Author's Note: Hey there everyone! This is my first Alias story, and it is completely AU. There was no such thing as SD-6, and all the characters you know and love began at the CIA (okay, so maybe not all the characters you know and love, but not all will be in this story)
The title comes from a song in the Disney musical AIDA, and the lyrics are below (the chapter title also comes from AIDA, but you can look those lyrics up yourself if you want)
Elaborate Lives
We all lead such elaborate lives We all live in extravagant times
wild ambitions in our sights
How an affair of the heart survives
days apart and hurried nights
Seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to live like that
I just want our time to be
Slower and gentler, wiser, free
Playing games we can't all win
Unintended emotional crimes
Take some out, take others in
And now, on with chapter one. Oh, and I own nothing
Every Story is a Love Story
Sydney Bristow quickly walked down the corridors of the CIA Center of Operations in Los Angeles, curious as to why Director Dixon, the CIA Director of the Joint Task Force and head of the LA office, had pulled her in from her relaxing weekend. She would talk to him about calling her in when she wasn't supposed to be working, as Dixon had been her partner in their early days at the CIA, although Dixon was older than she was. She had always viewed the man as…well, as a mentor she supposed. She had her father, someone whom she had not seen much of since his transfer to the CIA cell in New York City. And she had had many boyfriends over the years, but only two had worked in the CIA. One was her current boyfriend, Michael Vaughn, and the other…well he was her ex-fiancée.
Sydney entered Director Dixon's office and was surprised to see Vaughn there. She gave him a smile, and then shifted her eyes to the other man in the room. Her father was there as well, here all the way from New York. Dixon motioned for the group to sit down, and as he did so the tech guy Marshall Flinkman entered the room, as well as another agent, and Vaughn's best friend, Eric Weiss.
The groups sat around the table and Dixon introduced her father. "Agent Bristow is here because of his knowledge with our most recent target" Dixon however, did not elaborate.
Jack cleared his throat. "Sydney, it will be you and Vaughn's job to locate this target, and bring him into CIA custody."
Sydney's curiosity was peaked. Why would they not mention the target's name? Sydney had been trying to catch her father's eye since she entered the room, but he refused to look at her. Dixon also refused to make eye contact.
"Just who is this target?"
"He is an international assassin, with ties to multiple terrorist groups" Dixon answered.
"And that wasn't an answer at all," Sydney replied.
Not knowing Sydney's past with the target, Vaughn replied "His name is Julian Sark."
"No," Sydney stated emphatically. "I will not be on this case."
"Syd-" Dixon pleaded. "We need you on this one."
"The answer is no Dixon"
"Sydney, please," her father interrupted.
"No Dad, I won't help bring him in. Send in other people, or better yet no one at all." She turned to Dixon, "Is that all?"
"I suppose," he sighed.
With tears in her eyes, Sydney Bristow left the office.
Vaughn turned to Dixon. "Why won't she do this?"
Dixon looked at Vaughn and answered, "Because Julian Sark is her ex-fiancée"
Forty-Eight Hours Earlier
"Jack, I know," Dixon said patiently on his phone, knowing the other man's objections.
"You cannot make Sydney capture him," Jack replied. "She won't do it."
"And you will?" Dixon asked curiously.
"He broke my daughter's heart. Of course I want the son-of-a-bitch brought in. But despite this, I think Sydney is still in love with him and I don't want her getting hurt."
"Jack, it has been five years since Sark left LA. And it has been two years since he went rogue."
"I know that," Jack said bitterness evident in his voice, bitterness that was directed at a man who had caused his daughter pain. "But I think Sydney still believes he is a good man"
"She doesn't feel betrayed?"
"She is blinded by love, you know that Dixon."
"I still want her on this task force."
"No."
"You do understand I am your superior?"
"She is my daughter"
Dixon sighed, realizing this conversation was going nowhere fast. "We will talk when you get to LA."
Jack responded with a terse "fine" and hung up.
Present Day
Sydney Bristow fell against the cold stone wall of the CIA Operations Center, feeling the tears running down her face. "Julian, what have you done?" she whispered. She could not believe that he was a terrorist, because the Julian Sark she knew never would have done that. Granted, he broke her heart when he was sent on a long term undercover assignment in God knows where. But she had rationalized it by knowing he never wanted to go, that he wanted to marry her, and she had the ring to prove it. She had been his fiancée for six months, and wedding plans were beginning to materialize when he left, and took her heart with him. And as much as she cared for Vaughn, she would always love Julian Sark.
So, just a recap in case it was confusing. Syd, Vaughn, Jack, Dixon, Weiss, and Marshall all work for the CIA. Dixon is regional director, and Syd and Vaughn are dating. Five years ago, Syd was engaged to Sark, but he left on a long cover assignment. Now he has gone rogue and Dixon wants Syd and the rest of the team to capture him. Hope that helped if anything was unclear
Thanks for reading, and I would really appreciate reviews.