"We should talk, right away." Jack said curtly.
"Upstairs." Vaughn said motioning to the stair case. Vaughn led the was, ascending the stairs as quickly as possible. Jack followed close behind. When they reached the office on the second floor Vaughn allowed Jack to enter, and then closed the door swiftly behind them.
"I assume Irina has informed you about the CIA's new theory." Jack said setting down his small bag on the floor.
"Yes, and I'm curious to know your opinion. She obviously gives this 'theory' some kind of credit." Vaughn said taking a seat, and motioning to the opposite chair for Jack.
"Vaughn, I don't have an opinion. The only thoughts I have are for Sydney's safety and well being." Jack said as he sat slowly; His back screaming with pain. "I've spoken with several contacts who have informed me, that Kendall is not getting the support he desires from the higher authorities within the CIA and the NSC."
"That's good to hear. Someone at The Agency still has some sense." Vaughn said, very relieved.
"That may be true, but Michael, Kendall is not going to stop." Jack said sighing, himself.
"I know." Vaughn sighed. "And what credit are we supposed to give to this new claim regarding my daughter." Vaughn said softly.
"At this point, none. Officially, the CIA still regards Irina as the woman depicted in the prophesy. I don't think we should jump to any conclusions." Jack said cautiously. After hearing what Vaughn had to say, he was very uncertain of what exactly Irina had divulged.
"Well Irina seems to think differently." Vaughn said before being cut off.
"What Irina thinks is not necessarily to be taken at face value." Jack said curtly.
"What is that supposed to mean Jack? I though there was some kind of alliance, or trust, or something going on here. I mean the woman is downstairs eating cereal with my kid." Vaughn said increasingly flustered at Jack's words.
"Irina is still here." Jack said in disbelief.
"Yes. She's." Before he could finish the door to the office was opened, and Irina herself walked through the door. Both men stood at her arrival.
"Jack." She said softly stepping toward him. Jack instantly pulled her into a tight embrace, to which Vaughn averted his eyes. "I thought you'd have left the country by now. That was the plan." Jack said loosening his hold on her, but not letting go.
"I was preparing to leave this morning." She paused glancing at Vaughn. "She is having dreams Jack." She looked up at him with uncertain eyes. It had been almost thirty years since she'd let her guard down like this with him.
Upon realizing the full implication of this Jack released Irina and turned directly to Vaughn. "What does she remember?" Jack said, sounding more condescending than he had intended.
"What the hell is going on here? The two of you more way more than you're letting on, and I'm sick of it."
"Michael, we are all standing here to protect Sydney's best interests. We are all on the same side." Irina said calmly.
"That's bullshit. We cannot all be on the same side if you're keeping me, and Sydney in the dark." He paused trying to gain control of himself. "Last night you told me to accept the fact that I can't protect Sydney. But damn it, you have given me nothing. no proof that I should accept a word you say."
"Vaughn." Jack paused, focusing himself. "Michael. We are all in the same boat here. We are all shooting in the dark." Jack lied. "Right now all we can do is accept the fact that each and everyone of us is fighting for Sydney."
At this Vaughn turned and looked out the window. He was totally unsure whether or not he could even trust these two people anymore. Irina gave a Jack a knowing look, and then breathed as if to speak.
"Irina, Jack." Vaughn cut her off. "I have no choice but to trust you. I know in my heart that you both love Sydney, but I can't shake the feeling that there is something much larger going on here. I need your help keeping Sydney safe, but I will not tolerate the cryptic bullshit that keeps getting flung around. Either I am in on this or I'm not. But I will not go blindly into whatever the hell we're into." He turned taking a breath. Looking from Jack to Irina, and then back again. "She's having dreams.nightmares." She closed his eyes holding back tears. "She wakes up screaming, either that or she doesn't sleep at all." He sighed. "Usually she won't talk about it. But when she does, she usually describes being held by Sloane. Last night, was the worst one I've seen." He sighed, trying to control his emotions. "Their horrible, and it is so hard to watch her struggle through them. She scared Jack. Sydney's never been afraid of anything in her entire life. But she's remembering things she doesn't want to be, and she's scared. And that scares the hell out of me." Vaughn covered his face with his hands, and wiped the tears from his eyes.
After a long moment Irina broke the silence. "The memory suppressants Sloane used on Sydney are only completely effective on her conscious mind. Her subconscious is still able to remember many of the events that were suppressed." Irina sighed. "I do not know of a way to stop these dreams. It's unfortunate that she's having to go through this."
"What's unfortunate is that the two of you know much more about Sydney's disappearance than you've told her. Maybe if you explained." He paused. "Maybe if she wasn't so unsure of what Sloane did to her, than maybe she would be so affected."
"That is quite possible. But I am unsure of whether Sydney can handle. and explanation right now." Jack said softly. Vaughn stared at him for a moment, but realized what he was saying was true. Sydney was going through too much, to add any more stress right now.
As if on cue, that moment Sydney walked through the office door. She was shocked to see the three standing there.
"Sydney," Jack called happily, trying to disguise the weight of their conversation.
"Dad?" Sydney said shocked. As she stepped forward and hugged her father, she looked at Vaughn quizzically. "What are you doing here?" Sydney said letting go of Jack.
"I came to talk to you about Kendall's..." He was interrupted by the arrival of a very small boy.
"Mommy." Ryan said running to her and wrapping his arms around her legs.
"Ryan," Vaughn said walking over to where Sydney and he stood. "Why don't we go see what Uncle Greg is up to." Vaughn said taking the boy's hand. As he began to walk away he looked to Sydney. Her eyes seemed to tell him that he had some explaining to do. As they neared the door Vaughn changed his mind. "Ryan actually, how about going and playing trains in your room for a while. I'll be there in a little while." Without a word Ryan ran off into his room, leaving Vaughn standing in the doorway. He sighed and turned around.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"But Kendall is not just going to give this up. Dad, of all people you should know." Sydney said wiping tears from her eyes.
"You right Sydney. But for now all we can hope for, is that the CIA and the NSC don't have the resources to mobilize this investigation once again. I know for a fact that there is a very strong opposition within the higher authorities in both agencies, to not re-open this investigation. I have great hope that that will deter Kendall." Jack said calmly.
"But what I still don't understand is why? Why would Kendall come all the way here to question me, bring me back to LA." Sydney trailed off looking from Jack to Irina.
"Sweetheart, the only explanation is that he wanted to verify for himself that you were still alive." Irina said softy. 'And to if she was in fact pregnant.' Vaughn thought as he watched her lie through her teeth.
"Upstairs." Vaughn said motioning to the stair case. Vaughn led the was, ascending the stairs as quickly as possible. Jack followed close behind. When they reached the office on the second floor Vaughn allowed Jack to enter, and then closed the door swiftly behind them.
"I assume Irina has informed you about the CIA's new theory." Jack said setting down his small bag on the floor.
"Yes, and I'm curious to know your opinion. She obviously gives this 'theory' some kind of credit." Vaughn said taking a seat, and motioning to the opposite chair for Jack.
"Vaughn, I don't have an opinion. The only thoughts I have are for Sydney's safety and well being." Jack said as he sat slowly; His back screaming with pain. "I've spoken with several contacts who have informed me, that Kendall is not getting the support he desires from the higher authorities within the CIA and the NSC."
"That's good to hear. Someone at The Agency still has some sense." Vaughn said, very relieved.
"That may be true, but Michael, Kendall is not going to stop." Jack said sighing, himself.
"I know." Vaughn sighed. "And what credit are we supposed to give to this new claim regarding my daughter." Vaughn said softly.
"At this point, none. Officially, the CIA still regards Irina as the woman depicted in the prophesy. I don't think we should jump to any conclusions." Jack said cautiously. After hearing what Vaughn had to say, he was very uncertain of what exactly Irina had divulged.
"Well Irina seems to think differently." Vaughn said before being cut off.
"What Irina thinks is not necessarily to be taken at face value." Jack said curtly.
"What is that supposed to mean Jack? I though there was some kind of alliance, or trust, or something going on here. I mean the woman is downstairs eating cereal with my kid." Vaughn said increasingly flustered at Jack's words.
"Irina is still here." Jack said in disbelief.
"Yes. She's." Before he could finish the door to the office was opened, and Irina herself walked through the door. Both men stood at her arrival.
"Jack." She said softly stepping toward him. Jack instantly pulled her into a tight embrace, to which Vaughn averted his eyes. "I thought you'd have left the country by now. That was the plan." Jack said loosening his hold on her, but not letting go.
"I was preparing to leave this morning." She paused glancing at Vaughn. "She is having dreams Jack." She looked up at him with uncertain eyes. It had been almost thirty years since she'd let her guard down like this with him.
Upon realizing the full implication of this Jack released Irina and turned directly to Vaughn. "What does she remember?" Jack said, sounding more condescending than he had intended.
"What the hell is going on here? The two of you more way more than you're letting on, and I'm sick of it."
"Michael, we are all standing here to protect Sydney's best interests. We are all on the same side." Irina said calmly.
"That's bullshit. We cannot all be on the same side if you're keeping me, and Sydney in the dark." He paused trying to gain control of himself. "Last night you told me to accept the fact that I can't protect Sydney. But damn it, you have given me nothing. no proof that I should accept a word you say."
"Vaughn." Jack paused, focusing himself. "Michael. We are all in the same boat here. We are all shooting in the dark." Jack lied. "Right now all we can do is accept the fact that each and everyone of us is fighting for Sydney."
At this Vaughn turned and looked out the window. He was totally unsure whether or not he could even trust these two people anymore. Irina gave a Jack a knowing look, and then breathed as if to speak.
"Irina, Jack." Vaughn cut her off. "I have no choice but to trust you. I know in my heart that you both love Sydney, but I can't shake the feeling that there is something much larger going on here. I need your help keeping Sydney safe, but I will not tolerate the cryptic bullshit that keeps getting flung around. Either I am in on this or I'm not. But I will not go blindly into whatever the hell we're into." He turned taking a breath. Looking from Jack to Irina, and then back again. "She's having dreams.nightmares." She closed his eyes holding back tears. "She wakes up screaming, either that or she doesn't sleep at all." He sighed. "Usually she won't talk about it. But when she does, she usually describes being held by Sloane. Last night, was the worst one I've seen." He sighed, trying to control his emotions. "Their horrible, and it is so hard to watch her struggle through them. She scared Jack. Sydney's never been afraid of anything in her entire life. But she's remembering things she doesn't want to be, and she's scared. And that scares the hell out of me." Vaughn covered his face with his hands, and wiped the tears from his eyes.
After a long moment Irina broke the silence. "The memory suppressants Sloane used on Sydney are only completely effective on her conscious mind. Her subconscious is still able to remember many of the events that were suppressed." Irina sighed. "I do not know of a way to stop these dreams. It's unfortunate that she's having to go through this."
"What's unfortunate is that the two of you know much more about Sydney's disappearance than you've told her. Maybe if you explained." He paused. "Maybe if she wasn't so unsure of what Sloane did to her, than maybe she would be so affected."
"That is quite possible. But I am unsure of whether Sydney can handle. and explanation right now." Jack said softly. Vaughn stared at him for a moment, but realized what he was saying was true. Sydney was going through too much, to add any more stress right now.
As if on cue, that moment Sydney walked through the office door. She was shocked to see the three standing there.
"Sydney," Jack called happily, trying to disguise the weight of their conversation.
"Dad?" Sydney said shocked. As she stepped forward and hugged her father, she looked at Vaughn quizzically. "What are you doing here?" Sydney said letting go of Jack.
"I came to talk to you about Kendall's..." He was interrupted by the arrival of a very small boy.
"Mommy." Ryan said running to her and wrapping his arms around her legs.
"Ryan," Vaughn said walking over to where Sydney and he stood. "Why don't we go see what Uncle Greg is up to." Vaughn said taking the boy's hand. As he began to walk away he looked to Sydney. Her eyes seemed to tell him that he had some explaining to do. As they neared the door Vaughn changed his mind. "Ryan actually, how about going and playing trains in your room for a while. I'll be there in a little while." Without a word Ryan ran off into his room, leaving Vaughn standing in the doorway. He sighed and turned around.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"But Kendall is not just going to give this up. Dad, of all people you should know." Sydney said wiping tears from her eyes.
"You right Sydney. But for now all we can hope for, is that the CIA and the NSC don't have the resources to mobilize this investigation once again. I know for a fact that there is a very strong opposition within the higher authorities in both agencies, to not re-open this investigation. I have great hope that that will deter Kendall." Jack said calmly.
"But what I still don't understand is why? Why would Kendall come all the way here to question me, bring me back to LA." Sydney trailed off looking from Jack to Irina.
"Sweetheart, the only explanation is that he wanted to verify for himself that you were still alive." Irina said softy. 'And to if she was in fact pregnant.' Vaughn thought as he watched her lie through her teeth.