Author's Note:: *sniff*sniff* Aww, this is the last chapter!!! `=*( I hope you enjoy it. Look out for a new fic I've got coming out soon called "Stone Cold". So, with no more interruptions, I give you....the last chapter of this story...HAPPY READING!!! `=D
------------------------------------------
The next day, Sydney and Vaughn were in debrief for most of the day with Kendall, so that left Mira and Riley alone to fend for themselves.
"Ugh, God," Mira began as she dropped a box full of papers on her desk. "Now I remember WHY I hated being a trainee."
Riley laughed. "Their training process hasn't changed."
"Yeah, and neither have some of their emplyees. That's why Kendall still works here." Riley laughed again. A few hours later, Sydney and Vaughn finally came out of their debrief.
"So, what was that all about?" Mira asked Sydney as she packed some papers into a box.
"Ohh, umm...Kendall was just debriefing us about a mission."
"Yay. And when you're done, maybe Riley and I will be the ones filing them." Mira joked.
"Ohh yeah," Sydney began. "Vaughn and I are going to dinner after work and we thought that since we won't be here tomorrow, you and Riley would like to join us. You know, since you guys canceled last time."
"Umm.....Sure. We'd be glad to." Mira smiled.
"Great, I'll tell Vaughn." she replied and went to go tell him. She hoped that Riley would understand.
"You accepted their offer for dinner?" Riley whispered to her a little later.
"Yes. I know I've given you excuses for the things I've done. But you've GOT TO realize WHY I'm doing them. You said it yourself-" he stopped her.
"I know. It's okay." he smiled at her. He really did understand why she did the things she did. But he was just looking out for her.
-------------------
"Kendall just drags on and on and on about things. It's like I can't help BUT think of other things when he tells me something. And I know it's important." Mira joked at dinner. Sydney, Vaughn and Riley all laughed.
"You'll get used to Kendall. It just takes time." Vaughn said.
"I don't think I WANT to get used to Kendall."
"No one does. But it's part of the job." Sydney replied as she took a sip of wine.
"Umm, Syd. Remember?" Vaughn said taking the glass away.
"Oh God!" Mira thought. Now she remembered. She forgot that her mother was only a few weeks pregnant with her little sibling the day her parents died. Riley was a little shocked himself.
"You're really-?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am." Sydney smiled.
"Isn't that...a little dangerous?"
"Well, we already have one daughter," Vaughn began. "And she's been fine so far. So, I don't think anything could go wrong with this one."
"So, what are you guys hoping for this time? Another girl?"
"As long as it's healthy and we can keep it safe, it doesn't really matter." Vaughn replied.
"Uh huh. You know you want a boy." Mira joked.
"Boy would be nice," he smiled.
"So, Riley, Mira," Sydney started. "How did you guys get into the CIA?" They looked at each other.
"Uhh, you could say there was a bit of nepotism in my joining the agency." Mira began. Riley carefully looked at her.
"Really?"
"Yeah. A relative of mine used to be in the agency. My grandfather told me about it when I was 8. Since then, I was always fascinated about spies and things like that. James Bond was my hero as a kid. When I graduated high school, this man approached me and asked me if I would like to train to become an agent. I accepted in a heartbeat."
"Did you even go to college?" Vaughn wondered.
"Uhh, tried. I took night classes. But it kind of got in the way of my training."
"Wow, if you were OUR daughter, I would've made you go to college." Sydney replied.
"Really?" Mira swallowed hard.
"Yeah. We've made it clear to our daughter that her education comes first. Even though she is only 6."
"Oh."
"So, Riley, what about you?" Vaughn asked.
"Umm, I was approached when I was in my 2nd year of college. I split my time between training and school."
"Very interesting," Sydney said.
"Isn't it?" Mira said as she downed her wine. After dinner, Sydney and Vaughn drove Mira and Riley home.
"Good luck on your mission tomorrow," Mira said with a smile and felt a few tears building up.
"Thanks, Mira. And don't worry, you'll get your shot one day, too."
"Thanks for the meal, Vaughn!" Riley said.
"It was nothing. We'll see you two in a few days, alright?"
"Alright. Good night!!" Mira yelled as they drove off.
"So, let me get this straight," Mira said as they entered the house. "You went to school AND trained for the CIA at the same time?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"How come you never told me?"
"I didn't think it was important for you to know that."
"Ugh, why do I feel like I let down my parents?" she said as she sat down on the couch.
"What are you talking about?"
"Were you listening to something else at dinner? They WANTED me to go to college instead of becoming an agent."
"Hey, not every kid does what their parents want them to do. I mean, look at me," she looked at him. "My parents wanted me to become an accountant. I became an agent. Think of the arguements we had."
"This is different, Riley."
"How is it different?!"
"It's different because no one in your family was a spy and nothing about your life was a lie."
"Your life isn't a lie. Your parents didn't get married and have you because they were under orders. They got married and had you because they loved each other."
"Well I didn't know who they really were until they died."
"No one told you because you were so young. Do you think you'd be able to comprehend it? The only thing you need to know....remember about your parents is that they died loving you. No matter what."
"Do you think my mother would've been thrilled to know that her own daughter has turned into her? In case you've forgotten, my mother fought hard to lead a normal life. Before she died, she always told me not to become her because she went through so much with my father. She didn't want me to have to go through that."
"You CHOSE this life. You did this on your own. And I don't know why you're blaming yourself for the choice you made. This is what you're good at."
---------------------------------
Mira couldn't sleep that night. She remembered the day she went to the morgue with her grandfather. She remembered crying uncontrollably and then having to be carried out by her grandmother and grandfather. Mira wanted to go home. She knew what the next day was. The day she did NOT want to relive. It was hard for her to get up the next morning. But, she knew that she had to. Maybe history wouldn't repeat itself, but that was a bet she knew she'd lose. Throughout the day, Riley couldn't help notice how quiet and sad Mira looked. Mira couldn't take her mind off of what she was doing the day she learned about her parents. Mira wasn't focusing on what she was doing, so she dropped most of the things she carried. Riley became even more worried when she spilled her coffee on her desk.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. I am." she replied, brushing some of the coffee off her desk.
"No you're not. What's wrong with you?"
"I can't stand by and do nothing knowing what's about to happen in a few hours."
"You know you can't do that," he told her.
"I can't take it anymore," she said as she ran towards the door. Riley soon followed her but couldn't catch up with her. By the time he got outside, she was already in a cab and on her way somewhere. Riley figured that she was going to stop her parents from entering the power plant. He hailed a cab and told the cab driver to drop him off a block away from the plant. He remembered exactly where it was from the newspaper article Mira had shown him years ago. He remembered her saying that she got it when she was at her grandmother's house when she was 9. Riley paid the cab and ran to the plant. He soon began to catch up with Mira, but she was still far ahead. She stopped running and looked for any sign of Sydney and Vaughn. She saw them as they entered the plant.
"NO!!!!" she yelled and soon flames filled the sky. She began to run towards the plant but felt someone wrap their arms around her and held her back.
"Riley let me go!" she yelled as she struggled to get herself free.
"Mira, no!!! You can't change what happens!!" She began to cry and fell to the ground.
"No, no , no," she kept repeating. Suddenly, a bright light began to shine in Riley's eyes.
------------------
He soon found himself and Mira back in the time machine. Except, they were at the CIA headquarters in LA. They were back in their time!!! Mira was still buried in his arms, crying uncontrollably. Jack and Irina saw this and took her in their arms. He stood up and stepped out of the machine. Weiss took Mira and gave her a hug.
"Weiss, take Mira into one of the observation rooms. She can rest there," Kendall said.
"No, take me home." Mira replied. Kendall nodded.
"What happened, Riley?" Jack asked.
"She witnessed the explosion at the plant."
"Why did you let her see it?" Irina questioned.
"I tried not to. But she got away from me and by the time I caught up with her, I was too late. The explosion already occured."
"She's going to need some time to take this all in," replied Jack.
------------------
Mira stayed home for the next 3 days. She needed to take in her whole experience. The machine really had fulfilled her greatest desire. She got to know her parents and realized that their death wasn't in vain. Her grandfather paid her a visit and delivered some good news for her.
"I didn't get the chance to tell you when you came back, but," he started. "We have Sloane and Sark in custody. You can visit them if you like. The CIA has yet to decide on what to do with them."
She smiled, "Thank you granddad."
"So, how was it seeing your mother again?"
"She was everything I pictured her to be. And my father was no different. They were both how you described them."
"You know, I didn't come up with the idea of telling you anything further than the truth."
"Your mother and father did. After Sloane tried to kidnap you when you were a year old, they told me that if anything ever happened to them, to make something up to tell you incase you ever asked."
"And I believed it for 3 years of my life. I was never thankful to you for hiding the truth from me because I didn't think I HAD to be. But, I know why you did it. You did it to protect me."
"No one ever thanked me for lying to them. Not even your mother."
"I miss them."
"You don't know how much of them I see in you everyday. You have the stubborness of your mother and grandmother, and the strategic thinking of your father."
"I've made a decision. I'm going to leave the agency. I want to leave LA."
"Then, I can't stop you." he said and kissed her on the forehead.
----------------------------------------
Mira laid down on a blanket and just stared at their tombstone. She reread the inscription on it over and over again. She always wondered why her parents had to leave her so soon. But after her experience, she knew why. Riley was right. Her parents DID die trying to protect her. There was nothing she could do or could've done to avenge it. She heard someone come up behind her. She knew who it was.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've done this?"
"How long?" asked the voice.
"I haven't done this since I was 15. After that, my granddad told me to stop doing it because people didn't really lay on the ground here unless they were dead."
The voice laughed. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he sat down on the ground next to her.
"About the fact that you were right about them trying to protect me and avenging it was useless because I couldn't." she sat up and faced him.
"I didn't say it was useless. I said that there was NO WAY to avenge it. Your parents were good people."
"I know. It just kills me knowing that they didn't live long enough for their own daughter to realize just HOW good they were."
"It took a trip through a time machine for me to realize it. You'd think I would've known it already."
"Not everyone gets a second chance to meet their parents after they die." he replied.
"I'm still leaving the CIA."
"I know," he said somberly.
"I'm also leaving LA."
"Why?"
"So much has happened to me in the 21 years I've been alive. I can tell anyone that I've been to places that they can only dream of. But I never took the time to experience them. I have another couple of years to live the life I really want. I don't want my job to be the center of my life."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll move to New York and stay with my Uncle Will. He was a friend of my mother and father's. He works as an analyst and when I was 16, they moved him to the New York branch."
"Really?"
"Yeah. When I got accepted into NYU, he offered to let me stay with him while I went to college."
"I didn't know you got accepted into NYU."
"I didn't think it was important for you to know that." she smiled. "I may have said that I didn't go to college, but I never said that I didn't apply."
"So what are you going to do in New York?"
"Maybe actually GO to NYU."
"What are you going to take?"
"I don't know. And I like that. I like not knowing what's about to happen."
"Then this life was DEFINITELY for you," he chuckled a little.
------------------------------------------
The bars of the cell went up and retracted to the left. This was the first time she had ever seen the cell at the CIA. She walked slowly and looked into the clear glass. She was face to face with Kenneth Sloane. He saw her and rose to his feet.
"So you're the daughter of the two most revered agents of the CIA," he said as he walked over to the glass.
"And you're the son of the man who killed those two agents." Her face was cold and hard.
"I must say, you put on a stunning performance in Madrid."
"Tell me, what did you want those chips for?"
"I think it's obvious. You know, Mirabelle-"
"Mira."
"Ah, excuse me. MIRA, you and I have a lot in common."
"Really?"
"Yes. You see, you and I, both lost our parents on that fateful night. I bet you tried to do everything you could to prevent it while you were in the past."
"That wasn't my intent while I was there. Though, I know it was yours."
"Yes it was."
"I hope you enjoy whatever sentence the federal courts give you." she said and turned to leave.
"Tell me, does knowing that I'll be behind bars for the rest of my life give you a sense of vindication?" he asked before she left.
She turned to him and said, "Knowing that you're paying for every crime you've committed...yes."
"It's not me you want here. It's my father."
"Then you'll just have to do." And with that she turned and left.
-THE END-
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So, tell me what you think??? And, do you want more?! Tell me!!! `=D
------------------------------------------
The next day, Sydney and Vaughn were in debrief for most of the day with Kendall, so that left Mira and Riley alone to fend for themselves.
"Ugh, God," Mira began as she dropped a box full of papers on her desk. "Now I remember WHY I hated being a trainee."
Riley laughed. "Their training process hasn't changed."
"Yeah, and neither have some of their emplyees. That's why Kendall still works here." Riley laughed again. A few hours later, Sydney and Vaughn finally came out of their debrief.
"So, what was that all about?" Mira asked Sydney as she packed some papers into a box.
"Ohh, umm...Kendall was just debriefing us about a mission."
"Yay. And when you're done, maybe Riley and I will be the ones filing them." Mira joked.
"Ohh yeah," Sydney began. "Vaughn and I are going to dinner after work and we thought that since we won't be here tomorrow, you and Riley would like to join us. You know, since you guys canceled last time."
"Umm.....Sure. We'd be glad to." Mira smiled.
"Great, I'll tell Vaughn." she replied and went to go tell him. She hoped that Riley would understand.
"You accepted their offer for dinner?" Riley whispered to her a little later.
"Yes. I know I've given you excuses for the things I've done. But you've GOT TO realize WHY I'm doing them. You said it yourself-" he stopped her.
"I know. It's okay." he smiled at her. He really did understand why she did the things she did. But he was just looking out for her.
-------------------
"Kendall just drags on and on and on about things. It's like I can't help BUT think of other things when he tells me something. And I know it's important." Mira joked at dinner. Sydney, Vaughn and Riley all laughed.
"You'll get used to Kendall. It just takes time." Vaughn said.
"I don't think I WANT to get used to Kendall."
"No one does. But it's part of the job." Sydney replied as she took a sip of wine.
"Umm, Syd. Remember?" Vaughn said taking the glass away.
"Oh God!" Mira thought. Now she remembered. She forgot that her mother was only a few weeks pregnant with her little sibling the day her parents died. Riley was a little shocked himself.
"You're really-?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am." Sydney smiled.
"Isn't that...a little dangerous?"
"Well, we already have one daughter," Vaughn began. "And she's been fine so far. So, I don't think anything could go wrong with this one."
"So, what are you guys hoping for this time? Another girl?"
"As long as it's healthy and we can keep it safe, it doesn't really matter." Vaughn replied.
"Uh huh. You know you want a boy." Mira joked.
"Boy would be nice," he smiled.
"So, Riley, Mira," Sydney started. "How did you guys get into the CIA?" They looked at each other.
"Uhh, you could say there was a bit of nepotism in my joining the agency." Mira began. Riley carefully looked at her.
"Really?"
"Yeah. A relative of mine used to be in the agency. My grandfather told me about it when I was 8. Since then, I was always fascinated about spies and things like that. James Bond was my hero as a kid. When I graduated high school, this man approached me and asked me if I would like to train to become an agent. I accepted in a heartbeat."
"Did you even go to college?" Vaughn wondered.
"Uhh, tried. I took night classes. But it kind of got in the way of my training."
"Wow, if you were OUR daughter, I would've made you go to college." Sydney replied.
"Really?" Mira swallowed hard.
"Yeah. We've made it clear to our daughter that her education comes first. Even though she is only 6."
"Oh."
"So, Riley, what about you?" Vaughn asked.
"Umm, I was approached when I was in my 2nd year of college. I split my time between training and school."
"Very interesting," Sydney said.
"Isn't it?" Mira said as she downed her wine. After dinner, Sydney and Vaughn drove Mira and Riley home.
"Good luck on your mission tomorrow," Mira said with a smile and felt a few tears building up.
"Thanks, Mira. And don't worry, you'll get your shot one day, too."
"Thanks for the meal, Vaughn!" Riley said.
"It was nothing. We'll see you two in a few days, alright?"
"Alright. Good night!!" Mira yelled as they drove off.
"So, let me get this straight," Mira said as they entered the house. "You went to school AND trained for the CIA at the same time?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"How come you never told me?"
"I didn't think it was important for you to know that."
"Ugh, why do I feel like I let down my parents?" she said as she sat down on the couch.
"What are you talking about?"
"Were you listening to something else at dinner? They WANTED me to go to college instead of becoming an agent."
"Hey, not every kid does what their parents want them to do. I mean, look at me," she looked at him. "My parents wanted me to become an accountant. I became an agent. Think of the arguements we had."
"This is different, Riley."
"How is it different?!"
"It's different because no one in your family was a spy and nothing about your life was a lie."
"Your life isn't a lie. Your parents didn't get married and have you because they were under orders. They got married and had you because they loved each other."
"Well I didn't know who they really were until they died."
"No one told you because you were so young. Do you think you'd be able to comprehend it? The only thing you need to know....remember about your parents is that they died loving you. No matter what."
"Do you think my mother would've been thrilled to know that her own daughter has turned into her? In case you've forgotten, my mother fought hard to lead a normal life. Before she died, she always told me not to become her because she went through so much with my father. She didn't want me to have to go through that."
"You CHOSE this life. You did this on your own. And I don't know why you're blaming yourself for the choice you made. This is what you're good at."
---------------------------------
Mira couldn't sleep that night. She remembered the day she went to the morgue with her grandfather. She remembered crying uncontrollably and then having to be carried out by her grandmother and grandfather. Mira wanted to go home. She knew what the next day was. The day she did NOT want to relive. It was hard for her to get up the next morning. But, she knew that she had to. Maybe history wouldn't repeat itself, but that was a bet she knew she'd lose. Throughout the day, Riley couldn't help notice how quiet and sad Mira looked. Mira couldn't take her mind off of what she was doing the day she learned about her parents. Mira wasn't focusing on what she was doing, so she dropped most of the things she carried. Riley became even more worried when she spilled her coffee on her desk.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah. I am." she replied, brushing some of the coffee off her desk.
"No you're not. What's wrong with you?"
"I can't stand by and do nothing knowing what's about to happen in a few hours."
"You know you can't do that," he told her.
"I can't take it anymore," she said as she ran towards the door. Riley soon followed her but couldn't catch up with her. By the time he got outside, she was already in a cab and on her way somewhere. Riley figured that she was going to stop her parents from entering the power plant. He hailed a cab and told the cab driver to drop him off a block away from the plant. He remembered exactly where it was from the newspaper article Mira had shown him years ago. He remembered her saying that she got it when she was at her grandmother's house when she was 9. Riley paid the cab and ran to the plant. He soon began to catch up with Mira, but she was still far ahead. She stopped running and looked for any sign of Sydney and Vaughn. She saw them as they entered the plant.
"NO!!!!" she yelled and soon flames filled the sky. She began to run towards the plant but felt someone wrap their arms around her and held her back.
"Riley let me go!" she yelled as she struggled to get herself free.
"Mira, no!!! You can't change what happens!!" She began to cry and fell to the ground.
"No, no , no," she kept repeating. Suddenly, a bright light began to shine in Riley's eyes.
------------------
He soon found himself and Mira back in the time machine. Except, they were at the CIA headquarters in LA. They were back in their time!!! Mira was still buried in his arms, crying uncontrollably. Jack and Irina saw this and took her in their arms. He stood up and stepped out of the machine. Weiss took Mira and gave her a hug.
"Weiss, take Mira into one of the observation rooms. She can rest there," Kendall said.
"No, take me home." Mira replied. Kendall nodded.
"What happened, Riley?" Jack asked.
"She witnessed the explosion at the plant."
"Why did you let her see it?" Irina questioned.
"I tried not to. But she got away from me and by the time I caught up with her, I was too late. The explosion already occured."
"She's going to need some time to take this all in," replied Jack.
------------------
Mira stayed home for the next 3 days. She needed to take in her whole experience. The machine really had fulfilled her greatest desire. She got to know her parents and realized that their death wasn't in vain. Her grandfather paid her a visit and delivered some good news for her.
"I didn't get the chance to tell you when you came back, but," he started. "We have Sloane and Sark in custody. You can visit them if you like. The CIA has yet to decide on what to do with them."
She smiled, "Thank you granddad."
"So, how was it seeing your mother again?"
"She was everything I pictured her to be. And my father was no different. They were both how you described them."
"You know, I didn't come up with the idea of telling you anything further than the truth."
"Your mother and father did. After Sloane tried to kidnap you when you were a year old, they told me that if anything ever happened to them, to make something up to tell you incase you ever asked."
"And I believed it for 3 years of my life. I was never thankful to you for hiding the truth from me because I didn't think I HAD to be. But, I know why you did it. You did it to protect me."
"No one ever thanked me for lying to them. Not even your mother."
"I miss them."
"You don't know how much of them I see in you everyday. You have the stubborness of your mother and grandmother, and the strategic thinking of your father."
"I've made a decision. I'm going to leave the agency. I want to leave LA."
"Then, I can't stop you." he said and kissed her on the forehead.
----------------------------------------
Mira laid down on a blanket and just stared at their tombstone. She reread the inscription on it over and over again. She always wondered why her parents had to leave her so soon. But after her experience, she knew why. Riley was right. Her parents DID die trying to protect her. There was nothing she could do or could've done to avenge it. She heard someone come up behind her. She knew who it was.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've done this?"
"How long?" asked the voice.
"I haven't done this since I was 15. After that, my granddad told me to stop doing it because people didn't really lay on the ground here unless they were dead."
The voice laughed. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he sat down on the ground next to her.
"About the fact that you were right about them trying to protect me and avenging it was useless because I couldn't." she sat up and faced him.
"I didn't say it was useless. I said that there was NO WAY to avenge it. Your parents were good people."
"I know. It just kills me knowing that they didn't live long enough for their own daughter to realize just HOW good they were."
"It took a trip through a time machine for me to realize it. You'd think I would've known it already."
"Not everyone gets a second chance to meet their parents after they die." he replied.
"I'm still leaving the CIA."
"I know," he said somberly.
"I'm also leaving LA."
"Why?"
"So much has happened to me in the 21 years I've been alive. I can tell anyone that I've been to places that they can only dream of. But I never took the time to experience them. I have another couple of years to live the life I really want. I don't want my job to be the center of my life."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll move to New York and stay with my Uncle Will. He was a friend of my mother and father's. He works as an analyst and when I was 16, they moved him to the New York branch."
"Really?"
"Yeah. When I got accepted into NYU, he offered to let me stay with him while I went to college."
"I didn't know you got accepted into NYU."
"I didn't think it was important for you to know that." she smiled. "I may have said that I didn't go to college, but I never said that I didn't apply."
"So what are you going to do in New York?"
"Maybe actually GO to NYU."
"What are you going to take?"
"I don't know. And I like that. I like not knowing what's about to happen."
"Then this life was DEFINITELY for you," he chuckled a little.
------------------------------------------
The bars of the cell went up and retracted to the left. This was the first time she had ever seen the cell at the CIA. She walked slowly and looked into the clear glass. She was face to face with Kenneth Sloane. He saw her and rose to his feet.
"So you're the daughter of the two most revered agents of the CIA," he said as he walked over to the glass.
"And you're the son of the man who killed those two agents." Her face was cold and hard.
"I must say, you put on a stunning performance in Madrid."
"Tell me, what did you want those chips for?"
"I think it's obvious. You know, Mirabelle-"
"Mira."
"Ah, excuse me. MIRA, you and I have a lot in common."
"Really?"
"Yes. You see, you and I, both lost our parents on that fateful night. I bet you tried to do everything you could to prevent it while you were in the past."
"That wasn't my intent while I was there. Though, I know it was yours."
"Yes it was."
"I hope you enjoy whatever sentence the federal courts give you." she said and turned to leave.
"Tell me, does knowing that I'll be behind bars for the rest of my life give you a sense of vindication?" he asked before she left.
She turned to him and said, "Knowing that you're paying for every crime you've committed...yes."
"It's not me you want here. It's my father."
"Then you'll just have to do." And with that she turned and left.
-THE END-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, tell me what you think??? And, do you want more?! Tell me!!! `=D