Show No Emotion
Spoilers: No
Archive: Yes, but please let me know at sarkaholic23@hotmail.com
A/N: This takes place after Truth Takes Time. Tenses in this story will change. When it is in first person POV, it will be in present tense. When it is in third person POV, it will be in past.
A/N #2: This chapter picks up where we left off.
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"Ms. Bristow," Sark started after an awkward silence, "it doesn't look to me like you got dressed to visit me this evening."
Sydney sighed. "No, I was actually going to go for a walk." She paused. "Um, I still feel like one…would you like to join me?"
Sark looked up at her and smiled. "I would enjoy that very much. Thank you."
Sydney felt her face flush. "It's just a walk."
Sark didn't respond. He stood and made his way to the door as Sydney followed suit. They walked down the hall and rode down the elevator to the lobby. It was pitch black outside, save for the bright lights shining from the fancy lamps placed along the hotel's garden walkway.
"So," Sark said, his voice cracking, "what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Well, he replied, looking down at his feet, "I've told you about my life. What about yours?"
Sydney laughed. "I'm not going to go there."
"Sark raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "This is payback isn't? I don't tell you my name, so you don't reveal anything farther than your own?
Sydney game him a sweet small and shrugged. "Take it as you like."
They continued their walk in silence until they reached the hotel's pride: an extravagant fountain, complete with a sculpture of the water god, Atlantis, set directly in the middle of the garden. Water spurt this way and that, lit by bright blue lights. Sydney felt sweat forming on her back and gulped. She and Sark were standing so close. One little movement, and…
"It's nice," she said, trying to push away her previous thoughts.
Sark looked at her and nodded. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"
"No, I mean…seeing this side of you. It's nice. I didn't…well, I mean I never have before."
Sark blinked, then looked away. "Yes, well…I suppose in this line of work, I do not often have the chance to show a polite side.
"Gentle," Sydney corrected, more to herself than Sark.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Gentle," she repeated. "You're always polite, even in a fight. I've noticed that. This is a gentle side."
"I suppose," Sark murmured, gazing at the fountain.
Sydney glanced down and saw Sark's hand hanging loosely at his side. After a moment of debate, she reached down and took it. Sark looked at her, shocked.
"Ms. Bristow, I--"
"Sark. Call me Sydney."
"I don't…"
He trailed off. Suddenly, he leaned toward her. She closed her eyes, preparing to meet his lips, but instead became stunned when she heard him whisper, "I know what I do to you."
She immediately pulled away. "What did you say?"
Sark kept eye contact with her angry glare. He continued, "The question is, Ms. Bristow, do you do the same to me?"
Sydney let his question sink in. Then, she pulled him close and planted a deep kiss on his soft lips. She tore herself away, panting. This was wrong. It was all wrong. She was in love with Vaughn. But Sark…
"I apologize if I offended you," he said quietly.
"Tell me. What's the answer to the question?" she asked coldly, her body heated.
"You always have, Sydney. You always have."
There it was. "You said my name."
"That I did. And I think it every night. Sydney, I only see your face in my dreams. Your eyes, your lips, your skin... Since that night in Paris, I've thought of you. In Denpasar."
"You knew that was me."
"Yes. The way you touched me, I'll never forget. Even dressed in that ridiculous cabaret ensemble, you were still the most beautiful woman in the room."
Sydney gazed into his stunning blue eyes as he spoke. She reached up and ran her hand over his smooth skin. Her lips longed for another kiss. But Vaughn. She couldn't. Oh, but she wanted to. Just once more. What could one more hurt? She moaned softly as their bodies grinded, Sark's hand delicately running through her hair and over her back. They swayed in unison, unaware that they were moving closer and closer to the fountain. So engrossed in passion that they didn't realize what would happen until it was too late. Sark and Sydney yelped as they toppled over the edge of the fountain and into the unpleasantly cold water.
"I'm so sorry!" Sydney exclaimed, wringing the water out of her hair.
Sark laughed. "No, it's my fault. I should have seen that coming!"
"Oh, God," Sydney said, chuckling and standing up. The water came up to her knees. Sark stood up after her, and Sydney frowned when she noticed he was shivering. "Sark, are you okay?"
He smiled at her. "I'm fine," he said, but his chattering teeth ruined his façade.
"Come on, let's get back before we freeze," Sydney said, hopping out of the fountain. Sark followed her, arms crossed over his chest. They ran back into the hotel.
"Mrs. Adjani? Mr. Lussac? Are you two alright?"
Sydney and Sark jumped in surprise at the voice. They turned to see Adrien Hesse, the man at the front desk from that morning.
"Oh, Mr. Hesse," Sydney said, using a faux accent. "Yes, we are absolutely perfect. My brother and I were just taking a walk in the hotel's lovely garden, and we somehow managed to fall into the fountain.
Hesse laughed jollily. "Oh, the playfulness between siblings never grows old. Nor does it ever cease to amaze me."
Sydney laughed with him. "Yes, I agree. If you don't mind, Mr. Hesse, we are going to retire in our rooms now."
"Oh, of course, of course. Have a nice evening."
"Thank you," Sydney called over her shoulder and she took a hold of Sark's arm and led him to the elevators.
"Very nice," Sark complimented.
Sydney smiled at his comment. "You're still shivering," she noted. The water hadn't been that cold, and the night wasn't nearly as chilly.
"No, don't worry, I'm fine. It happens sometimes."
It was clear that Sark didn't want to explain, so Sydney decided not to push it farther. But she was still curious. They reached Sark's room, and he opened the door with his key. She made a gesture to follow him in, but he put his arm to the wall to block her path.
"Sydney, you should go back to your room."
"What? But I--"
"Sydney, please," he muttered. "Just go."
Sydney almost replied, but she decided not to. He wanted his privacy. She could respect that. She turned to leave, but then remembered…
"Sark!" she exclaimed before he closed the door.
He turned to face her. "Yes?"
She bit her lip and took a few steps closer toward him. "Look to see that all your stuff is the way you left it. My dad arranged for all of us to have a key to your room."
Sark blinked. Sydney was almost positive that the look in his eyes was a sign of hurt. "Thank you for telling me," he said softly. She gently ran a hand through his damp hair and leaned in for one last kiss. He responded, forgetting about the cold he felt. The kiss deepened, and Sydney pushed her way into the apartment, kicking the door closed. They made their way to the bedroom, their clothes dropping on the floor every so often. Sark laid Sydney down on the bed and began to kiss his way down her body. As he reached the top of her left breast, she smiled and flipped him so she was now on top of him. She left her own trail of kisses down his chest, gently tracing the scar on his stomach. Sark groaned, almost uncomfortably, and inched away from Sydney's touched.
"Sydney," he whispered, "we can't."
Sydney looked up at him, confused. "What?"
"We can't do this. Not here, not now."
Sydney sat up at the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. "I know," she sighed.
Sark sat by her and grasped her hand. "It's not that I wouldn't like to, you see, it's just--"
"I understand Sark," she interrupted. "It's not the time."
He nodded. She glanced at him and gave him a sad smile. "It's probably good that we don't anyway. I mean, Vaughn…"
"Yes," he agreed, "we wouldn't want Agent Vaughn walking in. Or your father for that matter."
Walking in? Oh, yes! The key! Sydney had forgotten for a moment that both Vaughn and her father carried a key to Sark's room.
"Right." She paused. "You're not shivering anymore."
Sark laughed. "No, you warmed me right up, Sydney."
"You should smile more often. I like it."
Sark looked a bit taken aback from her sudden comment. "Uh, yes, well…I'll try."
She gave his hand a tight squeeze and kissed him again. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she pulled away, leaving him lingering and wanting for more. He sighed as she pulled her clothes back on and walked back to her room. He lay back on the bed and relished in the taste of Sydney's kisses before he drifted to sleep…
"Sydney."
Sydney doubled back, startled by the sharp voice. "Oh, Dad…hi. What are you doing up?"
"I could ask you the same question," he replied, his voice monotone and stone expression set.
"I was just taking a walk," she lied.
"Did you fall in a pool on the way?"
She looked down at her clothes, which were still wet. She hadn't even noticed.
"Um, I…well--"
"I had bugs and cameras installed in Sark's hotel room before he arrived."
Sydney's forehead creased before she realized… "Oh, God. Dad, I--"
"You know, Sydney, it's unusual for an agent of the CIA to be intimate with a prisoner. In fact, I would say it's completely against protocol. Against everything we stand for. For you to make love to that…that--"
"Man?" Sydney asked angrily. "And we didn't have sex. Nothing--"
"What, nothing happened? You were both stripping your clothes off because it was hot in the hotel room?" he asked sarcastically. "Sark is a monster, Sydney, you of all people should know that!"
"Dad, if you've been watching, you would know--"
"I cannot believe you would be so stupid--"
"--he was generated to be an assassin--"
"--to believe his lies and listen to his so-called reason!"
"--just like you did to me!"
Both of them took a breath. Jack glared at her and Sydney glared right back. She wouldn't let him win this one.
"Telling him about the key was a stupid thing to do."
"Dad, he wasn't lying. I know he wasn't lying."
Jack saw it in her eyes. She was pleading—no, begging—him to believe that Sark was telling the truth. He groaned.
"Alright. I'll play along. For now."
Sydney let out a sigh of relief. She turned to go back to the room, but paused. Without turning to face her father, she said, "Please don't tell Vaughn."
"Don't worry. I won't."
