Chapter Nine

Her face visably fell. Her reaction made him instantly regret asking her. "It's okay Sydney, you don't have to answer" he said quickly.

"It's alright, I just didn't expect that. I didn't know that you'd heard."

"You really don't have to answer that. I was just wondering. If it's going to hurt you, I don't need you to tell me."

"No, it's alright" she sighed. "I didn't tell you, because I wanted something to be the same" at his confused look she continued. "Everything is different. I'm living in New York, my dad and Weiss are in L.A., I'm not with Vaughn anymore, everything is different. And now you're being nice, and you're out of the business-"

"I'm not out anymore. I'm going to find who did this to us and then I will go back into retirement. I have to find them."

"Well, you were out of the business" she sighed. "Well, you see? Everything had changed, and I thought that if I kept that from you, then at least one thing could be the same. You could keep thinking that I was in L.A., and I could feel better."

"Things might have changed Sydney, but it's for the better. Now you won't have other people running your life for you. If you need anything, if you need to talk, if you need someone to just sit with you, I'll be here."

A single tear fell down her cheek. She couldn't understand why it did, but it happened. He reached forward and brushed it away. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm doing this."

"It's alright Sydney, you've had a really rough week."

She chuckled sadly. "That's the understatement of the year."

He smiled. "I think you might be right about that."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Sark?"

He looked up at her.

"About tonight…" she said pensively, "what's the dress code?"

"Well, you can wear anything you'd like" smiling, he continued, "honestly, you can wear anything or nothing. We won't be leaving the house."

"Oh really? I bet you'd like that wouldn't you?" at his questioning look, she continued, "if I wore nothing" she said seductively.

He swallowed audibly, she laughed at him.

Once he had regained control over himself, "I would like that very much"

Sydney, not expecting him to react this way was taken aback by what he said, blushes furiously and stares at her feet intensely.

Sark stands and heads to the door, "Oh and Sydney," he turns back and stares at her, burning holes into her eyes, "formal attire would be more appropriate than nothing at all."

Hours later, Sydney is dressed up in a gorgeous gown and physically prepared for whatever Sark has planned for their little evening. Of course, the gown does not have the normal affect as it would if she could stand for more than thirty seconds at a time. It caused many problems when she was trying to put it on. It took her over fifteen minutes to get the back done up properly. She finally laid down on her stomach on the bad and tugged slowly at the zipper, closing it up. It shouldn't have been that complicated, after all it was just a cocktail dress, it wasn't flowing at her ankles or anything.

She was sitting in her wheelchair putting the final touches of make-up on her face when there came a soft knocking on the door. She placed the make-up down and turned to see Sark's eyes peering through the crack in the door. "I don't see to remember telling you it was safe to look in Sark" she said smiling at him.

"Well, I couldn't risk missing a scantily clad Agent Sydney Bristow, now could I?"

She laughed, and he promised himself that he could make her do that more often. "I guess. Maybe we should move onto the dinner Mr Sark."

"If you say so."

"Well, I do."

He went behind her and began to push her to a part of the house that she had not yet seen. Stopping in the hallway and bending to whisper in her ear, "By the way, I don't think I've ever seen you look as beautiful as you do right at this moment."

Sydney's cheeks turned beet-red at his compliment. She coughed, clearing her throat. Trying to remove some of the tension she was feeling at this moment.

They headed to the second floor, leaving her wheelchair behind on the first, Sark carefully carried her up the stairs and placed her into a beautiful arm-chair. "Thank you" she said.

"Not a problem, love."

She took a good look around her, they were on a balcony surrounded by lilies and roses. Sark looked at her knowingly and smiled. "I heard through someone that lilies are your favourite flower. Is that true?"

"Yes, they are. They are just so beautiful and fresh. I love them."

"I'm glad. But they don't hold anything to you tonight," he took her hands in his. He knelt in front of her and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I meant what I said earlier Sydney. I've never seen you look more radiant."

"Well, I can't say anything to that. But, I must say that tonight, you look quite handsome yourself."

"What do you say," he said, looking down at the food in front of them, "shall we eat?"

The night was a complete success from both of their points of view. Sark actually opened up to Sydney about his past, and Sydney talked to him about her childhood, missing her mother and her absent father. It was quite a good experience for them both.

Sark carried her down the stairs, to Sydney's protests, and once they were in front of her room, Sydney and Sark just stared at the closed door. Neither one wanted to night to end.

"Sark, would you like to stay the night?"

"I can't Sydney, you're not ready. I'm not ready for that step yet."

"I don't mean that Sark," she said, blushing furiously, "I just… I just want you to stay. I want you to hold me. Can you do that for me?"

He kissed her softly on the lips, taking their breath away. "I would do anything for you. Of course."

He wheeled her back into her room and helped her un-zip her dress. She went into the bathroom to change and came out in a black silk camisole and panties, she slid under the covers. Sark watched her, transfixed by her body. "If I didn't care about you so much Sydney, I would take you right now."

Sydney didn't say anything, just hid her blushing cheeks under the covers. Sark took off his shirt and pants, sliding under the covers wearing his black silk boxers. "Looks like we share something else, other than absentee fathers," he looked at her questioningly, "we both like black silk" she said.

"I can see that" he said as he pulled her into his arms, kissing the back of her head, smelling the scent that is Sydney Bristow. After a few minutes, he watched her breathing change. She was finally asleep. He just lay there, watching her sleep for hours. Just wanting to watch her. Nothing else. Four hours of watching her finally became too much, and he fell asleep next to her.

The next morning, Sydney awakens, taking the sounds in around her. She is shocked to hear someone else in the room breathing. She feels someone's tight arms around her. Suddenly the previous night's events come back to her and she smiles.

She moves to go to the window, but is unable to. Sark's arms tighten around her waist. She turns around and just watches him sleeping. He looks so young, and vulnerable, so soft. She reaches out to touch his face and he stirs. His face forms a small smile, and he yawns. It had to be the sweetest thing Sydney had ever seen.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning" he replied.

Sydney couldn't help it any longer, she tilted her head to his and placed a soft kiss upon his lips. Sark was now wide awake. His eyes wide with questions.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that" she mumbled. Sark took her face in his hands and smiled, shaking his head. He pulled her head to his and kissed her with such passion, that Sydney was left breathless. "Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Because I wanted to, Sydney."

"OK."

"Are you alright? I mean are you ok with me kissing you?"

"I think so. I mean, it's so new."

"We'll take things slowly."

"I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't think I can move fast. Especially when I can't even walk yet."

"Look, I can wait for you Sydney, I just want you to be happy."

"I know."