TEN

Four Months Later

"And what are you going to wear to the ball?" Nadia asked in a squeaky voice, walking the Barbie across the table to Bristow's.

Bristow thought a moment then whispered. "A dress."

"What color?" Nadia's Barbie questioned.

"Yellow!" Bristow answered, softly.

"Ooo, it sounds very pretty. We'd better get ready." Nadia dug through the bin of clothes, looking for a yellow dress.

The front door opened and Sydney came in, a pile of paperwork in hand. Bristow startled slightly.

Nadia looked up from her seat on the floor. "You're early."

Sydney nodded. "I couldn't stand to sit at that desk in that bright office another second. So I just brought the last of the work home. I'm going to grab a shower." She set it on the counter.

"You want me to stay while you finish working?" Nadia questioned.

"You don't want to get home early?"

"Well, Eric's on assignment. The house is empty anyway. The only thing waiting for me is a couple loads of laundry," Nadia responded with a smile. "I was going to start dinner."

"It'll be a quick shower. I'm going to make dinner."

"You sure?" Nadia asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to. And I want you to stay." Sydney smiled.

"Alright. We'll clean up and set the table," Nadia decided.

Bristow smiled slightly.

Sydney nodded. "I'll be back out in a bit." She headed past the two of them into the bathroom.

They cleaned up the dolls from the living room, set the table and tidied Bristow's room in the time Sydney took to take a quick shower and fix a quick dinner of pasta and salad.

Bristow lifted the long noodles with her fork and they kept dropping back onto the plate. Sydney abruptly took the plate from the little girl who shifted uncomfortably.

"So I take it work went well today?" Nadia questioned as she started to eat.

Sydney shrugged. "It was fine." She ran a knife across the plate, shredding the noodles down to bite size and pushing the plate back in front of her daughter. "Things have been slow there."

"But you've been still going on trips like crazy," Nadia responded, giving Bristow a small smile as the child started to eat.

"I have to go out and find the information I need myself. The CIA just doesn't have the leads I'm looking for." Sydney resumed eating her own meal. "What about your day?"

"Oh, Bristow and I went to the park this morning and then grocery shopping. We had a good time at the park. I must have pushed her on just the swings for an hour."

"She needs to learn to pump her legs," Sydney said, with a sigh.

"Oh, she was trying. She doesn't have the rhythm down yet but she was moving them," Nadia answered. "You did a good job," Nadia told the child.

Bristow twisted her fork on her plate, not looking at either of them.

"So how does the rest of the week look?" Sydney questioned between bites. "I don't have my schedule down completely yet, but I do want to let Carrie know what days."

"Eric gets back day after tomorrow," Nadia responded, absently.

Sydney seemed to quick-eat the rest of her meal, before getting up and starting water for dishes. She pulled a bottle of wine out the refrigerator and glasses from the cupboard.

Nadia looked across the table at Bristow. "Are you done?"

"She's barely eaten any of it," Sydney answered. "She's not done." Sydney gestured to the wine and she poured herself a glass. "Would you like some?"

Nadia sighed, glanced at the bottle and shook her head. She brought her plate to the sink. "No, thank you."

"Are you feeling alright?" Sydney questioned, as she put one glass away and took a sip from her own.

Nadia shrugged. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You seem distracted," Sydney answered.

Nadia looked at Bristow again and sat down at the counter. "Sydney, when did you first know you were pregnant with her?"

Sydney straightened. "I didn't know. Vaughn and I were in a car accident...that wasn't exactly an accident. And I had some tests just to be sure I was alright. It came out in the tests and the doctor called me while I was on a mission Cape Town."

Nadia nodded. "So what did you do?"

"First, I told Vaughn," Sydney answered simply. "And then we jumped off a cliff so we wouldn't be caught by the guards of a man we'd just stolen an important manuscript from." She narrowed her eyes. "Nadia, why are you asking me this?"

"Because I think I'm pregnant," her sister answered, softly.

Sydney put down her glass of wine slowly. "You've only been married eight months. Barely eight months. Are you sure?"

"Well, I'm not sure, I haven't taken any tests. I just think I am," Nadia answered.

Sydney sipped slowly, avoiding saying anything. She moved back over to the dishes. "I thought you and Eric were going to wait awhile."

Nadia smiled, shyly. "We realized neither of us really wanted to."

"But don't the two of you want more time to get settled? Having a baby now would change everything."

"We know that. But it's not like we just met and decided to get married. We've known each other for years. We're ready for this."

"It won't be just like watching Bristow, you know."

"I doubt any of my kids will be quite as well behaved," Nadia interjected with a smile.

Sydney sighed. "I'm talking about the responsibility, the worrying, the constant time and energy."

Nadia gave her sister an indignant look. "I practically have that now. You think I don't worry or feel responsible about Bristow, especially when you're not here and completely unreachable?"

"It will be different."

"I'm not saying it won't."

"What about your health?" Sydney questioned. "Being pregnant, you're going to be tired all the time and aching all the time and at first you'll probably be sick all the time."

"Somehow I'll survive," Nadia answered, carefully.

"But you've had your share of health issues. Is it even safe for you to be pregnant?"

"Sydney, the coma was over two years ago now. I'm fine."

"Are you?" Sydney questioned. "You think I haven't watched you. That I haven't noticed the way you walk so strangely sometimes. At first I thought you were in pain, but then I realized it was just that you had to see where you were placing your feet because you couldn't feel the floor. And I've noticed other things to that show that that lack of sensation is a lingering effect, whether from the coma or the infection I don't know. I don't even know what other health issues you're having that you aren't telling me. "

Nadia fell silent.

"Does Eric know?"

"He knows," Nadia answered, quietly.

"And what do the doctors say?"

"It's intermittent, Sydney. And I've learned to compensate for it. But they don't know the cause."

"So you're having a mystery ailment, an ongoing condition that's lasted for years now and you still think it's safe to start a pregnancy? And even if it's safe for you, what about for the baby? What are you going to do if you can't feel when the baby's in distress? Haven't you thought about this at all, Nadia?"

Nadia stared at the counter, no longer able to look her sister in the eye.

Sydney finished her glass of wine and continued the dishes.

The clanking of a fork nearby drew her attention as Bristow having completely eaten her meal finally felt free to get up from the table. Bristow handed her plate off to her mother at the sink.

"It's getting late," Sydney finally said. "I should get her ready for bed. Say goodnight, Bristow."

Bristow scampered over to Nadia and hugged her. "Good night, tia."

"Good night, Bristow," Nadia squeezed the little girl tightly and kissed her cheek.

Bristow headed into her bedroom.

Nadia got up off the stool. “It is late. I’m going to head home.” She moved to grab her things head towards the front door.

“Wait,” Sydney put aside her last washed dished, dried her hands and started towards the door.

“Sydney, please. I can’t take anymore of this tonight. You’ve made it quite clear what a fool you think I am, and I’d like to go home now.”

“That’s not how I meant it. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Nothing has. And as far as we know nothing’s going to, except that maybe I’m going to have a baby. A baby Eric and I both want very much. And if the thought of it bothers you so much, then I’m going to go now and I’d ask you to please, leave me alone.” She opened the door.

“Nadia!”

“Sydney, please!” she snapped, blinking rapidly to combat tears.

Regret passed over Sydney’s eyes. “Congratulations,” Sydney whispered. She forced a smile and held it.

Nadia just stared at her sister a moment. “Good night,” she answered and headed out into the dark.

Nadia sighed as she parked the car and glanced around. Sydney's car was nowhere in sight. She shook her head. It wouldn't be the first time Sydney had changed the schedule and not told her. She got out and went to the door, daring to hope there was at least a note inside. She unlocked it and went in.

There was a note on the counter. "Had to run early. Bristow's asleep. --Syd."

Nadia dropped the note, processing. Bristow was there? Alone?!

She stalked across the apartment to the child's bedroom and pushed the door open. "Bris?!" But her eyes fell upon an empty bed. "Bris!" She backed out of the room and checked Sydney's bedroom. "BRIS!" Also empty.

She checked the bathtub and under the dining room table. "Bristow!"

She tried not to panic. Perhaps Sydney had written the note and then come to her senses and Bristow wasn't there at all.

Nadia couldn't trust in that. "BRISTOW!" She started checking the kitchen cupboards, and then went into Sydney's room to check the closet. She walked back to the child's bedroom to check her closet. She was pushing aside clothes when she heard a sniffle.

She turned around and tilted her head further to get a peek underneath the bed. "Bris! What are you doing?"

The little girl was under her bed, scrunched against the wall, sucking her thumb as tears tumbled out of her eyes.

Nadia crawled over to her. "Come on out, please," she said calmly. "Come on."

Bristow obeyed climbing out from beneath the bed.

Nadia took the girl into her arms. "Were you scared?"

Bristow nodded.

Nadia hugged her niece tighter. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" She pulled back to examine the child.

The little girl shrugged, but Nadia didn't see any signs of injury. Nadia finally let out a relieved sigh. "You know what? Let's get your things together. We're going to spend some time at my house."

"I have to go potty," Bristow whispered.

"Oh, alright. Go, I'll get you a bag ready."

Nadia sat back on her knees as the child disappeared into the bathroom. She blinked hard but her calm moment was interrupted by the jingle of her cell phone. She read the caller id and totally felt her calm escaping her. She shoved the phone to her ear. "Sydney," she said, through clenched teeth.

"Oh, Nadia finally. Are you at my house yet?"

"Yes, I'm here. And I want to know what on earth is wrong with you. You left your two-year old daughter in the house by herself for who knows how long! She was terrified!"

"She woke up? She was sleeping when I left. I was going to miss my flight, Nadia."

"Sydney!" Nadia began shoving things into Bristow's duffle.

"I just had to be sure you were there--"

"I'm here. And I'm taking Bristow home with me. And don't you dare come pick her up until you can promise me that this will never happen again."

"You're overreacting. I knew you'd be right there. I really don't have time to talk right now, my plane--"

Nadia abruptly ended the call just as Bristow emerged from the bathroom. She took a deep breath and smiled at the child. "Ready to go?"

Bristow nodded.

"Come here." Nadia pulled the little girl into her arms and carried her to the car.

"Bristow, it's after nine o'clock, I think it's time you got ready for bed," Nadia told the child, leaning half asleep against her on the couch.

"No," the two-year old whined. "I'm not sleepy."

Eric smiled amused at her from his seat watching TV.

"Bris, it's late. And you don't want you will be sleepy tomorrow," Nadia replied. She took the little girl's hand and started towards the bathroom.

The child was already in her pajamas and had been since her bath after dinner. Nadia helped her brush her teeth and then they went into the guest room.

"We can read one story, and then you have to go to sleep. Do you want to pick which one?"

Bristow stood in front of the bed, pouting.

"Alright, I'll pick it." Nadia chose a book and coaxed the child into the bed and pulled the covers around her. She read slowly, hoping the child would start to droop. Bristow shifted uncomfortably in the bed the entire book.

Nadia finally finished and immediately Bristow climbed out from beneath the covers. "Where are you going?"

"I'm thirsty."

"You had a drink when we brushed your teeth. It's time to go to sleep. Come on." She tucked the covers back around the child.

Bristow began to suck her thumb anxiously. "Tia, stay?" she asked, around the finger in her mouth.

"Until you go to sleep, yes." Nadia lay in the bed beside her niece

Bristow curled into her. "Stay all night," she said.

"I think Uncle Eric might get lonely if I did that," Nadia answered with a smile.

Bristow's eyes began to tear and she gripped onto Nadia. "Don't go!"

Nadia gave the child a concerned frown. "I'm not going anywhere, Bristow. I'm not going to leave you alone."

She patted the child's back a long time, but it took far longer than the usual fifteen minutes to get the child to sleep. Bristow's eyes would droop drowsily and then the child would shift and open them wide again.

Eric finally peeked in to check on the two of them. He crept up to the bed expecting to find the two of them asleep but instead they were both still awake. He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you put her to bed awhile ago," he whispered.

Nadia rolled over. "I don't think she's going to sleep in here. She's afraid of me leaving."

Eric looked from Nadia to the child. He scooped Bristow up. "Let's go to bed." He led the way back to the master bedroom and tucked Bristow in between them.

Nadia hadn't even settled before she looked over to see the child out cold asleep. She shifted the little girl over taking over the spot between Bristow and her husband.

"Are you feeling alright?" Eric questioned her softly.

"What? I'm fine."

"Are you sure? This pregnancy's had you so tired--"

"I've felt fine physically today. Just..."

"Just?"

Nadia turned to face him. "I'm just so frustrated with Sydney."

"If you're too tired to watch Bristow and you don't want say anything, I'll talk to her."

"It's nothing like that. Sydney left Bristow alone. When I got there to watch her today, Sydney had left already. Bristow was so scared. She was hiding. Sydney just took off while she was napping. It's no wonder Bris didn't want to go to sleep tonight. I think she's afraid of waking up and everyone being gone."

Eric frowned. "What happened with Sydney? An emergency?"

"I tried to call her. She told me was afraid she was going to miss her flight and didn't think it was any big deal. I'm tired of it, Eric. I'm tired of her not caring enough about Bristow to see what she does to her."

"How long was she alone?" he questioned.

Nadia sat up and nearly shout-whispered. "She's two years old, Eric! Does it matter? Or do you think I 'm overreacting too? That's it's some kind of pregnancy hormones gone wrong."

"That's not what I meant, Nadia. I was only trying to find out what happened."

Her voice left the whisper range. "My sister doesn't seem to care about leaving her toddler unsupervised is what happened. Bristow could have gotten into anything in the house or what if she'd gotten hurt...or if someone had broken in. I can't even bear to think about it."

He sat up. "Hey, hey, it's okay."

She sighed. "I'm not sending Bristow home."

"Nadia, what do you mean?"

"Who knows if she's done this before? I told Sydney not to come get her until she can promise me that this won't happen again."

Eric stared hard at her. "I understand why you said it and I don't condone what Sydney's done, but Nadia, we can't just keep Bristow."

"Why not? She's here almost all the time anyway."

"Sydney's not going to stand for this."

"I'll be surprised if Sydney actually notices she's gone."

"She'll notice," Eric answered, with a grimace. "It's her daughter. We have to talk Sydney. At least, try to find out what's going on."

"You talk to her. I'm done." Nadia lay back down and curled around Bristow her back to him.