The Ties That Bind
*A/N: Hello all my wonderful readers, I'm writing this while on vacation. My family has a house in the country and due to the heavy storm that hit Northern California on Monday night; I'm having trouble getting net access, which is a real killer. But I just thought I'd let you know that was why. Also in case you haven't figured it out, I re-wrote Alias history a bit, Sidney was born in April of 1979 and Laura/Irina "died" in May of 1985, with Nathalia being born in January of 1986. Sorry for any confusion! Also this chapter is rated "NC-17" and you'll see why. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Jack and Nathalia
Los Angeles
Jack's Flat
2 Days Before Christmas
Early Morning
Jack was awakened by the sound of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker playing softly from downstairs. He looked at the digital clock beside his bed, which read 5:30AM. He rose, donned his robe, and went downstairs. Nathalia was in the living room dancing, she had carefully and neatly pulled the rug away and rolled it to the side. He could now hear the sound of her Pointe shoes as she rose up on her toes and glided across the room. Her arms were above her head forming a perfect circle. Once she reached the other side, she shifted her weight to one foot and lifted the other over her head with her arms gracefully outstretched. Then she brought the leg down and leaped across the room and after landing, did 3 foites and after the third stopped, bringing one leg behind the other and stretched her arm out gracefully. Jack clapped politely startling her.
"You are very good," he said coming towards her.
"Thank you," said Nathalia quickly gathering up her things. "I'm sorry to have woken you," said heading towards the stairs.
"No," he said grabbing her arm. "You didn't. I'm up at this time anyway. Sit please." He commanded softly leading her to the sofa."
"So am I, I get up at 5 practice until 7 and go to school at 8."
"How long have you been dancing?"
"I started ballet classes when I was 3 and I joined the Paris Ballet last year."
"You are their youngest member."
"Yes, in a non-chorus capacity eliciting jealousy from those around me that are considered my peers. My teachers are proud, I am the only prodigy that has the drive to go far. I am at the top of my class at school; I have straight A's in every class, read, write and, speak 8 languages. I am one of the most desired computer programmers in my field, getting paid large sums of money by various people to secure and destroy systems. But yet, I am the object of jealousy of people my age because of my intelligence and my company members scorn me because they consider me a threat. All in all everyone thinks I'm a freak," she looked at Jack pausing for a brief moment. "But I'm not am I?"
"No you're not."
"According to my mother, you're my real father."
"It would seem so."
"Then tell me Dad, what is it you want from me?"
"Its not what I want, it is what SD-6 wants."
"SD-6?" she asks cocking an eyebrow.
"A black ops division of the CIA headed by a man named Arvin Slone. He heard of you through many people and decided to enlist your help. In the past year, SD-6's systems have been compromised numerous times leaving Slone in a horrible position. He wants you to secure our systems and after that train you as an agent."
"But there is no black ops division of the CIA under SD-6."
Jack cocks an eyebrow, "You've done your homework I see."
"I have, I managed to hack into the CIA computer network and into SD-6. SD-6 is an organization dealing in weapons of mass destruction and makes deals with terrorists all the while leading its agents to believe they are working for the CIA."
"In a word yes."
"And you along with my sister Sydney are a double agent for the CIA and SD-6. Up until last year she was under the belief that SD-6 was the CIA."
"Correct."
"But the question is, why are you so quick to believe that I am your daughter and where is my mother?"
"Your mother is in CIA custody and as for you being my daughter, you are because Vladimir Khasinau is sterile and your birthday matches the time period in which you were conceived
"So you want me to work for the bad guys?"
"Yes, and help take them down."
"You mean work for the CIA? As a double agent."
"Exactly."
"How?"
"You'll find out, now go get dressed."
"Why?"
"I'm taking you to your mother."
Irina's cell
1 hour later
Irina rose from the bed as she heard the gates go up. Moments later Jack came into view leading someone by the hand. He or she was blindfolded. She came closer as Jack removed the blindfold and came face to face with her daughter. Nathalia couldn't hide the shock on her face when she saw Irina behind the glass. While it was true that Nathalia knew about SD-6 and how it wasn't a black ops division of the CIA, she never had time to search for her mother in the CIA computer. Hence, she knew nothing about how Irina was KGB and that she infiltrated the CIA and married Jack and had Sydney as a part of an assignment.
"Mom?" Nathalia said in surprise.
"Hello darling," Irina replied trying to find a way to calm Nathalia before she panicked
Nathalia put her hand up on the glass. "Why are you here?"
"It's a long story Nathalia and it's not something you would care to know now."
"Tell her," said Jack from behind Nathalia, his eyes going cold.
"What is going on?"
"Your mother is a spy."
"A spy?" Nathalia repeated looking back at Jack. "That's impossible," she said looking back at Irina. "Spies are mysterious, adventurous, cool! You can't be a spy, you're my mother!"
"Tell her Irina, or I will," said Jack forcefully.
"Tell me what?"
"Sit down," said Jack bringing a chair foreword so she could sit.
"Sweetheart, as you know I grew up in Russia at the time of communism. When I was a little older than you, 18, I was recruited to the KGB. In 1977, I was assigned to come to the United States, to the CIA to obtain intelligence," said Irina carefully studying Nathalia's face for any reaction. So far, she sat cool and impassive. Irina continued, "The best way to obtain intelligence was to infiltrate an agent, your father," she said stealing a look at Jack. "So I did, I used my skills to get close to him and it worked. I was using the alias of Laura. But I quickly discovered that getting close to your father wasn't an assignment as much, but it was turning into real feelings. But we married quickly as it was and I became a professor of literature at UCLA. Your sister, Sydney was born a year or so after we married. Things were going relatively well, however I was still sharing intelligence, but it was becoming less and less as the years went by. But a month or so after Sydney's 6th birthday, I received a message from the KGB saying that I was to pull out and go back. I tried to get out of it, but then I was told that if I did not come back, I would be killed along with Sydney and Jack. So one night when we were driving home from the movies, it was arranged that someone would run us off the road and cause an accident. It all went as planned, Jack was knocked out and I disappeared, presumed dead. I returned to Russia, to my old life. But I discovered that my other life wasn't entirely gone with Laura's death. 2 weeks after my return, I realized that I was pregnant. I knew that it was not Khasinau's because he had returned from a trip the day before and it was the first time I saw him. So in order to ensure your safety and mine I passed you off as his-"
"So I was a mistake?" Nathalia asked, although it was more a statement than a question.
"No! Nathalia, you were not a mistake. I never want you to think that."
Nathalia rose from the chair and stepped closer to the glass, her eyes turning cold, emotionless.
"But I wasn't planned for was I," she said straight out. Silence greeted her answer. "Was I?"
"No."
"I ruined your plans didn't I? After you tucked me in at night, you went off building an empire with a faceless boss. All of those programs I put in for you, all the information I got. It was all against the United States. Then after all of that you felt guilty and turned yourself in. Right?"
Silence came once again and Nathalia turned away from her mother and looked to Jack. He came foreword and put the blindfold back on. The gates went back up and Jack led Nathalia out. Irina crossed back to the bed and sat down facing toward the wall and let the silent tears fall.
Jack led Nathalia back to the car and they rode back to the house in silence. When they arrived Nathalia went straight upstairs without a word. He glanced at his watch 8:15AM. He was due at SD-6 at 11:00AM with Nathalia, but he had a feeling that they might not make it. He went upstairs and knocked on her door softly.
"Come in," came the soft reply.
Nathalia was sitting on the bed facing toward the window, Indian style. Jack came over and sat next to her.
"I'm sorry that you had to find out that way," Jack said quietly.
"Is there any better way to find out that you were a mistake?"
There was an awkward silence.
"You were not a mistake."
"How do you know that?"
Jack sat on the edge of the bed and thought back to a night not too long after Sydney's birthday.
Flashback
Los Angeles
Late April 1985
Jack and Laura's House
They were alone for the first time in weeks. Sydney was sleeping over at a friend's house, so Jack and Laura had the house to themselves. Jack smiled at her as he came around the edge of the sofa with two champagne flutes. She smiled warmly at him rising from her horizsontal position into an upright one. He sat down next to her as she took a flute from him and took a small sip. She kissed him lightly on the cheek as his arm came around her as they both watched the roaring fire.
"Alone at last," said Laura with a small smile.
"Yes," said Jack giving her a kiss on the forehead.
"How was your day?"
"I'm still working on that case with the international terrorist programs but still nothing. And yours?"
"10 page term papers to grade."
"Life never stops spinning does it?"
"No, it doesn't. But for tonight can we just forget about it?" Laura asked putting down the champagne flute.
"I think that can be arranged," said Jack, putting his flute down and wrapping his arms around his wife and giving her a soft kiss on the lips.
"That's good to know," Laura said softly winding her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. Her lips traveled from his lips to his neck as she gently bit the tender flesh there. Slowly he reached up and let her long dark hair out of its confines. She straddled him carefully going for his dress shirt and unbuttoning it, kissing his defined chest as each new piece of skin was exposed. The shirt was finally opened all the way and she pushed it off him. As soon as she did so his hands captured her face kissing her for a long moment before unbuttoning her blouse giving her the same treatment that she gave him. But when he undid the clasp on her bra exposing her creamy breasts with her erect, rose colored nipples, she moaned in anticipation. He gently sucked her nipples, as her moans grew louder. He laid her down on the sofa pinning her with his legs as he kissed each breast and then her chest and neck on either side before going back and kissing her mouth with great fervor. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she captured his face kissing him again. His hand slowly snuck to the zipper of her skirt and he pulled it down and it fell to the floor joining the other clothes. Her own hands went to his belt getting it off in an instant and then undoing his pants sliding them off and disposing of them. He kissed her stomach and her navel, causing her to arch her back as he smiled, knowing he hit a pleasure point. Her underwear came next joining everything else as his mouth journeyed to her center gently parting her legs; placing soft butterfly kisses on her inner thighs. He elevated her legs to his shoulders as he beheld his goal ready for the taking. He kissed her sex softly before taking a slow lick to her clit. Her moans became louder as he held her thighs as he nipped at her clit causing her hips to buck. He sucked on her clit slowly delighted at the moans, he elicited from his wife. She was so tight and ready for him as he continued to lick around her clit until finally she was brought to the edge as he lapped at her juices. Orgasm ripped through her body like an electric current shaking her to the very core. Jack held still until orgasm subsided and when it did, Laura used all her weight to flip him over and when she did so, she removed his boxers and straddled him. Taking him in her mouth, his hands slowly threaded through her hair as she sucked him very slowly before pulling out and licking the tip of his member, making him groan. She took him in her mouth again slowly before picking up the pace, her head bobbing up and down. A few forceful groans later, signaled that she should halt as she straddled him, lowering herself onto him, finally joined. They groaned in relief as he sat up and embraced her, she wrapped her legs around him thrusting into her slowly at first as she kissed him with great passion. The sheen of sweat clinging to their bodies as they made tender and passionate love. The pace increased, as did the kisses. Her hands tangled in his hair as she kissed him long and hard, moaning into his mouth as he thrust into her. She moved her hips increasing the pleasure between them as their moans and groans grew louder as the moved closer and closer to oblivion. Finally they reached orgasm together as she contracted and expanded around his member, causing him to release his seed into her womb. They stayed that way for a while clinging to each other, never wanting to move.
Laura rested her head on Jack's shoulder and whispered, "I love you," really meaning it from her heart.
"I love you too," Jack whispered back loving his wife more in that moment than ever as he pulled a blanket around them and rolling to the side before wrapping his arms protectively around his wife.
End Flashback
"Jack?" said Nathalia lightly touching his shoulder.
Jack was startled out of his thoughts and he looked at Nathalia. She was a mixture of them both, her beautiful dark eyes and long hair screamed Irina, but her expressions and some of her mannerisms oozed him. She was a beautiful young woman who should have been liked by all who knew her. But too many people had hurt her and he was angry for that. Angry at Khasinau, Irina, Nathalia's classmates, her company members. She deserved to be happy, but could also see that she needed a family and so did he. He regretted what he did to Sydney all of these years, how he pushed her away when "Laura" died. He hated Irina for hurting Sydney, and Nathalia like this, and him as well. But no matter what Irina still had the qualities of "Laura Bristow" and whether or not he wanted to admit it as much as he despised her, he loved her. She was still technically his wife and even though she was a complex person, he knew that she still loved him in his heart of hearts. And no matter what happened between Irina and Jack, he could never regret either of his children. It was only at this moment that he realized how much time he wasted with Sydney, staying so distant. But now as he looked at his younger daughter, still so innocent, but so scarred he knew that it was time to stop. He made the decision at that time to be a real father to Nathalia because he knew that that was the only way to start healing the part of his heart that he kept sealed off for so long.
"You were not a mistake Nathalia," he said softly touching her cheek. "No matter what has happened, always know that you were created in genuine love. I know that your mother doesn't regret you or your sister, no matter the preexisting circumstances, and neither do I. It has taken me a long time to realize that no matter what field you are in, you cannot be isolated from your family. What you had to hear today was hard to bear, and I know it will take awhile to accept. But no matter what happens, I want you to know that I will try to be the father that you need. I won't be perfect, but I'll be here for you."
"Thank you," said Nathalia deeply touched by what he said, knowing that it must have been hard for him to say that. She rose to her knees and hugged him and he hugged her back. After a few minutes, they separated and he gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"I have a favor to ask of you Nathalia," said Jack looking her in the eyes.
"Go ahead."
"Call me dad, Jack sounds too formal."
"Of course," said Nathalia with a small smile.
"Let's go, we have to be at SD-6 at 11:00. But first, I'll take you to this wonderful bistro for breakfast," he said looking her over. "You need to eat more."
"Mom says the same thing."
"She's right and over breakfast, I'll tell you everything you need to know about Sydney."
"And you too?"
"And me too."
*It's hot in heere! I trust all you J/L/I fans liked that flashback I felt like a spy when I was writing that! Listen I know I said that Sydney and Nathalia would meet here but my inspiration took me in a different direction. That will be the next chapter I promise. I hope you like the developing relationship between Jack and Nathalia. The guy needs someone to hang onto. Look for a good Sydney/Nathalia relationship as well. Please R/R, I love getting those indicators by e-mail!