Alias- Forever And Always

20) Forever Mine

AN: Music for this chapter (on repeat): Goodbyes by The Cranberries, In Dreams by Michael Giacchino from ALIAS Soundtrack, Mondo Bongo by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Kissing You Instrumental , Inferno by Michael Giacchino from the ALIAS Soundtrack, Palladio by Karl Jenkins & Adiemus from the Diamond Music Album, Drifting by Sarah McLachlan, Sandstorm (radio edit) by Darude, Still In Love With You by Jennifer Garner from the ALIAS Soundtrack.

TWENTY

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*Goodbyes *

Sydney, Australia

Irina sat down on the warm sand as the sunset on the horizon in brilliant fashion, digging her toes in and closing her eyes as the breeze blew through her hair and old memories blazed across her mind.

"Jack knew I was alive now." Lena's voice narrated softly over the image and song, "The FBI and CIA were looking for me in a massive manhunt as 'The Chosen One' in Rambaldi's Prophecy, now that Sydney had been cleared. I had come to my home in Sydney to put distance between myself and Khasinau as they believed me to be working for him as well as hide from an assassin K-Directorate had after 'The Man.' None of that mattered in my mind though, only that Jack had finally learned I was still alive. All I could think of was those last few months we had spent together, time that seemed like a lifetime and only yesterday ago."

Images of that happy time began to flash before her eyes with the sounds of laughter and 'I love you.'

"Our last trip to Mexico where our baby boy was conceived in complete love , a son, Jack never even knew existed." She batted at her falling tears as images from that romantic weekend flashed before her eyes and that of the audience, who were now crying with her over that reveal.

Jack reached over and kissed Irina with tears in his eyes, threading his fingers with hers over her belly. He kissed the tears on her cheeks away and placed one last chaste kiss on her lips before they turned their attention back to the screen.

"Our weekends at the beach as a family,"The flashbacks continued as Irina remembered.

"Taking Sydney to school on her first day of First Grade together, lazy mornings around the house when we'd all just snuggle in bed together... listening to Sydney tell us stories and making us laugh." The last brought a sad smile and more tears as she heard their laughter mixed with her daughter's childish giggles.

Irina flopped back onto the sand, laying her forearm over her eyes as silent tears slipped from her eyes into her hairline. The fingers of her other hand tracing her lips where she could still taste and feel their last kiss on the porch the morning she last saw him. Everything immediately after that moment was a blur for her.

"Now that Jack knew I was still alive, I could almost feel his hate burn with a fiery intensity straight through me. It was no longer hate for the dead woman who had lied to him and broke his heart, but for the living breathing reality of betrayal. I knew we were destined to run into each other again now, but terrified when the moment came and I'd look into his eyes and see sheer hate instead of the absolute love I only saw before when he looked at me."

Irina bit down on her lip, drawing blood and forcing her tears to subside.

"The only way I was going to be able to handle that was to meet his gaze with hate of my own. I had to channel my feelings and remember all the reasons why I hated and despised him and how my love for him, hurt me...remember all that I went through for him... all that I lost to him, for him, because of him. Destroy him before he could destroy me. Take control and not let him affect me."