Sydney was a little surprised that it was Aidan who had called instead of
her mother. She wondered why. He had instructed her to be at Lax
Saturday. She had a flight out at 6:20 p.m., under the alias of Emily
LaGrande. She was to fly to Ireland, and Irina and Aidan would meet her
there.
As her plane landed, Sydney couldn't help but wonder what news her mother would have for her. She was very worried about her father, but she knew that he would be ok. He had to be. Jet-lagged, and worse for travel, Sydney collected her luggage and walked toward the exit. Galway airport wasn't large, but it was disconcerting to her, because she had not been here before.
As she walked outside, a black sedan pulled up. She didn't even have time to wonder if it was for her, when Aidan got out. Interesting, she thought. He came for me himself. He was dressed casually, in khakis and a blue shirt. He didn't even greet her as he took her luggage and secured it in the trunk. She got in the passenger side, almost glad to have a few minutes of silence.
Finally, Sark spoke. "I'm sure you have many questions, as do I, but it will be a while before we see your mother." He chided himself for sounding so cool. He knew that Sydney needed to feel comfortable right now.
"Why? Where is she?" asked Sydney, wondering how long 'a while' would be.
"She had to leave for a few days. Unfortunately, she didn't make me privy to what she was doing. It seems that I've been in the dark about several things lately." He sounded upset.
Sydney wondered what he meant by that, but didn't reply. She was suddenly overcome with sadness and she was very tired. She leaned her head against the window.
"I know that is a silly question, considering the circumstances, but will you be alright?" Sark mentally cursed himself for opening his mouth. Of course she wasn't alright. And, he had let down his guard yet again with her. It was becoming a habit.
"Yes, Aidan, I'll be fine. I'm just very tired and hungry. The food on the plane isn't the best." She attempted a laugh. "I need a shower and some sleep." She was surprised at the sympathy and caring that she heard in his voice. He had been cool at first, so this turn of events surprised her.
"We'll be at our destination soon, then you can eat and get some rest." He didn't mentioned to her that their destination was his house. "It's too bad that it's dark out. It's very pretty country that we'll be passing through." Reduced to talking about scenery, he thought.
Sydney almost laughed out loud. Aidan sounded, well, almost human. And was it just her, or was he actually speaking with a little bit of an Irish accent? How funny that they should be talking about the land, of all things. "Well, I'll just have to see it during the day, then."
Sark glanced over at her. She looked very tired, but had a smile playing on her lips. Interesting, he thought. He was surprised that they were actually having a normal conversation. It was a nice change from being at each other's throats.
"How does it feel to be free?" Sydney broke into Sark's thoughts.
"Well, it's certainly nice to be out of the glass cage. Fresh air is highly under rated." He laughed. "I assure you though, freedom is something that I'm not sure I will ever truly have."
"I think I understand what you mean. In the line of work that we do, one never really feels free."
"Yes. Well, that is to be expected, I guess. But, in answer to your question, it feels wonderful."
"I'm curious about something, Aidan." Sydney said suddenly. "I've always been curious, I guess, but there was never an opportunity to ask. Why do you do this?" There. It was in the open. She was asking about him and why he went into this line of work.
"'This' is a broad scope, Sydney. But, it's a long story. Just keep in mind, that everyone has a past, and everything they do is a result of their life circumstances. I lost my family when I was young. My mother, father, and sister were killed." He didn't elaborate, or want to. It was still very painful to talk about. "I was taken from the orphanage by Khasinau, and given a new life. I had nothing else, so I was eager to learn all that I could. Then, I met your mother, and she took over from there. I owe her for what I am. Sometimes I don't feel that grateful to her for it."
Sydney noticed the bitterness that had creeped into his voice. "I'm sorry. We won't talk about it anymore." She also couldn't help but think that he had been around her mother more than she had.
"I think I will tell you someday, Sydney. I want to." He wondered why he suddenly felt that he could tell her anything. "For now, why don't you rest. We have a little bit of a drive ahead of us. I'll wake you when we get there." He didn't tell her where they were going, and she didn't ask. They reverted to silence, each lost in their own thoughts, but still very aware of the other.
Sydney lay back in her seat. How ironic that when actually felt comfortable for the first time in ages, it was with a known assassin sitting in the car next to her. Her thoughts strayed a bit more to her mother and father, and soon she nodded off.
Sark had surprised himself by being kind and telling Sydney a little about his life. The biggest surprise to him was that he wanted her to know; to realize that he wasn't a monster. When he glanced over at her again, she was asleep. She looked so lost and vulnerable. He wondered when Irina would be back, and what she would tell them. He had a vague idea that this trip was because of Jack Bristow, but he didn't want to mention it to Sydney. She was worried enough, without him adding more to it. He was also intensely curious about the prophecy and how it involved him. He wondered if he should mention it to Sydney.
He pulled the car into the drive of a lovely house. He swelled with pride to think that it was his, and he was back home. It had been too long. He stopped the engine and looked over at Sydney. She was still sleeping. No need to wake her up. He went around to the passenger side, opened the door, and gently picked her up. She stirred a little, and shifted so that her arms were around his neck and her head was against his shoulder. He found himself thinking how good it felt to have her in his arms. He wondered if he would have the pleasure of that sometime when she wasn't out cold. He carried her inside and put her gently down on the couch.
He decided to go get her luggage out of the car and put it upstairs. He didn't want to bother her, so he settled a blanket over her sleeping form, and went to the kitchen for a drink. They had a lot to talk about.
As her plane landed, Sydney couldn't help but wonder what news her mother would have for her. She was very worried about her father, but she knew that he would be ok. He had to be. Jet-lagged, and worse for travel, Sydney collected her luggage and walked toward the exit. Galway airport wasn't large, but it was disconcerting to her, because she had not been here before.
As she walked outside, a black sedan pulled up. She didn't even have time to wonder if it was for her, when Aidan got out. Interesting, she thought. He came for me himself. He was dressed casually, in khakis and a blue shirt. He didn't even greet her as he took her luggage and secured it in the trunk. She got in the passenger side, almost glad to have a few minutes of silence.
Finally, Sark spoke. "I'm sure you have many questions, as do I, but it will be a while before we see your mother." He chided himself for sounding so cool. He knew that Sydney needed to feel comfortable right now.
"Why? Where is she?" asked Sydney, wondering how long 'a while' would be.
"She had to leave for a few days. Unfortunately, she didn't make me privy to what she was doing. It seems that I've been in the dark about several things lately." He sounded upset.
Sydney wondered what he meant by that, but didn't reply. She was suddenly overcome with sadness and she was very tired. She leaned her head against the window.
"I know that is a silly question, considering the circumstances, but will you be alright?" Sark mentally cursed himself for opening his mouth. Of course she wasn't alright. And, he had let down his guard yet again with her. It was becoming a habit.
"Yes, Aidan, I'll be fine. I'm just very tired and hungry. The food on the plane isn't the best." She attempted a laugh. "I need a shower and some sleep." She was surprised at the sympathy and caring that she heard in his voice. He had been cool at first, so this turn of events surprised her.
"We'll be at our destination soon, then you can eat and get some rest." He didn't mentioned to her that their destination was his house. "It's too bad that it's dark out. It's very pretty country that we'll be passing through." Reduced to talking about scenery, he thought.
Sydney almost laughed out loud. Aidan sounded, well, almost human. And was it just her, or was he actually speaking with a little bit of an Irish accent? How funny that they should be talking about the land, of all things. "Well, I'll just have to see it during the day, then."
Sark glanced over at her. She looked very tired, but had a smile playing on her lips. Interesting, he thought. He was surprised that they were actually having a normal conversation. It was a nice change from being at each other's throats.
"How does it feel to be free?" Sydney broke into Sark's thoughts.
"Well, it's certainly nice to be out of the glass cage. Fresh air is highly under rated." He laughed. "I assure you though, freedom is something that I'm not sure I will ever truly have."
"I think I understand what you mean. In the line of work that we do, one never really feels free."
"Yes. Well, that is to be expected, I guess. But, in answer to your question, it feels wonderful."
"I'm curious about something, Aidan." Sydney said suddenly. "I've always been curious, I guess, but there was never an opportunity to ask. Why do you do this?" There. It was in the open. She was asking about him and why he went into this line of work.
"'This' is a broad scope, Sydney. But, it's a long story. Just keep in mind, that everyone has a past, and everything they do is a result of their life circumstances. I lost my family when I was young. My mother, father, and sister were killed." He didn't elaborate, or want to. It was still very painful to talk about. "I was taken from the orphanage by Khasinau, and given a new life. I had nothing else, so I was eager to learn all that I could. Then, I met your mother, and she took over from there. I owe her for what I am. Sometimes I don't feel that grateful to her for it."
Sydney noticed the bitterness that had creeped into his voice. "I'm sorry. We won't talk about it anymore." She also couldn't help but think that he had been around her mother more than she had.
"I think I will tell you someday, Sydney. I want to." He wondered why he suddenly felt that he could tell her anything. "For now, why don't you rest. We have a little bit of a drive ahead of us. I'll wake you when we get there." He didn't tell her where they were going, and she didn't ask. They reverted to silence, each lost in their own thoughts, but still very aware of the other.
Sydney lay back in her seat. How ironic that when actually felt comfortable for the first time in ages, it was with a known assassin sitting in the car next to her. Her thoughts strayed a bit more to her mother and father, and soon she nodded off.
Sark had surprised himself by being kind and telling Sydney a little about his life. The biggest surprise to him was that he wanted her to know; to realize that he wasn't a monster. When he glanced over at her again, she was asleep. She looked so lost and vulnerable. He wondered when Irina would be back, and what she would tell them. He had a vague idea that this trip was because of Jack Bristow, but he didn't want to mention it to Sydney. She was worried enough, without him adding more to it. He was also intensely curious about the prophecy and how it involved him. He wondered if he should mention it to Sydney.
He pulled the car into the drive of a lovely house. He swelled with pride to think that it was his, and he was back home. It had been too long. He stopped the engine and looked over at Sydney. She was still sleeping. No need to wake her up. He went around to the passenger side, opened the door, and gently picked her up. She stirred a little, and shifted so that her arms were around his neck and her head was against his shoulder. He found himself thinking how good it felt to have her in his arms. He wondered if he would have the pleasure of that sometime when she wasn't out cold. He carried her inside and put her gently down on the couch.
He decided to go get her luggage out of the car and put it upstairs. He didn't want to bother her, so he settled a blanket over her sleeping form, and went to the kitchen for a drink. They had a lot to talk about.