CHAPTER 14
NEXT AFTERNOON: MARYMOUNT HIGH SCHOOL
(Note: I've never been to a Catholic school. I didn't attend a normal high school. So I'm going to avoid much of the school crap. Though this is an actual school.)
Sark sits in the chair as he waits impatiently for the Head of the School, Ms. James, to speak as she looks over Alexa's fake file.
"She still needs to take the placement test Mr. Thompson." Ms. James says looking up from the file. "I don't doubt that your daughter is highly intelligent because her IQ test says she is. But she needs to take the placement test."
"Not a problem." Sark assures "Alexa can take it whenever."
"Now Mr. Thompson, why do you want to enroll Alexa here? You freely admitted that neither you nor your daughter are not practicing Catholics."
"I was raised Catholic until my mother died. Before Alexa was born, my wife and I decided that Alexa would choose how she would want to go in life. My wife was raised Greek Orthodox yet hadn't stepped foot in a church since her own mother's death."
"So why send your daughter here?"
"My reason is not like most parents have." Sark admits standing he walks over to the window looking out at the courtyard. "I hope you can keep this between us."
"I am a teacher as long as it isn't illegal..."
Sark nods glancing at Ms. James, "My daughter has problems... not behavior or anything but emotional. Alexa and my wife had both been was terrorized by her Grandfather. I don't know all that he did to her but I do know that the end result is the Alexa you saw. She doesn't like to be touched and retreats into herself whenever people get too close. She shuts down and refuses to talk for hours. She needs structure in an area where she doesn't have to deal with too much outside pressure. Private school at this time is the best option for her."
"I take it she doesn't respond well to men."
Sark looks at the woman and nods, "Unfortunately that is so."
"We have very few men on campus so that wouldn't be an issue." Ms. James assures
Sark nods
Ms. James regards the man then nods "Once she takes the placement test we'll see where we'll go from there. She can take it today or tomorrow."
"I'll see what she thinks." Sark nods walking out of the office he goes to where Alexa is sitting waiting patiently. "Alexa" he sits beside her "do you think you can take the test now? Or would you rather do it tomorrow?"
Alexa shrugs "I can do it now."
Sark stands looking at Ms. James, "How long will it take?"
"Most students use up the full three hours."
"Do you think you can handle that?" Sark asks Alexa
Alexa nods
"Do you want me to stay while you take it?"
Alexa shrugs "I'll be fine."
"All right. I'm going to go to work for a while. Call me when you are done. Do you remember the number?"
Alexa nods
"The test is in the counseling office just across the hall. You can pick her up there when she's ready, Mr. Thompson." Ms. James says
Sark nods giving Alexa an encouraging smile, "Good luck my girl."
Alexa nods watching her Dad leave the office then stands
"Are you ready to do this?"
"Sure."
45 MINS LATER: CIA
Sydney shakes her head seeing Sark sitting at her desk, "What are you doing here?"
"Visiting. I have a kid break. Niko is still in daycare. Lexa is taking the placement exam so I thought why not visit my favorite person."
"Your favorite person is yourself." Sydney retorts
"Good point." Sark smirks "So what is going on around here?" He asks looking around.
"Nothing much." Sydney shrugs
"Sark" Jack says annoyed
Sark smirks, "Jack still mad?"
Jack scowls
"Sark, don't bait Dad please."
"I wasn't."
"Sure" Sydney rolls her eyes
"Where are the kids?" Jack asks
"Alexa is at the school taking the placement test. Nikolai is at daycare. I thought I'd come by for a while." Sark shrugs
"OK you two behave." Sydney says quickly when she sees her Dad's annoyed expression and Sark's smirk. "Now get out of my chair." She lightly smacks Sark upside the head with the file in her hand. "I've got work to finish otherwise I will be late tonight."
Sark sighs as he stands, "Fine ruin my fun."
"If you're here to annoy everyone go home." Jack says annoyed as he walks away.
Sark leans against the desk, "Not taking this well."
"He'll deal. How'd the meeting go?"
"I gave the Mother Superior enough so she could understand why I'd prefer Alexa at the school... despite my own... lacking beliefs."
"Do you think that it is a good school?"
"If it keeps her occupied and away from over thinking everything that's happened." Sark shrugs.
Sydney nods "Now go away... I need to work."
Across the room Lauren joins her husband who is watching Sydney and Sark talk, "They seem to be getting a long better. If I didn't know better I'd say they might have feelings for each other." She muses
"This is Sark, Lauren. Sydney can barely stand him." Vaughn says quickly.
"They have a child together Michael... I'm pretty sure that creates feelings." Lauren walks away, leaving her husband staring at Sark and Sydney.
Vaughn remains standing there for a moment then walks away.
HOUR LATER
"Going to pick up Alexa?" Sydney asks as Sark stops at her desk
"She's done with the exam." Sark answers. "I'll see you at home." 'God I want to kiss her.'
Sydney nods "Are you picking Niko up or do you want me to pick him up?"
"Its 3 so I will pick him up. Are you going to be home for dinner?"
"Well it is my turn to cook so I should be home around six."
Sark nods "I'll see you at home then." He gives her a faint smile and walks away.
30 MINS LATER: SCHOOL
Sark walks through the building ignoring the girls whispering around him. He enters the counseling office where he finds Alexa sitting and waiting patiently, "Alexa?"
Alexa looks up
"Ready?"
Alexa nods standing
"Mr. Thompson."
Sark turns to look at Ms. James
"The results of the placement exam should be in tomorrow. She can start on Monday."
Sark nods "Thank you."
"You'll need to fill out the paperwork." She hands him an envelope "Bring it by before Monday. She can come in for her uniform, books and schedule on Friday."
Sark takes the envelope "Thank you." He looks at Alexa, "Let's go get your brother."
5PM: CIA
"Yes Nikolai I am on my way home." Sydney smiles at her son's chattering voice as she walks to her car. "I'll see you when I get there." She hangs up.
"Syd"
Sydney stops when she hears Vaughn's voice and turns to see him, "Hey Vaughn." She unlocks the car door "What is it?"
"You and Sark were chummy."
"Yeah so?"
"What is going on between you two?"
Sydney looks at him "My life is no longer your concern Michael. If I am involved with Sark or anyone... it is none of your business. I am done doing things for you and the others... I'm doing what's best for me now... as well as my son."
"So are you involved with him?"
"I don't think that is any of your business Michael. Any business you have with my personal life, ended the day you chose to believe I was dead." Sydney shakes her head, "Go home to your wife Michael" she gets into the car.
OVER AN HOUR LATER: HOUSE
Sark leans against the counter watching as Sydney cuts up the vegetables roughly, "Want to tell me why you are taking your anger out on our dinner?"
Sydney pauses "Vaughn and I got into another argument."
"About?"
"He still thinks he can get involved in my life." Sydney says bitterly.
"How so?"
Sydney shrugs, "Asked me what was going on between us."
"What did you say?"
"That it wasn't any of his business. That anything having to do with me stopped being his business the day he chose to believe I was dead."
"Sydney everyone believed you were dead... I did as well."
"Dad didn't. Mom didn't. If you were on the outside actually being able to know the information they had would you have believed it?"
"I'm not sure." Sark admits
"He should have at least tried to believe Dad. But no he decided six months after my supposed death to date." Sydney slams the knife into the cutting board.
"Remind me never to make you angry." Sark says dryly
"You already knew that." Sydney snaps then rubs her forehead. "Sorry." She gives Sark a sheepish smile. "I always seem to get mad at you when I'm mad at him."
"I'm used to you getting mad at me."
"I really need to stop taking it out on you when I'm mad at Michael." Sydney sighs as she turns back to dinner.
"Like that's going to stop." Sark retorts
"Still I know I shouldn't take it out on you."
Sark steps up behind her, "I'm fine with it. At least you don't hide how you feel." He kisses her neck, "Dinner almost ready?"
"Almost. Pour drinks and get those two to wash up?" Sydney turns her head.
"Sure." Sark kisses her briefly then steps away. "Alexa, Niko go get cleaned up... dinner will be ready soon." He calls heading to the refrigerator stopping to make sure the two kids leave the living room.
10PM
"What did you think of the school?" Sark asks Alexa as he sits on the edge of the bed.
"It seemed OK."
"Do you think you'd be comfortable being there? Or should we look at the other schools?"
"I think I could handle it." Alexa shrugs "I won't know until I try."
"Nervous?"
"A little." Alexa picks at the blanket, "I mean... I know I'm not the most normal kid." When she sees him about to protest she shrugs "I'm not."
"No I suppose you aren't." Sark acknowledges reluctantly. "You'll do fine." He assures. "If you ever feel like you can't handle what's going on Sydney or I will come and get you. If we can't then Samantha or Jack will. I promise that everything is going to work out."
Alexa nods
"The next few days we'll have to go over everything until you get it."
"I don't ever have to tell anyone about him?"
"No. He's out of our lives now sweetheart." Sark assures.
"OK."
"You need to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." Sark starts to stand only to have Alexa's soft plea stop him.
"Stay until I fall asleep?"
Sark gives her a small smile, "Sure." He sits back down on the bed watching as Alexa drifts off to sleep. Once he is sure that Alexa is asleep, Sark leans down brushing a very brief, light kiss across her forehead. "Sleep well my little girl." He says softly then stands walking out of the room.
MONDAY MORNING: SCHOOL
(Reminder: I'm not Catholic. Never stepped foot in a Catholic school. So I'm going to keep the school parts short.)
Sark looks at Alexa who is staring at the school, "Ready?"
Alexa nods "I think so."
"If things get to be too much just go see Ms. James and tell her then she'll call me. If she can't reach me she'll call Sydney."
"I know."
"Otherwise I will see you at 3:30."
Alexa opens the door grabbing her backpack, "Bye."
Sark watches as Alexa slowly walks into the building. 'She'll be fine.' Once Alexa is in the school he pulls away from the curb just as his phone rings, removing his phone from his pocket he flips it open, "Hello Sydney"
"How'd it go?"
"I think she'll be fine. I doubt she'll say much to people."
"First day of school does that." Sydney muses. "It must be a lot harder for her... never having been to school. You never did tell me why you decided to put her in 9th grade rather than 12th like she tested."
"She has a lot of US history to catch up on. I know she would do well in 12th but this is her first time in school... I thought she'd adjust better with kids her own age."
"Even if she doesn't relate to them?" Sydney asks
"If that is the next problem to deal with then I'll figure something out. She could always spend time with Marshall. They would get a long great."
"Yes well Marshall is terrified of most the opposite sex."
"Good point. If she needs someone to relate to on an intellectual level we have a long list of people she can spend time with."
"Another ego boost, Sark?"
"Funny Sydney."
"We have a meeting in half an hour." Sydney reminds
"I will be there on time."
"And don't be an ass."
"Am I ever?"
"Always." Sydney laughs hanging up.
Sark scowls "Never says goodbye." He closes his phone returning it to his pocket. As he stops at a red light he removes a pack of cigarettes from the arm rest, "Might as well finish off the pack." He removes a cigarette sticking it between his lips he lights it with his lighter.
9:30AM: CIA
Sydney looks at Sark as he leans against her desk, "So you are just in time." She frowns when she smells the cigarette smoke "Either you've been smoking or you have taken up the habit of getting nicotine hits from being around other smokers."
"I was just finishing off the pack." Sark shrugs. "Besides its not like I was smoking around either of them."
"You better not... I still have the knife I used the last time you pissed me off."
"And which time are we talking about?"
"Not sure... I've tried to injure you numerous times... and succeeded numerous times." Sydney reminds
"I let you." Sark protests
"Sure you did. You really liked getting your head slammed into a wall." Sydney lifts her brow. "Because last count I slammed your head into a wall three times, threw you into a wall more than ten times. Shot at you god knows how many times. Slammed doors on you... threw things at you."
Dixon and Jack both groan when they step out of the conference room to find Sark and Sydney toe-to-toe bickering. "Great he's not even back an hour and they're already bickering." Jack says annoyed.
"You have to admit those two do keep things interesting around here." Dixon says amused. "Sydney. Mr. Sark"
Suddenly Sydney and Sark stop arguing, "WHAT!" they both yell
Dixon lifts his brow, "If you two are done arguing..." He gestures at the conference.
"We'll be right there." Sydney calls tearing her eyes away from Sark who is smirking. She picks up the file from her desk and smacks Sark upside the back of his head. "Jerk."
Sark shakes his head following Sydney his eyes on her ass, 'God she drives me nuts.'
3:30PM: SCHOOL
"How was your first day?" He asks as Alexa gets into the car.
Alexa shrugs
"Good? Bad? Decent?"
"Decent."
"A lot of homework?"
Alexa nods
"I have to go back to work. Samantha already picked Niko up from daycare." He glances at Alexa, "Will you be OK with that?"
Alexa nods
"Sydney and I should be home around six. Samantha is going to start dinner." Sark stops at the light, "What were your classes like?"
"They seem like they'll be a little easy."
"I knew it would but for now it is better if you're with kids your own age."
"I know. I'll just have to find something more... challenging to do."
"You could work with Niko on his French." Sark suggests. "I haven't had time to work with him."
"Maybe."
"I meant to ask you... how is your Russian?"
"Speaking it is a little harder... reading and understanding it is easier. He didn't like that I could so I stopped using it around him. The only time I ever do use it is reading it or when I had online conversations."
"Good thing we taught you how to read Russian and Greek at the same time as English." Sark says as he drives. "Your tutor informed me that you also know Italian, Spanish, Latin, and French."
Alexa nods twisting at the hem of her skirt. "I liked keeping busy." 'Kept me from thinking about what he'd do to me next.'
"You were such an inquisitive child. You were always asking questions... never taking the short answer." Sark smiles faintly "You've always had an interest in learning."
6PM: HOUSE
Sark enters the house to find Sydney hugging a happy Nikolai. He stands there watching them, 'God that is incredible.'
Niko grins seeing his Dad, "Daddy."
Sydney turns her head and smiles at Sark who is watching them with a thoughtful expression, "What?"
"Nothing." Sark walks over dropping a kiss to Niko's head "Where's Alexa?" He asks Samantha when he sees her.
"She's been in her room all afternoon." Samantha answers
"She's been doing homework this whole time?" Sydney says in disbelief.
"Lexa not play." Niko says unhappily.
"Alexa's just had a big day." Sydney tells her son. "Do you remember your first day of daycare?"
Niko nods "I had fun."
"Yes you did but daycare is a lot different from school." Sydney says gently.
Niko chews on his lip thoughtfully and nods
Alexa sits curled up in the corner staring at the photo album next to her not looking up when she hears a knock at her door.
Sark opens the door and sighs when he sees Alexa sitting in the corner arms around her knees the photo album open next to her. "Alexa?" When she doesn't reply he walks over and crouches beside her looking at the picture of Eva and three year old Alexa, "That picture was taken on a trip to France. I was supposed to leave for a couple weeks for work but I didn't want to leave you two alone... even with security. You stayed with Irina during that time. You loved traveling. We went somewhere whenever I wasn't working or in school. By the time you were four we'd been to France, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, Russia, Italy, Denmark... and so many other places. We'd planned to come to the States once I had my degree finished."
"You were in college?" Alexa looks at him surprised.
Sark nods
"For what?"
"Philosophy and psychology. I was just about done with my degree when it happened."
"I don't remember any of that." Alexa says sadly. "I don't remember a lot of things." She hugs her knees her eyes on the picture.
Sark looks at the picture, "Anything you want to know I'll tell you."
"I know. I just want to remember though."
Sark reaches out and gently brushes Alexa's hair back ignoring her flinch, "Memories are better than hearing second hand." He acknowledges
"I hate him." She rests her head on the wall.
"So do I. But we don't have to worry about him anymore. You're safe from him."
Alexa bites her lip blinking back tears.
"Did you do your homework?"
Alexa nods
"Good." Sark drops a kiss to Alexa's hair, "I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Sark stands walking to the door. He stops in the doorway looking back at his daughter who is sitting on the floor with her eyes closed. He walks out of the room closing the door behind him taking a deep breath then heads to his room removing his suit jacket tossing it on the chair in the corner. He starts to remove his tie when he sees Sydney in the doorway, "She's shut down again. I think it is quite possible the reason she shuts down is the stimulation from the day. Not being used to being around people makes it hard to be around people." He sits on his bed as Sydney walks into the room closing the door behind her. "Was sending her to school a good idea?"
"She needs to be around people... especially people her own age." Sydney stops before him. "She's a tough kid."
"I know. I know how hard this is for her. She's shutting down because she's scared Syd." Sark runs his fingers through his hair.
"She's scared because she's unsure and not used to things. Don't you remember your first day of school?"
"Not really." Sark admits
"Look" Sydney sits facing him, "she just needs to adjust. I'm sure once she's settled in with school she'll make some friends and stop shutting down every day. I'm sure in a few weeks she'll be fine."
Sark nods "You're right. She's tough. She'll be fine... with some time." He runs his hands down Sydney's side, "How long is Samantha staying?"
"We have a while." Sydney gasps as he kisses her neck.
"Well then having his attention occupied I guess ours can be... elsewhere." Sark murmurs as he slides his hands under her shirt caressing her lower back.
LATE EVENING
Sydney knocks on the closed bedroom door then enters to find Alexa sitting on her bed staring at the photo album. "I thought you might be hungry." She enters setting a plate on the nightstand. She turns to walk out of the room then pauses. "Alexa... I know what it is like to lose memories; how it feels knowing you have a large gap in your life." She looks at the girl. "Its hard."
Alexa looks at Sydney "What don't you remember?"
"I don't remember a lot about my Mom... I was raised to believe she was dead... so did my Dad. I didn't know she was alive until around the time I met your Dad." Sydney answers "But I also lost two years of my life."
"How?"
"Some things happened and I ended up with some people who almost killed me. Traumatic things happened and I did things then had my memories removed."
"Why?"
"I still don't know why I did that. Once I came back I wanted to remember so I fought to remember. I begged Sark to help me."
"Did you ever remember?"
"Not every thing. I remember some... I dream of my missing time. I know a lot of what happened but I don't remember it."
"I just want to remember my Mom." Alexa says her lower lip trembling. "I want to remember being with my parents. What I want to forget is him."
"I'm sure you'll remember things."
Alexa nods her eyes going back to the photo album.
"Will you try to eat something OK?"
Alexa glances at the plate and nods before looking back at the photo album. As the door closes, she picks up the photo album looking closer at the picture of her Mom.
11PM
Sark quietly opens the bedroom door to find Alexa asleep on her bed the photo album next to her. He smiles slightly then notices the empty plate on the nightstand. He picks up the plate and gently brushes Alexa's hair back, "Sleep well little girl." He says softly before turning off the lamp.
TBC…
If you give me enough reviews today maybe I'll post more today… or tomorrow. http/inquisitive1swork.