Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JJ. Abrams. No infringement is intended.
Sydney Bristow smiled. She had long since stopped believing that anything was truly impossible. So many impossible things had happened in her life, but this scene, this moment had to be the most unbelievable so far.
The beach was beautiful with waves gently lapping at the shore. The setting sun gave everything a beautiful golden flow and a light breeze danced through the air creating a wonderful setting. In the midst of all of the natural beauty, two people stood across from one another, gazing at each as if they were the only people on the planet. Their hands held onto each other fiercely and their eyes were filled with love for one another.
The smile on Jack Bristow's face was almost as shocking as seeing him look at Irina Derevko with anything other than absolute hate and loathing. The minister, however was aware of none of this as he continued on with his planned speech about love and honor and commitment. The irony of the situation was lost on none of its participant's, but for today at least, the crimes of years past would not be brought up. Today was a day for the future and for happiness. It was a day for love and family, even twisted dysfunctional families. Today was the day that Irina Derevko and Jack Bristow would renew their wedding vows.
The participants held their breath as the minister paused and let out a breath as he finally said, "I now pronounce you man and wife according to the laws of this state." The minister's gaze shifted to Jack and a twinkle of merriment could be seen in his eyes, "You may now kiss the bride."
Showing some of his characteristic personality, Jack nodded curtly at him before he leaned towards her. "I love you, Irina," were the last words he mumbled before their lips met.
"Mike!"
"Mike, if you don't_"
Michael Vaughn's eyes snapped open to find himself in a very disoriented state.
"Oh good, you're awake."
He ignored Weiss and his continued speech as he tried to figure out what had happened and where he was. He glanced around and realized he was in the operations center bull pen. The next thing he realized was the fact that he had fallen asleep on his desk. He almost gagged in horror as he remembered his dream, his nightmare. The thought of Irina and Jack renewing vows was not one his fragile psyche could handle.
"Mike, Mike, are you listening to me? Kendall wants you in the briefing room in five minutes you have to wake up, man."
He resisted the urge to punch Weiss and focused instead on the pounding in his head. It felt like he had been drugged. Drugged..Weiss, had been threatening him with sleeping pills if he didn't take a few hours off for rest. He started forward to snap at Weiss, when what Weiss had been saying finally registered. "We have a lead on Sydney," he demanded. Weiss's short nod was all the confirmation he needed to send him running towards the briefing room. Killing Weiss could wait until later, until Sydney was safe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
A day or two ago when she was freefalling out of a very high airplane, being securely strapped into an airplane seat that was firmly bolted into the floor of a pressurized cabin, would have been heaven. Now she would have preferred to be anywhere but here. She did not want to have this conversation. There were in fact, only a very few people in the world besides, she and her father that knew what had happened to their relationship. Francie, her best friend since she was a child, and Vaughn were among the few that she had trusted with that particular truth.
She certainly didn't want to have this conversation with her mother. She felt like a teenager again. "Sydney," Irina's voice was quiet.
"Mom," she said quickly overriding whatever Irina had started to say, "Do you know when the last time Dad bought me a birthday present was?" Her tone contained more bitterness than she intended and she realized that she was struggling to keep her voice low and calm.
Irina didn't answer. She didn't know and the question was also rhetorical.
"I was seven, and you had bought the gift early and hidden it before you left. Eventually we just stopped talking to one another. We barely even talked between the time I was eighteen and I found out that Dad worked for sd-6, too." She took a deep breath. "The first boyfriend of mine that Dad even met was Danny. Danny called him. Dad wasn't just at work a lot. He. Wasn't. There." She paused and Irina saw her try to calm down. In a softer voice she added, "I know now why he wasn't there as much as a normal father, but that doesn't mean that he should have avoided me whenever he could have been there." She looked down and for the first time in a few days Irina saw the more emotionally open daughter she was used to. "I used to think it was because I looked so much like his dead wife. At least now I know the real reason."
Irina's face, for one very odd moment, resembled Jack's unemotional mask of cold indifference. She focused her gaze steadily on her daughter and ignored her verbal assault. It hurt yes, but this went beyond emotional pain, or it all came back to pain, depending upon how you looked at it all. "I considered taking you back with me when I left," Irina said slowly, giving Sydney a moment to absorb the shock of her words.
"Why," Sydney asked after the moment of silence had passed, "Why didn't you I mean."
"There were many reasons, but mainly because I thought your father needed you more and he could give you a better life. Russia was nothing like America and you would have been in far more danger there." She met Sydney's gaze unflinchingly. "Your lifestyle now is dangerous, but I couldn't have guaranteed that you would've reached your seventh birthday." She raised a hand almost hesitantly to wipe away a single tear that was sliding down her daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry if you didn't have the best childhood, but I am glad that you're still alive. Besides," she added with a grimace, "I think we've proven that Jack was the best parent for you to be left with. I did the best I could, Sydney. I just regret for your sake and Jack's that it wasn't enough."
Irina was surprised to feel a tear sliding down her own cheek. At least she wasn't still stuck in that damn glass cage with camera's trained on her every reaction around the clock.
"Mom," Irina looked up. No matter how Sydney said that word, whether it was full of anger and loathing or as she sometimes liked to hope, love, she always loved to hear her say it. "Mom," she repeated quietly, "Thank you."
It was the last thing on Earth that Irina would have expected Sydney to say, so all she did was nod once, curtly and settle back into her seat. Despite having more or less settled that confrontation with her daughter, she felt exhausted, old and tired. As quickly as she might have dodged past her daughter's words, what Sydney had said still haunted her.
She hated to think what had happened to Sydney and Jack after she left. Between her imprisonment in Kashmir and time to gather the necessary resources, it had taken her years before she could make the barest of inquires about them. That first attempt had only resulted in a few pictures, but it had confirmed that they were still alive. By then Sydney was thirteen and she had grown incredibly, as had her resemblance to Irina.
Seeing a picture of Sydney had thrilled her, but it was the picture of Jack that had affected her the most. He looked as if decades, not years had passed and his demeanor was cold. So cold that for a moment, she had almost doubted that the man in the photo had been her husband.
In a fit of denial and anger, she had thrown the picture in the fire. It had taken her only seconds to regret her decision. As shocking as the picture had been, it had been the only picture she had of Jack at the time. She had saved the picture, but burned her hand badly. She had always known that anything involving Jack was like playing with fire, but that had proven it. Her hand had healed with time, though, and now the scars could only faintly be seen. Maybe it was a metaphor for her relationship with Jack. Maybe-
"Mom," Sydney's voice, cut in quietly. "I answered your question. Will you answer one of mine?"
Sydney's sudden interest in conversation made Irina wary, especially in light of their previous conversation. Her daughter had always had knack for asking difficult questions, even as a child. Irina nodded and met Sydney's eyes unflinchingly.
"Did you love Dad?"
Please leave a review to let me know what you think. Did you love it, hate it?
Sydney Bristow smiled. She had long since stopped believing that anything was truly impossible. So many impossible things had happened in her life, but this scene, this moment had to be the most unbelievable so far.
The beach was beautiful with waves gently lapping at the shore. The setting sun gave everything a beautiful golden flow and a light breeze danced through the air creating a wonderful setting. In the midst of all of the natural beauty, two people stood across from one another, gazing at each as if they were the only people on the planet. Their hands held onto each other fiercely and their eyes were filled with love for one another.
The smile on Jack Bristow's face was almost as shocking as seeing him look at Irina Derevko with anything other than absolute hate and loathing. The minister, however was aware of none of this as he continued on with his planned speech about love and honor and commitment. The irony of the situation was lost on none of its participant's, but for today at least, the crimes of years past would not be brought up. Today was a day for the future and for happiness. It was a day for love and family, even twisted dysfunctional families. Today was the day that Irina Derevko and Jack Bristow would renew their wedding vows.
The participants held their breath as the minister paused and let out a breath as he finally said, "I now pronounce you man and wife according to the laws of this state." The minister's gaze shifted to Jack and a twinkle of merriment could be seen in his eyes, "You may now kiss the bride."
Showing some of his characteristic personality, Jack nodded curtly at him before he leaned towards her. "I love you, Irina," were the last words he mumbled before their lips met.
"Mike!"
"Mike, if you don't_"
Michael Vaughn's eyes snapped open to find himself in a very disoriented state.
"Oh good, you're awake."
He ignored Weiss and his continued speech as he tried to figure out what had happened and where he was. He glanced around and realized he was in the operations center bull pen. The next thing he realized was the fact that he had fallen asleep on his desk. He almost gagged in horror as he remembered his dream, his nightmare. The thought of Irina and Jack renewing vows was not one his fragile psyche could handle.
"Mike, Mike, are you listening to me? Kendall wants you in the briefing room in five minutes you have to wake up, man."
He resisted the urge to punch Weiss and focused instead on the pounding in his head. It felt like he had been drugged. Drugged..Weiss, had been threatening him with sleeping pills if he didn't take a few hours off for rest. He started forward to snap at Weiss, when what Weiss had been saying finally registered. "We have a lead on Sydney," he demanded. Weiss's short nod was all the confirmation he needed to send him running towards the briefing room. Killing Weiss could wait until later, until Sydney was safe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
A day or two ago when she was freefalling out of a very high airplane, being securely strapped into an airplane seat that was firmly bolted into the floor of a pressurized cabin, would have been heaven. Now she would have preferred to be anywhere but here. She did not want to have this conversation. There were in fact, only a very few people in the world besides, she and her father that knew what had happened to their relationship. Francie, her best friend since she was a child, and Vaughn were among the few that she had trusted with that particular truth.
She certainly didn't want to have this conversation with her mother. She felt like a teenager again. "Sydney," Irina's voice was quiet.
"Mom," she said quickly overriding whatever Irina had started to say, "Do you know when the last time Dad bought me a birthday present was?" Her tone contained more bitterness than she intended and she realized that she was struggling to keep her voice low and calm.
Irina didn't answer. She didn't know and the question was also rhetorical.
"I was seven, and you had bought the gift early and hidden it before you left. Eventually we just stopped talking to one another. We barely even talked between the time I was eighteen and I found out that Dad worked for sd-6, too." She took a deep breath. "The first boyfriend of mine that Dad even met was Danny. Danny called him. Dad wasn't just at work a lot. He. Wasn't. There." She paused and Irina saw her try to calm down. In a softer voice she added, "I know now why he wasn't there as much as a normal father, but that doesn't mean that he should have avoided me whenever he could have been there." She looked down and for the first time in a few days Irina saw the more emotionally open daughter she was used to. "I used to think it was because I looked so much like his dead wife. At least now I know the real reason."
Irina's face, for one very odd moment, resembled Jack's unemotional mask of cold indifference. She focused her gaze steadily on her daughter and ignored her verbal assault. It hurt yes, but this went beyond emotional pain, or it all came back to pain, depending upon how you looked at it all. "I considered taking you back with me when I left," Irina said slowly, giving Sydney a moment to absorb the shock of her words.
"Why," Sydney asked after the moment of silence had passed, "Why didn't you I mean."
"There were many reasons, but mainly because I thought your father needed you more and he could give you a better life. Russia was nothing like America and you would have been in far more danger there." She met Sydney's gaze unflinchingly. "Your lifestyle now is dangerous, but I couldn't have guaranteed that you would've reached your seventh birthday." She raised a hand almost hesitantly to wipe away a single tear that was sliding down her daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry if you didn't have the best childhood, but I am glad that you're still alive. Besides," she added with a grimace, "I think we've proven that Jack was the best parent for you to be left with. I did the best I could, Sydney. I just regret for your sake and Jack's that it wasn't enough."
Irina was surprised to feel a tear sliding down her own cheek. At least she wasn't still stuck in that damn glass cage with camera's trained on her every reaction around the clock.
"Mom," Irina looked up. No matter how Sydney said that word, whether it was full of anger and loathing or as she sometimes liked to hope, love, she always loved to hear her say it. "Mom," she repeated quietly, "Thank you."
It was the last thing on Earth that Irina would have expected Sydney to say, so all she did was nod once, curtly and settle back into her seat. Despite having more or less settled that confrontation with her daughter, she felt exhausted, old and tired. As quickly as she might have dodged past her daughter's words, what Sydney had said still haunted her.
She hated to think what had happened to Sydney and Jack after she left. Between her imprisonment in Kashmir and time to gather the necessary resources, it had taken her years before she could make the barest of inquires about them. That first attempt had only resulted in a few pictures, but it had confirmed that they were still alive. By then Sydney was thirteen and she had grown incredibly, as had her resemblance to Irina.
Seeing a picture of Sydney had thrilled her, but it was the picture of Jack that had affected her the most. He looked as if decades, not years had passed and his demeanor was cold. So cold that for a moment, she had almost doubted that the man in the photo had been her husband.
In a fit of denial and anger, she had thrown the picture in the fire. It had taken her only seconds to regret her decision. As shocking as the picture had been, it had been the only picture she had of Jack at the time. She had saved the picture, but burned her hand badly. She had always known that anything involving Jack was like playing with fire, but that had proven it. Her hand had healed with time, though, and now the scars could only faintly be seen. Maybe it was a metaphor for her relationship with Jack. Maybe-
"Mom," Sydney's voice, cut in quietly. "I answered your question. Will you answer one of mine?"
Sydney's sudden interest in conversation made Irina wary, especially in light of their previous conversation. Her daughter had always had knack for asking difficult questions, even as a child. Irina nodded and met Sydney's eyes unflinchingly.
"Did you love Dad?"
Please leave a review to let me know what you think. Did you love it, hate it?
