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.

Irina woke up and had the sensation that someone was watching her. She turned in her seat and found Jack looking at her. "You look so peaceful in your sleep. Why can't you be like that when you're awake?"

She just shook her head at him and smiled. He had a tiny smile but it was almost invisible and disappeared right after it formed. He looked over his shoulder at his daughter and Vaughn and saw they were involved in a deep conversation, much to Jack's dismay. Irina continued to watch him as he watched Syd and Vaughn. "Do you remember our trip to London? The second honeymoon we took when she was 5?" she asked out of nowhere.

He turned back to her, and he became expressionless. "Yes. We had to leave her with a babysitter and she was really upset."

"Yes, she was. But we still left her and she got over it. She had to learn to live without us for two weeks. And now you have to learn to let her live her own life. You can't keep butting in and trying to run her life. She's a grown woman, Samuel." This time she remembered to call him by his alias.

He was angry that she could still read him so well. He had indeed been thinking of that trip, how hard it was to leave her. He could picture the look on her face as they walked out the door. "I know that, but I'm just starting to rebuild my relationship with her. It's habit to want to run her life."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, that habit should be broken. Remember how much fun we had once you got over your fear of leaving her behind?"

"I could never forget that. We did so much-the symphony, dinner and dancing, everything."

"The time we spent in the hot tub and bed alone outnumbers the time spent doing anything else. Or do you not remember that?" She sounded almost hurt that he could forget the time they spent making love while in London.

"Of course not, I just try not to think about it too much. Sydney very well could have a sibling because of that trip. I'm actually amazed she doesn't." They shared a look and smiled at one another.

"She doesn't what?" Sydney asked as she came up to their seats.

"Nothing, Julianne," her mother said, laughter in her eyes.

"Okay. Dad, would you mind if I sat with Mom for a little while?" She was close to pouting, knowing her father would not be happy to sit next to Michael.

Jack saw her face and couldn't say no, even if it meant sitting next to Vaughn. "Sure, honey. I'll just go sit by my new son-in-law."

"Thanks, Daddy," she said as he got up and moved down the aisle. She took the seat her father had just vacated and without hesitation asked, "What's up with you and Dad?"

"What's up with you and Agent Vaughn?" she shot back.

"I asked first."

"We were just discussing our second honeymoon in London. So what's up with you and Michael?" she asked again.

"Nothing much. We'll pretend to be married for this mission and act all in- love, but when we get back, we'll go back to being an agent and her handler."

"And you don't want that I take it." She was ignoring her own advice and butting into her daughter's life, but as her mother, that's allowed.

"Not at all. Mom, I think I may be in love with him." She sighed, relieved to finally have that off her chest.

Irina laughed. "That is exactly what I said to myself when I was beginning to fall in love with your father. Like mother, like daughter, I guess. So what do you intend to do now?"

Sydney avoided the question and changed the subject. "You loved Dad?"

"Well of course, Sydney. You make it sound like that wouldn't be possible. I am in love with your father. I may not have been in the beginning, but I did fall in love with him and I still am."

Jack chose that moment to walk back to the women, wanting his seat back. He heard everything Irina had just said.