Chapter 8
Sydney's memorial service was private. Only members of the CIA and the Government were allowed to attend. In order to keep her cover secret, Sydney's friends and neighbors were told that her body was being taken 'out east' for burial.
Francine Calfo's parents were given the same cover story that Will Tippin's parents were given. When asked what happened to their daughter, the FBI told them that they were still investigating her disappearance.
Jack felt that Francine's parents deserved the comfort of being able to bury their daughter. He made arrangements that in about a month, 'Francine's' decomposed body would be found. Her parents would then be able to bury their daughter and move on with their lives, rather then spend years waiting for her to return to them. A return that would never happen.
Sydney's memorial service was held in the reception hall of the CIA headquarters, in Los Angeles. When the guests arrived they were stunned by the beauty of the makeshift chapel. The room was filled with hundreds of white roses. Near the altar was a white pedestal, surround by white rose pedals. On the pedestal was marble box. Inside the box were the cremated remains of Sydney A. Bristow. Lying across the marble box, amid all the white flowers, was a single pink rose.
As the guests arrived they were led to assigned seating areas. Vaughn was seated in the front row. His best friend, Eric Weiss sat to his right. The empty seat to Vaughn's left was reserved for Jack Bristow. To Jack's left sat retired CIA Director, Ben Devlin and his wife, Martha.
Marshall Flinkman and Carrie Bowman sat in the second row along with Marcus Dixon and Director Kendall.
As the ten o'clock hour approached Jack had not been seen. "He better be here," Vaughn kept repeating to Eric, who kept assuring him that Jack would be there.
At ten o'clock sharp Reverend Craft and Jack Bristow entered the hall. Jack shook hands with a few old friends and then took his seat next to Michael Vaughn. Neither man spoke to the other.
As the Chaplain approached the podium he gestured for the musicians to play. The tenor stood and sang, ...Be not afraid, I go before you always, Come follow me, And I will give you rest....
Once the song was completed the Chaplain read from the Gospel of John, "...No greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends..."
Following this theme the Chaplain gave a eulogy that spoke of Sydney bravely and her desire to destroy the evil that she saw.
After he was done speaking of Sydney's virtues, the Chaplain invited the guests to come forward and share their memories of her.
Those who came forward talked about how Sydney always greeted them with a smile. They talked about her compassion and her loyalty. They talked about how obvious it was that she loved Michael Vaughn.
A few speakers, such as Marcus Dixon acknowledged not only her friendship with Michael Vaughn, but her admiration for her father. Jack mentally waived off the gesture. It was obvious that they were just trying to be sympathetic. He seriously doubted that Sydney ever shared her feelings, about him, with any of them.
The last person to come forward to eulogize Sydney was Ben Devlin. "I've heard some wonderful things said about Agent Bristow. All of which I fully agree with. Michael, you knew her for only a short time, but it is obvious that during her last days you were a very important part of her life."
After offering Vaughn his sympathy, Ben looked around the room, to be sure he had everyones attention. He continued, "I'd like to tell you about the last time I spoke to Sydney. It was right here in this room," he said as he gestured to their surroundings.
"It was my retirement dinner, just over a year ago. She took me aside and thanked me for trusting her, when she came to us with a preposterous plan to work as a double agent and bring down SD-6."
Ben then directed his gaze at Jack, "But what she really wanted to do was to thank me for giving her an opportunity to get to know her father. She told me that she grew up wanting him to notice her and because she was given the opportunity to work here, she realized that she always had his attention.
"She told me how in awe she was at what he had accomplished and how she admired and respected the man that he is."
Ben stopped talking to the crowd and directed his attention only to Jack. He told him, "That conversation gave me an opportunity to tell her how much you admired her. I wish you could have seen how that beautiful smile of her's lit up when I told her about the many conversation we had about her.
"I told her that no man loved his child more than you loved her. She kissed me, right here," he said pointing to his left cheek. "She thanked me for confirming what she already knew."
Jack looked down at the ground in front of him. One of the many things he regretted is that he and Sydney never verbally shared their feelings of admiration and love. He always wondered if she knew how he felt about her. Ben would never fully understand what it meant to Jack, to know that Sydney knew how he felt about her.
He was still staring at the ground, thinking about all that they had lost, when he noticed Ben's shoes appear in his eye line. "Jack," Ben said calling for his attention.
Jack looked up at his old friend. Ben was standing in front of him, with a folded American flag. Jack had completely forgotten about the ceremonial presentation of the flag.
When he had Jack's attention Ben held the flag out to him and said, "On behalf of a grateful nation."
Jack's breathing visibly increased. His face lost what was left of its color. The pressure in his head returned as he looked at his friend, standing in front of him with the object that is given to the family of fallen agents.
"I can't," he said, barely audible. If he accepted the flag it meant he was conceding, in front of everyone in the room, that his daughter was truly dead.
Still holding the flag out to him, Ben said, "Yes, you can, Jack."
In order to divert the attention that was focusing on the two men, the Chaplain motioned for the musicians to play.
As they played another song of hope, for the first time since all this happened, Michael Vaughn realized how hard all of this was on Jack. He reached over and placed his hand on Jack's back, for support.
Jack slowly reached up and with unsteady hands, he accepted the flag.
Once Jack accepted the flag Ben gestured for both Jack and Vaughn to get up. He led them the back of the reception hall where a receiving line was started, so that the guests could offer the two men in Sydney's life, their sympathy.
Near the end of the reception Reverend Craft took Vaughn aside and told him that Jack wanted him to have Sydney's ashes, if he wanted them. As Jack had suspected, Vaughn very much wanted them.
He looked around to thank Jack, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Jack had gotten word on a possible lead. He had left the reception without saying good-bye to anyone.
tbc
Sydney's memorial service was private. Only members of the CIA and the Government were allowed to attend. In order to keep her cover secret, Sydney's friends and neighbors were told that her body was being taken 'out east' for burial.
Francine Calfo's parents were given the same cover story that Will Tippin's parents were given. When asked what happened to their daughter, the FBI told them that they were still investigating her disappearance.
Jack felt that Francine's parents deserved the comfort of being able to bury their daughter. He made arrangements that in about a month, 'Francine's' decomposed body would be found. Her parents would then be able to bury their daughter and move on with their lives, rather then spend years waiting for her to return to them. A return that would never happen.
Sydney's memorial service was held in the reception hall of the CIA headquarters, in Los Angeles. When the guests arrived they were stunned by the beauty of the makeshift chapel. The room was filled with hundreds of white roses. Near the altar was a white pedestal, surround by white rose pedals. On the pedestal was marble box. Inside the box were the cremated remains of Sydney A. Bristow. Lying across the marble box, amid all the white flowers, was a single pink rose.
As the guests arrived they were led to assigned seating areas. Vaughn was seated in the front row. His best friend, Eric Weiss sat to his right. The empty seat to Vaughn's left was reserved for Jack Bristow. To Jack's left sat retired CIA Director, Ben Devlin and his wife, Martha.
Marshall Flinkman and Carrie Bowman sat in the second row along with Marcus Dixon and Director Kendall.
As the ten o'clock hour approached Jack had not been seen. "He better be here," Vaughn kept repeating to Eric, who kept assuring him that Jack would be there.
At ten o'clock sharp Reverend Craft and Jack Bristow entered the hall. Jack shook hands with a few old friends and then took his seat next to Michael Vaughn. Neither man spoke to the other.
As the Chaplain approached the podium he gestured for the musicians to play. The tenor stood and sang, ...Be not afraid, I go before you always, Come follow me, And I will give you rest....
Once the song was completed the Chaplain read from the Gospel of John, "...No greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends..."
Following this theme the Chaplain gave a eulogy that spoke of Sydney bravely and her desire to destroy the evil that she saw.
After he was done speaking of Sydney's virtues, the Chaplain invited the guests to come forward and share their memories of her.
Those who came forward talked about how Sydney always greeted them with a smile. They talked about her compassion and her loyalty. They talked about how obvious it was that she loved Michael Vaughn.
A few speakers, such as Marcus Dixon acknowledged not only her friendship with Michael Vaughn, but her admiration for her father. Jack mentally waived off the gesture. It was obvious that they were just trying to be sympathetic. He seriously doubted that Sydney ever shared her feelings, about him, with any of them.
The last person to come forward to eulogize Sydney was Ben Devlin. "I've heard some wonderful things said about Agent Bristow. All of which I fully agree with. Michael, you knew her for only a short time, but it is obvious that during her last days you were a very important part of her life."
After offering Vaughn his sympathy, Ben looked around the room, to be sure he had everyones attention. He continued, "I'd like to tell you about the last time I spoke to Sydney. It was right here in this room," he said as he gestured to their surroundings.
"It was my retirement dinner, just over a year ago. She took me aside and thanked me for trusting her, when she came to us with a preposterous plan to work as a double agent and bring down SD-6."
Ben then directed his gaze at Jack, "But what she really wanted to do was to thank me for giving her an opportunity to get to know her father. She told me that she grew up wanting him to notice her and because she was given the opportunity to work here, she realized that she always had his attention.
"She told me how in awe she was at what he had accomplished and how she admired and respected the man that he is."
Ben stopped talking to the crowd and directed his attention only to Jack. He told him, "That conversation gave me an opportunity to tell her how much you admired her. I wish you could have seen how that beautiful smile of her's lit up when I told her about the many conversation we had about her.
"I told her that no man loved his child more than you loved her. She kissed me, right here," he said pointing to his left cheek. "She thanked me for confirming what she already knew."
Jack looked down at the ground in front of him. One of the many things he regretted is that he and Sydney never verbally shared their feelings of admiration and love. He always wondered if she knew how he felt about her. Ben would never fully understand what it meant to Jack, to know that Sydney knew how he felt about her.
He was still staring at the ground, thinking about all that they had lost, when he noticed Ben's shoes appear in his eye line. "Jack," Ben said calling for his attention.
Jack looked up at his old friend. Ben was standing in front of him, with a folded American flag. Jack had completely forgotten about the ceremonial presentation of the flag.
When he had Jack's attention Ben held the flag out to him and said, "On behalf of a grateful nation."
Jack's breathing visibly increased. His face lost what was left of its color. The pressure in his head returned as he looked at his friend, standing in front of him with the object that is given to the family of fallen agents.
"I can't," he said, barely audible. If he accepted the flag it meant he was conceding, in front of everyone in the room, that his daughter was truly dead.
Still holding the flag out to him, Ben said, "Yes, you can, Jack."
In order to divert the attention that was focusing on the two men, the Chaplain motioned for the musicians to play.
As they played another song of hope, for the first time since all this happened, Michael Vaughn realized how hard all of this was on Jack. He reached over and placed his hand on Jack's back, for support.
Jack slowly reached up and with unsteady hands, he accepted the flag.
Once Jack accepted the flag Ben gestured for both Jack and Vaughn to get up. He led them the back of the reception hall where a receiving line was started, so that the guests could offer the two men in Sydney's life, their sympathy.
Near the end of the reception Reverend Craft took Vaughn aside and told him that Jack wanted him to have Sydney's ashes, if he wanted them. As Jack had suspected, Vaughn very much wanted them.
He looked around to thank Jack, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Jack had gotten word on a possible lead. He had left the reception without saying good-bye to anyone.
tbc
