"Sydney, wake up. We're about to land." His voice was cold. It wasn't his
gentle-kind voice. It was the voice of cold indifference, and restrained
emotion. She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. She listened to the sound
of his footsteps as the faded away, and then peeked out from under her
blanket to make sure he was gone. After making sure of this, she sat up and
rubbed her eyes. The harsh light if the airplane stung. Sydney buckled her
seat belt and looked out the window. The sun had just come up over LA.
Dixon watched as she woke up. He had watched her the entire time she had slept. She was more than his partner, more than a friend; She was like a daughter. When she and her father had been estranged, he had been there for her. Just as she had been there for him when his wife was murdered. And then, not long after Diane. she had disappeared. Vanished in to thin air. He had looked for her. He had not slept the first couple weeks after she'd gone missing. Jack had not know but he'd gone all over the world in search of her.
He watched as Sydney interacted with Vaughn. Dixon didn't know the man well, but he knew that Sydney and he had meant something to each other. He knew that they were partners professionally, but Dixon also had a feeling that they had been more than that. While Sydney had slept Vaughn had sat across from her watching. Every few minutes he would look away, as if the sight of her was to much to take in all at once. Yes, that was more than the look of a lost-and then- found, partner. It was the look of despair, betrayal, complete and utter angst. Sydney had the same look on her face when she looked at him, though hers was one of more confusion.
Dixon realized that he'd been staring at her, when her warm smile broke into his reverie. He loved that smile. It was comforting, it was innocent, it was...so completely Sydney. He had missed that smile, so very much.
"Dixon." She stopped. She looked down in a confused sort of way, as if trying to gather her thoughts.
"Yes, Sydney." He coaxed her on, knowing that it must be hard for her to find words to questions, which she shouldn't have to be asking. She looked up again and unbuckled her seatbelt. She walked across the aisle and came to sit next to him.
"My father..Vaughn said..well he didn't, or wouldn't tell me." She looked up at him with a furrowed brow. Innocently wanting to know, but worried about what she might discover. Dixon wasn't quite sure of his reply and looked down his hands in his lap. With one of them he reached over and grabbed Sydney's hand.
"Sydney." He sighed. "After you disappeared. After all the searching." He looked up at her. A tear rolled down her check.
"Dixon." She needed to know, he needed to tell her.
"He's gone Sydney. He's just gone. He spent months running all over the world looking for you. He tried to find your mother."
"My mother?" She interrupted, and paused to contemplate this. " Did he find her?"
"I don't know. He checked in with me about a year ago from Vietnam, and then dropped off the face of the earth."
"What did he say?"
"That he was following a lead on your mother, which he had hoped would lead to you. .Sydney he never gave up hope, he ..." He looked down at the ground, holding back tears. "Sydney he never once let himself think that you weren't alive, and that he couldn't find you."
She took a deep breath, trying in vain to stop the tears which were rolling down her cheeks. The plane was descending, and she realized that she needed to buckle her seatbelt. She did so, and stared at it for a few moments before speaking. "You haven't heard anything?"
"No. But Sydney you know your father. If he wanted to be found he would let us know. I'm sure he's already heard that you.. That you're here." Dixon prayed to God that Jack Bristow knew his daughter was alive and well. Dixon prayed that Jack Bristow himself was alive and well.
The plane landed at LAX, and there was a car waiting outside on the tarmac, waiting to take them away. Vaughn opened the door for Sydney and Dixon, and then got into the passenger seat. Sydney didn't ask where they were going. She didn't want to know. All she wanted was her father. Right here with her, knowing that she was alive and safe. She leaned against the tinted window and watched as they drove through the city. It wasn't all that different. Same people on the streets, same cars, trucks, and shops. Everything was the same as it had been "yesterday", or two years ago. If only things were different. Like if nobody drove anymore and instead used hover cars. If things were different than maybe the reality of her situation would sink in. Maybe it would seem like two years had passed instead of two days. But no. The world wasn't going to start being nice now. Everything was the same in the world. There was no difference between "yesterday" and two years ago in the physical world. The change was in her world. In the people she loved. In herself.
Dixon watched as she woke up. He had watched her the entire time she had slept. She was more than his partner, more than a friend; She was like a daughter. When she and her father had been estranged, he had been there for her. Just as she had been there for him when his wife was murdered. And then, not long after Diane. she had disappeared. Vanished in to thin air. He had looked for her. He had not slept the first couple weeks after she'd gone missing. Jack had not know but he'd gone all over the world in search of her.
He watched as Sydney interacted with Vaughn. Dixon didn't know the man well, but he knew that Sydney and he had meant something to each other. He knew that they were partners professionally, but Dixon also had a feeling that they had been more than that. While Sydney had slept Vaughn had sat across from her watching. Every few minutes he would look away, as if the sight of her was to much to take in all at once. Yes, that was more than the look of a lost-and then- found, partner. It was the look of despair, betrayal, complete and utter angst. Sydney had the same look on her face when she looked at him, though hers was one of more confusion.
Dixon realized that he'd been staring at her, when her warm smile broke into his reverie. He loved that smile. It was comforting, it was innocent, it was...so completely Sydney. He had missed that smile, so very much.
"Dixon." She stopped. She looked down in a confused sort of way, as if trying to gather her thoughts.
"Yes, Sydney." He coaxed her on, knowing that it must be hard for her to find words to questions, which she shouldn't have to be asking. She looked up again and unbuckled her seatbelt. She walked across the aisle and came to sit next to him.
"My father..Vaughn said..well he didn't, or wouldn't tell me." She looked up at him with a furrowed brow. Innocently wanting to know, but worried about what she might discover. Dixon wasn't quite sure of his reply and looked down his hands in his lap. With one of them he reached over and grabbed Sydney's hand.
"Sydney." He sighed. "After you disappeared. After all the searching." He looked up at her. A tear rolled down her check.
"Dixon." She needed to know, he needed to tell her.
"He's gone Sydney. He's just gone. He spent months running all over the world looking for you. He tried to find your mother."
"My mother?" She interrupted, and paused to contemplate this. " Did he find her?"
"I don't know. He checked in with me about a year ago from Vietnam, and then dropped off the face of the earth."
"What did he say?"
"That he was following a lead on your mother, which he had hoped would lead to you. .Sydney he never gave up hope, he ..." He looked down at the ground, holding back tears. "Sydney he never once let himself think that you weren't alive, and that he couldn't find you."
She took a deep breath, trying in vain to stop the tears which were rolling down her cheeks. The plane was descending, and she realized that she needed to buckle her seatbelt. She did so, and stared at it for a few moments before speaking. "You haven't heard anything?"
"No. But Sydney you know your father. If he wanted to be found he would let us know. I'm sure he's already heard that you.. That you're here." Dixon prayed to God that Jack Bristow knew his daughter was alive and well. Dixon prayed that Jack Bristow himself was alive and well.
The plane landed at LAX, and there was a car waiting outside on the tarmac, waiting to take them away. Vaughn opened the door for Sydney and Dixon, and then got into the passenger seat. Sydney didn't ask where they were going. She didn't want to know. All she wanted was her father. Right here with her, knowing that she was alive and safe. She leaned against the tinted window and watched as they drove through the city. It wasn't all that different. Same people on the streets, same cars, trucks, and shops. Everything was the same as it had been "yesterday", or two years ago. If only things were different. Like if nobody drove anymore and instead used hover cars. If things were different than maybe the reality of her situation would sink in. Maybe it would seem like two years had passed instead of two days. But no. The world wasn't going to start being nice now. Everything was the same in the world. There was no difference between "yesterday" and two years ago in the physical world. The change was in her world. In the people she loved. In herself.
