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: Okay, updating one or two a day, maybe three or all four if I end up with a lot of time, but the chapters are long, so don't complain. If you haven't gone and read my other three, Wish List, No Gifts, No Santa Clause, No Mistletoe (which started as a chrissie fic but isn't really and just got really good) and Escape, go and do so. Reviews people, they are what keep me breathing air. Oh and I found out who that one flamer was, the one person who made me feel horrible. It was my mother, isn't she wonderful and she meant it. Oh well, any review is good so please oh please oh please leave me one! Or else!
Disclaimer: Duh, not mine, Wish they were.
Chapter Twenty Three
She eventually regained her composure, not to say, she was suddenly on top of things, quite the opposite, she still looked shocked, but she closed her mouth, narrowed her eyes and watched him, trying to exude a sense of control. Admiring his smile as he smirked at her from where he sat. Sydney and Vaughn, she knew were watching with just as much interest as she but, by the looks on their faces, had no or little idea of what had just happened.
Jack's smug grin remained for the time until Irina decided to speak at which his brow furrowed and his gaze lowered as he anticipated every tiny insult or attack he felt she might chose to throw at him. Instead she simply said, her voice without malice or teasing, "Quite so, Jack." And turned back to smile at Sydney. This threw Jack more than anything else could have possibly said and he was left to sit, brow low in concentration and eyes narrowed as his tenacious wife began to engage in probing conversation with the two remaining agents,
The wine was good though and the food almost to match. Each had only the best and reveled in the expensive food, the view perfect and the conversation actually engaging for all but Jack, who continued to sit back, observing and working at the impossible puzzle that sat beside him. Irina too was working at a puzzle, one, many would argue just as complex as her but entirely different. Something about Jack, the man who sat just inches away but was always, always, at a distance unfathomable by anyone, was bothering her; there were several little pieces of intriguing information that she had gathered and now, all she had left to do was put it together. Sydney and Vaughn were enjoying themselves and Irina enjoyed adding little comments here and there, listening and picking up little details she didn't know, but mostly, her mind was elsewhere.
Several times their eyes would lock and they'd just stare at each other, eyes still involuntarily open but clouded heavily with thought and suspense as they raced against each other to work the other out. Jack was enjoying, he had to admit, watching her. Her ease around humans scarily good and unlike what you'd expect of a crime lord just let out. She held the perfect façade of elegance and grace, but he was sure there was something more simplistic and typical under all the confusion, it stood to reason that there must have been and so he looked.
Irina just continued to put it together, working backwards from the assumptions she had in place and seeing what was proved the best by everything she knew. The wine had sparked certain curiosity and, she thought, would be the fatal blow to Jack in the end. He had won himself a battle in exchange for the war. She smiled at the thought, Jack catching her eye and his eyes narrowing. She looked down, enjoying the waves of triumph that Jack was throwing off along with what remained of his defenses. He was being stupid and careless and he knew it.
Irina just gritted her teeth and looked back down, she was going to work this out, she promised herself she was, it all fit together but she couldn't read the puzzle without the last bit, the last tiny thing that she knew. She knew she knew it, she just had to work out what it was. Her mind was taunting her, throwing thoughts of defeat at her as she combed over her memory of things Jack had done and said, there were so few but each held so many tiny secrets that only she could see.
It had not been on the plane, not during the day or the morning, she was sure, when else was there a possibility? She knew he had black hair, it was typical of her mind to remember tiny images that were, alone useless, but he had black hair, pure, greasy black like he had right now, so it had to be on this mission. She'd never seen him with black hair before. When? Another image, his whole face, unusually open and relaxed and his eyes closer.
At this Irina's eyes widened in realization stirring Jack from his smug look as she tried to hide her shock. The night before he'd said something, she hadn't recalled until now, but now that she'd brought the words into her mind it was obvious why she'd told herself they were important. The entire conversation replayed in her head, every one of his words, her eyes going back to a shielded gaze out the window as Sydney and Vaughn talked of something trivial. It was only when she got to his closing statement, the last thing she had heard before falling asleep that she knew she was right and everything fell into place.
"You'll never guess what I'm hiding Irina, never in your life." The conversation had been straight forward, simple and nothing important passing his lips. But together, looking over the expressions, she was sure of her self and adopted her own smug expression, not because she was happy with herself, but because she had to hide the shock and confusion that still reigned beneath.
Sydney and Vaughn were more comfortable after dinner than they'd ever been before. They returned to the hotel via taxi ride, arriving just in time to slip inside and sit down in their seats for the allocated light show. The greens and purples on the ceiling beautiful and ending twenty minutes later. And up until then nothing had passed between them, not a word, Jack and Irina had glared, stared, gazed, scowled and watched each other to the best of their abilities but not a word had passed.
At the end they stood, Vaughn and Sydney looking at them, eyes wide and unsleepy. Irina just grinned at them, she began the conversation, as usual, "Well, the three of you might as well head up to bed; I'm going to go for a swim." Jack glared at her harder, wondering what she was doing, because, if she didn't realize, there was no way he was going to swim, not at this hour, not in this place and most importantly, and perhaps the only thing stopping him, definitely not with her.
Vaughn and Sydney smiled at her, Vaughn's grin particularly large as he nodded his head, "Good night then," he said, aiming the words at the pair of them but his gesture being accepted only by Irina.
Sydney grabbed her handler's hand firmly. "Yeah," she said her mind obviously elsewhere, "We'll see you tomorrow."
Irina stops them as they move away, "We'll meet early, around seven thirty, at our room," she smiled at them, her amusement blatant, "So don't stay up too late, okay?" Sydney's face split in two, she couldn't help it, she had to admit and it was entirely selfish of her to think it, but she did, that without so many bad things in their lives, the two of them would never have met, never have told each other how they felt. She realized that and she just smiled more, knowing she deserved anything and everything that happened that night.
Vaughn just smiled, not a grin, but a guarded, mainly because he was still trying to work things out, and secretive smile as he led Sydney away, leaving the two alone. Irina glanced at Jack who was watching her like a hawk watches a mouse, she smiled before slipping her arm through his and leading him towards the stairs, he went rigid but followed none the less. Irina asked him, "You're not coming out for a swim," his look answered her question as they got into the elevator.
He wordlessly followed her into their room, watching as she grabbed her bag and wordlessly disappeared into the bathroom, she came out, hair disheveled and changed. She smiled at him before disappearing back through the door, bare foot, blue sarong and blue towel draped over her shoulders covering her arms and torso completely. He glared after her, staring into the hard wood of the door before turning to the bed, wordlessly beginning to wander the room, hoping the walls were, once again, thick.
Okay, short I know, but I want to update them all, and I want to do it now. I need to be in bed soon so bad luck, please oh please review and go and read the other three. In particular review Mission Impossible, that's written by Anj this time and for her birthday tomorrow, I would love to be able to hand her a heap of reviews, so give me something to give her. Anyways, more when I get a chance.
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: Okay, updating one or two a day, maybe three or all four if I end up with a lot of time, but the chapters are long, so don't complain. If you haven't gone and read my other three, Wish List, No Gifts, No Santa Clause, No Mistletoe (which started as a chrissie fic but isn't really and just got really good) and Escape, go and do so. Reviews people, they are what keep me breathing air. Oh and I found out who that one flamer was, the one person who made me feel horrible. It was my mother, isn't she wonderful and she meant it. Oh well, any review is good so please oh please oh please leave me one! Or else!
Disclaimer: Duh, not mine, Wish they were.
Chapter Twenty Three
She eventually regained her composure, not to say, she was suddenly on top of things, quite the opposite, she still looked shocked, but she closed her mouth, narrowed her eyes and watched him, trying to exude a sense of control. Admiring his smile as he smirked at her from where he sat. Sydney and Vaughn, she knew were watching with just as much interest as she but, by the looks on their faces, had no or little idea of what had just happened.
Jack's smug grin remained for the time until Irina decided to speak at which his brow furrowed and his gaze lowered as he anticipated every tiny insult or attack he felt she might chose to throw at him. Instead she simply said, her voice without malice or teasing, "Quite so, Jack." And turned back to smile at Sydney. This threw Jack more than anything else could have possibly said and he was left to sit, brow low in concentration and eyes narrowed as his tenacious wife began to engage in probing conversation with the two remaining agents,
The wine was good though and the food almost to match. Each had only the best and reveled in the expensive food, the view perfect and the conversation actually engaging for all but Jack, who continued to sit back, observing and working at the impossible puzzle that sat beside him. Irina too was working at a puzzle, one, many would argue just as complex as her but entirely different. Something about Jack, the man who sat just inches away but was always, always, at a distance unfathomable by anyone, was bothering her; there were several little pieces of intriguing information that she had gathered and now, all she had left to do was put it together. Sydney and Vaughn were enjoying themselves and Irina enjoyed adding little comments here and there, listening and picking up little details she didn't know, but mostly, her mind was elsewhere.
Several times their eyes would lock and they'd just stare at each other, eyes still involuntarily open but clouded heavily with thought and suspense as they raced against each other to work the other out. Jack was enjoying, he had to admit, watching her. Her ease around humans scarily good and unlike what you'd expect of a crime lord just let out. She held the perfect façade of elegance and grace, but he was sure there was something more simplistic and typical under all the confusion, it stood to reason that there must have been and so he looked.
Irina just continued to put it together, working backwards from the assumptions she had in place and seeing what was proved the best by everything she knew. The wine had sparked certain curiosity and, she thought, would be the fatal blow to Jack in the end. He had won himself a battle in exchange for the war. She smiled at the thought, Jack catching her eye and his eyes narrowing. She looked down, enjoying the waves of triumph that Jack was throwing off along with what remained of his defenses. He was being stupid and careless and he knew it.
Irina just gritted her teeth and looked back down, she was going to work this out, she promised herself she was, it all fit together but she couldn't read the puzzle without the last bit, the last tiny thing that she knew. She knew she knew it, she just had to work out what it was. Her mind was taunting her, throwing thoughts of defeat at her as she combed over her memory of things Jack had done and said, there were so few but each held so many tiny secrets that only she could see.
It had not been on the plane, not during the day or the morning, she was sure, when else was there a possibility? She knew he had black hair, it was typical of her mind to remember tiny images that were, alone useless, but he had black hair, pure, greasy black like he had right now, so it had to be on this mission. She'd never seen him with black hair before. When? Another image, his whole face, unusually open and relaxed and his eyes closer.
At this Irina's eyes widened in realization stirring Jack from his smug look as she tried to hide her shock. The night before he'd said something, she hadn't recalled until now, but now that she'd brought the words into her mind it was obvious why she'd told herself they were important. The entire conversation replayed in her head, every one of his words, her eyes going back to a shielded gaze out the window as Sydney and Vaughn talked of something trivial. It was only when she got to his closing statement, the last thing she had heard before falling asleep that she knew she was right and everything fell into place.
"You'll never guess what I'm hiding Irina, never in your life." The conversation had been straight forward, simple and nothing important passing his lips. But together, looking over the expressions, she was sure of her self and adopted her own smug expression, not because she was happy with herself, but because she had to hide the shock and confusion that still reigned beneath.
Sydney and Vaughn were more comfortable after dinner than they'd ever been before. They returned to the hotel via taxi ride, arriving just in time to slip inside and sit down in their seats for the allocated light show. The greens and purples on the ceiling beautiful and ending twenty minutes later. And up until then nothing had passed between them, not a word, Jack and Irina had glared, stared, gazed, scowled and watched each other to the best of their abilities but not a word had passed.
At the end they stood, Vaughn and Sydney looking at them, eyes wide and unsleepy. Irina just grinned at them, she began the conversation, as usual, "Well, the three of you might as well head up to bed; I'm going to go for a swim." Jack glared at her harder, wondering what she was doing, because, if she didn't realize, there was no way he was going to swim, not at this hour, not in this place and most importantly, and perhaps the only thing stopping him, definitely not with her.
Vaughn and Sydney smiled at her, Vaughn's grin particularly large as he nodded his head, "Good night then," he said, aiming the words at the pair of them but his gesture being accepted only by Irina.
Sydney grabbed her handler's hand firmly. "Yeah," she said her mind obviously elsewhere, "We'll see you tomorrow."
Irina stops them as they move away, "We'll meet early, around seven thirty, at our room," she smiled at them, her amusement blatant, "So don't stay up too late, okay?" Sydney's face split in two, she couldn't help it, she had to admit and it was entirely selfish of her to think it, but she did, that without so many bad things in their lives, the two of them would never have met, never have told each other how they felt. She realized that and she just smiled more, knowing she deserved anything and everything that happened that night.
Vaughn just smiled, not a grin, but a guarded, mainly because he was still trying to work things out, and secretive smile as he led Sydney away, leaving the two alone. Irina glanced at Jack who was watching her like a hawk watches a mouse, she smiled before slipping her arm through his and leading him towards the stairs, he went rigid but followed none the less. Irina asked him, "You're not coming out for a swim," his look answered her question as they got into the elevator.
He wordlessly followed her into their room, watching as she grabbed her bag and wordlessly disappeared into the bathroom, she came out, hair disheveled and changed. She smiled at him before disappearing back through the door, bare foot, blue sarong and blue towel draped over her shoulders covering her arms and torso completely. He glared after her, staring into the hard wood of the door before turning to the bed, wordlessly beginning to wander the room, hoping the walls were, once again, thick.
Okay, short I know, but I want to update them all, and I want to do it now. I need to be in bed soon so bad luck, please oh please review and go and read the other three. In particular review Mission Impossible, that's written by Anj this time and for her birthday tomorrow, I would love to be able to hand her a heap of reviews, so give me something to give her. Anyways, more when I get a chance.