"Can I come pick it up later today?" Sydney asked quietly of the person on the other end of the phone. "No, no. One o'clock will be fine. See you then."
Jack walked up as she was hanging up and took a seat on the corner of the desk. "Important business?"
"Sort of," Sydney replied, looking around. "I'm finalizing the details on Nadia's gift. I found a first edition copy of "Peter Pan." It's her version of my "Alice in Wonderland." Mom apparently… it doesn't matter. What's up?"
"Dixon's gift will be arriving on the red-eye tonight. I unfortunately have to fly to Washington and won't be able to pick--."
"Yeah, it won't be a problem for me to run to the airport tonight. Do you think he suspects that it's you or what you've gotten him?"
Jack crossed his arms over his chest and whispered, "I haven't learned to be the best secret keeper over the years to waste telling one about a gift for Dixon. He doesn't suspect."
"Right." Sydney tried to enjoy the little bit of humor her father was sharing with her, after all it happened as often as a blue moon but something about the fact that he was a self proclaimed secret keeper made the hair on her neck stand on end.
She didn't have too much time to think about it due to the fact that Dixon was calling to her from his office doorway for her to come see him.
Complying, she hurried over to the office and stood in the doorway. "What do you need me to do?"
"Come in and close the door please."
This was serious. Was he going to send her on a mission for the first Christmas she and Eric were together?
"I need you," he began, steepling his fingers, "to tell me the history of Antoinette and Jack. I pulled her name and I'm coming up with nothing."
"Ah, so Nadia got to you to, hunh?"
"Yep. And I know I can trust you not to tell anyone that I pulled her name. So do you have anything?"
Sydney thought for a moment and furrowed her brow, "dad was on a mission in San Paolo or Belize or somewhere trying to negotiate a deal with a man who dealt diamonds and a man who dealt arms. Antoinette was the daughter of the diamond broker and came to the meeting. When dad saw her, he fell instantly in love with her. And she did too, apparently. I'm a little unclear about what happened next but he took her away from there and brought her to America. But she disappeared after a few months and dad was lost without her. Then mom came into the picture and the rest is my disturbing history."
"I got nothing from that. Can you think of anything?"
"Dixon, we're as close as can be. Have I ever let you down?"