Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing, especially TV Chink and Arodloverus2001, who have been my number one reviewers, but I thank everyone a bunch.
Here's the confrontation everyone's been waiting for. I hope it lives up to expectations.
Again, anything Alias doesn't belong to me.
Chapter 9- The Confrontation
Sydney was reluctant to leave Vaughn. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she had to confront her mother in L.A., for she would be the only one who would have answers. Answers that Sydney would not leave without.
She left a note for Weiss. She couldn't risk sending the happenings of the previous night in print, and she also couldn't tell Weiss what happened, at least not right away. He'd never believe her. Anyway, she told him to stay with Vaughn, and in the strongest way she could, to be careful of him. She didn't know how much of a risk that was, but she didn't have any other choice.
She made the flight back to L.A. in contemplation. She was still numb from the experience of the previous night. She now, to an extent, knew what was happening, or happened to Vaughn, but she didn't know why, or how.
That's why she needed to see her mother.
Her entrance to the facility went as usual. Her casual run through the green, very normal park, with a quick tip to the "Vietnam Vet". She entered the facility and made her walk through it. She had some work to do for security's sake before confronting Irina Derevko.
She had barely walked through the door when she heard her name called.
"Agent Bristow!"
She stopped dead in her tracks
Oh, no. Director Kendell approached her, looking all business. Sydney didn't have time for this.
"Yes, Kendell?" she said. She knew that Kendell would be able to detect the venom in her voice, but luckily for her, she knew Kendell would be used to it by now.
"Ok," he started," Number one, what are you doing back here early without being sent for, and what the hell happened out there in France?" His voice slowly rose at the last question.
"Well, I'm happy to see you again, too, Director Kendell, " she said in an obviously fake, sweet voice.
"Cut the sarcasm, Agent Bristow, I want answers."
Sydney sighed to hereself. The sooner she got past Kendell, the sooner she could see her mother.
"After the mission was a success. I went out to get something to eat. Kane's agents attacked me, and Vaughn heard over the intercom and came to help. He was hurt while saving my life."
Kendell studied her with a sidelong glance. "Going off on you own was a risky and dangerous, and your actions could have cost you both your lives, and nearly cost Agent Vaughn's."
"I understand that." His comment was strikingly too close to home.
Kendell didn't seem to want to take it any further at the moment. "I expect a full report when Agent Vaughn returns."
Sydney walked through the facility, making it look like she had a specific purpose, which she did, just not one she could share.
Her first destination was security. She had to take certain precautions before speaking with her mother about Vaughn.
"Hey, Tom," she said to the guy on duty. He was sitting in front of an assortment of television monitors, each showing a different part of the complex, including the detention area, which currently held her mother, Irina Derevko. The monitors were all showing pictures, but they recorded sound as well, it just wasn't turned on, but if anyone tried to view the recorded meeting, she and Vaughn would be in trouble.
"What can I do for you today, Agent Bristow?" he asked.
I was hoping I could have the last couple sessions with Irina Derevko, for study purposes."
"Sure, give me just a second." He swiveled in his chair with his back to Sydney so he could search the nearby cabinet for the tapes.
While his back was turned, Sydney quickly reached over and pulled out the tape from the high security cell recorder. She put in a recording from a previous day and put it in, hoping that her plan would work. The tape would be playing and they wouldn't know that nothing would be recording the upcoming conversation.
She finished her task quickly, and just in time before Tom turned back around, holding five video tapes.
"Here you go, Agent Bristow. Have a good day."
"You, too, Tom," she answered quickly as she exited the small office. She put the tapes in her bag. She didn't need them, but she would return them the next day, pretending she had put them to good use.
Now, she would be safe from the prying eyes of the security cameras.
She moved towards the area where her mother was held, her anger growing with each step. She had hurt Vaughn.
Her mother had done something to Vaughn.
The clank of the barred gates reverberated through the hallway. The only other time she had felt like this was the first time she came to visit her mother in here.
Sydney stopped in front of the glass. Her mother was sitting on her knees, in a meditative position. Her back was to Sydney, and she was basking in the small amount of light that came through the cell window.
Sydney waited for the guards to leave before saying anything, but before she could start, her mother spoke first.
"Sydney," she started, "I'm happy to see you again." Her mother hadn't moved from her position yet.
"What the hell were you doing with that virus, and what the hell did you do to Vaughn?" Sydney said, the venom in her voice more than evident.
Irina turned around out of her meditating position and sat down. She was now facing Sydney with her legs crossed in front of her. She also had a troubled look on her face.
"I don't understand," she simply said, but her relative calmness only angered Sydney more.
"You're the one who was experimenting with the liquid and the virus, and it was your people who made the antidote. Your the one who told Vaughn and I where we could find it."
Irina didn't do or say anything for a moment, but then she stood up and walked over up to the glass, and looked at Sydney in the eye.
"What happened to him?" she asked, sounding curious, and oddly, concerned?
Sydney nearly spat out the next sentence.
"You have no right to know what's happening to him. Just know that he needs help, and I intend to get it, along with answers."
"If it's answers you're looking for, I'm afraid I know little more than you do." Irina replied.
"Are you trying to tell me that you had no idea what the virus's and antidote's effect would be on Vaughn?"
"The antidote had never been tested, to my knowledge. I had no idea what the side-effects would be, or if it would even work. We never translated that far."
Irina had lost Sydney at that point.
"Translated?" Sydney asked, knowing that the next response might hold the answers she sought, and she was right.
"The formula for the antidote, like the virus, was taken from a Rhambaldi manuscript."
Sydney's mind began to spin. Thoughts were flashing every which direction as things started to fall into place.
Rhambaldi. Besides Sloane, the number one man responsible for making many aspects of her life a living hell, and he had been dead for five hundred years.
"You gave Vaughn a cure that was formulated by Rhambaldi?" Sydney accused, horrified.
Her other said nothing.
What was happening to Vaughn was Rhambaldi's doing. It was another one of his crazy, prophetic schemes.
Sydney slammed her fist into the glass separating her and her mother in a burst of anger. All this succeeded in doing was make Sydney's hand throb.
Most people would have jumped away in surprise, but Irina stood her ground, unphased.
"I want to help, Sydney," Irina said, looking straight at her.
"Why would I trust the person who told me where to find the serum. The serum that-."
She caught herself in time, but she had gotten the point across. Her mother continued.
"You had asked me for a way to help him, and I gave you the only reason I knew how. I had told you there were no guarantees. I swear to you that I had no idea of any other effects it might have, or if it would even work at all."
Sydney took a second to compose herself. She didn't trust herself to speak until she did.
"You said you wanted to help. I can't trust anything you say, but I'm willing to listen."
Irina Derevko rarely showed emotion, but this time she seemed to be relieved that Sydney was letting her help. Sydney wasn't sure if that should make her trust her more or less.
"The manuscript was found inside a Rhambaldi artifact. We were in the middle of decoding the manuscript when I turned myself in. The artifact itself also had two sets of symbols on it. One was meant to decode the manuscript within the artifact, but we never found out the purpose of the other."
"Were is the artifact and the manuscript now?" Sydney asked.
"Beneath a warehouse in France, but to my knowledge, it is still under heavy guard."
Irina gave Sydney the coordinates. The location actually wasn't far from where Sydney had just come from, which would make things easier when returning to Vaughn.
Sydney didn't know what to say next, but she ended up saying what she actually felt.
"Thank you."
Irina smiled slightly, a slight happiness showing in her eyes.
"Your welcome," she answered softly.
The moment was broken by the beeping of Sydney's pager.
Her SD-6 pager.
All it said was Sloane needed to see her immediately.
Damn it, she thought to herself. She didn't have time for this, especially not now.
But it seemed she didn't have any choice. She couldn't, under any circumstances make Sloane suspicious. She would have to tell him that she couldn't do whatever it was he wanted, but she at least had to make an appearance.
She looked up to face her mother again, but Irina was already on the other side of her cell, once again facing the small amount of light coming through the window, standing with her hands behind her back.
Sydney gave her one final glance before leaving the area. Her next step was to talk to her father. She wouldn't be able to pull off any kind of mission without his help.
A Sydney left, Irina Derevko didn't turn around, but remained with her face in the light, a troubled expression settling upon her features.
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