failegaidin

Hey guys! Glory and I made a new fanfiction forum. It's multi-fandom. We have folders for:

24
Lost
Traveler
Scrubs
Grey's Anatomy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel

Please join! Post your fics for any of those fandoms, try your hand at a new one, or just read and comment on the stories posted there. We need more members, so please please join!

http://tvfanfiction.30.forumer.com/

Current Mood: determined
Current Location: Office
Current Music: The Professor by Damien Rice

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."

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: Office
Current Music: Like You by Evanescence

Hi, everybody! I'm

glorylinnemann, and I'm currently hacked in to Tessa'a journal. Yay me! Anyway, LJ is being a bitch and won't let her post anything, so I have been charged with bringing you her latest fic offering, "A Part of You". So enjoy, and may LJ get its act together.

"Jack, are you even listening to me?" Tony asked as he saw that the other man was once again staring down onto the floor below them.

Jack shook himself out of his thoughts and turned back to Tony. "Sorry. Just thinking."

Tony scoffed. "No you weren't, Jack. You were staring at Chloe. Again."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack growled, trying to busy himself with some of the paperwork sitting on his desk.

Sighing, Tony stood up and walked over to the window, staring down at the snarky computer analyst. "She's really starting to show."

"I know," Jack said quietly.

"Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"That she's having another man's baby."

Jack sighed and set the papers down, admitting that he wasn't going to do any actual work. "It's not my place to be bothered. She's not mine, Tony."

Tony chuckled. "Please, Jack. She's always been yours." He turned his attention back to Chloe. "I don’t think I've seen her eat or take a break all day."

"That's because she hasn't," Jack growled.

Tony looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "And you're just going to let that slide?"

"Tony, I told you-"

"Oh, come on Jack! Don't give me any of that bullshit! She's your friend. You're in love with her. She's pregnant. She's single. GO TAKE CARE OF HER."

Jack stood up and went to stand by Tony, looking down at Chloe. "What if she won't let me?" he asked quietly.

Tony smiled. "Oh, she'll fight you for a while, Jack. But keep at it. She can't say no to you for very long."

***

"Hey, Chloe," Jack said warmly as he approached her station.

"What the hell do you want?" she snapped, not even raising her eyes from the computer screen.

Jack sat down on the edge of her desk, trying desperately to swallow his nervousness. "You okay?"

"I'm just dandy, Jack. I'm pregnant, and uncomfortable and everyone around here is an absolute idiot."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"What do you want?"

"Let's go get some lunch."

Chloe stopped suddenly and looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Let's go get lunch," Jack repeated. "You must be starving."

"Uhhh…thanks, Jack. But I’m fine. I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten all day, Chloe."

"I'm fine."
"You need to eat."

She sighed. "Jack, just leave me alone."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm worried about you, Chloe. You need to take care of yourself."

Standing up, Chloe locked her station and glared at him, pointing a finger at his chest. "I am not some obligation. I'm not one of your damsels in distress. I can take care of myself!" And with that she stomped off down the hallway.

***

"That didn't look like it went too well," Tony commented as he walked up to Jack.

"I told you she wouldn't let me."

"And I told you to keep trying. She'll give in eventually, Jack."

The older man turned to him, a pained expression on his face. "That's the whole point, Tony. I don't want to wear her down. If she doesn't want my help, then I'm not going to force it on her."

Tony looked at him in surprise. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"Hang on." He walked across the floor to Nadia's station, grabbing the woman by the arm and dragging her over to stand in front of Jack. "Tell him," he ordered.

Nadia looked at him like he had three heads. "Tell him what?"

"How Chloe feels about him."

Her eyes widened at the implications of his demand. "Tony…"

"The truth," he said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"She'll kill me," Nadia whispered in a strangled voice.

"No she won't. Just tell him."

Nadia frowned in consternation. "Does he…?"

Tony smiled at her. "Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Jack snapped, irritated by their secretive words.

Nadia turned to face him and took a deep breath. "Chloe loves you."

Jack stared at her in shock, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to come up with something in response.

She smiled at him gently. "She loves you, Jack. But she doesn't think she has a shot in hell with you. Especially not now that she's pregnant with Morris' kid. That's why she's snapping at you."

"Chloe loves me?" he asked in awe.

Tony placed a hand on his shoulder. "And you love her. So you still gonna give me that crap about letting her go and leaving her alone?"

"No," Jack replied. Taking a deep breath, he moved off the floor in search of Chloe.

***

One of the techs he passed told him that he had just seen Chloe entering the women's bathroom, so that's where Jack headed. He opened the door slowly, making sure that there was no one else inside, when the door came slamming back into his face. He cursed under his breath, rubbing his forehead in irritation.

"Chloe, dammit, let me in!"

"Go away, Jack. I'm not some charity case."

"I know that," he sighed, resting his hands on either side of the door. "Chloe, you're my friend. I want to help you. That's what friends do."

"Go away."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Pushing me away."

He heard her take a few deep breaths through the door. He pushed against it gently, but he could immediately tell that it was blocked. Jack guessed that Chloe was leaning against it.

"Please, Jack," she said in a weary tone. "I just need you to leave me alone. Please," her voice broke slightly and Jack sighed. He wanted to talk to her, to explain things. But he also knew that she wouldn't come out until she was ready. And he wasn't going to tell her how he felt through the bathroom door.

"Okay," he sighed. "I'm going. But I'm not through with you yet, Chloe. I promise you that."

***

“O’Brian.”

“Chloe, I need you to come up to my office.”

She sighed in frustration. “Why?”

“I just do.”

“Can I say no?”

“No. Get up here, O’Brian. Now.”

Chloe hung the phone up and glared at it angrily for a few moments before redirecting her gaze up to Jack’s office. She could see him sitting there, but he was obviously avoiding her eyes, busying himself with papers that were on his desk. Jack Bauer never did paperwork.

Sighing again, she stood up and stomped toward the stairs. She took them hard, making sure that her foot his each step with some force, trying to rid her body of the frustration and tension that had settled in. When she got to the door, she opened it without knocking, a scowl clear upon her face.

“What do you want, Jack?”

“You’re having dinner with me tonight.”

“Excuse me?” she asked, her voice shrill.

“You. Are having dinner. With me. Tonight,” Jack repeated, emphasizing each word.

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are.”

“No. I’m NOT,” she retorted, her face growing red and her voice getting louder.

“Look, Chloe,” Jack hissed, slamming one hand on his desk. “You have got to stop this. If you don’t care about yourself, fine. But you have someone else to think of now.”

Chloe pulled back slightly. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you need to start taking better care of your baby. Because if you keep this up, it’s going to hurt your baby. You’re going to hurt your baby.”

Her lower lip trembled as his words sank in. She looked around the room frantically, trying to steady her breathing and control her emotions. Jack watched her, his heart hurting for what he had just said. But he needed her to understand, and it was the only thing he could think to do.

He automatically pulled back when she looked at him again, shocked at the rage and hurt in her eyes.

“SCREW YOU, JACK!” she screamed before storming out of his office.

***

“I yelled at her.”

Tony’s head shot up from the paper he was reading. “You did what?”

Jack sighed. “I was just trying to help.”

“By yelling at her?”

“I was trying to make her understand that she needs to take care of herself. For her baby’s sake if nothing else.”

Tony dropped his head into his hands. “Jack…” he groaned.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” the older man said quietly.

Tony looked back up at him. “So what are you going to do?”

Jack stood up and walked to his door. “I’m going to go apologize.”

***

Chloe scowled deeply as she slammed the keys of her computer. Jack’s words still rang in her head, and every time she let herself think, the emotions threatened to consume her. She closed her eyes and tried again to control her breathing, but she was interrupted by someone leaning over her shoulder and talking into her ear.

“Let’s go,” Jack said, his voice so low that it made her shiver.

“I told you to leave me alone,” she said in a strangled tone.

“Look, Chloe. This is only going to get worse if you don’t start taking care of yourself or let your friends help you. Because eventually you’re going to pass out from hunger and exhaustion and dehydration. When that happens, I’m going to have to carry you out of here in front of all these people and take you to the hospital. Then I’m going to sit by your bed until they release you. And then after, I’m going to move in with you and hover over you like a mother hen, making sure that you eat, drink and sleep. Now, you could avoid that whole fiasco by just coming to dinner with me. Now.”

She swallowed hard, one tear getting by her defenses. “Fine,” she hissed.

Getting up, she turned her computer off and reached for her coat, only to find Jack holding it out for her. She grimaced, but let him help her put it on and then lead her out into the parking lot.

***

“This is nice,” Chloe muttered as she ate her food.

Jack had taken her to a nice restaurant – not too flashy, but it wasn’t an Applebee’s or Ruby Tuesdays. The people around them were in dresses and suits, and Chloe was thankful that she had worn a skirt to work that morning.

Jack sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, staring down at his plate.

“I said it was nice, Jack. I meant it.”

He set his silverware down and looked at her. “No. I mean, I’m sorry for earlier. The things I said…I wasn’t trying to hurt you, Chloe. I’m sorry.”

The tears came streaming down her face unbidden. She reached out and grasped his hand, squeezing tightly.

“It’s okay, Jack. You were right. I need to start taking better care of myself. And of my baby.”

He held her hand tighter. “But you don’t have to do it alone, Chloe. Let me help.” She shook her head, pressing her lips closer together in an effort to quell her sobs. “Why not?” he asked.

“Because I’ll get used to it,” she whispered. “Because I’ll get used to having you around. And then you’ll be gone. You always leave me. I know it’s not always your fault, but…my heart can’t take much more, Jack.”

He closed his eyes as his own tears threatened to spill out. He took his hand away from hers slowly and reached for his wallet.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Paying,” he said gruffly. “We need to get out of here.”

***

Once outside, Chloe immediately headed for the car, but was stopped by Jack’s hand on her elbow. She looked at him in confusion.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested quietly.

He led her across the street and down to the beach, tentatively taking her hand in his. As they started walking across the sand, Chloe stopped him, lifting up her knee in an effort to get at the straps on her shoes. Seeing her struggle, Jack let go of her hand and knelt down, undoing her shoes wordlessly. Tears sprung to her eyes again at his gentleness and she silently cursed her hormones. With the straps undone, she slid her feet out and Jack stood back up, handing her the shoes.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Jack nodded and took her hand again, leading her down to the water. They walked along the water’s edge, neither saying anything. The crash of the waves filled the silence, and Chloe smiled sadly as the ocean rushed in and wrapped around her ankles. With no destination in mind they continued moving, both enjoying the simple pleasure of the other’s company.

“Oh!”

Chloe stopped suddenly, her hand leaving Jack’s and flying to her stomach. She looked down in shock, this time not caring that she was crying again. Jack stopped as well, worry evident on his face.

“Chloe? Are you alright?”

She just looked up at him, her eyes shimmering in the moonlight.

He cradled her face in his hands. “Chloe, please. Are you okay?”

She smiled at him. “He kicked.”

Jack looked at her in confusion before an awed smile grew on his face. “He kicked? The baby kicked?” She nodded, laughing. Jack reached his hand toward her stomach. “May I?” Chloe nodded again.

He got down on one leg, kneeling in the wet sand. Gently, he placed both his hands on her stomach, his smile growing as he felt the movements of the baby. Then his face grew serious as he looked up at her.

“I want to take care of you. Both of you.”

“Jack…”

He stood up, taking her face in his hands. “Please, Chloe. This isn’t about saving you or needing someone to help. This is about you. This is about how I feel about you. This is about how I love your baby when I haven’t even met him yet.”

“You love my baby?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Jack smiled at her, brushing a stray hair from her face. “Because he’s a part of you. And…and I love you. Every single part.”

Nervously, he licked his lips and leaned in slowly. Chloe gave the slightest of nods, letting him know that it was alright. He smiled, brushing his lips against hers softly. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Their tongues moved against each other slowly as the water continued to crash around their ankles.

Chloe pulled back first, resting her forehead against his and leaving one hand locked in his hair.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

“I don’t want to leave you, Chloe. And I will do everything in my power to never do it again.”

She smiled. “I know.” Leaning in, she kissed him deeply again. “I want to go home with you, Bauer.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he murmured.

Umm...So I wrote this uber-short drabble in an effort to bribe

glorylinnemann. Set one year after S6.

    The sound of her front door opening and slamming shut caused Chloe to jump, and sudden fear gripped her heart. She tried to control her breathing, telling herself that it was the middle of the afternoon and a thief or rapist wouldn't just waltz in through her front door. Picking up a pan from the stove, she inched out of her kitchen, only to stop dead in her tracks in the hallway.
    Jack was standing directly across from her, his gaze intense and his breathing labored. He stared at her for a moment, his eyes roaming up and down her body as he took her in. He had left one year ago, and the very sight of her made his knees week.
    Chloe's mouth opened as she tried to speak, tried to say anything to the man standing before her. She had cried when he left, certain that this time he wouldn't be coming back, not after everything that had happened with his father and Audrey. But there he was, standing in her house, looking at her as though she were his lifeline.
    In a few quick strides, he came to her without a word. He took her face in both his hands and brought his lips crashing down to hers, pulling her up against him. His tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting her as his hands moved down her body until they were wrapped around her waist and holding her close. Chloe kissed him back with equal fervor, her mind clouded with the feel of him, but her body taking over and responding to his touch. One hand clamped in his hair while the other had the front of his shirt in a vice-like grip.
    Finally Jack pulled back, knowing that they both needed to breathe. Lacing his fingers through her hair and holding her head steady, he forced her to look at him.
    "I don't work without you," he growled.
    Chloe found her voice. "Then don't be without me."
    Nodding as though he hadn't thought of that before, Jack released his grip on her and took her gently by the hand, leading her upstairs.

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: Office
Current Music: Because of You by Kelly Clarkson

She was surprised when she arrived at the address on the envelope and found herself staring at a good-sized house in a quiet neighborhood. Pulling into the driveway, she turned the engine off and sat there quietly trying to calm her nerves. There were lights on inside, which meant that he was home, and a pickup truck was parked in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe finally opened the door and climbed out of the car. She shut the door quietly and walked up the gravel path leading to the front porch. Standing in front of the door, she tried to steady her breathing, closing her eyes and telling herself that he had been clear in her letters, that this was easy. But a little voice in the back of her head kept reminding her that he probably thought she hated him because she never returned his letters – he probably had given up and moved on. Shaking her head, she opened her eyes and knocked on the door.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She held her breath and willed herself to stand still as the door before her swung open and she found herself face-to-face with Jack Bauer.

He stood there in shock, just taking in the sight of her. His eyes ran over her entire body, finally coming back up to rest on her face, searching for something. Slowly a smile grew on his face and he let out a quiet laugh.

"Chloe…" he said in quiet disbelief.

Dropping her purse to the porch, Chloe launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. Jack immediately hugged her back, pulling her body against his and resting his face into the crook of her neck. He brought one hand to her hair, running his fingers through it gently as he breathed her in.

It felt so good to be in his arms, and Chloe could have stood there forever. But then she remembered the letters and that she owed him an explanation. She pulled away suddenly, putting distance between them again.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean to-"

Jack just kept smiling at her. "Chloe, it's okay. I'm just glad to see you."

She looked up at him then, a small smile growing on her face to match his. Then a voice from another room made her blood run cold.

"Jack, are you coming back upstairs?" a woman called.

Jack had turned at the sound of the voice, and when he looked back at Chloe, he saw pain and defeat in her eyes. He frowned, unsure of what had changed so quickly. She took a step back from him, bumping into the doorframe.

"Oh God," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm too late, aren't I?"

And then Jack understood. But Chloe had already turned and picked up her purse from the porch, stumbling down the steps. Jack looked up the stairs again, and then back to where Chloe had been standing.

"Dammit!" he yelled before running out the door and chasing her.

He raced down the steps of the porch and hurtled towards her car. Chloe was at her door, struggling to find the right key and jam it into the lock. She was sobbing and her hands were shaking, causing the key to go everywhere except the lock, making little scratches around her door handle.

When Jack got to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to pin her arms as well. She pushed and struggled against him, still desperately trying to unlock her door so that she could just drive away.

"Chloe, please," he pled, trying to hold her still and turn her around at the same time. "Please, just listen to me, Chloe."

She shook her head as the tears continued to fall. Finally Jack gave up on pinning her arms and just went for the keys. Wresting them from her grip, he threw them in the garden and then wrapped his arms around her again.

With her keys gone, Chloe sagged against him in defeat, her sobs overcoming her. Jack held her against his chest, leaning his head over her shoulder so that he could whisper in her ear.

"It's okay, Chloe," he said soothingly. "You're not too late. I promise you. You're not too late."

He repeated the words over and over, trying to get through to her. Her breathing slowed and she turned to look at him, her tear-stained face breaking his heart.

"Oh Chloe…" he whispered.

"You mean it?" she asked, her emotions still threatening to break her. "I'm not too late?"

Jack smiled and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "You're not too late. I'm right here. I've been waiting for you Chloe. I would have waited forever."

She closed her eyes at his words, unable to believe that he was really saying those things to her. Then a thought came to her and she frowned, opening her eyes again.

"But who…who…" she struggled to get the words out, not really wanting to ask the question.

Jack turned slightly so that Chloe could see over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw Michelle standing on the porch, watching them with an amused expression on her face. The other woman walked down the steps and over to the couple.

"Hey Chloe," she said gently.

Chloe frown deepened as she struggled to understand. She looked to Jack with questioning eyes.

He smiled at her. "I called Michelle to come over and fix my computer. Hard drive crashed."

"So you called Michelle?"

Jack laughed. "Well, I would have called you, but you'd been ignoring my letters for five months, so I figured that would have been awkward."

Chloe opened her mouth to respond, but Michelle cut in. "Well, the computer's fixed, so I'm going to leave you two alone. It seems you have some catching up to do." She walked over to Chloe and wrapped her arms around her in a tight but gentle hug. "I heard about the baby, Chloe. I'm so sorry."

Jack's eyes narrowed in confusion as Chloe hugged Michelle back. "Thank you," she whispered.

They pulled apart and Michelle walked across the street to her car, giving them a little wave as she climbed in and drove away. Left alone, Jack and Chloe stared at each other, both unsure of what to do next.

Jack tucked her hair behind her ear. "I guess we have some things to talk about," he said quietly.

Chloe nodded at him, biting her bottom lip. Jack gently took her by the hand and led her back up the steps and into the house.

"We'll find your keys tomorrow," he said as he closed the door behind them. Leading her over to the couch, they both sat down, awkwardly leaving some space between them. "Why didn't you answer my letters?" he asked eventually.

Chloe leaned against the back of the couch and tucked her legs underneath her, turning to face him. "I didn't get them until today," she answered simply. Jack looked at her sharply, and she continued. "Morris intercepted them. He read them and hid them in a box. He finally gave them to me today when he moved out."

Jack closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me," he said quietly. Then he opened his eyes again to look at her. "He left you?"

She nodded. "It wasn't working. It never really did."

He looked down at the couch, at his hand lying between them. "What did Michelle mean about the baby?" he asked in a subdued tone.

It was Chloe's turn to look down as her bottom lip trembled. "The day you left…I found out I was pregnant. Morris and I decided to give it another chance. But…six weeks ago I lost it. The baby. I had a miscarriage."

Jack took her hand, entwining their fingers and gripping tightly, letting her know that he was there. "Chloe…"

"After that…we couldn't even speak to each other. I'm surprised it took him so long to move out." She looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"For what?"

"That I didn't get your letters. That you had to think that I'd moved on, that I didn't want you in my life. It's not true, Jack. You don't know how much I've missed you."

Her voice broke and Jack pulled her into his side, wrapping his arms around her and rocking her gently back and forth. He whispered soothing words in her ear as she clung to him. The floodgates broke and she cried, finally mourning the loss of her baby.

Eventually her sobs subsided and her breathing evened out. Pulling back, she looked in his eyes, surprised to see his own tears there. She brought her hand up slowly to wipe them away, her breath catching at the pain in his expression.

"Will you stay?" he asked her, desperation and longing evident in his voice.

"If you still want me," she answered.

Leaning in, he brushed his lips against hers softly. Chloe held his face in her hands and kissed him back slowly, taking her time and memorizing just how his lips felt. They sat like that for awhile before Jack tilted his head to deepen the kiss. He sucked on her bottom lip before nudging her mouth open slowly sliding his tongue in. She moaned deeply as they tasted each other, their grips tightening as they held on desperately. Finally they pulled back to breathe, letting their foreheads rest against each other.

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered. "If this is too fast…we don’t have to do anything tonight…"

He was cut off Chloe straddling his lap and pulling his mouth back to hers. She let her tongue toy with his as her hands drifted down to the buttons of his shirt. Slowly, she undid each one, letting her fingers trail in the hair on his chest as she made her way down. Dragging her lips from his, she kissed down his neck and then his chest, making him hiss in pleasure. Her hands roamed all over his skin, leaving a trail of fire wherever she touched. Groaning, Jack cradled her face in his hands and brought her mouth back to his, pulling her flush against his body. Chloe ground her hips against his, causing him to buck against her in anticipation. He shivered as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, leaving his torso completely bare.

Jack stood up, holding her against him and forcing her to wrap her legs around him. He walked them up the stairs slowly, reveling in the sensations she was causing in him. Their kisses were long and deep as they took their time to explore every inch of each other's mouths.

He carried her into the bedroom, climbing onto the bed on his knees, Chloe still wrapped around him. He laid her down and pinned her there with his body, using the vantage point to undo her buttons as well. Letting his lips trail down her chest and stomach as he released each button, he smiled at the throaty moans coming from her. He pushed the shirt off of her, taking a moment to appreciate her bra-clad breasts before him.

"You don't know how many times I've imagined this," he whispered, bringing his hands around her back to undo the clasp.

Chloe held his face so that he was looking right at her. "Then show me."

He slid the straps down her arms, revealing her bare breasts to him. Throwing the bra to the side, he pushed her back down, bringing his mouth to her right breast while kneading the other with his hand. Chloe threw her head back and groaned in pleasure, her hands tangling in his hair and holding him against her. She arched against him as he moved his mouth to the other breast, his tongue toying with her sensitive nipple.

Then he was moving down her stomach, pausing at the waistband of her jeans and placing tiny kisses right above the fabric. He slowly undid the button and slid the zipper down, causing her to roll her hips in anticipation. He pulled the material down, kissing her thighs as he went. Then her jeans were gone and he was hovering over, taking in the glow of her face and the beauty of her body.

Jack brought his lips back down to her skin, this time pulling her panties off slowly, tantalizingly. She called his name, begging him to touch her. When she was completely naked, he kissed along her inner thighs, letting his tongue drag across her enflamed skin. Chloe bucked her hips again, calling his name louder.

And then his mouth was on her, his tongue moving inside her. He tasted her slowly, taking his time and becoming more aroused as her cries grew louder and more desperate. Finally he sucked on her clit, pulling her orgasm out of her. She shuddered and came, his name still on her lips. Sitting up, he brought his face back to hers and kissed her eyelids gently.

Smiling at him coyly, Chloe pushed him onto his back. "You still have too much clothing on." She straddled him and ran her hands up and down his chest as she rolled her hips against his, causing him to moan her name. Then she teased him through the zipper, and he bucked beneath her. Copying his earlier movements, she pulled his jeans off slowly, kissing the exposed skin. She did the same with his underwear, smiling at him before lowering her mouth to him. Jack's eyes rolled in the back of his head as she took him in her mouth, the feel of her surrounding him nearly sending him over the edge. He took ragged breaths as she moved her tongue against him, his body shaking with the effort of controlling himself. Then she placed a gentle kiss on his quivering head and brought herself back up to kiss his lips. She kissed him slowly, teasing his mouth open before pulling back.

"I want you inside me," she whispered.

Jack nodded and pushed her back on the bed, hovering over her. Nudging her thighs open, he positioned himself at her entrance.

"Wait, Jack."

He looked at her, sudden worry knotting in the pit of his stomach. Chloe gently took his face in her hands and kissed him briefly.

"I love you," she said quietly, a contented smile on her face.

The worry evaporated and Jack leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you."

And then he was inside her. He thrust against her as Chloe wrapped her legs around him, urging him deeper. Their cries grew louder and they came closer to the edge. Jack's lips sought hers and their tongues tangled as their bodies moved together. He pulled back to watch her face as Chloe reached her climax, her muscles contracting around him and pulling him over with her.

When it was over he rolled to his side, tugging her until she rolled to face him. Brushing the hair out of her eyes, he smiled at her. "Wow."

"Wow indeed," she answered, her fingers lightly tracing a random design on his chest.

"I missed you," he said seriously. "And I’m sorry I wasn't there when you needed me."

Chloe shrugged. "You didn't know what was going on. You're here now. That's all that matters."

He brushed a kiss against her forehead. "Sleep."

"You too."

Jack nodded and pulled her tighter against him. Then he reached over and shut off the light, throwing the room into darkness.

"I'm glad you came back to me," Jack whispered as he closed his eyes.

"I'm always yours, Jack," Chloe answered with a yawn. "I always have been."

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

Current Mood: pleased
Current Location: Office
Current Music: One Last Wish from Casper

Part One of a new fic. Jack left five months ago....

            Chloe poured herself a cup of coffee, staring out the kitchen window at the street below. She watched the traffic stream by, her mind unable to grasp onto anything significant. As she took a sip of her drink, she didn't even taste it. She just felt the hot liquid spill down her throat as she continued to look outside.
            A noise behind her made her turn around, and she watched as Morris carried two suitcases out into the living room. He set them down and headed back to the bedroom, never looking at her. She watched as he made several more trips. It was then that she noticed there was nothing left of his in the kitchen or living room; she realized that he had to have been packing for the past week.
            Finally he carried out the last of his things. They stood there staring at each other, neither sure of what to say. Chloe set her coffee down and crossed her arms, leaning against the counter.
            "You're leaving?" she asked quietly, keeping her eyes locked on the boxes instead of Morris.
            He nodded. "Yeah."
            "When were you planning on telling me?"
            Morris shrugged. "I've been packing for the past five days, Chloe. You didn’t seem to care."
            It was Chloe's turn to nod as she raised her eyes to his. "We tried, didn't we?" she asked in a small voice.
            He looked at her sadly. "Yeah, love. We tried." He paused, looking down at the ground before speaking again. "It's just that…after the baby…after…"
            Chloe held her hand up to stop him, tears welling in her eyes – the first emotion she'd shown in weeks. Morris nodded, his own tears threatening to overcome him. Looking down at his things, he picked up a small shoebox. He stared at it for a moment before walking toward Chloe slowly, a pained expression on his face.
            "I…" he stopped and tried to clear his throat of the emotion that had welled up there to form a lump. "Please don't hate me for this, Chloe. I didn't…I just didn't want to lose you. I was selfish. I'm sorry, darling."
            Chloe looked at him in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Morris?" she snapped.
            "Here." He handed her the shoebox. "You have every right to be angry at me for keeping these from you. I know now that I was wrong. I'm sorry," he whispered the last part. Clearing his throat again, he moved toward the door. "My brother is here. To help me move my stuff."
            Chloe nodded dully. Then, picking her coffee cup back up and still holding the shoebox, she moved down the hall to the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

***

Chloe sat down on the bed, taking in the emptiness of the room. She knew that she should be feeling surprised, or angry or sad, but none of the appropriate emotions would come. She had barely noticed Morris for the past month; she couldn't even remember the last time she spoke more than two words to him. Setting her coffee down on the nightstand, she looked down at the box sitting in her lap.
Opening it, she was surprised to see a stack of envelopes addressed to her. They had all been opened, and Chloe frowned as she tried to figure out what kind of mail she would get that would make him intercept all the letters. Reaching her hand in, she pulled out the first envelope, frowning again when she saw that there was no name with the return address. Curiosity getting the best of her, she opened the letter, noting that it was sent five months ago, and began to read.

Dear Chloe,

                        I feel stupid writing to you like this, but I couldn't bring myself to call you. I'm sorry. I know that I disappeared again without so much as a goodbye. But I knew that if I went back to CTU at all, I never would have been able to leave. And I needed to leave, Chloe. That place has been the source of too much pain in my life.
                        But I didn't want to walk away from you. I've missed you, more than I thought I could.
                        My address is on the envelope. I don’t know if you’d ever want to, but you’re welcome to come visit me. If you ever need me, I’m here.

Jack

Dear Chloe,

I was hoping to have heard from you after my last letter. But why should I? I heard from Bill that you’ve left CTU. I hope that now you’re enjoying a real life where you’re not called on to make sacrifices day in and day out. I hope that you’re happy.
I miss you.

Jack

Dear Chloe,

At first I thought I had made the right decision in walking away. I thought that it was the only way to save my sanity. But I’m slowly realizing that I walked away from more than a job. I walked away from friends who stood by me no matter what. I miss seeing you. I miss hearing you snap at people. I miss you rolling your eyes at me when I say something stupid. I miss you.
I hope you’re well.

Jack

Dear Chloe,

I don’t know why I’m still writing these letters to you. I don’t blame you for moving on, for wanting nothing more to do with me. I did nothing but use you for years. I made ridiculous demands and never even thanked you when you came through every time.
But maybe I can say it now. I know it’s too late. I know I should have said it a long time ago. But I didn’t, and I’m sorry. You were my best friend, Chloe. Even though we never really got to know the little things, I always knew that you were there. You were the only thing that kept me going sometimes. In China I clung to the hope that you were still looking for me; that you would save me like you always did. Thank you. For everything.

Jack

Dear Chloe,

                        I know I should leave you alone. Let you live your life. But I’m too selfish to let you go. I don’t even know if you read these anymore, or if you just throw them away when you see the return address. But if I don’t keep writing, I’ll have to admit that I’ve lost you. And that thought tears at my heart. It keeps me up at night, worrying that I’ll never see you again.
                        I have to say this. You might hate me. And you have every right to. But if I don’t say it now, I never will.
                        I love you, Chloe. That’s why I can’t let you go. You have such a hold on my heart, that if I admit that you’re gone…it would be the end of me. I love you. I don’t know when I fell, but I think it happened so slowly that I never noticed it until one day when I woke up and realized that I was head over heels in love you.
                        I know you don’t feel the same way. I know that you’ve pushed me out of your life – or maybe I just left so many times that I pushed myself out. I know you’re better off without me. But for five months I’ve been regretting walking away from you without even saying goodbye.
                        I love you, Chloe. And I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you.

Jack

Chloe laid down on the bed and cried.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: Home
Current Music: It Ends Tonight by All-American Rejects

The fifth time she finally kissed him. She waited for him while he talked to Bill, her arms crossed and her eyes down. He kept glancing at her, knowing that she wanted to see him. Finally he managed to circumvent the older man with promises to visit Medical as soon as he was done with one last thing. Then he was striding toward her, concern etched on his face. Before he could get a word out, she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hallway, finally opening the door to one of the holding rooms and leading him inside. She shut the door behind them, pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts.

He turned to face her, surprised when he saw that she had her back to him, her head bowed against the door. Gently he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to convince her to face him.

“Chloe…” he whispered.

He was stopped by the sudden sting across his left cheek as her hand made hard contact. When he looked at her again, he was surprised to see rage and worry in her eyes, mixed with the tears that were falling down her face.

“Chloe…” he tried again.

She grabbed his face and kissed him, pressing her body flush against his. Jack was caught off-guard, but it didn’t take him long to recover. He wrapped one arm around her waist and tangled the other in her dark hair as he backed her up against the door. She plunged her tongue into his mouth, causing him to groan lustily and push himself against her even harder.

And then he was lifting her, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist for support. With that his hands were freed, and he let them roam all over her body – her legs, her stomach, her breasts. He let them trail seductively up her thighs and under her skirt, stopping just short of her panties. Meanwhile Chloe grounded her pelvis into his, soaking in the moans she was eliciting from him.

She pulled back suddenly and Jack’s heart dropped into his stomach. He gave her a pleading look, tightening his hold on her. “Please…”

Chloe grabbed his face brought her forehead to his. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. She searched his eyes, more tears falling down her cheeks. “Do you still love me?”

Jack ran his fingers through her hair. “Chloe, I could never stop loving you. All I wanted was to get back here to you, to tell you...even if you still didn’t believe me.”

“I believe you,” she said quietly, a small smile on her face.

Jack returned her smile before leaning in slowly to capture her lips again. He took his time, exploring her mouth, reacquainting himself with the feel of her body. He ran his hands over inch of her, teasing her and making her shiver with desire. Finally he dragged his lips away from hers and rested his head against her chest. Chloe held him close and gently ran her fingers through his short-cropped hair.

“I missed you,” he told her, his voice mumbled in her shirt.

“I missed you too.”

He pulled back to look in her eyes again, his hand coming up to brush the hair from her face. “Run away with me.”

“What?”

“After we save the world again. Let’s run away. Anywhere. I don’t care.”

“Chase and Kim are in Boston,” she said quietly.

“Boston?”

She nodded, wiping the tears that were now falling from his eyes. “She misses you.”

“Boston,” he repeated, nodding this time.

“That means you’re not allowed to get killed today,” she said, glowering at him.

“Agreed.” He smiled at her and gave her a gentle kiss before setting her down. “I love you, Chloe.”

“I know. I believe you now.” She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm. “And I love you too.”

They stared at each other a moment longer before Chloe rolled her eyes and moved to unlock the door. “Back to work?” she asked.

“Back to work,” he confirmed, squeezing her hand once more before they walked back out onto the floor together.

Current Mood: exhausted

The fourth time he kissed her was just after Edgar died. When the nerve gas had finally been cleared and they were allowed to leave the situation room, he was immediately pulled aside by Bill. When they were finished, he turned to look for her, but her chair was empty. Panic flooded through him as he searched frantically for her. He checked Tech 1, the holding rooms and the interrogation rooms. She wasn’t in any of them. Finally he stopped outside the women’s bathroom, pushing the door open slowly when he heard the faint sound of crying.

The handicap stall was closed and locked, and he could see that someone was sitting on the floor in the corner. Pulling out his knife, he undid the lock and slipped in, closing and relocking the door behind him.

Chloe was curled up in a ball on the floor, hugging her knees and trying to stifle her sobs. Jack’s heart broke at the sight, and he immediately walked over to her, scooting her forward so that he could sit behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her back and forth. She clung to him and let tears come, her body wracking with the force of her sobs.

When the tears finally subsided, he continued to hold her, rubbing comforting circles on her back and whispering soothing words in her ear. She pulled back slowly, looking at him, searching his face. He raised a hand to wipe away her tears.

“Oh Chloe,” he whispered as he lightly kissed her lips.

When he pulled back, she just continued to stare at him, her gaze now focusing on his lips. Licking them slowly, he leaned back in and captured her mouth with his gently. He kissed her slowly and she let his tongue slide in so that they could explore each other. Her fingers ran through his hair softly as he continued moving his hands along her back, each giving and taking comfort from the other.

Chloe finally pulled back and put her head in the crook of his neck. Her arms wrapped around his waist and she took a deep breath, trying to breathe in the scent of him so that she would always have it with her. Jack brought his hands up to comb through her hair and he moved his mouth to her ear.

“One day you’ll believe me, Chloe. You’ll finally believe that I love you.”

Her head shot up in surprise. “What about Audrey?”

He rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone. “I only go back to her because you won’t stay with me.”

Tears fell down her cheeks. “We have to go back to work,” she whispered.

Jack nodded. “I know.”

Chloe stood, reaching out her hand to help Jack up as well. They held onto each other’s hands for a moment, just looking at each other. Then she brought his hand to her mouth and brushed a soft kiss across his knuckles.

“Later,” she whispered.

He nodded, giving her a small smile before they left the bathroom and went back out on the floor.

Current Mood: creative

The third time he kissed her was while he was on the run. He had been legally “dead” for almost a year, and he had to change identities again. Too many coincidences and too many close calls forced him to pick up and move – and for that he had to call her. She was the only one who could help him, who could keep him safe. So he had picked a small hotel in the middle of nowhere and checked in under a fake name. And then he sat on the bed and waited, his stomach growing more and more twisted with each passing minute.

The knock on the door made him jump and he cursed himself for his anxiety. They had done this several times – she knew what she was doing and she made sure that she was never followed. Trying to calm himself, he walked slowly to the door, checking the peephole before letting her in.

“Hey Jack,” she whispered as he closed the door behind her.

“Hi Chloe,” he responded, leading her over to sit on the bed.

Their business was done quickly. Chloe was efficient and had covered all the bases, handing him his new identification and a new cell phone. When she had finished, she sat there awkwardly, looking down at her hands as she wrung them in her lap. Jack stared at her hands too, not wanting her to leave, but unable to make himself say anything. Slowly, he reached out his hand, his fingers gently entwining with hers. They both just stared, reveling in how good the smallest touch could feel.

And then his lips were brushing against hers. She kissed him back, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, her hand tightening its squeeze on his. Jack groaned as her tongue invaded his mouth, his other hand coming up to tangle in her hair. He pushed her back onto the bed gently, his body covering hers. Her fingers skimmed up his sides under his shirt, causing him to groan again and kiss her even harder. Leaving her mouth, Jack trailed his lips down her neck, stopping at her pulse point and sucking on the skin.

“Oh God, Jack,” she moaned, writhing under him and causing him to grow harder as he moved his lips down to her chest. Pulling the neck of her shirt down, he kissed the tops of her breasts as her hands locked in his hair and held him closer.

Jack suddenly found himself on his back as Chloe straddled him, kissing and nipping at his earlobe. His hands moved to the buttons of her shirt, struggling to undo them, frantic in his haste to be closer to her. Chloe pushed his shirt up his chest, kissing the exposed flesh and making Jack moan her name.

The sudden phone ringing brought them up short. For a moment they just stared at each other, both aroused and breathing hard. Frowning, Chloe climbed off of him, digging in her purse and then answering her phone.

“I have to go,” she said quietly after hanging up.

“Don’t,” he whispered, his voice strangled.

She bit her lip and looked down. “We both know this was a bad idea Jack.”

His head sank into his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed. “When are you going to believe that I have feelings for you, Chloe?” he asked in an anguished tone.

She walked to the door, her hand on the knob. “You don’t love me, Jack,” she said quietly, not facing him. “You can’t.”

And with that she was gone.

Current Mood: determined
Current Location: House sitting still
Current Music: Hide and Seek is still stuck in my head

The second time he kissed her was after Paul Raines died. His face still stung from Audrey’s slaps and he found himself wandering aimlessly onto the floor. He looked around without really seeing, the voices around him faded into a jumbled mass of murmurings. Looking down, he saw that his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

Then, as he raised his eyes again, he saw her. She was standing at her station, glaring at the computer screen before her. Her blonde hair was swept back in a low messy ponytail. Biting her lip, she tapped angrily on her keyboard.

Taking a deep breath, he strode over to her quickly, ignoring everyone else around him. Without a word he grabbed her elbow and practically dragged her off the floor and down the hallway, away from the noise and eyes. He ignored her protests, pulling her after him until he found a deserted hallway. Turning her around her pushed her up against the wall.

“Jack, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snapped.

Tangling one hand in her hair and wrapping one around her waist, Jack pulled her mouth to his hungrily. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging her to let him in. Nipping slightly with his teeth he caused her to gasp, and used the opportunity to slide in, tasting her, drinking her in. He pushed her harder into the wall, attempting to bring their bodies even closer.

Chloe moaned in frustration as Jack’s hand slid under her shirt, running up along her bare back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ground herself into him, forcing a groan from him. She kept kissing him until she couldn’t breathe, her whole body tingling with the feel of his body pressed up against hers.

They finally had to pull back to breathe. Jack ran his lips lightly over her jaw line and down her neck, unwilling to break their contact. Chloe shivered in his arms as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, catching her breath. As his lips came back to hers to continue their assault, she pushed him back gently, forcing their bodies apart.

“No, Jack,” she said firmly.

“Chloe-“

“No,” she repeated. “You’re with Audrey.”

“Not anymore,” he spat out. “I just killed her husband. I think it’s fair to say that we’re over.”

“But I’m not your safety net, Jack. At least not for this. You don’t want me. You just want to forget her.”

“Chloe, that’s not true.”

She smiled at him sadly and rested her hand against his cheek. He closed his eyes at the contact, placing his hand over hers.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

He opened his eyes to look at her. “I missed you too,” he said truthfully.

Nodding, she leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I need to get back out there,” she told him.

She started to walk away, but Jack kept his hold on her hand, forcing her to turn back to him. She gave him another sad smile, and he could see that she was fighting back tears. Her eyes pleaded with him to let her go, to let her get herself back together so that she could go do her job. He nodded and then squeezed her hand tightly before letting it fall.

Current Mood: determined
Current Location: House-sitting
Current Music: Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

The first time he kissed her was after he got back from visiting Chase at the hospital. He walked into his office, keeping the lights turned off and heading straight for his desk. He sat down in his chair, slowly lowering his head into his hands. He took deep breaths, trying to steady himself, but his emotions fought back, eventually overwhelming him. Hot tears coursed down his cheeks and his shoulders began to shake.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the door slowly open. Looking up, he watched as Chloe crept into his office, a stack of files under her arm. She looked around nervously, but the shadows hid him from her sight. Reassured that the room was empty, she strode purposefully toward the desk. As she reached out to set the files down, he shifted slightly, causing the chair to creak. The sound caught her completely by surprise, and she dropped the files with a startled yelp.

“Jack?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing Chloe?” he growled.

His angry tone immediately put her on the defensive. “I was just dropping off the files you wanted. I didn’t want you getting all pissy when you came in tomorrow if they weren’t here.”

“Then leave them and go.”

“Fine,” Chloe snapped back. She picked the fallen files off the floor and slammed them onto his desk, turning to leave. She stopped at the door as a sudden thought struck her. Turning back around, she walked toward his desk again, nervously wringing her hands. “Jack…are you crying?”

He tried to snap at her, tried to yell something at her that would make her go away. But the words caught in his throat, forming a huge lump there. His mouth moved as he continued to try and force something – anything – out, but the only sound he could make was a strangled sob.

Caught off-guard by this display of emotion, Chloe was surprised to find herself walking around his desk and awkwardly wrapping her arms around Jack’s shoulders. At first he tried to pull away, but she continued to hold on to him, and he eventually turned into her, nuzzling his face into her neck. As the tears came fell, Jack wrapped his arms around Chloe’s waist, dragging her unceremoniously into his lap. His shoulders shook harder and his grip tightened. Chloe rubbed comforting circles on his on his back and held him close, letting him take the strength he needed from her.

Finally he pulled back slowly until their noses were touching. He stared at her, seemingly searching her eyes for something. Leaning in slowly, he touched his lips to hers. When she didn’t pull back, he grew bolder, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. He explored her mouth with his tongue slowly, drinking in the taste of her. Her fingers threaded through his short hair, tightening their hold and pulling him even closer. Their kisses grew more urgent as Chloe shifted so that she straddling him, her thighs clenching his. Jack moaned at their closeness, his hands inching up underneath her shirt.

And then she was pulling away and scrambling off of his lap. Her hand was on her mouth and she looked at him in shock. Both were breathing heavily.

“We can’t do this, Jack,” she said, shaking her head.

“Why not?” he asked her, longing in his voice.

Chloe continued backing away until she was at the door. Opening it, she turned to look at him again. “Because you don’t want me, Jack,” she whispered.

Two weeks later, Jack accepted a job in Washington D.C.

Current Mood: artistic
Current Location: House-sitting
Current Music: X-Files

Yes. It's fluff. Some angst forced its way in, but for the most part, it's fluff. I hope you enjoy it.

As Jack stared out over the ocean outside of Heller's home, he was startled by the unexpected ringing of his cell phone. When he had waved to Bill at the beach, he thought that the older man understood his intentions and would leave him alone while he figured things out. He contemplated not answering, but a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach finally forced him to flip the phone open.

"Bauer."

"Jack, it's Bill. I know that you wanted to be left alone, and I had every intention of respecting that, but…"

"What is it, Bill?"

"It's Chloe."

Jack's entire body immediately tensed at the tone of Bill's voice, and worry flooded over him. "Is she okay?" he choked out.

He could sense Bill's hesitancy over the phone and those moments of pained silence nearly killed him.

"She needs you, Jack," he said quietly, and Jack could hear the older man's voice crack slightly.

"I’m coming."

***

Silence followed in his wake as Jack once again entered CTU, his eyes searching desperately for Bill. He found him standing at Nadia' station, the two conversing quietly. Their talk ceased as soon as they saw Jack coming up to them.

"Jack…" he began.

"Where is she Bill?"

Bill looked down at the ground, trying to think of a way to tell Jack without the younger man exploding. Nadia cut in.

"She's in Medical, Jack."

She could clearly see his jaw tighten and his fists clench by his side. "What happened?"

Nadia looked to Bill, but she could tell that he was uncomfortable telling him. Walking around her desk, she put a comforting hand on Jack's arm.

"She had a miscarriage, Jack," she told him quietly.

Jack's head immediately dropped as tears sprang to his eyes. "I didn't…I didn't even know she was pregnant…" he whispered.

"Neither did she. Not until she found out that she lost it."

He tried to fight back the tears. He had barely seen her all day long, too wrapped up in his own problems to even notice anything that was going on with her. He remembered yelling at her about Audrey and demanding that she help him when he went rogue. He mentally kicked himself for putting so much pressure on her, for putting her through more than her body could handle.

"Jack," Nadia's voice broke through his thoughts. "She doesn't need your guilt right now. This is not something you get to put on your shoulders. It was a long day. Yes, a lot of her stress came from you – but not from anything you asked of her. She worried about you all day. And then Morris got taken and tortured, and then he broke up with her…For the past year she's been driving herself too hard, never letting her body rest…"

His head snapped back up. "What do you mean? What has she been working on?"

Nadia pulled back slightly, suddenly realizing that he didn't know. Bill explained, "You, Jack. She's been working on finding you. Over the past year she's been hospitalized four times for dehydration, malnutrition and exhaustion. I finally had to tell her that if she was going to continue hunting for you, she had to promise me she would take better care of herself or I would have her put in the hospital by force."

This time tears escaped his eyes, but he didn't bother wiping them away. "I want to see her," he whispered.

Bill nodded. "Go ahead, Jack. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

Jack turned to walk away on unsteady legs. "Jack!" he turned back at the sound of Nadia's voice to find her staring at him with a serious expression on her face. "Don't go down there because you owe her. Or because you feel responsible. If those are your reasons, just leave now. She needs a friend."

He nodded and continued down to Medical.

***

As he approached the room she was in, Jack heard voices drifting out into the hallway. He came to her door and stopped, keeping himself hidden from the occupants, but still able to hear what was being said.

"Chloe, love, I am so sorry…"
"Just leave it, Morris. I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"Look, you dumped me, remember?"

"I know, and I'm promise you I'm not trying to weasel my way back in. We're over and we both know that."

"So why are you still here?"

Jack leaned it slightly to see Morris rest one of his hands on Chloe's stomach. "Love…Chloe. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. And as much as the loss breaks my heart, I know that it can't even begin to compare with what you're feeling. I know that I'm effectively out of your life right now, but I can't leave until I know that you've got someone to take care of you."

Chloe looked down, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "Look, Morris, I appreciate your concern. But I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Morris cradled her face in his hands. "Yes, you do darling. If only in case something happens. The doctor told you there could be more bleeding. You'll need someone to take you to the hospital. I understand that you want me to walk away, and I will. As soon as I know you're taken care of."

"She will be."

The couple turned toward the unexpected visitor. Chloe was shocked to see Jack standing there, a look of pain etched across his face. Morris had told her what happened on the oil platform, but she had expected him to just leave again. Her ex-husband smiled at the sight of the agent.

"You'll take care of her?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Morris turned back to Chloe. "Alright, love. That's good enough for me. No one I'd trust more with your well-being." He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her cheeky gently. "My brother stopped and picked up my stuff earlier. So you don't need to worry about me dropping by the house. Take care, Chloe. Please call me if you need anything."

He smiled at her one last time and moved toward the door, stopping in front of Jack. He shook the man's hand and whispered in grave voice "I swear to God, Bauer, if you leave her again…"

"I won't."

Morris nodded. "Good." And with that, he left the room.

Jack waited until they were alone before walking up to Chloe and placing a hand gingerly on the side of her face. He looked at her closely, trying to hold in the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. Chloe just stared back at him, still shocked at his return and his offer to take care of her. She chewed her lip in nervous thought, wondering what came next.

"I don't need you to take care of me, Jack," she whispered.

"But I want to," he said gently.

Chloe shook her head. "No. I'm not like the other women in your life, Jack. I don't need you to protect me from the world. I'm not gonna go all whiny and fall apart. I'm not going to be needy and clingy. I won't be another responsibility that you have to take care of."

Jack laughed softly. "Good to know what you think of my ex-girlfriends."

She frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, Chloe. It's okay. I get it." He lifted his other hand to her face as well, so that he was cradling her head, forcing her to look at him. "But this isn't about responsibility, or obligation. You've been taking care of me for so long. It's my turn to take care of you."

She shook her head again. "No, Jack. I know what you've been through, and I'm not going to let you take care of me when you need to be taken care of."

"How about this, then?" he suggested. "We take care of each other."

"Each other?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she considered it.

"Each other," Jack confirmed. "We both desperately need a friend, Chloe. And there's no one I trust more. Let me stay with you for a while. We'll help each other, okay?"

She continued thinking, but finally nodded her head. "Okay. As long as you promise to let me take care of you and this doesn't become some sappy Hallmark movie where you're hovering and being over-protective."

Jack laughed. "I promise. You might have to smack me once in a while though, if I start getting over-protective."

"Trust me, I will," Chloe muttered as she slid off of the bed, Jack's hands steadying her. She took one of his hands in hers, squeezing it tightly. "Let's go home," she said quietly.

Jack nodded and followed her out.

***

Two years later…

Jack gently crawled out of bed, doing his best to not wake Chloe. She'd had nightmares the night before, and he wanted to her to be able to get as much sleep as possible. Most nights she stayed up comforting him and making sure that he could sleep, and he wanted to repay the favor as much as he could.

Slipping his t-shirt on, he crept down the stairs, deciding that a cup of coffee was definitely in order. As the coffee maker whirred to life, he smiled to himself, suddenly remembering what day it was.

A sudden burst of thunder shook Jack out of his reverie and he cursed as he looked out the window. The weather forecast had told him that it was going to be bright and sunny all day, but from the appearance of the clouds and driving rain outside, he could see that the sun would not be coming out.

Sighing, he began to get the things together anyway, an idea forming in his head.

***

Chloe slowly opened her eyes as her brain woke up, telling her that she had been sleeping for far too long. Lately she had been averaging three or four hours a night, but her body instantly told her that she had slept at least double that the night before.

Glancing at the clock next to her bed, she groaned – it was almost noon. She was surprised that the sun had not woken her up earlier, until she saw that there was a nasty rainstorm raging outside. Slowly she sat up, taking in the room. Jack's side of the bed was empty, but that was to be expected with the late hour. Scratching her head and yawning, she swung her legs off the bed.

"Good morning."

Chloe jumped and nearly fell over at the unexpected sound of Jack's voice. Stumbling slightly and righting herself, she turned to see him standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb with a secretive smile on his face.

"Morning," she mumbled. "Why did you let me sleep so late?"

He shrugged. "You needed the rest."

"You could've too."

"Yeah, but we promised to take care of each other, remember?"

Chloe frowned, but nodded her agreement before walking groggily towards him and the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

"Gotta pee," she muttered as she brushed past him.

***

She took her time in the bathroom, running a comb through her hair and vigorously brushing her teeth. She sighed and looked down at her ratty shorts and tank top, thinking back on a time when she would have been embarrassed for Jack to see her in such clothing. But they had been staying together so long now, that her embarrassment threshold was basically non-existent.

Rubbing more sleep from her eyes, she flipped the bathroom light off and walked out, heading downstairs. Her stomach was growling at her, demanding food, and her brain was screaming at her, demanding coffee. She walked into the kitchen, surprised to see the lights off and the room empty. She had expected Jack to be down here, doing…something. She wandered back into the living room, but he wasn't there either. After a thorough search of the downstairs, she realized that he must not have come down. Torn between wanting her morning caffeine and wanting to know where Jack was, Chloe finally decided to head back upstairs.

She stopped short in the doorway to her bedroom, shock evident on her face. The bed had been completely made, and an extra blanket lain over the top. On top of that blanket, there was a picnic laid out, complete with drinks and little sandwiches on paper plates. A confused frown on her face, Chloe looked up to see Jack standing next to the bed, looking at her with an intense gaze.

"What is this for?" she asked, her voice awed.

Jack took a couple steps closer to her. "Happy Anniversary," he said quietly.

Chloe's brow furrowed and she looked at him as though he had three heads. "Jack, we're not dating."

"I know."

"Then…what kind of anniversary? The only thing that I can remember happening on this day is…" Her face fell as the memory came flooding back to her and tears threatened to spill over onto her face.

That was not the reaction that Jack was expecting, and he went to her quickly, cradling her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "Chloe, what it is?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

Tears ran down her cheeks. "My miscarriage."

Jack closed his eyes and cursed, mentally kicking himself. "Oh God, Chloe. That's not what I meant at all." He pulled her close, leaning his forehead against hers. "I am so sorry. Please…I didn't mean to make you remember that. I should have thought before…"

Seeing the pain on his face, Chloe interrupted him. "Then what is this all about it?"

Jack opened his eyes and gave her a sad smile, his fingers locked in her hair, keeping her there with him. "Two years ago today I moved in. We promised to take care of each other. I just…I wanted to celebrate that. I'm sorry, I didn't even think…"

Chloe placed her fingers against his lips, silencing him. "It's okay, Jack," she smiled through the tears. "Those things are worth remembering. Besides, if I hadn't had my miscarriage, you never would have come back. I'm not saying I didn't want my baby, because I did. But some good came out of losing him…or her. You came back to me."

Jack unlocked his fingers and ran them through her hair, bringing his face to settle in the crook of her neck. Chloe's arms came to wrap around his waist, and they held each other, both desperately soaking in the presence of the other. Finally Chloe pulled back.

"You made me a picnic?" she sniffed, smiling gently at him.

Jack nodded. "I was going to take you to the park, but the weatherman lied to me. So I thought we could have it inside instead."

"This is perfect," she whispered, caressing his cheek with her hand. "Now feed me, I'm starving," she said with a laugh.

He returned her smile and took her hand, leading her over to the bed. They gingerly sat down, not wanting to disturb the food. They ate the sandwiches Jack made in comfortable silence, watching the storm rage outside. As she ate, Chloe noticed a vase with beautiful flowers in it sitting on her nightstand.

"What are those for?" she asked.

Jack smiled at her. "You."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "You can't have an anniversary without flowers, Chloe."

She laughed at him. "Thank you, Jack. They're beautiful."

"So are you," he said quietly.

Chloe blushed and continued eating.

***

When the food was finished, Jack cleared everything off the bed, putting the stuff back into the picnic basket on the floor. With everything cleaned up, he laid on the bed next to Chloe, both on their sides so that they could face each other.

"You even had a picnic basket?" she asked.

Jack nodded. "It's okay. I'm sure we can have a real picnic when the weather's nice again."

"I liked this one," she said quietly, and Jack smiled at her warmly.

They laid there for a few minutes, just looking at each other silently. Slowly, Chloe noticed a strange look coming over Jack's face. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, he reached out his hand and laid it gently on her stomach. The gesture startled her, and she almost pulled away. But she forced herself to lie still, enjoying the touch of his hand.

"You wanted a baby?" he asked quietly, a strange tone in his voice.

Chloe swallowed, taking a deep breath before she nodded.

Jack turned his gaze to her stomach, watching as his thumb stroked her through her shirt.

"Do you still want a baby?" he asked.

Emotions flooded over her as Chloe desperately tried to maintain some semblance of control. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn, and she wasn't sure where Jack was going with this.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice choked with tears. Clearing her throat, she spoke louder. "But I've pretty much resigned myself to the knowledge that it'll never happen. I missed my chance."

Jack frowned. "Why?"

Chloe laughed hollowly. "Who am I gonna have a baby with, Jack?"

He kept his gaze fixed on her stomach as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss where his hand was resting.

"Me," he whispered.

"What?" she asked, shocked at the gentleness of his actions.

He finally raised his eyes to hers. "I love you, Chloe," he told her, his voice still quiet.

"Since when?"

"I'm not sure," he answered truthfully. "I know I realized it sometime in the first year I moved in. I think I've loved you for a lot longer than that, though."

Tears fell from Chloe's eyes. "Do you mean it?" she asked desperately.

"All of it."

"All of it?"

He nodded "Every part." Jack looked at her stomach again, where his hand was still resting. "I want a family with you, Chloe. I want a baby."

Chloe smiled as she started to cry. Grasping the hand he had on her stomach, she leaned in and kissed him softly. His hand gripped hers as he returned the kiss, and then they slowly pulled apart.

"I love you," she whispered.

Pulling her closer, Jack ran his hand through her hair as he kissed her deeply this time. When he pulled back they were both breathing heavily. Wiping away the last remnants of her tears, he replied, "I love you too, Chloe."

Current Mood: nervous
Current Location: Office
Current Music: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

New fic. Based in Day 7. Jack left...again.

"Chloe, I need you to do this," Bill told her.

She frowned. "Why can't you just call him on the phone? Wouldn't that be much quicker?"

Bill sighed, leaning forward on his desk. "Yes. But if these people are really going to go through with this, then he's going to need your help hacking into their systems."

"Couldn't you just call the authorities over there and have them take care of it? It's their country."

"Chloe," he said sharply. "We know that some of their people are dirty, and we don't want the information to get into the wrong hands. You don't have a choice. You're going." Seeing her discomfort, he walked over to her and placed a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't want to do this," he said gently. "I know you don't want to see him again. But I need you to do this. He's going to need you. Please."

Sighing deeply, Chloe scowled. "Fine. When's my flight?"

***

It was a nice house, Chloe thought as she stood nervously at his door. She had already been standing there for nearly three minutes, unable to convince herself to knock. It had been just over a year since she had seen him, and she knew that there was nothing she could do to prepare herself for this. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand, steeling herself for the meeting ahead.

After knocking, she almost turned and ran back to the rental car. Her heart was in her throat and she could feel the panic starting to set in. Determinedly, she forced herself to remember how he had left her again, and she breathed a little easier as the bitterness overpowered the panic.

She nearly broke when the door opened and they were standing face-to-face. Emotion clogged her throat, threatening to choke her. As she took in his features, she struggled to get herself under control.

"Chloe," he whispered in wonder, a smile on his face.

"Jack," she spat out coldly.

His eyes narrowed at her tone, and the smile faded slightly. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Bill made me come."

"Why?"

"Are you going to let me in or do I have to explain everything on your front step?"

Jack looked down and chuckled at her bluntness. He moved to the side, making room for her. "Come on in."

Chloe walked in, refusing to look at him. As Jack shut the door behind them, Chloe stopped, looking around her.

"Jack, this is beautiful," she said before she could stop herself.

"Thanks," he said, coming to stand just behind her. "It needed a lot of work when I got here. That's what I've been spending all my time on since I got here."

At the mention of his time away from her, Chloe stiffened again, reminding herself that she was here for business and that would not get reattached to him. When she had finished doing what Bill had asked of her, she was going to get on a plane and fly back to the States, leaving Jack Bauer behind her forever. She took a couple steps forward and away from him before turning to face him again.

Her tension and coldness didn’t go unnoticed by Jack. He put his hands in his pockets awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. He had been so happy to see her when he opened the door, but now…Chloe had never been affectionate, but she had never been this distant either.

He cleared his throat. "You want something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's just get this done."

Nodding, Jack led her into the living room. He sat down on a large leather couch, motioning for her to join him. Instead, Chloe moved towards the chair, sitting down stiffly. Jack sighed.

"So what's this all about?"

Chloe looked down at her hands. "There's a small cell plotting to take out members of the Spanish government. We couldn't go to the authorities here because there's a mole that's helping the cell. Bill needs us to stop them. The only reason we know anything about their plans is because of a contact we have in the weapons black market. We only one opportunity to take these guys out –when they go to get the weapons. After that they'll be individually taking out key members of the government. This is the only time they'll all be together."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

Jack nodded. "Why did he send you?"

"What?"

"Why did Bill send you? Why not a field agent?"

Chloe scowled. "Because you're not going to be able to find out where they're buying the weapons if I'm not here to hack into their system."

"And you couldn’t do that from L.A.?"

"Believe me, Jack. I wish I could. But Bill told me I had to come here to do it."

They sat there in cold silence for a few moments, both hurt by the words of the other. Finally Jack stood up. "Will my computer work?"

"As long as I can access the internet, we'll be good."

"I doubt that," Jack muttered under his breath.

He led her down a long hallway and into a small study. Her shoes clicked on the stone floors and the sound echoed between them. He opened the laptop and logged on, gesturing for her to sit. She did, and immediately starting typing away. Jack stood there awkwardly for a moment before heading out of the room.

"I'll let you work," he said quietly.

***

He came back a couple hours later bearing sandwiches and drinks. Pulling up a chair, he sat next to her, using the desk as a table. Chloe ignored him and continued working.

Jack sighed. "Chloe, you have to eat."

"Just let me get this done, okay?"

He shut the lid of the laptop, giving her no choice but to pull out her hands. "No. You need to eat. Then you can get back to work."

Frowning, Chloe nodded, reaching for her sandwich. "Thank you," she mumbled as she took a bite. They ate in silence, both avoiding the other's eyes. Finally, Chloe had to say something, just to keep her from blurting out something stupid.

"So why Spain?"

Jack looked up, startled. "Huh?"

She shrugged. "Why did you pick Spain?"

"I'm not sure. After…what happened, I just went to the airport and got on a plane. This is where I ended up. After a couple weeks of staying a hotel, I realized that I really liked it here, so I decided to make it more permanent."

Chloe nodded. "Are you happy?" she asked quietly.

"For the most part," he replied. Then very quietly he added, "I missed you."

She laughed bitterly. "Yeah, well. Most days I wish I had never met you, Jack."

Jack paused, swallowing hard. Keeping his downcast, he stood up and gathered his plate and glass. "I'm sorry," he choked out as he left the room.

Chloe mentally kicked herself after he was gone. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. But it was too easy to enjoy his company again, to feel safe and comfortable, to fall in love with his smile for the thousandth time. She couldn't go through that again. She had to keep a safe distance, or she was just going to end up crying on the plane ride home. Then again, she thought, I'll probably be doing that anyway.

***

Two hours after the sun set, Chloe quietly walked out of the study, looking for Jack. She searched the entire lower level, worry eating at her when she couldn’t find him. Finally she looked out on the back porch and saw him, sitting in a chair with a beer in hand, staring up at the night sky.

She quietly opened the sliding door and stepped outside. She stood there nervously, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts and unsure of how to start after what she had said that afternoon.

"What?" he asked quietly, not even turning to look at her.

Chloe looked down at the ground. "I found it."

"Where?"

"Plaza de Espana. It's in Madrid."

"Did you find out the exact time?"

"6 a.m."

He nodded. "Good. There won't be many people there."

"So when are we leaving?" she asked.

"You're not going."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not going, Chloe. You're not a trained field agent. You'll just get in the way or get hurt."

Chloe felt as though she'd been slapped in the face, but she knew that she had deserved the blow. Strengthening her resolve, she replied in a tight voice, "I'm coming with you, Jack Bauer, whether you like it or not. You're not going in alone."

"Chloe-"

"No," she cut him off. "Look, you just worry about stopping the bad guys, okay? I can take care of myself. We'll go, we'll do this, and then we'll get out of each other's hair."

Jack reluctantly nodded. "There's a guest room next to the study. It's already set up for you. I'll come wake you at 4."

"Good," she said. As she turned to walk back into the house, she looked back at him, tears burning her eyes. "Good night," she whispered.

She didn't hear him when he responded in a broken voice, "Good night, Chloe."

***

They got ready the next morning in silence. Putting on Kevlar and loading their weapons, they tried to ignore everything that had been said the day before, focusing on the task at hand. They risked small glances at each other, both wanting to apologize and set things right. But before either could, they were loading their things into his car and driving toward the Plaza.

They stopped some distance from the park, not wanting to give themselves away. The morning had turned out to be stormy one, and Chloe watched the rain slide down the windshield as she looked out.

"Cervantes is going to be watching the whole thing go down," she pointed out.

"What?" Jack asked, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

Chloe pointed to a monument in the park. "Cervantes is sitting up there. The guy who wrote Don Quixote."

"Oh." He paused, unsure of what to do next. "We should get out."

She turned to look at him, a scowl on her face. "And do what? It's raining."

"I've got an umbrella. We'll look less suspicious walking around the park then we will sitting in a dark car on the side of the road."

She couldn't fault his logic. Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Fine," and reached for her door handle. Jack's hand on her arm stopped her.
"Wait," he said quietly.

He reached behind him and grabbed a large umbrella, and then stepped out of the car. Opening the umbrella he went to the back seat and grabbed Chloe's large purse. Then he walked over to her door and opened it for her, using the umbrella to shield her from the rain. He reached out his hand and she nervously took it, standing up and shutting her door. Jack let go of her hand and handed her the purse.

"This thing is fucking huge," she muttered as she slung it over her shoulder.

"That's because we had to fit guns in it, Chloe," he said, the faintest hint of a smile teasing his lips.

As they walked over to the park, Jack reached his arm around her waist, tugging her in close to his body. He felt her stiffen immediately, but just as he was going to pull back, she relaxed, and he let his hand rest on her hip. They walked around the Plaza slowly, both lost in their own thoughts. Jack tried to keep an eye on everything at once, without seeming to. Chloe held her purse close, trying to push out how nice it was to be so close to Jack, to have him touching her.

As they finished their first time around, they saw a group of men materialize out of the gloom. Jack counted ten of them, and he saw that they were moving towards an older man standing by a big black van.

"That's our informant, Paulo," Chloe whispered.

"Is he alone?"

She nodded. "He has a serious reputation. No one would even think of trying to double-cross him or take the stuff without paying."

"Does he know we're here?"

"He knows something going down. He'll be ready."

Jack looked at her, unable to hide the concern in his eyes. "Are you?"

Giving him the smallest smile, she nodded. "Let's do this."

A shot rang out and Jack watched in horror as Chloe fell to the ground beside him. He looked up to see the men pulling out their weapons and aiming at him. He knelt down next to Chloe, the umbrella forgotten on the ground nearby.

"Are you okay?" he asked desperately.

She winced, trying to sit up. "I'm fine. It hit the vest! Go! Go!"

With that, Jack was up again, shrugging off his long coat and pulling out his twin 9mm Berettas. He opened fire as he ran toward them, taking down two of the would-be terrorists before they knew what hit them. One of the men ran at him from the side, lunging into him and knocking him onto the rain-soaked pavement. Out of the corner of his eye Jack saw Chloe standing up and pulling out a sawed-off shotgun from underneath her trench coat. She started shooting at the men closest to her, mowing them down without any hesitation.

Then Jack had to focus on himself and the man above him who was trying to choke the life out of him. Jack smashed his fist repeatedly into the man's kidneys until he loosened his grip, and then Jack rolled on top of him, pummeling his face. Then someone was grabbing him from behind and dragging him backwards. He was thrown to the ground and someone slammed their foot into is chest. As the foot came back down, Jack grabbed it and twisted, hearing something in the knee snap. The man fell down with a cry of pain.

Chloe’s shotgun had been yanked away from her, and she was forced to fight with her hands. Someone grabbed her from behind, lifting her into the air. As another man came forward to catch her legs, she kicked, catching him just under the chin with her heeled boots. She threw her head back and was rewarded with a crunching noise and the arms around her waist loosening. When the man dropped her, she ran toward her fallen purse, pulling out her own Berettas.

The gun battle was over in less than ten minutes. As the rain continued to come down in torrents, Jack and Chloe stood among the dead bodies, weapons still drawn, staring at each other. Paulo had gone down in the fight, taking four shots to the chest – he had been dead before he hit the ground. Sirens wailed in the distance as the great Cervantes stared down upon the grisly scene.

***

The morning was half-over by the time they got back to Jack’s house, but the sun had still not shown its face. The rain continued to come down hard, and both were shaking from the chill that had set into their bones.

Fumbling with his keys, Jack looked over at Chloe, who was trying not to visibly tremble. She kept her gaze down, not wanting to look at him, knowing that she would soon have to say goodbye again.

“I understand,” he said quietly, still trying to find the right key.

“Understand what?” Chloe asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Why you wish you’d never met me. You wouldn’t be in the middle of gunfights and takedowns. You wouldn’t be dodging bullets and wearing Kevlar.”

“You think that’s why I said that?” Chloe asked incredulously.

Jack gave up even pretending to try and find the key and looked up at her. “Isn’t it? Your life would be safer without me, Chloe.”

“That’s not what I meant, Jack! I don’t care about getting shot at, or chased, or threatened. None of that bothers me. Well, I mean, it bothers me, but I don’t blame you for it. I would gladly put up with all of that if it meant having you around.”

He stared at her in shock. “But I thought-“

“You want to know why I said that Jack? Because I’ve been losing you since the day I met you! Every time we survive some major crisis, I turn around and you’re gone!” Chloe was screaming now, but she didn’t care. “Do you have any idea how much it hurts every time you leave without saying goodbye? Do you even care how much it kills me, to love you and to watch you walk away over and over again?”

Searching her eyes desperately, Jack reached his left hand behind her head and brought his lips crashing into hers. He brought his other arm to wrap around her waist and pull her tight against him. At the feel of his lips on hers, Chloe gasped in surprise, and Jack plunged his tongue into her mouth. They held onto each other desperately, their tongues tangling and bodies melding.

Jack pulled away suddenly, gripping the back of her head so that she couldn’t run. “I love you,” he whispered raggedly before moving in to kiss her again.

He struggled to unlock the door behind him while still kissing Chloe, and finally she grabbed the keys from him and did it herself, never breaking contact with his mouth. They crashed through the door as soon as it opened, Jack slamming it shut with his foot and simultaneously tugging at Chloe’s shirt.

He deftly backed her up the stairs towards his bedroom, never taking his mouth from hers and somehow managing to rid her of her shirt as they went. By the time Chloe felt the bed pressed against the backs of her knees his hand was on her naked breast, pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Chloe moaned in response and moved her own fingers to tug at the buttons of his shirt.

Soon they were both shirtless and their flesh was rubbing against each other in an attempt to get closer. Chloe’s breath hitched in her throat at the feel of her hardened nipples rubbing against the hairs on his chest. She dragged her lips from his.

“Are you sure?” she asked breathlessly, searching his face for any trace of doubt or hesitation.

“Does this feel like I’m not sure?” he asked, taking her hand and holding it against his groin, “I love you. I want you” he added, his voice hoarse.

Chloe moved her fingers against him, feeling him becoming harder still at her touch. A moment later he pushed her back onto the bed and, leaning over her he trailed hot kisses across her chest, capturing her nipple between his teeth and tugging gently.

“Jack” she urged, “please . . . .” She didn’t care that she was begging him, she needed him.

His lips fluttered across her abdomen as his fingers moved to the snap of her jeans. Chloe held her breath as she raised her hips to make the task of undressing her easier. He pulled the jeans from her easily before reaching up and taking her mouth with his for a brief but demanding kiss. Moments later he was once again dropping light kisses at her naval, his tongue leaving a trail of moisture against her heated flesh. Chloe shuddered as he kissed her though her panties. She could feel his lips curving in a smile against her as she whimpered.

Then he was hooking his fingers at the edges of the material, tugging it down gently as his mouth trailed against every inch of her as she was exposed to him. His tongue slipped between her moist folds, tasting her and twirling against her in a heady dance that had her squirming against him and calling his name desperately.

“Jack” she called, “please, now. I want you now.”

He gave a reluctant parting kiss to her core as he crawled up her body, his fingers replacing his tongue as he dropped a kiss to her mouth then pulled back to watch her expression, a smile of satisfaction combined with his own blatant need on his face.

“Now” she growled as her hips rocked against his fingers.

He pulled his hand away from her and moved off the bed to removed his jeans and boxers. Chloe watched him, her eyes wide. She swallowed nervously as she saw him hard and ready for her. Jack hesitated a moment before moving back to the bed, his gaze taking in her naked form both waiting and wanting.

“God you’re beautiful” he whispered as he climbed on top of her, “I need you so badly Chloe” he whispered.

“Well get on with it then” she urged, opening her thighs to accommodate him.

He smiled and brought his mouth to hers, kissing her softly as he entered her, reveling at her moan of delight at having him fill her so completely. Then they were both moaning as he thrust against her, Chloe’s hips arching into his. Their pace was slow at first, building to a near crescendo that had them moving more wildly, more urgently.

Jack’s hand moved to push her sweat soaked hair from her eyes as he moved against her, Chloe’s fingers scraping at his back and urging him on.

“I love you” she whispered as her body arched and convulsed around him.

“Love you” he replied as her muscles tightened and squeezed at his very being, dragging him with her as he came inside of her, his body jerking with pleasure.

“Chloe” he whispered as he collapsed beside her.

He pulled her into his side as they both struggled to regulate their breathing. Chloe’s arms reached around him so one hand rested at his shoulder the other laying flat against his chest. Jack’s own hands were busy stroking her hair, trailing down her back to pull her even tighter against him. Then they slept.

***

When Chloe woke up she was alone in the bed. She immediately felt panic begin to rise in her chest, as she sat up to look around the room. She paused and smiled happily as she saw a naked Jack Bauer tending the fireplace. He already had a good size fire going, and he turned back to the bed. When he saw her watching him, he smiled, pausing to just watch her. Then he crawled in beside her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer.

“Hi,” he whispered.

“Hey,” she answered shyly.

They laid there silently for a few minutes, just watching the fire and enjoying the feel of being together. Finally, Chloe looked up at Jack and caught the far-off look in his eyes as he surveyed the room.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked quietly.

“How long it will take me to pack my stuff and sell this place,” he answered, still scanning the room.

Chloe frowned. “If you’re coming back just to be with me, then don’t bother, Jack.”

He couldn’t hide the pain that flashed across his face. Biting back tears, he began to take his arm from around her. Chloe snatched his hand, keeping him from moving away from her entirely.

“Jack, look at me.”

He shook his head, not wanting her to see just how much her words hurt him.

“Please, Jack. Look at me.”

At the gentle tone in her voice, he did as she asked. He was surprised to see a smile on her face. She reached up with her other hand to caress his cheek.

“I’ll just move here.”

She laughed at the shock on his face. This time the tears escaped his eyes without his notice.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Chloe nodded. “Of course. I know you don’t want to go back there, Jack. And I don’t have anything to go back to anyway. So I’ll stay. With you.” She looked down at the bed. “That is, if you want me to.”

Jack tipped her chin up gently with his fingers and kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

“I want you to stay,” he whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jack.” She paused, cradling his face and looking at him seriously. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For hurting you. For telling you that I wished we’d never met. I didn’t really mean it. It just hurt so much when you left the last time.”

“I know,” he whispered with a small smile, running his hands through her dark hair. “And I’m sorry. I never should have left.” He paused, a twinkle in his eye. “Stay with me forever?” he asked

“Forever,” Chloe agreed, bringing her lips to his once again.

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: Mimi's - the new home
Current Music: Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin

Don't worry, I'm still working on Unexpected Gift. But Glory requested some HFA (hot frontseat action) and even lent me a cute (albeit evil) little plot bunny for the occasion. Enjoy.

Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin when she threw her door open and found Jack Bauer on the other side. His hand was raised and poised to knock, but now they just stood staring at each other, both unsure of what to do.

"What do you want?" Chloe finally snapped.

He shrugged, lowering his hand to his side awkwardly. "I came to see you."

"Yeah, well, I'm busy."

"Where are you going?"

Chloe frowned. "None of your business."

"Where's Morris?"

"Out."

"If Morris is out, and Milo and Nadia are having date night, and I'm here…where are you going?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

Chloe bit her lip, frantically wondering how she could get rid of him. "For a drive."

Jack leaned against the doorframe, an amused grin playing across his lips. He let his eyes slide down her body, taking in the messenger bag she was carrying and the all-black attire.

"Do you usually go for a drive dressed like a spy?"

"I like black."

"What's in the bag?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"The kind of stuff that goes in a bag. Will you please get out of my way?"

"No."

Chloe stopped to think, thrown off by Jack's answer. She had to figure out some way to make him leave, but it seemed he was intent on staying.

"Why are you here?" she asked, turning the tables.

"What?"

"Why are you here?"

He shrugged. "I told you. I wanted to come see you."
"Why?" she pressed.

Jack dropped his eyes to the floor, trying to come up with an answer. "I don’t know. I thought we could…hang out," he finished lamely.

"Since when do we hang out?"

He cleared his throat and pushed off of the doorframe, refusing to meet her gaze. "You're right. I'm sorry…" He backed away, turning to leave.

"Wait! Jack, that came out wrong."

He looked back with a sad smile on his face. "It's okay, Chloe. Have fun, wherever you're going."

Chloe stamped her foot and cursed her stupid mouth. She hadn't meant to hurt him, and on any other night she would have jumped at the chance to spend time with him. Closing her eyes and mentally kicking herself, she called out, "I'm going to spy on Morris."

Jack stopped and slowly turned around, his eyes wide in surprise. "You're what?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and shut her apartment door, making sure that it was locked. Pocketing her keys, she walked over to him and they continued down the hall and toward the parking lot.

"I think Morris is cheating again," she said in a quieter tone. I found at the name of this girl he's been spending time with and I got her address."

"How do you know he's going there tonight?"

"Because his excuse for going out was really lame. And I know him…that's where he's going."

She fell silent as they continued on toward her car. When they got there, she went to the driver-side door and looked at him. "So that's why I can't hang out with you tonight," she stated, hoping that he would finally go away.

Jack smiled at her and walked over to the passenger side. "We can still hang out."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm coming with you."

"No you're not."

"Oh come on, Chloe. It'll be fun."

"Spying on my ex-husband together? What it actually is, is twisted."

Jack's face grew serious. "I'm coming with you, Chloe."

Opening her door, Chloe smirked at him. "I just won't unlock your door."

She climbed in, very satisfied with herself. As she shut her door and put the key in the engine, she was startled by the other door opening and Jack sitting down next to her.

"That's okay. It was already unlocked."
She glared daggers at him. "I hate you, Jack."

"I know. Let's go."

***

Two hours later they were still sitting in her car, parked across the street from the address Chloe had gotten. She had her binoculars out on the dashboard, but they had proven to be unhelpful. She sighed in frustration for the hundredth time that night and Jack looked over at her in sympathy.

"Maybe we should just go."

"I want to make sure."

"Chloe," he said gently, using his fingers under her chin to guide her eyes to his. "I think you have all the proof you need. You saw what she was wearing when she closed the curtains and you saw him standing behind her. I'm sorry."

Biting her lip and holding back tears, Chloe turned to look out her window, willing herself not to cry in front of Jack. It was then that he saw the ugly bruise inching up from her right shoulder up to her neck. He reached out and gently ran his fingers over it, causing her to gasp.

"What the hell is this?" he growled.

Chloe sighed. "Morris got really drunk last night and-"

"He hit you?" Jack asked, anger and shock clear in his voice.

She turned to look at him with a withering gaze. "Of course not! When he was stumbling all over himself, I tried to help him into bed. He tripped me up and I fell into the dresser." She paused, watching the anger in his eyes give way to concern. "Did you really think I would stay if he was hitting me?"

Still tracing the bruise with his fingertips, Jack kept his eyes locked on her shoulder. "He cheats on you and you still stay."

"Yeah, well…" She wasn't so good with keeping the tears in check this time – one slid down her cheek. Jack reached up and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

"Why?" he whispered.

More tears escaped her eyes. "I have nowhere else to go," she whispered in a strangled voice.

"Oh, Chloe…how could you think that?"

She sniffled. "Morris is right-"

"Morris," Jack broke in, the anger back in his voice. "What did he say?"

"Just…stuff. Don't worry about it Jack. It’s not your problem," she said, trying to regain her emotional balance and get her tears under control.

Jack brought his hand to her face, making her look at him. "Like hell it isn't, Chloe. You're my best friend, so don’t give me this crap. Tell me what he said."

She dropped her eyes, not wanting him to see any more of her pain. "He was drunk, Jack…"

"Tell me."

She sniffled again. "He's just…been saying things…about me. About no one wanting me. About me being lucky that he puts up with me."

Jack hissed. He knew that Morris could be an ass, but he had no idea that he had been tearing Chloe down so badly. Looking at her downcast eyes, he knew that she was holding back.

"There's more, isn't there?" he asked gently.

Chloe nodded, the tears flowing freely now.

"Tell me."
She shook her head desperately, still refusing to lift her gaze. Jack cradled her face in both his hands and brought his lips to her ear. "You can tell me anything, Chloe. You don't have to be scared or embarrassed. Just tell me."

The gentleness of his touch and his soothing voice was her undoing. Sliding closer to him and laying her head in the crook of his neck, she started to tell him.

"Last night…after I finally got him into bed, he…he started telling me how pathetic I was. He criticized everything…my personality, my clothes, my body…even how I was in bed," her voice dropped to a broken whisper at that last statement. Jack ran his fingers through her hair, trying to focus on being a friend for her instead of on the rage that building up inside of him. He closed his eyes as Chloe continued.

"And then he brought you into it. And our…friendship." Jack caught the hesitation in her voice, but she kept going. "He said that I should stop deluding myself into thinking you could ever feel anything for me. He said that a guy like you would never go for someone as plain as me, someone who could barely even turn a guy like him on. He said…" she took a deep breath, knowing that she needed to get this out, even if it killed her. "He said you wouldn't even sleep with me as a desperate drunk pity fuck."

She pulled back from him slightly, needing to see his reaction. What she saw in his eyes scared her, and she tried to pull farther away, but his hands were now locked in her hair.

"I don't want your pity," she whispered.

"Then you'll never have it," he answered gruffly as he crashed his lips into hers. He held her head steady as he moved his mouth against hers, his hands wandering down to her hips. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her over the armrest and settled her in his lap, straddling his thighs. As his tongue tried to coax her mouth open, she pushed against him hard, bringing their kiss to an end.

"No, Jack."

"Why not?" he asked, confusion and hurt on his face.

Chloe took his face in her hands. "You don't want me. You just don't want me to feel bad about what Morris said. It's okay, Jack. I've always known that you couldn't feel that way about me."

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you trust Morris?"

She snorted. "Of course not. Especially not after tonight. Morris is an ass."

"Do you trust me?"

This time she frowned. "Of course I do, Jack, but…"

"But what?"

Tears filled her eyes again. "How do I know that this is for real? How will I know if…if…"

"Just ask Chloe. Don't worry about how it sounds."

"What if I am really bad in bed? How will I know if you're just saying things because you don't want to hurt my feelings?"

Jack wanted to laugh, but he bit his tongue, not wanting to accidentally hurt her. "Chloe. Can you tell when I'm lying?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"Then look at me." When he had her attention, he held her gaze and spoke gently but firmly. "I love you."

She frowned. "You do?"

He chuckled. "Yes. I thought for sure you could tell from my lame excuse for showing up at your place tonight."

"Why were you there?"

"I really did just want to see you. I was hoping I could work up the courage to tell you how I felt. But I was afraid that you were happy with Morris…I didn't want to mess that up."

"Jack," she whispered. "I was never happy with Morris."

He smiled at her and tugged her a little closer. "So we know Morris was wrong about my feelings for you…And that he was wrong about the other thing…"

Chloe's brow furrowed in confusion. "Which other thing?"

Jack laughed. "Chloe, you can pretty much turn me on even when you're not there. Any time I even think about you…"

"Really?"

He took her hand and brought it down to his groin, where she could feel how hard he was. She gasped, unconsciously squeezing her legs tighter around him, causing him to groan.
"Jack…" she whispered.

"And," he continued. "I happen to like your personality, your clothes and your body." He emphasized his words by trailing his hands down her sides and back before bringing them up her stomach and stopping just under her breasts. "Statistically speaking, I think that means he's probably wrong about the bad in bed thing, as well."

Removing his hands from her torso, Jack brought them back up to cradle her face. "I love you," he whispered before kissing her gently.

This time it was slow and sweet, and Chloe let herself sink against him, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck. She pushed her body harder against his as she opened her mouth to let his tongue in. Moaning, she bucked her hips against him as he turned his head to deepen the kiss.

Their kisses became fast and frantic as their hands moved to explore more of each other. Jack began to focus on her neck as Chloe unbuttoned his shirt, kissing the skin as it became exposed. He leaned back and closed his eyes and she let her hands wander back down to his belt, teasing the zipper. He rolled his hips urgently, wanting more. She smiled at him shyly, and Jack couldn't take any more. Bringing his mouth back to hers, he ripped at her black t-shirt, hurriedly pulling it off over her head. He stared in admiration at her bra-clad breasts heaving in front of him, running his finger along the tops of them.

"Jack," she moaned, the sound of her calling his name driving him crazy.

He slowly freed one breast from its confines, pulling it gently into his mouth. Chloe's hands tightened their grip on his head, holding him close to her chest. She was so caught up in the feeling of his tongue playing with her nipple that she was completely unprepared when his hand brushed against her denim-covered core. Bucking hard against him she gasped his name, all coherent thought escaping her. Deciding that a little payback was in order, she brought her mouth to the sensitive spot behind his left ear, gently sucking on the skin there. He groaned as he moved his attentions to her other breast, but sat up quickly when he felt Chloe's fingers undoing his zipper and reaching inside his boxers. He brought his face close to hers and they looked intensely at each other as their hands continued their ministrations. Sighing her name in desperate need, Jack leaned in again to kiss her, his hand moving up to undo her pants, needing more access to her.

A sudden knock on the car window made them both jump. They turned to look out, finding themselves face-to-face with a livid Morris. Holding Chloe tightly, Jack rolled down the window.

"What?" he snapped, irritated at the interruption.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing to my girlfriend?"

"Everything you couldn't."

Sputtering, Morris turned to Chloe. "And what do you have to say for yourself? Your tits hanging out like some common whore!"

She kept a restraining hand on Jack's chest. "Just proving you wrong, Morris," she said smugly. "Why don't you go back in to your new girlfriend? We're kinda busy."

"Fine," Morris said, deciding to wash his hands of the whole situation. "You and Captain America have fun. But don't come crying to me when he drops your pathetic ass because Audrey decides she'll take him back."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Morris. Just make sure your stuff is out by tomorrow night." With that, she rolled the window back up, watching Morris stomp back inside from the corner of her eye. She smiled seductively at Jack.

"So, your place?"

"What's wrong with right here?"

Chloe frowned. "Not enough room."

Jack smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Think you can drive?"

She climbed back over the console and put her shirt back on. "As long as you keep your hands to yourself."

"I'll try," he said, his smile broadening.

"Liar," she grumbled as she pulled the car back out onto the road.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: Office
Current Music: There Will Come a Day

Chloe laid in bed, watching the storm rage outside her window. It was three in the morning, but she couldn't sleep, and she had finally run out of things to distract herself with. Rain splattered against the glass and thunder burst, and she just continued staring, letting her mind go completely blank.

The sudden knock on her door made her jump. Looking at the clock, she frowned. She got up and moved through her apartment, figuring that a terrorist wouldn't knock. Flipping on the light in the kitchen, she unlocked her door and opened it, staring in shock at a dripping wet Jack Bauer.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Jack, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged. Chloe sighed and grabbed his hand, pulling him into her apartment. Shutting the door behind him, she turned to see him standing in the middle of her kitchen, dripping all over the floor, completely wrapped in his own thoughts.

"Are you okay?" she asked, panic setting it at the fact that she didn't know what to do.

"Couldn't sleep," he answered quietly.

"Nightmares?" she asked before she could think it through.

"No," he whispered, staring down at his feet.

"You should change."

Jack looked up at her, confusion in his eyes.

"I mean your clothes. You're soaked. I think Morris left a couple things behind…I'll go get them."

Chloe left him standing there, breathing a sigh of relief as she walked into her room. His appearance had startled her, and his presence was unsettling her. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with him – every time she looked into his eyes, she saw something that she'd never seen from him before, and she couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was. Shaking her head and grumbling to herself, she grabbed one of Morris' old t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Turning to walk out of the room, she jumped when she found herself face-to-face with Jack. He had followed her so quietly that she hadn't heard him enter the room.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Chloe noticed that there was something different about his voice as well. It sounded…dead. She wondered what had happened, but instead she handed him the clothes.

"Here you go. Bathroom's on the left."

He nodded and walked out, leaving Chloe to once again stew in her thoughts. She sat down on the bed, once again staring out into the storm. She hadn't seen or heard much from Jack since that day he had come back from China. He had withdrawn from everybody, holing himself up in his tiny apartment. Milo and Curtis had tried to get him to socialize, but he wasn't even returning their phone calls anymore. She was worried about him, but she also knew that he would shut her out until he was ready to talk. So she had let him have his space, hoping that he would eventually come to her if needed anything. But even though he was here, she wasn't sure what he wanted from her.

She looked up suddenly, and found that Jack had come back into the room. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her as she thought. His eyes bored into hers, as though he were trying to discover something without asking.

"You were awake," he said.

"What?"

"When I got here. You were awake."

Chloe frowned. "Yeah, well. I couldn't sleep either."

Jack nodded, as though that were the answer he was expecting. "So what were you doing?"

She shrugged. "Laying in bed. Watching the storm."

"Want some company?"

Chloe nearly choked. "Excuse me?"

This time Jack shrugged. "If we both can't sleep, there's no reason to lay in different rooms wide awake."

She knew that there had to be something flawed in his logic, but her body and heart told her brain to shut the hell the up. Nodding and looking up at him nervously she answered, "Okay."

Jack walked over to one side of the bed, pulling the covers back and climbing in. Chloe swallowed nervously before getting in on her side as well. She laid on her back, stiff as a board, her brain racing in a search to find something appropriate to say.

"Wanna turn the light off?" he asked.

"What?"

"Can't really see the storm with the light on."

Not trusting herself to speak, Chloe reached over and turned the light off, blanketing the room in darkness. She felt Jack roll over on his side, turning to face her.

"I thought you wanted to watch the storm," she said.

"I've seen enough storms."

Nodding, Chloe rolled onto her side as well. It seemed as though he might finally open up. But the minutes stretched by, and he just continued staring at her, that searching look still in his eyes. As time went on, Chloe became more and more uncomfortable, her brain screaming at her to run before her mouth said something she would regret. But his gaze held her there, and finally she spoke.

"I missed you."

"What?"

"I missed you," she repeated. "While you were in China."

He nodded, but a shadow passed over his eyes that Chloe didn't miss.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered, wondering why he wasn't saying anything.

"Chloe," he said, lowering his eyes to the bed. "The reason I'm here…it's not just because I couldn't sleep."

"Then why are you here?"

"I needed to know something. I've been trying to figure it out since I got back. And I even came up with some answers. But I need to hear it from you."

"Hear what?"

He raised his eyes to hers again, and she gasped at the pain she saw. "Why didn't you look for me?" he whispered.

Chloe just stared at him in shock. She thought back to the day he had returned. When he had found out that Audrey had gone to China to find him, she hadn't wanted to hurt him anymore. The truth would have ruined his one chance at happiness, and she just couldn't do that to him. But the pain in his eyes now broke her heart, and she realized that she had to tell him.

"I did," she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Jack's brow creased in confusion. "But…you said that Audrey went to China to look for me…and Cheng said that she was the only one."

Chloe nodded. "I know. But that's not exactly true."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt, Jack."

"Tell me, Chloe."

She took a deep breath. "Audrey did look for you. But she gave up a few months after you were taken. There was…someone else, and she thought that it was time she moved on." She paused, trying not to look at the hurt on his face. "But I kept looking Jack. Even Buchanan had to order me to stop at one point. But I didn't. I couldn't. A few months ago, Audrey came to me. She wanted to help again. I guess she was feeling guilty. But there was nothing she could do and I told her that. That's when she went to China."

She looked back up at him, surprised to see that his eyes were dry. She had expected the truth about Audrey to break him, but he just kept gazing intensely at her.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Chloe sighed. "I didn't want you to get hurt Jack. You loved Audrey. Telling you would have ruined that. I couldn't do that to you."

Jack cradled her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "And you didn't think that thinking my best friend hadn't looked for me would hurt me?"

"All you cared about was Audrey," she whispered.

Jack's eyes softened, finally realizing that all Chloe had ever wanted to do was protect him. He stroked his thumb over her cheek and smiled gently.

"Chloe, I knew Audrey wouldn't keep looking. I was prepared for that. She moved on last time I was gone, and I knew it wouldn't be any different this time around. But you," his voice broke a little as he pulled her a little closer. "When I thought that you had moved on…that you didn't care anymore…that you had let me go…"

He was stopped by the pressure of her lips against his. He immediately responded, coaxing her mouth open with his tongue. She sighed against him as she let him in, pulling her body as close to his as she could manage. They slowly explored one another's mouths, both desperately clinging to the other, afraid that it would all just suddenly end.

Jack finally dragged his lips away from her, knowing that both of them needed to breathe. Chloe looked at him as she ran her fingers through his short hair.

"I could never let you go," she whispered.

"Promise?"

She nodded.

"I'll always come back to you," he whispered.

She smiled. "Promise?"

Jack nodded as leaned back in to kiss her briefly. Then he wrapped his arms around her, making sure that she was tucked into him. "Sleep," he told her as he kissed her forehead.

"You too."

He nodded as she laid her head against his chest. The storm went on outside unnoticed as their breathing fell in sync and they finally slept.

Current Mood: excited
Current Location: Office
Current Music: I Can Dream by Celine Dion and Elvis

Yeah, so...this fic came to me about 15-20 minutes ago. And then I wrote it. So here it is. Hope you enjoy.

He stared out over the city. The fresh air helped clear his brain, and it calmed him after another hectic day at CTU. Sometimes he was still surprised by his decision to come back. But he had nowhere else to go.

“Jack?”

He turned to see Milo approaching him. He had really begun appreciating the younger man. He was good at his job, especially when petty jealousies didn’t get in his way. He had also tried to make sure that Jack acclimated to life again – making sure he went out once in a while and didn’t completely retreat into himself. Jack supposed he could call him a friend.

“Yeah?” he asked as Milo came to stand by the edge of the roof with him.

“I kinda got a question for you.”

Jack smirked. “Kind of?”

Milo leaned his back against the edge, while Jack leaned his arms on it so that he was looking down on the city below. “Well, I guess I’m just curious about something.”

“What?”

“Wait – are you armed?”

Jack chuckled. “No, Milo.”

Milo breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Oh good. And please don’t hit me either. That wouldn’t be pleasant.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Okay.” Milo paused, gathering his thoughts. “I want to know why you keep choosing women that don’t make sense.”

Jack looked at him sharply. “Excuse me?”

“I mean, you keep choosing women who can’t understand you. They can’t live in your world and they can’t deal with who you are and what you do.”

Jack turned his attention back to the scene below him, his face a dark mask. Milo decided he might as well continue.

“For example, and please remember your promise to not hit me – Teri. Now Jack, “ he rushed to calm the other man’s evident anger. “I know that you loved her. And that she loved you. Nobody is disputing that or belittling it. But you have to admit, she could never understand you. She could never make allowances for who you were or what your job demanded. It doesn’t matter how much you loved each other – she never would have come to accept it.”

It took a while, but Jack finally nodded. He knew that Milo wasn’t trying to cause trouble. He was just stating the truth.

“Keep going,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“It seems like you have a list. So keep going.”

Milo nodded. “Okay. Well, Nina was evil. So she doesn’t count.” When he saw no objections from Jack, he continued. “Kate. Now, I realize I didn’t know her, but I’ve heard about her. She was closer to being able to accept you. But you still felt like you had to protect her from your life and the things you go through. So she didn’t really make sense either.

“And then there was Claudia. But I think she was an anomaly too. You felt you had to save her. And in that kind of intense situation, it led to more…but I don’t think you two ever would have hooked up otherwise.”

Milo took another deep breath. “And then there’s Audrey. And she made the least amount of sense, Jack. I mean, she never even wanted to believe that you were capable of…the things you have to do. She wanted to completely forget your past and just make you into this perfect Washington, D.C. Ken doll. It was all because she loved you, but…how could that have ever worked, Jack?”

“It couldn’t,” the older man whispered. “It didn’t.”

“I just don’t understand why you don’t choose a woman who can accept all of you.”

Jack laughed a mirthless laugh. “And where do you expect me to find one, Milo?”

Milo looked at him seriously. “That’s just it, Jack. You already have.” When the he turned to stare at him in disbelief, Milo continued. “She doesn’t judge you. She holds you accountable for your actions, but she doesn’t judge you. She trusts you completely, and not because she’s blinded by love. She does it because you’re right. Because she knows you. She accepts every part of you. She wouldn’t ever walk away from you because you had to make a hard decision.”

Milo watched the emotions fight on Jack’s face. He knew that he had struck a nerve, and that was exactly what he had been meaning to do. He had kept a close eye on him since he had returned to CTU, and he had realized that the other man just needed some things pointed out to him.

But he was still surprised when Jack went tearing past him, rushing off the roof and down the stairs. Milo ran after him, shouting his name, but Jack just ignored him. He realized that he was headed for the CTU floor, and he suddenly became nervous, wondering what Jack was up to. He was only a few feet behind him as Jack burst through the doors. Everyone stopped to stare at him, curious as to what was wrong.

Jack looked around wildly, searching for something. His eyes rested on Chloe as she walked across the floor, completely oblivious to everything around her as she read a file she was carrying. Taking a deep breath, Jack rushed up to her, brought a hand behind her head, and pulled her mouth to his.

Everyone watched in shock as Chloe’s files fell to the floor completely forgotten. She reached her hands around Jack’s waist as his settled in her hair. She returned his kiss with equal passion, her tongue meeting his in a wild crash. They pulled away as the room erupted in applause and cheering, Jack blushing as he smiled down at her.

“It’s about damn time,” she snapped at him.

Current Mood: weird
Current Location: Home
Current Music: I Have Seen the Rain by P!nk

It's finally finished!!!!!!!!! There may be an epilogue at some point, but it won't really be J/C...more...M/N. That's if I ever get around to writing it. But as it stands now, the story is complete :) Hope you enjoy! Thanks to Ktswaz for the much needed help with the bedroom scene.

The walk back from the beach had been pleasant, but slightly awkward. Jack had taken her hand with a little more confidence than his earlier bumbling attempt. They had gone down the path in silence, both caught up in anxious thoughts on the night ahead.

When they had returned to the hotel room, Chloe immediately grabbed her bags and went into the bathroom, leaving Jack to change in the bedroom this time. As he opened his suitcase, he was relieved to see that Milo had packed him some nice clothes. He pulled out the black dress pants and black shirt and began to change, trying desperately to keep his nerves in check.

He wasn't exactly sure when things had started to change between himself and Chloe. They seemed to have just jumped from colleagues to friends to…whatever they were now. He racked his brain, trying to find that moment of change. He was pretty sure that the change to friendship had come when Chloe announced that she trusted him. It was at that point that he had realized he trusted her as well. But the other change…At first he thought that it had happened recently, since his return from China. As he continued to think about it though, he realized that the shift had occurred before then. The utter relief he had felt when she had run into his arms almost three years ago. His reluctance to let her go even though he knew Diane's son was watching from the helicopter. The rage he felt when he found out that Spencer had used her to get closer to him. The way his heart broke when she was forced to watch Edgar die. The fact that he had clung to the thought of her when everything else had left him under the constant weight of torture.

If he wanted to be honest with himself, Jack had to admit that he had fallen in love with Chloe O'Brian years ago.

***

Chloe tried desperately to still the butterflies that were fluttering around inside her stomach. She kept telling herself that it was just dinner with a friend, but her body knew the truth and refused to listen. With everything that had happened in the past two days, she knew that this was anything but an innocent dinner. Her body tingled as she tried to put on the black dress Nadia had packed her, and she realized with some surprise that her hands were shaking.

She had known that she had a crush on Jack Bauer for years. But she had written it off as a silly infatuation. But then she had found herself trusting him implicitly, going to him when Driscoll wouldn't listen to her. She offered to listen if he ever needed someone to talk to. She helped him fake his death – and then met with him secretly to keep him updated on what was happening at CTU. She called him out of hiding when the terrorists were chasing her, and she had practically leapt into his arms when she saw him waiting for her with a helicopter. She had nearly broken when the Chinese took him, her heart in physical pain at the thought of what he had to endure. And she had barely been able to contain her joy when he had walked back into CTU that day a free man.

Chloe sighed with the realization that she had been completely in love with Jack Bauer for years.

***

"Jack?"

He turned around, startled at the small voice coming from the barely-opened bathroom door. Smiling, he took a few steps closer.

"Yeah?"

"I need help."

"What?"

Chloe paused, feeling a flush creep up her neck. "With the dress. I need help."

It was Jack's turn to pause, as he registered her words. The image of a half-naked Chloe invaded his thoughts, and he found himself unable to think coherently. A voice in the back of his mind suggested that Milo and Nadia had planned this as well, giving Chloe a dress that she couldn't put on herself.

"Jack?"

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Jack stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him without really knowing why.

Jack nearly choked at the sight before him. Chloe was standing in front of the mirror, her hands reached behind her, trying to tie up the laces of her dress. What made him stare though, was that the dress had no back. It cut all the way down to the base of her spine, and there were only small black laces that cut here and there across her back. His eyes skimmed over her bare skin, wondering again how he was supposed to do any kind of coherent thinking when she was around.

Chloe held out the bottom laces to him. "Well?" she asked.

Jack nodded, trying to refocus his mind on the task at hand. Reaching out, he took the laces in his hands and pulled, tightening the dress so that it hugged her every curve intimately. As he went to tie a knot, his knuckles grazed her spine and Chloe inhaled sharply. Jack froze, his hands still barely touching her back.

"Too tight?" he asked, surprised at how shaky his voice was.

Chloe shook her head and controlled her voice just long enough to get out a strained "No."

Jack finished tying the knot, but hesitated to move his hands away. Chloe stood still, her eyes closed. She wondered why Jack hadn't moved yet, but she couldn't convince her body to take a step away either.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt Jack's lips on her left shoulder. He paused, gauging her reaction. When she didn't pull away or yell at him, he lowered his lips to her skin again, kissing his way across her shoulder and down her neck. He paused at the top of her spine, his lips so close that she could feel his breath on her skin.

"Jack…" she whispered.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Chloe shook her head. "I was wondering if we could skip dinner."

Jack's eyes widened at her question and its implications. He gently put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around slowly so that he could look in her eyes. What he saw there took his breath away.

"I want to do this right, Chloe."

Chloe frowned. "I know, Jack. But…we already did the dinner thing. And I know you're sober. And I really just need you to kiss me right now."

Jack smiled as he brought his hands up to cup her face. Leaning in, he softly captured her lips with his, letting the kiss linger. Chloe sighed against him before moving her lips sensuously over his and sliding her arms up around his neck. Jack tilted his head to deepen the kiss, teasing her mouth open with his tongue and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her up against his body. Turning her around, he pushed her back up against the bathroom door and pinned her there with his lower body, letting his hands roam.

As their kisses became more urgent, Jack realized that he had a problem. In no way did he want their first time to be there on the bathroom floor of a hotel, no matter how nice that bathroom floor was. But he had Chloe pinned against the door, and explaining his need to get into the bedroom would have required him to stop kissing her – and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

An idea finally formed in his head, and Jack wrapped his arms around Chloe's waist to lift her off the ground. She seemed to be having the same thoughts as she wrapped her legs around his body, letting him bear her weight. Staggering backwards slightly, Jack fumbled with the doorknob before finally wrenching it open and propelling them into the bedroom.

When they neared the foot of the bed, Jack set Chloe back down on the floor and reluctantly dragged his lips away from hers. He trailed kisses down her neck and onto her shoulder as he walked around her, coming to stand behind her. As he focused his mouth's attentions on her back, Jack undid the laces holding up her dress and let it flutter to the floor.

Turning her around to face him again, Jack took in the beauty of her body. He suddenly wondered why he…why they hadn't done this years ago. Staring at her, Jack silently cursed himself for repressing his feelings for so long, for making her doubt how important she was to him.

Chloe fidgeted under his scrutiny. They had been moving quickly toward the bed before, and his sudden halt made her worry that he was having second thoughts and wanted to stop.

"Jack?" she whispered.

He could hear the confusion and panic in her voice. Taking her face in his hands, he smiled at her warmly. "Still here. Not going anywhere."

He heard her sigh in relief and then her hands were at his shirt, unbuttoning it with a determined look on her face. As she undid each button she kissed the skin that was revealed there. Jack closed his eyes and rested his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them as Chloe rid him completely of his shirt.

As soon as the garment was gone, the two crashed back into each other, their lips eagerly seeking out the other's. Chloe gasped as Jack's bare chest made contact with her oversensitive breasts. Bringing his hands up to knead the soft mounds of flesh, Jack sent Chloe far past the point of any coherent thought. She arched into him, moaning into his mouth.

Then suddenly his hands were gone. But before Chloe could question their absence, she felt herself being lifted up and set gently on the bed. When Jack didn't immediately get on top of her, she propped herself up on her elbows to see what he was doing. She saw him staring at her as his trembling fingers were going toward his belt buckle.

Smiling, she swatted at his hands and his fingers stilled instantly. She gently brushed them aside before hooking her index finger behind the black patented leather. She unhurriedly urged it from the buckle. She glanced up at Jack innocently when she heard his breathing become labored.

"Tease," Jack jokingly huffed.

"You know you like it," she answered as she deliberately unbuttoned his trousers.

He chuckled at her bluntness. Her nimble fingers skimmed the metal of the zipper, forcing a sharp intake of breath from Jack. A few excruciating seconds later his pants were completely undone and Jack quickly rid himself of both them and his boxers.

A second later, Chloe found herself on her back again, trapped between his throbbing body and the mattress. Jack's insistent mouth crashed against hers again and she answered it with her own hunger. Both were left breathless when they pulled back. Jack gently brushed an errant strand of brown hair out of her face, idly wondering what he had done to deserve her. Chloe reached up and stroked his face with her hand.

"You okay?" she asked.

Jack nodded. "I love you," he whispered.

The grin that broke out on Chloe's face melted his heart. He was suddenly struck with the thought that he wanted to spend the rest of his life making her smile like that.

"I love you too."

Reaching her arms around his neck, she pulled him back down to her, molding her body to his. Moans of pleasure came from both as they explored each other, reveling in the feeling that they were finally home.

Current Mood: lonely
Current Location: work
Current Music: I Remember by Damien Rice

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."

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: work
Current Music: I Remember by Damien Rice

A quick J/C Story :)

Title: Pop Tarts
Rating: PG13ish
A/N: Takes place the day after Day 6
Disclaimer: Not mine :(

Jack's eyes snapped open as he tried to remember where he was. He rolled over and glanced around the room, squinting in the sunlight. The bed beneath him was soft, and he reveled in the feel of it. His memory slowly came back to him as he heard noises from the kitchen. Smiling, he got out of bed and padded out of the bedroom. At the entrance to the kitchen he stopped and leaned on the door frame, watching as Chloe scowled at the coffeemaker. Her brown hair was tousled and she was still in her pajamas, but he couldn’t remember seeing anything so welcome in his life.

The day before she had practically ordered him to come home with her. He didn't really object though – he had nowhere else to go, and he found a peace in Chloe's presence that he had been seeking for a long time. After the day's events he had been nearly shell-shocked, and she had just taken him by the hand and gently led him to her car. When they had arrived at her apartment she had promptly marched him to her room and tucked him into her bed.

Hours later he had woken up and gone into the living room, only to find her sitting on the couch with her knees tucked under her chin, staring at nothing. Wordlessly he had taken her hand and led her back to the bedroom, where they had both fell asleep.

He continued to watch her as she fiddled with the coffeemaker, suddenly realizing just how much he had missed her. Not just in China, although that was enough, but over the past few years. He had missed her while he was de-toxing from the heroin, while he was in Washington with Audrey, and while he had been on the run as Frank Flynn. He sighed silently as he realized just how much he needed her – he didn't want to miss her anymore.

"Got any breakfast?" he asked quietly.

Without looking at him, Chloe opened the cabinet above her head and pulled out a box of Pop Tarts, setting them down on the counter with a thud. Jack walked over to her and picked up the box, looking at her in amusement.

"Chloe, Pop Tarts are not breakfast."

"Yes they are."

"No they're not."

She grabbed the box from his hands and pointed to the label. "See? They have seven essential vitamins and minerals." She set the box back down on the counter.

"Chloe…"

"Look, Jack, feel free to look around for real food. I'll be very surprised if you find any."

He looked at her closely, wondering what had sparked her current foul mood. She was still refusing to look at him, puttering in the sink now that the coffee had been started.

"How about I go to the store and get some then?" he suggested gently.

Chloe shrugged and pointed to the living room. "There's money in my purse and a store down the block. Bill had some clothes bought for you yesterday and they're in the third drawer of the dresser in my room."

Jack nodded and headed back to the bedroom.

***

As he walked back into the apartment, Jack sighed in contentment. It had felt so good to go out and do something as normal as buy groceries. He had bought more than he had originally intended, but Chloe's kitchen seemed completely devoid of food, so he figured it was alright. Setting the bags down on the floor, he began to put them away.

When he was finished with that task he moved toward the kitchen table, wanting to clear it before he started to cook. He was amazed at how many papers were stacked haphazardly on the surface and he wondered where he was going to put everything.

It was then that Jack realized Chloe was watching him. She was leaning against the doorframe as he had done earlier and just stared at him as he tried to put the papers in order. Finally he put the papers down and looked at her.

"What? You just decided to give up on things like food and having a place to sit?" he asked, a small smile on his lips.

Chloe's frown grew deeper. "Yeah, well, some of us didn't do so well with you gone, Jack," she bit out before stomping out of the room.

For a minute, Jack just stared at the spot where she had been. He was used to Chloe snapping – it came with her personality – but he had heard hurt and worry and…anger in her voice as well. Walking out of the kitchen, he went down the hall and into her bedroom.

His heart broke as he saw her curled up on her bed, facing away from him. He saw her shoulders shake and heard the tiny sobs that escaped her mouth. Without hesitation he strode over to the bed and lay next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his body. He suddenly realized how thin she was and he closed his eyes against his own tears. He hadn't thought about what his time in China had done to her. She continued to cry as he whispered soothing words into her ear.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly when her tears had subsided.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe turned over so that she was facing him, her tear-stained face like a knife through his heart.

"When are you leaving?" she asked.

Her question caught him completely off-guard and he just stared at her, not knowing how to respond.

"What?"

"When are you leaving?" she repeated.

"Why would I be leaving?" he countered.

Chloe shrugged. "That's what you always do. After days like these. Either you move to Washington or you fake your death or you get taken by the Chinese. Either way, you're gone."

Jack reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. "Oh Chloe," he whispered sadly. "That's why you were snapping out there?"

She nodded, glumly staring at his chest. "I don't want to get attached again if you're just going to leave."

Jack hugged her closer and brought his mouth to her ear. "Is there any reason I should stay?"

Chloe nodded.

"What is it?" Jack gently prodded.

"I'm not sure it's good enough," she said, looking him straight in the eye.

"Try me."

Leaning in, Chloe gently brushed her lips against his. When he didn't pull away, she became more insistent with her kiss, nipping his bottom lip until he opened his mouth to her. She felt his arms wrap around her more tightly as he kissed her back, their tongues dancing together wildly. Jack rolled onto his back, dragging her on top of him and continuing his barrage on her mouth as they clung to each other.

Finally, out of a need for breath, they pulled back and Chloe leaned her forehead against his.

"So you're the reason?" he asked.

Chloe nodded, still unable to speak.

Jack smiled. "Best damn reason I've ever heard," he said before planting a short but firm kiss on her lips. "So how about that breakfast?"

Chloe returned his smile. "What's wrong with my Pop tarts?"

Jack laughed. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with your Pop Tarts," he replied. "But I suggest something with a little more protein – you're going to need your energy later."

"Oh really?"

"Really," he whispered before kissing her again.

Current Mood: accomplished

I wrote a J/C fic for

medie's You've been a Kissing Fool thing. Hope you enjoy.

            He had nightmares every night. She wasn’t surprised, after everything he had been through. He had been staying with her for two weeks now. That first night she had pushed him down on the bed, telling him that she would sleep when he did, that he deserved to lie in a real bed for once. He reluctantly laid down and fell into a fitful sleep.
            Two hours later she had run back into the room to find him thrashing around on the bed and yelling in a strained voice. She had leapt onto the bed and pulled him close to her, whispering comforting words in his ear and rocking him back and forth. He had eventually fallen into a restful sleep, curled up against her and clutching her desperately.
            Every night he would fall asleep in her bed and she would go to him when the nightmares took hold and rescue him again and again.

***

She had nightmares, too. He wasn’t surprised, since he knew that she bottled everything up in order to do her job. That first night he had woken up in her arms, finally feeling safe. As he tried to figure out what exactly had woken him from his peaceful sleep, he noticed that Chloe’s face was contorted and that she was shaking. Tiny moans of pain escaped her lips as she began moving her head from side to side.
He tightened his grip around her and brushed the hair from her face. Brushing his lips against her forehead, he whispered soothing words in her ear, rocking her back and forth until the nightmares subsided.
Every night he would wake up in her arms and pull her closer to him when her nightmares took hold and rescue her again and again.

***

            One morning she woke to him staring at her. His eyes were bright and a smile played on his lips as he continued stroking her hair, his other arm wrapped tight around her.
            “Good morning,” he whispered.
            “Why aren’t you sleeping?” she asked in her usual abrupt manner.
            His smile grew. “I woke up.”
            She rolled her eyes. “Duh, Jack. What woke you up?”
            “You.”
            “Me?”
            “I know about your nightmares, Chloe,” he said quietly, the smile gone.
            She frowned. “I know about yours too.”
            “We end up like this every night, you know.”
            “Like what?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.
            “Tangled.”
            “So?”
            “I was just thinking it might be easier if we started out this way too.”
            She looked at him, speechless. Searching her eyes, he leaned in slowly and brushed his lips softly against hers. He pulled back, unsure of how she felt.
            “Oh,” she whispered.
            Then she leaned in and kissed him back, tangling herself around every inch of him.

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Location: home
Current Music: Foolish Games by Jewel

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