Chapter Eight – X

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long, I was in Russia. Really I was. I just returned two days ago so I could go to Halloween but I didn't have my files and I didn't have word there. But I have to tell you, it is an amazing place. I went to Ekaterinaburg in Russia than to Siberia- a town called Kurgan. It was amazing. But I promise a new chapter soon…you hear that Nick…I luv you…but I want my chapter! J! I promise a link to pictures…soon.

Chapter 8 - X

It was a very cold day in October, a very rare thing in Los Angeles. Gray
clouds covered the sun and most of the children were being pulled away from
the large grassy field, but the four stayed. The two men talked endlessly as
the woman took her husband's camera and recorded each little movement as she
turned back to the child.

"Sydney, how did you like your birthday?" she asked as Sydney found that the
stash of candy that seemed to go forever in her pocket of her pea coat was
finally gone.

"I loved it," she told her.

"Tell Aunt Emmy what's your favorite thing to do.," the other woman prodded.

"Play Piano." The words came out joyfully as Emmy zoomed onto Sydney, who
was putting her black gloves on to match her pea coat, black tights, and
black Mary Janes. She began tossing at her long hair that had almost been
teased by her hip young nanny to fit the style of the vogue of 84'.

Soon the conversation carried to the two men on the bench, finishing the
rest of the brandy. They didn't seem to mind the clouds; their purpose was
to get fresh air. It was strange how the other parents pulled their
daughters and sons out of the playground, before actually knowing the
weather clear up in a few minutes.

"She's growing up lovely, Jack," Sloane admired as he watched Sydney move
around Emily's camcorder.

"I wish I could take the credit, but that isn't my working. It's the three
nannies in two years that took care of her. Not me." Sloane nodded at Jack's
confession understandingly.

"She is your child. You have some credit to that."

"It seems as if my paternal skills faded as she grew." Laughter came from
the two females out in the Valley.

"If she needs a place to stay, you know Emily and I can always look after
her." He takes a look at the growing child, who is almost to the point of
growing out of jumpers and into pleaded skirts at the local private school
where she attended. "I know the doll has out grown her. Emily was set on
giving it to her. But I would truly enjoy giving Sydney that old grand piano
I have collecting dust in my warehouse. Perhaps Sydney would enjoy it better
than I have."

"I really can't let you do that. It's too much. The doll was enough for her
birthday," Jack denied.

"Oh come on, it can't hurt the girl. She needs a new piano to replace that
dusty wooden box she plays with. She needs a good instrument to go with her
good talent."

"I'm sorry to tell you this. Perhaps I've been keeping this too long. I
think I'm going to take Sydney back to Virginia, see how things do there.
There's a great academy where her talents could be used." He took a sharp
breath and looked down at his glass of brandy.

"Sydney's nightmares are getting worse. She doesn't even want to sleep
anymore. She stays up all night playing the piano and even the therapy isn't
doing any good. I'm not even there when the bad ones hit. Last dream put her
into shock and I wasn't there." He blamed himself no less, for the poor girl
was wasting away before his eyes and he couldn't do one little thing.

"She's a little bit skinnier, a little bit paler, and maybe a little bit
esoteric than other children. But look at her parents, look at you, Jack.
You are one mystery that can never be solved. Sydney has quality also," he
said.

"I don't know what it is, but I'm getting worried." Jack took one last sip
of brandy.
Sydney finished her drawing and Emily appeared to be disturbed by the
eight-year-old's drawings. She told Sydney to follow her and they came back
to the table with both men alert and tipsy. Emily laid the construction
paper down for the two and held Sydney in her arms as she stood.

"Look at what she drew." Emily pointed to the paper.

It was sketched in black charcoal with black trees and a field of dark weed
grass. Then there were four figures almost as specific as worry dolls. There
was one large X across the smallest figure.

"Sydney, is that us?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." She shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Emily. She had drawn these kind of things before."
Except she never crossed herself out.

"Sydney, I want you to tell me why are you crossed out," Emily said once
again.

"Because I'm going to die today."

The adults all looked at each other. Jack had asked those questions before
and his daughter had never replied with an answer so alarming. Her body was
now supported only against Emily's as the three began to worry about her
well being even more.

"Darling, you aren't going to die today."

Sydney just shrugged Emily off and went to her father's side. "Daddy, I'm
tired."

"Ok, Sydney. We're going home soon. Maybe take a nap?" She didn't want to
take a nap, but instead, only to get out of the cold weather.

Sydney ran off to the blanket on the field where they both played and began
to pick up all the toys, including her new doll Lucy.

"Jack, has she drawn things like this before?" Sloane asked immediately.

"Yes. But it's nothing. That girl has a wild imagination." Jack placed the
pieces of the puzzle together. He could remember the look on Laura's face
before they left for the movies that night. How her portrait had been X-ed
out in Red crayon. Her face had still lingered with that horror as they
drove off the bridge.

Jack shook his head and grabbed Sydney's hand as they walked to leave.

"Thank you for Lucy doll," she briskly told the couple heading into the
other direction.

"You're welcome, Sydney." Emily said to the adorable child.

"Take care, Jack." He said as he wrapped his arm around his wife and began
to walk farther away.

They walked towards the parking lot, empty and desolate. Jack unlocked the
car door and put away the picnic basket in the truck. He sort of began to
feel little droplets of water hit the back of his neck. He sort of felt
ironically dumbfounded as a heavy storm began. He could see his own breath
curl up into smoke as it left his mouth.

"You said it wasn't going to rain, Daddy," Sydney said, her hair began to
drip with cold ice water.

"Shows us not to trust the weather guy," he mumbled. Sydney sneezed and
rubbed her nose with her sleeve.

"Get in the car, Sydney," he said sympathetically.

"You have to unlock the door first." Jack figured he had to do that in order
for Sydney to enter the old Chevy Blazer. He closed the trunk and walked to
the passenger side door. Sydney's mother always told him to make her sit in
the back, but now she instead sat in the passenger side front seat. Sydney
stood beside him as he opened up the door for her. Before she could hop in,
the door slammed shut, almost upon Jack's fingers.

* * *

Emily found herself with two bottles of Brandy. She retreated with her
camera back to the other side of the park.

"Emily?"

"I thought Jack would want the other bottle."

* * *

"Allo." The man shut the door and Sydney jumped away, frightened at the
strangers. She never heard such a funny accent before, but it was polite not
to say much about it.
Jack knew the origins of that accent and was pretty surprised that they
would come all this way just to meet up with him.

There were two men, with thick accents and Slavic features. One stared
hopelessly at Sydney as Jack pulled her behind him. The other stared
ruthlessly into him.

"What do you want?" Jack hissed.

"Just to see that Irina's daughter is taken care of on her birthday. You
know it is tradition in Russia for the mothers to dance with their children
on the birthday. It is too bad, isn't it? Don't you think, sweetheart?" he
said, directing his attention to the little girl hiding behind her father's
legs.

"Leave us alone," he ordered.

"Or you what? Call the CIA? We do not exist. We are but messengers."

"GO away!" Jack yelled in his baritone voice.

* * *

Emily reached the far-east parking lot and saw the two men and the fear on
Jack's face as he tried to protect his daughter. Emily ran as fast as she
could to her car and yelled for Sloane to get out.

"Emily?"

"Jack and Sydney are being harassed in the parking lot."

* * *

"We are here to see you don't poke your nose in places it doesn't belong, or
your little girl will be put though some extreme punishment. And all just
for you sticking your hand into a cookie jar."

"Daddy…" Sydney cried while she held tighter to his legs.

"RUN!" He pushes Sydney away and she runs though the puddles with her Mary
Janes, coughing as her Father begins to exchange blows with the two
extremely strong men. Her father did the best that he could to hold off the
attack. Kicks were exchanged for blows to his stomach and hands slapping
across the stoic face. The two men found themselves the victor of the bloody
match in the pouring rain. One of the men opened his jacket, pulled out a
nine millimeter, and cocked it at Jack Bristow's bloody face.

"I don't think it is your day, is it?"

Jack's brow began to question what he meant, until the man raised his arm
and aimed at the running child's back. It took one shot right through her
right shoulder to make her fall down into a muddy puddle.

Emily and Sloane returned, Emily taping the whole scene. But as Sydney fell
right into the puddle, Emily dropped her camera and ran hurriedly to
Sydney's side. The two began to run after Sloane tired to kill them with his
pistol. One fell, but the other man got away.

"Sydney! Sydney!" Jack took her from Emily's hands and rolled her from her
backside.

"Sydney, my little girl…"

Sydney's eyes were empty as the pellets of rain fell onto her porcelain
skin. She held onto Lucy doll as the blood poured onto the pavement even
though her father was holding onto the wound and applying pressure.

"I dreamed this, daddy. I dreamed Mommy going off the bridge. I dreamed
Nanny Buhler falling in the kitchen. I dreamed that Papa Bristow took those
pills. I dreamed them. I dreamed you. I dreamed Lucy doll."

Her mouth hung open as if she was singing a beautiful piece of harmony.

"You're going to be alright, Sydney."

He brought her up into a great hug as he rocked her back and forth.



***

This goes out to Nick! Hehe...

My muse...have some vodka!