failegaidin

I finally finished this - and one day before the deadline!! On a personal note, I'm very worried because my cat Nightmare is missing. We think she might have snuck out yesterday and she's a skittish kitty. Please pray (or hope or think good thoughts) that I find her tonight safe and sound.

Jack stared glumly into his glass as those around him laughed. A bunch of people from CTU had decided to go for drinks after work, to relax from the hellish day they had just had. He had only agreed because he had nowhere else to go. He had called Kim to tell her that he was back, but it was going to be a day or two before she could fly out. Marilyn had taken Josh home, and Jack felt oddly relieved. Looking back on the day, he realized that he had clung to her because she was from a safer past, a time when things didn't hurt as much. And Audrey. She was gone now, too. He had been shocked when they rescued her from the Chinese, relieved to see that she was alive. But her father had stopped him outside of her hospital room, told him that they needed to have a talk. Jack hadn't been surprised, hadn't even put up a fight when Heller told him that Audrey would be better off without him. The truth was, he had known for a long time that things were over between them. So he had nodded and then gone in to say goodbye. She had held in her tears, with only a few escaping down her cheeks. But she had nodded because she knew the truth, too.

So when Bill had invited him to go to the bar, he'd numbly agreed. Those around him laughed and joked as they let the pressures of the day slide off of them. The alcohol slowly mixed with their relief at having survived and they were letting their walls down, letting themselves enjoy each other's company.

But Jack couldn't relax. He had been on the verge of an epiphany all day, but it had continually eluded him, leaving him staring emptily at the space before him. And every time he reached out his hand to grasp it, a new crisis would arise and he would be forced to abandon that line of thinking for the time being. Now he stared at his drink, idly wondering if he'd find his answer at the bottom. He knew that he should try and join in the conversations going on around him; he knew that he should try to care. But his brain kept replaying the day, searching doggedly for the memory that would finally let him rest.

"Hey, hey. Check Chloe out!" Milo said as he pointed across the room.

Jack shook himself out of his dark thoughts and turned his head to see Chloe up at the bar. His eyes widened as he took in her outfit – tight jeans and a black tank top that didn't leave much to the imagination with hooker boots to match. Milo whistled at her, but she either didn't hear or was ignoring him. The table lost interest and turned back to their conversation.

Jack watched with something akin to horror as she began flirting with the scummy guy sitting next to her. The guy was obviously drunk and elated at the prospect of a sexy woman coming on to him. It didn't take him long to get hands-on, and Jack's anger flared as he saw his fingers dancing up and down Chloe's thigh, inching dangerously upward with each pass.

Jack stood up suddenly, unsure of what he was going to do, but sure that something had to be done. He didn't know exactly why, but he was certain that he couldn’t let Chloe go home with that piece of filth. Striding up to her, he put on his most charming smile.

"Chloe," he greeted.

Chloe bit back a groan. Jack Bauer was the last person she wanted to see. Her whole plan for the night hinged on her getting utterly smashed and picking up whatever guy crossed her path. Jack complicated matters – he always did.

"Jack," she replied curtly, hoping that he would get the hint and leave her alone.

He smiled at her before turning to her companion. "Leave," he ordered.

The guy started to laugh, but stopped when he saw that Jack was serious. "I was here first," he said.

"Leave."

The other man was drunk, but he could sense the dangerous tone underlying Jack's command. Grumbling about "other fish," he got off the stool and ambled over to the other side of the bar.

"Why can't you just mind your own business, Jack?" Chloe seethed.

He turned back to her. "You are my business."

"Since when do you give a damn about me?" she demanded angrily.

Without a second thought, Jack grabbed her roughly by the elbow and dragged her out of the bar. It was pouring outside, but neither seemed to notice, both caught up in their anger at the other. Jack walked her into the parking lot before pulling on her elbow, forcing her to turn and face him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Chloe?" he asked, the anger in his voice coming through clearly.

"How is that ANY of your business?" she practically screamed, ripping her arm from his grasp.

"You're my friend, Chloe. I don't want to see you do something insanely stupid," he answered, his voice calming in the face of her unexpected rage.

"You don't understand anything, do you?" she yelled before turning away from him.

"What don't I understand?" he asked. Chloe just kept her eyes on the ground, willing herself to not give in to him. "Chloe!" She remained silent. "Chloe, answer me!"

"I never asked for this, Jack!" she screamed at him, still refusing to face him.

"Asked for what?" he questioned, clearly confused.

Chloe whirled back around. "For this! For any of it! For you to come swooping in like the big hero that you are and change my entire life! I HATE YOU!" she screamed as she shoved hard against his chest.

Jack staggered backwards a few steps before regaining his balance. He watched as Chloe turned her back to him again, holding her head in her hands, her body completely drenched from the pouring rain. His mind raced as he tried to think of something – anything – to say, but he found himself reeling from her admission of hatred.

"You have every right to hate me, Chloe-"

"But that's just the problem, Jack," she interrupted. "I can't hate you. And believe me, I've tried!" She turned to face him again. "But you're always there, Jack! And even when you leave, you always come back. Why do you always come back to me?!?!"

The question hit Jack hard and he found himself unable to speak, unable to answer her. His brain finally grasped onto the epiphany he had been searching for all day. In his shock he just stared at her as the rain continued to soak them, his brain refusing to let him tell her why he just couldn't stay away from her.

Chloe felt her anger rising as Jack continued staring at her in silence. She hadn't meant to ask the question, but now that it was out there, she found that she needed an answer.

"Why!?!" she yelled again.

Jack knew that he needed to say something, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. His throat closed shut as he opened his mouth, and he ended up just closing it again.

When Chloe saw that he wasn't going to answer her, she walked back up to him and shoved against his chest again. "Why?!" He stumbled back but still kept silent. She pushed him again. "Why!?" His eyes bored into hers as she vented her anger on him. Her frustration increased at his continued silence and she began pounding her fists on his chest, screaming "Why!?" over and over.

Jack reached for her wrists and gently held them, pulling her into him as he held her. Breaking down in sobs, Chloe continued to ask him why, but he just squeezed her tighter. It felt so good to be in his arms and she wanted to let herself melt into him, to forget how much it hurt every time he walked away. But she had promised herself that she wasn't going to play this game again. She pushed him off of her and turned, walking away from him and towards her car.

He knew that he couldn't let her go. He knew that if she got into her car and drove off, he would lose his only chance.

"Chloe!"

But she ignored him and just kept walking.

"Chloe!"

She had never ignored him before. His heart constricted in pain as he realized that he was losing her.

"DAMNIT, CHLOE! I NEVER MEANT TO FALL IN LOVE YOU!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, her heart pounding. Turning slowly, she faced him again, her breath catching at the sight of him. Shoulders slumped, he looked so scared and alone. Chloe slowly began walking back to him.

"I'm sorry," he said, no longer yelling. "I tried so hard not to. I tried to convince myself that I was confused. That it was just because of how you always stood by me. But then I realized that I was just making excuses. That I was head over heels in love with you. But I knew you deserved better. I knew that your life would be better without me-"

His head whipped to the side as Chloe's hand made sharp contact with his cheek. Before he had time to react, she grabbed his face with both hands and forced him to look at her.

"Don't you dare, Jack Bauer. Don't you dare tell me that I deserve something else, something better. That's a pretty crappy excuse. All I want is you." She took a deep breath and said in a calmer voice. "It's always been you, Jack. Please don't leave me again."

Jack closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, a small smile playing across his lips. He had been waiting so long for her to ask him to stay. And now that she finally had, he realized that there was no way he could say no.

"I won't," he whispered.

Chloe's eyes widened. "You won't?" she asked, a note of disbelief in her voice.

Jack opened his eyes again as he pulled her closer. "No. I'll stay as long as you let me."

Chloe frowned. "That could be a pretty long time, Jack. Are you sure you can handle that?"

"How long are we talking?" he asked, his smile growing by the minute.

"Forever."

Jack laughed. "Forever sounds just right."

Chloe finally smiled back at him, looking up at him shyly.

"So you love me, huh?"

"Yeah," he whispered, brushing some of her wet hair out of her face.

"Good. I love you back, you know."

"I do now."

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "You're saying you didn't know before?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"You're stupid."

"I know."

She frowned again. "But I still love you."

"Good," he whispered, before leaning down and capturing her lips with his. Chloe sighed into his mouth as their tongues tangled and he pulled her closer into his body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Chloe realized that something good had come out of all the tragedy of the day. And she was mildly surprised when she realized that it had all been worth it. This one moment had been worth everything.

***

Watching from the doorway, Bill smirked at the two younger people standing with him. "You both owe me forty dollars," he said.

"How did you know?" Milo asked, clearly frustrated, as Nadia sighed and pulled out her share of the bet.

"It was simple, really," Bill replied. "Jack could never really let Chloe walk away. And Chloe was at her breaking point. Something had to give."