Chapter 16 –

Her night was uneventful. She spent most of it with one leg up on the end of the couch changing bags of ice every hour or so. She didn't even want to think about unpacking anything right now – she could worry about that later. For now, she was enjoying some quality girl time with Francie.

In between bags of fresh ice, Sydney gave Francie the half-truths about her night with the overseas stranger. Every time she stretched the truth, the term she used to better accept the fact that she had to lie, she lost a small part of her normalcy. After years of doing this same thing, it was a wonder she had anything left to lose inside. But she continued to do it, time and again to keep everyone around her safe.

As far as Francie was concerned, her hook-up's name was Aidan – she never asked his last name. Aidan worked in her same area of banking, but was based out of Paris. His visit to the states, which coincidentally ended the same day that hers did, was due to a former business tycoon whose financial state suffered immensely from the fall of the stock market.

To satisfy Francie's need for a visual, Sydney gave her the best description of the man. At least she could be honest when it came to that. About six feet tall, beautifully warm blue eyes, his dark blonde hair was a tad mussed, giving him the look of a businessman who thrived off a challenge and loved adventure. All of that was almost of no notice for it was his voice that immediately caught her attention, as she was waiting for her meeting to begin. His accent was smooth, spoken through a set of perfectly pale pink lips.

He was very successful in what he did, his expensive business suits and accessories were telling of that. His confidence and professional demeanor enhanced his winning appearance, and almost made him appear unapproachable to her. But she didn't need to approach him, since he did that all on his own.

"He offered you a ride back to your hotel in his private car?" Francie asked, her grin taking over her face.

"Well it was close to freezing outside, and I had been waiting for a good five minutes for a cab. So he walked up behind me to offer. Who am I to turn that down?" Sydney answered.

Francie picked at the last few pieces popcorn she made, enjoying her night's entertainment. "And he was staying at the same one as you."

Sydney smiled and continued to tell her the story. The fact they were staying at the same hotel was only the beginning of the conversation. Once they found out they were in the same business, they had much more to talk about. Their initial conversation lasted the entire ride, about a half hour. Then she offered to pay for dinner, a kind gesture to repay him for the ride. Dinner led to drinks, drinks led to dancing and the rest… well she did leave out most of the real details about what happened after that. She told her just enough to prove the end result of a hickey.

"Awww, Syd. He sounds so lovely, but what about anything in the future? Did he give you a number to call?" Francie's question brought a staged bittersweet smile to Sydney's face.

"You know that long distance relationships never work," Sydney started. "The likelihood of us meeting up again is small, very small."

The story she told had probably been captured in a few romance novels or even a movie, but a small part of her wished what was transpiring with Sark was close to what she had just described. Well besides the long distance part of it – she found comfort in knowing that he was near. The inability to go public with the feelings they shared was going to be difficult, and hiding them around the people that really counted would be more so.

Somewhat satisfied with Sydney's story, Francie stood with her empty bowl, and walked over to her. She paused for a moment before sweetly speaking to her, "You'll find it again someday." Sydney smiled at her friend. Even more than a year after Danny's death, everyone still seemed to tiptoe around the "love" department when talking to her. Her feelings were no longer fragile when it came to that. So much had happened since then, but she couldn't really tell anyone about it.

Fridays could be the best day of the week, and this one didn't disappoint at first, not one bit. It had been a long, emotional week and Sydney was looking forward to a weekend of rest and relaxation Luckily it decided to come early for her.

Early in the day Sydney sat at her desk, using her file cabinet to elevate her ankle. Staring at her computer while lost in thought, Sydney jumped when a hand was placed on her shoulder. When she turned, she found Sloane standing right behind her, a soft smile on his face.

"How's the ankle, Sydney?" His concern always sounded so genuine, but anything post Danny that came out of his mouth was completely irritating.

She smiled back, "It's fine, or it will be in a few days."

"Since there's not much for you to do here that can't be done from home, feel free to leave at lunch." Sloane removed his hand from her shoulder and began to walk away. "We'll need you well rested for next week."

Although she detested the man, the good news brought a smile to her face. "Thank you, I'll make sure I'm ready to go." After he left, Sydney looked at her clock, less than an hour to go. Without Dixon, her father or Sark in the office today, it had been very uneventful. The news of an early out brought new hope for a better day.

At home with nothing to do but unpack and elevate her ankle, Sydney changed into a t-shirt and running pants and began to leisurely pull things out of her suitcase. Such a tedious job usually, but with only a carryon, it was almost nothing. Deep in her room, she barely heard the knock on her front door.

With her cane back in the living room, she limped her way to the door. Without thinking, she didn't look before opening it. The sight at her front door immediately alarmed her. She looked around outside for anyone that may be watching.

"Vaughn, what are you doing here?" She quickly stepped out of the way to let him in. This was a very risky move. Not only did she tell him to not contact her again, he showed up unannounced at her front door. At least he was disguised as a plumber, but with the technology SD-6 used, it's still extremely dangerous.

She watched as he walked into her apartment, taking in the atmosphere. This was the first time he had seen her place, and was probably comparing it to what he'd imagined. The serious look on his face brought his wandering to an end.

"Sydney, we really need to talk." His voice was quiet, and a bit husky.

Trying her best to keep her composure, Sydney kept her tone low also. "I thought that I made it clear last time that we don't need to talk."

"Well that was before Prague." His eyes pierced into her, causing her to flinch.

At a loss for words, Sydney stammered, "H-how did you know I was in Prague?"

Well sure, he still worked for the CIA, but it would take some effort to find out where she had been sent. He averted his gaze from her, uncomfortable with the start of their conversation. A bit hesitant to continue, he paused to gather his thoughts.

"Your father came to me."

"My father what?" Sydney interrupted him, her voice raised.

Vaughn continued his thought. "He told me that he was concerned about you and what was going to happen while accessing Cuvee's warehouse, and asked me for a personal favor."

"And what sort of favor would that be?" Sydney asked, still pissed.

Vaughn rested against her breakfast bar. "He asked me to have someone keep an eye out for you." He said it quietly, almost fearing her reaction.

Rightly, Sydney felt choked up by the invasion of privacy and the betrayal. She told her father there was no need to worry, and to go to Vaughn of all people to keep tabs on her. It just wasn't right. Again she had a hard time finding the words, and her anger grew with each moment of silence that went by between the two of them.

"I don't need anyone, but my team, to keep an eye out for me when I'm out in the field." Sydney spat.

His anger also rising, Vaughn yelled back. "Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean am I sure about that. I'm not a child, I'm very capable of taking care of myself and know exactly what I'm doing."

Vaughn eyed her, caught by the last part of her statement. "Do you know what you're doing?" His voice was filled with such bewilderment. "Do you fully understand what you're getting yourself into?"

The look on his face told her that he knew something. In her anger, she didn't even once think about the person who was watching her finding anything of substance. Sydney felt an ache gathering in her gut, the nervousness causing a cramp.

"What are you talking about?" Her voice was much quieter now, barely able to get those few words out.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Sydney." Vaughn narrowed his eyes at her, his disgust showing. "I can't believe you would let a man of his worth anywhere near you." Vaughn threw three black and white photos of them in the alley in Prague. The near kiss that had been interrupted by their beepers was replayed by what was laid before her.

Her defenses were rising again at his crudeness, and Sydney tried to show her backbone. "You have no right to invade my personal life. I get it from SD-6 everyday and now I have to take it from the CIA?"

"Well, you're lucky. I have yet to determine whether the CIA sees any of this."

Sydney was slightly relieved knowing the CIA wasn't wise to her and Sark. Her demeanor cooled, as did Vaughn's as they stood in more silence. She was afraid to ask, but needed to know.

"What about my father?"

The CIA and SD-6 were of less value when it came to what she cared about. She had been happy with the turn her relationship with her father took after she became CIA. His disappointment would be unbearable if he found out anything had transpired with Sark.

"I have yet to bring it to his attention also."

Sydney stopped looking at the photos and glanced back up at Vaughn. "You know this isn't right," Sydney spoke weakly. "I work my ass off for the CIA, for the betterment of everyone. My personal dealings shouldn't be of an issue."

"Sydney," his voice was much more calm than before, "what are you doing? You've witnessed so much from that man, and you forget it just like that? You know I will always support you, but I simply don't trust him, and frankly I'm not sure what's going on in your head. This isn't like you, not the you I know."

No one would understand, no one knew what things were like between him and her. She couldn't explain to Vaughn the way he acted toward her as Julian Binoche in Buenos Aires. The first time they danced, the feelings that grew after the first time they had kissed. Nor could she give details on the Christmas gift she received, the New Year's kiss or what he did for her to ensure Sloane didn't find out about her meeting at the pier.

To everyone, but her, Sark had no redeeming qualities and was worthy of none of their respect. She couldn't change how others felt, just like she couldn't change how she did. In time, that might change, but right now it was too soon.

She didn't answer his question. She just looked down at her hands, and tried to keep the tears that were forming behind her eyes from falling. "I'm not letting anything come between my ultimate goal of bringing down SD-6. I will continue to work diligently to bring down Sloane, just as I always have."

Although she didn't make mention of what she was doing with Sark, her plea to keep it secret touched him, and he brought his hand to her shoulder. "Sydney, I don't want to see you unhappy, but I also don't want to see you get hurt... or worse." He paused and moved his hand to her face. "I guess I just need to know that you're okay. Truly okay."

Sydney nodded her head yes. She couldn't bring herself to speak. It had been a long week that grew twice as long with this one conversation. Vaughn stepped forward to place a kiss on her forehead. She looked him in the eye when his face left hers, and found him smiling weakly. A reassurance of the trust he had in her judgment.

"Syd – I cannot promise that I will keep this information from your father forever. I need some time to think about it." Vaughn left the pictures with her and picked up the rest of his things to leave. "Please, don't hesitate to call me if you ever need anything." Vaughn walked to the door, readying to exit. "Anything." He reiterated as he walked outside.

Even though Vaughn stated that he needed to think about whether to tell her father about his findings in Prague, Sydney was sure he wouldn't. There was this look that Vaughn gave when he's talking to save face, and at the end of his speech that look was present.

This relationship, for lack of an actual term to describe what she shared with Sark, could be damaging to both of their lives. Not only was it frowned upon in business, if the wrong people were to find out about the feelings that had grown between them, it could mean the end – literally. She sighed at that thought, the end of the one thing that had started her living again. She would do it. She'd continue to lie to anyone that needed to be lied to, even though she still lost that small piece of normalcy. For what was gained by those lies, seemed to add something greater back to her. She could be completely ruining everything, but it right now it seemed to be worth it.

She took the photos to the shredder and rid her sight of them. Surprisingly, she felt relief in knowing someone else knew of this, and didn't respond too awfully to it. It almost gave her hope that others may follow suit. Almost.

Her last bit of unpacking done, she grabbed her computer case to give it a quick clean. While digging through the pockets, she came across an unfamiliar small white piece of paper. Before discarding it, she opened it to read its contents. As she did, she smiled, and then very neatly, she placed it back in a hidden compartment.

It was worth it.