Irina POV
I was recruited when I was eighteen. If you're older than eighteen, you know how scary being eighteen is; living on your own, making your own money. It's terrifying.
When they came to me, it was like a dream. I would be protected, I could protect myself, and I would be working for my country.
Little did I know the sacrifices I would have to make.
Sitting here in my lovely cell, I often look back on them. And Sydney is a constant reminder of those sacrifices.
The look on Jack's face when he told me I was married...I'll never forget it. It took all of my mental power not to burst into unrestricted laughter, so I kept it silent. Although silent laughter does hurt the most.
Sydney's life has become a sort of obsession of mine. She doesn't know it; I don't even think of it. But ever since I re-met her, I've found myself thirsting for every tidbit of her life I can find.
So far, I've acquired two.
Number one: Jack. It seems to me that their relationship is very rocky. I know for a fact that he never told her about his relationship with the espionage world. Don't ask me how I know, but the looks she gives him could kill sometimes. And I have a feeling he's been hitting the bottle harder lately with my re-appearance.
Number two: Mr. Vaughn. He looks so much like his father...it's uncanny. I can tell that he holds a place in her heart; it's a mother's gift. No matter if I wasn't there to see her grow up, I know my daughter. I confronted her about it, and naturally she masked her face. That's my girl, using her talents.
It gets so boring in here sometimes. I can read, do yoga, and sleep, but not much else. So when Jack walked in the cell itself, I was surprised.
He didn't greet me. I didn't expect him to.
"The CIA would like you to do some bookwork for them in exchange for more time outside," said Jack, poker face staring me down. I grinned.
"Will you be bringing the work to me?" I asked him. He shook his head.
"It would be done in the archive library," he said, stiffly. "Why?"
I grinned wider.
"To bond. That's what we should do. Husbands and wives bond," I said. He shook his head.
"No. You lost that privilege when you walked out on us. Bonding is out of the question," Jack said, angrily. I laughed.
"I didn't walk out on you. I was ordered to." I forced his eyes on mine.
"Tell me, Jonathan, if you were ordered to move to a foreign country and marry a foreign woman for access to their governing system then ordered to leave, would you leave?" I asked him, my eyes twinkling. He thought for a moment.
"No. First, I wouldn't go in the first place. Second, if I had truly liked it there, I would have stayed," said he, his eyes glittering with malice. I bit my lip obsessively and shook my head.
"No, you wouldn't. Your fear of betrayal would compel you to come home." He looked at me as though I were something he had never seen before and walked to the door.
"I have a meeting with Barnett," he said, shortly, closing the door. I hopped from my sitting position to my feet and walked to the door.
"Have a good time," I said sincerely. I saw his forehead twitch and knew my work was finished.
I had gotten through to Jack Bristow.
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Sydney POV
Arvin Sloane is so lucky to be on my Christmas list.
After all he's done to me and the snakey way that he hugs me when I look down in the dumps...I shiver at the thought.
I walk into the warehouse, a sour look on my face.
Vaughn is always here before me. Always. The man must call FROM the warehouse.
He gets up when I walk in and I smile.
"Hey," I say. His eyebrow rises.
"Did something happen at SD-6?" He asks me. I must be a wide-open book. Laughing, I respond.
"Just the normal Sloane stuff. Nothing major," said I, sitting down at the same time as him on the same crate.
"What's up?" I ask him. He does seem a little...sad today. Not as cheerful.
He shrugs and I touch his arm.
"Hey. Remember when I told you about Will? And when you said you're my ally? Well, the same goes from me to you. I want you to be able to tell me things. Please? What's the matter?" I ask him, intently aware of my hand on his elbow. He smiles lightly.
"Alice called last night. She broke up with me," he said. I made that famous 'aww' sound and made him look at me.
"Don't worry about her. If she dumped you then she doesn't deserve you anyway. Okay?" I told him. I saw him smile a little wider and I giggle.
"There. Good. Now all you need is some ice cream," I said. He looked at me strange.
"Ice cream?" He asks me. I laugh.
"Long story. If we ever get ice cream, I'll tell you the whole thing. Here," I say, opening my purse, pulling out a coupon for a pint of Ben & Jerry's. "Go get yourself some ice cream and I'll meet you again tomorrow. It isn't a big problem, I have the day off for a doctor's appointment. Call if you need anything, okay?"
He laughs. "You're gonna make me wrinkled and fat," he said. I laughed.
"No. It's the curses of working for our government. Hell, look at Kendall. The espionage life made him bald."
He smiles and I give him a quick hug, wondering after I lean in if this is a smart move. Too late.
"It's gonna be okay. Call me if you ever need anything," I say, pulling away. He nods and I pick up my purse.
"See you later," I say, walking toward my car.
I was sitting at home, watching 'According to Jim' with Francie. It was the episode where Jim beats someone up at a game in front of his children.
Francie snorted out her milk at a comment his wife made and I heard the doorbell.
"I'll get it!" I say, jumping from my crouching position on the couch. I walk over to the door and open it, my eyes growing wide.
"Uh, Francie, sweetie? It's a guy from work...I-I-I'll be right back in," I said. She yelled something back and I walk on the porch, shutting the door.
"Vaughn! What the hell are you doing here?" I hiss. He shrugged.
"I thought maybe we could...talk. I brought some ice cream," he says, holding out a pint of 'Chunky Monkey'. I laugh.
"How'd you know where I live?" I asked him. He got serious.
"I copied it down so if you were ever in danger, I knew where to find you," He said. I smiled at his sweet gesture and pulled him inside. Francie walked over, obviously surprised to see a guy in our house she'd never seen before.
"Hi," she says. I laugh nervously.
"Um, Fran? This is Michael," I say, smiling at him. He smiles back then shakes Francie's hand.
"Michael, this is Francie," I say, looking at him. He looks at me reassuringly.
"Nice to meet you Francie."
"Francie owns and runs a restaurant," I say, knowing he knows this, but it will make Francie like him a lot more.
He grins. "Well, my friends and I may have to come sometime. I'm sure they'll love it." Francie beams.
I sigh with relief as Vaughn sits on the couch. Francie sits on the other couch and I sit by Vaughn.
"So, Syd, how do you know Michael?" She asks me. I grin sweetly.
"He's a business partner from a firm that does business with the bank. I run all my business ideas through him so that he can pitch them to the bank advisors at his bank as well," I say. It wasn't all that bad of a spur-of-the-moment idea.
And then the idea fully hits me.
Vaughn. At my house. Sitting on my couch.
I am so mortified that Francie starts trying to talk to me, but I don't hear it. Vaughn pulls me up off the couch and walks me back to my room.
"Syd. SYD!" He yells at me. I snap out of it and smile.
"Hi, Vaughn." He sighs and I look around my room, my face reddening. A pile of clean clothes were on my bed, a few of my unmentionables on the top. He looks over and I close my eyes in humiliation. He laughs lightly.
"Syd, it's fine. I grew up with three sisters. Come on, if it makes you uncomfortable, we'll go back out to the TV room." I smile at how nice this guy is.
"I just...wanna clear a topic. You know, I love this, but...we can't make it a habit," I say. He nods.
"Of course. But talking you to today made me reevaluate our relationship and make me see how much I take it for granted. Come on, let's go out and see Francie," he says.
I smile as I see him walk down my hallway and into my personal life.
******************************************************************
Sydney POV again
Francie smiled as she saw us come out.
I sat by Vaughn and laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. He looks at me.
"You tired?" He asks me. I smile.
"A bit. Boss is really working me. What about yours?" I ask him. He laughs.
"Rhetorical question. You know he works me hard. Almost as hard as you. Do we have another trip to pack for?" He asks me. This is so dangerous I wanna yell at him, but I smile sweetly, my head still on his shoulder.
"Not sure. Hey, Fran? Will you go get the ice cream?" I ask her. She smiles at the moment and nods.
I look at Vaughn and shake my head. He gets the idea and stops talking about work. Francie walks back out to the living room and hands Vaughn the ice cream.
"Oops, I only brought one spoon," she says. I smile and shake my head.
"That's okay. I don't want any," I say. Vaughn looks at me.
"Since when? You love ice cream." I pretend to look offended.
"And how do you know?" I ask him. He laughs, drawing me closer.
"Because you said something happened while you ate ice cream once." God, please don't let him question it.
"What happened?" He asked me. I laughed.
"Well, me and Will were drunk and we had some ice cream and...well...I ended up kissing him," I said. They were both on me like dogs.
"What? Honey...ice cream?" Francie asked. Vaughn was laughing and I looked at him. Francie saw our eye interaction and smiled.
"I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late," she told me. I nodded and looked at Vaughn, shaking my head.
"Never should have told you that. Give me a spoonful of that," I said. He licked off the remaining ice cream, dipping it in the tub and handing it to me. I thought I'd melt. Wait, Sydney Anne Bristow! He's your handler and one of your best friends. Keep it that way!
I ate the ice cream and moaned.
"That is SO good." He hands me the tub and laughs.
"Eat the rest. I should get going."
He gets up and walks to the door.
"I'll see you at work tomorrow," he says. I smile and hug him.
"Thanks for coming over."
He nods and walks out, shutting the door. I smile and look at the spoon, giggling.
****************************************************************************
Francie POV
This Michael guy is hot.
And Syd isn't sleeping with him yet? Hello, gotta tell her to get her ass a-moving.
When he showed up...I could so tell that she's got it bad for him. I'm the best friend. And she's supposed to tell me this stuff!
He brought ice cream. Syd's about to melt, I'm sure. But she IS surprised, I give her that much.
They begin to talk and I can tell that they've been friends for a while. And something's happened that's made them...close. Memo to self: ask Syd later.
All of a sudden, Syd falls in a sort of trance. As though she saw a ghost. He seems to understand and takes her back to her room.
I laugh. I washed clothes today. There's a pile on her bed, some of her lingerie on the pile.
Maybe this'll turn him on. I can only hope; Syd needs a guy badly. That thing with Noah Hicks made her happy...but when she came back from one of those crazy trips after they broke up, she seemed so hurt. Son of a bitch must have left her again.
They come back and keep talking.
"Hey, Fran? Will you go get the ice cream?" Syd asks me. I see her head on his shoulder and can only smile. He's her comfort, maybe why she goes to work. Hell, if I worked with that guy, I'd spend all my time at the bank, too.
I hand him the ice cream and he thanks me. I smile sweetly. Maybe he's got a hot brother we can double with. Wait, she's not going out with the guy. Gotta remember that.
She doesn't eat any and I head off to bed.
I leave my door open a crack.
Yeah, I'm spying, so what? I suppose it's not right, though. Syd's never spied before in her life. Nice chick she is.
So what does that make me, a bitch? Maybe.
I hear him give her a spoonful then offer to leave.
He does leave and Syd heads back down the hall, noticing my door. She smiles and walks in.
"Hey, Fran."
I smile and hug her.
"That guy is one of the hottest you will ever find," I tell her. She blushes and looks at her feet the way she always does when she's flustered.
"Yeah. He is. And one of the nicest."
I roll my eyes.
"Then get a move on! Heck, I'll give you a free meal at the restaurant. Please, Syd. He makes you happy," I said. She smiles and giggles slightly.
"We can't get together, France. Company protocol. And he just got off a relationship; that's the reason he came over. I suggested he get some ice cream and he brought it over. So, I can't. But thanks for being concerned, I do appreciate it."
I smile and she goes to bed.
I will get these two together if it's the last thing I do.
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Irina POV
I see his face reflected in the window before he gets to the cell.
I hop up and walk to the door.
Jack opens the door and walks in, holding out a pair of handcuffs. I put my hands in them and smile at him. He clasps them shut and I walk with him to the CIA archive library downstairs. He looks at me, his face hard and cold. I smile at his still-good looks and handsome features.
We arrive and he unlocks the handcuffs, letting me get to work.
I begin by doing small things; looking at bomb reports and linking them together. In five minutes, I was looking at bomb threats from different countries and linking spies from their service to the list of CIA employee names.
Twenty minutes later, Jack comes back and holds out the handcuffs again. I smile and put my hands in them.
"Thank you for doing this for me, Jack," I say. He looks at me and his eyes soften just slightly.
"Well, it was between you and a meeting with Ariana Kane, who just recently came back to torture me. Right now, I'd actually rather be pulling you around."
I almost laugh.
Instead, I smile warmly.
"And you picked me. Thank you."
He nods shortly and brings me back to the cell.
As he begins to leave after unfastening me, I clear my throat.
"Jack, will you do something for me?" I ask him. He ponders the thought.
"Depends on what it is." His temple's throbbing, but I nod.
"Tell Mr. Vaughn to come up here. I need to discuss something with him."
Jack thinks for a moment and nods shortly. I smile, sit on the floor, and begin to do sit-ups.
Jack evidently was successful. Mr. Vaughn is by my cell in a half an hour.
"Thank you for coming," I say. He doesn't look at me. I smile.
"I know you aren't up here for me. I didn't ask you to. It's for Sydney," I say. His eyes flicker but he composes himself again. I laugh a bit.
"Would you do something for her for me?" I ask him. He nods briefly.
"In the State Bank of California on 85th there is an account under the name Suzanne Hopkins. Account number is 622495. Take some money from it and buy her a Christmas present from me. Please," I ask him. He nods briefly and I smile wider.
"Thank you. I know what you and Sydney have is...special. And I thank you for making my daughter happy." I must have broke a nerve.
"She wouldn't need to be made happy if you didn't reappear in her life," he says, still not looking at me. I nod.
"That's true. She wouldn't. But I thank you for it anyway." He nods and walks away and I laugh loudly.
Jack must really hate him.
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Sydney POV
When I was little, Christmas was one of my favorite times of year. My mom would get up really early and make coffee (hot cocoa in my case; maybe that's why I like it so much now). My father would pick me up and fly me around the apartment. Finally, we'd open presents.
I was a spoiled child. I got almost everything I wanted. Then, that night, we'd go see the local school's production of 'The Christmas Story'. The kids looked so cute dressed up as Mary and Joseph and I loved it so much.
Now where was I?
Sitting at home with Will and Francie.
Pathetic.
"William Tippin, you better not have bought me fruit cake again!" Francie warned, laughing. He grinned sheepishly and she tore the bright magenta paper off, exposing a new set of perfume and a journal with flowers on it.
"Oh, Will! Thank you!" She squealed, hugging him. He grinned, blushing, and hugged her back. He turned to me and grinned.
"C'mon, Syd, open your present."
I smiled and pulled mine from under the fake pine tree. There were two presents with my name in Will's scribble.
I pulled the red paper off and giggled. It was a big black makeup tote. I opened it and caught Will's eye, trying with ALMOST no avail to not laugh.
It was a Spy Barbie.
I had to keep my cover, so I giggled. "It's empty," I said, promising myself to thank him later.
I pulled the green paper off the other present and smiled. There was a small note on top.
Syd-
I'm so proud for all you do. You are a true patriot.
Merry X-Mas
Love, Will =)
My eyes filled with tears, but I blinked them away, ducked the note in my pocket, and looked at the gift. It was a box of magic towels. They fit in your pocket and expanded under water.
I smiled and thanked him, opening Francie's gift.
It was a tiny calculator, but had numerous special features.
"It's so you can maybe do some bank work at home," she said. I smiled sincerely at my best friend's attempt to keep me home more often and hugged her.
"Thank you."
My beeper went off and I laughed.
"Speak of the devil."
I looked at it and smiled brightly. It was Vaughn.
I looked back at Francie and Will and grinned.
"It's Michael. I'll be back shortly."
I ran in my room, pulled his Christmas present from my beside table, and ran to my car.
Twenty minutes later, clad in a long black skirt and silk black tank top, covered by a see through red mesh top, I walked in the warehouse, my heels clicking. My hair was curled and my cheeks were rosy.
He stood up as I walked in.
"Hey! Merry Christmas!" I said, walking towards him and giving him a hug. It's a Christmas hug, I reminded myself. He hugged me back.
"Merry Christmas."
I smiled and he looked at me, taking in my outfit. I blushed.
"Me and Francie and Will were celebrating. And why aren't you with your family?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"I don't know. I got bored, with Aunt Trish screeching in my ear and Charlotte's baby daughter, Michelle, squealing...it got very annoying," he said. I laughed.
"What a great father you'll be," I said, immediately regretting them.
"I didn't mean...you know..." I trailed off, blushing. He laughed and nodded. I smiled and handed him the gift.
"It's not much...but I thought you might be able to use it," I said as he smiled broadly at me.
He tore the paper off and opened the oblong box.
The gift was a pen. It had a pewter covering, ballpoint, and had the letters 'MV' engraved in cursive on the side. He looked at me, smiling. I blushed.
"Syd...thank you."
I nodded, blushing.
"It's only a pen. Unscrew the top," I instructed him. His brows furrowed as he unscrewed it and a note fell out.
Engraved on the inside were the letters 'SB'. Secret, so no one could see them.
He grinned at the letters, touching them with his forefinger, then opening the note.
I blushed, reevaluating if what I wrote was proper.
Too late now.
He read it and sobered.
V-
This is our second Christmas together. The past year has been hard, I won't deny it. But you've been there for me and I hope you know I'm there for you. You've got my number, use it if you ever need to. I almost lost you and you don't know how scared I was. No matter what our relationship is, I'll always be here no matter what. Don't forget it.
-S
He looked up, completely serious, no smile on his face. It wasn't that he didn't like it; it was as if he was shocked.
I felt my eyes fill with tears and he sat next to me. He put his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder.
"Syd...that was better than the pen."
I laughed lightly and pulled him closer, smiling.
"I was hoping you'd like it," I said, sniffling. He looked at me, grinning.
"You're right, though. We have been through a lot. But we did do it together, and I'm grateful for that," he said, digging through his pockets. He pulled a gift from one, then took a larger one off the floor, and handed them to me.
I pulled my head off his shoulder and laughed.
"I only got you one gift," I told him. He smiled.
"The long one's from your mother," he said. I was touched.
"You did that for her?" I asked him. He nodded and I sighed, hugging him.
"You are so sweet," I told him, beaming. His cheeks pinkened and he shook his head. I took him off the spot and opened my mother's gift first.
It was a necklace. A gold chain with three diamonds in the middle. I smiled and looked at him again.
"You picked this out?" I asked him. He nodded and laughed. I smiled.
"You've got good taste."
He took the necklace from the box and motioned for me to turn around. I did and pulled my hair off my neck.
He pulled the necklace over my head and clasped it, his finger resting on my neck. I waited a moment and let my hair down, turning.
"Mine next," he said. I smiled wide and pulled the paper off the small package.
The contents made me laugh out loud.
He blushed and I giggled, taking the Polaroid camera from the box.
He sighed in relief. I smiled and hugged him again. That was three. 'I'd be assassinated,' I told myself joking.
He smiled and we parted. "I thought we could take a picture for that frame," he said. I blushed and nodded as he sat by me, putting his arm around me. I did the same and laid my head on his shoulder, holding the camera at arms length. I clicked the picture and pulled it out, waiting as it developed. It was perfect; we were both smiling. It was as if we were normal.
As if SD-6 didn't exist.
I smiled and put the picture in my purse, handing him the camera. He shook his head.
"Keep it. Take a few pictures for me on your trips, okay?" He asked me. I grinned and nodded, getting up.
"I'd better be leaving. Francie and Will'll be ecstatic when I come home with a diamond necklace. Plus, I'll have to tell Francie you gave it to me!" I said, half impressed, half exasperated. He grinned.
"That's not bad, is it?" He asked me, joking. I laughed and began to walk.
"Merry Christmas, Vaughn."
He nodded, his sweet, knee-weakening smile beaming back at me.
"Merry Christmas, Syd."
I got home and walked in the door.
Francie rushed up and examined my necklace. She gasped.
"Syd...that's beautiful!" She screeched. I laughed and she went to bring my purse in my room. I walked over by Will, who looked at me quizzingly.
"The necklace is from my mom. I got a camera and a picture to put in my frame from Vaughn," I said. He nodded and I kissed his cheek, walking back to my room as Francie walked out.
I pulled the photograph from my purse and put it in the frame.
It was absolutely picture perfect.
A photo of what I couldn't have.