Alias- Forever And Always

27) The Toaster

AN: Music for this chapter (on repeat): Nothing Else Matters by Scala & Kolacny Brothers, In The End by Linkin Park, Say All I Need by One Republic, Every Breath You Take by Sting , Walk On by U2, Time by Sarah McLachlan, Solitude by Evanessence, With or Without You by U2,Stay by Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko, White Flag by Dido.

TWENTY-SEVEN

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*Nothing Else Matters*

When they finally informed Irina it wasn't Sydney and Vaughn who were killed but two of her own agents, inside she sobbed in relief that her motherly instincts and connection were indeed right when hadn't felt that her daughter was gone from her heart. Irina had second-guessed those instincts wondering and believing that they were most likely gone now, as she hadn't been in touch with her child for so many years. Her joy and relief were pushed down deep as her own hate and resentment of Jack began to surface, realizing he must have set her up, coming through on his promise to eradicate her once more from Sydney's life. She only hoped her daughter would come to the same conclusion but as the days passed, and she was informed she would be tried, she realized that hope was quickly dying with each passing minute.

They had removed her from her tiny dark hellhole in the ground to an above ground cell without explanation nearly two weeks after she'd been sent there.

After pacing her new cell relentlessly the night before her trial was to begin, Irina had decided there really was only one thing left she could do if Sydney didn't discover the truth soon. She would certainly be delivered a Guilty Verdict at the end of it anyway. What was the point in going through it and having Sydney see it, destroying any kind of feeling Sydney may have had for her with it? For her daughter to see the images and fabrications of the agents they all believed she had killed… potentially exposing them as well?

There really was only one option and she knew Life In Prison was worse than death. 'Plead guilty and be put to death… a quick death.' She had taken a gamble in turning herself in; she hadn't counted on Jack's level of hate and the lengths he would go to but it had been worth it, she decided resolutely smiling softly watching her lawyer leave and thinking about Sydney smiling at her once again.

She had seen her daughter and just for a moment, gotten to know her a little more… and her daughter, a little more of her. The only thought that tore Irina apart, was that Sydney would go on believing her own mother had tried to kill her and never know the truth. The whole truth…or how much she loved her, forever and always.

Sydney meeting with Will in the park followed briefly when she told him that her mother was going to be put on trial and they were going to seek the Death Penalty.

"The only way I'm able to deal with it, is to tell myself that woman was never my mother."

Hearing Sydney say what everyone in the audience already knew couldn't be further from the truth, only added to the sadness of how screwed up this situation had been with all the lies and secrets and painful beliefs on everyone's part.

Sydney believing Irina was never her mother; never loved her and had tried to kill her. Jack believing Irina had never loved him and everything had been an illusion and Irina believing Sydney didn't love her and Jack only hated her.