Grandpa's Touch
By Lomeinie

Rating: G
Spoilers: Through Season 5x14's "I See Dead People", minor spoilers

Summary: Jack, Sydney, and Isabelle -- a scene revisited

Disclaimer: I do not own Alias or any of its characters -- please DO NOT sue me since I have made absolutely NO money off of this story!

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Even before Sydney opened the door Jack could hear the sounds of his granddaughter's crying. A few moments after he had rang the doorbell for the second time, Sydney opened it, and from her appearance Jack knew she was exhausted.

But still Sydney smiled at him, "Hi Dad, come on in." She started back down the few steps with Jack following her just as she set the car down on the table. Immediately she began to unbuckle Isabelle from it and lift the wailing baby into her arms.

Jack glanced at his watch, "Isn't this her nap time?"

"Oh don't I wish?" Sydney said as she swayed with Isabelle in her arms, "But this little girl has decided that she doesn't need sleep anymore since we only got a collective four hours last night."

"Hmmm, it must be genetic," Jack replied as he watched his daughter's efforts, noting Isabelle wasn't getting any quieter, "You woke up every morning at 4AM like clockwork."

Sydney smiled sheepishly at him, "I am very sorry about that, Dad." She shifted the baby to her shoulder where she bounced Isabelle a little, trying anything she could to calm her, and succeeded in only making Isabelle's cries grow louder. Sydney sighed in frustration and murmured, "Isabelle…"

"Would you like for me to try?" Jack asked as he deposited the files he was carrying onto the table.

Sydney looked her father for a long moment before she nodded an affirmative, "Be my guest, Dad, but you need to get a cloth just in case she decides to spit up," she warned Jack and watched as he picked up an extra clean cloth nearby, spreading it out on his right shoulder. Jack opened his arms for the baby and with much relief that someone else was going to try to calm the baby, Sydney gently laid Isabelle into his waiting arms.

Almost immediately Isabelle's cries quieted down though they didn't stop completely with Jack holding her close to him and Sydney could almost sworn she heard a soft whisper of, "Hush now, sweetheart, Grandpa's here." She watched her father with her daughter, smiling at them both, especially her father whose face had visibly soften once he had taken the baby. "Wow, Dad, I'm impressed." She noted that Isabelle's cries were now down to fussing and that her eyes were beginning to droop shut.

Jack in turn just smiled at Sydney, and he quietly spoke, "Well as I said it is genetics because you went through a period where you wanted just me to hold you and would scream if your mother tried to take you from me as well as a period where you wanted just her to hold you or just a period when you wanted to be held. Perhaps Isabelle is going through the same thing?"

Sydney smiled, "Or maybe she's just going through a period of being Grandpa's little angel?"

FIN