AN: Many many many thanks to those of you who are taking the time to review! I love hearing your thoughts as you read the chapters.
Music for this chapter (on repeat): Into Your Heart by Sarai Givaty, Boot Were Made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra, Linger by The Cranberries, Where Are We Runnin? by Lenny Kravitz, Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough by New Radicals, Only Time by Enya
EIGHTEEN
o
Sydney arrived early to work the next day after having not slept at all the night before. The idea of her mother in CIA custody having broken her immunity agreement, and the uncertainty of what that all meant for her, very unsettling, keeping Sydney awake for most of the night.
"Dad." She was surprised to find him there as well, but then noticed the dark circles under his eyes and realized he probably wasn't sleeping either. "Have you spoken with Devlin about getting Mom released? At least into our custody?" She asked setting the bag of food for her breakfast with her mother down temporarily on the desk.
"I was just about to make the call. He's been in a meeting since 8 a.m." Jack rifled through some files, glancing up every so often to the monitor giving live feed into Irina's cell. Irina was seen sitting on her bed, reading the Bible that was left for her.
"Have you seen Mom yet this morning?" She picked up the bag, glancing back and forth between her father and the screen.
"Yes, she's expecting you." He gave her a short smile and then returned to his paper work.
Irina had heard the clanking of the gates signaling her arriving visitor and put the book aside, greeting her daughter with a big smile.
"Sydney," Irina struggled slightly to stand.
"Mom, stay there." Sydney waved her down through the glass as she waited for the guard to open the cell door and give her entrance.
Irina complied, too comfortable to move at this point. Sydney sat beside her on the bed.
"I brought you something." Sydney smiled reaching into the bag.
"Something more than breakfast? You're spoiling me." Irina smiled and watched intrigued as Sydney pulled out a black gel filled ball, and a tennis ball.
"So you can keep up with your physical therapy." Sydney smiled handing her mother the objects.
"Sydney," Irina looked surprised at the thoughtfulness of her daughter, "Thank you."
"How'd you sleep?" She asked pulling out two Styrofoam containers and two bottles of juice.
"About as well as you." Irina smiled reaching up to trace the dark line under Sydney's eye. "Ah, I can't wait until I can drink coffee again." Irina twisted the top off the orange juice bottle. "I would kill for some coffee right now."
Sydney stopped her movements and glanced up in response.
"Sydney, I'm not serious." Irina laughed. "Just a little prison humor. "
"Sorry, I am just so, irritated by all this." Sydney fumbled through the bag once more, retrieving two plastic forks, handing one to her mother. "I will bring you down a cup of coffee. Sorry I didn't bring you one now. "
"It's ok." Irina folded one leg under the other, understanding her daughter's frustrations. She placed her container on her belly and used it as a table. "Sorry, I don't have a table to offer you." She gave Sydney another sarcastic smile looking around the empty cell.
"I know, I'm sorry it's so bare. I'll see if I can't get them to bring in a table and some chairs." Sydney tucked her hair behind her ear, glancing over at the Bible still lying on the bed. "Maybe some new books too. I'm sure you don't want to keep reading this." She ran her hand over it, while stabbing scrambled eggs with the other.
"I don't mind reading the Bible." Irina smiled catching Sydney off guard with the comment. "It's a little different, this one, than the Russian Orthodox one I grew up with but…the teachings and principles are all the same."
"I didn't know you were religious?" Sydney's stunned expression continued though she kept eating.
"Sydney, you don't remember going to church with me when you were little?" Irina's eyebrows creased in wonder.
"Well yeah, of course." Sydney looked away nervously, "but I just assumed after I found out that…"
"I was a KGB agent that it was all a lie, too?" Irina finished her daughter's thought.
*Into Your Heart*
"Yes." Sydney swallowed hard and focused on her eggs.
"It wasn't a lie, Sydney. I do have a strong spiritual belief. My faith is what got me through," It was Irina's turn to focus on the eggs, "a lot of difficult times in my life. I'll admit I've lost it at times over the years, my faith, but it's always there, even when I wanted to believe I no longer did."
Irina didn't have to finish the previous thought. Sydney had known without words what her mother was referring to when she'd said 'difficult times.'
"What about you?" Irina finally looked up.
"Well, I'm not a regular church-goer, I don't think I have been since 'your' funeral really," Her eyes met with Irina's sadly, "And being religious or spiritual is never easy to do when you're in this business."
"Yes." Irina agreed softly knowing just how hard it was to believe, and keep the faith after what they'd all seen, what they'd done.
"But, I do believe in a higher spiritual being. It's always been a comfort factor for me, like all the years I believed you were dead. The thought of you in Heaven with the angels, always made me feel better knowing one day, there was a place, we would see each other again." She gave Irina a sheepish smile.
"That is beautiful, Sydney," Irina felt herself tearing up, and set her breakfast aside, "But I can also see now why you'd lose faith after finding out about me. I'm so sorry." She blinked back the tears, "The thought of me going to a place like Heaven must seem so absurd to you now; it does to me."
"No, Mom." Sydney set her breakfast aside, "It's not so absurd to me anymore, the more I learn about you, the more I realize you've done some truly wonderful things for people, too. You've taken lives but you've also saved them. That has to count for something." She reached over and placed her hand on her mother's that was now resting on her belly.
Irina reached forth and cupped Sydney's chin turning her daughter's eyes to hers, "Thank you for having faith in me, Sydney." She smiled and a tear fell to her cheek, "You continue to be one of the main reasons I still believe, I still have faith after all this life has brought me because you are living proof that miracles do exist. You were born into one of the most harried of circumstances, you were my true little angel." Irina admitted slowly, "Losing you, I lost my faith but finding you again, your father, your sister is another miracle and I'm learning to have faith again." Irina looked up quickly and smiled seeing Jack standing on the other side of the glass.
"I don't mean to interrupt," Jack signaled for the guard to open the cell door and let him in, "Irina, I need to know about the other nine CIA agents you are accused of murdering." He paused, "You admitted to Sophia you never killed anyone during your mission here...they were actually extractions of other KGB agents."
Irina looked away with a deep sigh.
"Irina," Jack went to kneel in front of her, taking her hand in his. "I know you want to protect their identities but Devlin and the Senate Hearing Committee are going to want proof that these agents were indeed KGB and not CIA if we're going to get you pardoned." His thumb caressed the back of her hand trying to comfort her and reassure himself that this would work. "We already know about Mikhail…Christopher Wezchkov alias Agent Craig Wessley, …Dmitri Markovich alias Agent David Markson…and Agent Peter Markov otherwise known as Agent Paul McCalister." Jack recited the names slowly seeing Irina's eyes flash up to meet his after the mention the Christopher Wezchkov.
"How?" Irina was finding it hard to swallow. She wanted to know how they had confirmed their Russian identities.
"Agents Wessley and Markson were positively identified through face recognition when Marshall scanned the prisoner's faces from the Kashmir tapes."
Irina's eyes closed, and a stream of tears started making their way down her cheeks.
"It's also how we positively ID'd Vaughn's father after finding out that three of your supposed victims weren't CIA but KGB. We pulled the files of all the agents you admitted to and were convicted of killing. McCalister was ID'd as Markov." He paused, waiting for her to look at him. "We will ID them all eventually, Irina, but with your help, it will go much more quickly and it will speed up your pardoning process."
"If they were in Kashmir, they're probably already dead and if they are, I want you to promise me," She finally looked up meeting Jack's eyes, "That you will 'not' tell their American families their true identities. It will cause more pain."
"Promise." Jack met her eyes.
"Ok. I'll help ID them." She wiped the tear streaks off her cheeks as Jack signaled the guards. "But I'll need access to the SVR server to pull their files."
Jack looked hesitant for a moment, thinking about the last time he gave Irina access to Echelon and then shook it off and helped Irina to stand.
"Just the cuffs, no shackles." Jack commanded as the two guards came in to prep Irina. They cuffed her wrists, and guided her by the arm out of the cell, followed by Jack and Sydney.
*Boots Were Made For Walkin'*
The entire Operations Center came to a halt with the arrival of the armed guards and a very pregnant Irina Derevko. All eyes were on the woman who'd last used her access of the system to plan her escape and the raid on an NSC facility. And now she was supposedly here, to help them.
Irina was well aware of the critical, intimidated stares she was receiving, but kept her focus on Kendall who was fast approaching.
"I see you've agreed to help ID the agents." Kendall stood in front of her, hands on hips.
Irina held her hands in the air, just as before, waiting for her handcuffs to be removed, with a smile.
Kendall nodded, and the cuffs were taken off. Irina took a seat behind the computer she was going to use to access the KGB files.
"Don't try anything funny. I'm trusting you on this." Kendall leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Jack and Sydney are trusting you on this."
Irina looked over to her husband and daughter and gave them a small, reassuring smile. The same young technician who'd helped her with Echelon sat nervously next to her at Kendall's nod.
Marshall came running moments later. "Sorry, I'm late there was this traffic and then I…" He noticed the armed guards and then Irina sitting at the computer. "Whoa." He stopped in his tracks, feeling the sweat beads forming on his brow already. "Hiiiyah," He stammered and smiled nervously at the woman staring at him.
"Marshall, you remember my mother…" Sydney began,
"Of course," He smiled and wrung his hands in nervousness. "Irina or should I call you, 'Your Highness' or 'Tsarina' or 'Empress' or 'Tsarina Irina'…I find your history all very fascinating and-" He bumbled on nervously under the scrutinizing stares of everyone, including the gorgeous woman he was addressing that only smiled fascinated at him.
"Ms. Derevko, will suffice Marshall," Jack gave him a stern look.
"You can call me Irina." Irina smiled at the nervous young man and threw a stern look of her own at Jack for being so hard on him.
"Ok, Ms. Derevko." He pulled up a chair on the other side of her, deciding he was more intimidated by Jack at the moment. Marshall wiped his sweaty brow and let out a deep breath, causing Irina to chuckle slightly as she undid the Velcro strap holding her injured arm to her body, and began to type feverishly at the keyboard.
Ten minutes later, the office had slowly gone back to work, but most of the eyes still remained on the group huddled around Irina in the center of the room.
"Oh my God, you're in." Marshall looked up in awe. "I mean, I'm a genius at this stuff and it would take me hours to get in. How-"
"I developed the system when I was an undergrad at the Academy." Irina supplied the information without looking up from where she was typing. In truth, she had access to all Russian government files as the behind the scenes leader of the country.
"Wow." Marshall shook his head at her speed and agility cruising through the online server and files. "You're really good. You know it took me weeks to figure out your last code-"
"Mom, do you want something to drink?" Sydney tried steering the conversation away from where it was headed, 'The Kashmir tapes,' protected by Irina's code that was 'so' difficult for Marshall.
"Some water would be nice." She stopped briefly to give her daughter a smile.
"I'll get it." Vaughn said, resuming his earlier duty and disappearing down the hall. He returned moments later, water bottle in hand and gave it to Irina.
"Thank you, Agent Vaughn." She smiled without looking up. "Ok. I'm finished. I put the KGB files of all nine remaining agents onto your hard-drive." She re-fastened the immobilizer and Jack and Marshall helped her to stand. "Thank you." She smiled in appreciation to both.
"Thank you." Jack looked into her eyes, letting her know he understood it wasn't easy giving up information on fellow agents. The guards stepped forward and Irina held her hands out to be cuffed once more.
"I am going to be sending the decoded Rambaldi documents down to you." Kendall handed a folder to Sydney, while speaking to Irina, "See if you can't see something we missed. We'll start going through these KGB files. See if they too are matches."
"They will be." Irina looked fiercely into Kendall's eyes.
Hours of poring over documents in her cell had made Irina's neck and back start to ache, and her gunshot wound throb from hunching over the documents at the little desk she was provided with. She gathered up a handful of papers and lay down on the bed, relieving some of the stress sitting was causing on her aching back. She set the papers aside and ran her hand over her belly.
"I know you're cramped, baby." Irina spoke softly in Russian to her unborn daughter who'd dropped into the birthing position a little over a week ago. "I can't wait to see you either but please, hold on until we are out of this place. Daddy's working on it, your sister's working on it. Just a little while longer." She closed her eyes and began to hum 'The Russian Lullaby' enjoying a few minutes of relaxation and time concentrating on the happier things in life. The child she wanted, created in love, instead of the one in the Rambaldi Prophecy, the 'union child' that Sloane had stolen her eggs for and was going to fertilize in some Petri dish to be impregnated into a surrogate mother.
The sound of the metal clanking gates alerted her once again that she had a visitor and from the sound of the footsteps, multiple visitors. Too tired to move, she remained where she was.
"Mom, are you ok?" Sydney looked at her through the glass, waiting impatiently for the guard to unlock the door, Jack just beside her.
"Yes, Sweetheart, I'm fine. Just tired." Irina swung her legs the best she could over the side of the bed to sit, giving a tired smile.
"I just got off the phone with Devlin." Jack sat beside her, "I am presenting your case to him and then he and I are going to present it to the Senate Hearing Committee."
"You're leaving, now?" Irina ran her hand over the expanse of her belly. "Jack, it could be anytime now."
"I know," He placed his hand over hers residing there, "But I want you out of here as soon as possible. Preferably before the baby arrives. Don't worry," He tucked her hair behind her ear, "I'll be back in time and hopefully, with your pardon."
"And Kendall is sending me on a mission." Sydney added sadly, taking a seat next to her parents.
Irina's facial expression fell in a look of defeat.
"We received Intel on a possible lead to Sloane's whereabouts."
"From where?" Irina's interest was diverted from the topic her husband and daughter were leaving less then four days before her due date.
"Sark." Sydney tucked her hair behind her ear. "He'd mentioned something in his previous debriefings that have resurfaced in the new Intel we've gathered on Sloane in the last 48 hours."
"Julian is here?" Irina's heart pounded in her chest.
"Yes," Jack stated, "He's being held in another cellblock."
"Can I see him?" Irina reached for Jack's hand, a pleading in her eyes.
"Why?" Jack looked at her curiously.
"Jack, he's my family. His life in this business is my fault. I was responsible for him."
"Sark made his own choices, Irina. You didn't force him into this life. He could have left at anytime." Jack was getting irritated that she was trying to defend Sark's actions.
"Jack, I am not defending his actions." Irina took hold of his hand, seeing the look in his eye, trying to calm him down.
*Linger*
"You don't understand. Julian's mother died when he was five, and he was sent to live in a boarding school in England. He kept getting into trouble because he was brilliant and bored and I…well, I took him in. Took him as my responsibility, with his father's approval. I raised him, Jack. When he was seventeen, he wanted to join my organization. I let him."
"He betrayed you to Sloane. You gave up his location." Jack looked at her incredulously, both he and Sydney were reeling to learn Irina had raised Sark since the age of five. Sydney immediately feeling a pang of jealousy over the idea.
"Only to save your life. To save you from whatever Sloane was going to do!" Irina pleaded. "He does things, irrational things sometimes and yes, he disobeyed my orders and went behind my back, but Jack, he's only twenty-three. Too young to give up on now, especially if I am being given a second chance at my age with all I've done."
Jack swallowed hard. Saying 'no' to her was getting harder now.
"Please, I just want to talk to him?"
"I'll see what I can do." Jack grudgingly agreed.
"Thank you." Irina smiled sweetly.
"I have to get going." Sydney stood and leaned over, embracing her mother. She let Irina go and knelt in front of her, placing her hands on either side of her mother's stomach, talking to it. "Listen up, Lena, this is your big sister talking. You have to stay in there until Dad and I can get back ok?" She placed her ear against her mother's belly, receiving a kick to the head. "Owe! I don't know if she just agreed to the terms or if she told me off?" She laughed causing both her mother and Jack to laugh.
"Be careful, Sydney." Irina instructed her daughter, her nervous motherly protectiveness getting the best of her.
Sydney kissed her mother's cheek and father's before leaving them alone to say their goodbyes.
"You heard your sister, young lady," Jack leaned over whispering into Irina's belly, "Please don't give your Mama any trouble while we're away." He smoothed the wrinkles of Irina's blue prison uniform out as he slid his hand around its expanse. Knowing Irina hated long 'goodbyes' he bent forward and kissed her belly, and then to her surprise, captured her lips and let it linger for just a moment, before getting up to leave. "I love you, Irina." He smiled, determined to tell her every chance he had so she never doubted it again. The immediate flash of light in her eyes and welling tears let Jack know exactly how much it meant to her, hearing him tell her that he loved her and using her real name.
"I love you, too. Hurry." Irina smiled when he stopped at the door waiting for the guard to let him out.
When the last gate clamored shut, Irina let out a deep sigh. She resumed her document reading, hoping to pass time by distracting her from so many issues running rampant in her mind: Jack obtaining her pardon, Sydney out on a mission, both of them making it back in time for the birth and then talking with Julian.
Sydney had hurried home to pack for the mission and Jack had boarded a plane to Washington, spending the entire flight and night, organizing his case to support releasing Irina.
Much to Irina's disappointment, the remainder of the day and night seemed to crawl by without seeing or hearing anything from Jack or Sydney or anyone for that matter.
When she woke early the next morning Irina's legs felt cramped and the baby was sitting right on her sciatic nerve, making her feet feel numb. Her shoulder had improved enough that she was able to remove the immobilizing device, making it easier to get up and around. Pacing back and forth across her cell seemed to help her feel more comfortable.
Vaughn, Weiss, and Kendall had each come to her with some document over the course of the morning with various questions regarding the files of the KGB operatives, formerly thought to be CIA. Kendall had informed her before they'd left that he approved a five minute visit with Sark and now Irina was back to pacing as she waited for him to arrive.
With the gates clamor and the sound of shackles, she new he had. "Julian." She came to stand in front of the glass wall, offering a small smile of peace; the surprise on his face evident as he stared at her pregnant belly.
"Five minutes." The guard announced backing away from the two.
"Irina, you're looking well…and pregnant." His face shifted from her belly to her eyes. "One can only presume that the child is Jack Bristow's?"
"Yes, Jack is the father." Irina confirmed and he nodded his head, his gaze shifting back and forth between her eyes and the belly.
"Sloane said I was a fool to dismiss your relationship with Bristow as nothing but a power play."
Irina looked away and then refocused on the man standing stoically in front of her. "You believed, what I wanted you to believe." Irina answered honestly.
"Yes, and I was played the fool, never believing you'd turn me in to save him." His eyes bore into hers.
"You betrayed my trust, Julian."
Sark's demeanor softened slightly at her use of his first name.
"I trusted you, and only you... with my life and you betrayed me to my enemy." It was Irina's piercing gaze and soft, yet stern voice that finally made Sark look down, ashamed.
"You'd lost sight of the quest for Rambaldi. Sloane said it would only be a matter of time before you betrayed both of us. So I made a deal with him," He looked Irina in the eye, "And he was right, you did betray me."
"Only after you betrayed me, Julian." She shifted her weight on her hips, placing one hand on her belly, the other to support her back.
"You'd lost sight of the purpose, Irina." He countered, looking pointedly at her enlarged belly.
"There are some things more important than the quest for Rambaldi."
"Such as?" He couldn't believe he was hearing her say such a thing when so much of their life had been devoted to all things concerning the prophet.
"Family." Irina took a step closer and Sark's posture took on a defeated pose in disbelief hearing her answer. "We are family, Julian, you and I." She leaned into the glass. "But Sydney and Jack…this child…they are my family, too. I will not sacrifice them again for anything. Not even for you."
"I have always thought of you as my mother, Irina and though I knew I could never measure up to your real daughter, to Sydney," Sark admitted, "You are the only mother I have every known and I regret terribly breaking your trust in me.
Irina's eyes immediately filled with tears to hear him say what she always knew to be true and tried desperately to ignore. Her heart was breaking thinking of where they had both ended up now and the tears fell from her eyes. and Sark was taken back by the sight of Irina crying, something he'd never seen in all the years he'd known her.
"I love you, Julian, and I will not give up on you." She said quietly as another tear made its way down her cheek, touching the glass, trying to reach out to him.
"Time's up." The guard announced making his way over to secure Sark and take him back to his cell.
"Thank you, Irina." Sark felt his heart thundering in his chest to hear Irina tell him that she loved him for the very first time. He smiled briefly feeling himself tearing up and not about to show emotion in public, turned from her suddenly and shuffled back to his cell.
In the late afternoon, and exhausted from so many sleepless nights, Irina lay down, intending on taking a brief nap.
She awoke to the same numbness in her legs and rolled out of bed, having no idea what time it was but realizing it must be morning already as her breakfast had already been delivered. She had passed out for the whole night. Sleeping so soundly she never heard the gates opening, or the guard entering her cell to place her tray on the table. She wasn't at all hungry but feeling restless. The pressure in her back was getting worse and she only hoped she would be able to hold out until Jack and Sydney returned.
She had decided to try and calm her body and mind by practicing some yoga and Tai Chi. About an hour into it, she realized that the pain in her back was now moving towards the front and becoming more frequent.
"Oh shit," She cursed in Russian realizing she was most likely in labor, and began pacing, concentrating on counting the steps from her bunk to the wall and breathing.
Jack was in the middle of a Senate Committee Hearing and Vaughn had informed her less then an hour ago that Sydney had landed and her mission was in full swing in Bogota, Colombia.
"Uh, sir…Ms. Derevko has been pacing like that for about two hours," Marshall looked from the monitors to Kendall.
"She is a caged tiger, Mr. Flinkman. She paces, it's what she does." Kendall kept his eye on Vaughn and Weiss guiding Sydney through the mission on their Coms.
"But, um sir, don't you think someone should check on her, I mean she is pregnant and all." Marshall continued.
"Fine, Marshall!" Kendall boomed, irritated by the man's ramblings while he was busy. "Go check on her!"
"Me? Sir?" Marshall began sweating profusely watching the woman pacing in her cell like a lioness.
"Yes, Marshall. Go!" Kendall ordered, pointing in the direction of the door leading to the cells.
"What's going on?" Sydney asked into her Com as she breezed through the lobby of the hotel in disguise. She'd heard Kendall's yelling coming through Vaughn's communications.
"Kendall just ordered Marshall to go check on your mother." Vaughn watched looked back as the nervous young man disappeared behind the big steel doors.
"Why? Is something wrong?" Sydney ducked into a bathroom, asking rapidly, her heart already pounding from the mission.
"No, nothing's wrong, Mountaineer. Concentrate on your mission." Kendall's voice cut in on the conversation.
Marshall tried to swallow, finding it too difficult, as he had no spit in his mouth watching the gates lift as the guards escorted him down the hall to Irina's cell. "Hi," He waved nervously outside her glass cell. Irina kept pacing, looking over briefly at Marshall and then blowing out a breath she had been holding in during her count. "Are…are you ok?" Marshall watched the woman, fascinated as the speed of her pace quickened.
Irina nodded her head 'yes' blowing out another breath, trying to concentrate and peeling off the blue jacket she was wearing, exposing the black sleeveless tank top that clung to her very pregnant form. A warm gush of liquid suddenly soaked the front of Irina's blue pants and she let out numerous curses in various languages.
"Ahh," Marshall stammered in surprise, "You're leaking…"
"My water has just broken." Irina breathed out as the last contraction passed.
"Oh no, no, no." Marshall backed away from the glass, "That…that would mean-"
"That I'm in labor." She turned the face the young man.
"Oh nononononononono no! No!" Marshall was on the verge of passing out, "I mean you can't be! Agent Bristow is in Washington and Sydney is in Colombia…You aren't due until tomorrow!" He commanded her.
"Marshall, calm down." Irina instructed him. "Take a deep breath."
Marshall tried to take a deep breath but was still queasy.
"Try bending over and putting your head between your knees."
Marshall followed her instructions, "Ok, ok…" He calmed himself, "I'm feeling better now. Wow! That really works." He whipped his head up with a smile. "Whoa!" He stumbled holding onto the glass for more support. "A little too fast."
"Marshall, you need to tell someone I need to see a doctor." Irina used her calm voice wearing a hint of smile at the adorable little man before her.
*Where Are We Runnin*
"Oh yes, yes! You're right!" Marshall started off down the hall, running and yelling back, "I'll get help, don't panic. I'm not panicking." He had to stop and balance himself on still wobbly legs.
"Oh my…she's in…I almost…leaking…now," Marshall burst through the door, obviously distraught.
"What the hell did you just say?" Kendall pushed the younger man into a chair, seeing his distress and on the verge of passing out. "What's leaking?"
"She is!" He pointed to the monitors where Irina had begun to pace again. "She's… she's in labor! And the Bristows aren't here!"
"Oh my God," Vaughn sighed into his Com looking at the footage of Sydney on one monitor and Irina on the other.
"What's going on Vaughn?" Sydney demanded as she finished picking the lock on a safety deposit box.
"Your Mom is in labor."
"What?" She almost dropped the documents in her hand and started scrambling to close the box and get out. "Is my dad back yet?"
"No…he's still in a meeting with the Senate House Committee." Vaughn covered his Com with one hand, "Get Jack on the phone!" He yelled at Weiss.
"Well, is somebody there with her?" Sydney started to scramble up the stairs of the hotel.
"He's in the middle of a closed meeting." Weiss looked at him dumbfounded.
"I don't care! Find a way!" Vaughn yelled back.
"You don't care!" Sydney yelled back only hearing part of his conversation with Weiss.
"No, no, Sydney, I'm talking to Weiss. We're trying to reach your father."
"I need to speak with Jack Bristow immediately, yes, yes, I know he's in a closed session meeting…but it's an emergency." Weiss tried to reason with the person on the other line.
"Have you moved her to Medical? Is she with the doctor?"
"No. Not yet." Vaughn sighed, "We just realized she was in labor."
Kendall grabbed the phone from Weiss, "This is Deputy Director Kendall, get Jack Bristow on the phone now! Because…because his wife…Irina Derevko, is in labor...as in having a baby! She's leaking, God Damnit!"
"Just realized? What the hell does that mean, Vaughn?" Sydney flew over the edge of the railing, making her way down to her car on the other side.
"She's been pacing in her cell all day. We just assumed it was because she was stressed out about your mission and awaiting the news if Jack got her a pardon."
"I'm sorry to interrupt," a timid little blonde secretary walked into the back of the Senate Committee meeting.
"So how long has she been in labor before someone checked on her?" Sydney jumped into the convertible and slammed the door.
"Agent Bristow," The secretary looked at Jack and all eyes were on him. "You have an important phone call."
"I don't know, Syd." Vaughn sounded kind of panicked.
"Can't this wait?" Senator Douglas was growing impatient.
"Well, get off the phone with me, Vaughn, and take her to Medical!" Sydney yelled through the phone.
"I'm afraid it can't." The timid blonde said nervously pushing her glasses up on her nose, "Irina Derevko is in labor."
"I have to make sure you've completed the mission!" Vaughn yelled back nervously, not knowing what to do.
"In labor?" Jack bounced up from his seat. "How far along?"
"Marshall, get down to Medical and tell them we have a prisoner in labor. Weiss, get Irina and escort her there." Vaughn directed over his shoulder.
"Yes, sir, in labor. Director Kendall said she was 'leaking,' " She tried unsuccessfully not to smile, "I assume that means her water has broken."
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Senator Douglas slammed his hand down on the desk.
"I 'am' done with the mission!" Sydney floored it around slow moving cars. "I'm already on my way to the airport!" She squealed the Ferrari's wheels as she tore up to the curb.
"I'm asking that we postpone these proceedi
ngs for a couple of days." Jack's pulse raced through his body.
"Ms. Derevko, I'm going to take you to medical." Weiss directed the guards to move quickly and gently.
"Get down there, Vaughn!" Sydney raced to the plane.
"What about Jack? Sydney?" Irina breathed out through pursed lips, waiting for the guard to snap the cuffs to her wrists.
"You're asking for quite a lot, Bristow!" Senator Douglas boomed.
"Fine! See you at home, Mountaineer!" Vaughn threw the headset down and ran down to the cell.
"It's the birth of my child, Senator." Jack stood, briefcase in hand.
"On their way." Weiss took hold of Irina's arm by the elbow and guided her down the hall.
"The birth of a child with the terrorist in question!" Senator Douglas's obvious distaste for Jack and Irina was showing brightly.
"They'd better hurry." Irina cringed as another contraction started. This labor was going much faster than hers' with Sydney had.
"Oh for Christ's sake, Douglas, let the man go!" Director Devlin jumped in on Jack's behalf.
"Jack Bristow is on his way." The secretary informed Kendall.
"What a Goddamn circus!" Kendall threw his headset down as well, making way for the Medical corridor.
Irina had changed into a hospital nightgown and gotten settled into her new bed. This glass cell was set up like a fully functioning hospital room and the doctors and nurses were busy hooking up IVs and heart monitors as she counted through her last contraction, holding onto Weiss's hand much to his amazement. A doctor snapped on a latex glove and started bunching up the sheets.
"Ah, ah, what'chya doing there?" Weiss let go of Irina's hand and pushed his stool backwards.
"I have to check to see how far along she is." The doctor pulled his stool closer to the end of the bed with an amused smile at the younger Agent's immediate panic.
"No, no…I can't see that. Jack will kill me." Weiss pulled the dividing curtain closed rapidly and made a beeline for the door.
"Where you going so fast?" He had run into Kendall, Marshall, and Vaughn.
"The doctor is checking her progress. Jack would kill me if I watched that." When they looked at him with blank un-understanding faces, he made the motion like he was snapping on a latex glove.
"Oh!" They all chimed in together, understanding why he'd left in such a hurry.
The doctor stopped on his way out, "She's already dilated to five already and going fast."
"How much time?" Kendall shifted his weight uncomfortably, not liking the idea of anyone giving birth in a prison cell.
"Five...Six hours at the most." The doctor looked at his watch. "You can go back in now." He smiled at Weiss.
"Shit! Jack and Sydney are going to be cutting it close." Kendall waved the doctor on, letting him continue with his tasks.
"What happens if they don't make it?" Weiss asked looking around the three other men.
"Then one of us will have to be in there with her." Vaughn reasoned but made no move towards the cell door. "Why are you all looking at me?"
"Because she knows you the best." Weiss added and the other two nodded their head in agreement and agreeing with any logic that got them out of it. "And you've already seen her naked." He added quickly breathless with a slanted eye and small smile.
"You what?!" Kendall balked with wide-eyes and a gasp.
"Not like that!" Vaughn narrowed his eyes at Weiss, flashing back to Kendall. "I'm the one who carried to our extraction point in Morocco. She'd just had surgery and was naked, for obvious reasons. I wrapped her in a sheet with Sydney's help and carried her out. She was bleeding out for Christ-sake! And we were about to be blown up! Her being naked was the last thing I was thinking about! And what does that have to do with this situation now, anyway?" He leveled his flustered and frustrated glare at Weiss.
"Because she's about to have a baby come out of her body and I'm pretty sure you're going to see things!" Weiss responded in a near panic at the idea.
"Fine." Vaughn agreed hesitantly with a sigh at the idea. "Under one condition."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever it is, we agree." Kendall nodded.
"You're all coming in there with me for the next six hours."
"Oh, ah…"
"No buts…you agreed." Vaughn warned them.
"Actually, I have to get back upstairs, but I'll stop down to check in every now and then," Kendall clasped the shoulder of Marshall squeezing it and making him wince. "But you two, stay here with Vaughn."
"Prick!" Weiss whispered under his breath watching Kendall leave. "Volunteers us for this and then leaves."
"Come on guys, it's not going to be so bad." Vaughn tried to reassure them and himself. "It's just a woman, having a baby."
"Not just 'a woman' my friend, 'thee woman,' Irina Derevko! The same woman who could kill anyone of us in seconds if we say the wrong thing, look at her the wrong way…or, or, I don't know…but she scares me and excites me all at once! Is that strange?"
"Beautiful women intimidate me and dangerous, beautiful women terrify me. She reminds me a of preying mantis that lures men in with her beauty, has her way with them and then eats them!" Marshall loosened his tie. "And not just her, I'm afraid if we do something wrong, Agent Bristow will kill us."
"Oh come on, you two! Pull it together! Now let's go in there and hope Jack and Sydney defy the laws of speed and gravity." Vaughn straightened his shoulders and marched in like a soldier going into battle.
"Boys," Irina greeted them, intentionally calling them 'boys' instead of 'men' as they were all looking a little cowardly.
The three took turns doing water runs and ice chips, and all about fainted when Irina wouldn't let them leave when she received her epidural…the doctor demanding she have one as to not put too much undo stress on her heart. Once those drugs kicked in, life was a little less stressful. Weiss had located a chessboard and Irina had proceeded to trounce them all in record time.
Kendall had popped in once every hour to ensure things were going smoothly and update them where Jack and Sydney were. It was during one of his visits during the fifth hour that the doctor had come to a realization.
"We've never delivered a baby here before." The doctor announced to the room.
"You've never delivered a baby?" Irina suddenly felt surrounded by imbeciles.
"No, I've delivered hundreds of babies, just not at this facility," He reassured her with a smile and the rest of the group. "What I was getting at was, we aren't prepared for a baby. Technically we are, but we have no receiving blankets, no diapers, no clothing, no hats or booties or bottles…all the things normally available in a hospital's maternity ward and nursery. Someone has to go get them and I can't afford to let any of my staff go so close to delivery now."
"You heard the man," Kendall looked directly at Weiss in a panic, "Go now!"
"What? Me?" Weiss practically fell off the stool. "I don't know anything about babies or their necessities. You go, Mike."
"I'm staying here with Irina, unless-" Vaughn began but was cut off.
"You!" Kendall pointed at Marshall who did fall of his stool. "You had some picture of a baby on your desk last year."
"My nephew but I don't know anything more than Agent Weiss does. My sister lives in Maine and I've only seen him at holidays."
"Oh God! Talk about the 'Three Stooges,' both of you go then!" Kendall stomped his foot impatiently.
"I'll make you a list." Irina sighed irritated, "Someone, get me a pen." Taking charge of the situation. After a minute of scribbling the basic items to get, she handed the paper to Weiss. "Thank you." She offered a small smile to the young nervous man as another contraction started.
"You'd better hurry, she's at nine and at ten we start pushing." The doctor informed them. The two ran from the room, getting stuck in the door on their way out, as they tried to push past each other.
"This ought to be interesting." Kendall shook his head, watching them disappear. "I'm going to try and reach Jack again, find out where the hell he's at."
About thirty minutes of contractions continued, the length and strength becoming more frequent and stronger.
"How are you doing?" Vaughn took hold of Irina's hand, watching the monitors as another contraction finished.
*Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough*
"I'd be better if I weren't in a prison cell having a baby holding the hand of my daughter's boyfriend, instead of supposed husband and father of this child." She inhaled as the contraction started. "Sorry, I meant no offense. I know you don't want to be here either."
"I understand." Vaughn smiled, "And I'd rather be here than trying to figure out what size diapers to buy."
Irina tried to laugh but the contraction kept going and going.
The doctor returned and checked her again. "You're at 10." He smiled at her, "It's time to push."
"But Jack's not here!" Vaughn sounded panicked for a moment.
"Well, I can't hold her in, Michael." Irina breathed through gritted teeth as the doctor started to prepare for delivery.
"Oh boy!" Vaughn started to wobble at the sight and Irina held fast to his hand.
"Oh no you don't!" She pulled his hand closer to her chest, "You aren't going to pass out on me. I need you and consider this practice for my grandchildren."
Vaughn looked at her totally surprised by the thought that 'other's' besides him were thinking of his future with Sydney.
"All right, Irina, on the next contraction I am going to have you push, get ready and push!" The doctor commanded.
Irina squeezed down on Vaughn's hand and pushed as hard as she could.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1…ok, Irina good. You're doing great. Ok get ready and push!"
Jack and Sydney stormed through the doors moments later at two minutes after midnight, having arrived at the airport at the same time.
"What's happening?" Jack asked frantic as he saw Kendall on the phone.
"She's already pushing! Get down there!" Kendall had been on the phone with the medical team.
Father and daughter flew down the stairs and through the corridor running into Weiss and Marshall carrying bags and bags of diapers, clothes, toys and about everything else they'd seen and thrown into the cart.
"What the hell?" Jack asked eyeing the bags but didn't have time to ask questions.
"3, 2, 1…Good Irina, good." Vaughn had counted down with the doctor, holding onto Irina's hand with both of his.
"Irina!" Jack gasped as he came around the corner, Sydney on his heels.
"Jack! About damn time!" Irina sighed with a relieved smile, "Sydney…" she smiled seeing her daughter just behind him.
Jack took Vaughn's place and kissed Irina. Vaughn joined Sydney on the other side of the bed where she was holding her mother's other hand and refusing to let his go, wanting him to stay.
"Ok, Irina, one more big push and then we'll see her head ok? Push!" The doctor commanded, "8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,1…And I can see her head! She's got a ton of dark hair." He smiled.
"Oh my God," Weiss and Marshall entered the room dropping the bags, seeing Irina pushing. Followed by Kendall, all dumbstruck at the moment and unable to move by the fact that Irina Derevko was really having a baby right in front of them.
"Ok, Irina, another big steady push and her head will be out, ready…Push! 9, 8, 7…"
"Come on, Mom, you're doing great!"
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and we have a head! " The doctor exclaimed immediately suctioning the baby's mouth and nose out. "Irina, you're doing great." He smiled encouraging her, "One more, nice and easy push to get her shoulders out and then she'll be here. Ready…push! Nice and easy now…"
"Come on, Mom!" Sydney started jumping up and down excitedly holding onto Irina's hand, watching as her sister was being born.
With a loud shrieking cry, Lena Alix Irina Bristow made her appearance into 'the light.'
"She's a tiny little peanut," The doctor smiled at them and laid her tiny screaming body on Irina's abdomen giving the baby a rub down, "But good strong lungs…listen to the healthy cry." He smiled as Jack kissed Irina's forehead, while Irina was trying to sooth the crying baby.
"Oh, she's so beautiful." Sydney cried, reaching out to touch her sister's tiny hand, flailing about. Her little fingers wrapped around Sydney's pinky finger, holding on for dear life.
*Only Time *
"Do we have a name?" The doctor asked while he continued to look the baby over, handing Jack the scissors to cut the cord.
"Lena." Irina smiled breathlessly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Well, 'Welcome, Lena." The doctor smiled when the baby let out another thunderous cry, causing everyone to laugh.
"I crying," Weiss hugged the stuffed lion he'd just bought at the store watching the scene in front of him.
"Me too!" Marshall sobbed hugging himself and Kendall rolled his eyes at them both.
"I'm going to take her to get cleaned up, weigh, and measure her and then I'll bring her right back, Mom, I promise." The nurse smiled at Jack and Irina, as she took the baby from them. "Dad, you coming?" She turned back towards Jack.
Seeing Jack's hesitation to leave Irina, "I just need a few more minutes to finish up with Irina." The doctor smiled from behind the blue curtain separating him from everyone else.
"It's ok, Jack," Irina urged him, "I'm fine." She nodded in the direction of the nurse. "Go with her."
"Ok," he kissed her quick on lips, not caring that Kendall was standing there observing the whole exchange.
Irina lay back on the bed with a big sigh, using one arm to cover her eyes from the light and onlookers as the tears came flooding forward, the enormity of it all hitting her like a ton of bricks. She'd just given birth in prison, again.
Sydney leaned forward and hugged her mother, and Irina wrapped her arm around Sydney to pull her closer, both crying into each other.
"This is by far, the greatest thing I've ever witnessed." Marshall kept sobbing, while another nurse took the bag of clothing and diapers from him.
Kendall continued to 'huff' and 'puff' shifting his weight on his heels in nervousness but on the inside, he was unexpectedly moved by the whole experience as well, never having witnessed a birth before and amazed to see a living, breathing child emerge from Irina's body. The whole thing was mind-bending in its reality.
Lena's wailing never ceased and only grew louder while the nurse bathed and swaddled her in a new blanket.
"Is she ok?" Irina's concern growing as the nurse, followed by Jack, returned with the baby.
"She's perfect…5lbs. 3 oz. 19 inches long," The nurse smiled placing the tiny baby in Irina's arms, "She's just very hungry."
Before anyone could say anything or offer to leave, Irina had dropped her the top of her gown and baby had already begun greedily sucking at her breast. Her crying ceasing the instant she latched on.
"Wow…she really was hungry." Sydney laughed marveled by the tiny human that had turned into a ravenous shark.
Irina trailed her finger gently over the baby's cheek, admiring everything about her with a constant smile on her face. She was here and alive and utterly perfect in every way. The tears ran endlessly down her cheeks at how overwhelming it was to finally hold her in her arms.
The men in the room, with the exception of Jack, who'd seen this sight twenty-seven years before, stood awestruck. Somewhere between shocked and fascinated by the sight of Irina Derevko breastfeeding a baby, her baby, they just watched being born. This 'picture' scared the hell out of Kendall, and then it hit him as to why: Irina Derevko and Jack Bristow, had never looked more content in all their lives.
"Look," Sydney smiled at Vaughn and ran her finger over her sister's soft dark hair, "She has the mo-hawk."
Vaughn glanced in the direction of the baby, but became too distracted by the sight of Irina's enlarged breasts and shook his head away, not wanting to get caught staring at those instead of the baby. Seeing Irina breastfeed was going to take some getting used to.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Marshall tried peering at the baby as far as he dare, all the while holding his own nipples and cringing.
"No." Irina laughed through her tears, staring down at the beautiful baby, not really caring who was watching or not. "Except for when they get older…get teeth and then bite like Sydney used too. Then it hurts like hell."
That caused an eruption of laughter from everyone but Sydney, who seemed embarrassed.
"That is such a strange concept for me right now, to think of myself ever being this small." Sydney continued to inspect her sister, who was fast falling asleep as she nursed so exhausted from her birth.
"I remember." Irina smiled at her, fondly.
"So do I." Jack feathered his fingers through the baby's hair, smiling at Sydney. "If you think it's strange for you, how do you think your mother and I feel? Our first tiny baby we remember so vividly, standing right here beside us while we have another one."
Irina agreed with her smile. The baby had finished and fallen asleep and Irina moved her slightly to rest over her chest, and began patting her back, waiting for her to burp.
"How do you know how to do that?" Sydney and everyone else watching in fascination the way Irina handled the baby so instinctually, she was a natural.
"It is like riding a bicycle, Sydney," Irina got the burp she was looking for and smiled, "Once you learn how, you never forget." Irina covered herself and passed the baby onto Jack, whose smile had never been brighter as he sat on the edge of the bed admiring his new daughter.
Lena's arm and legs shot out in her sleep, stretching and then curling back into a ball, her fist resting just near her face like in the sonogram photo.
"She's really so beautiful." Weiss moved to get a better look at her face. "I mean, she is 'really' beautiful and I'm not just saying that…you know when some babies are born and they are all smashed looking like these ugly little aliens and people say they're cute when they're not so they don't hurt the parent's feelings." Seeing the horrified and homicidal looks he was receiving, "No, no, no, she's not one of 'those' babies! I mean it! She's really beautiful, I mean with a sister like Syd and you as her mother…she'll undoubtedly be a knockout."
"Thank you, Agent Weiss." Irina smiled seeing his nervousness. "For everything." She smiled at the man who had originally held her hand during her labor.
"Can I hold her?" Sydney asked sheepishly from where she was sitting on the other side of the bed.
"Of course, Sweetheart," Irina ran her fingers over Sydney's cheek, with Jack passing the baby off to Sydney.
"Hello Lena," She whispered kissing her sister's soft head, and felt herself tearing up gazing down at the sweet baby asleep in her arms. "Twenty-three years after I prayed for a baby sister every night, you've finally arrived." Sydney announced and everyone laughed.
Vaughn finally reached over and touched Lena's tiny hand while Sydney held her. "She's so tiny.. like a little doll." His eyes were wide in wonderment.
"I hate to break up the party here," The nurse returned, "but Mommy and baby should really get some rest."
"You're right, I'm sorry, Mom. You must be exhausted." She carefully handed the baby back to her mother kissing Irina's cheek. "Goodnight, Lena," She whispered and kissed the baby's head. "Congratulations." She kissed both of her parents 'goodnight.'
"I'll see you in the morning, Sweetheart." Irina smiled, watching her' daughter, Vaughn, Weiss and Marshall go home for the night.
"Kendall." Jack watched his supervisor curiously as he lingered behind the others.
"Bristow," Kendall walked over and extended his hand, "Congratulations." He offered a small smile, glancing from the baby asleep on Irina's chest to Jack. "Irina," He nodded in a silent acceptance, honestly seeing her in a different light after today, "Congratulations."
"Thank you, Director Kendall." Irina nodded in return with a soft smile.
"I'll have them send in a cot for you," he looked at Jack, "I'll see you in the morning."
They watched him leave and Irina smiled at her equally exhausted husband, who was looking at her with nothing but love and adoration…the same look he had when Sydney was born. Only this time, there were no secrets between them.
"Can I get you anything?" Jack pushed a sweat soaked curl behind Irina's ear.
"No," she smiled contentedly, watching their tiny baby sleep on her chest, the baby's breathing in tune with hers.
"Ok," He kissed her lips, and kissed her again extracting himself off the bed, kissed her again and then the baby, "I am going to change out of this suit and then I'll be back."
Irina's only response was to smile and drop a kiss onto the top of their daughter's head, her hand protectively covering the baby's back as she slept.
"Irina," Jack paused and turned around.
"Yes, Jack?" She asked seeing him just standing there, a very serious look on his face.
"I haven't said 'Thank You,' for blessing me, us, with another beautiful daughter." He walked towards her, "And I wanted to say, how very much I love you." He dropped his head and kissed her slowly.
"Thank you, Jack," Irina smiled through unshed tears, "For not giving up on me." Both realizing that if he had, if he hadn't of gone looking for her, today would have been very different.
"I love you, Irina." Jack kissed the inside of her palm and headed for the door.
"Jack, there is something you could do for me actually. Please call Katya and tell her the news and that I'm ok. She's going to be frantic knowing that today is my due date and she hasn't heard anything."
"I called her on the flight back to LA, to tell her that you'd gone into labor," He smiled. "I will call her and let her know Lena has arrived and both baby and mother are beautiful and doing well."
"Thank you."