Epilogue
"She knows that this is not the end of the story. But for a moment, her demons have been defeated and she is content."
Sydney pays the cab driver and exits the car, her eyes taking in the lush surroundings of the expensive Swiss spa. Her mouth twitches in a smirk. Trust Irina Derevko to do everything in style. She walks confidently to the front door, asks the concierge for directions to the gym, and allows herself to be escorted to a large room full of exercise equipment and punching bags. "Ah. I see my friend," she tells the concierge, tipping him generously. He thanks her and watches her join the beautiful brunette in the corner of the gym. "Eerie similarities," he mutters to himself, then shakes his head and returns to his post at the front door.
She approaches the punching bag where Irina is practicing her kicks. Grabbing the bag, she winks at her mom. "Hey."
"Sydney," Irina says with a smile, wiping sweat from her brow. "Feel like sparring?"
Sydney laughs at the inside joke. "I thought we did that yesterday in the Zurich town square."
"You're right. That was fun, by the way. I think our audience, your CIA friends, got a bit more than they paid for. They came to take down Sloane and ended up witnessing a true Bristow fight." Irina smiled. "Did you see your father's face? It was all he could do to keep from laughing as he handcuffed Sloane."
Sydney nods. "He was too amused to come break us up, and everyone else was too damned scared of us to attempt it." She smiles at the memory and arches a playful eyebrow at her mother. "For the record, I let you win. Had to keep up appearances. You wouldn't have escaped if I'd been going full out."
"Of course, sweetheart," Irina replies, a trace of mocking in her voice. "I noticed you were able to get hold of a gun after I so thoroughly beat you to the ground."
"Vaughn tossed it to me while you were running off." Sydney crosses her arms in mock defensiveness. "Well, I had to make it look like I was trying to catch you, or else what the hell would I tell Kendall? 'I wanted to give Mom a head start?' That'd go over well."
Irina chuckles. "Thanks for not actually shooting me."
"No problem. What are daughters for?" Struck by the absurdity of this conversation, Sydney and Irina begin laughing. Before either of them realizes it, they're holding onto one another, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Sorry...for...shooting...at...you..." Sydney gasps out between laughs.
Irina shakes her head, unable to control her laughter. "Had to...keep...up...appearances!"
Gradually, the women get control of their hysteria. Taking a calming breath, Sydney leans her forehead against her mother's. "We beat him, didn't we?"
"Yes, we did. We beat him." Irina's arms tighten around Sydney's waist. "What time is your father coming to get us?"
Sydney wipes her eyes, which are wet from laughing and from another emotion she can't quite name. She checks her wristwatch. "He should be here now, actually."
Irina nods firmly. "Time to go, then." They release each other and walk side by side through the spa. When they reach the front door, Sydney stops and grabs her mother's hand. "Mom, I just wanted to let you know...I won't let them hurt you. I'll break you out of jail myself before I'll see you locked up for the rest of your life. You're too good for that."
"Thank you, sweetheart. But oddly enough, I have the feeling that this time, things will work out exactly as they should."
They smile at each other and push the front door open, squinting their eyes against the sun. Sydney points out the dark gray sedan with her father leaning up against the hood. "Ready to go, Dad?" she calls out as they near the car.
Jack breaks into a rare smile. "Your chariot, ladies," he intones with all the sincerity of a chauffeur, holding open the door for his two girls. "Or should I say, your paddywagon, Miss Derevko?"
"Jack, did you just make a joke?" Irina pats him condescendingly on the cheek. "I'm so proud." He grabs her wrist, staring down at her.
"Missed you," he says in a gruff voice. They look intently at each other, locked in the moment, until Sydney clears her throat loudly behind them.
"Mom, Dad, I love you both, but we do actually have to leave now." Jack snaps his eyes to his daughter.
"Right. Syd, get in." He looks back at Irina as his daughter slides in. "Irina...later," he says meaningfully. She returns his small smile and enters the car next to her daughter. Jack rounds the car, takes the driver's seat, and pulls away from the lot. In an hour they'll be on a plane to the States, but they don't have to think about that right now.
With her father at the wheel and her mother in the seat next to her, Sydney lets her mind drift away. She knows that this is not the end of the story. In the future, enemies and friends alike will rise up to challenge her, push her, stretch her to be more than she thinks she can be. But for a moment, one blessed slice of time, her demons have been defeated and she is content. She has her family, and that alone leaves her in a state of peace.
end
Posted by Carrie on 06:18 AM