"Very good, bring it right in here, but please try to be quiet. My wife is sleeping in this morning."
Sydney woke the next morning to a knock on the door followed by Sark's hushed voice. She peeked through one eye and saw him ushering in a waiter with a tray of food. The strong aroma of coffee and bacon filled the air and a smile settled over her face. Sark handed the waiter a tip and waved him out the door before beginning to set up the table with all the food that he had ordered.
"It smells delicious…" Sydney murmured dreamily, rolling onto her stomach and stretching out her arms.
"I'm sorry, I had tried not to wake you!" Sark told her kindly.
She smiled, with her eyes still shut. "I'm ashamed for sleeping as long as I already have." She glanced at the clock on the table beside the bed. "I never sleep in!"
"I know how that is." Sark agreed with a slightly regretful sigh. "Well, are you up now, or would you like to try to sleep more?"
Sydney shook her head. "No, I'll get up."
Sark sat at the table where he had set out two plates along with all the platters of food. "Would you care for some coffee?"
Sydney started to nod then stopped. "I don't care for coffee."
Sark frowned. "I had rather though you did." He looked thoughtful. "I seem to remember you consuming quite a bit of coffee during the time that we worked together at SD-6."
Sydney sighed. "Julia does not care for coffee."
"Aah, I see." Sark nodded. "But you do not need to be Julia at this moment. It is only the two of us here Sydney, and I much prefer you as you are."
Sydney hesitated briefly before sliding out of bed and joining him at the table. "So, have we had any action on the tracer yet?"
Sark shook his head as he poured Sydney a cup of hot coffee. "If we had, don't you think I'd have woken you earlier rather than sitting here calmly and enjoying a leisurely breakfast?"
Sydney nodded and didn't bother to answer. She closed her eyes and sipped the hot coffee slowly, enjoying the strong bitter taste. When she opened her eyes she realized that Sark was staring at her, not even touching his own food.
"What?" She asked self-consciously.
"Nothing." He resumed his eating quickly.
"That look was not nothing." Sydney insisted. "Why were you staring at me like that?"
"It's just the way you were sipping your coffee. Your expression was one of sheer delight…" He pondered her carefully with his crystal-blue eyes. "I find watching you absolutely fascinating."
Sydney felt herself blushing and tried not to make eye contact with him. "My life with the Covenant has deprived me of many things I like."
"I've made you uncomfortable." Sark observed.
Sydney shook her head, determined not to let Sark believe he had any power over her, in any way. "I just think you're full of it." She stated firmly calmly.
"Oh?" Sark grinned slowly. "I'm full of it, am I?" He sipped from his coffee for a moment before shaking his head. "I assure you that I am not. I have a tendency of speaking my mind and meaning precisely what I say."
Sydney rolled her eyes. "Well, very good for you."
Sark again had no answer and for a while the two of them ate silently, neither caring to start up another conversation. A sudden beeping interrupted their quiet, alerting them to the activity on the tracker that Sark planted on Dr. Mateski's laptop. Sark hurried over to the desk, quickly tracing the movement on his own laptop. Sydney moved over to her suitcase, waiting for Sark to fill her in on their plans for the day. She hated having to wait for him to give her direction, but since this whole betraying the Covenant thing was his idea, she really felt that it should be his call about how they proceed.
"Alright, as far as I can tell he is still in the hotel, somewhere in the lobby, and his laptop been stationary for a while, so I am assuming he is eating breakfast in the restaurant." Sark informed her. "We need to be ready to follow him as soon as he leaves the hotel though."
Sydney nodded. "I'll get dressed."
…………
"How long do you think we're going to have to wait?" Sydney complained as she and Sark crouched behind a short wall where they could easily survey the alley below, where Dr. Mateski was currently waiting in his parked car. They had already been there for fifteen minutes.
"I have no idea." Sark answered lazily. "Would you like to play a game to pass the time?" He gave her a half-smile. "Or we could talk again, since it worked out so well the last time…"
Sydney turned her head towards him with an irritated sigh. "Yea Sark, let's play a game. Ever heard of the silent game?"
"Alright Agent Bristow, we can be silent. We can be serious and boring, just as you prefer everything to be." Sark settled back on his haunches and crossed his arms over his chest.
Sydney frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Sark lifted an eyebrow but didn't look at her. "Nothing, nothing at all."
"God Sark! I never thought it was possible for one person to be so completely annoying." She let out a huffy breath and was silent for a minute. I'm not going to ask him. I'm not going to care. He can be a bastard all he wants, I'm not going to fall for his charm…what am I talking about? It's not charm! It's deceit. Annoying cold-hearted deceit. She paused. I can't believe I'm going to do this. I know I'm going to regret it…She turned to look at Sark. "Why did you say that I prefer everything to be serious and boring?"
"Really Sydney, I didn't mean anything by it." He told her quickly. "Please, forget I said anything."
Sydney shook her head. "It's not true." She pursed her lips tightly. "I like fun."
"Of course you do." Sark agreed obediently.
"Well you don't have to be so damn sarcastic." Sydney glared at him. "I know how to have fun. Believe me, I do." She was feeling so idiotically defensive that she even went as far as to poke him in the chest with her index finger.
He glanced down at where she had poked him and smirked. "Well, yes, I am certain you must know how to have fun when forced…"
"You are a jerk."
"I have been told so before." He shrugged. "But honestly Sydney, has it ever crossed your mind that you are in fact making this whole arrangement as difficult as you possibly can?"
"I'm sorry, but I find it unusually difficult to try and have fun when you're around!"
"I'm not talking about your lack of fun anymore Sydney."
Sydney hesitated. "Then I don't know what you're talking about."
"I believe that I have been the perfect gentleman ever since we have been working together. I haven't done anything I am aware of that should make you so terribly upset with me, have I?"
"You mean other than existing?"
"See, this is exactly what I am referring to. No matter how civil I am, or how patient I try to be, you always manage to attack me with some stinging comment or even sometimes physical attacks!" Sark accused her.
Sydney stared down at her feet. "Okay, so you sort of have a point, in a way…"
"In a way? Sydney are you bleeding psychotic?" He raised his voice slightly then quickly lowered it back down to a safe hush.
"See! You're just a…"
"If you call me a jerk one more time I swear I'm going to…"
"You're going to what? Lecture me some more?" Sydney rolled her eyes. "You're so British."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Sark frowned.
Sydney sighed. "I don't know. I'm not really sure what I'm saying anymore. You're just frustrating me and it's making me confused…"
"You are a strange woman Sydney Bristow." Sark informed her plainly.
"And you are an arrogant bastard Julian Sark." Sydney retorted lamely.
He couldn't help himself from letting out a low frustrated growl. "This is exactly what I am talking about. I cannot understand why you are so determined to hate me! What have I ever done to you?"
Sydney's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Do you seriously need an itemized list, Sark? You, all by yourself, have caused my life more stress and trouble than any person that I know of, other than Arvin Sloane. Simon Walker may have been an asshole but at least he would never hurt any of my friends."
"I hardly think that's fair…" Sark started to interrupt.
"No, it is. He's possessive and a little crazy, but he cares about me and he would protect me…" She frowned. "I think."
"I meant that it wasn't fair what you said about me. Comparing me to Arvin Sloane I mean."
"Oh, well fine, you're right. That might have been too nice. I think that you might actually be tied with Sloane! Sure, Sloane had my fiancé killed, but you murdered my best friend and had your girlfriend infiltrate my life…" Her voice was steadily growing louder.
"I tried to explain to you that he in fact was responsible for what happened to Francie, and I was not…" Sark cut in.
"And how are you going to explain Will? Or do you even remember all that time you spent torturing him for information that he didn't even have!" Sydney was almost screaming now.
Sark immediately clamped his hand over her mouth, moving towards her so that their faces were only an inch apart. "If you don't wish to get us both spotted and likely killed, you might want to consider yelling at me in a whisper from now on."
Sydney jerked away from him and glared ferociously. "I'm done yelling at you. I don't even want to think about you! I can't even look at you…" For emphasis, she turned the other way, resolutely showing him her back.
"Fine with me. I think I would much prefer your silence at this point." He moved up slowly until he could peek over the edge of the wall. Dr. Mateski's car was still the only one parked in the alley and by looking through his binoculars Sark confirmed that he was still inside the car. He continued watching the car but spoke softly to Sydney in a very flat and resigned voice. "Sydney, considering everything that has occurred between us in the past, I am feeling that this partnership may not have been the best choice for either of us. I do not see how we can successfully work together if we cannot even communicate without an argument." He paused and considered his words carefully. "After we complete our mission here in Paris and return to the Covenant, I will ask them to reinstate your partnership with Mr. Walker, and I will continue my work alone. I believe that may be what you would prefer." He stopped talking and assumed that their conversation would be over for the rest of the mission, except when absolutely necessary. "Another car is pulling up."
Sydney crouched beside him so she too could see over the edge and they waited apprehensively. He continued watching through the binoculars and she positioned the camera so they could photograph the business transaction, taking place below.
"Can you see who's driving the second car yet?" Sydney questioned.
"Not yet…" Sark answered briefly. Then he stopped.
"What's wrong?" Sydney instantly noticed that he was gripping the binoculars a bit tighter and she could tell that he was clenching his jaw tightly. "Sark, who is it?" She squinted, trying to see better but he had much better visibility than she did.
Sark cleared his throat. "Umm, Sydney, please remember that you are supposed to be dead and being seen here would be eminently bad for us both…"
"Sark…" Sydney waited for him to tell her but when the car stopped and both drivers exited their vehicles, she didn't need him to answer. She would be able to recognize him for the rest of her life, even without the familiar suits and unique designer sunglasses. "Sloane…"
