Title: Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

Author: Amanda, nihongogirl.whichever

Rating: I'm gonna go with PG-13 for this one, just in case

Characters: Jack and Irina, Sydney and Vaughn

Disclaimers: I don't own them, obviously

A/N: This is the final part in The Music Series. I'm posting it separately because it's getting long. You don't really need to read Criminal and Shadowboxer first, but I would recommend reading Cry Me A River first.it goes more with the plot of this one than the other two. And, in my opinion, it's better. Please, read and review.

Jack and Irina were driven to the safe house separately and Jack arrived first. He went in to look around, taking his and Irina's bags into the house, while the other agent waited for Irina to arrive so he could leave them with a car. There was a small kitchen, a living room and two bedrooms that shared a bathroom. Thank God, Jack thought. I won't have to share a room with her.

The other car arrived and Irina was lead into the house by a guard. He unlocked her handcuffs and gave both the cuffs and the key to Jack. "Just in case you need them," the guard said. Jack saw Irina give him a sideways glance at the guard's comment, but he chose to ignore her. The guard gave him the keys to the car and then they left. Jack and Irina were left alone.

"You obviously weren't very happy with this arrangement," she said, trying to start a conversation.

"I just don't understand why you couldn't stay in your cell for one more night. You'll be out the whole time we're in Tokyo." He shot down her hopes of trying to have a civil conversation. He walked past her into the kitchen and began to look for something to eat.

Irina stared after him, hurt that he wouldn't even listen to a word she said. "I'm going to take a shower."

"The bag on the left is yours. Sydney packed some clothes and things for you," he replied, still looking through cupboards.

Irina headed to the bathroom, thinking of some kind of a comeback, but she couldn't think of one. Once inside the bathroom, she got the shower supplies that Syd had provided and stripped off her clothes. She turned on the water, making it has hot as she could and stepped in, letting the water run over her body.

While Irina was in the shower, Jack took his bag into the room he was going to sleep in. Hearing the water run, his mind went back to things it shouldn't have: thoughts of him and Laura in the shower together, doing things that didn't really require soap or shampoo. He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away, hopefully for good. He didn't need things like that clouding his mind during this mission. He went through his bag, making sure he had the things he would need. Except he didn't really know what he would need; only Irina knew where the Rambaldi artifact was and what would be required to get it back.

He heard the water turn off and steeled himself to again be in the same room with her. She stepped out of the bathroom in pale blue pajama pants and a white tank top, with a towel wrapped around her hair. His breath got caught in his throat when he saw her and he had to cough in order to breathe again. Seeing her like that brought back too many memories and he had to quickly look away.

"It's late," he said, not looking at her. "We should go to bed. You can have that room," he said, absently pointing to the door on the far wall.

"I'm just going to dry my hair, then I'll be done in the bathroom." She went back into the bathroom, removing the towel from her head as she went. She was brushing her hair when she heard his bedroom door close.

He had locked himself in his room, away from her. This mission was going to be too much, he could tell. Not even 24 hours ago he had just been wrestling with the thought the Irina really did love him. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to deal with her or the feelings she stirred in him, even after all the years that had passed.

He changed into his pajamas and settled himself into bed, not really caring what she was up to in the rest of the house. That is what the tracking device and C4 is for, he thought. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, memories of him and Laura filling his dreams.

Irina finished drying her hair and went to her room. She knew she had to get Jack to say something, anything to her so the mission would be a disaster; she just had no idea what to do. She wondered why he was being so quiet. It couldn't have just been their last conversation; he must have been doing some thinking on his own, realizing what she had said was true. She got into bed, closed her eyes and fell asleep, visions of a possible future with her and Jack filling her dreams.