Alias- Forever And Always

75) I Will Always Follow You

Music for this chapter: Echo By Jason Walker, The Maze Runner 3 Goodbye And Pieces By Red.

SEVENTY-FIVE

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*Maze Runner Score Goodbye *

Pasadena, California

Jack had dinner with his children when they arrived and when they all left him that night he found himself sitting on the porch swing and running his hand over the smooth wood where Irina normally sat beside him. He hadn't cried since the funeral so emotionally exhausted and felt the tears returning to him as her face flashed before his eyes in all the times they'd spent together on this swing.

The first night they'd moved into the house, feeling Sydney kicking inside of her when she was pregnant, and the twins. Rocking with Ria when she was colicky and had finally fallen asleep like an angel against them. He couldn't stop the smile through his sad snort of laughter remember Lena suddenly appearing before them hanging from the porch of the roof with wide eyes sneaking out in a time that wasn't funny then, but funny now when he thought of how long ago that seemed now. He could still smell Irina's perfume lingering in his nose, feel the delicate skin of her neck against his lips seeing himself nuzzling down into the crook of her shoulder and hear her soft laughter.

This house held so many memories for him in his life with and without her and he couldn't bare the thought of spending another twenty years without her again.

"I need you..." He whispered into the darkness, "I can't do this again without you."

'You can,' she answered in the stillness and beat of his heart, 'They need you, Jack.'

"I want to be with you," He wiped at the corner of his eye where the tears were threatening to fall and the bench swayed slightly when he pushed off with his toes.

'You will be and until then...I'm here...just a breath away,' She answered and he swore he felt her warm breath against his ear when he closed his eyes.

"I love you..." he kept his eyes closed seeing her face before him and wanting to reach out and hold her.

'And I love you...never forget that.' She smiled softly at him and he felt his heart flutter.

"Never again..." He shook his head with new tears thinking about how he could ever have doubted she loved him before, "Am I the only one you're talking to? The only one that hears you?" He asked after a minute wiping his tears wondering if she'd been speaking with their children as well.

'No...I've spoken with our children but Lena has stopped listening...she's shutting me out.' Her voice sounded disheartened and Jack swallowed hard.

"Why?" He asked quietly with his hand lying over his heart.

'For the same reason I stopped listening to my mother when she was trying to speak to me...I didn't think I deserved to hear what she was saying and it hurt too much.'

"Why would Lena think she didn't deserve to hear you?" Jack sniffled feeling his chest tighten with concern for his daughter.

'She blames herself for my death...'

"She needs you."