Chap.37- Truth Unfolds
"Scott...are you sure you're well enough to go?" Sydney asked.
"I'm fine; it's just a little cold." He answered, shaking his head as he continued to pack his suitcase.
"You're green." Sydney countered. "Literally."
"I knew this lighting wasn't good for my complexion." He said, returning her comment with a playful banter.
Sydney glared at him.
"I'm serious, Scott."
"I am too. I wanted the sconce lights, but damn you and your fluorescent lighting."
"First of all, the lights are not fluorescent. Secondly, I don't think you even know what sconce lights are. Thirdly, I was serious when I said that I was serious. Fourthly, I still don't think that you should go."
"Fourthly? Is that a word? Interesting. I had no idea. I'll have to use that sometime."
"You're avoiding the topic."
"Sydney, it's a medical convention. I go to medical conventions all the time..."
"...which is why you can miss this one," Sydney finished.
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"No, they may come up for a cure to this cold that I've been having. I'll be their first human specimen." He joked. His smile dropped as he leaned in for a kiss. "It's only for five days. Try not to miss me too much, okay?"
--
Sydney watched as Scott's car disappeared from sight and picked up a phone.
"Dad, he just left for the convention. Should I follow him?"
"It's your call, Sydney."
She paused.
"Keep this line open. I'll be in touch."
--
Sydney glanced at the car clock and then back up to the road, making sure to keep her distance between herself and Scott. She nervously combed her fingers through her blond wig and adjusted her sunglasses, fiddling with the air conditioner on the rental car.
The hours passed as Sydney tried to distract her imagination from wandering too much about what could happen in the next moments of her life. She turned on the radio and tried singing along, but the fluttering of her stomach caused her arm to quickly switch the radio off.
As Sydney drove in silence, listening only to the rotation of the rubber of the tire on the dark pavement of the road, she could only wonder.
--
Almost an hour and a half later, Sydney's attention was turned to Scott's car signaling toward the exit of the freeway.
"Sydney." Jack's voice echoed through on the comm. link.
"Dad?"
"Has anything unusual occurred?"
"No. I'm driving through the exit right now and it's exactly where he said that the medical conference would be."
"Sydney, I've activated the tracker in Scott's beeper. I don't detect any unusual behavior. I think you're wasting your time. You should head home."
"I'm just entering Santa Barbara."
"Sydney, listen to me. There's a large percentage that this suspicion is just a result of a misunderstanding."
"And there's also that small percentage left that there is something going on." Sydney countered. "I'll call you when I get home."
"Sydney..."
"I'll be fine."
--
Sydney watched with a sigh of relief as Scott exit his car, arms loaded with posters and medical information, into the university that he had told Sydney his medical convention was taking place. When he disappeared into the building, she got out of the car stretched her legs with a large smile on her face.
As she turned to enter her car, two large security guards blocked her way.
"Excuse me, miss. I don't see a parking permit on your car which indicates that you're not allowed to park here."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just leaving."
"Entrance on this campus without a valid permit is strictly prohibited. I'm sorry, but for safety precautions, we're going to have to escort you to security headquarters."
"I..."
Before Sydney had time to react, the second security guard pressed a wet cloth against her face, rendering her unconscious.
--
Sydney licked her dry lips as her eyelids struggled to open. It took her a moment to register the events that had occurred as she sat up in a panic. She looked around, taking in her surroundings.
It reminded her of a small cottage with smooth hardwood floors and a familiar floral theme present throughout the house. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were encompassed in the large room where she was placed on one of the couches. Shakily, she sat up and moved to stand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A soft voice said, its owner walking into the room. "The drug tends to make you weaker in the knees than most people would like."
"Mom?" Sydney asked.
"Hello, Sydney."
"What are you...? Who...? Are you...?" Sydney asked, unable to finish each question with too many thoughts invading her mind.
Irina smiled.
"I understand your shock, Sydney."
"No, I don't think that you do. The last time I saw you..."
Sydney was cut off by the entrance of another person in the house.
"In the living room," Irina said to the visitor, her voice barely rising above her normal velocity to command the attention of the listener.
"I'm sorry that I'm late. I think that I was being...followed." The speaker said, trailing off as his eyes rested on Sydney.
She looked at him in hurtful shock.
"Scott?"
"Sydney, I can explain."
"Explain what? That you know my mother? Are you working with her? What else are you keeping from me?" Sydney screamed, tears beginning to form out of frustration.
"Sydney, please."
Irina returned to the living room area with a glass of water. Sydney stared, not even noticing that she had left. Irina handed the glass to Scott.
"Are you sure that this will work?" He asked, warily eyeing the water.
"No. Drink up." She said.
He looked at Sydney, who stared at him with wide eyes, and obeyed. Irina glanced at her watch.
"Time?" He asked.
"Almost. I tripled the dosage, so it might be faster than we anticipated. Be patient."
"I'm so tired." He remarked.
Sydney glanced at the large grandfather clock centered in the room. It read 11:46. One minute later, she noticed the subtle yet significant changes that began to occur on Scott. In confusion, she watched as her husband physically transformed into another man.
Her vision blurred as she saw the true person that she had married for the first time. She opened her mouth in traumatization, but only a shocked whisper of his name escaped.
"Sark..."
--
Author's Note: OMG! First of all: I'M SO SORRY!!! It's been over two months perhaps? I've missed you and your reviewing so much!!! Thank you for sticking by!
landi104: lol! I love it when I get my predictions right....ahhh....it feels so good. Hehe. Don't you agree?
caz: Thanks so much for reviewing! Continue to do so...please....=D
Sarah2004: AHH! You just made me remember AA. Jeez, I should really update there too. Thanks! Vaughn + Divorce with other women= Time to start the celebration. I had so much joy writing that.
Ms.MV: Are your questions answered? Hmm???
liz: Well...I'm glad that you agree with me on the loveliness of Jack-the- good-father antics. I think that they're so great. I think that all things Jake/Weiss/Vaughn deserve to be super cute. Wow, you say utterly. You know who else says utterly? Martha Stewart. I love Martha Stewart. Everything that she makes is perfect and it looks so freakin' good. Yes? No?
mandie: Yay! Review! Yay!
Laura: Oh yes, Irina always has her way with the words. =D
serendipity112233: Are you going to yell at me for making you wait EVEN longer this chapter? Actually, I think I deserve it. So yell all you want. And just keep yelling until I finish the next!
Valoriahn: Thanks! Keep reading! And please, join serendipity112233 with the yelling. Actually, you're ALL welcome to it.
star16: I think loop endings are so great. Don't you? But, I do get mad when it's on a TV show though....hmm.....maybe loop endings aren't so great after all....
Reesie06: I think that I've officially maxed out of sub-plots for this story. I think that I have sub-plots up to the wa-zoo. I think that I have sub-plots to the max. Heh. They're so great.
supergirl14: heh! I agree with you on the Irina part. But I can't with any of the others because I guess that would just give away the ending, now wouldn't it?
Serindipity9: LOL! Hehe. That's funny. I don't think Vaughn would need an excuse....if you know what I mean. ::wink:: He can peek in my windows anyday!
Kate: Thanks!
Jade-Tessier: thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated! I'm glad you like. Now tell me...what about this chapter?!
Ren201: Someone who's been with me since chapter 1 first came up?! That's so great! Thanks so much! Keep reading!! Keeping my fingers crossed for your review!
Pleader: hehe! Love the name. It's comin', it's comin'.
Stacey: AHA. See above!
Jayme: Well hello there! I honestly didn't realize how long it had been. That's going to be my excuse and I'm so sticking by that! Aha! So there! All I have to say is that you better keep reminding me about Chapter 38 or I'm going to have to mega ninja-chop you from here to Australia. Alrite? =D
Well well....that's the rest of them. Thanks for reading! I'll be back soon!
Jen
"Scott...are you sure you're well enough to go?" Sydney asked.
"I'm fine; it's just a little cold." He answered, shaking his head as he continued to pack his suitcase.
"You're green." Sydney countered. "Literally."
"I knew this lighting wasn't good for my complexion." He said, returning her comment with a playful banter.
Sydney glared at him.
"I'm serious, Scott."
"I am too. I wanted the sconce lights, but damn you and your fluorescent lighting."
"First of all, the lights are not fluorescent. Secondly, I don't think you even know what sconce lights are. Thirdly, I was serious when I said that I was serious. Fourthly, I still don't think that you should go."
"Fourthly? Is that a word? Interesting. I had no idea. I'll have to use that sometime."
"You're avoiding the topic."
"Sydney, it's a medical convention. I go to medical conventions all the time..."
"...which is why you can miss this one," Sydney finished.
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"No, they may come up for a cure to this cold that I've been having. I'll be their first human specimen." He joked. His smile dropped as he leaned in for a kiss. "It's only for five days. Try not to miss me too much, okay?"
--
Sydney watched as Scott's car disappeared from sight and picked up a phone.
"Dad, he just left for the convention. Should I follow him?"
"It's your call, Sydney."
She paused.
"Keep this line open. I'll be in touch."
--
Sydney glanced at the car clock and then back up to the road, making sure to keep her distance between herself and Scott. She nervously combed her fingers through her blond wig and adjusted her sunglasses, fiddling with the air conditioner on the rental car.
The hours passed as Sydney tried to distract her imagination from wandering too much about what could happen in the next moments of her life. She turned on the radio and tried singing along, but the fluttering of her stomach caused her arm to quickly switch the radio off.
As Sydney drove in silence, listening only to the rotation of the rubber of the tire on the dark pavement of the road, she could only wonder.
--
Almost an hour and a half later, Sydney's attention was turned to Scott's car signaling toward the exit of the freeway.
"Sydney." Jack's voice echoed through on the comm. link.
"Dad?"
"Has anything unusual occurred?"
"No. I'm driving through the exit right now and it's exactly where he said that the medical conference would be."
"Sydney, I've activated the tracker in Scott's beeper. I don't detect any unusual behavior. I think you're wasting your time. You should head home."
"I'm just entering Santa Barbara."
"Sydney, listen to me. There's a large percentage that this suspicion is just a result of a misunderstanding."
"And there's also that small percentage left that there is something going on." Sydney countered. "I'll call you when I get home."
"Sydney..."
"I'll be fine."
--
Sydney watched with a sigh of relief as Scott exit his car, arms loaded with posters and medical information, into the university that he had told Sydney his medical convention was taking place. When he disappeared into the building, she got out of the car stretched her legs with a large smile on her face.
As she turned to enter her car, two large security guards blocked her way.
"Excuse me, miss. I don't see a parking permit on your car which indicates that you're not allowed to park here."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just leaving."
"Entrance on this campus without a valid permit is strictly prohibited. I'm sorry, but for safety precautions, we're going to have to escort you to security headquarters."
"I..."
Before Sydney had time to react, the second security guard pressed a wet cloth against her face, rendering her unconscious.
--
Sydney licked her dry lips as her eyelids struggled to open. It took her a moment to register the events that had occurred as she sat up in a panic. She looked around, taking in her surroundings.
It reminded her of a small cottage with smooth hardwood floors and a familiar floral theme present throughout the house. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were encompassed in the large room where she was placed on one of the couches. Shakily, she sat up and moved to stand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A soft voice said, its owner walking into the room. "The drug tends to make you weaker in the knees than most people would like."
"Mom?" Sydney asked.
"Hello, Sydney."
"What are you...? Who...? Are you...?" Sydney asked, unable to finish each question with too many thoughts invading her mind.
Irina smiled.
"I understand your shock, Sydney."
"No, I don't think that you do. The last time I saw you..."
Sydney was cut off by the entrance of another person in the house.
"In the living room," Irina said to the visitor, her voice barely rising above her normal velocity to command the attention of the listener.
"I'm sorry that I'm late. I think that I was being...followed." The speaker said, trailing off as his eyes rested on Sydney.
She looked at him in hurtful shock.
"Scott?"
"Sydney, I can explain."
"Explain what? That you know my mother? Are you working with her? What else are you keeping from me?" Sydney screamed, tears beginning to form out of frustration.
"Sydney, please."
Irina returned to the living room area with a glass of water. Sydney stared, not even noticing that she had left. Irina handed the glass to Scott.
"Are you sure that this will work?" He asked, warily eyeing the water.
"No. Drink up." She said.
He looked at Sydney, who stared at him with wide eyes, and obeyed. Irina glanced at her watch.
"Time?" He asked.
"Almost. I tripled the dosage, so it might be faster than we anticipated. Be patient."
"I'm so tired." He remarked.
Sydney glanced at the large grandfather clock centered in the room. It read 11:46. One minute later, she noticed the subtle yet significant changes that began to occur on Scott. In confusion, she watched as her husband physically transformed into another man.
Her vision blurred as she saw the true person that she had married for the first time. She opened her mouth in traumatization, but only a shocked whisper of his name escaped.
"Sark..."
--
Author's Note: OMG! First of all: I'M SO SORRY!!! It's been over two months perhaps? I've missed you and your reviewing so much!!! Thank you for sticking by!
landi104: lol! I love it when I get my predictions right....ahhh....it feels so good. Hehe. Don't you agree?
caz: Thanks so much for reviewing! Continue to do so...please....=D
Sarah2004: AHH! You just made me remember AA. Jeez, I should really update there too. Thanks! Vaughn + Divorce with other women= Time to start the celebration. I had so much joy writing that.
Ms.MV: Are your questions answered? Hmm???
liz: Well...I'm glad that you agree with me on the loveliness of Jack-the- good-father antics. I think that they're so great. I think that all things Jake/Weiss/Vaughn deserve to be super cute. Wow, you say utterly. You know who else says utterly? Martha Stewart. I love Martha Stewart. Everything that she makes is perfect and it looks so freakin' good. Yes? No?
mandie: Yay! Review! Yay!
Laura: Oh yes, Irina always has her way with the words. =D
serendipity112233: Are you going to yell at me for making you wait EVEN longer this chapter? Actually, I think I deserve it. So yell all you want. And just keep yelling until I finish the next!
Valoriahn: Thanks! Keep reading! And please, join serendipity112233 with the yelling. Actually, you're ALL welcome to it.
star16: I think loop endings are so great. Don't you? But, I do get mad when it's on a TV show though....hmm.....maybe loop endings aren't so great after all....
Reesie06: I think that I've officially maxed out of sub-plots for this story. I think that I have sub-plots up to the wa-zoo. I think that I have sub-plots to the max. Heh. They're so great.
supergirl14: heh! I agree with you on the Irina part. But I can't with any of the others because I guess that would just give away the ending, now wouldn't it?
Serindipity9: LOL! Hehe. That's funny. I don't think Vaughn would need an excuse....if you know what I mean. ::wink:: He can peek in my windows anyday!
Kate: Thanks!
Jade-Tessier: thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated! I'm glad you like. Now tell me...what about this chapter?!
Ren201: Someone who's been with me since chapter 1 first came up?! That's so great! Thanks so much! Keep reading!! Keeping my fingers crossed for your review!
Pleader: hehe! Love the name. It's comin', it's comin'.
Stacey: AHA. See above!
Jayme: Well hello there! I honestly didn't realize how long it had been. That's going to be my excuse and I'm so sticking by that! Aha! So there! All I have to say is that you better keep reminding me about Chapter 38 or I'm going to have to mega ninja-chop you from here to Australia. Alrite? =D
Well well....that's the rest of them. Thanks for reading! I'll be back soon!
Jen