Little Child Lost

Chapter Nine

Disappear

Sydney was shivering from being soaking wet.  She stood behind Sark as if she wished he would protect her from the conversation that was about to take place.  Not that she actually would admit it or that she believed he would protect her.  She took a defensive position, her arms folded across her chest to block out the cold and the negativity.  Jack remained standing, casing the room for escape routes and potential traps.  Irina stretched languidly on the one bed in the hotel room, at ease with the current situation.  Eric sat in one of the chairs by the desk, his face conveying his feeling that he was intruding on something he shouldn't be a part of.  Sark seemed comfortable, as if he enjoyed Sydney's distress.  Truthfully, he probably was enjoying it.  Nobody spoke to begin with.  Each seemed to be taking in the new circumstances.

"I am glad to see you are well, Sydney."  Jack spoke, finally.

Sydney shrugged a bit, wishing she could get out of her wet clothes.  They were starting to stick to her body and it was making her want to itch and pull at the cloth.

"Thanks."

"I was surprised that you escaped with Mr. Sark.  CIA was ready to label you a fugitive, again, but Agent Weiss spoke on your behalf.  Dixon accepted it."

"Why exactly are you telling me this?"

"It would be safe for you to return to the United States."

Sydney sighed and stared down at her boots.  She shifted her weight, uncomfortably.  Irina spoke from the bed.

"What makes you believe Sydney wants to return to the States, Jack?  She has made no indication that she wishes it."

Sydney opened her mouth to add in what she thought, but Jack cut her off.
"What do you suggest, Irina?  She come live with you for a bit?"

"Well, you know how extensive my contacts are.  Sydney and I could pursue any leads concerning Julia Thorne."

Sydney blanched, wondering if Irina did know that she was Julia Thorne.  She tried to remember their conversation before and realized Irina may not know.  But there was no way Sydney could be sure.  Irina was a complicated woman to grasp.  Sydney lifted her gaze, searching for Sark.  She realized he'd glided unnoticed across the room and he was almost to the bathroom.  He was staring at her intensely.  He winked childishly as he quietly exited the room.  Sydney turned her attention back on her parents, feeling a smidge relieved, as she understood Sark's plan.

"First of all, Mom, Dad, I will be the one to decide what I do.  Secondly, can we discuss this after we all dry off?  I'm freezing."

Jack conceded immediately, realizing he'd sort of jumped in without giving Sydney a chance to verbalize her reasoning.  Irina's eyebrow quirked as if she knew what was happening, but didn't want to voice it.  Sydney brushed past her father, into the bathroom.  And on into the connecting room, through the door hidden beside the shower, and on into the narrow hallway, away from her dysfunctional family.

            Sark was in an alleyway behind the hotel.  He was propped against the wall, waiting impatiently as Sydney splashed around the puddles, trying to find him.  She had been pretty sure that Sark would wait for her.  She was pretty sure that escape had been his plan. All she could do was hope that Sark was around there somewhere.  Sark made no move as Sydney rushed past him; he simply waited for Sydney to realize his presence.  She turned as she felt his eyes on her, the penetrating stare Sark was so good at.  "Sark?"

"Finally.   I was beginning to wonder if you would ever arrive down here."

"You never struck me as the impatient type."

"You never thought about me much before, Sydney."

Sydney couldn't deny it, so she simply walked towards him.

"You still have the disk, don't you?"

"Of course.  I don't think your family even knew what we went in after.  That's just as well."

"I know.  Where are we headed next?"

"I was thinking perhaps Whitechapel."

"Whitechapel?  Why Whitechapel?"

"We have no where else to go.  Sydney, we are simply looking through what we retrieved.  It may take hours and I wish to go to a home I am comfortable in.  If you have a problem with it, feel free to leave."

Sydney sighed as her foot started to tap rhythmically.

"All right.  Whitechapel it is.  I still don't know why you won't just tell me."

Sark didn't say anything, just turned away.

"Let's get away from here before your brilliant family discovers that we are both missing in action."
Sydney followed him down the alley.
"Sark?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for waiting for me."

Sark glanced away from her, trying his best not to show his discomfort at her gratitude.

"We're partners, for the moment.  Until we find out more, I won't be leaving you behind any time in the near future."

Sydney smiled warmly, feeling like she used to feel, before everything else had happened.

            Jack had finally taken a seat. He was tired of standing up.  Sydney had been in the bathroom for a while.  At first, he thought she might have decided to take a shower, but he never heard any water running.  He didn't want to intrude on his daughter if she was trying to regain control of her emotions, so he waited.  But soon, he began to wonder if Sydney was still there.  He hadn't heard any movement in the bathroom for several minutes.  The room was eerily quiet.  Sark had disappeared, though Jack hadn't minded that leave.  Irina was still stretched across the bed, not speaking, not moving.  Her eyes were closed, as if she planned to stay in the room for the evening.  Eric was flipping through the magazine that had been lying on the desk.  Jack stood once more, and started to walk to the bathroom.  He knocked lightly on the door and received no answer.  He twisted the knob on the white door and pushed it back.  He scanned the small room, and found no one.  It was deserted.  He punched the door, filling the room with a resounding bang. 
"She's gone!"

Irina opened her eyes, lazily, not seeming at all alarmed.  Eric had dropped the magazine, waiting for Jack's instructions.  "What did you expect, Jack?" Irina said softly. "She's running from you as much as she's running from the CIA.  She doesn't remember anything from her last two years.  Sark seems to be the one who can help her the most.  She doesn't want to face you.  And the first time she does after running away, we all jump on, making plans for her future.  It's a woman's worst nightmare.  Her parents tried to take over her life.  Even though it is us."

"Did you know she was leaving?"

"No."

"You don't seem too worried that she is gone."

"I am not.  She and Sark seem to be sticking together at the moment.  Sark has three favorite places in the entire world.  Buenos Aires, which they've already visited.  That marks it off the list.  That leaves Paris and Galway."

Jack's eyes widened, in anger and surprise.  "So all we have to do is visit both places that has several thousand people in it.  No problem."

Irina rolled her eyes.  "Jack, Sark owns several different houses. He has one in Buenos Aires, one in Paris, one in Galway, and if we don't find them there, he also has an apartment in London and a townhouse in Bermuda and a cottage in Whitechapel."

Jack didn't know what to say.  He was speechless.  He seemed to only be that way around Irina.  He processed what she had said and looked at Eric.  "Are you willing to go around the world to look for her?"

Eric nodded.  "Of course.  Sydney became my best friend after she resurfaced."

Jack looked back at Irina.  "Where do we go first?"

"Galway.  He lived there when he was a child for a couple of years."

The trio left the hotel room, going for their plane.