Goodbye Kiss

            Sitting on a bed in medical, Jack winced as another wave of pain shot through his ribs. He hated cracked ribs – it was one of those injuries that hurt no matter what you were doing. Sitting, standing, turning, breathing – they all hurt. He sighed as he realized that putting his shirt back on was going to be the worst. But he couldn't walk around CTU half-naked, so he took a deep breath and reached for the offending garment.

            His head shot up at the sound of heels clicking across the floor. He watched as Chloe walked up to him nervously, wringing her hands in front of her. He smiled at her, knowing that he owed her an apology for snapping at her earlier over Audrey's file.

            "Hey," he said quietly.

            Chloe bit her lip and looked around the room, obviously avoiding his eyes. "I'm leaving," she blurted out.

            "What?" Jack asked in confusion.

            "Not right this second," she continued as though he hadn't said anything. "But after…this. After we find the bad guys and stop them. I'm leaving CTU. For good."

            Jack closed his eyes. He didn't want Chloe to go. It was comforting to know that anytime he had to come back here, he would be coming back to her. That she would always be there to give him a small smile…or snip at him for saying or doing something stupid. But he couldn't expect her to wait here forever for him. He opened his eyes again, keeping his gaze locked on the floor.

            "That'll be good…for you and Morris. You guys'll do better once you're away from here."

            "Morris isn't coming," she said quietly.

            Jack's head shot back up. "Why not?"

            Chloe shrugged, looking down at her hands as she continued to wring them nervously. "We aren't working. Here or somewhere else. It's just not…we broke up."

            "I'm sorry, Chloe."

            "It's fine. I mean, it's better this way."

            They sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. Chloe shuffled nervously and Jack tried to sift through his thoughts, tried to process that Chloe was actually leaving.

            "So you came here to say goodbye?" he finally asked.

            Chloe nodded. "I knew you'd be busy with Audrey." Jack thought he hurt a hint of bitterness in her voice, but she hurried on. "And you have a tendency to kinda disappear after these things, so…I just wanted to make sure you knew. And…"

            Jack watched her, waiting for her to finish her thought. But she was biting her lip again, eyes roaming. He could tell that she was trying to talk herself out of saying whatever it was she had started to say.

            "Just say it, Chloe," he prodded gently.

            She looked up at him again, and he could see tears in her eyes. "I promised myself…that I would…do this before I left."

            "Do what?" he asked quietly.

            "This."

            Chloe walked up to him and took his face in her hands, bringing his mouth to hers. She kissed him gently, moving her lips against his sensuously.

            The last thing Jack had expected her to do was kiss him. He froze in shock at the contact, but quickly relaxed against her mouth. Not fully comprehending what he was doing, he started to kiss her back, bringing his hands to her waist and pulling her closer, hooking his ankles around her thighs to keep her in place. Her tongue flicked out to taste his lips, and Jack immediately opened his mouth to her, reaching his own tongue out to meet hers.

            Chloe gasped as Jack deepened the kiss. She reached one of her arms around his neck as the other slid down his bare chest and around his waist. She had never imagined that Jack would pull her closer, kiss her back. Her brain fell into a stupor as she reveled in his touch, in the feel of his bare skin under her hands.

            But then Chloe remembered Audrey. She remembered the look in Jack's eye when he had demanded the file. She remembered the satellite feed when he had finally found her. She remembered him carrying her in to CTU.

            Placing her hands back on his face, Chloe pulled away, wanting to cry at the loss of contact. She looked in his eyes, physical pain boring into her at the thought of never seeing him again after today. But she gave him a small smile, and one more small kiss on the mouth.

            "Goodbye, Jack," she whispered before turning and walking out.

 

***

 

            Audrey was awake when Jack walked in. He had brought her straight to medical when they got back to CTU, and they had sent him to another room to get his ribs checked. He leaned against the doorway, watching her, his mind still reeling from his encounter with Chloe a few minutes ago.

            "Hey," he said quietly.

            Audrey turned her head, smiling at the sight of him. But then he saw something else flit across her eyes, something he couldn't quite place.

            "Hey," she said back, and Jack detected nervousness in her voice.

            They stayed like that, staring at each other. Jack found it odd that he was having another awkward silence with a woman he cared deeply for.

            "Jack, I-" Audrey faltered, not sure how to say it.

            "It's okay, Audrey," Jack assured her, finally understanding her nervousness. "I saw the ring."

            Tears stung Audrey's eyes as she fingered the ring on her left hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

            Jack smiled at her and walked to her bed. "Don't be," he said, taking her hand in his. "I'm happy for you."

            The tears were now sliding down her face. "I just couldn't do it again, Jack. I couldn't wait and not know…"

            "It's okay," he said again, wishing he could make her understand that he wasn't angry. He sat down on the edge of the bed and wiped the tears from her face. "We both knew it wasn't going to work, Audrey. Your instinct to leave me was right the first time. I think we just got caught up in seeing each other again, in finding out that the other was alright."

            Audrey nodded, surprised that this didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She watched as Jack sank back into his own thoughts, and a thought suddenly occurred to her.

            "You found someone else," she whispered.

            Jack shook his head. "No...I don't know."

            Audrey smirked. "Or is it that you finally saw what was right in front of you this whole time?"

            Jack jerked his eyes back to her, at a loss for words.

            Now it was Audrey's turn to assure him. "It's okay, Jack. It's about time you realized it. I used to think you two could never fit, but after watching you two work together time after time…I'm starting to think that she's the only one you could fit with."

            Jack kept his head down, trying desperately to make his brain work. "She's leaving," he said quietly.

            Audrey put her free hand under his chin and lifted his eyes to hers. "So why aren't you going with her?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "When you first disappeared, Jack, all I could think of was finding you again. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. But then…when I met Jim…God, Jack. I hated myself for having feelings for him. I thought I was betraying you. And maybe I was. But I realized that the reason Jim and I worked so well was because…we didn't have to fight between worlds. We both wanted the same things. We saw things the same way. Jack, I could never be okay with your world. I could never be okay with knowing the things you have to do here everyday. And even if you walked away…you wouldn't be happy in my world either. But maybe you and Chloe can…find a new world together." Audrey crinkled her nose and laughed. "And maybe I need to find a new metaphor for this. But you know what I mean. You two could be happy."

            Jack closed his eyes, willing himself to stop imagining it, to stop imagining what it would be like to be happy with Chloe.

            "I don't want to ruin her, too," he said so quietly that Audrey almost didn't hear him.

            "Jack…" When he didn't respond, she grabbed his face with both her hands, forcing him to look at her again. "Jack! You did not ruin me. Or Kate. And you're certainly not going to ruin Chloe. But if you don't tell her, if you don't go with her, you're going to break her heart."

            "Audrey, I ruin everything I touch. Teri's dead. Claudia's dead. Kim won't speak to me. You've been taken hostage and hurt. I pushed Kate away. What the hell can I offer to Chloe?"

            Audrey smiled. "You, Jack. Just you. That's all she's ever wanted."

            "Ahem."

            Both Jack and Audrey turned to see a man standing in the doorway. Jack saw Audrey's face light up as she let go of his face.

            "Jim!" she exclaimed.

            He walked hesitantly toward them, eyeing Jack suspiciously. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

            Audrey reached out and grabbed her fiancé's hand, pulling him closer to the bed. "No. Jack and I just needed to talk. We're good now."

            "Jack…as in…the Jack?"

            Jack smiled and stood up, extending his hand to the other man. "It's nice to meet you, Jim." Jim shook his hand, still eyeing him warily. Jack turned back to Audrey, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Thank you, Audrey. And I'm glad you're happy."

            He nodded to Jim. "Take good care of her." And then he walked out.

 

***

 

            Chloe had never been so grateful to see a day end – except maybe that day when Tony and Michelle and Edgar had died. That had easily been the worst day of her entire life. As she packed up the things on her desk, she picked up the picture of her and Edgar that Bill had given her. She smiled even through the sharp pain in her heart as she remembered her friend. She knew that he'd be proud of her for finally leaving this place.

            As she finished putting everything in the box, Bill Buchanan walked up to her. He smiled warmly at her, realizing just how much he was going to miss the snarky analyst. She was the best at what she did, but aside from that, she had become like a daughter to him.

            "So you're really leaving?" he asked.

            Chloe nodded. "Sorry, Mr. Buchanan."

            Bill laughed. "Technically I'm not your boss anymore, Chloe. Just call me Bill. And besides, it's time you got out of this place. Go have a normal life."

            Chloe snorted. "Fat chance of that."

            Before she could stop him, Bill took a step closer and wrapped her in a hug, holding her tightly. She stood there awkwardly for a moment, but then returned the embrace, surprised at the emotion that welled up in her throat.

            When they finally pulled back, they were both startled to see Jack standing a few feet away, obviously not wanting to intrude on their moment. Chloe was sure he'd be in medical with Audrey, and she couldn’t figure out why he would be here when they had already said their goodbyes.

            "Jack," Bill said. "Just the man I wanted to see. I thought we could talk about maybe finding you a place here at CTU again."

            Jack smiled but shook his head. "Sorry, Bill. But I'm not coming back."

            Bill's eyes widened in amazement, and Chloe's struggled to keep the shock from her face. "Where are you going?" he asked.

            Jack looked at Chloe. "You'll have to ask her, sir."

            Bill looked at the two of them, taking in Jack's smugness and Chloe's surprise. He decided it was time for him to leave. He shook Jack's hand. "It was nice to see you again, Jack. And I hope you find someplace you can be happy…and someone you can be happy with." The last line was delivered with a pointed look at Chloe. Then Bill smiled at the two of them and walked back to his office.

            "Jack, what are you doing?" Chloe asked as soon as Bill was out of earshot.

            "I want to come with you."

            "No you don't."

            "Yes I do."

            "No. You don't."

            Jack sighed. "Chloe. You don't get to kiss me like that and then just leave. That's not fair."

            "What about Audrey?"

            "She's engaged, Chloe. And she's happy. And I think it's about time you and I got to be happy too."

            "I won't do it, Jack," Chloe said, shaking her head.

            "Do what? Be happy?"

            "No. I won't be your rebound fling."

            It was then that Jack saw how scared she was. She just couldn't bring herself to believe that he meant it, that he actually wanted to be with her. Realizing that words were going to get him nowhere, Jack leaned in and kissed her.

            Chloe immediately sank into the kiss, unable to stop her body's reactions. Jack gathered her body into his and held her tightly as he slowly kissed her, taking his time as he fully explored her mouth. His ribs ached as he pulled her even tighter, but he wanted to make sure there was no doubt left in her mind about where he wanted to be. When he finally pulled back, Chloe's eyes remained closed as she struggled to get her breathing under control again.

            Jack gently squeezed her hips. "Take me with you," he whispered.

            Chloe slowly opened her eyes. "Are you sure?"

            Jack held her gaze, making sure she saw the truth in his eyes. "Yes."

            Chloe nodded, and Jack pulled away to pick up her box. He turned back to see her watching him, relief and wonderment evident on her face.

            "Ready?" he asked.

            She nodded, and he leaned in to give her another quick kiss. He tucked the box under his right arm and wrapped the other around her waist as he led her off the floor.

           

Somewhere Warm (Part V)

            Jack inwardly groaned as he awoke to sunlight pouring into the room, and quickly shut his eyes again. His head was pounding and the room was swimming and he seemed to be tangled up in another person's limbs. He slowly opened one eye and was mildly surprised, although infinitely relieved, to see Chloe's sleeping form cuddled up against him. He smiled at the sight of her, reveling in how beautiful she was even in sleep.

            Jack bit back another groan as he remembered the previous evening. He hadn't meant to drink that much, and he certainly hadn't meant to confuse Chloe. He had kissed her because he wanted to, and because the alcohol had stopped his brain from coming up with any more objections. But he remembered the look on her face when she had pulled back – she was confused, and worried that he was just drunk and desperate.

            A smile spread across his face as he remembered his last words to her on the beach. He would just wake her up and let her know that it had not been the alcohol talking, that he still very much so wanted to kiss her and have his way with her. He lifted his hand to push the hair back from her face and tuck it behind her ear. She stirred slightly, but remained sleeping, and Jack moved his hand to her arm, gently rubbing up and down. Chloe stirred again, this time pushing her body up against his and moaning quietly. Jack's smile grew as he saw the effect his touch was having on her. He leaned his head down to her ear. But just as he was about to wake her, his stomach heaved and Jack realized that the alcohol was about to come back with a vengeance.

            He bolted out of bed and slid to his knees in front of the toilet, emptying the contents to his stomach. He silently cursed himself for being such an idiot. If he had just kissed Chloe on the beach like he had wanted to, none of this would be happening. In fact, he'd probably be in bed with her right now, making love to her and eliciting more of those moans that turned him on so much. Instead he was stuck with the not-nearly-as-sexy toilet for company.

            Chloe had woken up at the sound of Jack rushing from the room, the bed suddenly much colder in his absence. She frowned as she vaguely remembered Jack touching her just moments earlier, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of her friend getting sick in the bathroom. She smiled ruefully and got up to join him.

            "I told you," she said simply.

            Jack glared at her, still hugging the toilet. "Shut up."

            "Well I did."

            "Chloe…" he warned.

            She laughed and knelt down beside him, rubbing his back as he doubled over and got sick again.

            "You don't have to do that," he said quietly.

            "Do you want me to leave?"

            "No."

            Chloe smiled. "Then I'm staying."

            Fifteen minutes later, Jack hauled himself off of the bathroom floor and decided that it was time for a shower. He contemplated asking Chloe if she wanted to join him, but he figured that might not go over so well.

            He emerged twenty minutes later to find Chloe dressed in jeans and sneakers, filling a backpack. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her, wondering how he was going to tell her how he felt. He supposed he could just blurt it out now, but he hesitated again, and then the moment was gone.

            "You're gonna want long pants," Chloe said when she saw him standing there.

            "Where are we going?" he asked, rifling through his suitcase for a pair of jeans.

            Chloe shrugged. I thought we could go for a hike, explore a little bit. If you want to do something else…"

            Jack smiled at her. "No. This sounds great."

            Chloe nodded and continued filling her bag.

 

***

 

            There were paths all over the island, crisscrossing through the jungle, most eventually leading to one beach or another. Chloe picked one at random and just started walking, enjoying each other's company. Jack struggled with himself for a good half hour before finally plucking up the courage to take Chloe's hand. As his fingers brushed her palm, Chloe jumped, jerking her hand away. Jack pulled his hand back as well.

            "Sorry," he said, looking everywhere but at her. "I, uh-"

            Chloe tried to calm her heartbeat. She had been so lost in her thoughts that when Jack had touched her, it had scared her half to death. She smiled at him, sad that she had ruined the moment.

            "No, I'm sorry. I was just…thinking. You startled me, that's all."

            Jack nodded and they began walking again, both lost in thought. Jack wondered if he should try a second time, but he wasn't sure if he was just being foolish. Maybe she really didn't want him touching her. But with everything else that had happened on this trip so far…was he just reading the signs wrong?

            He was jerked out of his thoughts at the feel of Chloe's hand tentatively sliding into his own. When he turned his head to look at her, he saw that a small blush was creeping up her neck as she kept her gaze straight ahead, refusing to look at him. Jack smiled and squeezed her hand, reassuring her that this was okay.

 

***

 

            An hour later they found themselves on a secluded beach. Chloe walked halfway to the water before setting her backpack down and opening it, rummaging through its contents. Jack watched her in amusement.

            "What are you doing?" he asked.

            Chloe pulled out a blanket and spread it on the sand underneath the shade of a tree, using rocks to weigh the corners down. She then kneeled in front of the bag and pulled out containers, opening them one by one and setting them on the blanket. When she was finished she looked up at Jack and said simply, "Lunch."

            Jack grinned and sat down across from her, pleasantly surprised by the little picnic she had set up. They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the breeze that was coming off the water. Chloe had ordered sandwiches from room service while Jack had been in the shower, and they feasted on those as they watched the waves crash against the sand. When they were finished, Chloe packed up all of the containers and put them back in her bag. Then she pulled out two books, handing one to Jack.

            "What's this?" he asked, looking at the book in confusion.

            "A book."

            Jack sighed. "I can see that, Chloe."

            "Then why did you ask?" she replied as she slipped on her sunglasses and tried to get comfortable laying down on the blanket.

            "You know what I meant."

            Chloe propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him. "I thought we could just sit and read. You know, enjoy the day. Isn't that what you're supposed to do on a tropical island?"

            Jack smiled at her, realizing that she had planned this whole day – packing the lunch, picking the trail, finding the beach. "Yeah it is," he said. He looked around him and then scooted back to the tree behind them and leaned against it, opening his book.         Satisfied, Chloe laid back down and tried to get comfortable again. She tried sitting up, laying on her stomach, leaning on her arm – nothing was working. She glared at Jack, who was obviously comfortable, but he kept his eyes on his book, suppressing the grin that tugged at his mouth. Chloe weighed her options in her mind, finally deciding to throw caution to the wind.

            Jack watched from the corner of his eye as Chloe got up and walked towards him. He figured she was going to demand that he move over and share his tree. Instead, she pulled his knees apart and planted herself right in front of him, leaning against his chest for support. She shifted a couple times, sending waves of electricity throughout Jack's body, and then settled down and opened her book. Jack couldn't see it, but she grinned as she felt his heartbeat race against her back.

            Jack nearly choked at her proximity. Did she realize what she was doing to him? He concentrated on slowing his breathing and regaining control of his body. Deciding that a little revenge was in order, he wrapped his left arm around her waist, sliding his fingers under the hem of her shirt and letting them stroke her skin. Hearing the hitch in her breath, he pulled her closer, placed a kiss on the side of her neck and opened his book.

 

***

 

            As the sun began to set, Jack set his book down and wrapped his right arm around Chloe's waist so that she was completely surrounded by him. At this she closed her book as well and leaned her head back onto his chest, placing her hands over his.

            "It's amazing, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

            "What is?"

            "How easy it is to spend a whole day doing nothing – and to enjoy every second of it."

            Chloe smiled at that. She never imagined that they would be sharing something like this, that they would ever get to enjoy each other's company in a situation that didn't involve bombs or terrorists.

            "I'm taking you to dinner tonight," Jack stated, interrupting her thoughts.

            "Okay."

            "Some place nice. So you have to wear dress."

            "Now you're pushing it," Chloe replied.

            "I have to dress nice too."

            "Have you ever worn a dress?"

            "No."

            "Then I win."

            Jack paused for a moment, and then said quietly, "I want to do it right this time."

            Chloe froze, not believe what she had just heard. "What?"

            "I screwed up last night, Chloe. I know I drank too much. I'm going to do it right this time." He paused again. "I'm going to be sober when I seduce you."

            "Seduce me?" Chloe squeaked.

            "Do you have any objections to that?" he asked, wondering if this would be easier or harder looking her in the face.

            Chloe crinkled her nose. "I thought I was the one that was supposed to be seducing you," she said.

            Jack laughed at that. "Is it possible to seduce each other at the same time?"

            Chloe shrugged, trying to hide her nervousness. "Guess we'll find out."

            Jack smiled and brought his lips to her ear. "So you'll come? To dinner?"

            Chloe sat up and turned his arms so that she could face him. "Of course." Leaning forward, she planted a firm kiss on his lips and then stood up to pack their stuff. As he watched her in wonder, she gave him a classic Chloe look.

            "Come on, Jack. If you expect me to go to dinner, you have to give me time to make myself look like a real girl."

            Standing up, Jack walked over to her and grabbed her waist from behind, pulling her against him. "You don’t need to do anything extra to look like a "real girl," Chloe. You're stunning as it is."

            Smiling at the compliment, Chloe finished packing up their stuff and grabbed his hand, leading him back down the trail toward the hotel.