AUTHOR’S NOTE: I had an idea for a story and the pull to write this came from thinking about the end of season four and the accident. I know JJ and his staff are going to use Jen’s pregnancy to enhance the fifth season, so I thought I’d write my own version of at least a part of an episode that would be a wish fulfilled I think everyone would love to see.
SUMMARY: Sydney was on a simple mission just to pick up information. It was supposed to be a walk in the park for her. She is six month’s pregnant. Now she is missing. Dixon wants Jack to find her.
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters belong to JJ Abrams and ABC-Television, except for those characters I create.

SYDNEY’S MISSING
By Lenafan

LOS ANGELES
Jack strode into the APO at a call he received earlier. He’d been at home taking one of those rare days of doing nothing, but relaxing when Dixon asked him to return. He needed to speak to him privately. Director Chase wanted Jack to take over APO, but he refused. He gave the nod to Dixon who had been in charge when the CIA occupied the Rotunda. He was, Jack said, much more capable to push paper and people than he was. Besides, he retired.

Arvin Sloane had been arrested and sent to prison for the contamination of water supplies in the U.S. He would have to answer to the rest of the world later. Jack and Sydney testified that he had helped them in Sovogda, so it lessened the penalty somewhat.
Dixon was in charge of APO now. When he asked, Jack agreed.

Jack walked into Dixon’s office. “What’s urgent? Remember I’m retired.”

“Sydney’s missing.” Dixon said quietly.

“What do you mean…missing?”

“She took a mission to do a simple pick-up of information. No backup was indicated according to Langley, so I let her go since she was getting downright peevish being behind a desk. Her doctors said she could fly through her sixth month.”

“Where?”

“Irkutsk.”

“What kind of information?”

“Data on genetic experiments in China. One of our agents was bringing her a disk to bring back. We didn’t want to mail it, of course.”

“Agent’s name?”

“Chung Zhi!”

Jack grunted. He knew the agent, who was one of the company’s best and brightest. It had taken a long time, but he buried himself deep into the scientific community in Beijing. “His justification for leaving Beijing was?”

“Vacation and it was approved.”

“To go to Irkutsk, Russia?” Jack’s eyebrows lifted.

“Yes, he was going to Lake Baikul to fish.”

“Does he?”

“What?”

“Fish!”

“Of course. For the past five years, he has always gone fishing whenever he has time off. This time was no exception.”

Jack realized Zhi had indeed been careful to set up what he did on vacation. “When did Sydney leave?”

“Three days ago, Irkutsk time. She flew out here day before yesterday to Tokyo and from there to Vlady. It’s a few hundred miles to Irkutsk.”

“What was her cover?”

“Banking. Her experience with Credit Dauphine made it easy to set everything up. We arranged for you to get to Irkutsk the same way and with bank identification.”

“Was she in disguise?”

“No, just as she was.” He saw the other man’s features harden. “Jack, I swear, it was just a pickup. She didn’t need to be in costume or wear a wig. Zhi said he would leave the disk at the hotel for her.”

“Isn’t it possible the Chinese would have him followed?”

“Langley didn’t think so, since all of his other trips were clean.” Dixon shook his head. “We did have someone following him every time the past five years. We never had a whiff of the Chinese tailing him.”

“What hotel in Irkutsk?”

“Hotel Angara on UI Sukhe Batora. It’s right in the downtown business area and is considered one of the best.”

“Yes, I know it.”

“Jack, I swear it was a straight pick-up. Nothing fancy. She really did not need back up.”

Jack didn’t smile. His eyes were cold. “Well something happened. Am I cleared?”

“Yes, go to personnel. They have tickets and reservations, visas. And Jack,” Dixon looked at him, “you might want some back up yourself.”

“Me? Who do you suggest?”

”Your wife.”

Jack blinked as though he had not heard right. “She’s in Moscow now.”

”She has contacts.”

“I’ll think about it.” Jack turned and left, almost at a run.


MOSCOW
The two women sat, one holding the other close. It was cold outside, although the summer months were not quite over. The two women sat silently watching the flames in the heating stove flicker as they slowly died out.

Irina held Sydney in front of her, her hands resting across the young woman’s stomach and the precious baby contained within. She felt some movement and smiled. Her daughter’s head rested against her shoulder and glancing down, Irina could see Sydney’s eyes were closed contentedly.

Sydney sighed. She felt her mother’s strong arms firmly in place. This was the first time since she was six that she had her mother alone to herself, no cell…no Vaughn…no Dad…no CIA, or KGB…no Sark…no Arvin Sloane.

Sydney arrived in Moscow early this morning as a part of a tour group from Irkutsk. She separated herself from the group, tipping the guide heavily after telling her she was looking for her husband who was supposed to work at the police department. The woman graciously took the tip and erased her from the tour member list.

A phone call later and Grigor, grinning from ear to ear, drove up in the Mercedes. Her mother rushed from the car to greet her, kissing both cheeks, and then held her close, murmuring Russian endearments.

“Sydushka, sweetheart, I am so happy to see you!”

“Mom!” Sydney hugged her back. “I—I missed you a lot.” She backed off slightly, looking into her mother’s dark eyes that were teary. “You know about Vaughn?”

“Yes, your father contacted me.”

“I—I needed to see you…to talk to you. We never have, you know.”

“I know. Come, let us go home.” Gently, Irina pushed her into the Mercedes and nodded to Grigor, her chauffer, bodyguard, and friend.

“How is Nadia?” Irina asked as she fixed a cup of tea for Sydney and herself.

“No better now, but the doctors at Johns Hopkins are trying to come up with a cure. The CDC is also working on it. Nadia is the only living person left who was affected by the Mueller device. They are hopeful, but can promise nothing.”

“Where is she now?” Irina took the water off the stove and poured it into the teapot to steep the leaves.

“Under restraints still. Oh Mom, it’s awful. I visit her often, but she doesn’t know me…and…and Vaughn is dead…and I don’t even know if that is his real name. God, he was on the verge of telling me who he really was when the SUV struck the car.” She began to cry. “I’m going to have his child…our child and I don’t know his name.”

Irina walked to her daughter and put her arms around her. She wanted to change the subject. “Is it a boy or girl?”

“Girl.”

“Have you a name?”

“Annya Jane Bristow, after my two great-grandmothers.” Sydney answered.

Irina’s face broke out into a smile. “I like it, sweetheart. Have you told your father?”

“Yes. I saw him a couple of days before I left.” Sydney looked at the teapot. “Is the tea ready?”

Irina quickly poured the two cups and gave one to Sydney, motioning to the cream and sugar. “How is he?” She tried to make her voice neutral.

“Fine.” Sydney glanced at her mother whom she knew had more than a casual interest in how Jack was faring. “Sometimes I wish…” She sighed, avoiding her mother’s gaze.

“What Sydney?”

“You and Dad…I mean I know you care for him and…” she looked straight into Irina’s eyes, “…he does care about you. He thinks I don’t know, but I do.”

Irina compressed her lips, biting back emotions she couldn’t share with her daughter. “Sydney, your father and I live in two different worlds now and have for a long time. I do treasure the years we had together, especially after you were born. But now…” She sipped some more tea. “…but now so much has happened.” She took one of Sydney’s hands and smiled carefully. “I doubt our caring goes no further than just that.”

Sydney stared back. She smiled. “Yeah, I suppose, but then I’m a romantic.”

“Would you like to go out to dinner? We have some very fine restaurants in the city and some are close by.” Irina hoped to defuse the subject, before she was too entangled to extricate herself.

“Sure. I should take a short nap. It has been a long day.”

“Use the bed. I do have some calls to make and business to take care of.”

Sydney stood, turned, and walked to the open door beyond the living room. “Wake me in an hour.” She disappeared, shutting the door.

Irina sat for a moment as her heart slowed to its normal rate. Talking about Jack, especially with her daughter was hard. She was completely aware of Sydney’s wish to have a normal family…at least one set of grandparents for her child. Irina didn’t think she would get that wish. She would be lucky to see her grandchild at all. She rose cleaning off the table and turned toward her computer and phone. She had business to conduct with her agents in Beijing and Hong Kong.


Now it was night and they sat for a long time together, watching the fire. Irina loved sitting, holding Sydney close, touching her and letting little Anna kick and turn. She remembered when she was carrying Sydney what it felt like. She and Sydney had talked all through dinner and on the way home. There was so much she wanted to know about Sydney’s life after she left. They had done some of it tonight.


IRKUTSK
Jack entered Hotel Antara in downtown Irkutsk. He walked up to the desk and the clerk looked at him. “May I help you?”

“Well, yes, I’m hoping you might. You had a guest here three nights ago…a Sydney Bristow. I’m her father.” He took out his ID and handed it to the young man.

He nodded. “Yes, I was on duty when she checked in, but I do not know where she is now.” He handed the items back. “Let me see who checked her out. Perhaps the young woman left a clue.” He disappeared into an office. Ten minutes later, he was back. “The clerk on duty said your daughter was flying out with a tour group. She said she was interested in seeing more of our country.”

“I see.” Jack frowned. “Where was the tour group heading?”

“Moscow.”

Jack smiled and thanked the clerk, handing him a hundred rubles.


MOSCOW
It was afternoon and Jack Bristow stood in Red Square. He’d caught a taxi from the Shermetyevo International Airport and had the driver drop him here. It was three blocks away from Irina’s apartment. He watched the warmly clad people move around the various points of interest. There were several busloads of tourists, each with a guide or two. It was slightly windy, even gusty, as a new weather front moved from the west. It felt as though rain was coming soon.

Jack turned and began walking. He had a feeling that he might be more than welcomed when he arrived. It was three o’clock in Moscow. The clerks and bureaucrats probably still had another hour or so to work before they headed home, so the street was fairly empty of many people. He glanced to the left and saw St. Basil’s onion domes peeking out the top of a four-story building. He liked the cathedral. It brought him a sense of sanity when he was here.

He finally stopped at the steps leading up to the apartment. Glancing up to his left, he saw no one. Walking up the steps, he punched in the code Irina had given him on his first visit to her months ago. She had not changed it…17-03-50…his birth date. He smiled as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Jack climbed the steps to the second floor where Irina’s apartment was located. She owned the building and had since becoming The Man, heading up one of the biggest criminal organizations after the 1991 break-up of the USSR. She became very wealthy although he did not know how wealthy. She never shared that part of her life with him. He smiled as he turned to walk to her door…for that matter, she didn’t know how much money he’d squirreled away either.

He rang the bell. The door slammed open and Irina stood there, looking at him, her mouth breaking into a great smile. “Jack, you made it.”

“Of course. Sydney’s all right?”

“Yes, yes, she’s inside…taking a nap.”

Jack pulled her into his arms and held her. God she felt good and smelled good too. He leaned back slightly and kissed her. “It’s been too long.”

“I know. You didn’t have any problems?”

“None. It worked just we thought…the CIA was worried about Sydney not checking in so they asked me, retired Jack Bristow, but Sydney’s Dad, to try to locate her. They didn’t want a current active agent assigned when there was a perfectly good ‘Dad’ agent available. Besides, they didn’t have to pay me.”

Irina laughed. “What do you call that?”

“Cheapskates.” Jack laughed, putting his arm around Irina’s waist and walking inside. “However, in this case, I don’t mind. No one knows I’m doing this. It was a favor for Dixon. He knew I would do it, because it was Sydney.”

They stopped in the middle of the room. Irina put both hands up to either side of his face and kissed him, then dropped her arms to his neck. “How long can you stay?”

“Until I find Sydney.”

FINI

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Yes, I know…you all want more. No, no…this is short, short story. It’s about 2200 words. Didn’t you want Jack and Irina to get back together after BTF? Of course, we all did. Well, this is my way.
Lenafan

Loved it! I wonder who came up with the idea though, Irina or Jack? It was short indeed, but so good! Thanks for the pm.

lenafan

loved it

great cover

but his he really only going to stay a few minutes or will this - umm finding of Sydney take several years LOL

thanks for the pm and I know I am way behind o reading your summer fic and its going to happen

as I have said before recovering from this crazy summer means I have pms as far back as july in all my groups

I hope to get choice as a variable worked on before s5 but lets get realistic I think the best shot I have at normalcy is to begin My daughter for S 5 and begin banking chapters for choice while I correct the grammar - then come the fall season I can start doing a chap a week get my readers back and always be working a few weeks ahead of where I am posting so my readers no longer have to wait if I have a crazy week - month etc

I will keep in touch and keep you posted on my progress

my love to you and yours

brenda