At last, it is here! The next chapter! It's a bit shorter than I'd like, but it's all I had time for...more will come soon, hopefully during my break next week! ENJOY!



She was breathtaking. He always knew his daughter would become beautiful one day. After all, she was Sydney Bristow's daughter. In his rare encounters with his baby girl when she was a child, he had seen traces of the same marks her mother possessed, and had known that he was missing out on the art that was his daughter.

Now, working with her, he was exposed to both sides of her; something that was rarely seen, even by her own mother. Had Sydney witnessed her daughter during the times she was on a mission, she would have been shocked by the resemblance between the two of them. Anna's intelligence during a mission resembled that of both of her parents, but her ability to compartmentalize so expertly was purely her mother, Sark decided. She was ambitious and confident, extremely beautiful and cunning.

On the other side of the spectrum, meaning her demeanor when she wasn't working, she was still beautiful and confident, but lacked the hard edge she displayed in missions. She was caring and compassionate, definitely not violent by nature. Sark decided that it was purely adrenaline that drove his daughter during her missions - he realized she would never under any circumstances hurt another human life.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he nodded to his daughter that he was ready. They had pursued many dead end missions in the past two months - Melina was always one step ahead of them. Now however, they felt they would reach her - Anna, using Sark's old contacts, had anticipated Melina's next movement in a process of deduction. To their knowledge, Melina only needed two pieces of the Rambaldi device for it to be complete. Because of Anna's own knowledge of the device, she realized that Melina had to get one device before the other, in order to assemble it correctly. Anna, once again through her father's contacts, had discovered the whereabouts of the first piece, and was determined to reach it before Melina could get her hands on it.

This is where they were now, a mansion in Italy, where the owner of the piece was holding a party. If he had known the power he held in his possession, perhaps he would not be focusing on such frivolous things as a high society party. Sark and Anna were dressed, ironically, as an upper class father and daughter whose corporation wished to do business with the miscellaneous Italian tycoon.

No disguises were needed - they were, after all, Father and daughter. However, Anna was dressed in a beautiful red dress that reminded Sark of a dress he had picked out for Sydney on one of her missions during her two-year stint with him. He sighed at the memory...


*flashback*


"You call this a dress?" Sydney spat out at him, dress crumbled in her left hand.

"Yes, dress," he stated in a calm tone, giving her the smug smile she had grown to love and hate with equal measure.

"Look, you said I had to perform tests, not dress up as a stripper. How is this going to prove I'm the woman in the prophecy?"

"Sydney, you're right..."

"Wait, what? Back up, did you say I was right? Meaning you were wrong?" Sydney asked, amazed.

"Don't get so smug Bristow. I merely bought the dress because I knew you'd be smashing in it. Despite your hatred and continual bodily threats against me, I have noticed that you're probably the most beautiful woman I've ever encountered," he said, smiling once again.

Sydney was speechless. She wasn't sure if she wanted to punch the smug smile off his face or kiss it off. Right now her next course of action would be nothing.

"Whatever Sark. Don't think you can buy my forgiveness with flattery. From now on, I pick out my clothes. And maybe yours too. You're looking awful today," and with that she turned and left the room.


*end flashback*


He sighed again. Had Sydney asked him why he looked so ghastly that day, he would have gladly answered honestly. He had fallen in love with her then, madly and passionately - he knew the severity of the mission she was attempting, and his stomach was in knots, for he knew she would never allow him to accompany her. She would only see that as him breathing down her neck, when in all reality all he wanted was to protect the woman he loved.

He looked to his daughter, whom he was now following down a dark corridor in the mansion, and realized that his little girl could be his redemption. Perhaps his helping her would bring Sydney back to him one day. He shook his head. He was glad for this opportunity to know his daughter - He didn't want to anticipate anything more to come from this situation. He watched in admiration as his daughter opened the lock of an office, immediately rushing to a wall painting to reveal a hidden safe. She smiled at him, and motioned to him proceed - for safe opening was her Father's forte. He smiled at her, quickly placing his hand on her left cheek before he began his work. Moments later the safe was open, and Anna held the small piece in her hands, smiling up at her father. They had done it. They turned around, only to be met with a pair of icy blue eyes that instantly reminded Anna of her sister Taryn's baby blues. The woman in front of her held a gun at Sark's head.

"Well, well Sark. Working with your lovely girl? What would Syd say?"

"Shut up Melina," he spat out. Melina shoved the gun directly into his head.

"Now, now...Is that any way to talk to the aunt of your child? I don't think so," with this Melina turned her eyes to her niece. "Hello Anna," she spoke. Anna was astonished at the resemblance between the woman before her and her own mother; not to mention the resemblance between herself and this despicable woman.

"Melina Bristow. Wish I could say it's nice to see you again," Melina laughed, looking again at Sark.

"Well Mr. Sark, you have yourself a comedian for a daughter. Good to know," at this she pushed them both. "Start walking," she spoke.

"Where are you taking us Melina," Sark demanded.

"I have to have my secrets Mr. Sark. You shall see. You shall see."