Don turned to Jack for confirmation that what Sydney was saying was
correct.
Jack told him, "It's true."
It was obvious that Don was thinking about his visit to California, when he accused his daughter-in-law of spying. Jack answered him, before he could even ask the question, "Yes, you caught her."
"So you knew what she was up to?" Don asked.
Jack looked away, ashamed about the answer. Sydney answered for him. "No, Grandfather. My mother was deceiving my father. He had no idea that she was using him."
"That bitch," Sara called out. "I knew there was something about her that wasn't right." She looked at Sydney and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't talk about the dead, like that."
Sydney just smiled politely and said she wasn't offended.
Jack went a step further and said, "You don't have to worry, she's not dead. The car accident was a set up for her extraction."
Sydney was both surprised and pleased that Jack was opening up to his family and telling them all about her mother and their relationship.
Although he left out the classified details, he told them about Project Christmas. He also told them what she was probably doing; the night Don caught her spying.
Again, leaving out the details, he told them about Irina being in CIA custody and about her subsequent escape. He told them they were in Maryland not because they were returning from a vacation, but because they were in London following up on a lead regarding Irina's whereabouts. It was his and Sydney's goal to capture her and return her to CIA custody.
After Jack was finished telling them about Irina, Sara asked, "If we were right about her, I don't understand why you stayed away?"
His answer was to shake his head and say, "I don't know. There were so many times when I thought about coming back here. I even called a few times, but I hung up before anyone answered."
"But why?" she asked him. "You needed us. Why didn't you come home?"
"I don't know," he repeated, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I do," Sydney said.
To Sydney, the answer was obvious. "All of his life my father has been betrayed and abandoned by the people who were suppose to love him. First by his mother, because of her illness. And you Grandfather, you were suppose to protect him, but you didn't. You knew he was being abused, but it was easier for you to just turn your back on the whole thing."
Sydney saw the hurt in her grandfather's eyes and told him, "I'm sorry Grandfather, I don't mean to hurt you."
He told her told her that she wasn't saying anything that he didn't already know.
Sydney continued, with her answer. "Then there was Sean. In a way, he hurt him worse than anyone. Dad depended on him. Sean was the one person who he thought would always be there for him. But, Sean left him alone. He promised he would come back, but he didn't."
Sydney got up and stood next to Jack. Holding onto his arm, she continued, "Then came my mother. He opened up to her. He trusted her. As angry as I am with her, I believe that she truly did love my father. I know that he loved her. When he found out the truth about her, it was one more slap in his face. It was another person telling him that he wasn't worth loving."
Sydney squeezed Jack's arm as she said, "You see, he never called because he believed he wasn't worth loving. He couldn't chance returning home and being rejected."
Then turning to Jack and speaking directly to him, she said, "I now know why he stayed away from me. You see, he loved me so much that he feared my betrayal, also. If I ever betrayed him, the way everyone else had, it would destroy him."
Laying her hand against Jack's cheek, she said, "But Dad, you know that I won't ever betray your trust or abandon you, don't you?"
"I know." he said as he hugged her harder than he had ever hugged her before.
When Jack let go of Sydney he saw that Don had left the house. He was halfway across the street when Jack caught up to him. Sydney stood at the front door, prepared to join them, if necessary. Sara came over to her and told her to come back inside the house. "You opened the door for them Sydney, they have to do the rest on their own."
Reluctantly she stepped away.
Jack told him, "It's true."
It was obvious that Don was thinking about his visit to California, when he accused his daughter-in-law of spying. Jack answered him, before he could even ask the question, "Yes, you caught her."
"So you knew what she was up to?" Don asked.
Jack looked away, ashamed about the answer. Sydney answered for him. "No, Grandfather. My mother was deceiving my father. He had no idea that she was using him."
"That bitch," Sara called out. "I knew there was something about her that wasn't right." She looked at Sydney and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't talk about the dead, like that."
Sydney just smiled politely and said she wasn't offended.
Jack went a step further and said, "You don't have to worry, she's not dead. The car accident was a set up for her extraction."
Sydney was both surprised and pleased that Jack was opening up to his family and telling them all about her mother and their relationship.
Although he left out the classified details, he told them about Project Christmas. He also told them what she was probably doing; the night Don caught her spying.
Again, leaving out the details, he told them about Irina being in CIA custody and about her subsequent escape. He told them they were in Maryland not because they were returning from a vacation, but because they were in London following up on a lead regarding Irina's whereabouts. It was his and Sydney's goal to capture her and return her to CIA custody.
After Jack was finished telling them about Irina, Sara asked, "If we were right about her, I don't understand why you stayed away?"
His answer was to shake his head and say, "I don't know. There were so many times when I thought about coming back here. I even called a few times, but I hung up before anyone answered."
"But why?" she asked him. "You needed us. Why didn't you come home?"
"I don't know," he repeated, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I do," Sydney said.
To Sydney, the answer was obvious. "All of his life my father has been betrayed and abandoned by the people who were suppose to love him. First by his mother, because of her illness. And you Grandfather, you were suppose to protect him, but you didn't. You knew he was being abused, but it was easier for you to just turn your back on the whole thing."
Sydney saw the hurt in her grandfather's eyes and told him, "I'm sorry Grandfather, I don't mean to hurt you."
He told her told her that she wasn't saying anything that he didn't already know.
Sydney continued, with her answer. "Then there was Sean. In a way, he hurt him worse than anyone. Dad depended on him. Sean was the one person who he thought would always be there for him. But, Sean left him alone. He promised he would come back, but he didn't."
Sydney got up and stood next to Jack. Holding onto his arm, she continued, "Then came my mother. He opened up to her. He trusted her. As angry as I am with her, I believe that she truly did love my father. I know that he loved her. When he found out the truth about her, it was one more slap in his face. It was another person telling him that he wasn't worth loving."
Sydney squeezed Jack's arm as she said, "You see, he never called because he believed he wasn't worth loving. He couldn't chance returning home and being rejected."
Then turning to Jack and speaking directly to him, she said, "I now know why he stayed away from me. You see, he loved me so much that he feared my betrayal, also. If I ever betrayed him, the way everyone else had, it would destroy him."
Laying her hand against Jack's cheek, she said, "But Dad, you know that I won't ever betray your trust or abandon you, don't you?"
"I know." he said as he hugged her harder than he had ever hugged her before.
When Jack let go of Sydney he saw that Don had left the house. He was halfway across the street when Jack caught up to him. Sydney stood at the front door, prepared to join them, if necessary. Sara came over to her and told her to come back inside the house. "You opened the door for them Sydney, they have to do the rest on their own."
Reluctantly she stepped away.