Unexplained

Chapter Twelve

Home

Los Angeles, California

Michael Vaughn travelled the familiar path down the hall of the Task Force building. It was bustling with activity, as per usual, but it still seemed impossibly empty without Sydney's shining presence. Will was sitting on his desk, talking to Marshall and Weiss, Jack not far from them. Vaughn stopped and stayed quiet while the debate finished up: Superman or Batman, who rocked better? Will was the first to pick up on Vaughn's somber mood.

"What's up, Mike?"

He swallowed uncomfortably, waiting for the words to gather in his mind.

"I don't think Sydney's coming back."

"What?"

"In Nairobi. She was different. Changed. She seemed so far away, so lost, so confused and so at peace all at the same time. She told me to leave her alone, that she was going to stay in Nairobi for awhile. She didn't. She booked a flight out as fast as she could, but there was no way to track her for her final destination. I don't think she's going to come back to Los Angeles."

"Syd wouldn't do that, Vaughn. She'd at least tell us good bye." Will said disbelieving.

"Well, I'm just telling you what I think. I don't know that for sure."

"She'd call me. She'd pick up her things."

"Unless she didn't want to be reminded of her old life. I don't doubt that she'd call you. I just wanted you to know."

As if on cue, the phone rang. Will grabbed it up off the cradle, "Tippin."

"Hi, Will."

"Sydney! Where are you?"

"I'm leaving."

"To go where?"

"I can't tell you right now, Will. I just wanted you to know I was safe and that I'll be okay. And to apologize for everything I've dragged you in to."

"Syd, none of this was your fault."

"But I dragged everyone down. You, Francie, Vaughn, my dad, Marshall, Dixon. All of you. I need to be away for a while. I may come back someday, but for now I can't face anything at home."

"Being a CIA analysist is one of the best things that could have happened to me. Just come home."

"I love you, Will. Tell that to my dad and Marshall and Dixon and Vaughn. Good bye."

"Sydney? Sydney? No. Wait!"

But she'd already disconnected the phone line. Will kind of dropped the phone in surprise. "You were right. She's not coming home."

And with that, Will walked away from the group of friends, colleagues he'd gained, feeling like he'd lost more than he ever had.

Isle of Carthis, Off the Coast of Scotland

Jarod and Miss Parker were bickering again. The group needed supplies and they couldn't agree on who to send. Jarod was sure that they'd be recognized, but sending Sydney or Broots or Ethan would be a better course of action. Miss Parker was flat out bored and wanted to get away from all the monotiny of the days. "Send Ethan. He's the least familiar, least threatening one of all of us. He's not injured or seen by others. Just let him go."

"I'm bored, Lab Rat. I want to do something."

"So blowing our entire cover is worth a few hours in town?"

"Yes!"

Jarod started to chuckle. "It's not, Parker."

"But..."

"No."

She narrowed her blue eyes at him and Jarod suddenly felt something tug at his heart. She was so stunningly beautiful, Jarod wondered how many body parts he'd lose if he kissed her. He decided to test the theory. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle, tentative kiss. Miss Parker was surprised to say the least, but she didn't push him away. Or shoot him. Jarod construed this as positive. He finally pulled apart from her and searched her face. It was unreadable, as if she herself didn't know what she was feeling. "Marina?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why?"

Parker didn't answer. She turned away from Jarod, taking in a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes to compose herself.

"What did you think you were doing, Wonder Boy?"

"I believe the techinical term is called kissing."

Miss Parker shook her head, her shoulder length hair slipping over her shoulder blade. "Why?"

"Because I love you."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple, Marina. The Centre is gone. There is nothing to keep us from being together. We rewrote the ending of our story."

"It's not that easy, Jarod."

"It is. Very easy. Just feel."

"I've never done that."

"You did. Once. When you gave a lonely little boy his first kiss."

"Jarod..."

"Just try."

She closed her eyes when she felt Jarod wrap his arms around her waist from behind. He leaned his chin on the crown of her head. The internal debate had to stop. "Okay." Miss Parker said calmly.

"Okay?"

"Yes."

"Hey, Ethan?"

"Yes, Big Brother?" Ethan called from the hall way.

"Take the money Sydney has and go into town to get some supplies."

"I'll see you later."

Jarod heard the door latch and he smiled down at Miss Parker. He tipped her chin upwards and slowly covered her mouth in a tender manner. Parker almost appeared to be crying as she returned his kiss, surprised at how sweet the moment seemed.

Sydney Bristow walked down the streets of Carthis. It was windy and cold, and the people weren't exactly friendly. A chapel stood to her right and several shops to her left. She pulled out a photograph, one of Sark's dossier pictures, and began to ask people on the street if they'd seen him. Every one of them shook their head in denial, unwilling to help. Sydney was feeling pretty hopeless. She wondered if she'd heard Jarod wrong or maybe even been wrong in the assumption that Sark had gone with his mismatched family. She sat down on the steps of the Chapel of Souls, her face in her hands. She was feeling the stress of the last nine years in her head and heart. Everything she'd done wrong, every person she'd killed, every person she'd hurt was haunting her. She wondered if destroying the Rambaldi device had to do with the unbearable guilt she was suddenly feeling. She heard the clicking of feet against stones and lifted her head to inspect the sounds. A man. Ethan. "Ethan! Ethan!"

He turned. "Who are you? Hey! You're the one who helped Jarod!"

"Yeah. Have you seen Sark?"

"Who?"

"Sark. You know, he was with us."

"Sark. No. I don't know any Sarks. It's an unusual name."

Sydney lifted the picture helplessly. "Oh. Andrew? I didn't know you called him Sark. Yeah. He's at the house with the rest of them. He was hurt pretty badly in Nairobi, but he's pulling through. You want to come home with me. I'm sure Jarod would love to see you. And Andrew probably would, too."

"You'd take me there?"

"Sure."

"Thank you so much!" Sydney threw her arms around Ethan and he blushed self-conciously. She grinned at him as she linked arms with him, taking two bags away from him to carry to the house.

Ethan unlocked the door and entered the foyer. Sydney followed suit, glancing the area around her. Ethan called out in an excited voice, "Look who I found around town!"

Jarod hurried into the hall, Miss Parker hardly behind him. "Sydney!" Jarod exclaimed. He hugged her immediately and Sydney sighed in relief.

"I was afraid I wouldn't ever find you guys. Hi, Miss Parker."

Miss Parker nodded at her, studying the young woman. She was pretty and definitely tough, and for some reason, Miss Parker liked her. Sydney leaned away from Jarod, looking him in the eyes to gage whether he would be lying.

"How is Sark?"

"He's...better than he was."

"That's not great, is it?"

"Not particularly. You want to see him, I'm guessing."

"Yes, I would like it." Sydney smiled slightly at Miss Parker and Ethan before following Jarod's retreating form. Jarod was talking in quiet tones, "We've all set up a make shift home here. You're welcome to stay as well. We've got plenty of room."

"I'd like that, Jarod. Thank you. I just don't think I can ever go back to Los Angeles."

"I understand, Sydney. This place is as safe for you as it is for us."

Sydney grinned her thanks before they stopped in front of a mahogony door. "I'll leave you two alone."

Sydney carefully stepped inside the room, watching a sleeping Sark. He looked haunted in his sleep and it hurt Sydney for some unknown reason. A rebellious curl had slipped onto his forehead and she brushed it back gently. He sighed in his sleep, turning over, his face grimacing from the pain of his burns on his back. Sydney felt a pang of guilt steal over her. She knelt on the floor in front of Sark and whispered his name. "Sark? I'm here. I just wanted you to know that."

She started to get up when a hand grabbed her wrist.

"You won't be here if you leave, Sydney."

She allowed herself a small chuckle before settling back in on her knees.

"All right. I'll sit here. But if I stay, you absolutely cannot sleep. I'll be bored out of my mind."

"Okay."

They stared at each other for a few moments, as if discovering each other for the first time.

"Why?"

"Why what, Sydney?"

"Why did you cover me from the fire?"

"I couldn't let that beautiful skin of yours be marred by some scars."

She flushed and glanced uncomfortably at her clasped hands.

"It was stupid."

"But it was worth it."

She felt silent, studying his every feature. Chiseled jaw, icy blue eyes, soft red lips, curled tendrils around his neck. He was almost adorable, if he wasn't a cold-blooded assassin.

"What happened to you when you were young, Sark?"

"You certainly jump to the hard questions, don't you?"

"Are you going to answer me?"

"Am I?"

"Stop it."

He grinned mischieviously. "Or what? You'll beat me up?"

"Sark!"

A low, throaty laugh errupted from his mouth before he delved into the painful story.

"I was a little boy, born in Galway. Mummy had been with a man named William Raines and she'd ended up pregnant. I was born, but she was terrified that he would come afer me. She was positive he was an evil man out to end the world. Of course, she was right, but as a child it seemed like an exaggeration. We moved from town to town, trying to keep away from him. But he finally found us in Whitechapel and he killed my Mummy. Then I was sent to Blue Cove in which I was tested for Project Christmas. And yes, it was before your father tried it on you. I was the first subject. Anyway, he sent me away a few months later and I lived at boarding school. I went to a special camp where I met up with Allison and a couple of others. Irina came to the camp and took us with her. We were trained everyday about spying and languages and codes. By the time I was 16, I was out and about, already dropping my first name, and picking up the name Sark. And the rest is history, Sydney."

Sydney closed her eyes, almost feeling the pain that emmited from the fugitive. She found herself feeling sorry for him and wanting to take the pain away, which surprised her to no end.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Your lot in life has been akin to mine. Maybe we can compare horror stories sometime."

Sydney's mouth dropped open at his cavalier attitude towards this.

"I can't believe you'd share all that and then make a joke about it."

"Yeah. You'd think I'd just kill you for knowing that much information. And I'd also think you'd be on the phone with the CIA just bursting with intel."

"I quit the CIA."

"You quit."

"Well, they don't exactly know it, but I think Will got the picture when I contacted him."

Sark took a deep breath, grimacing again at the pain any movement caused.

"Sydney, why are you here?"

"I don't know."

"No plan?"

"Not really. I'm just tired of my life like it is. I've captured Sloane. That's all I wanted to do. And I was worried."

"About what?"

"You. Jarod. Everyone."

Sark accepted that explanation. He lifted his hand slowly, carressing Sydney's cheek. Sydney froze into place, almost like an ice sculpture standing before him. At the thought of ice, he used his free hand to rub above his knee where a scar resided courtesy of Sydney Bristow. Maybe that's part of the reason he'd fallen for her so hard. She had never been afraid of him. She'd always been a good competition for him and he enjoyed the chase. He wanted to test the waters so desperately, so he pulled her down for a kiss. Their lips met in a frenzied passion, all the stress, pain, and distrust flying out the window. Sydney didn't even try to resist. When time began again, Sydney pulled away, tilting her head at the spy before her. "What was that?"

She didn't sound disgusted, but she didn't sound happy either.

"I'm not sure. I just wanted to do that. I always have."

"This is insane."

"I know. So are we."

Sydney bit back a smile. "And that justifies it?"

"Do we need to justify this?"

She shook her head slowly.

"I guess not."

"We're full of absolutes today."

"Oh, yes. Definitely."

"The first definite thing we've said all day."

Sydney finally laughed before intertwining her hands with Sark's.

"Okay, Andrew. If you're so smart, why don't you explain the world to me?"

"Simple. World turns. Life goes on, whether we are in it or not."

"That's depressing."

"Tell me about it."

Sydney stood up and slipped onto the couch next to Sark. She took care to avoid his injuries as she slung her arm across his chest.

"Are you staying, Sydney?"

"Are we safe here, Andrew?"

"Yeah. I don't think anyone will find us here. Jarod and I are incredibly good at disappearing, Angelo and Ethan don't exist as far the law is concerned. Miss Parker, Broots, Debbie, and Sydney the Doctor have all left Blue Cove with no other family and no one is going to look for them. I say so."

Sydney nodded, satisfied. "Okay. I guess I'll be staying here for awhile. We can find out what this is."

"You make it sound like an affliction."

"It is." Sark's laughter rang through the room like a child's on his tenth birthday who had just recieved the bike he'd always wanted. Except this time, it was a much better gift.