Roswell Fanatics

Thanks guys for all of the feed back, I was starting to think no one was still reading this and about to abandon it.

PART 27

“Was the guard that did this to you the one who alerted the rest of security to your presence?” Sark asked as he watched the doctor Irina kept on staff finish dressing the wounds on her face.

The flight from Korea had been long and painful and Liza had been relieved when she had landed in Cyprus. She had to switch planes twice to ensure anonymity and she had found the procedure inconvenient. She had phoned Sark from the plane and asked to have a car at the airport for her and the doctor waiting at the house. She found out from Sark that her mother had not yet returned but Liza planned to contact as soon as possible to brief her on what had happened.

When Liza had disembarked from the plane she had not only found a car but a driver as well waiting for her. She entered and after the short drive she arrived at the house where Sark and the doctor were waiting for her. They went up to Liza’s room for him to check her over.

After a quick but thorough examination, the doctor determined that the laceration above her eye would need a few stitches, her bruises were bad but nothing damaged underneath them and that she had two broken ribs in conjunction with several bruised ones. He offered her some painkillers before he started with the more minor injuries first and working up to the more severe.

While the doctor worked on her, Liza gave the details to Sark. He had just finished her stitches when Sark asked his question. With one facial expression Liza was able to convey to Sark that it was time for the doctor to leave and that the next part of the conversation needed to be in private.

“Doctor, I believe the need for your services has now ended. Collect your equipment and depart, your fee will be wired to you without delay.” Sark said in dismissal.

“But I have yet to bandage her ribs, they must be wrapped tight or they will not heal correctly.” The doctor stated, the irritation at not being able to complete his work in his voice was evident. He was used to working with Sark as well as Irina so he knew what they could do to him but would not let their intimidation tactics compromise his work.

“I have knowledge and practice in that area, I assure you that they will be bandaged adequately.” Sark explained.

“Very well, however I will need to return in a few days to follow up on her progress. Until then she should not partake in any strenuous activities and plenty of bed rest.” The doctor declared as he placed everything back in his bag except for some bandages and tape, which was for Sark to use.

Liza leaned back against the pillows of her bed and closed her eyes for a minute as Sark showed the doctor out. She took the moment to rest but when he returned, she opened her eyes to look at him. “Where do you need me?”

“If I am to bind your ribs, you are going to have to move forward free of the pillows.” Sark instructed as he took a seat on the bed. “And your shirt is going to have to be removed.”

Liza did as he commanded and moved forward slowly to the middle of the bed. She tried to remove the chemise she was wearing but a sharp pain in her ribs stopped her. She was about to try again when she felt Sark’s smooth fingers glide across her stomach as he reached to pull it off.

“I did not intend to imply that you were to remove it, simply that it needed to be removed.” Sark explained as he pulled the chemise over her head and slipped her hair loose.

“I think you’re just using it as an excuse to undress me.” Liza joked.

“I was not aware that I needed an excuse to undress you, only the suggestion.” Sark acknowledged while he pulled out strips of tape to start binding her ribs.

“Permission.” Liza corrected.

“We are alone as requested, what did you need to say that required such confidentiality?” Sark asked as he positioned the tape. “Take a breath.”

Liza sucked in a mouthful of air as Sark wrapped the tape around her tender ribs. Through gritted teeth she said, “It wasn’t a guard that I fought, it was Sydney.”

Sark kept his gaze focused on the task at hand but raised his eyebrow in disbelief. “I can understand why you would not want to disclose that information in mixed company.”

“I didn’t know it was her in the beginning, she was wearing a mask and I could only see her eyes. I just thought it was another operative coming to get the same thing I was. The person perceived me as an enemy and instigated a fight. It wasn’t until I slashed her with my knife that I was able to unmask her.” Liza explained.

“So if I remember it all correctly, you inflicted a possibly fatal wound on Sydney. And now it seems that she broke several of your ribs.” Sark confirmed before saying. “Sounds as if the two of you are already taking part in a bit of sibling rivalry.”

“I might have agreed with you if she had known who the hell I was. However we were too busy brawling for me to impart that bit of information to her.” Liza stated. “I need to contact Irina so to report everything to her.”

“Something we will do shortly.” Sark replied. “Irina has a very dependable contact in Korea who she will use to find any leads if Sydney is still in the area.”

Liza shook her head. “No, I’ll go and do all of that. It shouldn’t be just a random contact.”

“Believe me, this contact is extremely trustworthy and a close acquaintance of your mother. She is more then capable of handling this considering that you are laid up.” Sark retorted.

“And who is this person?” Liza asked.

“Your aunt Katya.” Sark answered.

“Oh.” Liza said in surprise. She had heard of her mother’s sisters previously, when Irina had been relating some of her life’s history to her but she had not known that Katya was in their line of work as well. True, she knew that she had worked with the Russian army for a time but Liza had assumed that it was over and she had simply enjoyed retirement. She obviously was mistaken. She silently contemplated this as Sark finished wrapping her ribs. “All done.”

“Thanks.” Liza replied before rising to collect something more comfortable to wear. She found a soft silk pajama top that she managed to shrug on and button without asking Sark who was still sitting on her bed for help. As she finished the last button, she fought off a yawn.

“The painkillers are taking effect, you should rest.” Sark declared.

“I have work to do, contact my mother as well as finish reviewing the Intel I acquired.” Liza stated.

“I will update your mother and you will work more efficiently after you have gotten some sleep.” Sark informed her.

“If I didn’t know better, I would think you were worried about me.” Liza joked.

“I would say that I was repaying a debt is more likely.” Sark acknowledged.

“Debt? What debt do you owe me?”

“From the night before you departed for your mission. I was at a weak point… one I do not usually allow myself to exhibit.” Sark explained. “And you tended to me. ”

“I didn’t do anything except make sure that you did not spill your expensive liquor on the equally expensive rug. As for other things that might have been said, I only think of them as the ramblings of an extremely intoxicated man and not the confessions based on feelings of the heart.” Liza stated trying to alleviate any discomfort she knew Sark would be feeling at being so open with her and spilling the secrets of his past. And any discomfort of her own that she felt regarding the emotions that were stirred by the conversation.

Sark nodded in approval. “I am thankful that you did not take as a sign of affection or intimacy that was beyond the terms of our agreement.”

“Of course not.” Liza acknowledged as she climbed into her bed and curled up. Maybe Sark was right, she just needed a little nap.

Sark watched as Liza fell immediately to sleep as soon as her head touched the feathery pillow. When he had awoken after his night of drinking, he had chastised himself for being so vulnerable after learning of his father’s death that he would drop his defenses like he had. It had unnerved him to know that he had professed so much to Liza. And what upset him even more was that he was not sure if his confession had been completely initiated by the alcohol or something else.

I just posted a bunch of story ideas at my journal that I would love people to check out.

http://littlebit6271.livejournal.com/

Sorry for being a bad poster. But I swear, like always, I have good excuses. I wasn't able to post last Friday because I volunteered at my oldest son Taylor's Cub Scout day camp for the day. It was fun but tiring considering I was helping to corral 24 boys from the ages of 7-10 while they shot BB guns, bow and arrows and other fun outdoor stuff. Then on Saturday we did an early Father's day with my father and my father in law because both were going out of town the next day. Then of course we had our own father's day on Sunday. Most of this week has been spent nursing a sick toddler who only wanted to lay around and use Mommy as a pillow.

Enough about me, now let's talk about the story. There have been several questions regarding the timeline of this story so I thought I'd answer the questions. Liza will not meet up with the podsquad for a long while yet. She's got to get some crap dealt with her family life, whatever is happening between her and Sark and avenging her parents. But she will go back to Roswell, I promise.

Now, this next part is steamy. I hope it makes up for my absence.

PART 28

Liza sat working away at her computer although she found it quite uncomfortable because of her ribs. On the other hand it was far better and less painful then it had been a few days before. At least now she could sit at her desk in front of her computer without the feeling that a dozen knives were poking into her side. She was healing quickly and it wouldn’t be long before she was back in top form.

After the initial painkillers had worn off and Liza had slept off the side effects, she had awoken to find the pilfered hard drive missing from her bag. She had immediately called Sark, demanding to know where it was. He had feigned innocence at first before divulging that he did indeed have it. He had taken it for analysis under Irina’s orders to review the research and development records on the drive.

Liza had been furious until he presented her with a disk containing all the information that had been found in regards to Natasha Ruzickov. She was not happy that she did not have full access to the hard drive but the disk was a starting point. She could see about reacquiring the drive later. It wasn’t that she didn’t have confidence in the fact that Sark had given her information about Natasha, she just didn’t like the idea of not knowing what other information was on the drive she risked her life for.

So over the last two hours, Liza had poured over the disk. Despite the fact that she had not worked with them for years, the organization had a great deal of information on Natasha, both before and after their association with her. It talked about her work with the KGB and subsequent employers as well as various residences she had owned. Liza pulled out a large world map and had plotted out all of the locations on it. She was in the middle of it when Sark appeared in the entryway to her room.

“I believe you were told to rest.” Sark declared.

“I am. Hence me hold up in my bedroom.” Liza replied.

“I do not imagine this is what the doctor intended.” Sark stated.

“Like I am alone in my views on doctor ordered bed rest.” Liza retorted, slightly irritated that he was playing nursemaid to her. She knew how to take care of herself, something he knew. So why did he insist on watching over her? “And if I did anything less I’d die of boredom. I can’t just sit around here, I’m more action oriented then that.”

“That you have proved to be however I think further study it that area is needed.” Sark said. Before Liza could ask what he was talking about, Sark kicked her chair backwards enough to tilt it at an angle that made it easy to snatch her out of it. Then in matter of a few steps, he had her deposited in the middle of her large bed.

“I never took you for the type of guy to take advantage of a girl when she’s injured.” Liza exclaimed.

“That is because I do not look at your injury as a shortcoming but as an incentive for me to be creative and you to be uncharacteristically submissive.” Sark replied.

His eyes dropped to her parted lips before moving forward. He placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth and then moved to the other side. He nibbled gently at her lips then alternated to feather soft kisses all the while his thumbs rubbed slow circles across her cheeks. He felt the start of her desire due to the tension of her body. She attempted to deepen the kiss but his hands held her firmly in place until he was ready. Instead he continued teasing her by nipping and brushing lightly against her lips.

Sark ran his hands from her face down her neck, over her chest and down her sides until he stroked the skin of her outer thighs. When he reached that point, he slowly sat back to stare at her. Liza, clad in nothing but a silk taupe colored nightie, was lying sprawled on the cranberry colored sheets, surrounded by the pillows. He could easily see the arousal in her dark brown orbs as well as anticipation. Sark cupped her chin in his thumb and index finger before leaning down to press a lingering kiss to her lips. When he felt her tongue enthusiastically reached out to trace his bottom lip, he allowed the kiss to deepen.

As their lips separated, Liza’s eyes remained closed as she focused on the sensation of Sark's fingertips skimming lightly over her collarbone until he moved to her shoulders where he pulled the straps of her nightgown down until it gathered at her waist. She moaned softly when his fingers trailed lower to graze softly over her left breast, caressing the soft skin. When one fingertip circled the nipple she moaned louder before the digit was replaced by Sark's mouth exhaling hot breath on the tight bud. A gasp was ripped from her throat when he closed his mouth over the small peak, flicking his tongue over it.

Sark continued to worship her body with gentle strokes, only pausing long enough to remove his shoes and socks before he crawled back up, placing himself on top of Liza, but minding to brace his weight on his forearms to the sides of her head he did not want to cause further injury to her damaged ribs.

Liza used her legs to cradle his body between her thighs and moved her hands under his shirt, trailing them up over his spine before clutching his shoulders. When they broke their kiss Liza decided to make use of the docile role so she moved her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "Take your shirt off."

Sark leisurely lifted his body until he was kneeling between her thighs. He raised his hands up to his collar and started to undo the buttons from top to bottom. When his shirt hung open he started to take away the cufflinks. Various scars marred the smoothness of his skin but as always Liza did not find them distasteful like some women might, she saw them as symbols of survival.

When the cuffs were gone, Sark let the shirt slide down over his shoulders and down his arms until it bunched on the bed and he tossed it aside. Since he was free of the garment, Sark moved back to his previous position, causing Liza to moan when their heated skin came into contact.

Liza ran her hands up over his back until she came to his shoulders. She entwined her fingers at the base of his neck, pulling his face down to her to capture his lips while her fingers wandered over his shoulders and back. Sark felt goose bumps run along his skin when she traced her long nails down the length of his spine and up again. He lowered his head, burying it in the crook of her neck, nuzzling the soft skin there before he began to suck on the spot right over her jugular.

Liza inhaled a ragged breath at the action causing her to clench his shoulders tight. Sark's mouth wandered lower and found her collarbone, then her breast, evading her nipple and trailing lower, causing Liza’s breathing to become increasingly labored. She couldn’t keep herself from gently scraping her nails over his short hair while he adorned her smooth stomach with butterfly kisses, still traveling lower.

Sark slid down until he was placed directly at the apex of her thigh. His face rested gently on her lower abdomen while his fingers flutter over the edge of her nightgown. He looked at her as he slowly pulled down the nightgown over her waist and down her legs ever so slowly, letting his hands brush along her outer thighs and her calves all the way down.

With her nightgown removed, all that was left to cover Liza was a little piece of black satin over her crotch. Sark let his fingers roam over the newly exposed flesh and the satin of her panties. His hands traveled up again over her legs until they reached the waistband of her panties where he hooked his fingers into the straps and slowly drew them down until they too were removed and he tossed them behind him.

Moving at an achingly slow pace, Sark pressed a gentle kiss to the inside of her left thighs. He inched upwards, placing a trail of small kisses and licks on the smooth flesh. Liza’s breath came in ragged pants now and she felt herself becoming wetter with every kiss and lick he placed on her thighs. But when she tried to move to stop him, she found that her injury inhibited her from doing so, which in all likelihood was Sark’s plan.

As soon as Sark reached her center, he mischievously brushed his lips over her folds causing Liza to cry out and her hips to jerk up on their own volition. "Sark..."

But Sark did not stop there; instead he flicked his tongue over the small bundle of nerves hidden beneath her soft curls. He continued to caress her with his lips and tongue resulting in her moaning and withering under his hands. It wasn’t long before Liza felt the familiar ripples stirring in her lower body and traveling up her spine.

The ecstasy was so enjoyable that her hands automatically moved to the back of his head and her hips pushed up into the ministrations of his tongue. He responded knowingly by closing his teeth over her clit. The action set off fireworks behind her eyes and waves of intense pleasure coursed through her body.

Sark watched Liza shudder beneath him for a moment before he eased her down from her climax, gently stroking her belly. When she was more composed, he slid up between her legs and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth. Her lips eagerly parted and her tongue traced his bottom lip demanding entrance. Liza wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him farther down on her, forcing him to rest more of his weight on her body.

Sark brought his left hand up to cup and massage her breast, as he endeavored to lean most of his weight on his right forearm. She looked radiant in the afterglow of her climax, a light sheen of sweat shimmered on her skin and a satisfied smile adorned her face. He couldn’t stop himself from bending forward for another kiss. Despite the fact that his erection felt almost painful after watching Liza climax, their movements were slow and languid.

Liza was very aware of the bulge pressed against her thigh; the feeling of cloth reminded her that Sark was still dressed in his slacks. She peeked up at him with a wicked smile on her face as she wiggled her hips until his restrained length was directly at her entrance. Sark groaned while he thrust forward as Liza’s hands wander down his chest, over his abs and to the belt at his waistband. Within seconds she released his buckle, opened the button and pulled down the zipper.

Liza watched Sark’s face while his eyes were fixed on hers the entire time. She leisurely reached into the open fly and took hold of his length. She was not surprised to find that he did not wear underwear, he hadn’t in their previous encounters and she had taken it as habitual.

Liza stroked boldly over him, stroking up and down the length in a slow steady rhythm. She looked into Sark’s eyes and saw that the blue orbs were almost completely black with desire so she decided to torment him longer. However Sark did not agree and halted her hand. He laid it aside before reached down to strip off the slacks and toss them in the general direction of where their other clothes had gone.

As soon as Sark was naked on top of her, Liza reached out and positioned him at her entrance. Sark rocked his lower body forward and slowly penetrated her, entering her inch by inch. Liza had had enough of this torture and hooked her legs around his waist to attempt to pull him in. Sark opposed her movement but set a gentle pace, slowly moving in and out of her core.

Sark continued his pace for some time only changing the angle a little; causing his pelvic bone to grind against her clit with every push in. When he felt her inner walls gripping his shaft and pulling him in deeper, he sped up his thrusts. Liza couldn’t stop herself from pushing herself back onto him to meet his thrusts while devouring his mouth in a passionate kiss. She only broke their kiss to beg. “Sark, please.”

Sark reached between them and gently stroked her clit. He tormented her in that manner for a minute before taking her by surprise by pinching the bundle of nerves between his fingers. He felt her inner walls clamping down on him tighter and her nails raking down his shoulders and back. Her reaction made his restraint slip and he released the control he had been holding onto. Her walls gripped his shaft like a vice, his control was gone and he came deep inside her.

To avoid collapsing on top of Liza, Sark moved to the side and dropped onto the bed. He moved to lie on his back while Liza rolled over to hover over his chest. “I think I could get used to being bedridden if I get this type of bedside treatment.”

“Don’t expect continued treatments if you become lazy.” Sark replied. “I am only ministering to you to so to get you back into the field.”

“Do not worry, I have no intention of stopping now when I still have so much work to do.” Liza answered. As she did, she rolled off of Sark and off the bed. Clad in only the bandages on her injuries, she strode over to her computer. “Have you heard anymore from my mother as to when she will be returning?”

“First thing in the morning.” Sark informed her.

“If you see her before I do, tell her that I want to speak with her.”

“Might I inquire as to why?” Sark inquired.

“I want to question her about Katya, which will most likely be a waste of time considering Irina has previously felt it was unnecessary to inform me of Katya’s work. But I figure that Katya may have more information on Natasha and if she doesn’t, then I will move onto my second subject of conversation.” Liza informed him. “I am going to take a short trip. In view of the fact that she is technically my employer, I need to brief her on it and coordinate the details with her.”

“Business or pleasure trip?”

“A bit of both. The Intel you provided me with from my trip to Korea proved profitable and I have a possible lead on Natasha. It is faint and old but I have to pursue it.” Liza said.

“Would you fancy a bit of company?” Sark asked.

“Aren’t you too busy?” Liza asked.

“Not once your mother returns and takes over daily operations and I am currently between projects.” Sark informed her.

“Irina might become suspicious.”

“Not after what occurred on your last trip. She will insist on you having a team with you when you go. If I go, a full team will not be needed and it will be more efficient.” Sark explained.

“Sounds like a good plan. And since I have the first leg of the excursion already planned, there is only one way I can think of to use the rest of the night until Irina returns.” Liza said, as she moved to the foot of her bed. She lowered herself to her hands and knees and leisurely crawled up Sark’s body, brushing her lips over various parts of his body as she went. “Unless you disagree?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Sark answered as he pulled her down on him to kiss her

Here's the next part. After this, we're going to jump ahead in time some so that we can move the story ahead.

PART 29

Irina found Liza on the terrace by the pool the next morning enjoying a light breakfast. Liza had known that her mother had returned but had waited for her to seek her out. She was positive that Irina would at some point come looking for her, for one reason the message she had relayed through Sark and secondly because she would want to tell Liza what new information she had found.

Liza gave no indication that she was aware that Irina had come up behind her. Instead she leisurely spread jam on her croissant then asked, “Was your trip as beneficial as you hoped?”

“Although I did not find out much about Sydney’s present whereabouts, yes I think it was still a successful trip.” Irina answered as she sat down.

“And how is Katya?” Liza asked before taking a bite of her bread.

Irina was too schooled at masking her features to give away her reaction but Liza saw the nod of appreciation on her face before she said. “She is well. She was able to trace the contacts that Sydney evidently used while in the country but the information did not turn up anything aside from a list of aliases. I have someone tracing them nonetheless.”

“Was Katya the one who gave you information about the lead on Natasha?” Liza inquired.

“She was.” Irina answered.

“It would have been more helpful in my pursuit of Natasha if you had mentioned Katya as a potential contact to use.” Liza acknowledged.

“There was no need. Any information she would have she would notify me about it and if I deemed it significant I would pass it on to you.” Irina declared before fixing Liza with a cold stare. “Do not forget your position and status here. I do not have to explain any of my actions to you.”

Liza knew that she was being reprimanded for stepping outside of her bounds. Despite the fact that she was her mother, she was also her boss. And Irina was very careful with her employees, making certain that they were individuals but also that they were under her thumb as well. It was her way of insuring loyalty. “I meant you no disrespect. I simply assumed that with so many other pieces of business including the search for Sydney awaiting your attention, that it would be more advantageous in my search.”

“However you would do well to remember that your retribution upon Natasha is not the sole purpose of this organization.” Irina replied.

“But it is the motive behind my employment.” Liza reminded her. “And having the cooperation and use of resources of this organization is why I continue to work for you.”

“With the arrangement that you would do assignments for me as well, which is why I sponsored your training as well as your subsequent requirements.” Irina stated.

“Something I need not be reminded of. I am well aware of the fact that I indebted to you. For my life, my residence, my financial status, and how my life is currently.” Liza responded. “But there is something you owe me. You owe me Natasha. Because you are the reason she came after me twice and I will have her.”

Irina and Liza stared at each other for several minutes, struggling for dominance over the situation. Both were tenacious and stubborn, and unwilling to back down. And without giving up any ground but effectively ending the conversation, Irina said. “Natasha will be yours that I guarantee. However I will only continue to give you my support and resources if you carry out your part of our arrangement. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Liza stated. It was the same agreement that they had made before but Liza had made sure that Irina was aware that she was not happy when things were kept for her. She didn’t know if it would make a difference, most likely not but Liza was not going to sit back and be walked over. “Which is good because I have a new lead on Natasha that I intend to pursue.”

Liza briefed her mother on what she had learned from the information from Korea and outlined her plan of what to do next. “Sark has volunteered to go with me as backup in case I run into any problems again. I have everything arranged and was just awaiting your return before I initiated the plan.”

Irina considered what Liza had told her for several minutes before answering. “I have nothing planned for you at the moment, nor Sark so go ahead with your plans. However do not take too long, I believe that we are closing in on Sydney and when it happens, we will have to move very quickly.”

“I’ll be ready.” Liza said as she finished up her breakfast while making unrelated small talk with her mother.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

A day later and twenty thousand feet higher in the air, Liza sat in Irina’s jet studying the data on her laptop when Sark came from behind her, closing the laptop as he did. “There is such a thing as being overly prepared.”

“No, there’s not.” Liza stated as she reopened the laptop only to have Sark close it again before setting two bottles of expensive bottled water in front of the two of them.

“You have read the information repeatedly, so much so that you most likely have it memorized. To do more would be overkill and could cause you to make a mistake.” Sark acknowledged.

Liza tinted her head to the side and towards him as she said, “I thought we had worked together enough in the field that you would not question my capability.”

“I do not. I completely trust in your aptitude. I merely think that relaxation at the moment is needed so to be at our best when we arrive. To rid of stress that you so obviously possess, if your ill-temper is any indication.” Sark explained.

Liza blew out a breath and swept a loose piece of hair behind her hair. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just a little testy after the last talk I had with my mother.”

“Oh?” Sark asked as his eyebrow rose.

“We got into a bit of an argument when I questioned her as to her withholding information about Katya. I told her that it was unwise that she did not tell me previously that Katya could be of help.” Liza replied.

“I imagine that Irina did not react to that well.” Sark declared.

Liza shook her head. “No, she did not. Then she promptly reminded me where I stand in her organization and that it is not the sole objective of the group to find Natasha. I told her that I was well aware of that fact and that I was indebted to her for her help however that did not change my intent or desire to find her. We came to somewhat of a truce after that, which is how I ended up here on the plane and not in a more dismal location.”

“And I imagine that your little discussion with your mother did not perhaps sway your attitude on your search for Natasha did it?” Sark inquired

“No, why should it?”

Sark shrugged slightly. “I simply thought that it might make you realize how focused you have been in your goal and blind towards other things.”

“I don’t need to argue this point with you when I have already done so with my mother.” Liza stated.

“In that case how about if I were to ask what do you intend to do if this mission does not prove to be fruitful? Another dead end?” Sark asked.

“Then I will find another lead. I do not plan to let that discourage me, I am anything if not a patient person.” Liza reminded him. “I knew that this would not be a speedy endeavor.”

“In our trade, confidentiality in regards to where we live is a requirement. We don’t want to have to worry about waking up to a gun to our head or a knife to our throats. Nor do we wish for the authorities to be able to locate us.” Sark acknowledged. “However it makes tracking a person down that much more difficult. Especially one who ensures that no one can find her.”

“If you have the determination and the resources, everyone can be found, it’s just a question of when.” Liza declared.

I've been neck deep in S2 episodes in the hopes of inspiration. It seems to be working and I hope to finish this soon. Well as soon as I get some sleep.

Anyway, here' s shiny new part.

PART 30

Nine Months Later

Liza excused herself from the group of men she was speaking to as she saw Sark coming towards them. He was dressed in a business suit, blending in with the various people that occupied the hallway. But she was in the middle of an op and moved to intercept him before Sark could blow her cover. “What are you doing here? It’s taken me weeks to arrange an adequate cover and organize this meeting.”

“Irina sent me, she has a more urgent task for us to attend to. We must leave immediately.” Sark stated.

It was Irina who had sent her on the mission she was currently on so Liza was curious as to what was so important that she sent Sark to alter her orders. Liza nodded to Sark before moving back to the group who waited for her. She quickly spun the story that there was an emergency at her office and her partner had come to fetch her because they needed her immediately. With a little charm, they excused her need to leave allowing her to reschedule their meeting for a time more convenient for her.

Once the formalities were done and future business dealings secured, Liza departed the group and went to rejoin Sark. The two stayed silent until they were out of the building that was when Liza asked. “Where are we going that is so important I had to be pulled out of there?”

“Hong Kong.” Sark replied as he directed her to the waiting car. The driver held the door open for them before retreating to the driver’s seat. Sark nodded to him to signal for him to proceed to the airport.

“And what prey tell is in Hong Kong?” Liza asked in an irritated manner.

“Sydney.” Sark answered.

“Sydney?” Liza repeated half unbelieving, half confirming.

“Irina received a report from one of our people we have working in Hong Kong that they spotted Sydney. The man, one I have worked with repeatedly, is extremely reliable however Irina ordered him to verify his claim. Which he did by photographing the woman he saw and sending it to Irina, she confirmed that it is Sydney. We are in closer proximity to Hong Kong then she is and wants the two of us to travel to there as soon as possible.”

“Are we going to attempt an extraction?” Liza inquired.

Sark shook his head. “Only if she is willing to go, Irina merely wants us to observe and make contact if possible. She will not be willing to speak with me, but you might be able to.”

“Considering how our first meeting went, I wouldn’t be so sure.” Liza said although secretly hoping that she would be able to make contact with her sister. She’d wanted to do so since she had learned of Sydney’s existence. “But once I make myself known to her, perhaps she would be willing to speak to me.”

“Your close association with Irina could count against you, Sydney’s relationship with your mother is complicated at best.” Sark reminded her.

“Whose relationship with her isn’t complicated?” Liza countered.

“Touché.” Sark retorted.

“I trust my things will be awaiting my arrival on the plane?” Liza inquired. She was dressed for an executive business meeting, not an assignment of this nature.

Sark smirked. “You doubt me?”

“Of course not, just checking.” Liza responded.

“All of your belongings have been obtained from your hotel and additional equipment has been acquired for the variation in assignment including additional identification and credentials you will need.” Sark answered.

Liza nodded, knowing that if there was something more that she would need that it could be obtained easily. “Sounds like everything has been taken care of, let’s go to Hong Kong and find my sister.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once they landed in Hong Kong, Sark and Sydney set about meeting with Irina’s employee/contact so to find out the most recent information he had on Sydney including her last known location in the city. He completely briefed them on what he knew and they followed his information to a lavish hotel that catered to foreign travelers. Through their contact, they knew that Sydney was listed under the name of Julia Thorne.

After a quick enticement to one of the desk clerks they found out that a Julia Thorne had been a guest there and was registered to spend two more nights in their establishment. They did not know if she was currently in the building but Sark and Liza decided to set up surveillance posts through the lobby and lounge and wait for her. Several hours had passed before they saw the object of their search stroll purposely through the lobby after exiting the elevators. They waited until she was almost to the entry before moving to follow her.

“She looks different then the last time I saw her.” Liza commented trying to pinpoint what exactly seemed off from the last time she had seen Sydney in the flesh.

Sark studied Sydney, comparing her present appearance to his memory. “She looks the unchanged to me, the same as the last time I saw her two years ago.”

“Her hair was blonde when I saw her, and in the video surveillance of her and your father.” Liza countered as she further studied Sydney’s appearance. She was dressed in a beige pair of slacks and a cream colored sweater, quite the contrast with her dark brown hair.

“An inconsequential aesthetic detail.” Sark stated.

“But one that stood out.” Liza remarked.

They continued to follow Sydney around the city, monitoring where she went who she talked to but it appeared to Liza that Sydney was doing nothing of significance. More like she was sightseeing. “This is ridiculous and getting us no where. Two junior lackeys could have been assigned to keep Sydney in sight until my mother arrived.”

“Nevertheless we were sent.”

“But it is a waste of time.” Liza snapped.

Sark started to disagree but Liza spoke up quickly. “Sydney has been missing for two years, having disappeared after an obvious deception was initiated for those who knew her to think she was dead. No one knows why or who carried out that plan. Not to mention that except for a few incidences, none of us know where she has been for the past two years. And following her as she strolls around Hong Kong is not getting us any closer to finding out any of those answers.”

“And what do you propose?” Sark asked.

“I’m going to approach her.” Liza answered.

“I do not believe that to be a wise move. We have only just began to observe her, we have yet to gain an adequate amount of information to contact her.” Sark stated.

“You said my mother said to make contact if we deemed it doable. I judge that it is.” Liza argued.

Sark looked back in Sydney’s direction and said. “I believe that you may find a glitch in your plan.”

“And what is that?” Liza demanded.

“That the person you are so intent on speaking to has disappeared.” Sark declared.

Liza whipped her head around and saw that Sark was correct; Sydney had disappeared while they were arguing. Instead of cursing and yelling, she rushed forward to the last spot she had seen Sydney. She looked around, trying to speculate where she had gone. But before she could get far, Sydney suddenly appeared before her and Sark.

Sydney faced them, poised for anything, as she demanded. “Who are you and why are you following me?”

Wow, I can't believe how long its been since I posted. I still haven't heard back from my beta regarding this part so I'm just going to post it. If it doesn't read right, let me know.

PART 31

“I know that it has been some time Agent Bristow since we last saw each other, but after all of our history, I would think that you would still recognize me.” Sark stated thinking that perhaps Sydney had not first recognized him because of his short hair.

“My name is not Bristow. I am not familiar with that name nor you except by reputation Mr. Sark.” Sydney declared.

Both of them could see that Sydney was speaking truthfully and Sark felt momentarily confused by her declaration that she did not recognize him. Was it a subterfuge for some mystery plan that Sydney had or was it that she genuinely did not remember? “Sydney, we do know each other. We have even worked together on occasion although you consider me your adversary.”

“Sark, as well as I work for your mother.” Liza said speaking up. “She sent us here to find you.”

“You are mistaken. My mother is dead. She died in a fire when I was twelve years old with the rest of my family except for my father.” Sydney argued before turning to Liza. “However I do recognize you from the facility in North Korea less then a year ago. You reached my objective before I was able to acquire it.”

Liza and Sark chanced a glance at each other, reading the same thing on each other’s others face. Something was wrong with Sydney and Liza had a feeling she knew what it was, as she was sure Sark did too. Sydney had been the victim of some type of indoctrination. Her identity had been buried beneath her programming. It had been theorized that if Sydney was found alive that something like this would have been the reason why she had not contacted any of her friends or family. Now they knew it was true. Liza could not help but think of Alex and the cause of his death although a small part of her thought that the ability to nudge people’s memories would be practical at the moment.

Suddenly Liza felt an unfamiliar surge of energy course through her body. It was as if she had been suddenly hit with a hundred shots of adrenaline or something close to it. She shook it off before speaking to Sydney. “Your mother is alive and she has been looking for you since you disappeared two years ago. If you come with us, we can prove it to you.”

Sydney stood still for a moment, as if she believed what Liza told her. But as quickly as the moment was there, it disappeared and instead she took on a defensive pose. As if she interpreted Liza’s proposal as a threat. It was not the mentality that she wanted Sydney in at the moment. If she didn’t trust them or even believe that they were telling even a scrap of truth then things weren’t going to work.

“And if I don’t feel like going?” Sydney asked.

“It is in your best interest if you do.” Sark stated.

Liza felt like hitting or kicking Sark for making a statement sound like a threat. “We aren’t going to force you to do anything, but I think that you should reconsider. I think you would find it very beneficial.”

“Well I’m happy with my situation at the moment.” Sydney admitted.

Liza saw the subtle change in Sydney’s stance a few seconds before she struck. A baton appeared in her hand, most likely it had been hidden in a smaller form somewhere on her person, that she used to strike out Liza first, while throwing a sidekick at Sark’s head. Sark blocked the kick, tossing Sydney’s kick away and kicking out to sweep her feet out from under her. Sydney flipped backwards to avoid his move, effectively loosing her hold on the baton that Liza had seized.

Sydney’s flip had given her more distance between herself, Liza and Sark and she took advantage of it, this time pulling out a Glock 17 and started firing. Liza and Sark jumped apart as they ducked for cover at the same time as they withdrew their own weapons. Neither wanted to hurt Sydney but Liza and Sark had to defend themselves.

The two of them returned fire and a firefight ensued for several minutes, until suddenly the bullets stopped flying and that could only mean one of two things. Either they had killed Sydney or she had escaped. Liza stood to investigate and fortunately found that it was the latter of the two. Sydney had slipped away from her again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Liza and Sark spent the next hour searching the surrounding area for any sign of Sydney but as they both thought, she had vanished. After all if she had gone through so much trouble to escape them, she wouldn’t stick around for them to find her again. They went back to the hotel and although she was still technically check in, they knew that the room had been abandoned. Just in case they were wrong, they left a monitoring device behind. When they returned to where they were staying, they found yet another surprise in the form of Irina.

“Your timing is impeccable, I just arrived and was about to contact you.” Irina stated. “I trust that the two of you were trailing Sydney?”

“Yes.” Sark answered.

“In view of that you have left your watch, I assume that she is close by and secure?” Irina inquired.

“Not exactly.” Liza replied. “We were following her when the situation seemed suited for me to approach her. I was worried that we would loose the opportunity to make contact with her before you arrived. At the same time Sydney became aware of our presence and confront us.”

Irina said nothing in response, only stared at Liza in a way that told her to continue her story. “Sydney questioned us as to who we were. After a few moments, it became evident to both of us that Sydney had no idea who Sark was.”

“An obvious ploy to continue her cover.” Irina interrupted.

“That is what I thought, at first.” Sark answered. “But after a moment it was obvious that wasn’t the case. Sydney is a first-class actress, but this was not a performance. She truly believed that she had never met me, only had knowledge of me through professional reputation.”

“In spite of the fact that I explained to Sydney that the two of us worked for her mother and that you had sent us to find her. She claimed that that was impossible, that her mother had been killed when she was twelve in a fire.” Liza explained. “Something or more accurately someone has manipulated Sydney, brainwashed her into believing that she is someone else. Which explains why she has not made contact with anyone since her disappearance.”

“Where is she now?” Irina asked.

“Gone.” Liza confessed.

“Gone?” Irina repeated, lifting her eyebrow in question.

“Yes, gone.” Liza answered. “Sark and I attempted to persuade her to come with us, to meet you and see for herself that her mother was alive. I thought that once we had her secure we could find out what exactly was done to her and reverse it somehow.”

“However Sydney did not fancy that idea at all. She believed that we would take her by force, which was our intention, and defended herself before we had the opportunity. Despite our greater numbers, she still managed to escape.” Sark stated.

“It is remarkable that she was able to over power the two of you.” Irina acknowledged.

“A person who feels trapped is a very dangerous adversary. And Sydney did indeed feel trapped by us.” Liza declared feeling like a child who had to offer excuses for loosing one of her toys. Did her mother not understand that she was as unhappy about loosing Sydney as she was? “We have spent the time since she left our presence to search the area for Sydney but it is obvious that she has fled the vicinity and quite possibly the city.”

Before anything else could be said, the chirping of a cell phone rang through the room. It was a distinctive ring; one that Liza knew could only mean it was her mother’s phone doing the ringing. That in itself was uncommon, there were only a select few who had the number, herself and Sark included. Anyone else who wanted to talk to Irina had to go through channels first.

Irina checked the identity screen before she answered the phone. After a few hushed words, Irina ended the call and turned her attention back to Sark and Liza. “The CIA just received an unexpected phone call. A woman claiming to be Sydney just made contact with the Los Angeles area office to her former superior Director Kendall. He sent her to a safe house here in Hong Kong. An agent has been sent to retrieve her, one that she is familiar with from her life before she disappeared. ”

“I assume by that you mean her father?” Liza asked.

“No, he was unreachable. He was in deep cover therefore they sent Agent Vaughn.” Irina corrected.

“Michael Vaughn?! How could the CIA be so foolish as to send him considering his present state of affairs? It will devastate Sydney when she finds out.” Liza exclaimed.

“Indeed it will, but it is something that she will have to suffer.” Irina stated.

“So what is our next move? Are we going to attempt to extract her out of custody?” Liza asked.

“No, we will wait to see how things play out with Sydney and the CIA. Allow her to learn how much things have changed in the last two years and discover how extensive her amnesia is before we move forward.” Irina declared.

While it aggravated the hell out of her, Liza knew that what Irina said was what was best for the situation. She just had to be patient. Besides, it wasn’t as if she didn’t have something else to deal with at the moment. She couldn’t help but think that it couldn’t be a coincidence that she had had that strange surge of energy, at the same time that she was thinking about mindwarping and memory manipulation, and now Sydney seemed to have shook off whatever brainwashing she had been exposed to. It had been years since she had last seen Ava but she still remembered what the punk alien had told her. She had been ‘changed’. While she had not shown any signs previously, Liza feared that those changes were starting to surface.

Liza didn’t want what those changes meant; she didn’t want powers. But she didn’t believe that she had a choice in the matter. So if she was going to get them, then she was going to do what she needed to do to ensure that she could control them. She looked at it as she would any other training. But it would be private training; Liza did not feel she should tell her mother or Sark what was happening to her. Not yet anyway. So she would keep it to herself while they waited for news about Sydney.

Sorry it has been so long since I posted. I haven't been able to write a single word on this story since the last AN I left but I do have some back up parts in reserve. If anyone wants to volunteer as a beta/idea person, I'd love for them to speak up. I have a great beta for this story but I need someone else to try and bounce stuff off of so to maybe get the juices flowing.

PART 32

The wait to see what the next development regarding Sydney wound up lasting longer then Liza expected. With Sydney’s sudden reappearance, the alliance between Jack Bristow and Irina seemed to have disintegrated overnight. He rebuffed any attempts at communication and had refused to pass along any information. However Irina had another mysterious informant who came forward and kept them informed of the developments in Sydney’s life.

And yet the information they had received was peculiar. When Michael Vaughn met up with Sydney in Hong Kong at the CIA safehouse it appeared that Sydney had no idea what was going on, or why she was in Hong Kong. As far as she knew, it was the same day as it was the last time she had been seen. The last thing she remembered was the incident with Allison Doran in her apartment.

While keeping the details purely need to know, Michael Vaughn had proceeded to brief Sydney. He told her about the fire that had destroyed her apartment, that Allison was dead but her friend Will had survived, that he had gotten married and that for the past two years that everyone had believed she was dead. Two years that she seemed to have no memory of. No memory that that much time had passed or where she was during that time.

Initially, Sydney had not accepted the story as true. She thought that it was some type of deception from an enemy and had tried to escape. She had fought her way past Agent Vaughn and three other agents into an alley close by. But she had not been able to completely get away before Agent Vaughn shot her with a tranquilizer dart. They kept her sedated before she was flown back to Los Angeles and checked into Stafford Medical Hospital.

The hospital was CIA controlled and had some of the best doctors along with equipment in the country but after a few days they were just as baffled about her amnesia as Sydney was. Since the amnesia only appeared to affect her memory regarding her whereabouts and actions and not her abilities, she was released on her own competence. A colleague and friend of hers by the name of Eric Weiss had found her a new place to live so she had moved into a new apartment and had returned to a position at the CIA.

From the details Liza had heard, the position that Sydney now held at the CIA was nothing more then a desk job. She reviewed reports regarding missions that occurred on the subjects of enemies she had dealt with as well as intelligence on new factions that had sprung up over the last two years.

The position was a major step down, even a slap in the face, from the talented field agent Sydney had been before but Liza knew that the job was a tactic used by her employers could keep an eye on her. They couldn’t risk her going rogue and loosing her before they could find out what had happened during the two years that Sydney was missing. They forced her to meet with a psychiatrist twice a week but the sessions of course turned up nothing.

Like everyone else, Liza was very curious about what had happened to Sydney and the cause of her amnesia. Except unlike everyone else, she had a very good idea as to what had happened but not why. She knew that whatever her fledgling abilities had done, it had ‘woke’ Sydney out of whatever mental manipulation had been done to her but she didn’t understand why. She thought it was most likely that she had triggered a failsafe inside Sydney’s subconscious. Whatever Sydney had forgotten, it had to be sizeable and highly valuable piece of information for a fail safe of this magnitude to be implanted into Sydney’s subconscious. One that would be set to go off if she started to remember her previous life.

Nevertheless, Liza was not able to dwell on her theory for long; she had matters of her own to attend to at the moment. She spent hours a day alone, wherever she knew she could guarantee she would not be seen. She spent the time testing out the changes that had happened. The first time of course had taken several tries, in reality most of the day but eventually she was able to manipulate a shell she found on the beach into a small knife. After that, she moved onto other powers. Since she had been able to do some form of mindwarping, Liza deduced that she could have Michael’s, Isabel’s and even Max’s powers. And she had discovered that she was right, but the physical powers were proving difficult.

Liza had worked on all five powers, refining the mindwarping and dreamwalking until she could easily slip into Sark’s dreams or convince the staff that she was not in the room. But she could only produce a shield the size of her hand, a blast that had the strength of a stiff breeze, and heal a scratch. She didn’t know why except that it seemed that male Antarians favored physical powers and females mental and it wasn’t typical for either sex to have both.

In spite of the progress she had made with her powers, Liza had yet to inform her mother or Sark of their existence. While it would be part of the full disclosure she was suppose to share with them, Liza had decided it was best to keep it to herself. She was not planning to use them on any of her missions, they were not advanced enough for that, so it was not something that would come up. To them, it was as if she was the same as she had always been. Obsessed with pursuing yet another lead on Natasha’s location.

Taking into account the nine months she’d spent in Russia, her search for Natasha had been going on two years. It had been long and frustrating to the point that Liza had wanted to quit but then she thought of her parents burning to death in their beds and she’d find the motivation once more. And it wasn’t as if the search was not productive; she was getting closer and just needed a little bit more time. After all, her mother had hidden the knowledge of her own continued existence from all intelligence agencies for almost twenty years. So two years was small in comparison.

The faint click of her door snapped Liza’s attention back to the here and now. She quickly wrapped her hand around her nearby weapon but relaxed her grip when she saw who the visitor was. “I think if you keep insisting on sneaking in here like a cat, I’m going to hang a bell around your neck.”

“If I recall, it was you who I found lounging on my terrace not so long ago despite the fact that the door to the suite was secured.” Sark commented.

“I simply decided to see if your view was better then mine. You were not present so I simply let myself in.” Liza responded casually. “I am getting bored with all of the sneaking around. My mother might not know of our association now but she has not given any indication that she is opposed to it.”

“I no longer believe that to be an accurate assessment of your mother’s attitude.” Sark stated.

“What makes you think that?” Liza inquired.

“There have been several conversations between the two of us where she has indicated several times that she is knowledgeable about the relations between us.” Sark replied.

“Why did you wait until now to tell me?” Liza exclaimed.

“It did not appear imperative to mention until now.” Sark answered simply.

“You should have told me about it as soon as you became aware of it.” Liza scolded him before asking. “And has she given any sign as to what she thought about this?”

Sark’s face frowned slightly. “Unfortunately, no. As always, Irina was difficult to read.”

“Perhaps you were being too suspicious of your conversation with her. She said nothing to me when I met with her for a briefing a short time ago in her office.” Liza stated.

Sark’s attention perked up at what she had said. Irina had not informed him of any imminent missions concerning Liza. Was this one of Irina’s pretexts to destabilize his and Liza’s relationship? “I was not aware that Irina was intending to assign you on a mission.”

Liza shrugged. “Most likely because the mission does not deal with the organizations business but my personal business with Natasha.”

“Perhaps,” Sark concurred before continuing. “However I cannot help but take into account her reasoning behind such a maneuver. I have known your mother far longer then you have and are more acquainted with her techniques. And this latest bit of news has me concerned.”

“There is nothing to be concerned about. Irina might have provided me with the information but I am the one planning everything. Charting our route inside, choosing the team that is accompanying me, and purchasing all of the tech gear.” Liza assured him before smiling. “I’ll be fine, trust me.”

Hey *Waves* look who's back. And I come baring a new part. However some of it won't make much sense unless you go back and read the last few parts so I'm recommending that you go back and reread it.

Also if anyone here is good with making videos, I'm willing to beg for one to be made for this fic.

I hope you like the next part. It's one of my favorites.

PART 33

Two days later
Los Angeles

The day was an example of the weather that the tourist commission avoided advertising when describing sunny California. The sky was crowded with dark gray clouds, threatening at any moment to release large amounts of rain on the city. The storm was coming in from the ocean, the wind smelled heavily of salt as it whipped through the city.

Assistant Director Kendall paid no heed to it as he observed the secured van draw to a stop on the edge of the loading dock. Six armed agents came from behind him to take up defensive positions around the back door of the van. The driver hopped out from the front cab and approached Kendall, handing him a clipboard full of paper work. Kendall signed the release form before handing it back to the driver.

The driver then spoke into his comm. earpiece that communicated with the guards inside the van. Only then did he withdraw the key that would open the back door. It was the only way to release the door; there were no handles or locking mechanisms on the inside. The doors swung open and three more guards emerged from the interior. They dropped from the back of the van, immediately turning back to the interior, on guard for anything to happen.

One additional agent appeared at the door but did not exit. Instead he reached up to the ceiling of the vehicle with a set of keys, unlocking a central lock and pulling a chain through it until the end dropped into his hands. Keeping a tight grip on the chain, he moved back into the shadows and when he remerged, he had one hand wrapped in the chain that was connected to both the wrist and ankle shackles of the bound prisoner. With his free hand he gripped the prisoner and moved them to the exit of the van where one of the other agents assisted them out.

As the prisoner emerged from the vehicles a dazzling bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a large rumbling of thunder. The agents eyed the sky apprehensively as they moved themselves and the prisoner away from the vehicle and towards the building. All of the agents save the driver flanked the prisoner as they went in the loading dock door and through the first security entry. AD Kendall and the driver continued to follow the group of agents and their charge through the various security points.

When they reached their destination the four agents that traveled with the prisoner proceeded through the door and moved the prisoner to the middle of the high security cell while the other six stood guard outside the now locked door. As they watched the prisoner being released from the restraints the driver said. “She did not come easily. She killed three of the apprehension team and put two in the hospital before she could be restrained. Even that didn't stop her. She was able to get a weapon and shoot another agent even after she was restrained.”

“How is that possible?” Kendall inquired.

“I have no answer for you sir, one moment she was disarmed, the next she had a firearm and was firing at point blank range on one of my team.”

“Has she given you any other problems since?” Kendall asked.

“Fortunately no. We expected more resistance, but nothing.” The agent stated. “It was as if she was resigned to her fate. But I must admit sir, that her calmness was very unnerving, as if she was calculating her next move and just waiting for the opportunity to act on it.”

“Since she is involved with Irina Derevko, I would not doubt that was exactly what she was doing.” Assistant Director Kendall said as he watched the young woman.

Liza stood motionless as the guards undid the manacles that bound her wrists and ankles before withdrawing from the glass cell. Once it was secure, they departed leaving only a tall older balding man who stepped close to the glass. “I am …”

“Assistant Director Kendall. I am aware of who you are and your position in this facility.” The prisoner said, cutting him off.

“I assume that Irina Derevko has kept you informed.” Kendall stated. But she did not answer, merely kept her eyes focused on him as she waited for him to move on. Pulling the small amount of information they had on the prisoner, Kendall asked. “And should I address you as Liza or do you prefer another name?”

After a few heartbeats, Kendall watched Liza smile subtly before saying, “Liza will suffice.”

“I assume that you are familiar enough with our agency to know why I am here?” Kendall asked, not doubting for a moment that Derevko had informed the woman of any details she may need to know.

Liza’s smile widened as she said, “If your record is any indication, I imagine it is to offer me some type of deal. Information I have in exchange for leniency. Such as where you might find my employer or Mr. Sark, and other such damaging information.”

“The amount of leniency would be dependent on the value of information you could tell us but that is the general idea.” Kendall stated.

“Then it appears that I will be occupying this cell for some time.” Liza acknowledged.

Kendall’s eyebrows rose. “I take it by your statement that you refuse to cooperate.”

However Liza did not answer, instead strolling over to where a metal cot was fixed against the wall and sat down. Kendall recognized the dismissal and walked over to the first gateway that would let him through the hall. He nodded to guard on the other side. Kendall took one glance at the JTF’s newest inmate before stalking down the hallway.

Liza heard the metal clinking and clanking and she knew that it was from the metal bar gates falling into place. She knew that if the CIA wanted it, the gates could fall silently. But they did not want that, they wanted their prisoners to know what stood between them and freedom. It was psychological manipulation. But it did not faze Liza, her mother and lover had escaped from this cell, somehow she would as well.

Liza stood from her perch on the suspended cot and investigated her newest quarters. The cell held an air of coldness to it that had nothing to do with the temperature. It was because of the bleak environment it portrayed. They were extremely stark, bare concrete walls and floor, and equipment for the prisoner to be able to relieve themselves from the calls of nature. Couldn’t risk letting the prisoner out to use the restroom, they could use the opening to break out. It was the reason why the cell was as stripped as it was; the CIA knew that almost anything could be used as a weapon or means of escape. Hell, her shoes didn’t even have laces, just a cheap pair of cotton canvas slip-ons.

It had been quite a long time since Liza had been is such an inhospitable situation, but the memories of her time in Vyborg were enough to keep the desolateness of her cell from bothering her. She remembered the training she had endured to prepare her for circumstances such as this or more severe. To prepare her, Vladimir had locked her in an isolated stone cell no bigger then four feet by four feet, with only the clothes on her back, a small amount of food, a bottle of water and a bucket for two weeks. The room was dark and extremely cold, and the only company she had was herself. That was how she spent her eighteenth birthday.

After Liza finished exploring her cell, she sat back down on the bench that was to serve as her bed. She made herself as comfortable as possible and closed her eyes. She positioned herself into a meditative posture and stayed in that position. She didn’t allow for even a single muscle to twitch to give any indication to the guards she knew were watching her any hint as to what she was thinking about.

From the moment she had been taken into custody, Liza’s mind had been on both her capture and an event that occurred during it. The agents had been in the process of securing her and she had been thinking that she would be able to escape if she had not been disarmed when suddenly; she found a gun in her hand. However the event surprised her so much that she was only able to shoot the agent in front of her before the agents were able to get it away from her.

It all surprised her because Liza had not actively tried to use her powers. It had not even entered her mind to use them. But somehow her instincts had released those powers in an effort to keep from being captured. After all it was the worse place that Liza could think to be. She was in a high security prison held by the CIA who was most likely going to do a lot of extensive testing and interrogation on her.

With her incarceration, Liza found herself in a predicament. She had but a few options. One was to give up her mother, Sark and the organization and work out a plea bargain with the hopes of getting set free or released to a minimum security prison where she could escape before her powers could be discovered.

Two was to continue her silence and either find a chance to escape or wait and see if Irina came for her. Granted, the latter one didn’t work well in regards to whatever could be as exposed regarding her ‘powers’ but number one would not aid in her greater design because if she betrayed her mother, she would be hunted down and therefore she could not choose option number one.

Liza wondered as to what the CIA’s strategy would be next. She knew that they would not give up on trying to extract information from her. There would be a few more attempts to get her to cooperate before they took more direct means, in all probability drugs of some type. Sodium pentothal would be the most predictable but she imagined the CIA would have something better.

Her internal clock told her an hour had passed when she heard the gates begin to open again. A few minutes later, the familiar face of Jack Bristow came into view.

Liza rose from the bed and made her way to the partition, “I assumed when I refused to speak to him, Kendall would send someone else, I should have known that he would send his second in command.”

Jack said nothing, only clasped his wrists together and looked as if he was fiddling with his watch. A moment later, he spoke. “The cameras have been looped and the audio disabled, we can speak freely.”

“You’ve gone through all of this trouble yet you do not look happy to see me Stepfather.” Liza said sarcastically as she tilted her head to stare at him.

“I told you not to call me that.” Jack retorted sternly. “As for my attitude towards your appearance, no I am not pleased that you are here.”

“Then we share the same opinion.” Liza concurred. “I am gaining no pleasure from being in the CIA’s custody either. I am sure your mistrust of me and Irina causes you to believe that I allowed myself to be captured for some devious reason.”

“Didn’t you?” Jack asked.

“I assure you, I would have picked a better plan to arrive at whatever my purpose would be instead. I am not as self-sacrificing as my mother or Sark to give themselves up to the CIA to further any agenda. Your agents legitimately caught me. However that does not mean I will not make use of the small opportunity that my incarceration will bestow.”

“And what opportunity is that?” Jack inquired.

“Why to meet my dear older sister of course. After all, our last meeting was not exactly a warm one. She does know about me doesn’t she?” Liza asked but when Jack’s jaw clenched tighter, she couldn’t help but smile at what it told her. “You haven’t told her have you?”

“Sydney has enough issues on her plate at the moment without discovering a new twist to her already complicated family life.” Jack stated.

“And how is she dealing?” Liza asked genuinely concerned. “Still no memory of the past two years?”

Jack did not question how Liza knew about Sydney’s amnesia, he knew that Irina always had the resources to acquire almost any bit of information. Especially if it regarded Sydney or her well-being. He noticed that Liza too appeared concerned about his daughter’s welfare so he said. "Sydney is adjusting to her situation, she has always been able to adapt quickly."

"But with a thousand questions as to what happened to her no doubt." Liza declared.

"Yes she does." Jack stated.

"And by the tone in your voice, I see that the discussion is over." Liza commented as she moved forward until she was face to face with Jack, only the glass wall separating the two of them. “You know you are not going to be able to hide it from her forever. I’m here, and by the looks of things I’m not leaving any time soon. So you’re stuck with me unless you choose to break me out of here, something I’m sure you could pull off."

Jack stared at her for a minute, his face in his usual mask of indifference before he turned away and retreated back down the corridor he had emerged from earlier. Liza watched him until he was out of range; a small smile crept on her face as she did. While she did not believe for a minute that Jack would tell Sydney about the connection between herself and the CIA’s newest prisoner, it was enjoyable to rile him about it. And unless he took extreme measures, Sydney would find out about her. It was only a matter of time and then Liza would meet her sister face to face, yet again. However this time it would not be in combat as before but with a thick glass wall between them.


Sorry if some of that was wordy or hard to read. I edited and redited it a thousand times and originally there was no mention of Liza's powers so I had to add that in too.

PART 34

Sydney pulled her gaze away from her computer when she saw that her father had returned from the prisoner holding area. She stood quickly and walked over so that she would come up along side of him. “Dad, can we talk? In private?”

Jack nodded as he changed his course so that he and Sydney could take advantage of one of the private rooms. Once they were inside, Jack secured the door before turning to his daughter. “What did you need to speak to me about?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that you just visited with the new prisoner referred to as Liza and I am interested to know why.” Sydney stated.

“It is not uncommon for me to interrogate prisoners.” Jack stated.

“But not because you were acting under any orders, from Kendall or anyone else. You were operating on your own accord and jamming the feed while you doing talking to her. I want to know why.” Sydney declared. “You had quite a long discussion with her so it appears that you are on familiar terms with her. I know that she works for Mom so I don’t understand how you know her as anything but an adversary.”

Jack knew by Sydney’s demeanor that she was not going to relinquish her interest on the subject despite his desire to avoid this discussion with her. Therefore he would have to try and skirt as much information as possible. “After your disappearance, I became obsessed with locating you. When evidence of your death appeared six months later, I did not have faith in the results of the CIA’s tests and continued to investigate. With all official searches and resources out of my disposal, I found that my search was limited. So I contacted the one person I knew I could trust, who wanted to find you as badly as I did, your mother.”

“You willingly worked with Mom?” Sydney asked surprised.

“Yes, I contacted her a year after you disappeared. We set up a meeting and I traveled to a facility of hers. While I was there, I encountered Liza and spoke to her briefly.” Jack explained. “She is one of your mother’s uppermost agents and I was suspicious of her capture. I merely visited to probe her for information, and given the fact that I could not let the CIA overhear any part of our discussion for fear that something might be mentioned about my meeting with Irina.”

“If they had, the NSC would immediately arrest you for consorting with a known terrorist and treason against your country.” Sydney stated in understanding.

“Correct.” Jack agreed.

“Did she give you any relevant information?” Sydney asked.

“No, she merely stated that she was captured by the book with no ulterior motive.” Jack answered. “Whether that proves to be true or not, we shall see.”

“I think we should question her again. I think I should do it.” Sydney suggested.

“I do not believe that to be a wise endeavor, she has been uncooperative so far and it would be futile to attempt anymore questioning before the agency initiates their interrogation protocol.” Jack countered. He did not want Sydney to be alone with Liza to question her. He knew that if it happened, Liza would not hesitate to tell her who she really was.

“But if she works with Mom, she might be more willing to talk to me. Mom was when she was in custody.” Sydney declared.

“That may have been true but this woman is not your mother. The two of you have no prior association while I have so I am a better judge as to how to handle her. Leave the interrogation to the agency.” Jack stated firmly before turning on his heel and strolling away.

Sydney watched as her father retreated through the office and disappear around one of the corners. She couldn’t understand his unwillingness to allow her to question the new prisoner. If he honestly thought that this Liza had a hidden agenda, then it didn’t make sense. He had obviously failed at learning anything new so where was the harm at her trying to get the information? There was none. And that fact was what helped Sydney decide that at the first opportunity, she would slip away to visit the prisoner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Liza had settled herself on the floor to meditate when the gates sounded to signal she had another visitor. She couldn’t help but think that her cell was becoming Grand Central station. Not that she was surprised; after all she was a new prisoner. And although she wasn’t as prized as her mother or Sark, Liza still had value both in regards to punishment for the people she had killed and for the information she held about Irina’s organization.

As her visitor appeared, Liza felt loathing well inside her and had to keep herself from physically rolling her eyes as the blonde stopped to face her. “My name is Lauren Reed, I work for the National Security Counsel and I am here to negotiate terms with you for possible information you possess in exchange for leniency.”

“That was quite a mouthful, numerous words with many syllables. Tell me, how long did you practice that speech before you came in here?” Liza asked.

“You will find that sarcasm will not help you in this situation.” Lauren stated.

Liza smiled, although not from happiness but from mockery. “There has been something that I have been curious about Ms. Reed, why do you not use your married name?”

Lauren looked at her confused. “Excuse me?”

“Your married name is Vaughn, the same surname as your husband Michael Vaughn, yet you do not use it. Why? I would think that you would be proud to have it, especially working with the CIA in this facility.” Liza answered. “After all you would want to make certain that everyone who had worked with or knew Sydney Bristow were aware of your marriage. Especially Sydney now that she has returned.”

“My motives for decisions regarding my professional and personal lives are of no interest of yours and I did not come here to discuss such matters. I did however come to arrange an agreement with you.” Lauren declared.

“You are wasting your breath Ms. Reed. Assistant Director Kendall has already offered me a deal and I refused him. I have no intention of changing my mind.” Liza stated.

“But AD Kendall was speaking primarily on behalf of the CIA and FBI, I am here representing the National Security Agency. If you listen to my proposal, I’m sure you will be persuaded to say yes.” Lauren proposed.

“Is that the same thing you said to your husband to get him to marry you?” Liza inquired. She could see that her questioned had made Lauren speechless so she went on. “I am interested to know how it must feel to be you, how you can live every day knowing that you are second best in your husband’s eyes.”

“I…” Lauren stuttered but Liza cut her off.

“Because you are you know and you always will be. Obscured by Sydney’s shadow.” Liza replied as she leaned closer to the window. “I know you think that he’s all yours, that he’s still with you so that in some way that you’ve beaten Sydney. But you’re wrong. You do have him, although not because you’re the better woman or that you have more of his love but because she won’t have him now. She would rather be alone then to be with him after he was so weak willed. You won by default.”

Lauren seemed to regain her composure enough to straighten her shoulders as she said, “I see that you are unwilling to be cooperative in any form and I will not stay here and waste my time.”

“But we were having such a nice chat.” Liza stated.

“Nor will I stay and be insulted. I hope you enjoy your cell since that is where you will be residing for quite a long time.” Lauren commented before turning and heading for the exit.

“Well that was fun.” Liza muttered to herself, unable to keep the smile off of her face as she watched Lauren’s retreating form. She wondered if Lauren would go off crying to her husband or if she would keep it locked away inside. Liza hoped it was the latter so that what she had said would fester in Lauren’s mind, creating doubt her husband and her marriage.

Her little ‘talk’ with Lauren had been almost therapeutic. As she had looked at the woman who was married to her sister’s ex-lover, she could see elements of another blonde, Tess. There was an obvious physical resemblance but something else as well. Neither woman cared that the men they wanted were in love with other women when they met, only that they wanted them.

That infuriated Liza, which caused her to hate both women. Hopefully their meeting had distressed Lauren Reed so much that she would not be revisiting Liza soon although it would be more entertaining then sitting alone in her cell. She couldn’t help but wonder who would be visiting her next.

~*~Author’s Note~*~

I just wanted to leave a little note to clarify some things. In reference to Alias canon, I just want to remind you guys that nothing after The Telling occurred. However I am borrowing some of the plot lines for my own selfish purposes. As some of you know, I am using Lazarey’s death, Vaughn’s marriage to Lauren, the Covenant, Sydney’s friendship with Weiss upon her return to Los Angeles however I am twisting them to suit my own purposes. Which means that Jack was not in prison like he was in the beginning of S3 and Sydney therefore did not blackmail the CIA into making her an active agent. I took a more realistic approach to that, I figured that the CIA would not trust an agent who had been gone for 2 years and had no memory of that time. You’ll see why it will help my story as well.

Wow, I didn't realize a month had already passed since I left the last message. Didn't mean to make you wait that much longer.

I hope that this part was worth the long absence.

PART 35

To prepare herself for whatever the CIA threw at her next, Liza decided that she should try and get some sleep to keep up her strength. Although it was not her choice of beds, the metal bunk was better then the floor and served its purpose. So she stretched out on her back and forced herself to sleep. She drifted off into unconsciousness but kept her senses alert to what was going on around her. She slept like that for several hours before she heard someone coming to visit again.

Liza kept her exterior a facade of the sleeping prisoner while she waited to see who was visiting her. However the caller made no attempt to speak to her, so Liza cracked her eyes open to see for herself. She was surprised to see that it was Sydney on the other side of the glass. But she allowed nothing to show on her face as she sat up. She said nothing, only waited for Sydney to talk first. She didn’t have long to wait.

Sydney studied the young woman in the prison cell. In person she saw that she was younger then Sydney had thought she would be. The surveillance footage she had watched and the files she had read about the prisoner had given the impression that she was older. Or maybe it was just that Sydney couldn’t believe that someone so young could be so deadly. Nevertheless all evidence proved that she was and that this Liza worked for her mother.

Sydney wondered if Liza’s relationship with her mother was similar to Sark’s relationship with her, almost a maternal one at times. It would explain what she had seen earlier between Lauren and Liza. Sydney had been watching the feed from the surveillance camera in Liza’s cell and observed Lauren’s visit.

To say that she was shocked was mild compared to what Sydney had felt when Liza had lashed out at Lauren. A part of her had been secretly delighted to hear someone tell the blonde many of the things that she herself had been wanting to since she had first met her. In the public eye, Lauren acted just as she presented herself to be. A by the book NSA agent who was the pampered daughter of a US Senator and married to a CIA agent. And that was why she seemed to have a problem with Sydney. Not because of the first part but because of the latter.

Lauren was married to her ex-lover Michael Vaughn and for that reason the two had been at odds since their first meeting. Whenever they spoke, Lauren’s words always had double meaning. Either she questioned every assessment or information Sydney had or she inserted veiled spiteful comments into their conversations. And Sydney was positive that Lauren at least played a small part in her remaining in her current job position. She wanted to make sure that Sydney stayed away from Vaughn and so far she had gotten her way.

Sydney had seen Lauren emerge from the corridor that led to the cells earlier, obviously very agitated by her visit. Lauren was not used to people even prisoners speaking to her like that and had gone directly to Vaughn to complain about. Sydney had watched for a little bit until Weiss had come to see what was going on. He had been a good friend to her since her return, comforting her about Michael when she needed it among other things, so she filled him in on what she had seen. He seemed to be as confused as she was as to why this Liza person had acted the way she did but when Sydney asked for his help to get into the cell block, he had stated that he thought it was a bad idea. However after a little convincing, he gave in and cleared her through.

Sydney approached the glass and looked directly into Liza’s eyes, “You know who I am?”

“Yes, you are Agent Sydney Bristow.” Liza answered.

“And you are Liza, an agent of my mother, Irina Derevko, and are wanted by the Central Intelligence Agency for multiple counts of murder of their agents as well as a list of crimes against the United States.” Sydney stated coolly.

“While your information is limited, it is correct.” Liza declared as she studied the woman before her. She looked slightly different, her face appeared drawn, and her eyes carried dark circles. It seemed that her situation was wearing on her sister. “I assume you are here to mend that glitch Agent Bristow, or should I call you Sydney?”

“There is no grounds for you to refer to me as anything other than Agent Bristow. It is not as if we have a personal association. ” Sydney announced.

“You have no idea what lies between us.” Liza stated bluntly. “But we have met before, although we have not been properly introduced.”

Sydney knew that the prisoner was likely lying, trying to create a connection to exploit except something told her that it wasn’t a lie. And if it wasn’t a lie and Sydney knew she did not remember meeting the woman in front of her before, then it had to have happened during her missing two years.

Liza saw Sydney’s indecision over what she had said and decided to press it more. “I imagine that you are trying to decide whether there is any truth behind what I said. I can assure you that I speak the truth. The proof of my claim is the scar that you have on your abdomen on your right side.”

Sydney’s mind instantly flashed to mysterious scar that was on the lower right part of her abdomen. She had spent a great deal of time staring at the scar, studying it, and trying to figure out where she had gotten it. It had not been there before her disappearance, she knew every scar and blemish on her body. Not to mention that while the scar was completely healed, it was too fresh to be from before. So it had happened during the two years, but was this woman, this Liza, telling the truth that she had really given it to her? For all Sydney knew, it was possible. “You gave me the scar? Why?”

“I was at a facility in Korea where I was…acquire some information. As I was leaving, you appeared, apparently wanting the same thing although I did not stop to ask you for details and blocked my escape. We fought, it came to an impasse and we parted company. Then I did not see you again until a weeks ago…in Hong Kong.”

By the flair in her eyes, Liza knew she had hit pay dirt with her mention of Hong Kong. “Yes, I saw you in Hong Kong. The two of us as well as Sark had a lengthy conversation at the time.”

“About what?” Sydney found herself asking before she could catch herself.

“About you.” Liza answered, but did not elaborate. She had dangled enough bait in front of Sydney; and if she was going to keep her interested she couldn’t give up too much information yet. And she needed time; time to get Sydney to trust her. Sydney was her only prospect for an ally while she was in custody. Plus, she had been waiting for the opportunity to meet her sister for two years; she wasn’t going to waste it now.

Sydney was about to ask what they had been discussing about her when the clanking of the gates suddenly thundered behind her. She stepped back from the glass-viewing wall and glanced down the corridor. She was surprised to see Kendall, Vaughn and five armed agents coming towards her, more accurately towards Liza. Both the assistant director and Vaughn looked surprised, which they should be considering that she shouldn’t technically be there. She wasn’t restricted from there, she just hadn’t been given any orders regarding questioning nor was she an active agent on the case.

“Agent Bristow, I was not aware that you had any orders that would bring you to the prison block.” Kendall stated.

“I don’t.” Sydney responded, “I had heard that the prisoner was being uncooperative and thought that she may talk to me, she does work for my mother after all.”

“Good theory, however an unnecessary one.” Kendall replied.

“Might I ask why sir?” Sydney inquired.

“Because Langley has approved my request to employ the new prototype sodium penathol questioning.” Kendall answered. “Agent Vaughn and I are here to supervise these agents transferring the prisoner to the interrogation room.”

“May I observe the session?” Sydney asked. While she was dying to find out what Liza knew about her two missing years and would rather question her herself, Sydney would take what she could get. Kendall nodded and Sydney stepped back to let the other agents pass.

Sydney watched as Liza was ordered to step away from the glass to the center of the room. Once she did, the agents entered with their guns trained on her for the slightest movement that indicated she might escape. One holstered his gun as he assisted Vaughn in shackling Liza’s hands and feet. She pulled her gaze away from them to look at Liza’s face. It was impassive, the perfect poker face, not giving away any of her feelings about the impending procedure about to occur. Sydney knew that the questioning could be brutal, physically and emotionally. When they took effect, they tore down the brains ability to freely choose what the receiver of the drug wanted to tell and wanted they didn’t want to. It took away a person’s free will.

As the agents led Liza pass her, she paused for a second to look at Sydney. “I’m sure you will be visiting me again soon, we’ll have lots to talk about.”

Sydney stared after her in puzzlement as they continued down the hall. Why did she get the feeling that Liza was about to flip things upside down?