Transcend
Disclaimer: CBS owns Criminal Minds, while ABC owned Alias
Summary: Emily Prentiss encounters someone unexpected while undercover...
Written For Chit Chat On The Author's Corner 23 Crossover Challenge. I picked Sydney Bristow from Alias and was assigned Emily Prentiss as my CM character.
A/N: I've never signed up for something like this before, so bare with me. I am a little nervous about this. This is a little snippet into the two worlds of Criminal Minds and Alias.
A few facts to know, this takes place during Emily's undercover time with Doyle on CM while Sydney was declared dead on Alias. A few things have been changed, so its not exactly canon, but it's not suppose to be since this a crossover.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review.
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." Marie Curie
The brunette sipped the glass of red wine, not bothering to look up when she felt the man that she reviled more then anyone on Earth pick up her red heeled foot and massage her bare ankle.
"Hey baby" the man said, causing the brunette to look up, "When they get here, let me do the talking, capiche?"
"Sure thing" she smiled at the man, "Whatever you say."
"That's what I like to hear" he said, resuming his action with her ankle but gave his guard a slight nod of acknowledgement.
Her mind going over the slight information about the associates that they'll be meeting soon, another couple. One that merged their two arms businesses together. And from what Cole told Julia, the man had a legendary reputation that only matched his temper.
"Cole, what time are they arriving?" she asked, watching him turn to look up at her, "Well I just want to make sure I'm presentable."
"What you've got on is fine" Cole dismissed that idea, "They should be here any minute."
Nodding her head, her dark locks brushed against her cheek as she turned her attention out towards the massive estate that the man she was with bought.
"Cole" a voice said from behind her, "They're here."
Julia had a faraway look on her face, her mind reminding her of one thing Oleg taunted her about.
'Sydney Bristow is gone.'
"Julia?" Cole said, turning his attention to the unusually quiet brunette, "Julia? Julia."
Blinking her dark brown eyes, she turned gaze back on him, "Yes sweetie?"
"Come along Julia, they're here" Cole said, extending a hand to the younger woman.
"Of course" she said, giving him a warm smile as she followed him inside the estate heading for the front door.
"Julia" Cole said, turning to look at her, "Remember one important thing."
"Ok" she said, cataloging as much information to pass along to her handler, Director Kendall.
"Never ask him about Valhalla" Cole warned her, "Do you understand me?"
"Of course McKenas" she told him, controlling the urge to recoil when he leaned in giving her a deep kiss, "Let's go greet our guests."
The two walked into the foyer, and saw Cole's underling open the front door to the tall, scruffy man with the piercing blue eyes. Just staring at those eyes made the woman internally shiver.
Even though she hadn't spoke to this man, she knew he was extremely dangerous. More dangerous then The Covenant or SD-6.
"Ah, Mr. Doyle" the man beside Sydney greeted the scruffy man, "A pleasure at last."
"McKenas Cole" Ian nodded, turning an appreciative eye to the woman beside Cole before turning his attention back to the man, "This is my associate, Lauren Reynolds."
"Mr. Cole" Lauren greeted the man extending her hand, not flinching when Cole kissed it.
"Ms. Reynolds, the pleasure is all mine" Cole said, noticing the brooding mustached man "And I see that you've brought a hired gun. No need to worry, this is a safe space."
"Aren't you going to introduce us to your lady companion?" Doyle asked, looking over at Sydney.
"You'll have to forgive McKenas, he's all work" Sydney said with a forced smile, "Julia Thorne."
"Ian Doyle" Doyle greeted the woman, "This is my love, Lauren Reynolds."
The two brunettes finally locked eyes on one another, both instantly sizing the other, but neither giving the other away.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Reynolds" Sydney greeted the older woman.
"Oh please call me Lauren" Emily told the woman, giving her a genuine smile, "Is there a ladies room that I can clean up in? It was an awfully long drive?"
"Oh of course" Cole said, turning to Sydney, "Show Lauren restroom down the hall. Mr. Doyle and I will discuss our business."
Sydney nodded giving Cole a pointed look. As much as she wanted to avoid as much contact with both men, she knew that there was protocol to follow and this woman was a part of whatever Doyle and Cole were going to be in. And that can't be good.
From what she heard, Lauren Reynolds was an well versed and smart woman but she was also a known arms dealer. Not on the level of Doyle or the others he usually associated with but still she was far from innocent.
And from the looks that Lauren had been shooting her, this woman heard of her own faked background. And it seemed that though she had been giving her polite smiles and friendly gesture this woman, Lauren Reynolds did not like her or McKenas Cole.
Not that she could blame her about Cole, he gave vermin a bad name.
"Here you go" Sydney said gestured towards the restroom, "There's fresh towels hanging in there, I'm going to..."
Before Sydney could even finish that sentence she felt the older woman give her a shove into the bathroom, startling her.
That didn't deter the former C.I.A. agent from fighting back and the two women both hit the bathroom wall, each not backing down from making sure the other doesn't get the upper hand.
The younger brunette sucker punched the visitor with an elbow to the abdomen taking her by surprise which Sydney used to her advantage.
"Who the hell are you?" Sydney asked, grabbing Lauren Reynold's neck, "And why the hell are you trying to kill me?"
When the other woman didn't reply, Sydney put pressure on her neck, tilting her face up to look in her eyes. She saw something in her dark brown eyes, something familiar...
Almost reminiscent of her own every night she looks in the mirror.
"Who are you?" Sydney asked, "And why the hell are you working with a man like Ian Doyle?"
Lauren looked into the woman's eyes and noticed something about her. Genuine concern, though you'd never know it by the way she didn't release her grip on the brunette's neck.
"What are you, FBI? C.I.A.?" Lauren asked, "Because there is no way in hell that you're an international criminal like McKenas Cole."
That threw Sydney, narrowing her hazel eyes on the other woman, "You're not an arms dealer are you?"
Grasping Sydney's wrist, the brunette put pressure on it causing the agent to quickly release her hold, and was shoved face first against the towel rack.
"Emily Prentiss, JTF-12" she told her, "I'm undercover and if you repeat this to anyone..."
"I know, I know" Sydney muttered shoving her back into the other woman to get off the wall, "I can't believe Kendall didn't tell me that he was sending Interpol after Cole."
Releasing her grip on Sydney, Emily leaned against the wall, "Well I don't know what to tell you. I need to call my handler and..."
Sydney placed her finger to her lips, opening the bathroom door both women noticing that Liam was standing guard outside with his back towards them.
Nodding to the older agent, Sydney quietly closed the door.
"What's his deal?" Sydney asked, leaning against the bathroom door, "I mean, how loyal is he to Doyle?"
"Very loyal" Emily told her, "And very suspicious of me."
"Huh" Sydney stated, her mind trying to formulate a plan, "Well one things for certain we still have to maintain our undercover assignments..."
"Right" Emily said, "I haven't wasted nearly a year of my life being near that man to have everything blown to hell, especially considering..."
Sydney saw a trace of regret fall over the woman's face, "What is it?"
"Nothing" Emily told her, clearing her throat turning her focus back onto the younger agent, "So what's your plan?"
"Call my handler and tell him about you" Sydney told her, moving over to the sink and kneeling down opening the lower compartment, "It'd be wise of you to do that as well."
"Yeah, I know how Sean is about stepping on toes" Emily muttered, reaching into her pockets, "Crap I left my cell phone in the car..."
"Here" Sydney said, "You can use mine as soon as I talk to Kendall."
Emily shot the agent a grateful look, moving over to the clawed bathtub sitting down. Her mind began to wander thinking about the little boy that'll surely be the focus once it's found out he's Doyle's son. Her heartache to protect the child at all cost, he'd be the collateral damage of this whole case.
The one innocent in this whole operation. She took a deep breath, trying to get the golden hair boy with his father's blue eyes out of her mind.
"Listen to me Kendall" Sydney's voiced hissed out, mindful of the guard outside, "I did not suffer the horrors of my faked death only to be pulled out just because Interpol decided step in with their own case of a completely different op."
That first part caught Emily's attention, 'Faked death?'
Emily looked up to see Sydney's hand extending the cell phone, "Here, my handler said that he'll speak with yours, what's his name?"
"Sean McCallister" Emily told her, "I can try and smooth things out with him."
Quickly wrapping up her own call, Sydney watched the older woman talk with the man named Sean.
Trying to be respectful of their agencies privacy was pointless due to their small confines but what caught her attention was when she heard Emily hiss out, "I didn't put all this time and effort working Doyle for it to end this way. I know that it's been almost a year Sean, but I can do this. I have to do this, it's the only way."
Sydney turned to give Emily her privacy when something caught the younger agent's attention, the way that she spoke about Doyle. It made the C.I.A. agent pause, and wonder just how deep did this case affect her.
"Tell Clyde not to worry, I can do this" Emily told him, "Yes Sean, I'm always careful."
Sydney stayed quiet watching as the older woman stared at her reflection in the mirror before ending the call.
"Thanks" Emily said with a smile that didn't meet her eyes, "Sean said to follow through with my plans and fly out to Tuscany by Saturday."
"Be careful" Sydney told her, "Men like that, they can be unpredictable."
"I know" Emily told her, "What about you and Cole?"
"Kendall said to watch him carefully" Sydney told her, "And if I feel uncomfortable then he'll try and extract me..."
The two women quickly turned around at the sound of the door opening.
"There you two are..." Cole said standing in the doorway while Doyle and Liam stood side by side looking suspiciously at the two women, "We thought you two ran away or something."
"No such luck" Emily said, flashing Doyle a smile, "Julia here was just offering to give me a grand tour of the estate, if that's alright Ian?"
"Of course" the Irishman said, flashing the scowling man beside him a smirk, "I'd love a look-see around the property if that's alright with you Mr. Cole."
"Of course" Cole said, "After all now that we're in business together, there's no need for us not to be friends. Coming Julia?"
Emily looked over as Sydney blatantly made a show of setting down her crimson red lipstick and smile at the reviled man.
"Of course McKenas" she said, "Let me just set this down..."
Cole shot Doyle a look, "Women and their make up" he chuckled, "Like it's the most important thing in the world."
Doyle laughed at that, wrapping a possessive arm around Emily, "So what do you say love? Think Cole and Julia should come out next week to the villa in Tuscany?"
The two women's eyes met, but Emily smiled, "I'd love that."
"Then it's a date" Sydney said, following the two men and the very wary Liam out of the bathroom.
'Tuscany next week' Emily told herself, 'Note to self, tell Sean about this meeting, we need out of this.'
"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained." Marie Curie
THE END
A/N: I purposely ended it like this because this is what I'd like to think happen before the raid by the JTF-12 on Doyle in Tuscany before Emily was extracted, and I kind of liked the idea of Emily getting the faked death idea after overhearing Sydney talking on the phone. Sorry if it's not up to standard but this is what festered in my mind.
Well this was my first attempt at joining a massive challenge, hope you all liked it. Leave a review.