"Mom?" She said turning to see her mother walking toward her.
"Sydney, I am so happy to see you. You look so well." Irina said embracing her daughter tightly.
"Mom, I." Sydney said, not really sure what it was she wanted to say.
Jack closed the door behind them and then walked toward the kitchen.
"I heard about your travels in North Korea." Irina smiled, leading Sydney to a place on the couch.
"Dad said that you helped find us." Sydney said wiping a tear from her eye.
"Your father contacted me when your plane went down, and I directed him to a contact who could help you." Irina said, looking at her daughter, and pushing a stray hair back behind her ear. Sydney smiled weakly, thinking back to her near-death experience.
"Coffee Sydney?" Jack asked, as he came out of the kitchen carrying a mug filled for her.
"Thanks," Sydney said receiving the cup, and wrapping both of her hands around its warmth. She looked around, acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation. The three sat in silence for a moment.
"Sydney, your father told me that you recovered the truth regarding your missing years." Irina said softly.
Sydney looked up at her mother. "It was so strange, to see myself like that. I went through a lot and I don't even remember." She said softly, returning her gaze to her coffee.
"Some things are better forgotten." Irina said placing her hand on Sydney's. At this all three of them seemed to contemplate her words deeply. Irina knew that her next words would be painful for Sydney, but she spoke them anyway. "And Mr. Vaughn?"
Sydney gave her mother a quick look of pained surprise. "What about him?" She said, pulling her legs up under her. Irina simply watched her, waiting for a real response.
"Sydney," Irina started.
"He's a married man. He loves his wife, and she's a good person." Sydney said quietly, looking away. "I am moving on with my life."
Her words caused Irina to look at Jack quizzically. He simple shrugged slightly, and looked back to Sydney.
"I'm sorry Sydney." Irina said reaching out to touch her head. Sydney looked to her mother, tears filled her eyes. Irina took the cup from Sydney's hands, set it down, and pulled Sydney into a tight embrace. She quickly glanced to Jack, telling him to go. And he did, leaving Sydney crying in her mother's arms. "I know you loved him." Irina whispered into her daughter's hair.
"I did." Sydney cried quietly. "I want so much to hate him for moving on, but I can't. I died, he's right. And Lauren is a good person, and they're happy; and He's happy." She bawled. "But we were in North Korea, we thought. and he said. I still love him and there is nothing I can do. I told him I was moving on, but.after what he said to me, I'm not sure I can." Sydney broke down into sobs in her mother's arms.
After a moment Sydney pulled herself together and sat up. She dried her eyes, though her tears had left steaks of mascara down her face. "I'm sorry, I haven't had anyone to talk to since I came back." She smiled weakly, letting one last tear roll down her cheek.
Irina reached up to wipe it away. "I am happy to listen." She smiled. "Sydney," she paused, waiting for Sydney's eyes to meet hers. "Sweetheart, I cannot tell you how sorry I am, that I haven't been able to be here for you. There are so many things beyond my control." Irina sighed looking into her daughter's eyes.
It would have been easy to let everything she was feeling out right there. But the things Irina had inside her, were not for Sydney's ears. Irina had learned, through circumstance and pain, that keeping her secrets, and feelings inside was always best; even though she thought she might burst.
"Did you know?" Sydney said meekly, disturbing Irina's thoughts.
"Did I know about The Covenant, that they would take you?" Irina paused looking straight into her daughter's eyes. "No Sydney. I know of The Covenant, I know their ways. I would never had let them find you if I had known their plans." Sydney nodded in acknowledgement.
"You worked with Dad. Did you know that I was alive, I mean as Julia Thorne?" Sydney questioned, picking up her coffee again.
"I became aware that you were alive as your father did. The video tape surveillance from Lazarey's office, confirmed our suspicions. Unfortunately your father was discovered to be working with me, and arrested as a traitor. I feel very responsible for that."
Irina paused at Jack's entrance into the room. He smiled at the two of them sitting on the couch.
"Am I interrupting?"
"Not at all Jack, we were just discussing you."
"I'm flattered." He started toward the couch and sat down behind Irina.
"Sydney, was your mother able to answer your questions?" Jack said, reaching for a piece of cold toast off of the abandoned breakfast tray.
Sydney shook her head, and smiled. "She did. But I do have one more question. How often does Mom stay here with you?" Sydney smiled knowingly. Both Irina and Jack looked surprised, and guilty, like teenagers caught by their parents. Sydney laughed out loud at their expressions. But not wanting to embarrass them further, stood up and picked up her coat.
"Sydney," Jack started off in his usual stock, CIA Agent, tone. Irina could tell right off that he was going to make a mess of things. Irina stood, and smiled at her daughter.
"Does my staying here bother you?" She said coyly.
Sydney smiled, and shook her head. "Not at all. But let me know when you're here, I'd like to see you."
"I would like that very much." Irina smiled, and than hugged her daughter tightly.
"Sydney, I am so happy to see you. You look so well." Irina said embracing her daughter tightly.
"Mom, I." Sydney said, not really sure what it was she wanted to say.
Jack closed the door behind them and then walked toward the kitchen.
"I heard about your travels in North Korea." Irina smiled, leading Sydney to a place on the couch.
"Dad said that you helped find us." Sydney said wiping a tear from her eye.
"Your father contacted me when your plane went down, and I directed him to a contact who could help you." Irina said, looking at her daughter, and pushing a stray hair back behind her ear. Sydney smiled weakly, thinking back to her near-death experience.
"Coffee Sydney?" Jack asked, as he came out of the kitchen carrying a mug filled for her.
"Thanks," Sydney said receiving the cup, and wrapping both of her hands around its warmth. She looked around, acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation. The three sat in silence for a moment.
"Sydney, your father told me that you recovered the truth regarding your missing years." Irina said softly.
Sydney looked up at her mother. "It was so strange, to see myself like that. I went through a lot and I don't even remember." She said softly, returning her gaze to her coffee.
"Some things are better forgotten." Irina said placing her hand on Sydney's. At this all three of them seemed to contemplate her words deeply. Irina knew that her next words would be painful for Sydney, but she spoke them anyway. "And Mr. Vaughn?"
Sydney gave her mother a quick look of pained surprise. "What about him?" She said, pulling her legs up under her. Irina simply watched her, waiting for a real response.
"Sydney," Irina started.
"He's a married man. He loves his wife, and she's a good person." Sydney said quietly, looking away. "I am moving on with my life."
Her words caused Irina to look at Jack quizzically. He simple shrugged slightly, and looked back to Sydney.
"I'm sorry Sydney." Irina said reaching out to touch her head. Sydney looked to her mother, tears filled her eyes. Irina took the cup from Sydney's hands, set it down, and pulled Sydney into a tight embrace. She quickly glanced to Jack, telling him to go. And he did, leaving Sydney crying in her mother's arms. "I know you loved him." Irina whispered into her daughter's hair.
"I did." Sydney cried quietly. "I want so much to hate him for moving on, but I can't. I died, he's right. And Lauren is a good person, and they're happy; and He's happy." She bawled. "But we were in North Korea, we thought. and he said. I still love him and there is nothing I can do. I told him I was moving on, but.after what he said to me, I'm not sure I can." Sydney broke down into sobs in her mother's arms.
After a moment Sydney pulled herself together and sat up. She dried her eyes, though her tears had left steaks of mascara down her face. "I'm sorry, I haven't had anyone to talk to since I came back." She smiled weakly, letting one last tear roll down her cheek.
Irina reached up to wipe it away. "I am happy to listen." She smiled. "Sydney," she paused, waiting for Sydney's eyes to meet hers. "Sweetheart, I cannot tell you how sorry I am, that I haven't been able to be here for you. There are so many things beyond my control." Irina sighed looking into her daughter's eyes.
It would have been easy to let everything she was feeling out right there. But the things Irina had inside her, were not for Sydney's ears. Irina had learned, through circumstance and pain, that keeping her secrets, and feelings inside was always best; even though she thought she might burst.
"Did you know?" Sydney said meekly, disturbing Irina's thoughts.
"Did I know about The Covenant, that they would take you?" Irina paused looking straight into her daughter's eyes. "No Sydney. I know of The Covenant, I know their ways. I would never had let them find you if I had known their plans." Sydney nodded in acknowledgement.
"You worked with Dad. Did you know that I was alive, I mean as Julia Thorne?" Sydney questioned, picking up her coffee again.
"I became aware that you were alive as your father did. The video tape surveillance from Lazarey's office, confirmed our suspicions. Unfortunately your father was discovered to be working with me, and arrested as a traitor. I feel very responsible for that."
Irina paused at Jack's entrance into the room. He smiled at the two of them sitting on the couch.
"Am I interrupting?"
"Not at all Jack, we were just discussing you."
"I'm flattered." He started toward the couch and sat down behind Irina.
"Sydney, was your mother able to answer your questions?" Jack said, reaching for a piece of cold toast off of the abandoned breakfast tray.
Sydney shook her head, and smiled. "She did. But I do have one more question. How often does Mom stay here with you?" Sydney smiled knowingly. Both Irina and Jack looked surprised, and guilty, like teenagers caught by their parents. Sydney laughed out loud at their expressions. But not wanting to embarrass them further, stood up and picked up her coat.
"Sydney," Jack started off in his usual stock, CIA Agent, tone. Irina could tell right off that he was going to make a mess of things. Irina stood, and smiled at her daughter.
"Does my staying here bother you?" She said coyly.
Sydney smiled, and shook her head. "Not at all. But let me know when you're here, I'd like to see you."
"I would like that very much." Irina smiled, and than hugged her daughter tightly.