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Chapter 16

The nurse smiled up at Sark, he looked tired and weary but hopelessly in love she thought.

"Miss Bristow will be fine sir, she was shot in the left shoulder and suffered some bruising and abrasions from being tied up, she is still in surgery shouldn't be too much longer before she will be transferred to a private room, you're welcome to go upstairs room 147 and wait."

"Thank you" Sark called as he rushed to the elevators preparing himself for the anxious wait until he saw Sydney again, it had been a week since he had seen her let alone kiss her or feel her body wrapped in his arms. A week is way too long he thought, reaching into his jacket pocket and fingering the black box he had intended giving to her the night that she was taken. It had all gone terribly wrong, he had almost lost her and as much as it pained him to admit it, he was lost without her.

Pulling the box out of his jacket, Sark opened the box to reveal the diamond ring he had purchased a few weeks ago. Staring down at the 3 carat princess cut claw diamond ring, with the hope that when Sydney woke she would accept his apology and if all went to well marry him.

Sydney opened her eyes, to find she was no longer in the warehouse but on a soft bed in a stark white room she had no idea how long it had been since she had been shot but she had a feeling it had been awhile she was aching all over and felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. Feeling a warm presence in her hand Sydney looked down to see Julian resting his head on the edge of her bed, his hand firmly grasping hers. Smiling slightly at his unruly hair and crumpled suit, Sydney ran a hand through his hair to reassure herself that he was really there and not some delusion caused by the pain in her shoulder. Looking around the room Sydney noticed that Anna was sitting quietly in another chair reading.

"Anna" Sydney hoarsely whispered

At the sound of Sydney's voice Anna's head snapped up and she got up and made her way over to the side of Sydney's bed.

Motioning for Anna to climb in with her, the little girl pulled herself up into the bed snuggling into Sydney's uninjured side, like they had done the nights that Sark had been away.

Noticing Anna was drifting off the sleep, Sydney decided she would join her but not before taking one last look and appreciating what had become her true family.

Sydney awoke sometime later to find she was alone. Groaning in pain as she jostled her shoulder, she wondered what she was supposed to do now.

She wasn't alone long before Sark and Anna came back into the room. Anna quickly noticed that she was awake and run over to her bed, pulling herself onto it.

"Syddie!" Anna cried as she gently hugged Sydney.

Sydney looked over at Sark who had frozen in the door way when he realised that she was awake.

"Why don't you go and see if you can find Katya, Anna"

Anna jumped off the bed with an "Ok daddy"

"Syd?" Sark questioned not quite sure whether she wanted to see him or not.

"It's ok Julian" Sydney smiled reassuringly. Sydney was nervous is she didn't know why. What happens if he doesn't love me anymore Sydney thought.

Sark walked over to the side of Sydney's bed taking a seat. He grabbed her hand and held it to his cheek. Sydney caressed his cheek closing her eyes as she felt the slightly rough stubble but he was really there. He looked tired and worn and nothing like the impeccable business man that she usually saw him as.

"Syd" Sark choked out. "I…I thought I lost you."

"I love you" Sydney whispered happy that she had finally been able to say it again.

"God I love you so much Syd, I was a mess when I couldn't find you. You are everything to me, you and Anna. Please forgive me, Lauren set me up and as soon as you left I fired her, she won't be a problem anymore. Please Sydney, I'd do anything to make you happy…." Sydney cut off Sark's rambling by placing a finger to his lips.

"I love you Julian and I already know what Lauren did, she bragged about it before, she had been watching Anna and me since the first day we meet at the markets in London"

Sark let out a relived sigh, fingering the box in his jacket Sark decided that there was no time like the present.

"Syd, ever since I saw you that day in London with Anna, I couldn't stop thinking about you, and then when you were at Katya's party I just had to know about you. I was so desperate for you to come and work for me so I could get to know you. Anna loved you from the first time she met you. That very first day in London she didn't stop talking about you and she wanted you to be her mother. That night I carried you up to your room and you mumbled something about not frosting pies I thought you were so intriguing and beautiful and those three long months that we bickered and argued was so hard when all I wanted to do was kiss you. These last 9 months have been the best in my life, save for this past week that I never thought I would see you again. I was planning on doing this on the night off the ball, in front of the world to see." Sark rambled as he grabbed hold of Sydney's hand placing a feather light kiss on her palm.

Sydney felt tears prick her eyes as she realised what he was doing but let him continue.

"I love you Syd, you mean the world to me and I want to make it up to you everyday for the rest of our lives, I want to watch Anna grow up and maybe even have more children. I want to buy a island in the Caribbean that we can escape to, I want to grow old and watch the grandchildren run around in the backyard. I want it all and I want it with you. Sydney Anne Bristow will you marry me?"

Sark pulled the box from his jacket pocket, opening it to reveal the ring. Sydney gasped at the beauty of the ring.

"YES" Sydney gasped through her sobs.

Sark took the ring from the box and slid it onto Sydney's finger. Kissing her hand gently before bringing his lips to hers in a gentle but probing kiss. Sighing into his mouth Sydney couldn't believe that she was once again in his arms. Deepening the kiss Sydney traced Sark's bottom lip with her tongue seeking entrance. Gladly parting his lips Sark revelled in the taste that was Sydney. A week without Sydney had been torture and he was never going to let her go again.

Breaking apart with the need for oxygen, Sark leaned his forehead again Sydney's.

Sydney broke the comfortable silence

"When can I get out of here?"

Sark chuckled his eyes sparkling blue, Sydney felt as though she fell in love with him all over again.

"This afternoon, it the doctor says so"

"Well then where is this doctor?" Sydney teased

"In a hurry luv?" Sark teasingly remarked.

"We have some celebrating to do" Sydney watched as Sark's eyes darkened in desire causing a wave of heat to flow through her body.

Sark leaned over and kissed Sydney's forehead.

"I'll be right back with the doctor" causing Sydney to laugh as he left the room.

TBC