Alrighty, here's chapter 15!! I added a picture link in the story, so that you could see the actress I've decided is Ava more clearly. Hope you enjoy!!
Chapter 15
"This isn't right," Nina mumbled under her breath.
Tony sighed. "I agree. But there's not really much we can do about it."
"Jack deserves better than this. We can track Alexis. We should make the trade."
"If you think you can convince Chappelle, be my guest."
Nina frowned. "I can't do that. But I know what I can do."
Tony watched suspiciously as she picked up the phone and punched in a number.
"Who are you calling?"
She stared at him as the phone rang in her ear.
"Yes, this is Nina Myers. I'd like to speak to Senator Palmer."
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Tony picked up the phone on the first ring, his attention focused on the computer screen in front of him.
"CTU, Almeida."
"Agent Almeida? This is the emergency room at St. Matthew's."
He sat up suddenly, his heart dropping like a stone.
"What happened?"
"We have a woman here, she gave us your number. She doesn't have any I.D. on her."
"Who?"
"She says her name is Ava."
"Oh God," Tony whispered, closing his eyes. "Is she okay?"
"She was in a serious car accident, Agent Almeida. She was then attacked and shot three times in the chest."
His mouth was suddenly bone dry, and he couldn't swallow.
"Is she…is she alive?" he rasped.
"Yes. She had on a Kevlar vest. She's bruised, but she's going to be okay."
"Thank God," he breathed.
"In our examination, though, we found that she has multiple injuries from previous incidents. Do you know anything about this?"
"She's a federal agent. She's had a rough day." He paused, something clicking in his brain. "Did she come in alone? Was there a girl with her?"
"No one else at the scene was alive."
"Are you sure?"
"There were two men there along with Ava. They were both shot in the head."
A tiny bit of hope sparked in Tony's chest. "But there was no girl?"
"No other female was reported at the scene."
"Alright, I'm on my way."
He hung up the phone and raced over to Nina's station.
"Tony?" she asked, alarmed at his expression. "What's wrong?"
"The cop car escorting Ava and Kim was hit. The cops are dead. Kim was taken again."
"What about Ava?"
"She's at St. Matthew's. I'm going there now."
"Is she okay?"
"They think so. She had a vest on."
"Thank God for that," Nina murmured. "Hey, Palmer got through to Mason. We're making the trade."
"Good. Look, I have to go Nina. I'll call you when I know what happened."
She watched as he practically ran off the floor. Frowning, she realized that he had made his decision concerning her ultimatum – he just hadn't told her yet. Nina sighed and walked toward the situation room.
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Teri was sitting with her head in her hands when Nina walked in. The other woman didn't look up, knowing that there was every chance that the agent was only there to deliver bad news. She didn’t know how much more her heart could take.
"Teri?"
"Just tell me," she whispered brokenly.
"They're going to make the trade for Jack."
Teri's head shot up and Nina could see that she was afraid to believe her.
"Really? What changed their minds?"
"They got a call from Senator Palmer. He persuaded them to make the exchange."
She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh thank God," she said, a smile gracing her lips.
Nina tried to return the smile.
"I just wanted to keep you up-to-date."
"Thank you, Nina. Have you heard anything about Kim?"
The agent hesitated for only a second.
"You know what? I'll call them and see how far out they are."
Teri looked at her for a moment. "Thank you so much, Nina. For being honest with me through all this. It really means a lot to me."
Nina nodded.
"I'll go make that phone call."
She backed out of the room as quickly as she could to get away from any more of Teri's questions.
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Ava groaned as she tried to open her eyes and found herself assaulted by bright, offensive lights. She had always hated fluorescent bulbs, and these were obviously right above her, causing an immediate headache to start building. She didn't want to open her eyes the rest of the way, but she could feel a hand holding hers, and she needed to know where she was.
"Ava?"
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. Turning her head slowly, she saw Tony sitting in a chair next to her bed, holding her hand tightly and watching her with concern flooding his eyes. She frowned in confusion, wondering what the hell was going on.
"You don't remember do you?"
She closed her eyes again, fishing through her memories as she tried to recall what had happened. She remembered getting in the cop car, with Kim next to her. They had been going back to CTU, finally safe. Then…lights. Those bright lights again. There had been the loud sound of crunching metal, and then she remembered three pinpoints of pain in her chest.
"Kim," she suddenly gasped, trying to sit up.
Tony stood and put his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her back down.
"She was taken," he said quietly. "We don't know where she is."
Ava sagged back against her pillow, tears coming to her eyes.
"I couldn't protect her," she whispered. "I tried, but I just didn't have anything left in me."
"It's not your fault, Ava. You did everything you could. You're lucky to be alive."
"I lost her," she whispered. "How am I going to tell Jack?" She saw Tony wince at the other agent's name. "What? What happened?"
"Jack's been taken," he said quietly.
"By who?"
"Victor Drazen."
"I'm confused. I thought he was dead. I thought this was all a revenge scheme for his death."
"He's not dead."
"So he's running this whole operation?"
Tony nodded. "Jack found the prison where he was being kept. Then his son Andre broke him out and they took Jack hostage. They want to make a trade for Alexis."
"Is Division going for that?"
"No. But Palmer convinced Mason to do it anyway."
Ava sighed. "Okay. So that's being taken care of. Now we need to find Teri and Kim."
"We have Teri."
She looked at him in surprise. "What? How? When?"
"I sent Monroe to stake out the Bauer house. She showed up there. By the time I got there, another assassin had found her."
"If Monroe was there, how did the assassin get that close?"
"Monroe was shot."
Her face paled.
"Is he okay?"
"He's in surgery. We won't know for awhile."
She nodded slowly, trying to assimilate everything.
"Okay, so Teri is safe. Jack is being held by crazy Serbians. And we have no idea where Kim is. Is that about right?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go, then."
"You're kidding, right?"
"I'm not going to just sit here, Tony."
"You've been in two serious car accidents. You took a bullet to the shoulder. You're only alive because your vest deflected the three that went to your chest. You need to rest."
"I'll rest when today is over."
"You've been up for more than twenty-four hours."
"So have you."
"I haven't been injured, though."
"I can hit you, if you'd like."
Tony sighed. "What do you really think you can do in this condition?"
"I don't know, Tony. But I cannot just stay in the hospital while people I care about are in danger. Everything's coming to a head. I promise that when it's all over, I'll get checked out and I'll sleep for a week."
He eyed her suspiciously, but Ava could tell that he was wearing down.
"A whole week?"
She nodded. "A whole week. Bed rest. You can even make sure I don't go anywhere. You can have Jen keep me under lock and key," she promised, referring to her best friend.
"She's going to yell at you when she finds out how much trouble you got into today."
"I'll burn that bridge when we get to it," she muttered. "So you'll help me get out of here?"
"It's not like we're breaking out. You're simply going to refuse to follow the doctor's orders. I think you can handle a little insubordination."
"He'll yell at me."
"So?"
"I hate being yelled at."
Tony laughed at the ridiculousness of her statement.
"Come on, Xena. Let's get you out of here."
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"Dammit!" Nina yelled as the blinking light on her computer screen suddenly disappeared.
"What's wrong?"
She spun around and found herself face to face with Tony.
"I lost the track on Alexis. The trade happened just as planned. Jack is on his way in now." She looked over his shoulder and saw Ava sitting gingerly at her station. "What the hell is she doing here? She looks like she's been run over by a MAC truck."
"She refused to stay at the hospital. She promises to go back as soon as this whole thing is over."
"I'll believe that when I see it."
Nina frowned, suddenly hesitant.
"Tony…there's something I need to tell you."
"What?"
"It's about Ava. And you're not going to like it."
"Look, Nina, I know you don't like her, but-"
"She's having an affair with Jack."
Tony looked as though he'd been punched in the stomach.
"What?"
"I've seen them…together. That's why I dislike her so much. They've been sleeping together since just before he hired her. That's why he hired her."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"Teri knows. I just talked to her."
Tony's eyes narrowed.
"If that were true, why would she trust Ava to find Kim?"
"Because she knows that, despite everything else, Ava is good at her job. And she'd do anything to get Kim back." She paused. "I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't want to have to tell you."
He looked down at the floor. "You're absolutely certain?"
"Before the lockdown, I saw them together. They were kissing, Tony. There was no doubt about what was going on."
He nodded, his shoulders sagging.
"So what's our next move? With the Drazens I mean?"
Before Nina could answer, George came striding towards them.
"I need you to call Secret Service," he said.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"Jack just called in. He didn't sound right. I have a very bad feeling about this."
"You don't think he's going to do something stupid, do you?"
"They have Kim," Tony mused. "If Jack knows that, he'd do anything to get her back from them."
"Call Secret Service. Now," Mason ordered.
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"We have a problem," Tony said.
"You mean aside from somebody trying to use Jack to kill a presidential candidate and Kim missing again?" Nina replied.
"I was looking at the schematics to that prison Jack found."
"Yeah?"
"They've been tampered with."
"What? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Nina crossed her arms.
"There's still a mole."
"And they had to have access to these schematics."
She sighed. "So who has access?"
"You. Me. Mason."
Nina bit her lip in thought.
"Shut down Mason's access."
"What?"
"It's not you. And it's not me. That leaves George. Jack suspected him in the beginning. We should have dug deeper."
"He's gonna get pissed when he realizes that he's blocked."
"And more people will die if he's not."
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Teri's head snapped up as the door opened, expecting to see Kim. She froze when she saw Ava, much more beaten and bruised than the last time she saw her.
"Hey, Teri," she said quietly.
"My God," the older woman whispered. "What happened to you?"
"I have to tell you something."
Teri's eyes widened and fear flooded her senses.
"Oh God. Kim? Is she okay?"
"We don't know. They took her again."
Tears immediately began streaming down her face.
"How?" she demanded. "How could they possibly have gotten past you?"
"I'm sorry, Teri."
"How could you let them take my baby again?"
Ava closed her eyes, fighting back her own tears.
"I did everything I could, Teri. The car we were in was attacked. They shot the cops and took Kim."
"What about you? What were you doing?" Teri's grief had turned to anger, and Ava was the only one for her to vent it on.
"They shot me too," she said quietly.
Teri stopped yelling, the anger going out of her face.
"Again?"
She nodded.
"I had a vest on. But they had already knocked me out." She looked at Teri earnestly. "I am so sorry, Teri. I did everything I could. But we will get her back. I promise you, Teri. We will get her back."
Her rage leaving her completely, Teri sank to the floor, her sobs overcoming her. Ava was at her side in an instant, pulling the woman close and rocking her gently, whispering soothing words to her as she combed her fingers through her short hair. Teri clung to her like a little child, her body shaking with the force of her cries.
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"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tony demanded as Ava left the situation room and headed down the corridor toward the locker room.
She turned to look at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"After all you're putting her through, you go in and wave it in her face?"
"I really don't know what you're talking about Tony."
She turned to continue walking down the hall.
"I know about your affair with Jack," he called after her.
Ava stopped and spun around on her heel, her face contorted in anger and confusion.
"My what!?"
"I know you're sleeping with Jack."
She strode over to him, getting right in his face.
"I am doing no such thing," she gritted out between clenched teeth.
"Don't lie to me," he growled. "Nina saw you two together."
Ava took a step back and laughed bitterly.
"That's what you're basing this on? Nina?"
"I've seen how you act around him."
"He's my friend."
"You know, Ava, now I remember why I didn't like you. You string a guy along and it's all just a game to you."
"String a guy…who the HELL have I been stringing along?"
"Me."
"You?" she asked incredulously, her voice rising. "You're taken! How can I string you along? All I've tried to do is be nice to you! I never tried to take you from Nina!"
"That's not how she sees it."
"Yeah, well, that bitch only sees what she wants to."
"I don't understand how you can pretend to be friends with Kim and Teri, all the while sleeping with Jack."
"That would be quite the puzzle. Let me clear it up for you – I'm not having sex with Jack."
"Is that what you do, Ava? You just sleep with the guys you work for? Is that how you get around in the working world?"
His words stung her, but she refused to let him see how much she was hurt.
"I'm not sleeping with anybody."
"Don't give me that bullshit."
"I swear to you, Tony-"
"I'm not an idiot, Ava!"
"Well you're sure as hell acting like it!" she yelled back.
"I've seen how you flirt with all the field agents. It's like the cheerleader slut who sleeps with the whole football team."
Something inside of Ava snapped.
"Dammit Tony!" she roared. "I’m not sleeping with ANYONE! I'm a VIRGIN, for God's sake!"
He stared at her, disbelief in his expression.
"You're trying to tell me that a woman as beautiful as you has never had sex?"
"That is EXACTLY what I am telling you. So you can cut the bullshit about me having an affair with Jack. I can't believe you would think so little of me as to believe that I would sleep with a married man."
"I don't believe you."
She got right up in his face again, poking him in the chest with her finger.
"You know what, Tony? You need to choose. Either you hate me, or you like me. You can't do both."
Glaring at him for a moment, she turned around and quickly strode down the corridor.
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Her phone rang and Ava glared at it for a second before flipping it open.
"What?" she snapped.
She heard a sigh of relief.
"You're okay."
"Jack?"
"I know they have Kim, but they told me that everyone with her had been killed."
"They didn't know I was wearing Kevlar." She paused. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"It's not your fault, Ava."
"Teri is safe, though. We have her here."
"Thank God. Does she know about Kim?"
"Yeah. We did the hugging and crying thing for a little while. She's handling it as best she can."
"What about you?"
"I've had better days. But I'll live."
"You've seen the report on Palmer?"
"What report?"
"Ava, it's all over the news."
"I'm in the locker room. There's no TV here."
"Why aren’t you on the floor?"
"I'm trying to calm down from my screaming match with Tony before I deal with people again."
"Screaming match?"
"He accused me of having an affair with you."
"What?"
"Yep. Said Nina saw us together. I'm going to kill that bitch."
"She's just jealous."
"Of what?"
"You. She knows that Tony doesn't love her. She knows that he has feelings for you."
"The only feelings Tony has for me are hatred and contempt."
"That's not true, and if you think about it long enough, you'll see that I'm right."
"Whatever. I still hate her."
"Fine. But we have bigger problems right now."
"Right. So what report are you talking about?"
"A bomb went off in Palmer's hotel suite."
Ava stood up.
"What!?"
"The Drazens used me to bring a cell phone in. It was rigged. I got rid of it just in time."
"So the senator is okay?"
"Yes, but the news is reporting that he died in the blast."
"Why?"
"Because I'm trying to get my daughter back."
"So make them think you killed Palmer, and maybe they won't kill Kim?"
"That was the plan."
"Was?"
"It's leaking out that Palmer didn't die."
"So what's the plan?"
"I have to get her back."
"You're not thinking of running in there, guns blazing, are you?"
"I don't have a choice."
Ava sighed.
"I know. But call Teri first. Let her know you're okay. That woman has been through hell today."
"I will. Thank you, Ava. For everything."
"That sounded an awful lot like goodbye, Bauer. You better not die on me."
"I'll try my best."
"You better."
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A couple minutes later, Ava felt composed enough to go back out onto the floor. She knew that she couldn’t do anything yet, but after the Drazens had been taken care of, she fully planned to kick the shit out of Nina for all the grief she had caused her throughout the day.
As she passed an empty holding room, she heard the other agent's voice as she spoke into her cell phone.
"Speak of the devil," she muttered.
She kept walking, but stopped suddenly when she heard what Nina say Kim's name. Retracing her steps as quietly as she could, she moved back toward the room, listening carefully. Her eyes widened as she took in more of the conversation – it wasn't in English, but she was sure that she had heard something like it earlier in the day.
Then it hit her – Nina was speaking Serbian, and she was telling someone about Kim Bauer.
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