Hope found her father sitting on the couch in their living room surrounded by paperwork. It had taken her all day to get him cornered alone. She had never noticed how much time he spent with her mother until she wanted to have a private discussion with him. There were some things that you knew your father, unlike your mother, would not pick up on. "What are you working on?"

Sark looked up to smile at her. "Work stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously! Anything you can tell me about? I beat I would have a fresh outlook on it."

"Not really."

"Am I still going to die in a fight to the death?" She tried her best to peak at the papers in his hands, but he pulled them away with a glare.

"Yes."

She shook her head. "It's a harsh life for me."

Sark laughed as he pushed some of the papers discretely out of the way so that she could sit beside him. "Sydney would kill us if she heard us joking about that prophecy. She still frets about it day in and day out."

"You have to make light of the hard things in life."

"When did you get so wise?"

"Always been."

Sark grabbed a pile of papers and a highlighter. "These are safe for your young eyes. Start going. I need any mention of Project: Nitro highlighted."

"Cheap child labor. I see how it is."

"Exactly."

"And I don't even get to read the good stuff."

"No way. Now what is it you wanted to talk about? Because I know you don't just show up like this unless you have something you want to ask."

She figured there was no real way to ease into what she wanted to know. Plus her father might appreciate her coming right out and asking. And if she did that, he definitely wouldn't figure out the real reason she was asking. "I just wanted to know how you managed to have a relationship with an agent from the other side."

No matter how oblivious he might be, Sark still gave her a funny look. "That was random."

"I just don't see how it was possible."

"Have you become an agent and fallen in love with someone from the other side?" he teased.

She shook her head and hoped he hadn't noticed if she had blushed slightly. There were just some things you really couldn't tell your dad. Especially when he was a spy for the U.S. government. "I was just curious."

"It was hard. And I did have to give up a lot of my old ways. But your mother was worth it. And I've never regretted it."

"But how do you bridge that topic with someone? Did you say something like I know you and I aren't on the same side but I'd be willing to change my whole life for you because you're just that good-looking?"

"There was more to it than my physical attraction to her," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. This conversation was not going the way she wanted it to. "Whatever."

Sark reached over where she sat and grabbed a few files. "Besides, I didn't pursue Sydney."

"You didn't?"

"Believe it or not, she pursued me, kid."

"But she was on the side of the good, fighting those that had crossed over to the dark side."

"Like me?" he said laughingly before resounding. "And she wasn't going to let them dictate her life. She's strong-willed that way. She decided that she wanted me and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"So she was willing to give up her life for you?"

"Yes. But I didn't let her. It would have bothered me every day if I had known she gave up everything she loved just for me."

"Was that because you knew that she was working for a group that was bettering the world?"

"Mostly. Your mother had gotten in with the right crowd, it seemed." He shook his head. "We just ignore that whole SD-6 phase of her life."

"For good reason," Hope agreed. She finished highlighting the last page of the group of papers she had been given. "So, let me get this straight. You think it's all right to change your life for someone you love as long as you know that you're not compromising who you are and that you're not making them give up something that is right for them."

"Um. I'm pretty sure I wasn't being that profound, but sure. That's exactly what I was saying." He took the papers back from her. "Did that help?"

"Sort of." She shrugged and stood up. "Now I have to go. I think my job with the bank is going to end soon. I don't want to be unemployed."

"If only you were combat-certified, I'd get you a job with the CIA."

"Now that Mom would really kill you for." She winked at her father before leaving him to his work.

Just as she reached the door, he called out her name. "Have you given any more thought to applying to college? You graduated high school over a year ago. Now that your job with the bank might be done with, maybe it's time. I hear UCLA has a good business program."

She gave him a small smile. "We'll see, Dad."

The door clicked softly as it shut behind Hope. Her father's words had actually helped her a lot more than she had let on. Somehow she was going to have to figure out how to start doing more freelance work for whomever this Tyler character was working for. Hopefully that wouldn't make the world a worse place to live in.

Though something in her gut told her that this whole thing was going to go horribly wrong somehow.

"First you have to figure out how you can see him again," she whispered to herself. "Which also means that you need to figure out who the hell this guy is and if his name really is Tyler."

This research thing was going to take forever.

Tyler sat staring blankly at the computer screen listing name after name as he had been for the past hour or so. There was tons of paperwork to be doing for his first mission to England, but every time he tried to work on them, he ended up daydreaming about the Black Widow. Eventually, he just gave up trying to pretend like he was doing work.

He really wished that he knew more about this Ana character. Like who she really was and how she got a job with such a shady organization when she didn't seem like all that bad a person. And if she had a boyfriend.

Okay. He had no idea where that came from.

"Who are you thinking about?"

Amy's voice snapped him out of his thoughts abruptly. She was standing next to his desk with a rather amused look on her face. He hoped that he had contained the majority of his blush from her inquiring eyes. "I was just doing my work, Amy. You know, all that fun paperwork Dixon likes to encourage us to do."

"Yeah right," she said with a laugh, perching on the corner of his desk. "Paperwork, my ass, kid. So tell me. What really went down on that rookie mission of yours? Office gossip has not been as reliable as normal for me, and you've been staring off into space since you got back to the office. In the CIA rulebook, that means something happened."

"It was a really hard mission. My first one in case you forgot."

She smirked at him. "Come on, honey. You can tell your Auntie Amy what really went on. Haven't you heard? I'm the cool agent in this division. Did you ever hear about the time I had an elicit affair with the Prime Minister of England just to make sure that US-England ties stayed strong? The things I do for my country."

"You're full of crap."

"Yeah, I am. Should have known that one wouldn't have worked."

"You're a married woman."

"I always forget."

"So I think I have a crush on an enemy agent."

Tyler almost laughed at how shocked she looked. "Say what?"

"Black Widow. She's an operative of the New Directorate. Or at least she used to be. I ran into them trying to assassinate her for attempting to quit while I was on my mission. I helped her get out. Or rather she helped me get out and I gave her a lift to the nearest Tube station."

"If I had known a little joke about my illustrious spy career would get you talking, I'd have done it sooner."

"Well, I guess I just realized that if I could tell anyone, it would be you. You told me that I could come to you with anything and everything that day you broke into my UCLA dorm room."

"I did. And you can. So, who is this Black Widow?"

"That's the problem. I don't know more than her name is Ana. Or least she told me her name was Ana. I don't really know where to begin looking for more." He pushed his head into his hands and closed his eyes. This was starting to give him a headache.

Amy sighed. "You said that she was working for the New Directorate?"

"Up until a few days ago, yeah."

"Then your best bet would be talking to Prisoner 847 down in Cell Block C."

"Prisoner 847?"

Amy leaned over closer to him. "Don't let Dixon I told you this because it was supposed to be confidential. But then what is really confidential around here, right?"

"Your point, Amy. Your point."

"Nadia Santos is Prisoner 847."

"Aunt Syd's sister? When did she get taken into custody?"

"About five years ago or so. She kidnapped Sydney. That is what's known as a major spy world faux pas. The only reason Julian Lazarey did not kill her was because of her connection to Sydney."

"But how did she make it to CIA custody? Sydney's no longer affiliated with us."

"Well, that's the thing. Syd is kind of still involved with the CIA. We have a black ops division."

"I knew it!"

"You cannot tell anyone about it. The only reason I know is because my husband and brother are both a part of it."

"Noah and Will?"

"Yeah. There are five agents only doing the most dangerous, shady work that CIA has. Noah, Will, Sydney, Sark, and an ex-K-Directorate agent, Anna Espinosa."

"She's a legend."

"Yeah. Irina was pretty found of the work she did back in the day, and Sark was always fond of her."

"She's the enemy, but she's respected. I think the CIA has issues."

"Don't dwell on this new information. Focus on your goal, kid. You want to learn more about an agent of the New Directorate? Ask Nadia Santos."

"Why would she be so helpful?"

"Because the CIA has suspected her of running the New Directorate while she's in our custody."

"She's running an enemy agency while being in US custody? That's ridiculous."

"The ridiculous has become normal for us."

Tyler nodded in agreement and leaned back in his chair. "So how do I get to see Nadia? I know for a fact any prisoner over a 700 designation is authorized personnel only."

"Well, it involves a little stealth and one well-made roast beef sandwich. But I think we have both of those covered."

"We?"

Amy laughed. "I'm helping you out with this one, kiddo. You need an expert to get in to see Nadia." Giving one last laugh, Amy walked away to start getting the necessary actions into motion.

"Nadia Santos," Tyler said, leaning against the white, unbreakable Plexiglas window that held the prisoner in captivity. He hoped that he sounded brave and not a little bit intimidated. Because he was. Intimidated. And scared, to be completely honest.

"Mr. Vaughn. You look exactly like your father."

"I get that a lot."

"What brings you here to see me?"

"I want information on one of your agents. The Black Widow."

"One of my agents? The Covenant has been hanging in limbo since I got locked up in this cell."

"Since you kidnapped your own sister, you mean." She just shrugged and continued to star at him intently. "You don't have to lie to me. The CIA is well aware that you have been running The New Directorate even though you are in our custody. We just didn't let on because we weren't sure how you were doing."

"And now you do?"

"And now I don't care if the CIA ever learns how. I want the information."

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Why does it seem you're only physically capable of asking me questions?"

Nadia chuckled. "You are a lot less stoic than your father. It must be your mother's influence on you. You know she would have made a fine agent if only your father hadn't had such a strong influence on her."

"We are not discussing my family."

"Fine. What do you want to know about the Black Widow?"

"Who is she?"

"She's the best agent in the world right now. I have never seen anyone who can fight as well as she could. Not even my sister or mother. She's lethal even if she has nothing to fight with but her hands and she's tied to a chair. It's like watching a ballet to see her go to work."

"I agree," Tyler said absentmindedly.

"So you've seen her in action? Good."

"Good why?"

"Good because I think you two could work well together."

"Yeah. Tell me how to find her and I'll get right on that. Word on the street is she's looking for new employment now that you've tried to kill her for leaving your agency."

"Damnit!" Nadia said, standing up abruptly and punching the brick wall. "Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!"

"Something wrong?"

"I could kill Weiss. He's always making these damn decisions without consulting me."

Tyler's heart dropped out at the mention of Weiss's name. "Weiss as in Eric Weiss? As in the man stuck in Cell Block B under heavy CIA protection because he tried to kidnapped me when I was young? As in the man who tried to take out half the CIA agency?"

"As in the man helping me run my operations. He's really talented, you know. Another agent that was just wasted within the CIA."

"So, Weiss tried to have her killed?"

"He has negative feelings towards her that date back a long time. Sometimes he goes a little overboard."

"Is there any prisoner in our custody who is actually a prisoner?" Tyler demanded.

"I mock the CIA for its inefficiency because that is what it is. So, have I answered your question? Because if we're done, I would really appreciate you leaving so that I can do my yoga. I can't concentrate if I'm being watched."

"No. I want more information on Ana."

"It's Ana now? You two did get awful close really fast."

"What is her last name?"

"Santos. She's my daughter."