"Innocence" ("24" season 5)

Title: Innocence

Rating: PG/PG-13 (Warning: there is a rather graphic description of what Audrey feels while Agent Burke is injecting her with the hyacine pentathol.)

Summary: Audrey’s POV during and after the interrogation in 5.15 (“9-10pm”).

Disclaimer: If I owned 24 or the characters, I wouldn't have time to write fanfic. It's pretty logical, really.


Innocence

Part 1

“Audrey Raines, I’m afraid we need to take you into custody.” I glanced up from the pile of file folders in front of me and stared at Bill Buchanan in disbelief.

“What? Why?” I exclaimed as security guards surrounded me. “Am I being arrested, Bill?”

Bill shook his head. “No, just detained momentarily. We have some questions to ask you. Audrey, we have proof that you were giving classified information to terrorists. Collette Stenger says that you were her contact at one point and that you gave her a chip that contained a building schematic,” he explained in response to my shocked look. “Mark, escort Ms. Raines to a holding room and prep her for interrogation,” he added. A guard stepped forward and took my arm, pulling me from my chair.

“Jack! Does Jack know about this?!” I cried in disbelief. “I want to talk to him, Bill.”

Bill sighed. “Yes, he knows. Jack sanctioned the order. He’s bringing Collette Stenger in, but then I’ll send him in to you.” Jack sanctioned the order… That one phrase echoed over and over in my head. Oh, my God… Numb with shock, I allowed myself to be led away to an interrogation room.

I waited for what seemed like hours, pacing the small room they had put me in. The room was harsh and ominous-looking; the walls and floor were made of gray cement, and the air was cold. I was trembling, but I wasn’t sure if it was from cold or from terror. They had taken my suit jacket for some reason, and I wished for a sweater…or for Jack to appear.

Finally, he did. By then, I was trembling so hard that I had to lean against a wall to stay upright. “Jack,” I practically whimpered. “What’s going on?” He closed the door behind him and crossed his arms.

“Sit down,” was all that he said. No greeting, no inquiry, just those two words. I hesitated, unsure. “Sit down!” he roared. I flinched in surprise, and stumbled towards the chair. Shaking even harder now, I fell onto the chair and looked up at Jack in shock. He strode over to the table and placed two mugshot-style photographs in front of me. “What do you know about Walt Cummings and Christopher Henderson?”

I licked my lips. “Um…Henderson I’ve never heard of. And, um…Cummings, all I know is that he was a traitor; he traded classified information with terrorists.” My voice was shaky. Great, Audrey. Now he’ll think you’re some trembling, sniveling coward. He’s going to think that you know something; you’re just too scared to say it. And that won’t be good.

Jack sighed. “Did you ever meet either of them face-to-face; ever contact them with information?”

I gasped. “No! God, no! Jack, you know me better than that!” Jack whipped around and slammed a file folder onto the table. I flinched and jerked back in surprise.

“Open it,” he ordered in a low voice, indicating the folder. Trembling, I opened the folder and stared in shock. The first thing in it was a hotel receipt, followed by a photograph of me and another of Walt, and a copy of the hotel guest list. In a flash, it all came flooding back.

“Oh, God. Yes, I remember him. We met at the hotel. It…it was just after I found out that you were...um...dead. Walt and I…we talked, and we shared a few drinks…But that was all, I swear.”

“Yeah,” Jack snorted. “Really? Then how come the receipt says that you didn’t just share a few drinks; you also shared a room!!” he shouted, his face red and contorted with anger.

“Jack,” I gasped. “I’m sorry. I was upset…I didn’t know who he was at the time…I just wanted someone to talk to. But I broke it off after that night, I swear I did.”

“Why?” he demanded. “Why did you break it off?” Then he paused. “And why did you lie to me when I asked you the first time?”

My bravado cracked, and I started to cry. “Because I thought you’d be angry. I was sleeping with someone who’s a traitor,” I sobbed. “And I broke it off because...he wasn’t you, Jack. He wasn’t you….” I saw Jack’s expression soften, and for a moment it looked like he was going to cry. But, in just a split second, that look was replaced by one of absolute, pure rage. In one swift movement, he lunged towards me and knocked the table out of the way. I backed up, wildly looking around for a means of escape, but Jack was faster. Before I could react, he had me by the throat and was shoving me towards the wall. I screamed in terror, but the sound was cut off by a choked gasp as I slammed into the hard concrete wall.

“Dammit, Audrey! I want the truth!!” he shouted.

“I-I’m telling you the truth, I....” I gasped, struggling for breath.

“Tell me the truth!” he yelled, dangerously close to my ear. I flinched, and cowered back against the wall.

“Jack…” I choked. “Jack…please, I didn’t do anything, I swear. Please, Jack, please…” I was crying now; the sound was a mixture of whimpers and gasps for air as Jack’s grip tightened around my neck and throat. I was beginning to see black spots in my line of vision. Jack asked me more questions, and I heard myself answering them in that odd, gasping, choked voice, but my brain couldn’t grasp what my mouth was saying. I felt like a ventriloquist’s dummy.

Suddenly, just as abruptly as he’d grabbed me, Jack let go. Gasping, I slumped against the wall. “This is over,” Jack yelled in the direction of the camera on the wall, speaking to someone outside—Karen Hayes or Bill, I assumed. “Do you hear me? It’s over!!” With that, he snatched up the folder and stormed out of the room. After a moment, I heard angry, heated voices yelling at each other—Karen, Bill, and Jack—but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I crumpled to the floor, gasping and sobbing as the reality of what was happening sank in.

* * * *

The buzzing of the door a few minutes later alerted me to the fact that someone had entered the room, and I numbly lifted my head. Two security guards were standing there, and they strode over to me and practically lifted me off of the floor without a word. Half-leading and half-carrying me, they took me into the CTU bullpen. We were met by Karen Hayes, with Jack hot on her heels. Karen spoke directly to the guards, and her words sent icy fear coursing through my veins. “Please escort Ms. Raines to Medical for further interrogation.” Oh, dear God…no, not that…

“What!” Jack exploded. “Karen, that’s insane!” She regarded him coolly, without a word, and nodded to the guards. In an instant, Jack lunged from behind her and flew at the guards holding me. They were knocked to the ground, and in the midst of all the chaos, Jack grabbed my arm and started to run with me. Another guard appeared from somewhere. To my horror, I heard the unmistakable buzzing sound of a taser, and Jack crumpled limply to the floor. I screamed, terrified, as the guards grabbed me and began to drag me away.

“Jack,” I yelled. “Jack! Help me…please, Jack….You, let go of me!” I shrieked, trying to claw my way out of the guards’ iron grips. They only held me tighter and kept walking. I kept my head lowered, trying to hide the panicked tears that were coursing down my face as we walked.

* * * *

The sound of a door opening made me lift my head, and I stared in shock. We were in the medical bay, in a cold and harsh-looking room that contained only a chair with restraints…and Agent Burke stood next to it with his box of syringes. I started to cry, and then to scream. “No...no, no, no! Please, no…don’t do this…you can’t do this!” The guards gripped my arms and forcefully pushed me into the chair. I struggled wildly as the two of them fastened the restraints around my wrists, forearms, and ankles, but there was no way to get free. I was trapped.

Agent Burke stepped up next to the chair, carrying a long needle, an IV tube, and a bag of medication. I held my breath. This’ll hurt… Something told me that he wasn’t going to be very gentle. I wished for a doctor, or for Jack…but, then again, given the fact that everyone saw me as a traitor, I knew they wouldn’t be gentle either.

Agent Burke swabbed a vein on the back of my hand with rubbing alcohol and prepared the needle. My breath caught in my throat as the needle roughly jabbed my arm. “Ouch,” I protested. “That hurts!” He didn’t acknowledge my protest at all as he continued setting up the IV line. “You don’t need to do this,” I whispered. “I’m innocent, I swear to you. I have nothing to hide. Please, don’t do this…”

“ ‘I’m innocent’? Yeah, that’s what they all say,” he replied gruffly, rummaging in his box for a syringe. I gasped when I caught a glimpse of the label on the bottle that he picked up: Hyacine pentathol—a military-grade pain-inducing drug used in forceful interrogation. I’d never had it used on me, but I had read about what it did…and now Agent Burke was preparing to inject me with it.

“Please,” I gasped. “Don’t do that. You don’t need to do that…please…please, no, don’t do that…” He barely acknowledged my protest as he grasped my arm and slowly, steadily—as if taunting me—injected the drug into my IV line. I caught my breath as the first drops of the liquid hit my veins, for it burned like fire. In the next instant, I felt a fiercely searing pain shooting through my body, making every nerve from my neck down to my toes burn with pain. I had never imagined that anything in the world could hurt so much. I caught my breath and bit back a scream of pain as fresh tears spilled from my eyes.

The pain had just barely begun to subside before Agent Burke was already injecting me with a second, bigger dose. It added to and intensified the pain that I was already feeling, and I screamed and begged him to stop as tears poured down my cheeks. “No!” I screamed. “No...stop it....please, make it stop....please!”

“You brought this on yourself, remember,” he told me, watching as my body shook with the pain. I was shaking—convulsing—too much to answer, and I could only stare pleadingly at him.

By the time he injected the third dose, my throat was already growing raw and sore from screaming. I twisted wildly in the chair, trying to…I don’t know what I was trying to do. But movement made more pain (if that was even possible!) shoot through my body, so I just clenched my jaw and waited for the pain to stop.
Suddenly, the door burst open and Jack dashed into the room. He gaped in horror as he took in the sight before him: me convulsing, crying and screaming from the pain, and Agent Burke shouting questions at me as he began to inject a fourth dose. “Stop,” Jack yelled. “Disconnect it, now!” I felt Burke fumbling with the IV, and then he stepped back. “I have proof that she’s innocent,” Jack shouted. “Ask Bill Buchanan if you don’t believe me. You’ve done enough; you’re done here. Get out!” Burke, out of my line of vision, must have hesitated, because Jack yelled next, “I said, you’re done here! Get out!” Burke left, and I crumpled forward in the chair, still moaning and shaking from the pain. “Easy,” Jack soothed. “You all right?”

“I…I don’t know…” I gasped, waiting as Jack knelt and began to tug at the straps that bound me in the chair. “Jack…what’s happening? Tell me.”

“You were framed by Collette Stenger,” Jack answered. “We got her. It’s over now. It’s over for good, I promise. God, Audrey, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He took my hand and began to untape the IV tubing. “Hang on; this is going to sting a little.”

“Aah…” I gasped, gritting my teeth as Jack grasped the needle and pulled it out. A sharp, stinging pain shot through my hand as Jack slid the needle out. “Th-thanks,” I managed when he had finished. “Jack…the only thing that kept me going…was that I knew you’d come. I knew you would come.”

Jack looked like he was going to cry. “Come here,” he whispered. I was still trembling and crying, and Jack pulled me into a tight hug. “Shh, shh...it's okay now. You're okay." He sighed and hugged me still tighter. “I’m sorry, Audrey. I am so sorry.” We stayed like that for a moment, with Jack holding me and running his fingers through my matted hair. Then he pulled back and picked up his cell phone. “Bill, it’s Jack. I’m taking Audrey Raines to the clinic. Prep Collette Stenger for interrogation, will you?”

“Sure thing, Jack,” Bill replied. Jack hung up the phone and turned to me.

“Can I join the interrogation?” I asked.

Jack laughed. “No way. We need her in one piece if we’re going to question her. Judging by the look on your face, if you went anywhere near Collette right now, you’d tear her limb from limb for framing you. You’re not going in there. You can watch from the outer room, though. But first, I’m taking you to the clinic.” He held out a hand and helped me to my feet. The hyacine pentathol was still fresh in my system, and each step sent pain searing through my body. I groaned through clenched teeth as I limped painfully after Jack.

Even though the clinic was just two rooms away from the Medical holding rooms, it was a long, slow walk for me. A doctor was waiting when we reached the room. “I’m Dr. Larson,” she said to me. “Come here, and let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

Jack gave me a quick hug. “I need to go check on Collette Stenger,” he told me. “Are you going to be okay by yourself, or do you want me to stay with you?”

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “Go.” Jack let go of my hand and left the room, pausing to smile apologetically one last time. Then he was gone, and the door closed behind him.

Dr. Larson put an arm around my shoulder and guided me over to the bed in the corner. “Why don’t you sit down, Ms. Raines?”

“Call me Audrey,” I told her, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Okay, Audrey it is. Hyacine pentathol can be pretty nasty,” she told me as she checked me over, “and because of the amount that they gave you, it’ll stay in your system for awhile yet. I’m going to give you a little something to combat the pain. Have you ever heard of lidocaine?”

“I know that it’s used with aloe vera, in the lotion that you put on sunburns,” I offered, making her laugh, “but other than that, no.”

Dr. Larson laughed again. “Well, that’s one form of it. But there’s a second form that can be given by injection to use as a painkiller. That’s what I’m going to give you for now.” She went to the cupboard in the corner and came back with a syringe. I waited, watching out of the corner of my eye, as she swabbed a spot on my shoulder and gently administered the injection. “There you go. Now, that’ll kick in in a minute, and you’ll start to feel a lot better. The only problem is that it makes you feel a bit numb. Your legs and arms will tingle like they’re falling asleep, but you’ll still have full use of them.”

“Thank you,” I said gratefully, leaning back against the thin pillow.

Dr. Larson smiled. “You’re welcome; it’s what I’m here for.” She went to the sink in the corner and returned with a cold, wet cloth and a comb. “Here. I thought you might want to freshen up a bit—wash off your face, cool down a little.” Gratefully, I took the cloth and ran it across my face and neck to wipe away the perspiration and tears, and combed the tangles out of my stringy and matted hair. “There, now, isn’t that better?” the doctor said kindly. I nodded, and she smiled. “All right. Now, why don’t you lie down and get some rest?” That sounded good. As I removed my shoes and curled up under the sheets, I dimly heard Dr. Larson saying something about someone contacting my father, but I was already falling asleep.


Part 2

“I don’t want to hear excuses! Just tell me where my daughter is!” Through a haze of sleep, I smiled to myself. That was definitely Dad’s voice. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Quickly, I raked my fingers through my mussed hair, trying to look at least a little dignified for Dad’s benefit. I heard footsteps approaching my room, and then Dad burst through the door. His face was lined with worry, and his hair was mussed. I could tell that he’d been running his fingers through it—something that he and Jack both did when they were worried.

“Audie?” he said softly. “Are you okay?” Before I could answer, he was at my side and was hugging me tightly. “Oh, God, sweetheart…what happened to you? What did they do? All they told me was that something was wrong; there had been a big mistake, and something had happened to you.” Then he noticed the large bruise on my hand from where Burke had jabbed me with the IV needle, the marks on my neck from Jack, and my disheveled, pale appearance. “What the…? What on earth happened here, Jack?” he demanded.

Jack shifted uncomfortably. “Sir, we have a woman in custody named Collette Stenger. She’s one of the people behind today’s attacks. She told me that she had been trading classified information with someone…and she named Audrey as her source.” Dad drew back and stared at me in shock. “No!” Jack exclaimed. “Audrey didn’t do anything. Collette framed her to make me angry and get me off her trail.” He hesitated. “They insisted that we question her…and the orders came for Audrey to be medically interrogated by Agent Burke.”

Dad stared, glancing back and forth from me to Jack and back to me. “And just what did this Agent Burke do to you, Audrey?”

“He dosed me with…with hyacine pentathol,” I practically whispered, fresh waves of pain coursing through me at the memory.

Dad whipped around to direct a murderous glare in Jack’s direction. “Who sanctioned that order, Jack?” he demanded. “Who sanctioned the order to torture my daughter?!”

“Karen Hayes,” Jack said uncomfortably. He rubbed the red welt on his neck from Burke’s taser. “I tried to stop her, sir…but she and Burke tasered me and knocked me out. There was nothing I could do.” My father looked like he wanted to murder Karen.

“Where is she?” His voice was dangerously calm. “Answer me, Jack—where is Karen Hayes?”

Jack ran a hand through his hair. “She’s probably in Bill Buchanan’s office. I’ll get her.” He hurried away, as if frightened that my father’s wrath would turn on him next.

Dad stood and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to go find this woman. I want to talk with her. Wait here, Audrey.” He strode out of the small clinic room, with a determined and angry stance that I recognized all too well. Karen Hayes was about to get a massive chewing-out.

I waited until Dad was a safe distance away, and then got to my feet. The lidocaine injection had left my limbs feeling slightly rubbery, and I had to pause to lean on a table. When I was certain that my legs would support me, I walked shakily to the door and out into the CTU bullpen. My gait was shaky and uneven, and I had a suspicion that I slightly resembled a drunkard, but I didn’t care. I paused again, and then hurried in the direction that Dad had gone. Jack, along with Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes, was standing next to the stairs leading to Bill’s second-floor office, and even from across the room I could see my father's angry scowl. I tiptoed, as much as my numb and shaking legs would allow, towards them.

“Have you ever heard of the Golden Rule, Ms. Hayes?” Jack asked in a dangerously low tone.

“ ‘Do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you’?” Karen replied. “Yes, Agent Bauer, I have. But I suggest that you stop wasting my time and get to your point. What is it that you want?” she asked coolly.

Jack looked like he wanted to slap her. “I’m getting to that, Karen. Like I said, the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you.’ Well, fortunately for you, I’m usually a forgiving person. Because, right now, I would love nothing more than to treat you the same way that you treated Audrey Raines earlier!” I choked back a laugh as I watched Karen’s face change from surprised, to slightly worried, and finally to angry.

“Agent Bauer,” Karen said warningly, “you are way out of line.”

Jack scowled. “Oh, really? And just who was it that ordered Audrey Raines’ torture? Refresh my memory, because I seem to remember that it was you who gave the order!” he snapped. “I distinctly remember suggesting that you not follow through with that order—considering that Audrey is a direct liaison for DOD…and her father just happens to be the Secretary of Defense for the United States of America!” He was yelling now, and Karen’s face was beginning to resemble a thundercloud. People were casting concerned glances in our direction.

I hurried forward—stumbled forward, to be more accurate—and placed a hand on Jack’s arm. “Jack,” I hissed. “Be quiet. Don’t jeopardize yourself for my sake. It’s okay.”

My father appeared from somewhere. “Is there a problem here?” he asked quietly. Then he noticed Karen. “I don’t believe we’ve met. James Heller, Secretary of Defense,” he said, offering his hand.

“Karen Hayes,” Karen said coolly, returning the handshake. “I was just explaining to Agent Bauer—”

Dad cut her off. “Karen Hayes?” he asked. “Well, well. You must be the one who ordered Agent Burke to…interrogate—since you prefer to put it that way—my daughter.”

Karen Hayes was at a loss for words. “I…I…we had information that led us to believe that she was guilty of treason,” she sputtered. “Trading classified government files with terrorists? That’s treason, sir. We did what we thought was best!”

“I understand that,” Dad said patiently, “and I respect your decisions. You did what needed to be done in that situation, but…good Lord; you didn’t have to torture her with a military-grade pain inducer! Sodium pentathol is just as effective—and a lot less painful! Furthermore,” he added, “common sense is useful in these situations, too. Do you really think that someone who is a direct DOD liaison to the White House—not to mention the daughter of the Secretary of Defense—would be trading classified files with terrorists? Where did you get a tip like that, anyway?”

“Collette Stenger,” Jack spoke up.

Dad looked like he was about to explode. “A proven terrorist? And you believed her, Ms. Hayes? Did the thought ever cross your mind that maybe—just maybe—she was trying to fool you and shift blame?!”

Karen hesitated, but nodded. “Yes, we did think of that, sir. But the evidence…”

“Forget it,” Dad spat. “Evidence can be falsified; you of all people know that!” He put an arm around my shoulder. “I made this mistake once already with my son eighteen months ago; I’m not making the same mistake twice. You are not to lay a hand on my daughter again, do you understand me?” Karen nodded mutely, and Dad gave my hand a little tug. “Come on, Audie. I’m finding you a place to stay until all this is over.”

I shook my head. “No, Dad. I want to stay. Forty percent of CTU’s staff was killed by a terrorist nerve gas attack this morning. They need all the help they can get right now, and if there’s something I can do to bring these terrorists to justice, then I’m going to do it.” I turned to Jack. “Is there an empty workstation that I can use?”

He appeared to be hiding a smile as he nodded. “Yes…plenty of them,” he added. “But…are you sure you’re up to it? Maybe you should rest for a little while longer.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine, really. The clinic gave me a pretty hefty dose of lidocaine earlier; I’m not in pain. A bit numb, yes, but no pain. Please, I want to help you.”
Jack relented. “Okay. Here, I’ll set you up at Station 4.” With a smile, I followed him to the desk. These terrorists had already taken so many of my and Jack’s close friends…Palmer, Michelle, Tony, much of CTU’s personnel…I was not going to let them take anyone else if I could help it. Collette Stenger was going to be very sorry that she had framed me. I picked up a CD, inserted it into the computer’s disk drive, and got to work.


Part 3: Epilogue

The knock at the door was followed by a soft voice. “Audrey?” I smiled tiredly and sat up straighter against the pillows.

“Hey, Jack. Come on in.” I closed my laptop and sat it aside. Jack stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He smiled at me, and then frowned slightly when he saw the laptop.

“Audrey, it’s late. You should be asleep. What are you doing?” he asked, taking the laptop from me and setting it on the desk in the corner.

I glanced at the clock and shook my head, laughing. “Jack, it’s barely seven o’ clock at night. It is not late—well, maybe for you it is, since you were in the field all day, but I’m fine. Really. And I want to get some more work done for you guys. The more that I do, the less Chloe and everybody else has to deal with. They’re stretched thin as it is.” I stretched out my leg and wiggled it to even out a kink. “Ouch. Ah, that’s better. I hate these shoes.” With that, I kicked off the offending heeled shoes that I’d worn all day and sighed with relief. “Much better.” I leaned back against the thick, soft pillows. (I had managed to assist CTU all afternoon, and then Dad had insisted that I go to a hotel and finish my work there so I could relax. He had also insisted that Jack stay the night to check on me.) “This is certainly comfortable. Did I remember to thank you?”

“For this hotel room, or for something else?” Jack asked over his shoulder, heading into the bathroom to take a shower.

“Both,” I answered. “Thanks for getting such a nice room…and, thanks for helping me today.”

“You’re welcome; you don’t have to thank me. How’s your arm—for that matter, how are you? Are you hurting? Did you use the lidocaine shots that Dr. Larson left?” Jack called from the bathroom.

“You could give me a chance to answer one question before you ask another, you know,” I laughed. “Stop worrying. I’m fine. My arm is bruised and sore—just like it was when you called and asked an hour ago. I’m stiff, but not sore. No, I haven’t taken the lidocaine yet. I will in a minute.”

Jack stepped out of the bathroom and rubbed his hair viciously with a towel. Water droplets flew everywhere. “Where’d you put the syringes? She gave you the last dose early this afternoon; it should be time for another. Here, I’ll get it.” He ran the towel over his hair again, and I burst out laughing. His hair was sticking up it wet, pointy little spikes. “What’s so funny?”

“Your hair,” I gasped. “You look like some kind of weird rock star.” Jack tried to fix his hair, but only succeeded in making it worse. By that time, I was nearly doubled over with laughter. “Oh, good grief. Here, I’ll fix it. Give me a comb.” Shaking his head, Jack handed me a comb. I reached to take it, and gritted my teeth as a spasm of pain shot through me. “Ouch! Um… I guess it is time for another lidocaine dose. The Hair of Horror is going to have to wait a minute. Can you grab me a syringe from the fridge?” (Dr. Larson had supplied me with several syringes filled with pre-measured doses of lidocaine, with instructions to take them every six or seven hours. She had given me enough to last until the next afternoon; with instructions to visit her again if the pain hadn’t subsided by then.) “Good grief, how long does that hyacine pentathol last?”

“ ‘Hair of Horror’, huh?” Jack laughed. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” He went to the small refrigerator in the corner of the room and retrieved one of the syringes. “Considering that Burke gave you four—well, three and a half—pretty hefty doses of the stuff, it’ll stay with you until about tomorrow morning. But that’s what this lidocaine is for. Here, I’ll do it; give me your arm.” He noticed my surprised look. “Yeah, I know how to give shots. Got pretty good at giving them to myself a few years ago—heroin, sometimes three or more doses a day.” I noticed a flicker of something in his eyes, and he shook his head and sighed bitterly. “Anyway,” he said abruptly. “You don’t need to worry; I know how to do this. Let me see your arm.”

Silently, I held out my arm and watched as Jack expertly prepared the syringe and swabbed a spot in the crook of my elbow with rubbing alcohol. His movements were sure and unfaltering, and I felt a flicker of sadness as I remembered just how he came to be so good at giving shots. “Jack…”

“Hang on,” he replied, tapping the syringe and taking my arm. “Okay…I’ll do my best not to hurt you.” He paused for a brief instant, and then quickly and smoothly gave me the injection. “There you go.” We both let out shaky breaths that neither of us realized we’d been holding, and then exchanged glances and burst out laughing. “Wow, I’m not sure who was more nervous there; you or me!” Jack remarked, chuckling. “I…I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“I thought you said you were used to doing it!” I exclaimed. “You sure seemed nervous. But no, you didn’t hurt me. I hardly felt it, actually.” I glanced down at my right arm, which still bore an ugly, splotchy bruise from Burke’s IV that afternoon.

Jack followed my gaze and shook his head. “I still can’t apologize enough for that. I should have known better; it didn’t make any sense that you, of all people, were the one who gave Collette that schematic. But I let Karen Hayes’s judgment—and insults—push me into doing what I did.” His fingers brushed the side of my neck. “You’ve got some nasty marks there. You want some ice for those bruises?” I shook my head. Jack sighed heavily and tugged at a stray thread on his worn t-shirt. “Audrey…”

I leaned my head against his chest. “No. Don’t say anything, Jack. You’ve apologized more than enough today.” Now it was my turn to sigh. “I was pretty upset with you earlier…but it’s okay. I understand now—you did what you thought was right. I accept that, Jack. I’m fine, really.” I twisted my head to look at him. “But you don’t look so great. Better question…how are you doing? How are those burns?”

He paused for a moment, and then winced. “They hurt, now that I think about it.” He fingered the bandaged areas on his right shoulder, lower back, and forehead. “I knew flaming stuff could burn you—shocker, huh?—but I never knew wood splinters could cut you. Hey, what do you know? I learned something new today.” I laughed, and he smiled slightly. “The good news is that, despite the war wounds, I caught up with Bierko. He’s back at CTU, getting questioned by Bill Buchanan, Curtis, and Agent Burke.”

“Good,” I commented. “And you’re sure you’re okay?” He nodded with a smile, and I continued. “Anything on Collette?”

Jack made a sound that was halfway between a chuckle and a snort. “Yeah. We learned that she’s scared of me. Of course, that could have something to do with the fact that I held a gun to her head twice in two hours today; once when I caught her, and again when I went in to…um…yell at her—let’s leave it at that—for framing you.” We both laughed, and then Jack grew serious. “But, yeah, we did get some information from her. We sort of destroyed that gas plant, so the nerve gas was rendered harmless. And Bierko’s in custody, so we’re okay for now…but,” he added with a sigh, “You never know.”

I sat up and stretched. “Hey, I’m starving. There’s a great late-night diner not far from here; want to get some dinner?”

“Dinner….yum,” Jack said with a smile. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast at eight this morning—and I didn’t get to eat much of that, either. Sure, why not? I’m up for some food. Let’s go.”

“In your pajamas?” I asked with a laugh. “Maybe you should put on some clothes first.”

“Whoops.” Jack grinned sheepishly, and went to the bathroom to change. He returned dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.” Laughing, I got to my feet.

“You make me look overdressed. Now I’m going to change.” Quickly, I changed out of my skirt, blouse, and suit jacket, and into khaki pants and a red sweater. “That’s better. Now we can go.” I grabbed my purse from the couch and followed him out the door.

It only took us a few minutes to reach the diner, and soon we were seated in a cozy booth by a window. Jack chose meatloaf and potatoes, and after a moment of debating, I decided on the same. “I never took you for a meatloaf eater,” Jack commented.

“I’m not, usually. But with my dad, I go to so many fancy dinners and banquets that it’s nice to get some normal food sometimes,” I answered, taking a bite of the meatloaf. “And this place doesn’t do too bad of a job.” We talked quietly over dessert—apple pie with ice cream—but here our conversation was limited to the normal complaints and conversations that you’d hear about any office or job. Discussing CTU’s operations in public was strictly forbidden. Besides, it was nice to pretend—even if for just a little while—that we did have normal jobs; that Jack’s work at CTU didn’t put him in constant danger, that my father wasn’t America’s Secretary of Defense, and that I wasn’t in any danger because of Dad’s connections or the work I did to help CTU.

“Pretty good,” was Jack’s opinion when we’d finished. “Where to now? The hotel?”

I smiled. “That sounds great. I’m exhausted.” So we paid, got back into Jack’s SUV, and drove to the hotel. Back in our room, we found a TV channel that was playing several old movies. As if in silent agreement, we curled up under the thick blankets on one of the beds and sipped at the hot chocolate that I had made. I was more tired than I had originally realized. So was Jack. I just managed to set my empty hot chocolate mug down before my eyelids began to droop. With a sleepy smile, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep in Jack’s arms.

THE END