Sark had taken more distance from Sydney's bed, he held a tranq gun, while reading a book.

"Sark?" He looked up, to his surprise Sydney sat up right.

"Yes, Sydney?" He closed the book.

"Before I..." she paused "Fell asleep. You mentioned that you're helping me. What exactly did you mean?"

He studied her face, Sydney's expression gave him all the information he needed.

"What you actually meant to ask was; whether or not you're being held captive by me and what plans I furthermore have for you."

He stood up and smirked.

"Is it that hard to believe I might actually have good intentions."

"Murderers like you, never have good intentions." She spat at him, her anger was obvious and he remained out of her range.

"Come come Sydney, murderers like me, we both know there are no murderers like me, especially since I like to see myself more like a free man with certain set of skills, besides you've had your fair share of killing. We're more alike than you might think."

His provocation was more than enough to see her face become completely red.

"You might like to believe that."

Her tone not as loud as he expected.

"But you and I are nothing alike, and it makes me sick to my stomach to even think about it, but I guess it would be really satisfying to put a bullet between your eyes." She hissed.

He felt calm again, the strange feeling of concern he felt for her was now replaced with his usual iciness.

"Good, now we've established again how much you hate me, remember that I actually saved your life. When we escaped from the warehouse in Amsterdam, the last guard shot you. I then transported you and removed the bullet myself."

The anger in her face had now disappeared and a more puzzled look had replaced it.

"Why would you do that?"

He sighed, he kept wondering the same thing, but in the end he knew what the answer was. He was however not prepared to give Sydney any indication of it, she might use it against him. He had to lie.

"We were both taken hostage, they were expecting us when we came for the Rambaldi manuscript. You've been unconscious for two weeks. In those two weeks I've been gathering intel about the group that took us hostage and trying to see if I can relocate the manuscript. I have reason to believe that their plan is long term. But before I continue I need to inform you of two things."

He slowly approached her, tranq gun still ready.

"First that if you try to run to your precious CIA I will shoot you, because this house cannot be compromised, for more than one reason, which gives you an indication of the risk I took bringing you here. And second that you're body needs a least another two weeks to fully recover, so I suggest you stay here and if after those two weeks you no longer have the desire to be here I will let you go, on the condition that I tranq you and you won't know the location of my little safe house."

He was almost certain he'd seen her eyes sparkle a bit and a small grin.

"You have my attention."

"I propose that after those two weeks I will tell you everything I know and we will then search for this group and completely destroy them and then maybe bring the Rambaldi manuscript back to the CIA depending on what information it contains."

She stared at him.

"And wouldn't I just kill you and try to find out on my own?"

"You've not been very successful in killing me before, besides right now you're the one recovering from a bullet through your liver. Also I am now under CIA employment so it wouldn't be good idea to kill me. And for now you need me, because we're not sure on which side Sloane is, so contacting APO could still prove to be a fatal mistake. You may contact your father after these two weeks and I can contact Irina to see if she has any information to provide us with."

He thought his comment would make her angry, but seeing her expression he immediately regretted it. The sadness in her face looked near desperation.

"Don't bother contacting Irina, she's dead."

Sark chuckled.

"Sure by now you must realize that Irina could never die. She did it far to many times for anybody to take her seriously."

Tears were now rolling down Sydney's cheeks and Sark became concerned.

"Unless there is something you know, that I don't."

She turned her eyes away from him and spoke softly.

"My dad,…he shot her, through the head."

Sark stood frozen, he felt sick to his stomach.

"Why?" He asked, hearing is own voice become unsteady.

"Because of the Rambaldi prophecy, that her daughters would battle over a certain object and neither of them would survive."

She let out a sob and brushed away the tears.

"She had put a hit out on me, the only way to make sure the hit wouldn't be made if she was dead. She admitted putting out the hit to my dad before he shot her."

She stopped holding back the tears and let the flood gates open. Sark still stood nailed to the ground, but then the first emotion of the news left and reason entered.

"That can't be true."

Sydney looked up with mixed emotions.

"How can you say that?"

Sark dropped the tranq gun and sat next to her on the bed.

"Because Sydney, I have known you're mother since I was 16 and everything she ever did was for you, so even if she was so concerned about her daughters battling she would have chosen you over Nadia, if only for the fact that Sloane is Nadia's father. She loves you and always has. It would have been completely out of character for her to do something like this. Are you a hundred percent sure that it was in fact Irina?"

Sydney looked unsure of the information presented to her.

"The DNA matched and she looked the same."

Sark cocked an eyebrow and felt somewhat relieved.

"Well that wouldn't be the first time now, wouldn't it?"

"You think she was doubled?"

He rubbed his temples.

"It is a possibility, but that could mean that the ones that doubled her also captured her, because otherwise she would have tried to set it right and stop the hit. Unless off course these people killed her after the doubling process. I will try and get into contact with her and see what I can find about her last known whereabouts."

"My dad also had a way of contacting her, I could also try that."

She saw a warm smile on his face.

"I am glad that we now finally will have the change of working together, I think I'll rather enjoy it."

She gave him a half angry look.

"Don't push it Sark!"

She fixed her stare on one of the large windows. For a second he thought she was lost in thought and thought it better to leave. She stopped him the moment he stood up to leave.

"Who's Julia?"

He knew she would ask him, still not sure whether or not to answer he sat down again.

"She has the exact same eyes as you."

His silence bothered her.

"I guess because you've agreed to honor my proposal I will tell you, but I trust it to be in your judgment never to mention her to anyone else."

She nodded.

"She's my sister, I found her six years ago under not so favorable circumstances." He paused. "I made sure she got private lessons and after a year she entered university to become a doctor. I made sure no one would ever find her, and she was well provided for. She's partly aware of the work I do, but I would be grateful if you were not to mention it too much to her. The less she knows the better off she is. She's innocent and knowing you, I would think you'll understand that this information is better to be kept from anyone."

He looked at her, understanding his question she nodded again.

"I understand."

He stood up again.

"Sark?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me to wait these two weeks too? I want to do everything together."

He smirked.

"Everything Sydney? My, that's a wonderful idea."

She raised a brow at his inclination, but instantly let it go.

"Do you have a place where I could train?"

A small chuckle followed.

"Dear Sydney, for now you're in no shape to train already, but perhaps you should start by trying to walk without falling down. I suggest you rest for now, I will be back in an hour."

Sydney stayed silent as he took the tranq gun and left her to herself. Her head was spinning from the emotional rollercoaster ride she had been on. So maybe her mother was alive, and why hadn't Sark mentioned anything about their time being kidnapped. She needed rest, two weeks off wasn't such a bad idea, even if it was in the company of Sark.