Agent Michael Vaughn was pacing, waiting in the underground parking garage
for Sydney to show up. The beeper had interrupted his coffee and Danish at
Starbucks that morning, and he had almost been inclined to not take it,
until he saw the number. Sydney only beeped him when it was an emergency-
otherwise she could have waited til their next "Joey's Pizza?" rendezvous.
Besides, he always made time for Sydney.
The clicking of Sydney's hurried footsteps interrupted his train of thought. Vaughn instantly knew it was her-her could always recognize her footsteps- and he immediately knew something was wrong. Sydney always walked a certain way when something had really psyched her out.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately, worried.
Sydney didn't waste a second, but sat down and poured out the entire story frantically. Vaughn couldn't help but worry about Sark being in such close quarters with Sydney all the time. This whole thing was obviously a ploy to monitor Sydney somehow. Did Sloane put him up to this? Or, what worried him the most; did Sark have his own personal interests in Sydney? He didn't realize until a second later that Sydney was staring waiting for a response.
"Well, what do you think I should do?" Sydney asked again.
Vaughn got his head back. "Well, first thing is we need to find out why he's doing this. I hate to say this, but you should probably go confront Sloane about it, because if he knows about Sark he will be expecting you to be angry anyways. Nobody at SD-6 has ever really hid their dislike, so it won't be suspicious."
Sydney seemed to have calmed down. The worry line on her forehead slowly faded.
"Alright, and what if Sloane has nothing to do with it? Or better yet, what if he does have something to do with it? You know he won't take orders from me."
"But at least we'll know where the problem is," Vaughn interrupted, "We've gotta do this one step at a time."
"But what about Francie?? Sark is dangerous-I'm worried what he could do." she said.
Vaughn stopped pacing and sat down to look Sydney straight in the eye. When he spoke, his voice was softer.
"I don't think Sark has anything in mind for Francie. What I'm more concerned about is what he wants with you."
The next day, Sydney went in early specifically to talk to Sloane. She hated doing it-if it hadn't been for Francie's sake, she wouldn't have taken the time. Sydney always had a feeling of awkwardness and insecurity around Sloane. He made her nervous.
Today he was at his desk though, reading something at his computer that Sydney couldn't make out. As soon as Sydney walked in he looked up, and leaned back in his chair-The way he always seemed to do around her.
"Sydney," he said, "What can I do for you?"
Be predictable, thought Sydney. . . "Were you the one who put Sark up to this?" She asked, opting to just put everything out in the open. Leave strategizing to Dad, she thought, this is for Francie.
Sloane looked at her quizzically. "Put Sark up to what Sydney?" Sydney studied his expression. He seemed to genuinely not know what she was talking about.
When she didn't respond, Sloane continued. "Do you mean Sark's seeming lack of efficiency in helping us to track down the codebook? I gave him a stern warning, but I'm not yet to the point where I'm going to break off the deal."
"No-I'm sorry to bother you, it's just that Sark has lately been butting into my personal life. I was wondering if you could-"
"Tell him to back off? Force him to quit bumping into you? Unless he has taken direct action against you Sydney, there's nothing I can do." Sloane got up slowly, and sat down in the chair next to Sydney. "But I will give him a fair warning. I'm sorry Sydney, but that's all I can do without infringing upon his legal rights." He touched her arm as he spoke. A small shiver ran up Sydney's spine, but she stayed still. She wouldn't be getting any help from Sloane, she realized.
As she exited Sloane's office, she couldn't help but think that Sloane had never acted within the boundaries of legal rights when it came to her late fiancé, Danny. No, don't start thinking about that. . . It will only get you in a bad mood. . .
A burning sensation started up in the pit of her stomach. She needed an argument.
When Sydney walked in the door, she found Francie looking frantic, alone in the kitchen. When she saw Sydney, she automatically relaxed.
"Thank God you're home. . . Listen, I just got a call from the restaurant-somebody broke in. I need to go and see what the damage is."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Sydney asked.
"No-But there is something you could do for me," Francie had that pleading look on her face that Sydney almost always gave in to. "Chris is supposed to come by and have dinner here. . . Could you stall him until I get back? The cop said it would only take a few hours to get everything squared away, and Chris isn't supposed to show up for another hour and a half yet."
Sydney didn't know what to say. The last thing she wanted to do is get stuck alone with Sark. "Listen, Francie, about Chris-"
It seemed Francie knew what Syd was going to say, and she just snapped. "I knew it! You don't approve of him, do you?? I saw that look on your face when I first introduced him, you think I don't notice all that stuff, but I do. What is up with you, Syd? You hardly even know the man and you don't like him. Could it kill you," she continued, "to just be happy for me for once? I am happier than I have been in a long time-ever since Charlie!" Francie just shook her head.
"It's not that I don't like Chris, it's just-"
Again Francie interrupted. "It's just that he doesn't seem right for me. Is that right? Is that what you were going to say?" Sydney didn't dispute it.
Francie softened. "Listen Syd, you know that I respect your opinion- but lately, every time I needed you you've been on another bank trip. . ." Sydney felt a pang of guilt. I should've paid more attention, she thought.
"Chris listens to me. He's been there for me so many times when you weren't." Francie continued. "Sometimes to me it seems like ever since Danny you want to keep me all to yourself. I can't handle it anymore." She stood up to get her coat.
"I know that you have good intentions, but-Just trust me for once, okay? . . .And please, if you do me any favors tonight, just stick around and let Chris in when he comes. You don't have to stay and chat with him or anything. Just let him in." Francie opened the door. "I'm tired of playing second fiddle."
For an hour and a half, Sydney sat brooding over her argument with Francie. She and Francie had not had a fight in a long time. She hadn't even realized that there were problems. Did Francie really believe all she had said about Danny and all that? Or was she just blowing off steam after her stressful phone call about the restaurant? Lately Sydney wasn't quite sure if she was in the right or not. Damn Sark.
At exactly eight o'clock and not a moment later, the doorbell rang. Sydney opened the door to Sark's smug face. She had found the argument she had been looking for.
The clicking of Sydney's hurried footsteps interrupted his train of thought. Vaughn instantly knew it was her-her could always recognize her footsteps- and he immediately knew something was wrong. Sydney always walked a certain way when something had really psyched her out.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately, worried.
Sydney didn't waste a second, but sat down and poured out the entire story frantically. Vaughn couldn't help but worry about Sark being in such close quarters with Sydney all the time. This whole thing was obviously a ploy to monitor Sydney somehow. Did Sloane put him up to this? Or, what worried him the most; did Sark have his own personal interests in Sydney? He didn't realize until a second later that Sydney was staring waiting for a response.
"Well, what do you think I should do?" Sydney asked again.
Vaughn got his head back. "Well, first thing is we need to find out why he's doing this. I hate to say this, but you should probably go confront Sloane about it, because if he knows about Sark he will be expecting you to be angry anyways. Nobody at SD-6 has ever really hid their dislike, so it won't be suspicious."
Sydney seemed to have calmed down. The worry line on her forehead slowly faded.
"Alright, and what if Sloane has nothing to do with it? Or better yet, what if he does have something to do with it? You know he won't take orders from me."
"But at least we'll know where the problem is," Vaughn interrupted, "We've gotta do this one step at a time."
"But what about Francie?? Sark is dangerous-I'm worried what he could do." she said.
Vaughn stopped pacing and sat down to look Sydney straight in the eye. When he spoke, his voice was softer.
"I don't think Sark has anything in mind for Francie. What I'm more concerned about is what he wants with you."
The next day, Sydney went in early specifically to talk to Sloane. She hated doing it-if it hadn't been for Francie's sake, she wouldn't have taken the time. Sydney always had a feeling of awkwardness and insecurity around Sloane. He made her nervous.
Today he was at his desk though, reading something at his computer that Sydney couldn't make out. As soon as Sydney walked in he looked up, and leaned back in his chair-The way he always seemed to do around her.
"Sydney," he said, "What can I do for you?"
Be predictable, thought Sydney. . . "Were you the one who put Sark up to this?" She asked, opting to just put everything out in the open. Leave strategizing to Dad, she thought, this is for Francie.
Sloane looked at her quizzically. "Put Sark up to what Sydney?" Sydney studied his expression. He seemed to genuinely not know what she was talking about.
When she didn't respond, Sloane continued. "Do you mean Sark's seeming lack of efficiency in helping us to track down the codebook? I gave him a stern warning, but I'm not yet to the point where I'm going to break off the deal."
"No-I'm sorry to bother you, it's just that Sark has lately been butting into my personal life. I was wondering if you could-"
"Tell him to back off? Force him to quit bumping into you? Unless he has taken direct action against you Sydney, there's nothing I can do." Sloane got up slowly, and sat down in the chair next to Sydney. "But I will give him a fair warning. I'm sorry Sydney, but that's all I can do without infringing upon his legal rights." He touched her arm as he spoke. A small shiver ran up Sydney's spine, but she stayed still. She wouldn't be getting any help from Sloane, she realized.
As she exited Sloane's office, she couldn't help but think that Sloane had never acted within the boundaries of legal rights when it came to her late fiancé, Danny. No, don't start thinking about that. . . It will only get you in a bad mood. . .
A burning sensation started up in the pit of her stomach. She needed an argument.
When Sydney walked in the door, she found Francie looking frantic, alone in the kitchen. When she saw Sydney, she automatically relaxed.
"Thank God you're home. . . Listen, I just got a call from the restaurant-somebody broke in. I need to go and see what the damage is."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Sydney asked.
"No-But there is something you could do for me," Francie had that pleading look on her face that Sydney almost always gave in to. "Chris is supposed to come by and have dinner here. . . Could you stall him until I get back? The cop said it would only take a few hours to get everything squared away, and Chris isn't supposed to show up for another hour and a half yet."
Sydney didn't know what to say. The last thing she wanted to do is get stuck alone with Sark. "Listen, Francie, about Chris-"
It seemed Francie knew what Syd was going to say, and she just snapped. "I knew it! You don't approve of him, do you?? I saw that look on your face when I first introduced him, you think I don't notice all that stuff, but I do. What is up with you, Syd? You hardly even know the man and you don't like him. Could it kill you," she continued, "to just be happy for me for once? I am happier than I have been in a long time-ever since Charlie!" Francie just shook her head.
"It's not that I don't like Chris, it's just-"
Again Francie interrupted. "It's just that he doesn't seem right for me. Is that right? Is that what you were going to say?" Sydney didn't dispute it.
Francie softened. "Listen Syd, you know that I respect your opinion- but lately, every time I needed you you've been on another bank trip. . ." Sydney felt a pang of guilt. I should've paid more attention, she thought.
"Chris listens to me. He's been there for me so many times when you weren't." Francie continued. "Sometimes to me it seems like ever since Danny you want to keep me all to yourself. I can't handle it anymore." She stood up to get her coat.
"I know that you have good intentions, but-Just trust me for once, okay? . . .And please, if you do me any favors tonight, just stick around and let Chris in when he comes. You don't have to stay and chat with him or anything. Just let him in." Francie opened the door. "I'm tired of playing second fiddle."
For an hour and a half, Sydney sat brooding over her argument with Francie. She and Francie had not had a fight in a long time. She hadn't even realized that there were problems. Did Francie really believe all she had said about Danny and all that? Or was she just blowing off steam after her stressful phone call about the restaurant? Lately Sydney wasn't quite sure if she was in the right or not. Damn Sark.
At exactly eight o'clock and not a moment later, the doorbell rang. Sydney opened the door to Sark's smug face. She had found the argument she had been looking for.