A/N: To answer some reviewers' questions, yes, I am a S/V shipper, but the 'ship will not be the primary focus of this fic. The coffee date last chapter is all you're gonna get for awhile, although there should be some more touches of S/V later on.But not to worry, I don't plan on wandering into Sarkney or Sweiss territory at all.
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Chapter 2
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"Sydney, we need to talk."
"No, we don't." Sydney kept walking. She could see her father following her closely. She sped up her pace, but she knew she wasn't going to lose him.
"Sydney, you need to understand the full story."
She stopped and turned around to face him. "Fine," she snapped. "You have two minutes."
"Thirty years ago, I was chosen to head up a new CIA project. That project, S.A.B. 47, was a precursor to Project Christmas. I chose you as the prototype—"
"Is that all I am to you? A prototype?" Sydney shook her head in disbelief.
"I chose you because I wanted to protect you," Jack continued. "I had been having suspicions about your mother at the time, and I wanted you to be safe. This project was a way for me to know you were safe while shielding you from the truth."
"I guess that's one way to phrase manipulation and lying to your daughter's face," Sydney said bitterly.
Jack ignored Sydney's comment. "Part of the project involved monitoring you for your entire life. The knowledge that the CIA was always watching you made sure that nothing would happen to you without our knowledge."
"So you and the CIA planned for me to be recruited into SD-6, then you chose the best time to tell me the truth about SD-6?" Sydney couldn't believe what she was hearing. "And what about our takedown of the Alliance? Did the CIA know the exact time and date of when we would destroy SD-6?"
Jack shook his head. "No, we had no idea when we would be able to destroy the Alliance. We believe that was part of Sloane's plan."
"Has there been any time in my life where I wasn't being used by someone else?" Sydney didn't wait for an answer, too afraid of what she might hear. "I have to go," she said, walking away. To her surprise, Jack didn't follow her.
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After getting the information from Dixon, Sydney drove to the safe house where her sister was staying. Inside, Sydney briefly greeted the agents on guard and gently knocked on the door to Nadia's room.
"Come in."
Sydney walked in, relieved to see that her sister appeared unharmed. "Hey. How are you?"
"I'm okay. Better, now that I'm safe." Nadia glanced around the room, like she expected someone to be hiding in the shadows. "At least, relatively safe."
"You're safe, I promise," Sydney said. "Sloane will not be able to harm you here."
Nadia smiled wryly and looked up at her sister. "I've heard that before."
Sydney looked away, embarrassed that she had failed to keep her sister safe. "We've taken steps to ensure your safety while you're staying here." Nadia nodded but said nothing. Sydney decided to change the subject. "Can you tell me what happened when Sloane abducted you?"
"He broke into my room through the window. Before I could do anything, he shot me with a tranquilizer. When I woke up, we were on a plane. Sloane asked me for the location of the Rambaldi artifact. When I refused to tell him, he injected me with sodium pentothal. Under the effects of the drug, I told him the artifact was in Istanbul."
"Wait," Sydney interrupted. "The Rambaldi artifact is in Palermo. That's the location that we got from the equation."
"Yes, but I changed the equation. I didn't want to give Sloane the correct location, but I eventually gave it up anyway." Nadia looked down sadly.
"But why didn't you give the CIA the correct location?" Sydney asked.
"I wasn't sure I could trust the CIA at that point," Nadia said simply.
Sydney nodded. It was a valid reason. "Then what happened?"
"We flew to Istanbul. Sloane had hired an excavation team, and they were already working when we got there. It took them a little over a week to find the artifact. Around the same time, we began to hear rumors that CIA agents were in the area. Sloane guessed that they were looking for him, so he took the Rambaldi artifact and left, leaving me in Istanbul. The team found me a couple days later. And now, here I am."
Sydney gave Nadia a reassuring smile. "We're doing our best to apprehend Sloane. In fact," she added, "I'm leaving for a mission tonight that may help us find his location." Sydney stood, getting ready to leave. "Is there anything else you know that could help us?"
Nadia shook her head, so Sydney began to walk towards the door. "Actually, Sydney," Nadia called out. Sydney turned around to face her sister. Nadia looked conflicted for a moment, like she was deciding whether to say something. A second later, the look was gone, and Nadia shook her head and smiled sadly. "Nothing," she said. "Good luck on your mission."
Sydney smiled warmly at Nadia. "Thank you."
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