"You needed to see me, Arvin?" Jack said as he walked into Sloane's office.

The head of SD-6 stared at him for a split second before waving for him to take a seat.  With his face schooled into a careful non-expression, Jack sat down and waited for Sloane to speak.  Instead of saying a word, Sloane reached down and slid a manila folder across his desk.

Jack reached for it, a small lump in his throat.  Chances were that it was nothing, just some report of interest to Sloane, but there was always the possibility that it was something else, a report, a photo, a hint that Jack--or Sydney--was a double agent.  Making sure his face showed none of his anxiety, he opened the folder.

And fought down rage.  He flipped through them, his jaw clenching tighter as he studied each photograph.  The fact that they existed was not surprising.  He had noticed the men during his first dinner with Francie and a few times since.  But he'd never expected to be confronted with photographic evidence of Security Section's silent presence in his life.  In Francie's life.

Noticing that none of the pictures were of a particularly personal nature, he took in a deep breath and forced himself to relax.  "Security Section must be bored," he said as he tossed the folder back onto Sloane's desk.

"You know that this agency requires sacrifices," Arvin answered, his hand stoking back and forth on the desk.  "There is no such thing as a personal life here."

"And there is no reason why my relationship with Francie should be of any particular interest," Jack answered, struggling to keep his voice smooth and disinterested.

Sloane crossed his fingers and leaned back in his chair.  "She's young enough to be your daughter, Jack."

"I can do basic math, Arvin."

Resting his arms on his desk, Sloane leaned forward.  "What's Sydney going to think?"

Jack stared at Sloane for a moment before answering, "She doesn't like it."

"She knows?"

"Yes."

Arvin rubbed his forehead.  "You told her?"

"No."  A heartbeat worth's of silence passed.  "She walked in.  At an inopportune moment."

"I know that I'm not her father, Jack, but--"

"No," he snapped, unable to hide his anger completely.  "You're not."

Arvin nodded as he stood and strolled around the desk.  He leaned back against it, still studying Jack.  "Jack, I hope you know what you're doing."

Jack looked down at his shoes for a moment.  Then he looked back at the man who was both his enemy and his friend.  He wondered if Sydney would ever understand what he felt for Arvin Sloane.  He'd never tried to explain it to her; he doubted she could comprehend hating and admiring the same man.  Admiring not the man he was, but for the man he used to be, the man he could've been.  Hating him for the man he was.  "It won't interfere with my work, Arvin, if that is your concern."

"It's not my only concern, but I'm glad to hear that you know your obligations."  He walked back around the desk, picking up another folder as he did.  "I have an assignment for you."

Realizing that the conversation was returning to mundane matters, Jack relaxed and waited to hear what his next mission would be.

***

"Call him," Will said as he laid down a card.

Francie, biting her lip, looked up from her hand.  "What?"  She looked over at Amanda, who was looking over at Will.  "Call who?"

"Call who?"  Amanda tossed down a card.  "I think we all know who."

"He's at work," Francie answered, tossing down her card.

"Then you know where to get ahold of him," Will answered.

Francie tossed her cards and shook her head.  "I don't usually call him at work.  Besides--"

"You've spent the whole day with us," Will started.

"While wanting to be with him," Amanda finished.

Will grinned over at his fiancée.  "True."

"I'd get a complex if you hadn't introduced me to him," Amanda answered, leaning back against the couch behind her.  "I'd want to be with him, too, if I were you."

"Hey!"

She leaned forward and reached across the coffee table that had been doubling as their card table.  Putting her hand on the side of Will's face, she laughed.  "Honey, I just want to be with you, but you can't deny that Jack Bristow is one hot man."

"Actually," he began.  Francie tossed some popcorn in his direction, making him laugh.  "I'm sorry, but I don't see the attraction.  I guess he's good looking.  For a guy."

"Well, Sydney looks a lot like him," his fiancée replied, "and I know you think she's hot."

Will blushed.  "W-well," he stuttered.

"I love to make him blush," Amanda said with a grin.  It was a light teasing, and Francie was glad to see that Amanda was aware of Will's past feelings for Sydney, and wasn't bothered by them.

Francie nibbled on some of the popcorn.  "She looks a lot like her mom did, too, actually."

Will glanced back down at his cards.  "Yeah, I've seen her pictures."

Francie frowned.  "You know, she used to keep them out, but I haven't seen them in a long time.  Over a year.  I wonder if she put them away?"

"Probably.  They mean a lot to her," Will mumbled.

"Call him," Amanda said, changing the subject back to the original conversation.  "We can do without your companionship tonight at dinner."

Francie glanced at the phone and shook her head.  "That's not how our relationship works."

"Oh?" Amanda said, making Francie realize how stupid that sounded.

"I've always waited on him to call most of the time."

"That's not like you," Will said.

"No, it's not," Francie admitted.

She glanced back at the phone and was stunned to realize how afraid she was to call.  In the last few months, since Sydney had found out, Jack had been so busy at work.  And the last month.  The last month had been the worst.

They'd not had sex even once in the last month.  Ever since that trip to London.  He'd been too busy to do more than an occasional dinner.


Or he was saying he had been.  Francie admitted that a part of her was afraid that he was just trying to figure out how to break up with her.  After all, Sydney now knew about them.  He knew it would make things awkward with his daughter.

Francie looked back at Will and Amanda who were looking at her with understanding.  "He's crazy about you, Francie," Will said, proving that he really did know what was scaring her.

"That he is," Amanda said, leaning one elbow on the table.

"Call him," Will said.

"I've been stupid lately.  Haven't I?"

Will and Amanda both looked away and whistled like they hadn't heard the question.  Francie grinned.  "I guess that means you both know what's been bothering me?"

"Yeah," Will and Amanda said together.

"Jack's not the type to not say what he thinks," she said.

"Oh, no," Will said.  "Now stop moping about and call him."

***

"Ms. Calfo is on line three for you, Sir."

Jack stopped talking, surprised that Francie had called him at the office.  She had done it before, but only on rare occasions and when he expected her to.  He looked over at Sloane and then back at Mike, the young agent who had brought him the message.  "Tell her that I'm in conference with Mr. Sloane, and that I'll call her back soon."

Mike nodded.  "Yes, Sir."

"Francie."

"Yes.  K-Directorate needs--"

"You're still seeing her."

Jack stared at Sloane for a moment.  "Yes, I am, but I'm sure Security Section has kept you informed."

Sloane studied him.  "They have."

"K-Directorate needs--"

"I'm uncomfortable, Jack."

Jack paused.  "About this mission?  It seems clear to me.  We shouldn't lose anyone, if every thing goes according to plan, and I believe the intel we received was accurate."

"Uncomfortable about your relationship with Ms. Calfo."

Managing to hide his anger, Jack said, "My personal life--"

"You have no personal life, Jack.  None of us do.  You know that, better than most," Sloane said, walking to stand directly in front of him.

"I'm sure that she's been cleared by Security Section.  She does live with Sydney," Jack said, reminding himself that he couldn't put his fist into Sloane's face.  No matter how tempting it was.

Ever since Jack's relationship with Francie had come to Sloane's attention, the head of SD-6 had subtly worked to break the relationship.  Jack's trips out of town had increased drastically.  Sloane always said that he needed Jack in those locations, but most of the assignments were relatively easy to handle.

Jack had been managing to juggle the increased work load and his relationship fine until London.  In the month since that disaster of a mission, Jack had felt tortured as he'd been forced to keep his hands off Francie in order to hide a bullet wound in his shoulder.  Of course she had noticed the difference immediately, and he could see that it was bothering her, but he didn't know how to reassure her.  It wasn't like he could tell her the truth, and he'd been unable to find a lie that soothed her.

"I'm not worried about her, Jack."  Sloane paused for effect.  "I'm worried about you.  It's out-of-character for you to date someone half your age."

"I like her, Arvin.  I enjoy being with Francie, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten where my loyalties lie."

Sloane studied him for a minute.  "Make sure it doesn't," he said.  "Please continue with what you were saying about the op in Abidjan."

***

Syd watched as Francie walked in the door of their apartment.  She saw the hint of sadness that her friend couldn't hide, and she knew the reason for it--Jack Bristow.

He was hurting her.  He wasn't meaning to, and Sydney could appreciate what he was trying to do, but--

It had gone on long enough.  Francie deserved better than being dragged along in limbo.  Jack would never make a firm commitment, and Sydney knew that Francie would eventually leave her father because he lacked that ability.  But her friend had taken more than enough, and Sydney was tired of seeing her hurt.

And maybe she was tired of seeing Jack hurt, too.  She had sat by his hospital bed in London and watched him talk on the phone with Francie.  Watched him try to explain why the business meeting was taking more than a week extra to finish.  She'd almost believed it bothered him to lie to Francie.

Almost.

It was time for her to get involved.  "Hey, Francie."

"Hey, Sydney."  Francie sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Long day?"  Sydney said, patting the seat next to her on the couch.

Francie sank onto it.  "A little bit.  Business was really booming today."

"Guess that's why you're back home so early tonight."

Hesitating for just a moment--she hardly ever discussed her dates with Jack--Francie answered, "Actually, Jack had a lot of work to do at the bank.  He needed to go back and finish it."  Her voice was soft, hesitant, as if she didn't totally believe what she was saying.  Then she said in a firm tone, "You both have been so busy lately.  You didn't even get to stay at Amanda's party last month."

"That really bothered me, too," Sydney lied.  She would've been upset at being called away from the party--and she let everyone, including Will, think that was why she'd almost been in tears when she'd left--except for the fact that Sloane had been the one to call her.  He'd called her personally to tell her that Jack had been injured.  He had made it sound worse than it was, but it had been close.  The bullet could have hit a vital organ; the fact it hadn't had only been luck.

"I know," Francie sighed.  She laid her head back and closed her eyes.  Sydney tensed when she asked, "Why haven't you quit, yet?  I thought the bank was supposed to help pay for what you really wanted to do--teach.  You have your PhD and you're still there."

Sydney opened her mouth, but she couldn't find a lie.  "I want to, but--"

Francie opened her eyes and looked at her.  "But?"

Running her hand through her hair, she said, "I don't know.  I like my job.  I think it's important.  And I'm enjoying working with Dad."

All of which was true.  She did enjoy her job, because she was working for the good of her country, the good of the world, by helping take down SD-6 and the Alliance.  She hated the lying, but that wasn't all her job was about.  Her job was important, not just to her, but to others.  And she did enjoy working with Jack.  She'd learned more about him in the almost two years she'd been working with him than she'd known from the previous twenty-six.

"Teaching's important.  You would enjoy it, and I'm sure Jack would understand," Francie said, her eyes studying Sydney.

She smiled.  "True.  Maybe I'm just comfortable where I am, even when I'm uncomfortable."

Francie winced.  "I understand that feeling."

Sydney thought about the sadness in Francie's eyes, and decided to help her friend end what was no longer fun for her.  "I have a reservation for four to the Golden Palace Wednesday night.  I want you and Dad to join me and a friend."

"Wednesday night?"

Sydney heard the hesitation in Francie's voice and knew the reasons.  Besides never having eaten dinner with her father and friend as a couple, Sydney also knew Wednesday would be their anniversary.  Six months.

"Have you asked your dad?" Francie asked.

"Not yet.  I wanted to ask you first.  I'll ask him tomorrow at work, if you're okay with it," Sydney said.  "I'd really like to take you two out."

Sydney knew she'd won with that last shot.  Francie wanted Sydney to be happy about her relationship with Jack.  Nodding, Francie said, "Okay.  Clear it with Jack, and if he's okay with it, then so am I.  I've always wanted to try out the Golden Palace."