Trouble
No attorneys—to plead my case
No opiates—to send me into outer space
And my fingers are bejeweled
With diamonds and gold but that ain't
gonna help me now
I'm trouble—yeah trouble now
I'm trouble y'all, I disturb my town
I'm trouble—yeah trouble now
I'm trouble y'all, I got trouble in my town
"Trouble"
Pink
Sydney opened her eyes slowly and looked around. It was later that day and she and Simon had apparently drifted off to sleep together. She looked at him, saw that he was sleeping peacefully. She sat up as best she could as she was curled into his side.
She touched the side of his face, felt a light stubble, and let her hand drop back into her lap. She thought about the relationship Julia and Simon had shared and briefly wondered what the consequences might be if she decided to slip back into the personality she had taken on during her two years and just forget about the CIA.
She realized she could start a new life. She could leave everything behind and just start over completely. With the way things were going lately, along with her deepening feelings for Simon, the option seemed awfully attractive.
She lifted her hand up again, sifted her fingers through his hair, then touched his face once more as she planted a kiss on his jaw. She settled in next to him again, laying her head on his shoulder and feeling his arm tighten around her in his sleep.
Before she closed her eyes, she looked around the room and saw Sark perched in his recliner looking at her. She swallowed hard and felt a knot form in her gut. She was disturbed by the fact that she had been watched by Sark while she had a moment with sleeping Simon. She glared at him.
"How long have you been sitting there?"
Sark shrugged his shoulders. "Not long."
"Huh," Sydney murmured. She moved as carefully as she could and climbed over Simon's legs so she could stand up. She grabbed the mission specs folder and jerked her head for Sark to follow her.
Sark didn't say a word and merely padded after her as she walked down the hallway leading to the other rooms in the safehouse. Sydney took a seat in the overstuffed chair in the single bedroom and Sark effortlessly leaped onto the bed, almost floating onto it as if he were a feather. He lay on his stomach, his chin propped up by a fist.
"Problem with the mission?" he asked Sydney.
"I just have a question," Sydney replied, crossing her legs and laying the folder open on her lap.
"What's the question?"
Sydney looked up and tilted her head slightly as she stared at Sark. She noticed how thoroughly confused he seemed to be about why she would have a question about the mission. She wondered if it was an act or if it was clear to him what the Covenant required.
"What exactly are we supposed to be retrieving?"
"That's your question?" Sydney nodded. Sark laughed.
"What?" Sydney demanded.
Sark flew from the bed and went over to Sydney. He knelt down beside her chair. "Sydney, remember that I'll be going with you."
Sydney raised both eyebrows. "You're coming with us? Since when?"
Sark looked thoughtful as he rubbed his chin. "I didn't tell you?"
Sydney groaned and stood up. "No, you didn't tell me."
Sark got up as well. "Now you know." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks.
"This still doesn't make sense," professed Sydney.
"Why not?"
"Why can't I know what we're getting?"
"Do you need to?"
"Well no shit, Sark. How else am I supposed to—"
"Oh, oh, right," Sark replied. "You would probably need the CIA to duplicate it so you could hand over a fake." Sydney gave him a look and Sark smirked. "Oops."
Sydney sighed. "So obviously you're doing the retrieving and I'm supposed to be watching your back." Sark nodded. Sydney chuckled. "Yeah right."
To Sydney's surprise, Sark shared in her amusement. He asked, "You want to switch?"
"So you can shoot me in the back?" Sydney scoffed. "Give me a break."
"All right," Sark said with a nod. "Okay, then, you and I will go get the item and Simon and Allison will cover us."
Sydney's eyes nearly bugged out her head. "Allison's alive?" Sark nodded. Sydney lost her balance and landed on the bed. "Oh my God"
"I thought I told you," Sark said, attempting to hide his knowing smirk.
"No, you didn't," Sydney said through gritted teeth.
Sark turned up one corner of his mouth in a smile. "Oops."
"Bastard."
Sark sat down next to her and nudged her elbow with his. "I honestly meant to tell you." Sydney glared at him. "Things have been slipping my mind lately."
Sydney leaned back, her hands palm-down on the mattress. "Anything else you want to tell me that might be pertinent to this mission's success?"
Sark leaned back as well, and scooted close to Sydney. He motioned for Sydney to lean in close as he had. She did, and he leaned in even closer to whisper conspiratorially into her ear, "Play nice with my girlfriend."
Sydney sat up immediately. "Your—she's—she's your—" Sark folded his arms behind his head and lay back on the mattress. He smiled. "Christ," she muttered.
"Oh relax," Sark said, nudging his leg against hers.
"Whatever," Sydney told him, and fell back against the mattress, exhaling sharply.
Sark scooted up beside her, laying his head against his fist. "I was thinking about what you said."
Sydney turned her head towards him. She raised an eyebrow at him, begging him to elaborate.
"Revenge," Sark said simply, and Sydney nodded. "I think I want it."
"Good," Sydney said, a smile playing on her lips, "because I do, too."
Vaughn and Lauren had driven over to Weiss' apartment and Lauren was knocking on the door. "Open up, Eric," said Vaughn.
Weiss finally opened the door, his shirt and shorts wrinkled. He rubbed his eyes and squinted. He looked at Vaughn. "Mike?"
Lauren jumped in, "We need to talk to you."
Weiss looked at her and mumbled, "Can't a guy get some sleep?"
Lauren narrowed her eyes. "No."
Jack walked out of the Joint Task Force and went to his car. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Sydney's number. He started his car and began to drive as the line rang.
Back in the safehouse, Sydney pulled her cell phone out of her pocket while Sark looked questioningly at her. She answered the phone. "Hello?"
"It's me."
Sydney looked at Sark as she said, "Dad, hey." Sark grinned at her.
"How is it going?"
"Great so far," Sydney answered. "Everything is right on schedule."
Jack sighed a bit, relieved. "Good to hear."
"Yeah," Sydney agreed.
Jack was silent for a minute before he asked, "So, everything is—"
"Perfect?" Sydney finished for him. "Absolutely."
"Good." More silence. "See you." He hung up.
Sydney put her phone back in her pocket and looked at Sark. He was still smiling. She fell victim to the charm. She nudged his ankle with her foot. "What?"
"Nothing," Sark replied. "Just good to see that you have everything under control."
Sydney hesitated a moment before replying, "Yes, I do."
They sat for a while, just looking at one another, neither one feeling a need to say anything. Finally, Sark said, "I don't think Allison is very fond of you."
Sydney sobered quickly. "I don't expect her to be."
"What *do* you expect?" Sark asked.
Sydney shook her head slightly. "I don't expect anything." She sighed as Sark nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, I do expect one thing."
"What's that?"
Sydney looked down at the mattress and shrugged. "If we're going to be working together, I guess I expect her not to off me as soon as we meet again."
Sark chuckled lightly. "I think that's a reasonable request."
Sydney laughed too, and they locked eyes again. "I'm really glad we're in this together."
Sark looked far into her eyes as he said, "Me too, Sydney."
Sighing again, Sydney drew her knees up and lay her head on her arm. Sark flipped onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, his hands folded over his abdomen. Sydney looked at him through half-lidded eyes, thinking about everything that had happened in the past week, namely her and Sark becoming unlikely allies in the fight against the Covenant. She hadn't expected it, but it had happened.
She wondered what would happen after the Covenant had been taken down. Would Sark flee? Would he move to a remote location to never be heard from again? Would he go back to being her enemy?
She decided to ask.
"Sark?" she murmured softly.
He didn't look at her as he said, "Hm?"
Sydney kept her gaze on his visage to look for any tells as she asked, "What happens after the Covenant is taken down?"
Sark looked at her then. His expression, if Sydney didn't know better, looked almost hopeful. "What do you want to happen?"
Sydney looked into his eyes, trying to read them, trying to figure out what he meant by what he had said. Almost sadly, she answered, "I don't know."
The bedroom door swung open and Sydney and Sark looked to see whom it was. It was Simon, and Sydney noticed that he looked somewhat irritated. She could understand why, given that this was the second time Simon had caught her and Sark in something of a compromising position.
She felt a bit guilty, but she wasn't sure if it was because of Simon's reaction of the fact that she and Sark were lying together. She sat up. "Hi."
"Hello," Simon said in a falsely cheerful tone. He walked over to them and his eyes flicked from Sydney to Sark then back to Sydney. "Anything you want to tell me?"
Sydney floundered. "No, I mean, we were just talking about the mission."
"I see."
"Simon, seriously," Sydney said earnestly. "You were asleep and we didn't want to wake you up."
At that point, Simon leaned in and roughly took Sydney's face in his hands kissing her hard. Sydney kissed back, startled, and felt the mattress springs to the side of her move up and then down as Sark got up and Simon took his place.
The door closed and Simon climbed on top of Sydney, detaching his lips from hers and leaning down to bite her neck. Sydney surrendered for a few moments before shrilly crying out when Simon clamped down hard on her sensitive skin. She pushed him off her and sat up. Simon sat on his knees, breathing hard. Sydney looked at him, rubbing her neck with her fingers, and gasping at the blood on the tips.
She stood up and went to the door. She started to leave but Simon stopped her and began soothing the cuts his teeth had made with his lips and tongue, whispering words of apology. " she protested weakly.
Simon picked her up and lay her down on the bed. Sydney watched him as he pressed kisses against every inch of exposed skin and simultaneously undressed himself and her. She considered stopping him, as her common sense was begging her to, but the fearful part of her mind was telling her if she stopped him he might kill her because he assumed that she was betraying him with Sark.
So, she drew his head up to hers, kissing him in kind, pulling his body down on hers, making her own body react instantly with desire. Simon stripped them both of any last disguises and slid inside her. They moved together, and it wasn't long before they both had gone over the edge.
Simon scrambled off of her quickly, and Sydney pulled her knees to her chest, puzzled with Simon's actions. She started to ask what was going on, but Simon had already dressed and left the room.
Hurt and confused, Sydney dressed as well and locked the closed door, then climbed back into bed, squeezing her eyes shut against an onslaught of tears.
A/N: Sydney needs a hug. {{{{{{{Syd}}}}}}} The Sarkney is coming, by the way.. just so y'all know. ;x
Anyways, I was a little discouraged after posting chapter 10 and getting 2 (!) reviews. Seriously, that's not cool. :( But I'll continue, 'cuz it's getting close to the end anyway.
If I don't post another chapter by Thursday, then I wish y'all a very Merry Christmas, and I hope you get lots of gifts. ;) There are probably close to 75 boxes under the tree and on the side by the fireplace ('cuz we ran out of room) at my house. There might even be more than that, but it's only my mom, my dad, and I, and we have TONS of presents. And.. and.. I think there are more coming. It's crazy. :D
*hugs y'all*
~E
