Chapter Four: The Land of the Living

"So we'll see you at the office Monday, Sydney?"

"Yes, Mother."

Sydney sat back in the dining room chair with a sigh of relief. Good. She'd made it through her first meeting back in the land of the living. It hadn't been as painful as she'd expected.

"Mommy!"

Sydney looked up with a start as her daughter came hurtling across the room, climbing busily onto Sydney's lap.

"Hi there, sweetheart," Sydney said, tears springing to her eyes. For almost a month she'd all but ignored her little girl, Michael's little girl. How could she have done such a thing?

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Vaughn," Mrs. Simmons said, rushing into the room. "I turned my back for one minute--"

"It's perfectly all right, Mrs. Simmons," Sydney cut in. "In fact, why don't you have Jack come see me, as well?"

"Yes, Mrs. Vaughn."

Sydney smiled. That was something she'd always enjoyed about her life since she'd come to work for her mother-- the way people jumped at her every whim, rushed to please her. Power. It had worked almost like a drug for her ever since--

Well, ever since Danny had died, and she'd realized how powerless she was to control almost anything. And now, years later, she had been reminded of that again. Her Michael had been taken from her. The control she had over the Organization, over her employees, was the only control she could count on now.

"I'm glad you're up, Mommy," Emily said, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. "Are you feeling better?"

Sydney looked across the table at Irina, who smiled encouragingly.

"Having you with me makes me feel better, sweetheart," Sydney said, kissing the top of the little girl's head.

Emily hugged her mother tightly before turning her attention to Sark, who was watching the two of them with a soft smile, a smile that Sydney found a bit startling, given who was wearing it.

"Who are you?" Emily asked.

"Emily, this is Mr. Sark," Sydney told her.

"Hello, princess," Sark greeted her, and Sydney winced. Michael had always called her princess.

"Hello," Emily responded solemnly.

"Mom!"

A grin crossed Sydney's face almost in spite of herself as her son entered the room. "Jack."

"Oh, Mom, I'm so glad you're okay," Jack said, throwing his arms around his mother.

"Me, too, honey," Sydney said, though she wasn't sure if she was okay, exactly.

Like Emily, Jack turned his attention to Sark next. "What are you doing here?"

"Jack--"

"Mr. Sark's going to help me run the Organization, sweetheart," Sydney cut in, before her mother could tell Jack to mind his manners.

"Why?" Jack demanded, fixing a glare on Sark.

"Because I can't do it alone, sweetie," Sydney told him.

Jack turned away from Sark, fixing his green eyes on his mother. Michael's eyes. "Can you take care of us alone?"

It was a challenge, and a question: Are you going to replace my dad? A month, and he was already worried about that.

Emily, she would never ask such a question. She was so young, Sydney imagined that before long, she wouldn't even remember her wonderful father, a thought that made Sydney's heart ache.

"I have your grandma and Mrs. Simmons to help me with that, Jack," Sydney said firmly, hoping that her eyes answered his question. Never. Perhaps one day she would be with someone other than Michael, but-- oh, she couldn't even think about that just then. "Are we finished here, Mother?" she asked.

"Yes, Sydney," Irina responded, rising from the table. "I'll show Mr. Sark out."

Sydney nodded mutely as Sark stood, as well, touching Sydney's shoulder as he passed. "Take care, Mrs. Vaughn."

"Thank you," Sydney managed. She knew the polite thing to do would have been to stand and say goodbye properly, but she couldn't quite force herself to do that.

It was all she could do to just sit there with her children and not burst into tears.