Lost and Found

Nicely written story - loved that Sark kicked Vaughn's butt - like he had a chance anyway. Ohhh - and Sloane at the end - cooooool! Can't wait to read what happen's next (y) (y) (y) :D
 
Yay!! An update!! :woot: So glad your muse hasn't disappeared! :lol:

At the words ‘former lover’ Vaughn winced. Sydney had sounded so final. He now had even more reason to hate the blond haired assassin, Mr. Sark.
Now how could you hate him, Vaughn? ;) :lol:

Sydney nodded quietly, and Sark put his hand on her shoulder, giving her his full support. Suddenly, having Sark watching her back calmed Sydney down even more than her fathers words had. Sark was on her side – and that was comforting.
I love how Sydney is reassured more by Sark than her father... :smiley:

He could only imagine what had gone on in either of the beds. Visions of Sark and Sydney together were enough to keep him from trying to nap there.
:lol: Poor Weiss.

“I have no idea to what you are referring, Agent Vaughn.” Sark returned the comment with his usual sarcastic tone, complete with the smirk that made Vaughn’s anger rise even more.
Gotta love the tone and the smirk!!!!

“I haven’t really changed. I’m the same person I always was. The only thing that is different is where my loyalties lie.” Sark calmly shot down Vaughn’s insult with another smirk.

“You have no loyalties.”

“While that was once the case, I do now. All my loyalties lie with Sydney.” Sark threw that jab in, just to rub in what Vaughn had lost.
Ouch. Sucks to be Vaughn. Having to work with his former lover and his enemy... who are together. Eh. He had his chance! And Sark's loyalties lie with Sydney... aww. :love:

Screw this, Sark thought. Vaughn can do his job slightly bruised.

With those words still hanging in the air, Sark raised his fist and punched Vaughn right in the middle of his face.

“F***! You broke my nose you son of a b****.”
:rotflmao: Ha!!! Vaughn got what he deserved... go Sark! And I love Sark's way of thinking. :lol:

“I guess it’s a good thing I leave for France tomorrow with Sydney.” With that, Sark left the room, leaving Vaughn to clean up the mess that his own stupidity had created.
Stupid Vaughn... *shakes head* That's what he gets for trying to fight Sark!!

With that, they followed Sloane inside and the front door shut. They were in.
They're in. Oh shoot.

Can't wait for what happens next!!

(y) (y) A long awaited update and you didn't disappoint! Of course, you could never disappoint me with your writing!!
 
Hello all my lovely readers! To make up for my last chapter's lack of Sarkney goodness – and due to my being up late on a Friday night bored out of my mind (I still can’t believe I’m a college graduate living at home with my parents for the summer…I keep chanting “only until August” to get me through it) – here is a lovely chapter filled with some smutty goodness. Hope you all enjoy!

Have I told you lately how much I heart all of you? Well if not – I do!! :love: Thanks for your continuing support and lovely reviews!

As always, PMs will be sent out after I post! Again, enjoy!

Chapter 9
Backdrifting


we're rotten fruit
we're damaged goods
what the hell we've got nothing more to lose
one burst and we will probably crumble
we're backdrifting

I’m backsliding
you fell into our arms
you fell into our arms
we tried but there was nothing we could do

Radiohea


It had been a very long time since Sydney had been inside of one of Arvin Sloane’s houses, or in his company at all. Suddenly, she felt transported back to the days when she thought SD-6 was the CIA and she had spent many dinners with Arvin and Emily, loving them almost as much as the memory of her mother – back when her mother was Laura Bristow.

So much had changed between now and then. As she walked up the stairs, following Sloane to the room she was to be staying in, she couldn’t help but feel as though ghosts were following her. She felt first numb, then chillingly cold, as the memories of Danny and Emily crept into her mind. Ghosts that had not haunted her in so long came rushing back – all due to Sloane’s presence.

Sark noticed the change in her right away. He saw the goose bumps rise and noticed her subtle shiver. “Danny?” he mouthed at her quietly, not wanting to alert Sloane – as he was rambling on about some paintings that were mounted on the wall.

Sydney nodded, but looked at him in shock – how did he know about Danny? Sark just smirked at her. Clearly she didn’t remember telling him; it was during that six months they had spent healing. Trust Sydney to forget about her own memory loss.

Sydney glared at him for the smirk, obviously upset at his lack of concern. Until she remembered – she must have told him sometime during the past two years. She smiled back at him sheepishly, wanting to laugh out loud at her own forgetfulness – which coincidentally was what had brought them here in the first place.

After that little exchange, Sark went back to memorizing the structure of the building, making sure to look in each room as they passed by it. Sydney was attempting to do the same, but she was still shaken from the feeling of Danny and Emily – that was growing stronger every minute she spent walking behind Sloane.

Suddenly, she saw something that caught her attention. It was one of the paintings that Sloane had been droning on and on about. It was a swirling mess of Black, Red, and Grey. It had a mass of blurred figures in the background. The main focus of the painting was two people journeying through the combination of color and shapes. She stopped suddenly in front of the painting, just staring at is, as if transfixed.

“Ah, that is my favorite painting” Sloane’s voice drifted through her trance-like haze. “It’s a rendition of Dante’s Inferno. I had it made by and Italian painter who is a friend of mine.”

Sydney just nodded, still staring at the painting. It had a strange effect on her. It tugged at her mind and she couldn’t pull her gaze away from it. She was drawn inexplicably to its haunting beauty.

Sark watched this whole exchange take place. There must be more to that painting than met the eye. He now had his suspicions about where this trigger might come from. Sloane always had underestimated Sydney, Jack, and himself. Did he really think that Sark wouldn’t pick up on the effect this painting had on Sydney? She had never been this transfixed by a piece of artwork before.

Sydney shook herself out of the haze when she heard Sark cough quietly, trying to get her attention. As they started back walking down the hallway, Sydney’s mind was drawn back to the painting. There was more to that painting than met the eye. Something told her it was very important to the puzzle that they were trying to solve.

Finally they reached their destination, two guest rooms across the hall from each other.

“I’ll leave you two to get settled. Feel free to meet me for dinner at 7. I’ll look forward to the company. Living alone certainly does get lonely.” With that, he was gone.

Sydney and Sark looked at each other, rolling their eyes. Alone. Right. Most likely Sloane had dozens of guards and subordinates hiding in various places around the vineyard. Not to mention state of the art surveillance in their rooms. That was a given.

Sark quickly pulled out a pen and Sydney was reminded of all those days in the SD-6 halls with her father. He started to tell her about his suspicions. “The trigger – “

“It has to do with the painting somehow.” She had been thinking the exact same thing. It was amazing really – how much alike they were at times.

“Yes. Did you happen to see the name of the painter?” He glanced down at the pen – they only had five more seconds left.

“Carmine Nicolaro. We should get Dad and the others on that right away.” Sydney noticed the red light on the pen blinking. They would have to finish the conversation later.

“That is exactly what I was thinking.” His words were rushed; he knew that they were almost out of time.

The pen clicked. Their time was up.

“I need to wash this travel off, so I think I’m going to go take a shower now.” She announced, for the benefit of any surveillance.

Sark nodded. “I’ll come by in a few hours after we’ve rested so we can go down to dinner together.”

They parted ways, each going into their respective rooms, searching for any surveillance devices. They first planted their own bug killing devices designed by Marshall – who had an uncanny ability to create just the thing that was needed to counter what anybody else had created.

Sark looked around his room and found the hidden cameras placed strategically around the room. He knew to check in the television and VCR from the bugs that Allison had planted in Sydney’s room. He also found the cameras hidden in the light fixture. Next was the wiretap that was in the cable plug for the internet. If he was going to contact jack, he needed to have the computer to send information through. The listening devices he found in the various prints that adorned the walls. Just to be safe, however, any phone calls he would make outdoor – with nobody around. It was the only way to do it. He heard the shower go on across the way, no doubt a distraction that Sydney was using to check her own room for bugs.

He decided to make his way to her room and check up, see how she had fared finding the bugs. As he walked into her room, not knocking, he found her in the awkward position of trying to remove the camera in the light fixture. He smirked at her for the umpteenth time that day. She looked down and saw the look in his eyes.

“Do you find something funny?” She sounded frustrated at all of the smirks he had been throwing her way that day.

“Clearly.” His response was sarcastic and clipped.

“I’m so glad I can amuse you with my struggles.” She sounded so disgruntled.

He just laughed. “You will never cease to amuse me, Sydney.”

“I don’t know whether to swoon or gag from a compliment such as that. Now, would you care to be a gentleman and help a lady out with this?”

“You know, for an extraordinary spy such as yourself, removing this camera is proving difficult. It’s really much like changing a light bulb.”

“Yes. I don’t normally have problems. However, this light bulb is stuck. It doesn’t want to budge.” She looked at him, practically batting her eyelashes.

“I guess I could help you with that.” He smirked back at her – doing a fair mockery of a Southern belle batting her eyelashes

Sark climbed up on the chair that Sydney was standing on. The seat was small, so they stood there, their bodies touching head to toe. His nearness was starting to have an effect on her – the same that it always did when he was either close or touching her. Her skin was tingling – begging to be touched by his lips, his hands. In order to get to the light bulb, Sark had to reach around her, bringing their bodies even closer together, their legs intertwining. As he reached up to the light bulb, he was surprised at how easily it had unscrewed itself. He felt Sydney’s hot breath against his neck, then his ears.

“Now, do you really think after this many years in the game, I wouldn’t be able to unscrew a light bulb and remove the hidden camera?” Her voice and her teasing had the desired affect, as she could hear his breathing shorten, and his desire for her growing.

“Well I don’t know. After yesterday mornings incident with the coffee pot, you never know” As he spoke, he began to place hot, wet kisses along her neck and was rewarded by her growing breathlessness. She could feel the shape of his lips on her neck, forming that smirk she was beginning to enjoy.

“Even though I can’t see your face right now – I can feel your smirk.” Sydney said with a smile playing on her lips.

“Oh but you know you like it – don’t you, love?” He asked her, still teasing her neck with his delightful lips, his hot tongue branding her skin.

She slipped out of his arms and off the chair. “Yes. But I really do have to shower now, before dinner.” She threw an amused glance back his way, as he stood on the chair, looking deliciously aroused and slightly frustrated. She hopped into the bathroom which was already steaming from the running shower water and shut the door.

He could hear her movements as she slipped off her clothes and made her way into the shower. About five minutes later, Sark entered the bathroom, fully intending to join her. The door opening caught Sydney’s attention, and before she knew it Sark had slipped into the shower with her.

“What are you doing?” Sydney turned to face him as he hopped under the water.

“Conserving water.” Sark said and winked at her.

“Oh” she said, turning her back on him and reaching for the bar of soap.

“Let me get that for you.” Sark leaned over from behind her and took the soap out of her hands. He lathered up and began to massage her body with his slick and soapy hands. He started with her neck, massaging it as he cleaned. He went next to her shoulders and then down her arms – the whole time teasing her earlobe, nibbling with his lips and his teeth, then smoothing with his tongue.

His hands then finally came to her breasts. Her breath hitched as he began to massage them gently. His fingers went to her nipples and he took them between his fingers, rolling and pinching them. He was rewarded with a soft moan of pleasure coming from her lips.

He then continued down her body, massaging down her stomach. A soft gasp left her lips as they went lower and touched her briefly between her legs. Another gasp came when he just as quickly brought his hand away from her and pushed her under the water to rinse off.

Sydney turned to face him, desire and frustration clearly written in her eyes. There was also a glint of teasing. Sark could guess what was on her mind – and he was correct. She decided to return the favor he had done for her.

Sydney took the soap and lathered up her hands, just as Sark had done. She started in the same place that he had – she soaped up his neck and shoulder area then moved down to his chest. His heartbeat sped faster as she explored and massaged the muscles along his chest. Her fingernails scratched over his nipples – causing Sark to groan with pleasure at her touch.

Finally she moved down to where he needed her hands the most. She was less teasing than he had been. Sydney began to use her soapy hands and stroke him gently. He groaned even loader and his hips jerked forwards into her hands. In order to punish him for teasing her, she stoked him a few more times – a little bit more insistently – then brought her hand away.

In no time at all, her back was against the wall of the shower. Sark captured her mouth with his in an intensely passionate kiss. Their tongues dueled for control, almost attacking each other in their mouths. He broke the kiss as his hand traveled between their bodies and began to stroke her already wet and throbbing opening. His lips and teeth teased her neck. He wanted to hear her gasps of pleasure as he found her clit and began to stroke it in the way that he knew made her body scream with pleasure. He was rewarded with her moans of pleasure as his hands assaulted her body.

Sark was already throbbing with need to be inside of her. He took his hand away and Sydney instinctively wrapped a leg around his waist to prepare for his entrance into her body. As Sark thrust into her, he rested his hands on the shower wall to keep them steady. They both gasped in pleasure at the sensation. It wasn’t long before his thrusts became more forceful and her back slammed against the shower wall. She gasped in pleasure and in pain – the intense mixture of both that seemed to represent their relationship so well. It was enough to send her over the edge and she took him along with her as her walls clenched around him. Sark captured her lips with his and made one final thrust – filling her completely.

They stood there, still connected for a moment longer as their breathing returned to normal. Their shower resumed in quickly so that they could finish getting ready and meet Sloane down in the dining room for dinner.

****************

Jack’s Blackberry beeped, signaling a new e-mail – it was from Sark. This was strange, since he wasn’t scheduled for a check in until later that evening. It must mean something was afoot already. He scanned over the message, easily picking up on their code.

“Weiss, Vaughn, we need to get started sooner than I thought.” He called the other two agents over from the kitchen. They walked over to the living room and sat down, signaling for Jack to continue.

“We need to find out as much as possible about Carmine Nicolaro. He’s an Italian painter that did a rendition of Dante’s Inferno for Sloane. Something struck both Sydney and Sark as important about this. We also need to get reacquainted with Dante himself. Find any and all translations available – especially those in the original language.”

“Is it possible that this could be part of the trigger for Sydney?” Weiss sounded excited at the potential for a lead. He had been shamed by Sydney’s speech and was prepared to do whatever it took to help his friend in hopes that her trust may one day be regained.

“Yes. We need to find out as much information as possible and see if it could fit. So far it is our only lead.” Jack was trying to hold back any emotion – but a small amount of hope could be detected in his voice if you were trained to listen for it. “I’m going to call Dixon and let him know.”

Jack pulled out his phone to call Dixon. Vaughn and Weiss tried to listen in, but could only hear Jack’s side of the conversation.

“Dixon, its Jack. We have a lead that we’re pursuing. I wanted to fill you in.”

Jack was silent, and they heard the vague noise of Dixon responding.

“An Italian painter, Carmine Nicolaro – and a rendition of Dante that he painted for Sloane. We’re also looking into the text of the Inferno itself for any possible clues.”

Dixon’s next response was longer, but the agents still could not pick up on any definite words, phrases, or even syllables.

“I understand. Yes, we’ll still look into it though.”

More muffled speaking.

“Of course – I’ll be in touch.”

With that, the conversation was over. Weiss and Vaughn looked over at Jack curiously. What had Dixon said to him?

***************

Dinner with Sloane was just as creepy as the tour of his house had been earlier. That man had a talent for turning even the most innocent conversation more sinister. Right now they were discussing his first attempt at making wine – and what a miserable failure it was. It seemed to be an allusion to the failure of the Alliance – and his subsequent rogue operation to discover the endgame of Rambaldi.

Sydney and Sark were looking for an opening for one of them to make it to his study to plant the phone bug. The easiest way to distract Sloane was to talk about art. Sloane loved to go on and on about ancient paintings and artifacts. Especially artifacts that dated to the 15th Century – that was a time frame that Sloane was incredibly knowledgeable about and could therefore talk for hours without interruption.

Since Sark and Sloane had worked together previously on the Rambaldi quest, it was more believable that he would initiate the conversation. Sydney had two outs planned. One was discomfort over Rambaldi discussion – being prophecy girl and all. The other was much simpler – excusing herself to the powder room. She had found many times on SD-6 and CIA missions that this was the easiest excuse to slip away. If she went the other route, Sloane was bound to want to follow her for some fatherly comfort.

She shuddered at the thought. Best to go with the powder room route, ran through her mind as she signaled Sark with her eyes that she was ready. She had the phone wire hidden in the garter under her skirt that she usually reserved for her gun. Suddenly she was hit with how similar this was to when she bugged Sloane’s office and switched out the Rambaldi manuscript page back in the days at SD-6. It was at that dinner that she had brought Will to – not knowing that Sloane was practically plotting his execution for the story he was investigating. A shudder went through her body again at the eerie similarity of the situations and at the thought of poor Will, wasting away in the mental institution, Danny lying dead in the bathtub, and the shooting of Emily – all victims of the quest for Rambaldi.

She put her game face on nicely, however, and politely excused herself from the table. Sloane barely seemed to notice, due to the fact that Sark had began a conversation about the many artifacts from the Italian Renaissance or something of the sort.

She slipped up to the second floor and made her way to the study they passed when they had been on their way up to the rooms. Sydney was filled with a rush of adrenaline. The feeling that she could be caught at any moment and the thrill of dreaming up an escape route were things that she had missed. It felt like she had not seen any action in such a long time.

The switch was easy to make, she just had to pulse the room for a moment – in case there were any hidden cameras. Then, she pulled the phone wire out of the wall and the phone, replacing it with the wire she pulled from her garter. She placed the original wire in her garter. All in all, she made the switch in less than two minutes. It was a believable amount of time for her to be gone. There was a bounce in her step as she made her way back to the dining room. As she slipped back into her seat, it seemed as is Sloane had barely missed her presence.

That was odd. Suddenly she had a thought that chilled her to the bones. This had been way too easy.
 
Amy~ Wow! I didn't get the PM for Chapter 8, but I went back and read it, and 9 too!

Awesome shower scene!!! :woot: :woot: Love those!!! Of course, it was the only place they probably wouldn't get caught.

The scene with Sark and Vaughn in Ch 8 was good, too. I could see Vaughn being bitter and egging for a fight. Doesn't he know better than to push Sark's buttons??

Great job! Next chapter, please!!! ;) :lol:

First to respond! Wahoo!!! :lol:
 
Great update!!

And though I've said it before, I"ll always be a true S/V shipper -- but I have to admit that I like the Sydney you have here ... one who seems surer of herself in some ways ... and one who likes to take the initiative .... :lol:

I mean come on -- who wouldn't want David Anders in the shower w/ them?? 🤤

I know you just posted this chapter ... but I'll be watching closely for the next!! Keep them coming! Becuase you're right -- in Sloane's house -- switching wires and planting bugs uncaught in under two minutes is WAY too easy! hahaha ...

J
 
Holy cow! What's Sloane up to! He can't really know what's up! That shower scene left me needing a shower it was so hot! :smiley: Awesome update! :smiley:
 
Living at home with the parents, eh?? Well, it if causes you to write more, I can only be glad. Just remember to take deep breaths, count to ten, and that murder is a crime in all fifty-one states. ;)

But...yay for the update!!!! And this one was great as usual. I loved the Sloane, Syd, and Sark interaction and that you mentioned Danny!! Plus, the shower scene... :blush2: That gets a double blushing emoticon becasue it was hot and very well written.

It had been a very long time since Sydney had been inside of one of Arvin Sloane’s houses, or in his company at all. Suddenly, she felt transported back to the days when she thought SD-6 was the CIA and she had spent many dinners with Arvin and Emily, loving them almost as much as the memory of her mother – back when her mother was Laura Bristow.

So much had changed between now and then.
I like how you brought the events of the past into the story. It just makes Syd/Sloane interaction all that more poignant. So much has changed, indeed.

Sark noticed the change in her right away. He saw the goose bumps rise and noticed her subtle shiver. “Danny?” he mouthed at her quietly, not wanting to alert Sloane – as he was rambling on about some paintings that were mounted on the wall.

Sydney nodded, but looked at him in shock – how did he know about Danny?
Oh, he knows about Danny and cares about how being with Sloane will effect her. Aww... :love: I heart the Sark you've written.

“Ah, that is my favorite painting” Sloane’s voice drifted through her trance-like haze. “It’s a rendition of Dante’s Inferno. I had it made by and Italian painter who is a friend of mine.”
How delightfully appropriate. ^_^ Considering the fact, of course, that if there is justice in the Alias world, he's going to be getting up close 'n personal with the seventh circle. And :Ponder: why is Sydney so transfixed, to steal your word, with the painting? Hmmm...

“I’ll leave you two to get settled. Feel free to meet me for dinner at 7. I’ll look forward to the company. Living alone certainly does get lonely.” With that, he was gone.
That sounds just like something Sloane would say: designed to make you feel all bad for him. I think you've captured Sloane's craftiness perfectly.

“Do you find something funny?” She sounded frustrated at all of the smirks he had been throwing her way that day.

“Clearly.” His response was sarcastic and clipped.

“I’m so glad I can amuse you with my struggles.” She sounded so disgruntled.

He just laughed. “You will never cease to amuse me, Sydney.”
“Even though I can’t see your face right now – I can feel your smirk.” Sydney said with a smile playing on her lips.
:sideroll: Love the banter.

“Weiss, Vaughn, we need to get started sooner than I thought.” He called the other two agents over from the kitchen. They walked over to the living room and sat down, signaling for Jack to continue.
Honestly, with that line, I can just hear his voice in my head. Good characterization.

That was odd. Suddenly she had a thought that chilled her to the bones. This had been way too easy.
Uh oh. Trouble in paradise for our heroine??

Great, great update. I'm wondering what the sinister Sloane is up to... Can't wait for more!!

Thanks for the PM. :flowers:
 
(y) Loved the update.Definately way too easy,somethings going on with Slone,can't wait to find out..The "changing the lightbulb" bit was funny and the shower smut was so hot.. :blush: Can't wait for more,thanks for the pm,
~Rach~
 
👍 wow that was awesome. thankx for the update, i cant wait for the next one. i really want to know what happens.
:groupwave:
 
An update! Yay!! :jump: Oh, and August isn't far away!! ;)

Sark noticed the change in her right away. He saw the goose bumps rise and noticed her subtle shiver. “Danny?” he mouthed at her quietly, not wanting to alert Sloane – as he was rambling on about some paintings that were mounted on the wall.
I love how he can tell what she's thinking.

Sark quickly pulled out a pen and Sydney was reminded of all those days in the SD-6 halls with her father. He started to tell her about his suspicions. “The trigger – “

“It has to do with the painting somehow.” She had been thinking the exact same thing. It was amazing really – how much alike they were at times.
And I love how they think alike!

“Now, do you really think after this many years in the game, I wouldn’t be able to unscrew a light bulb and remove the hidden camera?” Her voice and her teasing had the desired affect, as she could hear his breathing shorten, and his desire for her growing.
Leave it to Syd to find a way to get Sark up there like that. :lol:

“Even though I can’t see your face right now – I can feel your smirk.” Sydney said with a smile playing on her lips.

“Oh but you know you like it – don’t you, love?” He asked her, still teasing her neck with his delightful lips, his hot tongue branding her skin.
:love: I'd like to feel that smirk on my neck... :D

“Conserving water.” Sark said and winked at her.
Riiiiiiight. :lol:

What can I say about the shower smut except that it was just.... hot. :thud: *Fans self* Oooh whee! :lol:

That was odd. Suddenly she had a thought that chilled her to the bones. This had been way too easy.
Uh oh. And nothing's ever that easy.... :Paranoid: Sloane knows... he knows!!! Eeek!

What can I say? Loved the whole chapter... especially the smut... :blush: ^_^ (y) (y)

Now, with that ending... there's bound to be some trouble coming our way!! And I can't wait for it!!
 
I :love: you guys and I'm bored. So here's a little reply to my lovely reviewers!^_^

Joyie: Yes - August really isn't too far away...its just that my small town is an extremely boring place to be. :(

I also love that they think alike. I was just rewatching season 2 - you know in Cipher when their at the launch and Sark automatically knows that Sydney is in the exhaust ducts...he was totally thinking like her (and the CIA) there...

I say that no smutty Sarkney fic is complete without a shower scene, so I worked one in there! ;)


cattyline: thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying my story! Then next chapter is coming along quite nicely. Pretty much everything from here to the end is mapped out - I just have to actually write it all. And what happens next - I hope people are suprised at...at least a little bit! ^_^

sarkfan: Yup! It was way too easy. Glad you enjoyed the whole lightbulb part. You know - I like to add a little bit of humor into my story - it sure is fun. As for the smut - thanks! Glad to know I can write it hot. Thats always the hardes part!

Elijahfan: Sloane is the grand puppet master of them all in this story. So he knows a lot. But not everything ;) How else would the good guys win in the end?

Dita: I promise - no murders will occur. I'm just stuck in a boring town with no fun people. I love my family - but I miss my friends :(

When writing a plot in the future that has Sloane in it, I didn't see how I could not bring up the past and link it together. I'm glad you enjoyed that. And Danny...I loved Danny - even though we only saw him for a small amount of time. Poor guy.

I love my Sark too! I like to think that I've written him well. I mean - when it gets down to business...he's still ruthless. But he loves Sydney. :love:

Ah yes, Dante and the painting. Somehow - I just picture Sloane seeing himself, in a twisted way, like Dante - chosen to make this important journey - or his guide, leading Sydney to her destiny. But of course - he really belongs in one of the circles...suffering forever for his evilness. I dunno - glad you liked it! And as to why she was transfixed - methinks that her trigger lies in the world of Dante somewhere... :Ponder:

And yes...there may be some trouble in paradise for Sydney. She can't get off that easily. This is Sloane we're talking about ;)

RavenClaw: Oooh! Glad my shower scene was so hot! I want a Sark of my very own for the shower ;) :blush:

As for Sloane - he knows some, but not all. And in the next chapter y'all will find out how he knows. ^_^

sydney-n-vaughn: I simply love the fact that you're an S/V shipper, yet you take the time to read my story. It really is so wonderful! So thank you!

And yes - David Anders in a shower 🤤 I don't know how anybody could say no to that.

As for my Sydney - I'm glad you like her! There have been times on the show when I've seen this side of her - and they are my absolute favorite moments.

And yup - I've said it before - it was too easy. But there is still hope for our hero and heroine! :lol:

Tori13: so sorry you didn't get a PM for chapter 8! You're on the list I've been using the last few times. Hmmm... :thinking: well, so glad you got this one!

The fight with Vaughn and Sark. That was fun to write. I've been dying for it to happen since Vaughn entered the story.

And the shower was definitely the optimal place there for some lovin' :lol:

Whew! That took a while! Since I :love: you all so much, I wanted to take some time and respond to your reviews. I appreciate them so much! They always keep me inspired to write more and more!

The next chapter is well on its way - and you'll all find out how Sloane knows...hope you enjoy it - I'll be working hard on it in my boredom! :lol:
 
whoa. it's all i can say for the shower scene. 🤤 good job.

sloane. evil. twisted. intricate. what's he up to?

read chapter eight for the first time too...way to go sark for kicking vaughns ass!
 
acting_chica: glad you liked the shower scene! ;) As for Sloane, you said it - he's evil, twisted, and intricate. He is the grand puppet master of them all. I'm pretty convinced of that...and tee hee - glad you liked the kicking of Vaughn's ass. That was just a little bit of my Vaughn frustration coming through there...

ninja-kitty: Thanks for the clapping hands! It made my day, seriously! :blush: As for Sloane - he's being a sneaky devil, isn't he ;)

red lily: Thanks, and you're welcome! Glad you are enjoying!

Everybody else - the next chapter should definitely be up tonight or tomorrow! Thanks for your continuing support! I :love: you all!
 
Author’s note: I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – thanks so much for the reviews, they really make my day! Enjoy! PM's will go out after I post this...

Chapter 10
Everything lost is meant to be found


Hope
seeing who you really are
at your highest
is who you will become
~Jewel


The rest of dinner Sydney spent watching Sloane carefully. She analyzed his every movement – every inflection of his voice and came to the conclusion that he was definitely hiding something big. His actions were reminiscent of every single SD-6 briefing she had been to after she found out the truth. Sloane may believe that he’s a good liar, but when you knew what to look for – he was the worst liar in the world.

Sark appeared to be enthralled with the conversation that he and Sloane were having, but Sydney knew better. As soon as she had sat down, Sark had put his hand on her thigh and tapped out in Morse code – successful?

She tapped back, sort of.

What?

Sloane is –

– Up to no good.

Yes.


Dinner was coming to an end. Finally. But just when she thought that they would be able to escape Sloane’s presence for the rest of the night, he requested that they meet him in the library for a nightcap in twenty minutes.

Sydney and Sark excused themselves from the table to talk between themselves before they met back up with Sloane. They both had a feeling that Sloane was going to spring something on them in the library – and they needed to be prepared.

They waited until they were in Sark’s room to speak frankly. “What’s going on?” He asked as soon as she shut the door.

She answered with a worried tone, “That was way too easy. I have a feeling the Sloane was expecting us to bug the phone line.”

Sark nodded, understanding her logic. “You think he wanted us to succeed, so that he could feed us false information?”

“Yeah, something like that. It seems like something he would do to try and control the whole situation.” Through their previous knowledge of Sloane and the way he operated, it was not a stretch of the imagination.

“I agree and I trust your judgment; if it felt like the mission was too easy, than it probably was.”

“We need to be prepared for anything when we go back down to the library.” He could tell she was trying to hide her nerves under a cool demeanor.

“I’ve got my gun on me, and I think you should carry yours as well.” The businesslike tone of his voice did nothing to help calm her nerves.

“I have been. I just don’t know what he’s going to do when we go down there. I have this feeling in my gut that whatever it is will mean trouble for us.” Her voice shook with the fear that she had been hiding so well throughout the dinner.

Sark nodded quickly. He wasn’t quite sure what to say. Comforting others had never been one of his strengths. Sydney’s eyes welled up with unshed tears, caused by the stress of the situation. His arm twitched, as if his body wanted to go to her – but his mind screamed that as much as he loved her, he couldn’t become that kind of man, too weak because of his love. And she had known that before, she just didn’t remember.

Sydney blinked the tears out of her eyes and got up to leave the room. She should have known better than to expect any sort of comfort from Sark. That was the one thing he couldn’t provide. His only form of comfort was through sex, which she had learned over the past few days. It was enough to make her wonder – is that was the kind of relationship she could be happy in.

She made her way to the door, only to be stopped by Sark’s voice calling her name.

“Sydney – “

She turned around, interrupting him, “Sark, I understand. This sort of emotion makes you uncomfortable.”

“It’s just that – we have a job to do. We can’t split our focus.” He seemed completely at a loss for words, which was enough for Sydney because it showed her that he did care – even if he couldn’t voice it.

“I know, Sark.” And she really did know what he meant. She just had to leave before she really started crying. That wouldn’t be good for either of them – or the mission they were on.

“I’ll contact Jack,” he said, and she nodded, walking out the door. The only thing Sark could do was watch her walk away from him. This was why he had tried not to become emotionally involved. But Sydney was smart – she knew that being around Sloane meant compartmentalizing emotions and doing whatever needed to be done. He had faith in her abilities.

She was about to cross the hallway into her room when a strange feeling tugged at her gut and sent the same chills down her spine as earlier that day. It was the painting. Sydney could almost feel it calling out to her – as much as an inanimate object could call out to a person.

*************

Sark was involved in an intense conversation with Jack. It seemed that he was not so thrilled with the possibility that Sloane was still controlling their actions. He wanted to take Sydney out of his house, and Sark believed that it was best to continue – but with a slightly altered plan.

“You are deliberately putting my daughter in danger if you stay.” Jack’s tone clearly stated – I’m right and don’t mess with me. But Sark had never feared that tone.

“If we leave, we lose every chance of figuring out what Sloane is up to.”

“If you don’t leave, you could both die.” This time, Jack sounded almost like he was pleading with Sark. It was the thought of Sydney in danger that did that to Jack, just like when they had spoke in Sark’s CIA cell – the night that Sydney had almost been taken from him.

There was silence on both lines as the two men took in to consideration the words that were just uttered.

Sark’s voice interrupted the pregnant pause as he stated quietly, “I know. But we’ve run that risk for most of our lives.”

Jack nodded on the other end of the line, “I know. But Sydney is my daughter. I never wanted her to become a part of this life.”

Sark laughed, “Then why Project Christmas?”

“I don’t have to explain my actions to you, Sark.” Jack’s voice was cool as ice. Again, it was the don’t-mess-with-me tone.

“Of course, you just do things without asking anybody as long as they suit your purposes. Well you won’t change my mind, or Sydney’s mind.”

Jack sighed heavily. “My daughter is stubborn, I know this well. But you are supposed to be her voice of reason. She can’t be thinking clearly.”

“And she has a good reason for that. She wants her memories back. Speaking of which, have we found out anything about this painter, Nicolaro, or about Dante?” No more personal stuff. It was back to business.

“Weiss and Vaughn are still looking into it. So far, they have found a few passages that could work. But nothing has been located regarding this painter – though we are still looking into it.”

“Good. Another thing; Sloane will most likely plant some false leads that he expects us to check out, since he planned on us bugging the phone line. Maybe you should put Weiss or Vaughn on that too. If we make it look like we’re taking the bait, Sloane may not suspect anything.” Sark’s phone beeped a warning at him. “I should go; long conversations could be dangerous here. I’ll contact you later this evening. If you don’t hear from me by midnight, than assume that something is wrong.”

Both men hung up the phone without another word. It was implied that Jack understood his last statement and would take it seriously.

Sark ran his fingers through his hair and let out a loud sigh. He stayed seated for a moment, not saying anything, and then got up to go find Sydney.

***************

She walked down the hallway and stared at the painting for the second time that day. The dark colors splashed with red drew her in once more – and the ghost like figures sent cold shivers through her body.

The painting was so familiar, yet nothing she remembered seeing before. The longer she stood there staring at it, however, the more familiar it became.

She kept staring at the picture, concentrating harder and harder as each second went by – until suddenly, it came to her.

She was sitting in a metal chair, like a dentist’s chair, and she was strapped down with a mixture of leather and metal strips.

Sloane’s face rose above her and she could see the fanatical gleam in his eyes. “Hello, dear Sydney. You’ve been hiding from me for so long, but eventually I found you.”

She spat in his face.

He calmly wiped his cheek as he continued. “This is a friend of mine, a doctor if you will. He will be performing a little operation on you.”

She stared ahead at him stoically, not moving or speaking.

“No last words? I’m disappointed in you, Sydney. “But it doesn’t matter. When you wake up next, you will have no recollection of these events.”

Sloane moved away from her and in his place she noticed a painting that was on the wall. It was a haunting picture, and all she could see was a mass of black, gray, and red. She gave into the sedatives and the painting was the last thing she saw before the darkness overwhelmed her.


As the memory washed over her brain she felt an empty pit form in her gut. This was filled very quickly with a feeling of nausea. She felt the bile begin to rise in her stomach and turned to run to the bathroom as quickly as possible.

She didn’t make it to her room, instead she ran straight into something, knocking her completely off balance. Looking up, she saw that it was Sark. It would have relieved her, had she not still felt sick.

Sydney got up off the ground and, not saying a word to Sark, finished the sprint into her room and bathroom. Sark followed her – a worried expression clearly written on her face. It had been so long since he had seen her unsettled this badly. He mentally cursed Sloane and the damn painting for causing her this much suffering.

He waited patiently, sitting on her bed, until she came out of the bathroom – still with a pained expression on her face. His eyes met her and he arched an eyebrow, giving her a quizzical look.

“I remembered something.”

Her voice was hollow as she spoke and those words shocked him to his core. It clearly had not been a good memory, however he couldn’t help but feel hope. And hope was an emotion that he had long since forgotten.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I remembered?”

He stared at her calmly as he spoke, “Only if you want to tell me.”

She stood there, a few feet from the bed staring at him as he sat there – not moving, not blinking, showing no emotions. Then she spoke, her voice conveying her inner turmoil. “I remembered Sloane and the doctor. It was right before they performed the procedure. That painting was the last thing that I saw.”

Sark could see how shaken she was. This time, the comforting that he had been unable to come up with earlier came naturally to him. “Come here” he said quietly and patted the space next to him on the bed.

She complied and as she sat down, he clasped her hand in his. He saw the tears welling in her eyes, waiting to fall. Sark cursed Sloane again while he took his free hand and brushed the tears out of her eyes. Then he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her face towards him, kissing him gently. It was not a kiss of passion, it was one of comfort.

He pulled away and was rewarded by a small smile from Sydney. No more words were necessary. Sark had her back. She knew it. He always would. She knew that too. It was time to go down and face Sloane again.

She was getting a little tired of that theme. Going down to meet Sloane – unaware of what would come to pass. But this time, they had some ammunition. Sydney was no longer dependent upon Sloane for information.

They walked down to the library, where Sloane was again waiting for them. He already had three glasses of wine poured. Neither Sydney nor Sark really wanted to drink them, but they had no choice as Sloane welcomed them each with a glass and proposed a toast – to renewing old friendship, of all the ridiculous things.

They all sat down and Sloane began his manipulation. “I’ve heard through certain old channels of mine that you are going through a tough time, Sydney.”

She blanched inwardly, but outwardly smiled sweetly. “I am. I seem to be suffering from amnesia, and I’m not sure what has caused this.”

Sloane put a worried look on his face. “You know Sydney, I know some people that might be able to help you. In fact there is a good doctor who is a friend of mine that specializes in memory loss.”

Sydney and Sark both took a deep breath inward. Sloane was warning them. He knew about the death of the doctor. But how had he known?

It was then that the door to the library opened and they were presented with the answer. A petite blonde woman walked in with a half-crazed look in her eyes. Sark and Sydney looked at each other with surprise and worry in their eyes – it was the doctor’s assistant.

Sloane continued, “I’d like to introduce you to an associate of mine, Lauren Reed.”
 
Oooo Amy, that was amazing!! I can't believe that you brough Lauren back. She's evil.....blah! I dislike her so! I have missed your fic! Can't wait for more!!
 
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