Chapter 10 -

Close to 4:00 A.M., Sydney arrived home. Doing her best to keep quiet, she entered her apartment to slowly creep to her room. She was a tad surprised when she heard Will's voice.

"Syd? Is that you?"

Stopping in her tracks, she sighed, "Yeah Will, it's just me." Secretly she hoped that he kept the questions to a minimum. "Sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay." In the darkness, she saw Will sit up on the couch. "Everything alright?"

Oddly enough, that was the problem now. Things were all right – good, even. Well, they were until that sudden pang of guilt surfaced after Will's question. What would he do if he ever found out that not only did she have feelings for the man he despised and feared, she just returned from an intimate meeting at his house? Their friendship could rightly be destroyed.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine," Sydney replied, near a whisper. "An old friend came to town and surprised me after work."

"Your father stopped by," Will added, sending a quick jolt of fear through her system. "Around 8:00 or so."

Doing her best not to panic, she took a quiet, deep breath. "Did he say what he wanted?"

Will reclined again on the couch, readjusting his comforter. "Nope. I'm not sure if it was urgent either, since his content face is so similar to his 'the shit has hit the fan' face."

Knowing the absolute truth of that statement, Sydney laughed at his joke. "Well, I'm exhausted. I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Will."

"Night Syd," Will called to her, as she walked into her room.

When she told Will she was exhausted, it was only a half-truth. Sure she was tired, but part of her body was still tingling. Still, Sydney grabbed her nightclothes and headed to her bathroom. After changing, she stood before her mirror. First she touched her lips, and then moved her hand down to her neck, the same area Sark had been exploring over an hour before. The way his lips, and at times, his teeth nibbled on her was surreal. God, it felt good to be touched again. It seemed like it had been so long since the last time she was with a man, in any way.

She let her hair down for the night, and then crawled into bed. Within an hour, Sydney found sleep again. Thoughts of Sark disappeared, only to resurface in her dreams.

And so it began.

Everything that came with the start of something new, the anticipation of seeing that person as you rode up the elevator. Knowing he would more than likely be on the other side of the office once you had arrived. The ultimate jolt in the gut when he happened to walk by, looking his best in the all black suit you had grown to find indelibly sexy. Watching the curls on the back of his head, dreaming of twisting them between your fingers. The inconspicuous office glances, infrequent of course, due to the security issues around them, but very telling if you were in the know. Although they didn't speak to each other all day, Sydney was content with the fact he was visible and near. Needless to say, the day after her night with Sark was trying.

What also began, and was equally as trying, was the betrayal of her father.

When she arrived, he was sitting at his desk, talking on the phone. As she approached, she spied a brief look of relief wash over his face. To reassure him, she branded a soft but bright smile. Just a small hint that hopefully told him, everything was fine. Sensing the quick dart of his eyes in Sark's direction, she realized it didn't work.

After work, as expected, Jack Bristow was in his car waiting for Sydney to go to hers. Parked next to her in the SD-6 garage, he rolled down the window of his luxury car.

"Can we have dinner?" He asked, when she walked over.

Unable to get a clear read on what he was thinking, she ceased the attempt. "Sure, where?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to try Francie's restaurant."

"Okay. Are we heading straight there?" Sydney asked.

Hearing the sound of footsteps drawing near, Jack began to close his window. He nodded in answer to her question. Curious to who was approaching, he turned around to find Sark, who also happened to be leaving for the day.

Sark didn't hesitate for a moment at the sight of the Bristow's. His face washed of any emotion he briefly looked at the two, and then finished the walk to his car. Realizing she had been staring, Sydney looked back to her father. The look of intrigue on his face brought her back to reality.

Silently, she cursed at herself. She had been discreet all day, until now.

He didn't give any hints leaning either way. He never did. Jack Bristow was the sort of man that would skip any forewarning and blurt out what he believed, in his usual blunt manner. She was waiting for it, dreading it actually.

They made it through dinner. It was a relatively silent one, a few questions asked about her schooling, a few about her pending graduation. Then again, the restaurant was small, and any private conversation would be better held elsewhere.

"Would you two like anything else?" Francie asked, after approaching the table.

With a small hint of satisfaction, Jack replied, "No, thank you. Everything was just right, Francie."

Sydney watched Francie's smile. Its not everyday Jack Bristow offered a compliment. After the table was cleared and Sydney had finished her glass of wine, the ball started rolling. "I need to speak with you. Outside."

Preparing to leave, Sydney stood. She found Francie near the bar, and offered her friend a hug before saying goodbye. Slowly, she followed her father, slightly panicking over the topic of their upcoming conversation. Only when they reach his car, did he speak.

"I stopped by your house last night." She watched as he carefully eyed her. "I was hoping to talk to you about the video."

Sydney kept her body from shifting, although she was very uncomfortable. "Will told me. I'm sure you've read or have at least heard what happened."

Jack ignored her, "I waited outside your house until midnight, Sydney."

Not missing a beat, she replied, "I was out with a friend from college, who came back to town for a week." Sydney narrowed her eyes at him, making it believable. "I wasn't aware that I needed to give you my schedule."

"I was just a little concerned," Jack backtracked. "When a man, such as Mr. Sark, is calling late night meetings with my daughter, I should have that right."

Sydney sighed, trying her best to keep up the front. "As I told Sloane, I appreciate the fact that SD-6, and you, want to look out for me. But as you're well aware, I'm a grown woman, and more than capable of handling a late night meeting with Mr. Sark. Even if it was a set-up to talk about my mother."

Satisfied with her behavior and answers, he laid off a little. "I understand that." Jack paused to phrase his words correctly. "But I don't think Sark's interests in you are related to your mother."

Her voice almost got caught in her throat, "What do you mean?"

Jack shifted, showing he was uncomfortable. "I think Mr. Sark has developed a crush on you."

Taken aback momentarily, Sydney recovered quickly. "That's ridiculous."

"Do you realize he's asked Sloane to have you accompany him on another mission?"

Sydney didn't need to fake the shocked look that took her. The news of a new mission with Sark was completely unexpected. "What? Alone?" Oddly enough, the thought of another mission alone with Sark made Sydney uneasy. Now that she had been somewhat intimate with him, can she, or even he do their jobs as professionally?

"He's also requested the help of Dixon, as part of your eyes, and Ray Hinkey as the getaway driver."

Partially relieved, Sydney sarcastically replied, "I'm failing to see how this proves that anyone has a crush on me."

Silent for a moment, Jack opened the door to his vehicle. "I have this feeling, Sydney. One that is usually dead on. You should probably talk to Vaughn soon, tell him about the details after you've been briefed."

Damn CIA. Considering their objective, their lack of communication is astounding.

"Vaughn is no longer my handler." Sydney stated, matter-of-factly. She watched her father's face turn curious, but thankfully he didn't question her. "I will tell Benedict, as soon as I've met with Sloane." As he drove away, Sydney smiled, just to reassure him things were fine.