Chapter Forty-three: Lie

Unfortunately, the door to Jack's room only opened from the outside, so Sydney and Michael were stuck there for about five minutes more. Sark entered to find the three of them sitting in dead silence.

"Well, it looks like this was a lovely little reunion," Sark said dryly. "Sydney and Michael, Irina is here, and she'd like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Jack asked.

Sark frowned at him, a bored expression on his face. "You'll stay here, for the time being."

Jack let out an impatient sigh, crossing his arms in front of him. Sydney hid a smile. The boy hadn't changed since he was three years old.

"We'll see you, Jack," Sydney said, though she knew she didn't dare try to kiss his cheek or make any movement towards him. Realistically, she knew that there was a chance that he would never forgive her and Michael for what they'd done to him. Had she ever really forgiven her father for his shortcomings as a parent? All she could do was do as her father had done-- do her best to keep her child safe and try not to let her offspring's animosity towards her eat her alive.

"See you, Jack," Michael echoed, and Sydney placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jack's rejection of them was going to hurt him much more than it hurt her, she knew that much. He had idolized his father and adored his mother. She didn't think he'd be able to understand having a child turn on him, let alone accept it.

"What did you tell him?" Sark demanded in his clipped British accent once they had left the room.

"We told him about the training he received at the Organization as a child," Sydney responded.

"Lovely, Sydney," Sark said scathingly. "What are you trying to do, make him antagonistic toward you?"

"Does it matter if he is?" Sydney snapped. "The way I understand it, he has to do what you ask or be killed. He doesn't have to like us, he just has to value his life. Just as I may do what you and Mother say but I will never, ever have an ounce of respect or affection for either of you."

Sark shook his head, making a tsking noise with his tongue. "Sydney, Sydney," he said. "You know, I bet in another lifetime, under other circumstances, things would have been very, very different between us."

He didn't leave Sydney time to ponder that statement, merely opened the door to a conference room, where Irina sat like a queen waiting to receive them.

"Sydney, Michael," she said with a flicker of a smile. "I trust that you've seen your children, and that you've seen that the two of them are in satisfactory health."

"Emily's condition worries me," Sydney responded, moving to sit at the seat at her mother's left. Michael sat at her side, Sark across from her. "It seems she's been frightened into submission, and I don't like seeing her like that."

"Ah," Irina said with a nod. "Well then, Sydney, you'll merely have to convince her that there's nothing to be afraid of, won't you?"

Sydney nodded.

"Since Sark has told me you've accepted that you have no choice but to do what we say, I suppose it's time for us to begin talking about how, precisely, you'll explain your decision to work for us to your children."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sydney watched Michael close her eyes, and then open them. She placed a comforting hand over his, and he offered her a wan half-smile. "Jack will be difficult," Sydney said. "He's suspicious by nature and he doesn't particularly trust Michael and me."

"Ah," Irina said, nodding again. "I think I'll be the best one to speak to him, then."

"Fine," Sydney responded, struggling to keep her voice cool.

"Emily, now, she's a different story," Irina mused, sitting back in her chair. "She'll definitely need Mommy and Daddy's blessing to go along with us. What will you tell her?"

Sydney looked at her mother, hoping her eyes betrayed nothing but steely determination. "That we made a mistake leaving the Organization and that we're returning," she said. "I'm confident that convincing her to go along with us won't be a problem."

"Good," Irina said with a nod, rising from her chair. "I'll be going to speak with Jack, then, while Sark will be accompanying you while you speak with Emily."

"We'd rather speak with her alone," Sydney responded.

Irina offered her a wintry smile. "I'm sorry, Sydney dear. But we don't have surveillance equipment in the rooms here and I'm afraid we don't trust you quite that much yet."

Sydney nodded and stood, preparing herself to lie to her daughter as she'd never lied to her before.