Author's Note: I can't believe how well this story is being accepted. I was so happy to see that a lot of the reviews I recieved for the first chapter were from people who had been so loyal to me while I was writing Connected. I hope that you all will stick with me and be as loyal as you were during that story. Thank you.

Chapter One- Crystal Clear

Sark lay on his cot, staring up at the same gray ceiling that he had been staring at for the last ten years. Yes, ten years he had been locked away in this hell of a prison. No visitors, no contact with the outside world whatsoever. Sure he got a few newspapers to keep him occupied and he was allowed out onto the prison yard for a couple hours everyday. But other than that his life was a meaningless cycle of monotonous activities.

Feeling under his mattress he pulled Chloe's last letter out and held it up over his head so that he could read it. It had been five years since she sent that letter. The one that tore his heart to pieces. She was married. Even now the words cut him. Of course he had written her, nearly every day he had written her, asking her to come and see him. So why did she insist that he had not written her?

That question had plagued Sark for years and caused many sleepless nights. He loved Chloe more than he could ever have loved anyone. He wanted her with him; he wanted her to wait for him. He had written her after that last letter, doing exactly what she was hoping for, begging her not to marry whoever this man was that had stolen her from him.

There must have been someone stopping his letters from going through though, because Chloe had never written him to tell Sark her wedding was off and that she would wait for him. But who would do that? The answer was easy wasn't it? Vaughn and Sydney never wanted their daughter to get involved with Sark. They never thought he was good enough for her. Okay so what if he was an international terrorist and he had caused the Vaughn's more than their fair share of trouble? He was different now. Chloe had changed him. But they wouldn't see that. Obviously it had been them that stopped his letters from getting to Chloe. It was the only answer.

Sark let his hand drop down to his chest where the letter fell over his heart. A heavy sigh ripped from deep within him, resounding in the small cell. Justice had been done. First he had locked Chloe in a cell, and now here he was, locked in one of his own.

Footsteps sounded from a few feet away and Sark looked up at the clear plastic that separated him from the guards. A tall black man stopped in front of his cell, looking down at him with disdain in his eyes.

"Mr. Dixon," Sark said in a sarcastically sweet voice, "to what do I owe this pleasure?" Marcus Dixon's jaw clenched tightly. He clearly did not want to be there.

"The United States government has decided to grant you a pardon Mr. Sark." Dixon bit out; "In exchange for your services the CIA will release you."

"Interesting." Sark said. His excitement was hard to control, but control it he did. By staring up at the ceiling he was able to calm himself slightly. If Dixon saw how desperately he wanted out of prison, there would be hell to pay. "And exactly what type of 'services' will the CIA be needing?"

"We're ready to shut down the Covenant." Dixon said, "But there are…complications that we need you to help with."

"How soon will I be released?" Sark asked, sitting up slowly. He needed to control himself, but it was so hard.

"I'm having the papers drawn up now." Dixon said, "As soon as you are released you will be assigned a handler."

"And who will that be?" He asked, his eyebrow arched in question.

"Sydney Vaughn."

A steady tap tapping filled the small office. Chloe looked over what she had written; absent-mindedly stroking the ring that was nestled in the hollow of her neck. With a sigh she backspaced over what she had written and sat back in her chair.

Why was she having such a hard time with this latest book? She needed the rough draft in two weeks or else she would be in serious trouble with her publishing company. Her editor was expecting this to be her greatest work and Chloe did not want to disappoint the man that had taken her under his wing. She bit her lip, her fingers drumming slowly on the desk. She continued to finger the ring, spinning it on its chain and hooking her finger in it.

"Damn it!" she cried, slamming her laptop shut. Soft giggling came from the doorway to her office. Chloe spun around. Her daughter stood there, her bright blond ringlets bouncing as suppressed laughter traveled through her body.

Looking at her daughter made Chloe's heart break. The young girl brought back memories that she wished she could put behind her. A time, a person that no longer existed to her. But if he was so dead to her, then why did she wear his ring around her neck? The cold metal resting against her throat caused a lump of guilt to rise in her throat.

"And what is so funny little miss?" she asked, trying to block the painful memories of letters unanswered from her mind.

"You said damn." The girl chuckled hiding her cherry red mouth behind a slim porcelain hand.

"And that's a word only me and your father can say." Chloe scolded her daughter, "So don't let me catch you repeating it." The child smiled. "Come here you." she opened her arms and her daughter flew into them, hugging her little arms around Chloe tightly. "I love you munchkin." She whispered in her daughter's ear.

"I love you too mom."

It seemed as if millions of ten-year-old girls were running around her house, Chloe knew that there were only five, but man did they make a lot of noise. She couldn't help but smile though as all five ran into the kitchen, looking up at her, or rather the cake she was frosting, with eager eyes.

"Not yet girls." She said, "This cake won't be ready for awhile."

"Come on mom." Her daughter whined, "Can't we have the cake now? It is my birthday after all." Chloe rolled her eyes at the pitiful look her daughter was giving her. It was so much like his.

"Not until your father gets home." Chloe reprimanded her. As if on cue the front door opened and a booming voice floated through the room.

"Where's my birthday girl?"

"Daddy!" the birthday girl launched herself at her father, landing in his open arms with a giggle. Chloe smiled as she watched her husband and daughter embrace. He placed the girl down on the floor and then walked over to Chloe and kissed her gently on the lips. Giggles erupted all around them. Chloe pulled away from her husband's embrace.

"Why don't you take your friends outside and play on the trampoline for a little while Paris?" she said to her daughter, who was giggling the loudest. As soon as the girls were gone Chloe wrapped her arms around her husband, pulling his body into hers.

"Now," she said, "where were we?"

Sark winced slightly as the handcuffs were taken off his wrists. He'd only worn them for a short time, but they had still dug into his skin, causing it to become raw to the touch. He looked up at Sydney who was looking at him with clear hatred.

"Mrs. Vaughn," he said, a slight smirk playing at his lips, "it's a pleasure to see you again."

"Save it Sark." Sydney snapped, her eyes blazing. She nodded her head towards the door and the men that had escorted Sark from his cell turned and left. Once they were gone Sydney looked at him once more. "I didn't want the CIA to let you free, and I didn't want this job as your handler. But, as long as you are free, I want you where I can keep an eye on you."

"How very nice of you." Sark replied sarcastically. Sydney glared and marched over to where he stood. She stood, inches from him and stared him down.

"Let's get one thing straight Sark." She seethed, "As long as you are free to roam, you are to stay away from Chloe. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

Yet another chapter finished.Please reviewand tell me what you thought.

le Citron: I was hoping that someone would pick up on the subtle hints I placed in the letters :), and thank you for the compliment, it meant a lot.

Crazy-VampireSlayer, moni, Sarks-Girl-89, Natalie, Mina, Triple Agent, Marie, and M.B: Thank you all for reviewing the first chapter. I hope that you all will continue to read and review.