Chapter Forty-four: Meeting with Emily
"Mom! Daddy!" Emily exclaimed, visibly relieved as she sprang up from the bed. "I'm so glad you're back."
Sydney caught her daughter in a tight hug, then watched as Michael did the same. "Emily, sweetheart," Sydney said. "Why don't you sit down? Daddy and I need to talk to you."
"Okay." Sydney noticed how just having the two of them there seemed to calm Emily down, as if she was confident that her parents wouldn't steer her wrong. Sydney's stomach lurched, realizing that steer her wrong was exactly what she had to do.
"So when are we going home?" Emily asked eagerly.
Sydney and Michael shared a glance. "We're not, sweetheart. At least, not right away."
"What?" A look of confusion crossed Emily's pretty face. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"No, no, sweetheart, not at all," Sydney said, casting a quick glimpse at Sark. "It's just that we've decided--" she reached for Michael's hand without looking for it, needing his strength but not needing the judgment in his eyes. "We've decided to stay here and work for your grandma for awhile."
"But I thought--" Emily frowned as if trying to make sense of it all. "Grandma told me about the Organization. They're-- they're criminals, aren't they?"
And how, Sydney thought cryptically. Instead, she said, "Criminal is a rather strong word, Emily. Let's just say that they have some of the same goals that we do." Actually, their goals are very different from ours. They want us to work for them, and we want to keep Jack alive. Who would have thought that the two goals go hand in hand?
"Goals-- Mom, I don't understand." Sydney hated the look on Emily's face-- lost, confused…And she'd put it there, that was the worst part. "You and Dad run a restaurant, you love running the restaurant."
"That's not what we've always done, Emily," Sydney responded. "We used to work for your grandma, and now we're going to again." Then, the part that killed her-- "You're going to."
Emily frowned, then looked at her father as if for confirmation. "Dad?"
Michael rose from his perch on the bed, running a hand back through his hair. "Listen to your mother, sweetie."
Emily watched her father pace the room for a moment, her face a mask of disbelief, then turned back to her mother. "I'm going to work-- what about school?"
Sydney turned to Sark. They hadn't discussed this part. She suspected that no Organization school existed anymore.
"We've selected a fine school for Emily, and we're considering whether or not to let Jack remain at UCLA."
"Jack?" Emily asked, eyes lighting up. "Jack is here?"
"Yes, sweetie," Sydney said.
"Can I see him?"
Sydney and Michael both turned to look at Sark. Unlike Jack, Emily didn't ask why; sadly enough, she seemed to know who was in charge here.
"Soon, Emily. After Irina has spoken with him," Sark said, standing up. "I think we're done here. You'll do as your parents tell you, Emily?"
"Well…yes," Emily said, frowning. "I somehow feel like I don't really have a choice. Like they don't, either."
Smart girl, Sydney thought, but she didn't say as much.
"Good," Sark responded. "Now, Sydney and Michael, if you'll come with me. I'll show you to your room, and then I'll check on how Irina is doing with Jack."
As Sydney and Michael said goodbye to their daughter, Sydney felt her stomach drop, and she felt as if she could do nothing but pray for a way out of this.