Title: Coming to Terms (Chapter 5)
Author: UConn Fan (Michele)
E-Mail: LoveUConnBasketball@yahoo.com
Authors Note:
Mike Dunleavy played his first NBA game yesterday - ONE MINUTE! I KNEW he should have stayed at Duke!
Jake Voskuhl's 25 today, in case anyone cares . . .
One again, I love all of my reviewers - you guys make me SOO happy. Everything you say is just so sweet. I love your comments, thoughts, suggestions, anything :) If you guys keep being so nice I might force you to read my original fiction :) J/k :) I was SOO mad about Alias last weekend, what was up with that? Doesn't ABC KNOW the highlight of my sad life is Sunday nights @ 9?!!
At the end of this section, Sydney will have sixteen weeks to go until her due date. I already know when the baby's born, and I'm not saying whether it's before or after the due date, you'll just have to guess. So the clock is ticking on towards not only her child's birth but the destruction of the Alliance. I'm sorry I'm not highlighting the Alliance destruction more, but I think it's obvious that my strong point is really character's relationships. I'm trying my best, but as odd as it sounds, Sydney's pregnancy is the main story here, the Alliance take down is a sub-plot.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Lord of the Rings (movie or book), F.Y.E. (it's a music store in CT - I'm just assuming it's nationwide, I assumed the same thing with Babies R Us), Little Women (belongs to Louisa May Alcott & I'm sure a bunch of publishers), the titles/lyrics to Jingle Bell Rock or Blue Christmas & I don't own the Los Angeles Kings. Obviously I certainly do not own any Alias-related character, place, etc. I'm having fun, please don't sue.
REMEMBER: This was written PRIOR to MANY MANY MANY late season 1 episodes. Sydney's Mother has not been found. Will is still oblivious to Syd's true occupation. Charlie isn't a creep (obviously, they're married). Emily's still very much alive. It's all pretty obvious. Please don't hold the timeline against me. I had no idea of all the twists and turns JJ was going to make. Please just enjoy the story as it, and please please PLEASE give me feedback! :) I just LOVE everyone that has!
PLEASE READ & RESPOND! :) CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY! (actually . .I'd prefer NONE, but I'll take constructive . .)
That evening Sydney had all of her friends in her living room as she popped the video in. She sat down and pressed 'play' as the image of her child filled the screen. Francie moved closer to the television, nearly toppling off the couch in awe. Even Will's expression grew soft as he watched the baby move and suck it's thumb.
"That's amazing," Francie said softly.
"Yeah, it is," Syd agreed with a smile.
"It's definitely a boy." Will insisted. He got into the floor and approached the television. "See, right there, that's got to be a penis."
Sydney rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the television set. "Will, that's the umbilical cord." She said gently as Francie, Charlie and Jennie laughed.
"Ha ha ha, laugh now, but when she has a boy, I will prevail." He insisted before he sat down on the couch and sulked.
"I bet you a free dessert at the restaurant that she has a girl." Francie said as Will smirked.
"Your on," he agreed as they shook hands. Syd laughed and shook her head, amused by her friend's silly antics.
"The baby's going to be whatever it's going to be, regardless of how much dessert you two bet."
"Yeah, but I'm going to like eating all those desserts when you give birth to baby boy Bristow." Will reminded her. Before Sydney could respond, the phone rang. She stood and walked over to the phone.
"Hello?"
"Joey's Pizza?"
She was unable to hide her smile, "sorry, wrong number." She hung up the phone and walked back into the living room. "Okay, end of show." She popped the tape out and put it back into her tote bag. "I'm going to go bring this to my Dad at work. I promised him he could see it."
"Just make sure he gives it back to you." Francie called.
"He will," she promised as she bounced out the door.
Vaughn stood up when she walked into the cage. "I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"If you want to have Will as your coach, that's fine. It's not my place to judge, your going to be the one who's going to be giving birth, I won't even -"
"No, your right." She cut him off. "My Father is a far better choice. He's my Father, this baby is his grandchild . . . With his knowledge of SD-6, it's better for the baby and I if my Father is my coach. Now I just have to ask him."
"I'm sure he'll say yes." He reassured her. "Today was your ultrasound?"
"Yeah, it was." She smiled widely. Her hand dug into her tote and she pulled out videotape. "Here. I had them tape it. Just please give it back when you're done."
He thanked her and smiled in obvious surprise. "I'll return it our next meeting."
"Thanks. I'd like to show it to my Father too." She explained. "How's Charlotte doing?"
"She's fine." He shrugged. "Her ultrasound is in a few weeks. They're going to find out what it is, all bets are still on a boy." He grinned as she nodded.
"I hope that's what they get then."
"You should get back to your friends. They'll start to wonder where you are." He realized sadly. "Thanks," he said again and motioned to the tape in his hands.
"Your welcome," she smiled before she turned around. With one quicker glance over her shoulder, she walked out of the warehouse with her head held high.
Her friends were still there when she arrived back at her house a short time later. Francie was eating a bowl of chocolate ice cream that made her stomach rumble. Sydney smiled and sat down on the sofa with her friends. "Okay Syd, I have a great name suggestion," Will eagerly greeted her.
"Will, we've already discussed this, I'm not naming the baby William. I promise it's nothing against the name, it would just be confusing."
"No!" He plowed on, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "What about Cooper?"
"Cooper?" She tried it out. "Cooper Bristow . . ."
"Sounds like a 1940's private investigator to me," Jennie suggested as the women laughed.
"Hey man, it's okay, I like it." Charlie reassured his buddy with a pat on the back.
"Okay, seriously," Francie spoke up. "What about Grace?"
"I like Grace," she agreed, taking a bite of her friend's ice cream. "Grace Bristow."
"Abigail," Jennie suggested. "It means 'my Fathers joy'."
"That's my middle name," Sydney informed them with a smile at the meaning.
"Where have you learned all these baby names and meanings?" Will asked his girlfriend in amusement.
"I'm an amateur genealogist, and I just love finding out what names mean." She shrugged as Will quickly kissed her.
"I learn something new everyday," he smiled.
"I think Ethan's a good boys name," Charlie offered as Francie grinned.
"Oh, like Ethan Hawke!" The women laughed as Charlie and Will shared looks of exasperation.
Sydney shook her head at her friend's suggestions. "Do you guys realize I still have a lot of time before I have to make this decision?"
"Yeah, but you want to have some ideas. I've heard about couples who don't name their baby until a week or so after it's born, you don't want to be like that!"
"I'm sure I'll know the right name when I find it," Sydney smiled. "Who knows, maybe I actually need to look at the baby and the right name will come to me?" She shrugged.
"Totally," Francie agreed. "What if she has a boy, decides on the name Cooper, but he ends up looking like an Michael?" She suggested as her friend's head shot up at the off-handed mention of her handler's first name.
"I'm going to try to stay away from names that are too common."
"Good idea. Trust me, it's horrible to have a name that everyone else does!" Jennie agreed.
"How much time are you going to take off?" Will questioned.
"I'm going to keep working for as long as I can. It depends on how well the baby is, how well I feel." She trailed off. As much as she might want to, she couldn't explain the reality of her job to her friends. Thus she couldn't come out and explain that she *would* be there at SD-6 the day the CIA took them down. She needed to be there when that chapter of her life closed, no matter how much her Father and Vaughn might want her far, far away.
"At least you've stopped accumulating so many frequent flier miles." Francie mused.
"Yeah," she smiled in agreement. Traveling and the side effects of jetlag would be too much for her to handle at that point.
"So, Syd, when do we start childbirth classes?" Will asked with a wide smile.
"Actually . . . I was thinking about asking my Dad." She confessed, much to her friend's obvious surprise. "I thought it would be a nice idea, and he'd get to be there to see his first grandchild born . . . "
"I think it's a great idea," Francie smiled as Jennie nodded.
"Sure, Syd, that's fine. If your Dad can't or won't do it though, I'm still your man." He reassured her with a silly grin. Sydney laughed, grateful for the wonderful friends she had and the endless support they offered her.
"I have to go Christmas shopping this weekend, does anyone want to come with me?" Jennie asked as Francie and Sydney agreed. Will's girlfriend had been the first and probably only girl he had dated that Francie and Sydney had taken so well to, and Will knew that it was a good sign.
"We can't stop and look at anything related to babies." Francie insisted. "Or else I might go nuts."
Sydney laughed and shook her head. Despite everything, despite the challenges ahead of her, she was luckier then most. Unlike many single Mothers, she truly had the best friends to help and support her along the way.
The next afternoon Sydney sat across from her Father and Marshall and next to Dixon at an SD-6 briefing. Although Dixon was going on the mission with another team of agents while Sydney remained in Los Angeles, Sloane continued to include her in his briefings. He had explained that he enjoyed her insight and questions, as well as just her company. How he had once again implied such paternal concern for her and her child's welfare had made her skin crawl as she planted a forced smile on her features.
When the meeting was concluded, Sloane asked that she remain for a few seconds. She exchanged a worried look with her Father, who stood and exited the room with the other men. She smiled at him, hoping she looked more composed then she felt. With the CIA so close to destroying the enemy, every step she took was more crucial and even more important that she keep her cover.
"Sydney, I asked you to stay because I wanted to speak to you about Emily." He explained as her smile became sincere. "As you know, she's very excited about your upcoming arrival. We both are."
She nodded, the smile on his face made shivers sashay up and down her spine. "How is Emily feeling?"
"Good, very good. In fact she would like to have you over for Christmas Eve."
"That'd be wonderful," she smiled. No matter how much she despised Arvin Sloane, Emily was one of the sweetest people she had ever known. One day she hoped her own child would admire her as much as she admired Emily.
"Wonderful. Emily insists that you bring a guest. She looks forward to meeting the strapping young man you'll be creating a family with."
"Of course," she nodded, her mind now racing. No matter how much she might have wanted to bring Vaughn with her, the dangers were too great for her to even consider doing such a thing. Not that Vaughn wouldn't want to go with her - she had seen how his face had become crestfallen when she explained that she was bringing Will as a guest. That had been a few years ago, when she and Vaughn were still strictly professional.
Sydney went to stand, but was stopped when he called her name again. "I just want you to know that I am very happy for you. It's very difficult to welcome a child into this life, especially as a woman living this life."
"Thank you," she smiled. With one more glance at him, she stood and left his office. Once Sydney was out of Sloane's sight, she ran towards the restrooms and made a tearful offering to the Porcelain gods.
That was how her Father and Vaughn saw her later that night. She had called them both to meet her at the warehouse, a rare occasion. The remainder of her day at SD-6 had been long, her nerves growing more sensitive as the day progressed. Her stomach had churned and when she finally got out of Credit Dauphine, she went home and got sick. Out of the sight of Sloane and his men, she was unable to stop the tears and shivers that racked her body, not even stopping as she walked into the warehouse, where both men were already waiting.
Sydney sniffled and attempted to look slightly composed as she walked into the warehouse cage. Judging solely on both men's expressions, she assumed that they both knew about Sloane's invitation. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked, skipping all formalities.
"Sloane asked me a few days ago if I knew anything about who the Father was. Apparently, he believes that I was being sincere when I said I didn't know." Her Father explained, his face slightly softened at his daughter's obvious anguish.
"You can't turn down Sloane's invitation. It would only arouse suspicion." Vaughn said in his professional, no funny business way.
"What about your friend Mr. Tippin?" Jack suggested. Vaughn looked down at the ground and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What about Will? I can't bring him. He's got a girlfriend; he's probably going to spend Christmas Eve with her. Plus I don't want to explain to him why he has to come and pretend to be the baby's Father!"
"Why not back to the basics?" Vaughn suggested. "Why not say that your date got called away at the last minute for a family emergency?"
"If we can't come up with something better, we might have to resort to that." Jack conceded. He looked away in slight discomfort as Vaughn reached out and handed Sydney a tissue and they shared a glance that lasted a bit too long. "We have a little less then two weeks to strategize. Right now you need to rest." He advised his daughter.
"I know," she agreed, wiping her tears.
"I should go. I'll see you tomorrow," he told her as she nodded. "We'll deal with the problem when the time is right. I'm sure we'll find a solution." Jack reassured them both before he walked out, leaving them alone.
Once Jack was out of earshot, he turned towards her, meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry Syd."
"What for?" She asked, perplexed. "None of this is your fault."
He nodded, knowing she believed it was the truth. Now all he had to do was convince himself. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'll be okay." She insisted. Once again he shook his head. He was obviously preoccupied as he turned around to his briefcase, pulling out the familiar videotape. "Did you watch it?" She asked quietly, taking it from him.
"Yes," he nodded, unable to completely hide his smile. "It's amazing."
"It is," she agreed. "Thank you for giving it back."
"Thank you for letting me borrow it." Sydney nodded and looked down at the ground, the tears once again welling in her eyes. The expression on her face tore at him and he was unable to stop himself before he pulled her gently into his arms. "Syd, it's going to be okay. We'll figure it out."
"What if Sloane finds out about you?" She asked, her body still shaking with her sobs. The day's events had just been too much for her and standing there with him was the only place she had felt at peace all day.
"He won't. Don't worry about me Syd, I'll be fine." He promised. Inside her, nestled between its parents embrace, their baby moved, demanding attention.
"Your hockey player wants to eat," she chuckled, reluctantly moving from his embrace. Vaughn's smiles made her feel slightly better, knowing he was behind her all the way. "I have to ask my Dad about childbirth classes soon." She thought out loud.
"I'm sure he'll be there for you."
"I was stupid to accept the invitation."
"No, you weren't. Emily is your *friend*."
"It would have only made him suspicious if I said no," she reasoned as he nodded.
"You should go rest," he realized.
"Thank you for meeting me here."
"Your welcome," he smiled widely. She smiled at him before she picked up the videotape and walked out of the cage.
Sydney forced herself to not focus on the Christmas Eve at the Sloane's. Jack had informed her that he would be attending too, which would make the night easier regardless of who she did or didn't end up taking. Dixon had left Tuesday morning for a mission to Amsterdam to retrieve another Rimbaldi clue, returning safely Friday morning. Upon his return, she had yet to ask her Father about being her labor coach and was aware that she'd have to do so soon. The classes started in a few short weeks.
Friday afternoon she finally had an opportunity to be alone with her Father. He directed her to a conference room and secured them three minutes to talk. "I'd like you to be my labor coach." She said.
The look on Jack Bristow's face was one of evident shock. Of all the things, good and bad, that he had prepared himself for, that was not one of them. "I thought Mr. Tippin - "
"I've changed my mind." She insisted. Jack suspected that Sydney had explained her plans to Agent Vaughn and he had understandably not taken it well. "I'd like you to be there as my coach. You'd have to go to classes with me, and if you can't, I'd understand - " she started, having already readied herself for disappointment.
"Of course I'll do it." He answered. "If your certain that's what you want."
"I'm sure."
"Then I'll do it. Just let me know when and where classes are."
"They don't start for a few more weeks. I'm taking them at Our Lady of Mercy." Jack nodded, already aware that she was receiving all of her care at the SD-6 hospital.
"Just let me know," he reminded her while he stood up and walked out of the room.
Late Saturday morning, Sydney, Jennie, Francie and Will were trudging through the mall. Will had decided to join them until lunch and after that he was going to go help Charlie at the cafe. Syd enjoyed having her friends with her as they combed through the malls, buying various odds and ends. As it neared lunchtime, they stood in the front of bookstore, scanning the shelves of the New Releases.
No matter how much fun they were having, Syd was quickly growing fatigued. Over the past few days she had noticed how her ankles were getting slightly puffier. More then that, she was able to spend less and less time on her feet. While Will and Jennie stayed in the bookstore looking for a Christmas gift for Amy, Francie accompanied Syd as she went to sit on a bench outside the store.
Sydney sat fingering a book of baby names that she had just bought. Having settled things with her Father, she felt more comfortable then she had in a few days. There was the worry of what would happen on Christmas Eve still in the back of her mind, but she had confidence that between herself, her Father and Vaughn they would be able to devise a good plan.
Will and Jennie were leaving the bookstore when Francie nudged her arm. Her friends were towering over them when Sydney looked at Francie in annoyance. "Okay, look in front of FYE, there's a guy in a leather jacket that keeps looking at you." Francie whispered.
Sydney's eyebrows rose before she looked up. Her heart stopped for a brief second when she realized that it was Vaughn and an older looking woman. Please be his Mother, she thought in horror as she looked back at her book. "So what?" She asked casually.
"Please! Look at him, he's *gorgeous*!" Jennie declared, as Will looked insulted. "It's okay honey, I think you're more handsome." She promised as she kissed his cheek.
"Go over and say hi!" Francie instructed.
"Are you crazy?" Sydney asked. "I'm pregnant!"
"So?" Francie and Jennie asked in unison.
"I don't know guys, what if he's one of those sickos who *only* likes women who are pregnant with other men's babies." Will proposed as Sydney rolled her eyes.
"C'mon," Francie stood up and pulled Syd up with her. "I have to go to FYE to get Charlie the new Lord of the Rings movie soundtrack. As we pass by, it wouldn't hurt if you said a casual hello."
Sydney wondered how red her cheeks could get as she walked with her friends towards the store. As they walked she wished that Vaughn would read her mind and disappear, but she suspected that since he was in the company of his Mother, he couldn't just abruptly walk away from the store. When they approached the store, she was horrified as her best friend pulled her towards the same display where Vaughn was standing with his Mother.
"Hi," Francie greeted, smiling at the woman Sydney assumed to be Brigitte Vaughn. For his credit, Vaughn kept his eyes fixated on the CD he held in his hand as she attempted to do the same.
"Hello," Brigitte smiled with a heavy French accent. "This place is just so crowded today, don't you think?" She questioned, obviously far more friendly then Sydney had expected.
"Yeah. Everyone shopping for the holidays. At least the mall is decorated for Christmas." Francie pointed out as Brigitte nodded. Sydney couldn't help but wonder if Danny was somewhere watching over her and snickering at her situation. If she was anyone else, she knew she'd be laughing at her own dilemma.
"How far along is your friend?" She asked as Francie tugged on Sydney's arm to draw her closer to the older woman.
"Syd, tell her how far along you are," Francie hissed, still smiling. In the year since her restaurant had opened, Francie had acquired the gift of being able to be outwardly pleasant while remaining in complete control of a situation.
"I'm twenty weeks."
"That's so wonderful! That's about how far along my daughter is! When are you due?"
"April 27th."
"Charlotte's due May 3rd." She explained. Then Brigitte turned and nudged Vaughn as Sydney said a silent prayer. "Michael, this young woman is due around the same time as your sister."
"That's nice Mom," Michael commented, not bringing himself to look at Sydney.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Brigitte said apologetically.
"I'm Francie Calfo and this is Sydney Bristow," Francie introduced.
"I'm Brigitte Vaughn and this is my son Michael."
"It's nice to meet you." Francie commented.
"Sydney, do you know what you're having?"
"No, she's being such a pain, she refuses to find out." Francie answered for her with a sigh.
"My daughter's going to find out, since it's their second. They have a little girl, she's already two and the sweetest."
"I bet they grow up so fast!" Francie guessed.
"They do!" Brigitte agreed.
"I just hope Ms. Workaholic here slows down once the baby comes."
"I can understand that!" Brigitte declared. "I'm just wishing Michael will slow down one day enough to even *consider* getting involved. Although I do think he's interested, he's just so dedicated to that job of his," she finished in a stage whisper.
By then Sydney wanted to find a hole and bury herself in it. If her week hadn't been difficult enough, now her best friend was inadvertently making life even more difficult for her. The opportunity did however, no matter how risky, allow her the chance to see what Brigitte was like. Just as she had imagined, she was a decent, friendly, lovely woman.
"Does Michael work for a bank too?"
"No, he's with the government."
"Even worse!" Francie insisted. Both women laughed as Sydney flinched slightly.
"Sydney, is this your first?"
"Yes," she smiled, forcing herself to meet Brigitte Vaughn's eyes. She wondered if the woman would be as pleasant if she knew that the baby she was carrying was her grandchild added on to the fact that her Mother had killed Brigitte's beloved husband.
"First babies are just so exciting! Very scary too, but I'm sure you and your husband will do a fine job." She smiled encouragingly.
Sydney dared to look at Vaughn, whose eyes met hers with an equally sad and anguished expression. Then she turned her attention back to Brigitte, who was patiently awaiting a response. "I'm not married."
"I'm sure you'll be a fabulous single Mother." Brigitte gently complimented, reaching out to squeeze the younger woman's hand, hoping to give her some encouragement. That's me, Sydney thought, Super Spy and Solo Mommy. I've really got to start my own children's book series, she added in her mind. "I raised Michael and Charlotte on my own after my husband died. It's difficult, but I'm sure you'll be wonderful at it."
"Thank you."
"Well, I think I'll get this for Charlie," Francie decided, taking the CD from Sydney's hands. "It was nice to meet you."
"You too. Good luck Sydney." Brigitte called as they walked inside the store. With the young women gone, she turned her attention back to her son. "Michael, why didn't you talk to Sydney?" She demanded to know in French.
"Maman, she's pregnant." He reminded her in the same language.
"You kept looking at her, so don't tell me you didn't find her attractive. There's no reason why you can't get to know a perfectly lovely woman."
"Maman, please." He pleaded.
"At this rate, I'll never see you have children . . " She spoke softly to herself in her own native language.
Vaughn's eyes were drawn back to Sydney's rounded figure as she stood in line with Francie. Then he looked back at his shoes, his thoughts swarming in sorrow.
Francie scolded Sydney for not being more outgoing in their interaction with the Vaughn's. Luckily Sydney was able to divert her friends' attention to lunch shortly after they walked out of the store. By then, Vaughn and Brigitte were nowhere in sight, much to her relief. Eventually she was able to convince her friend that she was focused on her baby's upcoming arrival and didn't have time for anything else on her plate.
By the time Sydney arrived home, her arms were stuffed from having shopped so much. In that one day she had done nearly all of her shopping. Since Will had left in the early afternoon, she had been able to buy his present. She also managed to buy gifts for Jennie and Francie when each was looking for something else. Along the way she had also found a beautiful sweater for Emily to wear in the garden on days that it was
cold.
The rest of her weekend was spent quietly. Sydney wrapped some presents and slept. Most of her thoughts were wrapped up in everything that had transpired recently. Now she had met not only Vaughn's adorable niece but also his warm, friendly Mother. Something about Brigitte had reminded her of Francie, especially with her outgoing personality, and it had made her even more comfortable. No matter how she tried, she couldn't completely forget her dilemma of spending Christmas Eve at the Sloane's house.
The start of the workweek marked the twenty first week of Sydney's pregnancy. Theoretically it meant that she was closer to the finish then the beginning, although as a first time Mother there was no guarantee she wouldn't be overdue. Everything at Credit Dauphine was business as usual, which was a relief to Sydney. When she wasn't doing paperwork, Sloane would request her presence to sit in on meetings. He would ask her opinion on missions and plans and Marshall was always eager to show her his newest inventions.
She met with Jack and Vaughn in the warehouse on Saturday night. Instead of being at home watching a movie she was with them while they discussed the plan for Christmas Eve which was the following Wednesday. Vaughn was obviously anguished as Jack discussed how Sydney was to initially say that her date would be meeting her there. Then, shortly thereafter, Vaughn would call her cell phone. She would excuse herself and then return saying her date was unable to attend, instead he had an emergency transplant. All of this revolved around the yarn that Jack had fabricated for Sloane about how Sydney's beau was a doctor at UCLA Medical Center.
Sydney was unsure of the story, especially since how closely to Danny her imaginary beau was. It was apparent that Vaughn wasn't happy with the situation either, but as her Father reminded them, it was their only and best option. Having Vaughn accompany her was out of the question, and bringing anyone else into the equation was equally dangerous. Once her Father had left them alone, Vaughn turned towards her and tried to encourage her with a smile.
"I hate this." She said blankly as his smile disappeared.
"I know you do."
"How are things going with Jeter and Cavilerri?"
"Good. We're using their knowledge to create blueprints to every office in the Alliance. They're also giving us combinations to various safes and hidden passageways."
"Are they going to be given immunity?"
"It depends on how legitimate their Intel is," he shrugged.
Sydney nodded "Your Mother's very nice."
"My Mother is very nosey." He smiled.
"So is Francie." She pointed out as they both laughed. "That was a little . . "
"Uncomfortable?" He suggested.
"Yeah, exactly." Sydney laughed.
"Did you and Francie have a nice time shopping?"
"We did. I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping too." She grinned proudly.
His reply seconds later was sincere, happy that she had enjoyed a normal time with her friends. Of all the people in the world, Vaughn knew she deserved the normalcy. Sydney craved it. No adrenaline rush, no matter how much she impacted the destruction of SD-6, nothing quite compared to the comfort of normalcy.
"I should go. I'm supposed to have Will and Charlie over so they can hide Jennie and Francie's Christmas presents at my place." She smiled although she was apologetic for having to lead. All he could do was nod and remind her to be careful before his eyes carefully followed her retreat from the cold warehouse.
Jack Bristow arrived late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve to pick up his daughter. That evening was something he had been strategically trying to avoid since Sydney announced his pregnancy. Now they were forced to fabricate another yarn and keep their fingers and toes crossed that Arvin would remain oblivious. He hoped he did, if not for his own safety and future, but for that of his daughter and future grandchild.
Sydney opened the door and smiled widely at her Father. Dressed appropriately in a black twill jumper with a dark green shirt underneath and a reindeer pin on her jumper. It was extremely difficult to tell that she was already twenty-two weeks pregnant. "Hi Dad, come in. I'm running a little behind," she explained as she moved to let him in.
"That's fine," he assured her as he stood there. "Here, I've been meaning to return this to you."
He handed her the video from her ultrasound as she took it gratefully. "Thank you. Did you get a chance to watch it?"
"Yes, I did."
"Do you have any guess what it is?" She questioned hopefully. Jack suspected that while Sydney didn't want to know what she was having, another large part of her desperately did.
"Yes, I do." He answered with a nod of his head. After all of his years of CIA and SD-6 training, as well as once being an eager Father-to-be, he had acquired the skill of interpreting ultrasounds. Among other things, he had easily seen his future grandchild's gender.
"Well?" Sydney's eyes were wide and expecting.
"I thought you wanted to be surprised," he reminded her mildly.
"Yes, I do." She confessed with a sigh.
"Then you will be surprised." He declared, thinly veiling his smile. Still, she smiled back and put the video down before quickly walking into the kitchen. "Now your fully prepared for your cover?" He asked as she returned, carrying a Bloomingdale's bag that he assumed held gifts.
"I'm completely ready," she promised as she slipped on her coat. Since she had been forced to put down her bag, Jack picked it up, deciding that no matter how heavy it was, she was far too pregnant to carry it.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, I am." She smiled and looped her arm through his. No matter how much she dreaded having to lie to Emily and loathed seeing Arvin Sloane when it wasn't absolutely necessary, it was impossible to shake the happiness she felt at spending Christmas Eve with her Dad.
Emily personally answered the door, her face held more color and her smile was wider then Sydney could recall seeing in recent memory. Arvin greeted them shortly after they arrived, leading them into a handsome study. Sydney saw that Emily hadn't held up any stops at decorating the house for Christmas, and as a result everything looked fantastic. There appeared to be a tree in every major room of the house, lit up and covered in garland and beautiful ornaments. It was impossible not to comment on how fabulous everything looked.
"Fabulous! You're the one who looks fabulous!" Emily insisted with a warm smile as she and her husband sat across from Jack and Sydney.
"Thank you."
"I can hardly believe that you're already more then half way there. You look so beautiful sweetheart, you're glowing."
"You look wonderful too," Sydney honestly replied.
"Where is that handsome beau of yours?" Arvin jumped in, the smile on his face making her skin crawl. There was no way she was going to let this man hurt her anymore, and certainly not her child.
"He should be here shortly," she smiled.
"He's a doctor?" Emily asked eagerly.
"Yes. At UCLA."
"That's wonderful, I'm sure he's fabulous." She smiled at the girl she often thought of as a daughter. From all the young women in the world, if Emily Sloane could have chosen one as her daughter, it would have been the one right in front of her. "Are you starting to get ready?"
"Yes, I am. I signed up for childbirth classes at Our Lady of Mercy a few weeks ago. My Dad's going to be my coach."
"Oh Jack, that's just great!" Emily declared. "This is your first grandchild too," it dawned on her as she smiled. "This is just wonderful Sydney, I am so happy for you."
"Thank you." She smiled. Seeing Emily's uncontained joy at her upcoming arrival almost compensated for Sydney's awareness that her husband felt the exact opposite. Sydney's pregnancy forced Sloane to lose one of his best agents for several months, and in his mind he knew when she returned he would be forced to expect less. The whole thing made him nauseous with anger and his heart heavy with disappointment. He had expected great things for Sydney Bristow, and this child would now nearly insure that she would never reach what he had imagined.
The four sat talking, mostly about her pregnancy, as they waited for either dinner or Sydney's mystery beau to appear. Emily eagerly offered to help in anyway she could, especially with childcare when the younger woman returned to work. She even went as far as to offer the guest room to Sydney to stay in right after the baby was born, so she could help in the earliest days of the babies life. No matter how sweet Emily's offer was, Sydney could never imagine exposing her baby to Arvin Sloane for any longer then was necessary. She also attempted to imagine Vaughn's reaction if she ever accepted such an invitation. There was no doubt in her mind that it wouldn't be pleasant.
Sydney's mysterious beau had conspicuously not appeared when they were seated in the dining room. The salad was being settled down in front of the four of them when the shrill sound of her cell phone interrupted the soft conversation. With a quick apologetic smile, she grabbed the cell phone and started to stand up. "Hello?"
"Hi," Vaughn's voice greeted her.
"Hey," she smiled as she walked out of the dining room.
"Are you doing okay?" He softly asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered. "Where are you?" She questioned, realizing she had no idea what his holiday plans were. A pit of guilt formed in her stomach at how unaware she was of his life. Sometimes it was still hard for her to imagine him having much of a life outside of her and the CIA, as selfish as it sounded, although perhaps it was because she didn't have much of a life outside of him and the CIA.
"My Mother's house. Maya's been begging to open presents."
"I bet," she smiled fondly.
"You should go."
She nodded, knowing she needed to hang up although she would rather talk to him then go back in there. "Yeah. Bye."
"Bye," he quietly replied as she hung up the phone. After she slipped her cell phone into her handbag she walked back into the dining room, already wearing an apologetic smile.
"What's wrong?" Arvin asked as she sat back down.
"That was Chris," she explained, proud of herself for quickly thinking of a name to use. "He can't come. There was a major accident . . He's needed in the operating room. He sends his apologies, he was really looking forward to meeting everyone."
Emily smiled in understanding. "He has a very important job, he's a very smart young man if he's reached as far as he did."
"Yes, he is." Sydney nodded.
"Well I'm sure we'll meet him at some point." Arvin insisted, her smile sending the worms up and down her arms.
During that evening, fate seemed to be on Sydney's side. With her Father's help, they successfully skirted around much discussion about Sydney's mystery beau. Emily wanted to know everything that was going on in her life, feeling as though she had missed out on so much over the last few months. They spoke about books they both enjoyed, and Emily even mentioned that she loved a few of Will's more recent articles. After her nerves had calmed down, Sydney even admitted she had enjoyed herself - at least during her conversations with Emily.
After they had Emily's fabulous cheesecake for dessert, all four sat down in the study to open gifts. Much to her surprise, Sydney found not only a gift for herself, but also a gift for the baby. Since Emily insisted that she open that last, everyone exchanged gifts. She was careful to make sure she kept her Father's most important gift in the bag for when they were alone. Instead he seemed pleased with what she had bought him - a camera, which since she had no idea what he liked to do and knew all Grandparents liked taking pictures, seemed to be the most logical choice. The sweater she had bought for Emily was also well received.
Most importantly, Sloane was thrilled at the gift Sydney had given him, and she was relieved when he promised to put it in his office at home. It was a nondescript looking albeit handsome old-fashioned desk clock, that once within range of his computers hard drive, would hack into the system and allow the CIA access to all of Sloane's home files. The entire thing had been Vaughn's ingenious idea, along with some help from the CIA tech guys. Just another step in bringing down SD-6 and the Alliance, and the CIA hoped it would allow them to confirm some of the Intel they were receiving from Cavilerri and Jeter.
Sydney was given equally beautiful gifts by all of them. Emily and Sloane had given her a camcorder, explaining that she could capture all of the baby's important moments with it. She smiled gratefully, making a mental note to have the CIA tech guys check it out before she dared to use it. Then her Father had given her a beautiful leather bound copy of the book she had loved the most as a child but never thought he had known - Little Women. Once all of the other presents were opened, Emily had declared that it was time for Sydney to open the gift for the baby. It was the first gift her child had been given, even if it in utero, and it wasn't possible not to feel how excited Emily was for her. Not only did she receive a savings bond to start saving for the baby's college education, but Emily had also bought the baby a collection of classic children's stories.
At the end of the evening, Emily and Arvin walked Jack and Sydney out the door. Emily hugged Sydney tightly, making her promise to call if she needed anything. After she thanked them again for everything, Sydney got into her Father's car and they drove off into the darkness. "You did well tonight," her Father complimented her as they drove in the direction of her house.
"Thank you," she smiled. "Do you think he believed it?"
"I would have to say yes," he nodded. "Make sure you have the camcorder looked at before you attempt to use it." He advised her. She nodded, having already known she would need to take such precautions. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, Dad." She promised. "Just tired."
"Well, get some rest tonight. What are your plans for tomorrow?"
"Francie, Charlie, Will and Jennie are coming over," she shrugged. "That's not until the afternoon though. Which is good, because I need to sleep." She laughed.
"I hope you enjoy yourself." He said stoically as he parked the car in the driveway.
"Actually Dad . . " She said awkwardly as she pulled a small, wrapped gift from her bag. "I wanted to give this to you."
Jack was visibly surprised by the other gift. "Well, thank you Sydney." He said as he took the gift. Nervously she watched him open it, hoping he would enjoy it. Within a few seconds he had unwrapped it to find picture frame that read 'I LOVE GRANDPA' around the edges with one of her ultrasound pictures already in the frame. He looked up at her in surprise.
"I thought . . I just thought you might want that," she shrugged.
"Thank you," he nodded. Awkwardly he gave her a small smile, and she smiled in relief. "Have a good Christmas Sydney," he said as she started to get out of the car.
"Thanks Dad," she smiled as she took her bag. "You too." Jack nodded as he carefully watched her walk up the stairs and waited until he was confident that she was safe in her own house.
Sydney slept in late the next morning, enjoying the rare opportunity to sleep until whenever she wanted. None of her friends were expected to stop by until early in the afternoon. Will was taking Jennie to meet his family and Francie and Charlie were having both of their families over for a Christmas breakfast. That allowed her plenty of time to make herself a delicious breakfast and sit down to watch the parade on television. After all, she had no idea where she'd be next Christmas, although she would bet it would be a frantic one with an eight month old.
Early afternoon came. She got changed into a plaid jumper and a red sweater. Making sure all of the presents were arranged neatly under the tree, she put the tree lights on and sat down. The previous night had been surprisingly nice, although emotionally draining. At least everything had been going well with her Father, and that was the best Christmas gift she could possibly imagine.
Charlie and Will's cars pulled in her driveway within seconds of one another. All of them came in carrying bags of gifts, laughing and sharing embarrassing anecdotes. As always, Charlie and Francie had been unnerved by how well their parents got along. Especially now that Francie's parents knew that Sydney was having a baby, they were counting down the days until Francie shared the same news. Will had been lucky and his parents had taken in Jennie with open arms, although he was nervous about meeting her family on New Years Eve.
Francie popped in a tape of Christmas music and the fun began. All of them worked together in the kitchen, although Will was mainly put in charge of vegetable cutting and other safe tasks. The girls sang a glass-breaking rendition of Jingle Bell Rock before Charlie's version of Blue Christmas nearly caused his wife to cry. To his credit, Will wisely remained quiet, sipping his wine and shaking his head at his friends.
Dinner was ready in the early evening. Jennie and Sydney had set the table while everyone else brought in the food. Sitting down, she smiled at her friends, unable to stop the slight ache in her heart. Christmas night, and there were her four best friends, two couples both apparently madly in love. There she was, alone but not entirely on her own, as her offspring reminded her with a swift kick that he or she was hungry and demanded to be fed.
Conversation wrapped around talk of the restaurant, debating new public relations moves. Will broke the news that after the first of the year he would be an official columnist, a once a week piece on public relations. Charlie had been named junior partner in his firm while Jennie was given a major case. Eventually, after talking about everyone's major accomplishments and news, talk turned back to Francie's favorite topic of conversation - Sydney's pregnancy.
In the middle of January they would start painting the nursery, and Francie was thrilled that Sydney had finally granted her permission to begin. With all four of them painting - Francie insisted that it was bad for her to be near paint fumes and they could handle the painting - it shouldn't take too long to paint the murals and designs she had in mind. Once it was painted, they would decide on a color for the carpet and Will offered to call an old high school friend who did carpet installation and ask for his help. As soon as all of that was in place, Charlie, Will and her Father could start moving the furniture in.
Soon enough they would be going shopping for major baby items. In hopes of easing all of the equipment in slowly, Francie and Jennie offered to go shopping with Sydney the next weekend. They had hopes of taking advantage of some of the post-season Christmas sales to pick up the more expensive things that she would need. With her Father's help she had already created a list of things they had to get from storage and from that they would know what they needed to buy. So much to do, Sydney thought as she loaded the dishwasher, and so little time.
Sydney spent the morning of New Years Eve having breakfast with her Father at Francie's restaurant. It had been a week since she had last spoken to Vaughn, and while she didn't say the words, she suspected that Jack realized how much she missed him. Even though she was no longer going on missions, she had begun to take it for granted that she would see him a few times a week. The holidays made that near impossible, and she was cautious not to ask for more then she had a right to have. Seeing her Father was a plus, and they spoke about surprisingly normal things - how she was feeling, the plans for working on the nursery, and even a Kings game they had both seen.
After a New Years spent in the peaceful solidarity of her own home, Sydney returned to Credit Dauphine on the fifth of January. At twenty four weeks pregnant she was preparing to start her childbirth classes in the weeks to come and knew that weekend she would start shopping for baby items and paint for the nursery. Still, she was unable to stop the slight worry in the back of her mind knowing that she hadn't spoken to Vaughn in almost two weeks.
Tuesday night Sydney lay cuddled up on her sofa watching a Kings game. Her phone rang late in the evening as she was preparing for bed, startling her. When she answered it, her heart sunk when an unfamiliar voice gave her the call signal to report to the CIA headquarters. Terrible thoughts danced in her head as she quickly changed, not even sure if her socks or shoes matched. Why were they calling her so late at night, why was it necessary for her to report to the CIA headquarters? The only thing she could possibly think of was something had happened to Vaughn - why would she need to go into the CIA offices at ten at night for any other reason? She had seen her Father that day, and that was the only thing that stopped her from worrying that he was in trouble.
The twenty-minute drive seemed endless. For security purposes, she had to park her car a few blocks from the building and walked the remainder of the way, checking her back every few steps. Los Angeles in the dark of night, especially when your twenty-four weeks pregnant, isn't the safest place in the world. Finally, she arrived, relieved to be inside, although her heart was pounding anxiously.
"Sydney, did you have any problems?" Jack asked, meeting her shortly after she arrived.
"No," she shook her head. "What's going on?"
"Agent Bristow, we'd like you to follow us," Devlin said. While his tone was not unkind, it didn't help her shake the horrible sense of doom. Silently she followed the two men down the nearly empty halls of the CIA. Having been awoken from its sleep, her baby moved inside her, sensing its Mothers nervous anxiety. Please, she begged silently, please let him be okay. Too much of her life, and her future, depended on him. He has a damn desk job, she yelled inside her head, what the hell could possibly happen to him?
In a split second her worries were dispelled when she followed her Father and Devlin into an unfamiliar conference room. Vaughn stood in the corner, dressed in a suit, his expression one of anguish. Anguish is okay, she reminded herself. She could deal with anguish, as long as he was okay. "Vaughn," she greeted, almost embarrassed by the obvious relief in her voice.
"Sydney," he responded, his eyes held far more pain then she ever remembered.
"Agent Bristow, please take a seat," Devlin instructed. Looking quickly at Vaughn, who nodded at her, she did so.
"I'm confused, what's going on?"
"Some of the Intel we've gathered on the Alliance led us to a branch in Russia. Moscow, actually," Devlin started to explain. "We had adequate forces and information to shut down the Alliance branch of SD-12."
"That's wonderful," Sydney started, still sure why this required her attention at ten at night.
"Unfortunately, when the CIA's forces penetrated the branch, we discovered that it was undergoing a hostile take over by the KGB."
"Isn't that a good thing? Take down some of the KGB's forces while destroying a branch of the Alliance?" She questioned, now entirely puzzled.
"Yes, it is a huge step for the CIA," Jack agreed. "There were several top KGB officials involved in the take over, and when the CIA entered, the KGB opened fire on our men."
"Obviously, we had to return fire." Devlin added. Sydney nodded and looked over at Vaughn. He met her gaze without hesitation, his eyes anguished and sympathetic all at the same time. What was she missing here, she wondered.
"Sydney, your Mother was among the KGB agents inside the offices of SD-12." Her Father told her, drawing her attention as her stomach dropped.
"Agent Bristow, I'm very sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but your Mother was killed this morning during the CIA's raid into SD-12."
Sydney thought she had been punched in the stomach. Her Mother? No . . That was wrong. Her Mother was Laura Bristow, and Laura Bristow had been dead twenty years. Once again her eyes met her Father, and he spoke the cold reality of the situation in brutally honest terms.
"Irina Derevko is dead."
Author: UConn Fan (Michele)
E-Mail: LoveUConnBasketball@yahoo.com
Authors Note:
Mike Dunleavy played his first NBA game yesterday - ONE MINUTE! I KNEW he should have stayed at Duke!
Jake Voskuhl's 25 today, in case anyone cares . . .
One again, I love all of my reviewers - you guys make me SOO happy. Everything you say is just so sweet. I love your comments, thoughts, suggestions, anything :) If you guys keep being so nice I might force you to read my original fiction :) J/k :) I was SOO mad about Alias last weekend, what was up with that? Doesn't ABC KNOW the highlight of my sad life is Sunday nights @ 9?!!
At the end of this section, Sydney will have sixteen weeks to go until her due date. I already know when the baby's born, and I'm not saying whether it's before or after the due date, you'll just have to guess. So the clock is ticking on towards not only her child's birth but the destruction of the Alliance. I'm sorry I'm not highlighting the Alliance destruction more, but I think it's obvious that my strong point is really character's relationships. I'm trying my best, but as odd as it sounds, Sydney's pregnancy is the main story here, the Alliance take down is a sub-plot.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Lord of the Rings (movie or book), F.Y.E. (it's a music store in CT - I'm just assuming it's nationwide, I assumed the same thing with Babies R Us), Little Women (belongs to Louisa May Alcott & I'm sure a bunch of publishers), the titles/lyrics to Jingle Bell Rock or Blue Christmas & I don't own the Los Angeles Kings. Obviously I certainly do not own any Alias-related character, place, etc. I'm having fun, please don't sue.
REMEMBER: This was written PRIOR to MANY MANY MANY late season 1 episodes. Sydney's Mother has not been found. Will is still oblivious to Syd's true occupation. Charlie isn't a creep (obviously, they're married). Emily's still very much alive. It's all pretty obvious. Please don't hold the timeline against me. I had no idea of all the twists and turns JJ was going to make. Please just enjoy the story as it, and please please PLEASE give me feedback! :) I just LOVE everyone that has!
PLEASE READ & RESPOND! :) CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY! (actually . .I'd prefer NONE, but I'll take constructive . .)
That evening Sydney had all of her friends in her living room as she popped the video in. She sat down and pressed 'play' as the image of her child filled the screen. Francie moved closer to the television, nearly toppling off the couch in awe. Even Will's expression grew soft as he watched the baby move and suck it's thumb.
"That's amazing," Francie said softly.
"Yeah, it is," Syd agreed with a smile.
"It's definitely a boy." Will insisted. He got into the floor and approached the television. "See, right there, that's got to be a penis."
Sydney rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the television set. "Will, that's the umbilical cord." She said gently as Francie, Charlie and Jennie laughed.
"Ha ha ha, laugh now, but when she has a boy, I will prevail." He insisted before he sat down on the couch and sulked.
"I bet you a free dessert at the restaurant that she has a girl." Francie said as Will smirked.
"Your on," he agreed as they shook hands. Syd laughed and shook her head, amused by her friend's silly antics.
"The baby's going to be whatever it's going to be, regardless of how much dessert you two bet."
"Yeah, but I'm going to like eating all those desserts when you give birth to baby boy Bristow." Will reminded her. Before Sydney could respond, the phone rang. She stood and walked over to the phone.
"Hello?"
"Joey's Pizza?"
She was unable to hide her smile, "sorry, wrong number." She hung up the phone and walked back into the living room. "Okay, end of show." She popped the tape out and put it back into her tote bag. "I'm going to go bring this to my Dad at work. I promised him he could see it."
"Just make sure he gives it back to you." Francie called.
"He will," she promised as she bounced out the door.
Vaughn stood up when she walked into the cage. "I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"If you want to have Will as your coach, that's fine. It's not my place to judge, your going to be the one who's going to be giving birth, I won't even -"
"No, your right." She cut him off. "My Father is a far better choice. He's my Father, this baby is his grandchild . . . With his knowledge of SD-6, it's better for the baby and I if my Father is my coach. Now I just have to ask him."
"I'm sure he'll say yes." He reassured her. "Today was your ultrasound?"
"Yeah, it was." She smiled widely. Her hand dug into her tote and she pulled out videotape. "Here. I had them tape it. Just please give it back when you're done."
He thanked her and smiled in obvious surprise. "I'll return it our next meeting."
"Thanks. I'd like to show it to my Father too." She explained. "How's Charlotte doing?"
"She's fine." He shrugged. "Her ultrasound is in a few weeks. They're going to find out what it is, all bets are still on a boy." He grinned as she nodded.
"I hope that's what they get then."
"You should get back to your friends. They'll start to wonder where you are." He realized sadly. "Thanks," he said again and motioned to the tape in his hands.
"Your welcome," she smiled before she turned around. With one quicker glance over her shoulder, she walked out of the warehouse with her head held high.
Her friends were still there when she arrived back at her house a short time later. Francie was eating a bowl of chocolate ice cream that made her stomach rumble. Sydney smiled and sat down on the sofa with her friends. "Okay Syd, I have a great name suggestion," Will eagerly greeted her.
"Will, we've already discussed this, I'm not naming the baby William. I promise it's nothing against the name, it would just be confusing."
"No!" He plowed on, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "What about Cooper?"
"Cooper?" She tried it out. "Cooper Bristow . . ."
"Sounds like a 1940's private investigator to me," Jennie suggested as the women laughed.
"Hey man, it's okay, I like it." Charlie reassured his buddy with a pat on the back.
"Okay, seriously," Francie spoke up. "What about Grace?"
"I like Grace," she agreed, taking a bite of her friend's ice cream. "Grace Bristow."
"Abigail," Jennie suggested. "It means 'my Fathers joy'."
"That's my middle name," Sydney informed them with a smile at the meaning.
"Where have you learned all these baby names and meanings?" Will asked his girlfriend in amusement.
"I'm an amateur genealogist, and I just love finding out what names mean." She shrugged as Will quickly kissed her.
"I learn something new everyday," he smiled.
"I think Ethan's a good boys name," Charlie offered as Francie grinned.
"Oh, like Ethan Hawke!" The women laughed as Charlie and Will shared looks of exasperation.
Sydney shook her head at her friend's suggestions. "Do you guys realize I still have a lot of time before I have to make this decision?"
"Yeah, but you want to have some ideas. I've heard about couples who don't name their baby until a week or so after it's born, you don't want to be like that!"
"I'm sure I'll know the right name when I find it," Sydney smiled. "Who knows, maybe I actually need to look at the baby and the right name will come to me?" She shrugged.
"Totally," Francie agreed. "What if she has a boy, decides on the name Cooper, but he ends up looking like an Michael?" She suggested as her friend's head shot up at the off-handed mention of her handler's first name.
"I'm going to try to stay away from names that are too common."
"Good idea. Trust me, it's horrible to have a name that everyone else does!" Jennie agreed.
"How much time are you going to take off?" Will questioned.
"I'm going to keep working for as long as I can. It depends on how well the baby is, how well I feel." She trailed off. As much as she might want to, she couldn't explain the reality of her job to her friends. Thus she couldn't come out and explain that she *would* be there at SD-6 the day the CIA took them down. She needed to be there when that chapter of her life closed, no matter how much her Father and Vaughn might want her far, far away.
"At least you've stopped accumulating so many frequent flier miles." Francie mused.
"Yeah," she smiled in agreement. Traveling and the side effects of jetlag would be too much for her to handle at that point.
"So, Syd, when do we start childbirth classes?" Will asked with a wide smile.
"Actually . . . I was thinking about asking my Dad." She confessed, much to her friend's obvious surprise. "I thought it would be a nice idea, and he'd get to be there to see his first grandchild born . . . "
"I think it's a great idea," Francie smiled as Jennie nodded.
"Sure, Syd, that's fine. If your Dad can't or won't do it though, I'm still your man." He reassured her with a silly grin. Sydney laughed, grateful for the wonderful friends she had and the endless support they offered her.
"I have to go Christmas shopping this weekend, does anyone want to come with me?" Jennie asked as Francie and Sydney agreed. Will's girlfriend had been the first and probably only girl he had dated that Francie and Sydney had taken so well to, and Will knew that it was a good sign.
"We can't stop and look at anything related to babies." Francie insisted. "Or else I might go nuts."
Sydney laughed and shook her head. Despite everything, despite the challenges ahead of her, she was luckier then most. Unlike many single Mothers, she truly had the best friends to help and support her along the way.
The next afternoon Sydney sat across from her Father and Marshall and next to Dixon at an SD-6 briefing. Although Dixon was going on the mission with another team of agents while Sydney remained in Los Angeles, Sloane continued to include her in his briefings. He had explained that he enjoyed her insight and questions, as well as just her company. How he had once again implied such paternal concern for her and her child's welfare had made her skin crawl as she planted a forced smile on her features.
When the meeting was concluded, Sloane asked that she remain for a few seconds. She exchanged a worried look with her Father, who stood and exited the room with the other men. She smiled at him, hoping she looked more composed then she felt. With the CIA so close to destroying the enemy, every step she took was more crucial and even more important that she keep her cover.
"Sydney, I asked you to stay because I wanted to speak to you about Emily." He explained as her smile became sincere. "As you know, she's very excited about your upcoming arrival. We both are."
She nodded, the smile on his face made shivers sashay up and down her spine. "How is Emily feeling?"
"Good, very good. In fact she would like to have you over for Christmas Eve."
"That'd be wonderful," she smiled. No matter how much she despised Arvin Sloane, Emily was one of the sweetest people she had ever known. One day she hoped her own child would admire her as much as she admired Emily.
"Wonderful. Emily insists that you bring a guest. She looks forward to meeting the strapping young man you'll be creating a family with."
"Of course," she nodded, her mind now racing. No matter how much she might have wanted to bring Vaughn with her, the dangers were too great for her to even consider doing such a thing. Not that Vaughn wouldn't want to go with her - she had seen how his face had become crestfallen when she explained that she was bringing Will as a guest. That had been a few years ago, when she and Vaughn were still strictly professional.
Sydney went to stand, but was stopped when he called her name again. "I just want you to know that I am very happy for you. It's very difficult to welcome a child into this life, especially as a woman living this life."
"Thank you," she smiled. With one more glance at him, she stood and left his office. Once Sydney was out of Sloane's sight, she ran towards the restrooms and made a tearful offering to the Porcelain gods.
That was how her Father and Vaughn saw her later that night. She had called them both to meet her at the warehouse, a rare occasion. The remainder of her day at SD-6 had been long, her nerves growing more sensitive as the day progressed. Her stomach had churned and when she finally got out of Credit Dauphine, she went home and got sick. Out of the sight of Sloane and his men, she was unable to stop the tears and shivers that racked her body, not even stopping as she walked into the warehouse, where both men were already waiting.
Sydney sniffled and attempted to look slightly composed as she walked into the warehouse cage. Judging solely on both men's expressions, she assumed that they both knew about Sloane's invitation. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked, skipping all formalities.
"Sloane asked me a few days ago if I knew anything about who the Father was. Apparently, he believes that I was being sincere when I said I didn't know." Her Father explained, his face slightly softened at his daughter's obvious anguish.
"You can't turn down Sloane's invitation. It would only arouse suspicion." Vaughn said in his professional, no funny business way.
"What about your friend Mr. Tippin?" Jack suggested. Vaughn looked down at the ground and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What about Will? I can't bring him. He's got a girlfriend; he's probably going to spend Christmas Eve with her. Plus I don't want to explain to him why he has to come and pretend to be the baby's Father!"
"Why not back to the basics?" Vaughn suggested. "Why not say that your date got called away at the last minute for a family emergency?"
"If we can't come up with something better, we might have to resort to that." Jack conceded. He looked away in slight discomfort as Vaughn reached out and handed Sydney a tissue and they shared a glance that lasted a bit too long. "We have a little less then two weeks to strategize. Right now you need to rest." He advised his daughter.
"I know," she agreed, wiping her tears.
"I should go. I'll see you tomorrow," he told her as she nodded. "We'll deal with the problem when the time is right. I'm sure we'll find a solution." Jack reassured them both before he walked out, leaving them alone.
Once Jack was out of earshot, he turned towards her, meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry Syd."
"What for?" She asked, perplexed. "None of this is your fault."
He nodded, knowing she believed it was the truth. Now all he had to do was convince himself. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'll be okay." She insisted. Once again he shook his head. He was obviously preoccupied as he turned around to his briefcase, pulling out the familiar videotape. "Did you watch it?" She asked quietly, taking it from him.
"Yes," he nodded, unable to completely hide his smile. "It's amazing."
"It is," she agreed. "Thank you for giving it back."
"Thank you for letting me borrow it." Sydney nodded and looked down at the ground, the tears once again welling in her eyes. The expression on her face tore at him and he was unable to stop himself before he pulled her gently into his arms. "Syd, it's going to be okay. We'll figure it out."
"What if Sloane finds out about you?" She asked, her body still shaking with her sobs. The day's events had just been too much for her and standing there with him was the only place she had felt at peace all day.
"He won't. Don't worry about me Syd, I'll be fine." He promised. Inside her, nestled between its parents embrace, their baby moved, demanding attention.
"Your hockey player wants to eat," she chuckled, reluctantly moving from his embrace. Vaughn's smiles made her feel slightly better, knowing he was behind her all the way. "I have to ask my Dad about childbirth classes soon." She thought out loud.
"I'm sure he'll be there for you."
"I was stupid to accept the invitation."
"No, you weren't. Emily is your *friend*."
"It would have only made him suspicious if I said no," she reasoned as he nodded.
"You should go rest," he realized.
"Thank you for meeting me here."
"Your welcome," he smiled widely. She smiled at him before she picked up the videotape and walked out of the cage.
Sydney forced herself to not focus on the Christmas Eve at the Sloane's. Jack had informed her that he would be attending too, which would make the night easier regardless of who she did or didn't end up taking. Dixon had left Tuesday morning for a mission to Amsterdam to retrieve another Rimbaldi clue, returning safely Friday morning. Upon his return, she had yet to ask her Father about being her labor coach and was aware that she'd have to do so soon. The classes started in a few short weeks.
Friday afternoon she finally had an opportunity to be alone with her Father. He directed her to a conference room and secured them three minutes to talk. "I'd like you to be my labor coach." She said.
The look on Jack Bristow's face was one of evident shock. Of all the things, good and bad, that he had prepared himself for, that was not one of them. "I thought Mr. Tippin - "
"I've changed my mind." She insisted. Jack suspected that Sydney had explained her plans to Agent Vaughn and he had understandably not taken it well. "I'd like you to be there as my coach. You'd have to go to classes with me, and if you can't, I'd understand - " she started, having already readied herself for disappointment.
"Of course I'll do it." He answered. "If your certain that's what you want."
"I'm sure."
"Then I'll do it. Just let me know when and where classes are."
"They don't start for a few more weeks. I'm taking them at Our Lady of Mercy." Jack nodded, already aware that she was receiving all of her care at the SD-6 hospital.
"Just let me know," he reminded her while he stood up and walked out of the room.
Late Saturday morning, Sydney, Jennie, Francie and Will were trudging through the mall. Will had decided to join them until lunch and after that he was going to go help Charlie at the cafe. Syd enjoyed having her friends with her as they combed through the malls, buying various odds and ends. As it neared lunchtime, they stood in the front of bookstore, scanning the shelves of the New Releases.
No matter how much fun they were having, Syd was quickly growing fatigued. Over the past few days she had noticed how her ankles were getting slightly puffier. More then that, she was able to spend less and less time on her feet. While Will and Jennie stayed in the bookstore looking for a Christmas gift for Amy, Francie accompanied Syd as she went to sit on a bench outside the store.
Sydney sat fingering a book of baby names that she had just bought. Having settled things with her Father, she felt more comfortable then she had in a few days. There was the worry of what would happen on Christmas Eve still in the back of her mind, but she had confidence that between herself, her Father and Vaughn they would be able to devise a good plan.
Will and Jennie were leaving the bookstore when Francie nudged her arm. Her friends were towering over them when Sydney looked at Francie in annoyance. "Okay, look in front of FYE, there's a guy in a leather jacket that keeps looking at you." Francie whispered.
Sydney's eyebrows rose before she looked up. Her heart stopped for a brief second when she realized that it was Vaughn and an older looking woman. Please be his Mother, she thought in horror as she looked back at her book. "So what?" She asked casually.
"Please! Look at him, he's *gorgeous*!" Jennie declared, as Will looked insulted. "It's okay honey, I think you're more handsome." She promised as she kissed his cheek.
"Go over and say hi!" Francie instructed.
"Are you crazy?" Sydney asked. "I'm pregnant!"
"So?" Francie and Jennie asked in unison.
"I don't know guys, what if he's one of those sickos who *only* likes women who are pregnant with other men's babies." Will proposed as Sydney rolled her eyes.
"C'mon," Francie stood up and pulled Syd up with her. "I have to go to FYE to get Charlie the new Lord of the Rings movie soundtrack. As we pass by, it wouldn't hurt if you said a casual hello."
Sydney wondered how red her cheeks could get as she walked with her friends towards the store. As they walked she wished that Vaughn would read her mind and disappear, but she suspected that since he was in the company of his Mother, he couldn't just abruptly walk away from the store. When they approached the store, she was horrified as her best friend pulled her towards the same display where Vaughn was standing with his Mother.
"Hi," Francie greeted, smiling at the woman Sydney assumed to be Brigitte Vaughn. For his credit, Vaughn kept his eyes fixated on the CD he held in his hand as she attempted to do the same.
"Hello," Brigitte smiled with a heavy French accent. "This place is just so crowded today, don't you think?" She questioned, obviously far more friendly then Sydney had expected.
"Yeah. Everyone shopping for the holidays. At least the mall is decorated for Christmas." Francie pointed out as Brigitte nodded. Sydney couldn't help but wonder if Danny was somewhere watching over her and snickering at her situation. If she was anyone else, she knew she'd be laughing at her own dilemma.
"How far along is your friend?" She asked as Francie tugged on Sydney's arm to draw her closer to the older woman.
"Syd, tell her how far along you are," Francie hissed, still smiling. In the year since her restaurant had opened, Francie had acquired the gift of being able to be outwardly pleasant while remaining in complete control of a situation.
"I'm twenty weeks."
"That's so wonderful! That's about how far along my daughter is! When are you due?"
"April 27th."
"Charlotte's due May 3rd." She explained. Then Brigitte turned and nudged Vaughn as Sydney said a silent prayer. "Michael, this young woman is due around the same time as your sister."
"That's nice Mom," Michael commented, not bringing himself to look at Sydney.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Brigitte said apologetically.
"I'm Francie Calfo and this is Sydney Bristow," Francie introduced.
"I'm Brigitte Vaughn and this is my son Michael."
"It's nice to meet you." Francie commented.
"Sydney, do you know what you're having?"
"No, she's being such a pain, she refuses to find out." Francie answered for her with a sigh.
"My daughter's going to find out, since it's their second. They have a little girl, she's already two and the sweetest."
"I bet they grow up so fast!" Francie guessed.
"They do!" Brigitte agreed.
"I just hope Ms. Workaholic here slows down once the baby comes."
"I can understand that!" Brigitte declared. "I'm just wishing Michael will slow down one day enough to even *consider* getting involved. Although I do think he's interested, he's just so dedicated to that job of his," she finished in a stage whisper.
By then Sydney wanted to find a hole and bury herself in it. If her week hadn't been difficult enough, now her best friend was inadvertently making life even more difficult for her. The opportunity did however, no matter how risky, allow her the chance to see what Brigitte was like. Just as she had imagined, she was a decent, friendly, lovely woman.
"Does Michael work for a bank too?"
"No, he's with the government."
"Even worse!" Francie insisted. Both women laughed as Sydney flinched slightly.
"Sydney, is this your first?"
"Yes," she smiled, forcing herself to meet Brigitte Vaughn's eyes. She wondered if the woman would be as pleasant if she knew that the baby she was carrying was her grandchild added on to the fact that her Mother had killed Brigitte's beloved husband.
"First babies are just so exciting! Very scary too, but I'm sure you and your husband will do a fine job." She smiled encouragingly.
Sydney dared to look at Vaughn, whose eyes met hers with an equally sad and anguished expression. Then she turned her attention back to Brigitte, who was patiently awaiting a response. "I'm not married."
"I'm sure you'll be a fabulous single Mother." Brigitte gently complimented, reaching out to squeeze the younger woman's hand, hoping to give her some encouragement. That's me, Sydney thought, Super Spy and Solo Mommy. I've really got to start my own children's book series, she added in her mind. "I raised Michael and Charlotte on my own after my husband died. It's difficult, but I'm sure you'll be wonderful at it."
"Thank you."
"Well, I think I'll get this for Charlie," Francie decided, taking the CD from Sydney's hands. "It was nice to meet you."
"You too. Good luck Sydney." Brigitte called as they walked inside the store. With the young women gone, she turned her attention back to her son. "Michael, why didn't you talk to Sydney?" She demanded to know in French.
"Maman, she's pregnant." He reminded her in the same language.
"You kept looking at her, so don't tell me you didn't find her attractive. There's no reason why you can't get to know a perfectly lovely woman."
"Maman, please." He pleaded.
"At this rate, I'll never see you have children . . " She spoke softly to herself in her own native language.
Vaughn's eyes were drawn back to Sydney's rounded figure as she stood in line with Francie. Then he looked back at his shoes, his thoughts swarming in sorrow.
Francie scolded Sydney for not being more outgoing in their interaction with the Vaughn's. Luckily Sydney was able to divert her friends' attention to lunch shortly after they walked out of the store. By then, Vaughn and Brigitte were nowhere in sight, much to her relief. Eventually she was able to convince her friend that she was focused on her baby's upcoming arrival and didn't have time for anything else on her plate.
By the time Sydney arrived home, her arms were stuffed from having shopped so much. In that one day she had done nearly all of her shopping. Since Will had left in the early afternoon, she had been able to buy his present. She also managed to buy gifts for Jennie and Francie when each was looking for something else. Along the way she had also found a beautiful sweater for Emily to wear in the garden on days that it was
cold.
The rest of her weekend was spent quietly. Sydney wrapped some presents and slept. Most of her thoughts were wrapped up in everything that had transpired recently. Now she had met not only Vaughn's adorable niece but also his warm, friendly Mother. Something about Brigitte had reminded her of Francie, especially with her outgoing personality, and it had made her even more comfortable. No matter how she tried, she couldn't completely forget her dilemma of spending Christmas Eve at the Sloane's house.
The start of the workweek marked the twenty first week of Sydney's pregnancy. Theoretically it meant that she was closer to the finish then the beginning, although as a first time Mother there was no guarantee she wouldn't be overdue. Everything at Credit Dauphine was business as usual, which was a relief to Sydney. When she wasn't doing paperwork, Sloane would request her presence to sit in on meetings. He would ask her opinion on missions and plans and Marshall was always eager to show her his newest inventions.
She met with Jack and Vaughn in the warehouse on Saturday night. Instead of being at home watching a movie she was with them while they discussed the plan for Christmas Eve which was the following Wednesday. Vaughn was obviously anguished as Jack discussed how Sydney was to initially say that her date would be meeting her there. Then, shortly thereafter, Vaughn would call her cell phone. She would excuse herself and then return saying her date was unable to attend, instead he had an emergency transplant. All of this revolved around the yarn that Jack had fabricated for Sloane about how Sydney's beau was a doctor at UCLA Medical Center.
Sydney was unsure of the story, especially since how closely to Danny her imaginary beau was. It was apparent that Vaughn wasn't happy with the situation either, but as her Father reminded them, it was their only and best option. Having Vaughn accompany her was out of the question, and bringing anyone else into the equation was equally dangerous. Once her Father had left them alone, Vaughn turned towards her and tried to encourage her with a smile.
"I hate this." She said blankly as his smile disappeared.
"I know you do."
"How are things going with Jeter and Cavilerri?"
"Good. We're using their knowledge to create blueprints to every office in the Alliance. They're also giving us combinations to various safes and hidden passageways."
"Are they going to be given immunity?"
"It depends on how legitimate their Intel is," he shrugged.
Sydney nodded "Your Mother's very nice."
"My Mother is very nosey." He smiled.
"So is Francie." She pointed out as they both laughed. "That was a little . . "
"Uncomfortable?" He suggested.
"Yeah, exactly." Sydney laughed.
"Did you and Francie have a nice time shopping?"
"We did. I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping too." She grinned proudly.
His reply seconds later was sincere, happy that she had enjoyed a normal time with her friends. Of all the people in the world, Vaughn knew she deserved the normalcy. Sydney craved it. No adrenaline rush, no matter how much she impacted the destruction of SD-6, nothing quite compared to the comfort of normalcy.
"I should go. I'm supposed to have Will and Charlie over so they can hide Jennie and Francie's Christmas presents at my place." She smiled although she was apologetic for having to lead. All he could do was nod and remind her to be careful before his eyes carefully followed her retreat from the cold warehouse.
Jack Bristow arrived late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve to pick up his daughter. That evening was something he had been strategically trying to avoid since Sydney announced his pregnancy. Now they were forced to fabricate another yarn and keep their fingers and toes crossed that Arvin would remain oblivious. He hoped he did, if not for his own safety and future, but for that of his daughter and future grandchild.
Sydney opened the door and smiled widely at her Father. Dressed appropriately in a black twill jumper with a dark green shirt underneath and a reindeer pin on her jumper. It was extremely difficult to tell that she was already twenty-two weeks pregnant. "Hi Dad, come in. I'm running a little behind," she explained as she moved to let him in.
"That's fine," he assured her as he stood there. "Here, I've been meaning to return this to you."
He handed her the video from her ultrasound as she took it gratefully. "Thank you. Did you get a chance to watch it?"
"Yes, I did."
"Do you have any guess what it is?" She questioned hopefully. Jack suspected that while Sydney didn't want to know what she was having, another large part of her desperately did.
"Yes, I do." He answered with a nod of his head. After all of his years of CIA and SD-6 training, as well as once being an eager Father-to-be, he had acquired the skill of interpreting ultrasounds. Among other things, he had easily seen his future grandchild's gender.
"Well?" Sydney's eyes were wide and expecting.
"I thought you wanted to be surprised," he reminded her mildly.
"Yes, I do." She confessed with a sigh.
"Then you will be surprised." He declared, thinly veiling his smile. Still, she smiled back and put the video down before quickly walking into the kitchen. "Now your fully prepared for your cover?" He asked as she returned, carrying a Bloomingdale's bag that he assumed held gifts.
"I'm completely ready," she promised as she slipped on her coat. Since she had been forced to put down her bag, Jack picked it up, deciding that no matter how heavy it was, she was far too pregnant to carry it.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, I am." She smiled and looped her arm through his. No matter how much she dreaded having to lie to Emily and loathed seeing Arvin Sloane when it wasn't absolutely necessary, it was impossible to shake the happiness she felt at spending Christmas Eve with her Dad.
Emily personally answered the door, her face held more color and her smile was wider then Sydney could recall seeing in recent memory. Arvin greeted them shortly after they arrived, leading them into a handsome study. Sydney saw that Emily hadn't held up any stops at decorating the house for Christmas, and as a result everything looked fantastic. There appeared to be a tree in every major room of the house, lit up and covered in garland and beautiful ornaments. It was impossible not to comment on how fabulous everything looked.
"Fabulous! You're the one who looks fabulous!" Emily insisted with a warm smile as she and her husband sat across from Jack and Sydney.
"Thank you."
"I can hardly believe that you're already more then half way there. You look so beautiful sweetheart, you're glowing."
"You look wonderful too," Sydney honestly replied.
"Where is that handsome beau of yours?" Arvin jumped in, the smile on his face making her skin crawl. There was no way she was going to let this man hurt her anymore, and certainly not her child.
"He should be here shortly," she smiled.
"He's a doctor?" Emily asked eagerly.
"Yes. At UCLA."
"That's wonderful, I'm sure he's fabulous." She smiled at the girl she often thought of as a daughter. From all the young women in the world, if Emily Sloane could have chosen one as her daughter, it would have been the one right in front of her. "Are you starting to get ready?"
"Yes, I am. I signed up for childbirth classes at Our Lady of Mercy a few weeks ago. My Dad's going to be my coach."
"Oh Jack, that's just great!" Emily declared. "This is your first grandchild too," it dawned on her as she smiled. "This is just wonderful Sydney, I am so happy for you."
"Thank you." She smiled. Seeing Emily's uncontained joy at her upcoming arrival almost compensated for Sydney's awareness that her husband felt the exact opposite. Sydney's pregnancy forced Sloane to lose one of his best agents for several months, and in his mind he knew when she returned he would be forced to expect less. The whole thing made him nauseous with anger and his heart heavy with disappointment. He had expected great things for Sydney Bristow, and this child would now nearly insure that she would never reach what he had imagined.
The four sat talking, mostly about her pregnancy, as they waited for either dinner or Sydney's mystery beau to appear. Emily eagerly offered to help in anyway she could, especially with childcare when the younger woman returned to work. She even went as far as to offer the guest room to Sydney to stay in right after the baby was born, so she could help in the earliest days of the babies life. No matter how sweet Emily's offer was, Sydney could never imagine exposing her baby to Arvin Sloane for any longer then was necessary. She also attempted to imagine Vaughn's reaction if she ever accepted such an invitation. There was no doubt in her mind that it wouldn't be pleasant.
Sydney's mysterious beau had conspicuously not appeared when they were seated in the dining room. The salad was being settled down in front of the four of them when the shrill sound of her cell phone interrupted the soft conversation. With a quick apologetic smile, she grabbed the cell phone and started to stand up. "Hello?"
"Hi," Vaughn's voice greeted her.
"Hey," she smiled as she walked out of the dining room.
"Are you doing okay?" He softly asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered. "Where are you?" She questioned, realizing she had no idea what his holiday plans were. A pit of guilt formed in her stomach at how unaware she was of his life. Sometimes it was still hard for her to imagine him having much of a life outside of her and the CIA, as selfish as it sounded, although perhaps it was because she didn't have much of a life outside of him and the CIA.
"My Mother's house. Maya's been begging to open presents."
"I bet," she smiled fondly.
"You should go."
She nodded, knowing she needed to hang up although she would rather talk to him then go back in there. "Yeah. Bye."
"Bye," he quietly replied as she hung up the phone. After she slipped her cell phone into her handbag she walked back into the dining room, already wearing an apologetic smile.
"What's wrong?" Arvin asked as she sat back down.
"That was Chris," she explained, proud of herself for quickly thinking of a name to use. "He can't come. There was a major accident . . He's needed in the operating room. He sends his apologies, he was really looking forward to meeting everyone."
Emily smiled in understanding. "He has a very important job, he's a very smart young man if he's reached as far as he did."
"Yes, he is." Sydney nodded.
"Well I'm sure we'll meet him at some point." Arvin insisted, her smile sending the worms up and down her arms.
During that evening, fate seemed to be on Sydney's side. With her Father's help, they successfully skirted around much discussion about Sydney's mystery beau. Emily wanted to know everything that was going on in her life, feeling as though she had missed out on so much over the last few months. They spoke about books they both enjoyed, and Emily even mentioned that she loved a few of Will's more recent articles. After her nerves had calmed down, Sydney even admitted she had enjoyed herself - at least during her conversations with Emily.
After they had Emily's fabulous cheesecake for dessert, all four sat down in the study to open gifts. Much to her surprise, Sydney found not only a gift for herself, but also a gift for the baby. Since Emily insisted that she open that last, everyone exchanged gifts. She was careful to make sure she kept her Father's most important gift in the bag for when they were alone. Instead he seemed pleased with what she had bought him - a camera, which since she had no idea what he liked to do and knew all Grandparents liked taking pictures, seemed to be the most logical choice. The sweater she had bought for Emily was also well received.
Most importantly, Sloane was thrilled at the gift Sydney had given him, and she was relieved when he promised to put it in his office at home. It was a nondescript looking albeit handsome old-fashioned desk clock, that once within range of his computers hard drive, would hack into the system and allow the CIA access to all of Sloane's home files. The entire thing had been Vaughn's ingenious idea, along with some help from the CIA tech guys. Just another step in bringing down SD-6 and the Alliance, and the CIA hoped it would allow them to confirm some of the Intel they were receiving from Cavilerri and Jeter.
Sydney was given equally beautiful gifts by all of them. Emily and Sloane had given her a camcorder, explaining that she could capture all of the baby's important moments with it. She smiled gratefully, making a mental note to have the CIA tech guys check it out before she dared to use it. Then her Father had given her a beautiful leather bound copy of the book she had loved the most as a child but never thought he had known - Little Women. Once all of the other presents were opened, Emily had declared that it was time for Sydney to open the gift for the baby. It was the first gift her child had been given, even if it in utero, and it wasn't possible not to feel how excited Emily was for her. Not only did she receive a savings bond to start saving for the baby's college education, but Emily had also bought the baby a collection of classic children's stories.
At the end of the evening, Emily and Arvin walked Jack and Sydney out the door. Emily hugged Sydney tightly, making her promise to call if she needed anything. After she thanked them again for everything, Sydney got into her Father's car and they drove off into the darkness. "You did well tonight," her Father complimented her as they drove in the direction of her house.
"Thank you," she smiled. "Do you think he believed it?"
"I would have to say yes," he nodded. "Make sure you have the camcorder looked at before you attempt to use it." He advised her. She nodded, having already known she would need to take such precautions. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, Dad." She promised. "Just tired."
"Well, get some rest tonight. What are your plans for tomorrow?"
"Francie, Charlie, Will and Jennie are coming over," she shrugged. "That's not until the afternoon though. Which is good, because I need to sleep." She laughed.
"I hope you enjoy yourself." He said stoically as he parked the car in the driveway.
"Actually Dad . . " She said awkwardly as she pulled a small, wrapped gift from her bag. "I wanted to give this to you."
Jack was visibly surprised by the other gift. "Well, thank you Sydney." He said as he took the gift. Nervously she watched him open it, hoping he would enjoy it. Within a few seconds he had unwrapped it to find picture frame that read 'I LOVE GRANDPA' around the edges with one of her ultrasound pictures already in the frame. He looked up at her in surprise.
"I thought . . I just thought you might want that," she shrugged.
"Thank you," he nodded. Awkwardly he gave her a small smile, and she smiled in relief. "Have a good Christmas Sydney," he said as she started to get out of the car.
"Thanks Dad," she smiled as she took her bag. "You too." Jack nodded as he carefully watched her walk up the stairs and waited until he was confident that she was safe in her own house.
Sydney slept in late the next morning, enjoying the rare opportunity to sleep until whenever she wanted. None of her friends were expected to stop by until early in the afternoon. Will was taking Jennie to meet his family and Francie and Charlie were having both of their families over for a Christmas breakfast. That allowed her plenty of time to make herself a delicious breakfast and sit down to watch the parade on television. After all, she had no idea where she'd be next Christmas, although she would bet it would be a frantic one with an eight month old.
Early afternoon came. She got changed into a plaid jumper and a red sweater. Making sure all of the presents were arranged neatly under the tree, she put the tree lights on and sat down. The previous night had been surprisingly nice, although emotionally draining. At least everything had been going well with her Father, and that was the best Christmas gift she could possibly imagine.
Charlie and Will's cars pulled in her driveway within seconds of one another. All of them came in carrying bags of gifts, laughing and sharing embarrassing anecdotes. As always, Charlie and Francie had been unnerved by how well their parents got along. Especially now that Francie's parents knew that Sydney was having a baby, they were counting down the days until Francie shared the same news. Will had been lucky and his parents had taken in Jennie with open arms, although he was nervous about meeting her family on New Years Eve.
Francie popped in a tape of Christmas music and the fun began. All of them worked together in the kitchen, although Will was mainly put in charge of vegetable cutting and other safe tasks. The girls sang a glass-breaking rendition of Jingle Bell Rock before Charlie's version of Blue Christmas nearly caused his wife to cry. To his credit, Will wisely remained quiet, sipping his wine and shaking his head at his friends.
Dinner was ready in the early evening. Jennie and Sydney had set the table while everyone else brought in the food. Sitting down, she smiled at her friends, unable to stop the slight ache in her heart. Christmas night, and there were her four best friends, two couples both apparently madly in love. There she was, alone but not entirely on her own, as her offspring reminded her with a swift kick that he or she was hungry and demanded to be fed.
Conversation wrapped around talk of the restaurant, debating new public relations moves. Will broke the news that after the first of the year he would be an official columnist, a once a week piece on public relations. Charlie had been named junior partner in his firm while Jennie was given a major case. Eventually, after talking about everyone's major accomplishments and news, talk turned back to Francie's favorite topic of conversation - Sydney's pregnancy.
In the middle of January they would start painting the nursery, and Francie was thrilled that Sydney had finally granted her permission to begin. With all four of them painting - Francie insisted that it was bad for her to be near paint fumes and they could handle the painting - it shouldn't take too long to paint the murals and designs she had in mind. Once it was painted, they would decide on a color for the carpet and Will offered to call an old high school friend who did carpet installation and ask for his help. As soon as all of that was in place, Charlie, Will and her Father could start moving the furniture in.
Soon enough they would be going shopping for major baby items. In hopes of easing all of the equipment in slowly, Francie and Jennie offered to go shopping with Sydney the next weekend. They had hopes of taking advantage of some of the post-season Christmas sales to pick up the more expensive things that she would need. With her Father's help she had already created a list of things they had to get from storage and from that they would know what they needed to buy. So much to do, Sydney thought as she loaded the dishwasher, and so little time.
Sydney spent the morning of New Years Eve having breakfast with her Father at Francie's restaurant. It had been a week since she had last spoken to Vaughn, and while she didn't say the words, she suspected that Jack realized how much she missed him. Even though she was no longer going on missions, she had begun to take it for granted that she would see him a few times a week. The holidays made that near impossible, and she was cautious not to ask for more then she had a right to have. Seeing her Father was a plus, and they spoke about surprisingly normal things - how she was feeling, the plans for working on the nursery, and even a Kings game they had both seen.
After a New Years spent in the peaceful solidarity of her own home, Sydney returned to Credit Dauphine on the fifth of January. At twenty four weeks pregnant she was preparing to start her childbirth classes in the weeks to come and knew that weekend she would start shopping for baby items and paint for the nursery. Still, she was unable to stop the slight worry in the back of her mind knowing that she hadn't spoken to Vaughn in almost two weeks.
Tuesday night Sydney lay cuddled up on her sofa watching a Kings game. Her phone rang late in the evening as she was preparing for bed, startling her. When she answered it, her heart sunk when an unfamiliar voice gave her the call signal to report to the CIA headquarters. Terrible thoughts danced in her head as she quickly changed, not even sure if her socks or shoes matched. Why were they calling her so late at night, why was it necessary for her to report to the CIA headquarters? The only thing she could possibly think of was something had happened to Vaughn - why would she need to go into the CIA offices at ten at night for any other reason? She had seen her Father that day, and that was the only thing that stopped her from worrying that he was in trouble.
The twenty-minute drive seemed endless. For security purposes, she had to park her car a few blocks from the building and walked the remainder of the way, checking her back every few steps. Los Angeles in the dark of night, especially when your twenty-four weeks pregnant, isn't the safest place in the world. Finally, she arrived, relieved to be inside, although her heart was pounding anxiously.
"Sydney, did you have any problems?" Jack asked, meeting her shortly after she arrived.
"No," she shook her head. "What's going on?"
"Agent Bristow, we'd like you to follow us," Devlin said. While his tone was not unkind, it didn't help her shake the horrible sense of doom. Silently she followed the two men down the nearly empty halls of the CIA. Having been awoken from its sleep, her baby moved inside her, sensing its Mothers nervous anxiety. Please, she begged silently, please let him be okay. Too much of her life, and her future, depended on him. He has a damn desk job, she yelled inside her head, what the hell could possibly happen to him?
In a split second her worries were dispelled when she followed her Father and Devlin into an unfamiliar conference room. Vaughn stood in the corner, dressed in a suit, his expression one of anguish. Anguish is okay, she reminded herself. She could deal with anguish, as long as he was okay. "Vaughn," she greeted, almost embarrassed by the obvious relief in her voice.
"Sydney," he responded, his eyes held far more pain then she ever remembered.
"Agent Bristow, please take a seat," Devlin instructed. Looking quickly at Vaughn, who nodded at her, she did so.
"I'm confused, what's going on?"
"Some of the Intel we've gathered on the Alliance led us to a branch in Russia. Moscow, actually," Devlin started to explain. "We had adequate forces and information to shut down the Alliance branch of SD-12."
"That's wonderful," Sydney started, still sure why this required her attention at ten at night.
"Unfortunately, when the CIA's forces penetrated the branch, we discovered that it was undergoing a hostile take over by the KGB."
"Isn't that a good thing? Take down some of the KGB's forces while destroying a branch of the Alliance?" She questioned, now entirely puzzled.
"Yes, it is a huge step for the CIA," Jack agreed. "There were several top KGB officials involved in the take over, and when the CIA entered, the KGB opened fire on our men."
"Obviously, we had to return fire." Devlin added. Sydney nodded and looked over at Vaughn. He met her gaze without hesitation, his eyes anguished and sympathetic all at the same time. What was she missing here, she wondered.
"Sydney, your Mother was among the KGB agents inside the offices of SD-12." Her Father told her, drawing her attention as her stomach dropped.
"Agent Bristow, I'm very sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but your Mother was killed this morning during the CIA's raid into SD-12."
Sydney thought she had been punched in the stomach. Her Mother? No . . That was wrong. Her Mother was Laura Bristow, and Laura Bristow had been dead twenty years. Once again her eyes met her Father, and he spoke the cold reality of the situation in brutally honest terms.
"Irina Derevko is dead."