Hey, this is chapter five, sorry I haven't updated in a while the holiday season and everything. Anyhow, please READ/REVIEW/CRITICISE!

Disclaimer: (For the rest of the story) I do not own anything to do with Alias.

Chapter Five- Curiosity killed the cat

"You met your father…what did you tell him?" Irina bombarded her with questions as soon as she sat down. Sydney did not feel comfortable speaking freely in front of him. She was, after all, going to be speaking of things that could end up getting her killed in the wrong hands. Her Mother noticing this stopped with the questions and they remained in silence for the rest of the journey to their offices. Sydney was mortified to learn that he was to be her new partner for operations, if only her mother knew of their past she would not be so eager to put them together. Irina was obvious curious about their distrust towards each other and this was merely a ploy to find something out.

"Mother, what is this? I do not need a partner to help me with my operations, I am fully capable as an agent." Sydney was furious, Irina could see this. And she was sure her daughter hid things from her and he somehow knew something she did not want her mother to have knowledge on, perhaps a covert operation. Sydney, she knew, always had something going on, that made her more exciting to be around. She was always abuzz, finding new things to do. Last summer she had risked her life breaking into one of their offices without anyone's knowledge, so Irina had ordered shoot to kill not knowing anything about it. Sydney had been shot in the leg. Sydney, it turned out, had been testing the security team. Turned out they were adequate enough.

"I am quite aware of your skills Sydney but I feel it would be…interesting to see how you work with a partner. It will train you for the better, working under pressure with someone you do not trust or like, for instance Mr Simon Walker. Besides I promised his father I would let him work with one of my best agents, which is you." Irina said matter of factly, which only infuriated Sydney more. The exact effect Irina was hoping for. She had a strange relationship with her daughter, it was open for everyone to see. They were always competing trying to be the best. At the moment Irina had the upper hand, but for a while Sydney had been in front. That was not too pleasing for Irina, her daughter was maturing, both in herself and her abilities as a spy. She was always great but her tactical planning was improving as each second passed by.

"You are just trying to annoy me, you are probably treating yourself to an early birthday present at my expense. Typical." Sydney said and retreated to her office. Irina smiled at Sydney's joke.

XXXXXXXXX

THE NEXT WEEK

HONG KONG

Stepping out of a car were a couple called Mr and Mrs Hunter, little did everyone know at the palace that they were really two agents under cover at the palace ball, whose real names very few knew. Sydney Derevko and Simon Walker. 'Mrs Ella Hunter' was wearing a black silk dress that stopped just short of tanned knees. Its black straps met at the back of her neck where they were securely fastened. She wore lots of rings and two bracelets. One of her rings were a large diamond on her ring finger that was obviously an expensive engagement ring. Also there was a silver wedding band. To make the alias real and all. Simon on the other hand wore a navy blue suite with a white shirt that had the first four buttons undone. He also wore an identical silver wedding band. Obviously for the mission. Sydney was not pleased that her mother had decided to come along and man the security and comms. She would be able to hear everything and Simon tended to forget about the comms.

Half an hour later they were in the hall way outside of the ambassadors vault room. Where he kept all of his important things. They were here to retrieve a Rambaldi artefact that the ambassador had acquired.

"So how are we going to play this Jules? How about it babe got any ideas?" He said in his ruthless English accent. She couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I go get it you watch out. How does that sound babe?" She asked sarcastically.

"You were always the one in control, even in b—" she decided to put her hand over his mouth before he could finish his sentence. She knew by the chuckle in her ear that her mother knew what he was going to say. She was just happy Simon had not been given an ear piece or a comm.

"Finish that sentence and you die." She threatened and looked around the corner.

"Oh come on Jules, we all know you have commitment problems. As soon as you are not in charge you go all floppy." He told her oblivious that her mother was listening and no way of stopping him.

"Floppy? I am not floppy, and who knows that I have commitment problems? Actually don't answer everything that comes out of that mouth is vile and disgusting and not trustworthy." She told him and scanned the area.

"Yes, floppy as in totally…totally…ok maybe floppy was the wrong word to use. Evasive, you are extremely evasive. And yes I know you were trained that way by your mother but that doesn't mean you need to use it all the time. For instance you shouldn't have used it when I asked for a comparison between me and that girl of a man Julian, where is the old chap? Sailing in the Caribbean? Oh and a another time you shouldn't have been evasive was when I asked you to marry me," He paused to think up more times. That was it she was either going to shoot him there or then or have to do the job on her own while he babbled. "I did find that extremely rude and disappointed, you started to giggle I distinctly remember giggling and then you had the balls to blame the champagne." He said dryly. Making her giggle there and then. He was sweet just really annoying.

"I couldn't marry you Si, you make me giggle too much, I'd end up a giggling machine and that mate would not be so good for business." She said impersonating his cocky British accent. She pecked his cheek. She had to admit they were great friends and he made her laugh and occasionally more than friends but she did not need that commitment tying her down. He was overly possessive at the moment. She had totally forgotten her mother. "Let's finish this job and then we can go celebrate in Marty's club. He owes me a favour I'll get the private room. Call some of our friends. Just let's finish the job." She smiled and they successfully completed the mission.

Irina had found the developments of the evening interesting. She had found something out about her daughter's secret activities she had not expected. A marriage proposal and commitment issues were not what she expected from her usually over confident daughter. The only reason she could put to commitment worries were either her job or her father. Maybe being away from her father had made more problems than she first thought. Irina decided to follow her daughter for the evening, knowing she could make herself unseen. She wanted to know who these friends were exactly. To everyone Sydney was an enigma, confusing everybody. Everyone wanted to know her, be her friend or adversary. It was the same for Irina herself, her daughter was an enigma, constantly making her curious. She never questioned her loyalty but she had so many different game faces. Irina never knew whether or not she was seeing the real Sydney or an alias she had developed over the years.

TBC….

That was chapter five, please review, I like to know what you think. I'll try to update soon.