Unanswered Questions, Unquestioned Answers

Amy's cat Buttons swirled in and out of his feet as he chewed the end of his pencil. Photographs and papers were strewn about him in a rough horseshoe. He read the police report in his hand for the third time, looking for the missing information. The facts just didn't add up and he knew he was looking for a needle in a haystack. The police and the CIA reports were missing so much detail.

A neighbor had called the police when she heard the gunshots. The tap of the 911 system alerted the CIA that an emergency was occurring at an agent's house. The CIA arrived first. He was found in the bathtub. Oh Syd. I hope you didn't see that. The ambulance was immediately called with the police arriving about the same time.

Allison was found in the bedroom barely alive and she was rushed to St. Stephen's, the CIA hospital under custody. He was also rushed to the same hospital. No other bodies were found.

He was tired of the lies and the avoidances. Sydney had been on a "mission" longer than any previous mission. No one at the CIA would answer his questions on her whereabouts. He didn't have the clearance to access the files in the CIA database, should he ever make it to the office again. Vaughn was looking completely distraught and Jack wasn't looking much better. Weiss was the only person who actually would spend time with him and but even Eric wouldn't answer all of his questions.

Every time he asked, he was referred to Dr. Barnett. He was beginning to loathe that woman. He had been required to talk with her extensively about that last evening and his relationship with Francie/Allison. He knew they were looking for any clue he might remember so that they may find the people that had trained Allison. He also hoped that the CIA was still looking for Francie.

He wanted to talk with Syd. He missed her and he wanted her to see that he was good, that he was healing and that he had survived. He wanted to know if she knew about Francie and A.J. Doren. Will knew that Syd wouldn't lie to him about what had happened. Francie was her best friend and he was certain that Syd was just as curious and concerned about their friend as he was.

"How are you feeling today Will?"

"Physically, I'm doing well. The doctor said I'd be ready to go back to deskwork in a few days. Someone will have to drive me to work, but I'll be happy to get out of the house for more than an hour or two."

"You sound restless."

"Yes, I am, I guess. I need to be doing something. I'm tired of sitting around my sister's house and spending quality time with her couch and cat. I want to write and research and just do something constructive."

He paused and looked out the window.

"I want to see Francie again. I want her to be ok. I want to talk with Syd and the three of us to go get coffee and rent movies and hang out in their apartment."

"That all sounds wonderful, but how realistic do you think that is?"

"I don't want to give up hope that Francie is alive somewhere. I can't. Can you understand that? To have someone I love be missing is horrible enough, but to even consider that she's not ali...."

Will got up from the couch and stared pacing the room. He felt agitated and he was beginning to become angry.

How can the CIA not know anything? I thought they had the world bugged, or at least everything in Sydney's life was under constant surveillance. How can Francie have just disappeared and someone take her place? How could the CIA not have known?"

He stopped swallowed hard and looked at Dr. Barnett.

"Please tell me how they couldn't have known?

"I am sorry that I cannot give you any answers Will. I know that you want to believe that Francie is alive somewhere, but you need to accept that the CIA may never find her, that she is already dead."

"No, NOOOOO! She is not dead. I cannot believe that. I just can't."

He sat down heavily in the chair and leaned forward.

"Please tell me something. I need to know what is going on. I need to see Sydney and talk with her and help find Francie. Let me see what the CIA has done, what they've found. I've done research before, tracked down the most mundane leads I can help, I know I can. And if Sydney were here, she'd find a way too." His voice got very stilted and soft and his eyes were focused slits.

"Will. You have to understand that you have been told everything possible. The CIA is not concealing information concerning Francie from you and I need you to believe me. I know that you have been patient and cooperative and we appreciate your assistance. As soon as any new information is available, and has been cleared, it will be shared with you."

"That is not good enough. The answers are not good enough. Please, I just want to talk with Sydney. Someone should know when she's to return. Surely the CIA knows something or are they completely incompetent?"

"Mr. Tippin, please calm down."

"I am....I want....please?" He let out an exasperated cry and leapt up from the chair. He hurled open the door, denting the wall with the handle and slammed it behind him, knocking a picture off the wall. Almost instantly Dr. Barnett's secretary burst into the room.

"Let him go. He needs to work through his anger, just have security keep an eye on him while in the building. Also, tell Director Kendall that I would like to speak with him.

Will stormed through the halls cursing to himself and others in the halls gave him wide berth. He passed Eric near the elevator without even acknowledging him.

Vaughn sat at his desk staring at the computer screen, his hand working out the tension in his neck.

"We're leaving." Eric opened up Vaughn's drawer and scooped up his keys. He stood and waited impatiently as Vaughn shut down his computer and grabbed his briefcase.

"Ok, where are we going?"

"Will just stormed out of Barnett's, looking for someone to hurt and you are sitting here looking as though you've...you look like you need a break. We're going to get sloshed."

They headed to the elevator.

"I had the security guards keep Will in the lobby and we'll get him on the way out."

The three headed out the side entrance and got into the waiting cab and were soon at Malloy's with three pitchers of draft beer and several plates of fried food.