Tuesday came and went for Sydney. She didn't even go to the CIA office,
which was a blessing. Things at SD-6 were pretty mild as well. Sloane was
undoubtedly up to something, but for not the first time, Sydney didn't
care.
By Wednesday, Sydney was feeling numb to the world. She was going through the motions. Time at the CIA office was painful. Being around Vaughn made her whole body ache. She found it all slightly ironic- getting shot hurt much less than this.
Sydney could tell her dad was worried. He had seen her hug her mother on the monitor. He saw her crying into Irina's arms, which also worried him. But he had also felt a pang of jealousy. He wanted to be the one that Sydney turned to.
"Sydney?" She looked up from paper work, and a look of relief crossed her face.
"Yes dad?"
"How about dinner tonight? You and me?"
Sydney smiled. "That would be nice dad. Really nice."
Jack smiled in return, and realized how long it had been since he had done so.
"So is this going to be awkward?" Will sat on Sydney's bed, talking to her as she changed in the bedroom.
"How so?" She emerged looking elegantly beautiful in nice jeans and a silky wine colored sweater.
"With your dad? I mean do you guys do the whole dinner thing?"
Sydney ran a quick mental check of when she and her dad had dinner. "Nope. But, I don't know. It might be nice." Her voice sounded hopeful, so Will quit. He had been worried about her since they had last talked; she had become very with drawn.
"Hey guys." Francie appeared in the doorway. "Sydney, where are you going?"
"Dinner with my dad."
Francie raised her eyebrows and looked at Will for confirmation. He shrugged his shoulders. "That's great. Well, Will, what are you doing tonight."
"I thought you would never asked. I was wondering if you and I could have dinner at this wonderful new establishment run by the most beautiful woman in all of LA."
Francie laughed. "Flattery will get you everywhere. And I would love to. Pick me up in thirty minutes?"
"Of course."
"Okay. Bye Syd, see you later tonight. Have a good time too. You look like you could use it." Francie looked over her friend once more before exiting to her own bedroom.
Sydney sighed triumphantly. "Ready." She had pulled her hair into a ponytail, or at least that was the only change Will had noticed.
Will walked over to her. "I know I needed space Syd. But I also know you can't talk to anyone else about the Vaughn situation. So. um. you can talk to me Sydney. Anytime." He brushed some loose hair behind her ears and paused for a second to tweak her nose playfully. "Have a nice time tonight."
Sydney laughed. "You too Will. You too."
Jack checked his watch. It was time. Where was Sydney? He looked up, a little bit worried that she had decided to stand him up or something. He had done it to her. perhaps it was what he deserved. He checked his cell phone. No missed calls.
"Dad?" Sydney walked up to him and gave him a quick hug.
"Sydney you look lovely. Ready?" Jack felt his whole body relax. She had come.
"Yes." Sydney smiled, the first genuine smile Jack had seen from her in awhile. He opened the restaurant door for her and followed her in.
They made small talk over the menu and Francie and Will. Over college, the upcoming Christmas and what relatives Jack would be avoiding. By the time dinner was set before them, Jack felt comfortable enough to go for what he wanted to know.
"Are you okay?"
Sydney finished chewing and nodded looking confused. "It's a little chilly in here but now big deal."
Jack frowned a little. "No. I mean are you okay? You seem sad lately. I. I saw the tape of you in your mom's cell. I am just worried is all, I wasn't spying on you I swear."
Sydney softened. She wasn't angry at her father. In fact, his past misdoings were slowly being erased. She was feeling as though she had so much else pain, that she didn't need to have unnecessary hatred and unforgiving to add to that list. "Dad, its okay. And I'm okay, really. I was just having a bad. week."
Jack leaned closer to Sydney looking at her face intently. "Sydney, please don't shut me out. You can tell me anything. In the past, I know I haven't been great about communication. But I feel like I'm losing you Sydney. I don't want that."
"Dad, you're not losing me." Sydney took another bite of her food, thinking about what he had said. She swallowed and said abruptly, "Anything?" Jack placed a hand over hers. "Anything."
Sydney didn't know how to form her next words. "In London. in London. Vaughn and I kissed." Sydney knew it was a lie, but prayed her dad would not see through.
Jack didn't react all that surprised. "I kind of figured as much. But continue."
"When we got back to LA, I ran into him in the park. We started talking. I. I wanted to know why we couldn't secretly be together."
Jack sat up a little. "Sydney, CIA protocol is very clear on the relationship between-"
"Dad? Please stop. I know, what the protocol says. But it doesn't matter anyways, he doesn't want us to be together."
"Did he say that?" Jack pushed thoughts of protocol to the back of his mind, trying to focus on his daughter. Sydney nodded. "Well then he was clearly trying to make you think he didn't want to be with you. It is only because of protocol."
Sydney sighed. "A part of me thinks that. But he said the words. that makes it so much more real seeming."
"Sydney, listen to me very carefully. You are the most beautiful young woman alive. Out of anyone. Vaughn would be crazy to not want to be with you, and we both know he isn't crazy. But Vaughn knows the importance of yours and his job. There will be time for you in the future. There-" Jack stopped. Sydney had stopped eye contact with him, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Dad? Could we just go home?"
"Of course hunny. Of course." Jack paid the bill as Sydney looked on in silence. Then they walked out to Sydney's car. She pulled her keys out of her purse, but faced her father before getting in.
"I had a nice time tonight dad. We should do this more often."
Jack felt like jumping for joy, but kept his composure. "Yes, yes we should. Sydney I meant what I said. Anything. You may be my coworker, but you are my daughter first and foremost. I love you very much. You're. you're all I have."
With that Jack gave Sydney a quick hug and walked away. Sydney stood shocked for a second. She actually had never thought of things that way. She was all her dad had. Suddenly, everything that had happened had a new light on it. Oy vey, Sydney thought, the surprises just keep coming.
By Wednesday, Sydney was feeling numb to the world. She was going through the motions. Time at the CIA office was painful. Being around Vaughn made her whole body ache. She found it all slightly ironic- getting shot hurt much less than this.
Sydney could tell her dad was worried. He had seen her hug her mother on the monitor. He saw her crying into Irina's arms, which also worried him. But he had also felt a pang of jealousy. He wanted to be the one that Sydney turned to.
"Sydney?" She looked up from paper work, and a look of relief crossed her face.
"Yes dad?"
"How about dinner tonight? You and me?"
Sydney smiled. "That would be nice dad. Really nice."
Jack smiled in return, and realized how long it had been since he had done so.
"So is this going to be awkward?" Will sat on Sydney's bed, talking to her as she changed in the bedroom.
"How so?" She emerged looking elegantly beautiful in nice jeans and a silky wine colored sweater.
"With your dad? I mean do you guys do the whole dinner thing?"
Sydney ran a quick mental check of when she and her dad had dinner. "Nope. But, I don't know. It might be nice." Her voice sounded hopeful, so Will quit. He had been worried about her since they had last talked; she had become very with drawn.
"Hey guys." Francie appeared in the doorway. "Sydney, where are you going?"
"Dinner with my dad."
Francie raised her eyebrows and looked at Will for confirmation. He shrugged his shoulders. "That's great. Well, Will, what are you doing tonight."
"I thought you would never asked. I was wondering if you and I could have dinner at this wonderful new establishment run by the most beautiful woman in all of LA."
Francie laughed. "Flattery will get you everywhere. And I would love to. Pick me up in thirty minutes?"
"Of course."
"Okay. Bye Syd, see you later tonight. Have a good time too. You look like you could use it." Francie looked over her friend once more before exiting to her own bedroom.
Sydney sighed triumphantly. "Ready." She had pulled her hair into a ponytail, or at least that was the only change Will had noticed.
Will walked over to her. "I know I needed space Syd. But I also know you can't talk to anyone else about the Vaughn situation. So. um. you can talk to me Sydney. Anytime." He brushed some loose hair behind her ears and paused for a second to tweak her nose playfully. "Have a nice time tonight."
Sydney laughed. "You too Will. You too."
Jack checked his watch. It was time. Where was Sydney? He looked up, a little bit worried that she had decided to stand him up or something. He had done it to her. perhaps it was what he deserved. He checked his cell phone. No missed calls.
"Dad?" Sydney walked up to him and gave him a quick hug.
"Sydney you look lovely. Ready?" Jack felt his whole body relax. She had come.
"Yes." Sydney smiled, the first genuine smile Jack had seen from her in awhile. He opened the restaurant door for her and followed her in.
They made small talk over the menu and Francie and Will. Over college, the upcoming Christmas and what relatives Jack would be avoiding. By the time dinner was set before them, Jack felt comfortable enough to go for what he wanted to know.
"Are you okay?"
Sydney finished chewing and nodded looking confused. "It's a little chilly in here but now big deal."
Jack frowned a little. "No. I mean are you okay? You seem sad lately. I. I saw the tape of you in your mom's cell. I am just worried is all, I wasn't spying on you I swear."
Sydney softened. She wasn't angry at her father. In fact, his past misdoings were slowly being erased. She was feeling as though she had so much else pain, that she didn't need to have unnecessary hatred and unforgiving to add to that list. "Dad, its okay. And I'm okay, really. I was just having a bad. week."
Jack leaned closer to Sydney looking at her face intently. "Sydney, please don't shut me out. You can tell me anything. In the past, I know I haven't been great about communication. But I feel like I'm losing you Sydney. I don't want that."
"Dad, you're not losing me." Sydney took another bite of her food, thinking about what he had said. She swallowed and said abruptly, "Anything?" Jack placed a hand over hers. "Anything."
Sydney didn't know how to form her next words. "In London. in London. Vaughn and I kissed." Sydney knew it was a lie, but prayed her dad would not see through.
Jack didn't react all that surprised. "I kind of figured as much. But continue."
"When we got back to LA, I ran into him in the park. We started talking. I. I wanted to know why we couldn't secretly be together."
Jack sat up a little. "Sydney, CIA protocol is very clear on the relationship between-"
"Dad? Please stop. I know, what the protocol says. But it doesn't matter anyways, he doesn't want us to be together."
"Did he say that?" Jack pushed thoughts of protocol to the back of his mind, trying to focus on his daughter. Sydney nodded. "Well then he was clearly trying to make you think he didn't want to be with you. It is only because of protocol."
Sydney sighed. "A part of me thinks that. But he said the words. that makes it so much more real seeming."
"Sydney, listen to me very carefully. You are the most beautiful young woman alive. Out of anyone. Vaughn would be crazy to not want to be with you, and we both know he isn't crazy. But Vaughn knows the importance of yours and his job. There will be time for you in the future. There-" Jack stopped. Sydney had stopped eye contact with him, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Dad? Could we just go home?"
"Of course hunny. Of course." Jack paid the bill as Sydney looked on in silence. Then they walked out to Sydney's car. She pulled her keys out of her purse, but faced her father before getting in.
"I had a nice time tonight dad. We should do this more often."
Jack felt like jumping for joy, but kept his composure. "Yes, yes we should. Sydney I meant what I said. Anything. You may be my coworker, but you are my daughter first and foremost. I love you very much. You're. you're all I have."
With that Jack gave Sydney a quick hug and walked away. Sydney stood shocked for a second. She actually had never thought of things that way. She was all her dad had. Suddenly, everything that had happened had a new light on it. Oy vey, Sydney thought, the surprises just keep coming.