Alias- Forever And Always

13) Family Love

AN: Music for this chapter (on repeat): Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys, Book of Days by Enya, The Beach Song by Hans Zimmer, Zombie Nation by Kernkraft400, Back in Black by AC/DC, And Then He Kissed Me by The Crystals, Wild Thing by The Troggs, Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel, Never Grow Old by The Cranberriesl.

THIRTEEN

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When Jack awoke in the morning, Irina wasn't in bed beside him. It was still early and judging from the feel of her side of the bed, she hadn't been there in awhile. His eyebrows knit in worry remembering her state last night and flipped back the sheet, jumping out of bed and going over to the dresser to pull on a pair of pajama pants. He felt exhausted, physically and emotionally after last night and yesterday as he opened the door and went to check on Lena.

To his surprise, the door was already slightly ajar and he heard the most beautiful sound coming from inside, Irina's laughter mixed with Lena's giggles and squeals.

When he pushed open the door further, he saw Irina sitting with knees bent off to the side, her upper body resting on one arm, across the room, looking over Lena lying on the big white fur rug, the sunlight streaming in on them and oblivious to his presence.

Irina leaned forward and began rapidly kissing Lena all over her neck, face and body making her squeal as Irina smothered her with kisses, making them both laugh. She scooped her up and continued to plant a million kisses all over her face and neck as she pulled her into her arms.

When Lena reached behind her with one arm towards Jack, babbling, "Dada, da-da."

Irina turned with a brilliant smile on her face.

"Good morning." She smiled, speaking softly, rubbing her cheek softly against Lena's pressed to her face.

When she woke up this morning she was still incredibly upset and worried about her unborn babies, but when she went to check on Lena and found her playing happily in her crib, standing up the minute she saw her and smiling, reaching for her and then kissing her with her now famous slobbery kiss, Irina just knew, felt it in her heart, that everything would be ok.

*Don't Worry Baby*

"Good morning." Jack smiled, happy to see her smiling and slowly sat down beside them, reaching forward with one hand to kiss her softly. 'She always had a way of bouncing back.' "What are you two, up to already this morning?" He reached over, running his hand over Lena's head.

"Getting smothered with her morning kisses from big sister Sydney by way of Mama." Irina smiled brightly, "On top of the ones from me of course." She nuzzled her face against Lena's cheek, her eyes locking on Jack's and holding his steady gaze for a moment in silence. Jack saw the change in her eyes and most notably, the absence of fear within them from last night.

"Don't worry, everything will turn out all right." Irina spoke in almost a whisper with a smile, the look in her eyes of certainty, obviously knowing something intuitively as their mother that he didn't and he trusted her, believed her, and let go of his own fear.

He reached out and ran his hand down the side of her face, nodding softly with a smile choosing in that moment with her, to concentrate on the 'good' for now, enjoy this pregnancy and worry another day.

They both were realists enough to realize that they couldn't just stop worrying because they wanted to, part of them would always worry, but they were making the choice not to concentrate on it, think negatively and instead, concentrate on the positives, the blessings in their live and the ones to come. The new day, had brought with it, new prospective.