Alternate Termination
Sequel to Alternate Existence and Alternate Infatuation. Sydney and Michael finally had a perfect life. A real family with no lies. Friends who knew the truth. And then they lost it all.
Chapter 6: Sun-Streaked
Disclaimer: No, Alias is not mine. Nor is Sydney, nor Vaughn, nor Irina, nor Jack, nor Khasinou, nor Kendall. But Jeffrey is! He's all mine! No touchy!
A/N: I don't have a record at this point of who it was that suggested it because I've lost internet access, but I'm responding to the review suggesting Jeff knew about Syd and Vaughn…Jeffrey is innocent. The entire relationship between him and Alex iseven if only in my minddependent on his innocence!
Kendall snatched up the phone on the first ring.
"Kendall."
"They're here. Make arrangements to send the others. I'll have a facility prepared."
"Weiss too?"
"Definitely."
"Does she know they're coming?"
"No."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"Not at all. But I have no choice."
After a short pause, Kendall asked, "What about him? Have you seen him yet?"
"Not yet. He doesn't know they've been made yet, either."
"Have fun."
"Thanks," Jack said dryly. "Keep me informed."
"Ditto."
"Where are we going, Eric?"
"Come on, Misty, I told you already. I can't tell you until we get there."
"But I want to know where I'm taking my children…"
"Give Eric a break, Miss," Jeff laughed. "Look, Eric, you have to prep us for this, right?" he asked, knowing the answer.
"Yeah," Weiss said warily.
"So." Jeff spread his hands in a wide gesture for emphasis. "Prep away."
"Yeah," Misty chimed in. "May be that'll give us a clue."
"Well…" Weiss said meekly, shrugging. "How fluent are you guys in Spanish?"
"Spanish?" Jeff cried. "God…I took it in high school. Two semesters of hell."
"I loved it," Misty countered. "I took two courses in college, too."
"Good." Weiss nodded. "You're gonna need it."
Jeff groaned, and Misty looked concerned.
"Alex isn't a Spanish speaker," she argued. "He doesn't know the culture…We can't pass him off as a Spanish child. How can we send him to school?"
"You have to adjust. He has to. Besides, this may not be permanent. Kendall seemed to think this was just a necessary step."
"So, what, we may stay here just until we almost get settled in and then have to leave again?" Jeff asked. "What kinds of life is that for the kids?"
Weiss shrugged.
"I don't like this either, man. I'll probably never see any of you guys again. But if the choice is between inconvenience and keeping Alex safe, there's no question."
"They'll be here any minute."
Sydney paced feverishly.
"I shouldn't have allowed this. I should have run. What can I say to them? They'll be furious. They'll hate me. And Alex! My son! How can I tell my son his Mommy isn't really dead? And Vaughn…Michael's going to kill me! I have to call him!"
She lunged for the phone, but her father stopped her.
"They'll be here soon, Carmen," he said. "Now is not a good time."
"But he'll be home soon…I can't just let him walk in to…"
"SYDNEY!"
Jeff and Misty stood in the doorway, their scream more of a collective gasp.
Sydney turned around slowly, then looked up at them miserably.
"SYDNEY!" Misty screamed, running forward and hugging her so hard they both nearly fell to the floor. Jeffrey was right behind her, hugging her so tightly she couldn't breathe.
Jack stood by smiling while Misty and Sydney cried and sobbed and hugged, and Jeff grinned and laughed and kissed Sydney's cheeks.
"Where's Alex?" Sydney finally asked, pulling away and holding Misty back by the shoulders. "And your baby?"
"They're with Eric, he's coming in a minute…"
Sydney turned Misty loose and began to pace, her moment of ecstasy past. The questions would come soon. Why? Who? How could you? But first she had to face her son.
She began to pace again, this time out of fear. Fear that her son would reject her. Fear that he would be traumatized beyond repair.
And then Weiss stood in the doorway. He had Alex by the hand and Emily in one arm, and he froze in the open door so quickly that Misty rushed forward to take Emily from him. Alex was laughing, but his smile faded quickly when he saw Sydney.
"Unka Eric," Alex said softly, twisting to look up at him and tugging on his hand. "You told me my mommy died." He scrunched up his eyebrows until two thin little lines etched themselves on his forehead.
"I…thought…she did," Weiss said brokenly, never taking his eyes off of Sydney.
Sydney hung her head, mortified. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't cry. She couldn't even move.
"Mo-…Mommy?" Alex said in a small voice, venturing a few tiny steps forward while still holding tight to Weiss' hand.
Sydney nodded, kneeling to be on his level. Se noticed he no longer lugged the ragged stuffed alligator he'd been so attached to a year ago. He held a red nylon backpack instead that he dropped unnoticed by the door.
"I'm sorry, baby," she said, barely managing not to burst into hysterical tears again. "I'm so sorry I left you, Alex."
She unconsciously held her arms out as if reaching for him, and Alex let go of Weiss' hand and flew toward her, throwing his little arms around his mother's neck and nuzzling his face into her shoulder.
Sydney held him close, her hands compulsively smoothing back his hair. She moved him away to kiss his cheeks and his forehead, then jerked him close again.
Alex was so confused he was just frozen. He was scared and happy and sad all at once. He just couldn't quite grasp it, that this was his mother who'd been dead until a month ago.
"Sydney." Weiss was inside the door now, swinging it closed with one hand and coming to stand over her. He gently pulled Alex away from her, as if his coarse agent's mind doubted her authenticity. He held Alex close, protecting him.
"Stand up." It wasn't a request, it was an order. She couldn't blame him.
Weiss studied the woman who stood not two feet in front of him, taking a step back to get a better look at her.
The woman he saw was tanned, more so then he'd ever seen Sydney. The height was right. Her eyes were the right color, that sweet liquid chocolate color Michael had fallen for so many years ago. Her hair was shorter and lighter, sun streaked and angled to frame her face differently than she'd ever worn it.
Weiss had seen Sydney in too many disguises to be fooled by the superficial changes. The haunting woman was, without a doubt, Sydney.
"What the hell…" he muttered.
"It was a setup," Sydney offered in a small voice. "But…" Her eyes darted quickly to Alex and back to meet Weiss'. "Now's not a good time."
"Vaughn…" Weiss began.
"He doesn't know any of you are here," Sydney said. "The cell phone service here is considerably lacking, I haven't been able to reach him since early this morning, before I found my father had broken into my apartment here and helped himself to a beer." A little of her characteristic sarcasm broke through the tension, even in the gravity of the moment, seeming to release them all from some binding spell.
Oooh…I'm having such fun exploring the extremities of these characters' personalities! Stay tuned, and, as always, please review!
