DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, except for the original ones. ALIAS is the product of JJ's creative mind, not mine. I've only borrowed them for a while. They will be returned unscathed.

A/N- Hello… thanks for the reviewers, especially AgentFlamingo (I like your penname), Eyghon and Pinoy din ako. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

- Hello… thanks for the reviewers, especially (I like your penname), and . Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"I am authorizing this mission to capture and detain Gabrielle Rinaldi. Jack, you have operational control. I assume that all of you are aware of the risks I am taking with approving this operation and I expect a great deal of discretion from all of you. Is that understood?" Dixon asked Vaughn, Weiss, Sydney and Jack. They were in the conference room, devoid of bugs and security cameras.

He saw their nods.

"Good. Marshall will be helping you with your op tech. Good luck." Dixon said. He then stood up and went out of the conference room.

As he walked in the hallway, he thought about the risks involved in approving this mission. Langley ordered all CIA divisions to eliminate Gabrielle Rinaldi as she is seen as a threat to the United States and to the Covenant-targeted countries.

When he found out that Gabrielle Rinaldi is Ana Derevko aka The Protector aka Sydney's sister and Jack's daughter, he had second thoughts about obeying Langley's order.

Even if Ana had killed thirty more people after the release of that instruction.

He saw Sydney's determination in saving Ana from the monstrosities of the microchip. He knows how much family means to Sydney. Jack, on the other hand, tried very hard not to show any emotions to, as he put it, "Irina Derevko's daughter."

'Jesus, the man's trying very hard to act like a stone.' He thought as he entered his office. He closed the door and went to his desk. A humongous pile of paperwork awaits him.

He was finishing the fifth document in his pile when his telephone rang.

"Dixon." He greeted after he picked it up.

His eyes widened in shock when he recognized the voice in the other line.

"I want to make a deal."

It took him a few minutes before he answered. He couldn't discern whether to get into an agreement or not.

"What kind of deal do you have in mind?"

-x-x-x-

(Southern France)

Jack is rolling the dining cart along the thirtieth floor of the Regency Hotel. He is posing as one of the employees giving out room service. Hidden in his dining cart are two Desert Eagles, a couple of explosives and tear gas.

Katya informed him of Sark's role in Ana's extraction. He was adamant, at first,against Sark's participation. He doesn't know if Sark could really be trusted. But Katya and Irina told him that he could be relied on at this moment.

'Frankly speaking, Jack. Do you actually believe the declaration of two terrorists?' he thought as he slowly walked in the corridor. Sydney and Vaughn looped the video feed of the entire floor. He's waiting for Sark and 'Gabrielle' to arrive.

A few minutes later, he heard Sark's voice.

"Wonderful execution, Gabe." Sark said as he and Gabrielle walked towards her room.

"Thank you. He was an easy target." She replied as they passed by room service person. She paid no attention to him at all.

To Jack, her tone seemed cold and very unfeeling. Quite robotic, actually.

"Getting ready to move, Black Eagle."

"Roger that." Jack replied in a whisper as he slowly trailed behind Ana and Sark.

Sark could sense Jack Bristow's presence. He took a small tranquilizer from his pocket and readied it.

They reach room 3347 with Jack keeping a steady pace.

"Well then, this is you." Sark said. Her hand is already by the doorknob. "See you tomorrow." Sark waited for Gabrielle to turn to him and say goodnight. She is always that polite. And when she does that, he will immediately tranquilize her.

"There's no tomorrow, Julian." She said. Her tone is different. It sounded sad and defeated.

"What are you talking about?" Sark asked. "Ana?"

She whirled around and looked at him. "Please tell mom… I'm sorry. There's no way out here. I can't control what I'm doing. I thought you could help, but your loyalties… Just tell mom." She said.

"Ana, what is it?" Sark asked,

Tears sprang in her eyes. "I'm going to die tonight. I'm sorry." She said in a hushed, broken tone. Sark took a quick glance at Jack but quickly returned his attention back to Ana.

"I'm saying goodbye."

Ana leaned forward and gave him a deep kiss. She unconsciously pressed her body against him and Sark automatically placed a hand in her hips.

Sweet, innocent, generous

Sark knows that he must immediately end this. He has a feeling everything will end up in the bedroom if he doesn't.

'This is the seventeen year old daughter of Jack Bristow and Irina Derevko! Do you want to be castrated?!'

This was the thought that was screaming in his head when he gently pulled her away. He wasted no time in pricking her with the tranquilizer.

'Jesus Christ. This is the nth time she's being tranquilized. I hope she doesn't suffer from long time complications because of this.' Sark thought as he scooped up Ana's limp body. He was breathless, and unfortunately, full of desire. He turned around and started to walk towards the position of Jack Bristow.

Jack's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He was so stunned when he saw Ana kiss Sark and Marshall's words reverberated in his head.

"…you know, the fight or flee thing, and reproduction." Marshall said.

"Reproduction? You mean… the sex drive?"

"Uh… yeah."

'No. No way. I will not allow it. Irina will not allow it. NO.' Jack thought as Sark reached his place.

"Remote jammer's in her bracelet." Sark said as he passed the unconscious girl to Jack.

Jack was glaring at him. 'Does Ana have a crush on Sark?' he thought as he shifted Ana's position in his arms. She is as light as a feather and as long as a full grown bamboo tree.

"You might want to take a cold shower when you get back to your room." Jack said when he noticed Sark's crotch.

Sark's cheeks reddened a bit. He then turned around and walked away from them.

"Retriever? I got the package."

-x0x-x0x-x0x-

Another one of Irina's villas, Southern France

Sydney was sitting with Vaughn in the drawing room of the house waiting for Ana's operation to finish. Removing the microchip in Ana's head is a very delicate surgery and the doctors aren't finished yet.

Vaughn's arms were around her shoulders and it was very comforting that he was with her.

"Where's your dad?" Vaughn asked her after a few minutes of silence. Weiss was asleep in one corner, snoring in a hushed tone.

"With mom. I just don't know where they are." Sydney replied in a sleepy tone.

"Get some rest." Vaughn said and kissed the top of her forehead. Sydney leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, in the veranda, Jack and Irina were facing each other and having a little conversation.

"I want you to take Ana back with you to the United States." Irina said. Her hands were resting on the table that is separating them.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked looking at her. She seemed exhausted.

"Yes, I'm sure. She's too free-spirited to be cooped up with me. I feel that this would be the best for her." Irina answered and looked at him. The shadows the moonlight paint in her face, hides the misery she's feeling. She doesn't want to let go of Ana. But she has no choice.

"Ana will kill you when she finds out." Jack said half-jokingly. Irina is giving him the chance to get to know Ana more, but he knows that his youngest daughter's antagonistic views on him and her distrustful nature might make this proposition a very explosive matter to deal with.

A cool breeze flew past them and swept Irina's hair across her face. She sighed as she smoothed out the loose tendrils from her face. She then returned her hands on the table.

"Jack, please promise me you'll take care of her." Irina said, her tone, a bit pleading.

He looked at her in the eye. Silence engulfed them as she waited for his answer.

"I will."

As he gave his word, Jack clasped her hands with his. Irina's head lowered a bit and through the moonshine, he saw a single tear roll in her cheek.

"Thank you."

-x-x-x-

Morning after

Sark walked to the nearby café to meet with Lauren and Mackenas Cole. They are expecting that Gabrielle will be with him, but since she was already taken by the CIA the night before, he will tell them that she's going to be a little late.

"Good morning." Sark greeted as he arrived at their table.

"Where's Gabrielle?" Cole asked the minute he saw Sark.

"She's still in the shower. She said she'll be right down." Sark answered as he sat down.

"The job last night was excellent. I like the way you two work together." Cole said as he took the menu and opened it. "Hmm, shall we order?"

Lauren was looking at him a bit interestedly. He saw a glint of inquiry in her eyes but she didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, Cole's cell phone rang.

"Excuse me, kiddos. This is not a call you would want to hear." He said as he stood up. The caller was his mother.

"Got rejected last night?" Lauren asked when Cole was gone.

"Huh?" Sark answered.

"Gabrielle rejected your invitation in bed?" Lauren said. "You've got that look on your face."

Sark raised a brow. Where did Lauren get that silly notion?' He then scoffed at her remark. "No, I wasn't rejected. Nor did I give her such an invitation."

Lauren laughed. "Oh, god. She bruised your ego that bad?"

Sark was going to retort when a large explosion interrupted them. Suddenly, a lot of people began to shout and scream. Panic and hysteria was beginning to bubble.

He discreetly looked at his watch. Eight fifteen. 'Just in time.' He thought as he pretended to scramble up his seat and see what the commotion is all about.

The Regency Hotel, fifty floors and magnificently designed, didn't have any chance against five, four hundred pounds of C-4.

"Julian, Gabrielle's inside!" Lauren hissed as they helplessly watched the hotel crumble down to the ground.

He looked at Lauren, pretending to be shock. "This is definitely not our fault." He said as he feigned the anger. Of course it's not The Covenant's fault. Who could execute this in such a precise manner? Only the Derevkos and the Bristows

Irina planned everything. Yelena provided the blueprints. Katya supplied the explosives. Sydney installed the C-4. Jack finalized everything.

'Never mess with them…'