It's not much, I know, but I've had a stack of homework to do,(more excuses)...I promise the next one will be longer (probubly). Please R/R

Chapter Two

She took only what was needed - enough clothes for a couple of days, a book and small black and white photo of Sark taken from the CIA database before she left them. She left the CIA for him, a man who many would not call a man but rather a monster. He was a monster of whom other monsters dreaded to cross paths with. The kind who would not sneak up and kill you from behind, generally as most monsters would do, but rather strut right up to you, give you a mischievous grin and shoot you between the eyes. That was the monster he was. Was, being past tense, he was just another figure of her past. Another loved one whose life was destroyed because of her. Pushing down on the think navy blue material she zips the suitcase closed. Although it's a wheelie case she carries it to the front door and pauses only for a second before closing the heavy mahogany door behind her. Stepping in her black rented car she drives deep into the night. A street light can't been seen for miles, after all, she is in the middle of nowhere. The midnight blue dome above appeared infinite and evoked her sense of loneliness.

"I am finally all alone" she sighs heavily. Although it is obvious to anyone that she craves the presence of others, she bars herself from them. The bright lights of the stars above her are covered by cloud, their light unable to penetrate the dark blanket above. She needs to get away from here, from the seclusion of the quaint cabin in the heart of the Snowy Mountains. They know where I am, but how did they find me? She didn't know where she was going but her newest alias, Miranda Jennings, did, and (by luck) she also happened to have Miranda's Passport and credit card with her. Miranda, once arriving at the airport, would jump on the next departing plane. She doesn't particularly care where she goes as long as it's where she can be convinced that no-one will find her. Not her father and defiantly not Vaughn. All I want is to be alone. Irrespective of where she goes, no one there will know who she was or who she loved. That's all that matters. The car glides along the road, the scenery dreamily drifts by until the snow-covered mountains have slowly faded into the distance.

It takes a quick 3 hours to reach the city. It's 2 in the morning, why would there be anybody on the road at this time of night. Pulling the car into the dimly lit garage at the rent-a-car place once arriving at the airport, she pays for the week and wheels her bag inside – after all what sane person would carry a wheelie bag? How strange that would look, and Sydney did not want to attract attention to herself. Step-by-step she makes her way along the terminal. It's packed with shops selling local souvenirs, make-up, and other duty-free purchase items. People scurrying in and out all around the airport terminal and yet she feels that she walks alone, the walls that enclose her push down the never ending tunnel. She walks down the endless tunnel waiting for a sign of life, subconsciously yearning for someone to see her. She needs love and affection but knows it can never truly be obtained because of who she is. Her head feels as if it's going to explode. Would anybody notice? She wonders. Turning down random corridor she looks around for any signs of life and, fortunately for her, there is none. Leaning against the wall she slumps to the ground. The white tiled floor is cold beneath her body. What a day it must be for the great Sydney Bristow, spy-extraordinaire, to have a breakdown in the middle of the Sydney Airport? She thinks chuckling to herself. Looking at her watch it reads 3:30, she needs to catch her plane - an 11-hour trip to Shanghai was the next flight she possibly be booked on.

Standing up again she dusts herself down, dirt and grime float free themselves from the fabric of her clothes and fall back to the floor. Head held high and shoulders back she strolls back down the white corridor illuminated by long fluorescent lights above. As she quickly as she had staggered in she walks back and upon turning the corner back into the main terminal she abruptly stops. She has come face to face with the man she believed she loved. At first she thought she was imaging him. It had been so long since she had seen him and yet he looked almost the same. Those warm green eyes and his dishevelled hair bought back sweet memories of the time they spent when they were together, as a couple. She had waited almost a year and a half to be with him, only to discovered that they weren't meant to be. Sydney knew in her heart that he had loved her and would never forget the look of rejection and pain upon face after the realization that his love could not be returned by her. She takes a deep breath and exhales. His smell is still as intoxicating as ever...

"Hello Michael" she says with a shameful look in her eye. How can he possibly face me?

"Sydney where are you going?" She gazes away, cannot even look at him. "It's ok Syd, I'm here now. I've missed you so much." Tenderly he reached out for her, baiting her to move into his embrace.

"No" she protests. She doesn't need this, he doesn't need this. "Leave me alone, Vaughn, I want you to forget about me, forget that I ever came into your life. Forget that I ever walked into your office or accepted that you were my ally. Just forget me..." She pushes past him and continues her decent down the terminal to her gate. Ignoring her comments he grabs her arm and forces her to turn around and face him.

"Syd you just need to listen to me..." he says with stern eyes and a commanding tone in his voice.

"Let go of my arm or it'll be the last thing you ever touch." She glared at him and her eyes were no longer full of love as they had once been but were as hard and cold as a pair of glistening jewels. Vaughn cautiously let go of her arm and she resumed walking towards her destination.

"Please Sydney, you need to listen to me." Vaughn begged as he scurried after her. She didn't stop. "So you can tell me what?" she replied without even stopping, "that you've forgiven me too? That you accept that I left you for a cold-blooded killer?" She could hear his steps behind her and quickened her pace, wanting to get as much distance between them as possible. "Did you want to tell me that you want to get back together so we can, once again, become the perfect couple because we're so right for each other?" He could see the anger rising in her cheeks. "Come on Vaughn, what is it?" She was almost shouting at him. "Well?" She still didn't desist.

"It's about Sark"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He's alive." She stopped. Time stopped. Memories of her lover's death flooded back into her mind. She could see the blood flowing from his chest and looking up saw her father standing in the shadows of the dark corner of the warehouse, gun in hand. She could still feel his hand reach up to her face and tell her that he loved her. That it was going to be all right. That she'd go on without him. You survived before me and will long after I'm gone. Was it possible? That somehow he'd managed to survived from a normally fatal gunshot wound. It was impossible

"You're lying" she blankly stated, full of disbelief and continued down the terminal. Vaughn stayed dead in his tracks and appeared to be the only person standing still, the only person watching her walk away. He knew it was hopeless and despite being told so by Jack went after her with the news anyway. Sydney knew that there was no way that Sark could have survived after that fatal shot, but in her heart she also knew that Vaughn would never lie to her. He's alive...

So...What did we think??? The presence of Sark would make it better I agree. So, ladies and Gentlemen, Sark will be making an appearence in the next chapter. But only if you review (pretty please...batts eyelashes and generally looks cute)