Disclaimer: The characters of Alias belong to ABC, J.J. Abrams and all those awesome people!
**SYDNEY POV**
The next day I was called into the CIA Operations Center to be debriefed on a situation, or rather, that's all they told me. I made my usual jog through the park, dropped the coin, punched the numbers in the telephone, and soon enough, I was inside the Op Center.
For some reason, it felt different today. Maybe it was because I was holding one of my biggest secrets from the CIA or maybe because I was happy about the bracelet and dinner last night with Sark. The possibilities were endless and I think it was going to take me a few days to sort things out.
"Hey Sydney," a voice, Vaughn's, said to me from behind as I walked through the center.
"Oh, hey Vaughn," I reply, turning to greet him.
"Do you know what this is about?" he asks me.
I shake my head and reply, "None at all."
"Me neither," he tells me. We walk together into the conference room. Keeping this from Vaughn and my father would be the hardest. They would most likely, or have to, notice a change in me and raise their suspicion level. I would just have to try my hardest to not allow that to happen.
I walk into the room, trailing Vaughn, and make my way into a seat on the left side. A few other agents walked in, some I knew, and some I didn't, including my father and Kendall. Oh joy, we've got the whole party in here.
It seemed like we were waiting for a few others to join us so I just made small talk with Vaughn on the weather and his excitement for a Kings game he was going to later that week. I tried to stay amused, but my mind was somewhere else.
Thinking about him. Sark, that is. He was major affecting my work and I had to get him out of my head, at the CIA of all places, that was for sure. I noticed a few other older looking men enter the room and then it became apparent that Kendall wanted to start the meeting.
"This," he starts, "is Mr. Sark."
He pulls up a picture of my new found love and I have to hold in the cough/laugh/utter confusion that otherwise would have spilled from my lips. I just look down, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone yet.
It was a pretty good picture of him, I had to admit. His hair was done perfectly… wait, must concentrate on the issue at hand. What does the CIA want with him?
"We've received some intel in the past few days suggesting of his whereabouts, not only in LA, but in other locations around the world," Kendall continues.
"Where did the intel come from?" I ask him.
"Some information was given to one of our contacts in Italy," he explains.
I shake my head in acknowledgement. This was an interesting development. Was it possible that Sark planted the info on purpose to be captured? Or was it seriously leaked? Whatever the answer maybe, I needed to find the question and talk with him to make sure he's safe.
"Your mission," Kendall begins, "Is to stake out Sark's supposed house in LA and try to capture him."
Oh wow, this was a major conflict of interests if I ever saw it. Come on, Sydney, think fast on your feet, come up with an excuse…
"When?" I ask him.
"We're going to get into position after sunset, tonight," he furthers his explanation. "Any other questions?"
No one mutters a word and the meeting is quickly dismissed. I say a quick goodbye to Vaughn and my father and head out. I had to meet with Sark as soon as possible.
On my way home, I pulled into a gas station and went to the pay phone in the back. Easiest way to make contact to avoid suspicion. I dialed the phone number he gave me and twisted the bracelet I kept well hidden during my duration at the CIA. The phone rang two times, but he soon answered with a simple, "Sark."
"It's me," I whispered.
"What's wrong?" he asks in suspicion.
"We need to meet, right now," I tell him hurriedly.
I hear him pause in the background, then reply with, "There's a small Chinese restaurant on Young St. Meet me there in 15 minutes."
That was it. The call ended and I rushed back into my car. It was starting to hit me. I was crossing the CIA as well just so I could pursue a relationship with a wanted man in their eyes. It they only knew him, they might have second thoughts about his motives.
I arrived in approximately 12 minutes and found my way to a table in the back, darkest, corner of the restaurant. No more than 1 minute later, he arrived and made his way back to the table.
We sat out of eyeshot and were able to exchange a small kiss. He takes my hand a gives it a squeeze and he looks rather happy.
"What's going on?" he asks. "You seem a little distracted on the phone."
I pause before responding to that, "Well, it seems we might have a little problem."
"What kind of problem?" he continues.
"The kind that the CIA is staking out your house tonight to try to nab you," I inform him.
A small smile creeps across his face and I could only imagine what he was seeing with the expression on my face.
"You're smiling," I bluntly inform him.
"I planned this," he explains.
I let out a sigh of relief and gives my hand another squeeze of relief.
I give a little smile and respond with, "You planned to give me a heart attack?"
He can only smile at my response, and explains himself, "I wanted a way to start working with the CIA. What other way than leaking them information yourself."
I am quiet for a moment before I can respond to the information just provided. "You want to what?"
"Work for the CIA, I waited to contact them so I would have Sloane's trust first," he further explains.
"You better not be lying to me," I tell him.
He's taken back by the comment, but he should have been expecting it. "I know that our relationship is going to be a problem when it comes to the secrets that we, mostly me, have."
"I know, that's the only thing that's tearing me apart about me actually liking you," I inform him.
He gives my hand a squeeze again and says, "But we can make it through. Sydney, tonight, I know you'll have to be with the team. But tell them you'll approach the door, and then bring me out, and everything will work out fine. I won't even resist."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask him.
"I've never been more sure about anything," he adds in.
"Then, it's settled," I say, finalizing everything.
We both remain quiet for a minute, but it's the feeling of his hand caressing the part of my wrist with my bracelet that causes me to speak.
"I love it," I tell him.
"When I saw it, I couldn't help to not think of you, it was beautiful, and you are beautiful," he tells me.
"Aw," I start, blushing, "Why do you have to be such a romantic at heart?"
"It's one thing I can do to keep me away from the madness that can consume someone if they're been in this business for too long," Andrew explains.
"That's the truth," I add.
"Well, we must really be off, I believe we have a large night head of us," he adds in.
We lean over and exchange a quick kiss and he leaves, but I wait to avoid any suspicion. I finish off my water and head out.
I jump in the CIA van and we're well on our way to Sark's house. When we arrive, I can feel my fingers trembling, and luckily the gloves cover it up so my fellow CIA agents wouldn't get suspicious. We arrived at his place and my heart started beating even faster than it already was.
"I'm going up," I tell them.
"See you when you come back with Sark," Vaughn says, flashing me one of his adorable smiles.
I head out and go straight to the front door and ring it. I slowly open the door and what scares me most is seeing the sight inside.
~Thanks for reading! Reviews are great appreciated and admired!~ Masquerade
