Broken

That's right, another Kony story. Set three years after S6. There should be a chapter 2 at some point...

            She was quite honestly the last person he expected to see at the bar. At first he didn't recognize her – her hair fell to the middle of her back and the ends curled. He almost walked away, thinking that the mini-bar in his room would be just as good. But then he saw her throw back a shot of whiskey and immediately order another one. Moving before his brain could convince him that it was a bad idea, he took the empty stool next to her.

            "I'll have what she's having," he informed the bartender when the man came up to him.

            "I always thought you'd be more of a scotch guy," she said, not even looking at him.

            "And I always thought you'd be a fruity mix drink kind of girl," he replied, draining his shot and signaling for another. "Shows how much we know."

            "Touché," she muttered, finishing another shot.

            They sat there for a half hour, just drinking. He knew that he should say something, but he had no words and the alcohol was quickly working its way thought his veins. He looked over at her, noting the red that tipped her ears and crept up her neck. Studying her profile, his breath caught as he saw how beautiful she was. It had been years since he had seen her, and he had forgotten just how attractive she was. His gaze traveled down her body and then back to her face, noting the hard set to her jaw and the bitter twist to her lips. He was struck by the sudden knowledge that the past few years had been no kinder to her than they had been to him.

            "Like what you see?" she asked, glaring at him.

            "I just-"

            "What are you doing here, Tony?"

            Staring at his empty glass, he set it down with a sigh and signaled to the bartender that he was done. "I live here," he said quietly.

            She stared at him. "Why?"

            He shrugged, running one hand through his hair. "Never got around to finding a place."

            "Tony…you've been back three years. Are you saying you've been here the whole time?"

            He nodded. "The manager knows me. I had my wedding reception here." Seeing her features soften, he quickly moved on. "What are you doing here, Kim?"

            She remained silent as she finished another drink. Tony raised his hand and took the glass from her gently, setting it down next to his. She watched his movements, but quickly looked ahead when his eyes met hers.

            "Why are you here, Kim?" he asked again in a softer tone.

            "Why do you care?" she snapped.

            "I always cared," he whispered. A bitter laugh escaped her mouth, and she went to reach for her glass. Tony's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Your father's my best friend, Kim. I'm always going to care."

            Hissing, Kim yanked her arm out of his grasp. "Is that the only reason, Tony? Because of my father? Seems if he were really your friend, you wouldn't have fucked his daughter behind his back."

            Tony's gaze narrowed. "So now you're rushing to Jack's side? That's funny. He told me this morning that you still weren't talking to him."

            He watched as her jaw clenched and her entire expression tightened. Sliding off of the stool, she bent down to get her purse. "You know what? I don't want to talk to you anymore."

            As she stood up, she stumbled, everything suddenly rushing to her head. Then his hands were on her waist as he held her up and steadied her. She fell into him, her hands grabbing his arms and her head leaning on his chest. She took a moment to enjoy the warmth of him, to breathe him in, before she was pushing away and trying to extricate herself from his hold.

            "Let me go."
            "No. Kim, I'm not letting you drive like this."

            "I'm fine, Tony. Just let me go. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to see you."

            "You'll get yourself killed. Let's just go up to my room. You can sleep it off."

            She looked up at him with a frown. "Are you suggesting-"

            "I'm suggesting you sleep in the bed while I crash on the floor. I'm not taking no for an answer, Kim. If I could, I'd take you home. But I'm not in any condition to drive either."

            "You only had two drinks."

            "Just now, yeah. I've been drinking since I woke up this morning. We could both use some sobering up."

            She opened her mouth to ask another question, but then closed it, deciding that now wasn't the time. Unable to come up with any better ideas, she finally nodded.

            "Fine."

            Tony breathed a sigh of relief. Wrapping one arm around her waist to support her, he ignored the fact that she automatically tensed at his touch and then led her upstairs.

 

***

 

            Once inside the room, they stood there silently, both avoiding the other's gaze. Kim looked around, noting that there were almost no personal touches to the room that he had been living in for three years. One picture of Michelle sat by the bed, and sadness for the man standing there suddenly engulfed her. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she turned to him.

            "Would it…could I take a shower?" she asked, looking down at her hands.

            He gave her a gentle smile. "Of course. The bathroom's to your right. Take as long as you need. But I will probably knock once in awhile to make sure you haven't drowned."

            "Thank you," she whispered, trying desperately to return his smile, but failing. With a small nod, she turned and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

 

***

 

            Kim stared at herself in the mirror, the hot water running behind her in the shower causing the glass to steam up. As the corners grew fuzzy, she replayed the scene in the bar downstairs with Tony. She hadn't expected to see him there; hell, he had barely even crossed her mind over the past five years. Her words to him echoed in her head and she winced at the pain she had seen flash across his eyes.

            The steam was clouding more of her reflection as she pulled her long hair to the side and examined the bruise that crawled up from her shoulder and ran along the base of her neck. She closed her eyes as she remembered how hard the wall was when she flew into it, how painful the coffee table had been as it pushed into her back. She could still hear the glass shattering and Barry yelling as the vase on the table had tumbled to the floor and broken into innumerable pieces.

            Slowly, she undid the buttons of her shirt, leaning into the sink to keep her balance against the alcohol in her blood. As she slid the shirt off her shoulders, she was greeted by the sight of bruises along her hips and ribs, and one on her left breast. Her hands began to shake and she gripped the edges of the sink in an effort to still them. As the humid air danced around her, her head swam, images and words flashing across her mind from a past she had tried so hard to drown. One hand moved to cover her stomach as the sobs came, her shoulders shaking. The memories came flooding back and Kim was left in their path, helplessly wondering how things had come to this. Looking back up at her reflection, she realized that she hated herself – every single part of her. So she did the only thing she could think to do. With a look of determination and pain, she pulled back her arm and slammed her fist into the mirror.

 

***

 

            As soon as the bathroom door had shut, Tony marched over to the mini bar. The seal had long been broken, and it didn’t take him long to fish out the Jack Daniels. Laying back on the bed, he took Michelle’s picture in his hand as he started in on the bottle. This was what he did every night – drowning in his past, dreaming of Michelle and remembering a time when he had known how to smile. He always drifted to sleep clutching her picture, the empty bottle forgotten on the floor.

            But tonight was different. Seeing Kim had brought back things long since buried. He found himself remembering how soft her hair was, and how her skin positively glowed after an orgasm. And he hated himself for those memories, and he hated himself for not being able to rid his mind of the images.

            He hadn’t expected her harsh words or bitter tone. He was even more surprised by that he wasn’t angry with her for those words. The pain in her eyes cut through him, making him want to hold her, to comfort her. But she could barely stand to be in the same room with him, let alone be touched by him.

            Tony’s thoughts drifted as he wondered what had happened to her. It was obvious that it wasn’t just her strained relationship with Jack. He could see it in her eyes; she had been through hell, and she was still fighting her way out. He recognized that look all too well – she was just as lost as he was.

            The sound of glass breaking snapped him out of his thoughts. He was off the bed immediately, the picture and bottle tossed onto the nightstand. He practically hit the bathroom door at a run, but it was locked. Growling in frustration and worry, he banged on the door loudly.

            “Kim? Kim! Let me in! What happened?”

            His pleas were met with silence. Looking around desperately, he realized that he was going to have to break the door down. When he found nothing in the room that could help him, he slammed his shoulder into the door, ignoring the pain that increased with each hit.

            And then he was inside. Kim was sitting against the bathtub, shirtless and sobbing, glass shards and steam surrounding her. His eyes traveled over her, stopping when he saw the blood running through the fingers of her right hand.

            “Shit, Kim,” he cursed.

            Reaching above the toilet, he grabbed a towel and soaked it in the shower before turning off the water. Then he knelt between her legs and took her injured hand gently, wrapping the towel around it and applying pressure.

            “Shhh…it’s going to be alright, Kim. Just breath,” he soothed.

            She cried even harder. “I can’t do this anymore, Tony. It hurts too much. It all just hurts too much.”

            He opened his mouth to comfort her, but stopped as his eyes rested on the bruises covering her torso. He had been so distracted by the blood that he had missed them at first.

            “Oh God, Kim,” he whispered, trailing his fingers over the black and blue marks.

            Her left hand clutched at the collar of his shirt, twisting it in her fingers. “I just don’t get it,” she whispered, her tone bringing his eyes to hers. “I don’t understand how everything became so broken.”

            Tony knew exactly what he was doing when he leaned in and placed his lips against hers. This was about comfort, and they both needed it desperately. Kim automatically leaned into him as she returned his kiss. Her lips moved against his with surety, and soon his tongue was nudging her mouth open and toying with hers. They stayed like that for a long time, just kissing and pressing against each other. Their bodies soaked in the closeness, tension easing out of their muscles.

            Finally Tony pulled back, staring into her eyes before standing. He reached down, pulling her up with him, and then took her hand to lead her out of the bathroom. As he pushed her back onto the bed, Kim reveled in how comfortable this all felt. She knew she was safe with Tony. He had been so gentle and careful with her her first time, that having his body pressed against hers was like coming home.

            He moved his lips down her neck and chest, pausing when he neared her bruises. She watched him with teary eyes as he traced the edges of them softly before leaning down to kiss them. Her breath caught in her throat at his gentleness, the sound causing his head to snap up. Seeing the tears spilling down her cheeks, he crawled back up her body and kissed her slowly, his tongue exploring her mouth as she clung to him.

            Her emotions threatening to overwhelm her, Kim reached for the buttons of his shirt, undoing them quickly with shaking hands. She got stuck on the bottom one, and Tony laid his hands over hers and helped her release the button. Taking the shirt off, he reached behind her and slowly undid her bra clasp, sliding the straps down her shoulders. The bra gone, he stared at her breasts for a minute before taking one in his hand and squeezing gently. She arched against him as his fingers pinched her nipple, sending shockwaves of heat through her body. Seeing some of the earlier pain leave her eyes, Tony moved his mouth to her other breast, desperate to help her forget, even if it was only for a short time. Her moans grew louder as he nipped at her skin, her hands tangling in his dark hair and holding is head against her.

            Then his mouth was moving lower, skimming her stomach as his hands undid her pants. Dragging his lips away from her body, he pulled the rest of her clothes down, throwing them to the floor. He turned back to her, running his hands up and down her sides as she squirmed, desperate to be closer to him. His heartbeat spiked at the moan that escaped her when he placed a kiss to her core. Her hands once again tangled in his hair as his tongue snaked out to taste her. Her hips bucked as he moved against her clit, the ministrations of his tongue bringing her closer and closer to the edge. He felt her about to come and then pulled his mouth away, giving her a reassuring smile as he stood up to remove his own pants.

            Moments later he was on top of her again, his mouth moving slowly against hers as they sank into one another, forgetting anything and everything that existed outside of that room. As his tongue coaxed her lips apart, he slowly pushed into her, kissing her harder as she groaned into his mouth at the feel of him inside of her. They moved together as though they had done this only yesterday, finding their rhythm easily. Her nails scraped along his back as she thrust toward him, throwing her head back as he reached down and pinched her clit. They moved faster as they neared the edge, both sobbing the other’s name as Kim’s muscles clenched around him and they came together.

            Tony collapsed beside her, instantly pulling her body against his, needing her warmth and presence. She laid her head against his shoulder as she caught her breath, her fingers drawing lazy circles against his skin. He ran his fingers through her hair, and up and down her bare back, unwilling to break contact with her.

            “Talk to me, Kim,” he urged quietly. “What happened?”

            "Does it really matter?" she asked, her eyes refusing to meet his.

            "Yes. It does."

            "What about you?"

            Tony sighed. "We know what happened to me, Kim. I want to know about you. Last time I saw you, you were with that guy…the shrink."

            "Barry."

            "Right, Barry. What happened with him?"'

            "It didn't work."

            "Kim," he sighed. "Please. Just talk to me. You don't have to be afraid or embarrassed. There's no way you've fallen any lower than I have."

            He felt her curl tighter against him, her head lowering in the crook of his neck. Her hands came up to clench his shoulders and he felt her breathing become shaky as she fought back sobs.

            "I got pregnant," she whispered.

            "What happened?"

            "Barry said…he said he never wanted kids. He blamed me. Told me that I had gotten pregnant on purpose so that he could never leave me." She looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes. "But I wouldn't do that, Tony. I wouldn't do that to anybody."

            "Hey, hey. I know. Shhh…it's okay, Kim."

            She leaned her head against him again. "He was so mad. He…he…the bruises…I lost the baby," she ended in a strangled whisper.

            Tony's arms instinctively wrapped around her tighter as he tried to give her any comfort that he could. She was shaking, and all he could do was rock her gently and run his hands along her back, whispering soothing words in her ear. Finally her cries subsided and she took a deep breath.

            "I came back, realizing that I should never have left Chase. I thought…I thought maybe if I apologized for how badly I'd hurt him, maybe we could…work things out. Try again. But then I found him and he…he was married. He found somebody else. I was too late."

            Then she cried again and Tony once again found himself at a loss for words. Nothing he could say would bring her baby back, or make her bruises fade, or make Chase come back to her. All he had to give her was his presence – as broken and worthless as that might be. But she clung to him, taking everything that he offered.

            "I’m sorry," she whispered when her breathing had returned to normal.

            "Don't be," he murmured in her ear. "We both needed this."

            Kim nodded. "Do we have to go years without speaking again though?"

            Tony chuckled. "No. In fact, we could try to be friends."

            She wrinkled her nose in thought. "You think we could do that?"

            "Yeah. I do."

            Kim nodded. "Okay then, friends it is. And my first action as your friend, Tony, is to tell you that you cannot stay here anymore. You need a real place."

            "I'm fine here…"

            "No. You're not. Especially not with your own little mini-bar next to the bed." He winced at her words. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth, Tony. We need to get you sober and back to…some semblance of normalcy. You can stay with me until you find a place of your own."

            Tony looked at her in shock. "Just a couple hours ago you were telling me you never wanted to see me again. Now you're offering me a place to stay?"

            Kim shrugged. "I was angry. I was drunk. I just wanted to make somebody hurt as much as I did. You were there. You were an easy target." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

            "I wasn’t too kind either," he replied. "Start over?"

            She gave him a small smile. "Yeah. We'll start over."

 

Hurt

Another drabble. The prompt was "Telephone."

            By the time Chloe got back to her desk, she could barely see through the tears pooling in her eyes. She had gone to Morris because he was the only thing she had left, but he had made it clear that he didn't want to be with her anymore – and then he too had walked away. Now her hands were shaking violently as she suddenly found herself lost. She had no one left. Milo was dead, Jack was gone, Morris had moved on, Buchanan had been fire…Chloe struggled to stay standing as reality rushed her in a torrent.

            Then her eyes fell on her desk and she immediately stopped. In front of her computer was a yellow sticky note with a phone number scrawled on it. Her breath hitched as she realized that she recognized that scrawl. She reached out a trembling hand to pick the note up, her pulse spiking and the rush of blood filling her ears. Looking around the room wildly, she saw that there was no one watching her and no sign of the person who had left her the number. With one last breath, she grabbed her purse and headed out of the building, the number clutched tightly in her hand.

 

***

 

            She was nearly home by the time she worked up the courage to dial the number. Her hand continued to shake as she held the phone to her ear. The ringing bored through her, fraying her already-thin nerves. He answered on the second ring.

            "I was afraid you weren't going to call," he said softly.

            "I thought you were gone."

            "Did you really think I'd leave without saying goodbye?"

            "Yes," she whispered, her voice breaking.

            His silence on the other end was pained. "Where are you?" he asked finally.

            "Pulling into my driveway."

            "Good."

            She heard the phone click off as he cut their connection, just as she put her car into park. She stared at it in confusion, her mind unable to comprehend what exactly was going on. Throwing the phone down in disgust, she grabbed her purse and got out of the car, searching for her keys as she walked towards her front porch.

            She was on the steps when her front door opened, bathing her in warm light. Looking up, she nearly stumbled at the sight of Jack leaning against her doorframe, his hands in his pockets. He stared at her, his gaze moving up and down her body before settling on her eyes, a strange expression dancing across his face.

            It was too much for Chloe. Dropping her purse to the ground, her sobs overtook her. Her cries were deep as she covered her face with her hands, blocking out his image. At the sight of her crying, Jack's relaxed demeanor fell and he was immediately by her side, wrapping her in his arms and bringing them both down to sit on the top step. He rocked her gently, one hand running through her hair as he whispered soothing words to her. Eventually her tears subsided and she looked up at him, confusion plain on her face.

            "What are you doing here?"

            "I came for you."

            "Me?"

            He smiled at her gently. "I couldn't walk away without you. I'm tired of being without you."

            Instead of the smile he was expecting in return, Jack was met with angry eyes. She pulled back from him slightly, her lips twisted in bitterness.

            "You bastard," she whispered. "You left without a word. You made me think I meant nothing to you. That I never even crossed your mind. You made think I was alone. That I had no one left."

            He looked at her in shock, his hands coming up to cradle her face. "Oh, Chloe. That's not what I meant to do. After I got off the helicopter, I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing. I just started walking – I wanted to get as far away from CTU as I could."

            "Then how did you end up here?"

            Jack shrugged. "It didn't feel right without you."

            "You've never missed me before," she protested.

            "Chloe, I've always missed you."

            Leaning in, he brushed his lips against hers softly. She automatically responded, sighing and bringing her hands up to his face. Seconds later though, she was pulling away, her eyes filled with hurt.

            "You don't get to do this, Jack. You don't get to kiss me and then leave me again."

            "I don't want to leave you, Chloe. I want to leave with you."

            He could see the battle going on in her head. "Promise me," she whispered.

            Smiling, he nudged her nose with his. "I promise."

            The words were barely out of his mouth as she catapulted herself at him, her lips hungrily seeking his. Matching her pace easily, Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and laid back with her on top of him. She moaned as his tongue invaded her mouth, their bodies moving together with harried desperation.

            Then she was pulling back again, and fear leapt into Jack's throat. But she didn't get off of him – she just stared at him.

            "You hurt me," she finally said.

            His lip trembled at the pain in her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry."

            "Not just tonight."

            He didn't want to ask, but he had to know. "How long?"

            "Since right before you left for Washington."

            His eyes closed at the pain that overcame him. His throat didn't want to work, but he knew he had to tell her. "Chloe," he said, opening his eyes again. "By the time I realized how I felt about you, I thought you'd be better off without me."

            "When?"

            "Chloe-"

            "When?"

            "I knew it when I came to get you that day with the helicopter. When you ran into my arms. I knew."

            "But…you never said anything."

            "I didn't have a chance."

            "Bullshit."

            "I was afraid."

            "You made me think I wasn't good enough. You made me constantly compare myself to Audrey and always come up short."

            A tear slid down his face, falling down the side and onto the wood beneath him. "Are you going to make me leave?"

            "No."

            "But-"

            "I love you, Jack."

            "But I hurt you."

            She shrugged. "That's what people do when they love each other." Standing up, she reached a hand down to him. "Come on, let's go in."

            He picked up her purse and followed her inside, wondering if he could ever make things up to her.