Sydney stumbled through the darkness as she made her way to Ophelia's room. After what had seemed a restlessness night, she had finally gone to bed, only to be interrupted by her daughter's cries.
"What's wrong?" Sydney asked as she turned on the lights.
"I'm hungry." Ophelia responded.
Sydney smiled down at Ophelia's tear streaked face and took her by the hand. "Let's see what we can find to eat."
Ophelia smiled and walked with Sydney into the kitchen. Soon they were sitting down at the table with cookies and milk.
"Is it good?" Sydney asked as she watched Ophelia happily eat the cookies.
Unable to open her mouth and talk, Ophelia nodded her head.
"So," Sydney tried to start a conversation, "how do you like it here."
"It's nice." Ophelia replied as she pushed her plate onto the table as a signal that she was full.
"Ready to go back to bed now?" Sydney asked as she stood up.
"I'm scared." Ophelia shook her head.
"Why?" a concerned Sydney asked.
"It's dark." she responded as the images of the dark rooms she used to stay in filled her head.
"Would you like to sleep with me?" Sydney asked.
Ophelia smiled and nodded as she ran off to Sydney's room. She jumped in the bed and Sydney laid down beside her. Not knowing what to do, Sydney nervously patted Ophelia's head.
Noting that Ophelia liked it, she sank down farther into the bed and began to stroke her hair until Ophelia went to sleep.
Sydney could not go to sleep. All she could do was look at Ophelia. She was beautiful. She was hers.
Sydney smiled and closed her eyes.
She had a daughter. But she was Sark's.
Sydney quickly opened her eyes, not wanting pictures of Sark to flash through her nightmares. She looked around in the dark feeling that he was watching her. A chill went down her spine as she pulled the covers closer to her and moved in closer to Ophelia.
Finally, she turned the light on only to see nothing was there. Reassured, Sydney sighed and went to sleep... with the light on.
A tired Sydney ran her fingers through her hair as she sat at her desk. She hadn't gotten that much sleep the night before. She sighed as she continued to type her report.
"Sydney." Lauren's voice said.
"Lauren." she said icily.
"How are things with Ophelia?" Lauren pressed on.
"They're going fine." Sydney replied.
"Have you gotten a child support check yet from Sark?" Lauren smirked.
Sydney sighed impatiently and turned around in her chair to face Lauren. "Even though the DNA tests said that Ophelia is Sark's daughter, he will in no way have any contact with her. I will not accept any contribution from him. As far as I'm concerned right now, Ophelia's father is dead."
Lauren couldn't help but laugh at Sydney's comment. Ophelia's father was more then dead. Her father was her own husband. She loved how Sydney and Vaughn had accepted the fact that Sark was the father and now Vaughn no longer wanted to have anything to do with Sydney.
"Whatever you say." Lauren responded as she quietly walked away.
"Conference room, now." Dixon ordered as he walked by her desk.
Sydney sighed as she gathered her things together. The last thing she wanted was to see Lauren's happy face and the feeling of betrayal in Vaughn's eyes. Ignoring both of them, Sydney sat down and listened to what Dixon had to say.
"Gathering the information which we now know on Ophelia's paternity," Dixon began causing a stir amongst the agents, "I want Sark."
Sydney's head snapped up at Dixon's request. "Why?"
"Ophelia is obviously too young to answer any questions, so I want Sark in custody so we can know exactly what he's being doing with her for the past few years." Dixon replied.
"Sydney, given your tie to Sark, I will be sending Vaughn and Weiss on this mission-"
"I want to go." Sydney cut him off.
"I don't think that would be such a good idea." Dixon answered.
"Let her go." Jack spoke up.
Sydney looked over at her father with gratefulness.
"Fine." Dixon said. "You and Vaughn will be leaving in an hour. Good luck."
Vaughn and Sydney stood in the warehouse as they waited for Sark. He was scheduled to meet someone and he was late.
Soon he appeared with a briefcase and began to talk to a man who had been standing there for 30 minutes.
"You have the information I asked you for?" Sark asked him.
"Yes." the man nodded as he handed over a folder.
Sark sat his briefcase down on the ground and began to flip through the folder. He then pulled out a few pictures and looked at them in satisfaction. "Perfect."
"I wonder what those pictures are." Sydney whispered to Vaughn.
Vaughn just shrugged his shoulders as he continued to look on.
"Even though you have sworn that you will tell no one of this," Sark began, "I trust no one." he quickly pulled out a gun and shot the man, sending him falling to the ground.
"Don't move!" Vaughn yelled as he drew a gun to Sark's neck.
"Well if it isn't Agent Vaughn and Mrs. Bristow." Sark said sarcastically.
"What did you do to my daughter?" Sydney asked.
"You mean our daughter?" he laughed. "I was just a loving father to her since her mother was dead."
"You will never be a father to her again." Sydney said angrily.
"So easy for you to say." Sark smirked. He then gasped as Vaughn pressed the gun deeper into his neck.
"Give me the folder." Vaughn demanded.
"Sorry, I just can't do that." Sark said defiantly.
"I said give it to me." Vaughn's voice rose as he began to pull the trigger.
"Vaughn!" Sydney objected to Vaughn's actions.
Sark still refused to hand over the papers.
Showing no mercy, Vaughn began to pull the trigger when suddenly Sydney knocked him out.
Sark took a deep breath as he looked at her in surprise. "What did you do that for?"
"No matter how much I hate you, you're still Ophelia's father." she replied.
Sark smiled and picked up his suitcase. "I have something for you."
"I don't want it. Just get out of here." she instructed.
Sark reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He laid it down on the ground and left the warehouse.
Sydney stared down at it for a couple of minutes and finally picked it up. She slowly opened it and gasped at what it was.
It was a nightlight.
Hey guys, sorry that it took me so long to put up a new chapter. I had exams last week so I didn't really have time. Thanks for all the reviews you've made!