A/N: Yeah... don't own a thing. And r/r please. I'm not sure how many more chapters of this story there will be. Maybe two more, I'm thinking. I'm not sure though. Nothing really big happens in this one, but I hope you like it.

The next week was hard on Sydney. Actually it was hard on all of them. She wouldn't leave her room, she wouldn't talk to them, and she would hardly eat. The men stayed in her apartment. They got out cots and camped out in the living room and in the guest room. Sark stayed in Sydney's room, in her chair, keeping eyes over the one he loved. They had never seen a man so worried before they had witnessed Sark like this. And the sad thing was, with all the stories that they had heard about Sark, they thought it was the most uncharacteristic thing that he had ever done. Besides partner up with Sydney in the first place.

A week after they had come back Vaughn came by. He spoke to only Sark as e tried to get in to see Sydney. He saw her, she looked at him like she was looking through him. But it wasn't just him, she was deep in though, her gaze pierced through everything she looked at. It broke Vaughn's heart. Sark had left him alone in the room with her, something else he would not have done under normal circumstances.

He listened thought the door as Vaughn talked to Sydney. And he listened, as she said nothing back. He kept talking, explaining how the CIA had found out about the murder. He also explained how no one hated her, and everyone missed her. At those comments she looked like she was about to respond, but it always turns out to be nothing.

Finally after an hour of talking Vaughn gave up. Sydney had not uttered a word, and so he just gave up. If she wasn't going to talk to him, he couldn't sit there and try and bring her back. Even though it scared him, scared him to death that she was being like this. He somehow knew that she would snap out of it, but it had to be on her own time. He stood, planted a small kiss on his forehead and walked out of her room.

He wouldn't meet the eyes of anyone else, and they all took it to mean that he had gotten nothing out of the girl that they were all worried about so much.

And being that Sark had been listening he didn't need Michael to explain to them how the CIA found out about Paul Jamison and Will Tippin being killed. He would explain it to Simon later. Before he left Vaughn turned and looked straight at Sark, "They miss her," he said simply before slipping out of the apartment.

Sark had shaken his head sadly and sat down on the couch. The door to Sydney's room was closed and he rubbed his eyes. "I don't know what to do," he said softly.

Simon looked over from his seat on a stool at the counter. "I know, mate, I know." He said sadly. He didn't either, no one did. They all knew this wasn't healthy for her and she couldn't keep on living this way.

After a few moments of silence they heard the shower turn on and they all sort of jumped, as it broke the pensive silence they had all ensued. Mark shook his head sadly; "I wish we could take her away from here. Somewhere nice." He said this almost as if he was talking to himself.

Sark looked up, "We can't take her anywhere, not now." The CIA would be on them like a pack of dogs. They would all get in trouble and Sydney probably would too. Even though he wholeheartedly agreed with the man.

Sark dropped his head back into his hands and sighed. "You need to sleep," Simon pointed out. Sark had slept the least out of them only sleeping when she did, and then incredibly lightly, so that he would awaken anytime she called out anything. There was a muffled reply then silence.

Suddenly Sark stood, "I'll be in there," he pointed to Sydney's room before he walked into her room, closing the door behind him. He had walked with an air of purpose, something that none of them had seen in a while.

Sark sat on the bed, and waited for Sydney to get out of the shower. Luckily she was not one of those girls who would spend an hour in the shower, so he didn't have to wait long. In about ten minutes the water cut off and he heard the shower door open. A short while later she appeared in the bathroom door.

"Sydney," he said softly, standing walking closer to her. He looked down at her and was startled at how much she looked like a child. It was alarming really; she looked like a vulnerable child, one that needed protecting.

"Sark," she whispered and her voice sounded a little strange to his ears. Before her could say anything she had stepped closer and was wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her head in his shoulder. She didn't cry, she had no more tears left; all she wanted was to be held.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her back, and pulled her even closer.

They stayed this way for several minutes, just holding each other, listening to one another breathe. Sark heard her try and stifle a yawn. "You need sleep," he murmured into her hair. He felt her nod slightly and she let him lead her over to the bed.

"Stay with me?" She asked him softly, her eyes pleading with him to stay. He nodded and she offered him a small smile. He took off his shoes as she put on a tank top and a pair of shorts. She slipped under the covers as he stripped to his boxers and slipped in after her.

She pulled his arm around her waist and snuggled up to his chest. He buried his face into her hair and breathed in the sweet scent of her shampoo. They looked like a normal couple, and they both felt like one as well. Soon they were both asleep, the best sleep they had gotten in a week.


Marshall found Vaughn first. Vaughn had been sleeping in his office on the couch. Not wanting to go back to Eric's and certainly not wanting to go back to Lauren's. He was planning on divorcing her, as long as she didn't get to it first. Vaughn let out a yawn as he heard a tentative knock on the door. "Come in," he called and waited for the door open.

He hadn't expected Marshall, but that was who decided to come see how he was. "Hi," he said and it seemed to Michael that he was worried, what about he didn't know, nor did he feel like finding out. Instead he sat up and motioned for Marshall to take a seat. Marshall did and started to fumble with his hands.

"What an I do for you, Marshall?" He asked kindly, rather amused, yet sadden, at this all to familiar behavior.

"Is Syd okay?" He asked, it seemed like a rather sudden question but he had been rehearsing it for a while.

And the worse part was that Michael didn't know. "Honestly Marshall, I don't think so." He sighed and leaned back onto the couch. "She is torn up inside because she thinks that everyone hates her here." Actually he didn't know that, but he knew she would be worried about that.

"But, I don't hate her!" Marshall seemed appalled at that notion.

"I know you don't, Marshall," he said rubbing his eyes. "But she thinks that you and Eric and Dixon and her dad all are angry with her."

Truth be told Dixon was a little angry, Eric was more hurt and no one knew what Jack was feeling. And obviously Marshall was worried. "Do you," he paused, shifting his gaze away form Michael, "Do you think I could, maybe, go see her? To say hi?" He asked weakly, afraid that Michael would blow up on him and say no.

Instead Michael gave him a small smile, "I think she would like that." He said, and Marshall stood. "Not now though, I think she needs to rest, go see her tomorrow." He nodded and Marshall nodded as well.

"Thank you, Mr. Vaughn," Marshall had always acted like the men who worked in the fields where his hero's, and in a way they were. He looked up to them, but he didn't realize that they needed him the most. But that was for another day. On his way out he stopped at the door and looked back at the crunched up form on the couch, "You know, no one hates you either." He said in a calm voice. Michael looked up at him startled, but never had a chance to say anything, as Marshall had quickly vacated his office.

With a sigh he quickly lay back down on his couch and closed his eyes. He was beginning to look worse for the wear and he knew it. He hated being the man who lived out of his office, ate, slept and did everything there. But he was becoming one of them.

He didn't even notice Eric come into the office and shut the door behind him until he was sitting in the chair Marshall had just vacated.

"Eric-" he began, he hadn't really talked to him for a week, and that hurt him deeply. Before he could go on Eric held up a hand.

"I'm not mad at you and Syd for what happened. I'm not surprised, because I know if it had been me that I would have done the same thing in your position." He paused and it seemed to Michael that he was trying to find his words. "I just needed time to think it over." He said honestly. "And I have, and I want you to know that you can have your room back if you want it." He looked around and offered him a small smile, "It might not be much, but it sure as hell is better than this office." He laughed, Michael knew that everything was going to be alright with his best friend.

Michael sat up, "Thank god, I was beginning to become one of those guys who never leaves the office." He shook his head and laughed. "Thank you, Eric," He didn't have to go on, because Eric nodded, and didn't want him to go on.

"Anytime, buddy." He chuckled and looked down at his watch, "But now, I say we go home, it's late, and I'm hungry." He stood up and looked down at Michael, who was just standing up. "Damn you look like hell," never subtle but that was okay. "I think I might go see Sydney with Marshall tomorrow," he said suddenly as they walked down to the car park together.

"I think she would like that," Michael told him in reply and hoped that they would get a better reaction from her than he had.


Sydney jumped slightly when the doorbell rang. Sark was in the shower and she had been watching a Lifetime movie, because it helped to have some sappy movie playing the background. Getting up she stretched and went to go answer the door.

She was very surprised to see Marshall and Eric standing in her doorway holding flowers. "Hey," she smiled, happy that they had come. She held open the door for them to come in, which they did, and Marshall handed her the flowers that they had gotten for her.

"How're you doing?" Eric asked, dully noting the shower running in the background.

She smiled and shrugged, "Fine, thanks," she was rather nervous. She didn't know if they were going to start yelling at her. But then again they had brought flowers, so she guessed that they wouldn't bring flowers if they were just going to yell at her.

"That's good," awkward silence. Marshall looked so nervous that Sydney couldn't help be amused.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Both of them shook her head, and then Marshall did something that no one expected. He hugged Sydney. Like, really hugged her, it shocked her at first but then she smiled and wrapped her arms back around him. He let go a minute later. "What was that for?" She asked with a smile. Eric was chuckling to himself behind Marshall.

"I don't know," Marshall said laughing as well. And they could all tell that things were going to go back to normal between them.

They sat on the couch and began talking like nothing had happened, they didn't ask her any questions and she told them nothing, but they liked it that way, they didn't want to think about what had happened. So they wouldn't.

And then Sark came out of the bedroom. He had thought that Sydney had just been laughing at the TV, but he was shocked to find Eric Weiss and Marshall sitting on the couch as well.

Well, at least he had gotten dressed. It would have been worse had he come out with just a pair of boxers on. Sydney giggled silently to herself at that reaction.

Marshall's eyes widen and Eric coughed, both of them looked to Sydney like she was crazy. All she could do was shake her head, "He's living here for the time being." She told them in a small voice, hoping that they wouldn't run back to Dixon, or her father, with news that Sydney was living with a terrorist.

"Okay," Eric said and nodded, leaning back into the cough, Marshall saw Eric relax and so he started to, too. Thinking that if Eric could relax around him then he could. Plus he had dealt with Sark before, and Sark had rather liked him before. As much as you could like a scary British man.

Nodding at this acceptance of him Sark walked over and sat next to Sydney, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"We miss you, Syd," Eric said from his seat, looking at her sadly, "We all do, even Dixon."

She nodded sadly, "I miss you all too," she answered quietly. "But I don't know how to fix this." The thought of leaving the life once more crossed her mind. But she frowned and quickly pushed it away, not before Sark noticed anything, he shot her a strange look then shrugged. He would find out later.

"Well," Marshall started then paused. "I think we should all go out to dinner." Random, they hadn't gone out to dinner in a long time. "We could have a big dinner, like a party, and it would be fun." He paused and then looked at Sark, "Erm, you could come too? Though I'm not sure Mr. Bristow would like that to much."

Sark shook is head, "If Mr. Bristow is there I'm afraid I will be elsewhere." He shuddered, and they all laughed.

"I'm not sure why everyone is so afraid of him," Sydney said, laughing even though she had a guess.

"Oh really?" Eric asked sarcastically still laughing.

She shook her head and leaned back on Sark's chest and smiled as his arm tightened around her.

Eric looked at his watch, "I think we should be going, Marshall here has a family to go take care of." Everyone stood up, and smiled.

"That's right, Marshall I'm disappointed, I was expecting baby pictures," Sydney teased him.

Marshall blushed, "Next time," he was incredibly proud of his baby boy. Sydney in turn hugged both of them, and they even got the courage to shake Sark's hand.

Sydney saw them to the door and made them promise that they would come back soon for dinner sometime. She smiled at Sark when she shut the door and rested her back against it. Tonight was the first time she had really smiled in a long time, and he liked that.

"That was nice of them," Sark remarked from the living room.

"Yeah, it was," Sydney smiled to herself as she walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch, pulling Sark down next to her. Sark wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer as she rested her head on his chest.

"What were you thinking about?" Sark murmured softly after a few minutes.

Sydney sighed, "Nothing really, just silly thoughts." She truly believed that no matter what they did they would be in this life forever.

"Tell me," he requested softly, he wanted to know.

She sighed again and sat up straighter, she looked him in the eye, "I was thinking that we could get out," she said quietly, almost afraid of what his reaction would be.

"Get out." He replied, trying to make sure he understood.

"Yes," she nodded, "Get out of this life, try and live as normal as we could."

"You know that we could never live perfectly normal lives," he pointed out and watched as she nodded.

"Yes, but they could be more normal as this," she moved her hands out in front of her, looking around and then down at the floor. "I just think it's time that I leave."

Notice she didn't say we, she wouldn't force a normal life on him if he didn't want it, but this was something she had thought about for a while, and this was something she wanted.

He noticed this too. "Where would you live? Here?"

She shook her head, "No. I would live in London, maybe sell most of the other homes." Sark had yet to go to the other homes, but he didn't mind that.

Sark rubbed his forehead with one hand as he held onto Sydney's with the other. "What about our business?" Sydney shrugged, she new it could become the next Covenant; it could be greater than that. But she didn't want it. She hadn't created it because she wanted power she wanted a safe haven from the Covenant at the time.

"There are several people we could give it to."

"Like whom?"

"Simon," she said, that was the obvious choice, "Or my mother," which was the less obvious choice. "Whomever we felt comfortable with." She paused and looked back up at him, "Look, I'm not trying to force anything on you, this is just something I want."

Sark sighed, "I know, and trust me, I want it too, but I don't know if we could ever do that. Not yet anyway, there are probably so many people after us, and I just don't know." He liked this kind of life; it had been the only thing solid in his life before Sydney. But he knew he couldn't stay in it forever.

Sydney nodded sadly, "Like I said, just a silly thought," she looked down at his chest so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes.

Sark didn't say anything just pulled her into a hug and held her tightly as he thought over everything they had just talked about.


The next day Sydney was called back into work. Not work, work, she was called in for a meeting with Dixon. She wasn't surprised when she found Dixon there with Vaughn, figuring that she would be called in to talk to both of them.

"Sydney, welcome, please have a seat." It didn't throw her off that he was being so polite to her, he always had been.

She murmured her hellos to both of them and sat in the seat next to Vaughn's.

"Now, we want to get you both back to work as soon as possible," Dixon started, "but we need to discuss some things first."

Sydney and Vaughn both nodded, not sure what they needed to discuss, but figured it had something to do with her working with Sark.

"First, Vaughn, I need to know how long you've known about Sydney's… involvement with Mr. Sark."

Vaughn looked over at Sydney quickly then back to Dixon, "About a month, not until the night the Covenant was dismantled."

"Alright," Dixon said, mostly to himself. "Now, Sydney," his voice sounded pained, like he didn't want to have to say something. "You know that you can't go on working with a terrorist if you stay with us."

She looked away from Dixon then, she couldn't stop working with Sark, but she couldn't lie to Dixon.

"I'm not telling you to make any decisions now," he said softly, "We want you to stay here, but I would understand if you didn't want to anymore." He understood what this job took away from a person more than anyone, it having taken away his wife. "But do know, that you won't have the protection of our offices if you leave and work with Mr. Sark." But by no means was he saying that she couldn't hold her own. He knew she had a better chance of taking care of herself than anyone else. Other than her parents.

She nodded, taking in all this information. "I'll give you 'til the end of the week to make your decision." Dixon offered her quietly. Seems she would have to make a choice determining what to do with her life sooner than she thought.

"Thank you," she said quietly. And they all knew that was all they needed to talk about. Sydney and Vaughn stood up, shook hands with Dixon and walked back into the main room.

Michael looked at her calmly as the made there way through the people, "Do you know what you're going to do?" He asked her softly.

"No," she shook her head, thinking to the conversation she had with Sark the night before.

Vaughn didn't press it, but just walked with Sydney back to her office. Stopping in the doorway she looked around, it didn't look any differently from the last time she had seen it, but that didn't mean she wasn't weary about going inside. Neither of them said anything as they looked around, but when Sydney was about to say something they heard something drop.

Both of them turned around to see Lauren helping an intern picking something up. Sydney took a step back into her doorway, but didn't say anything, her gaze was on Lauren, her eyes misted over, playing scenes only visible to her, and Vaughn presumed they were from her torture. Lauren looked up from the floor when she felt two pairs of eyes gazing down at her.

Sydney's misted ones, and Vaughn's angry gaze. She started to walk away but Vaughn called her name, "I need to talk to you," he muttered as he pulled her into his office, shutting the door behind him.

"What do you want?" They were on anything but civil terms, so they weren't exactly happy about talking, but they were still married.

"Lauren, we need to get a divorce." He said, getting right to the point, not wanting to dance around the subject.

"Fine," she agreed, not hesitating to give him what she wanted. Truth be told she would have told him this had he not in due time.

"I can have a lawyer draw up the papers tomorrow," he said, not trying to sound to happy that she had agreed to this.

"Is that all?" She asked, sounding rather bored. He rolled his eyes and nodded, nodding her head she walked out of the office, not letting Vaughn see the happy smile on her face.

Sydney sat down at her desk and didn't quite no what to do with herself. Dixon hadn't given her any work to go over, so she really had nothing to do. Leaning back into her chair she sighed, this was going to be interesting. She tried to think of how she would tell Sark about what Dixon ad told her.

Either stay with him and leave the CIA, or leave him and stay with the CIA.

She didn't notice her cell phone ringing until it had rung a few times already she was deep in thought. Grabbing it, hoping the person hadn't hung up already she answered it. "Hello?" She said and was relived when she didn't get the dial tone.

"Hello, love." Sark's voice came in through the other line.

"Hey," she said, her voice softening, and she looked up to make sure her door was shut.

"What was that meeting about?" She hadn't told him she was going to a meeting, but had left him a note, as he was still asleep when she left.

She sighed before answering, "He wanted to know what I was going to do."

"What you are going to do?" He repeated, as if he didn't understand, which he half didn't, but he wanted to let her explain.

"What I'm going to do about this working situation we have on our hands," she sighed again rubbing her eyes.

"Ah, and what, pray tell, were your choices?"

"Either, leave the CIA and stay with you," which she knew was the choice that he would want her to do, "Or leave you and stay here." Which was the choice that Dixon was hoping she would take.

"Well, that sounds like fun," Sark said bitterly as if he expected her to take the second one. "When do you have to give him an answer?"

"The end of this week," which was only two days away.

"Oh well," Sark was being very childish about this all. She hated him for it.

"Sark, it's not like I want to choose between you and everything else," she cried out.

"I say we discuss this when you get home," he said coldly.

"Fine," she was on the verge of tears and she didn't want him to hear her cry, not now. "Bye Sark," she said his name bitterly and hung up the phone.

She threw the phone down on her desk and held her hands up to her eyes, trying to not cry. She didn't want to cry, not now. Not in front of these people who were always judging her, and some were waiting for her to break down.

Once she had gotten her tears under control she looked up to see Lauren walking away form Vaughn with a big smile on her face. Sydney shook her head and leaned back in her chair, Vaughn came in a few minutes later, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, that was fun," he muttered sitting down in front of her desk. "Lauren and I are getting a divorce." He told her, as she looked confused.

"That's good right?" Sydney was happy; even though she wasn't with Vaughn she didn't want him married to a crazy bitch.

"Yes, that's good." He gave her a warm smile and nodded. "So, what's wrong?"

Sydney was startled by his question, "Nothing," she lied.

"Syd, I know you to well for you to lie. I know something's up," he told her, not wanting to pressure her or anything.

"Sark called," she said, and then sighed. "I told him what Dixon wants from me and he was acting like a complete bastard. God I feel like I'm in high school again," she moaned and put her head in her hands.

"Ah," Michael nodded, not fully understanding. "Maybe," he started, not sure if he wanted to say this, as he didn't know Sark all that well, "Maybe he is afraid that you would choose the CIA over him." He offered, because in this situation that's what he would be afraid of.

"Maybe," she murmured, not wanting to talk about this anymore. "I guess I'll find out later."

Michael knew this conversation was over, they sat there in silence for a little while longer, neither of them had anything to do. The silence was broken later when Eric came in to see why they were both just sitting there.


Walking in the front door Syd threw her keys onto the hall table and hung up her coat. Looking around she didn't see Sark, but didn't know if he was there or now. Walking into the bedroom she found it void of presence, shaking her head she walked back into the kitchen and found a piece of paper on the counter. I've gone out for a drive, I'll be back. –J

Sydney let out a frustrated sigh, "Thanks, Sark, so much," she said through gritted teach. He hadn't said when he'd be back, just that he would.

Tears she thought that had died down threatened to come out again, grabbing a bottle of water from her fridge she went into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. Setting the water bottle on the table she lay down, in her work clothes, on the bed. She needed to sleep, but she wanted to wait for him to come back.

Curling up in a ball she began to cry softly, fears of loosing Sark, but also of loosing her friends, overwhelmed her as she began to cry harder.

She had no idea how long she had been crying, she didn't even hear the front door, crying had made her tired. She didn't notice anyone had come in until she felt a light touch on her shoulder. Looking up she saw it was Sark, wiping her face she sat up, but wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said gently, having a feeling that the tears that fell on her cheeks were partially his fault.

The apology startled her, and her finally his gaze. Not saying anything as she thought, "I've made my choice," she simply stated before laying back down.