AN: At the end of this chapter, the third 'film' begins covering the time that Irina was in CIA custody and just after including what happened after Irina disappeared down the stairwell in Moscow. It will gloss over known scenes and information, but mostly give all new information and insight as we see things from Irina's POV, and Jack's and scenes that happened 'off screen' from the show. Generally, you're about to get a whole lot more information than was ever revealed in Season Two of ALIAS or in Absolution. All the things we 'wanted' to see and know and were denied! :) So strap in as we continue to learn more about this 'truth taking time!'
Music for this chapter (on repeat): The Godfather Waltz by Nino Rota and Henri Mancini from The Godfather Soundtrack, What Child is This? by David Lanz, Rock House Jail by Hans Zimmer from The Rock Soundtrack, Mother of a Mother by Michael Giacchino from the ALIAS Soundtrack, Rabat by Michael Giacchino from the ALIAS Soundtrack, Mother of a Mother by Michael Giacchino from the ALIAS Soundtrack
TWENTY-FIVE
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The fingers and hand that softly covered her mouth bolted Sophia's eyes open startled and surprised to see her aunt standing over her with fingers to her lips telling her not to make a sound.
Slowly Irina removed her hand with a mischievous smile in her eyes and nodded towards Weiss sleeping soundly beside Sophia. She took Sophia's hand seeing the confusion in her niece's eyes at being awoken before the sun had even risen and led her to the hallway.
"Go back to sleep for awhile in the Spare Room down the hall, Sweetheart." Irina cupped her face with a smile, whispering. "I've got something planned for your fiancé."
Sophia immediately broke into a wide devious grin, knowing whatever was coming his way, was bound to be hilarious at his expense.
"Can I help?"
"No Sweetheart, but thanks for the offer. I've got it all taken care of. I'll come wake you when it's time." Irina kissed Sophia's forehead and pushed her sleepy niece gently on her way.
When the door behind Sophia closed a few doors down, Irina walked to the banister and peered over the edge, signaling with her fingers to the men below it was safe to come up.
Irina leaned over the bed with a dangerous smile and kissed Weiss's cheek lightly trying not to laugh before, closing the massive curtains to block out the rising sun and leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
"Come on, Sweetheart," Irina leaned over Jack ten minutes later with Lena in her arms and giggling excitedly. "Time to wake up. I've already sent the other's downstairs."
"For what?" Jack scrubbed his hand over his face sleepily with a smiled as he slipped into his slippers and robe watching Lena snuggling against Irina's chest with thumb in mouth and Lovie blanket to her cheek.
It was early, really early… even for the baby.
"This mornings entertainment." Irina smiled mischievously and pulled on his hand. "Let's go."
The slow blinking eyes of her very tired friends and family had followed her directions when she woke them all individually and told them to meet her in the theatre room where coffee, tea and breakfast await them with a surprise.
Vaughn yawned widely, trying to force his eyes open feeling like he'd just gone to bed and then smiled at Sydney, realizing he just did after their mid-night activities.
"So what's this all about?" Kendall rubbed his own sleepy eyes pouring a cup of coffee for himself and one for Judy who was groggily leaning against Bella, the two with heads together stifling yawns.
"I think we're about to find out." Katya smiled through her own hazy gaze, twirling the hair on the back of Marcelo's neck with her fingers when she watched her sister approach with Jack and Lena in tow.
"Ok everyone, have a seat please." Irina smiled, resting her cheek against her baby girls' downy soft hair while she picked up the remote. "Now that you're all here and semi-awake we can begin."
"But we're not all here yet, Your Majesty, Mrs. Bristow, Empress," Marshall fumbled with what to call her as usual making them all smile.
"Irina, Marshall." She threw her Derevko eyebrow at him with a smile.
"Eric's not here yet." He slunk down into the cushion with burning cheeks.
"Yeah, where is that slug?" Vaughn laughed, noting Sophia was leaning against her Dad instead of fiancé.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask Aunt Rina." Sophia smiled lazily with a giggle erupting from within not knowing what was going on but it somehow involved her fiancé and imaginative aunt.
"Mom… what did you do to Eric?" Sydney smiled with eyes becoming bright.
Irina's Cheshire Cat grin firmly in place she hit PLAY on the remote for the movie screen in front of them and flashed to an index of rooms on the security monitors in the kitchen.
The confusion on everyone's faces quickly turned to roaring laughter when she clicked on the image of Weiss and Sophia's room where Weiss was still sleeping soundly. She hit PLAY on the entire palaces Surround Sound and the thunderous squeals of laughter roared louder at the music coursing through the house and his room.
*The Godfather Waltz*
"Oh my God!" Vaughn roared turning red and practically rolling on the floor as was everyone else.
The music slowly began to sift through the heavy sleep Weiss was in as it grew steadily louder and his nose twitched as he became more alert.
With each noticeable twitch the audience downstairs roared with hysteria. He slowly rolled over reaching for Sophia in the spot next to him where she'd normally be and what his hand met was not what he expected. His eyes flew open instantly at meeting the cold wet substance and immediately started screaming causing those on the sofas below to literally fall from their seats, holding their sides.
Weiss bolted upright, still screaming and looking around frantically at the hundreds of pounds of frozen Cod fish covering him in his bed while the 'Godfather Waltz' blared over his rooms speakers.
"Oh God, I have to see this in person!" Sophia bolted from the floor with tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard at her Aunt's payback.
Everyone else in the room quickly followed up the stairs behind her still roaring with laughter and holding their sides while Irina calmly set the remote down and smiled at Jack, the last two to leave with Lena still in her arms.
"Expect more fish in St. Petersburg." Jack recalled the line shaking his head and then burst out into his own devilish laughter. "Oh that was good, My Love… you are the Master!"
Their thoughts were suddenly jarred when those who'd been downstairs with them watching suddenly bolted into Weiss's room, all singing along loudly with the song and laughing with pointing fingers on the screen behind them.
Jack took Lena from her and then her hand laughing and led Irina upstairs to join the others.
"Oh shit!" Weiss ran his hand through his hair, still trembling and trying to hold back his smile though failing and finally broke into laughter, looking around at the layers of frozen Cod around him.
"She totally busted you!" Vaughn laughed hysterically and Katya came in with camera in hand, snapping photos of Weiss sitting in bed 'packed' in dead fish with wild bed head and smile. "Oh God, she got you good!"
Weiss picked up a dead fish and threw it at Vaughn missing him when he ducked and hitting Kendall instead who gave him a stern eyebrow, making Weiss gulp before they all broke into a fit of laughter again.
"So where is she, The Master Godfather?" Weiss laughed, sniffing the air and squinting. He had to admit, this was damn good payback.
Irina made her way through the crowd that slowly parted for her with them singing along again more loudly and the other's just laughing as she stood before the end of the bed, with dangerous eyes and smile looming at him looking every bit 'The Man.'
"Well, I guess its better then waking up with a horses head in my bed." Weiss laughed, flipping a dead fish back and forth across his lap shyly slinking back under her gaze.
"I already told you… I'm quite fond of my horses. Fish though," Irina picked up one of the slimy frozen creatures and eyed it with deadly intent and that feral look that made them all swallow a bit harder, most of them all having the same thought, 'She was good.' Her 'scary lady' bit was still as effective now as it had been when she turned herself into the CIA. "Cod especially. I've never quite found my favor with." She walked slowly towards him, holding the frozen fish like a knife around its tail and ready to stab any second. "But I see you are quite comfortable with them." She slapped him lightly on both cheeks with the dead creature and finally smiled fully, the one they all loved with laughter lighting her eyes as she pressed the fish's lips to his before he knew what was happening and they all died again in laughter watching him spit repeatedly in disgust.
Irina stopped laughing long enough to sniff the air and move closer to Weiss making him gulp at the nearness of her face just an inch from his own, "No offense, Mr. Weiss but you smell like dead fish." She broke into laughter again even as she moved to open the curtains and threw open French Doors, letting in the biting Russian cold but allowing the horrid smell to start to clear before it completely soaked into the room.
"So how exactly did you pull this off, Your Majesty?" Weiss smiled, sitting at the breakfast table after showering thoroughly. A group of men were now upstairs removing the fish while a team of women cleaned up the rest of the mess. "Like, who did you get to come pack me with fish and move five hundred pounds of frozen Cod in the middle of the night?"
"The same fish packers I've always used." She smiled devilishly before taking a sip of her orange juice and all motion ceased at the table with wide eyes and slightly ajar mouths staring at her with the image of the former leader of K-Directorate packed in Cod still fresh in their minds.
The same men who'd packed dead bodies in ice for her, packed Weiss in his bed this morning… that was a frightening and funny concept all at once in context to what the situation was. Finally, they followed her lead breaking into smiles and laughter.
The realization and reminder that she really was the 'Godfather' made it all the more funny to them in that moment, finding humor in the reality now.
"You still smell man." Marshall loudly whispered out of the side of his mouth sitting beside him trying not to smile.
"I've already scrubbed my skin until it's raw!" Weiss held up his pink arm.
"Well perhaps, you should try some of Irina's soap." Marshall smiled shyly using her first name and Irina smiled happily that he'd finally succumbed to calling her by her given name instead of constantly fumbling over what to call her with her title. "She always smells really good." He blushed. "Like roses or something."
The implication was doubly funny at not only the jab against Weiss for smelling like dead fish and Irina like roses when she was responsible for the smell, but also Marshall's face burned bright red and reminded them all of Bashful from the Seven Dwarfs.
"Thank you, Marshall." Irina gave him a full smile with loving eyes watching as his own dimples deepened.
Irina heard a soft knock on her partially opened door as she lay on her side in bed, reading her briefings on the current economic conditions of her country.
Lena was lying on the upper part of her arm, tucked back against Irina as far as she could go, sucking on her thumb and blissfully asleep in the security of her mother's arms just as Sydney had done with her so many years before when taking naps together.
Sydney peeked her head in and broke into a wide grin when she saw her mother and little sister snuggled up together on the enormous bed. Her heart instantly surged with warmth remembering vague fragments of being in the same loving position with her mother when she was little.
Irina beckoned her forward quietly and set her papers aside, while Sydney slid into bed carefully on the other side facing her mother.
"I'm so tired." Sydney whispered and Irina reached over Lena carefully to stroke the hair behind Sydney's ear with a smile. "I thought I'd come take a nap with the four of you before dinner and church." Her dimples deepened as she lightly kissed Lena's forehead and lay her palm on her mother's ever growing belly now in its glorious Third Trimester.
"I think that's a wonderful idea, Sweetheart." Irina whispered back with a sleepy smile, more exhausted then she'd like to admit after preparing for Christmas in all respects as well as forging ahead with the peace propositions with Chechnya all the while very pregnant. "I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Me neither." Sydney yawned.
"I know." Irina smiled chuckling softly thinking about the look on Jack's face.
"What do you mean you 'know'?" Sydney's heart immediately started to beat faster with the fear of having been caught yet again by her mother.
"Well, I don't know exactly." Irina smiled, and saw the flash of relief in Sydney's eyes adding with a small laugh, "But your father does."
"Ohhhhh no!" Sydney groaned immediately covering her eyes with cheeks burning bright red beneath her hand.
"Yes Sweetheart, you might have to lend him some of that Mental Bleach you're so fond of. Seems it's your father's turn to be horrified at witnessing your sexual activities instead of the other way around for once." Irina laughed, smoothing her hand over Sydney's head and pushing her hair behind her ears while her daughter continued to cover her eyes.
"How much did he see?" She asked, not able to look her mother in the eyes and ask that question with her mind rapidly going over the moments with her husband the night before.
"Enough that when he came back into the bathroom after going to the kitchen to get me something to eat that he said, 'he was blind." Irina couldn't stop the laughter bubbling out from her and stifled it the best she could as to not wake Lena. "Something about your naked back, my desk in the Library and your dimples… and not the ones on these cheeks." Irina tweaked her cheek on her face with another enormous smiling hearing Sydney whimper beneath her hand.
"Oh God… I'm not sure which is more horrifying now. Seeing the two of you go at it or having Daddy see me?" Sydney groaned, "At least you had some clothes on!" She whined thinking about the day of witnessing her mother pressed against the glass cell by her father. "I'm pregnant for God-sake! Why does this have to bother me so?" She sighed frustrated then laughed softly running her hand over her mother's belly and then her own.
"Because he's your father and at any age, it's something we never want to talk about with them. Pregnant or not, they don't like to think about how we got that way." Irina laughed softly, placing her own hand on Sydney's little belly.
"I suppose he's mad at Vaughn now?" Sydney laughed knowing her father too well at times.
"He was, but it was so cute. He was so flustered when he came back up and just about as red as you are now, something you get from him." Irina smiled with a soft laugh, "How dare he do such a thing when she's pregnant." Irina lowered her voice mocking Jack's tone and making them both laugh. "But he got over it and realized that was illogical."
"How?" Sydney asked immediately, brushing one of Lena's long curls away from her eyes.
"I simply put his hand on my own bulging baby belly and laughed at the hypocrisy that statement held considering…" She let it die off with a smirk when Sydney's eyes went wide then slapped her hand over her eyes once more making Irina laugh.
"Why must I ask these questions?" She shook her head with a smile, realizing why her parents were probably up that late, why her father was getting her mother something to eat to 'recharge' her batteries in the middle of the night. "This is one of those instances where I'd wish that 'Truth Takes Time' or never at all!"
"Really?" Irina asked with raised eyebrows.
There was a hint of hurt, Sydney thought she'd heard coming across her mother's tone and immediately dropped her hand to look into Irina's eyes.
"No." She smiled, taking her mother's hand into her own and kissing it, "I love the honesty in our relationship. I love being able to talk with you, even about this and even though its embarrassing at times, like now when we're talking about Dad witnessing my own exhibitions. We always end up laughing and I'll never get tired of laughing with you… or ever want to pass up the chance." She smiled seeing the one now lighting her mother's eyes. "I only hope that I can have the same kind of relationship with my own daughter," Her hand went back to her belly with a smile, "Where she looks at me like I hung the moon and truly believes I did, no matter how old she gets." She stared directly into Irina's eyes, revealing exactly the way she thought of her then and still did.
"Oh Sweetheart." Irina blinked back tears and leaned forward, kissing her forehead, lips and cheeks, "You're going to be an amazing mother; you already are." She smiled, her hand joining Sydney's once again over her daughter's belly.
"You now what's really strange since I've found out I was pregnant? Is that I've never felt closer to you." Sydney smiled, "You told me I wouldn't truly understand how much you love me until I gave birth to my own daughter, held her in my arms and looked into her eyes. I'm beginning to understand that more and more then I ever thought possible… because I'm already in love with Anya and I can't imagine how much more intense that's going to be once I finally see her, hold her." Her own eyes began to water with unshed happy tears, "I love being pregnant with you, having you here by my side… because if you weren't… I'd be scared to death." She laughed softly with nervousness, "Ok, I still am." She admitted and they both laughed, "But it would be a million times worse without you."
"Its natural to be scared, Sydney. Being a mother is the most terrifying and rewarding experience of my life. You literally give birth to a piece of your heart and letting it go into a world with danger, where it can be hurt, is terrifying. You want to protect your heart at all costs… but you also want it to grow and find happiness… love." She smiled, staring into her daughter's pooling eyes, "And as your child grows so does the love in your heart for them. When your child's heart breaks, yours does too… when they burst with joy, so does yours…because you are eternally connected, one heart beating together forever and always." She blinked back her own tears, "And when your child's heart gives birth to a piece of their heart, a piece your heart goes with that new grandchild and so goes the chain of life and love." She covered Sydney's hand residing over the space where another piece of Irina's heart lay, in the womb of her daughter with her unborn grandchild.
"See what I mean?" Sydney smiled, sniffing back her tears, "You're just incredible at this Mom stuff… I really do believe you hung the moon." She smiled with seriousness in her eyes that made Irina laugh. "If Anya asks me who hung the moon I'm going to tell her Babushka is responsible." She laughed softly with her mother, though still speaking seriously about how intently she felt towards Irina, "Because she certainly brought the light back into the darkness of my life… and everyday, lights up my world."
"If I hung the moon… it was only because you gave me the light to do so." Irina smiled, feeling a single tear roll happily from her eye, "My children have always been the light of my life." She smiled brushing Sydney's cheek and then Lena's, the meaning of the sleeping babe beside hers' name was proof of that.
"I remember when I was little, you used to read 'Goodnight Moon' to me and after we'd go to the window and say 'goodnight' to it before I went to sleep." Sydney smiled, recalling the early memory that had always been one of her favorites and was thankful hadn't been taken away with Project Christmas. "I always thought you made it appear when you'd call out in that sing-song voice-"
"Moon, where are you?" They both said together and laughed.
"Yes." Sydney's dimples deepened seeing her mother remembered vividly as well.
"I was just speaking to your father about reading Goodnight Moon to you every night when you were little on Lena's birthday." Irina smiled, brushing the curls over Lena's ear sleeping so peacefully between them. "I still remember it word for word." She laughed.
"Really?" Sydney flashed her astonished eyes, "I don't even remember it word for word. I remember parts of it but not… wow, Mom." Her smile raged widely.
"You can't read something that many times and not remember it word for word." Irina smiled thinking about the countless times she'd read that story. "Do you remember The Runaway Bunny?" She asked somewhat cautiously, knowing the subject matter hit close to home for both of them and was personally, her favorite book from Sydney's childhood.
Sydney's brows knit trying to recall, "I do… but… Project Christmas." She concentrated all the more trying to remember.
"Once there was a little bunny, who wanted to run away. So he said to his mother-" Irina began to recite hoping to spark the memories and Sydney's eyes widened.
"I am running away." Sydney added smiling, remembering her part.
"If you runaway,' said his mother," Irina smiled seeing that her daughter was remembering, "I will run after you-"
"For you are my little bunny." They finished together with a sense of awe.
"I do remember!" Sydney smiled, "I loved that book, too… because no matter where the bunny ran away to… his mother would find him." Her mind immediately flashed to Moscow, and even though she hadn't runaway and had been kidnapped instead, her mother came for her.
"Me too." Irina smiled softly, feeling her tears pricking her eyes again.
Another memory associated with that story suddenly came into sharp focus for Sydney and her eyes began to tear.
"I remember… just after you were gone," Sydney swallowed hard and Irina braced her heart, "And Dad had been taken to prison." She paused a moment to think about how that had changed for her in these last years, before it was after her mother died and her Daddy went to work, now. "I ran away from the house one day… and went to the park."
Irina felt her heart squeeze already knowing what was coming next and the tears began to pool in her eyes.
"I thought you'd come find me. You said in that story, that you'd always come find me. No matter where I went… even if I became a fish... just as the book said." She gave a teary smile remembering her childish thinking then. "But you never came… and eventually my Nanny found me and from that day on. I refused to let her or anyone read that book to me again." Her tears fell more quickly and she wiped them away.
"I'm so sorry." Irina cried with her. Her heart aching for what that must have felt like for Sydney to have been told over and over every night that her mother would always be there for her and then to be so horribly let down.
What used to be a favorite book between mother and daughter became a traumatic memory, and she now wondered if that, not the Project Christmas, was responsible for blocking out Sydney's memories of reading The Runaway Bunny.
"Its ok, Mom. It's not your fault I was young and naïve." Sydney smiled, wiping Irina's tears in turn.
"Not naïve, Sydney… you were an innocent baby who knew nothing of the harsh realities of the world until yours suddenly came crashing down. I'm sorry." Irina sighed, kissing Sydney's palm with more tears.
"I remember thinking and praying at night that I could make you come back from the dead for me," Sydney paused as a slow smile spread across her face, "Eventually, you did." Knowing now that she was the reason her mother came back from 'the dead' and re-entered their lives. "And you came for me in Moscow… just as the mother bunny said she would, you found me." She added, brushing Irina's cheek and trying to show her, that one of their favorite stories still held their truth and was once again a happy memory.
"And then you found me here." Irina smiled, laughing softly remembering when they'd found her after Sydney remembered.
"You want to hear something really funny?" Sydney smiled after a moment, brushing the tears from her face, "I think I understand where Dad was coming from in his protective nature for me against Vaughn and the 'how could he, she's pregnant' line," She sniffled again having Irina's full curious attention, "Because for a split second there, when it finally came to me, why he was hypocritical… I was furious with Daddy for doing the same to you! Having the same reaction of, 'how could he, she's pregnant' and thinking he was a bastard for doing that to my Mommy."
Irina couldn't stop the deep laughter that erupted from within and had to turn her face into the pillow, and Sydney ended up doing the same. They're protectiveness for Irina now was something else that father and daughter shared in.
Cupping Sydney's neck and bringing their foreheads together once they both reigned in their laughter, cocooning Lena, Nicholas, Nadia and Anya between them, Irina closed her eyes and spoke softly.
"Oh Sweetheart, I love you. Everything about you, to the Moon and back, more than the stars in the Heavens and the grains of sand on Earth, I love you forever and always."
"I love you too, Mommy." Sydney smiled contentedly, closing her eyes and linking fingers with her mother's free hand. "Mommy," She whispered again quietly after another moment of silence with both of them on the verge of sleeping.
"Hmm?" Irina hummed without opening her eyes; their foreheads still pressed together, her hand still on Sydney's neck.
"Will you recite 'Goodnight Moon' to me?" Sydney continued to whisper, glad their foreheads were together so her mother couldn't see how sheepish she was for even asking but now that she knew her mother remembered it verbatim, her heart longed to hear the story it remembered from her childhood.
Irina just smiled and without opening her eyes, began without question to recite the story of a small child's procrastination in going to bed by saying goodnight to everything to her 'little girl.'
"In the great green room… there was a telephone and a red balloon… and a picture of a cow jumping over the moon… and three little bears sitting on chairs... and two little kittens and a pair of mittens and a little toy house and a young mouse… and a comb and a brush, and a bowl full of mush… and a quiet old lady, whispering 'hush…" She smiled as she whispered, "Goodnight moon… Goodnight cow jumping over the moon…"
Sydney couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face hearing the story in the exact same voice she remembered and snuggled into her pillow deeper.
"Goodnight light and the red balloon… Goodnight bears and goodnight chairs… Goodnight kittens. Goodnight mittens. Goodnight clocks and goodnight socks. Goodnight little house and goodnight mouse. Goodnight comb and goodnight brush. Goodnight nobody and goodnight mush. Goodnight quiet old lady whispering 'hush.' Goodnight stars… and goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere." Irina whispered the last part so it was barely audible and smoothed her thumb over Sydney's ear, smiling as she began to hum The Russian Lullaby softly before they both fell asleep.
An hour later, Lena was awake and poking Sydney in the eye with her little finger, trying to touch her sister's eyelashes. Sydney felt the tiny finger and started to giggle before she ever opened her eyes; grabbing Lena's little hand and kissing it making her little sister let out her tiny giggle.
Lena continued in her baby babble mixed with various words from different languages and Sydney just lay there, trying not to laugh too loudly, watching her sister lying so contently but completely awake in their mother's arms.
Irina heard them before she opened her eyes and couldn't stop her own giggles watching Lena go after Sydney's eyelashes again.
"She has a thing for eyelashes."
"Da!" Lena's eyes went wide with a quick nod and Russian 'yes' pointing at Sydney hearing her mother's voice and they all laughed.
"At least she doesn't say, 'no' all the time yet." Irina snuggled her face into Lena's hair.
Hearing her mother say 'no' in Russian was all it took to spark Lena into action and she immediately began to say, "Nyet nyet nyet nyet!" Over and over rapidly with a little body shimmer and slanted eyebrow that made Sydney and Irina burst out into laughter. Lena wiggled out from under Irina's arm and sat up with a smile, pointing to Sydney first and then Irina.
"Nee-nee… Mama."
"That's right!" Sydney raised her eyebrows enthusiastically clapping as did Irina and Lena began clapping for herself with laughter. "You are so cute!" Sydney snatched her sister laughing and held her close, smothering her little neck with kisses and making Lena squeal.
When they stopped laughing and squirming, Lena lay over Sydney's head with her little arm over Sydney's face and cheek pressed against Sydney's hair, essentially hugging her head and once again making her older sister and mother laugh. That only lasted a moment before the restless baby crawled away from Sydney towards the side end of the bed.
"Oh no, she's escaping." Irina laughed watching as Lena turned around on her belly and with a big smile at her Mama, began shimming off the edge holding onto the comforter.
Before either of them could move to grab her, Lena had hit the ground and was already running…around the room and babbling incessantly as she'd go to one object, look at it curiously then practically run to another… entertaining her mother and sister the entire time where they were watching from the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Irina asked, brushing Sydney's long hair over her shoulder a few moments later, seeing her daughter's dazed look.
"Great." Sydney smiled, running her hands over her belly, "I was just thinking about how much fun it's going to be, with all four of them around the same age." She laughed watching Lena sprint from one side of the bedroom to the other. "Five of them, with Mitchell added in the mix."
"Yes," Irina laughed, "I can see years of entertainment coming our way." She placed her hands with Sydney's on her daughter's belly with a smile. Within seconds, they both felt it. The first kick and both their eyes went wide. "I felt it!" Irina whisper shouted with bright gleaning eyes when Sydney's surprised eyes looked to her mother in disbelief.
Again, they felt the distinct kick and both screamed and laughed, tears in their eyes with joy. Lena was startled at first but came quickly running to the edge of the bed, trying very hard to pull herself up again.
Irina reached over and helped her baby, settling her the best she could in what little lap she had left and then resumed with her hand on Sydney's belly.
"The baby's kicking." She cooed in Lena's ear with a smile. Lena reached out and patted Sydney's stomach not really knowing what was going on but they were touching her sister's belly so she did too.
"This is so amazing!" Sydney cried happy tears.
Irina quickly reached over realizing her son-in-law was missing out on an important event and pressed the Call Button for Dmitri downstairs.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" He answered with a smile in his voice.
"Could you please find my son-in-law… and tell him that his baby is kicking." Irina smiled widely at Sydney.
"I'll send him up right away." If it was possible, they heard the older man's smile grow in his tone.
"Your Highness," Dmitri smiled at Vaughn finding them all downstairs in the Game Room, "Her Majesty has requested your immediate presence upstairs."
Vaughn's eyebrows knit even though he smiled, wondering what Irina wanted with him, as did everyone else.
"It seems that your daughter has started kicking." Dmitri smiled and stepped back out of the door knowing that at any moment, Vaughn would realize what was happening and tear past him.
Vaughn's eyes flashed wide and he stood in shock for only a second before dropping his pool stick and running at full-speed out of the room while the other's laughed and quickly followed after.
Vaughn burst into the door upstairs to Irina's bedroom seconds later and found his wife, her mother and sister all sitting in the middle of the bed with hands on Sydney's belly.
"She's kicking!" Sydney's smile raged and she quickly ushered him over, immediately placing his hand where hers had been.
They waited for a second and then Vaughn's face lit into a radiant glow when he felt it.
"Wow…" He muttered and they all caught the flash of the camera out of the corner of their eyes before turning and finding just about everyone standing in the doorway.
A year ago on this night, he became Lena's legal Godfather, he'd proposed to Sydney and his father came back into his life. Tonight, they were all feeling the first kicks of his unborn baby together and Vaughn decided that forevermore, Christmas was his favorite holiday.
When dinner was over and they'd all began to get settled to open gifts, Sydney once again had a request from Irina.
"Mom, please play something?" She trailed her fingers along the edge of the Grand Piano remembering last Christmas. "Please?"
"Please!" Everyone else chimed in after her, begging Irina with smiles and laughter.
"Alright." She smiled, passing Lena to Sydney and patting the seat next to her as she took a seat on the bench, wanting her girls to sit next to her while she played. "Any requests?" Her playful smile turned to Sydney.
"Whatever comes into your beautiful creative mind is fine by me." Sydney smiled, wrapping her arms around Lena sitting on her lap while the baby tried to press the ivory keys. "I love how you always take songs and make them your own."
"I think I know of something." Irina smiled, and everyone remained absolutely still waiting.
*What Child Is This?*
Her fingers brushed over the keys so lightly they seemed to be doing ballet, captivating everyone with not only the beautiful music she was creating but also the grace in which she did it.
Judy smiled wrapping her arms around Kendall's waist and he returned the smile, leaning against her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The two of them still finding they had to pinch themselves on occasion to remind them it was real, the surreal shift in their lives as they looked around the room.
Jack was also glancing around the room at its occupants. Smiling first at his gorgeous wife and daughters by her side. Lena lying back against Sydney as she swayed gently side to side watching their mother play… a bond everlasting.
Julian was standing with Ash in his arms, holding her from behind with his arms draped over her shoulders and Ash holding onto his arms, his cheek pressed against her head and both wearing smiles… young love reunited.
Vaughn was sitting on the edge of the big leather chair where Mikhail was sitting; Bella standing beside them and Vaughn's arm around her waist… a happy family back together.
Weiss was sitting on the couch with Sophia sitting sideways on his lap; his hand lovingly playing with the exposed skin of her back that peeked out below her sweater, her small hands holding his large one in her lap and playing with his fingers… a new love growing.
Marcelo was leaning back against the opposite end of the couch, his arm around Katya's shoulders while she was turned into him, her head resting on his chest with her hand over his heart and a teary smile on her face… true love growing stronger.
Carrie and Marshall were sitting on the big fur rug in front of the fireplace and tree; their hands linked over her belly covering the new baby beneath… a new family.
Sergei sat on the other end of the rug, a smile on his face as he propped his arm over his bent knee, no doubt thinking about his love who'd be arriving from Stockholm on a plane in another hour or so after she celebrated with her family in Sweden… a new love just beginning.
Talia sat on the love seat holding Dmitri's hand; both sharing smiles as they, too looked around the room. The heads of two families united and forever entwined… an old friendship with shared love for their children.
Kendall and Judy standing just to the side of him, arms casually draped over each other… unexpected love found.
They both smiled at Jack and then to Irina just finishing the song and Jack smiled at Irina when their eyes met… two souls bound forever in love.
New Year's Eve brought wonderful surprises all around the world for their family.
Julian proposed to Ash by quietly whispering in her ear during the explosion of beautiful fireworks over the Taj Mahal… he wasn't sure if the loud boom he heard when she said yes was the sound of his heart exploding or the fireworks above. Sergei also purposed to Madeline when she came to visit him in Rome and Mikhail and Bella renewed their wedding vows in a private ceremony with just the two of them in Paris.
Jack, Irina and Lena celebrated in Washington, DC at the White House as they had the year before, staying awake all night after the Bush's practically begged to watch Lena for the night when the party was over. Strolling hand in hand on this unusually warm winter's night, still wearing their formal wear.
They walked and talked past the Lincoln Memorial, along the banks of the river, taking romantic rides in horse drawn carriages when they got tired of walking. They walked through the Georgetown campus where they first met, sat on the steps Jack had run into her on and ended up having coffee when the sun rose at the same exact tiny coffee shop they went to the morning they ran into each other at the Smithsonian.
The first week of January brought them back to Los Angeles for the premiere of the much-anticipated third film in the series with the first two continuing to smash worldwide box office records.
A day before the premiere, Irina got a heart-stopping call that Lena, the beautiful actress portraying her, had been seriously injured while shooting the last scene on the last day of filming for the final film. They had saved the fiery explosion of the Kashmir prison and escape for last and even though it was practiced and rehearsed many times with all the proper safety checks in place, something went wrong.
When Lena lunged off the side of the collapsing building into the helicopter, it pitched in the wind slamming her hard in the ribs breaking them before she flew out, twisting her arm out of the socket when it tangled in her safety harness and slamming her head into the skid, knocking her out and splitting open her forehead. It was an accident; no one person's fault and Lena remained a trooper during the whole ordeal when she came to, even broken and bleeding she still wore a smile trying to make everyone around her who felt horrible for what happened, feel better.
Jack and Irina met them at the hospital where Lena smiled from her hospital bed to an apologizing Irina, saying she wasn't upset, and instead actually felt closer to the part, knowing that Irina really did have broken ribs when she lunged into that helicopter in real life… that even though it was an accident it felt like some small badge of honor earned for her in playing such a remarkable woman and that her injuries were miniscule in comparison to all that Irina had been through.
Still being the trooper that she was, she showed up on the Red Carpet the following night beside Irina with her husband. A small white gauze bandage over her eye to cover the few blue stitches, and around the harness burns of her upper arm in a sling. Her ribs rapped in a protective Ace wrap under her gorgeous red dress showing slightly and all of that not taking a thing away from her beauty.
Her smile was just as radiant even as she fielded question after question about how she was feeling and the prospect that she might have to have future surgery on her torn and stretched ligaments and tendons in her shoulder did nothing to stop her pride of working on such an incredible series of films.
Irina squeezed Jack's hand as the lights dimmed and the screen came to life. As soon as the Production credits faded the sights and sounds of the film jumped right in, startling everyone from the very first second.
*Rock House Jail*
The scene began with the view inside a helicopter looking through the rain-covered windshield as it rose over a high-rise building in the middle of the night, near downtown Los Angeles. Within seconds the chopper dipped enough for the audience to see what it was following. Below on the streets a caravan of black SUVs, police cars and motorcycles, and trucks reading SWAT on the side surrounded and guided an armored truck through the streets.
"We've got a red light up ahead," A man in the leading SUV spoke into his walkie-talkie as his eyes surveyed the area around them precariously from the passenger seat.
"Switching to green for 'Go." Another man responded into his head-set from the helicopter following above. He typed something into his laptop and the intersection lights did as commanded.
The trucks rolled forward and turned with precision lights flashing and sirens blaring as they made their way through the almost deserted streets.
Katya sat wide-eyed with astonishment that her sister had been deemed so dangerous she warranted such a display of security force and protection. Ann and Ryan were having similar thoughts still getting used to this idea of Irina's other life.
"ETA in a 58 seconds." The man typing furiously into his laptop announced and then the chopper swooped lower as the trucks went under a bridge.
"All right people!" Kendall boomed with hands on hips hearing the announcement and gathering the attention of the people in the Ops area. "Listen up. The prisoner will be here in under, sixty seconds. This woman is a highly trained assassin; former KGB spy who has killed a dozen officers of the CIA in such a manner as to leave them beyond recognition… Do not, for one second… underestimate what she is capable of!" He flashed them all a glare of intent, "Are we clear?"
Several people swallowed hard and turned their eyes to the security monitors.
"Go!" Kendall nodded at the team of men dressed in black holding automatic weapons protected in Kevlar towards the steel doors leading outside.
The trucks pulled up in the pouring rain and time and motion seemed to slow down onscreen as they opened the armored truck's doors and gazed into the pitch-black interior. The slow exposure of Irina's chained ankle in a singular flashlight was her first appearance before cutting to her face as they unshackled her from the truck, ten armed men on the ground pointing guns at her. Two men began grabbing her arms; helping her out of the truck in the soaking rain into the building.
Her heart pounded in her chest even though her exterior was that of complete deadly calm as they guided her by the elbows.
The sounds of the metal chains tethering her ankles as they drug across the tiles ground into her body as much as the actual handcuffs.
One after another the giant metal gates before rose leading her to her new prison cell and she clung the knowledge this was all worth it to see Sydney again.
"I kept telling myself as I marched forward," Lena's voice came on for the first time narrating this film, "I had a goal… a plan, they had not captured me; I was there of my own free-will and I kept repeating this to myself with every step toward my imprisonment."
Her face turned only slightly as they walked her past a row of empty glass cells, taking in what was bound to be her new home for the foreseeable future.
The hiss of air after a brief pause on the last cell caught her attention before being jolted forward once more into the cell she'd been staring at. Immediately the US Marshalls began unlocking her restraints and stepped away with guns trained on her until they were all clear. The door shut behind them and locked with another hiss and Irina rolled her wrists slightly, staring straightforward at the wall, standing in the exact spot they had left her in.
"Sir," The man spoke into the phone when Kendall picked up, "She's secure."
"On my way." Kendall sighed, looking briefly at the monitor of the woman standing deathly still staring at the wall in her cell. He approached her cell cautiously as he took in her profile, internally astonished by her immediate beauty and then the feral look of murderous intent in her eyes when she turned her head to face him.
"I'm Assistant Director Kendall," Kendall introduced himself staring at the beautiful deadly woman on the other side of the glass. "I'm told you want to cooperate."
More then a few in the audience and especially those who knew the two fairly well, snickered with laughter when Irina continued to just stare at him with her menacing glare for at least another thirty seconds of awkward silence, causing Kendall to shift uncomfortably on his heel onscreen.
Irina smiled internally seeing she was already enjoying this game watching the man squirm under just her gaze, "I will speak only with Agent Sydney Bristow." She finally spoke, breaking the silence and turning her face slowly back to staring at the wall.
"And how do you know there is an 'Agent' Sydney Bristow?" Kendall decided to play hardball, shifting his weight and intrigued that she wanted to speak only with the agent he knew to be her daughter.
Irina's only response was to turn her glare back to him, annoyed that he dare challenge to play with her.
"There is no Agent Bristow working here." Kendall finally gave her something still trying to play hardball. "You said you wanted to cooperate and agreed to doing so with the United States government as per terms of that agreement. If you do not agree with these terms, you will be charged and tried for your crimes is that clear?"
'So he thinks he's going to run this show.' Irina smirked internally, studying this man intently making him wait. "I will cooperate with the US Government and will do so by speaking only with Agent Sydney Bristow, 'Assistant' Director Kendall." She emphasized the 'Assistant' part just as he'd done with Agent.
"You don't get to decide who you will or won't speak to Ms. Derevko. You are a prisoner of the United States government and as such, you will do what I tell you to do! Is that clear?" He huffed, annoyed with her already after only two minutes in her presence.
Irina simply turned her head and went back to staring at the wall, smirking when after another minute of silence Kendall threw his hands up in the air and walked away.
"I was going to have fun getting under his skin," Lena's voice came back through and the audience snickered with laughter.
"Well one thing's certainly clear," Kendall sighed with an angry huff taking his seat in the Ops floor and staring at the monitor again where Irina was still standing in the same spot staring at the wall. His eyes turning to the young agents around him, "I now know exactly where Agent Bristow got her annoyingly strong stubborn streak."
The first full laugh of the night came with Kendall's first thoughts and conclusions over mother and daughter.
"Jack, its Ben." Devlin called from his home office that night, glass of Scotch in front of him and pinching his brow with his fingers as he spoke. "She's been transferred."
Jack on the screen was sitting in his own home office, full bottle of untouched Scotch sitting on his desk. "Thanks for telling me, Ben."
"Night, Jack." Ben felt for his friend witnessing his life blow up in front of him once again.
"Night, Ben." Jack sighed, hanging up the phone and staring at the bottle of Scotch. He opened it and poured a healthy amount in the glass tumbler, taking a long drink before setting it down, letting the burn run through him.
Everyone in the audience gasped softly with a small pained 'awe' when he opened the bottom drawer of his desk unlocking the false bottom and retrieving the old picture of Irina holding baby Sydney on the pier.
The edges tattered and obviously looked at often they'd learned from the last film; Jack's face ran of torrent of emotions across it before taking another harsh swig of the amber liquid.
"The Monster returns." He spat with sarcasm, "What are you up to?" His stare was intent as he looked at the photo.
"She's still standing there!" Kendall looked flabbergasted at the monitor when he arrived the next morning, some five hours after leaving before once Irina was secured.
"She hasn't moved at all, Sir." The young Agent raised his eyebrows impressed. "Not an inch from that spot and staring straight ahead. Even when the lights went out."
"Good Lord…" Kendall shook his head at the kind of woman he was dealing with, "She's either not human or… the most stubborn woman on the planet." He huffed with hands on hips realizing what she was probably doing after the conversation earlier in the morning. He pivoted on his heel and headed towards the cells.
Irina heard the clanging of the metal gates and decided those were either going to annoy her or delight her depending on who she came face to face with after… when she heard the heavy footsteps she knew this was one of annoyance.
After spending the last five hours in mediation, she was more then ready to battle with wills again.
"We need you to answer some questions about some of the information contained in your debrief." Kendall just jumped right in, brushing back his suit jacket to place his hand on his hip once more.
*Mother of a Mother*
"I told you Assistant Director Kendall, I will give you the Intel on whatever you need to know," She emphasized the word 'need,' speaking to him and yet still staring at the wall, "But from this moment on, I will only speak with my daughter," Her dangerous gaze flashed to his, "Agent Sydney Bristow." Her patience was wearing thin. She wanted to see her daughter, speak to her and look her over; make sure she was ok and look for any signs Sydney might have become infected with the Rambaldi disease.
"I'll see what I can do." Kendall conceded and walked away.
The audience erupted into their full laugh again with Jack explaining paint samples and colors to Francie and then when she determinedly said she was going to kill who ever introduced Will to heroin, watching as Jack gulped slightly.
The talk between Jack and Sydney just after brought back the seriousness and they all winced for Sydney when she did put on her coat, remembering with vivid heartbreak the scene of Irina shooting her in Taipei and the moments for both of them after.
"I don't support the Death Penalty, but I hope that she dies for all that she's done… I really do." The stinging bite to Sydney's words hit everyone as they internally winced again at its harshness especially knowing what happened later to Irina in that regard.
Sydney reached over and squeezed her mother's hand with apologetic eyes already blurring with tears not five minutes into the film.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered and Irina simply leaned over and kissed Sydney's forehead giving her a small smile.
Kendall's telling to Sydney of Irina's demands and his attempt to blackmail Vaughn followed, as well as Vaughn's talking to Sydney about just asking Irina about the disk.
"Maybe you could shut down with her… I couldn't." Sydney onscreen looked away and revealed what Irina had known the first moment she laid eyes on her from behind the glass.
"Didn't kill her! Did. Not." Kendall raised his voice pointing and Vaughn sighed, looking at the monitors showing Irina pacing. "That woman, forty-eight hours ago was one hundred percent pure bad news… and now she's ours! And there is just a chance, Mr. Vaughn… that she has turned."
"When she got done with my father… he could only be identified by his dental record." Vaughn gasped still in awe.
Mikhail felt the sharp stab of guilt keenly listening to what his son believed, they all believed, and how it affected so many lives, especially his son's and Irina's.
"Yes, I know."
It was obvious to everyone that Kendall felt slightly bad for a moment but continued on his campaign as to why Sydney talking to Irina was important.
Vaughn's protectiveness for Sydney was immediately made clear when he told Kendall flat-out, if he could get Irina to talk he didn't want Kendall to ever ask Sydney to speak with her again.
*Rabat*
Sydney's smoking entrance on the mission in Rabat had them all smiling especially when Dixon watched her push her hair behind her ears and said it was her 'thing.'
Sydney turned her head to smile at her mother, both sharing that 'thing' and the irony of Dixon pointing it out when it was still unknown to Sydney where she'd gotten it from.
Everyone burst into laughter when the audible thud could be heard through the elevator doors as Sydney knocked out the guy with her cane.
The laughter semi-died down when Vaughn entered the cells, already sweating and they couldn't help but laugh when Irina approached the glass, eyeing him like a lioness about to eat him and he had trouble looking at her.
*Mother of a Mother*
Irina had seen the young man approach and she knew instantly who he was, he looked just like his father. Her breath almost caught in her throat but she had a role to play and as much as she was interested in Mikhail's son, she was more interested in speaking with her daughter and growing extremely impatient waiting for her.
It had been days now since she'd turned herself in and the only information she'd gotten out of anyone concerning Sydney was that Kendall had gone to 'see what he could do' after caving to her demands.
She got as close to the glass as possible staring at him intently waiting to hear what he had to say. She was annoyed that he looked intimidated to speak with her, staring at the floor first and refusing to meet her eyes like a coward and her expression to him said just that.
It was then as he was looking up, that she remembered why he would have such a hard time looking at her… in his mind, he was facing his father's killer and she softened her look considerably.
Instead of seeing cowardice, she saw bravery in the fact he was able to stand before someone he believed to have murdered his father. He was struggling to ask her the questions about the black mail disk and she used the opportunity to study him closely, the way his eyes looked so much like Mikhail, the way he pursed his lips with determination… he was handsome and looked so much like his father.
He grew frustrated that she was not answering his questions and it amused her knowing she had no intentions of speaking to anyone other then Sydney but almost smiled when he rearranged the wording in hopes of getting something out of her.
When he sighed and looked away she knew that he understood she wasn't going to speak to anyone but Sydney and her interest was clearly peaked when he verbalized those very internal thoughts, even using the word 'daughter' in reference to Sydney and her heart skipped a beat and then quickly tensed when he continued revealing that it was Sydney, who did not want to see her and that was the reason she hadn't seen her daughter yet.
Her mind was taken from that thought the moment he referred to her as 'Sydney' allowing her to see much more deeply into the relationship he had with her daughter then she would have previously guessed. His strong words and passion on her daughter's behalf clearly revealed him to be Sydney's advocate and something more.
With that, she did have to smile and comment, watching his reaction carefully when he realized what he'd said and what that told her in turn. He quickly resurrected walls of protection and defiance up against her, damning himself she saw in his eyes for revealing how he really felt about her daughter.
When he informed her that Sydney was already in Rabat recovering the disk, asking for her help in keeping Sydney safe… she thought for a moment on how exactly she could use this to her many advantages and chose her words of action carefully.
Telling him that if he wanted to protect Sydney tell her to pull the fire alarm, probed deeper into the relationship of her daughter and the man before her, eager to learn as much as she could about Sydney as well as giving Sydney something truthful, something that would help her and hopefully start to gain her trust… but she also knew her daughter was stubborn.
That likely hadn't changed since she was six years old which was clear to Irina in her refusal to speak with her now… if Sydney was still this stubborn, she would ignore her advice and not pull the alarm… and just as Sydney had when she was a child and didn't listen to her mother's direction, ending with whatever it was not going right, Sydney would come to her feeling badly as she hated to disappoint her mother. Somewhere in there, Irina hoped this would still ring true in her daughter's subconscious… and bring Sydney to see her.
"You look just like him." Irina quickly said as Mikhail's son was walking away, not sure why she had or maybe she was.
She felt she owed it to her friend's son to tell him he was his father's son and yet, when Vaughn paused so suddenly at the gates she knew how deeply it had to have hurt him to hear that coming from 'his father's killer.'
Stunning him that she knew exactly who he was without her telling him so was also her intent. He once again showed his courage by turning around and facing her down once more before leaving.
When he was gone she felt the pain of loss over his father, reigning in her emotions careful of the fact she was being constantly monitored and feeling badly bringing pain to his son in order to suite her own purpose, her own daughter.
Learning this new facet to the relationship between Sydney and Mikhail's son intrigued her as much as it worried her. He was clearly protective of her daughter and intent on protecting Sydney from her… she didn't want to hurt Mikhail's son but at the same time, if he stood in the way between she and her daughter, she would be forced to on some level and that roiled her gut. Analyzing this information was how she would spend the time pacing her cell over the next several hours.
"Vaughn, she wants me dead."
Sydney onscreen immediately rejected any Intel from Irina and Kendall reminded her, "If that were true Agent Bristow, she would have killed you in Barcelona."
And everyone in the audience including Jack couldn't help but laugh slightly hearing and seeing Jack freaking out about it in the car and it was Vaughn who made the first assessment that Jack couldn't think clearly where Irina was concerned.
Irina on the other hand, had a hard time laughing when she saw how much Jack was out of control over the thought of her returning.
Of course, the stubbornness Irina was banking on with Sydney proved true when she didn't pull the fire alarm and tripped the alarms, everyone laughing hysterically in the audience while Sydney subdued the bodyguards in her 'wild' dress. Dixon felt badly he was responsible for the failed mission.
Irina's intuition about Sydney's reaction to disobeying her were right on when Sydney told Vaughn immediately upon returning she wanted to speak with her mother.
Vaughn trying to talk her out of it and hearing how he felt about facing his 'father's killer' was hard to hear but he also stated the core of the entire issue.
"But she's your mother! Sydney, with all she's done, she is your mother!"
Sloane's speech of 'I'll be here for you,' to Sydney gave them all the heebie-jeebies and Jack wanted to punch the man onscreen. Everyone laughed out loud again when Sydney relayed what they were all thinking watching Sloane touch her when she relayed this moment to her father and said, 'I wanted to cut off my hand.'
Jack's clear panic over the thought of Sydney speaking to Irina was quite clear when he ranted in the car about how evil she was and Jack in the audience squeezed his wife's hand softly in support.
Irina's heart skipped a beat when she heard the gates rising and the sound of two pairs of footsteps, one heavy, the guard, and the other light… Sydney.