"Alexei, take Ana," Sergei said. Alexei grabbed his daughter and sat down in the front seat next to Jack.
"Everything all right back there?" Jack asked.
"Sark was shot," Irina answered him.
"Sydney, get out of the way!" Sergei yelled at her. She was kneeling at Sark's side, in shock. "Sydney! Do you want me to help him or not?" Irina grabbed Sydney's hand and gently pushed her out of the way. She snapped out of her daze and sat on the floor behind Julian's head. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "Mom, give me a hand. Syd's not gonna be any good to us." Irina grabbed a first aid kit and kneeled next to Sark, opposite of Sergei. Sergei grabbed a pair of scissors and skillfully cut Sark's shirt off. "Pressure." Irina applied pressure to Sark's wound. "The bullet's still in his shoulder. I'm gonna bind it up and then when we get on the plane I'll take care of it."
"Is he going to be ok?" asked Sydney.
"I think so little sister. No need to worry." He ruffled her hair affectionately and kissed her on the cheek. "You love him don't you?" Sydney looked around the van hesitantly and saw three pairs of eyes looking back at her intently, and even though Jack was driving she knew he was listening.
"Yes. I do."
"Damn it," Sergei said. "I liked him. Now I gotta give him the protective big brother talk."
"You don't have to," Syd said with a smirk.
"Oh yes we do," Alexei answered. He grinned at Sydney. "We've got to scare him a little bit. It's our job. But I like him to." The van pulled into a remote airstrip. A good-sized jet was waiting for them.
"Everyone out," Jack said. Everyone stepped out of the van. Sydney took Ana from Alexei so he could help Sergei carry Sark. Sydney smiled as she saw her dad grab Irina's hand. They all climbed into the jet. Jack headed for the cockpit. Sydney handed Ana to Irina.
"Mom will you take her and put her to bed? I'm going to go with Sergei and Lex."
"Of course, dear." Sydney walked into the room her brothers had taken Sark into. "Can I help?" she asked.
"Where's Ana?" Alexei asked.
"Mom took her to bed."
"I'm going to go look after her." He gave Sydney a kiss on the cheek and grabbed her hand. "He's going to be all right Syd." Sark was lying on a bed and Sergei was pulling surgical tools out of a drawer.
"Sydney, maybe you should leave," Irina said as she walked in.
"I think Mom's right. You'd be in the way, little sister."
"No! I want to be here with Julian,"
"Sydney, you've got to let me do my job. Go!" he answered, pushing her out of the room and shutting the door behind her. She heard the lock turn and knew she might as well give it up. She made a quick decision and headed to the cockpit to take a seat next to her father.
"Do you really love him?"
"Yea, I do Dad."
"Just so you know this whole ransom thing does not earn him points. I told him to look out for you, and this is what I get."
"Dad, it wasn't his fault. We were trying to take down Cole. He tried to get me to stay behind. I refused. It was my own pigheadedness that put me in danger. Not his."
"Hmm. Well I also know what he did to protect you."
"Will you just give him a chance, Dad? Please?"
"For you." They sat in silence for about half an hour before Sydney worked up the nerve to ask.
"So what's up with you and Mom?" she asked wryly.
"Nothing is up with us, Sydney Anne Bristow. We've come to a truce for your own good and I'd appreciate your support and mainly your absence in the matter." Sydney grinned at him.
"If you say so Dad." Irina walked into the cockpit. "Speak of the devil," Sydney said under her breath.
"Sergei's done with Sark. He should wake up in about an hour. Why don't you go spend some time with your brothers? Let your father and I have some time to talk." Sydney got up from her seat and headed for the door, winking at her father on the way out. Jack returned her wink with his signature glare. Sydney headed for Sark's room but Alexei stopped her in the hall.
"Sydney, can I talk to you for a minute."
"Of course, Lex, I was just going to check on Julian."
"It'll only take a minute." He lead her into the room next to Sark's and pulled her down to sit on the bed next to him. "I just want you to be careful, Syd. You're my little sister and I love you. I don't want the same thing to happen to you that happened to me."
"Alexei, I trust Julian. I love him."
"I thought the same of Tatiana. She was my everything," he said sadly, looking her in the eye and putting his arm around her. "I loved her more than anything. I thought she was perfect. She could do no wrong in my mind, which is why I never picked up on the clues. I just want you to be careful. That's all I ask."
"I will Alexei. I think there's someone out there for you. Tatiana wasn't the one. She gave you the best thing in your life. But she wasn't the only one for you." Alexei smiled.
"She gave me Ana, and that's the one thing I'll never regret about my marriage. Maybe you're right, but I really don't know." He kissed her hair and hugged her. "Go see him." She headed for the door.
"Thank you Alexei."
"You're welcome little sister." She left the room and walked down the hall and into the room next door. She found him lying in bed, unconscious, his shoulder wrapped up tightly. She sat down in a chair next to his bed and took his hand in hers.
"I can't lose you Julian," she said quietly. "I just found you." A tear rolled down her cheek as she reached up and gently touched his face. She sat back in the chair as the tears left her eyes. She hung her head in her hands and cried.
"I was just shot. I'm not dead," said a familiar voice. Sydney looked up quickly. Sark was wide-awake and looking straight at her, smiling. He became serious instantly as he took in the sight of her. "Come here, love." Syd climbed into bed with him and curled up against him. He moved to put his arm around her and immediately groaned in pain.
"Don't move," Syd said. "You'll hurt yourself." His only answer was to kiss her soundly on the lips.
"I have something I have to tell you."
"What's that?"
"When I got shot today, right before I lost consciousness all I could think of was you. And how I'd never get to tell you..."
"Tell me what?" Sark looked at her hesitantly.
"How much I love you."
"Julian..."
"Just wait please," he interrupted. "Let me finish first. I know I'm not exactly the most virtuous person on the planet, and I know you deserve much better than me. But Sydney Bristow, I love you with all my heart. Now you can say what you wanted to."
"I love you to Julian. I thought I was going to lose you today. I don't know what I would've done if Sergei hadn't been there. He's going to make such a great doctor." She smiled. Sark lowered his head and kissed her lips tenderly. His tongue circled her lips, begging them to let him in. She complied and Julian turned her on her back, taking his place carefully on top of her, keeping his weight off her. They were so distracted they didn't hear the door open.
"Hey, hey, hey! None of that! Hell no!" Sergei looked at Julian. "Not only can I not let you make out with my little sister while I'm present, but you're gonna break that wound open. I just wanted to know if you were awake yet. I'm gonna leave now, but you have to promise not to start that again the minute I'm out the door."
"I promise, Sergei," Sydney said.
"Good, because I'm gonna have Alexei come check up on you two in a while. And trust me man, he's not as nice about it as I am." Sergei grinned. "We're landing in Moscow in about two hours. Then it's about a three-hour drive home. I'd be getting some sleep." He turned around and left the room.
"You know your family really has a habit of walking in at the most inopportune moments," Sark said.
"I know. But I still love them."
"I'm glad you have family that loves you. I wish I was that lucky."
"You have me. I love you."
"I know. And I love you to." They crawled under the covers and curled up together. "Sergei's right about the sleep thing."
"Yea I know. Good night Julian."
"Good night love."