The next meeting was strangely awkward. Vaughn ignored Sydney, Sydney was mad at

Sark, and Sark wanted to kill the whole world, mostly because everyone at the APO was

secretly discussing his escapade.

"Good work," Kendall said. "Especially you, Sark. Sydney detailed in her report how you,"

a small smile played upon his face, "saved both her life and yours." Sark was not amused.

Sloane interjected at this point. "We are still decrypting the data you retrieved from Casa

del Diablo. We don't know how long it will take, so go home, get some rest."

Vaughn caught her before she could leave. "Would you take a walk with me?"

They walked in silence until they reached a park some blocks later. It was completely

deserted, owing much to the fact that it was February.

Trying to break the ice, Sydney suggested, "Let's go out tonight. It would be fun."

Vaughn stopped walking and looked at her. "Didn't you hear a word I said yesterday? I

only asked you on this walk because I wanted to tell you that I'm coming over later to get

my stuff."

She inhaled sharply. "I thought...I thought that you were just angry, that you would–"

"What Sydney? You thought that I would just get over it? That I would just come crawling

back to you with an apology?"

"I–"

"Don't Sydney. Don't even try. I warned you what would happen and you screwed our

relationship over. And for what? Tell me Sydney, what made you do such a thing?" His

voice level was rising with every word.

"I needed to go on that mission, Vaughn. I needed to–"

"Don't give me that crap, Sydney, I know you better than that. No, you WANTED to go on

that mission. What was so different about that mission? Why did you want to go so

badly?" He was shouting loudly by this time.

She actually didn't know why she wanted to go on the mission. There was really no

explanation. She didn't really like Vaughn's shouting either.

"Espinosa..." Sydney began lamely, "I wanted to get back at her for–"

"WRONG! THE ANSWER. IS. SARK. YOU WENT FOR SARK!"

Eyes blazing, he stormed from the park.

Sydney sat down on a nearby bench, shocked by the recent conflict. Her mind was in

overload.

"Am I interrupting something?" asked an arrogant British voice.

She stood up and turned quickly toward the sound.

"You bastard, you were spying on me!"

"Quite the contrary. My apartment is located in that small cluster at the edge of the park. I

happened to spy the pair of you as I was looking out my window."

Sydney wanted so desperately to release her anger, and here was the perfect opportunity

with the perfect whipping boy. This time his ruse was going to be foiled, by her. Then she

was going to beat him into a bloody pulp.

"I want to see it."

Sark laughed. "I assure you, that is where I live. You can check with the–"

Sydney stepped very close and whispered through gritted teeth, "I want to see it, NOW."

And for the second time in two days, Sark was being hauled off by his coat.