Disclaimer: I don't own 24, or its characters.
Leap of Faith
Chloe stifled a yawn as she sat on her couch, flicking through the various magazines she had read 50 times already. I hate vacations. Especially forced ones. At least it's only a couple more days, then I can get back to work. She sniffed in amusement. A couple weeks ago, I would have done anything for a few days off. Now, all I want to do is go back.
Nadia had forced her to take some time off after that day none of them would soon forget, and Chloe had been too eager to accept at the time. Take 4 days off, spend some time with Morris, relax. That was the plan. Not anymore. Morris had left the day before, saying he wasn't ready to be a father, and Chloe, to her surprise, didn't miss him. If he doesn't want any part of this, fine. This child and I will survive without him.
Her phone rang and Chloe jumped to answer it. "Yeah?"
"Chloe, it's Nadia. I need you to come in today."
"I thought you didn't want me to come in for a few days."
"Things have changed. Chloe, this is important."
Something's not right. "Fine, I'll be there in half an hour." Without waiting for a response, Chloe hung up the phone and grabbed her jacket, heading out the door and making the short drive to CTU. I don't like this at all. But I might as well see what she wants. Passing quickly through security, Chloe made her way through the bullpen, pausing only to glare at Carrie Turner, who was hovering around. What the hell is she doing here? It's bad enough she makes my life miserable from Division, now I have to see her here? Terrific. This had better be important, Nadia.
She glanced up at the director's office, catching Nadia's eye. The younger woman motioned for Chloe to come up. Chloe slowly walked up the stairs and into Nadia's office. Nadia was sitting down at her desk, listening to her visitor talk her ear off. "Chloe. Sit down."
Chloe quickly sat down, her eyes flicking towards the man standing there. That's that jerk from Division who had to stick his nose in.
"You remember Ben Kram, from Division."
"I do. Nadia, what's going on? You said this was important."
"Division finished its investigation into the break-in. Needless to say, they're not happy about what happened the other day."
Chloe shifted. "What does that have to do with me?"
Nadia glanced down at a piece of paper. "They also looked into everything CTU had done since the start of the crisis. More specifically, everything you did."
"Everything I did? What are you talking about?"
Kram glared at her. "I think you know what we're talking about, O'Brian. All the times you went off protocol the other day."
Great. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Let me refresh your memory, then. You nearly jeopardized an operation by trying to track Jack Bauer's whereabouts using an illegal satellite, almost causing us to lose our only lead. You wasted your time digging up Agent Manning's past history with Hamri Al-Assad, instead of using it to find Abu Fayed. You covered for your ex-husband by not revealing he was drinking on duty, a situation you were required to report the second you found out about it. You used CTU resources to cut the power to the Russian Consulate, allowing Bauer to break in illegally. You left your post in the middle of a crisis to give Bauer information on Audrey Raines that he wasn't cleared for. And most importantly, you gave Bauer the schematics to the suitcase nukes, information he was willing to use to give the Chinese technology that would have compromised Russian defenses. Any of this ringing a bell, O'Brian?"
Chloe looked down, unable to deny what Kram was telling her.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"Yes, I do. Jack was going to be sacrificed to a terrorist, one who ended up being behind everything that happened. If I hadn't have found out about Curtis' history with Assad, Assad would have been killed, and he wouldn't have given us Gredenko's name. Morris wasn't drinking, and he was still able to do his job. Me cutting that power allowed Jack to interrogate the consul, and find Gredenko."
"That's all well and good, O'Brian, but the fact remains that you violated protocol."
Chloe stood up. "Yes, I violated protocol, but my actions helped save millions of lives."
"Did giving Bauer those schematics save millions of lives? No. The two of you almost caused a war."
"...Jack had no intention of giving that circuit board to the Chinese. He was going to destroy it, after Audrey Raines was safe."
Kram gazed at her intently. "I sense some hesitation in your defense of Bauer. Having second thoughts?"
Chloe returned his stare, then looked away. "That wasn't something I'm proud of. If I had to do it all over again... I probably would have said no. Risking a war to save one person's life was stupid." She raised her head defiantly. "But I stand by everything else I did. I wouldn't have changed my mind on any of those decisions."
He nodded slightly, then turned to Nadia. She stared Chloe in the eye. "Chloe... based on your actions that day, I have no choice but to relieve you of your command."
"You're demoting me?"
"No, Chloe. I'm firing you, effective immediately."
Figures. I knew something was wrong, and I was right. "I'll go, but let me resign instead. Give me time to get my department in shape before I leave."
Nadia shook her head firmly. "I'm sorry, Chloe, but I can't let you resign. I have to fire you. If I don't, someone else will, and I'll be fired, too."
Chloe scoffed. "Then Jack was right all along. I should have listened to him when he told me to leave."
"You should feel lucky we're not prosecuting you, O'Brian" Kram snapped. "You were already on thin ice after the mess with Logan. You think the rules don't apply to you, and you can ignore the ones you don't like. Any halfway decent director would have you out the door in no time. Why Bill Buchanan kept you around is incomprehensible. Just another sign of his poor leadership."
Both Chloe and Nadia gave Kram nasty looks. "Bill Buchanan was a great director" Chloe snapped back. "He was the best director this place has ever had."
"Chloe, you're not helping yourself here" Nadia warned her.
"Not helping myself? You've already fired me. Nothing I can say will change that."
"Chloe, please. Get your stuff and go, before you end up in Holding."
Chloe glared at Nadia, then shot Kram one of her trademark scowls before walking out. Two guards caught up with her at her station. "We need your access codes, Ms. O'Brian" the first one said, holding out his hand. Chloe dug her credentials out and dropped them on the desk. She waited patiently as her belongings were gathered, then she found herself being escorted out of the building. The second guard thrust the bag containing her personal effects at Chloe quickly. "You're free to go, but you're no longer permitted to enter the premises."
"Like I would ever come back here" she retorted, getting into her car and driving off quickly, fuming.Fired. After everything I've given that place, they have the nerve to fire me. Fine, I was going to quit anyway. Not like I can't find something else.
She pulled up outside her home and stopped. No way. Jack was standing outside her door. Chloe quickly got out and walked up to him slowly. "Jack?"
"Chloe."
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you. I never got the chance to thank you for everything you did for me the other day. I know you risked a lot for me. Thank you."
Chloe wanted to be mad at him. Her decision to help him had finally cost her her job. But try as she might, the anger she was expecting simply was not there. Instead she merely looked away. "You're welcome."
Jack looked at her curiously. "Are you all right?"
Chloe shook her head. "No. I'm not all right, Jack."
"What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Morris?"
"Morris is gone. He left yesterday. Said he wasn't ready to-" Chloe shut up quickly. He doesn't need to know about my problems.
"Wasn't ready to what, Chloe?"
She shrugged. "It's nothing."
Jack forced her to look at him. "What is it, Chloe?"
"...He said he wasn't ready to... to be a father."
"You're pregnant?"
A nod. "Yeah."
"And he just left?" She nodded again. Jack felt rage at what Morris had done to someone he claimed to love. "Where is he?"
"I don't know." Chloe saw the rage pouring out of Jack. "Jack, don't."
"How could he do that to you? I'm going to find him."
Chloe grabbed his arm. "Let him go, Jack. Morris made his decision. If he doesn't want to be here, I'm not going to force him. This child and I are going to get along just fine without him."
"...All right. If you're sure." Jack glanced down at her stomach. "Have you told anyone at CTU about this?"
Chloe scowled. "No, and even if I did, they wouldn't care. I've been relieved of duty... permanently."
Jack looked shocked. "They fired you? Why?"
"Because of everything I did the other day for you. They said I was lucky I wasn't being prosecuted for what I did."
Jack sniffed. "Everything you did for them, and they fire you? You are the best analyst CTU has ever had. No one else can do your job."
"I know that, Jack" she replied. "But it's not my decision. I was going to leave anyway, once something better came along."
"I'm sorry, Chloe. This is my fault."
"Don't you dare blame yourself, Jack. I could have said no every time, but I did what you asked me to because you were doing the right thing. I have no one to blame but myself."
He nodded. "What are you going to do now?"
"Leave LA. Now that I'm no longer working for CTU, I have no more reason to stay here. This city has too many bad memories for me. I need a fresh start."
"Let me come with you."
Chloe stepped back. "What?"
"I need a fresh start, too. I have nothing that would keep me here."
"What about Kim?"
Jack looked away. "She wants nothing to do with me. I have to let her go, Chloe, let her live her life. I've lost everyone that ever meant anything to me... except for you. I don't want to lose you, too." He looked back at Chloe. "I don't care where we go, as long as we go together."
Chloe smiled, her first real smile in a long time, and nodded. "Okay. Just don't expect me to become one of those soccer moms."
"I wouldn't dream of it."