She listened carefully from afar. They were happy, all of them, and this
fact alone allowed her to sleep at night. She had done so much to cause
them pain. It was because of her that all of this had happened. And now
there was nothing that she could do, but watch. She couldn't be seen, but
she watched and listened; Feeling only slightly regretful that she could
not participate in the festivities. She enjoyed watching them much more.
People revealed so much when they didn't think anyone was watching, and she
had learned much by interpreting their actions and words from afar.
She shifted in her seat. She was not used to being cooped up in a rental car sedan. She much preferred standing when she worked. But tonight she couldn't be seen. 'Who knows who is watching from above.' She thought looking toward the sky through the window. She adjusted the head phones on her ears, and zoomed the camera in. It was much easier to watch things when they were all in one room together. But picking out specific conversations was hard. This was alright though because she was well trained in the art of listening to unspoken words.
Mr. Vaughn said something loudly, and everyone quieted down and looked toward him. "Well it has always been a tradition in my family, that everyone gets to open a present before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. So we are going to honor that tradition tonight." She listened attentively, her ears straining for other sounds and voices. But there were none; everyone was listening eagerly to Vaughn, and he was very happy to have their attention. "So Ryan I believe you get to go first big guy." She watched her grandson stumble forward out of Sydney's lap. "Here you go!" Vaughn said handing him a large flat box. Ryan was extremely excited. He jumped up and down and then tore the paper off of the box fiercely. She chuckled to herself at the fact that she couldn't discern the color of the paper through the slightly greenish surveillance screen.
Ryan tore the top of the box and removed from it a hockey stick. "Oh wow!" He yelled running to show Sydney. "Look mommy!" He displayed the stick for her to see.
"That's great Ryan, now we can all go out and play hockey together!" Sydney said, looking at her son excitedly.
"What's hockey?" Ryan asked innocently. Everyone around the room laughed, and one of the teenage boys called Ryan over and started to explain.
"Alright Alex I think you're next." Vaughn called from his position by the tree. He handed the boy a smaller box, and Alex immediately began to unwrap it. Soon he pulled a lacrosse stick from the box and looked at Vaughn happily.
"Thanks Dad!" He said as he began to inspect the stick.
"Your welcome! It's from Sydney too!" Vaughn said as he pulled another present from the enormous pile.
"Thanks Syd!" Alex said smiling at her. Sydney smiled back in reply.
"Damien," Vaughn through a smaller box at his other son. Damien caught it and quickly began unwrapping it. When he finally managed to open the box his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Dad?" He said looking up at Vaughn.
"Sydney finally convinced me that football was no more dangerous than hockey, so thank her!" Vaughn said smiling. The boy quickly glanced at Sydney and removed a football and helmet from his box.
"Thanks a lot Sydney!" He said smiling. Sydney smiled and nodded.
"Sure." She said softly.
Her daughter looked incredibly happy sitting in the living room among family and friends. Irina was happy that Sydney had these times of happiness before the craziness ahead began. She watched Sydney carefully as her daughter watched the others unwrapping presents. Sydney had given Vaughn's mother a photo album with a few pictures of Ryan, and Vaughn, already inside. Vaughn's mother had been overjoyed and had wrapped Sydney in warm hug. Though she hadn't met Mrs. Vaughn she liked her very much. It was hard to see her and not think of her husband.
Irina quickly pushed that thought from her mind and focused again on her daughter. She was watching hesitantly as Jack opened a present from her. It was a large picture frame with a photo of Ryan and Sydney in it. Jack just stared at it for a long time. 'Tell her how you feel, you emotional buffoon.' As she thought this Jack looked to Sydney and smiled. He thanked her and she had gone to him and hugged him tightly.
Their relationship wasn't what Irina had always hoped it would be. She was aware that after she had left Sydney and Jack, they were never the loving father and daughter that they had been for the first six years of Sydney's life. She had always loved watching Jack interact with their daughter. He was always so kind and generous to Sydney, and always very protective. As time went on Irina noted the evolution of their relationship. Jack was still very protective of Sydney but he was always very guarded about it. It seemed that he had trouble admitting how truly scared he was of losing her, as he had Irina. 'That too, it your fault.' Irina told herself.
She sighed. So many things were her fault, and she always hated herself for causing either of them a moment of pain. She could barely stand the thought that it was her who had caused Jack a lifetime of sorrow, and regret. She hadn't meant to fall in love with him, but it seemed almost inevitable. He was the type of man she could never resist; confident, loyal, strong. It hadn't taken long for Irina to be swept up in the life she was pretending to have. She had a loving husband and daughter, and an obligation to steal secrets for her country. For a long time she'd maintained living such a convoluted life, and lie. Part of her wanted so badly to believe in the life she was created. The other, smaller part wanted to leave it all before it got too painful. One day she'd realized as she made dinner for her family, that she was turning into Laura Bristow. Irina Derievko was slowly slipping away, and this though frightened her. She knew now what a true coward she'd been. She was so afraid to lose the person that she was, so frightened to take the final step and become someone else; that she'd left. She'd killed Laura Bristow that day. She'd killed any chance she had at a semi-normal, but happy life. Out of sheer cowardess she'd murdered her only hope of redemption.
However this was only one more in the myriad of reasons she hated herself. When she looked at Vaughn or his mother, she saw another. But it was too painful to remember all that she had done. It was too horrible to try and move past her actions. She had been too much of a coward to follow her heart, and she was still far too scared to admit that she was constantly dwelling on everyone of her mistakes.
It was only when she looked at Sydney, did she see one thing she'd done right in this world. Sydney was the perfect baby when she was born, and even now was a wonderful daughter, mother, friend, lover, and all around human being. 'Well Irina she is the one thing you have ever done right, and you didn't even want to create her in the first place.' Irina chuckled to herself. Maybe the only reason Sydney had turned out so well, was because she hadn't wanted to get pregnant. She wasn't trying to accomplish anything with Sydney, she had no motives, no aspirations, no clue about how, or why, or what this baby meant. Maybe it was the sheer fact that Sydney's creation was founded in Irina's heart, instead of her head. Maybe it was because she had acted out of the love she had truly felt for Jack, instead out of fear as she had always done before.
There were so many reasons why Sydney had been born. She had been their to give Irina hope, and purpose, and a reason for continuing to live. Sydney had been born to help fulfill the prophesy, just as she and Jack had. Sydney had been born to teach Irina what love and commitment meant. But also what true regret and pain felt like. Not just fear and greed, and desire, the things that Irina had grown up knowing, but true loyalty, true devotion, true love. Few people knew that Sydney had been born to save Irina, to save Jack, and to save everyone.
She shifted in her seat. She was not used to being cooped up in a rental car sedan. She much preferred standing when she worked. But tonight she couldn't be seen. 'Who knows who is watching from above.' She thought looking toward the sky through the window. She adjusted the head phones on her ears, and zoomed the camera in. It was much easier to watch things when they were all in one room together. But picking out specific conversations was hard. This was alright though because she was well trained in the art of listening to unspoken words.
Mr. Vaughn said something loudly, and everyone quieted down and looked toward him. "Well it has always been a tradition in my family, that everyone gets to open a present before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. So we are going to honor that tradition tonight." She listened attentively, her ears straining for other sounds and voices. But there were none; everyone was listening eagerly to Vaughn, and he was very happy to have their attention. "So Ryan I believe you get to go first big guy." She watched her grandson stumble forward out of Sydney's lap. "Here you go!" Vaughn said handing him a large flat box. Ryan was extremely excited. He jumped up and down and then tore the paper off of the box fiercely. She chuckled to herself at the fact that she couldn't discern the color of the paper through the slightly greenish surveillance screen.
Ryan tore the top of the box and removed from it a hockey stick. "Oh wow!" He yelled running to show Sydney. "Look mommy!" He displayed the stick for her to see.
"That's great Ryan, now we can all go out and play hockey together!" Sydney said, looking at her son excitedly.
"What's hockey?" Ryan asked innocently. Everyone around the room laughed, and one of the teenage boys called Ryan over and started to explain.
"Alright Alex I think you're next." Vaughn called from his position by the tree. He handed the boy a smaller box, and Alex immediately began to unwrap it. Soon he pulled a lacrosse stick from the box and looked at Vaughn happily.
"Thanks Dad!" He said as he began to inspect the stick.
"Your welcome! It's from Sydney too!" Vaughn said as he pulled another present from the enormous pile.
"Thanks Syd!" Alex said smiling at her. Sydney smiled back in reply.
"Damien," Vaughn through a smaller box at his other son. Damien caught it and quickly began unwrapping it. When he finally managed to open the box his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Dad?" He said looking up at Vaughn.
"Sydney finally convinced me that football was no more dangerous than hockey, so thank her!" Vaughn said smiling. The boy quickly glanced at Sydney and removed a football and helmet from his box.
"Thanks a lot Sydney!" He said smiling. Sydney smiled and nodded.
"Sure." She said softly.
Her daughter looked incredibly happy sitting in the living room among family and friends. Irina was happy that Sydney had these times of happiness before the craziness ahead began. She watched Sydney carefully as her daughter watched the others unwrapping presents. Sydney had given Vaughn's mother a photo album with a few pictures of Ryan, and Vaughn, already inside. Vaughn's mother had been overjoyed and had wrapped Sydney in warm hug. Though she hadn't met Mrs. Vaughn she liked her very much. It was hard to see her and not think of her husband.
Irina quickly pushed that thought from her mind and focused again on her daughter. She was watching hesitantly as Jack opened a present from her. It was a large picture frame with a photo of Ryan and Sydney in it. Jack just stared at it for a long time. 'Tell her how you feel, you emotional buffoon.' As she thought this Jack looked to Sydney and smiled. He thanked her and she had gone to him and hugged him tightly.
Their relationship wasn't what Irina had always hoped it would be. She was aware that after she had left Sydney and Jack, they were never the loving father and daughter that they had been for the first six years of Sydney's life. She had always loved watching Jack interact with their daughter. He was always so kind and generous to Sydney, and always very protective. As time went on Irina noted the evolution of their relationship. Jack was still very protective of Sydney but he was always very guarded about it. It seemed that he had trouble admitting how truly scared he was of losing her, as he had Irina. 'That too, it your fault.' Irina told herself.
She sighed. So many things were her fault, and she always hated herself for causing either of them a moment of pain. She could barely stand the thought that it was her who had caused Jack a lifetime of sorrow, and regret. She hadn't meant to fall in love with him, but it seemed almost inevitable. He was the type of man she could never resist; confident, loyal, strong. It hadn't taken long for Irina to be swept up in the life she was pretending to have. She had a loving husband and daughter, and an obligation to steal secrets for her country. For a long time she'd maintained living such a convoluted life, and lie. Part of her wanted so badly to believe in the life she was created. The other, smaller part wanted to leave it all before it got too painful. One day she'd realized as she made dinner for her family, that she was turning into Laura Bristow. Irina Derievko was slowly slipping away, and this though frightened her. She knew now what a true coward she'd been. She was so afraid to lose the person that she was, so frightened to take the final step and become someone else; that she'd left. She'd killed Laura Bristow that day. She'd killed any chance she had at a semi-normal, but happy life. Out of sheer cowardess she'd murdered her only hope of redemption.
However this was only one more in the myriad of reasons she hated herself. When she looked at Vaughn or his mother, she saw another. But it was too painful to remember all that she had done. It was too horrible to try and move past her actions. She had been too much of a coward to follow her heart, and she was still far too scared to admit that she was constantly dwelling on everyone of her mistakes.
It was only when she looked at Sydney, did she see one thing she'd done right in this world. Sydney was the perfect baby when she was born, and even now was a wonderful daughter, mother, friend, lover, and all around human being. 'Well Irina she is the one thing you have ever done right, and you didn't even want to create her in the first place.' Irina chuckled to herself. Maybe the only reason Sydney had turned out so well, was because she hadn't wanted to get pregnant. She wasn't trying to accomplish anything with Sydney, she had no motives, no aspirations, no clue about how, or why, or what this baby meant. Maybe it was the sheer fact that Sydney's creation was founded in Irina's heart, instead of her head. Maybe it was because she had acted out of the love she had truly felt for Jack, instead out of fear as she had always done before.
There were so many reasons why Sydney had been born. She had been their to give Irina hope, and purpose, and a reason for continuing to live. Sydney had been born to help fulfill the prophesy, just as she and Jack had. Sydney had been born to teach Irina what love and commitment meant. But also what true regret and pain felt like. Not just fear and greed, and desire, the things that Irina had grown up knowing, but true loyalty, true devotion, true love. Few people knew that Sydney had been born to save Irina, to save Jack, and to save everyone.