Another Chapter for your enjoyment:
Chapter Four
Jack didn’t know if he should be stunned by his own actions or pat himself on the back. He had slept with a woman who was sixth on the CIA’s shoot to kill list, he had let her into his apartment, his bed, his life and yet… he felt… no regret, no remorse or guilt for his actions. Last night had seemed, normal, almost, his wife wasn’t exactly as he remembered her but she was still, well frankly amazing. It had been a normal thing for nearly ten years to come home to the creature that was curled up asleep on his chest as the sun slowly rose outside his window. It had been normal to come home to her, to hold her and kiss her and make love to her. His life had been anything but normal of course, missions and gun fights and espionage and assassinations but this was something he counted as normal. Coming home to Laura.
Now she was Irina; in a way she had always been Irina but now he knew for certain that something about Laura had not been a lie, Irina had loved him, had loved their daughter. She had risked her freedom and her life to come back and comfort him, to tell him she was there for him, was with him and was never too far away.
He ran his fingers gently down her spine to where the white linen sheets crawled up her back and back up to her neck not wanting to disturb her sleep. Her head rested over his heart and one of her arms was lazily draped over him. Jack couldn’t help but smile, some things never changed.
And as if someone had been inspired by his thought, his mobile phone rang.
Irina moaned and moved a little snuggling in closer to him like she had done whenever the phone had interrupted their Sunday morning lie ins.
Jack answered it quickly looking down at Irina as she continued to sleep, her breathing deep and easy, if she was in anyway awake he couldn’t tell.
“Bristow.” He said, his voice sounded gravely and worn, tired like he had just woken up, he hoped he fooled whoever was on the phone into thinking that.
“Jack I hate to wake you up, I know you mustn’t be getting a lot of sleep.” It was Kendal.
Jack almost scowled but reminded himself that Kendal actually wasn’t a bad man, he was half way decent, if he had made his daughters life a living hell for a year.
“No, I’m not, what do you want Kendal?” he asked getting straight to the point as Irina shifted again her head lifting a little off his chest to look at him. He took the arm that had been wrapped around her waist and placed a finger over his lips to signal she should stay quiet, she nodded and laid back down, he knew she was more alert and listening now.
“I just wanted to say you don’t have to come in today Jack, I know you’re the type of man who refuses to sit and do nothing, especially when it comes to something as personal as your family, especially anything concerning Sydney. But I… I’m ringing to tell you I don’t want to see you in the office for two weeks Jack, you’re going to take time off and get a hold of yourself and work through your pain.” Kendal said all this rather fast as if trying to get it out quickly, not wanting to give Jack a moment to argue.
Jack realized that if he didn’t argue about it; it would seem suspicious.
“I appreciate your concern but my daughter was murdered and if I don’t find out who was behind it…”
“Jack listen to me, we have the best people going over everything, everything that’s happened over the last year, shifting through clues and hints and whispers looking for anything that will give us a solid lead. I swear that if something comes up in the next two weeks yours will be the first number I dial but until then, I want you to morn and grieve, properly, I don’t want you going postal on me. Your one of the best agents the CIA has and the last thing I need is another Bristow added to the list of lost agents. Do me a favour Jack, don’t go near a bar and lock your gun up.”
“You have so much faith in me it’s amazing.” Jack said sourly.
“I know what loosing Laura thirty years ago did to you Jack; I know Arvin Sloane had to pry a gun out of your hands after a night of very heavy drinking. I know he had to drive you home and take all the weapons out of the house and take Sydney to his house to stay with his wife.” Kendal went on, illuminating the extent of how far Jack fell after he lost Laura, or rather lost Irina to a watery death thirty years before.
Irina must have heard Kendal’s raised voice on the other end of the line because she looked up at him, her face and eyes registering her shock and horror. Jack looked away from her penetrating eyes and looked out the window as he sighed heavily for Kendal’s benefit.
“Alright, two weeks off, I think I can take doing nothing for two weeks.” He said finally.
“Good, I’ll check in with you when we have something.” Kendal hung up; he had got what he wanted. Jack pushed the end button and slid the phone onto his bedside table still feeling Irina’s eyes boring into him.
“Is that true?” Irina asked softly as the soft morning rays began to filter into the room, bathing every thing in a warm golden glow.
Jack looked down at her and nodded.
“God jack I’m so sorry.” She whispered.
He smiled and kissed her gently, it wasn’t really her fault, and he had begun to understand that, slowly.
“It’s ok; I do get two weeks leave because Kendal thinks I might go postal.” He smiled trying to make light of what had been a dark time for him. She bit her lower lip and lowered her eyes; trailing the back of her hand down his chest she repeated “I’m so sorry.”
Jack cupped her chin in one hand and kissed her tender lips.
“God I hate it when you do that.” She said savouring the contact, licking her lips and taking a deep breath as he withdrew his touch.
“Why?” he asked with a smile and a kiss to the side of her mouth.
“Makes me feel like you’ve won.” She said as she snaked her way closer to him lying on his chest, hands pressed against him hair falling in waves and tendrils down her shoulders and back.
Jack smiled and kissed her again, he moved ever so slightly to the side of the bed and dislodged her. He sat up and retrieved the items of clothing within easy reach; his boxers and singlet, his white shirt.
Irina smiled and watched him; pulling his pillow to her chest and snuggling into it admiring the play of muscles on his back. Despite his age he was still physically fit and Irina had always admired him, always loved his broad chest and back and large arms and hands. He was like a big bear you could snuggle with.
“So what are you planning on doing for two weeks while Kendal and his flunkies look for our daughters killers.” Irina said calmly as the sun warmed her body, she felt like purring and curling up and spending the day in bed with the man she was in love with. Had been since the moment she laid eyes on him.
“I’m planning on spending them tracking down the men who killed our daughter.” He said as he pulled on his shirt over his singlet and boxers.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Irina said sitting up holding the sheet to her body. She rolled over and headed to the other side of the bed still pressing the soft sheet to her skin.
She gasped as she felt Jack’s fingers running down her spine, reaching into her hair and his lips touching the nap of her neck, his kisses trailing down her shoulder to the small white line of skin he had been forced to create when he cut out the transmitter chip Marshall Flinkmen had injected her with.
She purred and turned to face him, his eyes shinning in the sun light; she smiled and kissed him full on the mouth.
“Will you please stop that and let me finish.” She said as their lips continued to touch.
Jack smiled and pulled back to look her in the face; his full attention on her.
“Do remember the last train trip we took as a couple?” She asked with a smile.
“Canada.” He smiled and nodded, he remembered very very well.
“How would you like to take a train trip around Europe with me?” She kissed him quickly watching as it sunk in.
“You had this all planned didn’t you.” He said with a shake of his head, of course she did, she was Irina, master of pre planning.
“Did you really think I planned on spending any more time in this country then I had to?” She said with a questioning look.
He shook his head.
She smiled and showed off the dimples that Jack had to come to associate with his daughters’ brilliant smile.
“You, me, sleeper carriage.” She whispered in a husky scintillating voice.
“Sounds fun.” He agreed.
“Can I borrow your shower?” she asked after brushing her lips against his.
“Why are you asking?” he said with a side long look as she pulled the rest of the blanket around herself.
“It’s polite Jack and Mamma Derevko taught her girls to always be polite.” She smiled as she glided from the bed wrapped in the sheet looking for the entire world like an Egyptian queen. The sun illuminating the colour of her skin and glistening off her hair; making strands stand out like molten gold.
He smiled and nodded, she grinned like a Cheshire cat and headed out still wrapped in his sheet. A few minutes later he heard water hitting the shower floor and sighed running a hand through his wavy silver hair.
Jack made his way to the kitchen noting the back-pack that was hidden behind his couch and their clothes thrown all over the apartment.
He shook his head at his own actions “She turns me into a weak kneed teenager.” He said out loud to himself as he put on a pot of coffee and searched through cupboards for his toaster.
“Were you talking to your self?” Came Irina’s voice as she traversed the space between the bathroom and the back of the couch with one of his towels wrapped around her; her hair was damp and there was a sheen of water on her skin, droplets sliding down her bare arms and legs. Damn she had legs from here to forever.
“Just reminding myself not to set the toaster on fire.” He grinned at her as he put a cup under the coffee machine.
She laughed as she picked up her bag tossing her damp hair sending sprays of droplets against the wall and couch.
“You could always set the coffee maker on fire.” She said with a poignant look to the coffee machine as it hissed.
He jumped forward and turned it off as she laughed and trotted to the bathroom.
“Oh no you don’t.” he chased her and she actually squealed, he hadn’t heard her do that since they were young.
“Jack, don’t, JACK.” She raised her voice in warning as she sprinted into the bathroom.
He pinned her to the glass sliding door her chest rising and falling with rapid breathing.
“I’ve missed you.” He said softly his eyes roving over her face as they stood with steam from the still running shower filling the room.
“I’ve missed you too.” She smiled as the steam swirled around them.
“I should get back to the toast.” He teased kissing her on the nose laughing as she scrunched up her face.
“Have I told you how cute you look when you do that.” He smiled as he stepped back from her.
“Not in thirty years.” She said putting her bag on the vanity unit.
Jack wrapped his arms about her waist and kissed her cheek looking at their reflection which was obscured by the fogging steam.
“You look cute when you do that.” He kissed her again and gave her one last gentle squeeze before heading back to their breakfast.
Irina watched him go in the mirror and grabbed onto the edge of the vanity for support. Damn Jack for making her weak in the knees, the only man on earth she felt she could loose herself in and he made her as faint as a school girl. Strong jaw and deep eyes and a mouth you just wanted to latch yourself to.
‘Stop Irina; stop right there, focus.’ She scolded herself shaking her head and gently tugging on the knot that held the soft cotton towel to her body.
She stepped into the shower and slid down the wall feeling the heat of the water and the pin pricks of it as it crashed down onto her. Showers had always made her feel better, helped her relax and think. Now she needed to concentrate, concentrate on her escape from America, her trip through Europe, how she planned on getting the information she wanted, who she would have to set up meets with, who she was going to have to threaten, who she was going to have to kill…
She ran her hands through her long hair as the water pelted down on her, letting it slid down her neck and back she rested her forehead on her knees. She didn’t want to have to kill anyone, but for some… well some people just deserved to be shot.
“Irina!” Jack’s voice calling out to her, she stood up and slid the door open a little; just enough to poke her face out.
“Yes jack?” she called back, his face appeared around the door frame.
“You still like raspberry jelly right?” he asked sheepishly with a silly grin on his face.
She rolled her eyes and sighed “Yes jack.” She smiled.
He nodded and disappeared again, she slid the door closed and grabbed the soap; she hoped she could keep her mind on her task, finding and killing the men who had orchestrated her daughters death. Sydney would be avenged, even if it took Irina the rest of her life to do it.
“Momma will find them baby, don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.” Irina promised as she stepped under the cascading water.
This one is a lot longer then the last cause i couldnt find a good place to cut it in half, so i hope its ok! Enjoy!
