HERE IT IS!!! The continuation of 'Time Will Tell'...it zips ahead quite a few years...don't worry everyone...all your questions (Where's Will?, What is Melina up to? etc,) will be answered...just years later. Remember, the truth about Irina took nearly thirty years...enjoy.



She loved every minute of this. Adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her running; it was better than any drug. The bullet in her shoulder reminded her of a wound that her own mother had years ago; at least it reminded her of the story her mother had told her. Her parents hated that she was in what they called, 'the business', almost making it sound like she was in those Godfather movies. However, they had no choice but to let her pursue her chosen career. After all, they had sent her sister to drama school and her brother to art school. Maybe they still had a chance with seventeen year old Phillip.

She shook her head, shaking her thoughts, choosing to focus on the task at hand. She was in Barcelona, retrieving much needed information for the CIA, and she was doing her favorite thing in the process: busting some heads. She wasn't particularly sure why she enjoyed violence so much; perhaps it stemmed from her anger toward her parent's dislike of her job. Another man stepped out in front of her, trying to pull some fancy moves on her. She was not impressed. She punched him in the face, he punched her in the stomach. She was slightly winded, but didn't let it phase her. She kicked him in the stomach, causing him to keel over, and with one swift spinning kick, he was out cold.

Yeah, she loved this. Definitely. She continued running until she was at the extraction point, and once she was in the van, she smiled at her partner Daniel Flinkman.

"Nice Weiss," he said, "Nice."

"Thanks Danny,"

Oh yeah, Anna Weiss thought, this is the life.


*****


Sydney Weiss was livid. Her oldest daughter sat on a chair before her, arms folder across her chest like she was five years old again. I wish, Sydney thought. Her daughter Anna was the spitting image of Sydney, minus blue eyes she had inherited from her father. Sydney wasn't sure whether Anna's stubborn streak was from Alexander Sark or from herself, but she knew she loathed it.

"You could've gotten yourself killed Anna!"

"Mom, I'm always in these kinds of situations. You know what it's like, you've done these missions a million times! Dad, tell her she's being ridiculous!" Anna yelled to Eric Weiss, who had been sitting on the couch, trying to avoid confrontation. Anna had always called Eric her father, even after Sydney and Eric had introduced her to Sark, her real father. She visited Sark from time to time, but Eric had raised her. Eric cleared his throat, trying to think of something brilliant to build a bridge between his wife and daughter. He had nothing.

"Look Anna, I agree with your mother. It's getting too dangerous. You're too reckless," he said, waiting for the fireworks to start.

"RECKLESS?! How many times were you and mom reckless?" At this point a door slammed, and laughter was heard.

"Am I interrupting another argument about the agency? Big surprise."

"Shut up Phillip," Anna spat out, punching her now seventeen year old brother in the arm.

"Don't tell your brother to shut up. Hey sweetie," Sydney spoke sweetly to her son, kissing him on the cheek, which he returned with a smile.

"Got some homework, I'll leave you guys to...whatever," Phillip spoke, and with a nod from his father, he climbed the stairs leading to his room.

"Honey," Eric turned again to Anna, "We just want you to be careful."

"I know Dad, and I am."

"Why couldn't you have just chosen to stay out of this life, like your sister, or your brothers? Why, Anna?" Sydney cried, looking directly in her daughter's eyes.

"It's a little different for Taryn mom; her real dad died in the field. Otherwise she probably would've followed in my footsteps; your footsteps," she said, pointing to both of them.

"Look I appreciate your concern guys," she continued, "But I am twenty-two years old, and it's my life. I love you guys, but this is something that I need to do. Someday I'll explain why. Until then, please trust me," she said, looking at her mother pointedly. Before Sydney had the chance to answer, Anna spoke again.

"I'm going to go visit Grandma okay? Then I'm going home. I'll see you later," she said, nodding to her mother, and hugging her father before she left. Sydney sighed as the door slammed behind her.

"I don't like this Eric. She's getting careless, and I don't understand why."

"I know honey. Look, she's right. She is an adult, we have no say in her choices anymore," Sydney began to interrupt, but he stopped her, "we just have to pray that we raised her right, and that she'll do the right thing." Sydney looked at him as he finished, her lips trembling.

"I know you're right honey...it's just hard, she's our baby, you know?" At this, he held Sydney to his chest, stroking her hair as he had done for two decades now.

"Sweetheart, I love you so much, and I would never lie to you. Anna's going to be okay. You have to trust in that, believe in it. Look at all we've been through. God isn't going to take away our kids, you got that?" he said, pulling apart from her to point his index finger in her face.

"I got it Weiss, I got it," she said, kissing him on the mouth. She smiled, and he felt it, and he pulled away for a moment.

"What is it hon?" he asked.

"I was just thinking, Vaughn was right, all those years ago," she smiled again at the memory of her former handler's dying words. He had been right in saying that Eric and Sydney could find true love. Now, twenty-one years later, they were still together and more in love than Sydney ever could have imagined.

"Yeah, I guess he was...who would've thought?" he said, kissing her forehead.

"Not me, you were too weird..."

"Shut up," he said, playfully poking her arm, before kissing her again.

They had their fair share of problems, but life was good.


*****


Ten years ago, Melina Bristow had died while in CIA custody. No one could determine the reason for her death, but ultimately buried her in the same graveyard that Sydney's grandparents had been buried in. Sydney and Eric had been contacted, and Sydney was relieved and deeply saddened at the same time. She had not attended the funeral, though her mother and father had. Melina had never really established a relationship with either of her parents, therefore Jack and Irina both held heaviness in their hearts when it came to their younger daughter.

Will had been suspicious of her death when it had occurred, but since he was preoccupied with his impending marriage, he no longer had the resources to investigate her passing. Had Will not been engaged, had Sydney not been too wrapped up in teaching and her family, had Irina and Jack not been wracked with guilt....one of them might have noticed that Melina Bristow's coffin was empty.