31Author notes: So if you're just starting to read this and you like it, I suggest you visit the Pinterest board I made to accompany this fic. So if it says anywhere that you should find something on Google or on youtube, just please go to the Pinterest site. You will find the pictures and songs there. You can find it by going to Pinterest. co m and then write behind that tangosisterspy It will get you there!
Sark ran, Espinosa right behind him. He ran through a gate, but suddenly stopped.
"Come on!" He yelled.
As she went through the gate he smacked it to her face. She was out cold.
"Sydney!" This was his chance.
It took her a minute to get there, gun raised.
"I'm a man of my word." Suspiciously she looked at Espinosa, flat on the floor. She approached, gun still trained on him
"You could always just thank me."
She gave him the all too familiar Bristow glare.
"You've just betrayed someone that broke you free from our custody and was your partner." A statement.
"If you're implying that I staged the escape because I was working with her before you're mistaken." She lowered her gun. "Somehow I find that very hard to believe, why else would she free you?" He smirked. "She said that she was familiar with my reputation and when she saw her chance to work with me, she took it" She gave him a sarcastic look.
"I guess she wasn't familiar with the flexibility of your loyalties and that under whatever circumstances, you're only loyal to yourself." It almost made him laugh. "Yes, unfortunately for Ms. Espinosa I wasn't as impressed by her skills as by yours." A brief moment of surprise on her face and a slight redness of her cheeks betrayed her.
"I'd still very much like to work with you, you know." Agent Vaughn entered upon their conversation, out of breath, his frown grew deep upon seeing Anna on the floor and Sark and Sydney in conversation. He eyed Sydney's lowered gun and raised his own to Sark.
"Syd?"
Sydney gave him a slight smile in a quick glance. "It's okay Vaughn." She put her hand on his, lowering his gun. "Sark knocked out Anna, and I suppose that in return he wants to work with APO."
"What?!"
20 hours later
Sydney entered the conference room. Sark was standing there, on his shoulder a hand, Sloane's.
"Sydney."
Sloane gave her a bright smile.
"Mr. Sark has decided to join us at APO. And I believe him to be an asset to our division."
The same image, from years before appeared before her eyes.
"That's what you said last time." She stood there, arms crossed, defensive.
"Only this time I have no intention of bringing down my own division." Sloane mocked her and she hated it.
"Sir, with all due respect, but how do you expect me to work with someone that has been a known terrorist for so long, with such questionable loyalties. Who now all of the sudden wants to work with us? How do we know he doesn't have a secret agenda?"
Sloane walked over to Sydney, still smiling.
"I expect you to accept this, just as you accepted to work for me again. I'm sure the same motivation applies. You'll be able to keep a close tab on everything he does and when he makes a misstep, you'll be the one to bring him down."
Sydney sighed in defeat "Okay, what's his deal?"
"I'm assigning you to be his handler at APO, for the rest I expect you two to be in the field together on a regular basis. I imagine you'll be quiet a team." Another sigh, she glanced at Sark, a huge smirk covered his face. She moved towards him and held out a hand, he took it.
"Well" another sigh and a slight hesitation "I guess, welcome to the team."
Sloane left.
"That does however not mean that I trust you and the first sign of betrayal will be ended with a bullet through your brains." He didn't let go of her hand, his smirk only seemed to grow.
"I would expect nothing less, I'm very excited for us to work together though, Sydney." She pulled her hand loose from his grip and walked out.
Sydney felt troubled, working with Sark was not going to be easy. She could almost sense the betrayal coming. She went looking for Vaughn hoping for some reassuring words, but only found disappointment.
"You're leaving? What now? Again?!" She saw him clench his teeth.
"Sorry Syd, I just can't deal with this right now. Having Sark here isn't helping either."
"And when exactly are you going to deal with it?" He was leaving, off to his mother in France again. Third time this month for more than just a few days. He wasn't leaving her just to see his mother, he had just left her. Alone. After Ireland he never opened up to her. He'd opened up to a stranger, but refused to talk to her. She was done. Neither of them were the same as before, they might just as well be strangers trying to keep up something that was long past , just as their personalities were long past.
Disappointed, but not heartbroken, maybe even relieved. Vaughn had messed up her ability to deal with her life enough already. No more, she said to herself. It was time for a fun girls night out though. Time to find Nadia.