A/N: I happen to like the idea of Sark and Sydney. This takes place after Sydney has come back from her two years with the Covenant and her memories weren't washed. Sydney finds Sark after the exchange that let him get away and they spend three months together.
Although the rating is T right now, I will be posting M rated material in a new fic to keep the smut separate for those who aren't interested. I have written eight chapters but whether they will be upload depends on the response I receive. Hope you guys like it
MOST IMPORTANT AN: I don't have a beta and I don't care about grammar issues and spelling errors so sorry if that bothers you, but I guess all I can offer is that you ignore them and try and enjoy the story.
"You will leave her" Irina ordered her voice firm as she addressed Sark.
"If Sydney wants to quit the CIA and relocate with me I see no reason I shouldn't welcome her with open arms" Sark replied.
"You'll do it because lm telling you to" Irina growled. "Sydney is not yours to trifle with and frankly you were warned before getting involved with her that I would never tolerate your relationship with my daughter interfering with my plans".
"It always comes down to your plans doesn't it?" Sark shot back.
"Don't speak to me like you have a backbone when it comes to Sydney... You're a love sick puppy on her lap" Irina stood and approached Sark with nothing but all demanding confidence. "You'll end your relationship with my daughter and send her back to the CIA to locate Rambaldi artifacts, which you will retrieve once they have".
"I'll do no such thing!" Sark answered not in the least intimidated by Irina.
"Then I'll kill the both of you and we both know as much as I love my daughter, I'll heed for no one" Irina swiftly maneuvered towards Sark grabbing his right arm and twisting it behind his back causing him to slam face flat against the gun Sark had holstered in his waist, Irina held it against his head, "Are you willing to die for Sydney?"
"You're my employer not my mother Irina..." Sark replied struggling against the pain Irina was causing him by keeping his arm twisted.
"That's the thing about sleeping with the boss's daughter..." Irina smirked, "you become my bitch!"
"She doesn't want this life" Sark scream as Irina twisted his arm tighter.
"Sydney's The Chosen One" Irina could not believe how soft Sark let himself get, "she doesn't have a say in any of it".
"How can you do this to her?" Sark was breathing heavily as Irina released some of the strain on his arm.
"Because I'm not her coddling father who spoils her and I don't give a shit about the American dream. There's more to life than happiness" Irina walked away from Sark and resettled herself in her large leather chair.
"And what's that?" Sark stretches out the pain in his arm as he stared angrily at Irina.
"Power!" Irina smiled evilly "If I don't get confirmation that Sydney has returned to LA in 24 hours you'll hear about her death on the 10 o'clock news... Get out!"
"Where did you go?" Sydney walked straight into Sark's arms when he entered the hotel room.
"Just a few business matters " Sark found it difficult to enjoy Sydney's arms being wrapped around him. Her simple gesture usually sent tingles up his spine but Irina's threat completely tainted his thoughts.
"I missed waking up next to you" Sydney placed a quick peck on his lips and untangled herself from his embrace. "I spoke to my father and he assured me I could stay at his home in Madrid until your finished with your last bit of business. afterwhile we can go back to Galway". Walking to the closet, she put more of her belongings into her suitcase and noticed Sark was watching her with a far away look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked looking up from folding a shirt.
"Sydney..." Sark said softly trying to figure out how to tell her he couldn't do this anymore.
The way Sark said her name made the reason behind his expression clear causing Sydney to stop packing and walked over to where he stood. Taking his face between her hands she kissed him passionately to remind him how much she was sure of her decision to be with him. "Julian, I want to be with you..." she muttered against his lips. But he pulled away and moved to the other side of the room, Sydney felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.
"I told you before that I won't change for you..." Sark said with his back turned to Sydney. He could face her because his eyes were filled with tears and if he looked at her he wouldn't be able to leave.
"I'm not asking you to change" Sydney replied with hurt in her voice, "I just want you, that's it. I don't want to be an agent anymore, there's nothing left for me in LA... Julian we've shared three amazing months together. Please don't..."
"I'm a notorious cold blooded killer and I always will be" Sark put his hands in his suit pocket "My profession is what makes people respect me, it's important to me".
"What are you saying?" Sydney asked as her entire body felt cold sensing the oncoming wave of heartache.
"I'm saying you've underestimated my ability to always keep my priorities straight" Sark put an expression of complete indifference on his face, "you and I are similar in the sense that were both caught up in something neither of us care about, but we're not ruthless and on a power trip...I'm the enemy". The tears falling down Sydney's face threatened to break his resolve to remain indifferent so Sark grabbed his briefcase and placed the watch Sydney gifted to him as a birthday present on the bed next to her. "Go back home Agent Bristow, I look forward to seeing you in the field" he muttered and walked to the door. Just as he turned the knob to leave, Sydney's voice halted him.
"Did you meant it, when you said you loved me?" Sydney asked feeling his betrayal pierce her soul.
The answer to her question took no thought, but Sark knew the answer he had to give her. Looking Sydney in her tearful eyes he said the word that ensured he would spend the rest of his life unhappy, "No". Shutting the door behind him,Sark left the hotel as fast as his legs could move him. Getting into his waiting Audi, he drove to the Lima airstrip never letting the speed of his car drop below 70mph. Sark was hoping by some crazy act of fate he would get into an accident and the pain in his heart would subside, but he didn't and his heart bleed for the woman he left crying in the hotel suite he just celebrated the most amazing birthday of his life.
It took Sydney a few minutes after Sark left to compose herself. Once she was in a state to rationalize what just happened, she called the one person she knew would understand her need to purge her life of everything Rambaldi.
"Hello Sydney" Jack answered.
"Dad... Sark left" Sydney tried to keep her voice found shaking but her greatest vulnerability was her father and hearing his voice was humiliating. She chose to trust Sark and against her better judgment she let herself fall in love with him.
"Come home Sweetheart" Jack's voice was soft and compassionate.
"Can you call Kendall to pick me up in Lima?" Sydney asked making the decision to do something selfish for once.
"Sydney are sure that's what you want?" Jack asked hesitantly.
"Will you have my back?" Sydney pressed her lips together to control her urge to start sobbing.
"That's a question you never have to ask" Jack assured.
"Then yes I'm sure" Sydney took a deep breath, "I love you dad".
"I love you Sydney" Jack responded before ending the call.
Taking a taxi to the private airstrip, Sydney saw the US Boeing 757 she put on a face of confidence and walked the steps into the aircraft.
"Miss Bristow , I see you've enjoyed your vacation" Kendall greeted her.
"Thank you for meeting me" Sydney smiled and took the seat across from him. "When I returned from being missing for two years you offered me a job leading my own black ops division".
"I recall" Kendall nodded.
"If the offer is still on the table I accept" Sydney watched the shock spread across Kendall's face.
"May I ask what sparked this sudden change of heart?"
"I'm tired of this Rambaldi shit" Sydney stated, "I find you every Rambaldi manuscript page, device and any other artifact related to his work and the only rules I will follow is that I turn every artifact over to you".
"Sydney you understand what you're saying right?" Kendall wanted to make sure she was aware that the U.S government was funding this and they wanting results.
"Means I will terminate anyone that stand in the way of me retrieving my objective without hesitation" Sydney answered, "Rules of Engadgment don't exist and I will take the fall for any criminal activity I get caught doing".
"Have you put together a team?" Kendall didn't know why Sydney was agreeing to work black ops but he wasn't going turn her away. Rambaldi followers threatened national security and if there was anyone who could bring the artifacts into US hiding it was Sydney Bristow.
"I'm it!" Sydney answered with poise.
"You plan on doing this on your own?" Kendall was worried now.
"My brother Peter will be my tech and my father will always have my back" Sydney took the file Kendall slid her, "I have a better chance of making everyone believe I've gone free agent if I keep my circle small".
"I'll give you the keys to the facility once you acquire the disk" Kendall watched Sydney study the file.
"You giving me a test?" Sydney looked at Kendall in irritation.
"Just making sure you know what you're doing... You can imagine how apprehensive I am hearing that your team consists of you, your father and your adopted 18 year old brother who no one knows exists" Kendall shrugged Sydney's offensive look off.
"Tell your pilot to drop me off in London, I'll get you the chip, make sure my tech has access to Langley archives" Sydney stood and walked to the other side of the plane to go over the files pertaining to the disk in question. Kendall would give her the missions and she would find a way to complete them having just her father and brother backing her up. At least Kendall's analyst were more rehearsed in things Rambaldi than those working for the CIA. That would work in Sydney's favor when it came to acquiring all the artifacts. Her brother was a genius and the fact that no one knew he existed made protecting him a great priority. That's whys Sydney needed keep the artifacts out of the hands of bad people. She forced herself to stay focused on the information regarding the chip so she wouldn't have to think about Sark. He was the last straw to her messed up life; Sydney wasn't going to play nice anymore. Happiness wasn't something she cared for because after all her tragedy it was obvious such a state wasn't achievable for her.
"Syd" Peter stood in surprise at seeing his sister walk into the bunker of Anne Island; their father's private island home.
"Hey Pete" Sydney smiled warmly, "what do you say we Bristow's put an end to Rambaldi?"
"It's about time" Peter agreed taking his seat and opening the file Sydney place on the table.
"The CIA planted cameras outside this Chalet in Chamonix, France" Sydney watched Peter put the information on the large screen, "The system designer is Tony Cummings who the CIA has tracked to Athens but she's not talking".
"She'll need a little motivation?" Peter asked with a huge grin.
"Precisely" Sydney stood and opened her father's safe behind a false wall and removed a large pouch.
"Those are dad's diamonds" Peter stated in warning.
"I'll put them back, I just need to bait her with them" Sydney left the bag on the table and walked to the medical wing of the bunker and took out two vials and two syringes.
"Sydney…." Peter looked at her sister a bit scared.
"I don't have time to play games Pete" Sydney answered the fear in her brother's eyes, "Cummings is going to tell me what I want to know or the numbness she gets from this syringe will turn into a deathly aneurysm with this syringe".
"That is some serious shit sis" Peter expected that kind of approach from their father, but not Sydney,
"I'm serious about destroying the hopes of Rambaldi followers" Sydney replied securing the vials and diamonds in a case. Pulling a book on the shelf running the length of the wall, the entire wall slid away revealing a room lined with guns and weapons. Choosing a pistol and mags to match, Sydney righted the wall and settled down next to Peter.
"Does dad know about this?" Peter questioned.
"The mission...no, but the hell I'm about to unleash… of course he does" Sydney looked at her 18 year old brother and saw his confusion regarding her sudden dark change in approach. "As long as Rambaldi's followers have hope that they'll achieve his endgame the world is never going to be safe for you Pete. Because people believe I'm The Chosen One, they'll always come after me and if they find out about you they won't hesitate to ransom you against me and dad".
"I get it" Peter replied, "It's just different to see you taking this so aggressively".
"I should be back in a few days" Sydney stood grabbing the case containing the diamonds and serum threats, "I'll check in every 2 hours".
"Be careful" Peter said as Sydney mounted her Victory Judge and left the bunker through the tunnel system.
"I have an appointment with Mr. Cummings" Sydney smiled to the heavy build man that stopped her from approaching Tony Cummings in the club.
"Name?" he asked harshly.
"Amanda Morgan" Sydney replied flirtatiously. Daniel Morgan was her father's alias when he dealt with things related to the private island he owned and Sydney knew that alias had weight when it came to dirty attention. Seeing Cummings motion her to come in, Sydney moved past the guard and sat down across from Cummings.
"Morgan?" Cummings looked skeptically at Sydney who was dressed like a spoiled rotten only child clad in designer everything.
"My father Daniel Morgan sent me" Sydney answered with a strong southern accent. "He's away dealing with a few discrepancies with his business partners".
"And you're here because?" Cummings rolled her neck a stank attitude surround every move she made.
"My father just acquired a mansion for me in Cairo and I heard you were the best when it comes to security systems" Sydney knew Cummings to be cocky to boot and appealing to her ego was how she planned to ring her in.
"What kind of system were you interested in?" Cummings smiled intrigued.
"Something off the radar… A lethal response system" Sydney replied without pause.
"That's not even legal" Cummings stiffened at Sydney's request.
"Let's just say I have a lot to protect" Sydney removed the pouch from her purse and slowly dumped the hundreds of 1 carat diamonds onto the table. The way Cummings eyes lit up was exactly what Sydney expected.
"We should talk somewhere private" Cummings suggested.
Collecting the diamonds, Sydney followed Cummings to the backroom of the club. Tucking the pouch back into her purse, Sydney removed the numbing syringe and stabbed it into Cummings shoulder.
"What the hell!" Cummings yelled.
"I just injected you with a full body numbing liquid" Sydney pushed Cummings onto the sofa and brought the second syringe out her purse, "When combined with this you'll die in 30 seconds… I want instructions to bypass the system you designed in Chamonix".
"It's impossible!" Cummings muttered barely able to move her mouth.
Holding the needle near Cummings chest Sydney gave Cummings on last chance, "I want the plans!"
Not able to speak anymore, Cummings nodded her head and Sydney stabbed her with the needle and injecting Cummings with the cure to the numbness. Sydney was never planning on giving Cummings an aneurysm, but Cummings was too scared to call her bluff so it all worked out.
"You're a real bitch" Cummings growls once the feeling comes back into her body.
"Yes well my father is really Daniel Morgan so I suggest you give me the damn plans before your name is discredited across the market" Sydney held the tablet out to Cummings and watched as she accessed her systems. Once the plans were download, Sydney shot Cummings with a tranq and left the club. After forwarding the plans to Peter so he could figure out how to get through the system, Sydney called her father to request a team for the mission.
"I'll meet you at Anne" Jack answered after Sydney explained the situation.
"I already sent Pete the plans from Cummings but I don't know what the Doleac agenda chip looks like or where it would be" Sydney replied.
"I'll get whatever intel the CIA has managed to find"
"Ok, Ill meet you at Anne" Sydney disconnected the call and packed up her things. Anne was the codename for her father's private island safehouse he created to keep her and Peter safe if ever they needed somewhere to retreat. They called it Anne because initially Jack bought the island to secure her safety thus, code naming it Sydney's middle name.
The island was an intricate thing, it wasn't even listed on maps. Jack bought air rights over the island prohibiting any aircraft from being in a 20 mile radius of Anne. Getting to the island was an entirely different kind of difficulty unless you traveled via the underground tunnel leading straight to the bunker which was easy if one knew with turns to take. If traveling above land, a 45 minute boat ride and an hour drive once the boat met land was required before reaching the Bristow mansion.
When Sydney arrive at Anne via the tunnels, her father and Peter were going over the op-tech for the mission.
"How did you get these from Cummings?" Jack asked his voice sounding scolding "Dixon sent a team and she escaped before they were able to get the information"
"Name dropped Daniel Morgan" Sydney replied, "Then I injected a full body anesthetic which I bluffed would cause an aneurysm if combined with another syringe of liquid".
"Wait you bluffed your way into getting these?" Peter's eyes were wide with surprise.
"Why? what did you find out?" Sydney took a seat and waited for Peter to put the plans on the screen.
"Well first off it's a good thing you run every morning because you're going to need to sprint a half mile before getting to the shoot where automatic sentry guns will be waiting to kill you, but if they don't you'll have make your way down electrified walls and finally motion triggered acid rain valley" Peter said the whole thing sarcastically not believing Sydney was seriously going to attempt this. "You'll also need someone to stay grounded so I can get a laser tap to get through to the system and override the lethal response system".
"Are you just going to keep rambling or did you use that brain of yours and figure out how to get me through each stage" Sydney answered smartly never one to take her brother's patronizing comments.
"I'm not the one trying to break into a cellar almost as secure as this island" Peter retorted.
"Can we focus here?" Jack requested sternly of his bickering children.
"You'll use these kevlar balls to trigger the guns to keep firing till they run out of ammo" Peter held the ball and then quickly launched it at Sydney who caught it without surprise giving him a dirty look in return. "After you'll need to get a reading how powerful the electric current before proceeding. Anything higher than 25 on the meter is too much voltage for your suit".
"And the acid bath?" Sydney was most worried about this stage.
"Well that one was easy" Peter smiled pulling out a can of construction sealant.
"Is that a joke?" Jack asked Peter in no mood for his son's teasing.
"No, Syd will spray the shower heads with this sealant and it will hold just long enough for her to get to the cellar and back" Peter assured seeing his father give him a deathly glare.
"Who are we going in with?" Sydney looked to her father.
"Agent Vaughn will be joining us in Chamonix at noon tomorrow" Jack answered ignoring the angry stare Sydney was giving him, "He's the only field agent I can count on to let his emotions get the best of him when it comes to you, thus I've ensured someone who knows when a mission is too dangerous to continue".
"And he agreed?" Sydney scowled.
"Once I informed Dixon that you got the plans and were attempting to acquire the chip, Agent Vaughn volunteered" Jack replied.
"What I would've given to see the look on his wife's face" Peter added knowing all about Sydney and Vaughn's history and the fact that he was now married.
"Shut up!" Sydney barked at Peter, "Dad you can't be serious..."
"Am I ever not serious?" Jack shot back "You wanted to go the black ops route, but just because you've avoided coming back to the CIA doesn't mean your personal problems with certain federal employees have disappeared". Leaving Sydney and Peter in the bunker, Jack retreated to the third floor of Anne manor.
"So you're free agent now?" Vaughn asked as he and Sydney moved towards the tunnel.
"Gives me the freedom to work by my own terms and I don't have to write debriefing reports" Sydney answered opening the latch to the doors leading to the half mile tunnel of the system. "Alpha We're at the tunnel" Sydney alerted Peter via comms.
"Uplink is good" Peter replied, "you have five minutes to get to that cellar and back".
"Copy that" Sydney looked to Vaughn, "five minutes before response teams will be alerted of our presence".
"You gonna tell me who your tech is?" Vaughn questioned running down the tunnel.
"No" Sydney answered as the descended the ladder towards stage one. "Alpha we've reached phase one releasing Kevlar decoys".
"Syd the reading on the meter is 50" Vaughn stated as they passed the gun stage and stood to enter the electric wall stage.
"Alpha the reading is 50" Sydney informed Peter.
"The suits can't handle that kind of voltage, you guys have to abort" Peter ordered.
"No can do" Sydney answered taking a rope from the bag and handing it to Vaughn, "just don't touch the sides and we'll be fine" she instructed pointing to the pipe running overhead for Vaughn to secure the line.
"That's over 500,000 volts" Vaughn stated.
"I'm going in there with or without you" Sydney threw the line into the tunnel and moved to go down.
"I'll go first" Vaughn moved in front of Sydney and made his way down the rope.
After the made it through the electric shock walls and sprayed the acid showers shut, Sydney and Vaughn ran into the cellar.
"You're looking for the Chateau Margaux 53" Peter informed Sydney.
"Chateau Margaux 53" Sydney mutter to Vaughn as they split up to find the bottle.
"I got it!" Vaughn held up the bottle and he and Sydney ran back down the way the entered.
Getting out of the tunnel undetected, Sydney took the bottle from Vaughn and handed it to her father.
"Isn't that going back to CIA?" Vaughn asked in confusion.
"After my tech gets a copy of the chip" Sydney replied putting her tactical bag on her back and moving to leave the woods.
"What are you up too?" Vaughn followed suit but was nearly jogging to keep up with Sydney's long strides.
"I'm not the bad guy" Sydney answered and threw her stuff in the back of the waiting jeep.
"You came back from being gone for two years only to disappear for three months. We had to hear from the agency that you quit and went free agent and now..." Vaughn shot back skeptical about Sydney's behavior.
"What does it matter?" Sydney spat, "You don't have to worry about me or what I'm doing… you're here because you volunteered".
"I'm here because I care about you!"
"Well don't, you have no right to care about me" Sydney was sitting in the front passenger seat as her father drove the jeep and Vaughn was in the back. Turning to look in square in the eyes, she muttered, "If ever you forget that again… look down at your ring finger". Ending the conversation, Sydney turned to right herself and spent the remainder of the driver glaring out the windshield.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked Sydney once they dropped Vaughn off to the airport and they left for the airstrip where Jack's private jet was waiting.
"I'm fine" Sydney replied, "What was I too harsh?"
"No I think you were spot on, I just never expected you to address it so bluntly" Jack commented not knowing how to feel about his daughter's sudden change in character. It was clear his sweet and kind little girl wasn't up for taking shit from anyone any longer.
"I want this to be over with" Sydney stated, "If that means being more aggressive then that's what I'm going to be".
"I like it" Jack smiled agreeably at his daughter and continued driving towards the airstrip.