A/N- Thanks for sticking with this guys, please keep reviewing. Hope ya'll enjoy.
Always
Part Three
Irina was a little taken aback. She rarely had seen Jack look so emotionally vulnerable. She thought carefully about how to answer what should have been such a simple question, but was weighted with so much that it could not be treated as one. For a moment, the only sound was the rain pounding against the ceiling. Finally, she spoke.
"Of course I loved you, Jack. Contrary to what you seem to think, I'm not made out of stone."
He swallowed, looking down for a minute. She continued.
"I mean, I don't know what I was thinking when I took that assignment. How could I have possibly thought that I could marry someone, have his child, live as his wife for ten years, and not feel anything for him? It was stupid and naïve to even consider myself being capable of. To be completely honest, you were the only person I ever really was in love with. My entire life."
Jack didn't really seem to know what to do with that. So, he put up his usual defenses.
"Don't you find that pathetic that the only meaningful relationship you've ever been in was completely predicated on a lie?" He said harshly.
She didn't reply for a moment, uncrossing her arms wearily. They both heard thunder rumbling outside.
"You have absolutely no idea how much I wanted to stay, Jack. By the time the KGB told me I had to disappear, I wasn't even pretending with the two of you anymore. I was Laura Bristow, I was your wife, I was the loving mother of our beautiful daughter. It wasn't as if I lost myself, it was as if I finally discovered the life I was meant for. For so long, I thought that the life as an agent of the KGB was the best thing I could have hoped for. But I was wrong. You proved me wrong." When she finished speaking she felt as if a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she had wanted to tell him this for so long.
Irina looked at Jack, begging for some sort of response.
"Then why did you go?" He asked.
"I didn't have a choice!"
"You always have a choice!"
"Think about my situation logically, Jack! If I had stayed, the KGB would probably have killed all three of us for my disobedience. If I left, the only two people who meant anything to me would be safe. What would you have done?" She demanded.
Jack realized with a start that he had never even considered that Irina left to protect them. He had so decided on her being utterly evil that it had never really occurred to him.He had just figured that her job was done as Laura Bristow, so she just deserted them without a look back.
"Why should I believe you?" He asked, looking straight at her as if actually considering trusting her.
"Because you love me." She said simply.
Jack's throat went dry at such a bold declaration from Irina. He opened his mouth to deny it, but he knew he would be lying. Damn her. He did still love her. No matter how much his mind told him not to, he couldn't help it. She was the only person he had ever been truly in love with as well. He had fallen for her so hard that his feelings absolutely refused to go away, or even fade in their intensity.
"Jack, I'm sorry. That was--" Irina never got to finish that sentence. Before she could even wrap her mind around what was happening, Jack was kissing her and she was kissing him back.
~*~
Sydney snapped awake from a fitful sleep as the door to the room holding her and Vaughn slid open. The young man had returned, and he was very obviously drunk. He still held a bottle in one hand, smiling at her.
"Still not going to talk, sweetheart?" He said, his words slurring slightly.
"Maybe when you're sober." Sydney said, flexing her now free hands behind the chair. She was ready to fight.
"You're not a very nice girl, you know that, Miss Bristow?" He pointed at her, smiling as he took a long swig from his drink.
"You're breaking my heart." Sydney said sarcastically.
The man came closer to her chair, and Sydney's heart sped up excitedly. He had placed the keys on the table when he had come in. Her chance was coming.
"Maybe I'd feel a little nicer if you let me have some of that." She smiled charmingly, hoping he was drunk enough to fall for that.
"Sure." He shrugged, walking over and holding the bottle to her lips.
She sprung into action immediately. She brought her right hand around, slamming the glass bottle into his face. It shattered, and he howled in pain. She brought the other hand around, upper cutting his chin. He fell back to the floor, bleeding profusely. Sydney quickly turned the chair around, pushing backwards towards the table. Suddenly, his bloody hand grabbed her chair leg, knocking her to the ground. She struggled away, trying to get the chains off the legs of the chair.
The man was covered in blood, but still had a slight advantage due to his freedom of motion. He stood up shakily, and kicked Sydney hard in the gut. She cried out in pain, clutching her side.
"Try that again, and I'll kill you, you little bitch." The man spat on her, leaving the room and taking the keys with him.
The door locked behind him. Sydney finally managed to get her legs free, shaking slightly with pain. She cried out in frustration, waking an unconscious Vaughn.
His bloodied face softened immediately with concern when he saw her.
"Syd…" He said sleepily.
"It's all right, Vaughn. I'm free. I'm going to get us out of here."
"You're hurt." He protested weakly.
She sat up, grimacing, but trying to look as though she wasn't hurt that bad. Her hand was cut, she noticed. It must have happened when she broke the bottle, but her adrenaline had been racing, so she hadn't noticed.
"Vaughn…I'm fine. I'm going to get us out of here. Don't worry." She managed a weak smile.
~*~
Irina sat against the head of the bed, sheets pulled around her bare frame. Jack slept peacefully next to her. She couldn't believe what had just happened.
She always found it strange to see the transition in Jack from stoic to passionate. She realized with a slight smile that she was probably the only person who even knew that transition was possible.
Her mind was still processing what had happened between them. She had told Jack he loved her, and then decided that was too bold and possibly untrue, so she had started to apologize. Before she could even finish, he had kissed her. She had responded without even thinking, it was strange that something that hadn't happened between them in twenty years was still almost automatic.
Then they had…well, gotten carried away.
Irina smiled to herself, remembering. Suddenly, she snapped back to the present. They were on a mission. They had to rescue Sydney and Vaughn. She checked the clock on the bedside table. It was 6:15 at night.
She got dressed, listening to the storm still raging outside. She heard Jack stir in bed. Irina looked over at him, as he sat up, looking very confused. She waited for a moment. Jack's tired eyes suddenly got very clear as he saw her standing there.
He didn't say anything, just looked somewhat horrified for a moment.
"You better get dressed." She threw his black outfit for the mission over to him.
He caught it, still not saying anything. He got dressed as well, sitting down on the bed as Irina sat on the opposite bed. After fifteen minutes of silence, Irina let out a loud sigh.
"Jack, this is ridiculous. Are you just never going to talk to me again?"
"What do you want me to say?" He snapped at her.
"Don't get mad at me-you initiated it!"
Jack didn't respond right away. He put his head in his hands, a headache rapidly forming.
"I'm sorry, Irina." He said, without looking up.
"Why? You have nothing to feel sorry for. We are married." She said, smiling slightly.
"I was stressed and tired. I wasn't thinking."
"Fine, Jack." She said, the smile vanishing.
"What'd you think was going to happen, Irina? What, we'd read the newspaper in bed together? Stay up all night talking? We're not some normal married couple! You took care of that! I'm a CIA agent, and you're a prisoner! This never should have happened! I was insane to even consider doing what I did-I don't ever want to talk about it again!" Jack shouted this entire time, and she had never seen him this vehemently upset.
Irina looked away in silence. She felt tears filling her eyes. She quickly blinked them back. Tucking her hair behind one ear, she stood up.
"You're right." She said softly.
"Check our supplies again, we need to leave for the mission in a couple of hours. I'll see what they gave us to eat." Jack said in an emotionless tone.
Irina wordlessly complied.
~*~
A/N- That's it for Chapter Three! Please R/R-next time we'll see the Irina and Jack actually get started on the recovery mission. Sydney and Vaughn finally get a chance to fight back-and much more emotional angst, of course. Leave me a nice long review! Thanks!
Always
Part Three
Irina was a little taken aback. She rarely had seen Jack look so emotionally vulnerable. She thought carefully about how to answer what should have been such a simple question, but was weighted with so much that it could not be treated as one. For a moment, the only sound was the rain pounding against the ceiling. Finally, she spoke.
"Of course I loved you, Jack. Contrary to what you seem to think, I'm not made out of stone."
He swallowed, looking down for a minute. She continued.
"I mean, I don't know what I was thinking when I took that assignment. How could I have possibly thought that I could marry someone, have his child, live as his wife for ten years, and not feel anything for him? It was stupid and naïve to even consider myself being capable of. To be completely honest, you were the only person I ever really was in love with. My entire life."
Jack didn't really seem to know what to do with that. So, he put up his usual defenses.
"Don't you find that pathetic that the only meaningful relationship you've ever been in was completely predicated on a lie?" He said harshly.
She didn't reply for a moment, uncrossing her arms wearily. They both heard thunder rumbling outside.
"You have absolutely no idea how much I wanted to stay, Jack. By the time the KGB told me I had to disappear, I wasn't even pretending with the two of you anymore. I was Laura Bristow, I was your wife, I was the loving mother of our beautiful daughter. It wasn't as if I lost myself, it was as if I finally discovered the life I was meant for. For so long, I thought that the life as an agent of the KGB was the best thing I could have hoped for. But I was wrong. You proved me wrong." When she finished speaking she felt as if a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she had wanted to tell him this for so long.
Irina looked at Jack, begging for some sort of response.
"Then why did you go?" He asked.
"I didn't have a choice!"
"You always have a choice!"
"Think about my situation logically, Jack! If I had stayed, the KGB would probably have killed all three of us for my disobedience. If I left, the only two people who meant anything to me would be safe. What would you have done?" She demanded.
Jack realized with a start that he had never even considered that Irina left to protect them. He had so decided on her being utterly evil that it had never really occurred to him.He had just figured that her job was done as Laura Bristow, so she just deserted them without a look back.
"Why should I believe you?" He asked, looking straight at her as if actually considering trusting her.
"Because you love me." She said simply.
Jack's throat went dry at such a bold declaration from Irina. He opened his mouth to deny it, but he knew he would be lying. Damn her. He did still love her. No matter how much his mind told him not to, he couldn't help it. She was the only person he had ever been truly in love with as well. He had fallen for her so hard that his feelings absolutely refused to go away, or even fade in their intensity.
"Jack, I'm sorry. That was--" Irina never got to finish that sentence. Before she could even wrap her mind around what was happening, Jack was kissing her and she was kissing him back.
~*~
Sydney snapped awake from a fitful sleep as the door to the room holding her and Vaughn slid open. The young man had returned, and he was very obviously drunk. He still held a bottle in one hand, smiling at her.
"Still not going to talk, sweetheart?" He said, his words slurring slightly.
"Maybe when you're sober." Sydney said, flexing her now free hands behind the chair. She was ready to fight.
"You're not a very nice girl, you know that, Miss Bristow?" He pointed at her, smiling as he took a long swig from his drink.
"You're breaking my heart." Sydney said sarcastically.
The man came closer to her chair, and Sydney's heart sped up excitedly. He had placed the keys on the table when he had come in. Her chance was coming.
"Maybe I'd feel a little nicer if you let me have some of that." She smiled charmingly, hoping he was drunk enough to fall for that.
"Sure." He shrugged, walking over and holding the bottle to her lips.
She sprung into action immediately. She brought her right hand around, slamming the glass bottle into his face. It shattered, and he howled in pain. She brought the other hand around, upper cutting his chin. He fell back to the floor, bleeding profusely. Sydney quickly turned the chair around, pushing backwards towards the table. Suddenly, his bloody hand grabbed her chair leg, knocking her to the ground. She struggled away, trying to get the chains off the legs of the chair.
The man was covered in blood, but still had a slight advantage due to his freedom of motion. He stood up shakily, and kicked Sydney hard in the gut. She cried out in pain, clutching her side.
"Try that again, and I'll kill you, you little bitch." The man spat on her, leaving the room and taking the keys with him.
The door locked behind him. Sydney finally managed to get her legs free, shaking slightly with pain. She cried out in frustration, waking an unconscious Vaughn.
His bloodied face softened immediately with concern when he saw her.
"Syd…" He said sleepily.
"It's all right, Vaughn. I'm free. I'm going to get us out of here."
"You're hurt." He protested weakly.
She sat up, grimacing, but trying to look as though she wasn't hurt that bad. Her hand was cut, she noticed. It must have happened when she broke the bottle, but her adrenaline had been racing, so she hadn't noticed.
"Vaughn…I'm fine. I'm going to get us out of here. Don't worry." She managed a weak smile.
~*~
Irina sat against the head of the bed, sheets pulled around her bare frame. Jack slept peacefully next to her. She couldn't believe what had just happened.
She always found it strange to see the transition in Jack from stoic to passionate. She realized with a slight smile that she was probably the only person who even knew that transition was possible.
Her mind was still processing what had happened between them. She had told Jack he loved her, and then decided that was too bold and possibly untrue, so she had started to apologize. Before she could even finish, he had kissed her. She had responded without even thinking, it was strange that something that hadn't happened between them in twenty years was still almost automatic.
Then they had…well, gotten carried away.
Irina smiled to herself, remembering. Suddenly, she snapped back to the present. They were on a mission. They had to rescue Sydney and Vaughn. She checked the clock on the bedside table. It was 6:15 at night.
She got dressed, listening to the storm still raging outside. She heard Jack stir in bed. Irina looked over at him, as he sat up, looking very confused. She waited for a moment. Jack's tired eyes suddenly got very clear as he saw her standing there.
He didn't say anything, just looked somewhat horrified for a moment.
"You better get dressed." She threw his black outfit for the mission over to him.
He caught it, still not saying anything. He got dressed as well, sitting down on the bed as Irina sat on the opposite bed. After fifteen minutes of silence, Irina let out a loud sigh.
"Jack, this is ridiculous. Are you just never going to talk to me again?"
"What do you want me to say?" He snapped at her.
"Don't get mad at me-you initiated it!"
Jack didn't respond right away. He put his head in his hands, a headache rapidly forming.
"I'm sorry, Irina." He said, without looking up.
"Why? You have nothing to feel sorry for. We are married." She said, smiling slightly.
"I was stressed and tired. I wasn't thinking."
"Fine, Jack." She said, the smile vanishing.
"What'd you think was going to happen, Irina? What, we'd read the newspaper in bed together? Stay up all night talking? We're not some normal married couple! You took care of that! I'm a CIA agent, and you're a prisoner! This never should have happened! I was insane to even consider doing what I did-I don't ever want to talk about it again!" Jack shouted this entire time, and she had never seen him this vehemently upset.
Irina looked away in silence. She felt tears filling her eyes. She quickly blinked them back. Tucking her hair behind one ear, she stood up.
"You're right." She said softly.
"Check our supplies again, we need to leave for the mission in a couple of hours. I'll see what they gave us to eat." Jack said in an emotionless tone.
Irina wordlessly complied.
~*~
A/N- That's it for Chapter Three! Please R/R-next time we'll see the Irina and Jack actually get started on the recovery mission. Sydney and Vaughn finally get a chance to fight back-and much more emotional angst, of course. Leave me a nice long review! Thanks!