The dim light of the room assaulted her eyes, even though they were closed
tightly. Every part of her body ached, and her mind raced to find a reason.
She couldn't remember where she was, or why she was there. Memories of her
initial abduction flashed through her head and she flung her eyes open and
sat up.
Her head spun instantly causing her nausea and muscle soreness to intensify ten-fold. She could barely see through the blinding light whish invaded every minute part of her eye. She closed her eyes for a moment. Bringing her hands to her face she rubbed her eyes before running her hand through her hair.
Upon opening her vision to the world she could see a little clearer, but she felt as if she had a hang over, mixed with the migraine from hell. She turned her head to the left trying desperately to ignore the throbbing it caused to make any kind of movement. Two figures sat watching her. She couldn't make out their faces. She rubbed her eyes again and finally laid eyes upon her mother and Vaughn.
She looked away instantly, as if seeing them was physically painful. She thought about what she would say, she opened her mouth to speak, but words were no where to be found.
"Sydney, give yourself time to adjust. The tranquillizer had quite an effect on you." Her mother's voice assaulted her ears, coming through ten times lauder than Irina was actually speaking.
Sydney took less than a full moment, before turning back to them. "What have you done?" He voice came out, dry and scratchy. It hurt to speak. It hurt to think of what she was saying.
"Sydney, drink this." Her mother said, taking her hand and placing a glass in it. Sydney drank deeply, despite the fact that she couldn't taste what it was she was drinking. When she'd finished the glass she held it in her hand and started down into its emptiness. She watched indifferently as a tear rolled from her cheek and landed at the bottom of the glass.
Irina moved to sit next to her. She recoiled slightly at the close proximity of another human being. She waited for her mother to speak. She wanted her mother to speak. To give her ammunition, so that she could express her anger and frustration.
But instead of talking, Irina wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her. From somewhere Sydney couldn't identify, tears flowed. Without thought, or reason, or permission, waves and waves of grief came over her.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Irina just held her. Feeling the warmth of her daughter's body against her own. She'd tried desperately not to believe that Sydney was dead, even after a year without knowing. It had been a long year of holding her breath. But somehow in that unsure, in-between place, she and Jack had found their way back to each other, in a way neither of them had ever imagined possible.
And now she sat holding her daughter. The beautiful, broken woman that she had become. The motel room was small, dimly lit, and smelled of cigarette smoke and dirt. Irina's eyes rested on the dyed hair of her daughter. Blonde wasn't a bad look for Sydney, Irina laughed in her head. She began to stroke Sydney's hair. Her crying began to subside slowly.
Irina looked to Vaughn who was sitting a short distance away. He'd watched the mother and daughter pair for a few moments, before turning away. Irina could just make out a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Mom," Sydney's shaky voice was muffled.
"Yes sweetheart," Irina responded loosening her grip on her daughter.
"Where's Dad?" She breathed softly, lifting her head to look at her mother.
"He's gone to ensure that the Covenant has no knowledge of where you are. He'll be back soon." Irina said, wiping a tear from Sydney's cheek. She smiled, she was happy to see how strong Jack and Sydney's connection was.
Sydney sat back and looked at the carpet.
"Sweetheart," Irina began, but was unable to finish.
"I'm sorry." Sydney breathed softly.
"Sydney," Irina tried to continue.
"I've been so confused for so long." She said, her voice barely audible. "Everyone thought I was dead. Your lives were in danger . I didn't have a life to fight for, so I fought for yours." She said her eyes rising and meeting Vaughn's.
For a long moment no one spoke. Vaughn allowed another tear to stream down his cheek, following the path of those that had already fallen. Irina couldn't help but allow her own tears to well up in her eyes.
"I don't know what to do. I don't know who I am anymore." Sydney cried letting her head fall to her hands.
It was then that Vaughn moved from her chair, and knelt on the floor in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders firmly and pulled her into his arms.
She let everything go, and again broke into hysterical sobs. Vaughn just held her. For a moment his eyes felt Irina's. But he soon closed them and just felt Sydney in his arms. Irina watched in silence. All three cried together.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"We've lost contact with Agent Thorne." The voice of his superior came through the cell phone abruptly.
"I've spoken with her. The mission was a success. She was given her orders and I assume she's followed them." Sark replied.
"What is your position?"
"I'm laying low. The CIA is conducting a man hunt for me. I don't intend to be caught again." Sark said looking again out the car window into the night.
"Good. How did Agent Thorne react to you?" His superior questioned.
"As if she were truly Julia Thorne." Sark lied, he'd seen Sydney's recognition of him.
"Good. Everything is going as planned." He superior chuckled, before the line went dead.
Sark put his phone in his pocket and gazed toward the light emanating through the curtains of the motel room. If they found out he'd lied, they wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Her head spun instantly causing her nausea and muscle soreness to intensify ten-fold. She could barely see through the blinding light whish invaded every minute part of her eye. She closed her eyes for a moment. Bringing her hands to her face she rubbed her eyes before running her hand through her hair.
Upon opening her vision to the world she could see a little clearer, but she felt as if she had a hang over, mixed with the migraine from hell. She turned her head to the left trying desperately to ignore the throbbing it caused to make any kind of movement. Two figures sat watching her. She couldn't make out their faces. She rubbed her eyes again and finally laid eyes upon her mother and Vaughn.
She looked away instantly, as if seeing them was physically painful. She thought about what she would say, she opened her mouth to speak, but words were no where to be found.
"Sydney, give yourself time to adjust. The tranquillizer had quite an effect on you." Her mother's voice assaulted her ears, coming through ten times lauder than Irina was actually speaking.
Sydney took less than a full moment, before turning back to them. "What have you done?" He voice came out, dry and scratchy. It hurt to speak. It hurt to think of what she was saying.
"Sydney, drink this." Her mother said, taking her hand and placing a glass in it. Sydney drank deeply, despite the fact that she couldn't taste what it was she was drinking. When she'd finished the glass she held it in her hand and started down into its emptiness. She watched indifferently as a tear rolled from her cheek and landed at the bottom of the glass.
Irina moved to sit next to her. She recoiled slightly at the close proximity of another human being. She waited for her mother to speak. She wanted her mother to speak. To give her ammunition, so that she could express her anger and frustration.
But instead of talking, Irina wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her. From somewhere Sydney couldn't identify, tears flowed. Without thought, or reason, or permission, waves and waves of grief came over her.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Irina just held her. Feeling the warmth of her daughter's body against her own. She'd tried desperately not to believe that Sydney was dead, even after a year without knowing. It had been a long year of holding her breath. But somehow in that unsure, in-between place, she and Jack had found their way back to each other, in a way neither of them had ever imagined possible.
And now she sat holding her daughter. The beautiful, broken woman that she had become. The motel room was small, dimly lit, and smelled of cigarette smoke and dirt. Irina's eyes rested on the dyed hair of her daughter. Blonde wasn't a bad look for Sydney, Irina laughed in her head. She began to stroke Sydney's hair. Her crying began to subside slowly.
Irina looked to Vaughn who was sitting a short distance away. He'd watched the mother and daughter pair for a few moments, before turning away. Irina could just make out a tear rolling down his cheek.
"Mom," Sydney's shaky voice was muffled.
"Yes sweetheart," Irina responded loosening her grip on her daughter.
"Where's Dad?" She breathed softly, lifting her head to look at her mother.
"He's gone to ensure that the Covenant has no knowledge of where you are. He'll be back soon." Irina said, wiping a tear from Sydney's cheek. She smiled, she was happy to see how strong Jack and Sydney's connection was.
Sydney sat back and looked at the carpet.
"Sweetheart," Irina began, but was unable to finish.
"I'm sorry." Sydney breathed softly.
"Sydney," Irina tried to continue.
"I've been so confused for so long." She said, her voice barely audible. "Everyone thought I was dead. Your lives were in danger . I didn't have a life to fight for, so I fought for yours." She said her eyes rising and meeting Vaughn's.
For a long moment no one spoke. Vaughn allowed another tear to stream down his cheek, following the path of those that had already fallen. Irina couldn't help but allow her own tears to well up in her eyes.
"I don't know what to do. I don't know who I am anymore." Sydney cried letting her head fall to her hands.
It was then that Vaughn moved from her chair, and knelt on the floor in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders firmly and pulled her into his arms.
She let everything go, and again broke into hysterical sobs. Vaughn just held her. For a moment his eyes felt Irina's. But he soon closed them and just felt Sydney in his arms. Irina watched in silence. All three cried together.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"We've lost contact with Agent Thorne." The voice of his superior came through the cell phone abruptly.
"I've spoken with her. The mission was a success. She was given her orders and I assume she's followed them." Sark replied.
"What is your position?"
"I'm laying low. The CIA is conducting a man hunt for me. I don't intend to be caught again." Sark said looking again out the car window into the night.
"Good. How did Agent Thorne react to you?" His superior questioned.
"As if she were truly Julia Thorne." Sark lied, he'd seen Sydney's recognition of him.
"Good. Everything is going as planned." He superior chuckled, before the line went dead.
Sark put his phone in his pocket and gazed toward the light emanating through the curtains of the motel room. If they found out he'd lied, they wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++