I can't believe how quickly I got this chapter posted! My creative juices are flowing right now! Lol. Well, here's the chapter you all were anxiously waiting for.

Chapter Eighteen

"I love you." The words rattled around in Chloe's head. They were heavy words, words full of power and meaning. But did he really mean it? Did Sark really mean that he loved her?
She looked in his eyes to see if he meant it. Yes, there was something new in the way he looked at her, but was it truly love.
Chloe had a choice to make. Her heart wanted to go with Sark. He loved her after all, that is if he was telling the truth. But her mind told her to stay where she was. Hadn't her parents suffered enough? Did she really want them to have to go back to worrying about her? No. But what about Sark? She loved him, she was sure of it. Would she lose him if she didn't go?
She turned away from Sark's penetrating gaze. She needed to think. She needed to go over her choices. There was no right answer to her problem. It was a completely lose-lose situation. If she went with Sark, her parents would think she betrayed them. If she stayed, she would never see Sark again, she was certain of it.
Unsure of if she was doing the right thing, Chloe turned back around to face Sark.

"Okay." She said with a sigh, "I'll go." Sark nodded quickly. He obviously knew how hard the decision was for her to make. "But you have to promise me something." She said before he could say anything.

"What?" he asked.

"When this is all over," she paused, unsure of how to word what she wanted to say.

"We don't have much time Chloe," Sark said, "What do you want?"

"I want you to quit." She said quickly.

"What are you talking about? Quit what?" Sark looked as confused as Chloe felt.

"I want you to quit being the bad guy." She said.

"I can't stop being what I am Chloe," he argued.

"You promise me or I'm not going." Chloe crossed her arms in front of her and stared Sark down. "Promise me Julian." Sark sighed.

"Fine." He snapped, "Now let's go. We don't have much time." Chloe nodded. She pulled an old, beat up hot pink backpack from under her bed and quickly stuffed some clothing inside it. Sark looked around the room warily. His eyes shifted from the closed door to the closed window. When Chloe reached inside the desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, he snapped.

"What the hell are you doing?" He whispered roughly, "We've got to go!" His voice was full of urgency.

"I know," Chloe said, writing on the paper quickly, "but I can't let my parents worry." She signed the note with a flourish and turned to face Sark. "Let's go." Sark walked over to the window and opened it effortlessly. A warm breeze swept through the room, causing the curtains to billow. Chloe had snuck out of the same window so many times, that she was able to jump to the ground with ease. Sark landed on the ground beside her, grabbed her hand, and led her away from the house. Chloe looked behind her at the lights that were on in the living room. Had she done the right thing?



There was a light rap on the door. Jack hurried to open the door and ushered Dixon and three other agents in silently.

"Where is he?" Dixon asked, gun at the ready.

"Chloe's room." Jack replied, his own gun clutched tightly in his hand.

"Don't hurt Chloe." Sydney said, always scared for her daughter's safety. She held a gun in her own hand, but hoped she wouldn't have to use it. Dixon nodded quickly and led his team down the hall. Sydney, Vaughn, and Jack followed behind them. One of the agents kicked in the door and the team swarmed into the room, their guns raised.

"There's nobody here." Dixon said looking around the empty room. The open window caught his attention. "They made a run for it." Sydney quickly entered the room. She saw the window and her heart stopped.

"Chloe?" She looked around the room, hoping to see her daughter, but she knew she wasn't there. "How could she go with him?" she looked to her husband for answers, but Vaughn could only hold her and comfort her as the tears fell from her eyes.
Jack sighed and shook his head. A piece of paper lying on the desk caught his attention. He picked it up and read it quickly.

"Sydney." He called to his daughter. She looked up at him, tears slipping down her face. He handed her the note. She took it with trembling hands and read it.

"Dear mom and dad," it said, "I know you will not understand why I'm doing this, but I have to go with Julian. Please don't worry. You have taught me all I'll ever need to know about protecting myself. I love you both. Chloe." Sydney looked up at her father.

"She doesn't want us to worry," Sydney shook her head. A humorless laugh escaped her lips, "Like that's gonna happen. How can I not worry about her when she's with Sark?" She looked at Vaughn. "How could she do this to us?" she cried.

"I don't know Syd." Vaughn shook his head, "I don't know."



The sun was rising above the trees, casting a pinkish, purplish glow over the world. Sark stopped where he was and looked down at Chloe, who was leaning on him tiredly. He looked around for a place to rest. They were a couple yards away from a deserted rural road. They had walked the whole night, trying to put as much distance between the Vaughn home and them as possible. Now, they were in the middle of nowhere. Both of them tired and hungry. A mile or so down the road, Sark noticed a small, out of the way, motel where they could get a room.

"Come on Chloe," he said to the tired woman, "just a bit further." He took more of her weight on him, and basically carried her the whole way to the motel. After checking in, Sark carried Chloe to their room and placed her on the bed. She curled up instinctively and tried to burrow beneath the covers. Smiling, he pulled the covers down, and then up and over her body. He sat on the bed and pulled off his shoes. Italian loafers really were not good walking shoes. However, he would have to bear it a bit longer, or, heaven forbid, buy a pair of sneakers. Sark shed his jacket, placed it on the corner of the square headboard, and lay down on the bed. He turned on his side and wrapped an arm around Chloe's sleeping form. Sark closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the filth of the room would not let him sleep.
When he had first opened the door to the room, he could not help grimacing. The dingy green carpet was covered with stains that Sark did not even want to guess at what had made them. The bathroom was too dirty to even imagine using. Burn marks, most likely from cigarettes, covered the tub, and the toilet looked rusty and stained. At least the bed was a bit soft, but Sark did not even want to think about whether or not the sheets had been washed. The motel was defiantly not a place you checked into for a good nights sleep. It was more of a place where couples would check in for a late night tryst.
He kissed Chloe's temple softly and curled up next to her.



Moaning sleepily, Chloe opened her eyes. A warm arm was slung over her waist, and a strong hand rested on top of hers. Confused, she looked around the room, and the events of the night before flooded back. She looked over at Sark, who was sleeping soundly. Sometime during the night, he had shed his shirt, which now lay in a heap on the floor. His broad chest rose and fell rhythmically, and Chloe found she could not take her eyes off him.
Slowly, she reached out and placed a slim hand over his heart, feeling the steady beating. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips, careful not to wake him. He looked so peaceful and childish laying there, his eyes shut tightly, his lips turned up in a soft smile. He looked almost innocent.
Sark sleepily turned his head towards her and his eyes opened.

"Morning sleepy." She smiled down at him. He reached up and ran his hand through her hair.

"Morning." He said. Gently he pulled Chloe's head down until their lips were inches apart. Chloe melted as soon as his lips brushed against hers gently. She sighed contentedly and pulled away from him. She didn't want to risk things progressing into what had almost happened the night before.

"We should get going." She said pushing the covers off herself and standing. Sark grabbed her hand as she walked past him to get to the bathroom, and he pulled her back down. Chloe landed on top of Sark, her hair falling around their faces, her hands braced against his rock solid chest.

"I think we can afford a few more hours." He said with an impish grin. All of a sudden, he rolled over so that he was on top of Chloe. She giggled nervously as his eyes bored into hers. Her eyes closed on their own as Sark leaned in and kissed her passionately. His fingers ran through her hair, and his tongue explored her mouth. Chloe moaned softly, her hands running up his arms and circling his neck. Her fingers played with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck, gently tracing circles over the sensitive skin. Sark slowly unbuttoned her dark blue blouse, his mouth leaving hers to trail soft kisses down her throat, across her breasts, and down her smooth stomach.
Feelings that Chloe had never felt before flooded her body. She was losing all control over herself and the situation. Emotions surged through her mind. Love, passion, and need coursed through her. She couldn't help moaning as Sark's fingers brushed her bra straps off her shoulders. Things were going too fast, she had to put a stop to it, but she was paralyzed by his touch.
Sark grabbed her arms tightly, crushing her body to his. Chloe let out a yelp as his hand tightened around her wound. He pulled back quickly and looked at her uncertainly.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly, his eyes searching hers. Tears of pain pricked at her eyes, but Chloe forced them away.

"I'm...I'm fine." She said, pulling away from Sark and rubbing her arm gently. "It's just sore, that's all." She sat up on the bed and buttoned her shirt back up. "We should go." She said looking over her shoulder at Sark. He nodded slowly.

"I'll let you change first." He said inclining his head towards the bathroom.

"You go ahead." Chloe said as she searched through her backpack and pulled out a hairbrush.

"Okay." Sark stood. Chloe blushed as she saw the affect she had on him and looked away quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that Sark would be taking a cold shower that morning, or rather afternoon.



Alrighty, so there is the latest chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you thought.

PS. Has anybody else noticed that Chloe and Sark do all thier kissing lying down? Hmm, I wonder what that could mean?

Beautiful Tragedy: I wouldn't get my hopes up about Sark loving Chloe. After all, this is Sark we're talking about.

Sarks-Girl-89: I'm glad you're not upset about what I said. All too often people take constructive criticism the wrong way.

Rock-Witch: It's good to know people enjoy what I write. Thank you so much for the compliment, and I will take your suggestion into consideration.

Eyghon, Masta D, serindipity9, cj's-gal-72689, and neptunestar: Thank you all for taking the time to read and review this story.