The next week Sydney and Sark spent in the apartment was littered with discoveries of items from the past. One day Sydney found two copies of Alice in Wonderland on the library shelf. One from her mother, one from Eric Weiss. The next she found her high school yearbook. But the discovery that pleased her the most came on the last day of that week.
"What's in those cabinets?" Sydney asked curiously, pointing to a pair of closed cabinet doors in the library.
"I don't know, I haven't opened them yet." Sark walked over and opened the doors, pulling out a photo album. Sydney squealed in delight.
"My pictures!!!" She got up and sat down on the floor next to the cabinet. Sark sat down next to her. "I haven't seen these in years!"
"You know, love, I know surprisingly little about your childhood. You'll just have to explain them to me as we look through them." Sydney pulled out the first album. On the front, was a close up picture of a little girl's and a little boy's faces.
"Will and I."
"You knew him when you were that young?"
"Since we were toddlers. We took baths together. He was my sandbox buddy. Will is that rare friend you've known your entire life and trust above all others." She opened the album up and began leafing through it. Bath pictures, birthday parties, sleepovers, all the way up to her senior prom. Sydney laughed. "I'll never forget the talk my father gave Will on my prom night. 'She's to be home strictly at midnight, and if either of you drink anything call immediately.'"
"Better than break her heart and I'll strip you of your ability to conceive children," Sark said. "I'm going to take a shower, love." Sark kissed Sydney on the forehead and headed upstairs.
Half an hour later Sark found Sydney in the small gym beating the living daylights out of a punching bag. He stepped behind it and held it in place for her. She looked at him appreciatively.
"You know, Julian, this punching bag isn't really posing that much of a challenge," she said with a wink.
"Oh, no. Absolutely not."
"Please," she said, pouting. "Pretty, pretty please."
"Syd, you're hurt."
"I feel fine. This will make me feel better. It speeds along my recovery. Please, Julian?"
"All right, but don't blame me when you're sore tonight."
"I won't," she said, kicking his feet out from under him. They sparred for another half hour before they heard something in the doorway.
"Oh, my!" the doctor exclaimed, her jaw dropped in surprise. Sark took Sydney's distraction as his opportunity to end the competition and knocked her off her feet, then straddled her, pinning her onto the ground.
"I win." he said with a smirk. He climbed off of her and grabbed her hand to help her up. "Sydney, love, this is Dr. ... I'm sorry, I never did get your name."
"Dr. Smithson." Sark picked up on something he hadn't noticed before. An accent. They were in Denmark. Slightly north of Copenhagen by the sounds of it. "So you two really aren't fighting?"
"Of course not, doctor," Sark answered. "It was all just a bit of fun. Well, you'll want to look at Sydney. I'll go get us some tea." Sark left the room. Dr Smithson turned to Sydney.
"Why don't we go in here to the library? Did Mr. Lazarey make you shower and eat like I told him to?"
"Lazarey," she said with a grin. "He gave you his real name. Yes he did. I threw up everything I ate for the first two days though."
"Will you pull your shirt off for me, please. I need to take a look at your back." Sydney complied easily. "He took good care of you," she observed. "He must love you very much."
"I don't know. He hasn't said so."
"Is there really any doubt in your mind, dear?"
"Julian always tells you exactly how much he wants you to know. Nothing more and nothing less. He hasn't told me he loves me."
"Just keep an open mind, dear," the doctor said wisely. "I'm going to cut out these stitches in your back. It might hurt a little bit, but just try to tough it out." Sydney turned around when the doctor was finished.
"Dr Smithson, do you think when you come back you could bring a birth control shot? I was due for one a few days ago," Sydney asked, blushing.
"Of course, dear. That's no problem at all. Have you had unprotected sex since your last shot ran out?"
"Once, but I doubt its anything to worry about. And Julian, if you want to hear what we're talking about, just come in the room. No need to hang around the door." Sark walked into the room sheepishly. He handed Sydney and Dr. Smithson each a cup of tea and then sat down next to Sydney. "Not exactly your best surveillance job, sweetheart," she said, putting her arm around him and kissing him on the cheek.
"Well, you two, my job here is done for now. I'll come back in another week." She got up. "I was instructed to give these to you when I left," she said, handing them each a comm. link and walking out of the room. Sydney and Sark put the links in their ears and immediately heard the voice of McKennas Cole.
"Hey Pigtails, there's someone who's been dying to speak to you."
"Aunt Sydie, Aunt Sydie!" a little girl cried out in the background.