A/N: This is set after 'A Dark Turn' and before 'Truth Takes Time' (aired
03/16/03) . Sort of set right in the middle. It's my own account of what
might have happened, and an excuse to write a S/S fic. Hehe. This is the
longest chapter yet, in compensation for not posting as often as I have
wanted to. Hope you all like. Please review!
Blue Coincidences
Chapter 5 Seeing Blue
~*~*~*~*~
Thinking was not something Sydney wanted to do.
But, she realized, sitting here in this room, there was nothing to do except think. Think about Vaughn, her father, her mother and the way she had betrayed them all, and finally Sark and the kiss they had shared.
He had left angrily two days ago now, warning her that he'd be back for the information he needed. Which led her thinking to the opal.
What was it's secret? What remarkable power did it hold? It was frustrating, not knowing what the opal could be used for.
Sydney tried with all her heart and mind to recall what her mother had told her about that opal so long ago. But the memory had slipped from her mind, and had been replaced with pain and suffering when her father had explained the bad news of her mother's apparent death.
To keep her mind off so many depressing things, Sydney completed a full and vigorous workout in her cell. She did crunches, push-ups, sit-ups, and every kind of exercise she could do without her gym equipment. She had to maintain her strength in case of any possible escape.
After pushing her body to extremes, she finally collapsed on her bed, staring up at the tiled ceiling. She uninterestedly began counting the tiles, for lack of anything better to do.
That's when the idea came to her. The tiles looked removable, meaning she might actually have a way of escape. She stood up on her bed, and was disappointed to find that she was quite a few feet too short to even reach the ceiling. But if she could then she would be able to push up on a tile, move it, squeeze through the hole, crawl through the duct or whatever was up there, try to get the opal back and escape! It was a very risky plan, but after what happened between Sark and herself, Sydney was ready to try anything.
Glancing quickly into the window to make sure that no one was watching, she climbed up on the table in front. Still she wasn't tall enough. If only the chairs weren't screwed down to the floor, she would be able to stack them and reach the tiles.
Hopping down, she went to inspect the chairs.
~*~*~*~*~
When Sark wasn't in with Sydney, trying to force information out of her, or just to look at her, he found himself in front of the opal, which sparkled innocently in it's glass case.
If only the manuscript had explained more clearly what part the opal played in the whole scenario, Sark thought dispiritedly.
His cell phone rang, and he snatched it off his belt.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Sark." The voice acknowledged knowingly.
"Irina!" Sark exclaimed. They hadn't seen or heard a word from her since taking in Sydney. "Where are you?"
"I'm not at liberty to disclose my location right now if you understand. I was just calling to check up on how you're doing with the opal."
"Well, we have it, but Sydney isn't cooperating." He started walking towards the main security building.
"That's not surprising." Irina said easily. "Mr. Sark, the real reason for my calling is to make sure of something." She said quietly. "And don't bother trying to trace the call, it won't take that long."
"Go on." Sark said.
"I want you to promise me that you won't harm Sydney."
Sark was taken aback. Since when had she cared so much about Sydney?
"Mr. Sark," Irina said in his silence. "Swear to me that you won't allow anyone to hurt her." She paused. "Or else I may be forced to reveal to the CIA your exact location."
Sark knew that he should never have allowed Sloane to involve Irina in their scheme. Although, if they hadn't, they wouldn't have the manuscript or the opal.
"Alright." Sark had no choice but to agree. "But in return would you tell me the secret of the opal?"
Sark could almost imagine Irina smiling on the other end. "Sydney remembers, she may not have understood at the time, but she should remember."
"I don't think. . ."
"Good-bye Mr. Sark." She interrupted. "Don't break your word."
Sark heard the soft click on the other line, and listened to the hollow silence.
They had wasted enough time.
He would make Sydney remember.
~*~*~*~*~
The door banged open and Sydney heard the clop of Sark's shoes against the hard floor.
Sydney had been inspecting the screws that held down the chairs. She acted like she had dropped the small silver ring she had put on for her date, and stood up slowly to face Sark.
He held a pair of cuffs in his hand.
"Sit down Miss Bristow."
"You've got to be kidding." Sydney replied. "Are you really that desperate Sark?"
"I'm desperate for information Miss Bristow, but I'm not sure if that's what you were referring to."
"Now sit down." He repeated.
Sydney did something she later thought of as stupid.
Taking a chance, she spun around the chair and leapt at him, swinging her leg forward, and throwing her foot into Sark's stomach.
He crunched frontward and shuffled back at the same time, clutching at his abdomen. Sydney ran up, preparing to knock him out, when the door opened again and five armed guards stormed into the room.
She was suddenly staring down the barrel of five guns, and she knew there was more behind.
Sark glared at her, and tossed the handcuffs to a guard.
"Cuff her to the chair." He said breathlessly.
Two other guards advanced on Sydney, guns outstretched, while the one with the cuffs pushed her into the chair and slapped one end of them around her wrist, and the other to the chair.
"Now leave."
The guards did as they were told, and with a pained look, Sark straightened up.
He walked leisurely over to where Sydney was fixed, he leaned down, propping his hands against each arm of the chair, and stuck his face in front of hers.
"That wasn't funny Miss Bristow."
"Neither was that little stunt you pulled the other day." Sydney retorted, the fire returning to her eyes. "Don't ever touch me again."
Sark shook his head, smirking eagerly. He lifted one of his hands and ran it smoothly down the side of Sydney's cheek. Her breath caught in her throat and she gripped the arms of her chair until her knuckles turned white.
She could smell the refreshing scent of his after-shave.
"I'm going to give you one more chance." He said, letting his hand drift down her neck, his eyes following her. "You know something about the opal. Tell me what you know."
Sydney watched his hand run down her shoulder, tenderly caressing the skin on her arm.
"I don't know." Sydney was dismayed to find her voice quavering. "I've told you this already. I can't remember."
"Then you must understand. . . ." Sark said, laying his hand firmly against Sydney's arm. "I'm going to have to. . . ."
Sydney knew. He was going to pull it from her memory by way of hypnotism. She was ready to give up anyway. If after this he would leave her alone, then she might as well allow it.
"I'm going to count backwards from five." He began. "After I reach one you will be in a memory, when your mother was still alive, when she gave you the necklace."
"Five, four, three," As the numbers progressed Sydney allowed her eyes to close and her mind to sink.
"Two." His voice was becoming stronger, a picture becoming clearer.
"One."
Suddenly, Sydney was in a different room, looking at a younger version of herself and her mother.
She recognized the room as their old living room. Her father was nowhere in sight.
"Sydney."
It was her mother's voice. Both young Sydney and adult Sydney turned to face her mother.
Sark's voice cut into her thoughts. "Tell me what she says."
Sydney leaned forward obediently, studying her mother, and the thing she held in her hand.
"I have something for you Sydney." Irina said.
"Really?" Sydney's younger self exclaimed. She was probably five or so. "What is it mommy?" Her voice was cheerful and excited, much more so than Irina's.
"A very very old and valuable necklace." Irina responded. Sydney felt like she was watching an old movie through a window. She remembered everything so clearly now.
The opal gleamed brilliantly in her mother's outstretched hand. The little girl cooed admiringly.
"Wow!" She exclaimed. "Where did you get this mommy?"
"I've had it for a long time." Her mother's face looked worn and tired. "I want you to have it now, just in case."
"In case of what?"
Irina paused, and stroked her daughter's head lovingly. "In case something were to happen to mommy."
Sydney could almost see the tears in her mother's eyes.
"But don't you worry." Irina continued after seeing the questioning look her daughter gave her. "Look, it's kind of a good luck charm." She said, changing the subject.
"A charm?"
"Sort of. It will keep you healthy for a very long time, if used correctly." She smiled playfully. "But don't tell anyone that."
"What?" The little girl looked confused.
"That necklace holds the secret for immortality. Meaning that you won't ever die. But that's only if you know all the other secrets."
The younger Sydney laughed. "That's silly mommy. No one can live forever."
Her mother laughed too. "Yes, it does seem impossible doesn't it?" A faraway look passed over her. "But maybe not so impossible one day. Once all the other pieces are found, then this necklace is the final one. Don't ever let anyone take it from you. Keep it hidden and secret."
Her daughter nodded. "I'll put it in my little jewelry box!"
"Good." Her mother said. And then as an afterthought, "And keep it out of bright lights, and sunlight. It needs to stay a cool temperature or the secret will be revealed."
Both Sydney and her younger self felt the confusion.
"What did she say?" Sark's voice echoed in her ear. "How is the secret revealed?"
Sydney felt the words tumble from her mouth unwillingly. "Apparently if the opal gets over-heated, the secret is somehow revealed."
"Good." She heard Sark's winning tone.
Sydney diverted her gaze back onto her mother.
"I know you don't understand sweetie." Her mother was saying. "I would have waited till you were older. . . but time is short."
Little Sydney looked at her mother quizzically for a moment, and then disregarded the statement. "Can we get some ice-cream now mommy?"
"Alright Sydney." It was Sark's voice again, ruining the memory for her. "When I reach one, you will wake."
Sydney took one last fleeting glance at her mother.
"One."
She opened her eyes to the nightmare she was in. Sydney was determined not to cry in front of Sark, but the tears came anyway, a torrent of unwanted emotions along with them.
"I hate you!" She screamed out. She herself wasn't even positive who she was yelling at. Maybe she was yelling at her mother, maybe at Sark, maybe at herself.
Her sobs were becoming uncontrollable, and she felt Sark release the cuffs.
Doubling over in her chair, she hugged herself, rocking back and forth, trying anything to comfort herself.
She felt Sark pull her arms away and she pounded her fists against his hard chest.
He acted like he couldn't feel a thing. Lying an arm around her, he helped her to her feet and over to the bed.
She kept hitting him. "Let go of me!"
The rage in her voice was cut by the sobs. "Let go!"
She shook uneasily, and then collapsed into him, holding onto to him for any comfort she could get.
She wouldn't have chosen him as a comfort object, but right now he was all she had.
In a troubled way, Sark wrapped his arms around her and spoke softly into her ear.
"Thank you Sydney. It's almost over."
She fainted.
~*~*~*~*~
"Nothing?" Jack asked Vaughn for the millionth time in three days.
"No." Vaughn replied. "Sark left no clues, and I can remember nothing out of the ordinary."
Jack leaned heavily against the wall. Vaughn was surprised that he was still coming to work. He was surprised that he himself had managed to even get out of bed this morning.
"Sydney's a smart girl Jack." Vaughn said wearily. "We'll hear something from her soon. In the meantime I'll still be looking."
"I know." Jack replied. "It's just hard, and I blame myself."
"You can't blame yourself for anything. No one could have stopped it."
"I could have." Jack replied. "A long time ago. I should never have allowed Sydney to have this sort of life."
"It's in her blood. It's what she does best, and no one will stop her when she has her mind set."
"She gets that from me." Jack said, breaking a smile for the first time since her abduction.
Vaughn held onto that smile as a brief glimmer of hope.
"I'm sure she does."
~*~*~*~*~
The first thing Sydney wanted as she awoke, was a steaming shower. They had given her washcloths and she had washed her face with the soap provided at the sink, but right now she craved a full thirty-minute shower.
She pushed the longing aside and looked around the room. Sark was gone, she didn't know how long she had been out. But now, she realized, she couldn't waste anymore time. Sark knew how to release the secret of the opal, whatever it was.
She got up, and thinking fast, took out the key Vaughn had slipped to her.
She crawled down on the floor, and found the screws that held down the chair. Thankfully they were large, and Sydney used the key as a screwdriver. She stuck the pointy part of the key into the small slot of the screw, and twisted hard.
First she thought the key would break before the screw would budge. But she threw all of her strength into it, supported the key as best she could, and finally she felt it loosen, after that it came out easily.
She repeated this for the three other screws, which held down each leg of the chair. Soon the chair was free. Sydney picked it up and lifted it with a grunt up on the table. She climbed up, balancing her weight on the chair, stood carefully up. Her head brushed the ceiling. She smiled determinedly, and pushed with her palms flat on the tile over her head.
It moved aside easily, and she pushed herself up through the hole, using her arms as props, and squiggling into the overhead space.
It was dark and dusty, and she stifled a cough. The air was damp and closed in, and Sydney realized she was probably in a duct of some sort.
She had a feeling that the opal was somewhere in this building, seeing as how Sark had so many guards around. She couldn't see anything but a small light, coming from her left. It looked to be an opening, or another tunnel leading off into a separate duct.
After replacing the tile she had removed to get in, Sydney crawled carefully toward the light, since she couldn't stand.
She found that her guess had been right. The light was another tunnel, this one looked to be like the air-conditioning duct. The source of light was coming through a large vent near the end. She kept herself from crying with joy. Finally she had a chance of escape!
Sydney crawled to it, and looked through the vent's slats.
Luck was with her. She was looking down into a room with nothing but a glass case sitting in the middle. In the case was nothing other than the opal. She glanced around for guards. Seeing none, she assumed they were all outside the door on the opposite end of the room. She couldn't see what was on her side of the room, seeing as how she was lying over it. She couldn't hear a thing though, so she decided to take a chance.
Wiping off the sweat that was practically pouring off her forehead, she braced her back against the wall of the duct and using her feet as a hammer, she slammed them into the vent. The vent swung open, and hung attached to the ceiling. Sydney slipped through and dropped to the floor.
She fanned herself as she walked slowly to the glass case. It had been hot in that duct, and she felt like her body temperature had risen a few degrees.
After searching the case over for a way to open it, and finding none, she decided to break it.
Jumping with as much momentum as she could, she karate-kicked the case, and watched the glass shatter onto the floor.
Sydney grabbed the opal, and searched for an escape. She must have alerted someone by now with all the noise she was making.
It was a second to late that she realized her mistake, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Sark.
He grabbed her around the waist from behind. She gasped as his strong arms clasped her tightly to his body.
"My, my Miss Bristow. What have you been doing?" His British-accented voice was touched with both seriousness and amusement.
Sydney gritted her teeth, as her stomach fluttered annoyingly. He must have been watching her the whole time.
"Don't you think it's time to find out what secret this opal holds?" He said happily.
Sydney gripped the opal even harder.
"I would be careful Sydney." His voice purred in her ear. "Remember what your mother told you about keeping the opal cool."
Sydney realized with a jolt that he was right. Her sweaty palms were probably over-heating the opal now. She had to get away from Sark.
With a strong force she twisted herself around in Sark's arms, so that now she was facing him.
She felt his grip harden again in surprise. He was much stronger than he looked. Sydney used the method of surprise, and forced her lips down on his. Their tongues instantly collided in an outburst of anger and passion, and Sydney felt that same flash of wanting as she had before.
But this time he was the first to pull away, and Sydney had forgotten all about using the kiss as a way to escape his grasp.
"I hate to cut that short," Sark said heavily. They were both breathing hard. "But I really want that opal."
He flung her forward, and she crashed to the floor amidst the shattered glass, the opal still clutched firmly in her hand. She grabbed her knee in pain as a shard of glass cut into it.
Sark was towering above her, his eyes glowing so blue as he smiled triumphantly.
He leaned down and grabbed Sydney's wrist and pulled her roughly up. He led her into the middle of the room. She was limping in pain and throwing punches at him, which he dodged.
Then, taking a flailing Sydney in his arms, he yanked her close again, sticking one leg in between hers, and holding her steady there. The whole time he was whispering to her almost insanely. He lifted her hand with the opal in it, and held it out into the light that shone down onto the both of them, making a bright ring around them both.
"Open your hand Sydney."
Sydney turned her head to look into his eyes.
"Open it!" He said again.
Sydney tried one last desperate time to free herself from Sark's clutch, but he had her locked in.
Her hand trembling, she slowly opened it, and the penetrating light caught the brilliantness of it. It blazed blue, and Sydney was reminded of the way Sark's eyes burned so blue.
She turned to look at him again and almost gasped at the likeness between his blue eyes and the opal.
"Anytime now. . ." Sark muttered, his eyes never leaving the opal. "Come on!"
Sydney turned her gaze back to the opal. She could feel the light heating her already sweaty hand.
Sydney watched in unbelief as the opal seemed to expand in her hand. She could hear Sark muttering behind her. Then it happened. It exploded in the heat, shattering just like the glass case had when she had kicked it. All that was left in her hand was the chain and a small shred of paper.
"Yes!" Sark shouted. And with renewed strength he pushed Sydney against the wall and snatched the paper from her hand.
He brushed his lips lightly against hers and smiled more broadly than ever.
"Thank you Sydney. I never could have done it without you."
~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Whew, that was long. Hope it wasn't confusing.
Special thanks to:
April, Masquerade, screen names are tacky, Brittany, IntriKate, redheadgrl, SassyAngel05, Schill, ella, swimminsweetie, and Sarkie47.
I can't express how much your thoughts mean to me! Thank you so much!
Blue Coincidences
Chapter 5 Seeing Blue
~*~*~*~*~
Thinking was not something Sydney wanted to do.
But, she realized, sitting here in this room, there was nothing to do except think. Think about Vaughn, her father, her mother and the way she had betrayed them all, and finally Sark and the kiss they had shared.
He had left angrily two days ago now, warning her that he'd be back for the information he needed. Which led her thinking to the opal.
What was it's secret? What remarkable power did it hold? It was frustrating, not knowing what the opal could be used for.
Sydney tried with all her heart and mind to recall what her mother had told her about that opal so long ago. But the memory had slipped from her mind, and had been replaced with pain and suffering when her father had explained the bad news of her mother's apparent death.
To keep her mind off so many depressing things, Sydney completed a full and vigorous workout in her cell. She did crunches, push-ups, sit-ups, and every kind of exercise she could do without her gym equipment. She had to maintain her strength in case of any possible escape.
After pushing her body to extremes, she finally collapsed on her bed, staring up at the tiled ceiling. She uninterestedly began counting the tiles, for lack of anything better to do.
That's when the idea came to her. The tiles looked removable, meaning she might actually have a way of escape. She stood up on her bed, and was disappointed to find that she was quite a few feet too short to even reach the ceiling. But if she could then she would be able to push up on a tile, move it, squeeze through the hole, crawl through the duct or whatever was up there, try to get the opal back and escape! It was a very risky plan, but after what happened between Sark and herself, Sydney was ready to try anything.
Glancing quickly into the window to make sure that no one was watching, she climbed up on the table in front. Still she wasn't tall enough. If only the chairs weren't screwed down to the floor, she would be able to stack them and reach the tiles.
Hopping down, she went to inspect the chairs.
~*~*~*~*~
When Sark wasn't in with Sydney, trying to force information out of her, or just to look at her, he found himself in front of the opal, which sparkled innocently in it's glass case.
If only the manuscript had explained more clearly what part the opal played in the whole scenario, Sark thought dispiritedly.
His cell phone rang, and he snatched it off his belt.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Sark." The voice acknowledged knowingly.
"Irina!" Sark exclaimed. They hadn't seen or heard a word from her since taking in Sydney. "Where are you?"
"I'm not at liberty to disclose my location right now if you understand. I was just calling to check up on how you're doing with the opal."
"Well, we have it, but Sydney isn't cooperating." He started walking towards the main security building.
"That's not surprising." Irina said easily. "Mr. Sark, the real reason for my calling is to make sure of something." She said quietly. "And don't bother trying to trace the call, it won't take that long."
"Go on." Sark said.
"I want you to promise me that you won't harm Sydney."
Sark was taken aback. Since when had she cared so much about Sydney?
"Mr. Sark," Irina said in his silence. "Swear to me that you won't allow anyone to hurt her." She paused. "Or else I may be forced to reveal to the CIA your exact location."
Sark knew that he should never have allowed Sloane to involve Irina in their scheme. Although, if they hadn't, they wouldn't have the manuscript or the opal.
"Alright." Sark had no choice but to agree. "But in return would you tell me the secret of the opal?"
Sark could almost imagine Irina smiling on the other end. "Sydney remembers, she may not have understood at the time, but she should remember."
"I don't think. . ."
"Good-bye Mr. Sark." She interrupted. "Don't break your word."
Sark heard the soft click on the other line, and listened to the hollow silence.
They had wasted enough time.
He would make Sydney remember.
~*~*~*~*~
The door banged open and Sydney heard the clop of Sark's shoes against the hard floor.
Sydney had been inspecting the screws that held down the chairs. She acted like she had dropped the small silver ring she had put on for her date, and stood up slowly to face Sark.
He held a pair of cuffs in his hand.
"Sit down Miss Bristow."
"You've got to be kidding." Sydney replied. "Are you really that desperate Sark?"
"I'm desperate for information Miss Bristow, but I'm not sure if that's what you were referring to."
"Now sit down." He repeated.
Sydney did something she later thought of as stupid.
Taking a chance, she spun around the chair and leapt at him, swinging her leg forward, and throwing her foot into Sark's stomach.
He crunched frontward and shuffled back at the same time, clutching at his abdomen. Sydney ran up, preparing to knock him out, when the door opened again and five armed guards stormed into the room.
She was suddenly staring down the barrel of five guns, and she knew there was more behind.
Sark glared at her, and tossed the handcuffs to a guard.
"Cuff her to the chair." He said breathlessly.
Two other guards advanced on Sydney, guns outstretched, while the one with the cuffs pushed her into the chair and slapped one end of them around her wrist, and the other to the chair.
"Now leave."
The guards did as they were told, and with a pained look, Sark straightened up.
He walked leisurely over to where Sydney was fixed, he leaned down, propping his hands against each arm of the chair, and stuck his face in front of hers.
"That wasn't funny Miss Bristow."
"Neither was that little stunt you pulled the other day." Sydney retorted, the fire returning to her eyes. "Don't ever touch me again."
Sark shook his head, smirking eagerly. He lifted one of his hands and ran it smoothly down the side of Sydney's cheek. Her breath caught in her throat and she gripped the arms of her chair until her knuckles turned white.
She could smell the refreshing scent of his after-shave.
"I'm going to give you one more chance." He said, letting his hand drift down her neck, his eyes following her. "You know something about the opal. Tell me what you know."
Sydney watched his hand run down her shoulder, tenderly caressing the skin on her arm.
"I don't know." Sydney was dismayed to find her voice quavering. "I've told you this already. I can't remember."
"Then you must understand. . . ." Sark said, laying his hand firmly against Sydney's arm. "I'm going to have to. . . ."
Sydney knew. He was going to pull it from her memory by way of hypnotism. She was ready to give up anyway. If after this he would leave her alone, then she might as well allow it.
"I'm going to count backwards from five." He began. "After I reach one you will be in a memory, when your mother was still alive, when she gave you the necklace."
"Five, four, three," As the numbers progressed Sydney allowed her eyes to close and her mind to sink.
"Two." His voice was becoming stronger, a picture becoming clearer.
"One."
Suddenly, Sydney was in a different room, looking at a younger version of herself and her mother.
She recognized the room as their old living room. Her father was nowhere in sight.
"Sydney."
It was her mother's voice. Both young Sydney and adult Sydney turned to face her mother.
Sark's voice cut into her thoughts. "Tell me what she says."
Sydney leaned forward obediently, studying her mother, and the thing she held in her hand.
"I have something for you Sydney." Irina said.
"Really?" Sydney's younger self exclaimed. She was probably five or so. "What is it mommy?" Her voice was cheerful and excited, much more so than Irina's.
"A very very old and valuable necklace." Irina responded. Sydney felt like she was watching an old movie through a window. She remembered everything so clearly now.
The opal gleamed brilliantly in her mother's outstretched hand. The little girl cooed admiringly.
"Wow!" She exclaimed. "Where did you get this mommy?"
"I've had it for a long time." Her mother's face looked worn and tired. "I want you to have it now, just in case."
"In case of what?"
Irina paused, and stroked her daughter's head lovingly. "In case something were to happen to mommy."
Sydney could almost see the tears in her mother's eyes.
"But don't you worry." Irina continued after seeing the questioning look her daughter gave her. "Look, it's kind of a good luck charm." She said, changing the subject.
"A charm?"
"Sort of. It will keep you healthy for a very long time, if used correctly." She smiled playfully. "But don't tell anyone that."
"What?" The little girl looked confused.
"That necklace holds the secret for immortality. Meaning that you won't ever die. But that's only if you know all the other secrets."
The younger Sydney laughed. "That's silly mommy. No one can live forever."
Her mother laughed too. "Yes, it does seem impossible doesn't it?" A faraway look passed over her. "But maybe not so impossible one day. Once all the other pieces are found, then this necklace is the final one. Don't ever let anyone take it from you. Keep it hidden and secret."
Her daughter nodded. "I'll put it in my little jewelry box!"
"Good." Her mother said. And then as an afterthought, "And keep it out of bright lights, and sunlight. It needs to stay a cool temperature or the secret will be revealed."
Both Sydney and her younger self felt the confusion.
"What did she say?" Sark's voice echoed in her ear. "How is the secret revealed?"
Sydney felt the words tumble from her mouth unwillingly. "Apparently if the opal gets over-heated, the secret is somehow revealed."
"Good." She heard Sark's winning tone.
Sydney diverted her gaze back onto her mother.
"I know you don't understand sweetie." Her mother was saying. "I would have waited till you were older. . . but time is short."
Little Sydney looked at her mother quizzically for a moment, and then disregarded the statement. "Can we get some ice-cream now mommy?"
"Alright Sydney." It was Sark's voice again, ruining the memory for her. "When I reach one, you will wake."
Sydney took one last fleeting glance at her mother.
"One."
She opened her eyes to the nightmare she was in. Sydney was determined not to cry in front of Sark, but the tears came anyway, a torrent of unwanted emotions along with them.
"I hate you!" She screamed out. She herself wasn't even positive who she was yelling at. Maybe she was yelling at her mother, maybe at Sark, maybe at herself.
Her sobs were becoming uncontrollable, and she felt Sark release the cuffs.
Doubling over in her chair, she hugged herself, rocking back and forth, trying anything to comfort herself.
She felt Sark pull her arms away and she pounded her fists against his hard chest.
He acted like he couldn't feel a thing. Lying an arm around her, he helped her to her feet and over to the bed.
She kept hitting him. "Let go of me!"
The rage in her voice was cut by the sobs. "Let go!"
She shook uneasily, and then collapsed into him, holding onto to him for any comfort she could get.
She wouldn't have chosen him as a comfort object, but right now he was all she had.
In a troubled way, Sark wrapped his arms around her and spoke softly into her ear.
"Thank you Sydney. It's almost over."
She fainted.
~*~*~*~*~
"Nothing?" Jack asked Vaughn for the millionth time in three days.
"No." Vaughn replied. "Sark left no clues, and I can remember nothing out of the ordinary."
Jack leaned heavily against the wall. Vaughn was surprised that he was still coming to work. He was surprised that he himself had managed to even get out of bed this morning.
"Sydney's a smart girl Jack." Vaughn said wearily. "We'll hear something from her soon. In the meantime I'll still be looking."
"I know." Jack replied. "It's just hard, and I blame myself."
"You can't blame yourself for anything. No one could have stopped it."
"I could have." Jack replied. "A long time ago. I should never have allowed Sydney to have this sort of life."
"It's in her blood. It's what she does best, and no one will stop her when she has her mind set."
"She gets that from me." Jack said, breaking a smile for the first time since her abduction.
Vaughn held onto that smile as a brief glimmer of hope.
"I'm sure she does."
~*~*~*~*~
The first thing Sydney wanted as she awoke, was a steaming shower. They had given her washcloths and she had washed her face with the soap provided at the sink, but right now she craved a full thirty-minute shower.
She pushed the longing aside and looked around the room. Sark was gone, she didn't know how long she had been out. But now, she realized, she couldn't waste anymore time. Sark knew how to release the secret of the opal, whatever it was.
She got up, and thinking fast, took out the key Vaughn had slipped to her.
She crawled down on the floor, and found the screws that held down the chair. Thankfully they were large, and Sydney used the key as a screwdriver. She stuck the pointy part of the key into the small slot of the screw, and twisted hard.
First she thought the key would break before the screw would budge. But she threw all of her strength into it, supported the key as best she could, and finally she felt it loosen, after that it came out easily.
She repeated this for the three other screws, which held down each leg of the chair. Soon the chair was free. Sydney picked it up and lifted it with a grunt up on the table. She climbed up, balancing her weight on the chair, stood carefully up. Her head brushed the ceiling. She smiled determinedly, and pushed with her palms flat on the tile over her head.
It moved aside easily, and she pushed herself up through the hole, using her arms as props, and squiggling into the overhead space.
It was dark and dusty, and she stifled a cough. The air was damp and closed in, and Sydney realized she was probably in a duct of some sort.
She had a feeling that the opal was somewhere in this building, seeing as how Sark had so many guards around. She couldn't see anything but a small light, coming from her left. It looked to be an opening, or another tunnel leading off into a separate duct.
After replacing the tile she had removed to get in, Sydney crawled carefully toward the light, since she couldn't stand.
She found that her guess had been right. The light was another tunnel, this one looked to be like the air-conditioning duct. The source of light was coming through a large vent near the end. She kept herself from crying with joy. Finally she had a chance of escape!
Sydney crawled to it, and looked through the vent's slats.
Luck was with her. She was looking down into a room with nothing but a glass case sitting in the middle. In the case was nothing other than the opal. She glanced around for guards. Seeing none, she assumed they were all outside the door on the opposite end of the room. She couldn't see what was on her side of the room, seeing as how she was lying over it. She couldn't hear a thing though, so she decided to take a chance.
Wiping off the sweat that was practically pouring off her forehead, she braced her back against the wall of the duct and using her feet as a hammer, she slammed them into the vent. The vent swung open, and hung attached to the ceiling. Sydney slipped through and dropped to the floor.
She fanned herself as she walked slowly to the glass case. It had been hot in that duct, and she felt like her body temperature had risen a few degrees.
After searching the case over for a way to open it, and finding none, she decided to break it.
Jumping with as much momentum as she could, she karate-kicked the case, and watched the glass shatter onto the floor.
Sydney grabbed the opal, and searched for an escape. She must have alerted someone by now with all the noise she was making.
It was a second to late that she realized her mistake, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Sark.
He grabbed her around the waist from behind. She gasped as his strong arms clasped her tightly to his body.
"My, my Miss Bristow. What have you been doing?" His British-accented voice was touched with both seriousness and amusement.
Sydney gritted her teeth, as her stomach fluttered annoyingly. He must have been watching her the whole time.
"Don't you think it's time to find out what secret this opal holds?" He said happily.
Sydney gripped the opal even harder.
"I would be careful Sydney." His voice purred in her ear. "Remember what your mother told you about keeping the opal cool."
Sydney realized with a jolt that he was right. Her sweaty palms were probably over-heating the opal now. She had to get away from Sark.
With a strong force she twisted herself around in Sark's arms, so that now she was facing him.
She felt his grip harden again in surprise. He was much stronger than he looked. Sydney used the method of surprise, and forced her lips down on his. Their tongues instantly collided in an outburst of anger and passion, and Sydney felt that same flash of wanting as she had before.
But this time he was the first to pull away, and Sydney had forgotten all about using the kiss as a way to escape his grasp.
"I hate to cut that short," Sark said heavily. They were both breathing hard. "But I really want that opal."
He flung her forward, and she crashed to the floor amidst the shattered glass, the opal still clutched firmly in her hand. She grabbed her knee in pain as a shard of glass cut into it.
Sark was towering above her, his eyes glowing so blue as he smiled triumphantly.
He leaned down and grabbed Sydney's wrist and pulled her roughly up. He led her into the middle of the room. She was limping in pain and throwing punches at him, which he dodged.
Then, taking a flailing Sydney in his arms, he yanked her close again, sticking one leg in between hers, and holding her steady there. The whole time he was whispering to her almost insanely. He lifted her hand with the opal in it, and held it out into the light that shone down onto the both of them, making a bright ring around them both.
"Open your hand Sydney."
Sydney turned her head to look into his eyes.
"Open it!" He said again.
Sydney tried one last desperate time to free herself from Sark's clutch, but he had her locked in.
Her hand trembling, she slowly opened it, and the penetrating light caught the brilliantness of it. It blazed blue, and Sydney was reminded of the way Sark's eyes burned so blue.
She turned to look at him again and almost gasped at the likeness between his blue eyes and the opal.
"Anytime now. . ." Sark muttered, his eyes never leaving the opal. "Come on!"
Sydney turned her gaze back to the opal. She could feel the light heating her already sweaty hand.
Sydney watched in unbelief as the opal seemed to expand in her hand. She could hear Sark muttering behind her. Then it happened. It exploded in the heat, shattering just like the glass case had when she had kicked it. All that was left in her hand was the chain and a small shred of paper.
"Yes!" Sark shouted. And with renewed strength he pushed Sydney against the wall and snatched the paper from her hand.
He brushed his lips lightly against hers and smiled more broadly than ever.
"Thank you Sydney. I never could have done it without you."
~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Whew, that was long. Hope it wasn't confusing.
Special thanks to:
April, Masquerade, screen names are tacky, Brittany, IntriKate, redheadgrl, SassyAngel05, Schill, ella, swimminsweetie, and Sarkie47.
I can't express how much your thoughts mean to me! Thank you so much!
