When he entered the restaurant, Sydney could tell that his mood had changed
drastically.
"Vaughn, what's wrong?" She said as he sat down next to her in the waiting
area.
"Nothing." He said as he reached for her hand and entangled his fingers with hers.
"Tell me later," She whispered into his ear, before giving him a kiss on the check. Ryan was sitting in Sydney's lap and playing with a toy dinosaur he'd brought from the car.
"Mommy look! What is this called?" He said as he zoomed the toy through the air like an airplane.
"It's a triceratops." She said pointing to its horns. "See it has three horns."
"Kewl!" Ryan said, still pretending the dinosaur was an airplane.
"Vaughn, party of three." The hostess called. The three stood up and followed her into the dining room. There was already a hi-chair waiting at the table for them. And after settling Ryan in Sydney and Vaughn set about deciding what to eat.
"What's good here?" Vaughn asked looking though the menu.
"Everything," Sydney laughed.
"Mommy, can I hab Pa-sketti?"
"If you want, but they also have chicken fingers!" Sydney said excitedly.
"Yay, Yay, chicken fingers!!" Ryan squealed as the waiter approached.
"Alright, one order of chicken fingers," The waiter said placing a coloring sheet in front of Ryan, along with a few crayons.
A hour and a half later they were loading up the car to go home. It was past Ryan's bed time and he nodded off before they had even started the car.
"So what was the phone call about?" Sydney asked as she looked back to confirm that Ryan was asleep. Vaughn had been driving for about five minutes now, and glanced at Sydney before answering.
"It was your father." He said quietly.
"Oh," Sydney said as she leaned back and looked out the window.
"He wanted to know." He was interrupted.
"I don't want to know." She said bluntly. She looked over at him, and their eyes met for a moment.
"I know Syd, that's why I said it was nothing." The rest of the drive was silent.
When they arrived back at the house, Vaughn unbuckled a sleeping Ryan and picked him up. Sydney grabbed the doggie bags, as well as the bag of clothing Vaughn had purchased. Vaughn carefully held Ryan in one arm and opened the door to the house. He instantly realized that the lights were on, and they hadn't left them that way. He quickly turned around and motioned to Sydney to be quiet and to stay where she was. He closed the door behind him, and quickly scanned the living room. He did a double take when he saw the figure sitting on the couch. He was barley able to believe his eyes.
"Mr. Vaughn, it is good to see you again." She said standing to greet him.
"How the hell did you get here?" He whispered.
She ignored him, and looked at Ryan. "Is this my grandson?" She stepped forward and touched the boy's face. As she did Vaughn pulled back and glared at her.
"What do you know about Ryan?" He said, never changing his stare.
"I know that my daughter loves him very much. But I only gathered this through the pictures here in the house. Where is Sydney?" She asked looking to the door that led into the garage. Vaughn looked too. He realized that Sydney could probably hear what was going on, and quickly went to the door. He braced himself and opened the door. Sydney was standing right outside, a look of mixed shock and confusion on her face. He could tell that she'd heard her mother's voice.
She brushed past him and went into the living room to face her mother. Vaughn followed close behind.
"Sydney, before you say anything hear me out." Irina said holding a hand up.
"No, you hear me out mother. Do you really think that you can come here, barge in on my life, and then tell me what to do?" Sydney was furious. "No you can wait. My son needs to be put to bed." She turned to Vaughn who passed the sleeping child to her. She carefully made her way upstairs, leaving Vaughn and Irina standing awkwardly.
"Jack called. I didn't expect you to get here so fast." He said taking a seat on the couch. Irina stepped back and sat in the chair across from him.
"It isn't a long flight between here and LA. What did Jack tell you?" She questioned noticing how he didn't relax, but sat rigidly in her presence.
"Nothing else, but to warn me. Why are you here?" He said leaning his elbows on his knees.
"I came to se Sydney and to tell her something. But I also came to make sure that you and she had reunited." She said leaning back against the chair she sat in. Vaughn looked to the top of the stairs and saw Sydney standing there. He tried to give her a smile of support, but knew that it didn't help much. She hadn't seen her mother in seven years, as far as she could remember. It was hard for her to trust so blindly again. She slowly made her way down the stairs and sat down next to Vaughn. "Sydney please forgive me. You're right, I never should have barged in here as I did. However I was afraid that you wouldn't see me, if I had alerted you to my arrival." She said sincerely.
"Why did you come here?" Sydney asked, her eyes scrutinizing every inch of her mother.
"I came here to tell you two things, and I am afraid that neither is good news. The first is in regard to your disappearance five years ago." She took a deep breath, and Vaughn grabbed Sydney's hand. It was as much for his own fear, as it was for hers. "I do not believe that Slone has finished his search to complete Rambaldi's prophesy. In the two years he held you, which I don't know much about, I do know that he wasn't able to fulfill the Prophesy. The reason for this I am not sure of. In any event I do believe that he is still trying to accomplish his goal, and because of this I worry for your safety." Sydney looked down at her hand encased in Vaughn's.
"Why have you waited until now to tell me this?" Sydney asked not looking up.
"I wasn't sure of this information until one of my associates confirmed that Slone has been searching for a missing piece of Rambaldi's device." Irina said trying to catch Sydney's gaze. Sydney had so many questions for her mother, she didn't know where to begin.
"Where have you been, for the last seven years?" She said looking at her mother, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Sydney when you were taken by Slone, I spent those two years searching for you. Finally I found Slone, in Hong Kong five years ago. It had taken me the entire two years to find him, and you. He was holding you in a warehouse, in a room he had converted into a make-shift hospital. I surveilled the warehouse for a long time, and when Slone finally left, I took a chance and went in after you. When I found you, you were severely weakened by the tests Slone had been performing on you. Once I had unhooked you from all of his machines I brought you to a hotel room, and kept you there for over a week. I knew I had to move you because it wasn't going to take long for Slone to find us. But when I attempted to get you to the airport, I was stopped by a group of Slone's men, and forced to leave you on a deserted street. After I escaped Slone's men, I went back but you were gone." She sighed. Sydney already had a few tears escaping her eyes as she stared at her mother. "I found out a few days later that you had been taken back to LA. I have been keeping an eye on you ever since. But I have also been following Slone's movements."
Sydney broke down into sobs, and Vaughn put both of his arms around her.
"Sydney the other reason I came here was your father." She paused before continuing. "I know what happened between the two of you. I know what you went through, but Sydney he needs you, more than you know."
"I don't want to hear it." Sydney cried. Her world had been flipped upside down in the last three days, she wasn't about to go through another emotional train wreck, especially over her father.
"I know that Sydney, but if you could forgive me for betraying you the way I did, why can't you forgive the man who has never been able to betray your best interest? Sydney your father has fought for you his entire life. If this cancer doesn't kill him, than your inability to forgive him, will!" Irina yelled as she stood up, and walked to where Sydney and Vaughn sat. She keeled on the floor in front Sydney and touched her face. "I know this is painful for you, but he loves you Sydney, and you love him too. You cannot deny this. Go to him Sydney, let him know that the past is behind you, and that you still care for him."
Sydney felt her mother's hand on her cheek, and looked up at her. He head was spinning. He father had betrayed her, lied to her, and had kept the truth from her when she needed it most. How could she forget those things. "Sydney, trust me. You will regret it for the rest of your life it you do not make amends before it is too late." Her mother whispered. Sydney just stared at her. "I must go now Sydney, but if you do decide to go to LA, I will come. I hope to meet my grandson while you are there. And be careful I do not know what Slone is planning." She smiled as she stood, and then looked at Vaughn straight in the eye, as if to threaten him. He understood, he'd seen that same look from her before. She was telling him to take care of Sydney, and to do what was best for her. Then without a word she was gone.
"Nothing." He said as he reached for her hand and entangled his fingers with hers.
"Tell me later," She whispered into his ear, before giving him a kiss on the check. Ryan was sitting in Sydney's lap and playing with a toy dinosaur he'd brought from the car.
"Mommy look! What is this called?" He said as he zoomed the toy through the air like an airplane.
"It's a triceratops." She said pointing to its horns. "See it has three horns."
"Kewl!" Ryan said, still pretending the dinosaur was an airplane.
"Vaughn, party of three." The hostess called. The three stood up and followed her into the dining room. There was already a hi-chair waiting at the table for them. And after settling Ryan in Sydney and Vaughn set about deciding what to eat.
"What's good here?" Vaughn asked looking though the menu.
"Everything," Sydney laughed.
"Mommy, can I hab Pa-sketti?"
"If you want, but they also have chicken fingers!" Sydney said excitedly.
"Yay, Yay, chicken fingers!!" Ryan squealed as the waiter approached.
"Alright, one order of chicken fingers," The waiter said placing a coloring sheet in front of Ryan, along with a few crayons.
A hour and a half later they were loading up the car to go home. It was past Ryan's bed time and he nodded off before they had even started the car.
"So what was the phone call about?" Sydney asked as she looked back to confirm that Ryan was asleep. Vaughn had been driving for about five minutes now, and glanced at Sydney before answering.
"It was your father." He said quietly.
"Oh," Sydney said as she leaned back and looked out the window.
"He wanted to know." He was interrupted.
"I don't want to know." She said bluntly. She looked over at him, and their eyes met for a moment.
"I know Syd, that's why I said it was nothing." The rest of the drive was silent.
When they arrived back at the house, Vaughn unbuckled a sleeping Ryan and picked him up. Sydney grabbed the doggie bags, as well as the bag of clothing Vaughn had purchased. Vaughn carefully held Ryan in one arm and opened the door to the house. He instantly realized that the lights were on, and they hadn't left them that way. He quickly turned around and motioned to Sydney to be quiet and to stay where she was. He closed the door behind him, and quickly scanned the living room. He did a double take when he saw the figure sitting on the couch. He was barley able to believe his eyes.
"Mr. Vaughn, it is good to see you again." She said standing to greet him.
"How the hell did you get here?" He whispered.
She ignored him, and looked at Ryan. "Is this my grandson?" She stepped forward and touched the boy's face. As she did Vaughn pulled back and glared at her.
"What do you know about Ryan?" He said, never changing his stare.
"I know that my daughter loves him very much. But I only gathered this through the pictures here in the house. Where is Sydney?" She asked looking to the door that led into the garage. Vaughn looked too. He realized that Sydney could probably hear what was going on, and quickly went to the door. He braced himself and opened the door. Sydney was standing right outside, a look of mixed shock and confusion on her face. He could tell that she'd heard her mother's voice.
She brushed past him and went into the living room to face her mother. Vaughn followed close behind.
"Sydney, before you say anything hear me out." Irina said holding a hand up.
"No, you hear me out mother. Do you really think that you can come here, barge in on my life, and then tell me what to do?" Sydney was furious. "No you can wait. My son needs to be put to bed." She turned to Vaughn who passed the sleeping child to her. She carefully made her way upstairs, leaving Vaughn and Irina standing awkwardly.
"Jack called. I didn't expect you to get here so fast." He said taking a seat on the couch. Irina stepped back and sat in the chair across from him.
"It isn't a long flight between here and LA. What did Jack tell you?" She questioned noticing how he didn't relax, but sat rigidly in her presence.
"Nothing else, but to warn me. Why are you here?" He said leaning his elbows on his knees.
"I came to se Sydney and to tell her something. But I also came to make sure that you and she had reunited." She said leaning back against the chair she sat in. Vaughn looked to the top of the stairs and saw Sydney standing there. He tried to give her a smile of support, but knew that it didn't help much. She hadn't seen her mother in seven years, as far as she could remember. It was hard for her to trust so blindly again. She slowly made her way down the stairs and sat down next to Vaughn. "Sydney please forgive me. You're right, I never should have barged in here as I did. However I was afraid that you wouldn't see me, if I had alerted you to my arrival." She said sincerely.
"Why did you come here?" Sydney asked, her eyes scrutinizing every inch of her mother.
"I came here to tell you two things, and I am afraid that neither is good news. The first is in regard to your disappearance five years ago." She took a deep breath, and Vaughn grabbed Sydney's hand. It was as much for his own fear, as it was for hers. "I do not believe that Slone has finished his search to complete Rambaldi's prophesy. In the two years he held you, which I don't know much about, I do know that he wasn't able to fulfill the Prophesy. The reason for this I am not sure of. In any event I do believe that he is still trying to accomplish his goal, and because of this I worry for your safety." Sydney looked down at her hand encased in Vaughn's.
"Why have you waited until now to tell me this?" Sydney asked not looking up.
"I wasn't sure of this information until one of my associates confirmed that Slone has been searching for a missing piece of Rambaldi's device." Irina said trying to catch Sydney's gaze. Sydney had so many questions for her mother, she didn't know where to begin.
"Where have you been, for the last seven years?" She said looking at her mother, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Sydney when you were taken by Slone, I spent those two years searching for you. Finally I found Slone, in Hong Kong five years ago. It had taken me the entire two years to find him, and you. He was holding you in a warehouse, in a room he had converted into a make-shift hospital. I surveilled the warehouse for a long time, and when Slone finally left, I took a chance and went in after you. When I found you, you were severely weakened by the tests Slone had been performing on you. Once I had unhooked you from all of his machines I brought you to a hotel room, and kept you there for over a week. I knew I had to move you because it wasn't going to take long for Slone to find us. But when I attempted to get you to the airport, I was stopped by a group of Slone's men, and forced to leave you on a deserted street. After I escaped Slone's men, I went back but you were gone." She sighed. Sydney already had a few tears escaping her eyes as she stared at her mother. "I found out a few days later that you had been taken back to LA. I have been keeping an eye on you ever since. But I have also been following Slone's movements."
Sydney broke down into sobs, and Vaughn put both of his arms around her.
"Sydney the other reason I came here was your father." She paused before continuing. "I know what happened between the two of you. I know what you went through, but Sydney he needs you, more than you know."
"I don't want to hear it." Sydney cried. Her world had been flipped upside down in the last three days, she wasn't about to go through another emotional train wreck, especially over her father.
"I know that Sydney, but if you could forgive me for betraying you the way I did, why can't you forgive the man who has never been able to betray your best interest? Sydney your father has fought for you his entire life. If this cancer doesn't kill him, than your inability to forgive him, will!" Irina yelled as she stood up, and walked to where Sydney and Vaughn sat. She keeled on the floor in front Sydney and touched her face. "I know this is painful for you, but he loves you Sydney, and you love him too. You cannot deny this. Go to him Sydney, let him know that the past is behind you, and that you still care for him."
Sydney felt her mother's hand on her cheek, and looked up at her. He head was spinning. He father had betrayed her, lied to her, and had kept the truth from her when she needed it most. How could she forget those things. "Sydney, trust me. You will regret it for the rest of your life it you do not make amends before it is too late." Her mother whispered. Sydney just stared at her. "I must go now Sydney, but if you do decide to go to LA, I will come. I hope to meet my grandson while you are there. And be careful I do not know what Slone is planning." She smiled as she stood, and then looked at Vaughn straight in the eye, as if to threaten him. He understood, he'd seen that same look from her before. She was telling him to take care of Sydney, and to do what was best for her. Then without a word she was gone.