Home

Alright...glorylinnemann demanded this fic in payment for posting mine this weekend, and I was happy to oblige. It's called "Home." Hope you enjoy it. 

            She hadn’t expected to see him there. It was early – the sun would just be rising if it weren’t for the thunderstorm raging. He stood with his shoulders slumped, the rain soaking him. For a minute she just watched, unable to make herself stop staring at him. When she finally dragged her eyes away from him, she hesitated, unsure of what she should do. She was pretty sure he wanted to be left alone – Jack always dealt with grief alone. But her heart broke at the sight of him, and she ached to go to him and offer whatever comfort she could.         

            Eventually her feet began to move of their own accord, carrying her to him. She moved slowly and carefully, not wanting to disturb him. As she came up behind him she stopped, surprised at the shaking of his shoulders. Now that she was closer to him, she could hear his sobs, one hand covering his eyes. As she looked to the tombstone beyond him, she read the engraved name: TONY ALMEIDA.

            Jack didn’t take notice of her presence until she came to stand beside him, maneuvering her umbrella to cover them both. It was the sudden absence of rain that caused him to look up at her.

            Keeping her eyes locked on his, Chloe gently slid her hand into his, giving it a squeeze. He stared down at their hands for a moment before nodding and returning his attention to the grave before them. Chloe watched as tears continued to fall down his face, but instead of weeping he now clutched her hand.

            They stood there for what seemed like forever, both staring at the tombstone, lost in their own thoughts. Eventually Jack’s tears ran dry and he cleared his throat.

            “What are you doing here?” he asked quietly.

            “I…I was just…” her voice began to break and she took a moment to get her emotions under control. “Edgar’s here too,” she whispered.

            Jack tightened his grip on her hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

            Chloe shrugged. "You had things you needed to figure out." She paused, biting her bottom lip. "You really miss him, don't you?"

            He nodded. "The only thing worse would be losing you or Kim."

            "You meant the world to him, Jack. You were his best friend."

            "But I couldn't save him," he whispered hoarsely.

            "I don't think he wanted you to." Jack looked at her sharply and she shrugged. "This way he didn't have to live long without Michelle. You know that would have broken him."

            He couldn't argue with the validity of her statement. "At least now they're together," he said quietly.

            "Come on, Jack. I don't think either of them would want you out here catching your death. Let's go get you some dry clothes and some breakfast." She looked around. "Where's your car?"

            "I walked."

            "Oh, Jack…" she whispered. She tugged on his hand lightly, pulling him with her. "Come on. I'll drive you home."

            Taking one last look at Tony's grave, he followed her to the car.

 

***

 

            By the time they arrived at Jack's hotel, the thunderstorm had passed and the sun was struggling with the remaining clouds. Chloe was saddened to see where he'd been staying – the paint peeling and windows cracked. He obviously hadn't cared about his surroundings enough to find a nice place.

            Jack opened the door and they stepped inside. Chloe saw that the room was dingy and unkempt, and that knowledge just made her heart hurt for him even more. She sat gingerly on the bed while he moved to the bathroom with a dry set of clothes.

            As she listened to the water turn on in the shower, Chloe looked around at the few things that Jack had brought into the room with him. There was a duffle bag on the floor by the bed; his shoes had been discarded by the door; an old picture of Kim sat framed on the table next to the bed.

            Ten minutes later, Jack came out of the bathroom, looking much warmer and drier. He stood by the bed awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Chloe stood up and walked over to him, her hands wringing themselves as she tried to keep her voice steady.

            "Are you staying in L.A. this time?"

            He looked over at the picture on the table. "Yeah. If nothing else, I have to try and make things work with Kim."

            Chloe nodded, looking down at the floor for a moment before bringing her eyes back to his. "You're not staying here," she stated simply but forcefully.

            "Chloe…"

            "Forget it, Bauer. You deserve better than this. My place isn't huge, but it's clean and you won't be alone. So pack your things. We're going to get breakfast and then we're going home."

            A faint smile teased his lips. "Okay," he acquiesced quietly, moving to pack his things.

 

***

 

            They chose a small diner a couple blocks from Chloe's apartment. It was still early, and the place was fairly empty. They chose a booth near the back, with a window that looked out on the street. The sun had finally won the battle against the clouds, and the day was quickly warming up. They made comfortable small talk until the waitress brought them their food, and then they turned their attention to their food.

            Eventually Chloe broke the silence. "So where did you go?"

            "I bought an cheap car and just drove. I made it halfway through Arizona before I realized that I couldn't just run away. There were still things for me here. Kim…you. I started to understand that that was my problem the past few years – I kept leaving to keep you guys safe. But I know now that that never worked. If someone wants to get to me, they know where my heart lies. It doesn't matter if I'm with you guys or half a world away. I'd rather spend the time with people I love instead of running away and then suddenly losing them."

            Chloe was stunned by his speech. It was the second time that day that he had put her on the same value level as Kim, and it still threw her off-guard.

            "So I turned around. Halfway back, the car died. I hitched the rest of the way here and crashed in the nearest hotel when I got in last night."

            "I'm glad," Chloe whispered when he'd finished his story. Jack looked up at her in confusion. "That you came back. I missed you."

            Giving her a small smile, he reached over and squeezed her hand before starting to eat again. "So what about you? How have you been?"

            Chloe shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

            "Liar," Jack said quietly.

            She glared at him. "Fine. I've been miserable, okay? With Tony and Michelle and Edgar dead and you gone…I was pretty much on my own. And it turns out I don't take the greatest care of myself when I'm alone."

            Jack shifted uncomfortably. "What about Morris? You two seemed…close…when I left."

            Chloe snorted in derision. "Yeah, well. I thought about getting back together with him until I woke up in bed with him the next morning. I realized that the only reason I was even considering it was because I was lonely and hurt and tired and grieving. I was so disgusted with myself. I just left. After I finally snapped at him and told him why I had slept with him, he finally got the picture." She frowned before groaning and throwing her head into her hands. "God, I'm a terrible person."

            Jack laughed and reached over to rub one of her arms. "No, you're not. Just be happy you realized what you were doing before you two got serious again. Besides, from what I hear, he was an ass and had no right to even hope that you would take him back."

            Chloe's head snapped up. "Who did you hear that from?"

            He shrugged. "Chase."

            "When the hell did he tell you all that?"

            "While we were partners. Before I left for Washington."

            "Ugh. That's the last time I'm ever telling him anything."

            Jack stared at her for a minute, his expression sobering. "I owe him an apology," he said quietly.

            Chloe frowned. "What for?"

            "When he was in the hospital…he made me promise to take care of you. To keep you safe. I didn't do that."

            "I'm not some glass box for you two to pass back and forth and protect from breaking. I can take care of myself," she paused, frowning. "Well, most of the time."

            "You know, Chloe. It's okay for friends to take care of each other. We're friends, aren't we?"

            She nodded, but Jack caught her hesitation. He pushed their plates to the side of the table, gathering his thoughts.

            "I know I haven't been a good friend, Chloe. I know that I've never been there for you when you've needed me. I know almost nothing about your personal life. I call you constantly to help me save the world and can't even offer a "thank you" afterwards." He brought his head back up, his eyes locking with hers. "But I'd like the chance to try." He saw that there was still something bothering her. "What are you so afraid of?" he asked quietly.

            She opened her mouth several times, shutting it when the words couldn't come. She looked at Jack helplessly, and he just smiled at her encouragingly.

            "It's okay. You can tell me."

            Chloe pursed her lips and looked down at the table. "I'm afraid you'll get sick of me. We don't spend a lot of time around each other. I can be pretty annoying and I'm afraid you'll realize that you don't really want to be friends with me."

            "Oh, Chloe…" Jack whispered as he leaned over to cup her face in his hands. "What the hell did he do to you? How did he convince you that you're worthless?" He rubbed his thumbs along her cheekbones. "I could never get sick of you, Chloe. I want to get to know you better. I want to know all those silly little things about you that only a best friend would know. I want to be there for you. I want to make you laugh and hold you when you cry. I want to…be your friend," he ended, his eyes falling away as he said the last words.

            Chloe smiled at him, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her hands on his wrists as he continued to hold her face. "We are friends, Jack. And you can know whatever you want about me."

            Jack's face broke into a grin. "Really?"

            She rolled her eyes. "Really. Ask away."

            "What's your favorite color?"

            "Blue."

            "What's your favorite movie?"

            "The Sound of Music."

            Jack made a funny face at that one. "Didn't see that one coming."

            Chloe stuck her tongue out at him.

            "Let's see…What's your favorite kind of food?"

            "Italian."

            "Mine too," he murmured with a smile. Chloe returned his smile, reveling in the fact that his hands were still on her face, gently moving across her skin.

            "Are you lonely?"

            His question took her completely by surprise, and Chloe found herself staring into his eyes, trying to read his motive for asking. All she saw was a determined curiosity. Swallowing hard, she answered him.

            "Yes."

            He nodded, never breaking eye contact with her. Ever so slowly, he leaned in, pausing a breath away from her. When she didn't pull away, he closed his eyes and brought his lips to hers gently. Chloe tightened her grip on his wrists, forcing her mind to shut down and letting herself kiss him back. Just as she opened her mouth to let him deepen the kiss, Jack pulled back suddenly. He lowered his head, keeping his grip on her face.

            "God, Chloe. I'm so sorry." She closed her eyes in an effort to block out the hurt his words caused, but was forced to snap them back open at his next words. "I just…I want to feel close to someone again. And…" He raised his eyes to hers again. "Chloe, you're the only one I want to be that close with."

            She bit her lip, afraid to let herself believe his words. "I can't be what you settle for, Jack."

            His grip on her tightened. "No, Chloe, that's not what I meant. Why do you think I came back?"

            "Kim…"

            "Yes, I wanted to try and work things out with Kim. But haven't you heard me mention you in my reasons? I've been trying to tell you all morning that I came back because I couldn't do this without you. Because the thought of you with another man drove me insane. I'm not settling for you, Chloe. I want you. You're the one I want to be with."

            As Jack's words sank in, she realized that her brain had ceased to function. Knowing that he needed a response and unable to come up with a single coherent thought, Chloe leaned in and captured his lips again. She felt him smile against her mouth as this time he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Eventually she pulled back, smiling at the groan that escaped him with the absence of her mouth.

            "Come on," she said softly. "Let's go home."