phoenix shotgun 47
Cadet
Title: Shadow of Deceit
Authors: phoenix shotgun 47 (Kay) and Sydney Bristow, CIA (Lauren)
Rating: PG-13
Status: WIP
Genre: Drama
Disclaimer: We don’t own Alias. Sydney, Vaughn, etc. are properties of J.J. Abrams and ABC.
Summary: When six-year-old Sydney Bristow and Laura Bristow die in a fatal car accident, they leave Nadia and Jack Bristow behind. But deceptions make their way to the surface, and everything that has happened is doubted...
Thanks to Jess (Michael_Vartan_Hottie) for betaing this
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Chapter One: The Beginning
As Jack Bristow stepped out of his black Jaguar and onto the perfect green grass of his front lawn, he couldn’t help but smile. After a week-long business trip, he was finally home. A single tree stood in the corner of the lawn, but the pristinely cut grass beneath it was spotless of leaves.
When he walked into the house, he took a sharp left into his office, placing his briefcase safely on the desk. He slipped off his suit jacket and dropped it onto the chair. Smelling the air, he knew that his wife was cooking her special spaghetti and meat balls in celebration of him coming home.
As he was loosening his tie, he heard the distant sound of small feet pounding against the hardwood floor.
“Daddy!” The little voice shrieked, her pigtails swishing as she ran to her father, wrapping her short arms around his legs.
Jack smiled and bent down, pulling his 6 year old daughter, Sydney, into his arms. “How’s my gorgeous little princess?” He asked, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Good,” She responded. “Daddy, you missed Christmas again.” Sydney said quietly a look of sadness flashing in her eyes.
Jack felt a pang of guilt stab through his heart. There was no way that he could explain to his innocent child that he had missed Christmas because he was on a mission for the CIA.
“I’m so sorry sweetheart.” He replied. “But I’ve got a present for you.”
The little girl’s solemn expression immediately changed to an excited smile. She giggled and began to squirm in Jack’s arms expectantly. He laughed, picking up the small box he had wrapped the night before on the flight home.
Jack gently put her back on the ground before giving her the box. She tore off the wrapping paper eagerly, shreds of green paper with candy canes covering the floor.
Her small fingers slowly opened up the velvet box. Her eyes widened.
There was a beautiful sterling silver heart shaped locket. The words “I Love You” were delicately engraved in elegant cursive.
“See, I put a picture of me and your mom in here.” Jack said, showing her how to open the locket. Inside there was a picture of a smiling Jack and Laura Bristow on the day they were married. “That way, we’ll always be with you.”
“Thanks you daddy.” Sydney beamed, hugging her father’s neck tightly. “Can you put it on me, please?”
“Sure sweetheart.” Jack smiled, putting the necklace around her neck. “You look beautiful.” He said, glancing up. He saw his wife standing in the doorway, gazing at them lovingly. He picked Sydney back up and walked to the doorway.
“You’re home.” Laura said, playing with the color of his blue oxford shirt.
“Yup.” Jack replied, kissing his wife tenderly.
“Look what daddy got me!” Sydney exclaimed, pointing at the necklace. As she moved, Jack winced. She had hit the bruise in his side.
Laura noticed the slight change in Jack’s posture. “Sydney sweetie, why don’t you go play the piano so Daddy can hear the new song you learned.
“Ok.” Sydney jumped down and ran into the living room.
“Are you ok?” Laura asked quietly, reaching over to touch his side. He cringed slightly.
“I’ll be fine.” Jack replied as the sweet sounds of “Dolly’s Dreaming” reached his ears.
“So the mission went well?” Laura questioned.
“Yeah.” Jack sighed. “She’s getting really good isn’t she.” his gaze fixed on his eldest daughter. “I’ve missed so much.”
“Jack.” Laura’s hand reached up and caressed his cheek.
Before she could say more, Nadia shuffled into the room, holding a stuffed bear and sucking her thumb. She walked over to Jack and tugged at his pant leg. Jack picked her up and began swaying to the music, following Irina as she moved into the next room to watch Sydney.
“Hi daddy.” Nadia said, resting her head on her father’s chest.
“Hi angel.” Jack said, kissing her black hair.
“Do you have a present for me?” She asked, her eyes shining with hope.
Jack pulled out another box and handed it to his daughter. Setting her down on the couch, he watched her rip open the box to find a small stuffed penguin. She hugged it enthusiastically before looking up at her father.
“Thanks daddy. We missed you.” She leaned over and placed a small kiss on his cheek before running over to show Sydney her knew toy.
“Mommy?” Sydney asked sweetly as Laura was making dinner. “Since daddy’s back, do you think we could get a movie to celebrate?”
Laura glanced down at her smiling daughter and then over to her husband.
“Sure sweetheart.” Jack said. It was the least he could do to make up for Christmas. “Get your coat and we’ll go to the store.
“No daddy.” Sydney said quickly. “You have to stay here. I want the movie to be a surprise.”
Laura laughed. “Ok. Come on Sydney, I’ll take you to the store. Do you want to come Nadia?”
The little girl shook her head and continued drawing a picture of her new penguin.
Laura kissed her husband and daughter goodbye. “Ok then, we’ll be back in a little while. Please don’t burn the dinner.” She teased as she grabbed her car keys and led Sydney out the door.
Jack smiled, picking up the spoon and stirring the spaghetti sauce.
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Three hours later and after a dozen phone calls, Laura and Sydney still hadn’t returned from the store. After feeding Nadia and putting her to bed, he stood in his dimly lit office, pacing impatiently. Where could they be?
He was so caught up in his thoughts that the ringing of the door bell made him jump. He rushed to the door quickly, flinging it open. Just as he feared 3 police men stood on the other side.
“Jack Bristow?” The tall old officer with a rather large stomach asked in a Southern drawl.
“Yes. Is this about my wife and daughter? Do you know where they are?” Jack asked frantically, all of the calmness and composure he had learned as an agent gone.
“Sir you might want to sit down.” The shorter blonde man remarked.
Jack led them in and sat down in the living room.
“Late tonight we got a call about an accident over on Pantano Bridge. We believe that a drunk driver hit your wife’s car. She tried to stop but the car skidded on the ice and went over the rails, into the river. It took us awhile to get the car out of the water. The recent rains have turned it into a monster. We’re sorry but… we couldn’t locate any bodies. We believe that they were swept away.” The man said gravely.
Jack didn’t breath. He couldn’t move. He felt like his heart and soul had just been torn out of his body and thrown into the icy river as well.
The men kept on talking, filling in some of the details, but he was barely listening. A small voice finally brought him back to reality.
“Daddy?” Nadia walked in hesitantly, carrying her penguin and sucking her thumb. “Where’s mommy and Syddie?”
Jack felt his throat close up. “I need you to be brave right now Nadia.” He whispered, leaning down to look his daughter in the eye. “Your mother and sister… they won’t be coming back.” Nadia only stared at him with her quiet dark eyes. “They… they’re… they’re dead.” He choked out. Nadia still said nothing, but moved forward and put her arms around her father’s shoulders.
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As Jack walked out of the church, all he could feel was the slight warmth emanating from his daughter’s hand that was tightly clutching his. The rest of his body felt numb, as if he really wasn’t there. The last few days had pasted by in a blur of sobbing, alcohol, and the occasional visits from friends and relatives.
The police had never recovered the bodies, so they had a memorial service instead of a funeral. But seeing pictures of his daughter and wife, imagining them still alive, was too much for him.
Jack looked up into the sky, willing himself not to break down in tears again. The sun’s bright rays danced across the horizon, casting a warm blissful glow on the surrounding trees. Jack felt like screaming. This was a funeral! It should be raining and thundering and dark and gloomy! There was nothing bright and sunny about today.
It took all of his strength to stop from driving back to his house and drinking himself back into oblivion.
While Jack wallowed in his grief, trying to pull himself together for his only daughter, he was unaware that he was being watched.
Across the street, in a large white van, a man had a pair of binoculars trained on the successful CIA agent. He watched silently, taking a careful assessment, before starting the car and driving away to report to his superiors.
It had worked.
<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>
Authors: phoenix shotgun 47 (Kay) and Sydney Bristow, CIA (Lauren)
Rating: PG-13
Status: WIP
Genre: Drama
Disclaimer: We don’t own Alias. Sydney, Vaughn, etc. are properties of J.J. Abrams and ABC.
Summary: When six-year-old Sydney Bristow and Laura Bristow die in a fatal car accident, they leave Nadia and Jack Bristow behind. But deceptions make their way to the surface, and everything that has happened is doubted...
Thanks to Jess (Michael_Vartan_Hottie) for betaing this
<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>
Chapter One: The Beginning
As Jack Bristow stepped out of his black Jaguar and onto the perfect green grass of his front lawn, he couldn’t help but smile. After a week-long business trip, he was finally home. A single tree stood in the corner of the lawn, but the pristinely cut grass beneath it was spotless of leaves.
When he walked into the house, he took a sharp left into his office, placing his briefcase safely on the desk. He slipped off his suit jacket and dropped it onto the chair. Smelling the air, he knew that his wife was cooking her special spaghetti and meat balls in celebration of him coming home.
As he was loosening his tie, he heard the distant sound of small feet pounding against the hardwood floor.
“Daddy!” The little voice shrieked, her pigtails swishing as she ran to her father, wrapping her short arms around his legs.
Jack smiled and bent down, pulling his 6 year old daughter, Sydney, into his arms. “How’s my gorgeous little princess?” He asked, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Good,” She responded. “Daddy, you missed Christmas again.” Sydney said quietly a look of sadness flashing in her eyes.
Jack felt a pang of guilt stab through his heart. There was no way that he could explain to his innocent child that he had missed Christmas because he was on a mission for the CIA.
“I’m so sorry sweetheart.” He replied. “But I’ve got a present for you.”
The little girl’s solemn expression immediately changed to an excited smile. She giggled and began to squirm in Jack’s arms expectantly. He laughed, picking up the small box he had wrapped the night before on the flight home.
Jack gently put her back on the ground before giving her the box. She tore off the wrapping paper eagerly, shreds of green paper with candy canes covering the floor.
Her small fingers slowly opened up the velvet box. Her eyes widened.
There was a beautiful sterling silver heart shaped locket. The words “I Love You” were delicately engraved in elegant cursive.
“See, I put a picture of me and your mom in here.” Jack said, showing her how to open the locket. Inside there was a picture of a smiling Jack and Laura Bristow on the day they were married. “That way, we’ll always be with you.”
“Thanks you daddy.” Sydney beamed, hugging her father’s neck tightly. “Can you put it on me, please?”
“Sure sweetheart.” Jack smiled, putting the necklace around her neck. “You look beautiful.” He said, glancing up. He saw his wife standing in the doorway, gazing at them lovingly. He picked Sydney back up and walked to the doorway.
“You’re home.” Laura said, playing with the color of his blue oxford shirt.
“Yup.” Jack replied, kissing his wife tenderly.
“Look what daddy got me!” Sydney exclaimed, pointing at the necklace. As she moved, Jack winced. She had hit the bruise in his side.
Laura noticed the slight change in Jack’s posture. “Sydney sweetie, why don’t you go play the piano so Daddy can hear the new song you learned.
“Ok.” Sydney jumped down and ran into the living room.
“Are you ok?” Laura asked quietly, reaching over to touch his side. He cringed slightly.
“I’ll be fine.” Jack replied as the sweet sounds of “Dolly’s Dreaming” reached his ears.
“So the mission went well?” Laura questioned.
“Yeah.” Jack sighed. “She’s getting really good isn’t she.” his gaze fixed on his eldest daughter. “I’ve missed so much.”
“Jack.” Laura’s hand reached up and caressed his cheek.
Before she could say more, Nadia shuffled into the room, holding a stuffed bear and sucking her thumb. She walked over to Jack and tugged at his pant leg. Jack picked her up and began swaying to the music, following Irina as she moved into the next room to watch Sydney.
“Hi daddy.” Nadia said, resting her head on her father’s chest.
“Hi angel.” Jack said, kissing her black hair.
“Do you have a present for me?” She asked, her eyes shining with hope.
Jack pulled out another box and handed it to his daughter. Setting her down on the couch, he watched her rip open the box to find a small stuffed penguin. She hugged it enthusiastically before looking up at her father.
“Thanks daddy. We missed you.” She leaned over and placed a small kiss on his cheek before running over to show Sydney her knew toy.
“Mommy?” Sydney asked sweetly as Laura was making dinner. “Since daddy’s back, do you think we could get a movie to celebrate?”
Laura glanced down at her smiling daughter and then over to her husband.
“Sure sweetheart.” Jack said. It was the least he could do to make up for Christmas. “Get your coat and we’ll go to the store.
“No daddy.” Sydney said quickly. “You have to stay here. I want the movie to be a surprise.”
Laura laughed. “Ok. Come on Sydney, I’ll take you to the store. Do you want to come Nadia?”
The little girl shook her head and continued drawing a picture of her new penguin.
Laura kissed her husband and daughter goodbye. “Ok then, we’ll be back in a little while. Please don’t burn the dinner.” She teased as she grabbed her car keys and led Sydney out the door.
Jack smiled, picking up the spoon and stirring the spaghetti sauce.
<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>
Three hours later and after a dozen phone calls, Laura and Sydney still hadn’t returned from the store. After feeding Nadia and putting her to bed, he stood in his dimly lit office, pacing impatiently. Where could they be?
He was so caught up in his thoughts that the ringing of the door bell made him jump. He rushed to the door quickly, flinging it open. Just as he feared 3 police men stood on the other side.
“Jack Bristow?” The tall old officer with a rather large stomach asked in a Southern drawl.
“Yes. Is this about my wife and daughter? Do you know where they are?” Jack asked frantically, all of the calmness and composure he had learned as an agent gone.
“Sir you might want to sit down.” The shorter blonde man remarked.
Jack led them in and sat down in the living room.
“Late tonight we got a call about an accident over on Pantano Bridge. We believe that a drunk driver hit your wife’s car. She tried to stop but the car skidded on the ice and went over the rails, into the river. It took us awhile to get the car out of the water. The recent rains have turned it into a monster. We’re sorry but… we couldn’t locate any bodies. We believe that they were swept away.” The man said gravely.
Jack didn’t breath. He couldn’t move. He felt like his heart and soul had just been torn out of his body and thrown into the icy river as well.
The men kept on talking, filling in some of the details, but he was barely listening. A small voice finally brought him back to reality.
“Daddy?” Nadia walked in hesitantly, carrying her penguin and sucking her thumb. “Where’s mommy and Syddie?”
Jack felt his throat close up. “I need you to be brave right now Nadia.” He whispered, leaning down to look his daughter in the eye. “Your mother and sister… they won’t be coming back.” Nadia only stared at him with her quiet dark eyes. “They… they’re… they’re dead.” He choked out. Nadia still said nothing, but moved forward and put her arms around her father’s shoulders.
<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>
As Jack walked out of the church, all he could feel was the slight warmth emanating from his daughter’s hand that was tightly clutching his. The rest of his body felt numb, as if he really wasn’t there. The last few days had pasted by in a blur of sobbing, alcohol, and the occasional visits from friends and relatives.
The police had never recovered the bodies, so they had a memorial service instead of a funeral. But seeing pictures of his daughter and wife, imagining them still alive, was too much for him.
Jack looked up into the sky, willing himself not to break down in tears again. The sun’s bright rays danced across the horizon, casting a warm blissful glow on the surrounding trees. Jack felt like screaming. This was a funeral! It should be raining and thundering and dark and gloomy! There was nothing bright and sunny about today.
It took all of his strength to stop from driving back to his house and drinking himself back into oblivion.
While Jack wallowed in his grief, trying to pull himself together for his only daughter, he was unaware that he was being watched.
Across the street, in a large white van, a man had a pair of binoculars trained on the successful CIA agent. He watched silently, taking a careful assessment, before starting the car and driving away to report to his superiors.
It had worked.
<O> <O> <O> <O> <O>