A/N: Sorry it took me longer to update. I got caught up in a new Mile High
installment, and I promised myself that I'd stay a chapter ahead of what I
post, and 7 was finished only tonight (or should I say this morning?)
Thanks for the reviews. They truly are addictive. I'd like to say I could
write without them, but there is something about knowing people are reading
and enjoying my story that makes it even more fun to write.
She was standing at the French doors when he came in the room. Moving without a word across the room, she and gestured for him to sit. He took a seat on the overstuffed chair opposite hers and waited.
"Tea?" Irina offered.
"Please." He settled back in the seat as she rang for her butler, speaking quietly with the man in Russian before turning her attention back to him. He knew that whatever news she had, it was important enough to warrant this unplanned meeting.
"I got information about Sydney." His eyes flashed quickly at the mention of her name before regaining their controlled stare.
"It seems that she and Michael are expecting a child. We can only assume that Sloane will learn this soon, if he doesn't know already, and I don't trust him to turn up this opportunity to disrupt her life once more. That's unacceptable and I want your help to limit his access to Sydney, Michael and the child."
"Sloane is still on his island, correct?" She could almost see the information sorting around in his head.
"That is the latest intel. But our operative there has not made her report for the week yet."
"What makes you think that it is better for me to be in Los Angeles? Don't you want to be closer to them? To Jack?" He knew her weaknesses and it was a valid question.
She deflected his insinuations. "My emotions are a hindrance. That's been proven. And you'll have everything you need to be successful. This is an important operation, Alek, and you are the one to do it." Brown eyes met blue in a moment of understanding.
"I'll start on logistics." He said as the tea was brought in.
"Good. I'd like you to be in California by the end of the week."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* "And why would Hamlet really hate Gertrude? It was Claudius who killed his father. Gertrude just got mixed up in the middle, like Ophelia." Leslie finished with a sweep of her hand.
Sydney surveyed her classroom for anyone to offer a contrary opinion. "Do any of you think that Gertrude acted in malice or disrespect?"
Steve, one of her less interested students, raised his hand. Sydney nodded for him to speak. "Well, um, Gertrude really didn't wait very long after Hamlet senior died before getting together with Claudius, so it kind of makes sense that Hamlet would be mad and hurt by that, I think."
"Good, Steve," Sydney smiled encouragingly before noticing that the class was almost over. "Okay, please read act three, scenes three through five for tomorrow and remember your term papers are due on Monday."
Their groans could be heard over the din of books being put away and backpacks zipping. Sydney turned to sit back at her desk and pull out the quizzes she had to hand back to the next class. Straightening the piles of paper, she followed the students out into the hall for break and headed to the teacher's lounge. She wanted to get a huge mug of coffee, but along with alcohol, she was pulling off of caffeine for the duration of her pregnancy. The morning without coffee was proving much harder than the dinner without wine, and she had the headache to prove it. Walking into the lounge, she decided that a big glass of water was her best bet and went to fill a cup before collapsing with it on a couch. She had barely sat down before Lisa and Annie walked through the door.
"Syd!" exclaimed Lisa. "Listen to how this one spent her weekend!"
Annie rolled her eyes as she sat next to Syd on the couch. "I just went to a little party at my cousin's place. There was a guy I knew from college there and we talked for a while. TALKED, Lisa, which is all."
"Syd, it wasn't just some guy from college," Lisa defended "It was Casey Lewis who she had a crush on all of sophomore and junior year."
"Really?" Syd commented, smiling at her friends. Annie and Lisa were roommates in college and the three of them had all begun teaching the year before. Though the other two were younger than Sydney, they spent most of their lunches and several weekend nights hanging out. Sydney wasn't sure how she could have made the transition to teaching without them.
"Yes," Annie admitted. "How was I to know that he plays rec league basketball with my cousin's new boyfriend?" She wanted change the subject. "How did you spend your weekend, Syd?"
"Mike and I went to see my dad on Saturday, and then we had his family for dinner last night," reported Sydney.
"Big family weekend, then." Lisa commented. "Well I spent my time with 60 bio lab notebooks and my favorite men, Ben and Jerry." They all laughed.
Glancing at her watch, Sydney saw that break was almost over. "Can you two meet me for lunch? I'd like to treat you to Mabel's, if you have the time." The small restaurant two blocks from the school was their favorite escape.
"You're paying? Count me in!" laughed Lisa.
"I can too," Annie replied. "Any special occasion?"
Sydney stood and walked her cup back to the sink for a refill. "Maybe." She smiled at her friends and walked back into the hall.
"Syd!" they cried, following her out.
"You can't keep me in suspense like this!" Lisa complained.
"Please!" Annie pleaded.
"Nope. Not till lunch!" Syd stayed firm, stopping in the door of her classroom to shoo them along. "I'll see you out front at 11:40"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* The three walked from the bright sunshine into the comfortable dimness of Mabel's, moving to claim their favorite table in the corner, between two windows and a cheerful potted fern.
Lisa sat staring at Sydney as if she could discern the secret simply by looking. Annie was talking about her classes' history projects while Sydney studied the menu, trying to decide if her favorite salad had enough protein and calcium for the new baby-friendly diet she had read on the internet last night.
"So, the red blocks mark all of the major skirmishes from the second day. You have to see it." Annie said, finishing the description of one student's Lego replica of the battle of Gettysburg.
Lisa broke in. "Are you going to tell, Sydney, or do we have to play twenty questions?" The waitress brought them glasses of water.
"Let's order first," Sydney smiled, turning to address the waitress. "Alice, I'd like the grilled chicken and a glass of milk please." Both Lisa and Annie regarded her with curiosity.
"Milk? What happened to Sydney the Caffeine Fiend?" Lisa asked incredulously.
"I've been cured." She stated. "Order, you two." Annie shook her head and turned to ask Alice for her regular barbecue chicken sandwich, no mayo. Lisa opted for a turkey sandwich with extra tomatoes. As she watched her friends, Sydney realized how different this routine would become once her pregnancy progressed, and especially after the baby was born. The thought brought a bittersweet smile to her face.
"Okay. No coffee, no salad, and not telling us everything" Lisa listed. "Who are you and what have you done with our Sydney?"
Annie shook her head at Lisa. "Syd, hon, we just want to know what's going on."
Sydney smiled at her friends' concern. "Well, Lis, you're not too far off. In some ways, I am a new person. Or maybe I should say two people." Both women looked puzzled as they tried to comprehend her statement.
"You're schizophrenic?" Lisa asked.
"Nope," chirped Syd happily. "I'm pregnant."
Lisa's squeal could likely be heard back in the school and Annie grabbed Sydney into a hug.
"Oh sweetie, that's just wonderful! What does Mike say? Did you tell your families already?" Their questions tumbled over one another.
"Mike is ecstatic and already being overprotective and hyper-concerned."
"Sounds like your husband!" Lisa quipped.
"True," admitted Sydney. "We told my dad and Mike's family when we saw them this weekend. They are all delighted, even Teddy, and Nenet promised to bring me some pregnancy books later this week."
"Syd, I am just thrilled for you!" Annie said sincerely, squeezing Sydney's hand. "It's time you all had something to be excited about." Though her friends didn't know all of her past, they understood most of what Sydney had been through before leaving the CIA, including Danny, Noah, the rocky start to her relationship with Michael, and the many episodes of her mother's comings and goings. It was only since her wedding last August, just weeks before school began, that Sydney's life had begun resemble the consistent, contented routine that she had dreamt of.
"We're really blessed." Sydney agreed.
"Well," Lisa said, "You know what this means: shopping!"
"But I won't show for weeks!" Sydney countered.
"But maternity clothes on sale now will be in season when you're a bit 'rounder'. I learned that tip from my sister."
It did make sense. "Well, maybe in a couple weeks. I need more time to get used to the idea first."
"Okay, but you are not denying me the fun of picking out those tunics and overalls and dresses that all the cute pregnant women get to wear. I've got years till it's my turn, at the rate I'm going, so I get to live vicariously through you." Lisa declared.
"Oh, and I want to help with the nursery decorating!" Annie offered. "Paint, fabric, whatever!" She was the most artistic of the trio and Sydney knew Annie would have wonderful ideas to transform the study into a baby heaven.
"Just don't use up all your creativity on me. You might have Casey Jr.'s to be worrying about soon." Sydney teased, dodging an ice cube as their food arrived.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* Sydney had her legs folded under her, sitting on the couch grading essays when she heard Michael's car pull up. Tucking the papers aside, she went to the front door to greet him. She pulled it open just as he came to the front step and his face lit into a smile.
"What a wonderful sight to come home to." Michael said, setting his briefcase inside the door and pulling Sydney into a hug.
"I missed you today," said Sydney, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Me too." They stood there for a few minutes, simply enjoying the nearness of each other before Michael pulled away to head down the hall. "I need to change. Eight years in suits and you think I'd be used to it."
"I want to hear about your day when you're done," she called after him, walking back into the living room.
"Okay" came Michael's muffled reply from their room. Sydney had marked another few pages when he emerged in jeans and a t-shirt. "Did you tell Lisa and Annie?" he asked, joining her on the couch.
"Yup. I took them to lunch. Annie promised help decorating and once Lisa stopped shrieking, she demanded a shopping expedition for maternity clothes."
"Already?"
"Apparently, what's on sale now will be just right in six or seven months. Did you tell Eric and Will?"
"I nabbed them after the briefing this morning. Will looked pretty shocked for a minute, while Eric made some remark about the 'birds and bees.' They want to come see you and I thought maybe we could do dinner on Thursday. Will could bring Sherry. I'll barbeque again, so you wouldn't have to fix anything."
"It would be great to have them over." Sydney agreed. "Will and Sherry are still together?" They had been dating for a few months now. It was funny that Michael saw Will more than she did these days, but she still kept in contact with him. Learning of Francie's death when Anna left to rejoin Sloane had brought Sydney and Will even closer.
"Yup, Will said things are going great. Did you talk to Eileen?" Michael asked.
"Sort of. I went into the office to ask Mary, the secretary, for a copy of the Family Leave policy and Eileen poked her head out of her office and said 'Pregnant?' I answered 'yes' and she sort of huffed before disappearing back behind her door. I'm sure it will come up at the staff meeting on Wednesday."
"Well, at least she knows. How were you thinking about working in maternity leave?"
"Fall semester is over the third week of January, so I want to go back for the first half of next year, and take the rest off. I get 8 weeks of paid leave from the school, so if we save between now and then, we should be able to cover the other three months I'd be missing."
"You don't have to teach next year. We'd be okay financially." Michael insisted.
"Michael, you know I'd go crazy sitting at home that whole time. And we just bought this house. I'll be fine working till January."
"Okay," he conceded. "But if it gets to be too much, don't think I won't march right in there and carry you out, students or no." He softened the statement with a lopsided grin. "I checked around a bit and I can get leave too. I was thinking I'd take half days from the middle of February to the end of March off, and the two weeks after the baby comes, but some of that depends on what our operations schedule is looking like and such. I'll know better in the coming months."
"I'm glad you'll get time off. And I know Marguerite and Nenet will be around a lot in those first days. It seems a little like a fantasy to be thinking about it now."
"I know. I can't wait until you begin to show." Michael smiled as he placed his hand on her abdomen.
Sydney smiled and put both of her hands over his. "Do you realize how often you do that now?" she asked.
"Well, I it makes me feel closer to our little miracle." She smiled and leaned against him.
"It really is a miracle. All of this. Our marriage, our home, and now our baby."
"I'm excited for the future we have, but I also love every moment of the present." He brought a hand to stroke her hair when his stomach grumbled. "And thinking of the present, did you have any ideas for dinner?"
"I didn't start anything, but we have the chicken we picked up on Saturday and the makings for a salad."
"How about I work on the chicken and you deal with the vegetables?" Michael proposed, shifting to offer a hand to pull her up.
Sydney took his hand and didn't release it as they headed into the kitchen "Only if you make it with that lemon seasoning I like."
"Agreed." Michael said, kissing her to seal the deal before he turned to take spices from the cupboard. Sydney pulled vegetables out of the refrigerator and they went to work on the meal, chatting about Sydney's classes and fellow teachers and Michael's current assignment for coordinating a new operation.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* He pulled the zipper closed on another suitcase. Surveying what still needed to be packed, he decided to leave it for later and went to stretch out on his bed. Hands behind his head, he enjoyed the brief moment of relaxation. Though it had been a few weeks since his last mission, there was no doubt that this assignment would be a long and consuming operation. As he lay there, the thought crossed his mind and he tried to let it drift aside, but it refused to let him rest. How much of his life would be spent watching after Sydney Bristow?
She was standing at the French doors when he came in the room. Moving without a word across the room, she and gestured for him to sit. He took a seat on the overstuffed chair opposite hers and waited.
"Tea?" Irina offered.
"Please." He settled back in the seat as she rang for her butler, speaking quietly with the man in Russian before turning her attention back to him. He knew that whatever news she had, it was important enough to warrant this unplanned meeting.
"I got information about Sydney." His eyes flashed quickly at the mention of her name before regaining their controlled stare.
"It seems that she and Michael are expecting a child. We can only assume that Sloane will learn this soon, if he doesn't know already, and I don't trust him to turn up this opportunity to disrupt her life once more. That's unacceptable and I want your help to limit his access to Sydney, Michael and the child."
"Sloane is still on his island, correct?" She could almost see the information sorting around in his head.
"That is the latest intel. But our operative there has not made her report for the week yet."
"What makes you think that it is better for me to be in Los Angeles? Don't you want to be closer to them? To Jack?" He knew her weaknesses and it was a valid question.
She deflected his insinuations. "My emotions are a hindrance. That's been proven. And you'll have everything you need to be successful. This is an important operation, Alek, and you are the one to do it." Brown eyes met blue in a moment of understanding.
"I'll start on logistics." He said as the tea was brought in.
"Good. I'd like you to be in California by the end of the week."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* "And why would Hamlet really hate Gertrude? It was Claudius who killed his father. Gertrude just got mixed up in the middle, like Ophelia." Leslie finished with a sweep of her hand.
Sydney surveyed her classroom for anyone to offer a contrary opinion. "Do any of you think that Gertrude acted in malice or disrespect?"
Steve, one of her less interested students, raised his hand. Sydney nodded for him to speak. "Well, um, Gertrude really didn't wait very long after Hamlet senior died before getting together with Claudius, so it kind of makes sense that Hamlet would be mad and hurt by that, I think."
"Good, Steve," Sydney smiled encouragingly before noticing that the class was almost over. "Okay, please read act three, scenes three through five for tomorrow and remember your term papers are due on Monday."
Their groans could be heard over the din of books being put away and backpacks zipping. Sydney turned to sit back at her desk and pull out the quizzes she had to hand back to the next class. Straightening the piles of paper, she followed the students out into the hall for break and headed to the teacher's lounge. She wanted to get a huge mug of coffee, but along with alcohol, she was pulling off of caffeine for the duration of her pregnancy. The morning without coffee was proving much harder than the dinner without wine, and she had the headache to prove it. Walking into the lounge, she decided that a big glass of water was her best bet and went to fill a cup before collapsing with it on a couch. She had barely sat down before Lisa and Annie walked through the door.
"Syd!" exclaimed Lisa. "Listen to how this one spent her weekend!"
Annie rolled her eyes as she sat next to Syd on the couch. "I just went to a little party at my cousin's place. There was a guy I knew from college there and we talked for a while. TALKED, Lisa, which is all."
"Syd, it wasn't just some guy from college," Lisa defended "It was Casey Lewis who she had a crush on all of sophomore and junior year."
"Really?" Syd commented, smiling at her friends. Annie and Lisa were roommates in college and the three of them had all begun teaching the year before. Though the other two were younger than Sydney, they spent most of their lunches and several weekend nights hanging out. Sydney wasn't sure how she could have made the transition to teaching without them.
"Yes," Annie admitted. "How was I to know that he plays rec league basketball with my cousin's new boyfriend?" She wanted change the subject. "How did you spend your weekend, Syd?"
"Mike and I went to see my dad on Saturday, and then we had his family for dinner last night," reported Sydney.
"Big family weekend, then." Lisa commented. "Well I spent my time with 60 bio lab notebooks and my favorite men, Ben and Jerry." They all laughed.
Glancing at her watch, Sydney saw that break was almost over. "Can you two meet me for lunch? I'd like to treat you to Mabel's, if you have the time." The small restaurant two blocks from the school was their favorite escape.
"You're paying? Count me in!" laughed Lisa.
"I can too," Annie replied. "Any special occasion?"
Sydney stood and walked her cup back to the sink for a refill. "Maybe." She smiled at her friends and walked back into the hall.
"Syd!" they cried, following her out.
"You can't keep me in suspense like this!" Lisa complained.
"Please!" Annie pleaded.
"Nope. Not till lunch!" Syd stayed firm, stopping in the door of her classroom to shoo them along. "I'll see you out front at 11:40"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* The three walked from the bright sunshine into the comfortable dimness of Mabel's, moving to claim their favorite table in the corner, between two windows and a cheerful potted fern.
Lisa sat staring at Sydney as if she could discern the secret simply by looking. Annie was talking about her classes' history projects while Sydney studied the menu, trying to decide if her favorite salad had enough protein and calcium for the new baby-friendly diet she had read on the internet last night.
"So, the red blocks mark all of the major skirmishes from the second day. You have to see it." Annie said, finishing the description of one student's Lego replica of the battle of Gettysburg.
Lisa broke in. "Are you going to tell, Sydney, or do we have to play twenty questions?" The waitress brought them glasses of water.
"Let's order first," Sydney smiled, turning to address the waitress. "Alice, I'd like the grilled chicken and a glass of milk please." Both Lisa and Annie regarded her with curiosity.
"Milk? What happened to Sydney the Caffeine Fiend?" Lisa asked incredulously.
"I've been cured." She stated. "Order, you two." Annie shook her head and turned to ask Alice for her regular barbecue chicken sandwich, no mayo. Lisa opted for a turkey sandwich with extra tomatoes. As she watched her friends, Sydney realized how different this routine would become once her pregnancy progressed, and especially after the baby was born. The thought brought a bittersweet smile to her face.
"Okay. No coffee, no salad, and not telling us everything" Lisa listed. "Who are you and what have you done with our Sydney?"
Annie shook her head at Lisa. "Syd, hon, we just want to know what's going on."
Sydney smiled at her friends' concern. "Well, Lis, you're not too far off. In some ways, I am a new person. Or maybe I should say two people." Both women looked puzzled as they tried to comprehend her statement.
"You're schizophrenic?" Lisa asked.
"Nope," chirped Syd happily. "I'm pregnant."
Lisa's squeal could likely be heard back in the school and Annie grabbed Sydney into a hug.
"Oh sweetie, that's just wonderful! What does Mike say? Did you tell your families already?" Their questions tumbled over one another.
"Mike is ecstatic and already being overprotective and hyper-concerned."
"Sounds like your husband!" Lisa quipped.
"True," admitted Sydney. "We told my dad and Mike's family when we saw them this weekend. They are all delighted, even Teddy, and Nenet promised to bring me some pregnancy books later this week."
"Syd, I am just thrilled for you!" Annie said sincerely, squeezing Sydney's hand. "It's time you all had something to be excited about." Though her friends didn't know all of her past, they understood most of what Sydney had been through before leaving the CIA, including Danny, Noah, the rocky start to her relationship with Michael, and the many episodes of her mother's comings and goings. It was only since her wedding last August, just weeks before school began, that Sydney's life had begun resemble the consistent, contented routine that she had dreamt of.
"We're really blessed." Sydney agreed.
"Well," Lisa said, "You know what this means: shopping!"
"But I won't show for weeks!" Sydney countered.
"But maternity clothes on sale now will be in season when you're a bit 'rounder'. I learned that tip from my sister."
It did make sense. "Well, maybe in a couple weeks. I need more time to get used to the idea first."
"Okay, but you are not denying me the fun of picking out those tunics and overalls and dresses that all the cute pregnant women get to wear. I've got years till it's my turn, at the rate I'm going, so I get to live vicariously through you." Lisa declared.
"Oh, and I want to help with the nursery decorating!" Annie offered. "Paint, fabric, whatever!" She was the most artistic of the trio and Sydney knew Annie would have wonderful ideas to transform the study into a baby heaven.
"Just don't use up all your creativity on me. You might have Casey Jr.'s to be worrying about soon." Sydney teased, dodging an ice cube as their food arrived.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* Sydney had her legs folded under her, sitting on the couch grading essays when she heard Michael's car pull up. Tucking the papers aside, she went to the front door to greet him. She pulled it open just as he came to the front step and his face lit into a smile.
"What a wonderful sight to come home to." Michael said, setting his briefcase inside the door and pulling Sydney into a hug.
"I missed you today," said Sydney, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Me too." They stood there for a few minutes, simply enjoying the nearness of each other before Michael pulled away to head down the hall. "I need to change. Eight years in suits and you think I'd be used to it."
"I want to hear about your day when you're done," she called after him, walking back into the living room.
"Okay" came Michael's muffled reply from their room. Sydney had marked another few pages when he emerged in jeans and a t-shirt. "Did you tell Lisa and Annie?" he asked, joining her on the couch.
"Yup. I took them to lunch. Annie promised help decorating and once Lisa stopped shrieking, she demanded a shopping expedition for maternity clothes."
"Already?"
"Apparently, what's on sale now will be just right in six or seven months. Did you tell Eric and Will?"
"I nabbed them after the briefing this morning. Will looked pretty shocked for a minute, while Eric made some remark about the 'birds and bees.' They want to come see you and I thought maybe we could do dinner on Thursday. Will could bring Sherry. I'll barbeque again, so you wouldn't have to fix anything."
"It would be great to have them over." Sydney agreed. "Will and Sherry are still together?" They had been dating for a few months now. It was funny that Michael saw Will more than she did these days, but she still kept in contact with him. Learning of Francie's death when Anna left to rejoin Sloane had brought Sydney and Will even closer.
"Yup, Will said things are going great. Did you talk to Eileen?" Michael asked.
"Sort of. I went into the office to ask Mary, the secretary, for a copy of the Family Leave policy and Eileen poked her head out of her office and said 'Pregnant?' I answered 'yes' and she sort of huffed before disappearing back behind her door. I'm sure it will come up at the staff meeting on Wednesday."
"Well, at least she knows. How were you thinking about working in maternity leave?"
"Fall semester is over the third week of January, so I want to go back for the first half of next year, and take the rest off. I get 8 weeks of paid leave from the school, so if we save between now and then, we should be able to cover the other three months I'd be missing."
"You don't have to teach next year. We'd be okay financially." Michael insisted.
"Michael, you know I'd go crazy sitting at home that whole time. And we just bought this house. I'll be fine working till January."
"Okay," he conceded. "But if it gets to be too much, don't think I won't march right in there and carry you out, students or no." He softened the statement with a lopsided grin. "I checked around a bit and I can get leave too. I was thinking I'd take half days from the middle of February to the end of March off, and the two weeks after the baby comes, but some of that depends on what our operations schedule is looking like and such. I'll know better in the coming months."
"I'm glad you'll get time off. And I know Marguerite and Nenet will be around a lot in those first days. It seems a little like a fantasy to be thinking about it now."
"I know. I can't wait until you begin to show." Michael smiled as he placed his hand on her abdomen.
Sydney smiled and put both of her hands over his. "Do you realize how often you do that now?" she asked.
"Well, I it makes me feel closer to our little miracle." She smiled and leaned against him.
"It really is a miracle. All of this. Our marriage, our home, and now our baby."
"I'm excited for the future we have, but I also love every moment of the present." He brought a hand to stroke her hair when his stomach grumbled. "And thinking of the present, did you have any ideas for dinner?"
"I didn't start anything, but we have the chicken we picked up on Saturday and the makings for a salad."
"How about I work on the chicken and you deal with the vegetables?" Michael proposed, shifting to offer a hand to pull her up.
Sydney took his hand and didn't release it as they headed into the kitchen "Only if you make it with that lemon seasoning I like."
"Agreed." Michael said, kissing her to seal the deal before he turned to take spices from the cupboard. Sydney pulled vegetables out of the refrigerator and they went to work on the meal, chatting about Sydney's classes and fellow teachers and Michael's current assignment for coordinating a new operation.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* He pulled the zipper closed on another suitcase. Surveying what still needed to be packed, he decided to leave it for later and went to stretch out on his bed. Hands behind his head, he enjoyed the brief moment of relaxation. Though it had been a few weeks since his last mission, there was no doubt that this assignment would be a long and consuming operation. As he lay there, the thought crossed his mind and he tried to let it drift aside, but it refused to let him rest. How much of his life would be spent watching after Sydney Bristow?