Special Note: O.n.E. : operation : natus e is the sequel to the 8-part series Storage Room Secrets. Natus e is Latin, meaning "from birth" or "without birth". It is highly recommended that you read the prequel before beginning this fic.
Catch Phrase: The Redeemer, Vaughn and Sydney's child. The second prophecy begins… with O.n.E.
Inspiring Lyrics: "I'm sorry mama, I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to make you cry…" from "Cleaning out my closet" by Eminem
Time: just over 4 years after the
ending of Storage Room Secrets
Setting: Los Angeles, California
Recap: SD-6 still alive and kicking, both Jack and Sydney
continue to be double agents. Michael Vaughn still in deep-cover mission, which
included a wedding complete with false wedding papers and false ceremony with
attendants who believed it was a true wedding (including Will and Francie, who
were honor attendants for Sydney). You can imagine what this entails: Vaughn
and Syd live together, and over time their relationship/friendship has become strained
due to the pressures of living together under false pretense. There are times
duty and heart still war within each, which makes them question the ethics of
living together and sometimes sleeping together. After that first time
together, the words "I love you" have not passed from either Vaughn
nor Syd. The question stands: Is all life fated? If so, this cannot be real...
just a path previously set -- there are no choices... and no soulmates.
***From the memoirs of Michael C. Vaughn***
I think she blames herself. Not that I don't feel responsible too… only that I wish she wouldn't shut me out when she feels like this. There was a time when she ran to me and held onto me and trusted me to help her through these things… but it's no use dwelling in the past. She forgets that Maya is half me and half her. We're forever united in her, and it hurts me just as much as it hurts her that she's gone. Because it's our fault. But I won't rest until she's mine again… both mother and daughter.
-V.
**Chapter Two: family ties**
She was crumpled on the floor, a hunched figure in the cloak of darkness. She clutched the bear Vaughn had bought for Maya in her arms like a lifeline. Helpless and hopeless, Sydney stared at the Little Mermaid clock on the wall as Ariel's arms marked the time.
Vaughn pushed himself off the doorjamb and removed his tie. He opened his mouth, then closed it, unknowing or unsure of what to say. For the first time in years, he couldn't find the words to comfort her pain. Maybe because this is the first time they've had to share the same burden.
"I'm going to find her," he stated.
She didn't answer. In fact, she showed no indication that she had even heard him speak.
He sighed heavily and tentatively sat down beside her. She had hardly spoken a word to him all day. Instead, they both had been running around the ops center notifying the CIA head director and other international relations of the missing child. Maya's profile, information, and photograph were sent out to top government officials in the five major countries where Irina is suspected to have operational facilities.
So many times in the past, he had seen Sydney be strong when others were weak. He had seen her succeed where others had failed, and he had seen her overcome the internal struggles that most people would crumble beneath. He admired her for that, and for so much more.
But now… the weight was too much, the burden too great. Circumstance had finally gotten her where it hurt the most, and Vaughn felt every bit as hollow as she did.
The monotone tick-tock of the clock seemed to fill the expanse of the room, reverberate off each wall and pound right behind his temples in the form of a migraine. Briefly, he closed his eyes, and just listened to the emptiness of his own heartbeat.
Next to him, Sydney sat motionless, but silent tears were running down the curve of her cheeks and she sniffled.
Vaughn swallowed hard and without looking at her, he stretched his arm out and rested it on her shoulders.
And the dam broke.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, buried her face in his chest and cried. Like last night, words were superfluous. The emotions warring within them bonded them together in a way that rendered words useless.
He ran his fingers through her hair and attempted to wipe away some of her tears. He kissed the top of her head and whispered to her in French, letting the words roll of his tongue and soothe her turmoil. "My love, do not cry. We'll get her back. I won't rest until she's ours again… Sydney, my love…"
{~}
In the meantime, Jack Bristow was meeting with Devlin.
"She waited this long, Jack," Devlin shook his head. "We can't go through all the regular routes. It'll take to long."
Breaking protocol, as much as Devlin hated to admit, was sometimes necessary.
"Vaughn's suggestion of sending in a team to each facility isn't practical. We'll be wasting valuable time and energy looking in places where she's not."
"Where else could she be other than those five maximum security facilities?" Devlin smoothed the sheet out in front of him.
"She'd keep her in max security alright," Jack agreed. "But not somewhere we'll look."
Devlin frowned as he pinpointed the countries on the map. "The facilities are located in Pakistan, Russia, China, Germany, and Yemen."
"Irina's made no contact whatsoever." Jack mused. "Odd."
"How so?" Devlin looked up from the map.
"Well," he stood, approached the desk and began typing in codes to pull up a specific file. "When the assassination attempts were made on Sydney and Vaughn's life, I was contacted via my secure line."
"That doesn't mean she would follow a pattern." Devlin argued. "She wouldn't want you to –"
The trademark Nokia ring tone interrupted his sentence. Jack raised a brow and answered as Devlin got on his phone to order a trace on the call.
"This is Bristow."
"That's quite a lovely picture you sent of my granddaughter, Jack." a familiar voice sounded.
"Where is she?"
"Safe."
"Do I have a reason to believe you?"
"Listen, Jack. I have about thirty seconds before this call is traced, so I'm only going to say this once." Irina paused for dramatic effect. "If you agree to deliver both Sydney and Vaughn into my custody, I'll give you back Maya. You have one hour to decide."
"You expect me to choose between my own daughter and my grand—" the line went dead before Jack could complete his sentence. "Dammit!"
Devlin shook his head, signaling they didn't get the trace.
"Get Sydney and Vaughn here ASAP." Jack barked.
{~}
It was three a.m. and the Los Angeles night sky was winking with starlights. Vaughn and Sydney were dressed in deployment gear, various op tech devices attached to their suits and bodies.
Sydney twisted the back of her diamond earring, double-checking the comms. "Mountaineer to base 10."
"We copy, Mountaineer."
Vaughn adjusted the glasses he wore when he paraded around as Michael Varanelli, high school English teacher. Touching the left edge of the rims on his glasses, he activated the earpiece built into the edge that was tucked behind his ear and the microphone in the bridge of the frames.
"Base 10, this is Shakespeare."
"Copy."
"Okay, guys," Kendall's voice came through. "This exchange will not take place unless she gives the child over first."
Sydney nodded to herself, nervous and turned her attention to Jack.
"The instructions were that you two are to be the only agents present on the launch pad besides myself, and no surveillance or squad teams will be allowed in or on the surrounding buildings. Vaughn, when Maya is released, you will hand her over to me. Sydney and you will then approach the helicopter and get in. Remember Irina mentioned that Maya will be wired with C-4 that is detonated by a remote control device. The code to deactivate it will not be given to us until you are checked for parachutes and then lifted into the air." Jack commanded. "We've already gone over mission specs. Do you have any questions?"
"No," Sydney's voice was hard and strangely calm.
"Fifteen minutes 'til show time, guys," Kendall said. "Good luck."
Vaughn checked the rest of his gear and then checked Sydney's. "We're getting her back, Syd. No matter what."
She offered an uneasy smile in response, then caught his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly.
A loud chopper sounded in the distance, and within minutes, it appeared and began landing.
{~}
"Mommy!" squealed the four-year-old.
Irina smiled, a brittle smile hardened by years of a hard life. No one would be able to soften that, not even the most beautiful bundle of energy she had ever seen since her own daughter was about this age.
"Yes, honey, that's your mommy."
"But Nana Ir'na," she made a face when she said the name. She had such difficulty forming the word. "You come say hi, too?"
"No, I'm not coming to say hi too."
Maya's face fell and her lower lip quivered. "Why?"
"Because it's not time yet. I'll come see you another time, okay?"
"Okay!" Maya, unable to distinguish or understand the good from the bad guys, threw her arms around Irina's neck and pressed a messy kiss to her cheek.
Maybe for the first time in nearly thirty years did Irina truly crack a smile.
"Say bye-bye to Uncle Sark now," she set the little girl on her feet and gave her a slight nudge in his direction.
Sark sent her a strange look. Kids were really not his thing, and he found them to be quite annoying rather than amusing as so many seemed to do. She stumbled forward and happily laughed when he rushed forward and snatched her up.
"You funny, Uncle Sark!" His name was more like a lisp, but he didn't mind too much.
"You have to be careful," he said, then looked to Irina. "Did you activate the anklet?"
She shook her head. "You really think I'm going to wire my granddaughter with explosives? It was a precautionary move. The anklet's is just that – an anklet. The only difference is, it has a combination lock that much be tapped in for it to be removed."
Sark nodded and turned his face to Maya's. She was a pretty little thing, and she for some reason – God only knows – had taken a liking to him. At the moment, she was busily pressing her hands on his chest and studying him earnestly.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're pretty."
He blanched. "I'm pretty?"
Irina laughed heartily and walked over, holding her arms out for Maya.
The girl giggled and pulled on his hair before she used one hand to turn his cheek to her and kiss it.
Awkwardly, he handed her over to Irina and patted her on the head. "You too, kid. You're pretty too."
"There they are," Irina's voice went soft as the helicopter hovered only feet above the launch pad. "Bye, honey…"
Irina stepped out and let the child squirm her way out of her arms and go speeding down the length of the launch pad. Sydney came forward two steps and Vaughn had to touch her elbow to keep her from meeting Maya halfway. When their daughter reached them, Sydney scooped her up and rocked her, raining kisses down upon her. Maya giggled and pushed her away. "Mommy! You silly!"
"Oh Maya, Maya… Hi, baby. You okay? I've missed you." Tears were perilously close and Vaughn was standing directly behind her trying to get a good look at her.
"Syd," he stroked her back and let his finger caress Maya's cheek. There was a lump in his throat and Syd squatted, putting Maya on the floor and holding her arms.
"Honey, mommy and daddy have to go on a trip."
Maya's bright smile didn't waver. "Okay!"
"You're going to stay with Papa Jack, okay?" Vaughn knelt beside her and kissed her forehead.
"Okay, Daddy!" she moved from her mother's hands and threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.
Vaughn led her to Jack and when Jack had her in his arms, Sydney and Vaughn began jogging to the helicopter, casting backward glances to make sure she was still with Jack and still safe.
For once, Sydney pleaded silently, let everything turn out okay.
Once seated, she turned and pressed her face up against the window, watching as her daughter and father became two dots on the pad and then they were gone.