Chapter 22: When a Door Closes
"Come with me." Sark told her holding out his hand. His eyes held the promise of love and a beautiful future and she was inexplicably drawn to it. Before she could take a step she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see it was Vaughn.
"Don't go to him, Sydney, he's evil! Come with me." Vaughn said holding out his hand.
"Do you love me? Sydney asked Vaughn taking a step toward him.
"Remember regulations, Syndey." Vaughn said sternly holding up a large black book. "It says here on page 334 article 9 of the CIA Handbook. There will be no love between handler and agent. I can't love you, it says so in the handbook." Vaughn tapped the handbook and looked at her sadly. A glass wall rose up around her keeping her from reaching him. She turned around in time to see Sark take a sledgehammer and shatter the glass.
"He doesn't understand love, how could he? His life is all about rules and regulations and boundaries, lots of lines he cannot cross. There are no rules when it comes to love, no regulations, no boundaries. Come with me Sydney and be free." Though he'd broken the glass around her Sark didn't come closer.
"But I love him." Sydney explained. "And I know he loves me. When this is all over."
"It'll never be over Sydney." Sark said sadly. "When one fight ends another begins, an endless path leading one way. But you don't have to travel alone." He smiled at her welcomingly.
"He's right you know. We Bristows fight till the end and death is the only end." Irena said from behind her.
"You're wrong, death isn't the only end. Once I bring down SD-6 it's over for me. I'll be free to live a normal life." Sydney said unable to look her mother in the eyes.
Irena laughed. "Killing is in our blood little one. There is no normal life for the likes of us."
"Think what you want, but I'm not like you. I can be happy with a normal life. I'll have a family and children. And I'll never leave them no matter what!" Sydney said defiantly looking up but her mother was no longer there.
"I can't promise you normal but I can give you a family and children. We can name our first son Alexander, I've always been partial to the name." Sark voice whispered into her ear. Expecting to see him right behind her she turned around. He was even farther away then before.
"But I don't love you! I don't even know you!" Sydney lashed out frustrated at being offered the things she yearned for but still feel like it was beyond her reach.
"You can learn to love me. I already love you." Sark replied.
"No, you love Sarah, not me. I just look like her." Sydney said self- consciously
"But you can be her." Sark cajoled.
"I don't want to be her, I want to be me. I want you to love me!" Sydney stopped shocked at her outburst. Did she want him to love her?
"Have I taught you nothing, Sydney? Love is pain. It's a useless emotion that will destroy you." Jack Bristow said.
"No, Dad. You taught me that life without it isn't worth living." Sydney replied sadly.
"Then don't make mistake I did. Don't love the wrong person." Jack warned.
"Is Sark the wrong person?" Sydney asked. Jack faded away before he could respond.
"Is Vaughn the right one?" Sark countered.
"I don't know, I think so." Sydney answered truthfully.
"He doesn't understand people like us Sydney. He will want to restrict you with his rules and regulation because he won't be able to live without them. You will die in his world and he'll be destroyed in yours." Sark was moving farther away.
"I'll make it work! Where are you going?" She asked panicked. She was getting cold.
"You're not ready. Keep your Mr. Vaughn, I can wait until he's dead." Sark said sadly drifting farther away.
"Wait, come back! Please! I don't want to be alone." Sydney cried running after him. When she had nearly caught up with him someone grabbed her before she could touch him. She struggled to get away. "No, I've got to find him."
"Sydney, it's me!" Vaughn was the one holding her. He shook her gently. Then harder.
Sydney could hear Sark calling her. "Ms. Bristow.Sydney.SYDNEY!"
Sark was shaking her awake. "We have 15 minutes before that door opens and I'm not about to stay here for another 12 hours."
"Why did you let me sleep so long?" Sydney asked shocked that she'd slept the entire time.
"It looked like you needed it and it kept you out of the way." Sark replied.
"The antidote!" She stood up remembering why she was here.
"On the table. One is the formula Yon Hee came up with and the other is my creation. I think that I might have found the cure for Stage 4, if he needs it." Sark said is almost shyly, at least without his usual arrogance.
Sydney touched his arm to get his attention. "Thank you!" She said meaning it with the bottom of her heart giving him a smile.
"Get your stuff together, I don't know what's going to be on the other side of the door when it opens." Sark said gruffly walking away.
Sydney carefully placed the two antidotes into a small bulletproof box she'd brought with her and put it into her backpack. She tripped over something and realized that they were her boots. How did they get off her feet? She realized that she didn't have her jacket on either. It was folded next to her boots. Sark must have taken them off her. She smiled at the thought that Sark would do something as thoughtful as making her comfortable while she was sleeping. Ever since waking up she hadn't felt at war with Sark. She felt almost comfortable with him, almost.
"Get moving Bristow, we still have to plan out our escape!" Sark said from behind her.
"What? You already haven't done it?" Sydney half teased. Sark wasn't bad when he wasn't being a jerk.
"No, I thought you'd like to feel like you did something during this mission." Sark countered with a smirk.
Sydney looked around the lab and realized that everything was rearranged. "Did you feel the need for redecorating?" She asked a little confused.
"Just making sure that we have a fighting chance." He said cryptically dragging her behind the newly relocated computer desk. It was strategically placed so that they could run out the door when it was clear.
"I take it that once the door opens you set off the charges until we can slip out?" Sydney guessed reading the situation..
"Very good Ms. Bristow. The first two are small contained explosives, the third will be a smoke bomb so that we can leave without be spotted." Sark said smiling, it didn't reach his eyes but Sydney didn't expect it to, one step at a time she thought. "You're going to have to stop calling me that. I know you do it to annoy me. Call me Sydney. Bristow can get confusing because of Dad." Sydney ordered.
"Somehow I don't think that there's any danger of confusing you two." Sark said dryly.
"I know that you wouldn't consider me a friend but if you ever need to talk about her, you already have my cell number." Sydney reached out to him not knowing what to expect. No, she expected him to tell her to go to hell.
"Is this a bonding moment? The door is going to open in a few minutes and I don't remember having one on the schedule." Sark said sarcastically.
Sydney knew her plan to humanize Sark was going to take a long time. "Before this mission started I didn't understand you or your motives."
"And you do now?" Sark interrupted not quite snorting.
"I'm beginning to." Sydney answered. "This mission wasn't about finding the antidote for Vaughn, it was a rescue mission. It was already planned before you met me at dinner last night wasn't it?"
"So?" He responded rudely.
"Because you care about that women Yon Hee, just like you care about the Mathews." She laying out her theories.
"Look Sydney, stop trying to find something that isn't there. You were right the first time you tried to profile me. I am a cold-blooded killer. I kill because I like to play God."
"Did you kill Crawford at the reunion?" She asked changing the subject.
"No, someone beat me to it." He said unthinkingly.
"Have you ever purposefully killed an innocent?" She fired off again.
"I kidnapped your friend Will, what do you think?" Sark retorted.
"I don't think you have." Sydney said softly.
"Then you're a fool!" He said disgusted.
"When I was captured, you found a way to get me to eat and sleep. You saved my life at the reunion. You warned Vaughn that he was going to get sick. You still made an antidote for the next stage of the virus when already had Yon Hee's antidote made! So why? I know it's because I look like Sarah. I also know you're using me as bait to find her killers. I also know that cold-blooded killers would have killed me after I injected them with a deadly virus. Cold-blooded killers don't take off jackets and shoes of their 'bait' so that they can sleep better either."
She paused waiting for him to say something. He didn't. She continued talking in a soft voice. "When you went into an episode, you were remembering the day she died. I saw how much you loved her and how it destroyed you to have to kill her. I don't know everything about you Sark nor would I presume to say I do. There are a lot things that don't add up like how her husband fits into the whole picture." She paused waiting for him to fill her in.
"I'm surprise that you haven't figured it out already since you purport to know a lot. I'm.." He stopped as the door groaned signaling the end of their 12 hour incarceration.
The soldiers started coming in as the door was halfway open and he set off the first bomb. He set off second the bomb, as the door was fully open. When the door started to go down he hit the smoke bomb and signaled Sydney to exit. Sark skillfully shot two soldiers between the eyes before reaching the door. Sydney had a gun but she fought her way out. She delivered a side-kick to one soldier and then used the butt of her gun to knock him out. One soldier grabbed her from behind as another punched her. Before he could land another punch he fell to his knees with a bullet in his head.
"Need I remind you that we don't have any time to waste?" Sark said from the already halfway closed door. Sydney flipped the soldier that was holding her from behind and rolled under the door as it closed behind her.
"Do you always cut it that close every mission?" Sark asked derisively as he put his gun into automatic and shot several soldiers who came around the corner.
She got to her feet. "Hey, just because I don't like to kill everything that moves." There was a loud explosion and the door behind them bulged out. He gave her a 'see why I my way works better' look before they sprinted around the corner to escape the blast. Sydney noticed the garbage chute to the right hand side after they skidded around the corner. She shoved Sark into it and dove in after him, just as the flames licked at her boots.
The chute exited five feet off the ground outside of the building and into a ditch. Sydney and Sark landed without breaking anything though both of them had to take a moment to catch their breath. It was dark out so they were surprised and temporarily blinded when they were caught by a searchlight from overhead.
"Come with me." Sark told her holding out his hand. His eyes held the promise of love and a beautiful future and she was inexplicably drawn to it. Before she could take a step she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see it was Vaughn.
"Don't go to him, Sydney, he's evil! Come with me." Vaughn said holding out his hand.
"Do you love me? Sydney asked Vaughn taking a step toward him.
"Remember regulations, Syndey." Vaughn said sternly holding up a large black book. "It says here on page 334 article 9 of the CIA Handbook. There will be no love between handler and agent. I can't love you, it says so in the handbook." Vaughn tapped the handbook and looked at her sadly. A glass wall rose up around her keeping her from reaching him. She turned around in time to see Sark take a sledgehammer and shatter the glass.
"He doesn't understand love, how could he? His life is all about rules and regulations and boundaries, lots of lines he cannot cross. There are no rules when it comes to love, no regulations, no boundaries. Come with me Sydney and be free." Though he'd broken the glass around her Sark didn't come closer.
"But I love him." Sydney explained. "And I know he loves me. When this is all over."
"It'll never be over Sydney." Sark said sadly. "When one fight ends another begins, an endless path leading one way. But you don't have to travel alone." He smiled at her welcomingly.
"He's right you know. We Bristows fight till the end and death is the only end." Irena said from behind her.
"You're wrong, death isn't the only end. Once I bring down SD-6 it's over for me. I'll be free to live a normal life." Sydney said unable to look her mother in the eyes.
Irena laughed. "Killing is in our blood little one. There is no normal life for the likes of us."
"Think what you want, but I'm not like you. I can be happy with a normal life. I'll have a family and children. And I'll never leave them no matter what!" Sydney said defiantly looking up but her mother was no longer there.
"I can't promise you normal but I can give you a family and children. We can name our first son Alexander, I've always been partial to the name." Sark voice whispered into her ear. Expecting to see him right behind her she turned around. He was even farther away then before.
"But I don't love you! I don't even know you!" Sydney lashed out frustrated at being offered the things she yearned for but still feel like it was beyond her reach.
"You can learn to love me. I already love you." Sark replied.
"No, you love Sarah, not me. I just look like her." Sydney said self- consciously
"But you can be her." Sark cajoled.
"I don't want to be her, I want to be me. I want you to love me!" Sydney stopped shocked at her outburst. Did she want him to love her?
"Have I taught you nothing, Sydney? Love is pain. It's a useless emotion that will destroy you." Jack Bristow said.
"No, Dad. You taught me that life without it isn't worth living." Sydney replied sadly.
"Then don't make mistake I did. Don't love the wrong person." Jack warned.
"Is Sark the wrong person?" Sydney asked. Jack faded away before he could respond.
"Is Vaughn the right one?" Sark countered.
"I don't know, I think so." Sydney answered truthfully.
"He doesn't understand people like us Sydney. He will want to restrict you with his rules and regulation because he won't be able to live without them. You will die in his world and he'll be destroyed in yours." Sark was moving farther away.
"I'll make it work! Where are you going?" She asked panicked. She was getting cold.
"You're not ready. Keep your Mr. Vaughn, I can wait until he's dead." Sark said sadly drifting farther away.
"Wait, come back! Please! I don't want to be alone." Sydney cried running after him. When she had nearly caught up with him someone grabbed her before she could touch him. She struggled to get away. "No, I've got to find him."
"Sydney, it's me!" Vaughn was the one holding her. He shook her gently. Then harder.
Sydney could hear Sark calling her. "Ms. Bristow.Sydney.SYDNEY!"
Sark was shaking her awake. "We have 15 minutes before that door opens and I'm not about to stay here for another 12 hours."
"Why did you let me sleep so long?" Sydney asked shocked that she'd slept the entire time.
"It looked like you needed it and it kept you out of the way." Sark replied.
"The antidote!" She stood up remembering why she was here.
"On the table. One is the formula Yon Hee came up with and the other is my creation. I think that I might have found the cure for Stage 4, if he needs it." Sark said is almost shyly, at least without his usual arrogance.
Sydney touched his arm to get his attention. "Thank you!" She said meaning it with the bottom of her heart giving him a smile.
"Get your stuff together, I don't know what's going to be on the other side of the door when it opens." Sark said gruffly walking away.
Sydney carefully placed the two antidotes into a small bulletproof box she'd brought with her and put it into her backpack. She tripped over something and realized that they were her boots. How did they get off her feet? She realized that she didn't have her jacket on either. It was folded next to her boots. Sark must have taken them off her. She smiled at the thought that Sark would do something as thoughtful as making her comfortable while she was sleeping. Ever since waking up she hadn't felt at war with Sark. She felt almost comfortable with him, almost.
"Get moving Bristow, we still have to plan out our escape!" Sark said from behind her.
"What? You already haven't done it?" Sydney half teased. Sark wasn't bad when he wasn't being a jerk.
"No, I thought you'd like to feel like you did something during this mission." Sark countered with a smirk.
Sydney looked around the lab and realized that everything was rearranged. "Did you feel the need for redecorating?" She asked a little confused.
"Just making sure that we have a fighting chance." He said cryptically dragging her behind the newly relocated computer desk. It was strategically placed so that they could run out the door when it was clear.
"I take it that once the door opens you set off the charges until we can slip out?" Sydney guessed reading the situation..
"Very good Ms. Bristow. The first two are small contained explosives, the third will be a smoke bomb so that we can leave without be spotted." Sark said smiling, it didn't reach his eyes but Sydney didn't expect it to, one step at a time she thought. "You're going to have to stop calling me that. I know you do it to annoy me. Call me Sydney. Bristow can get confusing because of Dad." Sydney ordered.
"Somehow I don't think that there's any danger of confusing you two." Sark said dryly.
"I know that you wouldn't consider me a friend but if you ever need to talk about her, you already have my cell number." Sydney reached out to him not knowing what to expect. No, she expected him to tell her to go to hell.
"Is this a bonding moment? The door is going to open in a few minutes and I don't remember having one on the schedule." Sark said sarcastically.
Sydney knew her plan to humanize Sark was going to take a long time. "Before this mission started I didn't understand you or your motives."
"And you do now?" Sark interrupted not quite snorting.
"I'm beginning to." Sydney answered. "This mission wasn't about finding the antidote for Vaughn, it was a rescue mission. It was already planned before you met me at dinner last night wasn't it?"
"So?" He responded rudely.
"Because you care about that women Yon Hee, just like you care about the Mathews." She laying out her theories.
"Look Sydney, stop trying to find something that isn't there. You were right the first time you tried to profile me. I am a cold-blooded killer. I kill because I like to play God."
"Did you kill Crawford at the reunion?" She asked changing the subject.
"No, someone beat me to it." He said unthinkingly.
"Have you ever purposefully killed an innocent?" She fired off again.
"I kidnapped your friend Will, what do you think?" Sark retorted.
"I don't think you have." Sydney said softly.
"Then you're a fool!" He said disgusted.
"When I was captured, you found a way to get me to eat and sleep. You saved my life at the reunion. You warned Vaughn that he was going to get sick. You still made an antidote for the next stage of the virus when already had Yon Hee's antidote made! So why? I know it's because I look like Sarah. I also know you're using me as bait to find her killers. I also know that cold-blooded killers would have killed me after I injected them with a deadly virus. Cold-blooded killers don't take off jackets and shoes of their 'bait' so that they can sleep better either."
She paused waiting for him to say something. He didn't. She continued talking in a soft voice. "When you went into an episode, you were remembering the day she died. I saw how much you loved her and how it destroyed you to have to kill her. I don't know everything about you Sark nor would I presume to say I do. There are a lot things that don't add up like how her husband fits into the whole picture." She paused waiting for him to fill her in.
"I'm surprise that you haven't figured it out already since you purport to know a lot. I'm.." He stopped as the door groaned signaling the end of their 12 hour incarceration.
The soldiers started coming in as the door was halfway open and he set off the first bomb. He set off second the bomb, as the door was fully open. When the door started to go down he hit the smoke bomb and signaled Sydney to exit. Sark skillfully shot two soldiers between the eyes before reaching the door. Sydney had a gun but she fought her way out. She delivered a side-kick to one soldier and then used the butt of her gun to knock him out. One soldier grabbed her from behind as another punched her. Before he could land another punch he fell to his knees with a bullet in his head.
"Need I remind you that we don't have any time to waste?" Sark said from the already halfway closed door. Sydney flipped the soldier that was holding her from behind and rolled under the door as it closed behind her.
"Do you always cut it that close every mission?" Sark asked derisively as he put his gun into automatic and shot several soldiers who came around the corner.
She got to her feet. "Hey, just because I don't like to kill everything that moves." There was a loud explosion and the door behind them bulged out. He gave her a 'see why I my way works better' look before they sprinted around the corner to escape the blast. Sydney noticed the garbage chute to the right hand side after they skidded around the corner. She shoved Sark into it and dove in after him, just as the flames licked at her boots.
The chute exited five feet off the ground outside of the building and into a ditch. Sydney and Sark landed without breaking anything though both of them had to take a moment to catch their breath. It was dark out so they were surprised and temporarily blinded when they were caught by a searchlight from overhead.
