted in the airport? We welcomed her with open arms and acted as if *nothing* was going on! By doing this, we're just going to make her transition all the more difficult."
"Will—" Jack started, but Vaughn cut him off.
"I know this isn't exactly a great process, but we don't have any other choice. Obviously, since we've all known Sydney for so long and have been able to see who she really is, we're biased into thinking that she could never betray us or this country." Vaughn pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing, "I'm not saying that I believe she is a traitor, all I'm saying is that we have no say in this—it's part of protocol. Someone who has been out of reach of CIA contact for that amount of time and then suddenly comes back could have dabbled in double-agency, so we have to be incredibly careful."
Will forced himself to nod. "I know that, but I still can't get it out of my head that all we're doing is pushing her farther away and causing her more pain than she's already had to endure during whatever she's gone through for those two years, whether she was aware of it or not."
"That's the point," Vaughn said, "'whatever she's gone through.' We still have no idea if she was conscious of whatever happened to her, or if she was brainwashed, or if she has some sort of amnesia that is making her forget that she *had* done something for two years, whatever that 'something' may be."
Will was about to argue, but Jack spoke before he could. "Will, don't pretend that you're the only one who is being—hurt—by this. We all are. We all believe that Sydney has been manipulated beyond her control and that she is the victim. But the fact of the matter is, we have no way of knowing that what we believe is correct. Therefore, no matter how insane this process may be, it *has* to be done." He gave Will a parting glance before walking away.
Vaughn took a few steps forward before tossing a few words of reassurance over his shoulder, "You don't have to worry, Will. This will all be resolved. Trust me."
Will agreed with a nod and was immediately reminded of his own experience of having been suspected of treachery. He was proven to be innocent of course, and the real traitor was dealt with, but he still had to live with the fact that for a short while, he hadn't been trusted, and as a result, he was threatened and nearly killed, all because of Allison Georgia Doren.
Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Will stiffly walked in the direction of the rotunda.
Sydney sat on the small, uncomfortable cot in the all-too-familiar cell. She stared at the floor, willing herself to not succumb to the urge of beating on the glass and demanding to be let out. She couldn't understand why she was being held in here. Granted, she *had* been gone for two years, and God only knew what the hell had happened to her—if anything—during those years, because for the life of her, Sydney sure couldn't recall anything.
She knew this had to be part of the standard protocol for an agent who had either been in deep cover or who had disappeared without a trace and miraculously showed up one day confused as hell. Despite knowing that, there was still something she couldn't understand—why had Vaughn, her father, and Will all graciously accepted her when she had shown up? Why did they act as if everything was how it had been before?
They didn't want me to be suspicious of them acting suspicious, she realized with a laugh that originated in her gut and came out remarkably throaty and sinister. She didn't care, though. She was far past caring. Why should she, anyway? Here she was, sitting in a cell reserved for prisoners and traitors, when she was—as far as she knew—completely innocent. What was she to do? What *could* she do? The answer of course, was nothing, she would just have to wait until everything was sorted out and her innocence was proven.
She sighed heavily, suddenly finding herself thinking about how Will must have felt when he went through this. She remembered being scared when she had asked him about their drunken kiss and he couldn't remember the details surrounding the event. Sydney had been afraid that there was a possibility that he really wasn't who he claimed to be. She sighed and fast-forwarded a bit, and remembered feeling relieved, elated, and utterly happy when she found out that Will was innocent and that he was safe and okay.
A tear that had formed in her eye escaped and traveled down her cheek. She lifted it away with a finger and sniffed. She was about to attempt to forget about the pain she was feeling and try to take a nap when she was interrupted by some burly guards and a woman apparently from medical services holding a neatly folded hospital-type gown.
The woman asked one of the guards to open the door and she went in, stopping a couple of feet from the cot. She dropped the gown onto it. "Put that on," she commanded in such a brisk tone that Sydney actually shivered, "and they—" she gestured to the guards as if she thought Sydney didn't have enough common sense to put two and two together, "will escort you to medical services. Hurry," the woman added before slipping out of the room and down the hall.
Sydney glanced down at the gown, then up at the guards, who closed the door in case she was going to try and make a sudden escape, then stood their ground. They stared intently at Sydney, watching her every move. Sydney stared at them a few moments longer, figuring they would get the hint and at least turn around to give her a shred of privacy. She knew there was a camera in the cell, so she would have to deal with whomever was watching on the monitors in the rotunda, but at least they weren't standing right in front of her.
There were only the burly guards.
Narrowing her eyes, Sydney muttered, "Can't you let me have a bit of privacy here?"
One of the guards shook his head, but didn't bother providing an explanation. Sydney stared a moment longer, hoping the guard might elaborate, then was resolved to her fate as she picked up the gown and unfolded it. She was nearly fuming, but managed to keep her fury in check. The gown was unfolded and Sydney bit back a curse as it was the kind that tied in the back. If it had been one that she could have pulled over her head, she might have been able to remove most of her clothes under the gown.
She gave the guards one last glance, willing them to have some decency and turn their backs. When they didn't budge, Sydney shrugged her shoulders absently. If they wanted to be assholes, that was their problem. She tugged her shirt up and over her head and deliberately stared at the guards, hoping that she could guilt them into turning around.
Apparently though, these guys had no shame. They all stared at her, their eyes burning into Sydney's skin. Gooseflesh broke out on Sydney's body and she fought back the shiver that was about to run through her. Screw it, she decided, if they want to get off on watching a helpless woman undress under their scrutiny, fine.
She dropped the shirt onto the cot and pulled off her pants, holding the gaze of the guards the entire time. If they had no shame, she wouldn't either. She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, taking her time in removing it from her body. As she expected, the cold air that rushed against her skin caused her nipples to rise and stiffen.
She ignored this.
Before she reached for the gown, so she could at least have a bit of cover when she went to take off her panties, she was aware that the gazes of the guards had moved to the scar on her abdomen. Maybe they're not complete perverts after all, she thought as she picked up the gown and put it on, not tying it yet. She moved her hands behind her and hooked her thumbs in the elastic of her panties and slid them off easily under the gown. She put them with the rest of her clothes and pulled the robe as tight as she could in the back and tied it.
She raised an eyebrow at the guards. "Can we go now?" she asked, determined to resist the urge to plaster a fake smile on her face and bat her eyelashes sweetly.
The guard who had shook his head earlier now nodded and unlocked the door. Sydney smirked and walked out of the cell where her arms were held securely by two of the guards as the group made its way down the hall and towards medical services.
A/N: Okay, well, I have to thank you people for the lovely reviews you've given me so far;) I, personally, have only been reading a couple of the post-'Telling' fics that have been posted because there are so many and they all seem to have similar concepts, making me feel as if I'm reading the same story twelve times. So, thank you to those who are enjoying this so far, I have a ton of stuff I want to explore. To give you an idea, I've gone six chapters and nearly 15,000 words and I've barely covered the first few bullets of the seven-page (so far) note sheet I wrote up a couple weeks ago;x