Chapter 1

Jack Bristow stood on the balcony overlooking the French river valley wishing, not for the first time, he could be in his room enjoying the spy thriller he'd bought at the airport. He was still feeling a bit jet lagged, and the sullen skies and heavy rain pounding the countryside only deepened his already dark mood.

His friend Liz Vachon and her husband Joseph were throwing a party celebrating their fifteenth wedding anniversary. He had accepted Liz's invitation to attend, despite his dislike for such affairs.

He and Liz had been close once, and had remained friends through the years. Recently, she had gone on a mission for him, which ended by compromising her cover and almost costing her marriage. Joseph had resigned from his government post, staving off what could have been a highly embarrassing scandal. Liz, in return, officially retired as a spy for the British government. He was happy for Liz's sake that Joseph was able to move past the betrayal and was honored that she wanted him to be present as the two forged their new life together.

He could hear the sounds of laughter coming from the house as the party guests enjoyed the free flowing alcohol. His presence would be required later, when the cake was cut, but for now he preferred the solitude of the porch.

He was the only one outside, occupying the only place sheltered from the storm. Couples looking for a bit of privacy would dare only a moment in the elements before seeking a more hospitable niche. He heard the door open, but didn't bother to look. As had others before, whoever it was would only need a moment outside to retreat from the wind and rain.

"Somehow, I knew I would find you here."

Jack turned to the voice, quickly hiding his surprise. "Irina?" He frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I was invited."

Jack snorted.

"Elizabeth called me last week." A gust of wind whipped at her hair. She pulled it back, away from her face. "I assumed you were the one who requested her to call. She apologized for not including me in the original invitation and congratulated me on our reconciliation."

Jack searched her face for signs of lying. Outwardly, she seemed sincere enough, but he had learned the hard way how adept Irina was at prevarication. "Our what?"

"Reconciliation. About us being back together."

Jack looked at her blankly. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Someone said something to her. She wasn't lying, Jack."

"No," he agreed reluctantly. "That actually clarifies my conversation with her when I arrived. I thought it was for Joseph-" he broke off. Irina had no need to know about his previous relationship with Liz. Liz had chosen not to tell Joseph, either. Officially, he and Liz had merely been business partners.

Irina noticed the hesitation, but chose not to remark on it. "If you didn't set this up, then somebody else did. Who knew you were attending?"

"Just Sydney and, by default, Vaughn."

Irina shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. I doubt Vaughn would arrange this. And Sydney-"

"Sydney," Jack said, interrupting her, "wants us to be a family again. I'll deal with her when I get back."

"In the meantime?"

"I'll make arrangements for your return."

"No."

"No?"

"I'm staying."

"You can't stay," Jack said, with exaggerated patience. "Liz will expect us to share a room."

Irina cocked an eyebrow. "I don't seem to remember that being a problem."

Jack's face darkened. "Irina, this isn't a game. There is nothing to be accomplished by having you stay and I have no intention of continuing this lie with Liz."

"We need to talk."

"We can talk back in Los Angeles."

"I tried. You've been avoiding me."

"What a vivid imagination you have. I have merely been busy."

"You're retired now."

"Yes, and it is quite amazing the things there are to occupy ones time."

"The doctor told you to take it easy."

Jack felt a surge of anger. "How the hell do you know that?"

"How the hell do you think?" Irina responded flatly.

Jack stared at her. "Sydney really has been busy. I apparently failed to teach her about keeping personal information private."

"We have put her in an awkward position." He started to comment, but Irina put a hand up, stopping him. "Please, Jack, let me finish." He nodded. "I tried to see you when you were in the hospital. Your government would not let me beyond the glass wall. When you were recovering, they wouldn't even let me that far."

This, Jack could tell, had angered her. He considered telling her that he was the one who had refused to see her, but thought better of it.

"When you were released, you ignored my requests to see you."

He feigned ignorance. "I don't remember any requests."

"Don't lie, Jack, I can always tell."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that."

"I lived with you for ten years. You haven't changed as much as you think."

"Of course, every good whore should know her mark and you were one of the KGB's best."The spark of anger she leveled in return surprised him.

"Yes, Jack, I did my job very well. That doesn't mean I am without feeling. They warned us in our training not to become emotionally involved. Based on your dossier, I had no concerns about that happening. They thought you were a cold fish. It wasn't until our marriage that I realized how wrong the file was about you. I tried not to love you. The night we conceived Sydney I knew I had failed."

"I see. Very nicely calculated. Stroke my ego. Isn't that what Cuvee said was my weakness?" Jack didn't bother to hide the bitterness.

"Your weakness is that you always put those you love above yourself."

He clapped, a slow, mocking salute. "Another stroke. You really are quite good at this, Irina."

"Stop it, Jack. I have been waiting for this meeting for a long time and I'm not going to waste it on things that can't be changed. Our past will always be there. It doesn't have to be our future."

"Our future?"

"Yes," Irina replied, firmly. "That's why I am here. I want to talk to you about us, about our marriage." She faced him squarely. "Only I had imagined somewhere a little more private."

"Let me save you the trouble." Jack told her, silkily. "There is no 'us'. We are married only because of a technicality, therefore we have nothing further to discuss."

"You told me that we were legally married until the marriage is annulled. Have you filed for an annulment?" She observed the slight reddening around his ears. "We do need to talk, Jack." She looked around. "But not here. Elizabeth said she had invited you to stay here for a few days and-"

"No," Jack broke in harshly. "Liz obviously believes we have resumed our marriage. I am not sharing a room with you." A man had only so much willpower and, where Irina was concerned, his was not very strong.

"Despite everything that has happened, Jack, we both know our daughter arranged this. You taught her to problem solve. This is her solution. Don't you think you should at least give it a chance?"