AN: Music for this Chapter: Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon, There She Goes by The La's, From Russia with Love by Matt Monroe from James Bond Soundtrack, Anastasia (techno trance mix) by Anastasia on Dream Dance Vol. 12.
FIFTEEN
o
"Jack is such an easy target." Katya proclaimed walking into the kitchen finding Irina pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"What did you do to him, Katya?" Irina looked pointedly at her sister over the rim of her cup taking a sip.
"I didn't do anything to him. The better question is what did 'you' do to him? He looks like he was attacked by a Siberian tiger." She laughed and made a hissing noise while clawing the air.
Irina almost choked on her coffee, trying not to laugh.
"He got lost trying to find his way back to his room and wound up in Sydney's wearing nothing but a sheet. I think she may need counseling after seeing her father with claw marks, in your bed sheets, standing in the doorway while she's still in bed with her own man… who was marked much the same way might I add." She raised her eyebrows suggestively as she poured a cup of coffee for herself and took a seat on the stool at the breakfast bar.
"No doubt made worse by you egging the situation on." Irina leaned back against the counter running her hand over her belly and the kicking baby beneath, "I'm sure Jack will be ever so pleasant to be around for the next few hours, still fuming over the fact that I put those two in the same room together. He refuses to acknowledge our daughter is all grown up with a sex life of her own." She laughed softly.
"Speaking of sex lives… you and Jack seem to be back on track in that department. What happened last night after I went to bed?" Katya whirled around on the stool to face Irina, waiting anxiously and cautiously for details knowing something certainly happened to find Jack nearly naked roaming the hallway in her bedsheet. "Does this mean you've worked things out with him?" She asked quietly, smiling hopefully taking another sip.
Irina nodded softly in response and bit her lip nervously thinking about last night, "We are trying."
"Good." Katya smiled hearing about such progress, "Does this mean you believe him now? About Panama?" She hedged carefully eyeing her sister over her cup.
Irina nodded softly again feeling tears start welling in her eyes, "He finally said it, Katya." She spoke after a moment staring into her cup of black liquid then meeting her sister's gaze, still in awe that he finally said it.
"Said what?" Katya asked breathless, having an idea of exactly what Jack had finally said to her sister to see and hear such a reaction in looking at Irina now.
"That he loved me." Irina answered in barely above a whisper, wiping at the tear that escaped and rolling down her cheek, "That he loved 'Irina." She hiccupped on her sob with a flash of smile and looked away towards the window.
Katya set her cup down and walked towards her sister, wrapping her arms around her from behind and kissing her temple in silent support knowing how much Irina needed to hear that and how much it meant to her. "I am so happy for you." She whispered against her ear with her own tears now falling. "You deserve to be happy, Irina. You deserve to be loved."
"I'm scared, Katya." Irina admitted quietly wrapping her arm over Katya's holding her to her. "I don't know how this is going to work. He is still the hunter and I am the hunted. The danger is real for us both. They could execute him… or Sydney, for even just being here right now and not turning me in. How can we possibly make this work?"
"You are both incredibly intelligent beings. I have complete faith where there is a will, there is a way. You'll figure it out." She kissed Irina's temple again with a soft smile. "For right now, don't worry about solving anything…just enjoy each other." She turned Irina to face her with a smile, "Enjoy this time with your daughter." She smiled more widely seeing Irina's immediately light her face with the mentioning of Sydney, "And enjoy this miracle together." She palmed Irina's belly on both sides with her hand and bent over kissing it. "Everything else you can figure out in due time." She reached up palming Irina's cheek and thumbing her tears away.
Irina pulled her in quickly for a hug and held on tightly, thanking God her sister was once again in her life and so grateful to have her by her side. "I love you so much." She kissed Katya's cheek and held on more tightly. "Thank you for being here."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else. Never again." Katya held more tightly, "I'll always be here for you, Irina, whenever you need someone. You'll never be alone again, Sweet Sister. Never again." She inhaled her own sob, kissing her head again and wishing she could turn back time to recover the years she lost with Irina and wishing she could have been there for her in the past. "You are so loved, Irina. So loved." She pulled back smiling brightly with sparkling eyes. "I can't wait for you to finally meet my children!" She laughed softly.
"I can't wait either." Irina smiled in thinking about it. "What time are they due to land?"
"Later this afternoon." Katya smiled, "What are your plans for the day?"
"I have some work calls this morning and then nothing. I plan to spend the day with them and see where the day takes us." She smiled nervously. "I need to get going. My first call is in less than 5 minutes." She kissed Katya's cheek with another quick peck in thanks and love and hurried out of the kitchen towards her work den.
-Los Angeles Phone Booth-
"All three of them left two days ago after placing a call to Kendall telling him they were following a lead. It has to be Derevko." The man looked nervously at his surroundings, fidgeting with the phone cord.
"What makes you so sure?"
"There have been some interesting developments where she is concerned."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"The raid of her property in Rio proved to be quite informative, they removed her from the Shoot to Kill list."
"Why?"
"Jack Bristow demanded it… It would seem, that Irina Derevko is pregnant…with his child."
"Are you certain of this?"
"Yes, he showed Kendall the sonogram photo and admitted to sleeping with her while on the mission in Panama." The man looked cautiously at the homeless man stumbling towards the door.
"Jack, Jack, Jack." The mysterious man on the other end of the phone laughed. "Playing with fire will get you burned. Bedding the Devil… the man must have completely lost his mind. Well, they must have figured out her location. Are they being tracked?"
"We put a tracker in each of their phones and tracked three of them from LA to New York but from New York, the three trackers went in separate locations… one to South Africa, one to Helsinki, and the other to Tripoli. Either they are traveling separately or they ditched their phones at the airport."
"The latter of the two sounds more probable considering whom we are dealing with. Keep an ear and eye open for any further information and let me know the minute one of them makes contact with the CIA. We'll find them and they will lead us right to her."
"Dad, what are you doing?" Sydney asked with a smile finding her father sitting on the steps at the base of the grand staircase. Both were now freshly showered and fully clothed. She trailed her fingers lovingly across his shoulders and took a seat beside him.
"Well," Jack folded his arms across his knees to smile softly at her, "I have absolutely no idea where I'm going in this place and so I figured, I would just sit here and wait until your mother found me." He smiled earning a bright one from Sydney in return along with a small laugh.
"So, things went well last night then? With Mom." Sydney asked cautiously but with a hopeful smile.
"Yes," Jack smiled and cupped the back of Sydney's head, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Thank you." He was grateful she pushed him last night into not giving up with her mother. "I am fighting for our love."
"Good." Sydney smiled radiantly. Her mother had been the one to push Vaughn to tell her how he really felt about her; she felt like she was returning the favor by pushing her father to do the same in regards, to her mother. "Where is she?" Sydney asked looking around the massive foyer.
"She said she had some work calls this morning and that she would meet me downstairs." He shifted his folded arms on his knees. "Where's Vaughn?" He asked and looked up in time to see the younger man making his way towards them on the upper staircase.
"I'm hungry." Sydney smiled standing and laughed as her stomach growled loudly almost as if on cue, just as Irina's had yesterday making Jack smile 'like mother like daughter.' "Let's find some breakfast." She reached for Vaughn's hand and kissed his cheek with a smile.
"Jack," Vaughn greeted him with a small smirk trying not to smile remembering their awkward encounter this morning.
"Vaughn." Jack stood and averted his eyes thinking of the same thing and wanting to avoid and further thoughts about it.
Irina found them in the kitchen sitting around the table just finishing breakfast and chatting with Katya when she finished with her calls. Her smile was radiant to see her family, all together, and smiling for the first time ever.
"Good morning." She greeted them with a smile at seeing Sydney and Vaughn for the first time.
"Mom," Sydney smiled and was out of her chair in flash engulfing Irina much to her surprise in a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" Irina asked when Sydney held onto her in silence for more than a few moments.
"Yes, I just want to hold you without the threat of the US Marshalls drawing their weapons on us." Sydney held her more tightly and felt her mother doing the same.
"Oh, Sweetheart." Irina's eyes flushed with new tears and held Sydney more tightly if that were possible. Her glassy eyes seeing Katya's also flushing with new tears and wearing a smile. Jack and Vaughn both were also smiling to see the one on Sydney's face when she pulled back and kissed Irina's cheek.
"I love you." Sydney refused to relinquish her mother's hand. "I'm so happy to be here, with you."
"I love you, too. And I'm so very happy you're here, as well." Irina pulled Sydney in for another hug, relishing in being able to do so now so freely, just as Sydney had said, without the confines and restrictions they had been under before with her in custody. "What would you like to do today?" She pulled back and pushed Sydney's hair over her shoulder with a smile. "I'm all yours." She smiled and Sydney beamed at the idea.
"I don't know, honestly, I am just happy being with you." Sydney held tightly to her hand with a smile.
Irina's heart thundered in her chest hearing her daughter say such a thing and felt the same in turn. "I feel the same, Sweetheart."
"This is still so surreal for me. That you're really here and standing in front of me." Sydney lunged for Irina again, holding tightly. "Don't leave me again, Mom… please?" She asked in a near whisper with mouth right next to her mother's ear. "Don't ever let go."
Irina inhaled a soft sob feeling Sydney's heartbreak and hearing her plea, "Never again, My Sweet Girl. Never again." She kissed the side of Sydney's head and held on more tightly, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of Sydney in her arms again. When she opened her eyes, she saw the glistening in Jack's eyes, too watching the exchange and he gave her a small supportive smile.
"Good." Sydney pulled back again with a radiant tear-filled smile, hearing her mother's promise. "Because I'm never letting you go." She laughed nervously still holding Irina's hand.
"Rina, have you eaten any breakfast?" Katya stood smiling, blinking back her own tears to witness the exchanges between her sister and her niece on this new day full of promise.
"Not yet, I need to eat something." Irina ran her hand over the top of her belly, "This one is hungry." She smiled feeling the baby spinning wildly around inside her.
"I'll make you a plate." Katya smiled, leaning over to kiss Irina's cheek as she passed them in happiness for her sister. "Sit. I'll bring it to you."
Sydney led Irina to the table, both taking a seat but refusing to let go of each other's hands.
"Is there anything you'd like to ask me?" Irina smiled softly at her daughter, still amazed to see Sydney sitting at her kitchen table. "I'm sure you have a million questions." Their minds both flashing back to the day in the cell when Irina had responded with the same sentence and finally explained why she had shot Sydney.
"I do." Sydney sighed nervously with a smile, "I just don't know where to start."
"You can ask me anything and I'll try my best to answer." Irina squeezed her hand softly in support.
"Well, let's start with the last time I saw you…What happened to you after Moscow?" Sydney asked quietly, asking the first question that came to mind. It was the last time she had seen her mother before now and it had ended horribly. Jack tensed, also wanting to know exactly what happened to Irina but also fearing any answer she gave knowing the damage to her was extensive given her injuries and both Dmitri's and Alexei's agreeance that her survival was nothing short of a miracle.
"I don't remember." Irina fingered her hair behind her ear shaking her head slowly, "The last thing I really can recall is…looking at your father," Her eyes flashed to Jack's remembering that horrible moment when she realized he was the one who had shot her, "And then running and falling down the stairwell. What happened after that is a blank. I only know what Katya told me and waking up in my bed upstairs days later. You'd have to ask her what happened in between." Her eyes flashed to her sister dishing up her eggs at the counter behind them.
Katya's movements slowed considerably in recalling the events of that night before speaking. "We met Dmitri at the hospital in Moscow. We fixed as much of the damage as we could... as quickly as we could and stabilized her. Then flew her here, to St. Petersburg, so she could have another surgery on her hand. We knew she wasn't safe in Moscow or in a hospital," She swallowed hard without looking at them, "So we brought her home to recover. She was unconscious for several days." She gave them the severely edited summary. That night still gave her nightmares.
"I am so sorry, Mom." Sydney's eyes flushed with new tears.
"You have nothing to be sorry for!" Irina smiled hugging Sydney quickly and letting her go, "None of that was your fault. It was mine. They wanted me and used you as bait. I'm the one who is sorry. And I'm fine." She smiled trying to reassure her child, "I'm okay. I'm only sorry I wasn't able to get to you sooner. I had no idea you'd been taken until just days before that." She shook her head, still upset about the thought of Sydney being held as Sloane and Cuvee's prisoner for weeks. "I had gone Off-Grid after Mexico City," She swallowed hard thinking of another horrible night. "I came back as soon as I learned you'd been taken." She wiped at the stray tear that escaped her lashes as Katya set the plate of eggs, mango and toast before her, taking a seat beside her sister. "I'm so sorry you were taken, Sydney. "Irina apologized again.
"Mom, it's fine. I was fine. They kept me locked in a cell for the majority of the duration. They didn't hurt me, in fact, they help tend my wounds from my fight with Allison," she swallowed hard thinking about that, "They just kept me. I know now, they were waiting for you to make contact." Sydney squeezed her hand with a soft reassuring smile. "I didn't even see Sloane or Cuvee until I woke up in that room in the warehouse and paralyzed. Until then, I had no idea who it was that had actually taken me. I only ever saw the same guard who brought my meals and gave me bandages. When I first heard them talking about your imminent arrival, I honestly thought you'd taken me. My brain was so slow to process everything from the effects of the drugs, I couldn't figure out what was really going on until sometime after you came crashing through the window. Then I realized they'd used me for bait to catch you."
"I'm sorry." Irina shook her head, thinking about Sydney believing her own mother had kidnapped her given their history.
"Mom, I'm fine." Sydney smiled at her. "Thank you for coming for me." Her smile widened trying to concentrate on the positives rather than the horrible from that situation.
"Always." Irina smiled through her tears and squeezed her hand.
"Eat." Sydney nodded towards her mother's plate. "Before it gets cold."
"Yes, eat." Katya insisted forever worried about her sister now. "I can regale them with tales of Little Irina while you eat." She flashed a brilliant smile earning several in return at the idea of hearing more about her as a child. "They are endless, I assure you. We were forever finding mischief as children. Our poor parents." She laughed sharing a smile with Irina. "And your father was an accomplice on many of those adventures, Michael." Katya's eyes flashed over to Vaughn with a smile. "Course, we were the ones always finding the trouble and poor Mikhail was always the one trying to get us out of it!" She laughed shaking her head. Sydney beamed a brilliant smile looking over to Vaughn at hearing more about their parents' mutual adventures as children and reached for his hand, squeezing it in support as well, knowing he was still coming to terms with who is father really was. "You really do, look so much like him." Katya smiled at Vaughn, repeating what she had told him in LA. "Astonishingly so."
"I'd love to hear more about him," Vaughn finally spoke quietly, swallowing hard and looking between Katya and Irina as the sisters who knew his father. "If you wouldn't mind sharing?"
"Of course," Katya reached across the table this time with a smile and grasped his wrist supportively seeing his nervousness. "Oh, where to begin?" She flashed her eyes to Irina with a soft laugh.
*Mother and Child Reunion*
In the early afternoon, Irina couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. She was utterly exhausted after a whirlwind week that began with her rapid escape in Brazil and return to Russia and the last two days with sleepless nights. Her body was demanding rest being pregnant and she excused herself after lunch to lay down and rest for a while knowing she needed it as did the baby.
She had just laid down on the edge of her bed when she heard the distinctive knocking of her daughter, having not heard it for decades and yet it remained the same. "Come in." She called out sweetly and Sydney appeared in her doorway. She was chewing on her lip nervously staring at Irina. "Sweetheart, what is it?" Irina leaned up onto her elbows seeing Sydney's hesitancy.
Sydney glanced around her mother's room; it looked much the same as she and Vaughn's, though the bed was much larger.
"I was going to take a nap, too and wondered if… it was ok with you, if I…" She didn't need to finish her request as Irina was already patting the spot next to her in bed.
"Come on."
Sydney plopped down onto the bed with a smile while Irina rolled to her side to face her daughter as they lay there, both still nervous about being this close to each other and in such an intimate way. Both craving the contact but fearful of moving too fast, too soon for the other person. They were getting more comfortable with hugs and holding hands, but everything else was still new to them again.
"I always loved taking naps with you… even with the occasional foot to my face or finger in my eye." Irina laughed softly, "Are you still a wild sleeper?"
"No," Sydney chuckled too, "Not like that… though I am accused of being an extreme cuddler."
Irina took Sydney's hands into her own and lay them on the pillow between them, craving any chance to further connect with her child. "You always were." Irina laced her fingers through her daughters and delighted that Sydney didn't pull away, "Cuddling, was always my favorite part."
Sydney in turn, leaned her head in closer to her mothers and Irina released one hand to brush the hair behind Sydney's ear. Both feeling a rush of new tears at the closeness they had both been craving, especially over the last year and been denied while Irina was in custody.
"I love you, Sweetheart." She smiled resting her hand over their joined ones again.
"I love you too, Mom." Sydney cried with a smile.
And with that Irina started humming the 'Russian Lullaby' to Sydney like she used to. Sydney smiled and closed her eyes content as can be to be lying next to her 'mommy.'
Snuggled together, face to face, holding hands, and foreheads together was just how Jack found them sleeping soundly twenty minutes later. He felt his heart surge with love at seeing 'his girls' together again, knowing both were craving it so. He wished he had a camera to capture this priceless moment seeing mother and child reunited.
He marveled at them in their sleep from the doorway, and how alike they both were. Both wearing causal jeans and t-shirts. Both of their toes could be seen peeking out from under the long jeans covering their feet, Irina's a dark hot pink and Sydney's bright red.
Seeing Sydney stir slightly, he closed the door quietly and went in search of Vaughn, letting his 'three' girls get some rest.
He found Vaughn sitting on the steps in the front of the palace and took a seat next to the young man, seeing he was deep in thought and having an-inkling as to why. Jack's fatherly instincts took over. "Do you want to talk about it? Talk about your father?" Jack asked in all sincerity, knowing how hard it is to find out everything you believed was wrong.
Vaughn was surprised at first by Jack's question but seeing the compassion for the situation and understanding in Jack's eyes, he decided to talk.
*There She Goes *
When the two finally came back into the house over an hour later, a new understanding between them, they heard roaring laughter and giggling coming from Irina's bedroom. The voices were speaking in Russian and as soon as they heard Katya's voice they understood why. Irina and Sydney naturally spoke English when together, but Irina and Katya spoke Russian. It was only when speaking to all of them that they switched to English.
The three of them lay lounging about in various angles and positions on the enormous bed laughing hysterically at some comment Irina had apparently just made, though Vaughn and Jack couldn't make it out through the laughter as they approached.
As soon as the men appeared in the doorway, there was 'shushing' all around mixed with inner giggling and red faces on the women, letting the men know that the 'objects' of the apparent conversation had just walked through the door. The look of worry that was exchanged between Jack and Vaughn sent all three women into a fit of laughter. The sound of their giggles and laughter was intoxicating after so much sadness the last several months.
"Talking about us? Only good things I hope." Jack asked smiling and walked over to sit beside Irina on the edge of the bed, wanting to be close to her. They hadn't a moment alone since this morning when he woke. The majority of the day centered around quality time spent between Irina and Sydney, knowing their daughter needed this time the most to bond with her mother again. Jack was happy just watching them together again and seeing the radiant smiles from both and now the laughter, even if the laughter was at his expense.
"We were discussing how cute you two are when you aren't driving us crazy." Sydney smiled and pulled Vaughn closer to her, kissing him on the lips.
Vaughn was feeling a bit awkward standing in the middle of Irina Derevko's bedroom while she lay before him, head propped up on one arm, smiling, laughing, on her bed and with the skin of her belly exposed. He felt as though he'd stepped Through the Looking Glass at such a surreal experience. Sydney's kiss was just what was needed to remind him that this was all real.
"I thought you two were supposed to be sleeping?" Jack smiled softly glancing down at Irina's baby belly and braving the first affectionate contact with Irina with an audience by palming her belly tenderly for just a moment. Irina smiled at him in turn and tilted her head up to capture his lips in a quick but gentle kiss, palming his cheek with one hand, eyes held and gently stroking his face lovingly with her thumb before she let her hand drop back to rest on her belly. Both Sydney and Katya smiled instantly in witnessing the first physical contact between the two since their arrival and shared a mutual look of excitement at what they were seeing.
"We were until we were blinded by the flash of Katya's camera as she stood over us." Irina smiled softly answering Jack's question and laughed as Katya raised the camera with a smirk.
"It was such a Kodak moment, you two all cuddled up… I just had to. You'll thank me when I get these developed."
Jack was already grateful to her for doing what he wanted to do earlier.
Irina's sharp intake of breath surprised them all as her hand flew to side of her stomach.
"Are you okay?" They all asked her instantly in a mix of languages with worry and she answered them all with a radiant smile.
"Here," Irina grabbed Sydney's hand and placed it on the spot where the baby had just kicked her extremely hard; and then realized looking at Jack's face he wanted to as well but was hesitant to ask. Without asking she reached for his hand and placed it next to their daughter's.
"I felt it!" Sydney suddenly shouted having felt the sharp kicking too, a smile ear to ear at feeling the baby move for the first time. "I think I have a new sparring partner in there. Doesn't that hurt?"
"Sometimes but mostly it just surprises me." Irina moved her hand to the side, making room for Katya's hand.
Vaughn sat shyly off to the side but not for long as Irina grabbed his hand and placed it next to Sydney's. To say that he was stunned by Irina's action was an understatement and he sat there with his entire arm rigid until she smiled at him sweetly, his posture relaxing completely when he felt the baby kicking.
"Whoa!" The five of them said at once, causing them all to laugh, when they felt the baby spin around completely and could see it through Irina's skin.
It was quite the sight, Jack, Sydney, Katya, Irina and Vaughn's hands covering her belly, something none of them would ever imagine just twenty-four hours ago.
'Oh, what a difference a day makes,' Katya smiled happily at her sister's family coming together and hoping and praying it would all work out.
"So, what is the name you have picked out, Mom?" Sydney asked excitedly still in awe over feeling her baby sister moving around inside her mother.
"Well, I was leaning towards 'Lena.' It means 'the light." This baby had certainly been 'the light' at the end of her very dark tunnel when she thought she was going to have to raise her alone. Irina looked to Jack to see his reaction, hoping he would like it too.
"Lena." He repeated trying it out. "Jack, Irina, Sydney and Lena. I love it." He smiled and Irina's heart started to pound hearing him say their names all together for the first time as a family, using her real name and smiling, brought tears to Irina's eyes.
"Me too." Sydney smiled. "I love it!"
"So, Lena then?" Irina asked Jack once more blinking back her tears that they were naming this baby together.
"Yes. From now on, she is Lena." Jack nodded in agreement with a smile, unable to imagine his baby girl as anything but now that it had been suggested.
"What about a middle name?" Sydney asked once again excited to be a part of naming her sister; none of them removing their hands from Irina's abdomen, feeling like they were somehow all connected in this moment of naming this baby.
"Middle 'names." Katya purposely over accentuated the 's.' "It is our family tradition to have more than one and a Romanov tradition that they must be taken from other members of your family."
"But I don't." Sydney looked down sadly at being left out of this obvious family tradition.
"Yes, you do." Irina tilted Sydney's face up with her fingers and a smile. Her answer had surprised both Jack and Sydney.
"Your middle name Anne, I gave to you for my mother. We always called her Anya, and Anya in English is Anna."
Seeing Sydney's face light up made Katya add, "And technically, your official name by birth… whether it is on your U.S birth certificate or not, is: 'Her Imperial Highness: Tsarevicha Sydney Anya Ivanova Romanova Bristowva, Grand Duchess of all Russia."
Sydney's eyes widened and refused to blink and Katya laughed out loud on the look on her face.
"Katya," Irina admonished her sister teasingly, "Don't scare her to death. Sweetheart, I know it sounds terrifying. But it's really not."
"I can't even remember all of what you just said… Someone explain what all of that means, please?"
"Katya." Irina instructed her sister with just the mention of her name to fix this situation and try to explain what it all meant.
"Ok… so the titles in Russian royalty goes as following: 'Imperial' well that's fairly easy… you are a member of the Imperial family, 'Tsarevicha' means you are the first born in line to ascend to the throne. If we still had one. Because your mother, is now technically the Tsar or Empress, as she was the first born to our mother, who inherited that title after her brother, Alexei passed away. He was to inherit the Russian throne after our grandfather, Nicholas, if they had not all been killed." She paused to take a breath as a wash of sadness fell over them all in thinking of those tragic circumstances that brought about the end of their reign. "Ok so… where was I?" Katya recovered and continued with a smile, "Oh yes, 'Tsarevicha' is the equivalent of the European title of 'Crown,' like Victoria is the 'Crown' Princess of Sweden and Charles is the 'Crown' Prince of England. They are next to inherit the throne of their countries. And 'Grand Duchess,' is like the title of 'Princess' but is considered to be of a higher ranking... and I'm not just saying that because it is my title as well." Her eyes danced with laughter and she winked, seeing Sydney's eyes widen further. "And Ivanova is the patronymic of your father's name, Jonathon. It is Russian tradition to always include the father's name. Because you are a female, a daughter, it is his name in Russian, plus 'ova' which basically means, 'daughter of' in this case, Jack." She smiled at Jack. "Romanova and Bristowva, are rather self-explanatory. Romanov is a must in the Royal bloodline and Bristowva is your legal family name.
"Oh-kay," Sydney still looked perplexed, shaking her head with an astonished smile. Marshall was going to love this new information about her formal name when he heard about it. "So, what about Lena then?"
"Well, her birth title will be, 'Her Imperial Highness: Lena…" Katya looked at Irina waiting for her to add the other names.
"Alix. For our Grandmother." Irina added reaching for Katya's hand with a smile.
"And Irina." Jack added quietly with a smile of his own, stunning Irina. "For her mother." He could see instantly in Irina's eyes how much it meant to her that he wanted to name their baby after her, using her real name. He knew Katya was right and that he would have to keep reminding Irina over and over that he loved 'her' and fully accepted she was always the one he loved. "Because I love you." He leaned in and captured her lips in a gentle kiss seeing the welling tears in her eyes and held it just a moment as if they were the only two in the room and then pulled back smiling, holding her hand and kissing her knuckles. Sydney had instant tears in her eyes to hear her father telling her mother that he loved her for the first time ever since learning the truth of Irina. She felt Vaughn squeeze her hand and when she looked at him could see that he too was wearing a smile, knowing how much this moment meant to her as well.
Katya also was blinking back tears and snapped out of the moment when Irina reached up to wipe her fallen tear and nodded at Katya softly to continue.
"Ok, so, 'Her Imperial Highness: Lena Alix Irina Ivanova Romanova Bristowva, Grand Duchess of all Russia." She smiled with pride and love that this baby was already working wonders for her parents and family.
"Can you imagine when she goes to preschool and she's supposed to learn her name? Our poor child!" Jack laughed softly shaking his head that this was real, still amazed to learn Irina's royal identity, "Sydney's twenty-seven and can hardly wrap her mind around it."
"To the world at large, she will just be Lena Bristow." Irina answered with a shy smile tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Lena Alix Irina Bristow." He corrected her with heart fluttering that Irina was granting him this gift by giving their child his last name, when just 48 hours ago she was intending to raise this child completely on her own and never tell him about their baby. He hoped it meant she was envisioning a future they would have together raising this baby, and not one where she disappeared into the world again to raise their child by herself. "What does that make me anyway?" He asked curious as to where Irina saw him in this future.
"A monkey's uncle." Irina answered immediately without missing a beat in a serious tone and then smiled, laughing out loud at the look Jack gave her and his heart flipped and rolled to hear her laugh again. It had been more than 20 years since he heard her real, full laugh and it lit his heart on fire in this moment along with her radiant smile. "Actually," Irina continued trying to calm down as everyone else's laughter died down as well, "The day you married me… you became a Grand Duke." She offered him another shy smile.
"And not just any Grand Duke, Jack," Katya tried to look serious but was failing miserably, "Thee Grand Duke, because you married the Empress."
"Well, wow." Jack spoke dryly trying not to smile, feeling his heart already thundering to hear Irina speak of marrying him, "I feel so special." He smirked at her, and he did, feel special that she loved him.
"Aren't you happy you never annulled your marriage to my sister?" Katya laughed softly with raised eyebrows trying to remind them both they were still married as Jack had never signed the Annulment Papers Irina had offered to him.
"Yes, that would have been such a shame." He smiled at Irina nervously, thinking of that painful moment not long ago.
"Mama!" Someone shouted from downstairs carrying through the open bedroom door. "Mama, where are you?" The person shouted again in Italian.
Katya inhaled sharply, bouncing off the bed in delight. "My darlings!" She ran out of the room and Jack helped Irina out of bed as Vaughn helped Sydney.
Irina accepted Jack's hand to sit up and both felt the fiery bolt of electricity shoot though their arms at the contact, eyes holding intently as she slipped on her comfy white slippers with tuffs of fur around the top to ward off the cold of the marble floors. She broke eye contact with Jack when Sydney reached for her hand and made way for the door.
Vaughn held the door for them and motioned Jack through as well, "No, after you… Grand Duke." He chuckled, bowing, and Jack slapped him upside the head.
"Mama! Where are you?" Sophia dropped her bags in the foyer and shouted in Italian once again.
"You're in Russia now, Darling, speak in Russian." Katya teasingly scolded her as she bound down the stairs flinging her arms around her daughter and pulling her son into the embrace to hold both at the same time.
Over her mother's shoulder Sophia caught sight of the foursome making their way down the steps toward them, Irina leading the way. "Is this…?" She looked from Irina to her mother, making the easy transition into flawless Russian.
"Yes, Darling… This is my beloved sister, Irina." Katya stepped back and took hold of her sister's hand smiling. "At long last, you finally meet." Her eyes had instantly filled with tears at the introduction.
"Hello, Sophia, Sergei." Irina smiled at the two. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"No, it is ours. We've heard so much about our 'courageous Aunt Rina.' If I had not seen the photos of you with Mama and Babushka and Papa, I would have believed you were a myth. Mama has always talked about you so much; and tells us such crazy stories." Sophia stepped forward with a clearly raging and excited smile, embracing her aunt, kissing the side of Irina's cheek and then eyeing the other three suspiciously behind her when she stepped back.
Sergei stepped forward and kissed his aunt's cheeks and embraced her as well. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Aunt Irina." Sergei smiled his gorgeous smile at her and then kissed her fingers, already a gentleman. "We have heard so much about you. I look forward to getting to know you."
"And I, the both of you." Irina blinked back new tears, "Sergei, Sophia I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Sydney." Irina beamed proudly pulling Sydney's hand into hers once more. "And…" She paused still unsure about how to introduce him, "Sydney's father, Jack."
"The Americans?" Sergei finally spoke, shocked to see the people of his mother's tales standing before him.
"Yes," Jack stepped forward with a smile and extended his hand for Sergei to shake.
Sophia squealed with delight hurling herself at Sydney with a bear hug that nearly knocked her over much to Sydney's surprise. "Oh, cousin finally we meet. I've always wanted a cousin!"
Sydney smiled brightly after her moment of surprise to welcome the embrace and held Sophia back just as tightly. "Me too." She could see how much this moment meant to both her mother and Aunt, as well.
"What about Julian?" Katya stepped beside her son taking his hand still smiling. "He is your cousin."
"I haven't seen him since we were small children and he used to pull my hair." Sophia snorted in disgust before noticing the beautiful man standing in the background. Her eyes never leaving his she continued, "Besides, he is a distant cousin, Sydney is my first cousin."
"Sark? That doesn't surprise me." Sydney shook her head still floundering over the idea she was related to him in anyway.
"You know Julian?" Sophia asked offhandedly, her eyes still roaming over Vaughn.
Taking notice of her cousin eyeing 'her man.' Sydney stepped back from Sophia and possessively wrapped her arm around Vaughn's waist, pulling him closer. "Yes, I've had the unfortunate experience of running into him on numerous occasions." Her eyes flashed to Irina briefly, knowing they still hadn't discussed Julian Sark and would eventually need to, and then back to the cousins before her. "Sophia, Sergei… I would like to introduce you to Michael Vaughn."
"Hmm," Sophia smiled seductively, another Derevko trait passed on. "It's a pleasure, Michael. Tell me, are you and Sydney-"
"Together. Yes, Sophia." Her mother cut in, using a warning tone that said, 'leave him alone.'
Sophia took the hint and backed off, deciding it best to change the topic. Taking a step back and looking around, "Mama, this place looks amazing. So incredible. Sergei and I couldn't believe it when we pulled up. It looks so very different, so very beautiful."
"That is Rina's doing. She's been renovating and restoring it, and all the others for the past few years." Katya smiled appreciatively at her sister.
"You've been here before?" Sydney asked, a hint of jealousy in her tone, surprised by her own feelings of jealousy.
"Yes, Mama used to bring us here when Sergei and I were little. We would play… oh, what do you American's call it?" she furrowed her brow in thought, "Ah yes, Hide-n-Seek. But we've not been here for many, many years. It looks so different inside now. All open and modern and yet, still those classic Russian touches. It's gorgeous, Aunt Rina." Sophia smiled still looking around in awe, "Babushka would have loved this."
Irina smiled at Katya; having never known her sister brought her children to the palace to continue the tradition of 'hide-n-seek' their mother had started. She was also saddened by the thought, seeing Sydney's fallen expression at not being part of that tradition or ever meeting and knowing her grandmother as Sophia clearly had.
"We have a lot to catch up on." Katya smiled having seen the same flash of sadness in Sydney's eyes and tried to divert the conversation away from sadness, "Let's continue this conversation over dinner. I'm famished and I know that Dmitri has been preparing something amazing for us all to enjoy."
Everyone nodded in agreement and made their way towards the dining hall.
"Vaughn," Sydney said passing him the bottle of vodka that was traditionally served with the evening meal.
"Vaughn… such an interesting last name. What is that? German?" Sophia probed as they began to serve dinner, ignoring her mother's warning, still fascinated by the 'familiarity' she found in Vaughn.
Vaughn seemed truly disturbed by the question, having believed up until recently that it was German and Irina, Sydney and Jack all slowed in their passing of the food, cautious of Vaughn's reaction.
To his credit Vaughn kept his calm demeanor and answered pouring himself a sizeable glass of vodka. "Actually, I've just learned it's a shortened form of a Russian name."
"You are of Russian decent?" Sophia seemed even more intrigued.
"His father was Mikhail… Mikhail Vontonavich." Katya smiled bashfully at Vaughn, apologizing with her eyes for her daughter's curiosity.
"Mikhail Vontonavich?" Sophia practically choked on her own vodka then smiled slyly at Sydney setting her glass down. "Well, well, cousin. Seems we have yet another thing in common. We both have a thing for Vontonavich men."
"Have you learned anything new about Derevko's whereabouts?" Arvin Sloane asked sitting back in his big leather chair.
"No, nothing new yet." Came the mysterious voice on the other end of the line.
"What about Agents Bristow and Vaughn?"
"No news but I heard Director Kendall telling Agent Dixon that Jack Bristow is supposed to be calling today to check in."
"Well, Jack is no doubt with Irina wherever she is." Arvin smiled shaking his head.
"She betrayed him; and he shot her."
"Yes, but you are too young to understand their relationship." Arvin sniffed at the infidel on the other end of the phone. "They have a love/hate relationship it seems and Jack has recently learned she's carrying his child."
"And he's just recently learned the details of her imprisonment in Kashmir and that she didn't really kill at least three of the CIA agents, who were actually KGB, that she's accused of murdering." The young man on the other end of the phone started to see the light.
"Yes. I suppose that evidence is 'softening' Irina in their eyes somewhat. Either this is some plan of his to capture Irina and take their child from her or… he's planning something with her. One way or another, Jack is masterminding something… of that I am certain. Make sure to contact me as soon as he checks in. We need to get Irina as soon as possible to begin the procedure."
"But she's pregnant." The unidentified man stated.
"Yes, and unfortunate problem that we'll deal with." Sloane sighed and rubbed his temples, "Remember, any word contact me immediately."
*From Russia With Love *
At seeing Sydney and Vaughn's curiosity peaked at the mention of another 'Vontonavich', and seeing his sister intended to leave them hanging, Sergei provided the missing information Sophia had left out."Sophia dated Viktor Vontonavich for many years… your cousin, Mr. Vaughn."
"Cousin?" Vaughn immediately shot Irina a look somewhere between accusatory and inquisitive, looking for answers. He, like Sydney, believed his parents had been only children, leaving him with no extended family.
"Your father had a younger brother, Alexander, who has three children, your cousins. Two girls, Yelena and Natalia, and a son, Viktor." Irina replied smoothly.
"Where are they now?" His interest peaked at hearing about his family.
"Your grandmother lives with your uncle and aunt about two hours outside the city; and last I had heard the children were all living in Moscow."
"Viktor recently moved here, to St. Petersburg." Sophia added with a smile, "We still keep in contact, through email and such."
"My grandmother is still living?" Vaughn was completely surprised, the thought that she could possibly still be living never crossing his mind.
"Yes," Irina smiled sweetly at him, passing a basket of rolls to Sergei on her left. "She just turned seventy-five last week."
Dmitri, who had left the dinner table to gather the dessert from the kitchen, suddenly appeared beside Irina holding a handheld phone. "Empress, the urgent call you have been expecting. They're waiting to connect you."
Irina began speaking in Russian into the phone, saying 'Yes, I'm here. Go ahead and put me through,' and then stood, holding her hand over the end of the phone and said, "Excuse me, I have to take this call." As she made her way out of the room she had switched to yet another language.
"Was that Japanese?" Sophia asked to no one in particular.
"Yes." Sydney sighed, pursing her lips in silent frustration at trying to figure out who her mother was on the phone with and why the call was so urgent and important that she had to leave so suddenly. She glanced over at her father, seeing he was sharing in the frustration. Both of them finding it difficult to 'trust' Irina and not leap out of their chairs after her, no matter how much they loved her. Especially after so many months of working against her, trying to follow her 'business' moves.
"Tell me, Sydney, what is it that you do? I know that your father is an Officer for the CIA," Sophia smiled at Jack with all the enthusiasm and wonder of a small child, "That part we know from the bedtime stories our mother and grandmother told us, but what do you do exactly?"
"I work for the Department of State." Sydney replied calmly, filling her glass with vodka as well.
"Ah, so you're a spy too." Sophia smiled and winked at Sydney's surprised look. "It's not surprising since both of your parents are."
"Your bedtimes stories were about Irina and me?" Jack asked incredulously, looking from Sophia to Katya. "What were you trying to do, give them nightmares?"
"No, Jack." Katya smiled coyly with a soft laugh, "My children, especially Sophia, have always been inquisitive. They'd both seen pictures and heard about their infamous aunt living in the United States. Every night it was the same questions about Irina and her life so… we turned Irina's letters home into bedtime stories."
Jack shook his head at the thought that his tumultuous life with Irina was used as a child's bedtime story.
"It's not as bad as it sounds, Uncle," Sophia smiled at Jack's surprise at her calling him 'uncle.' "I found the whole thing terribly romantic."
"And I loved hearing about the mystery and action." Sergei added with a smile.
"My favorite part was imagining my 'big cousin Sydney." Sophia stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth. "Keep in mind I was only three when we started hearing these stories. Hearing about our 'mythical' older cousin who was American, was fascinating."
Sydney smiled at the thought of her cousins lying in their beds hearing tales of her life in America. She vaguely remembered the bedtime stories her mother would tell her about 'little secret princesses' living in a beautiful land on the other side of the world and their adventures. The fairy tales Irina told had been based in truth, her truth.
Irina returned moments later; phone in hand, taking her seat again. "I'm sorry about that. So, what did I miss?" She took a bite of food as though nothing had happened.
"The mysterious bedtime stories of Irina and her American family." Jack informed her, still curious about the mysterious caller.
"What?" Irina looked around the table at everyone, having no idea what was going on.
"It's a long story. Who was on the phone that was so urgent?" Jack interjected, earning him swift look from Irina.
"A business associate." She replied coolly, her eyes leveling on Jack, seeing the mistrust in his eyes.
"In Japan?" He asked in a borderline accusatory tone.
The rest of the group watched in wonder at the silent showdown.
"Yes."
"About what?"
"Do I ask you about everything you do on a daily basis?" Irina was getting angry with his verbal interrogation and accusatory tone. He may love her, but he definitely, still didn't trust her. That was being made very clear.
"No, you just spy on me." Jack replied dryly taking a swig of the vodka, feeling it burn in his chest and getting angry at Irina's reluctance to tell him whom she was speaking with.
"Nothing that concerns you," Irina flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "Or your government." She added sarcastically, placing her fork next to her plate and leaning back in her chair at the head of the long table.
"Let me be the judge of that." Jack countered sitting back as well in this not so silent standoff.
"Fine if you must know, it was Yoshiro Mori."
"The Prime Minister of Japan?" Sydney interrupted her parents 'verbal battle' surprised at her mother's response and, also nervous that they were back to arguing again.
"Yes." Irina replied sharply her eyes never leaving Jack's.
"Why?" Sydney braved.
"Because I have something he wants, and he has something I want."
"Well, that's cryptic." Jack sniffed in annoyance. "Elaborate." He commanded. Seeing the sudden flare in Irina's eyes, he decided it was a bad idea to 'command' her to do anything and took a softer approach. "Please?" He asked with tone softened.
"Japan and Russia have been in talks about building a pipeline from Moscow to Tokyo providing Japan with electricity and oil, which I, we…have agreed to with one condition. Mr. Mori doesn't want to comply with the condition." Irina finally relented and gave him a quick summary.
"Which is…" Sydney kept prompting her mother, as all in the room, save Katya who knew what was going on, were interested in this story.
"In 1920, during the Revolution, Admiral Alexander Kolavak began smuggling the Romanov fortune out of Russia, in attempt to protect it. He was intercepted in Siberia and the money was taken to Japan. That money is still sitting in the Bank of Tokyo and I want it back, Japan doesn't want to let it go even though it is not theirs."
"How much?" Jack asked much softer but still curious.
"In Japan?" Irina sighed and fingered her hair behind her ear, "A little over $80 billion." Looking around at the stunned, gaping mouths at the table she continued, "A little over $400 billion was hidden in banks throughout Europe, Japan and the United States. Over the last 20 years we've been 'retrieving' it. Japan is the one of the last holdouts, not wanting to give it up. But…if they want the pipeline, they must return what is Russia's. That money alone would alleviate two-thirds of Russia's dept to the world. Paying that off, combined with the profits from the pipeline would put Russia on her feet again."
"$80 billion dollars." Jack swallowed hard, once again feeling foolish for his mistrust of Irina, and completely fascinated by her actions once more. "I wouldn't want to give that up either."
"$80 billion? How about $400 billion!" Sydney gasped in disbelief.
"Well, I can see now how you can afford all those students." Jack smiled sheepishly and apologetically towards Irina whose dark eyes were still piercing his for grilling her.
"What students?" Sydney's interest was diverted from the money to her mother.
"Your mother has been paying tuition and living expenses for over three thousand Russian students for years…anonymously." Jack smiled at Sydney's stunned expression, turning his smile back to Irina who blushed and looked away, not wanting the attention.
"You've what?" Sydney was once again flabbergasted by her mother's actions. "Mom, that's incredible." She smiled, feeling herself tear up.
"It's not that incredible." Irina brushed off the compliment. "Our family cannot possibly spend that much money, nor do we need it… so it serves our best interests to share it with those who 'do' need it." She shrugged her shoulders and began cleaning up her place setting.
"Well, I think we should go out and spend some of that money." Sophia clapped her hands together, excitedly. "Let's go to the club, have some drinks, dance… get wild. It's been so long since I've partied in St. Petersburg."
"The club?" Sydney looked from Sophia to her mother.
"Yes, 'Anastasia.' Named after our dear 'legendary Grandmother.' Of course, no one in the public really knows for certain that she survived the massacre, but Russians thrive on rumors. Its the hottest spot in St. Petersburg and there is always a line; but I'm sure we can get in. It just so happens I know the owner." She smiled at Irina.
"Mom?" Sydney looked incredulously at Irina. "You own a club?"
"Several in fact, all around the world." Irina laughed at the look on Sydney's face with that information. "You've actually frequented some of them, unknowingly of course, on your missions." She added, once again surprising her daughter. "Remember Paris? That was one of mine."
"I'm in." Sergei smiled, "I haven't danced in long time with all of my studies, I have no social life anymore."
"Me too, this sounds so fun." Katya clapped laughing with glee.
"Are you kidding me?" Jack deadpanned seriously, looking at Katya like she had two heads. "Dancing? In a club?"
"Oh, come on, Jack! Rina told me you have some amazing 'moves.'" She winked at him and Irina shot her a death glare only making Katya laugh harder.
"As much fun as this sounds like, I am afraid I have to decline." Irina stood, stretching her back slightly before rubbing circles over her enlarged belly. "I really should try to get some sleep tonight but you kids should go, have a good time."
"Sleep? What about that 'auto-circadian meditation' you were always doing? You know, 'all the benefits of sleep in a fraction of the time." Sydney teased her mother, feeling bolder with the effects of the vodka. The smile and laughter immediately left Katya's eyes flashing between Irina and Sydney, realizing in that moment that her niece had no idea why her mother chose to meditate over sleep whenever she could. She unknowingly held her breath waiting for how Irina would answer her.
"Well, that doesn't exactly work while you're pregnant. What's beneficial to my body isn't necessarily good for your sister. So," Irina shifted her hips speaking calmly and smiled at Sydney. "I won't be able to go. But you should all go. Katya, Jack, you, too."
"I don't think so." Jack gave her unreadable look and shifted his gaze away knowing she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "I need to call Kendall."
"You're calling Kendall?" Irina sat suddenly in her chair again; feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her.
Katya moved around the table, placing her hand protectively on her shoulder, glaring at Jack.
"It's not what you think." Jack reached across the table and took hold of Irina's hand. "I have to call and check in or he'll become suspicious and send out an 'alert' to the other agents in the field to look for us. I'm not going to tell him where or whom I'm with so don't worry. I won't do anything to put you in danger."
Seeing the drastic change of emotions run across her mother and aunts faces at the mention of the name, Sophia's curiosity got the best of her again.
"Who is Kendall? Why do you need to check in with him? And why can't you tell him where and whom you're with? And why would doing so be dangerous to Aunt Rina?" Sophia looked from one face to the next searching for any clues.
"Are you sure you aren't an interrogator?" Jack couldn't believe the questions this girl had, nor her lack of intimidation at asking them. 'She is a Derevko after all.' He laughed to himself. "Kendall is our boss at the CIA and technically we are still on the job, so we must check in. And telling him we are with Irina is a very bad idea that could be very dangerous for her...For all of us." He glanced at Sydney remember their conversation about associating with a known terrorist.
"Why?" Sophia persisted.
"Because I am Number Six on the CIA/FBI's 'Most Wanted List' and they," Irina looked pointedly at Jack, Sydney, and Vaughn, "have a 'Shoot To Kill' order on me." Irina pulled her hand away from Jack's and once again moved to stand, walking over to look out the window.
"What? Why?" Sophia looked at the three horrified and then to her aunt in astonishment. Her mother had left these little details out of their talks about Irina and being in the modeling business, she would never think to look at the CIA's Most Wanted List for her aunt of all people. It made sense, after all she was a spy there but-
"You've been taken off the Shoot To Kill list." Jack swallowed hard and Irina's head snapped to his attention. "Because you're pregnant…and because we know you obviously didn't kill at least three of the officers you pled guilty to murdering."
The 'other' officers and their supposed deaths were something else they had yet to discuss but Jack shared a silent understanding with Irina that this was not the time.
"Murder? What the hell is he talking about? I thought you stole information about some experiment?" Sophia was more horrified and confused than ever.
"It's a long story, Sophia," Irina sighed wrapping her arms around her chest shaking her head softly she was having to explain this to her niece she'd only just met and already managed to horrify, "but yes, I was sent there to steal information, only information. I never killed those agents. It was made to look as though I did for extraction purposes." She shook her head still staring out the window, "I never killed anyone during my mission in America. The KGB turned me into an assassin 'after' my return and release from prison… as part of my probation and, it was also my penance for refusing to kill Jack on Orders before I was extracted." Her eyes welled with tears she refused to let fall, "I had refused to kill one, before, so they forced me to kill many after…and not just random hits but on those deemed Enemies of the State for betraying the Soviet Union by Defecting. The message was clear…there was no way out. Blind loyalty or death." A single tear finally escaped and rolled down her cheek.
Everyone at the table fell silent with her confession. Sydney gasped softly with tear-filled eyes flashing wildly between her father and Vaughn in disbelief and horror at what they'd just learned. They had read in her file she had become an assassin for SMERSH after leaving prison but had no idea it was because of her original refusal to kill Jack and to serve as a constant reminder to her of what happened to those who even thought about betraying the Soviet Union by leaving. Jack felt gutted in learning of yet another way Irina was punished for her act of love in saving his life. Katya's accusation in LA about him having 'no idea how much Irina suffered and sacrificed and had her life destroyed because of that mission' was now haunting him even more. Just when he thought he knew it all, there was always more. Irina had also confirmed their suspicions about never killing the Officers she had plead guilty to murdering, and that they were all staged for extraction of Double Agents.
"I'm not trying to be obstinate," Irina continued quietly after the silence rang on too long, "But the less you know the better, Sophia." She turned to address her niece, choosing to ignore the others in the room whom she knew were now focused intently on her with what she just confessed. "Please believe that. Knowing me is dangerous… which is why I've stayed away from you and your brother… and your mother, all these years. I love you too much to see you brought into my mess."
"Ok," Sophia replied quietly, not fully understanding but letting it go for now, seeing her how upsetting it was for her aunt and in turn, upsetting to her own mother to see her aunt so upset looking at her now, and both with tears in their eyes at what Irina had said.
Feeling the need to end the uncomfortable silence, Sergei smiled at Sydney. "So cousin, are you ready 'to party' as you American's say?"
"Yeah. I guess so." Sydney blinked back her tears and smiled shyly tucking her hair behind her ear, looking nervously between her mother and father and knowing they should leave as her parents clearly needed to talk.
"First, we must finish the vodka, it is a bad omen to leave the table without finishing the vodka." Katya blinked back her own tears and forced a smile, pouring another round of drinks for everyone, except for Irina, feeling that they could all use another drink right now in addition to keeping with Russian tradition.
"I'll have Dmitri pull the car around." Irina moved from the window, setting the phone down next to Jack without looking at him, stopping only to say, "The line is secure," before continuing out the door.
Jack watched her leave and picked up the phone, excusing himself from the room to call Kendall after wishing them a fun night.
Seeing Sydney's obvious distraught over her mother's revelation and current mood, Katya put an arm around her shoulders. "She'll be ok. Come on. Let's go have some fun, Russian style. Besides… if your father does anything to jeopardize my sister… I'm not above killing him." She winked and herded the group out the door to change clothes.
The limo pulled up to the back of the club where muffled dance music could already be heard coming from the club.
Katya switched back to Russian as speaking in English would only arouse unwanted attention. "All right children, I'll get you in and then I am leaving. Dmitri will come back and wait for you, out here with the car to drive you home when you're ready."
"What? You're not staying, Mama?" Sergei stopped with his hand on the door handle. "But you said…"
"I wanted to make sure you arrived safely and got entrance," she paused and smiled, "And I wanted to give your mother and father some alone time. They have a lot of things to work out." She placed her hand on Sydney's knee with a soft smile. "Besides, I am not really into this kind of music, Irina may not mind it…but I prefer something a little less brain intensive." She laughed. "Go!" She shooed them out of the car and waved two fingers at the bouncer who acknowledge her and opened the door to the club.
The crisp night air immediately filled with the sounds of the wild dance beats and hundreds of people.
Sophia grabbed Sydney's hand and led the way through the crowd.
The club was four stories high with a hollow center, allowing each story to look down, over the circular balconies to the subsequent floors. Light beams danced through the air almost as fast as the crowd moving to the music. The very top floor was surrounded by mirrors instead of railings and on each floor there were two bars, located on opposite sides to better serve the people, with space to dance on either side. The main dance floor was in the center of the first floor.
"See that," Sophia pointed to the mirrored fourth story, "That is your mother's office."
"Two-way mirrors." Sydney stood in astonishment of the club that was her mother's.
"Yes, so that she can see everything that goes on in here." Sophia laughed and waved to a D.J on the second floor. He eagerly waved back and gave her the thumbs up sign, moving to switch the record.
*Anastasia*
The crowd booed at the loss of their music until the first few bars of the new song played and then they went wild. 'Anastasia' a woman's voice proclaimed in the song and the crowd went ballistic.
"It's become the theme song here as you can tell, in honor of Babushka of course." Sophia smiled and started head banging and dancing around wildly causing Sydney, and Vaughn to laugh and Sergei to laugh and shake his head at this sister, heading off in search of more drinks for them.
Sydney and Vaughn just shrugged and started dancing wildly, finding it so easy, and comforting to laugh after so much seriousness in the last months. Finding it so easy to lose themselves, they had no idea that they were being watched.