After they had finished their meal the flight attendants announced that
they were beginning the movie, and dimmed the lights. As the opening
credits began to roll, Hayden caught a glimpse of Sydney as she became more
comfortable in her seat. He thought back to the CIA file he'd read about
her. She'd been recruited into SD-6 at a fairly young age. 'Hell, she's
still young.' He thought to himself. 'And pretty.' Her fiancé had been
killed, her mother was found alive, and then her best friend Francie was
killed. She'd gone through a lot in the several years before she'd
disappeared. Then again he'd gone through a lot too.
Hayden forced himself to focus on the movie, but still found him mind wandering toward Sydney. Agent Vaughn had been her handler, had he been more? Her file said nothing about her personal relationships before she went missing. Though after what he'd seen in Hong Kong, he was fairly certain that they had been intimate. Agent Vaughn was someone who Hayden knew very little about. He'd been Sydney's handler, and occasional partner before she'd disappeared, but six months after that he's resigned from the CIA. Hayden knew that Vaughn was married, and wondered how that figured into his relationship with Sydney. Was that why he was so sad when he'd seen her again? Had he gone out and hurt her by marrying someone else?
Hayden glanced at Sydney again. This time she wasn't watching the movie, but was instead staring out the window. Hayden wasn't a particularly emotional man, but he felt bad for Sydney. If he had deduced correctly, than not only had she just found out that she was missing two years of her life, but also that her lover was married to someone else. 'Double whammy.' He said as he turned back to watch the movie.
Hayden was right. Sydney was looking out the window at the darkened clouds and thinking about both the two years, and the man she had lost. She was going over her hundreds of questions over and over again, and trying to find some sort of semblance in her brain. There was none to be found. Her mind was a mess of emotion, and questions. Fear, anger and sadness all clouded her though process, just as the tears clouded her eyes. She couldn't see, she couldn't sleep; all she could do was scrunch up the small pillow behind her neck, and drift off into a fitful sleep.
She woke up to the sound of the flight attendants bringing around another set of beverages. She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them as she yawned.
"Hey sleepy head." Hayden smiled at her. Sydney was still in awe of hi ability to remain in character, and keep his accent suppressed.
"Hi. I missed the movie didn't I?" She said, before taking a deep breath and attempting to stretch.
"Uh huh, but you might still be able to get something to drink. Here, what do you want?" Hayden said unbuckling his seat belt.
"Water would be great." She said smiling.
Hayden leapt up and walked down the aisle. A moment later he was back with a bottled water and a cup of ice.
"Here you are sweet heart." He said handing them to her as he sat down.
"Thanks." She smiled back, before pouring the water into the cup. She sat quietly and sipped the water as Hayden began flipping though a Sky Mall magazine.
A few moments later Hayden leaned over to her and showed her what he was reading in the magazine. "Look honey, that's exactly what we need for the house." He said pointing to a cute sign that read 'Our Home'. Sydney laughed slightly before nodding in agreement. Hayden was good at his cover, but she found herself struggling to keep up with him. She smiled at his again and he gave her a wink before handing her a crumpled up napkin, which he concealed with his hand. She held it tightly for a moment as Hayden settled back in his seat, and then grabbed a magazine for herself.
As she flipped open the magazine Sydney was also able to un-crumple Hayden's note. It read: After land, we go to safe house still in cover. Follow my lead. She read it through twice before ripping the napkin in half and setting down the magazine. She took a last sip of water before completely submerging Hayden's note into it. Hayden nodded at her and then smiled.
The rest of the flight was completely uneventful. Sydney fell asleep and missed half of the second movie, before dozing right back off again. She was awoken to the sound of the captain's voice signaling their decent into Los Angeles International Airport. Once they landed, Hayden and Sydney found their luggage, and then made their way to the awaiting car. Once inside the backseat both let out a sigh of relief. The car sped off and neither said a word until they had pulled up to the safe house.
Hayden pulled a set of keys from his pocket and opened the front door. "Here we are." He said softly, his accent intact. He led the way into the house and Sydney could hear the car pull off from the curb.
"Are you staying?" She asked. The house was dark, and the sun was setting over the horizon.
"Well for tonight. Until we confirm that you are clear of surveillance." He said flipping on the light. The house was standard safe house, and Sydney vaguely remembered being in this particular one before.
"Are you hungry?" He said leading her into the living room, and heading toward the kitchen.
"Not really." She said as she looked around. The house was old, and without many furnishings. It was meant for one purpose: Safety. Sydney understood the need for her covert arrival back in LA, but she was very unsure of the heightened security.
"The security team should be arriving any minute now." Hayden called from the kitchen. She heard the refrigerator close, and then Hayden walked back into the living room.
"Why all the security measures?" She said looking Hayden directly in the eye. "You're father's orders, he said." he paused looking toward the door. "That should be the boys now." He stepped toward the door, which swung open before he reached it. Instead of a security team coming through it, however, in stepped Jack Bristow.
"Dad.." Sydney said, almost in disbelief.
"Sydney." He breathed, and began walking toward her. They stood staring at each other for a moment before they both moved in for a hug. Hayden closed the door and then watched as the two embraced. "Sydney, I'm so glad you're alright." Jack said not daring to let her go.
"I'm fine Dad." She said pulling away slightly. Jack relented, after a moment and then stood back to look at Sydney.
"You don't remember anything?" He said his stern focused look returning to his face.
"No." Sydney said looking down at the ground.
"Don't worry, we'll figure everything out." He said reaching to touch her face. As he did she looked up and gave him a tentative smile.
"Umm, sorry to interrupt, but isn't this party missing a security detail?" Hayden jumped in awkwardly.
"Yes, Agent Moore, one will be arriving shortly." Jack paused and threw Hayden a stern look. After a moment he seemed to rethink what he'd said, and then looked back to Sydney. "Thank you for bringing her home safely." He pulled Sydney close again.
Hayden forced himself to focus on the movie, but still found him mind wandering toward Sydney. Agent Vaughn had been her handler, had he been more? Her file said nothing about her personal relationships before she went missing. Though after what he'd seen in Hong Kong, he was fairly certain that they had been intimate. Agent Vaughn was someone who Hayden knew very little about. He'd been Sydney's handler, and occasional partner before she'd disappeared, but six months after that he's resigned from the CIA. Hayden knew that Vaughn was married, and wondered how that figured into his relationship with Sydney. Was that why he was so sad when he'd seen her again? Had he gone out and hurt her by marrying someone else?
Hayden glanced at Sydney again. This time she wasn't watching the movie, but was instead staring out the window. Hayden wasn't a particularly emotional man, but he felt bad for Sydney. If he had deduced correctly, than not only had she just found out that she was missing two years of her life, but also that her lover was married to someone else. 'Double whammy.' He said as he turned back to watch the movie.
Hayden was right. Sydney was looking out the window at the darkened clouds and thinking about both the two years, and the man she had lost. She was going over her hundreds of questions over and over again, and trying to find some sort of semblance in her brain. There was none to be found. Her mind was a mess of emotion, and questions. Fear, anger and sadness all clouded her though process, just as the tears clouded her eyes. She couldn't see, she couldn't sleep; all she could do was scrunch up the small pillow behind her neck, and drift off into a fitful sleep.
She woke up to the sound of the flight attendants bringing around another set of beverages. She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them as she yawned.
"Hey sleepy head." Hayden smiled at her. Sydney was still in awe of hi ability to remain in character, and keep his accent suppressed.
"Hi. I missed the movie didn't I?" She said, before taking a deep breath and attempting to stretch.
"Uh huh, but you might still be able to get something to drink. Here, what do you want?" Hayden said unbuckling his seat belt.
"Water would be great." She said smiling.
Hayden leapt up and walked down the aisle. A moment later he was back with a bottled water and a cup of ice.
"Here you are sweet heart." He said handing them to her as he sat down.
"Thanks." She smiled back, before pouring the water into the cup. She sat quietly and sipped the water as Hayden began flipping though a Sky Mall magazine.
A few moments later Hayden leaned over to her and showed her what he was reading in the magazine. "Look honey, that's exactly what we need for the house." He said pointing to a cute sign that read 'Our Home'. Sydney laughed slightly before nodding in agreement. Hayden was good at his cover, but she found herself struggling to keep up with him. She smiled at his again and he gave her a wink before handing her a crumpled up napkin, which he concealed with his hand. She held it tightly for a moment as Hayden settled back in his seat, and then grabbed a magazine for herself.
As she flipped open the magazine Sydney was also able to un-crumple Hayden's note. It read: After land, we go to safe house still in cover. Follow my lead. She read it through twice before ripping the napkin in half and setting down the magazine. She took a last sip of water before completely submerging Hayden's note into it. Hayden nodded at her and then smiled.
The rest of the flight was completely uneventful. Sydney fell asleep and missed half of the second movie, before dozing right back off again. She was awoken to the sound of the captain's voice signaling their decent into Los Angeles International Airport. Once they landed, Hayden and Sydney found their luggage, and then made their way to the awaiting car. Once inside the backseat both let out a sigh of relief. The car sped off and neither said a word until they had pulled up to the safe house.
Hayden pulled a set of keys from his pocket and opened the front door. "Here we are." He said softly, his accent intact. He led the way into the house and Sydney could hear the car pull off from the curb.
"Are you staying?" She asked. The house was dark, and the sun was setting over the horizon.
"Well for tonight. Until we confirm that you are clear of surveillance." He said flipping on the light. The house was standard safe house, and Sydney vaguely remembered being in this particular one before.
"Are you hungry?" He said leading her into the living room, and heading toward the kitchen.
"Not really." She said as she looked around. The house was old, and without many furnishings. It was meant for one purpose: Safety. Sydney understood the need for her covert arrival back in LA, but she was very unsure of the heightened security.
"The security team should be arriving any minute now." Hayden called from the kitchen. She heard the refrigerator close, and then Hayden walked back into the living room.
"Why all the security measures?" She said looking Hayden directly in the eye. "You're father's orders, he said." he paused looking toward the door. "That should be the boys now." He stepped toward the door, which swung open before he reached it. Instead of a security team coming through it, however, in stepped Jack Bristow.
"Dad.." Sydney said, almost in disbelief.
"Sydney." He breathed, and began walking toward her. They stood staring at each other for a moment before they both moved in for a hug. Hayden closed the door and then watched as the two embraced. "Sydney, I'm so glad you're alright." Jack said not daring to let her go.
"I'm fine Dad." She said pulling away slightly. Jack relented, after a moment and then stood back to look at Sydney.
"You don't remember anything?" He said his stern focused look returning to his face.
"No." Sydney said looking down at the ground.
"Don't worry, we'll figure everything out." He said reaching to touch her face. As he did she looked up and gave him a tentative smile.
"Umm, sorry to interrupt, but isn't this party missing a security detail?" Hayden jumped in awkwardly.
"Yes, Agent Moore, one will be arriving shortly." Jack paused and threw Hayden a stern look. After a moment he seemed to rethink what he'd said, and then looked back to Sydney. "Thank you for bringing her home safely." He pulled Sydney close again.