A/N-- Please forgive me if I've butchured the medical aspects of this chapter.
and at the end of the chapter is a similar scene to one that happened in alias. Kudos go to whomever can identify it.

Illusion has been nominated in the Work in Progress Category of the Quarterly Alias Fanfic Awards go to

www (dot) digitcorp (dot) com (slash) aliasfanfic

if you're interested in voting.

Illusion Of Sin
Part Six: Of Crosses and Transfusions

Zack leaned against the wall watching Rory. She sat rigidly on an orange plastic chair in the hospital waiting room. Her hands were clasped together and her injured leg lay bandaged and elevated on another chair. She hadn't spoken a word since he and Vaughn had found her hunched over Jack Bristow pressing her hands against his wounds and screaming for help nearly an hour before.

Sighing Zack turned away and walked towards a vending machine. He deposited a few coins and retrieved a bottle of water.

"Zack?" Vaughn came up behind him. "Have you talked to her yet?"

"She won't say anything. I don't think we should push her-"

"I talked to Dixon, he's on his way in. He wants to know what happened-"

"I understand the importance of it Uncle Mike, but she's scared. I think something terrible might have happened-"

"Zack, our retrieval teams were ambushed, we were tranqued, satellite, infrared, and communications went down. Richards is dead, Slother is dead, the guard is dead, Jack might die and she is the only one who knows what happened-"

"I know."

"Zack you need to get her to talk-"

"I know. Mike, I know," Zack cut him off and they both looked over at Rory. Her eyes were closed, her chin angled to the ceiling and her lips mouthing words neither man could hear nor understand. "I'll try."

As Zack sat down in the chair beside Rory, she didn't acknowledge his presence. He didn't know what to say to her. Both he and Vaughn had already tried but she just did not respond at all remaining almost catatonic. "Rory, you have to talk, tell me what happened. Slother may still have men after you. I know you're scared but you can't stay silent forever-"

"I screwed up. I turned my back on him," Rory explained softly her voice breaking off mid syllable. "Slother showed up, he pulled a gun on me and then killed Byron. I got control, killed the guard, took Slother down and then-"Rory bit her lip and finally turned to look at Zack. "I turned my back on him. Zack, if Agent Bristow dies, it's my fault." Rory's voice trembled as she spoke trying to fight back the tears and feelings of guilt that were threatening to overwhelm her. "Zack, I screwed up. I turned my back on Slother and Bristow saved my life. If he dies-"Rory was unable to finish the sentence and she blinked the tears from her eyes.

"He's a strong guy Rory, don't give up on him too easily." Unsure of what to do or say to offer her any comfort Zack settled for putting his arm around her and Rory dropped her head to his shoulder.

"I don't know how to do this anymore Zack," Rory's voice trembled as she spoke. "I did something today that I am so ashamed of. I wanted that information from Slother so badly that I was willing to do anything to get it. Anything."

"What information?" Zack looked down at her and saw the fear in her eyes. The fear of herself and her actions and he had to wonder what she had done.

"Why his boss wanted me."

"Wait Slother's boss?" Zack asked visibly confused.

Rory nodded in confirmation. "Slother was hired by this man who wants me. I wasn't just a random choice within the agency and now Slother's dead and Byron too and we're worse off than we were before-"

"What information did Slother give you?" Vaughn asked kneeling down beside Rory's chair. He'd been listening to her and Zack's conversation from the other side of the wall.

Rory blinked away a few tears and cast her eyes down at him. "Slother said his boss wanted to settle an old score, which doesn't make sense because I've only been active in LA for a few months-"

"Jack Bristow?"

At the mention of their superiors name both Zack and Vaughn stood and the doctor approached them.

"Are you family?" The ER doctor asked crossing his arms over his blood splattered scrubs.

"We're the closest he has to it. How is he?" Vaughn asked apprehensively meeting the doctor's gaze.

"He's alive. We managed to stabilize him for now, but he is going to need surgery very soon. Whoever gave him first aid until the paramedics got there probably saved his life"

Rory only half listened to the doctor as he explained Jack's prognosis to Zack and Vaughn. Dixon arrived in the middle of it and much had to be restated. She tried to listen but the doctor's words didn't seem to register in her brain. All she could think of was Jack Bristow and the look on his face when he'd ran to her firing wildly at Slother, knocking her to the ground and saving her life. The feel of his blood all over her hands was burned into her senses and she would never forget the only word he'd uttered before surrendering to the darkness and slipping into unconsciousness. 'Sydney.'

"We need to get him into surgery right away, but until we get the back up blood from Angel of Mercy Hospital, I can't risk it."

"Can we give any?" Zack asked.

The doctor shook his head. "Mr. Bristow's blood type is rather rare O-Negative and he can only receive transfusions with O-Negative blood so unless you're o-neg than I'm afraid not.

Dixon, Zack and Vaughn all shook their heads no. Rory looked up at them forcing the words out. "I am."

"Your blood type is O Neg?" the doctor asked surprised and Rory nodded. "You'd be willing to donate?"

Rory nodded numbly. "Can I see him before the surgery?"

The doctor nodded and called two nurses over. "Take her to exam three and prep her for patient to patient transfusion and I want you to bag two liters. Call the OR and tell them we're coming up."

"Aurora are you sure about this?" Dixon asked.

Rory nodded silently, Dixon's use of her full name made her cringe remembering how Slother had said it. Jack had saved her life and now she had a favor to return.

As the nurse wheeled her into the exam room Rory caught sight of Jack immediately. It was impossible to envision this once strong and seemingly invincible man laying ashen on a hospital gurney with machines keeping him alive. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she'd have never believed it. He'd risked his life to save hers and that risk she couldn't understand. In the six days since this entire nightmare had begun she'd heard a lot about Jack Bristow and that information hadn't been kind. He was a good agent, one of the best but he was also considered a cold and heartless SOB whose dedication to the job consumed his life. Rory was only a junior agent, expendable, but still he'd come into that building after her, without any back up or proper protection. It didn't make sense.

Rory stood from the wheelchair and gripped the metal rails of the gurney. He looked so pale as if life itself had left his body. She reached out to his hand but pulled back hesitantly.

"You can touch him."

Rory glanced up at the nurse who stood on the opposite side of the gurney monitoring Jack's vitals. She smiled slightly. "Can he hear me?"

"Possibly. He's been in and out of consciousness since he was brought in," the nurse said coming around the side of the bed. She touched Rory's shoulder reassuringly. "But he's a tough guy, he is holding his own. Your grandfather has a fighting chance."

"Oh, he's not my grandfather," Rory said surprised. "We're not related at all."

"Oh pardon me dear." The nurse double checked Jack's chart embarrassed and stumbling over her words. "You both have such a rare blood type I just assumed... I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Rory shook her head and looked back at Jack. "Mr. Bristow doesn't have any family." She reached out her hand to his and tentatively touched the tips of his fingers. They were so cold. Rory reached for the gold cross around her neck and unhooked the chain. She had never been a very religious person but the cross had been her mother's and it meant the world to her.

Jack's eyes fluttered open as Rory stared at the pendant swinging before his eyes. She whispered a silent prayer and Jack mumbled something incoherent while trying to focus on the necklace. Rory threaded the chain through her fingers and dropped it into the palm of Jack's hand. She closed his fingers around it forming a fist and closed her hands around his as if trying to warm his frigid skin. Leaning she pressed her lips to the cool skin of his cheek. "Thank you for saving my life Mr. Bristow," Rory whispered fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.

"He's trying to say something," the nurse noted leaning in closer.

Jack's eyes flitted around for a moment trying to focus. He looked down at his hand and Rory's blinking rapidly trying to clear the haze from his vision. His eyes locked on the cross and tried to speak but the words would not come.

"What is it Mr. Bristow?" Rory asked in a soft voice.

Jack tried again and this time was able to vocalize the words he wanted so desperately to be heard. "My Sydney."

Rory stood straight and gently pulled her hands from his. "I'm really sorry Mr. Bristow, she's gone."

The doctor entered the exam room and instructed Rory to lay down on the bed next to Jack. The nurses quickly set about beginning the transfusion and before long Rory was staring at the thin plastic tubing that was filled with her blood and was travelling into Jack. She looked over at Jack; he was watching her too. His eyes remained locked on her face until the nurse injected him with a drug to put him to sleep and his eyes fluttered closed.

As Vaughn glanced at the clock he decided it must have been going backwards. He leaned forwards in his seat and gently rubbed his right thigh where he'd been hit with the tranq dart. He and Zack had been taken completely unaware as they retreated to the rendezvous point. They'd been shot with tranq darts from behind not even giving them a chance to warn the others. He looked over to Zack who was pacing the floor again. Rory had been gone for twenty minutes now and he was obviously worried about her.

Rory.

With chaotic circumstances of the past few days he hadn't had time to really think about her. He'd worked closely with Zack and Rory to plan the operation and Jack had finalized every detail. He was pleased to find that Rory lived up to her reputation. She was extremely dedicated to her job, worked until every detail and possibility had been accounted for. Her linguistics and code deciphering abilities were the best he'd seen in years and there was a kindness to her, an innocence that she held onto.

She trained hard and long putting in more hours than most and Vaughn attributed part of that to her lack of a personal life. She didn't seem to have any friends in LA. She lived by herself and took courses online so other than the few she'd made at work, she seemed quite lonely. He looked to Dixon for the third time in as many minutes. "Dixon?"

"Dixon?"

"Yes Vaughn," Dixon turned slightly in his seat.

"Agent Summers does she..." Vaughn's voice trailed off unsure of how to broach the subject.

"Spit it out Vaughn."

"Does she ever remind you of someone?"

"Are we speaking of someone in particular?"

Vaughn nodded. "Sydney."

"I suppose there are some aspects of her that do resemble Sydney; in this line of work that's not uncommon. Over the years there have been many agents that have reminded me of her."

"More so than usual," Vaughn sighed. "When I first met her, I almost thought she was Sydney."

"Vaughn, Sydney's been dead for twenty years. I'll admit when I first met Summers, I did notice the resemblance, but that's all there is, just a resemblance."

"Right, that's all there is." He turned at the sound of Rory's voice. The nurse was pushing her wheelchair into the waiting room.

"Rory are you alright?" Zack crouched in front of the wheelchair his face marred with concern, as she was as white as a sheet.

"She'll be fine," the nurse squeezed Rory's shoulder slightly. "She's just very weak right now. All she needs is some rest, a good meal and some time to build up her strength. We took a bit more blood than she could have handled due to her injury."

"Rory?" Zack took her hand.

"I'm fine Zack," she made a feeble attempt at squeezing his hand but it was useless, everyone could see how exhausted she was. "Mr. Bristow?" she asked the nurse.

"Oh he'll be in surgery for a couple hours darling, you best just go home and get some rest, come back tomorrow, doctors orders. Mr. Bristow seems like one tough cookie, I don't think he's planning on dying any time soon. You just saved his life." The nurse patted her shoulder and nodded to the men before leaving.

Zack stood and moved behind the wheelchair. "I'll take you back to the safehouse."

"No," Rory shook her head in protest. "I want to stay until Agent Bristow is out of surgery."

"Agent Summers," Dixon stood reigning his authority. "Go home and get some rest, that's an order. We'll call when there is news."

Rory knew better than to protest Dixon's orders so she went with Zack. They rode home in almost complete silence. Zack attempted to get more information out of her, about what had happened with Slother, about what she'd supposedly done but it was of no use. Rory wouldn't speak to him. In addition to not speaking to him every time he'd tried to touch her she flinched away. He couldn't so much as take her hand or help her into the car, even though her injured leg made it impossible to walk unassisted. Even though she wouldn't talk to him, or even acknowledge his presence, Zack watched Rory out of the corner of his eye the entire drive and he didn't miss the tiny tears that were wiped from her eyes.

When they reached the safehouse Rory attempted to exit the car by herself, which quickly proved to be a mistake. Zack managed to get to her just in time as her leg gave way. Slowly he lowered her body to the ground. She was angry now. The tears had given way to pure frustration and cursing as she was denied the simplest of tasks.

"Wait for me," Zack instructed and hurried to the front door. He unlocked it, opened the door wide and disarmed the security system. As he turned around he wasn't surprised to see that Rory hadn't waited for him. She was attempting to stand on her own.

Her attempts though well meaning were not successful and before Zack could get to her Rory slammed into the ground scraping her elbows and forearms on the brick walkway. She lashed out swearing and hitting the pavement with her fist in anger.

"Hey, hey, hey," Zack scolded her falling to his knees. "There's no need for that." He caught her fist easily and scrutinized her scraped knuckles. One glance at her face told him that she was a lot worse off than she'd let on in the hospital and the fall had only furthered her exhaustion. Her head hung limply chin to chest as if the simple act of holding it up was impossible. He squatted beside her body and placed one arm behind her back and the other under her legs. "Arms around my neck," he ordered.

Rory refused. "You're not carrying me, I can walk."

"No you can't. Now stop being so god damned stubborn Aurora," Zack was beginning to lose patience with her now.

Detecting the trace of anger in his voice, Rory obeyed and on the count of three Zack lifted her into his arms. It wasn't exactly easygoing getting her into the house but Zack managed and then gently deposited her on the sofa. He immediately noticed the blood seeping through the bandage and her sweatpants and went in search of the first aid kit and a pair of his pants for her.

"I can do it."

Zack ignored her request and placed a blanket over waist to give her some bit of privacy. "Hold onto my shoulders," he instructed and grudgingly she did enabling Zack to lift her slightly and pull the blood soaked pants from her waist. He pulled the pants down over her legs before tossing them into a plastic garbage bag. He sat in front of her on the coffee table gently lifting her leg into his lap. Zack noticed Rory's breathing begin to labor as he removed the bandages. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands fisted at her sides. "Hey," Zack placed his hand on her upper thigh above the wound, his fingers slipping under the blanket. Rory opened her eyes and her hands relaxed slightly at the sound of his voice taking her mind off the pain. "I was thinking that in a few weeks when your leg is better, we should go to a Kings game."

"That would be nice," Rory smiled slightly knowing full well that it would never happen. Zack was her handler, which meant they weren't supposed to be seen in public together.

"Yeah." Zack moved his hand from her leg and held it out to her, "give me your hands." He watched Rory curiously follow his instructions and retrieved a fresh pack of gauze 4x5's from the kit. "This is going to hurt," he warned her and firmly pressed the gauze against her wound.

Rory gasped at the sudden contact and immense pain that followed. She gripped Zack's hand tightly and found herself looking into his eyes finding the dark depths rather soothing.

Zack didn't break the contact of her eyes as he pressed the gauze even harder against Rory's wound eliciting a cross between a cry and a whimper. "You popped a few stitches when you fell," Zack said quietly explaining his actions, which were causing her severe pain.

Rory managed a nod and felt the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Oh god," her voice choked out marred by a sob and entire body seemed to shudder as Zack intensified the pressure on her leg in his efforts to stop the bleeding.

Stabilizing the level of pressure on her leg Zack decided it would be a good time to question her about their earlier conversation and take her mind off the current situation. "Rory, tell me what happened with Slother. You said that you did something, what did you do?"

"No," she shook her head not wanting to relive any of those moments, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Rory please, talk to me."

Rory avoided his gaze for a few moments until the increasing pressure on her leg forced her to speak. "Slother, he, he wanted me, that he made perfectly clear. You understand what I mean when I say he wanted me?"

Zack nodded slowly knowing exactly what she meant and that knowledge was creating disturbing thoughts in his head. If Slother were still alive he'd have certainly found the guy and beat the living crap out of him even more so than Rory already had. He broke away from her gaze and pulled the gauze from her wound satisfied that the blood had slowed considerably. He dabbed at the area with antiseptic and placed a clean 4x5 on it before taping and wrapping it.

"I wanted to know why his boss wanted me, why me, and I sort of made him an offer."

As Zack placed the final pieces of tape to secure the bandages his hand began to shake. What kind of offer could she have made Slother that would cause her to feel so ashamed? What could she have possibly done... As he looked up and saw her deep blue eyes fill with tears he realized what she'd done. "You said you'd sleep with him didn't you?"

The tone of his voice sent shivers through her entire body and caused the tears to spill as she nodded, yes. Words were useless as the feelings and emotions of what she could have done betrayed her and in turn betrayed him.

Zack took the sweatpants he'd grabbed for and slid them up her injured leg and then the other. Gently he eased her leg back and stood leaning over her slightly. Knowing what he wanted Rory moved her hands to his shoulders and held tight as he took her by the waist helping her to stand before pulling the pants up and tightening the drawstring so they wouldn't fall off. As they eased back down Zack quickly became aware of the tears in her eyes as they soaked through his shirt. Rory had rested her head at the base of his throat; her hands were locked around his neck and he had to gently pry them away.

Rory sat back on the couch and watched Zack busy himself cleaning up the bandages and first aid supplies. "Zack," she reached out to him and caught his wrist but he pulled away quickly. "Zack, I know you're a little angry, but please talk to me. Please just say something." If his anger didn't kill her, his silence would.

"Angry? I'm a little angry, just a little angry?" He nearly shouted at her and she shrunk back from his words. "God Rory, you told the guy you'd have sex with him. What the hell were you thinking?"

He was shouting now, far angrier and far louder than Rory had anticipated. Her chin started to tremble and her voice wavered as she began to cry harder. "I didn't do it."

"How could you even think about it? How could you even have considered it?" He crossed his arms over his chest and paced the floor in front of the couch.

"I just needed to know Zack. You have no idea what not knowing was doing to me."

"Nothing is worth giving yourself like that Rory. Nothing."

His hands were on her now as he spoke that last sentence, gripping her upper arms tightly as he spoke. With each word, his grasp seemed to get tighter and tighter and Rory suddenly felt quite scared. She had never seen Zack like this. She'd never seen him so angry. His eyes were so dark they seemed black and his face appeared to be contorted in pain, but he had no pain. "Please stop," her voice was a quiet plead that he never heard.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

Zack's hands were shaking and he let go of Rory, but not kindly. In his angered state, he didn't know his own strength and in her weakened state she didn't have any. As Zack released his hold on her arms, Rory's head snapped back smashing against the hard top of the sofa. She winced at the contact, her face twisted in pain and her lungs trying to grasp any oxygen, but Zack didn't seem to notice as he resumed his pacing.

"Do you have any idea what he could have done to you? How he could have hurt you? He could have raped you right then and there, taken away everything. Christ Rory, what the hell were you thinking? You have no idea what kind of a woman you are, what you do to men." Zack turned away from her his shaking hands formed fists. He faced the wall and without warning he slammed into it breaking through the plaster. His knuckles were bleeding when he pulled them out and he leaned his forehead against the wall breathing deeply and trying to calm down. It was then that he noticed how quiet Rory had been during the last few minutes. "Aren't you going to say anything?" His voice was still full of anger, but it was calmer now. "Rory?" he turned back to her and his heart nearly jumped into his throat. She was clutching the back of her head in pain, her mouth open in silent cries. Zack ran to her smashing his leg on the coffee table but he ignored the pain. "What is it?" he sat down on the coffee table and pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket ready to call for an ambulance. He quickly deemed the situation wasn't serious enough to warrant a hospital visit and the phone fell from his hand as he leaned forwards. He reached out to touch her, but the look of absolute terror on her face as she recoiled from his touch prevented him from trying again. "It's just me."

She was scared of him.

It took a moment for the shock to register in his mind as he took in the situation. Rory was pulling away from him, her body shaking so badly and her face so white it made his stomach sick.

"It's just me, it's just Zack. Rory please I'm sorry I should never have yelled at you," he whispered. His hand stretched out shaking slightly as he reached for her cupping his hand on the side of her face. She seemed to calm considerably and he stood slowly, removing his hand from her face and careful not to make any sudden movements that would scare her again. He sat to her left on the couch and slowly put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry." He was surprised at how easily she relaxed into his touch.

"It's not you," she sniffed still trying to catch her breath. She didn't tell him that he'd hurt her, it would have only made him angrier with himself. She was faintly aware of his right hand rubbing her shoulder gently and his left resting on her knees. She fiddled with the cuff of her sweatshirt touching his fingers slightly.

"Talk to me," Zack said softly and moved his hand to tuck her head down on his shoulder before returning to its place around her shoulders.

"Byron," she whispered into his neck, her cries now silent. "I knew he was the mole, but hearing him actually say it... he wasn't at all the person I thought he was. He betrayed me. He sold my life for a profit."

"Shhh," he whispered close to her ear and continued rubbing her shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make the situation any better.

Rory continued to play with the cuff of her sleeve and drew the tips of her fingers across Zack's hand. Slowly she took his left hand in hers, gripping it tightly and slid down on her right side onto the sofa taking him with her.

Zack didn't protest. To be honest he wasn't sure what to think as he lay on his side behind Rory on the sofa, his hand clutched tight in hers, wrapped protectively around her body and held to her chest. She adjusted slightly, pulling his arm tighter around her body and let out a small hiccuped sigh.

"Rory?"

"I just want to stay here for a while."

Rory's voice trembled slightly as she spoke and Zack propped his head up with his right hand watching as she ever so gently pressed her lips to his bloody knuckles. He didn't feel pain, only the kindness he didn't quite deserve as she kissed them better. She spoke again, barely above a whisper, utterly exhausted.

"If that's okay?"

He didn't answer her. Part of him knew he should have but instead he moved her hair aside and gently kissed her left cheek in response before settling down and pulling her tight against his body.