Chloe couldn't help but pace. She was a nervous person under normal circumstances and your boyfriend coming home after being tortured for months and then more months in isolation and recovery and any small amount of control she exerted on a daily basis was shot to hell.

And then there was the happily chirping ex-girlfriend to her right. The one who didn't know she was an ex-girlfriend.

So she had a possibly not completely sane boyfriend coming back, a woman he had to dump, and about a thousand butterflies trying to burst out of her stomach.

When he walked into CTU everyone stopped. Every single person stopped where they were and looked at him. He was looking at her, except since she was next to Audrey she thought he was looking at her and stepped forward to hug him.

"Jack," Audrey said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him.

Jack allowed the hug, but his eyes were on hers. His gorgeous blue eyes that promised she'd get much more than a hug when he got her alone.

She smiled and waited for Audrey to step aside so she could hug him, "Hi Jack," she said, so nervous she didn't even had to pretend to be awkward and unsure, "How are you?"

"I'm good Chloe, I'm very good now," he smiled at her, "How are you?"

"I'm..."

"Jack," Audrey placed her hand on his back and cut Chloe off, "We really should go sit down. You can brief Bill and then we can, we can go home."

Jack smiled at Chloe again, "Sure. Let's go brief Bill." He squeezed Chloe's shoulder one last time and turned to follow Audrey down the hallway to Bill's office.

Chloe sighed as she watched him go and then walked off the floor. She wasn't ready to go back to work yet.

&&&&&&

Next to the break room there was a tiny little holding area—Chloe was pacing around it in circles.

She was extremely happy she'd managed to get through seeing Jack again without throwing herself at him. She just had to give him time, to work things out with Audrey and then they could be together.

At least she thought they would be together. What if he'd changed his mind? Maybe that's why he didn't find a way to contact her after he'd been rescued.

No, he'd had to be completely isolated to get better. He'd had things to tell, secrets to share, important ones. Mr. Buchanan had explained all of this, she knew this.

And just because he hugged Audrey, well, what else could he do? She still thought he was in love with her.

He'd hugged her too and...The way he looked at her...no he definitely still wanted to be with her. She was sure of it...almost positive.

She was just beginning her circular pacing of the room again when the door opened. She jerked to a stop in shock as he came in, "Jack."

"Chloe," he said, they were both motionless for a moment. Then he reached forward, grabbed her by the waist and yanked her against him, "Chloe," he said again just before his lips crashed down on hers.

He kissed her brutally, making up for months without her, "Chloe," he whispered again when he finally pulled back.

"You're here," she said, almost hysterically, "With me."

"With you," he agreed, "didn't you think I'd come back to you?'

She shrugged "I wanted to, but...Audrey she's..."

"In the past," he promised, "I should have told her that day, but it was so crazy and then I got kidnapped and...I'm going to tell her tonight, as soon as I can get her alone and let her down the right way. Then we can be together baby, finally." He kissed her softly again, but she deepened it, threading her fingers through his hair to keep him close.

"Jack, are you in here?" Audrey asked as she opened the door, "Oh my...get off of him you hussy," she screamed and lunged herself at Chloe. Chloe, caught completely off guard, ended up on the floor with a crazy blonde on top of her.

Chloe caught up pretty quick though and punched Audrey in the face, "Get off of me." She stood up and looked down at her, "And hussy? Who even uses that word anymore?"

Audrey got up and growled, lunging for Chloe again only to be stopped by Jack.

"What are you doing?" Audrey asked, "She was kissing you. That..." she pointed, "Social misfitted freak was trying to seduce you, why aren't you pissed at her?"

Jack tried to remember that Audrey was upset and confused and deserved the truth. It was hard when she was calling Chloe those words, "First of all, stop yelling at Chloe and trying to hit her. This isn't her fault. Audrey...Chloe and I are together. We have been since...since I was in hiding, since I pretended to be dead. I wanted to tell you, but things got crazy and then...then I was kidnapped. I...I'm so sorry if this hurts you, but I'm in love with Chloe."

Audrey stared at him, her eyes blank as she tried to process what he was saying. Then suddenly her eyes turned black, almost looked crazy, "She's...she's hypnotized you, or poisoned you or something. Oh baby," she said, putting her hand on Jack's cheek, "You must be so confused, but its okay. I'll get my father and we'll help you. And then we'll bury this witch," she pointed at Chloe, "So deep she'll never get near you again."

"Okay," Jack said, trying to figure out how to approach this, "Audrey I know you're upset and you have every right to be angry."

"I am angry...at her," suddenly Audrey leapt towards Chloe again just as Bill walked in the door, worried that Jack and Audrey had been gone for so long. He pulled Chloe behind him as Jack wrapped his arms around Audrey to keep her still.

"What is going on here?" Bill asked, "Why is Audrey attacking Chloe?"

Jack grunted as Audrey's leg shot out and kicked him, "Audrey knows about me and Chloe and she's not taking it too well. Audrey stop it."

"Audrey," Bill said loudly and clearly, "if you don't get control of yourself in the net ten seconds I am going to have you dragged out of here like a criminal."

Audrey stopped shaking, "You wouldn't dare."

Bill stood up straight, "Don't tempt me. Jack let her go."

Jack did and Audrey didn't run at Chloe, instead she stood up straight and brushed herself off, "This is ridiculous, this woman is...is...she's done something to Jack. He loves me, he could never love her she's a...a freak, an unattractive, sarcastic, unhappy little troll who only has one use in this world and that's on a computer."

"That's enough!" Jack yelled, "I'm sorry you're upset Audrey," he said after he'd taken a moment to clam himself, "I'm sorry I hurt you, embarrassed you, but I love Chloe. We're...we're going to get married."

Audrey's eyes went wide with terror, "You're really in love with her. Oh my..." Audrey stopped again, snapped up straight, her nose in the air, "Fine, you stay with the little..." she waved her hands, not creative enough to come up with another insult, "But I dumped you," she said loudly, "I will not have it gossiped around that I lost you to her, so I dumped you and you ran off to lick your wounds with her. That's the story."

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Chloe shook her head. Jack sighed, "Fine by me Audrey, you dumped me, but you leave Chloe's name out of it. I want no insults to her. You don't want to test me on that."

"Fine," she said, sauntering tot he door, "And don't even think of coming back to me when you realize what an idiot you've made of yourself."

Bill sighed, "I'm going to make sure she actually leaves." He turned to Jack, "Treat her right," then smiled at Chloe and left.

Chloe smiled shakily at him, "Did that actually just happen?"

"Audrey finding out about us, Audrey freaking out like a crazy person, Audrey trying to knock you out or Audrey going away and leaving us alone."

She smiled, "Any of it...specifically the part where Audrey is gone and we are..."

"Together," he finished, leaning in to kiss her, "Together."