Jack sat in front of Slaone, briefing him on the activities for the past
three days. He briskly, almost detached, went through the details,
emotionless, while Sloane watched him intensely. He wondered what was
going on behind the blank exterior of Sloane.
"Good work Jack. Well, that's good," Sloane nodded his affirmation.
"The Alliance is seeking détente. Very disappointing," Jack said.
"Yes, it is. It's insulting that Khasinau could come in here, and hurt our people, and the alliance wants to be friends with them. Cowards," Sloane said bitterly.
"What's our next move?"
"We wait for Sydney to come back. She's a good daughter, isn't she?" he inquired quietly.
Jack felt a tingle down his spine. "Yes, she is."
"I hear you told her about Laura."
"How'd you know that?"
"She told me that you did. Must have been painful for you. She asked to learn more about her, her life with the KGB."
"And you promised to help her, why?
"Maybe if I had a daughter like Sydney, I would've learned to love something besides money," he sighed rubbing his eyes. Jack held back his surprised expression.
"I am going to suggest that you take some time off, Jack. Clear your mind. It must've been difficult for you relive your past."
"No, I'm ok. Sydney needs me," Jack refused, and stared back at Sloane, challenging his gaze.
"I was going to show Sydney something, something about her mother. It's very painful Jack. I'd like to spare you the pain."
"But, you'd submit Sydney to it?"
"Sydney came to me for her help, Jack. I wouldn't want to willingly put you through any suffering."
"If it's going to be painful, I'd like to be there for my daughter," Jack stated firmly. "Whatever you've got to show her, you can show me to."
"Just remember that I warned you," Sloane said, snapping his file shut for emphasis.
Francie opened the door to let Will enter, who was loaded down with junk food, and was enthusiastically waving a video in front of her face.
"Lawrence of Arabia, classic!!" he said excitedly, dumping the stuff on the counter. "And for your viewing pleasure, 'Never Been Kissed'."
"Thank you. We're watching that first," Francie ordered as she moved to remove the popcorn from the stove before it burned.
"No, we are not. You'll watch your movie, and then fall asleep when my choice comes on," he complained. He craned his neck to look around the place, and Francie smiled to herself.
"Stop looking. Sydney's on another one of her missions for the bank."
Will snapped back to Francie with a sheepish look. "I can't help it."
"You should just ask her out, and get it over with."
She should just tell you about the mystery man….
"I can't do that. She's my friend. What if she said 'no'. It'd be awkward afterwards."
"So what, you're going to hope she gets drunk and kisses you again?" Francie nailed him with a stern look.
Will couldn't look at Francie, and looked down at his hand. "Hey, don't kill me for saying this… but Sydney's been working too hard, don't you think? Is it Danny? You know bury yourself in work thing?"
Francie thought back to her conversation with Sydney regarding a mystery man that she was interested in. She honestly didn't think Sydney was trying to work herself to death so that she could forget Danny.
"No, I just think it's Sydney. She's a hardworker," Francie shrugged her shoulder, emptying the popcorn to a bowl. She opened the trashcan to throw the foil out, and noticed a ticket stub.
"You know, we should save all these ticket stubs, and make like a collage for Sydney's birthday next time," she teased waving the ticket around.
Will grabbed it away from her, partly because it was annoying. "She'd appreciate that."
He looked down at the ticket, smiling at the thought of presenting Sydney with a collage and the expression on his face. He was so into his reverie, it took him a few seconds to register what he was seeing. His gaze was still on the ticket when he asked "Hey, where did Sydney she was going last time, before we went to the cottage?"
"Boston, I think. Why?" Francie asked popping some popcorn in her mouth.
"Because this is a ticket stub for Prague," Will said giving it to Francie for verification.
"That can't be right," she looked at the ticket and then looked up at Will. "Why would Sydney lie to us?"
He just shrugged, and stuffed his mouth with popcorn.
"Good work Jack. Well, that's good," Sloane nodded his affirmation.
"The Alliance is seeking détente. Very disappointing," Jack said.
"Yes, it is. It's insulting that Khasinau could come in here, and hurt our people, and the alliance wants to be friends with them. Cowards," Sloane said bitterly.
"What's our next move?"
"We wait for Sydney to come back. She's a good daughter, isn't she?" he inquired quietly.
Jack felt a tingle down his spine. "Yes, she is."
"I hear you told her about Laura."
"How'd you know that?"
"She told me that you did. Must have been painful for you. She asked to learn more about her, her life with the KGB."
"And you promised to help her, why?
"Maybe if I had a daughter like Sydney, I would've learned to love something besides money," he sighed rubbing his eyes. Jack held back his surprised expression.
"I am going to suggest that you take some time off, Jack. Clear your mind. It must've been difficult for you relive your past."
"No, I'm ok. Sydney needs me," Jack refused, and stared back at Sloane, challenging his gaze.
"I was going to show Sydney something, something about her mother. It's very painful Jack. I'd like to spare you the pain."
"But, you'd submit Sydney to it?"
"Sydney came to me for her help, Jack. I wouldn't want to willingly put you through any suffering."
"If it's going to be painful, I'd like to be there for my daughter," Jack stated firmly. "Whatever you've got to show her, you can show me to."
"Just remember that I warned you," Sloane said, snapping his file shut for emphasis.
Francie opened the door to let Will enter, who was loaded down with junk food, and was enthusiastically waving a video in front of her face.
"Lawrence of Arabia, classic!!" he said excitedly, dumping the stuff on the counter. "And for your viewing pleasure, 'Never Been Kissed'."
"Thank you. We're watching that first," Francie ordered as she moved to remove the popcorn from the stove before it burned.
"No, we are not. You'll watch your movie, and then fall asleep when my choice comes on," he complained. He craned his neck to look around the place, and Francie smiled to herself.
"Stop looking. Sydney's on another one of her missions for the bank."
Will snapped back to Francie with a sheepish look. "I can't help it."
"You should just ask her out, and get it over with."
She should just tell you about the mystery man….
"I can't do that. She's my friend. What if she said 'no'. It'd be awkward afterwards."
"So what, you're going to hope she gets drunk and kisses you again?" Francie nailed him with a stern look.
Will couldn't look at Francie, and looked down at his hand. "Hey, don't kill me for saying this… but Sydney's been working too hard, don't you think? Is it Danny? You know bury yourself in work thing?"
Francie thought back to her conversation with Sydney regarding a mystery man that she was interested in. She honestly didn't think Sydney was trying to work herself to death so that she could forget Danny.
"No, I just think it's Sydney. She's a hardworker," Francie shrugged her shoulder, emptying the popcorn to a bowl. She opened the trashcan to throw the foil out, and noticed a ticket stub.
"You know, we should save all these ticket stubs, and make like a collage for Sydney's birthday next time," she teased waving the ticket around.
Will grabbed it away from her, partly because it was annoying. "She'd appreciate that."
He looked down at the ticket, smiling at the thought of presenting Sydney with a collage and the expression on his face. He was so into his reverie, it took him a few seconds to register what he was seeing. His gaze was still on the ticket when he asked "Hey, where did Sydney she was going last time, before we went to the cottage?"
"Boston, I think. Why?" Francie asked popping some popcorn in her mouth.
"Because this is a ticket stub for Prague," Will said giving it to Francie for verification.
"That can't be right," she looked at the ticket and then looked up at Will. "Why would Sydney lie to us?"
He just shrugged, and stuffed his mouth with popcorn.