AN: Music for this chapter (on repeat): Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee, Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon, For Your Precious Love by Jerry Butler, Beautiful by Snoop Dog, Try by Pink.
TWENTY-FOUR
o
"Mom," Sydney was curled up in the living room chair with Lena, having talked for some time with her parents after they'd finished eating dinner. "Tomorrow's your birthday. What would you like to do?" She smiled, looking up to catch a surprised Irina leaning back against Jack's chest on the couch as they watched their daughters.
"Well, I…" Irina furrowed her brow in thought, having celebrated every birthday since Kashmir, alone in her own solitude. Deciding this was the year of change, "I want to have a party." She smiled. "But not really a birthday party. I want to have a tree party. A Christmas Party nothing too big of course but," her enigmatic smile continued to grow with the idea, "I want to spend the day laughing and having fun. I want to cook and make cookies with you," She sat up, escaping Jack's embrace to excitedly hold Sydney's hand, "And listen to crazy Christmas music."
"Oh no," Jack grumbled, smiling on the inside at Irina's ability to bounce back.
"You'll listen to that Christmas music, Jack Bristow, and you'll like it!" Irina hit him with a pillow and laughed. "And I want you to invite Michael and Eric and Marshall. I owe them a debt of gratitude." She added solemnly and then looked to Jack and Sydney to see if it was okay.
"I think it sounds like a lot of fun!" Sydney smiled from ear to ear, the thought of spending time with her mother, like this again, almost too good to be true.
"Sounds good." Jack laid back lazily on the couch after an exhausting day propping his feet up on the coffee table.
"Oh this is going to be so much fun!" Irina turned and snuggled into him, her head on his chest, his arm around her shoulders.
*Holly Jolly Christmas*
Irina, Sydney, Jack and Lena had all gotten up at the crack of dawn to drive north to a little town of Filmore where they boarded the Santa Train.
The train took people out into the forest to cut down their own trees and then would serve hot chocolate and candy canes on the ride home as everyone sang Christmas carols. Sydney had always loved it as a little girl and if truth be told, so did Jack and Irina.
They arrived home, with a giant tree just after noon. Sydney laughing as she watched her parents argue over how to get the enormous tree Irina had picked out, since it was her birthday, into the house.
"I told you it would fit." Irina looked triumphantly at Jack as they finally stood the enormous tree in its stand in the corner of the living room.
"It's enormous." Jack stood back to look at the tree. "Why did you have to pick out the biggest damn tree there, Irina? I think a smaller one would have been just as sufficient and it wouldn't have taken us an hour to get the damn thing in the house. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean it's better. The size doesn't matter."
"Oh dear, Jack," She smiled enigmatically. "You poor man. Who ever told you size doesn't matter is a liar. Size always matters. The bigger the better, my dear, the bigger the better." She winked, swatting him on his butt as she walked into the kitchen and Sydney rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh as her father looked dumbfounded and confused at how Irina had just turned the tables on him so quickly.
"Sydney!" Irina called from the kitchen, "Let's make cookies!"
Sydney's smile lit her face at her mother's request, "Looks like you get to the be the one who looks for the Christmas ornaments." She patted her father on the back as she walked passed, laughing as Jack grumbled something as he marched up the stairs.
*Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree *
"Hello!" Irina smiled brightly an hour later at the three young men standing in front of her at the door, all battered, broken, and bruised. "I'm sorry." Her smile faded to a sheepish grin as she took in their appearances and kissed them all hello on the cheek as they made their way into the house.
Vaughn's cheek was covered in a giant bruise, one black eye and a fat lip; Weiss and Marshall both sported white nose casts and black eyes. "It's ok."
They all offered smiles, all a little smitten with the beautiful woman in front of them and happy to see her smiling again.
"Owe!" Marshall and Weiss both exclaimed, wincing at the same time from smiling, the movement irritating their noses.
"Happy Birthday. I brought some Egg Nog." Marshall rambled smiling, his voice sounding funny through his plugged nose. "Owe!" He said again, his smiling so second nature he kept forgetting he wasn't supposed to. "You have a…flour…on your cheek." He pointed to Irina's face, still nervous in her presence.
"Hi!" Sydney emerged from the kitchen, her face and clothes also sporting the soft white powder; she and Irina had gotten into a small flour war earlier.
"Hi." Vaughn greeted her with a smile, as she kissed him hello. "You look like you're having fun." He smiled wiping a bit of flour from her nose, loving how happy she looked and remembering her memory recount of another time, long ago, of baking cookies with her mother. The image to him then had been so unbelievable, but not any longer seeing it in front of him.
"Yeah well mom plays dirty." She smiled at Irina. "She got me while I was holding a tray of frosted cookies and completely defenseless."
"That's not playing dirty, Sydney, that's playing smart." Irina laughed as she escorted them all into the living room just as a buzzer was sounding in the kitchen. "I'll get the last batch." She nodded at Sydney.
Jack entered just after Irina left, carrying an enormous box labeled, Easter, looking stern.
"What took you so long?" Sydney helped him set the box onto the sofa. "This is the wrong box. It says, Easter." She looked at him confused.
"No, its not." Jack huffed gruffly, still annoyed. "The box labeled, Thanksgiving has the Easter stuff, Thanksgiving stuff is actually in the Fourth of July box, Fourth of July stuff is actually in the Christmas box. Some jackass labeled the boxes wrong and it took me forever to figure out what was in each box."
"That ass, Jack, was you." Irina smiled entering the room, carrying the baby in one arm and a tray of cookies in the other. "You labeled them wrong when we first decided to put them in boxes."
"Well, why the hell didn't we ever change them into their right boxes?" He asked annoyed pulling Easter grass from his hair.
"Because I knew which box had what inside, so there was no point." Irina laughed, taking a bite out of a cookie as she passed the tray around.
"Why didn't you tell me before I went up there then, that all I needed to look for was the damn Easter box?" He gave a stern look at the four trying not to laugh at the exchange, plopping himself into the big leather chair and grabbing a cookie shaped like a bell.
"Because it's kept you busy for the last hour." She breezed by him, dropping a kiss to his cheek. "And I love to see you all worked up."
"I'm glad you find me amusing." He stuffed the cookie into his mouth and reached for another.
"Very." She smiled seductively and he had a hard time remembering anything but how much longer they had to 'wait.' She was torturing him, and she knew it.
*Happy Christmas (War Is Over)*
"Let's decorate this tree!" Irina smiled gleefully digging into the box, pulling out things she hadn't seen in years.
Everyone dug in and the laughter began as they began recounting tales of Christmas's past.
When they'd finished, they pulled out the games and laughed hysterically as Jack and Marshall got into some interesting poses playing Twister.
After an hour, Irina had disappeared upstairs only to re-emerge on the top landing minutes later, arms full of gift boxes wrapped in beautiful paper.
"Mom, what is this?" Sydney helped take the boxes from her mother.
"Gifts." Irina smiled quizzically.
"Yes, I can see that. But it's your birthday! You said 'no gifts." Sydney gave her a stern look she had inherited from Jack and used often.
"Yes, I said I didn't want gifts. But that doesn't mean I can't give them." She smiled at her daughter, brushing her cheek with her fingers as she moved Sydney's hair behind her ear. "It's a Christmas party after all."
Sydney shook her head as Irina began passing out the boxes to everyone. "Well, I have one for you, too." She smiled at Irina's surprised look, "You're not the only one who is stubborn, you know." She ran up the stairs and came down moments later with a gift in silver paper, tied with a beautiful red ribbon. "You first, its your birthday." She commanded as she gave Irina the present. She took Lena from her mother's arms and took a seat in front of the fire place, smiling from ear to ear as she watched Irina slowly unwrap the gift.
"Oh, Sydney," Irina smiled taking the framed photo out of the tissue paper, "It's beautiful." She felt her eyes begin to tear. "When on earth did you do this?"
The photo was a black and white, close-up of Sydney and Lena. Sydney, with bare shoulders exposed, stopping just before exposing anything, was holding the tiny naked baby, balled up in her hands, their faces pressed together, cheek to cheek. Lena was sleeping, of course, and but both she and Sydney wore smiles, looking incredibly serene and beautiful.
"I had Katya distract you with shoes for an hour, remember?" She laughed, having finally pulled one over on her mother. "That day in Beverly Hills."
Irina nodded remembering her daughter's disappearing. "Yes."
Sydney smiled, "There's another box in there." She prompted Irina.
Irina pulled out a small box, from the tissues. Opening the lid revealed a beautiful silver locket. From the delicate chain hung an oval shaped locket surrounded on either side by the birthstones of April and November, signifying both girls' birthdates. Irina felt the tears threatening to fall as she snapped open the locket, revealing the same picture opposite of the inscription, 'We love you Mom, Your Girls' written in Cyrillic.
"It's a Mother's necklace." Sydney offered, choked up, verbalizing out loud what everyone already knew. "So you can take us with you everywhere…know how much we love you."
Irina was too moved to speak, and instead said nothing as she left her place beside Jack to pull Sydney and Lena into a fierce hug.
"Thank you." She kissed both of them as her eyes glistened with unshed tears, thinking how far she had come with Sydney and the thoughtfulness behind such a gift. "This is the best birthday present I've ever received. I love it… Thank you."
Sydney helped her put the necklace on as Irina smiled.
"Your turn." Irina handed Sydney a package in exchange for the baby.
Sydney wasted no time tearing through the paper, and ripping off the lid of the box. Inside she removed six, thick, leather bound journals that looked well worn. She looked curiously at her mother, waiting for an explanation as she began leafing through the pages, seeing her mother's handwriting but in English.
"I had Katya send them to me. For the last twenty years, I haven't been able to tell you what I feel for you, to talk to you. So long ago, I began writing to you what I wanted to say to you but knew I never could in these journals. It started as a letter to you on your ninth birthday and I kept writing in them, on all your birthdays, your first date, your first kiss." She smiled at a surprised Sydney, "Graduations…every major occasion in your life I knew I was missing at that time…its what I wanted to say to you. Other times, I would just write to you because simply, I missed you."
"Mom," Sydney looked up with glistening eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I…I can't take your…"
"No." Irina smiled in return, "They're yours, Sydney. Those words are meant for you. I wrote them for you never expecting to ever see you again or have you read them but… I want you to know, that I've thought of you everyday we were apart…and I want to share them with you."
"Thank you." Sydney smiled wiping back the trail of tears on her cheeks. She'd believed in her heart now, that her mother had always loved her, thought about her while she was away but now, she held the physical proof in her hands. She couldn't wait to start reading them…her own new treasure. "Thank you." She repeated holding them close to her heart.
"Your turn boys." Irina smiled at the three young men holding their small golden packages in hand. "All three of you, together now."
The three looked nervously at each other as they untied the ribbons and removed the lids of the little boxes. In each box was a picture of Lena.
"Jack and I would like the three of you to be Lena's honorary Godfathers," She smiled at the stunned young men in front of her, their eyes wide with shock as they look between her, the baby and Jack, "You've all been so wonderful with everything and we couldn't think of three finer men we'd like to be her Godfathers."
"We don't know anything about babies." Weiss voiced panicked at the responsibility.
"It's ok." Irina smiled and chuckled, "You won't be required to do anything like that, don't worry. With Sydney as her Godmother, and you three as her Godfathers, Jack and I feel confident, that she'll always be loved and protected in our absence. We just want you to know that you mean a great deal to us and to Lena and to make you all official members in our family." She sat on the corner of the chair Jack was occupying, taking his hand in hers. "So please, say you'll accept?"
Sydney was smilingly madly as she had no idea her parents were going to do this.
"Of course." Came three soft, bewildered replies as they sat stunned by the fact that Irina Derevko and Jack Bristow had just invited them into their family, granted them all such an honor.
"Good." Irina smiled brightly having taken truly come to care about the three in front of her. "Now, remove the cotton." She instructed. They all looked at her bewildered but did as they were told.
"What's this?" Vaughn asked holding up the key in his box as did Weiss and Marshall.
"A key, Michael." She smiled enigmatically again, "Merry Christmas and Thank You." She added sincerely then laughed seeing their confused faces. "Go ahead." She nodded in the direction of the front door withJack and Sydney just as confused.
"No…you didn't…" Weiss looked down at the key in his hand that carried the logo of Chevy's Corvette, flew off the couch, his heart beating rapidly at the thought and he threw open the door. "Oh my God!" He shrieked with elation as he ran out of the house and straight for the red Corvette convertible now parked in the driveway with the big red bow and tag on the hood that read, 'Merry Christmas, Eric.'
Everyone followed through the door and Irina laughed, watching Weiss kiss the hood of the car and scream, "Thank You, Thank You!" in the air. "I love you!" He screamed with delight as he charged up the stairs, picked Irina up and twirled her around to everyone's surprise. "It's my dream car!"
"I know." She smiled when he finally set her down. "You told me that the other day." They'd all discussed in great detail, their favorite cars after she'd returned from shopping with Sydney and Katya, sporting four new cars.
"Thank you." He smiled though it hurt like hell and ran out to his new car again. "This is the best present ever!" He shouted with glee causing even the agents assigned to protect Irina to laugh at the man going ballistic with joy in the driveway.
Parked next to Weiss's Corvette was a black Escalade that read, "Merry Christmas, Michael" and behind that a dark green Land Rover that read, "Merry Christmas, Marshall."
"Go ahead." She nodded in the direction of the cars to the two men remaining with mouths agape on the porch.
"Than…thank…thank you," Marshall stammered unable to speak at the moment as he reached his hand out and clasped Irina's in his, stumbling backwards down the steps toward his new car.
"I can't accept this." Vaughn turned to her quietly. "It's too much." He knew why she was doing this, she felt guilty about beating the shit out of them, wanted to thank them for helping her 'get it out,' but he couldn't accept such a gift.
"Shut up, Mike!" Weiss yelled from the driver's seat of his new car, "Be polite and just say, 'Thank You' already, fool!"
"Yes, Agent Vaughn," Irina reached forward and took his hand in hers, squeezing it hard. "Please accept my gift to you… You've done so much for me…please let me repay you in my own small way?"
"It's too much. You don't need to thank me like this-" He tried objecting again but was cut off by Irina.
"What's the point of having money if I can't spend it on those I care about?" She smiled at him, catching him off guard at her admission that she 'cared' about him. She looked into his eyes for a moment and they came to a silent understanding.
"Thank You." He finally smiled softly.
"No…Thank You." She returned the smile as Jack pulled her into his arms as Vaughn and Sydney went to inspect the new cars.
"When did you have time to do this?" Jack whispered into her ear from behind, his breath tickling her as he spoke as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she adjusted the baby in her arms.
"Yesterday." She smiled watching the excitement and smiles her gifts had brought out, "I had them deliver them just after I knew the boys would arrive."
"You continually amaze me." He smiled shaking his head. "Are you having a happy birthday?" He asked seeing the radiant smile she wore.
"The best in twenty years." She turned into him, kissing him lightly on the lips, pulling back to stare into his eyes. "I have something for you too…but that I can't give to you in front of our daughter and her friends." She crinkled her eyebrows mischievously biting her lip, teasing him as she leaned in, placing one leg strategically between his, rubbing against him. "But you're going to have to wait a little while." She taunted. "Two weeks from today…"
"And I have something for you, too." He challenged, "But I guess you'll have to wait for that, too…if I have to wait." He smiled at her with his own smug grin, knowing how much she hated surprises.
"Ok, fine." She accepted this challenge with a seductive grin, brushing her leg against him and Jack instantly regretted his taunt.
Irina was a lethal competitor and wasn't likely to give in until she claimed victory in this case, Jack had just laid the rules of the game as the winner being 'who ever could hold out the longest' until the next two weeks were up.
She wasn't likely to show any mercy on him now.
'Why, oh why did he have to challenge her like this?' He berated himself as she turned around in his arms again, the feeling of her ass pressed against his crotch while he held her in his arms almost his undoing now that he was thinking along the 'sexual' lines.
Irina was swaying back and forth just for added torture.
When everyone had eaten dinner and gone home for the night, Jack stoked the fire, and turned off all the lights except for the tree lights and lit a few candles.
*For Your Precious Love*
Irina had been upstairs putting the baby to sleep and changing into her nightgown when she heard the familiar tune playing downstairs, unsure if she was hearing things. She walked slowly down the hall and looked over the railing, seeing the romantic setting and began her descent catching Jack's eyes sparkling with the light of the fire, she held them the whole way down.
"Jack, this song?" She asked nervously, unsure of what he was doing.
"Shhh," He smiled softly, silencing any further protests or inquiry. "May I have this dance?" He extended his hand to her, as she stood in front of him, breathtaking as always.
Irina took his hand, tears already pooling in her eyes as his hand snaked around her back and pulled her to him.
They hadn't danced, like this in the middle of the night, to this song for almost two decades. He pressed his cheek to hers as they swayed together in a familiar rhythm.
"I love you, Irina." He whispered into her hair as his hand caressed her soft fingers in his hand, that he held to his chest, fingering the empty space at the base of her left hand. He pulled back to look into her eyes, and smiled. "Thirty years ago tonight I danced with you and kissed you for the first time to this song." He ran his fingers over hers as he held them in his hand. "Twenty-nine years ago tonight, I asked you to marry me. Our love remains," Jack reached into his pocket and knelt on one knee just as he'd done all those years ago and held up a beautiful diamond ring, causing Irina to inhale sharply at his actions. "But the names have changed. And I want to ask you, Irina Nikolaevna Alexandra Dmitrievna Romanova Derevkova…to marry me?"
"Jack…" Irina could barely breath she was so overcome with emotion. "We're already married."
"Yes." He smiled, "But I didn't fully know the woman I was marrying then. I do now and I want to renew our vows and this time, I want it to be you, Irina that I make I my vows to. I love you and we're starting over; we should start with my promising to love you through eternity with your real name. I want to say your name, Irina. I want you to hear your real name when I promise God to love you forever, because I will. Please, say 'yes?" He slipped the ring up her finger; a perfect Princess cut diamond solitaire with two baguette side stones in a strong titanium band. A classically perfect ring for his classically beautiful wife to be...again.
"Yes." She let he tears flow as she dropped to her knees in front of Jack. "Of course I will marry you again. I love you."
He cupped her face and kissed her softly.
"I love you, Jack." She repeated as he kissed her again, both feeling a burning desire for more.
"I want you so badly right now." Jack admitted between kisses as his mouth connected with the burning flesh of her neck, face and chest.
"And I, you." Irina's hands started to undo the buttons of his shirt.
Jack's tongue slid down the pulse of her neck as he guided the straps from her shoulders. Irina's fingernails racked over his erect nipples causing him to gasp as she began sucking on the hollow in his throat. His hand slid up her thigh and under her nightgown, finding her without panties and already wet and waiting. She whimpered into his mouth as his thumb flicked her sensitive clit for the first time. Irina's hand slid down the front of his pants, unbuttoning them and gripping his painfully erect hardness, straining against the confines of his boxers. She pushed them down, freeing him and Jack reached forward, grabbing her hips and pulling her onto his lap. The tip of his cock being teased, and equally teasing her as it rubbed against her hot, wet, center. Irina reached down, between their bodies, rubbing herself against his rock hard shaft, both she and Jack moaning from the sensations running through their lower bodies.
"Wait, wait, wait…" Jack stopped, grabbing her hands in his. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. "I can't do this." He opened his eyes and caught her pained expression. "No, I mean I can't do this and not end up with me making love to you."
"We've done it before, Jack." She reached up to touch his chest, "We'll find a way."
"Irina," he reached up and brushed the wild hair out of her face. "The next time I make love to you I want to end with me being buried deep inside you, you and I as one. With my cherishing all of you…for that, I will wait." He smiled softly, "You've always been worth the wait. To me, this is just painful torture, ok?"
"Ok." She nodded, smiling softly at how amazing the man in front of her really was. "You're not just trying to win now are you?" She gave him a saucy look.
"No," He laughed pulling her face to kiss her lips quickly, "Believe me, Honey, this is one challenge I'd gladly forfeit a win to you if it meant I could do to you, exactly what it is floating through my mind."
"Good, hold those thoughts…two weeks." She picked up his hand and kissed his palm. "Let's go to bed. I think I may actually be able to sleep tonight for the first time in twenty years in your arms." Smiling softly, she stood and extended her hand to Jack, knowing he was going to need assistance standing at how aroused he was. He followed her up the steps, hand in hand the entire way.
Face to face, legs and arms entwined, Jack reached up and pushed a wayward curl behind Irina's ear as they lay in bed.
"Happy Birthday, Irina." He leaned in and captured her lips, "I love you." He added softly in Russian.
"I love you." She replied in English, inching her face closer to his so that their noses brushed, in what had become their new 'thing,' of telling each other of their love for the other by speaking in the language of their hearts.
As Irina predicted, she slept the entire night through without any nightmares for the first time in twenty years without the aid of drugs or being unconscious. Waking only to nurse the baby and falling immediately back to sleep in Jack's arms. This birthday had begun to set right the wrongs that started so many years before.
Jack was elated in the morning to find her in the same spot she had been in after Lena's last feeding…she had stayed, she had slept there all night. He kissed her lightly, smile plastered to his face at the hope this presented in their future without nightmares. He carefully pulled his arm out from under her, trying not to disturb her as he inched out of bed, getting up to get ready for work.
Irina immediately sensed the loss of contact and awoke.
"Sorry." He smiled sheepishly as he made his way to the bathroom. "I didn't mean to wake you…Go back to sleep."
"What time is it?" She rubbed her hand over her eyes, still not fully awake.
"It's 5 a.m. It's early. Go back to sleep." He whispered, hoping she would take his advice and get some more sleep.
She nodded and drifted off again as Jack showered and changed, peeking into Lena's bassinet before making his way downstairs for breakfast.
He was surprised when twenty minutes later, Irina, fully showered, changed, and obviously awake, breezed by him into the kitchen with a smile.
"Were are you going?" He asked setting his coffee down, taking in the black suit she was wearing.
"To work…with you." She smiled, pricking her finger to check her blood before she grabbed some breakfast.
"Irina." Jack began, unsure if this was a good idea.
"I'm ok, Jack. I'll be ok." She tried to smile reassuringly, correcting herself, admitting that she wasn't okay but that she was trying. She lifted her shirt to inject herself. "The faster we get Sloane and Cuvee, the faster this is all over. I'll be fine, I promise." She reached over and squeezed his hand, seeing the hesitation on his part.
"Ok," He pulled her to him, kissing her lips before releasing her to get the baby ready while Irina ate something.
Surprise was evident on the faces of everyone, including Sydney, as Jack and Irina strolled into the Ops floor an hour later. The look on Irina's face clearly stating she was ready to work and get down to business, which everyone understood and the search for Sloane began again.
"So it looks like I'm going to Jakarta." Irina stated, holding everyone's attention now after a few hours of poring over documents. "I will meet with my contact and he will get the word out that I am looking to make a business deal with Zamir."
"How are you going to do that? Get in touch with him, I mean?" Sydney asked.
"My contact works out of a beach club for the internationally wealthy in Jakarta. I have a home near there if I put myself out there he'll find me." She looked avoided Jack's eyes, not wanting to reveal just why this man would find her.
"What makes you sure he'll want to risk meeting with you after everything that has been publicized concerning you and your status, your time with the CIA? If he suspects you're working as a double with the CIA-" Kendall voiced the question she hadn't wanted to be brought up.
"He won't suspect and even if he does, he won't care." She swallowed and brushed the hair behind her ear. "He'll seek me out regardless. If the subject of the CIA arises, I'll handle it. I'll get him to trust me."
Jack had a feeling she wasn't revealing everything but didn't want to call her on it in front of everyone.
"Ok then, I'll call Van Nuys. Plane leaves in an hour." Kendall shifted his weight, feeling strange about trusting Irina Derevko on another mission for the CIA.
"I'll be flying there on my own." Irina cut in and received surprised looks from both Jack and Sydney. "He monitors airport traffic. He needs to see that my jet landed at our regular airfield. If I just show up at my home without his having seen my plane land at the airport, he'll know for sure that something is not right. I'll meet you there."
"Irina." Jack began but stopped, realizing what she was saying was right, though it did nothing to quell his anxiety over the situation. "Ok. Where do you want to meet?"
"My house." She smiled, thanking him silently for not fighting her on this. "I'll give you the coordinates. He knows I've just had a baby with all the press coverage so I'll take Lena with me. I'll leave her with you once we've met up." She looked at Jack and Sydney.
"I don't like the idea of the both of you going in, without security, Irina." He voiced his concerns softly, as he brushed the sleeping baby's face in her arms. "There has to be a way."
"What if I go with her as Lena's nanny?" Sydney spoke up, "They'll expect you to bring someone along to care for the baby while you're dealing with business." She looked at her mother with bright eyes.
The idea of going into the field with her mother again, working together was exciting.
"Makes sense." Irina nodded her agreement.
"And the three of us," Jack motioned between himself, Vaughn, and Weiss, "Could be members of your security detail."
Seeing Irina's surprised look, he added in Russian, getting into character. "I'll have Marshall make aliases for all of us if they happen to do background checks and profiles. All they'll find as that we're members of your Russian detail." He smiled enthusiastically at her.
"Ok." Irina agreed. "I've got to make some calls, get things arranged." She stood from her chair and switched hands holding the baby against her chest.
Sydney's eyes immediately fell upon the new enormous diamond ring adorning her mother's left ring finger.
"What's this?" She smiled in surprise as she took hold of her mother's hand, fingering the new ring.
"Your father asked me to marry him... again." Irina smiled softly, looking from the ring and Sydney to Jack.
"You did?" Sydney's head shot to her father's eye. "But I thought you're already married?"
"We are." He smiled shyly at Sydney, his eyes darting back and forth from Sydney to Irina's and the rest of the group watching intently. "But I wanted to renew our vows. This time, when I make my vows, I want it to be your mother's name I say. Her real name." He cracked a smile and surprised Kendall who was still getting used to this new relationship and the new Jack Bristow.
"Congratulations! This is so exciting!" Sydney flung her arms around her father and then her mother. The idea of her parents renewing their' vows, another miracle. "When? When is the wedding?" She rambled on excitedly.
"We'll talk about all that on the plane." Irina ran her fingers down Sydney's cheek and then tucked her hair behind her ear with a smile, loving the fact her daughter was so excited about she and Jack renewing their vows. "It's a long flight. For now, we have a lot to do before we leave in an hour."
"Yes, of course." Sydney smiled happily at her parents. Their lives…their love, had come so far, survived the impossible, to find their way back to each other again.
"Congratulations." Vaughn offered a small smile and a handshake to Jack and Irina. Weiss, Kendall and Dixon followed suit. The entire act of congratulating Jack and Irina on the renewal of their' wedding vows, still a bit surreal; after the last years' events.
"My plane will be at Van Nuys in an hour." Irina smiled at the bewildered faces.
"How's that possible?" Jack asked and then it dawned on him. "Your plane is close by, isn't it? It has been all along." 'Of course it would be.' He smiled and shook his head thinking to himself how 'crafty' his wife was. With her status, her plane would never be far from reach.
"Yes." Irina smiled slyly. "Just over the border in Mexico. It won't take long to get here once I make the call to my pilot."
"Well ok, folks." Kendall looked around at the members of this odd team. "I'll expect a call as soon as you arrive in Jakarta. Good luck people." He nodded and was off.
An hour later they all met at Van Nuys airfield. Marshall had given them all, save Irina and Lena, new aliases and all had been transformed somewhat into their new identities.
Sydney sported a long, wavy, blonde wig as her resemblance to Irina was too strong to leave as she was.
Jack, Vaughn and Weiss for the most part, stayed the same, save their new wardrobe. Jack's hair had been died black, as he would be the most recognizable from television of the three men with Irina's recent celebrity, along with glasses, a mustache and goatee.
"So who is this contact, Mom?" Sydney asked sipping her coffee as they'd been in the air for at least a half hour.
Irina nuzzled the baby's face as she slept on her shoulder. "His name is Vijay Dubey."
"The Indian weapons dealer?" Jack's interest peaked.
Dubey's record was a long one at the CIA. His mother was America, his father Indian. Grew up around the world, highly educated in private schools, wealthy and extremely dangerous.
"Among other things." Irina nodded as Jack poured himself another drink. "He's the one who first introduced me to Zamir, three or four years ago. Dubey will know how to get in contact with him. Besides he owes me." She reached for her own drink and let the cool liquid slid easily down her throat, preventing her from divulging any further information. "We should arrive in the morning. His guards will spot me at the airport. We'll go to my house, not far from the club he works out of... I'll put myself out there; he'll make contact. He and I will talk. I'll get what I need. Then we can all leave." She took another sip and set the glass down softly, staring at the ice, "Shouldn't be too difficult."
"Pretty cut and dry." Jack eyed her nervously as a sudden tension filled the cabin. She wasn't telling him something, something that was obviously bothering her. "How well do you know Dubey?" Jack swallowed hard, having a bad feeling about the mysterious air surrounding the man's name and Irina's reluctance in talking about him.
"Pretty well." Irina replied softly, looking directly into Jack's eyes.
"So…let's talk wedding details." Sydney sensed the need for a change in topic, and switched to a happier one. "Like, when?"
"I don't know." Irina turned her attention from Jack to her oldest child, adding softly, "Your father and I never discussed it."
Jack loosened his tie and took a big swig of his whiskey, not wanting his brain to further investigate the possibilities of just how well, was 'pretty well.'
"As soon as possible."
Jakarta, Indonesia
"Where is she?" Weiss pulled at the tie around his neck.
The sweltering sun causing him to sweat profusely in his black suit. The shade of the umbrella covering them did little to stifle the heat. "I thought she said she'd be out in fifteen. It's been twenty." He scanned the beach for any sign of Irina, eyeing Sydney a few meters away.
Sydney was lying on the beach not too far from them with Lena under the protection of another umbrella.
Irina had instructed them to head out before her, having them settle in before she made her appearance as to not cause too much commotion with their arrival.
"There she is."
*Beautiful*
Jack swallowed hard eyeing Irina approaching them as he twirled the little umbrella from his drink in his fingers. She was wearing an off-white bikini and matching sarong tied around her hips, her long hair flowing in the slight breeze as she walked through the surf towards Sydney and Lena. All eyes were on her.
"Damn Jack." Weiss tilted his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to get a better look at the nearly naked form of Irina.
Vaughn threw him a warning glance from across the table seeing Jack tense as Irina dropped the sarong next to Sydney with a smile and sauntered toward the ocean diving head first into an oncoming wave.
At one of the tables not far from them, another man in a dark suit nodded in Irina's direction, pointing her out to another man as she made her way out of the ocean and back towards Sydney and the baby.
Jack's heart quickened in pace as the broad man smiled widely eyeing a water slicked Irina. The man, presumably Dubey, dressed in a casual dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves and in chino pants walked towards Irina.
Sydney saw the man approaching from behind her mother and didn't have time to notify her mother of the man's presence before he grabbed Irina's arm, twisted her around to face him, pinning her arm behind her back, crushing Irina's body into his as his lips came crashing down in a hot, deep kiss that left everyone stunned.
Vaughn watched as Jack's knuckles turned white and his lips formed a tight line watching the display in front of them. His suspicions of how well Irina knew Dubey were confirmed with the passionate kiss the man enveloped her in.
Sydney's eyes darted back and forth from her father to her mother from behind her shades, hoping that her father would keep his cool.
Dubey gave Irina one last light kiss on the mouth before pulling her away from him slightly to smile at her.
"Irina." He greeted her and brushed a wet hair stuck to her cheek behind her ear. "It's so good to see you again. It's been too long." Still holding her half-naked wet body next to his.
"Vijay," She smiled in return, her game face on. She knew Jack must be fuming a few feet away but they were there for a purpose, and he would just have to deal with it. "It has been a long time."
"I'm so happy to see you alive." He finally released her arm but trailed his fingers down her cheek with a smile. "I heard the Americans had executed you."
"They did." She offered a small smile, bending over to pick up her sarong and tied it around her hips again. "But…you should know by now, I'm never one to stay down long."
"Yes, I know and you're still as beautiful as ever." Dubey eyed Irina and then looked down to the baby sleeping on the blanket next to Sydney. "And this must be the child I've heard about." He squatted down next to the baby and trailed his finger across her cheek, much as he did with Irina's before offering Sydney a small smile and a nod of acknowledgment. "Irina Derevko…a mother." He gently scooped the sleeping baby into his arms and nestled her against his chest.
Irina inhaled a nervous breath as she watched him stand smiling and shaking his head in amusement.
"I never thought I'd see the day. All those times I offered to have a child with you, you said you weren't cut out for motherhood?" He nuzzled his face against Lena's hair watching Irina's reaction.
Jack's palms began to sweat and not from the heat. But rather from hearing this man talk about having children with Irina while holding his child. The implications of that relationship… He took a deep breath trying to focus on the present.
"I thought you said children would complicate things?" Dubey continued to question Irina with a look that could only be described as mixture of longing, remorse and lust.
"Yes, I did say that." Irina replied coolly, taking the now squirming Lena from his arms and holding her tightly to her own chest. "But things happen. Unplanned things," she smiled down at the baby. "Time changes everything."
"Not everything." He met her dark eyes with a deeper meaning letting everyone know how he still felt for Irina.
When Irina said nothing, only smiled shyly and handed the baby to Sydney, Dubey continued.
"And what of her father? Your former American husband I presume from what I've seen on television and heard through the 'grape vine?' What is your relationship with him now?" He took another step closer to Irina, using his hand to put her hair behind her shoulder while he caressed the other with his hand.
"We have an arrangement." Irina replied in a sultry tone and a mischievous look in her eye as she smiled and leaned into his palm now cupping her face.
"An arrangement. I see." He pulled Irina closer with a devilish smile, his hand snaking down Irina's back to her ass, cupping it and crashing their bodies together at their most intimate spots.
"Easy Jack." Weiss whispered through clenched teeth seeing Jack's ears burning red.
"There is a reason you came back to Jakarta, isn't there?" Dubey's thumb glided over the soft skin of Irina's hipbone. "Am I right?"
"Yes." Irina hissed out an uneven breath as Dubey's close proximity ignited an electrical surge through her body at the familiar contact. "I'm here to see you."
"Is that right?" Dubey smiled a cocky grin as his finger's trailed the soft skin of Irina's breast just above her bikini top. "And what is it that you want from me?"
"You owe me a favor. I'm here to collect." Irina smiled her famous grin as heart raced in her chest knowing Jack was watching this exchange and realizing her former relationship with this man.
"I expected as much." Dubey laughed and brought his other hand down to the other side of her hips to keep her body ground into his. "Have dinner with me tonight and we'll discuss just how…" He slowly rubbed his crotch against Irina's bare skin of her lower abdomen, "you intend for me to repay that debt." He brought his lips to hers once more, thrusting his hips forward before walking away leaving her breathless.
Irina stood unmoving, watching Dubey's retreating form when suddenly he turned around. "My driver will pick you up at seven. Wear that dress I love…to take off." He winked at her before disappearing into the crowd gathered outside the seaside bar.
Jack snapped the little umbrella between his fingers as the anger and jealousy surged through him.
"So…" Sydney handed her mother a cold bottle of water as Irina took a seat next to them on the blanket. "Pretty well' is really…'REALLY well." She raised her eyebrows expectantly at her mother, certain realizations coming together in her mind about her mother and Dubey and the relationship they'd obviously had.
Irina sipped the cool water, stalling momentarily and answered only with a slow nod of her head when she was finished. Her eyes on Jack at the other table, his rigid posture speaking volumes.
Sydney followed her mother's gaze, "Oh boy." She breathed exhaled slowly, "this is going to be interesting."
"Irina," Sydney called out, finding it strange to address her mother as such now and propped herself up on an elbow, rolling over to look at her mother after an hour of silence following Dubey's departure. "I know what you're doing."
"And what is it you think I'm doing besides working on my tan?" Irina asked coyly in Russian, keeping up with their charade in case anyone was listening to them or reading their lips. She was lying a few feet away from Sydney, sunbathing on her stomach outside the umbrella's shade.
"You're avoiding a certain someone." Sydney glanced over at the 'security' detail whose ties now hung loosely around their necks, their jackets discarded and lying over the arms of their chairs. "We can't stay out here all day. It's too hot and the guys are melting." She watched her mother's chest heave with a sigh before Irina turned her head to look at Sydney.
"You have an astute sense of reading people and situations, My Dear." She smiled at Sydney tipping her sunglasses down to look her daughter in the eye, "You must get that from your mother."
"I believe I do." Sydney laughed, enjoying working undercover with her mother, even in this tense situation.
"Can you help me with this?" Irina held her bikini to her chest and whirled her feet under her with her back to Sydney so that she could fasten the strap again. "I just hate getting tan lines." She used her free hand to whip her hair off her back and around her shoulder. "He's still glaring at me, isn't he?" Irina asked under her breath while her back was still turned. She could feel Jack's glacial gaze even through the sweltering heat.
"Mm-hmm." Sydney glanced a quick look at her father whose icy glare remained on her mother where it had been unflinching for the last hour.
"Suppose I better get this over with." Irina sighed again taking the baby in her arms and nodding to the guys to follow her she headed back to her home.
*Try*
"How long do you think this is going to go on?" Vaughn whispered under his breath to Sydney from the other side of the kitchen island where they sat staring at Jack's back outside on the patio.
They'd been home for hours now and neither, Jack or Irina had said anything to each other in that time. Both of them going their separate ways once inside the confines of Irina's enormous house.
Jack had thrown his jacket on the couch as he stalked passed, heading straight for the isolation of the back patio, staring at the endless sea before him and Irina, had told the 'kids' to help themselves to anything in the fridge before seeking refuge in the solace of her upstairs bedroom with the baby.
"I don't know." Sydney finally replied, her gaze lingering on her father's back as she absentmindedly toyed with the white ring from the top of her water bottle. "I have no idea. I never witnessed their relationship, remember? When they were together, I was only six and they never fought at least not in front of me. In front of me, it was all love, laughter and smiles. I saw them semi-fighting, more like bickering, when we went to Kashmir but maybe I should go out there and talk to him."
"And say what exactly, Syd? Slap him on the back and say 'Hey, tough luck, Dad, all those years you thought Mom was dead she was really getting screwed by some good looking, hotshot War Lord with enormous pecks and biceps that would make the Hulk look like Tiny Tim?" Weiss looked at her incredulously. "Somehow I don't think that conversation will go well."
"He's not a War Lord." Irina's voice came calmly from behind them, startling everyone. She'd put the baby down for nap after they returned home from the beach, showered and changed into a pair of black hot pant shorts and form fitting tee with her hair and make-up already for her night ahead.
"Irina…" Weiss stammered cursing himself internally, "I'm sorry…I never meant to imply-"
"It's ok." She placed her hand on his forearm with a small smile, stopping any further commenting on an already embarrassing situation. Her gaze drifted to where Jack was sitting outside watching the sunset. "Eric, Michael, you're going with me tonight." Seeing the surprised faces of the three she continued, "I think it's best if Jack stays here with Sydney and Lena." She looked pointedly at the young men, leaving little room for argument.
Her reasoning behind the move obvious to everyone without having to verbalize it: Jack was jealous, insanely jealous and even if he had a right to be upset about the situation, right now… could be dangerous if he lost the tight control he was barely maintaining.
"It's almost seven, I need to go finish getting ready," Irina said over her shoulder as she put two bottles of milk in the refrigerator, closing the door and looking pointedly at Sydney.
Irina gave her a sympathetic look, feeling badly for leaving her eldest daughter with such a distraught father.
"Lena should wake up in about an hour. Give her the bottle in the front first. The second, is backup but I should be home before her 10 p.m. feeding." She offered a small smile seeing the small look of surprise on Sydney's face at the mentioning she would only be gone, at the most, three hours.
Sydney gave her a small smile back, feeling badly for her mother and her father in this situation.
"Oh my God, do I feel like such an ass!" Weiss banged his head against the wall repeatedly when Irina had disappeared upstairs once again. "Why…why do ridiculous things flow from my mouth when I am around her? I should just wear a sign or something that says, 'Hi Eric Weiss…Open mouth, insert foot. 'Cuz I'm a mumbling jack-ass."
"It's ok, Eric, calm down." Sydney climbed slowly off the stool making her way towards the sliding glass doors leading to the patio. "I'm going to try talking to him."
"Dad." Sydney announced her presence softly, dragging a hand around her father's shoulders as she came around behind him. "Are you ok?" 'Stupid question!' she internally berated herself the moment it left her mouth. 'Of course he was not ok.'
Jack didn't say anything, just clasped Sydney's hand in his as she took a seat next to him. He was too angry and upset, afraid to speak and say something he would later regret.
In a strangled voice he asked, "It's almost seven. Is she ready?"
"She's getting dressed now." Sydney ran her thumb over the back of Jack's hand, a gesture that made Jack close his eyes momentarily flashing back to Irina doing the same thing when she was upset. "They'll be leaving shortly."
"They'll?" Jack's eyes flew open. "What do you mean 'they'll?"
Sydney tried to swallow the massive lump forming in her throat seeing the look in her father's eyes.
"Mom, Eric and Vaughn. She thought it best if she did this without you there-" She could hardly finish the sentence as Jack jolted out the chair.
"The hell she is!" He yelled throwing open the door and storming upstairs past the other two, who looked positively scared shitless at what was about to happen.