Title: Chipping Away At The Ice
Rating: PG-13 I guess but then it mite be higher later on, not really sure sorry
Disclaimer: I think you all know the drill by now; only those characters I've made up belong to me, the rest all belong to J.J.Abrams and his people yada yada yada…
A/N: This takes place right after we last saw Sark in S4 – though since I haven't seen much of that season and beyond, things may go askew – just use your imaginations! ;)
Summary: Irina always knew one day he would break; that one day his ice wall would be slowly chipped away and he would shatter into a million pieces – she just never expected it to happen in such a way as it did.

Part One: Everything I Do, I Do It For You
Look into my eyes
You will see, what you mean to me
Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there, you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you

Look into your heart, you will find
There's nothing there to hide
so, take me as I am, take my life
I would give it all, I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for
I can't help it, There's nothing I want more
You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you

Ohhhh

Irina didn't even glance up at him when he entered, merely stating, "You're late."

He stood before her, hands in the pockets of his suit trousers, with a smirk on his face, "You're stunning."

She rolled her eyes then, but allowed her lips to tug up at the corners slightly, as she raised her head, "You're forgiven."

Irina closed her laptop, and stood up moving round her desk to embrace the man before her, "I missed you … we both have."

He pulled away, his face now one of complete seriousness, "How is she?"

A smile formed on Irina's face then, "She's fine, better than fine, she's great – but she misses you."

He nodded solemnly, "I wish I didn't have to be apart from her for so long."

Irina placed her finger under his chin tilting his chin upwards so he faced her once more, "The important thing is that you're here now."

He nodded, knowing in his heart that she was right, but still not feeling entirely 'alright' with the situation as a whole.

"She knows why you can't be here with her all the time, she understands that you are doing all this to protect her; she knows everything and she still loves you unconditionally – Now I'd say that was cause enough to do this, wouldn't you?" Irina said, smiling a little at him, and he nodded.

"Go and see her", she told him, "She's in her room, and I'm sure she'd love to see you."

He nodded once again, a small smile peeking from his lips, as he started moving towards the door of the study. His hand was on the doorknob, already twisted, when he turned back to her and said, "Thank-you, Irina – for everything."

And she simply smiled, "You're welcome."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack Bristow walked through the hall, his gait revealing nothing of his tentativeness with each step, and his demeanour apparently one of casualness – though only somewhat, he was still Jack Bristow after all, he needed to uphold some form of his usual cold, stoic nature. He took the next right, and pushed open the partially ajar door, stepping into the kitchen. But suddenly noticing the other figure before him, he stopped mid-step.

They turned round to face him, their hands still working with whatever substance was contained in the bowl before them, as they stood on a small stool, leaning over the large wooden table.

"Hi", they greeted him simply, with a smile.

Despite the circumstances of finding this person standing in his … wife's kitchen, coated in what appeared to be some sort of coloured liquid (despite the apron covering them), and a shiny substance splattered all over the table, Jack's face remained blank.

"Who are you?" he asked the female, who had gone back to 'working' on whatever it was she had been doing before Jack had entered.

"What do you do for a living?" she countered after a moment of relative silence, her voice flittering softly through the air.

"Why?" Jack responded, "So you can pretend like you're interested?"

A smile appeared on her face then, "Did you know that by mixing equal parts of gasoline and frozen orange juice concentrate you can make napalm?"

"Really?" Jack kept his voice impassive, though he was silently eyeing up the various spillages and matter scattered around them with a sudden peaked interest, "And why are you telling me this?"

The female licked her lips a little then, as her grin intensified, "One could make all sorts of explosives using common household items ... "

"Is that so?" Jack replied, his voice still void of, well pretty much all, emotion.

" ... If one were so inclined", she finished off.

And turning to face him then, extending her arm towards him, she said simply, "Avalon."

He eyed her hand up then, and she laughed, "I'm not suddenly going to grow another hand and slap you across the head with it!"

His eyes narrowed slightly then, but it seemed to have no effect on her – guess it shouldn't; he rationalized; she does live in the same house as Irina Derevko after all. So he resigned to the fact that either she already knew who he was and was simply being polite – though it was quite an odd display of respect, but again living with Irina Derevko could do that to you, he supposed – or she had no idea at all of his identity. True, this was doubtful, but possible all the same, he mused, depending on how much his wife told her.

And so he extended his arm and took her hand in his, "Jack Bristow."

Then another voice called from the doorway, "I see you two have finally met."

Jack spun round, his eyes forming the familiar Bristow glare, as he gritted out, "What are you doing … and here?"

His head cocked to the side, in a smirk, but he didn't say anything in return.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Suddenly the kitchen door burst open and Irina had her gun out and cocked before Jack could even blink.

His smirk grew at the sight, and without even glancing at the gun, he commented, "It's good to see you're still in perfect shape, Irina – wouldn't want old age to hold you back, after all."

She shook her head at his response, silently laughing.

"Sark", she replied, lowering her weapon to her side, "You'd be lying on the kitchen floor shot dead if I hadn't caught my reflexes in time – old age indeed!"

He smirked then, and another voice piped up, "Are you fishing for compliments, Aunt Rina?"

Irina spun round and smiled at the figure by Sark's side, and eyeing up the various objects lying askew on the counter, she commented, "Back to our old self now I see?"

And she simply grinned, nodding her head enthusiastically, as Sark put his arm round her small waist and tugged her into him.

"She's your daughter?" Jack questioned angrily, finally interpreting the missing links here, as rage overtook him suddenly.

A burning sensation was sent pricking into his chest, as if he was somehow surprised or hurt by the omission on Irina's part. He knew he shouldn't have been annoyed, God knows he would have done the same, had done – with Sydney – but for some reason he felt they'd moved passed that. Obviously he was wrong.

"No, we just pretend", Sark retorted, rolling his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm, while the child giggled from his side, and he glanced down at her, a smile on his lips.

The look they shared; that between a father and his daughter.

There's no love, like your love
And no other, could give more love
There's nowhere, unless you're there
All the time, all the way

Look into your heart, babe.

Ohh, you can't tell me it's not worth trying for
I can't help it, there's nothing I want more...
Yea, I'd fight for you, I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you, yeah I'd die for you...

You know it's true
Everything I do
ooooh
I do it for you

Quotes: "You're late." "You're stunning." "You're forgiven". – Pretty Woman
"What do you do for a living?" "Why?…So you can pretend like you're interested?" – Fight Club
"Did you know that by mixing equal parts of gasoline and frozen orange juice concentrate you can make napalm?" "Really?" "One could make all sorts of explosives using common household items..." "...if one were so inclined" – Fight Club
"What are you doing…and here?" – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Song: 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)' by Brian Adams

Hope you liked it, an please lemme know whatcha think - Comments, are much appreciated!
I know it's confusing, but it evens out soon enough (I think :blush: )
Thanks
Steph
xxx
:D