Too Many Steps, Too Little Time
Jack Bristow stood in front of Irina Derevko's cell, watching her brush her hair. She didn't notice he was there for a few minutes and he was immediately taken back to the days of their marriage when he would watch her brush her hair in the morning, constantly in awe of how anyone could look that beautiful just doing a normal, every day thing. He was so lost in his memories, he didn't hear her call his name.
"Jack..are you alright?"
He straightened up. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I just came by to thank you for helping us in Kashmir. And for, well, you know, your little show for Cuvee." He offered a tiny smile.
Irina smiled back at him and stepped closer to the glass. "It was all I could think of to keep him from killing all of us." She looked at his somewhat bloodied lip from where she pistol whipped him, "I'm sorry I hit you, are you okay?" She had a geunine look of concern in her eyes.
"Sure, nothing I can't handle." Jack replied.
Irina took this opportunity to clarify something she felt she needed to ever since that mission.
"Jack, about what Cuvee told you. I need to explain."
Jack shook his head, "You don't have to, Irina."
"But I want to, please. He was right about being my supervisor at the KGB and he was right about giving me the assignment that brought me to you. But he was wrong about what he said. I just..wanted you to know that." She ran a hand through her long hair.
"Thank you," was all Jack could say. He knew exactly what she was referring to. And he actually did believe her. He gave her a bigger smile this time, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure." Irina replied, "Jack?"
He turned around.
"Don't you even want to know why the KGB thought I was a traitor?"
"The truth?"
"Because they suspected I had become attached to my American life, to you and Sydney. They felt that I had fed them false intel for as long as I could just so I could stay with you."
Jack swallowed, "How come you didn't tell me?"
Irina looked away from him, "Because I figured you wouldn't believe me."
"Truth takes time. That's what you told Sydney in Taipai."
"Yes".
The couple stood for another minute or so, neither saying a word, just looking at each other. Both realizing that even though it was a small step, they'd taken another step in trusting each other and Irina knew she'd made some progress in attempting to make things right with her family. They would need a lot more time and a lot more steps and sadly, neither were in the cards.
FIN.