This is where the story finally gets more "mature"…

Chapter Thirteen

The Gala

"Mr Lazarey, how wonderful to see you here again!" cried a shrill voice from the crowd. A woman came into view and saw Sydney on his arm and frowned. The woman was very beautiful, wearing a black gown and her hair was pulled up in a fantastic up-do. Sydney felt a little threatened by her, but Sark's grim and forced smile reassured her that she wasn't going to get to him.

"Hello Melinda, nice to see you again." Sark said, "it's been too long." Sydney could see that he despised this woman, and it made her want to laugh out loud, but she didn't dare. Not until the woman was out of view. She was throwing herself at Sark in front of her, which was quite shameless. "I'd like you to meet Sydney Bristow."

"It's a pleasure…" Sydney pretended not to remember her name which seemed to infuriate the woman.

"Melinda" she huffed "Melinda Bracknell"

"Miss Bracknell" Sydney shook her hand.

"Yes, a pleasure" she said through clenched teeth.

Sark and Sydney walked in another direction "I never liked that woman" he said.

"She was throwing herself at you. In front of me" Sydney said. She turned to look back at Melinda again and saw a man come behind her and kiss her softly.

"I'd never go for her. She's a horrible woman."

"Who's that man with her?" Sydney asked.

"Her husband."

"So her husband is at the same party and she's trying to get in bed with another man? Don't you think that's a little risky?"

"She doesn't care. I don't know why though, her husband is quite nice."

"And attractive" Sydney added.

"Should I be worried?" he asked.

"Not at all" she said smiling, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Now you're a happy couple." They heard from behind them. It was a familiar voice that both of them recognized, but couldn't place until they saw his face.

"Simon Walker? I thought you were dead?" Sydney said.

"Well, Jules, your father didn't do as good of a job as he could have. I'm still here. And you're with him now, I see" he nodded his head in Sark's direction.

"Simon, long time, no see. I must say that I honestly thought you were dead as well."

"A lot of people are supposed to be." Simon pointedly looked at both of them.

"What do you want Simon?" Sark asked.

"I heard from my sources that Jules here was injured by the Covenant. I've been trying to take them down on my own for a while, but it's not working out so well. I also figured that you would want to take them down. So I was thinking," he looked at Sydney, "maybe, we could work together."

"Si," Sydney crossed her arms in front of her, "how could we trust you? You tried to kill me, sold me out, made me stab my ex-lover in the stomach and you tried to kill my father. All in a two day period."

"Well, two of those things were because he," he looked at Sark, "told me all about you betraying me. And that was before the Covenant screwed me out of a million pounds."

"That's sure a reason for wanting revenge." Sydney laughed.

"Simon, could I please speak to Sydney alone for a moment?"

Simon nodded his head and turned around, moving to the other end of the room, "Julian, do you really think this is a good idea? I don't know if I can work with him again. I don't remember much about him, but I don't really like to work with ex's. And he knows more about me than Vaughn. And that was when I was another person."

"Syd, I know you don't want to work with him, but it'll be easier to take them down with his sources. He has a lot of them. Plus, he can tell me stories of when you were together." Sydney swatted his chest and smiled. She kissed him and looked across the room at Simon. He was glaring at Sark with a passion. "And I have you now. He has to watch from afar."

"Fine, I'll work with him. I trust your judgement" she looked up into his eyes, "I trust you."

He kissed her forehead and they walked to Simon. "Ok. Let's do it."

Simon looked at them, took Sydney's hand and placed a kiss on her palm. "I'll contact you."

"Simon, we can't do much for a week. They shot me and I'm still recovering."

"I could never endanger something as gorgeous as you" he looked at the two of them and nodded, "you really are the perfect looking couple" and turned around, walking away.

"I'm not going to let him touch you Syd. Don't worry. The only thing I don't trust him near is you."

"I can take care of myself Julian. But the concern does touch my heart." Sydney said dramatically.

"I'm glad about that" the music the band started to play was making Sydney sway slightly next to him, and he was wondering why anyone would ever want to hurt someone like her. She was perfect in every single way. "So, I think that the objective of this evening should be to dance as long as we possibly can. I know you love dancing."

She smiled and took his arm, nearly dragging him onto the dance floor. "You know, Vaughn never took me dancing"

Sark knew that he should feel a little hurt for her mentioning her ex, but for some reason, he felt better, knowing that he did something for her that made her happy. "You really look beautiful tonight. You literally took my breath away."

She put her head on his shoulder and they swayed to the melody of the music. She moaned into his neck and he felt her smile. "I'm happy" she whispered. His heart stopped. He knew that he was happy too. He had never felt this happy before.

"I'm happy too" he whispered.

"Let's go home Sark."

"Alright love. We'll go home."

They drove home talking about their day. Sark had a surprise waiting for her at home. He was nervous to give it to her. It was the first time he had felt nervous in a long time. He wasn't about to propose a life-long commitment or anything, it was just a gift. But he didn't want to scare off Sydney.

"We're home" said Sydney.

He looked over to her and smiled "we're home" he echoed.

He got out of the car and before she had a chance, he opened her door for her and helped her out. She rewarded him with a peck on the cheek and a quick thank you.

They headed inside and Sark walked her to the bedroom door and gave her a passionate kiss as he opened the door. The room was dark and Sark turned on the light. There were dozens and dozens of lilies in the room. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the room "Julian it's beautiful."

He looked at her seriously "yes it is" Sydney blushed, she was sure that her face would light up the room when she realized that he was talking about her.

"Sydney, I've never cared for someone as much as I do about you. I'm so ecstatic that you've decided to stay with me. At least for now. When you were buying the gown you're wearing right now, I went and bought you this gift" he picked up a green box off the bed and held it in front of her, "I think it belongs with you" he opened up the box and inside was the most beautiful necklace she'd ever been given. It was a silver chain with a heart pendant with diamonds in the centre, "I hope that it'll forever remind you of me."

She smiled and a solitary tear fell down her cheek. "It's beautiful. Can you put it on me?" she smiled even brighter when he took it out of the box. Pulling her hair out of the way, she turned around and he placed the necklace around her neck. "Thank you."

He put the box down on the table beside them and she pulled him to her in a powerful kiss. She took off his blazer and began to unbutton his shirt when he stopped her. "Sydney, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. She answered him by continuing to kiss her and unbutton his shirt.

That was a good enough answer for him.

Once she had tackled his shirt, she ran her hands across his abdomen. His muscles were perfect, and she loved to just touch them. He was perfect. Just like a Greek statue of one of the many gods.

He was still wearing his pants, and she was still wearing her dress. "You're wearing more than me," he whispered breathlessly.

Kissing his earlobe she whispered, "Well, why don't you see to that then?"

He carefully and slowly slid the straps of her dress down the length of her arms, kissing her bare skin as he went. "So beautiful" he whispered over and over again, "so beautiful."

She was in his arms, her dress lay in a pool of blue satin on the floor, in nothing but her panties. His hands were moving about her body. Holding on to anything they possibly could. "No you're wearing more than me" she pouted.

"You should really do something about that."

"Oh alright" she sighed deviously.

She pushed him lightly onto the edge of the bed and ran her hands over his neck and down his chest to the waistband of his pants. His erection was trying to break free, but it couldn't break through the barrier. She fingered then undid the button, then the zipper. She did this at an excruciatingly slow speed, and it was killing him, but he waited. She was worth the wait.

She finally began to pull his pants to the floor and the only things between them were her panties and his black silk boxers. He took her breasts into his hands and began to caress them. His touch was soft, not like Vaughn at all, she thought. Sark was better than that man in every way.

"Julian, please, you're torturing me" she said between moans.

He pulled her to the bed and she tugged at the waistband of his boxers. They came off lightning fast. He flipped them over, so he was on top and tore off her panties. What was once a black lace g-string was now a scrap of black lace on the floor.

He kneeled between her legs and looked at her. "You're so perfect" he sighed.

"I'm yours" she whispered.

He bent down and teased her clit. She gasped at his touch, it was too perfect. His tongue licked and teased her into a frenzy. The room was spinning, she couldn't breathe. The man with her was pleasing her more than she had ever felt before. She was about to scream when she stopped him and pulled him up to her. She kissed his lips as hard and with more passion than she ever had before.

She reached down and stroked his erection. He gasped and kissed her again. She took him and guided him into her. She was hot, wet and tight, perfect he thought. He began to thrust in and out of her core. She was moaning, and he was getting closer and closer. Once he heard his name from her lips, he was gone.

He thrust into her harder and harder. He wanted her to cum at the same time as him, so he teased her clit. She gasped at the sensation. She moaned, gasped and screamed his name as her inner muscles milked his shaft. "Oh god!" he whispered. He groaned and whispered her name over and over again as he spilled inside of her.

He collapsed onto her, breathing heavily. "That was perfect" she whispered after what felt like hours.

"Perfect" he echoed. And moments later, she had fallen asleep. Her head on his naked chest, her hand across his body. This was the perfect evening. He had danced the night away with her in his arms, came home with her, made love to her, and came to a realization.

"I love you" he whispered, and fell asleep moments later.

The next morning, Sydney awoke to a feeling of pure contempt. She hadn't expected to feel like that. She had expected happiness or possibly regret, but not contempt. Life just couldn't get much better than this. She was living in France, leaving the CIA, living with a wonderful man and her best friend was going to come to visit in a few days. Plus she had spent the previous night dancing with Julian and when they had come home, he had given her the most beautiful necklace and then they… consummated their relationship.

Things were perfect.

Sydney tried to get out of bed when Sark pulled her tighter to him. Just like every morning. She grinned and he mumbled something in his sleep. She tried to listen closely, and heard her name. Then she froze in shock when he added something else. "Sydney," he mumbled, "I love you."

She couldn't move. He had just said he loved her. Sure, it was just in his sleep, but what if he really felt that way. Not just in his dreams. Would he ever say that to her, when he was awake? Could she ever say that to him?

No. She thought, I need more time.

She forced herself out of his grasp lightly, so not to wake him, and got dressed silently. She went to the foyer and she stood there for a while. Just in her jacket and holding the keys. With a note in her pocket, pacing back and forth, debating whether or not she was going to go out for a little drive.

She left using the front door and took one of the cars. Leaving the behind for him to read when he awoke. She knew it would hurt him to wake up alone after their night of bliss, but she couldn't stick around right now. She needed to think.

Sark awoke thirty minutes later. He was disappointed to see Sydney out of bed, but figured that she would be in the kitchen or outside on the balcony. He checked every room of the house and then lastly the foyer. His heart stopped when he saw her jacket gone. He ran to the front door, tearing it open and saw that the car was gone. He came back inside and noticed the note on the floor.

Julian,

I'm sorry, you just looked to beautiful this morning,

I couldn't wake you.

I'll be back really soon, I just needed some time to

think about everything. Don't worry about me.

I'll be back soon.

- Sydney

His first thought was to rip the letter to shreds. The second thought was about her. She shouldn't be out there alone. He did the one thing that she had asked him not to do in her note. He worried about her. He couldn't help it. His final thought, the one that broke him, was that she might have regretted the previous night. He couldn't regret that. He had given himself to her with so much passion and love that he had never shown anyone before. And she had returned it to him.

What had happened in that time to make her leave? He thought.