Author's Note: One scene in this chapter is rated R, so be warned.


Alternate Reality



The mission had gone without a hitch and Sydney and Sark had made it back to the hotel room.

I'm going to change and then go to bed, Sydney announced, gathering up a pair of pajamas that she intended to wear to bed.

Before you do though, Sark began, advancing on her, I wanted to tell you something.

Can't it wait a minute? Sydney asked with a smile.

Sark responded by putting a finger to her lips. Her eyes drifted down for a second then back up. She wanted to taste that finger badly but fought the urge and waited for Sark to continue. He leaned in close, close enough for Sydney to feel his breath on her cheek.

I wanted to tell you that I feel what you feel, Sydney. Sydney started to say something but Sark shushed her. We both know what I'm talking about.

Sydney stared far into his ice blue eyes and in one swift motion she had her arms around his neck and Sark had his arms around her back. Their lips crashed together and Sark moved his hands to Sydney's hips as they drank each other in and he led her to one of the beds in the room.

A few seconds later and Sydney was on her back with Sark on top of her. He was kissing her neck as she worked to undress him. Sark stopped kissing her long enough to help her remove the clothes he was wearing as well as slip off her clothes as well. They were both already breathing heavily. Sydney had her hands in Sark's hair and Sark had his hands on either side of Sydney's body. Sydney urgently slipped her hands down to Sark's waist as she spread her legs a bit and guided him into her.

Their bodies moved together with incredible urgency. Sydney was repeatedly calling out Sark's name as she got closer and closer. It wasn't long before she heard him call out her name and they both came together. He repeated it softly over and over as he lay on top of her catching his breath.

Francie's voice.

Sydney was suddenly confused. Why was Francie...? Then it all came flooding back to her.



She forced her eyes open and was met by the bright light of the lamp on her bedside table.



Sydney sat up quickly and saw that she had inadvertently untucked the sheets with her legs and had twisted herself out of them. She was breathing heavily, sweating a bit, and was completely aroused. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked down at herself to see that she was dressed in a pair of pajamas. She rested her forehead in her hand as it hit her that it had all been a dream. She blushed a deep crimson. Francie had heard her crying out during a sex dream with someone she would probably never be able to have. How would she explain it? Or at least explain the person whose name she was screaming...

I heard you screaming, so I came to see if you were okay, Francie told her, gently rubbing her arm.

Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine, Sydney said with a weak smile.

Sounded pretty intense.

Yeah, I guess, Sydney said with a shrug.

Who was it? Francie asked.

Some guy, Sydney blurted, looking down at her lap.

Francie raised her eyebrows. So some random guy was hurting you?

Sydney almost burst out at Francie but stopped herself. She honestly couldn't tell the difference between a cry of ecstasy and a cry of pain? Sydney almost laughed. Oh, it was a dark alleyway outside of a bar. I don't know why, but the bar was empty when I left and the bartender came after me. Sydney almost rolled her eyes at how lame the story sounded.

Oh geez, that's horrible, Syd. What could have caused you to have a dream like that? Francie asked, genuine concern etched into her eyes.

She's buying it?! God, she's dense. No wonder I've been able to keep my job a secret for so long. Sydney chased that thought out of her head and cleared her throat. I don't know, Fran. I don't know why I had a dream like that.

Well, you're okay now, right? Francie asked gently.

Yeah, I'm fine, Sydney said with a smile. I need to get some sleep though, she added, looking at her LED clock on the nightstand and finding it was after three in the morning.

Oh, of course. Night sweetie, Francie said, kissing the top of Sydney's head then leaving the room.

Sydney sighed heavily and switched off the lamp. She was lucky that Francie had been as clueless as she was or else she would have had a difficult time trying to explain the mystery dude in her sex dream. She swallowed hard. She had told her mother she wouldn't allow herself to become infatuated with Sark and yet here she was having an erotic dream about him.

She folded her hands and rested them in her lap. She wondered if Sark felt at all what she felt. She hoped he did, but she was afraid of actually going up to him and mentioning something to him about it. If he did, then it wouldn't be a loss, but if he didn't, she would have to live with the embarrassment and the inevitable awkward moments she would face with him every day after that.

Yet she wondered what it would be like to be with Sark. She figured it would be nice, loving, comfortable. They would walk together, go out to dinner, cuddle on the couch, just enjoy the pleasure of each other's company. She also figured that he was probably a hopeless romantic and would love her with every cell of his body. She smiled at the thought.

Being loved.

It had been too long since she had been loved and had loved someone. Now she loved.

But she could only hope that he loved her back.