Chapter 3
[I]Bound at every
limb by my shackles of fear
Sealed with lies through so many tears
Lost from within, pursuing the end
I fight for the chance to be lied to again
~[b]Evanescence[/b], Lies[/I]
"And
you don't know where you were? Or with whom?"
"No, I do not."
"Not even an idea?" Dr. Barnett prodded. Sydney sighed and looked up at her. Before she could reply, Weiss cut in.
"Look, the CIA kept Sydney locked up here for two weeks. They ran all kinds of tests, asked her every question you're asking, and decided that she was telling the truth, and it was ok to let her go. Why are you repeating all of it now?"
"Agent Weiss, I can understand and appreciate your protectiveness in this matter. However, we had hoped that her being home, with Mr. Tippin, might somehow help spur some kind of memory."
"Well in that case, don't you think it'd be a bit more conducive to your goals to actually allow her some time at home before interrogating her again? She's hardly had time to make her bed, much less recover any memories." Dr. Barnett didn't reply, nor did she look up, instead writing something down in her notes. Then she glanced at Sydney again.
"Is there anything I should know about?" Sydney's mind flashed to Sark; that kiss, the poem, his note. She glanced up and met Dr. Barnett's eyes.
"No. Nothing."
"Ok then. Taking Agent Weiss' words under advisement, I'm scheduling your next appointment two weeks from today. Is that ok with you?" Sydney nodded briskly.
"Good. Thank you for coming in, Sydney, and I sincerely hope things get better for you." Sydney gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you." Weiss gently took her arm and led her out. She smiled up at him.
"You know Eric, you don't have to hold my hand all day." He gave her an odd look.
"Syd, I'm not… I'm holding your elbow." She smacked his arm.
"You know what I meant." He grinned and released her arm.
"What do you have to do now?" he questioned.
"Nothing… I'm not needed here right now. No one's telling me anything about my father, and there are no more questions that I have the answer to."
"Heading home?" Sydney nodded slowly.
"Yeah… it's too hard to be here right now."
"Call me if you need anything." Sydney smiled.
"Of course. Thank you, Weiss." He nodded and walked away as Sydney pulled a hasty retreat. As she headed out, she kept her eyes out for Marshall, whom she'd yet to see since her return, and Dixon, who'd spoken to her only briefly. She spotted neither of them, and headed to the parking garage. Sydney approached her car apprehensively, half expecting Sark to have been brazen enough to enter the CIA parking garage and leave her another note.
She sighed as she found nothing, though she couldn't truly say if it had been a sigh of relief, or disappointment.
When she got home, she found Will busily scrawling something on a pad of paper. His pencil stopped moving as he caught sight of her. His glance swung to the clock in the kitchen before he looked her way again.
"Geez Syd, it's past 6… what the hell did they do, interrogate you?"
"May as well have…" she muttered. Will grimaced.
"Sorry… hit a nerve?" She shrugged off his concern.
"Will, right now, I don't think there's anything that won't hit a nerve." He glanced down at his hands, before facing her again, a apologetic look on his face.
"Well… this is definitely going to touch upon a sore spot…" she looked at him curiously.
"What is?"
"Uh… Vaughn called." Sydney blinked.
"What?"
"He wants to talk to you… in person." Will stood quickly as he noticed Sydney going pale.
"I don't think I can handle that right now…" she mumbled, rubbing her head with her left hand.
"I told him I didn't think it was a good idea right now." She gave him a grateful look.
"Thanks Will."
"Don't mention it," he replied, sitting down to resume his writing.
"What're you working on?"
"Article on Germany," he answered briefly.
"Oh… have you been there?"
"Very shortly, last year." Sydney wandered over to grab a bottle of water before making her way back to him.
"Will… is everything ok?" He paused, biting on the end of his pencil, before replying.
"It's just… it's so hard, Sydney." She pulled out a chair and sat next to him.
"What, the article?" He laughed lightly, shaking his head.
"No… it's 4-7 pages of talking about how wonderful Germany is. Easiest thing I've ever had to write." Sydney leaned back, looking perplexed, and Will sighed.
"Syd… you can be so unbelievably dense sometimes." She seemed completely taken aback at his words, and he laughed again.
"Ok… well maybe I am, but I still have no clue what you're thinking." He nodded.
"Let's just keep it that way for now."
"What? You're not going to tell me?"
"I will eventually, but right now is just horrible timing… I shouldn't have brought it up."
"I was the one who asked about it," Sydney reminded him.
"Technicality," he mumbled.
"Will, please… I need to know there's someone I can trust to be honest with me." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ok… fine. But don't day I didn't warn you that the timing is crappy."
"I'll remember that," Sydney promised. Will nodded slowly, but before he could reply, the doorbell rang. He and Sydney exchanged confused looks.
"Are you expecting someone?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No… I take it you aren't either?" Sydney stood and started towards the door, then faced Will again.
"Wait… but we-"
"Can talk later," Will cut in. "We've got time." Sydney hesitated until the doorbell sounded again. With an abrupt sigh, she hurried over and opened it, gaping in a mix of shock and anger when she saw the visitor.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. Will, overhearing her strained voice, appeared behind her a moment later, frowning as he caught sight of him.
"Look, I think we need to talk," Vaughn stated. Sydney glared at him unflinchingly.
"I agree… but not now, not here."
"I think this is the perfect setting."
"Your opinion doesn't mean a damn thing to me anymore, Vaughn." Will saw the pain register in Vaughn's eyes, but he quickly shook it off.
"Syd, I know-" she cut him off angrily.
"Do not call me Syd… you don't have that right anymore." Vaughn's jaw clenched.
"Fine. Agent Bristow, I've heard-" she interrupted again.
"Ok, now you're just mocking me." He gave no reply, and she shook her head in frustration. "Way to earn points there Vaughn."
"You know what, I'm not leaving until we've talked." Vaughn crossed his arms and stared at her, waiting for a response. She nodded slowly.
"If that's how it's gonna be…" she turned and stormed to her room. Will, after shooting Vaughn a glare, chased after her. He found her pulling on a pair of shoes.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I guess we'll have to talk even later," she mumbled, avoiding his question. She finished tying her shoes and started for the door. Will caught her arm and pulled her back.
"What are you doing?"
"There's something I need to tell you before you go out there."
"We'll talk later… I promise."
"No… no, it's something different." Recognizing the repentant look on his face, Sydney took a step back.
"What's going on?"
"Um… he sorta knows."
"Knows what?"
"Well, about…" he trailed off, eyes trained firmly on his feet. Sydney groaned.
"You told him about Sark?"
"I didn't mean to Syd, it just… I don't know, slipped out."
"Will, I trusted you!"
"I know, I'm sorry… I was worried. Look, all he knows is that Sark showed up here… he doesn't even know you talked to him, or… anything else that happened."
"Why'd you tell me? That he knew, I mean."
"I didn't want you to go out there and face him without knowing that ahead of time." She rubbed her forehead, and looked at him a few moments later.
"Thank you. But we are still going to talk later." A small smile played over his lips.
"Ok." He walked her back to where Vaughn still stood, waiting. Feeling it wasn't his place to be involved, Will gave Sydney's shoulder an encouraging squeeze before turning to continue work on his article. Sydney grabbed hold of his hand as he tried to slip away, keeping him firmly anchored next to her. Understanding that she needed his support, he stayed
"Vaughn, I'll ask again… please, let it wait for another time."
"Sydney, I told you… I'm not leaving until we talk. This is too important to simply brush aside." A potent mix of pain and anger covered Sydney's face at this remark.
"We are talking about two years of my life that I have lost, Vaughn! I am not simply… brushing it aside. How dare you even imply that?" He had the decency to look suitably apologetic, but Sydney wouldn't allow him to speak again. "And if you refuse to leave- which, really, Will should call the cops on you for. There must be a million laws to protect people against things like this- but if you're not leaving… then I am." Will looked bewildered as she suddenly shoved past Vaughn and took off down the street. After a moment of confusion, Vaughn turned to follow her, but was stopped by Will.
"Do not go after her," he warned before shutting the door. Dejected, Vaughn returned to his car, staring down the street in the direction Sydney had taken. Knowing full well that giving chase would now be pointless, he angrily slammed his palms against the steering wheel before starting the car and heading in the opposite direction.
For her part, Sydney covered only three blocks before slowing to a walk in a small park she had frequented in the past. She headed for the bench closest to her, but began to steer away as she realized that someone else already occupied it. Another thought occurred to her, and she again redirected herself towards the bench. Mere seconds later, she was sitting next to Sark. He looked at her calmly, and the strength radiating from his blue eyes was enough to soothe her frayed nerves. She frowned and leaned back.
"Enough of this cryptic crap. I want answers, and I want them now."