disclaimer first chapter
Chapter Two
Sydney waited impatiently for Sark's return. He had promised to be back to discuss the next mission. She had high hopes of finding out what he was working towards. Will laid back on the couch.
"Who are you waiting for, Syd?"
"No one."
"You keep watching the door like you think Bed Affleck is going to appear."
"It's more of a Josh Hartnett wait, besides I'm getting tired of being stuck here."
"We all are. Being cooped up for almost two months isn't my idea of fun."
"Hello, my favorite prisoners." Sark called as he entered the house.
"Oh." Will said, quietly.
"Hey."
"Hi, Mr. Sark." Francie greeted.
"You can drop the mister, Francie. Just plain Sark works."
She smiled. "I'll try it."
He nodded to Sydney. "Hullo, Luvie, Mr. Tippin. Where is Mr. Vaughn?"
"Shower."
"Won't he have a pleasant surprise when he gets out?"
Sydney rolled her eyes.
"Do you have your plans?"
"Yes. I always come prepared. It's that Boy Scout thing."
Sydney kicked her leg out and he flipped over, intentionally.
"You are so annoying sometimes, Sark."
"Can say the same about you, Luv."
He straightened his perfectly tailored suit jacket. He sat down next to her. He opened his laptop and pulled up a picture.
"Christopher Sutcliffe."
"Mmm..."
"In London. He has the key in his apartment."
"NO!"
"Nothing like that, Luv. He's having a party. I've been invited. You are my date. We go play the happy couple. I talk to Sutcliffe, you infiltrate the apartment and steal the key."
"Do I get some action?"
"Probably. You'll run into some guards. Shall I help you get back into shape?"
"I have gotten a little lazy."
His eyes sparkled. "This should be fun."
"Getting tired of having no one able to kick your butt?"
Sark snorted.
"Not likely to happen in near future."
He removed his jacket.
"Well, then, follow me."
Sydney got to her feet and started to follow him. Will asked, "Where are you going?"
"Basement. Sydney and I tend to go all over when we fight."
"Do you?"
"Yeah." Sydney agreed. Sark opened a door and they walked down to the dark basement.
Sark flipped on a light.
"And let there be light." He commented quietly.
Sydney smiled. "Thanks for working with me, Andrew."
"Well, I can't have you getting captured on me."
Sydney felt her heart flutter. She closed her eyes.
"I'm ready."
"All out fighting?"
"You bet."
Sark came at her suddenly, but she darted out of the way. He kicked his leg back, hitting her in the stomach, pushing her against the wall. Sydney cried out. H e leaned over her and she head-butted him. He fell back. He hopped up and the two punched each other. He flipped her over, but she landed on her feet. She stepped on his foot, performed a round house kick, punched his jaw, and pulled him down. He kicked under her feet, causing her to collapse. He rolled over and landed on top of her. He stared at her with such intensity in his eyes, Sydney felt herself falling into a bottomless pit. She heard herself saying, "Andrew, I'm falling in love with you."
She heard him take in a deep breath. Sark stared into her brown eyes and he could see it.
"Oh, Lord, Sydney."
He rolled off of her and they laid side by side. She propped herself up on her elbow.
"I can't believe I just said that."
"Do you take it back?"
"No."
He closed his eyes. "Sydney...Gosh, I love you so much. I don't know when it happened, but it did. I love you so much."
He started to kiss her gently, his hands on either side of her. She looked up at him, pulling away.
"Tell me."
"What?"
"What happened when you were 13?"
"I was kidnapped, taken away into Ireland."
"Why?"
"I don't know exactly. They beat me until I learned how to fight back. Then they tried to force me into all kinds of...stuff." He said for lack of a better word.
"I made them trust me, and then I ran. I tried to get back to my family." His voice broke. "They were gone."
"Oh, Andrew."
"Irina found me when I was 16. She took me under her wing. I didn't know what I was getting into until I was 18. She recruited me for her organization and I moved my way up to her right hand man other than Khasinau."
"It sounds unreal."
"I wish it was. Now you know something that no one else in the world knows."
She stroked his cheek and ran her fingers through his touseled blond hair.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't know where my family is, Syd. Do you think they looked for me?"
"I bet they did. I bet they still are. Families never give up on that kind of thing."
"Really?"
She nodded and hugged him. He kissed her again just as Francie came down calling, "Sydney! Sark! Are you still down here?! You're awfully...OH!"
Sydney jerked away.
"Francie!"
"I didn't see anything."
"Thanks."
She turned on her heel and went back upstairs.
"We're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for telling me."
He nodded as he pulled his knees up to his chest.
"Give me time." She stated quietly.
He didn't answer her. She went back up the stairs.
The two were on the way to their hotel room. Sark had been incredibly quiet and Sydney didn't know how to help him.
"Can I ask you another question?"
He didn't reply.
"What were their names?"
"Katherine and Eric Canton. My sister's names were Blythe and the other one was Charity. Blythe was 10 and Charity was 8 when I...left."
Sydney nodded.
"You had sisters."
"Mhm. I was the oldest."
He fell silent again. Sydney squeezed his hand.
"I hadn't thought about them in a while, you know."
"Really?"
"I had someone else on my mind."
Sydney blushed lightly.
"I hope you have a party dress in there."
"I do. Oh, I do."
Sydney tilted her head at his smirk.
"What does it look like?"
Sark opened the door. "You'll have to wait and see."
"What have you done?"
He chuckled.
"Nothing. I'm innocent, at the moment."
He handed her a suitcase and she walked into the bathroom.
"I'm not coming out. You can go get the key yourself." Sydney yelled from the bathroom.
"Come out here, Luv."
"There is no way I am coming out in this." Her voice was dripping in disgust.
"Then I am coming in."
"No!" She locked the door.
"You really think that lock is going to save you? I can pick it, or if the occasion calls for it, I can kick it down."
"You don't understand. I think this is quite possibly the most embarrassing, degrading outfit I've ever put on."
"Then let me see it."
"No."
Sark picked open the lock and burst into the bathroom. She had a robe on. He started to smile.
"Luvie, you have to let me see it."
He took the robe off for her and burst into quiet laughter.
"You're the only one I know who can pull that off. You're still gorgeous."
She looked down at the black dress. The skirt was shorter than anything she'd ever worn and the top...don't even get her started on the top. She turned away, but Sark pulled her back to him.
"You look amazing."
"I'm supposed to fight in this."
"The guards will see you and pass out."
Sydney rolled her eyes. She added her lip gloss and pinned her black haired wig back. "I hate you right now. Let's get this over with."
She walked ahead of him.
"Stop staring at me, Andrew Sark, or I swear I will test out my fighting abilities in this dress right now."
He jogged to catch up with her.
Chapter Two
Sydney waited impatiently for Sark's return. He had promised to be back to discuss the next mission. She had high hopes of finding out what he was working towards. Will laid back on the couch.
"Who are you waiting for, Syd?"
"No one."
"You keep watching the door like you think Bed Affleck is going to appear."
"It's more of a Josh Hartnett wait, besides I'm getting tired of being stuck here."
"We all are. Being cooped up for almost two months isn't my idea of fun."
"Hello, my favorite prisoners." Sark called as he entered the house.
"Oh." Will said, quietly.
"Hey."
"Hi, Mr. Sark." Francie greeted.
"You can drop the mister, Francie. Just plain Sark works."
She smiled. "I'll try it."
He nodded to Sydney. "Hullo, Luvie, Mr. Tippin. Where is Mr. Vaughn?"
"Shower."
"Won't he have a pleasant surprise when he gets out?"
Sydney rolled her eyes.
"Do you have your plans?"
"Yes. I always come prepared. It's that Boy Scout thing."
Sydney kicked her leg out and he flipped over, intentionally.
"You are so annoying sometimes, Sark."
"Can say the same about you, Luv."
He straightened his perfectly tailored suit jacket. He sat down next to her. He opened his laptop and pulled up a picture.
"Christopher Sutcliffe."
"Mmm..."
"In London. He has the key in his apartment."
"NO!"
"Nothing like that, Luv. He's having a party. I've been invited. You are my date. We go play the happy couple. I talk to Sutcliffe, you infiltrate the apartment and steal the key."
"Do I get some action?"
"Probably. You'll run into some guards. Shall I help you get back into shape?"
"I have gotten a little lazy."
His eyes sparkled. "This should be fun."
"Getting tired of having no one able to kick your butt?"
Sark snorted.
"Not likely to happen in near future."
He removed his jacket.
"Well, then, follow me."
Sydney got to her feet and started to follow him. Will asked, "Where are you going?"
"Basement. Sydney and I tend to go all over when we fight."
"Do you?"
"Yeah." Sydney agreed. Sark opened a door and they walked down to the dark basement.
Sark flipped on a light.
"And let there be light." He commented quietly.
Sydney smiled. "Thanks for working with me, Andrew."
"Well, I can't have you getting captured on me."
Sydney felt her heart flutter. She closed her eyes.
"I'm ready."
"All out fighting?"
"You bet."
Sark came at her suddenly, but she darted out of the way. He kicked his leg back, hitting her in the stomach, pushing her against the wall. Sydney cried out. H e leaned over her and she head-butted him. He fell back. He hopped up and the two punched each other. He flipped her over, but she landed on her feet. She stepped on his foot, performed a round house kick, punched his jaw, and pulled him down. He kicked under her feet, causing her to collapse. He rolled over and landed on top of her. He stared at her with such intensity in his eyes, Sydney felt herself falling into a bottomless pit. She heard herself saying, "Andrew, I'm falling in love with you."
She heard him take in a deep breath. Sark stared into her brown eyes and he could see it.
"Oh, Lord, Sydney."
He rolled off of her and they laid side by side. She propped herself up on her elbow.
"I can't believe I just said that."
"Do you take it back?"
"No."
He closed his eyes. "Sydney...Gosh, I love you so much. I don't know when it happened, but it did. I love you so much."
He started to kiss her gently, his hands on either side of her. She looked up at him, pulling away.
"Tell me."
"What?"
"What happened when you were 13?"
"I was kidnapped, taken away into Ireland."
"Why?"
"I don't know exactly. They beat me until I learned how to fight back. Then they tried to force me into all kinds of...stuff." He said for lack of a better word.
"I made them trust me, and then I ran. I tried to get back to my family." His voice broke. "They were gone."
"Oh, Andrew."
"Irina found me when I was 16. She took me under her wing. I didn't know what I was getting into until I was 18. She recruited me for her organization and I moved my way up to her right hand man other than Khasinau."
"It sounds unreal."
"I wish it was. Now you know something that no one else in the world knows."
She stroked his cheek and ran her fingers through his touseled blond hair.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't know where my family is, Syd. Do you think they looked for me?"
"I bet they did. I bet they still are. Families never give up on that kind of thing."
"Really?"
She nodded and hugged him. He kissed her again just as Francie came down calling, "Sydney! Sark! Are you still down here?! You're awfully...OH!"
Sydney jerked away.
"Francie!"
"I didn't see anything."
"Thanks."
She turned on her heel and went back upstairs.
"We're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for telling me."
He nodded as he pulled his knees up to his chest.
"Give me time." She stated quietly.
He didn't answer her. She went back up the stairs.
The two were on the way to their hotel room. Sark had been incredibly quiet and Sydney didn't know how to help him.
"Can I ask you another question?"
He didn't reply.
"What were their names?"
"Katherine and Eric Canton. My sister's names were Blythe and the other one was Charity. Blythe was 10 and Charity was 8 when I...left."
Sydney nodded.
"You had sisters."
"Mhm. I was the oldest."
He fell silent again. Sydney squeezed his hand.
"I hadn't thought about them in a while, you know."
"Really?"
"I had someone else on my mind."
Sydney blushed lightly.
"I hope you have a party dress in there."
"I do. Oh, I do."
Sydney tilted her head at his smirk.
"What does it look like?"
Sark opened the door. "You'll have to wait and see."
"What have you done?"
He chuckled.
"Nothing. I'm innocent, at the moment."
He handed her a suitcase and she walked into the bathroom.
"I'm not coming out. You can go get the key yourself." Sydney yelled from the bathroom.
"Come out here, Luv."
"There is no way I am coming out in this." Her voice was dripping in disgust.
"Then I am coming in."
"No!" She locked the door.
"You really think that lock is going to save you? I can pick it, or if the occasion calls for it, I can kick it down."
"You don't understand. I think this is quite possibly the most embarrassing, degrading outfit I've ever put on."
"Then let me see it."
"No."
Sark picked open the lock and burst into the bathroom. She had a robe on. He started to smile.
"Luvie, you have to let me see it."
He took the robe off for her and burst into quiet laughter.
"You're the only one I know who can pull that off. You're still gorgeous."
She looked down at the black dress. The skirt was shorter than anything she'd ever worn and the top...don't even get her started on the top. She turned away, but Sark pulled her back to him.
"You look amazing."
"I'm supposed to fight in this."
"The guards will see you and pass out."
Sydney rolled her eyes. She added her lip gloss and pinned her black haired wig back. "I hate you right now. Let's get this over with."
She walked ahead of him.
"Stop staring at me, Andrew Sark, or I swear I will test out my fighting abilities in this dress right now."
He jogged to catch up with her.