Prompt #2: Lets go back, let's rewind to the days that remind me of all the good times that we spent together – 'Everything I knew' Busted
A/N: Set after Before the Flood, but in an alternate season 5.

"I wasn't sure you'd come."

Irina stared at her husband but didn't reply. Then she looked around the room, noticing that nothing had changed since the last time she'd been here. One of Jack's safe houses, they'd met here often during their search for Sydney. The last time had been three weeks before Jack was imprisoned, just over eighteen months before Jack killed a woman he'd believed to be her, thirty-six months before she found and lost her family all over again.

That last night together, Jack had whispered the words she'd been waiting more than twenty years to hear again, and she had believed him.

Jack opened the bottle of vodka that was sitting on the table, poured some into a glass and slid it across to her. The movement broke her from her thoughts. She removed her jacket and draped it over the back of the chair before taking her gun from its holster and laying it on the table. She left the knife in its sheath on her ankle. If Jack remembered that habit of hers, he didn't comment.

"I wasn't going to come," she said as she sat down and picked up the glass.

"I'm glad you did."

Her mouth twisted into a cold smile and she pushed the gun, sending it sliding across the table to her husband. (Strange, she thought, after everything that had happened, they were still husband and wife.)

"What—"

"So you know I'm not going to shoot you."

"Bitch."

She stared at the glass in her hand, unwilling to look at her husband and see the hate that was sure to be reflected in his eyes. She downed the vodka in one sip then stood and turned to leave.

"Irina."

And then she dared look at him. (For the last time, she thought. After this she would be out of his life for good.) Instead of hate, she saw regret.

"Why did you call me here?" she asked.

"I—" He sighed. "I've never been good at apologizing."

She kept silent.

"I needed to see you. I missed you. Is that what you want to hear?"

"I want to hear the truth." She closed her eyes; released the breath she'd been holding. "You said you loved me and then you killed me, Jack."

"You said you loved me and you lied to me for ten years."

"I lied. Yes." She smiled, this time sadly. "I didn't love you in the beginning, you know. But by the end – by the end I would have – I did – kill to keep you and Sydney safe."

"Irina—"

"How's Nadia?"

He sighed. "There's no change."

"Of course." She nodded. "Goodbye, Jack."

"Do you remember the day we got married?"

"Yes."

"You were late."

"The driver got lost."

"I told you it didn't matter—"

"—you'd wait forever if you needed to." She trailed off.

"What did we know about love? We were kids, then." Jack came around the table and took her hands in his. "There are some things that can't be apologized for. What we've done to each other falls into that category. But I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't love you."

"Jack—"

"I thought you'd betrayed me again, and I was wrong. I didn't listen to what my heart was telling me." He paused. "I tested Nadia when we returned from Sevogda."

Irina felt relief sweep through her: he knew, at last.

"I should have known Sloane was lying. I should have known you would never hurt Sydney, especially not after what we went through to find her—"

She cut his words off with a kiss. "None of it matters anymore, Jack. Both of us have too much to confess."

"Am I forgiven?"

She smiled. "Am I?"

He nodded.

"Love me."

"I do."

And she believed him.