-1Chapter 4

The next morning when Sydney opened her eyes she found herself face to face with an amused looking Sark. 'Mmm.. He looks cute in the morning' she smiled goofily.

"The princess awakes. Sleep well?" He said smirking for some reason unknown to her.

"Yes thank you it would have been even better if I hadn't woken up to find you in my face. Why the hell are you so close to me?" She snapped feeling embarrassed at how being so close to him made her feel.

At this he laughed. "Well see now I would have moved but I had the small problem of someone lying on my arm."

"What? I so am not." Sydney looked down to and with mortification found that she was indeed lead on Sark's arm. Blushing furiously she spluttered not knowing what to say to him.

"You know what you look beautiful when you sleep." And with a wink he got off the bed and locked himself in the bathroom leaving a very confused Sydney behind wondering if she was still dreaming.

When the sound of the shower could be herd, Sydney rolled over to the phone on the beside table and dialled for room service. After ordering everything on the menu she went to sit on the balcony and watch the world awaken while contemplating how much had changed. A couple of years ago she would have laughed at the idea of working with Sark and her mother to deceive the CIA, but now it was her only option. She wasn't happy bout lying to her friends, but it was necessary and she would be lying if she said that working with Sark and Irena didn't give her a sense of satisfaction that she never had with the CIA. She was working with her equals now, a feeling she had only ever got when working with her father, these people would help her regain her memories. A knock at the door announced breakfast was here, bringing Sark from the bathroom. Her mouth hung open when she saw him in a pair for low hanging jeans and not much else, the pale skin marred here and there by scars, the rippling muscles of his chest and stomach when he moved made her want drool. Realising he was watching her puzzled, she shook herself out of her daze and went to answer the door and they were soon sat together chatting and joking over breakfast.

"So Sark." Sydney started.

"So Syd" Sark shot back.

Throwing him a dark look she carried on. "Slippery as a kipper?"

He let out s low chuckle. "Ahh yes. Well it was in the first year of knowing your mother, I was 18 headstrong. I was looking for information on my father, and wasn't coming up with anything. It was very frustrating for me. Eventually I asked Irena to help me, in my eyes she could do anything so I thought why couldn't she do this?" Sark paused. "She just looked at me softly, which is something she doesn't do often, before telling me that maybe it was best I didn't look for him, that it would only bring disappointment. Of course I exploded, started shouting at her that I would leave and go search for him myself. Irena didn't say anything during my whole tirade, then asked me did I really think that I could hide from her. I knew I couldn't but I wasn't about to let her know that. I started shouting again, not getting a reaction I eventually ran out of steam and ended with 'and I can hide from you because I'm as slippery as a… as a… as a kipper. "

Sydney couldn't help the laughter that came from her mouth. "Are you serious?"

Sark laughed along with her. "Yes and that was exactly her reaction too. We both fell about laughing at that point. Once we both calmed down a bit she took my hand and said 'Julian, do you trust me? Well then trust me when I say that your father was not good to you, you are better off without him'. and that was the last we spoke of him."

"It's strange, I can't imagine my mother being that way with me." Sydney said quietly.

"Irena love you Sydney. You're the most precious thing in the world to her you always have been. Irena has just never been to good with showing how she felt."

One solitary tear managed to escape as she responded. "Do you really think so?"

"No I don't." he paused wiping the tear away, cupping her face so she was forced to meet his eye. "I know so."

She believed him. Leaning into his hand, drawing comfort from him she believed him. With a few words he'd given Sydney back her trust in her mother's love for her, something she'd lost a long time ago. "Thank you."

He nodded at her withdrawing his hand, trying to ignore how cold it felt when it wasn't touching her skin. "Come on, best get dressed, if we're not ready on time Agent Vaughn will think I've killed you."

Giving him one last smile Sydney got up and went to get herself ready.

An hour later Sydney and Sark left the hotel and made their way to the meet on the other side of the city. Barley any words were exchanged between them in the car, knowing that Vaughn, Weiss and the rest of the CIA were listening in. eventually Sark pulled up next to a nice looking block of apartments which weren't really an different to the hundreds of others that covered Venice.

"We're here." Sark announced getting out of the car and going around to the passenger side, holding the door open for Sydney. She gave him a confused expression but let it go, deciding if she questioned him on all his odd behaviour they were never going to get anything done.

Once they reached the top floor Sark knocked confidently on the door. "Ready princess?" He asked knowingly.

"I'm ready." Sydney replied.

The door opened into the apartment, and together Sydney and Sark entered.

"PRINCESS?" Vaughn exploded.. "What is he doing calling her names like that? And why the hell isn't she ripping him a new one?"

"Calm down man, they're under cover. She has to act the part, no doubt Syd will yell at him later. Geez your acting as if your jealous." Weiss answered.

"He shouldn't be near her." Vaughn glowered. "I'm sure he's up to something.

"Sark. A long time no see." said a small bookish looking man. ' he sure doesn't look like the type of man to detonate uranium bombs' thought Sydney.

"Christian. Its good to see you as always." Sark replied shaking the other mans hand warmly. "And may I introduce Sydney, my partner."

"Mr Logan it's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard great things about you." She greeted warmly trying not to show how much the word 'partner' had affected her. 'what di he mean by that?'

Christian Logan smiled but said nothing, instead reaching for a button behind him on the desk. "And now we may speak freely my friends without being overheard. It is a pleasure to meet you as well Sydney. After all you are the reason we are all here."

"You can join us now." Sark called to the other room.

Sydney let out a small gasp when she saw that the figure in the other room was her mother.

"Where's the sound?" Weiss shouted. "Why can't we hear them? Should we pull them out?"

Dixon's voice could be hear over speaker phone. "No. We have no choice but to see where this leads."

"What if something happens to her? We can't loose Sydney Dixon." Vaughn countered, not knowing his wife was listening next to Dixon.

"I know Vaughn. But we're just going to have to trust her."

Irena stepped into the room, her presence radiating confidence. "Now that we're all here we can get down to business."

Sydney turned to Sark. "How did you know she would be here."

With his eyes locked on Irena he answered "I know her." his eyes moved to Sydney. "She's here for you."

Looking at her mother Sydney saw concern in her eyes, ad new Sark's words to be true. He was helping her to see her mother for who she truly was. With a nod from him showing her it was ok, she rushed to her mother and flung her arms around her. Irena's face was one of surprise. Which almost immediately softened as she wrapped her arms around her arms around her daughter tightly. After a few moments the two women parted and the group seated themselves around a small wooden dining table. Several hours later they had a plan to for Sark and Sydney to firmly win the trust of the CIA.

Once back in their hotel room, Sydney excused herself to have a shower, needing to clear her head. Letting the hot water flow over her body, soothing all her tired muscles her thoughts wandered once more to Sark, as they so often did lately. Her feelings for him had dramatically change and they were beginning to scare her. After all he was still a criminal, these feelings were wrong weren't they? Even if they were she didn't think she could deny them anymore. If she confronted them would he feel the same? Would he be repulsed at the thought of his enemy being attracted to him? But he did say they weren't enemies any longer. However confusing thoughts were put on hold when she heard the slam of the hotel room door and someone being slammed into a wall.

In the other room Vaughn had Sark pinned to the wall holding some device in his hand. "What happened today huh you piece of scum? Did you betray us?" Sark was unable to answer as Vaughn was choking him, only managing to splutter. "I know your up to something. Maybe I should just press this button. Kill you now and be done with it."

Sydney appeared at the bathroom door in a towel, disgusted at the sight before her. "What is going on? Vaughn what are you doing? Let him go." She wrenched his arm away from Sark who quickly moved to stand beside her.

"He's up to something Sydney. We didn't get any of your meeting today. It was all scrambled. I know he's behind it."

"Hello? Vaughn I was at that meet to. Do you think if they'd discussed something that wasn't agreed or tried to double cross us I wouldn't have noticed?"

"But Syd.."

"What? Don't you trust me?" She demanded.

"Of course I do." Vaughn stammered. How had this been turned around on him?

"Then trust me. Now get out of our room so I can go back to my shower." And as ordered he left looking extremely unhappy much to the amusement of Sark.

"You ok?" Sydney asked concerned.

"Sure. Nothing I can't handle. Go back to your shower we'll talk after when you a little more clothed." He couldn't stop his eyes from wandering all over her body, the skin he could see still had droplets of water glistening on them, he desperately wanted to rip of that towel.

The look Sark was giving her set her body on fire, she nodded quickly escaping from his intense gaze, locking herself in the bathroom she turned the shower to cold. Very cold.

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I know its been a while and I don't know if anyone's still interested but please if you are review.