They went to the beach. At this time of day it was empty, and going to the beach had been something they'd done frequently in Los Angeles. Sydney refused to let go of her mother and sat on her lap, holding onto her as tightly as she could.

Irina stroked Sydney's hair. "Sweetheart, what happened at school?"

"You weren't there," Sydney mumbled into her neck.

"I know, but none of the other mommies go to school either."

"I thought – what if the bad men come when I'm at school?"

Irina met Jack's gaze. "Sweetheart," he said, "nothing's going to happen to you. I promise."

"Not me! Mommy!"

Irina blinked back tears. "Nothing's going to happen to me either, baby. The bad men don't even know where I am. And I have you and Daddy to look after me, right?"

Sydney looked up, her face wet with tears, hair sticking to her cheeks. "But they got you the first time, even with me and Daddy."

"Well, yes." Irina brushed Sydney's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "But that was because I hadn't told Daddy about them. I was scared he'd be mad at me for not telling him sooner, so I didn't say anything."

The look in Sydney's eyes tore at Irina's heart. "But how come you pretended you died?"

"They didn't want Daddy to come find me."

"But he did find you."

"Yes, he did." Irina smiled. "Because he's smarter than they are."

Sydney held her mother's gaze for a long moment, but she didn't smile. "Did you really miss us?"

"Oh, yes, sweetheart. I thought about you every day." Irina kissed her again.

"Did – did the bad men hurt you?"

Irina didn't reply immediately. "Why do you ask that, baby?"

Sydney solemnly took Irina's hand and pushed up the sleeves to reveal the scars left by the handcuffs. "It didn't look like this before."

Irina couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. How could she tell her child what had been done to her? Sydney did not need any new nightmares.

Jack rubbed his hand over her back in silent support, then pulled Sydney onto his lap. "Sweetheart, the men who had Mommy weren't very nice to her. They tied her up so she wouldn't be able to get away, and that's how her wrists got hurt."

Tears streamed down Sydney's cheeks as she looked from Jack, to Irina, then back to Jack. "I hate them," she said, and jumped off Jack's lap. "I hate them and I wish they were dead!"

Jack got up to follow her down the beach, but Irina grabbed his hand. "I'll go."

"Irina—"

"She needs to hear me tell her I'm okay before she'll believe it." Irina walked slowly to where Sydney stood at the water's edge, then reached out to stroke Sydney's hair.

"Why did the bad men take you?" Sydney said a long time later.

Irina bit her lip. "Remember I told you I was born in Russia?"

Sydney nodded.

"Well, when I was a teenager, I was asked if I wanted to go to America. And while I was there I met your father and we fell in love, and then we had you, and I didn't want to go back to Russia when I was supposed to, so the KG-- so the man who had sent me there, came to take me away."

Sydney looked up at her. "Were you scared? When they tied you up?"

"Yes."

"Did it hurt?"

"Yes."

Sydney took Irina's hands a second time, then kissed each wrist. "Better?"

"Oh, sweetheart." Irina fell to her knees and pulled Sydney into a tight hug.

"I don't want you to die again, Mommy."

"I'm right here, Syd. I'll never leave you again. I promise."