BUTTONMAN

"Ability is nothing without opportunity." -Napoleon Bonaparte

San Felipe, Mexico (Elysium)

The nightmare is over.

Just as he promised, Rambaldi greeted Tom and Nadia after Nadia returned home from her hospital stay yesterday. That's when he delivered the news that Arvin Sloane was no more.

But Rambaldi wasn't exactly forthcoming with how the deed was done. The fact that Rambaldi stopped time so Sloane could blow his own brains out wasn't revealed at first, but when Tom asked if he manipulated time with Sloane, Rambaldi just replied that he indeed had done that. But that was all he would say about it. No mention of the assisted suicide was made.

So to celebrate, everyone that was in Nadia's hospital room yesterday to wish her well has been invited to the Falk home today to have a cookout. This includes Jack and Irina, who have re-emerged from their, um, seclusion. To be fair, they did re-emerge to welcome Nadia back home last night.

The Storm Crew guys are in charge of grill duty, and that includes Tom Falk. Laurent and Alec, dressed casually for once and not in their customary robes, are also outside with them as well, trying to fit in, which is apparently difficult for them both given the multiple generation gaps between them and their counterparts. Jack is also trying to fit in with them as well, but appears to be having better luck than the Il Credo Divino guys.

Inside, the women are busy tripping over themselves trying to cook all the sides. Irina, Mary, Mary's mother Violet, and Julieta all love to cook. Over at the kitchen table, Maria is hanging out with Rambaldi after deciding it'd be safer to be with him instead of in the middle of the shuffle of women. In addition to giving Maria some pointers on what they're doing, he's also enjoying watching the organized madness in front of him. After all, people watching is one of his favorite pastimes.

The rest of the boys that aren't at the grill are in or near the water. That would be Thomas, Mary's father Edward, Eddie Falk, Matt Aguero, Owen, Emilio, and a man that has been keeping a very low profile of late: Bill Vaughn.

Bill decided to shrink away for a while after his affair with Mary. Thankfully for him, Thomas didn't hold much of a grudge, given that he and Mary were, for all intents and purposes at the time, separated. Plus, Thomas knows the history that he and Mary have. But Bill's chosen to help his wife Sandra acclimate to life in Elysium in the time since. Sandra is actually working for the adoption chapter in Los Angeles, after Mary recommended her to Nadia. Sandra worked in special education when she was alive and both Mary and Nadia thought she'd be a good fit in the adoption program.

As for Nadia, even though her left arm is in a sling, she's still doing her best to be the life of the party as she goes around and checks up on everyone. In reality, she's overwhelmed by all the people that have come over. Just like yesterday, these are all people who genuinely care about her well-being. Not only does it humble her, but it also makes Nadia feel like she belongs on somewhere besides an island with either herself or her and Tom.

Nadia has a family. She has friends. She has a foundation that she didn't have at any point when she was alive. And this is why she's the life of the party today.

Nadia decides to check up on Irina, who's helping Mary prepare a cake of some sort. "How's everything going here?"

Mary stops her mixing, turns to her and says "You really should slow down, Nadia! Didn't you still have a headache this morning?"

Nadia waves a dismissive hand. "I'm fine! In fact, I couldn't be better! I can't believe who all showed up!"

Irina flicks her brown hair over her shoulder, exposing a band-aid on the back of her neck. "Does that include me?"

"Yes, especially you!" Nadia then pauses when she sees the band-aid. "Did Dad take out your tracking device?"

Irina nods. "Yeah, we did some improvisational surgery last night. He was very careful."

"I bet he had to be since that thing was explosive!"

Irina smirks, looks over at Mary, and then back at Nadia. In a soft tone only the three of them can hear, she says "That thing wasn't really explosive. Jack lied."

Nadia gasps in disbelief.

Mary, meanwhile, smirks, having been told that story earlier apparently.

Irina shrugs. "Typical Jack. Not the first time that one of us has lied to the other, and probably not the last."

Mary points out "A pessimistic tone to your relationship already."

Irina shakes her head quickly as she goes back to focusing on her baking project. "Nah. I get why he told me my device was explosive. Our relationship wouldn't survive without the occasional white lie. We both are still so suspicious of one another...but you know what?" Irina pauses and turns to Nadia. "I wouldn't have Jack any other way." Irina then smiles wide, which causes Nadia and Mary to both smile.

The front door opens and everyone turns to see two surprise guests walk in: Emily and Jacqueline Sloane.

The first to greet them is Rambaldi, who stands up to his feet. "Ah, you two came!"

Emily and Jacqueline both make their way to the kitchen, a bit unsure when both spot Nadia. Emily quickly looks away and is the first to say "Hello, everyone."

Irina thinks about giving Emily a warm greeting, but given how cold Emily was toward her before her unfortunate death in Tuscany, Irina refrains for the moment.

Emily walks up to Nadia a little timidly. "Hello, Nadia. I'm Emily Sloane..." She kind of trails off in the end, not controlling her nerves very well.

Nadia, who is a little unsure herself, says "Hello. It's nice to meet you finally."

Emily timidly looks down at the ground. Between her hostage experience with Arvin Sloane and seeing Nadia now, she's a basketcase. "I don't know exactly what to say right now...being the wife of the man that did you the most harm and all..."

Nadia gives Emily a touched smile, feeling bad for her. She was unsure of Emily because she was acting strange, not because of who she was. "Oh, come here." Nadia then reaches out with her good arm and gives Emily a hug. Emily, with her eyes getting a little misty, returns the hug. She thought for sure Emily would be guilty by association with Nadia.

Emily sniffles and says "Thank you for that. I thought you'd hate me."

Nadia humbly says "No! Sydney had nothing but good things to say about you, and I know you weren't a part of the bad things Arvin did in his life. In fact, I feel so sorry that you had to endure Arvin's treachery for so long and so tragically."

Emily pats Nadia on the back and lets go of the hug. "That makes two of us, honey." Emily then takes a deep breath and looks over at Jacqueline. "This is my daughter Jacqueline."

Jacqueline gives Nadia a friendly smile and reaches out her hand for a handshake, which Nadia gladly returns.

Rambaldi, feeling good that everyone's getting along, tells Nadia "I hope you don't mind that I invited them over, Nadia. I figured they could use some fun after their recent experiences."

Nadia smiles at Rambaldi. "The more the merrier!"

Jacqueline anxiously asks "Is Owen here?"

Nadia giggles a little, knowing the budding romance that's going on there. "Last I saw, he was out swimming in the sea. I think he'll be pleasantly surprised to see you!"

Jacqueline bites the bottom of her lip at the thought of a shirtless Owen Schroeder. Emily gives her a bit of a shove at the show of attraction. Jacqueline gives her mother a bit of an offended look, then takes off to head outside.

Emily then looks over at Irina, who has taken Nadia's side, and doesn't look displeased to see her. They got along just fine when they both were married to their respective loved ones and actually had some entertaining debates on books mostly, but also just life in general. But most of all, Emily is surprised at how young Irina looks. Sensing she's being rude, she finally speaks up. "I guess me and you have some catching up to do."

Irina cracks a small, cautious smile. "I think that would be good."

Nadia then turns to Julieta and asks "Can I see you outside for a minute?"

Julieta stops stirring what's in the pot and nods with a smile. "Sure."

Nadia did this, for one, to give Emily and Irina some time alone. But she also has some business to take care of with Julieta.

Violet, getting the hint herself, sets down her cutting knife and says "I better go check on Edward too...he tends to stay out in the sun for too long!"

Nadia heads out the back porch with Julieta and Violet in tow. Violet veers off to the beach while Nadia walks up to Tom. "Come on, grab your brother for this."

Tom, picking up on what Nadia's doing, nods and shouts out to the beach. "Eddie, get over here, we need to show you something!"

Eddie, who was toweling himself off on the beach, gives Tom a thumbs up and jogs up to join Tom, Nadia, and Julieta, who look like they're heading to the front of the house.

Eddie catches up to them when, instead of making a right to go to the front of the house, they make a left instead.

This causes Julieta to ask "What's going on?"

Nadia walks over a few more feet and then stops. Tom takes her side as she turns to face Julieta again. "Julieta, I'm going to be removing you from the San Marcos Orphanage."

Julieta looks concerned and pleads "Why? I love my kids!"

"I know you do, but soon that place will be both too big and too impractical for the kids you'll have. I'm leaving it open for Lucia to operate the newborns and toddlers portion of the orphanage, but you're only down to six kids right now, assuming the pending adoptions go through."

Julieta hangs her head. "Does this mean I'm no longer needed?"

Nadia shakes her head and laughs as she rubs Julieta's shoulder. "Oh no! We're just turning you from orphan mother to foster mother. And to be a foster mother, you'll need a home to foster children from." At this point, Nadia points to the home they're standing in front of. It's a noticeably larger home than Tom and Nadia's as it stands two stories and features a classic Mexican exterior.

Julieta gasps and covers her mouth. "Nadia, you can't be serious! I'm getting a HOUSE?"

Nadia happily tells her "This home has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a living room, den, family room, a huge kitchen...everything you'll need and plenty of room to foster the amount of kids you'll be having from here on out."

Julieta lets out a happy scream with her mouth still closed. She then springs over and gives Nadia a tight hug, forgetting about Nadia's achy shoulder. Julieta quickly lets go when Nadia yelps out in pain. "Sorry!"

Nadia laughs as she rubs her bad left shoulder. "Ah, it's alright."

Eddie asks "Hey, wait a second, won't the people on Earth that live here want this house?"

Tom replies "Well, it's funny you should say that. Turns out the guy that owns this house just got popped orchestrating some ponzi scheme in New York. This was his getaway house. According to Rambaldi, no one worth mentioning is going to live in it after him."

Nadia happily asks "So, you'll be taking the house then?"

Julieta exclaims "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YES!"

Eddie throws an arm around Julieta, gives her a peck on the cheek, and says "Congrats, babe." Julieta turns and gives Eddie an exuberant hug. As they hug, Eddie asks "You think you'll need some help?"

Julieta looks up at Eddie curiously. "What, with moving?"

Eddie shakes his head quickly. "Well, that too, but I thought that maybe I could move in with you. You know, help you out with the kids and all." Eddie then gives Julieta a wry smile.

"Of course you can move in with me!" Julieta giggles and gives Eddie a big smooch on the lips. "Oh, I'd love having you around!"

Tom puts his face in his palm and groans. "Oh great, there goes the neighborhood."

Nadia slaps him on the chest. "Now now, we're going to make sure Eddie and Julieta are welcomed with open arms!"

Tom gives Eddie a despondent look, then goes to walk away. He walks by Eddie, stops, and then turns around to give Eddie a playful slap on the back of the head. Eddie turns around with irritation as Tom gives him a smirk and says "If you're going to be my neighbor, you better watch your back!"

Eddie smirks back and lunges at Tom. He tries to try and tackle Tom to the ground. Tom stands his ground and the two bearhug and try to throw the other around for a while.

This causes a less than amused Nadia and Julieta to look at the two with bemusement. Julieta turns to Nadia and says "I'll never understand why they always need to fight like that."

A hasty Nadia grabs Julieta by the arm and starts walking towards the house. "Come on, I've given up hope with those two. Let's go see your house!"

Santa Barbara, California (Earth, two weeks later)

She's the only person in the room, but Sydney Bristow feels like there's a crowd in with her.

She closes the bedroom door and locks it. She can't risk Isabelle or little Jack wandering in here. To them, she's taking a very important phone call from work, so they should stay away.

Michael gave her some words of encouragement before they left the bathroom. But even Michael noticed that Sydney is as nervous as she's been since leaving the CIA.

After all, the last time she spoke with her mother, she was cradling her head in her arms as she was dying, not a minute after she had Sydney dead to rights.

And yet, to hear Nadia and Tom talk, it's as if Irina wasn't herself back then, and that for the first time in her life, she's really having a chance to be herself nowadays. While Sydney loves her sister, she knows that Nadia's feelings when it comes to family are tricky. But Tom coming in to vouch for Irina was something else. Even though he's got a few faults, Tom's excellent at reading people and knowing when to trust someone. So she has to take that into account.

She takes a deep breath, and then another for good measure. Finally, she spins around and heads to the foot of her bed. She slowly takes a seat on the edge of the bed and looks forward to where Nadia would usually be in the space in front of her. Trying to present a neutral expression, she calmly says "Hello Nadia."

"Hello Sydney. How are you?"

Sydney notes Nadia's voice isn't as cheery as it usually is, probably because she's feeling what Sydney's feeling right now. "Oh, I don't know, I'm about to talk to my mother who nearly tried to kill me five years ago."

"Sydney, it would be best if our mother explained herself to you. Mom, go ahead, just like we trained with Karen Falk."

Sydney takes this time to take another deep breath, as if she's bracing for a car that's going to hit her in about a second or two.

And then she hears Irina's voice. "Hi, sweetheart."

So calm, so resolute. If Nadia's feeling what Sydney's feeling right now, Irina sure as heck isn't. It's one trait that she always admired about Irina: her ability to stay cool in the hottest of pressure cookers. And Sydney, a person who prided herself in keeping her head on in tense situations, is not doing a good job hiding her nerves. But she's finding those nerves are keeping her tongue tied at the moment.

Nadia tries to offer some words of comfort. "Sydney, it's ok. We can do this another time..."

Sydney's eyes shoot off the ground. "No!" Sydney lets out a breath and turns to where Irina would be, to the right of Nadia. "Hello, mother."

Irina, a little more friendlier this time, says "You look so beautiful! I love that outfit you're wearing!"

Sydney gives Irina a funny look, then looks down at her attire. Powder blue tank top and light sweatpants. "I really had no imagination at all when I put this on. Today was a lazy day around the house."

"When I was growing up, Sydney, my mother would always compliment me on making the basic look extraordinary when it came to clothes. I think that's part of why Elena always tormented me growing up...she never got any compliments. She was too busy being difficult and overbearing to ever warrant a compliment. Then again, she probably tormented me because she was a pure bitch."

It's enough to elicit the tiniest of smirks from Sydney. To hear her mother talking so casually around her is actually a bit comforting for her. This almost feels...normal. "You know, you never talked about Katya. I know you hate Elena, but what was Katya like growing up?"

"Katya? Honestly, she was kind of a loner growing up. Me and Elena always fought and she just usually stayed out of the way and neutral. She had no love lost for Elena since she caught a lot of grief from her as well. Me and Katya got along alright, but she was a sneaky one."

"I remember when Katya helped me and Michael get out of North Korea. I later heard you sent her."

"She owed me a favor...but deep down, she probably would have helped you anyway. She always admired you. In her time with the Russian government, she worked a lot with the North Koreans. In fact, one of her last duties before going rogue was handling security for a North Korean logging camp in Siberia."

Sydney scrunches her face in surprise. "North Koreans? In Russia?"

"It's not much of a secret anymore. Nadia showed me a video that this website called 'Vice' did on these camps. It was pretty interesting."

The small talk is nice for Sydney, but now it's time to get down to brass tax. "Mom, when Tom dropped by a couple weeks ago to say you were ready to talk to me, I didn't know how I felt. And now, I still don't know how I feel."

"Nadia felt the same way a while ago, but she says you convinced her to talk to me."

Sydney nods. "Yeah, I did. That's because I never truly stopped believing in you. But I've also never stopped being unsure of you."

"Sydney..." There's a hesitation from Irina's end. "...do you remember when I turned myself in to the CIA?"

Sydney nods a bit solemnly. "Yes...'

"I didn't have a lot of good moments from the moment Nadia was stolen away from me until I saw you again. But those times when you would drop by and ask my help...were some of the happiest moments of my life at the time. I couldn't believe the woman you grew up to be, in fact, I kept telling myself that I couldn't have pictured you turning out any better than you did."

"I appreciate that...but you were still a criminal."

"Only because that's all I had left. The reason I fled the KGB was because they Nadia away from me. It was my decision to leave, which made me a traitor to my country. I spent the following years in relative seclusion. In that time, I became close with Alexander Khasinau. He hid me out in his Paris nightclub and together, we built the Covenant. We built the Covenant because, without my children and without my husband, all I had left was Rambaldi. In the process, the woman I was with Jack and with you died. But then, you came back into my life. The woman that died a slow death from the time I left the KGB came back to life. And yet, I had also become what I became with Khasinau and my pursuit of Rambaldi. I was living two lives, and I was always in conflict with my two lives. That's why I disappeared for a while after I escaped from the CIA."

"I thought you disappeared because Dad tried to frame you and have you executed!"

A few laughs from Irina are heard. "Did Nadia or Tom tell you that me and Jack are back together?"

Sydney gasps out loud. "Mom, are you serious?"

"Yes. I'm serious." Irina takes a couple seconds to stop laughing. "Some things never change, Sydney. And, it looks like we're going to be working together again."

Before Sydney can answer, she hears Nadia go "Shhh! Don't tell her too much about what goes on here!"

Irina responds "I'm sorry...this all feels so real that I forget there's a barrier between us that can't be broken."

Sydney, now smiling, says "It's alright. Although, I do wish there was more I knew about what was going on. Nadia gets to know everything about me, but there's a lot I don't know about what's going on there."

Nadia replies sullenly "Sydney, I wish I could. But Elysium's not a place people from Earth even need to know about, but since we can talk to you, we have to be careful about what we say. We don't want to burden you with things you have absolutely no control over."

Sydney sits up a little. "It's not a burden to know what's going on with my mother and sister. It's bad enough that you aren't alive, but if I can still talk to you, I'd like to have a relationship with you like we both were alive!"

"I know, Sydney, and I'd love that too."

Irina then says "Perhaps there are ways that we can interact more. Do you still have access to CIA files?"

Sydney thinks for a bit, then says "Well, Marshall Flinkmann is linked with them, and Tom's friend Mike Walcott still has his security clearance since he does some side work with the CIA still. Why?"

"I'll tell you later. We're still working out some details on a new venture."

Nadia asks "What new venture? You and Dad never said anything..."

"I've said too much already, Nadia. You'll find out soon enough. Certain people want to keep this quiet."

Sydney laughs at the hush-hushness of the conversation her mother and sister are having. "I won't tell, I promise!"

Irina says the following like she has a smile on her face. "I'm glad you're smiling around me."

Sydney pauses, mulling over what she wants to say. "Mom, this is about as casual as I've heard you before. Everything about this feels...right."

"Sydney, I'm free. I have my Jack back, I have Nadia back, I'm becoming a part of Maria and Emilio's life...I have peace. I have everything I want except you."

Sydney suddenly remembers something. "I'll never forget something that Tom told me about you back when he was alive."

"Oh?"

"He recalled when you reunited with Nadia on the plane back from Guatemala. He studied your expression..."

"Don't say anymore, Sydney. He told me this exact same story when he asked if he could marry Nadia."

Sydney hears Nadia gasp. "Did he really, Mom?"

"Oh yes. He said he believed I was for real because of my reaction. And you know what? He couldn't be more right. I had to hide a lot of emotions when I saw you again, Nadia." Irina pauses, then addresses Sydney. "Losing Nadia the way I did was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I love you both the same, but Nadia was my precious one. Did Nadia ever tell you what she did when she was born?"

Sydney sits back, interested in what's coming. "No, what did my sister do?"

"She was crying so, so hard until she grabbed a hold of my index finger and started sucking on it like a pacifier. And then, she looked up, tears still in her eyes, but she was content sucking on my finger. It was the most precious thing I've ever seen. Not long after, that's when the KGB took her from me. And when I saw her again on that plane, after I got done hugging her, I went to the bathroom and cried some more. My Nadia had also grown into such a beautiful and strong woman, and that's all I could ever ask for."

Sydney wipes a tear from her eye, feeling the emotions in Irina's voice just now. "Mom, I can't imagine how I would have felt if Isabelle was taken from me like that. And I realize just now...how hard it must have been for you."

"You have no idea, Sydney. Even in the end, when I thought I had what I wanted most out of life, I looked down at you, and right at the moment Jack shot me, I realized that immortality is worthless without the ones you love. In fact, it's a curse. That's why I..." Irina stops short of detailing what she did with Sloane. "...that's why I snuck into Elysium, to redeem myself and to be the person I am, not the person I had to be. And I only hope that you accept my STRONGEST apologies for what I did to you in Brussels. I deserved to die doing what I did."

Sydney's face turns pained and some tears start to fall down her cheeks. "Mom, don't say that! You ended up helping us by making sure no one else EVER got The Horizon!"

"At least I did something good in my last days."

"And now it seems like you're doing a lot of good now. I mean, if you can convince Dad of all people to believe in you, then it must mean your actions have been doing a lot of talking lately."

Nadia says "They have. I owe her my life. She helped Tom out a lot as well. I believe in her, Sydney."

Sydney nods and wipes her tears away. "And I believe in her too. I believe the woman that was pointing a gun at my head in Brussels was not my mother. I believe I'm talking to my mother right now."

Irina then says "Thank you. Now, don't move."

Sydney stays frozen on the side of her bed, not sure exactly what's going on.

Nadia must have read it, because she says with a laugh "Mom's hugging you right now."

Sydney laughs and hugs some air in return. "I'm hugging her back!"

Irina, from next to Sydney's ear, says "I know you are. You don't know what those words mean to me."

"I may have an idea. But I do mean it, because I can tell you mean what you say now."

"Every word."

Sydney stops the fake hugging and says "Nadia, thanks for orchestrating all this. And I'm glad Mom could be of help to you."

Nadia replies "No problem. Thanks for giving her a chance."

Irina then says "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to see my grandchildren. It'd be nice if I could talk to them, but I know they're young..."

Suddenly, Sydney gets an idea. "You know, you almost kind of sound like you're coming through a phone line when you talk." Sydney turns around and looks at her cordless phone. "How about we do this: I'll give Isabelle the phone and act like someone's on the other line. Then, you can start talking to her!"

Nadia defensively says "Sydney! We can't do that! When we talk, you don't hear us directionally!"

"But...you know when you wear headphones how it feels like the sound is coming from inside your head? And I do have a headset that I use for conversations. I can keep the line open, and to her, it'll be like you're coming through on the headset."

Irina then points out "Do you really want her to know that I'm her grandmother? She'll want to see me."

"Just say you're a good friend of Mommy's and you were like a mother to me. You can do the rest."

After some hesitation, Nadia says "This could work. Let's give it a shot."

So they tried it. And it worked. Irina got to talk to Isabelle, and Isabelle believed she was talking to Irina through the headset. It was a pleasant conversation for all involved, and afterward, Irina personally thanked Alec Derevko for being a seedbearer, which made it possible for this conversation to happen.

A week later, Nadia got to talk to her niece for the first time, too.

Two weeks later, Tom got to talk to his nephew Thomas Loren Walcott, the son of Mike Walcott and his sister Karen Falk, for the first time using this method.

But more importantly, Irina had mended all the bridges she had damaged with the ones she loved. And Sydney no longer had to fear her mother.

It was a pleasant conversation for all involved.

San Felipe, Mexico (Elysium, three weeks later)

Tom stands in front of the mirror in a dark red polo shirt and dark brown slacks. And as he continues to loop his belt around, he's wondering just what he's getting himself into.

Milo Rambaldi stopped by the other day, asking that he come to a special meeting in the same building the Elysian Council meets in at the Vatican. He gave no details and asked only for Tom. Nadia didn't seem to know what Rambaldi wanted, either.

It would surprise Tom later that night when his mother called him and told him that Rambaldi asked that she attend. And Tom literally had to pick his jaw up off the floor when he heard Thomas and Eddie were also invited.

The next morning, Owen called and said he'd been invited to this meeting too. Just what is going on here? Everyone invited to this meeting and no one knows what's going on?

But still, he figured he'd look good for the occasion. It sounded important, whatever it is.

Tom finally buckles his belt and takes one final look in the mirror. His top polo button popped out, so he hastily buttons it back up. Then he changes his mind and decides to leave the top button down. Yeah, much better.

He quickly walks out of the master bedroom and heads down the hallway. He immediately spots Nadia playing a timed honored classic board game: Chutes and Ladders. Emilio appears to really be enjoying it while Maria's more or less neutral about it.

Nadia's first to look up from the game, partly since it's Emilio's turn now. She gives Tom an impressed smile. "You wore the dark red!"

Tom looks down and shrugs. "Yeah, does it look alright?"

"It looks great! You really need to wear red more often, it really does suit you!"

Tom chuckles. "It used to be the colors of a cartel that I was on long term assignment against in the latter days in the Anti-Cartel. So naturally, I kind of eliminated red from my wardrobe for a while. Old habits die hard."

Maria looks up innocently. "What's the Anti-Cartel?"

Tom gives her a blank look. "Nothing that you have to know about until you're older."

Emilio grins, apparently picking up on the nature of his job. "He stopped the bad guys!"

Maria looks back up at Tom with an inquisitive look. "Did you really?"

Tom and Nadia exchange smirks. Tom then looks back at Maria. "In a nutshell, yes."

Nadia stands up and walks over to Tom. "Well, have fun at this super secret meeting of yours. I kind of wish I could come. Seems like everyone else we know is going!"

Tom puts his hands on her shoulders. "I'll give you a full report in the end. For all I know this could be something totally ridiculous."

"Or it could be something dangerous."

Tom lets out a couple more chuckles. "If it was, Milo would have asked just for me. After all..." Tom looks over Nadia's shoulder at Maria. "I'm bulletproof, right?"

Maria looks up with a self-assured grin. "That's right! Nothing can hurt my Daddy!"

Tom smiles at his daughter's exuberance. No, Maria does not know that Tom cannot die, thanks to The Tonic that apparently transferred over with him when he died.

Nadia wraps her arms around Tom's waist and reaches in to give him a peck on the lips. "I love you, handsome."

Tom smiles even wider and leans over for a bigger kiss, followed by a quick one at the end for good measure. "I love you, beautiful."

Tom then walks over, bends over, and gives Maria a kiss on the cheek. "And I love you, gorgeous!"

Maria lets out a couple flattered giggles, managing a "I love you, daddy" in between giggles.

Tom reaches out towards Emilio with his fist. "You get to be the man of the house for a while. Keep an eye on these ladies, alright?"

Emilio looks up with a playful smirk and gives Tom a fistbump in return. "Hell yeah!"

Tom gives him a playfully rough hair tussle in the end, which causes Emilio to lean back and try to fight Tom's hand off.

Maria suddenly springs to her feet and runs over to Emilio, shouting "TICKLEMOB!"

And with that, Tom, Nadia, and Maria proceed to tickle Emilio to the point of tears. All the kicking and squirming causes him to kick the game board, sending pieces flying all over. Not that that matters to him now, since all he can think about is the tickling right now.

It's been 5 weeks since Sloane's assisted suicide, and it really does seem this family has gotten back to normal.

Tom stands back up and says "Ok, I think he's had enough." Nadia and Maria stop ticking Emilio, who only cares about catching his breath right now. Tom then tells everyone "I'll be back in a while." Tom then takes a moment to look at Nadia, then Maria, and then a recuperating Emilio. He suddenly gets a little emotional. "You have no idea how much I love you all. You all are the foundation I stand on, and I love you so much for that."

Nadia, still sitting on the ground from the tickling, reaches over and gives Tom's calf a couple loving rubs. "And we love you too more than you know."

Tom smiles, then closes his eyes and teleports away when Nadia lets go.

Nadia takes a deep breath, then turns to the kids. "Ok, you're all going next door to Julieta's house for a play day with the kids!"

Emilio and Maria excitedly shoot up to their feet, each of them exclaiming "YAY!" as they do.

"I need to get a change of clothes and then we'll go!" Nadia then turns and starts walking towards the master bedroom...with a confident and downright mischievous smirk on her face.

Vatican City (Elysium)

Quite the motley crew has assembled in the auditorium, located one floor below the Elysian Council's meeting room.

To the right side is the 50 or so members that comprise Il Credo Divino, including Laurent and Alec.

To the left side is Owen Schroeder and the 50 or so members that comprise the True Irish.

To the middle is Tom, Thomas, Mary, and Eddie Falk, Bill Vaughn, along with the Elysium chapter of Storm Crew.

All of them are wondering just why everyone has been called to this meeting. There's about 110 people in this room and not a single one of them knows why they're here.

Luckily for them, the man with the answers approaches the podium.

Milo Rambaldi steps up to the microphone, taps on it to make sure it's on, then folds his hands on the podium and leans forward casually. "Everyone, I want to thank you all for coming today. I'm sure you all are wondering why you are here..."

One of the more outspoken True Irish members yells out "Well, look at the mindreader here!"

Rambaldi just gives the man a blank stare. Meanwhile, Owen gets up, walks over to the man, and gives him a rather stiff slap him on the side of the head. "You have no idea what that man is capable of...reading your mind is probably the least of your worries with him."

The mouthy Irishman literally swallows his tongue as he takes a gulp.

Ramabldi continues, as nothing happened. "The reason I have gathered you all today because you all have the talent and desire to take a greater hand in the safety and security of Elysium and its residents." Rambaldi looks over at the Il Credo Divino contingent. "For centuries, you all have been charged with that very task, and while you have done an admirable and proficient job, this realm has grown too big for you to manage."

Laurent stands up. "We do the best that we can, but we have asked for additional help for some time now. I believe I speak for the rest of Il Credo Divino when I say that we support this venture, and will faithfully serve whoever is put in charge of this makeshift organization."

Rambaldi gives Laurent a cordial headnod. "I expected nothing different from you. As for whose in charge of this organization..." Rambaldi turns to the door to the left. "You may join us now."

Everyone watches the door, and the contingent in the middle of the auditorium raises surprised eyebrows when Jack Bristow and Irina Derevko walk through the door together. It's not so much that these two are together...after all, it's been over a month and there's no signs of turbulence between them. But they're surprised that both are going to be heading up...whatever Rambaldi has planned.

Jack and Irina, both dressed in business formal attire, each shake Rambaldi's hand. Then, Rambaldi steps to the side as Jack takes the podium. As he does, Tom sits in the front row in awe. Jack Bristow in a suit...the last time he saw that was at APO, and a bunch of memories start to flood in from his time at APO: seeing Nadia for the first time since their fateful mission in Argentina, rescuing Sydney from the coffin in Cuba, getting shot by Hans Janssen, meeting his mother for the first time since she died, and on and on and on.

But Tom also remembers the sales pitch that Jack gave to him when he was being recruited to join the APO. Tom was still a physical and emotional wreck from what happened with the Torino mission and the Project Alloy surgery afterward. But as he went on, he heard about the struggles that Jack had after Laura...er, Irina left his life, how Sydney was essentially raised by nannies. Tom empathized with Jack, and in the end, Jack became one of the better bosses to work under. He wasn't as close to him as he was with Eduardo Munoz in the Anti-Cartel or James Lennox in Dark Cover...but Jack didn't let many people close to him. That's what made him a good boss in Tom's mind. It's a different style than Tom uses, but in a true supervisory role like this, Jack's rock solid.

As for Irina, Tom postulates that Irina brings a different set of skills to the table. While Jack is better at the politics, Irina's a more hands-on type. Tom wonders if Irina will be going out on missions...because if she is, she'd be a very good hand to have.

Jack starts off. "Good afternoon. In case you don't know who I am, my name is Jack Bristow. I spent nearly 40 years in the Central Intelligence Agency. Because of that experience, and because of my experience heading a division of the CIA that was very secretive in nature, I've been asked to head the Elysium Intelligence Agency with Irina Derevko who has her own..." Jack gives her a glance. "...experience."

Irina smirks, then steps up to the microphone. "I was trained by the KGB in..." Irina gives Jack a coy look back. "...deep-cover missions. And I have my own skills that I picked up after I left the KGB. I've been asked to help Jack get the EIA off the ground."

Tom starts chuckling lightly, but isn't being too obvious about it. The Elysium Intelligence Agency. How original.

Jack then takes the mic back over. "You all are here because I want you all to join this agency. You possess the skills and experience necessary to make this a functional organization. There will be more people added along the way, but this is a good start, provided you all agree to join. Outside of the people in this room, the EIA is to remain a total secret from the rest of Elysium. Now, I'll take any questions you have."

Thomas, Tom's dad, is the first to speak. "Jack, we've been led to believe that this is a peaceful realm. What are we going to be doing in this 'EIA' of yours?"

Jack replies "Rambaldi has secured a rather thick list of people that, over the past few centuries, have been either mistakenly assigned to Elysium or have snuck across a portal somehow. A lot of people on this list simply need an escort back through the portal, which is why we're leaving the one in Russia open. The others either possess the potential for crime or are already breaking the rules here. In addition, we're taking over the tracking program Il Credo Divino has on the 'Natives': the ones that are rightfully assigned to Elysium, but are exhibiting personality problems. There is a lot to do, and we need the manpower to keep on top of it."

Owen Schroeder stands up. "Mr. Bristow, the True Irish are a peaceful people, who oppose violent resolutions to conflicts, especially when innocent lives are at stake. My first question would be who is acting as the judge and jury for these people we're hunting?"

"I believe Milo would be the best person to answer that."

Rambaldi steps to the podium. "Every person that is in Elysium has an intricate psychological profile that is constantly updated and tracked. Our desire to be peaceful is the same as your desire. I don't believe it is in either one of our interests to be worried about the person walking down the street next to you. The ones that are here illegally from Hell are committing a serious crime. And as Jack alluded to, the ones that are rightfully here will be dealt with more gently. That's where I saw your organization's value."

Owen nods, apparently understanding where he's coming from. "So we handle the Natives. I believe we can help you, then. My other question has also been answered in the process, thank you."

Now Tom stands up. "We know the True Irish's role. What about the rest of us?"

Jack steps up to the podium. "You'll deal with the more...aggressive problems. You, Thomas, and Il Credo Divino. Mary and Bill will primarily be tasked with intelligence gathering. Eddie, I understand, has skills when it comes to technology, so we'll be using him there. This is, of course, should you all agree to join us."

Tom looks at the ground and thinks about it. 'Aggressive problems'. It sounds to him like he'll be back on the hunt again. He cracks a big smirk at that as he looks back up. "What about Storm Crew?"

"They too will be out in the field with you."

Tom's smirk disappears. "I'm not sure about that..."

Tom feels his shirt tug behind him. He looks back and the large Chris Cooper is leaning over. "Tom, come here." Tom leans in so Chris can whisper. "Tom, I know why you don't want us to be a part of this..."

Tom shakes his head. "I'm not going to be responsible for your demises anymore."

"That's just my point, man. Look, do you remember what you told me when I was assigned to you in the Anti-Cartel?"

Tom lets out a deep sigh. "'Be the best or be ready to die.'"

"You damn right. We didn't go into Torino thinking we was ready to die, but that's the life we all have chosen. Hell, that's the life YOU chose, man. We're men of action, and we make our own decisions. I chose to run with you in the Anti-Cartel, and we chose to run with you in Storm Crew. But dammit man, we've been bored on our asses these last few years, and we're tired of it. It's time for us to spread our wings and fly again, we're not wounded anymore!"

Tom looks down at the ground. "I'm not going to lose you guys again..."

"You won't, man. We're the best, and we ain't ready to die. Besides, we got the baddest man in Elysium on our side!" Chris gives Tom a slap on the chest.

Tom lets out a quick laugh and says "Strength and honor, boys." The rest of Storm Crew huddles together, with fists in the middle. Everyone else then says in unison "Strength and honor!"

Mary laughs and says "The boys are back in town!"

Tom turns and gives his mother a bit of a sarcastic look. "I take it you're in?"

Mary nods confidently.

Bill, who is sitting a couple seats down from Mary, says "I'm in too."

Thomas then chimes in "It's about time I start hunting something else besides game for a living."

Tom gives his dad a concerned look. "Even with what you went through in 'Nam?"

Thomas nods and says flatly "Those days are done, but I still have the skills."

Tom then looks over at Eddie and sarcastically shakes his head slowly. "You ready to work with your baby brother?"

Eddie says with a chuckle "Someone's gotta keep you in check."

Tom glances at his mother. "I thought that's what she's for."

Jack then says "Actually, that won't be her job." As Tom looks back up at him, Jack addresses everyone. "You all will not be reporting to me and Irina directly. Assignments will be handed out by our Deputy Director."

Tom asks defiantly "And just who is that?"

"Me!"

And walking in from the door to the left is a very professional, very confident looking Nadia Falk.

Tom's jaw goes completely slack. He can't find the words that would convey his feelings about his wife being his boss.

Even Mary gives out a shocked gasp when she sees Nadia walk across the stage.

Nadia takes her place at the podium and tells Tom "All assignments, all debriefings, all concerns, and all communication goes through me."

Tom starts shaking his head slowly. "Ok, tell me this is a joke!"

Nadia gives Tom a cocky look. "What, you don't think you can work under me?"

"THAT'S...that's precisely the point here! I have to live with you!"

Jack steps up next to Nadia. "That's exactly why she's the Deputy Director. In my time with you, and from what I know about your past, Nadia is the only person in this room that can truly control you."

Tom starts looking around. "In front of everybody? Really?"

"We need cooperation from you in order to make this work. Nadia's the best option for ensuring that."

Nadia then says "I'm also doing this because I miss the action."

Tom lets out a dissatisfied gasp. "Don't tell me you're going out on field assignments!"

Nadia shakes her head. "No. My job keeps me in the office, but Tom, I got into SIDE because the work I did was exciting and I because was good at it."

"But what about the orphans?"

"The adoption program is working. As the transition is made from orphanage to fostering, I'll be passing the torch to Julieta. I'll still consult her whenever I'm needed, but I know Julieta will do just fine."

Tom lets out another dejected sigh. "But what about our kids?"

"A lot of my work can be done remotely. I'll still be Mommy to them." Nadia then turns to Jack. "And NO BEEPERS!"

Jack doesn't smile, but does manage a chuckle. He too doesn't remember those "APO 911" messages very fondly. Instead of responding to that, he decides to stroke Tom's ego a little, seeing as he's very leery about all this, especially with Nadia and Storm Crew involved. "Tom, you do realize the role you'll be playing in this organization, right?"

Tom looks up at Jack, still a little miffed. "Let me guess, I get to be your buttonman?"

"Buttonman?"

"Yeah, in my experience with cartels, they employed these guys called 'buttonmen'. It wasn't even an original idea; the Mafia was the first to use the term. But the idea is the boss pushes a button, and the buttonman goes out and, you know, takes care of the dirty work."

"Something like that, only you'll be doing Nadia's bidding. But seeing as you have certain...advantages over the rest of the people in this room, you'll be sent to the most high profile and most dangerous assignments. I too share your concern with keeping everyone in this room protected."

"Have you been stabbed lately? It kind of hurts!"

"Are you hurting now from when Manuel Del Rio stabbed you a couple months ago?"

Tom rubs the back of his head. You can still somewhat tell where the knife went in through the back of his head, as some hair hasn't grown completely back yet. "No, it's like it never even happened."

"So you get my point. You're integral to the EIA."

Tom starts looking around the room at his rather eclectic co-workers. Feisty Irishmen on one side, stone cold killers in robes on the other, and his family and wife in the middle.

Nadia pleads "Tom, if you're going to do this for someone, do it for me. But I know who you are, Tom. I know you want this."

Tom looks Nadia dead in the eyes. Then, he asks "When do I start?"

END OF STORY

Author note: 21 months ago, I already started feeling withdrawals after finishing Project Nadia. I threw out some pretty outlandish story ideas with my most loyal story follower, irinab, about some wild future story ideas. Trouble In Paradise was actually one of them. The proof of this exchange is in the reviews of Project Nadia.

So I wrote the first chapter of Trouble in Paradise right before I left the overnight do-nothing job that enabled me to crank out Project Nadia chapters like a conveyor belt. I knew I couldn't replicate Project Nadia, both in speed and creativity, but the premise intrigued me. I'd get to use Jack as a way to show the transition into Elysium, I'd get to write more about my favorite character from Project Nadia (Mary Falk), I'd get a chance to tie up what I felt was my only real loose end in Project Nadia (Irina's storyline), and of course, I'd get to write more about Tom and Nadia. Yeah, I didn't include nearly as much romantic gushy stuff like I did with them the first time and there's a big reason for that: the romance of a relationship is always the hottest at its beginning. It'd be unrealistic if I kept them all gushy towards one another 5 years later.

I have written about 775,000 words over the course of 3 stories and about 27 months that started with three inspirations:

1. Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely despised how they tossed Nadia away like a sack of flour in Season 5. I had a lot of empathy and interest in that character and to say she got absolutely mishandled in Season 5 would be a dramatic understatement. (In fact, to say Season 5 royally sucked would also be a dramatic understatement.) I wanted to change this.

2. What if Nadia had a boyfriend that wouldn't run away from her at the first chance he could? (f**k you Weiss)

3. What if APO had a guy like The Shield's Vic Mackey?

The rest, as they say, is history.

I think with these stories I have done Nadia some serious justice. I don't say that in terms of readers, which I feel was probably on the low side given how long my story was and how I didn't have Sydney and Sark screwing each other every other chapter.

I'll admit that Trouble in Paradise wasn't as entertaining as Project Nadia. It wasn't directly centered in the Alias universe and I had to spend quite a few chapters building this world I created (whereas I piggybacked from the world JJ Abrams created in PN). It also suffered from the fact that it nearly took two years to complete because life started getting in the way.

Unlike when I left off Project Nadia, I feel pretty much "done". I want to take a break from this. I want to think of other things in my spare time besides Tom Falk and Nadia Santos and this crazy story I'm writing for them.

But am I done? I don't know. I thought I was after Project Nadia, but the itch hit me right after posting the final chapter. I kind of left the door open there at the end of this, didn't I? I've got some ideas for an Elysium Intelligence Agency series, but they're very primitive at this point. Will they develop over time to the point where I'll want to write again? Maybe. But where do I go with that story? Where do I go with Tom and Nadia? I'm not entirely sure. For now, I'm going to take a break and deal with other life stuff at the moment.

Thank you to everyone that stuck with this from start to finish, especially irinab. If you have any feedback, please submit a review or private message me. This truly was a labor of love and I'm glad I could provide a start and a finish to three unique and lengthy stories. Project Nadia 2.0 remains my favorite by far, but I also enjoyed writing Trouble in Paradise as well. (Only one hard copy of Project Nadia 1.0 remains, and that's only because I haven't burned it yet for being so awful.)

Again, thank you for reading my story. 'Til we meet again.

-Thomas W.