CHAPTER FIFTEEN - REACTIONS

Sydney couldn't speak for a full minute.  I killed Sloane?  I… killed Sloane.  Her mind kept cycling the same thought.  She was confused, not understand how something so big could have been forgotten.  She didn't remember killing Arvin Sloane, but the information didn't feel new, either.

Amazingly, she never questioned whether she would, or could do such a thing. 

Finally, she looked up at Jack who was still supportively grasping her arm.  With an unaffected tone, Sydney began her questioning, "How do you know that I killed Sloane?  I thought nobody knew where I was."

Sydney's response shocked Jack.  She had always been a stellar agent, and that including being perfectly capable of defending herself with deadly force when necessary.  But Sydney had always kept her emotions close to the surface, particularly when it came to taking human life.  The fact that she was handling this revelation with such control was alarming.

"His body was found just before you turned up in Hong Kong.  Your fingerprints were all over the gun that was used to shoot him.  Analysis of the scene gave no indication of anyone else.  I suppose it is possible that you weren't the one that…" He paused, not wanting to upset her, "That you weren't the one, but it doesn't seem likely."

Jack studied Sydney's detached face, his concern growing when her only response was a steady nodding of her head.  She didn't even seem surprised by this news.  He wasn't sure that was a good thing. "Sydney, are you alright?"

She allowed herself to reflect for a moment before answering.  There wasn't much to contemplate.  Sydney felt surprisingly… calm.  Resigned.  There was no shock, guilt, or fear.  She did not even feel satisfied that she had finally gotten revenge on the man who had caused her so much grief.  Sydney Bristow was just… quiet.

She covered her father's hand with her own and gave it a light squeeze.  "I'm fine, Dad."

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When the plane landed in Los Angeles, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon.  The Bristows collected their few belongings and departed, skipping the airport terminal in favor of a private car waiting on the tarmac. 

The remainder of the flight, after Jack's revelation regarding Sloane, had been spent mostly in silence.  Sydney had quickly fallen back asleep, and Jack had been too stunned to do anything other than sit and stare out the window.

Now settled into the back seat of the car, Sydney decided it was time to get the plan for the next few days.

"Where are we going?  Your house?"

"Well, I haven't had a house for awhile now.  I've taken to living in hotels," Jack answered.  A slightly disgusted expression crossed his face as he continued, "In any matter, I think Kendall probably expects us at the Joint Task Force.  When we last spoke he was very adamant about discovering where you have been, and with whom you have been associating."

"Actually, sir," the driver's voice called over the hum of the tires, "Director Kendall asked me to take you to the safehouse first.  He thought you might want to freshen up.  You and Miss Bristow aren't due at JTF until this afternoon."

Jack and Sydney exchanged a surprised glance.  Kendall was putting their needs and feelings above the Agency's objectives?  That was… unusual.

In less than twenty minutes, their car was pulling into the driveway of a nondescript, ranch-style house.  The garage door opened, the car entered, and the door was shutting again before Jack and Sydney opened their doors to get out.  While Jack moved to speak to the driver about the plans for their stay, Sydney opened the door and stepped into the house. 

The first thing she noticed was that this was a long-term safehouse.  There was closed circuit surveillance equipment, and a top-notch alarm system, but other than that, it was a normal home.  The short-term safehouses had large separate surveillance rooms that looked in on the main rooms.  At least we won't have to worry about being watched.

She moved through the kitchen, running her hand lightly over the countertop.  She walked past a small dining table and turned left into the living room.  The décor was bland… mostly beige.  There was a sofa, a recliner, a small wooden coffee table with magazines stacked on it, and a television in the corner.

The wall behind the television had built-in bookcases, filled with a variety of literary classics.  Sydney immediately became engrossed in perusing her ready-made library.  Jane Austin… Greek Tragedies… Faulkner… Carl Sandburg… not bad!  She found her favorite Jane Austin novel, Persuasion, and pulled the thin volume from the shelf.  Tucking it under her arm, she turned to find her father standing next to the recliner, watching her.

"Found something you like?" he asked, walking over the front door and checking the deadbolt.

Sydney lifted the book, showing her father the cover.

Jack smiled as he read the title.  "I remember that one.  It was one of your mother's favorites.  Not mine, though.  I used to think all those Jane Austin novels were just the same romance story with different names attached."

"Maybe," Sydney chuckled at the thought of her father reading all the Jane Austin novels for comparison's sake.  She took a deep breath and studied the book's cover.  "But this one is different.  This story shows how love can conquer time.  Nine years of forced separation wasn't enough to lessen the devotion of Anne to Captain Wentworth."  She paused, her voice getting thick with emotion, "She waited for him… and eventually…"

Jack moved to embrace his daughter as her sobs returned, but before he could, she held up a hand to stop him.  "I'm okay." She whispered, trying to control herself.  She gave him a brief, weak smile, "I'm being silly – I know.  I'm just… I'm just going to lay down for awhile."

Jack nodded and watched her move past him, down the dark hallway, and into one of the bedrooms.  When he saw the door shut, he turned back to look out the front room window. 

He was too immersed in his concerns for Sydney to notice the car that had been paused down the street begin to move away.  He was too worried to notice the beautiful woman driving the car, who had been discretely watching the house from behind large sunglasses.

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A/N:  Thanks, again, to all the terrific reviewers!  I love you guys.  In writing this chapter, I inadvertently wrote half of the next chapter… part of why this took so long, but it just means that the next update will come MUCH quicker!  And a special, huge, big hug to whoever nominated me & this story over at FoF.  THANK YOU!!  You have no idea how amazing it makes me feel that my first attempt at fanfic has been so well-received.