Well, I'm finally back. Thank you all for your feedback and for being patient for this update. I hope the wait was worth it ;)

Chapter Seven:
The Chosen One

"What do you mean I can't help?" Sydney cried furiously. "This is my dad! I should be out there!"

"Agent Bristow, I would appreciate it if you would tone it down a few notches." Director Kendall said, from where he was seated. "There are many reasons behind this decision."

"Like what?" Sydney demanded, her face thunderous.

"Well, for starters your field rating has not been reinstated."

"Then reinstate it." Sydney yelled, standing up.

"Agent Bristow, sit down. There are some things you need to know."

Sydney stared at Kendall for a few defiant seconds before finally relenting. Vaughn, Weiss and Dixon all let out sighs of relief. They all knew that the anger Sydney was showing now was only the tip of the iceberg. They didn't want to be present when she reached her full potential.

"Are you prepared to listen?" Kendall asked.

"Yes."

"Ok. The CIA has been concerned about the events surrounding the Alliance being disabled."

"Why? The Alliance is gone- isn't that a good thing?" Sydney asked.

"It was too easy, Sydney." Dixon spoke up.

"How?"

"A discovery of a real central Alliance computer was made." Dixon explained.

"How did you find it?"

"The CIA captured a freelance terrorist. He had intel on the server and used it as leverage. After looking through the files we got from SD-6, it would appear that this guy does regular work for Sloane." Dixon continued.

"So what? It's a coincidence. What does this have to do with my dad?"

"Ok, Syd. Look at the bigger picture." Weiss said. "We capture the one person who can give us the information we need. This person is a known employee of Sloane. Sloane then disappears just before the raid on SD-6."

"You think he planned it?" Sydney asked, looking at the four men.

"Yes, we do." Kendall answered. "We also believe that Sloane has kept you father alive for a specific reason."

"What?"

"You."

Sydney stared at Kendall as if he was insane. "Sloane kept my dad alive for my sake?"

"No, he kept him alive to lure you to him." Kendall verified. "Sloane has been planning his endgame for years. We know it involves Rambaldi. If Sloane discovered that it was you in the Pro-"

"Stop. That is not me." Sydney shook her head. "I made sure of that. Mount Subasio- or have you conviently fortgotten about that, Mr Kendall?"

"No, Miss Bristow. I haven't forgotten, but Sloane doesn't know about that. If he believes that you are the Chosen One, he is going to need to lure you to him somehow."

"So you think that Sloane is using my dad as bait?"

"Do you have a better explanation?"

"No." Sydney replied, reluctantly. "But there are so many holes in what you are saying."

Kendall nodded. "Go on."

"Well, if Sloane did need me, why did he give my father the chance to warn me with that phone call? He could've captured me at the same time as my dad. And if Sloane was aware of my father being a double agent, how did he keep that from the Alliance for two years? Surely they would have ordered his execution. Why did Sloane need the Alliance disabled? What gain could he get from that?" Sydney paused, taking a breath. "And why two years? Why did Sloane wait until now to put his plans into action?"

"The only person who can answer those questions is Arvin Sloane." Kendall said flatly. "Except for your last question."

Sydney looked at him expectantly, not seeing the surprised looks on Vaughn, Weiss and Dixon's faces. "Well, I'm waiting."

"Oh, I can't answer it."

"Then who the hell can?"

"Your mother."

TWO YEARS EARLIER

"You understand what we need to do?" Sloane said to Sark.

"I understand, but for how long are we supposed to search for?"

"As long as it takes."

"But with the intel we have, this could take years."

Sloane stared hard at the young, blonde man. Sometimes he wondered if he was too young for the work they were doing. "I am aware of that, MrSark." He said, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind. Young or not, Sark had come highly recommended.

"And when we find her?"

"We will keep her safely hidden until Phase One is complete."

"Vaughn, do you know what Kendall was talking about?" Sydney asked as the two of them headed down towards the cells where Irina Derevko was being held.

"I wouldn't have a clue." Vaughn answered truthfully, slightly angry that Kendall had kept this information from him. "Weiss and Dixon have no idea either."

"What information could my mother have on Sloane's endgame? And if she does, why hasn't she said something earlier? Knowing her, I thought that she would have used it as some sort of leverage."

"Sydney, Irina Derevko's actions are not the easiest to understand. Who knows why she does anything."

Sydney knew that Vaughn was talking about his father. "Vaughn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Syd, it's ok." They stopped at the guard. "We're here to see the prisoner."

As they walked closer to Irina's cell, Sydney suddenly stopped. "Vaughn."

"What?"

"What if what she has to say…well, what if it isn't good news?"

"Then we'll deal with it Sydney." Vaughn said gently.

1981

Laura Bristow never really fit in with the other mothers. They couldn't say that she was a bad mother. No, Laura appeared to be a wonderful parent and they could all see that darling little Sydney absolutely adored her.

But the other mothers shied away from Laura as she gave off a feeling that she felt superior to all of them. She wasn't the type to get involved in the PTA or to volunteer in Sydney's classroom.

She was a point of gossip. "What sort of person gives a five-year-old a first edition of Alice in Wonderland?" they would say. She had stopped working when Sydney was born and the other mothers wondered what Laura did to fill in the day. Very rarely was she seen out shopping, or running errands. Laura looked the type who had never had to do any physical work- whether it be housework or gardening etc- in her life.

But Laura didn't care that she did not fit in. She had other things to worry about.

Secrets.

You see, Laura Bristow was extremely good at keeping secrets- and that was a very good thing, because now, instead of just one, Laura had two big secrets to keep.

Irina Derevko had not changed, Sydney noted as she looked into the familiar cell. Her mother's unblinking eyes widened slightly at the appearance of her daughter, as her naturally beautiful face broke into a wide smile.

"Sydney." Her eyes moved slightly when she noticed Vaughn standing a step behind. "Agent Vaughn."

Irina stared at then for a few seconds, trying to gauge whether the feelings Vaughn had described to her two years earlier still existed. She wondered how he had been sleeping these past 24 months.

"I need your help." Sydney spoke up and the smile from Irina's face dropped. The moment she had been dreading had finally come.

"I know."

"What information do you have on Sloane's endgame? Why has he waited so long to get me out of hiding?"

"There is no simple answer to that, Sydney."

"Then give me the complicated one." Sydney shot back. She was not in the mood for her mother's games.

"Sloane needs you, Sydney, to implement his plan. However, he also needed a second person."

"Who?"

"Sloane knows that in order for him to discover the true meaning of Rambaldi's work, he needs two people. Two females related by blood." Irina paused. "Rambaldi refers to these two women as The Chosen One and The Passenger."

"Who are they?"

"Sydney, the woman in the Prophecy, the Chosen One, it isn't me. It's you and Sloane knows that."

"So The Passenger? Who is she?" Sydney paused, remembering what her mother had said about the two being related by blood. "You?"

Irina shook her head slowly. "No."

"But you said they were related by blood."

"I did."

"I'm confused. If you're not The Passenger, then who?"

Irina paused as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sydney, The Passenger is your sister."