Title: True Lies
Author: Puts hand up. Yes me! Aeria, Doona, donna__rose@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Please Read and Review
Summary: Jack and Irina have a chat
A/N Ahah, 8000 word in one night, in around three and a half hours to be exact, my fingers hurt and I have a cramp in my back. Anyways, review lots and lots and I will update lots and lots. Logic huh! Anyways, All four, so go read all our and review all four. It just makes sense. I like reviews; they are what keep me going as a writer. So read and review Please!
Disclaimer: Duh, not mine, Wish they were. If Alias ever did send out Lawyers, I wouldn't watch the show any more. Yeah Right! Hahaha, I'd watch it from inside my little box out on the street after they'd sued the pants off me. Anyways...Oh yeah, write the story, not the disclaimer.
Chapter Eleven
He looked at her carefully before Irina watched, stunned as he closed down completely, as though his feelings were dead now and not just on holiday. He grew completely dull, his eyes, though they flew to hers instantly, were empty, she had a horrible feeling that she was still seeing what he was thinking and that he simply didn't care at all, that there no longer was any contempt, no hatred, no interest, no temper, no nothing. Just an empty chasm and she quickly retreated, turning back to the window and looking back down. "Jack, they're in love." More defiant now, as though she was trying to convince herself along with him.
Jack just stared at her back, shocked that he wasn't feeling anything for her. Everything was so suddenly gone, his mind vacant almost, replaced with a feeling of emptiness, a feeling like there was nothing in him, that he was just hollow. She had plain out announced to him that she didn't love him and never had. He ran the words out again, everything scaring him, the emptiness growing and growing as he thought it over. Eventually he gave up and nodded to her, admitting what she was saying was true, that Sydney and Vaughn were in love and that she never had been in love with him.
She didn't see his response, again looking out at them; their muffled voices were rising as Vaughn apparently threatened her with a dunking. Jack joined her, silently, not touching, but standing close enough to see out the window and to watch as Vaughn grabbed his daughter, somehow quite affectionately, around the waist and pulled her under the water with him. Jack felt himself smiling quite openly and serenely, even though in his mind he didn't really approve. He watched as they surfaced, a few feet apart and wide grins on their faces as Sydney yelled something that sounded anything but nice at Vaughn, getting only a deep, friendly chuckle in return.
Jack let his eyes slide to Irina who was watching them from the couch, leaning against the side, almost slumping, her body winding down the material, her feet hanging off at the other end. Her head was resting on her hands and a small miserable smile was in place on her lips. Moving his head agonizingly slowly, Jack turned to look at her properly, his brow creasing low as he saw her face was covered in tears, another tranquil, transparent sphere of warm salty water running from the corner of her eye down her cheek and onto her hand where a tiny pool was forming.
His forehead creased into a hundred tiny lines of concentration and thought. He wasn't sure why she was crying and it was, for now, his mission to find out. Going over everything, Jack soon realized that there wasn't supposed to be anything that could make this woman cry but extreme physical pain and it didn't look to be that. He surmised that his vision of her must have been wrong. Unless, of course, she was faking it. He decided that this was unlikely as she didn't ever know he was able to see her. Looking at it from the outside, as he so often did, he narrowed it down to two possibilities.
If Irina was a normal woman she could have been crying because she knew something about Vaughn or Sydney that she shouldn't have. This of course raised thoughts of Irina's honesty in Jack's mind. For a couple of moments he wondered over the numerous traps that she could have been leading Sydney and Vaughn into their unavoidable deaths. But he doubted this, she wouldn't care it this were the case and if she did, as the tears suggested, then she would find a way to avoid it as nothing that involved them was inevitable.
The other option was that she was, honestly, sad. This had to be it, Jack surmised, over what, he didn't know and was inclined to ask. Being the authority figure, he could force her to answer, couldn't he? He carefully leaned over to watch as Vaughn pushed Sydney away from him and scrambled for the pool wall, trying to get out before she could get at him. Smiling again in spite of himself, he turned to look at Irina again, his smile dimming as another tear fell onto her slim hands.
Summing up his courage, though he didn't know why, he raised his hand, slowly, up to her shoulder, but didn't touch her, just letting it hover there for a while as his mind debated over whether or not to do this, to initiate a conversation. His mind was made up for him when she moved slightly and her back hit his hand, the taunt muscles and bones having a presence for only a second after which she pulled away and turned around to face him.
A hand came to her mouth, discreetly wiping at the tears, the stains remaining in little streaks down both her smooth cheeks. "Jack," it was a shocked word, her voice lighter and higher than usual and her entire body moving back, having been unaware that he was even there while she had been looking at her daughter's fun below. Immediately, she wondered what he had seen and, more importantly, what he had thought she was thinking.
Jack just looked at her, not staring at her and not moving away, unaware that he was cornering her between him and the window. His brow creased and he looked at her without any hatred or contempt, just curiosity and questions asked through his eyes. It was only after he had asked her that the emptiness returned and he watched as she turned back to the window, another tear falling onto the couch.
"What?" he asked, earnestly looking for an answer. "Why are you crying?" It sounded sentimental off the tongue, no matter how cold and monotone he made it, the sentence forced its way out as a sentimental query.
Irina noticed the new note and turned hoping to see something other than the questions in his eyes, anything, hatred, contempt, disdain. But nothing, just passionless ideas, natural curiosity and question, none of the sentiment she thought she had heard in his question.
Still, he deserved an answer and she turned to try to lie her way out of it. "Because, I'm upset." He looked at her with a tinge of unrealistic emotion in his eyes. Seeing a deal, Irina quickly spoke, her voice rushed as she finally found a place to hide, at least temporarily. "I tell you what." She paused, "I'll tell you the truth, if you answer one of my questions truthfully..." She didn't really expect him to even think about agreeing, his mind too sacred and too closed for him to risk her getting further in.
So when he nodded immediately, only changing it to "Two questions for two answers," she bit down on her lip in shock. Automatically she realized that he had another question that he wanted an answer to, but she couldn't back out now.
She nodded, "Okay. ...I was upset because Sydney and Vaughn look so happy and I've never been there." Jack's brow creased down again at this point, having never thought that she might actually tell him the truth, he was quite surprised to find her seemingly telling him exactly what she felt. Taking another breath she elucidated further. "I mean, I've never really been that in love. Not happy like that. It's hard to explain."
Irina was purposely rocking the boat, giving him ideas that he could read his own way, decipher them however he wanted, and at the same time, she realized she was telling him the truth about what she was thinking. She didn't really have much more to say so she turned to look at him again. Jack nodded, accepting the answer and looked at her, preparing his own second question. Going over the possibilities of attack.
Eventually, he decided to risk all for the chance of getting all. Dropping his head, his voice smaller that he wanted, but unable to fix it he asked, "You said that they're not like us, that they're in love." Irina nodded, ready for the question, anticipating it. "Well, do you mean you were never in love," Jack almost finished there, but too scared of being cheated out of an answer, quickly added, "With me?"
Irina just stared at him, sure she had known this was the question that was coming and she had the entire answer planned out, half truths and half lies mixed to form the perfect science fiction for him, but now, coming from him, she wanted to tell the truth and before she could stop her mouth she did. "No, I did love you."
This was big news to Jack and Irina was instantly aware of how stupid she had been. While she had admitted that to herself years ago, he didn't know and now she'd told him. But his eyes weren't empty. She noticed it the moment she decided she would lie through her teeth to throw him off again and she stopped the words before they came out, instead, staring at Jack with interest, searching his eyes for what she was seeing. A mixture of passionate interest, passionate fear, passionate uncertainty, everything mixed but everything with a side of passion and it was incredible to watch.
"I did and," she was thinking 'still do' but chose differently, ignoring the sudden thought. "I'll admit to that. But it wasn't real for either of us because it was never the truth." Seeing something flare up in Jack, she quickly retraced her speech and found the cause for his rage. "I mean, it was real, but it was all part of a lie." She shrugged and smiled weakly, again looking out the window down at Vaughn and Sydney.
Jack watched her, sensing more, but happy with what he had gotten. He nodded and breathed deeply, now that he had his own two answers, he was scared of what he might be forced to tell her. Knowing that his eyes would tell her if he chose to lie. Nodding, Irina began carefully.
Author: Puts hand up. Yes me! Aeria, Doona, donna__rose@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Please Read and Review
Summary: Jack and Irina have a chat
A/N Ahah, 8000 word in one night, in around three and a half hours to be exact, my fingers hurt and I have a cramp in my back. Anyways, review lots and lots and I will update lots and lots. Logic huh! Anyways, All four, so go read all our and review all four. It just makes sense. I like reviews; they are what keep me going as a writer. So read and review Please!
Disclaimer: Duh, not mine, Wish they were. If Alias ever did send out Lawyers, I wouldn't watch the show any more. Yeah Right! Hahaha, I'd watch it from inside my little box out on the street after they'd sued the pants off me. Anyways...Oh yeah, write the story, not the disclaimer.
Chapter Eleven
He looked at her carefully before Irina watched, stunned as he closed down completely, as though his feelings were dead now and not just on holiday. He grew completely dull, his eyes, though they flew to hers instantly, were empty, she had a horrible feeling that she was still seeing what he was thinking and that he simply didn't care at all, that there no longer was any contempt, no hatred, no interest, no temper, no nothing. Just an empty chasm and she quickly retreated, turning back to the window and looking back down. "Jack, they're in love." More defiant now, as though she was trying to convince herself along with him.
Jack just stared at her back, shocked that he wasn't feeling anything for her. Everything was so suddenly gone, his mind vacant almost, replaced with a feeling of emptiness, a feeling like there was nothing in him, that he was just hollow. She had plain out announced to him that she didn't love him and never had. He ran the words out again, everything scaring him, the emptiness growing and growing as he thought it over. Eventually he gave up and nodded to her, admitting what she was saying was true, that Sydney and Vaughn were in love and that she never had been in love with him.
She didn't see his response, again looking out at them; their muffled voices were rising as Vaughn apparently threatened her with a dunking. Jack joined her, silently, not touching, but standing close enough to see out the window and to watch as Vaughn grabbed his daughter, somehow quite affectionately, around the waist and pulled her under the water with him. Jack felt himself smiling quite openly and serenely, even though in his mind he didn't really approve. He watched as they surfaced, a few feet apart and wide grins on their faces as Sydney yelled something that sounded anything but nice at Vaughn, getting only a deep, friendly chuckle in return.
Jack let his eyes slide to Irina who was watching them from the couch, leaning against the side, almost slumping, her body winding down the material, her feet hanging off at the other end. Her head was resting on her hands and a small miserable smile was in place on her lips. Moving his head agonizingly slowly, Jack turned to look at her properly, his brow creasing low as he saw her face was covered in tears, another tranquil, transparent sphere of warm salty water running from the corner of her eye down her cheek and onto her hand where a tiny pool was forming.
His forehead creased into a hundred tiny lines of concentration and thought. He wasn't sure why she was crying and it was, for now, his mission to find out. Going over everything, Jack soon realized that there wasn't supposed to be anything that could make this woman cry but extreme physical pain and it didn't look to be that. He surmised that his vision of her must have been wrong. Unless, of course, she was faking it. He decided that this was unlikely as she didn't ever know he was able to see her. Looking at it from the outside, as he so often did, he narrowed it down to two possibilities.
If Irina was a normal woman she could have been crying because she knew something about Vaughn or Sydney that she shouldn't have. This of course raised thoughts of Irina's honesty in Jack's mind. For a couple of moments he wondered over the numerous traps that she could have been leading Sydney and Vaughn into their unavoidable deaths. But he doubted this, she wouldn't care it this were the case and if she did, as the tears suggested, then she would find a way to avoid it as nothing that involved them was inevitable.
The other option was that she was, honestly, sad. This had to be it, Jack surmised, over what, he didn't know and was inclined to ask. Being the authority figure, he could force her to answer, couldn't he? He carefully leaned over to watch as Vaughn pushed Sydney away from him and scrambled for the pool wall, trying to get out before she could get at him. Smiling again in spite of himself, he turned to look at Irina again, his smile dimming as another tear fell onto her slim hands.
Summing up his courage, though he didn't know why, he raised his hand, slowly, up to her shoulder, but didn't touch her, just letting it hover there for a while as his mind debated over whether or not to do this, to initiate a conversation. His mind was made up for him when she moved slightly and her back hit his hand, the taunt muscles and bones having a presence for only a second after which she pulled away and turned around to face him.
A hand came to her mouth, discreetly wiping at the tears, the stains remaining in little streaks down both her smooth cheeks. "Jack," it was a shocked word, her voice lighter and higher than usual and her entire body moving back, having been unaware that he was even there while she had been looking at her daughter's fun below. Immediately, she wondered what he had seen and, more importantly, what he had thought she was thinking.
Jack just looked at her, not staring at her and not moving away, unaware that he was cornering her between him and the window. His brow creased and he looked at her without any hatred or contempt, just curiosity and questions asked through his eyes. It was only after he had asked her that the emptiness returned and he watched as she turned back to the window, another tear falling onto the couch.
"What?" he asked, earnestly looking for an answer. "Why are you crying?" It sounded sentimental off the tongue, no matter how cold and monotone he made it, the sentence forced its way out as a sentimental query.
Irina noticed the new note and turned hoping to see something other than the questions in his eyes, anything, hatred, contempt, disdain. But nothing, just passionless ideas, natural curiosity and question, none of the sentiment she thought she had heard in his question.
Still, he deserved an answer and she turned to try to lie her way out of it. "Because, I'm upset." He looked at her with a tinge of unrealistic emotion in his eyes. Seeing a deal, Irina quickly spoke, her voice rushed as she finally found a place to hide, at least temporarily. "I tell you what." She paused, "I'll tell you the truth, if you answer one of my questions truthfully..." She didn't really expect him to even think about agreeing, his mind too sacred and too closed for him to risk her getting further in.
So when he nodded immediately, only changing it to "Two questions for two answers," she bit down on her lip in shock. Automatically she realized that he had another question that he wanted an answer to, but she couldn't back out now.
She nodded, "Okay. ...I was upset because Sydney and Vaughn look so happy and I've never been there." Jack's brow creased down again at this point, having never thought that she might actually tell him the truth, he was quite surprised to find her seemingly telling him exactly what she felt. Taking another breath she elucidated further. "I mean, I've never really been that in love. Not happy like that. It's hard to explain."
Irina was purposely rocking the boat, giving him ideas that he could read his own way, decipher them however he wanted, and at the same time, she realized she was telling him the truth about what she was thinking. She didn't really have much more to say so she turned to look at him again. Jack nodded, accepting the answer and looked at her, preparing his own second question. Going over the possibilities of attack.
Eventually, he decided to risk all for the chance of getting all. Dropping his head, his voice smaller that he wanted, but unable to fix it he asked, "You said that they're not like us, that they're in love." Irina nodded, ready for the question, anticipating it. "Well, do you mean you were never in love," Jack almost finished there, but too scared of being cheated out of an answer, quickly added, "With me?"
Irina just stared at him, sure she had known this was the question that was coming and she had the entire answer planned out, half truths and half lies mixed to form the perfect science fiction for him, but now, coming from him, she wanted to tell the truth and before she could stop her mouth she did. "No, I did love you."
This was big news to Jack and Irina was instantly aware of how stupid she had been. While she had admitted that to herself years ago, he didn't know and now she'd told him. But his eyes weren't empty. She noticed it the moment she decided she would lie through her teeth to throw him off again and she stopped the words before they came out, instead, staring at Jack with interest, searching his eyes for what she was seeing. A mixture of passionate interest, passionate fear, passionate uncertainty, everything mixed but everything with a side of passion and it was incredible to watch.
"I did and," she was thinking 'still do' but chose differently, ignoring the sudden thought. "I'll admit to that. But it wasn't real for either of us because it was never the truth." Seeing something flare up in Jack, she quickly retraced her speech and found the cause for his rage. "I mean, it was real, but it was all part of a lie." She shrugged and smiled weakly, again looking out the window down at Vaughn and Sydney.
Jack watched her, sensing more, but happy with what he had gotten. He nodded and breathed deeply, now that he had his own two answers, he was scared of what he might be forced to tell her. Knowing that his eyes would tell her if he chose to lie. Nodding, Irina began carefully.