Title: An Uncomfortable Moment

Summary: Sark and Sydney share an uncomfortable moment but otherwise it is business as usual at SD-6 and elsewhere in Sydney's life. Of course, there is never really a typical day in the life of a spy.

Disclaimer: Alias doesn't belong to me. It belongs to JJ and ABC and Bad Robot.

Pairing: Sydney/Sark

Type: Romance/Humor

Time: Directly after Family adventure episode and before Marshall episode

CHAPTER 4

Sydney had just finished leaving messages for Will and Francie telling them when she would be back. The mission would be over with in plenty of time for her to make it back to L.A. and celebrate New Year's Eve with her friends. She just had to convince them of that.

Sydney thought about what the next day's events would hold for her. She was going on a mission...with Sark. At first she was afraid it would be hard to avoid him being that he'd be the only other agent there, but then Sloane had changed his mind about sending them alone. Sloane didn't seem to trust Sark with such an important Rambaldi recovery operation. Now Dixon and two other agents would be accompanying them. It was amazing, Sydney actually felt mildly grateful to Sloane. Of course, that feeling took only a second to dissappear, but it had been there.

THE NEXT DAY ON AN SD-6 CHARTERED PLANE

Dixon and Sydney sit next to each other on the flight while Sark sits farther back focusing intently on Sydney. She looks up and quickly slights her eyes at the sight of him. Sark, in turn, rolls his eyes in her general direction and looks out the window.

Before their descent, Sark comes over to their seats to speak with Dixon.

"Dixon, Agents Camon and Smith were wondering if you could prep them a little more thoroughly on the mission before landing."

Dixon heads towards the front of the plane. Immediately after Dixon has started making his way down the aisle, Sark sits in the recently vacated spot next to Sydney.

"So Agent Bristow, you're not going to dissapoint me on this mission are you?"

"This mission was not designed solely for your benefit Sark."

"Ah yes, humanity's well being, I had almost forgotten. Come on Sydney, we are working together. You're going to have to trust me on this just as much as your other colleagues, Dixon, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over there."

"Do you mind? I was going to try and get a nap in before we land."

"Of course. I guess I'll just go and prepare a little more by going over the mission again while you do your part."

Sydney glares up at him with annoyance as Sark proceeds back to his seat.

ICELAND: MISSION

Dixon begins to speak to Sydney through her headset, "Reykjavik is beautiful. The vast expanses, but it still doesn't make up for the fact that it's freezing."

"Don't worry Dixon, we'll be out of here in no time."

"Agent Camon interrupts, "Don't jinx us Bristow!"

"Could everyone please get off the airwaves?" Sark asks in an irritated tone.

Sydney and Sark are on point for the mission, wandering through the ice caves with small red lights attached to their jackets. The cave walls rflect an eerie pinkish glow, and the sounds of their steps are muffled by the snow underneath their feet. They're both cautious and on the alert. They know that ex-KGB operatives had been hired as the Rambaldi collector's security, and they didn't want to run into any guards if they didn't have to.

Their plan was to get to the spot in the ice caves where the adjoining wall to the safe housing the Rambaldi document was.

FLASHBACK TO SD-6 MEETING WHERE MARSHALL IS SPEAKING

"Ok, so you'll be walking around lookin' you know like the scarecrow, should I go this way, that way, but there's no yellow brick road, nope."

Sloane breaks in forcefully, "Marshall!"

"Yes sir, ok, sorry. I've really been working on my speech patterns by trying to hypnotize myself or use those self-help tapes while I'm sleeping, even osmosis. It's funny, I always got osmosis and onomotapaeia mixed up, but their meanings are so different. Anyways, my mantra, I think it's working."

"Get to the point Marshall," yells Sloane.

"Hey, that's it, that's my mantra, well it doesn't say my name, but, actually if I could get you to say that same thing again into this tape recorder, that'd be great. No? Ok, maybe later. And we were talking about...."

Marshall looks around the room for some help.

"Finding the correct wall," Dixon suggests.

"Oh, you guys let me get so off topic. Ok, so you'll be wearing these lights that I've created. They'll show any deep cuts made into the wall."

BACK IN THE PRESENT

They had to get close to the walls to check where the location of the safe was. Sark was sweeping over the north wall while Sydney took the south. They were both intent on their work, scanning the walls for any sigt of a deep incision. Sydney found it.

"Sark, I found the safe. Get over here with the drill."

"So, according to Marshall, this will simulate the vibrations of the security system guarding the safe so as not to set off any bombs or alarms, right?" asks Sydney.

"That's what he said, except with many many more words. How do you people make out 90% of what he's saying. When I'm around him I feel like I need to skim what is coming out of his mouth so my brain will not explode."

"Just keep doing exactly what you're doing," chuckles Sydney.

She couldn't stifle the laugh. Seeing Sark trying to grasp the character that is Marshall was just too funny. But now that she thought about it, she didn't want Sark to think they now could bond with a sort of newfound camraderie. She had to make sure not to let her guard down anymore around him.

Sark was looking at Sydney with those blazing blue eyes and didn't know what to think. But then he remembered why they were there.

They began the arduous process of drilling which was bound to take at least 2 hours. The time was spent in silence between the two of them. The only sound was the slow turning of the drill.