Okay, so I have officially neglected this story, I'm so sorry! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, you made my day! I also want to thank everyone that reviewed Recrudescence, I loved your reviews but I'm pretty sure it's going to stay a one-parter, but thank you so much for reviewing! (read it if you haven't – I think it's my best fic so far)

Again, sorry for the delay. But this chapter is twice as long as my others, I guess that kind of makes up for it. J

            Vaughn picked up his pace as he headed towards the cell. He hated going to see her, but he knew he had to. He started to get nervous, what would he say to her? How does one start off a conversation with the woman who killed your father?  He neared her cell and was surprised to hear her voice call out to him calmly. "Agent Vaughn." She stated flatly, her voice not giving space to any curiosity.

            "Irina." He answered back.  She stared at him for a moment, any emotion cleverly masked. He glanced up at her, took a deep breath and began. "Sydney's been arrested. She's being held here for treason. Someone has set her up, I need to know who."

            Irina's face gave way to change, truly surprised at his words. She stood for a moment, not speaking, but then found her voice. "What do you mean by set her up?"

            "Fake camera feeds, posing as her with several notorious members of the KGB, a break into Langley." He listed off quickly, watching her mind work. 'Who would want to bring Sydney down?' He silently questioned, his mind already sorting out the obvious suspects such as Sark, but that didn't make sense. He looked back at Irina; she looked as if she was off in another world, figuring some complex puzzle out in her head.

            "I need to speak with Jack."

            "What?"

            "I need to speak with Jack before I say anything." She stated as if she was in command of him, instead of the other way around. Her tone angered Vaughn, who was already exerting himself by just meeting with her.

            "Look, if you have any information and leads on this you have to tell me. I don't need to remind you that if you withhold information you're violating you deal." He demanded, giving her a steely glance. He noticed she didn't respond to his threat at the least. "If not for the CIA's sake at least to help your daughter, but then again why should I expect you to do that?" He said coldly.

            She perked up at the sound of his biting words, but stood there unaffected.

            "Set up a meeting between me and Jack and I'll help you." She said simply. Vaughn opened his mouth to speak but Irina cut in, "You won't get anything out of me before you do, so I suggest you do it."  She said, her eyes narrowing slightly, making contact with his, brown eyes meeting green. He returned her stare, not shying away from it. They stood there for a few long moments, silently warring each other. Vaughn blinked and acquiesced. "Fine."

***Meanwhile***

            The familiar workstations flew by in a blur as Sydney strode through the main floor and made her way to her father's office. She brought her hand up and quickly rapped on the door with two sharp knocks, not waiting for an answer as she flung the door open and stepped inside. She found her father at his desk, leafing through a file. Her abrupt entrance jolted him from his thoughts as he looked up at her. She didn't bother with formalities.

            "You told Kendall I was a triple agent?" She asked venomously. Jack was a little displaced at her behavior for a second but almost instantly regained his composure.

            "Sydney, I did no such thing. I simply expressed the fact that you are capable of being a triple agent, and that you have motivation to do so." Jack said calmly.

            "I have motivation?" She asked,  "I have motivation?" she repeated, her voice escalating, along with her anger. "I'll tell you what I have motivation to do right now…" she began, staring at her father, both knowing full well that she could take him.

            "Sydney!" Jack demanded sharply. "You need to calm down."

            "You expect me to calm down?" She questioned incredulously. "You of all people should know what it is like to be sitting in that cell for hours on end, knowing you have done nothing wrong, and being interrogated by a jackass like Knapp." She spat as she started pacing in front of his desk.  "I thought I could trust you. I was obviously wrong."

            "Trust isn't always what it seems to be." He replied quickly.

            "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

            "I thought I could trust you Sydney." He answered, turning the tables back to her.

            "What?" She questioned.

            "To tell you the truth…" He began.

"That'd be a first." She cut in bitterly.  He didn't respond to her comment, and just gave her a steely glance.

He began again. "To tell you the truth Sydney I've been having my doubts about you. Not so much as where your loyalties lie, but where you are." He paused for a moment.  "Your relationship with Agent Vaughn…"

            "My personal life is none of your business." She hastily cut in again.

            "When did your handler become a part of your personal life?" He said, throwing the question at her. Sydney looked like a fish out of the water and was desperately floundering for a good response. "This is what im talking about Sydney," He said sternly. "I'm afraid that you've become to attached, your judgment is clouded by him. You want to be with him." He stated bluntly. "I know you. You go for what you want. Knowing you can't have him is killing you, you'd find a way to bring down SD-6 or the CIA, which ever comes first."

            Sydney was left speechless as a thick silence ensued. A million thoughts raced through her head. 'How does my father know how I feel about him? Vaughn doesn't even know. Hell, I don't really know.' She became enraged at his bogus accusations but then realizing that maybe they weren't that bogus. Moments later Weiss appeared in the doorway, his voice breaking the silence.

            "Hey you're both wanted down at briefing." He said, sensing the tension in the air. He glanced back and forth from Sydney to Jack as he began to leave. A couple seconds later after either of them failed to move he popped his head back in, "Now." He added.

****Briefing Room****

            Sydney sat in the briefing room, waiting for Kendall to begin. She noticed that Vaughn wasn't there and her mind raced as it played with the idea that his absence was planned. Had her father said something? Did Vaughn get in trouble for visiting her? Her thoughts turned towards her anger at her father. Sydney was distracted from her thoughts as someone entered the room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was Vaughn. He made eye contact with her as he slid into his chair next to her as Kendall began speaking.

            "As most of you know Agent Sydney Bristow has been under some speculation recently about her current ties. However in order to uphold her cover at SD-6, I have ordered that she be released and freed to comply with SD-6. This means Agent Bristow," he said addressing her. "That you will go to work as usual, and report here instead of going home. You are to remain under heavy surveillance at all times and will be monitored. That said let's move on." Kendall stood and motioned to the screen displayed in front of them. "Now, Agent Jack Bristow has informed us that Sloane is planning on sending you to France for your next mission. Your counter will be more complicated than normal, considering our predicament here. Jack, you can take it from here." Kendall said as Jack stood up.

            "Sloane is sending Sydney to France to retrieve a previously unknown Rambaldi artifact. We believe that Sloane has arranged a deal with this man," He said motioning towards the monitor. "Giovanni Stretrehof. However, our intel shows that Stretrehof is working under someone else, but of whom we don't know. Sloane is not aware of this fact and is most likely getting scammed. Sloane has made an offer to this man but we don't know what it is." Jack said. "Naturally, thinking he will acquire a new artifact, he is sending Sydney to retrieve it, thinking she is trustworthy." He added.

            Sydney jerked her head up, noting his underlying message to her. She looked at him but said nothing and he continued on.

            "This is a very dangerous mission, and now it is even more compromising because of recent developments." He said, referring to Sydney. "Sydney will have to go in solo, there is no way around that. Any contact made between her and us will have to be through coms. We can't risk having another agent around the area. The artifact is supposedly hidden in a club called L'Haute Vie, which is used as Stretrehof's cover. The artifact is said to be located in a safe underneath the facility. However Sydney, you are to meet Stretrehof's contact inside the building, and he will take you to it." Sydney listened intently, focusing on the task at hand. "Because of our intel, we know Stretrehof is unreliable, and we don't know what he is planning." Jack said.

"So I'm pretty much going in blind." Sydney stated.

"SD-6 security will be present in the city, although Dixon will not be accompanying you. Sloane doesn't want anyone knowing about this unless it's absolutely necessary." Jack said. Vaughn shifted in his chair, looking uncomfortable at the proposition.

Kendall spoke up again. "Agent Vaughn, you will accompany Agent Bristow to France, however you will have no contact with her besides com links. Agent Bristow, a tracking device will be inserted in you, so we can track your position at all times. Your flight leaves in two hours."

****Paris, France****

            Sydney stood outside her hotel room, desperately trying to open the door. She stuck the little plastic card in the slot for the fifth time, as the little light blinked red once again. 'So I can diffuse a bomb but I can't open a freakin door?' She thought to herself. She stuck the key card in once again and finally successfully opened the door. Sydney entered the room and set her bag down on the bed in a huff. She sat down on the bed and looked down at her watch. 7:18. She had almost 3 hours until she was supposed to be at the club. She prayed this mission would go quickly. As much as she loved France she didn't want to have to be here any longer than necessary. Her thoughts turned towards Vaughn and she wondered where he was. Somewhere in Paris. That thought was at least a little comforting. She hadn't had the chance to talk to him after she had been released. After debrief, she had report to SD-6 and Vaughn had hurried off, speaking to her father.  Sydney listlessly laid down on the bed, looking at her watch again. 7:20. She reached for the remote on the table by her bed and flicked on the TV, watching as pictures flashed in front of her face, but thinking only of Vaughn.

**** L'Haute Vie, Paris****

            Sydney strode up towards the front of the line, bypassing impatient partiers, all waiting in line to get into the club. Her tall black boots and mini skirt left little room for movement as she adjusted her too tight tank top that revealed more than a little too much as it criss crossed its way up her chest. She subconsciously brought her hand to her hair, securing her short pink wig. 'Good god,' she thought to herself, 'I look like Kelly Osborne.' She ignored the catcalls and made her way up to the huge bouncer. He looked down at her with greedy eyes, as if she was a piece of meat and smiled at her. If he only knew she could take him down in one clean stroke, she thought, uncomfortable under his stare. Instead she stood on her tiptoes and said something into his ear. He immediately stepped back and let her into the crowed club as the waiting throng of people protested. "I'm in. Going radio silent." She said into her com link as she discretely shifted her earrings.

 Sydney stepped into the club as the smell of smoke and cheap alcohol filled her senses. She quickly scanned the crowd, searching for her contact. The loud music pounded throughout the club, as neon lights lit up the room. She found Stretrehof himself sitting at the bar alone, wearing an expensive suit that seemed very out of place. She walked passed him, slightly touching his shoulder, signally him to follow her. Sydney made her way into a dark hallway, where the restrooms were.

She waited until he was close until she spoke, "J'entends son a supposé pour pleuvoir." She stated plainly, watching for his reaction to their planned code. The tall man's lips curled up into a slight smile, as he reached out and stroked a strand of her pink hair, "Oui, j'ai entendu cela aussi." He nodded, his words confirming her identity as he led her down another dark hallway and a staircase that descended into the basement. Sydney fought the urge just to floor him right then as he smiled back at her approvingly. At the door leading to the basement Sydney found herself surrounded by two burly bodyguards that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Stretrehof looked back at her. "Don't mind them, their just for security purposes." He proclaimed.

 The large basement was dimly lit, and consisted of only a few crates used for storage, and an obvious safe, implanted in the concrete walls. A cool draft swept through the air as their footsteps echoed across the cold concrete floor as Sydney discretely surveyed her surroundings. The muffled bass of the club reverberated throughout the large room as the man spoke, "So I hear Sloane is very interested Rambaldi." He said to her. She said nothing, not interested in making pointless conversation. "The deal we struck," He went on, "was very prosperous." He said as he punched in the code for the safe, "I got a considerable amount of money." He said to no one as she stood there silently. He glanced back at her again after he finished punching in the code. "Although, if I had known he had someone as pretty as you, I might have considered making a different offer." The man spoke as lifted a briefcase out of the safe with a lewd grin on his face.

"In fact, I might just skip the money and take you." Stretrehof said with a smile as he pulled a gun from his suit pocket. Sydney immediately flung her leg up and kicked it out of his hand, sending the gun flying. She was almost instantaneously confronted by the burly guards but was able to grab the gun concealed in her knee high boots and take them down with two precise shots as Stretrehof scrambled for his gun. Sydney whirled around and trained her gun on Stretrehof.

"Don't move." She commanded in a powerful voice as she approached him. He looked up at her, his dull brown eyes showing no fear, but more amusement.

"You know, I like a powerful woman." He stated with yet another grin spreading across his face as he eyed her up and down again. She felt the bile starting to rise in her throat, she wanted nothing more just to shoot him right there, but she figured Sloane wouldn't be too pleased if she killed his contact.

"You sick bastard." She growled as her leg flew up in a roundhouse kick, knocking him out as he fell to the concrete floor with a thud. Sydney stepped back a little, her heart pounding as the adrenaline flowed through her veins. She took a deep breath a returned her gun to her boot and picked up the chrome briefcase Stretrehof had extracted from the safe. She turned and surveyed her damage quickly before anyone would notice the absence of the now fallen trio.

"Well its looks like you've got the hard part done."  A familiar voice rang out from the silence. Sydney spun around as her eyes scanned the dark basement, looking for the source. The solitaire light hanging from the ceiling providing little light, leaving the corners of the basement engulfed in darkness. She squinted her eyes and was able to make a figure of a woman. The stench of gunpowder still hung in the air as the only sound that entered the room was the pounding bass, echoing from the club as Sydney racked her brain to place that voice.

"Who are you?" Sydney questioned as she trained her gun on the dark figure.

The woman gave a short laugh in response as she approached Sydney, but was still shielded by darkness. The short clicks of her heels signaled the woman's nearness, as she spoke again, "If I were you I'd put the gun down Sydney." The woman warned in a playful tone, although her identity still eluded Sydney. "We've met before." She continued in a low tone as Sydney picked up on the slight Russian accent. "I'm surprised you haven't placed me yet." She said, her voice giving way towards her anger. "Too bad you never will."

            A quick realization of the woman's words and intuition led Sydney to jump through the air as she heard a gunshot pound through the room, and a bullet fly whizzing by her shoulder. Sydney hit the ground and fired into the darkness. Sydney recovered quickly, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. The woman was surprised at her agility and was caught off guard when she felt a foot come in contact with her hand, causing her gun to go flying through the air. But she adapted quickly as she retaliated, landing a solid punch to Sydney's stomach, sending her gun clattering to the floor.

 The struggle continued as each woman put forth her best moves, only to be perfectly mirrored and blocked by the other. They worked their way around the vast basement and by this time Sydney had made out the woman to be of the same stature of herself, and to be a very skilled fighter. 

Sydney cried out in desperation as the woman slammed her head against the cement wall. A surge of pain shot through her head as she struggled to keep her eyes open as the woman backed up to make her last assault. But Sydney quickly slid out of the way, causing the woman to become off balance.  The lapse in time gave Sydney an opportunity to regain her strength and she managed to kick her attacker in the stomach with all of her might, sending the woman crashing onto cement floor. Sydney franticly scanned the basement for her gun, and scrambled to retrieve it. She doubled back to her attacker, who was struggling to get up, now illuminated by the dim light. She cocked her gun and trained it on the fallen woman, ready to shoot. "Who the hell are you?" She demanded in a deathly tone. The mysterious woman said nothing, only rolled over to face her, but instead of seeing a stranger, Sydney was greeted by her own face, as if looking in a mirror.

TBC…..

A/N – I really hope I didn't bore too many of you with this chap, I don't think I'm too good at writing action scenes, but hopefully it was suspenseful. Lemme know what you think by reviewing!