A/N- This is post-"Phase One." It will eventually be J/I, with some little bits of S/V.
Trust Me
Chapter One
Irina raced up the hotel stairs, her heart still pounding from the news she had just gotten. She had been so shocked that she hadn't left in time, and was now late for her meeting with her KGB contact, Martin Kristoff. She reached the room as fast as she could, digging through her purse for her key to Room 47. She finally found it, opening the door.
"You're late." Kristoff greeted her.
"I know." Irina said simply, her mind elsewhere.
"Well, do you have anything for me?" He asked, his heavy Russian accent hinting at impatience.
"Jack hasn't even mentioned Project Christmas this whole month to anyone as far as I can tell. The only thing I found that tells us anything is this," Irina handed him a sheet of paper from her purse, "It was on his computer- some questions he's brainstorming to put on the test."
"Very good, Irina." Kristoff pocketed the sheet of paper.
"Thank you, sir." Irina drummed her fingers on the desk, wanting to go home.
"Are you all right?" Kristoff asked, not with concern, but with suspicion.
"Actually, no." Irina decided she had to tell the KGB eventually, why not now?
"What's wrong?"
"It seems my mission might have to be altered slightly." Irina said, not looking at him.
"And why would that be?" Kristoff raised an eyebrow.
"I'm pregnant."
"What?" Kristoff sputtered incredulously.
"I just found out before I came over here." Irina looked up.
"How could this have happened?" He asked angrily.
Irina gave him a look.
"I mean, I know HOW, but Irina, this changes everything! We were going to pull you off the Bristow case in a month!"
"I know that, Kristoff."
"It's is Jack's, right?" Kristoff asked, lowering his voice even though no one was listening.
"Of course, it's Jack's! I would never jeopardize this assignment with an affair!" She rolled her eyes, impatient with this meeting and really wanting to leave.
Kristoff fell silent for a moment, watching Irina carefully.
"Do I need to request immediate removal from this case?" He said finally.
"What? Why would you do that?" She answered quickly.
"I think you're becoming too emotionally involved with Bristow." He said, watching carefully for her response.
"No, there's no need for that, Kristoff. At least let me stay until I have the child. Look at this way-the longer I'm there, the more information the KGB gets on Project Christmas." Irina could tell he would agree.
"All right, Irina. You can stay. But remember something about being undercover…the longer you stay, the harder it is to leave." Kristoff looked at her purposefully.
"I'll see you next month." Irina said curtly, getting her purse and leaving the room.
~*~
She reached home at last, their beautiful two story home in California. Irina's head was swimming with thoughts about her pregnancy. She had felt so happy and but also so guilty when she had read the test. She wanted to have Jack's child. But in reality, she wasn't even really doing that. Laura was. Some days she wanted to tell him so badly it hurt. They'd been married for a year, and he'd never even suspected her for a moment. She hated lying to him like this. Irina lied so easily usually; she didn't understand why this time it was so hard.
Because you love him, an insistent voice in her head told her.
Irina blinked back tears, mentally commanding herself to pull it together. She was on assignment; her feelings didn't matter. She got out of her car, walking towards the house. Jack's car was already parked out front. He must have gotten home early.
She unlocked the front door, walking in, instantly greeted with the smell of Chinese food.
Jack was sitting on the couch, his tie loosened and his shoes off, eating Chinese take-out.
"Hey, sweetheart." She smiled at him, and he noticed her for the first time since she'd gotten home.
"Hey, honey, you're home." He got up, kissing her as usual, and handing her a container of Chinese food.
"Thanks for picking up dinner." She smiled, grabbing chopsticks.
"Of course. How was the meeting up at school?" He asked her, going back to the couch.
"Boring. It was just the English department discussing next year's book list." She sat next to him on the couch.
They both sat in silence for a moment, watching the news on TV. Irina wasn't listening at all, lost in thought about how to tell him.
"Laura, are you all right?" He asked finally.
She looked at him for a moment.
"Jack…I need to tell you something."
~*~
Irina snapped awake from her dream, sighing slightly. She remembered every detail of that day, and for some reason she had been having dreams of different parts every night. Discovering the positive pregnancy test. Telling Kristoff. Telling Jack and how happy he had been. She'd never even known he'd wanted children so badly. Irina sat up on her bed, remembering how excited Jack had been about being a father. Her heart twisted with remorse.
She stood up, pacing her cell. It must be late at night, because no one but one guard was outside her cell, and he looked halfway asleep.
Irina felt as if something was wrong. Neither Jack nor Sydney had come to see her the entire week. Something must be wrong. She wished they would come tell her what.
Irina sat back down, feeling so restless. She wished there would be some new excuse for her to leave the cell. Going to India had only made it harder to go back to her cell. It had been so great to be out there in the field again, especially with the family she had missed more than she could ever make clear to them.
Rolling her neck and hearing it crack, cramped from her uncomfortable mattress, Irina sat on the ground, leaning up against the wall. She felt so uneasy for some reason…something was about to happen to her. Something big.
~*~
"Congratulations to everyone on the take-down of SD-6!" Kendall smiled warmly at all of the involved agents. Cheers rang out across the briefing room.
Sydney sat next to Vaughn, holding his hand under the table. After they had kissed, both had just stood there for a moment, so happy and so unsure of what they could possibly say to follow a moment like that between them. Finally, he had just taken her hand, smiling. And they had gone back to the CIA, just like that.
Sydney couldn't decide how to feel right now. She was elated about Vaughn. She was worried about her dad. She wanted to go tell her mom what had happened. She wanted to celebrate the end of SD-6. And some part of her knew she should be waiting for a backlash to all this. After all, where was Sloane?
"What are you thinking about?" Vaughn whispered to her.
"Oh, lots of things. You," she said, smiling at him, "and I really want to go check on my dad at the hospital."
"Well, we'll both go check on him as soon as Kendall lets us out of here." He stroked her hand with his thumb reassuringly.
"Thanks." She smiled appreciatively, and they both got back to listening.
"All of you are welcome to a well-deserved day off tomorrow in celebration of your victory against the Alliance. I'll see all of you on Wednesday. Congratulations again." Kendall smiled, an actual, genuine smile, directed at all of his agents.
Vaughn and Sydney got up to leave. Kendall cut them off, shaking both of their hands.
"Excellent work out there, Agent Bristow, Agent Vaughn. I'm very proud of both of you."
"Thank you, sir." Sydney smiled at Kendall's almost giddy state.
"I'll see you Wednesday." He patted Vaughn on the back, grinning at Sydney.
"Yes, sir." Vaughn replied, leading Sydney out the door.
~*~
"Really, I'm fine." Jack assured the doctors impatiently.
"Sir, you've just almost had your heart stopped by an electrical torture device. I think it's not out of line of us to run some tests just to make sure everything's in order." The CIA medic said, checking his heart rate.
Just then, Sydney and Vaughn burst into the room.
"Dad…you're all right." Sydney went instantly to his side.
"I'm fine, really. I just want to go home." Jack said to her.
"Understandable. You've had a pretty exciting day." Sydney grinned at him.
"How did everything…" Jack's voice trailed off, he was obviously exhausted.
"We did it, Dad. SD-6 was completely destroyed, along with the other SD cells in the Alliance."
"That sounds insane even to hear you say that." Vaughn shook his head, standing in the corner.
"Just like that?" Jack said somewhat suspiciously.
"Well, I mean, I'm sure they are still things we need to take care of, but basically, yes, for now. It's over."
Jack seemed fully awake now, his sharp mind quickly processing way too many thoughts for his fatigued body to keep up with.
"Everything looks in order, Mr. Bristow." The doctor snapped him out of his thoughts.
"All right. Thank you." Jack said, getting up.
"Do you want me and Vaughn to drive you home, Dad?" Sydney asked as her dad started for the parking lot.
"No, I have to make a stop."
"Where?" Sydney asked incredulously, wanting him to get some rest.
"I need to ask your mother something." Jack said simply, getting into his car and driving off into the night.
Vaughn looked at Sydney curiously.
"Don't ask me." She said, shrugging.
~*~
A/N- That's it for now! The more reviews, the faster I write. And believe me, it's about to get a lot more interesting.
Trust Me
Chapter One
Irina raced up the hotel stairs, her heart still pounding from the news she had just gotten. She had been so shocked that she hadn't left in time, and was now late for her meeting with her KGB contact, Martin Kristoff. She reached the room as fast as she could, digging through her purse for her key to Room 47. She finally found it, opening the door.
"You're late." Kristoff greeted her.
"I know." Irina said simply, her mind elsewhere.
"Well, do you have anything for me?" He asked, his heavy Russian accent hinting at impatience.
"Jack hasn't even mentioned Project Christmas this whole month to anyone as far as I can tell. The only thing I found that tells us anything is this," Irina handed him a sheet of paper from her purse, "It was on his computer- some questions he's brainstorming to put on the test."
"Very good, Irina." Kristoff pocketed the sheet of paper.
"Thank you, sir." Irina drummed her fingers on the desk, wanting to go home.
"Are you all right?" Kristoff asked, not with concern, but with suspicion.
"Actually, no." Irina decided she had to tell the KGB eventually, why not now?
"What's wrong?"
"It seems my mission might have to be altered slightly." Irina said, not looking at him.
"And why would that be?" Kristoff raised an eyebrow.
"I'm pregnant."
"What?" Kristoff sputtered incredulously.
"I just found out before I came over here." Irina looked up.
"How could this have happened?" He asked angrily.
Irina gave him a look.
"I mean, I know HOW, but Irina, this changes everything! We were going to pull you off the Bristow case in a month!"
"I know that, Kristoff."
"It's is Jack's, right?" Kristoff asked, lowering his voice even though no one was listening.
"Of course, it's Jack's! I would never jeopardize this assignment with an affair!" She rolled her eyes, impatient with this meeting and really wanting to leave.
Kristoff fell silent for a moment, watching Irina carefully.
"Do I need to request immediate removal from this case?" He said finally.
"What? Why would you do that?" She answered quickly.
"I think you're becoming too emotionally involved with Bristow." He said, watching carefully for her response.
"No, there's no need for that, Kristoff. At least let me stay until I have the child. Look at this way-the longer I'm there, the more information the KGB gets on Project Christmas." Irina could tell he would agree.
"All right, Irina. You can stay. But remember something about being undercover…the longer you stay, the harder it is to leave." Kristoff looked at her purposefully.
"I'll see you next month." Irina said curtly, getting her purse and leaving the room.
~*~
She reached home at last, their beautiful two story home in California. Irina's head was swimming with thoughts about her pregnancy. She had felt so happy and but also so guilty when she had read the test. She wanted to have Jack's child. But in reality, she wasn't even really doing that. Laura was. Some days she wanted to tell him so badly it hurt. They'd been married for a year, and he'd never even suspected her for a moment. She hated lying to him like this. Irina lied so easily usually; she didn't understand why this time it was so hard.
Because you love him, an insistent voice in her head told her.
Irina blinked back tears, mentally commanding herself to pull it together. She was on assignment; her feelings didn't matter. She got out of her car, walking towards the house. Jack's car was already parked out front. He must have gotten home early.
She unlocked the front door, walking in, instantly greeted with the smell of Chinese food.
Jack was sitting on the couch, his tie loosened and his shoes off, eating Chinese take-out.
"Hey, sweetheart." She smiled at him, and he noticed her for the first time since she'd gotten home.
"Hey, honey, you're home." He got up, kissing her as usual, and handing her a container of Chinese food.
"Thanks for picking up dinner." She smiled, grabbing chopsticks.
"Of course. How was the meeting up at school?" He asked her, going back to the couch.
"Boring. It was just the English department discussing next year's book list." She sat next to him on the couch.
They both sat in silence for a moment, watching the news on TV. Irina wasn't listening at all, lost in thought about how to tell him.
"Laura, are you all right?" He asked finally.
She looked at him for a moment.
"Jack…I need to tell you something."
~*~
Irina snapped awake from her dream, sighing slightly. She remembered every detail of that day, and for some reason she had been having dreams of different parts every night. Discovering the positive pregnancy test. Telling Kristoff. Telling Jack and how happy he had been. She'd never even known he'd wanted children so badly. Irina sat up on her bed, remembering how excited Jack had been about being a father. Her heart twisted with remorse.
She stood up, pacing her cell. It must be late at night, because no one but one guard was outside her cell, and he looked halfway asleep.
Irina felt as if something was wrong. Neither Jack nor Sydney had come to see her the entire week. Something must be wrong. She wished they would come tell her what.
Irina sat back down, feeling so restless. She wished there would be some new excuse for her to leave the cell. Going to India had only made it harder to go back to her cell. It had been so great to be out there in the field again, especially with the family she had missed more than she could ever make clear to them.
Rolling her neck and hearing it crack, cramped from her uncomfortable mattress, Irina sat on the ground, leaning up against the wall. She felt so uneasy for some reason…something was about to happen to her. Something big.
~*~
"Congratulations to everyone on the take-down of SD-6!" Kendall smiled warmly at all of the involved agents. Cheers rang out across the briefing room.
Sydney sat next to Vaughn, holding his hand under the table. After they had kissed, both had just stood there for a moment, so happy and so unsure of what they could possibly say to follow a moment like that between them. Finally, he had just taken her hand, smiling. And they had gone back to the CIA, just like that.
Sydney couldn't decide how to feel right now. She was elated about Vaughn. She was worried about her dad. She wanted to go tell her mom what had happened. She wanted to celebrate the end of SD-6. And some part of her knew she should be waiting for a backlash to all this. After all, where was Sloane?
"What are you thinking about?" Vaughn whispered to her.
"Oh, lots of things. You," she said, smiling at him, "and I really want to go check on my dad at the hospital."
"Well, we'll both go check on him as soon as Kendall lets us out of here." He stroked her hand with his thumb reassuringly.
"Thanks." She smiled appreciatively, and they both got back to listening.
"All of you are welcome to a well-deserved day off tomorrow in celebration of your victory against the Alliance. I'll see all of you on Wednesday. Congratulations again." Kendall smiled, an actual, genuine smile, directed at all of his agents.
Vaughn and Sydney got up to leave. Kendall cut them off, shaking both of their hands.
"Excellent work out there, Agent Bristow, Agent Vaughn. I'm very proud of both of you."
"Thank you, sir." Sydney smiled at Kendall's almost giddy state.
"I'll see you Wednesday." He patted Vaughn on the back, grinning at Sydney.
"Yes, sir." Vaughn replied, leading Sydney out the door.
~*~
"Really, I'm fine." Jack assured the doctors impatiently.
"Sir, you've just almost had your heart stopped by an electrical torture device. I think it's not out of line of us to run some tests just to make sure everything's in order." The CIA medic said, checking his heart rate.
Just then, Sydney and Vaughn burst into the room.
"Dad…you're all right." Sydney went instantly to his side.
"I'm fine, really. I just want to go home." Jack said to her.
"Understandable. You've had a pretty exciting day." Sydney grinned at him.
"How did everything…" Jack's voice trailed off, he was obviously exhausted.
"We did it, Dad. SD-6 was completely destroyed, along with the other SD cells in the Alliance."
"That sounds insane even to hear you say that." Vaughn shook his head, standing in the corner.
"Just like that?" Jack said somewhat suspiciously.
"Well, I mean, I'm sure they are still things we need to take care of, but basically, yes, for now. It's over."
Jack seemed fully awake now, his sharp mind quickly processing way too many thoughts for his fatigued body to keep up with.
"Everything looks in order, Mr. Bristow." The doctor snapped him out of his thoughts.
"All right. Thank you." Jack said, getting up.
"Do you want me and Vaughn to drive you home, Dad?" Sydney asked as her dad started for the parking lot.
"No, I have to make a stop."
"Where?" Sydney asked incredulously, wanting him to get some rest.
"I need to ask your mother something." Jack said simply, getting into his car and driving off into the night.
Vaughn looked at Sydney curiously.
"Don't ask me." She said, shrugging.
~*~
A/N- That's it for now! The more reviews, the faster I write. And believe me, it's about to get a lot more interesting.