The sound of footsteps caused Vaughn to open an eye and peak toward the
entrance to the room. He could barely make out two figures walking toward
them, through the haziness of his eyes. He pulled his head up slightly to
get a better view of who was approaching, and as he did his eyes focused in
on Arvin Sloane. With a jolt of rage, Vaughn felt his strength returning.
He stood, dismissing his spinning head.
"What are you doing here?" Vaughn demanded. He looked directly at Sloane, not acknowledging Irina's presence. She stood behind Sloane, and looked longingly at Sydney, who was asleep in the bed.
"Michael everything's alright." Sloane said softly. At this Vaughn crossed the room in a fraction of a second. His hands found their way to Sloane's throat.
"This is not Alright." Vaughn yelled, shoving him back against the wall. His hands tightening around Sloane's neck, Vaughn's focus was so intense, he barely heard the baby begin to cry. He slowly turned his head and looked at Irina. She was holding an infant, wrapped in blankets. Without thinking, his grip on Sloane loosened, and Sloane maneuvered himself out from Vaughn's grasp.
Vaughn stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. Irina just stared at him.
"Michael," She said softly. "Wake Sydney." Without a thought he strode to the bed, and placed a kiss on Sydney's forehead. He called her name softly, and slowly her tear stained eyes opened.
"Vaughn?" She whispered. He said nothing, but turned to Irina. Sydney followed his gaze and turned to see her mother.
"Sydney."Irina started, before being overcome with tears.
"Mom?" Sydney questioned, her voice shaky. Irina made her way to the bed and looked down at her daughter. Without a word she carefully passed the infant into Sydney's arms.
"Meet your daughter Sydney." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I thought.. I don't know what I thought." Vaughn said starring at Sydney and his daughter. "What is going on? How did I get here? I don't understand." He mumbled. He wasn't sure what he was thinking or how he was feeling, but he was utterly confused.
"You'll have to forgive me, Michael. I had planned on having you here for the birth of the child, but things don't always go according to plan. You should thank Irina. It was her idea to bring you here." Sloane said, as he looked on from across the room.
"I still don't." Vaughn started.
"Michael Sydney went into labor early. The stress of."She paused choosing her words carefully. "Her journey here was not good for the baby. She is only a few weeks premature, but thankfully she is healthy." Irina said softly. She watched as Sydney just stared at her sleeping child.
Sydney didn't remember any of it. She knew how she felt: exhausted, completely drained. She wasn't sure what events had happened, she didn't even know what day it was. All she could do was stare at the wonder before her. The baby was small, but defiantly healthy. She had a little bit of brown hair surrounding her head, and obvious Bristow features. After all the tears she'd cried over the last week, nothing seemed to stop the silent ones, that so effortlessly rolled down her cheeks.
"When was she born? What time? What day is it?" Vaughn inquired softly.
"Two days ago at 2:47AM she was born." Sloane said happily. This caused Sydney to look up.
"I don't remember." She said softly, fear woven through her voice.
"You weren't awake for most of it." Irina said softly. "I'm afraid you were in a large amount of pain."
At this Vaughn looked at Sydney. He would've given anything to have been by her side, holding her hand. But instead he had been pistol whipped, greatly concussed, and completely out of reality for who knows how long. The anger began to grow inside of him. Once again he'd been deprived his fatherly right. Sloane had messed with everything, as usual.
"Vaughn." Sydney said, pulling him from his thoughts. She smiled meekly, causing his heart to melt. "Here." She said holding out their daughter for him to take. He did so carefully, supporting her head and cradling her in his arms. He held his breath as he looked from the face of his sleeping child, to that of the woman he loved. For a long moment every emotion but pure, unfettered happiness left him. All thoughts of Sloane was gone; all anger, all sadness.
Sydney smiled widely, and sighed watching a broad and satisfying smile cross Vaughn's face. She could feel his happiness, his pride. As the moments passed, the baby stirred, and yawned bigger than anyone thought such a little person could yawn. Vaughn laughed a nervous, yet joyous laughter and glanced at Sydney excitedly. She laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
The yawn lasted a few seconds, and as her little mouth closed her beautiful eyes opened, revealing her signature green eyes. Every person in the room gasped, and held their breath and the newest Bristow looked up at her father. He eyes wide, and searching she didn't make a sound.
"Hi." Vaughn said softly.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A few hours later Vaughn and Sydney lay curled up with one another in the small hospital-like bed. Both were in pain and exhausted. Both had an unimaginable fear hanging over their heads.
For a long while Irina stood out of sight watching her daughter as she slept. Everything had changed. She and Jack had thought they knew what was to happen. They thought wrong. The name of the game had changed, and though Sloane wouldn't admit it, everything was going to be different. Irina pleaded with him to tell her the truth, but he stood firm in his decision. Only he was to know the outcome of this story. He reveled in the power he possessed, the knowledge of the future. He'd waited so long to know how it all worked out, to have the missing pieces of the puzzle.
Before it had been different, Irina and Jack hadn't been directly involved. But new the information changed all that. He could no longer allow Jack and Irina to help him. If they knew the truth they would try and stop it. They were her parents, their loyalties were with her, no matter what they claimed. Now that he knew the truth he had to go alone. He didn't mind, because soon he would never be alone again. Soon everything would be complete. Everything would be as it should be, at least for him. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"What are you doing here?" Vaughn demanded. He looked directly at Sloane, not acknowledging Irina's presence. She stood behind Sloane, and looked longingly at Sydney, who was asleep in the bed.
"Michael everything's alright." Sloane said softly. At this Vaughn crossed the room in a fraction of a second. His hands found their way to Sloane's throat.
"This is not Alright." Vaughn yelled, shoving him back against the wall. His hands tightening around Sloane's neck, Vaughn's focus was so intense, he barely heard the baby begin to cry. He slowly turned his head and looked at Irina. She was holding an infant, wrapped in blankets. Without thinking, his grip on Sloane loosened, and Sloane maneuvered himself out from Vaughn's grasp.
Vaughn stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. Irina just stared at him.
"Michael," She said softly. "Wake Sydney." Without a thought he strode to the bed, and placed a kiss on Sydney's forehead. He called her name softly, and slowly her tear stained eyes opened.
"Vaughn?" She whispered. He said nothing, but turned to Irina. Sydney followed his gaze and turned to see her mother.
"Sydney."Irina started, before being overcome with tears.
"Mom?" Sydney questioned, her voice shaky. Irina made her way to the bed and looked down at her daughter. Without a word she carefully passed the infant into Sydney's arms.
"Meet your daughter Sydney." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I thought.. I don't know what I thought." Vaughn said starring at Sydney and his daughter. "What is going on? How did I get here? I don't understand." He mumbled. He wasn't sure what he was thinking or how he was feeling, but he was utterly confused.
"You'll have to forgive me, Michael. I had planned on having you here for the birth of the child, but things don't always go according to plan. You should thank Irina. It was her idea to bring you here." Sloane said, as he looked on from across the room.
"I still don't." Vaughn started.
"Michael Sydney went into labor early. The stress of."She paused choosing her words carefully. "Her journey here was not good for the baby. She is only a few weeks premature, but thankfully she is healthy." Irina said softly. She watched as Sydney just stared at her sleeping child.
Sydney didn't remember any of it. She knew how she felt: exhausted, completely drained. She wasn't sure what events had happened, she didn't even know what day it was. All she could do was stare at the wonder before her. The baby was small, but defiantly healthy. She had a little bit of brown hair surrounding her head, and obvious Bristow features. After all the tears she'd cried over the last week, nothing seemed to stop the silent ones, that so effortlessly rolled down her cheeks.
"When was she born? What time? What day is it?" Vaughn inquired softly.
"Two days ago at 2:47AM she was born." Sloane said happily. This caused Sydney to look up.
"I don't remember." She said softly, fear woven through her voice.
"You weren't awake for most of it." Irina said softly. "I'm afraid you were in a large amount of pain."
At this Vaughn looked at Sydney. He would've given anything to have been by her side, holding her hand. But instead he had been pistol whipped, greatly concussed, and completely out of reality for who knows how long. The anger began to grow inside of him. Once again he'd been deprived his fatherly right. Sloane had messed with everything, as usual.
"Vaughn." Sydney said, pulling him from his thoughts. She smiled meekly, causing his heart to melt. "Here." She said holding out their daughter for him to take. He did so carefully, supporting her head and cradling her in his arms. He held his breath as he looked from the face of his sleeping child, to that of the woman he loved. For a long moment every emotion but pure, unfettered happiness left him. All thoughts of Sloane was gone; all anger, all sadness.
Sydney smiled widely, and sighed watching a broad and satisfying smile cross Vaughn's face. She could feel his happiness, his pride. As the moments passed, the baby stirred, and yawned bigger than anyone thought such a little person could yawn. Vaughn laughed a nervous, yet joyous laughter and glanced at Sydney excitedly. She laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
The yawn lasted a few seconds, and as her little mouth closed her beautiful eyes opened, revealing her signature green eyes. Every person in the room gasped, and held their breath and the newest Bristow looked up at her father. He eyes wide, and searching she didn't make a sound.
"Hi." Vaughn said softly.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A few hours later Vaughn and Sydney lay curled up with one another in the small hospital-like bed. Both were in pain and exhausted. Both had an unimaginable fear hanging over their heads.
For a long while Irina stood out of sight watching her daughter as she slept. Everything had changed. She and Jack had thought they knew what was to happen. They thought wrong. The name of the game had changed, and though Sloane wouldn't admit it, everything was going to be different. Irina pleaded with him to tell her the truth, but he stood firm in his decision. Only he was to know the outcome of this story. He reveled in the power he possessed, the knowledge of the future. He'd waited so long to know how it all worked out, to have the missing pieces of the puzzle.
Before it had been different, Irina and Jack hadn't been directly involved. But new the information changed all that. He could no longer allow Jack and Irina to help him. If they knew the truth they would try and stop it. They were her parents, their loyalties were with her, no matter what they claimed. Now that he knew the truth he had to go alone. He didn't mind, because soon he would never be alone again. Soon everything would be complete. Everything would be as it should be, at least for him. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++