Jack tore his eyes away from her to see his daughter and Vaughn standing by
the door. "It's your mother."
Irina eyed them inquisitively as they conversed in hushed tones; she looked at each of them carefully. "Am I supposed to know who you are?" all three agents swung to face her again. From the looks on their faces she guessed she should have some recollection of them. But all she could see in her mind; were blurry faces.
Chapter Four
They each looked at each other, assessing the strange situation that they now found themselves in. It was quiet and the silence grew, the feeling in the room tense. Sydney and Vaughn didn't know what to say, they certainly weren't expecting this, Jack regarded Irina coolly, and he did not believe a word of it. Irina's gaze fell to the key that was still in the lock where Jack had left it, she moved closer to it and slipped her arm through the bars to rest on the key which she started to turn, she watched each person closely, inspecting them as she did so. As if he had just come out of a deep trance, Jack grabbed Irina's wrist, not too roughly but enough to halt her actions. Her head snapped up and she glared at him fiercely through the darkness.
"Is this some new type of torment? You come in here as though to get me out and then become my new captors?" her cold tone was laced with bitterness, she pulled her arm away from him and folded her arms as Jack pocketed the key. She berated herself for getting her hopes up that these people were here to take her from her prison.
Jack's eyes stayed on her, in fact he couldn't seem to look away, he told himself that it was just in case she tried anything, in case she might try to free herself. He showed barely any emotion though as his heart beat fast and his mind buzzed with thoughts, all swimming around for his attention. If this was some game of Irina's, what could she have to gain from the pretense? It was likely that Sark had lied to them and Sloane waiting around the corner to trap them. As though reading his mind Sydney left the room to look around the corridor and returned a few seconds later and nodded, indicating that all was clear. But then again, Sloane and Sark could just as easily be waiting outside the building. He entertained the idea that maybe she truly couldn't remember them, maybe even herself, but then she did seem to have Irina's mannerisms. They eyed each other as though they were attempting to read each others thoughts, neither one willing to break eye contact first.
Sydney coughed and walked closer, she looked at her mother in confusion and worry, worry at where she was and that she saw her own daughter as a complete stranger. A stranger that she believed was making her stay locked up. She had coughed to break their concentration but they didn't move an inch or even acknowledge that she was there. "Hey..." she spoke quietly "we need to get out of here. When Sark wanted us to find something, he meant mom...he must have. Which means that in his own little, warped way he helped us. We need to find out why" her logic seemed to finally get Jack to listen to her and he nodded. "We need to get her out of here...to...somewhere..." she trailed off. Where would she go? CIA custody seemed highly probable. Though Sydney sincerely doubted that Irina would be willing to trade one cage for another. Then again, the hospital seemed like the best bet at the moment, that way they could determine if Irina was faking. But surely she would have accounted for that.
The key came out of Jack's pocket again and Irina regarded it like a cat might a mouse. If his wife was coming out of that cell then Jack was going to be the one to make sure she didn't go anywhere without his say so. "Can you please stop talking to me as though I'm not in the room?" Irina spoke again though this time to Sydney. "It's worse than being kept in here and not talked to at all." Sydney looked at her apologetically, which surprised Irina, if these people were going to be her new captors then surely they wouldn't be sorry about anything they did. She heard Sydney say something about her mother, she didn't comment but merely remembered and stored the information away.
"You really don't know who we are?" a very skeptical Jack asked her. He apprehensively unlocked and opened the cell door and stepped back, but not too far back, to let her through.
"If I did, I would not have asked if I was supposed to know you" Irina responded. She kept her eyes on him, the leader of the group, as she exited the cell. "Is it day or night outside?" she asked them.
Vaughn looked at his watch and replied. "Early morning, it'll still be dark outside."
Irina nodded her thanks and caught Jack watching her again, carefully like a specimen under a microscope. "Does it really matter what time it is?" Jack asked as motioned for her to walk forward. Something that she was more than happy to do, she was out of the cell; she wasn't going to complain.
"I've been in the dark for a while, my eyes will have to become adjusted to the light again and I'd rather not walk outside while the sun is blazing" she explained and then looked back at the torch he carried. "So I would also appreciate it if you stop flashing that in my face." He turned the torch away, he felt like the principal had just scolded him.
Jack wasn't going to let Irina out of his sight, but Sydney wanted to speak to her alone. They settled for the two women walking side by side along the corridor with Jack following closely behind and Vaughn taking point. Once they were outside Jack was planning on being a lot more careful with her, with all the fields around she could go anywhere. He blocked out Sydney and Irina's conversation, respecting his daughters wishes that this was a private conversation and she didn't want her father butting in with his input. "So, you're Sydney, right?" Irina checked. She had heard Jack mention her name. Things didn't seem familiar to her with these people but at the same time there was something at the back of her mind that was trying to come forward but no matter how hard she tried she was drawing a blank. It was beginning to annoy her.
Sydney nodded; this was beyond strange. She was introducing herself to her own mother! "Do you know how you got here?" these were questions Irina was going to be asked eventually but Sydney wanted to hear them first, from the woman herself.
"I think I do" she looked confused, something Sydney couldn't remember her mother ever being. Not when she was a child, not when she was in CIA custody and not when people were hunting her down. "I have vague recollections of someone coming to see me...I don't know his name but I know that I should" Irina decided that forcing information wasn't going to accomplish anything so she should just wait. She had a feeling that she was supposed to be good at that. She couldn't explain why just then, but talking to Sydney seemed so natural to her, almost as though she was used to it. "We have met before, haven't we?" Irina glanced at the younger woman as she tucked her hair back and looked at the ground, obviously thinking about how to answer the question.
Sydney had no clue how she was supposed to act around this woman. As a child she saw her as the most amazing and caring person in the world, her mother. When she found out the truth, she hated her and wanted her dead. In CIA custody things had been difficult between them but they had forged, what Sydney believed, a pretty good, if rocky relationship. Then Irina had escaped and Sydney was confused, wanting to hate her mother but hoping there was a reason for what she did. But this woman was new; she had no recollection of any of her past deeds. How could she hate a woman who didn't think she had done any wrong? But how could she be a daughter to the woman when she didn't even know she had a child?
How could she get answers to all her questions?
Irina stopped and turned around; Jack did likewise and eyed her warily. "You need to get your shoulder seen to" she commented. "There must be some kind of first aid kit around here somewhere, the wound is bad and if it isn't treated it will become infected" Irina didn't even know why she cared.
"My shoulder is fine and of no concern to yours" the reply was automatic and he would probably have said the same to anyone else that asked, save Sydney.
Irina rolled her eyes and continued walking, exasperated. "If it's fine then stop wincing," she said curtly.
Jack bit back an indignant and cutting retort; even as a supposed amnesiac the woman could still bait him. She was infuriating him, but he couldn't help but smile. He radioed the Beta team and quickly informed them of the current events, it would be at least ten minutes before they were extracted. Jack had already decided the hospital would be the next stop, for himself and Irina. They came to a stop beside the staircase.
"I'll look for something to stop the bleeding" Vaughn announced. He caught Jack roll his eyes and held back a smirk, he was tiring of all the fussing around over his wound.
Sydney's eyes moved from one parent to the other, she stood up from where she had sat on the stairs. "I'll help him" she used the lame and often used excuse to leave Irina and Jack alone, but only for a few minutes, she didn't want to return to a blood bath, there wouldn't be enough bandages in the house to deal with that.
"Are they together?" Irina asked once Sydney and Vaughn were out of earshot.
Jack's expression looked solemn as he remembered everything Sydney and Vaughn had gone through "no." There was quiet for a few seconds before he carried on "why do you ask?" he was starting to get suspicious if Irina's memory loss.
"Apparently I'm forgetful but I'm not stupid. If they're not together now, they will be" she already suspected something had happened.
Jack stepped closer to her, his expression almost warning her. Most people would have stepped back but Irina stubbornly held her ground, she wasn't any weaker than he was and she wasn't going to act like it. I don't know what plan you, Sark and Sloane have concocted, but we are not going to fall for it. You may as well give up now" he finished.
She stepped closer to him and he could feel her warm breath on his face, she sounded out each word precisely "I don't know what you're talking about" Irina responded. He was infuriating her, and it seemed so familiar.
There was no way Jack was going to let Irina have the last word, her leaned in closer, the waters becoming dangerous. "I don't believe you" at the last moment he moved back and stopped when he was a couple of feet away. He could feel her watching him.
Her heard her sigh and smiled, her thought he was getting through to her. "I don't care if you believe me or not, and I suspect even if you had solid proof there would still be doubt in your mind" she was starting to get the idea that it was pointless arguing with him. Irina turned away and this time it was she that could feel Jack watching her, she laid a hand on the banister and climbed the first step, intending on sitting down. She heard him walk towards her and she stifled a laugh, where did he expect her to go from the top floor? On the roof or maybe out of the window? An all too familiar feeling of dizziness washed over her, through the walking and the banter the headache had been growing, it was another reason Irina didn't want to go into the daylight; her headache would only grow.
She heard Jack calling out her name and the last thought she had was so that's what my name is...
Irina eyed them inquisitively as they conversed in hushed tones; she looked at each of them carefully. "Am I supposed to know who you are?" all three agents swung to face her again. From the looks on their faces she guessed she should have some recollection of them. But all she could see in her mind; were blurry faces.
Chapter Four
They each looked at each other, assessing the strange situation that they now found themselves in. It was quiet and the silence grew, the feeling in the room tense. Sydney and Vaughn didn't know what to say, they certainly weren't expecting this, Jack regarded Irina coolly, and he did not believe a word of it. Irina's gaze fell to the key that was still in the lock where Jack had left it, she moved closer to it and slipped her arm through the bars to rest on the key which she started to turn, she watched each person closely, inspecting them as she did so. As if he had just come out of a deep trance, Jack grabbed Irina's wrist, not too roughly but enough to halt her actions. Her head snapped up and she glared at him fiercely through the darkness.
"Is this some new type of torment? You come in here as though to get me out and then become my new captors?" her cold tone was laced with bitterness, she pulled her arm away from him and folded her arms as Jack pocketed the key. She berated herself for getting her hopes up that these people were here to take her from her prison.
Jack's eyes stayed on her, in fact he couldn't seem to look away, he told himself that it was just in case she tried anything, in case she might try to free herself. He showed barely any emotion though as his heart beat fast and his mind buzzed with thoughts, all swimming around for his attention. If this was some game of Irina's, what could she have to gain from the pretense? It was likely that Sark had lied to them and Sloane waiting around the corner to trap them. As though reading his mind Sydney left the room to look around the corridor and returned a few seconds later and nodded, indicating that all was clear. But then again, Sloane and Sark could just as easily be waiting outside the building. He entertained the idea that maybe she truly couldn't remember them, maybe even herself, but then she did seem to have Irina's mannerisms. They eyed each other as though they were attempting to read each others thoughts, neither one willing to break eye contact first.
Sydney coughed and walked closer, she looked at her mother in confusion and worry, worry at where she was and that she saw her own daughter as a complete stranger. A stranger that she believed was making her stay locked up. She had coughed to break their concentration but they didn't move an inch or even acknowledge that she was there. "Hey..." she spoke quietly "we need to get out of here. When Sark wanted us to find something, he meant mom...he must have. Which means that in his own little, warped way he helped us. We need to find out why" her logic seemed to finally get Jack to listen to her and he nodded. "We need to get her out of here...to...somewhere..." she trailed off. Where would she go? CIA custody seemed highly probable. Though Sydney sincerely doubted that Irina would be willing to trade one cage for another. Then again, the hospital seemed like the best bet at the moment, that way they could determine if Irina was faking. But surely she would have accounted for that.
The key came out of Jack's pocket again and Irina regarded it like a cat might a mouse. If his wife was coming out of that cell then Jack was going to be the one to make sure she didn't go anywhere without his say so. "Can you please stop talking to me as though I'm not in the room?" Irina spoke again though this time to Sydney. "It's worse than being kept in here and not talked to at all." Sydney looked at her apologetically, which surprised Irina, if these people were going to be her new captors then surely they wouldn't be sorry about anything they did. She heard Sydney say something about her mother, she didn't comment but merely remembered and stored the information away.
"You really don't know who we are?" a very skeptical Jack asked her. He apprehensively unlocked and opened the cell door and stepped back, but not too far back, to let her through.
"If I did, I would not have asked if I was supposed to know you" Irina responded. She kept her eyes on him, the leader of the group, as she exited the cell. "Is it day or night outside?" she asked them.
Vaughn looked at his watch and replied. "Early morning, it'll still be dark outside."
Irina nodded her thanks and caught Jack watching her again, carefully like a specimen under a microscope. "Does it really matter what time it is?" Jack asked as motioned for her to walk forward. Something that she was more than happy to do, she was out of the cell; she wasn't going to complain.
"I've been in the dark for a while, my eyes will have to become adjusted to the light again and I'd rather not walk outside while the sun is blazing" she explained and then looked back at the torch he carried. "So I would also appreciate it if you stop flashing that in my face." He turned the torch away, he felt like the principal had just scolded him.
Jack wasn't going to let Irina out of his sight, but Sydney wanted to speak to her alone. They settled for the two women walking side by side along the corridor with Jack following closely behind and Vaughn taking point. Once they were outside Jack was planning on being a lot more careful with her, with all the fields around she could go anywhere. He blocked out Sydney and Irina's conversation, respecting his daughters wishes that this was a private conversation and she didn't want her father butting in with his input. "So, you're Sydney, right?" Irina checked. She had heard Jack mention her name. Things didn't seem familiar to her with these people but at the same time there was something at the back of her mind that was trying to come forward but no matter how hard she tried she was drawing a blank. It was beginning to annoy her.
Sydney nodded; this was beyond strange. She was introducing herself to her own mother! "Do you know how you got here?" these were questions Irina was going to be asked eventually but Sydney wanted to hear them first, from the woman herself.
"I think I do" she looked confused, something Sydney couldn't remember her mother ever being. Not when she was a child, not when she was in CIA custody and not when people were hunting her down. "I have vague recollections of someone coming to see me...I don't know his name but I know that I should" Irina decided that forcing information wasn't going to accomplish anything so she should just wait. She had a feeling that she was supposed to be good at that. She couldn't explain why just then, but talking to Sydney seemed so natural to her, almost as though she was used to it. "We have met before, haven't we?" Irina glanced at the younger woman as she tucked her hair back and looked at the ground, obviously thinking about how to answer the question.
Sydney had no clue how she was supposed to act around this woman. As a child she saw her as the most amazing and caring person in the world, her mother. When she found out the truth, she hated her and wanted her dead. In CIA custody things had been difficult between them but they had forged, what Sydney believed, a pretty good, if rocky relationship. Then Irina had escaped and Sydney was confused, wanting to hate her mother but hoping there was a reason for what she did. But this woman was new; she had no recollection of any of her past deeds. How could she hate a woman who didn't think she had done any wrong? But how could she be a daughter to the woman when she didn't even know she had a child?
How could she get answers to all her questions?
Irina stopped and turned around; Jack did likewise and eyed her warily. "You need to get your shoulder seen to" she commented. "There must be some kind of first aid kit around here somewhere, the wound is bad and if it isn't treated it will become infected" Irina didn't even know why she cared.
"My shoulder is fine and of no concern to yours" the reply was automatic and he would probably have said the same to anyone else that asked, save Sydney.
Irina rolled her eyes and continued walking, exasperated. "If it's fine then stop wincing," she said curtly.
Jack bit back an indignant and cutting retort; even as a supposed amnesiac the woman could still bait him. She was infuriating him, but he couldn't help but smile. He radioed the Beta team and quickly informed them of the current events, it would be at least ten minutes before they were extracted. Jack had already decided the hospital would be the next stop, for himself and Irina. They came to a stop beside the staircase.
"I'll look for something to stop the bleeding" Vaughn announced. He caught Jack roll his eyes and held back a smirk, he was tiring of all the fussing around over his wound.
Sydney's eyes moved from one parent to the other, she stood up from where she had sat on the stairs. "I'll help him" she used the lame and often used excuse to leave Irina and Jack alone, but only for a few minutes, she didn't want to return to a blood bath, there wouldn't be enough bandages in the house to deal with that.
"Are they together?" Irina asked once Sydney and Vaughn were out of earshot.
Jack's expression looked solemn as he remembered everything Sydney and Vaughn had gone through "no." There was quiet for a few seconds before he carried on "why do you ask?" he was starting to get suspicious if Irina's memory loss.
"Apparently I'm forgetful but I'm not stupid. If they're not together now, they will be" she already suspected something had happened.
Jack stepped closer to her, his expression almost warning her. Most people would have stepped back but Irina stubbornly held her ground, she wasn't any weaker than he was and she wasn't going to act like it. I don't know what plan you, Sark and Sloane have concocted, but we are not going to fall for it. You may as well give up now" he finished.
She stepped closer to him and he could feel her warm breath on his face, she sounded out each word precisely "I don't know what you're talking about" Irina responded. He was infuriating her, and it seemed so familiar.
There was no way Jack was going to let Irina have the last word, her leaned in closer, the waters becoming dangerous. "I don't believe you" at the last moment he moved back and stopped when he was a couple of feet away. He could feel her watching him.
Her heard her sigh and smiled, her thought he was getting through to her. "I don't care if you believe me or not, and I suspect even if you had solid proof there would still be doubt in your mind" she was starting to get the idea that it was pointless arguing with him. Irina turned away and this time it was she that could feel Jack watching her, she laid a hand on the banister and climbed the first step, intending on sitting down. She heard him walk towards her and she stifled a laugh, where did he expect her to go from the top floor? On the roof or maybe out of the window? An all too familiar feeling of dizziness washed over her, through the walking and the banter the headache had been growing, it was another reason Irina didn't want to go into the daylight; her headache would only grow.
She heard Jack calling out her name and the last thought she had was so that's what my name is...