AN: Music for this Chapter (on repeat): Volare by The Gypsy Kings, How to Save a Life by The Fray, The Reason by Hoobastank, Mother of a Mother by Michael Giacchino from The ALIAS Soundtrack 'Irina's Theme.'
TEN
o
It had been two weeks since the encounter with Katya and everyone was growing restless. The information Irina had provided proved to be legitimate, bringing down quite a number of top terrorists around the globe. The Intel they, in turn provided, suggested Sloane and Cuvee had recovered and were beginning to reorganize looking for Irina had become their top priority.
The actual phrase that came across in the Intel was, 'The hunt is on' and the thought sent chills down Jack's spine. Especially now, since they had finished decoding the Rambaldi pages Sydney had stolen from Cuvee. The pages had proclaimed that Rambaldi would be reborn from the life-blood of 'The Chosen One,' creating the perfect unity and fulfilling the Prophecy. What that actually meant, know one knew for certain.
The one thing Jack did know for certain, Irina was in terrible danger. Normally, she could take care of herself, but according to Katya, she was in no condition to do that. The thought of Cuvee finding her and what he would do to her; scared the hell out of Jack now, after seeing the Kashmir files.
He shook his head, trying to rid the horrible images he was conjuring up there. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out the annulment papers, his thumb grazing over Irina's signature once more. He still couldn't bring himself to sign them, not yet anyway. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Sydney and Vaughn approaching and he quickly shoved the papers back into his case.
Sydney had been working endlessly on any clues that might lead her to any information on her mother's whereabouts, determined not to let Irina disappear on her again. She'd spent countless hours questioning Sark for anything he might know, and in the end gained nothing.
Vaughn's enthusiasm for finding Irina matched that in Jack and Sydney's, after hearing Katya's comments suggesting she too, knew his father. 'Why and how', the questions that wouldn't let him sleep at night.
"Sydney, Vaughn," Jack greeted them calmly, seeing the troubled looks on their faces, "What's going on?"
"Kendall's called a briefing, he says it has something to do with Mom." Sydney crossed her arms over her chest, feeling suddenly insecure. "We're supposed to meet in the briefing room now."
"Ok," Jack rose slowly out of his chair, worried about what they were about to learn, "Did he say what?"
"No, he just said to get you and be in there in five."
Jack nodded and they headed for the briefing room.
"As most of you know," Kendall began looking around the room, "Irina Derevko escaped US custody and has been successfully eluding recapture for the past six months. Today, we hope to change that." Giving an almost sympathetic look to Jack and Sydney. "For the past five weeks, agents have been working undercover tracking a known arms dealer, Antonio Santiago, across South America. One week ago, Santiago checked into a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for an infection in his lung."
"What does this have to do with my mother?" Sydney interrupted, growing impatient with this news.
"Everything." Kendall hit the Play button and video surveillance from the hospitals exterior began to play. "Yesterday morning Santiago was released," Santiago could be seen leaving the hospital and getting into a waiting car. "Not surprising. What was surprising to the agents, was the person who walked out the door just a minute after, Irina Derevko."
Irina could be seen exiting the hospital, though her stomach concealed by a large blue shopping bag hanging over her right shoulder. She paused momentarily on the curb, waiting for her ride and then climbed into the backseat of a black Mercedes sedan. Kendall backed up the footage and froze it on Irina as she stood on the curb.
"How we do we know where she is or if she's even still there?" Sydney asked quickly, her eyes never leaving the image of her mother on the screen. She was panicked at the thought Irina might once again have slipped through their fingers and concerned about the fact that her mother was spotted leaving a hospital. Irina had crossed her arm over the other and the injured hand could plainly be seen on the screen. Sydney couldn't tear her eyes away from the pins protruding from the skin.
Jack, on the other hand, felt his pulse quickening at the sight of a very tan Irina in a strapless white sundress and high heels, her hair dancing around her shoulders as she looked for the car. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
"The agents tracked the car to this house," Kendall changed the image to a photo of a gorgeous house on the beach, backed up against the jungle-covered mountains. "It appears to be Derevko's and according to sources, she's been there a little over a month."
"She could be on the move soon, we can't waste anytime." Jack's pulse racing now, at the thought she might slip away again.
"I know, I'm sending in a Delta team tonight."
"No!" Jack shouted, knowing Irina had a Shoot To Kill order still on her and the Delta team wouldn't hesitate to use it. He realized his outburst and gathered himself, calmly explaining, "Sending in a Delta team is too risky, she could be alerted to their presence and slip through our fingers once again. I suggest that I go and take Sydney, Agent Vaughn, and Agent Weiss for backup. Alone I am less likely to be spotted and Irina has come to me before wanting to talk and sent her sister to give us information. I have a better chance of getting close to her." He hoped his argument sounded convincing.
"Jack, she's bound to have a substantial security force, how are you going to deal with them if things don't go as smoothly as you plan? I can't afford to lose Derevko again or you as an agent if she captures or kills you." Kendall shifted his weight and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in on Jack.
"I won't be alone, I'll have backup if needed… and we won't let Irina get away."
"She's gotten away from you three times before-"
Jack interrupted seeing where this was going, "She won't get away again."
"Fine." Kendall gave in. "Take those three with you, Jack you're in charge. Don't make me sorry I listened to you. You leave in three hours." He handed Jack the file with the Intel the agents had gathered and stormed out to the room.
Eyeing Jack and Sydney through the glass of the briefing room he sat heavily in his chair. Finally he picked up the phone, "Yeah…it's Kendall. Get me the Delta team leader."
-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-
It had been a long hot day, and Irina welcomed the cool breeze that nightfall brought. Katya had left two days earlier, needing to take care of some things in Russia that could only be dealt with in person. She had planned to be back by the end of the week. Irina couldn't wait, she was enjoying her newfound closeness with her sister again and was getting used to the idea of having her around. Talking and laughing with Katya was helping to keep her sane. She had been in an incredibly good mood all day; the doctor's visit yesterday had been uplifting and she was getting excited about the baby's impending arrival.
She put a couple of her favorite CDs into the player and hit the 'Random' button. She could feel the baby start kicking and flipping around inside her as the music began to play. 'She' already loved music as much as her mother.
*Volare' *
Irina danced her way into the kitchen singing along with the Gipsy King's 'Volare.' She stopped to check how much time was left on the banana cake she was baking in the oven, the smell intoxicatingly good and filling the house. It still had about ten minutes left and she was too hungry to wait. She stopped to smile at the new images of her baby on the fridge, her hand instantly going to rest on her belly.
Reaching inside she grabbed a juice, and shut the door with her foot. She picked up a mango and knife and began slicing when she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She looked up at a security monitor that was hanging in the corner and scanned each block, looking for any movement. She sighed seeing nothing, feeling herself relax and thinking she was being paranoid and that's when she saw them… the knife falling from her hand as she bolted for the patio door.
Jack had been canvassing the area around Irina's house with his night vision goggles when he heard shots ringing out followed by a command of,
"Go! Go! Go!"
He whipped his head up to see men dressed in black repelling from the roof and crashing through the windows, it was the Delta team. "Son-of-a-bitch!" He seethed watching the men ambush the house.
"What's going on?" Sydney asked running up behind him followed by Weiss and Vaughn.
"Kendall." Jack answered without taking his eyes off the house.
"But you told him not to!" He could hear the panic creeping into Sydney's voice.
"He must have changed his mind."
"I'm going in." Sydney began creeping through the jungle towards the house.
"Sydney!" He yelled after her. Realizing she wasn't stopping, he grabbed his gun and motioned for the other two men to follow.
By the time they caught up with Sydney she was already at the base of the house. Shouts of "Clear!" Could be heard coming from various rooms of the house.
"She's not here. She was tipped off… looks like we just missed her." A younger man informed another man, Jack could only presume was the Team Leader.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jack screamed at the man, charging through the broken sliding glass doors of the downstairs patio.
"My job, Agent Bristow." He glared at Jack; leaning into the Com on his shoulder, "Clear out of the house. Check the area, she couldn't have gotten far." He turned his attention back to Jack, "Kendall didn't think you'd be able to bring her in on your own."
"This is my Op! I don't care what your orders are. I am the Senior Officer here and I am demanding you leave now!" Jack stepped closer to the man, his face turning red with anger.
"We've scanned the immediate area, sir… she's not here but we'll keep looking," a young man burst through the door.
"Don't bother," The Team Leader replied turning his attention back to Jack, "She's gone already. Go ahead and the men to clear out Puetz." He stepped around Jack and exited the house through the broken doors.
"What is that smell?" Weiss asked sniffing into the air.
"Shhh!" Vaughn motioned, "What is that noise?"
They quieted for a moment.
"It's music." Weiss added turning towards the stairs.
"That's not what I'm talking about. Don't you hear it? Sounds like a buzzer."
They cautiously made their way up the stairs.
"Something smells good." Weiss sniffed again.
"Shhh!" Vaughn once again shushed him.
"What? I'm hungry. Stop with the 'shushing' already."
The sound grew louder as they approached the kitchen.
"It's the oven timer." Jacked sighed and they split up scanning the rooms downstairs.
"Wow… she can cook too? She really is impressive."
"Weiss, enough already! She shot you remember! You almost died." Vaughn was getting unnerved by the entire situation and upset that Irina had disappeared yet again.
"Of course I remember almost dying… but she didn't actually shoot me remember… it was the screwdriver." Weiss walked to the kitchen and shut the timer buzzer off and the oven.
"Enough. Scan the house for any clues that might tell us where she went to." Jack barked walking around the living room. He noticed Sydney transfixed on the other side of the room, staring intently at a frame in her hand.
"Sydney, what is it?" Jack walked closer to her.
"It's a picture of us… Mom and me on my sixth birthday." Her' fingers grazing the smiling faces. She gently placed the photo back on the table next to the other photos of Sydney at various ages.
"This is weird." Vaughn picked up a prescription bottle sitting on the coffee table.
"What is it?" Sydney moved swiftly towards Vaughn. He handed her the bottle.
"Folic acid for Nikola Bristow." She read causing Jack's eyes to widen. "Must be the alias she's using."
Jack swallowed hard at the fact Irina had used Bristow as her alias.
"I've never seen so many mangoes in all my life." Weiss gazed around the kitchen at the baskets of fruit everywhere. Picking up a slice that Irina had just cut from the cutting board, earning another glare from Jack and Vaughn. He ignored their looks and popped another piece in his mouth."She must really like mangoes."
"She loves mangoes." Jack looked helplessly at the fruit and then at Sydney. "I couldn't buy enough of them for her when she was pregnant with you." A small smile crept across his face at sharing the memory with Sydney.
"So while we're searching for clues…can we eat this banana cake, it smells really good." Weiss bent over looking into the oven.
"Oh my god…" Sydney gasped walking up behind Weiss.
"What? I'm just hungry that's all." He closed the door quickly, turning to look at Sydney.
Her gaze transfixed at the images on the fridge. "Folic acid." She could hardly breath, putting it together in her head. "Mangoes… She's pregnant!" She gasped pulling the sonogram images from the fridge, staring intently at the incredible images of the baby.
"What? Are you sure?" Vaughn moved quickly to Sydney's side, looking at the photos.
"It says Baby Bristow… mother Nikola Bristow… they were taken yesterday." She stood frozen, her mind racing.
Jack was frozen, unable to move unable to breathe. Realizing now, what Katya had really meant in regards to Irina being 'indisposed.' She had deceived them once again, the thought of her pregnant with another man's child sickening him. The fact she was using his last name made it worse. 'No wonder she wants an annulment,' His heart torn between anger and sadness.
"Wow… that is incredible… it's a perfect baby. I've never seen anything like this." Weiss glanced over Sydney's shoulder.
"It says she was twenty-five weeks yesterday." Sydney looked up to meet Jack's eyes, seeing the sadness there. She handed him the photos and slowly he took them, his chest instantly tightening at seeing the beautiful baby curled up and sleeping so sweetly inside Irina.
"Twenty-five weeks?" Vaughn calculated in his head. "How is that possible?" He looked around the room at the bewildered faces. "Twenty-five weeks, six months ago… she was in US custody… She was in our custody."
"Twenty-five weeks from yesterday…is," Sydney calculated in her head stunned by Vaughn's realization. "That's like February 13th or 14th, right?"
Jack's face suddenly grew pale at the calculation Sydney was making, his eyes wide in shock.
"She was with you! In Panama… the passive tracker… you slept with her!" Sydney's eyes grew wide at her realization. "It's your baby…"
Jack felt as though a ton of bricks had just landed on him, sucking the breath right out of him. He couldn't deny it. Before, he would have tried to rationalize the thought, 'it' could have just as easily been Sloane's, she did escape with him the very next day… but knowing what he did about Irina now, and staring at the sweet little face in the pictures, there was no denying he was the father. He could make out his own features in the baby and his heart sank.
Just moments ago he was internally berating Irina at the thought she had gotten pregnant with another man's child, all the time he was feeling sorry for misjudging her, jumping to conclusions that would always make her the 'wrong' party… He was the wrong party. He was angry with Irina for not telling him they were going to have another baby but then… she had tried. He understood now, why Irina had come to him… took the risk just to talk with him… Why she looked so hurt and angry at his words… Why Katya had said she'd wished he 'would have just listened to Irina', and why Irina had refused to see him or Sydney now. "Yes…" He finally answered forcing himself to look at Sydney, "I was with your mother in Panama."
"She was a prisoner!" Vaughn spat out angrily.
"She's also my wife!" Jack shouted back, feeling defensive about his actions.
"She was in your custody… what were you thinking?"
"I don't feel the need to explain myself to you Agent Vaughn." Jack tried to control his anger.
"I think you do!" Vaughn stepped forward in anger at the thought of Jack sleeping with his father's killer. "I knew there was more you weren't telling us about Panama!"
"I had my reasons!" Jack took a step towards Vaughn.
"That's why she came to your house… you said you were fighting about Panama!"
Sydney saw this situation quickly getting out of control stepped between them. "Look, this is getting us nowhere. I don't understand and I don't want to think about it right now, although Mom's comment about her 'love for you and your father not being a contrivance' suddenly makes more sense, as does your dodging of Marshall's questions about how you planted the passive tracker on Mom." She shook her head stepping back, not wanting to think about 'how' that was planted. "The point is we have to find her now more the ever." She sighed looking at Jack, "She's actually having a baby." She felt her eyes getting a little misty. "I can't believe she's still pregnant… in Tuscany… I shot her! She jumped off a skyscraper… and everything that happened to her in Russia with Sloane and Cuvee… Dad, you shot her in the abdomen… I don't know how she didn't miscarry… it's a miracle."
The men in the room remained silent, contemplating Sydney's words.
Jack feeling especially guilty that he'd almost killed Irina and their unborn child, even if he didn't know. Guilt was strange that way, didn't matter if you 'should' feel it or not…there was no reasoning with guilt...
"We need to split up and start looking for any and everything concerning Mom and her whereabouts. This is not the time or place to get into this." Sydney was once again taking control of the situation.
The team split up and began rummaging around the house. Jack and Sydney took the upstairs while Vaughn and Weiss searched the lower levels.
Jack stumbled upon what he could only presume to be Irina's room.
*How To Save A Life*
The large room was lit by the moonlight cascading through an open balcony and it looked beautiful. Clean and white with a gorgeous four-post wooden bed draped in delicate mosquito net, centered against the far wall. He took a step inside and seeing a lamp on the nightstand, walked over and turned it on; the light immediately illuminating the two, framed photos residing there. Jack sat heavily on the bed, reaching to pick up the first photo.
It was a fairly recent picture of Sydney in the park, and was a close-up taken from a telephoto lens no doubt…Sydney was smiling brightly at someone…Vaughn, he guessed, though no other person could be seen. She looked incredibly happy and beautiful. With the other hand he hesitantly picked up the photo of his 'other' child, so perfect and small, still growing inside Irina. He marveled at the detail he could see in the baby. Perfect little eyebrows and Irina's nose and lips…his chin. The baby's hand had been curled tightly against their sweet little face, just the way a newborn would sleep. He wondered if Irina knew the sex of the baby, though it didn't matter…the baby was absolutely perfect one-way or the other, just like Sydney.
"Dad…" Sydney had stepped into the room without Jack's notice. "Are you ok?" She asked lightly, seeing her father sitting on the bed.
"Yeah…" He smiled as she took a seat next to him, taking one of the photos from him and staring at the other.
"Where'd you get these?" She asked scanning the photos.
"They were here, on your mother's nightstand." He motioned with his head. Sydney couldn't contain the surprise she felt at yet another realization of just how much her mother cared about her. She glanced back down at the photo of the baby.
"I can't believe it… a baby." She sighed with a small smile. "It's just unbelievable… all this time she's been pregnant."
Jack stood, suddenly uncomfortable with the thought…'all this time.'
Sydney placed the frames back on the nightstand and looked around the room. The moonlight catching another frame on different dresser just right, getting her attention. It was a smaller frame with four separate photographs; all of Katya and Irina.
The top two photographs had been taken when they were little girls, five and six, Sydney guessed, both photos taken at the same time. They were sitting on a garden bench in front of rundown mansion, with infectious smiles and rag-tag clothes.
In the first photo Katya and Irina had their arms wrapped around each other's necks, leaning their heads into one another, laughing.
The second, Katya was pulling Irina's head down to her and kissing her temple. It was the first picture Sydney had ever seen of her mother as a little girl.
The bottom two photographs, identical in pose and place except they had been taken recently…Irina's arm still in a sling, confirming the fact. The infectious smiles were still there, though Sydney could see the hint of sadness in her mother's eyes.
"Dad…" Sydney turned to Jack. He saw the frame in her hand and walked slowly to where she was standing, taking the frame from her. "Do you recognize where they are? It has to be somewhere in Russia if Mom and Katya were there when they were little too."
Jack remained silent, nodding he agreed, but continued to study the photographs… seeing 'Irina' as a child for the first time too. He smiled at the photos of the sisters, happy to see Irina was smiling when they'd been taken, though he could see her sadness as well.
Vaughn and Weiss made their way into the room, each carrying something.
"What did you guys find?" Sydney moved to inspect their findings.
"Well I found this," Weiss held up an ammo belt and gun holster, "on top of this." In his other hand he held up the book, What To Expect When You're Expecting. "Only in the home of Irina Derevko." He raised his eyebrows at Sydney causing her to crack a smile.
Vaughn walked to the bed and set a medium sized box down. "I just found this… what did you find?"
"Nothing really… maybe something I don't know… do you recognize this place?" Sydney handed the frame containing photos of Irina and Katya to Vaughn. "Its somewhere in Russia but we don't know where. Wherever it is, my mother might have gone there. She seems connected to it somehow."
"It's the garden at Alexander Palace outside St. Petersburg." He looked up, shocked. "I recognize it from the photos Marshall found on your grandmother… it was the Romanov's favorite home, especially your grandmother's." He handed the frame back to Sydney.
"You're right… I didn't even think about that. I still can't get used to the idea that my mother is... royalty." She sighed looking again at the photographs. "What's in the box?"
"I didn't really look at it, just brought it up here after I opened it. Looks like burned DVDs, some letters… and photographs of you when you're little." He smiled sadly, as Sydney opened the box.
Sydney removed the DVD cases, setting them aside and froze at seeing her name written on an envelope. Slowly she removed it, unsure if she should open it… feeling as though she would somehow be violating her mother's privacy… the thought absurd, as they were in the middle of ransacking her house looking for information. "I don't know if I should open it…" She looked to her father hoping to find an answer. Jack nodded slowly that she should and Sydney took a seat on the bed, preparing herself for whatever was written inside. She removed the letter from the envelope carefully.
It was written in English, and it looked like a poem, not a far-fetched idea, as Irina had once been an English Literature Professor at UCLA.
With the paper shaking in her hand, Sydney began to read it quietly out loud.
*The Reason *
'Sydney,
Today, I told you of my plans to deceive the CIA and that I'd changed my mind and wanted to give you everything I knew. You didn't believe me said I was 'insane,' for suddenly wanting to give it all up. You couldn't understand my reasons but the reason is you…
The Reason~
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do…
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you…
And so I have to say before I go,
That I just want you to know…
I found a reason for me…
To change who I used to be…
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you…
I'm sorry that I hurt you,
It's something I must live with everyday.
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away,
And be the one who catches all your tears…'
Sydney couldn't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks and used the back of her hand to wipe them away as she tried to finish reading it.
'That's why I need you to hear
I've found a reason for me…
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go…'
Sydney's voice began to crack and angrily wiped the tears and her nose.
'That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I use to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you…
I found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do…
And the reason is you…'
Sydney paused, trying to control a sob threatening to escape…
'I love you to the moon and back…more then the stars in the heavens and grains of sand on Earth… forever and always, Sydney'
No one said anything as Sydney collected herself, folding the letter and placing it back in the envelope. She set it aside and reached once again into the box pulling out another letter with
'Jack' scrawled across it. She handed it slowly to her father, who continued to stare at the writing, still moved by what Irina had written about Sydney.
Noticing they were waiting for him to read it, he stuffed it inside his vest, unwilling to read whatever Irina had written, in front of others, especially after the letter she'd written to Sydney… He couldn't imagine what this was going to say and felt it should be read in private.
Sydney took the hint and reached back into the box removing a small stack of photographs. The first few were of Sydney when she was little, taken with her mother and some with her father.
There were pictures of Jack alone and with Irina and Sydney… others were from Irina's childhood with Katya. Sydney continued to flip through the stack of photographs smiling at seeing new photos of her mother. Sydney flipped the last picture over and froze, all expression leaving her face. She recognized the circumstances surrounding the photo. It had been taken the same day, same place as the surveillance photos of her mother in the park on October 1st, 1970 with the man they knew only from the photo's inscription as Mikhail Vontonavich.
*Mother of a Mother *
This photo was unlike the others in the fact that is had been taken knowingly… The man and Irina both facing the camera, smiling like a happy couple posing for a snapshot, with Irina sitting between the man's legs, his arms wrapped around her upper body, his face nuzzled down in the crook of her neck, resting his head against hers; her arms wrapped over his.
Sydney felt her chest tightening as she stared at the photo.
"Sydney, what is it?" Vaughn asked immediately concerned at seeing her face losing its color.
She looked up slowly meeting Vaughn's eyes with sadness and then to her father. "It's the man in the park with my mother, the one who tried to escape with her and was killed… Mikhail Vontonavich." She tried to swallow the massive lump in her throat finding it difficult, as it was so dry.
"What about him?" Vaughn asked again, seeing the tears welling in her eyes.
"Vaughn… it's your father." Looking at Vaughn, then at her father and Weiss's surprised faces.
AN: So...anyone out there reading this? Enjoying? Wanting to more?