Author: Princess Box
Rating: G
Genre: General
Timeline: AU - about 14 years after 'The Telling'. No EvilFrancie, no Lauren, Will is still Will, Diane is still alive.
Summary: Alex thinks she knows her parents but Syd and Vaughn are hiding something.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Alias'! Anyone you don't recognise is mine and anyone you do isn't.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
PARIS
"You guys have fun?" Mom grinned when we returned to the hotel hand-in-hand an hour later.
I don't know how - it wasn't unusual for us to hold hands, walk with our arms around each other, even to find us curled up together asleep on the couch - but my parents both knew something had happened between us.
Maybe they'd read our minds, but they definitely knew our relationship had changed.
We smiled back.
"Of course, Syd." James, Kaitlyn and I spend so much time together, and with each others families, that we can relate to each others parents as easily as our own.
"We just have one more meeting tonight, okay? Why don't you watch a movie and order room service?"
"Maybe we shouldn't leave these two alone......together......in a hotel room," Dad teased.
"Don't encourage them Vaughn," Mom pretended to frown, but he kissed her softly on the lips and they were gone.
"So, what do you want to do?" I asked him when they'd gone. I walked over to where he was standing, looking out the window.
"Isn't it gorgeous," he marvelled at the view, all the light of Paris now on.
Wrapping his arms around me, I leant back against his warm body.
"Hey, didn't they say they were taking a taxi to the meeting?" He asked, interrupting the comfortable silence.
"So..."
"Why is your Dad climbing into a limo?"
"That's weird. I wonder why they didn't tell us."
"Let's follow them."
"Wh-what?" I asked, confused.
"We should follow them," he repeated confidently. "We have nothing else to do. I mean, we can watch a movie anytime. I'd love to see Paris by night, and we have to find out what they're up to."
"They're just going to a meeting......and they told us to stay here."
"Come on Lexy. Who takes a limo to a business meeting? They're up to something. We can have a little adventure - it'll be fun, and they'll never know."
Before I had time to agree, we were climbing into a taxi below the hotel.
"Suivez la limousine s'il vous plâit," I ordered the driver, who looked at us oddly. But as the pursuit looked innocent, he didn't question us and drove after the limo which hadn't gone far in the Parisian traffic.
We followed the limo for half an hour, until it pulled into a long driveway. The taxi driver stayed parked at the gates and after I assured the driver in rapid French that we would be back in a minute, James and I quickly got out and hide behind a tree. We carefully crept towards the large mansion in front of us, making sure we drew no attention to ourselves. The old French building looked like it had been converted into a club - it was obvious that there was a party taking place. A very exclusive party with lots of rich yet chic guests. I still didn't understand why my parents would come here. It's not that they didn't ever go out, but they certainly weren't dressed for the occasion. There were about twenty people queued outside, all in their twenties and dressed in the latest French fashions. Mom was wearing a business suit, as was Dad.
I glanced at James as a man opened the door.
"We must have followed the wrong car. There are thousands of limos in Paris on a night like this."
But, just then, Dad stepped out of the car, wearing a tuxedo.
"Wow, your Dad looks different," James whispered, as I admired my father's transformation which must have taken place inside the moving vehicle.
He turned around and took a ladies hand, helping her out. As she stood, they softly kissed each other and then gazed into each others eyes for a few seconds. They were totally in love.
"Oh my God......your father......that lady......" he stammered. Pulling me backwards so my back was pressed hard against his chest, he wrapped arms around my waist from behind, trying to protect me from what he could see.
But my eyes remained fixed on the scene in front of me, mouth was hanging open in shock. I couldn't believe it.
"That's my Mom!"
Mom, who usually dressed so conservatively, was wearing a tight, black, leather dress which hugged all her curves, and extremely high stilettos with strapped that wrapped around her calves to her knees. What made her so unrecognisable though, was her hair. Unlike her usual poker straight style which continued halfway down her back, it was just above her shoulders with big layers – and dark red! Not only did it look completely natural, but totally gorgeous.
My parents fitted in perfectly with the young party-goers around them. Mom whispered something in the bouncer's ear and they were led straight into the building.
I suddenly realised my mouth was still hanging open.
"I don't think your parents are analysts Alex," James whispered.
"Don't be so stupid," I replied sharply. "They're just going to a party."
When we were younger, James, Kaitlyn and I watched a film about a spy who worked for the "Government". They were always making up stories about my parents and their secret lives. He thought it was exciting and she thought it was SO romantic, but as we grew up and became more mature, they realised how ridiculous that sounded.
"Haven't you heard of PRIVACY? They probably just wanted to have some time to themselves, without having to tell us all the details. I bet they're meeting a client there anyway."
"Well, I never realised that your Mom was THAT hot!" He exclaimed, grinning. I slapped him playfully, but he stopped me with a kiss.
"Maybe we should go back to the hotel," he said, steering me back towards the taxi. I knew he wanted to follow them inside but there's no way they would let us inside.
"Mom and Dad are going to kill me when they find out."
"When have your parents ever threatened to kill you?" James answered logically. I grinned. "Don't worry. They won't even know we left the hotel."
I may have convinced James, but secretly, I was a bit disappointed. They always told me EVERYTHING. Why not mention a party?
We made it back to the hotel and I had just enough cash to pay for the ride, with the emergency money I'd been given.
"I don't know how I'm going to explain where all the money went," I stated, thinking sadly of how upset Mom would be if she found out what we'd done. She trusts me completely and I knew I had just broken that.
"How YOU are going to explain? It's them who have some explaining to do."
I groaned. "You're not going to say anything!?! It's none of our business."
"What? Did you not see what I just saw? You're parents are not telling you something. Something BIG."
"What are you going to do? Ground them for not telling us where they were going? Punish them for returning home after curfew? There must be a reason they didn't tell us where they were going and I respect their decision. Promise me you won't mention it?"
I ran my fingers softly up his arm, gently persuading him to agree with me.
"Don't worry. My lips are sealed."
Shaking the disappointed look from his face, he pushed me onto the king-sized bed and tickled me until I could no longer breathe. I rolled over, laying my head on his chest with his arm wrapped around me, and we fell asleep before Mom and Dad arrived back.
JOINT TASK FORCE FACILICITY
"I really think she needs to know," Will argued. "She's 16, she can keep a secret."
"It's not that we don't trust her, you know that. It's for her protection. Her safety. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would you?"
"Of course not. But she IS going to get hurt. She's not stupid, Syd. She's going to find out and then she might not be able to trust you anymore."
No one spoke. "How did you feel when you discovered everything in your life was a lie?" he added quietly.
"Will has a point, sweetie," Michael added carefully, pulling his wife in closer, knowing she was upset.
"You don't know how much I want to tell her. I HATE lying to my own child everyday, but I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to her."
Sydney didn't know what to do. It was getting harder and harder to hide the details of her job from her daughter. Not only because Alex was getting older and more observant, but also because they were so close. They could talk to each other about everything, or so Alex thought. Sydney knew it was rare for a teenager to be so close to her parents. She knew it was selfish, but she didn't want to jeopardise the relationship they had, not knowing how Alex would react to the truth. It also meant she would have to retell the part of her life which she still hadn't come to accept, the events which began with the news of her pregnancy.
"While you were in London, I went round to your place to check on Al. She asked me if I owned this." Will held up the blue lighter that Alex had found under the couch. "I took it to Tech for analysis. It's a bug. Nothing was transmitted thanks to the bug-killers planted throughout your house, but it was close."
Sydney sighed. "Dixon, how old were your kids when you told them?"
They had just finished the debriefing on the Paris mission and their Director was patiently listening to their debate.
"I think Will's right, Syd. Diane and I decided to tell the kids when we thought they were ready. When Logan was old enough, we told them together. Robin didn't find out until she was 17 but Steven was only 14. They were confused but understood. They were mature enough to realise why we hadn't told them. It's up to you to judge when you think that Alex is ready, but I think she has been for a long time."
"Don't worry okay. We'll all be here for you and for Al."
"Thanks Will," Syd whispered, squeezing her friend's hand, giving him a grateful smile.
"I'm sure I don't need to remind you, but only tell her what's necessary, whatever you feel is important. I trust you both and I trust Alex." Dixon concluded, rising from his chair at the head of the table. "Good luck."
LOS ANGELES
"James! You home?"
I quickly dived off the bed and fell into a crumpled heap on the floor just as Kaitlyn came to the door. James glanced over at me from where he was sitting, with his back against the headboard of his bed, and we looked up at her. There was silence for a few minutes before I got back on my feet and gave her a huge hug.
Using my most innocent expression and voice, I asked "How was your trip?"
"SPILL!" she demanded, trying to remain serious, despite the grin which was threatening to overtake her face.
"Come on guys," she continued, pleading with her eyes and looking from me to James and back to me, when neither of us answered. I sat back down on J's bed and crossed my legs. "I walked into the room and you dived headfirst into the floor. You were talking about something you didn't want me to hear and I want to know what it is right now!"
"Kat......Alex and I are kinda together."
"You're kinda together???"
"We go out," I confirmed.
"WHAT?" she squealed, "And you weren't going to tell me?"
"Of course we were going to tell you. I just didn't want you to see us making out when you had no idea. That's all."
"O. K.! That's my brother you're talking about. I so don't wanna know all the details."
"What about you? How was your trip? Anything......EXCITING happen?"
"I'm gonna leave you girls alone. The whole not-wanting-to-hear-about-our-sibling's-love-life thing goes both ways!"
He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before sprinting out the door, followed by the girls' uncontrollable laughter.