Disclaimer: Unfortunately, as usual I own none of these situations. For
further comments on this look at the beginning of the rest of these
chapters.
It took all of Jack's self control to maintain his usual grimly stoic expression and not struggle against his restraints in a furious attempt to strangle Arvin Sloane as he calmly baited him.
"Well Jack, I have to admit it surprised me as well, when Sydney chose Irina instead of you. I know you two don't have a very close relationship, but really, Jack, I thought she would choose you over Irina. After all you haven't ever shot her. That has to count for something."
There was only one time in Jack's life that he could remember hating Arvin more and that was the moment that he had found out that Sloane had recruited his daughter behind his back. He had almost killed Sloane on the spot.
Arvin, apparently, was unheeding of the danger he was putting himself in as he continued talking. He leaned in towards Jack in a conspiratorial move. "Jack we've known each other for decades. Don't do this. All I want is for you to work with me. Surely that's not too much to ask in exchange for your life and Sydney's being spared."
"Arvin," Jack replied coldly, "I would rather renew my vows with Irina," he spat his wife's name, "than work with you."
"Ah, yes," Sloane said with a look of comprehension, "You darling wife. Surely you don't think she or Sydney will come to save you Jack. Not after what you did to her. After all, my friend, all you ever were to her was a means to an end."
Jack didn't even flinch, after saying that very thing to himself everyday since he had found out that his wife was KGB, he had long ago managed to control his outward reaction to it. He still felt the sharp pain of her betrayal and his anger at how he had been fooled, as sharply as he had years ago, though. There was something else besides that pain now, though, accompanying that familiar pain was faith.
Hope was far too fragile of an emotion to allow himself, but he did have faith. Faith in Sydney and her love for him despite his failures as a father and strangely enough faith in Irina. Things were different now. He had changed and so had Irina. He was no longer a young man whose entire life had been destroyed in a matter of days. He was older now and he knew that things were never as clear cut as he had thought back then.
He knew now, for example, that just because his wife had worked for the KGB that it didn't mean everything she had ever said to him was a lie. It meant that there was some small chance that he could trust Irina, that maybe she loved him.
One of Arvin's tactics was solitary confinement. It wasn't very original, or very efficient, but it had given Jack a long time to think, mainly about everything that had happened since he had found out that Irina was alive. The moment Sydney had shared her conclusion with him about the fact that Irina was actually alive, he had been filled with rage. Laura Bristow had been the love of his life and the mother of his child, no one else even compared to her. Irina Derevko had not only killed his wife, but she had tarnished every moment of their life together merely by her existence. He had held onto his rage until they had gone on that damned mission with Sydney.
All it had taken was one kiss in the middle of a custom's line to realize something. The kiss itself was wonderful of course, it had been a very long time since he had kissed her and he had missed that. He had also almost killed her for that kiss until he had noticed something else. More than most people, spy's were trained to notice people's body language, their tells, and he had noticed Irina's.
She was a good actress; she would have to have been, so he wouldn't have been surprised if the kiss had seemed full of love and just as he remembered it. That would have just been Irina playing an old and very familiar part. No, what had surprised him was that Irina had seemed nervous. To everyone else she would have seemed cocky, confidant, but it was the little things that gave her away. Most people would have chalked her nervousness up to wearing a necklace of c-4, but he knew better.
Irina Derevko didn't get nervous about life and death. It had made him think. After that he had started noticing the little things. Irina's façade never slipped, but he had started to notice the tiny chinks in her armor. He had loved Laura Bristow, but he was only starting to realize that in everyway that counted he already knew Irina Derevko. It was a strange sort of comfort to think that maybe Irina loved him. If it was true, Jack wasn't certain what he would do, but it would definitely not be boring. They certainly had more issues than most normal couples.
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They made only one stop before they reached the airport and that was to purchase Irina a cell phone. As they boarded the plane to take them to Moscow, she made several phone calls. By the time the airline stewardess came by to rudely remind them that "cell phones must be turned off while in flight," Irina was done.
For the first time in days, Irina had a look of satisfaction on her face when she turned to face Sydney. "My sources are working on finding Sloane and your father." Her smile was confident, "By the time we reach my home, they will have information for us."
"I'll kill Sloane if he hurts Dad." Sydney's harsh declaration didn't surprise Irina. Sometimes Sydney showed that she could be just as ruthless as her parents.
"You're very protective of Jack," Irina noted casually.
Sydney shrugged, suddenly quiet. Jack was a sensitive topic, but one of the few things that was tying them together at the moment.
Irina smiled fondly over at her daughter and continued as if she hadn't noticed her daughter's reaction. "You've always been like that, even when you were little. I remember one time, you were probably about five or maybe you had just turned six. It was a Saturday and Jack and I had been promising you a family day at the park for about two weeks. Jack's superior refused to give him the day off, but Jack ignored him and came with us. The man actually went to our house and waited until we got home. He chewed Jack out in front of both of us." Irina's smile grew and took on a look of predatory satisfaction. "I was furious and Jack was just standing there. You ran up to that man and kicked him in the shin. You practically yelled at him, "Don't talk to my Daddy that way."
She focused on Sydney. Her daughter was grown up now and capable of doing so much more to protect her father. "I was so proud of you that day," she added.
Sydney nodded, a chagrined look appearing on her face. "How did Dad react?" She asked tentatively. The Jack Bristow that Sydney knew wouldn't have been pleased by his daughter's actions.
"Jack was amused. He thought the man was an ass. He was right."
"I wish I could remember that," Sydney said wistfully, "I wonder if Dad remembers?" She looked away, turning to look at the area that they were flying over. Sydney could feel her mother's eyes on her, but she ignored it.
"Sydney," she heard her mother ask quietly, "I know Jack was never home as much as he should have been, but he always loved you and you adored him. What happened to change your relationship with your father?"
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It took all of Jack's self control to maintain his usual grimly stoic expression and not struggle against his restraints in a furious attempt to strangle Arvin Sloane as he calmly baited him.
"Well Jack, I have to admit it surprised me as well, when Sydney chose Irina instead of you. I know you two don't have a very close relationship, but really, Jack, I thought she would choose you over Irina. After all you haven't ever shot her. That has to count for something."
There was only one time in Jack's life that he could remember hating Arvin more and that was the moment that he had found out that Sloane had recruited his daughter behind his back. He had almost killed Sloane on the spot.
Arvin, apparently, was unheeding of the danger he was putting himself in as he continued talking. He leaned in towards Jack in a conspiratorial move. "Jack we've known each other for decades. Don't do this. All I want is for you to work with me. Surely that's not too much to ask in exchange for your life and Sydney's being spared."
"Arvin," Jack replied coldly, "I would rather renew my vows with Irina," he spat his wife's name, "than work with you."
"Ah, yes," Sloane said with a look of comprehension, "You darling wife. Surely you don't think she or Sydney will come to save you Jack. Not after what you did to her. After all, my friend, all you ever were to her was a means to an end."
Jack didn't even flinch, after saying that very thing to himself everyday since he had found out that his wife was KGB, he had long ago managed to control his outward reaction to it. He still felt the sharp pain of her betrayal and his anger at how he had been fooled, as sharply as he had years ago, though. There was something else besides that pain now, though, accompanying that familiar pain was faith.
Hope was far too fragile of an emotion to allow himself, but he did have faith. Faith in Sydney and her love for him despite his failures as a father and strangely enough faith in Irina. Things were different now. He had changed and so had Irina. He was no longer a young man whose entire life had been destroyed in a matter of days. He was older now and he knew that things were never as clear cut as he had thought back then.
He knew now, for example, that just because his wife had worked for the KGB that it didn't mean everything she had ever said to him was a lie. It meant that there was some small chance that he could trust Irina, that maybe she loved him.
One of Arvin's tactics was solitary confinement. It wasn't very original, or very efficient, but it had given Jack a long time to think, mainly about everything that had happened since he had found out that Irina was alive. The moment Sydney had shared her conclusion with him about the fact that Irina was actually alive, he had been filled with rage. Laura Bristow had been the love of his life and the mother of his child, no one else even compared to her. Irina Derevko had not only killed his wife, but she had tarnished every moment of their life together merely by her existence. He had held onto his rage until they had gone on that damned mission with Sydney.
All it had taken was one kiss in the middle of a custom's line to realize something. The kiss itself was wonderful of course, it had been a very long time since he had kissed her and he had missed that. He had also almost killed her for that kiss until he had noticed something else. More than most people, spy's were trained to notice people's body language, their tells, and he had noticed Irina's.
She was a good actress; she would have to have been, so he wouldn't have been surprised if the kiss had seemed full of love and just as he remembered it. That would have just been Irina playing an old and very familiar part. No, what had surprised him was that Irina had seemed nervous. To everyone else she would have seemed cocky, confidant, but it was the little things that gave her away. Most people would have chalked her nervousness up to wearing a necklace of c-4, but he knew better.
Irina Derevko didn't get nervous about life and death. It had made him think. After that he had started noticing the little things. Irina's façade never slipped, but he had started to notice the tiny chinks in her armor. He had loved Laura Bristow, but he was only starting to realize that in everyway that counted he already knew Irina Derevko. It was a strange sort of comfort to think that maybe Irina loved him. If it was true, Jack wasn't certain what he would do, but it would definitely not be boring. They certainly had more issues than most normal couples.
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They made only one stop before they reached the airport and that was to purchase Irina a cell phone. As they boarded the plane to take them to Moscow, she made several phone calls. By the time the airline stewardess came by to rudely remind them that "cell phones must be turned off while in flight," Irina was done.
For the first time in days, Irina had a look of satisfaction on her face when she turned to face Sydney. "My sources are working on finding Sloane and your father." Her smile was confident, "By the time we reach my home, they will have information for us."
"I'll kill Sloane if he hurts Dad." Sydney's harsh declaration didn't surprise Irina. Sometimes Sydney showed that she could be just as ruthless as her parents.
"You're very protective of Jack," Irina noted casually.
Sydney shrugged, suddenly quiet. Jack was a sensitive topic, but one of the few things that was tying them together at the moment.
Irina smiled fondly over at her daughter and continued as if she hadn't noticed her daughter's reaction. "You've always been like that, even when you were little. I remember one time, you were probably about five or maybe you had just turned six. It was a Saturday and Jack and I had been promising you a family day at the park for about two weeks. Jack's superior refused to give him the day off, but Jack ignored him and came with us. The man actually went to our house and waited until we got home. He chewed Jack out in front of both of us." Irina's smile grew and took on a look of predatory satisfaction. "I was furious and Jack was just standing there. You ran up to that man and kicked him in the shin. You practically yelled at him, "Don't talk to my Daddy that way."
She focused on Sydney. Her daughter was grown up now and capable of doing so much more to protect her father. "I was so proud of you that day," she added.
Sydney nodded, a chagrined look appearing on her face. "How did Dad react?" She asked tentatively. The Jack Bristow that Sydney knew wouldn't have been pleased by his daughter's actions.
"Jack was amused. He thought the man was an ass. He was right."
"I wish I could remember that," Sydney said wistfully, "I wonder if Dad remembers?" She looked away, turning to look at the area that they were flying over. Sydney could feel her mother's eyes on her, but she ignored it.
"Sydney," she heard her mother ask quietly, "I know Jack was never home as much as he should have been, but he always loved you and you adored him. What happened to change your relationship with your father?"
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