Coping

[failegaidin]

            Chloe sighed as she realized that, once again, she was the last one at work. The day had been chaotic to say the least, and everyone had gone home as soon as they could. She wanted to go visit Chase at the hospital, but she knew that Kim was hovering, and Chloe really didn't want to deal with the nearly-hysterical Bauer child.

            Deciding that she should just go home, Chloe checked her desk to make sure that she didn't have anything else that needed to be done. She saw a report that needed to go up to Jack's office, but then she would be free to go relax and enjoy a night to herself. In the morning she was picking up Angela, and the little girl would stay with her until Chase was released from the hospital. Turning off her computer, Chloe grabbed the report and headed up to Jack's office.

            When she opened the door, Chloe was surprised to see that Jack was there, sitting behind his desk. He didn't look up when she entered, too busy focusing on the scotch in front of him. Chloe paused and frowned, not knowing what to do. She really just wanted to leave the report and go home, but she didn't think she could just leave her boss here drunk and depressed.

            "Jack?"

            "Go away," he said, not even bothering to look up at her.

            Chloe looked down at the report in her hands, wondering if she should just put it on his desk and leave. She couldn't stand the man, and it didn't look like he was any more enjoyable drunk than he was sober. But something nagged at her, and she realized that she would probably worry about it all night if she just left him here.

            "Jack," she tried again.

            "I said go away, O'Brian," he growled.

            "No."

            Jack finally looked up, and Chloe was shocked at the anger and pain in his eyes. "What did you say?"

            "I said no, Jack. I'm not just gonna leave you here to wallow. You have to go home to do that."

            "Just leave me alone."

            "No."

            "I don’t want you here."

            "I don't want to be here."

            "Then why won't you leave?"

            "Because, Jack," she sighed. "I'm not going to leave you alone up here with your guilt, your scotch and your gun. I'm not that stupid."

            "You know what, O'Brian? I've had enough of your personality problems today." Jack's voice was growing louder and Chloe inwardly groaned as she realized that they had moved into the angry stage of his wallowing.

            "And I've had enough of your martyr-complex," she retorted.

            "Are you looking to get fired?" Jack yelled.

            "Oh give it up, Jack. The empty threats are getting pretty old," Chloe yelled back.

            Jack stood up and pointed to the door. "GET OUT!" he roared.

            Instead of leaving, Chloe marched up to him, placed the report on his desk and then pointed at his chest.

            "Look, Jack. Everyone else might be intimidated by you, but I'm not. You don't scare me. So just quit your yelling and grow up."

            "Grow up?" he snarled, grabbing her arms and dragging her closer. "I had to cut off my partner's hand today. My daughter is sitting by his side at the hospital because I had to sacrifice her BOYFRIEND'S HAND. I-"

            "Yeah, yeah, Chase lost his hand. I get that Jack. He's my friend too. But sitting up here and drowning your sorrows isn't going to miraculously grow it back. Feel guilty, suck it up, and move on. Maybe sober up enough to go visit him, instead of sitting up here like the tortured hero you keep picturing yourself as."

            Jack stared at her, shocked that she would talk to him like that. It wasn't what he wanted to hear, but that probably meant that it was exactly what he needed. Chloe just kept looking at him, her face determined and her eyes completely devoid of fear. It seemed that Jack Bauer had finally met his match when it came to being stubborn.

            "So are you done now?" Chloe asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

            "What?" he asked.

            "Are you done? With the yelling and the drinking?"

            "Yeah," he said quietly, still staring at her.

            "So are you going to let me go now?"

            Jack realized then that he was still holding her arms, her face inches from his. He knew she should let her go, but he suddenly didn't want to.

            "No," he answered before crashing his lips against hers.

            Chloe's first instinct to pull away fled from her almost instantaneously. Jack immediately pushed her against the filing cabinet behind her and moved his tongue against her lips, begging for access. Chloe knew that she shouldn't let him, but her mouth opened of its own accord and then their tongues were fighting for dominance. Jack moved one arm down to wrap around her waist and tangled the other hand in her blonde hair. Chloe felt herself being pushed even harder against the cold metal behind her as she reached her arms around Jack's neck to pull him closer.

            Jack dragged his lips away from hers and moved his focus to her neck. He kissed every inch of her skin, paying special attention to the spot right under her left ear. Chloe moaned as his teeth grazed her skin and his hand wandered under her shirt and up her back.

            "Chloe…" he groaned before bringing his lips back to hers.

            Then they were moving away from the desk and toward the couch, Jack walking backwards and pulling Chloe along with him. Before they got there, Jack's feet got tangled and they went crashing to the floor next to the couch, Chloe on top. Jack quickly rolled her so that she was on the bottom, continuing his assault on her mouth. His hands were everywhere as they tugged at her shirt, her pants. Chloe's brain shouted at her that if she didn't stop this soon, she was going to end up having sex with a very drunk Jack Bauer on the floor of his office. She rolled again so that she was back on top, and then she very reluctantly pulled her lips off of his.

            "Jack, stop," she breathed.

            "Why?" he asked, reaching to pull her back down.

            Chloe pushed him back down. "Because you don't want to have sex with me."

            "My body begs to differ."

            Chloe blushed, since she could feel the obvious bulge in his pants. The sensation made her want to throw herself at him again, but she stood up instead, extending her hand to him.

            "Come on, Jack. Get up."

            He watched her for a moment before deciding that she really wasn't going to sleep with him. Groaning, he took her hand and stood up, although his legs threatened to drop him right back on the floor.

            "Are you going home or staying here?" Chloe asked.

            "Does it matter?"

            "Yes. If you're going home, I'm driving you. And either way you're giving me the scotch and your gun."

            "Chloe…"

            "Don't argue you with me Jack. You lost last time, remember?"

            Jack smirked at her. "I remember," he said softly.

            Chloe blushed again. "So which is it?"

            "Here."

            "Okay. Lay down."

            Jack did as he was told, taking off his shoes before laying down on his couch. Chloe found a blanket in the metal cabinet and gently laid it over him. Jack's eyes were already fluttering shut as she made sure that the blanket was wrapped around him.

            "I really do want to have sex with you," he whispered.

            Chloe smiled sadly. "No you don't, Jack," she whispered back before kissing him tenderly on the mouth. "Go to sleep." She placed a quick kiss on his forehead.

            Walking over to his desk, she grabbed his gun and the scotch and locked them in the bottom drawer of his desk. Then she took the keys, placing them in her pocket. As she walked out of his office, she turned back. "Goodnight Jack." And then she turned off the lights and shut the door behind her.