Title: Takeoffs and Landings

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: Sorry that this is short and kinda crap! I've had the most stressful week - dancing performances all day today and rehearsals for the last coupla weeks!

I'm going away in the morning and I'll be tramping (or HIKING, for those who don't speak NewZealandish) so I won't be able to write anything for about 10 days! So, to anyone still reading this, SORRY!

Thanks so much to everyone who reviews! It makes me SO happy! YAY!

LOS ANGELES

The figure rose and looked at me through the glass.

"Alex," she stated quietly as her eyes began filling with unshed tears.

I couldn't understand how this woman could be guilty of so many terrible crimes.

"Grandma?"

A silent drop ran down her slightly creased face. "Thank you," she said simply, looking at my parents.

-

"I'm sorry ladies, times up," a guard informed us half an hour later. Mom and Dad, who had left us alone to talk, were with him.

I didn't want to leave. I felt so close to this woman already and had only known her for such a short time. She put her hand to the glass and I pressed mine against it.

"Happy Birthday for tomorrow Alex," she smiled as we turned to leave. "I love you."

"You never told me she attended your wedding," I stated as we walked up the steps to our front door. I had sat in silence the whole way home, thinking over the conversation I had just had.

Grandma and I had talked non-stop, mostly about me. She had wanted to know everything about my life, although she seemed to know a lot already. To my surprise, she informed me that Mom usually visited her once a week.

I also learnt a bit about her life.

"I was recruited by the KGB when I was 18. When I began training to become a spy, I was so enthusiastic - there's this feeling that comes over you when you believe you are doing good, helping your country.

In 1970 I was sent to America on my first major undercover assignment - to meet and seduce CIA Agent Jack Bristow, to gather information on Project Christmas. I was only 19! I was scared and, in the back of my mind, knew what I was doing was wrong, but it also excited me.

I always followed the rules, did what I was told, but while completing my assignment, I did something that my superiors had forbidden. I feel in love with your Grandfather. I was so happy, as Laura Bristow. We got married and the day I discovered I was pregnant was the happiest of my life.

Everything was perfect, except for the fear which I constantly felt in the back of my mind. Fear that the KGB would learn how I felt about Jack, that they would order me to return to Russia, that they would do something to my new family.

When Sydney, your mother, was six, the KGB staged my death. I would have done anything to stay but I would have been killed. The KGB used blackmail to control it's agents - they knew I would do anything to protect my daughter. I did bad things; horrible, disgusting things, for Russia. Everyday I sit here, wishing I could go back. Wishing I could save the countless lives I've ruined - your mother and father, both your grandfathers, all the agents I assassinated, killed in cold blood.

I'm a bad person Alex."

-

Mom smiled. "Well, you only learnt the truth about your Grandmother two days ago, and if we had told you any earlier that she was at our wedding, you would have thought we were crazy. I guess we've all had a lot on minds the last few days."

"She was granted special permission to attend the service. Who, but us, would have a security team at their weddings?" Dad chuckled.

"Obviously people couldn't know she was my mother, but she got what she wanted - to see me happy."

"I want to see her again."

"Hey," I whispered into James' lips when I opened the door.

He smiled and kissed me gently.

"Sydney," he blushed when he looked up, embarrassed to see my mom standing in front of us.

"Hi James," she grinned, grabbing her car keys. "I just have to go into the office. If you need anything, just give me a call, okay."

"See ya!"

James wrapped his arms around my waist and mine found his neck. Slowly moving backwards we found the couch and collapsed onto it.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You just look different. Distracted, like something's bothering you." I frowned. "Is it me?" he asked innocently, sitting up.

I pushed him back down and kissed him softly. "Of course it's not you."

"You know you're party?" He whispered, barely pulling away. I hummed in response. "Do we have to invite anyone else?"

"Can you imagine your sisters face if she knew I was celebrating my birthday without her?" I lifted my chin, resting it on my hands on his chest. "I couldn't do that to you. You have to live with her, you know, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to my boyfriend."

He pressed his lips back to mine and our tongues met. A few minutes later we stopped to breathe.

"Why don't you stay the night?"

"I like that idea."

"Alex, the reason we're going to Stockholm is to find a man. The man from the St America's Medical Research for Children charity."

At my confused look, Dad continued. "We've had a team doing research. They quickly discovered that it isn't a registered charity. The CIA now believes that it was that man who hid the listening device here."

"We have received Intel indicating his identity and whereabouts. We're going to bring him into custody, but we just wanted to warn you. Someone is targeting us so we need you to be very careful."

"Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

I poked my tongue out at them. "When have I ever done anything stupid?"

Mom and Dad smiled at one another.

"I'm going shopping. Do you want anything for your party?"