Wow. I know I've posted a lot today, but I've been watching old episodes and got really into my Alias mood. So, I've written more. Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!
The next day Irina woke up and called Kozlov. Once he had answered, he began to speak about what he had found out from the CIA agent. "They haven't decided who Project Christmas will be tested on yet. Apparently, Arvin Sloane wants to test it on unsuspecting children, but Jack Bristow disagrees. He feels it would be cruel to test it on children. He has no qualms using children once the program's been tested, but it seems testing would be, in his opinion, 'barbaric'."
"Isn't it the same thing? The children would be going through the same thing!" Irina was wondering what was wrong with Jack Bristow. She didn't think it was fair to test children for anything.
"Well, Agent Derevko, it is Bristow's thought."
"How are they going to test it if they don't use children?"
"I don't know, and neither do our informants. It seems the CIA is keeping most information on Project Christmas highly classified. Only people with the highest level of clearance are being allowed access to all the material."
"So you want me to get the information that they don't have access to?"
"Yes. That's why we feel that you need to get yourself away from Arvin Sloane as fast as you can. We need you with Jack Bristow. The KGB needs that intel. Project Christmas could change everything."
"Why can't the KGB just design their own program?" Irina asked innocently.
"We've tried that. We have a team in Moscow working full time on it. They haven't achieved any success, however. Bristow must have some special approach. The KGB just hasn't been able to work it out yet. It will be quicker just to get the information from Bristow. It will also be more effective. When will you be able to end it with Sloane?"
Irina thought to the conversation she had had with Arvin the night before. "We're supposed to get together tomorrow night," she said. "I suppose I could do it then." She spoke with the slightest hesitation. She had just started to actually like Arvin Sloane. Jack Bristow seemed so distant, so aloof.
"Good. On Tuesday afternoon I want you to call Jack Bristow. Find a time to meet him for coffee or something. Start out slow. I don't know how Sloane will handle it, your dumping him and going out with Bristow. You'll have to take it slow and easy, play it by ear."
"All right," Irina said.
"Good, Agent Derevko. I'll speak to you tomorrow morning." Kozlov hung up the phone and Irina looked over the information on Project Christmas one more time. Frankly, it made her sick that the CIA wanted to test children. She had never even heard of the KGB doing that. Reading the files again, she looked at the questions. What kind of children would be able to answer those questions? Bristow's brief had said that the CIA was planning on testing children as young as six. Irina didn't see how a six year old child could answer complex questions on spatial reasoning, or how they could do intricate mathematics in their heads. Irina had always been told she was intelligent, but she didn't know if she would be able to answer all of those questions, especially not when she was six.
At almost ten o'clock the next morning Irina left for work. The final exam for the literature class was coming up the next week. She had been editing Professor Clarkson's exam all week and had students asking her questions at the end of each class. She sat in the front row and listened to Clarkson's lecture, taking quick notes on things that students might ask questions on. She jotted down details that she remembered from the books so she could be prepared. At the end of class, she announced that she would be holding a study session, should any students need it. Professor Clarkson had asked her earlier to help prepare students.
Students filtered up to Irina, asking her questions and thanking her. After the students had left, Professor Clarkson aproached her. "Laura, I was wondering if next semester you would like to co-teach a class with me? You've done wonderful work with the students, and I think you'd do just as well teaching."
Irina looked at him. She hadn't been expecting this. Clarkson rarely spoke to her, much less complimented her work. "That would be great, Professor. I would love that. What's the class on?"
"It's the same as this one, so you should be prepared. I have your phone number, so I'll give you a call and we can get together and go over lesson plans sometime."
"That would be fantastic," Irina said, then gathered her books and left the room. She couldn't believe she had been given a promotion after only working there for a few months.
She returned to the apartment and poured over her notes from the class. If she were to teach the class during the next semester, she would have to be even better prepared. When the phone rang at three thirty, Irina wondered who it would be calling her. She had spoken to Sloane the night before and made arrangements for that night at eight o'clock. She answered the phone cautiously.
"Laura, it's Jack Bristow," came the voice from the other end.
"Oh. Hello, Jack," she said, not knowing why he would be calling.
"I was wondering if you would be interested in grabbing coffee some morning this week," he said. Irina was shocked. He had beaten her to the punch. She hesitated a moment before answering.
"Sure, Jack. Coffee sounds great," she said. "What day were you thinking of?"
"How about Wednesday morning?" he said. "Around nine o'clock?"
"That sounds great, Jack. I'll see you then," she said and hung up the phone. She wondered if Jack would tell Arvin that they had made plans, wondered if it would make breaking up easier if Sloane already knew that she had plans with another man. Somehow she thought that would just make it harder.
At eight o'clock Arvin Sloane rang her doorbell. When she came to the door he greeted her with a quick kiss. "You look lovely, Laura," he said, taking her hand.
"Thank you, Arvin. Just let me grab my bag," she said, giving herself an excuse to run back into the apartment. She took a deep breath before walking back out to see Sloane. "Let's go," she said quickly, wanting to get it all over with. He led her down to a car, then they sped away towards a romantic French restaurant.
"It's a little change of pace from dinner and dancing," he said, with a smile on his face.
"It looks lovely," she said. Sloane got out of the car, then came around and opened Irina's door. She let him take her hand and help her out of the car, then guide her into the restaurant where they were seated at a candlelit table for two.
Shortly after they sat down, a waiter came over with a wine list and two menus. He spoke with a ridiculously fake French accent, saying, "Good evening, monsieur, madamoiselle," he said, setting the menus down before them. "Would you like un petit peu de vin before you dinner?" he said.
"Wine sounds lovely," Arvin said. "We'll take a 1959 Merlot, please."
"Of course, monsieur," the waiter said. "Would you like to start with some fondue?"
Arvin nodded again. "That would be fantastic." The waiter walked away from the table and Irina turned to her menu. "They have a lovely lobster, Laura. You should try it." Irina was startled by the sudden break in silence, but looked up and nodded. She couldn't believe how nervous she was, knowing she had to break up with this man.
"I think I will," she said, closing her menu and clasping her hands together under the white linen tablecloth. Luckily, the wine came along with a steaming pot of fondue, and she was able to eat without worrying about talking. When the waiter came back Arvin ordered the lobster for both of them. The fondue was cleared away and Arvin looked Irina in the eyes.
"Are you all right, Laura?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
"Oh, yes," Irina said with a start. "I'm just fine," but she couldn't get rid of the spinning feeling in her stomach.
After the lobster, Arvin ordered dessert, and Irina knew that she had to tell him. She gathered her courage and began to speak. "Arvin..." she said quietly.
"What is it, darling?" he said, looking up at her and taking her hand.
"I...I don't think we should see each other anymore," she said, feeling tears welling in her eyes. She bit her lip, then continued, but Arvin Sloane cut her off.
"Why...why not, sweetheart?" he said, looking upset.
"I...it's...it's just not a good time. I'm trying to get my career together, but that's not the real reason. I really just don't think we're right together." She looked up to see how Sloane was taking it. He looked surprisingly calm.
"All right, Laura," he said, taking his hand off of hers.
"I hope we can stay friends, Arvin. I honestly like you. I just think we'd be better as friends," she said, wondering why he hadn't responded.
"I hope it works," he said, then hesitated before speaking again. "To tell you the truth, Laura, if you hadn't said anything, I probably would have said something. I agree with you. I think we'll be better as friends." Irina looked at him shocked. She had been lying, but Arvin talked to her completely straight-faced. Did he really think they weren't good together? He really didn't like her more than just a friend? Irina didn't know what to say. As she sat there flabbergasted, their desserts were delivered to the table. Once the waiter walked away Arvin said, "Let's continue this as friends, Laura. Go ahead and eat your dessert." Irina picked up her fork.
He took her home around ten o'clock, but didn't get out of the car. Irina opened the door, said goodbye, and walked up to her apartment alone. She closed and locked the door, then collapsed on the couch and sobbed, her hands shaking. She kept telling herself, This is your job, Irina. You have to do it, but had trouble believing herself. She wasn't sure this is what she wanted her job to be.
Irina woke up on Tuesday. The first thing that popped into her head was what Sloane had said the night before. Why did he think they'd be better as just friends? She looked at the alarm clock sitting by her bed. 7:30. She had enough time for a quick shower before she called Kozlov. Thirty minutes later Irina walked into the living room dressed in a robe with her hair wrapped up in a towel. She grabbed the phone and dialed the now familiar numbers. After the usual formalities, Irina told Kozlov about the events of the night before.
"Surprisingly, Arvin Sloane agreed with me that we should stay just friends. He didn't even seem upset."
"Good," Kozlov said. Apparently he didn't understand that Irina had actually fallen for Sloane.
"Would you like me to maintain a friendly relationship with Sloane?" Irina asked, biting her lip to keep from screaming.
Kozlov paused for a second, and Irina could feel her heart beating faster and faster. She wondered if Kozlov had figured it out. It wouldn't be that hard. Finally, Kozlov spoke. "I suppose that would be a good idea, Agent Derevko. It would be beneficial to the agency to keep you close to Arvin Sloane."
Irina nodded to herself. "All right," she whispered, then remembered that she had spoken to Jack Bristow the night before. "Jack Bristow called me last night. He wanted to have coffee."
"Good," Kozlov said on the other end of the line. "It will look less suspicious since he has made the first move. When are you meeting him?"
"Tomorrow morning," Irina said quietly, submissively.
"That's perfect," Kozlov said. "Anything else, Agent Derevko?"
"No, Agent Kozlov," Irina said and hung up the phone. She decided to go for a jog and went into her bedroom to change into her sweatpants. Suddenly, the phone rang. She grabbed the extension by her bed. "Hello?" she said.
"Laura," came Jack Bristow's voice from the other end of the line. "I'm sorry to call so early."
"Oh, it's fine," Irina said. "I was just about to go out for a jog." She wrapped the cord around her finger. Had he talked to Sloane? Did he want to cancel their date?
"I know we had plans for tomorrow," he said and Irina felt doom growing in her stomach. He was going to cancel on her. He continued, "but I was wondering if we could move them today? Would you possibly be able to meet me in about twenty minutes?"
"Umm...sure," Irina said. "That will work fine. I'll just jog over there right now." Jack gave her the name of a coffee house nearby. They hung up and Irina laced her tennis shoes up, then left the apartment.
When she got to the coffee house, Irina found Jack Bristow sitting on a bench outside holding two cups of coffee. When he saw her, she sat down and he handed her a cup of coffee. "Thanks for coming," he said. She just smiled. "I talked to Arvin Sloane last night," he said after a moment. Damn! Irina thought. Now he was going to tell her off. "He told me that you two are no longer together."
"That's right," Irina said with a slight nod of her head. "It just wasn't working out between us."
"That's what he said," Jack said, taking a drink from the cup he held. "I know this might be a little sudden, but I was wondering if you would like to have dinner on Friday night." He looked at her like he expected her to turn him down.
Irina met his glance and smiled broadly. "Dinner sounds fantastic," she said, and Jack visibly relaxed.
"Good," Jack said. "I guess I'll call you later with the details." Irina smiled and nodded. She took a drink of the warm, brown liquid, trying to calm her nerves. Jack was different from Arvin. He wasn't the same steady, confident man that Arvin had been. Jack was more nervous and unsure of himself. Somehow Irina couldn't see herself liking him the same way she had liked Arvin Sloane, but it was her duty to her country. She looked down at her watch, ready for a reason to leave.
"I'd better be going," she said. "I need to get ready for work." She stood up as Jack did also. "Thanks for the coffee," she said, draining the cup and tossing it into a nearby trash can.
"No problem," Jack said. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Great," Irina said with a smile. She then took off jogging in the direction she had come from. Back at the apartment she took her second shower of the day, relaxing as the warm water washed over her skin.