"Poppa?" Emily gasps. His timing is impeccable. It always has been. He has
a look of foreboding on his face. There's a similar one etched onto mine.
I was going to tell him about Sark before he talked to Emily. Now I can't. It will have to wait. Emily comes first.
"Thank you for coming." I nod to Dad before turning to Emily. "Francie asked you about your other grandparents and I wasn't able to tell you truthfully. Both of your grandmothers are still alive. I've never met Michael's mother, but we check up on her. She's in France." I pause, trying to find words that don't hurt as much. Emily interrupts my search.
"What about your mother? How is she alive? Do you talk to her?" Her questions fog my brain. I can't talk right now.
"Her mother is in a high security prison. Sydney will never talk to that woman again." Dad's words are spat out, like a poison. I can see Emily's fingers vibrating. This is not going to be easy.
"That's why I'm here. This was a terrible ordeal for all of us. Your mother can't even bring herself to talk about it. Your father has the same condition."
"Your mother and I believed that Laura Bristow died in a car accident until 19 years ago. It had been revealed to me after her death that she wasn't who she seemed. Laura Bristow was really Irina Derevko, an agent of the KGB. She assigned to me to learn secrets about the CIA. She had Sydney as a part of her cover." Dad is trying to keep all of his emotions in control. I can tell he's having trouble.
"The CIA had never told me that she had survived. They thought I was emotionally unstable. Sydney and I learned that she lived almost 20 years after her car accident. The reason that your mother learned the truth was because she found some codes. They were orders to kill CIA agents. One of the agents was William Vaughn. The orders were carried out."
"Sydney thought that I was the one who killed Michael Vaughn's father. She turned me into the CIA director, only to learn that I was not the one. Laura Bristow killed William Vaughn."
Emily's expression is one of complete horror. I don't think she could have ever imagined the pain my mother caused.
"That is not all. You've heard of Milo Rambaldi?" Emily nods. She was fascinated when her teacher talked about him. She researched for a long time. I never helped.
"He wrote a prophecy in his journal. There was a picture. It was a dead ringer for Sydney. The CIA took her into custody."
I interrupt. This prophecy almost blew my cover and helped develop my fear of water.
"The woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works, bind them with fury; a burning anger. Unless prevented, at vulgar cost, this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation. This woman, without pretense, will have had her effect, never having seen the beauty of my sky, behind Mount Subasio. Perhaps a single glance would have quelled her fire." I speak evenly, looking into Emily's eyes.
The words have been etched into my memory. I will never forget them.
"I had the unseen marks, but I was not the woman Rambaldi described. To prove it, your dad and Poppa broke me out. I was driving to the airport when the police tried to pull me over. It became a high-speed chase, ending only when I drove my car into the Pacific. I breathed by the air in the tires for 10 minutes before I swam ashore. It was during my swim that I realized my mother was still alive. She survived the same way I did. She was the one from the prophecy." My voice is shaking so I stop. Dad continues for me.
"Sydney saw Mount Sabasio, so she was safe. We searched for Irina Derevko for 6 months." Dad pauses and Emily seizes the chance to ask a question.
"How did you finally get her into custody?"
I need to answer this one, but someone in the shadows answers for me.
"She walked into the CIA's open arms. Foolish thing to do, if you ask me." The British accent lingers in the air, causing my skin to tingle unpleasantly. I shut my eyes tightly and respond.
"It's also foolish to go where you are not wanted."
"I know, but I couldn't resist meeting the rest of my family." I open my eyes and look at Dad. It's getting harder to see with my tears. He knows immediately what I've never been able to tell him.
He has a son.
AN: I know its short. More on the happy family reunion next chapter. Review!
*Duck
I was going to tell him about Sark before he talked to Emily. Now I can't. It will have to wait. Emily comes first.
"Thank you for coming." I nod to Dad before turning to Emily. "Francie asked you about your other grandparents and I wasn't able to tell you truthfully. Both of your grandmothers are still alive. I've never met Michael's mother, but we check up on her. She's in France." I pause, trying to find words that don't hurt as much. Emily interrupts my search.
"What about your mother? How is she alive? Do you talk to her?" Her questions fog my brain. I can't talk right now.
"Her mother is in a high security prison. Sydney will never talk to that woman again." Dad's words are spat out, like a poison. I can see Emily's fingers vibrating. This is not going to be easy.
"That's why I'm here. This was a terrible ordeal for all of us. Your mother can't even bring herself to talk about it. Your father has the same condition."
"Your mother and I believed that Laura Bristow died in a car accident until 19 years ago. It had been revealed to me after her death that she wasn't who she seemed. Laura Bristow was really Irina Derevko, an agent of the KGB. She assigned to me to learn secrets about the CIA. She had Sydney as a part of her cover." Dad is trying to keep all of his emotions in control. I can tell he's having trouble.
"The CIA had never told me that she had survived. They thought I was emotionally unstable. Sydney and I learned that she lived almost 20 years after her car accident. The reason that your mother learned the truth was because she found some codes. They were orders to kill CIA agents. One of the agents was William Vaughn. The orders were carried out."
"Sydney thought that I was the one who killed Michael Vaughn's father. She turned me into the CIA director, only to learn that I was not the one. Laura Bristow killed William Vaughn."
Emily's expression is one of complete horror. I don't think she could have ever imagined the pain my mother caused.
"That is not all. You've heard of Milo Rambaldi?" Emily nods. She was fascinated when her teacher talked about him. She researched for a long time. I never helped.
"He wrote a prophecy in his journal. There was a picture. It was a dead ringer for Sydney. The CIA took her into custody."
I interrupt. This prophecy almost blew my cover and helped develop my fear of water.
"The woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works, bind them with fury; a burning anger. Unless prevented, at vulgar cost, this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation. This woman, without pretense, will have had her effect, never having seen the beauty of my sky, behind Mount Subasio. Perhaps a single glance would have quelled her fire." I speak evenly, looking into Emily's eyes.
The words have been etched into my memory. I will never forget them.
"I had the unseen marks, but I was not the woman Rambaldi described. To prove it, your dad and Poppa broke me out. I was driving to the airport when the police tried to pull me over. It became a high-speed chase, ending only when I drove my car into the Pacific. I breathed by the air in the tires for 10 minutes before I swam ashore. It was during my swim that I realized my mother was still alive. She survived the same way I did. She was the one from the prophecy." My voice is shaking so I stop. Dad continues for me.
"Sydney saw Mount Sabasio, so she was safe. We searched for Irina Derevko for 6 months." Dad pauses and Emily seizes the chance to ask a question.
"How did you finally get her into custody?"
I need to answer this one, but someone in the shadows answers for me.
"She walked into the CIA's open arms. Foolish thing to do, if you ask me." The British accent lingers in the air, causing my skin to tingle unpleasantly. I shut my eyes tightly and respond.
"It's also foolish to go where you are not wanted."
"I know, but I couldn't resist meeting the rest of my family." I open my eyes and look at Dad. It's getting harder to see with my tears. He knows immediately what I've never been able to tell him.
He has a son.
AN: I know its short. More on the happy family reunion next chapter. Review!
*Duck