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.
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