DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, except for the original ones, so don't sue. December is near, so let me be the first to say, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A/N-Long chappie… sorry… but I hope you enjoy it. :D

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

After a few minutes, Jack managed to tear his eyes away from his son and finally had the chance to acknowledge the person who brought Jacob to his house. She is sitting on the sofa, watching them.

"Hello, Jack. Aren't you going to ask how we got in?"

Jack cocked a brow. "Well, I have my ideas. Did it involve the five minute blackout LA experienced three hours ago?" He asked, half listening to Jacob's blabber. She smiled at him, indicating that his idea is correct. "What brings you and my son here?"

"Some business I have to attend to." She answered and leaned back on the sofa, looking extremely comfortable in her position. Jack noted that she is wearing casual black slacks and a dark green blouse. Her hair is up in a French twist.

"I hope you don't mind, but I checked your cupboards and refrigerator. I wanted to know what you've been feeding my daughter. I'm quite pleased to discover that you haven't been feeding her junk."

Jack looked at Irina. She's smiling and seems very amused but the smile didn't reach her eyes. He put down his son, who wandered off immediately, and then turned his attention back to her.

"Do you always go through the cupboards and fridges of the houses where Ana stays?" Jack asked, a bit acerbically. He's not irritated with what she did to get inside the house. But he's irritated that she can show her face to him without feeling the need to apologize for the information she hid from him.

"Well, after I caught Ana and her Aunt Katya eating chocolate sundae for breakfast a few ago, I decided to check them. So, I guess that's a yes to your question."

Jack shrugged and then looked for his son. He is playing by the piano, exploring the instrument. He then looked back at Irina. 'This must be very important. She brought Jacob to me. She would never, ever step on US soil if it's not urgent.' He thought and waited for her to speak again.

"I'll be leaving Jacob with you for a couple weeks. His things are in his room, which I believe is tastefully done, the baby formula is in the fridge, the baby food is in the cupboards, alphabetically arranged, his-" she was cut off by Jack.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Irina asked and gave Jack, who is still standing in front of him, a hard glare.

"Why are you leaving Jacob with me?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Why do you always have to ask questions?" Irina looked at him again. "Several… problems are swirling around me and I can't trust my colleagues taking care of my son while I'm gone. Now, don't ask me why I don't trust them, because I'll not be able to answer you."

Irina paused and then looked around. "Where's Ana, by the way?"

Jack didn't say anything and kept quiet.

Her heart began to beat faster. She can that his face is unreadable, but she can perceive guilt, shame and anger in his silence.

"Jack, where is Ana?"

He let out a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Ana is with Nadia and Sydney… in the Caribbean."

"In the Caribbean? And what are they doing in the Caribbean?" Irina asked, standing up. She probed his brown eyes and asked again. "Why are they in the Caribbean, Jack?"

"They're in a mission."

The corner of Irina's mouth twitched. He can see the temper building up in her eyes. "Are you telling me, that all my daughters are working for the CIA?" She hissed, still not breaking eye contact with him.

"Yes."

Jack heard the sharp intake of her breath. Her jaw is set and her fingers are twitching. He looked at her and dared her to lose her temper in front of Jacob.

"Ma-ma." A little voice interrupted them.

Both looked down. They didn't notice that Jacob is holding Irina's pants, looking up to them.

Irina quickly masked her anger and kneeled down to "talk" to her son.

"What is it, Jacob?" she asked.

"Mamam, ma-ma…"

Irina pursed her lips for a while. Jacob has weird names for some everyday, normal things. She then remembered that mamam was the term Ana used for water when she was Jacob's age. "Mamam? Do you want to drink water?"

"Mamam."

Irina sighed and scooped up the baby. She then looked at Jack and glared at him.

"This isn't over."

-x-x-x

Ana is sitting on the beach, almost near the docks, reading a magazine. Her hair is temporarily dyed black, part of her cover. She sighed and looked around. She's been tasked to scan the beach for their target and to assist Vaughn after they have ID'd him.

"Mademoiselle, you are so alone in here. Do you mind if I join you?" A voice asked. Ana looked up and saw a middle aged man looking fascinatingly at her.

"Yes, I do mind. I value my personal space very much." Ana answered, her voice tinted with a British accent. She gave him an uninterested look and dismissed him with a flick of her wrist. He was the seventh man she sent away in the duration of her one-hour stay under the sun.

"Good one, Bamboo Tree. Do you see any signs of Niccolo Averrati?"

Ana rolled her eyes a bit and searched the sandy beach and into the port. Their father was the one who suggested to Marshall that her call sign be Bamboo Tree. Its cute but compared to Sydney's Mountaineer, Vaughn's Boy Scout and Weiss' Retriever, her call sign seems… funny.

'Nadia's lucky; she got that call sign Firebird. Dad could have suggested that her call sign be Panda Bear.' Ana thought and scanned the restaurant to her left.

"Mountaineer, I see him. He's on his way to my position."

"Copy that."

Ana discreetly looked at Niccolo Averrati. He is flanked by bodyguards and seems to be tense. He is also wearing a suit, thus making him stand out in the crowd. A few seconds later, she saw Vaughn, who is wet from swimming in the sea, following their target. He is holding a towel, which also serves as a device for hiding his weapon.

"Bamboo Tree, did you remember to put on sun block?"

Ana rolled her eyes once again. The problem with wearing a tankini is that you have to put sun block on all exposed skin. But in her point of view, wearing a tankini is better than wearing a bikini. Bikini's make you look more naked.

"Yes, Firebird. I slathered sun block on all exposed skin."

"Good. Get ready to assist Boy Scout."

"Roger."

Ana stood up, took her sarong from the beach bag beside her and tied it around her waist. She took of the rubber band in her hair and let her hair down and stuffed her things in the bag. When she turned around to follow Vaughn, Ana bumped into the man behind her.

"I'm sorry." Ana mumbled and looked up to his face. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw whom she bumped into.

"Julian? What…? Could you please move out of my way?!" She hissed and looked around to see if any people noticed her outburst.

She saw an amused smile play in his lips.

"Why do you want me to move out of your way? And why did you dye your pretty brown hair to black? Is this an act of rebellion to your father?" He asked affectionately and reached for some strands.

"Are you with your mother?" he inquired as he played with her hair.

'God, he has no idea I could put him into jail right now.' Ana thought as she gently slapped Sark's hands away from her hair. "Julian, could you please move?" She asked and tried to go the other way but Sark kept on blocking her.

"You know I, I never imagined you wearing pink. But here you are, wearing it in a bathing suit." He said teasingly and decided to let his eyes roam around her body, appreciating the view.

Ana blushed but kept her composure. "Julian, move, NOW."

"And what will you do if I don't?"

Sark suddenly heard a muffled but distinct sound of an automatic weapon behind him. A few seconds after that, he felt the cold barrel touching his skin.

"Touch my sister again and I will not hesitate to shoot you."

"Ms. Bristow, what a pleasant surprise." Sark said and turned towards Sydney. He found a blonde and blue eyed girl staring at him. Shocked, he turned to Ana again.

"You work with them? Does your mother know?" He asked. A feeling of fear and worry began to envelop him. He fear for Ana's safety and worry for her well being. 'She is too young to be compartmentalizing.' He thought as he looked at her eyes.

"Ana, Nadia moved to your position. You will be assisting her in a few minutes." Sydney said. Sark saw Ana nodding her head and nimbly moving away from him.

"We got you now, Mr. Sark. Don't you dare move."

-x-x-x-

Irina sighed as she watched Jack lull Jacob to sleep. Her arms are crossed in front of her and she's leaning back to the wall. The three of them had dinner but hers seem to have consisted of three small spoonfuls of Chinese takeout.

She looked around. Jacob's nursery is beautiful decorated, radiating with almost the same warmth and comfort his nursery in London exudes. Jack told her that Ana decorated the room.

'Ana… she used bare walls to create masterpieces. I hope Jacob feels comfortable here. He'll be staying with his father and sister for a few weeks.' Irina thought and let her eyes rove around the walls. Ana made the room like its some sort of garden. It makes the visitor of the room be one with nature and makes them feel like they're floating.

'It makes you feel sleepy.'

When she realized this, Irina quickly, but quietly, went out of the room. 'I can't sleep here. There's a job to do.' She thought and waited outside the room.

Irina then noticed that the room next to Jacob's is slightly open. She hasn't seen Ana's room yet and she knows that this is one of the guest rooms. Curious, she took a peek and discovered that she is right.

A smile tugged her lips when she saw the order inside. It was so… predictable.

'Goodness, she grew up with Byron and Dante, two people afflicted with Obsessive Compulsive disorder. One might assume that Ana would have at least wanted to be messy just to piss them off.' She thought and decided to go in. Irina knows that Sydney helped in the decorating of the room and it's a mix of almost everything. Playful, Bohemian, classy, candid. A splash of Ana's personality. But the dominant color is still blue.

Irina noticed several picture frames in the dresser and she took a look. Ana has sentimentality in her, though she tries not to show it. Irina used to be like that, but circumstances made her stop being so. She took one of the picture frames and lightly traced its edges. It was a photograph of Sydney, Ana and Jack in the park. They are all smiling happily to the camera.

'I wonder who took it.' She thought knowing fully well that these pictures will be added, most probably with Nadia and Jacob in it.

Jack went out of the nursery, holding the baby monitor, when he found the door to Ana's room open. He looked inside and found Irina, whose face is slightly turned towards him, looking at the pictures with a sad smile on her face.

He set aside the baby monitor on the table near the master's bedroom and then leaned on the doorway to Ana's room. "You know, she trusts you too much."

Her head turned and she looked at him.

"She had so much trust in you that she believed that you would tell me that Nadia is my daughter."

Irina's mouth pursed a little and her eyes pierced him.

"I didn't get the reason why you allowed Ana to work for the CIA." She said and took a step towards him.

Jack closed his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. "She wanted to join. I knew that I cannot force her not to join. She's stubborn like a mule and I know that she'll get what she wants, no matter what. All I can do is to give her safety."

"And what if that isn't enough?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "She is in my care, Irina. I will not let harm befall on her. On all my daughters."

Irina shook her head and walked towards his direction. "You totally missed the point." She said, a bit exasperated and went past him.

"And what is the point? I didn't hide this matter from you. But you hid the information that I am Nadia's real father. What was your point in that?!" Jack asked sarcastically.

Irina glared at him. 'How dare he judge me? Can't he see that I'm trying to end things nicely so that they can live in peace?' she thought, trying very hard not to lose her temper.

"My point is that they don't deserve this kind of life. It's unfair to them. They should not be the one to solve problems pertaining to terrorism. We were supposed to make sure that they were never to see people killing each other!"

"Well, look who's talking. You're the one who introduced Ana to guns!"

Irina made a sound of frustration and turned away from him. "We're not going to have this conversation again. I'm leaving!"

"Don't you dare walk out with this unsettled!" Jack angrily said and followed her. In two giant strides, he caught up with Irina and took her wrist.

"I just want to know why you hid that little fact from me. I want the truth, Irina. Why did you want me to believe that Nadia is Sloane's daughter?!' he hissed and pinned Irina to the wall, holding both her hands above her head. He can feel her pulse getting faster and her breathing quickening.

"I didn't know how to explain it! Rambaldi said that The Passenger was conceived from anger. Did you know that I blocked the last months I had with you? I can't remember what I did or what happened a few months before my extraction. I can only recall bits and pieces with Sydney. You see, I hated that affair. I hated KGB for ordering me to do that. I can't explain it to you, okay? Now get off me, I have a schedule to catch!" She said angrily and tried to wiggle free from his grip.

Jack looked at her. Temper is blazing in her eyes and anger is pulsating in her veins. He heard the truth in her voice.

'God, she looks delectable when she's angry.' He thought as he inspected every inch of her beautiful face. Suddenly, the thought of kissing Irina popped in his head. And the downward tilt of her mouth added more to the temptation.

Testing the waters, Jack leaned forward and nibbled Irina's left earlobe. He has complete control over the situation since he is pinning her to the wall, almost half of his weight restraining her.

"Sex isn't the way to settle this argument." Irina said a bit hoarsely. She's still trying to wiggle free from his restraint but she can't shake off the spine-tingling sensation she's feeling.

Jack slyly looked at her. "What makes you think this is going to lead to sex?" he asked and skimmed his lips over her jaw line. His mouth then moved slowly to her lips and began to tease her. Jack slowly nibbled the lower lip before stopping and looking at her in the eye.

He can feel Irina's heart beating a lot faster. Her breathing is slightly uneven and she's completely still.

Jack then dipped his head to her neck and began to trace soft, lazy kisses down her throat. Irina bit back a moan of pleasure as she tried to compose herself. She can't be distracted with… this.

"Stop it… You're making me… just stop."

He stopped and looked at her. Irina felt a bit disappointed that he did stop, but attempted not to show it.

"Do you really want me to… stop?" Jack asked and pressed his body closer to hers. He heard her sharp intake of breath and wished that she'd answer his question faster.

Irina licked her lips as she thought about the…consequences of her actions. She looked at Jack's mouth and found the answer.

"No, I don't want you to… stop."

He stared at her and slowly lowered her arms to her side. Jack leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. He intends to torture her by doing everything in a slow, unhurried pace.

"Now, if you move one bit, I promise you that I'll make everything slower." Jack whispered to her ear knowing full well that Irina is quite an impatient woman. He reached to her hair and undid her French twist. Her brown locks gracefully fell on her shoulders and Jack breathed in its sweet scent. His hands traveled down, passing her shoulders and her arms before resting in her waist.

Jack then began to trace slow kisses in her neck and started to unbutton her blouse using his mouth while at the same time, flicking his tongue to the soft skin that he is exposing. Irina bit her lip, so as not to scream at Jack's lazy teasings.

Jack unclasped the front hook of Irina's bra and covered her right breast with his mouth. She arched her back and moaned as the waves of desire tingle in her body. Jack then moved from the right breast and to the left. Irina's knees nearly buckled, but Jack kept her steady.

"Jack… please…" Irina said and placed her hands on his shoulders. She's trembling and she needs to touch him. Touch every inch of is body. Jack looked up to her face and saw that Irina's eyes are clouded with want.

"I… want… to touch you…" Irina gasped when he licked the nub of her breast.

"In the bedroom." Jack growled and brought back his hungry lips to hers. In response, she pushed her body closer to his. Irina gave a sound of pleasure when she felt his hardness press against her.

Still kissing, Jack lifted Irina until her hips were as level as his. She automatically put her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. He began to walk towards the master's bedroom, mindful of the things around them.

When they reached the room, Irina immediately put down her legs and pushed Jack to the wall. She started to undress him and she doesn't care if she rips his clothes. All she wants is to touch him again and again and again.

Irina was able to get rid of the clothing that bars her from touching Jack's torso in record time. Her hands began to roam around his chest and her mouth began to trail down to his neck.

Jack groaned and reverted to their position in the hallway. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist and the other one started to unfasten her slacks. Irina did the same for him while at the same time trying to match the intensity of his kiss and touch.

Irina gasped when she felt Jack's hand between her thighs. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips when she felt his fingers enter her.

"Now." She whispered hoarsely, digging her fingernails into his shoulders. "I want it now."

Jack obliged and lifted her hips while she wrapped her long legs around his waist. He entered her slowly, feeling every inch of her on him.

Their mouths fused again when Jack began to move inside her. She clung to him as he drove her higher and faster until there was nothing but ecstasy transfixing them.

-x-x-x-

Jack opened his eyes and found that Irina has left. They made love three times; on the wall, in the floor and in the bed. They talked in between the "activity", making compromises about Ana's situation. Jack yawned and groggily looked at the digital clock by his bedside table.

1.15 AM

He stood up and stretched a bit. His stomach his grumbling and he wants to go down and eat, but he decided to check on Jacob first before going downstairs to the kitchen. He slipped on his pants and went outside the room.

When he went inside the nursery, he fond Irina, wearing one of his shirts, standing by the crib, watching their son sleep.

"I thought you've gone." Jack said in a hushed tone and went closer to her.

"It's too early." Irina answered in the same tone and looked at him. They are standing so close that their hands are almost touching.

She has this yearn to touch his face, just for the heck of it and not for… seducing. She wants to trace her fingers lightly on the planes of his forehead, the bridge of his nose and the outline of his lips. But she can't do that.

Jack glanced at her and found Irina staring at him.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, slightly uncomfortable with the look.

"Uh… a bit."

"Do you want to go down? I could whip up something for both of us." Jack said, still looking at her.

"Okay." She smiled at him. And he smiled back. It was like a magical moment.

Jack took her hand and they walked out of the room. Irina was a bit surprised with the show of affection, but loved every minute of it. As they walked, she carefully looked at their interlocking fingers.

'Oh god, it feels just like before.' she thought and unconsciously tightened her hold on his hand.

"So, what do you want to eat?" Jack asked as they went down the stairs.

"Anything would be fine." Irina answered.

Jack looked at her with an amused look on his face.

"You know, you sound just like your daughters."

-A/N-

Hello. So what do you think? Somebody told me to write longer smut, so I obliged to her request (you know who you are ;-D) I hope you liked this chapter, albeit a little long. Please leave a review :D