Chapter Two: Set Adrift

The sound of the key turning in the lock on Will Tippin's front door brought forth a whine from an unseen creature on the other side. The whining was accompanied by scratching on the door post, and before Will could turn the doorknob, a black paw darted out underneath the door and took a swipe as the whimpering continued in earnest.

"Don't mind her," Will smiled brightly at Sydney Bristow as he slowly pushed open the door, careful not to maim the animal on the other side. "She's completely harmless."

Sydney followed Will inside his apartment and was immediately accosted by a large black lab who was unconditionally happy to see her even though they were meeting for the first time. The dog leapt up and rested her paws on Sydney's stomach while wildly sniffing her face, saying hello in a way that only dogs can get away with.

"Pip! C'mon, Pip, get down," Will came to Sydney's side to rescue her after he had closed and locked the front door. "C'mon, girl," He tugged lightly on Pip's collar and she relented, nosing Sydney's hands once more before returning to the floor. She turned a few circles, sniffing the air and brushing up against Will's jeans before darting to the corner of the room to retrieve her favorite chew toy.

"When did you get a dog?" Sydney watched the dog run from one side of the living room to the other, gently biting the toy until it squeaked, watching Will intently to see if he wanted to play.

Will tossed his jacket across the back of the brown leather couch and grinned as he headed for the kitchen. "When I got out of the hospital, my sister gave her to me as a welcome home present," He opened the refrigerator and glanced inside at the meager contents. "Amy had owned her for about three months but decided she couldn't handle her anymore. She's a bit hyper at times."

Sydney turned sharply as the dog knocked over a garbage can. "I noticed."

"Amy named her Pippy Longstockings because of the way her ears stick out," Will grabbed two cans of diet Coke and handed one to Sydney. "Could you see me calling her that in the middle of a dog park? In front of beautiful single women?" Will laughed. "I decided that 'Pip' was more fitting."

Sydney hid a smile behind her soda can before taking a sip. "You seem well suited for one another," She commented. "The word 'tenacious' comes to mind." The dog ran past them both, chew toy firmly in her mouth as she circled the couch for the fifth time.

Will just smiled. "C'mon," He coaxed warmly. "I'll give you the 50-cent tour."

From the outside, the apartment building reminded Sydney of the complex featured in the mid-90's TV drama "Melrose Place". The inside, however, was another story; Will had managed to make the small, one bedroom space into a comfortable, unassuming home.

Once Will had led her through the whole apartment, the black lab at their heels, he paused in the small dining area to take a gulp of his soda and gather his thoughts. Sydney reached to set her diet Coke on the dining table and stopped cold.

"Will."

Will swallowed noisily and turned. "What?"

"The table."

Will met Sydney's wide eyes and then followed her gaze down to the object of her undivided attention. He studied it for a moment before the realization dawned on him.

"Oh, yeah-" He started, just before Sydney cut him off.

"That's my table," She stated, her mouth agape. "From my apartment."

Will watched her carefully for a moment, unsettled by how much this affected her. He slowly raised a hand and rested it kindly on her shoulder.

"I had some great times with you at that table," He told her in a reverent tone. "It didn't seem right to sell it or put it into storage." Will was unprepared to see Sydney turn to him with wet eyes, a tear perilously close to falling.

"Will," She said, clearly stricken. "What's happened to my life?"

Will didn't know what else to do; he pulled Sydney into his arms and held her silently as she cried on his shoulder, her tears coming swiftly. Even Pip sensed the sadness that suddenly filled the room; she dropped her chew toy and came to Sydney's side, nuzzling her hand. When the dog began to lick her fingers, Sydney couldn't help but smile as she pulled back from Will's comforting embrace.

"I'm being tag-teamed," She joked. "I have no choice but to cheer up." Sydney pulled out one of the chairs and sat down at the table, patting her knee encouragingly. Pip eagerly placed her head in Sydney's lap and rubbed her velvet soft ears against Sydney's fingers.

"You don't have to do anything, Syd, except recognize the people around you who are here to help you," Will said, taking a seat next to Sydney before reaching out to pat Pip's side.

Sydney smiled up at him and continued to rub the dog's head with one hand as she ran the other lazily across the tabletop. Her expression grew distant as memories of earlier days played themselves out on the big screen in her mind. She sighed, lost in thought and unaware of how miserable she sounded. Will's heart constricted to hear the weary timbre of her voice.

"I feel like a refugee," She said, her eyes still fixed on the tabletop. "A woman without a country."

Will reached out to grab her hand as she absently swept it past him, her fingers tracing the wood grain. "You're anything but a refugee," He assured her. "More like a prodigal, returning home."

Sydney chuckled in spite of herself. "Except that I don't ever remember being gone," She finally met Will's eyes, memories of days gone by slowly fading from view. "When you and Francie first kissed; that was what, six months ago?"

It was a test, and Will knew it. He didn't fault her for it. "Almost two and a half years ago, Syd."

Sydney nodded, her eyes darting away. "I keep waiting for someone to point out the candid cameras."

"Let me get you a clean towel so you can shower," Will stood up after drinking the last of his diet Coke. He walked by Sydney on his way to the hall closet, tenderly squeezing her shoulder as he passed.

Sydney gently nudged the dog's head out of her lap and stood up. Pip barked playfully and ran back to the spot where she'd abandoned her chew toy, snatching it up and making it squeak. She lumbered across the room and brushed Sydney's leg with the t-bone steak shaped toy, excitedly whapping the table legs with her tail.

Sydney grabbed the chew toy and tossed it across the room, behind the couch. Pip barked excitedly and immediately took off in pursuit, her claws clicking in rapid succession on the hardwood floors.

Waiting for the dog to return so they could play again, Sydney walked over to the entertainment center to glance at the framed photos displayed on top. She looked at them closely, smiling faintly as she moved from one picture to the next. Her heart nearly stopped when she came to the last one. The photo was familiar, the frame surrounding it even more so.

Carefully, Sydney reached out and picked it up, turning it slowly in her hands. There was a chip in the wood on the back side of the frame, in the exact place Sydney knew it would be. The frame had been damaged when it had been accidentally knocked off of her bedside table.

During a night long ago, with Vaughn, when she'd flung her hand out from beneath the covers to grip the edge of her pillow.

Her eyes rimmed with tears, Sydney returned the antique frame to the space where Will had placed it, the image of Francie smiling back at her as she struggled to keep her grief in check.

Hearing Will's footsteps on the wooden floor, Sydney hastily wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and reached for something, anything nearby to distract her. She grabbed a CD from the top of the stereo and was surprised to see that it was Hootie and the Blowfish.

"Will," She looked at him quizzically as he entered the room. "I thought you hated Hootie and the Blowfish."

"I do," Will agreed, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "But I just had to buy that CD; it's the last one they made before they disbanded."

"They what?" Sydney put the CD back and turned to face him. "When?"

"About a year ago," Will shrugged, reaching down to wrestle the chew toy away from his dog. Pip bounced around his legs, whining excitedly until he threw the toy back across the room. She bounded after it, nearly knocking over the magazine rack as she darted around the couch.

Sydney couldn't help the tears that once again sprang to her eyes. This day had been nothing to her but a constant reminder of all she had missed, from earth-shattering to insignificant. No matter how small something seemed, such as a random detail about a band Sydney didn't even care for, it still rocked her like rough ocean waves against a dinghy. She felt as though she would capsize at any moment.

"There's a fresh towel on the rack in the bathroom," Will said over his shoulder, bending over to rub Pip's belly as she curled around his feet, the toy clutched firmly in her teeth. "And you can use my robe, if you want, until I find something for you to wear. It's on the hook on the back of the door." He turned his head to look at Sydney and was surprised to find that she was already gone.

Just as Will straightened up again, the dog scrambling to keep his attention, he heard the shower come on and the distinctive clack of the glass shower door rolling closed. These sounds were followed by one that Will did not recognize at first. Pip cocked her head and listened, also, just before she pawed the floor at her owner's feet and let out a mournful whine.

"C'mon, girl," Will crossed the room and grabbed Pip's leash from where it hung on the antique hat rack next to the front door. "What do you say we go for a walk?"

Eager to oblige, Pip barked her reply and jogged to Will's side, waiting patiently for him to attach the leash to her collar before straining against it and darting into the hallway as soon as Will opened the front door. His face a mask of concern, Will glanced once back into the apartment before he closed the door, leaving Sydney to her shower and the deep sobs she released as she huddled, small and scared, beneath the cleansing spray.

"Thank you for coming in today, Ms. Bristow," Dr. Barnett closed her notebook and laid her silver Mont Blanc pen on the dark leather cover.

"Frankly, Doctor, I don't think I had a choice," Sydney recrossed her legs, sweeping strands of her freshly washed hair off her shoulder. Fiddling aimlessly with the sleeves of the borrowed shirt she wore, she glanced up at Dr. Barnett, her eyes dark. "If Kendall had had his way, I probably would have been in here first thing this morning."

"I think the last hour has been beneficial," Dr. Barnett commented, her cool blue eyes searching Sydney's face. "And in regards to Kendall, I'm sure he's just concerned about your well being."

"He's concerned about whether or not I'm telling the truth," Sydney said pointedly. "He's concerned about my loyalties. I'm sure you know that as soon as I'm done here, I have to go speak with two investigators. I'm sure you also know that the first thing they're going to do is hook me up to a polygraph."

"I'm sure you know, Agent Bristow," Dr. Barnett's tone rested heavily on the word "agent"; it was the first time she'd used it during their time together. "That for a well trained field agent, a polygraph is as useful as a screen door on a submarine."

Sydney was caught off-guard by Dr. Barnett's attempt at levity. She caught herself starting to smile and stopped, letting out a deep sigh, instead.

"Do you believe me?" Sydney finally asked, meeting the doctor's eyes once again.

"I believe that you believe that you have no memory of the last two years," Dr. Barnett replied cryptically. "I believe that you believe that wherever you were, and whatever you were doing, it wasn't anything illicit or illegal."

"Thanks, that helps me a lot," Sydney mumbled sarcastically, dropping both feet heavily to the floor. She stood up quickly, grabbing Will's denim jacket from the chair next to her own. "If we're through here, I really need to report to Agent Barnes and Agent Miller-"

"Ms. Bristow," Dr. Barnett said quickly, getting to her feet as well. "I want you to remember what we talked about. Until we can get a better understanding of the reason why you don't remember, we need to be prepared for anything." She followed Sydney to the door. "Don't be frightened if you have sudden flashbacks, or if you have strange dreams or nightmares that seem out of the ordinary. Just try to write down as much of it as you can and we'll discuss it when we meet again."

"I talk in my sleep," Sydney put in, her hand on the doorknob. "Maybe I should run a tape recorder all night, next to the bed?" Her eyes were hard as she lifted them to meet Dr. Barnett's concerned gaze.

"I know this is difficult," Dr. Barnett glossed over Sydney's bitter sarcasm. "But I'll help you through it. You've got to trust me."

Sydney didn't answer; she stared down at the carpeted floor, tears wedging themselves in her throat for the umpteenth time that day. She desperately wanted to stop crying, to stop feeling so lost among her own emotions.

"Okay," She finally whispered, pulling open the office door before stepping out into the brightly lit hallway.

"Sydney," Dr. Barnett called after her, causing her to turn as she reached the elevator just a few feet away. "Next time I'd like to talk a little about Agent Vaughn."

Sydney was grateful that the elevator was empty when she stepped inside. If she was going to cry, she'd much rather do it alone.

"Your urinalysis came back abnormal," the Medical Services physician, Dr. Wick, stood at the end of the hospital-style bed where Sydney sat, her legs tucked beneath her as she listened intently. "We haven't identified the exact drug yet, but we believe there was some sort of sedative in your system."

"That was expected, though, right?" Sydney questioned. "I mean, I didn't just curl up in the middle of that alley in Hong Kong and go to sleep."

"No, I'm sure you didn't," the doctor agreed, tucking Sydney's medical chart under his arm. "Until we identify what it was, we won't have any idea how long you might have been under its influence." He slid a hand in the pocket of his crisp white lab coat. "I'm sure that Director Kendall explained to you that we're keeping you here, in Med Services, overnight."

"Yes," Sydney admitted. She was not a fan of this idea, but she understood the reasoning behind it. She was in no mood to argue, anyway, after spending over four hours with the investigators before being summoned to Medical Services just as she was sitting down with Will for a quick bite to eat.

"We've got you scheduled for a full physical work-up first thing in the morning, including complete blood work and an MRI. I know it sounds like a lot, but it's imperative we do this as close to your return as possible," Dr. Wick cast her a sympathetic smile. "I hope you'll be able to sleep. You understand I can't give you anything to help you relax."

"It's okay," Sydney smiled back, albeit weakly. "I'm pretty exhausted. I've had a full day."

Dr. Wick turned to go, dimming the lights at the wall switch by the door. "If you need anything, there's a call button on the wall behind you. Don't hesitate to use it."

"Thank you," Sydney nodded as he left the room and waited for him to close the door before she slowly uncurled her legs and dangled her feet over the edge of the bed. After tiredly rubbing her eyes, she yawned as she reached down and slipped off her shoes.

The blue jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt that Will had borrowed from a female neighbor he was friendly with were almost a full size too big. They were comfortable, though, and Sydney found herself relaxing despite her surroundings as she eased herself back against the pillow, curling herself into a near fetal position. Her eyelids grew heavy and she sighed sleepily, nestling into the sheets, burrowing her feet under the edges of the blanket. Sydney was just on the verge of sleep, consciousness deliciously fading to black, when she heard a familiar voice speak her name, followed by a term of endearment she hadn't heard in what felt like ages.

"Sydney, sweetheart."

Sydney opened her eyes and blinked hard, her eyes readjusting to the semi- darkness. A male figure stood at the door, his body silhouetted by the bright light streaming in from the hallway.

Sitting up, Sydney leaned forward to get a better look. As the face of the person in her doorway came into focus, Sydney gasped, her hands involuntarily clutching the blanket at her feet.

Opening her mouth, Sydney spoke a word she hadn't uttered since she was a small child.

"Daddy?"

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