Chapter 3

Soon everyone was gathered in the briefing room once more, this time joined by Sark who was sat handcuffed to the chair next to Marshall.

"I must say that it is a genuine pleasure to see you again Marshall." Sark said giving the nervous man a smile. "I hope all is well with you."

Marshall visibly brightened, although intimidated by the blond man he couldn't help but think he was cool. "Well actually" He responded pulling out a wallet and showing Sark some pictures. "This is my son, this is little Mitchell. Oh and this is my wife Carrie, she worked here."

Sark looked at the photos and smiled warmly at Marshall. Although he thought Marshall a little strange it was impossible not to like him. "He's beautiful, like his mother, but no doubt will have the brains of his father." Marshall practically beamed at Sark.

Everyone else in the room stared at Sark unable to comprehend this side of the man. Realising the attention he was attracting Sark quickly adopted a neutral expression. Dixon diffused the awkwardness of the situation. "New information provided to us by Mr Sark has caused us to revaluate our course of action. Logan is not selling the bombs, he's selling the opportunity to be in on it. According to Sark this is the way Logan operates and as we know many of his ventures have been extremely successful and profitable. Logan is also paranoid and will only meet with those he knows and trusts. We have no option other than to send Sark in there."

"Are you insane? We can't trust him with this?" Vaughn immediately protested. He'd always felt a deep loathing for the man which he had no doubt was reciprocated.

"Agent Vaughn I understand your reservations but we have no choice. We cannot allow these bombs to detonate. But there will be precautions, Sark will be injected with a delayed tracking device and he will not be out of our sight for even a minute while on this mission, one of you is to accompany Sark at all times." Dixon demanded, leaving no room for argument.

"I'll do it." Sydney responded, shocking all the occupants of the room. "I'm not letting him out of my sight. He's slipperier than a kipper."

At that comment Sark looked up at Sydney, quickly masking the shock o his face. 'it couldn't be he thought' "That's an interesting analogy Miss Bristow."

"But fitting don't you think?" She threw him a knowing look.

"Quite." He understood. Finally she was coming for him.

"That's decided then. Vaughn, Weiss, you will be running surveillance of the meet. Run over op tech with Marshall. Wheels up in 4 hours." With that Dixon brought the meeting to the end.

Everyone filed out. Sark being escorted by armed guards. Sydney, Lauren and Vaughn were left in the briefing room.

"Can you believe we're trusting Sark" Vaughn asked her.

"What other choice do we have?" Sydney responded simply.

"Love I have to go to a meeting with Robert Lindsay, I'll make dinner for when you get home next week." Lauren interrupted.

"Sure that'll be great. See you then." He responded giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Be safe love." Lauren left the room.

"So that's you wife?" Sydney said coldly. "Interesting choice." with that she left Vaughn alone to his thoughts.

They arrived in Venice where the meet was to take place and made there way to the hotel. After an argument with Vaughn over Sydney sharing a room with Sark, Vaughn and Weiss left them to there room. Once alone Sydney went to the bedroom and began to unpack trying to ignore the one double bed in the suite. 'Cross that bridge when we come to it' she thought. 'For now, how to cross the one in front of me.' Sark was stood in the doorway of the bedroom, waiting for her to say something, anything, the anticipation was killing him. Just as he opened his mouth Sydney spoke.

"Thank you." She whispered

Sark's mouth hung open. "What?"

"Mom. She told me how you helped them, both to avenge me and to find me," She finally brought her eyes up to meet his, "so thank you."

"Anytime Miss Bristow." He gave her a genuine warm smile. "After all no one challenges me quite like you." Sark's smile turning to a smirk, which was returned in kind. "I assume Irina has a plan."

"Of course. She wants us to work together."

"Didn't I always tell you we were destined to work together." Smirking again.

Sydney drew in a breath not sure what his reaction would be to what she had to say next. "For the CIA." To her surprise he laughed.

"Irina always did have a wonderful sense of humour." Sark said affectionately causing Sydney to wonder once more about his relationship with her mother, 'why does it bother me if they're close?' "She's given me a way to get some revenge for what they've done."

"We have to earn the CIA's trust and free my father. Then we all find out what happened to me" She responded, shaking off that irritating pang. 'I'm not jealous' she told herself.

"You don't remember?" 'was that concern in his voice?' She thought. She shook her head. "Nothing?"

Again she shook her head. Sydney bit her lip building up the courage to ask her enemy for help. "I know you have no reason to help me, that you and I are enemies, but I need help. I need your help."

"Miss Bristow, all you need to do is ask. I'll help. And we're not enemies, not anymore."

"Sydney." At his questioning look she clarified. "Its Sydney."

"Sydney" He purred. The way he said her name sent shivers down Sydney's spine. It was amazing how he could make her name sound like the sexiest thing in the world. Their eyes held, neither breaking the intimate contact. The moment was soon spoiled by Vaughn and Weiss entering the room. 'Nice of them to knock' Sark thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes, then looking sheepishly at Sydney who seemed to catch what he was thinking. She had to smother a grin.

"We need to go over the plan for the meet." Vaughn said eyeing the bed. "Your sharing a bed?"

"Uh .. We hadn't discussed that yet." Sydney stammered.

"I'll be taking the couch." Sydney through Sark a grateful glance.

"Well of course you are." Vaughn said smugly. Sark rolled his eyes.

"The meet?" Sydney questioned.

"Right yes. You and Sark will be meeting Logan at his apartment, Sark you know the procedure." he nodded. "Your objective is to get the sole right to be in on this deal. Convince him no one else can be trusted, which from what we know shouldn't be too difficult. Find out where the bombs are being stored once we have that information we will need to sabotage those bombs. Are we clear?" Vaughn asked. Everyone nodded their affirmative. "And just to be sure there is no double cross, the tracking device Marshall injected into Sark also has a secondary purpose." He turned to Sark now trying to look menacingly, but failed miserably in Sark's eyes. "If you betray us, one of use will trigger the device to release enough cyanide into your blood to kill you in a few seconds."

"You have nothing to fear Agent Vaughn. I'm a man of my word." No one but Sydney realised his words were not addressed to Vaughn, but to her. She just hoped he meant it.

"Well if that's everything we need to change and unpack." Sydney said, desperate for Vaughn to leave. She couldn't bare to be around him right now, it was still to painful. Vaughn seemed to want to protest but wisely remained quiet at the cold look he was receiving from her.

"Ok you to be good, and try not to kill each other." Weiss said jokingly, giving Sydney a kiss on the cheek.

"We'll try." She smiled at him. Once the two men had left Sydney collapsed onto the bed her face I her hands.

"Sydney?" when she didn't respond Sark crouched down in front of her prising her hands away from her face and holding them in his. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at hi with tear filled eyes. "I hate him, I can't stand to look at him. Every time I look at him I feel nauseous, I want to scream and shout at him, but the sick part is a part of me still loves him." Sydney cried.

Sark brought one of his hands up to brush away her tears, he forced her to look at him. "Sydney, that man is a fool. And you are better off without him. You should be with a man who knows what an amazing gift he has in you. You are strong, beautiful kind caring and courageous. You are better than him."

"Do you really think that?" she asked tearfully. The tears coming from the beautiful things he was saying about her now, his were washing her pain away.

It wasn't until she asked that Sark realised he did mean those things. He was just trying to comfort her, but he'd inadvertently told Sydney what he'd really thought of her. And what to say now. "Yes." the truth was out before he could stop it. He mentally slapped himself. He'd opened himself up to a world of mocking from her. But once more she surprised him.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"Come on, try and get some rest, its been a long journey and things will look brighter after some sleep." Sydney hadn't realised what the time was until Sark mentioned it. He pulled her shoes off before getting up and pulling the covers back for her to climb in, she dutifully obeyed, he tucked her in making sure she was comfortable. "Night Sydney." he grabbed some pillows and started to make his was to the couch in he living room only to be stopped by a small voice.

"You can stay. The bed is big enough. Just keep your hands to yourself or I'll have to kick your ass." she said jokingly. Sark gave her one of his genuine smiles that she was beginning to like, and climbed in next to her.

The pair soon fell into a peaceful slumber. Sometime during the night Sydney rolled over in her sleep and curled up against Sark, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms round her, both with a smile on their face.

Finally some Sarkney. J reviews please then I'll update.