Bottled Up
As Chloe shut down her system, an icon popped up in the lower left hand corner of the computer screen. Scowling in annoyance, she clicked on the tab and expanded the window. It was a round robin from Milo, using the CTU system for personal use once again.
"Party at mine at 8.30. Don't be late."
Yeah, right, Chloe thought, closing the screen and logging off. She picked up her bag and tucked her chair under the desk, looking up to see Bill Buchanan walking down the stairs from his office.
"A party sounds good, Milo, count me in."
The look on Milo's face was absolutely priceless. Chloe couldn't help but smile as Milo floundered for an excuse.
"It's fine, really, Milo. I'll see you later on."
Bill continued on his way, strolling casually past Milo who was for once at a loss for words.
"Don't tell me you weren't going to invite Bill," someone muttered, laughing.
"I can't believe…" Milo shook his head in annoyance. "Great, now what?"
"Well, if you'd encrypted it properly and sent it to the right user group then perhaps Mr Buchanan wouldn't have found out." Chloe's tone was authoritative; she knew she was right.
Milo glared at her. "Yeah, alright. Don't rub it in." He almost let her walk by but suddenly added, "So I'll see you later, right, Chloe?"
She froze, midway to the door. "I don't think so, Milo. I'll have to see what I'm doing."
"Please. We all know you've got nothing planned. I'll see you later. If you don't turn up I'll send a tac team out to look for you."
His words stung. She felt eyes on her back as she turned resolutely and left CTU without answering him.
….
"See you later, Jack?"
Milo was pushing his luck with inviting Jack, something he was well aware of.
"What's later?" inquired Jack, anxious to leave the building and get home. Well, maybe not so anxious to get home, as all he was going back to was an empty rented apartment.
"Oh, right." Milo realised Jack had been out in the field most of the day, had probably not looked a computer screen in the last twelve hours. He thought perhaps he could wriggle his way out of it, make something up. "It's uh-"
"It's a party," Nadia piped up. "At Milo's."
Milo cringed as Jack considered his reply.
"You know what, I think I'll pass, thanks though," he added gratefully, patting Milo on the shoulder.
Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Milo heard Nadia call out, "Chloe's going to be there, Jack."
Milo swung round to face her. "Thanks a lot," he mouthed.
"What?" she mouthed back, her face a picture of innocence although he knew full well what she was playing at.
"Oh, really? That's nice. Maybe I'll see you later," Jack conceded, a smile flitting across his lips at the thought of getting to spend some time with Chloe outside of CTU. God knows their workload over the past few weeks had hardly allowed for alone time.
Milo and Nadia watched Jack leave the building, then he turned on her.
"Great. This is just great. I wanted a party, not an evening of watching Jack looking all broody eyed at Chloe while we're chaperoned by Buchanan."
Nadia placed a hand on his arm. "Relax. It's going to be good."
"It better be or I swear…"
She laughed. "Trust me, Milo. Woman's instinct."
He snorted at that. "I'll believe it when I see it," he muttered, returning to his station.
….
On the drive up to Milo's, Chloe toyed with the idea of feigning ignorance as to where he lived. Maybe it was her imagination, but there was little to no traffic on the normally busy main road as she turned her car into Milo's neighbourhood. Or perhaps spontaneous illness would be a more plausible excuse.
She sighed, knowing her excuses would sound futile. Milo had been right; she had nothing else on that night, she had nothing else to do, just like she had nothing else to do every other night of the week.
It was obvious to everyone that she had little of a social life. Rarely leaving CTU on time, Chloe could be found working away on comms or in tech one up to three hours after her shift had ended. She never meant to stay so late, it was just preferable sometimes to going home.
Chloe had been to Milo's house once before, back when they'd been… dating. Chloe cringed. If you could call it dating, that is. It had been more like a blip, back before the whole Spenser thing. One long blip after another. It had ended friendly enough; both had realised it wasn't going anywhere. That and the fact that Chloe's socially inept attitude was slowly but surely bridging a gap between them, just like it did with every man she met.
The driveway was jam packed with cars, and with a sinking heart Chloe recognised Jack's blue SUV parked precariously behind Bill's somewhat more refined BMW. Vehicles were spilling over onto the road and the next door neighbour's drive, something Chloe imagined they were none too happy about. Choosing a space on the grass verge opposite, Chloe checked her hair three times before grabbing her bag and climbing out of the car.
…
The music was deafening. Jack was reminded of frat parties back in college; looking around he mused that if he had been an intruder, he never would have guessed that this was a party for over worked, highly stressed government agents.
"Doorbell!" someone yelled.
"Answer it, would you?" Milo's voice came from the kitchen, and sounded like he'd perhaps had one too many.
Jack watched as no-one moved towards the door. He was stood awkwardly in the corner of the spacious lounge, his eyes smarting with cigarette smoke and his head spinning with the noise. He hadn't had a drink, he thought perhaps other than Bill he was the only one there who was sober.
The doorbell rang again, and this time Jack heard it. Shoving his way past a group of techies he barely recognised, Jack reached the door and pulled it open, grateful for the chance of fresh, well, fresher, air.
Chloe stood on the doorstep, looking poised to turn and leave. She was clutching her hand bag in front of her, an item that Jack couldn't help but think looked out of place. Out of her day to day work clothes, Chloe looked sensational. More so than usual, in Jack's view. He stood back and held the door open, taking in the kitten heels and short skirt.
"Have I missed much?"
"Hey to you too," he smiled, closing the door. He could sense that she felt awkward, uncomfortable.
She managed a small Chloe smile. "Hey."
The hallway was free of people but cramped never the less, and they found themselves face to face, their bodies inches apart.
"I didn't think you'd show," he said quietly, wanting to reach out and take her hand but knowing the moment to be entirely inappropriate.
"Well, I'm going to have words with Milo, that's for sure," Chloe muttered, annoyed with herself at how her heart was racing at his proximity. She avoided his eyes, smoothed down her skirt. "So, have I missed much?"
"No," Jack admitted, knowing the moment, if ever it had been there, was now gone.
As he led the way into the smoke clogged lounge, Chloe could have kicked herself. She had habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, a fact she had been made well aware of on more than one occasion.
She could barely hear herself think as they pushed their way through towards the kitchen, and she found herself walking quickly to keep up with Jack.
"Chloe!"
The sound of someone calling her name over the music caused Chloe to falter and turn round, straining to see across the room.
"Chloe, it's me!"
Nadia appeared at her side, smiling, a drink in her hand. "I didn't think you were coming."
"What? Yeah," she muttered in reply. "I changed my mind." Jack was long gone, lost somewhere in the sea of people, half of whom Chloe had never seen before.
"Milo's somewhere around," Nadia shouted, "you should go say hi, let him know you're here."
Chloe watched as Nadia moved away from her, waving as she walked towards another group of people. She looked around hopelessly for Jack, before sighing in frustration and continuing in the direction she had originally been headed.
…
Jack reached his hand out behind him for her to take, wanting to reassure her. He'd seen the fear in her eyes, seen how out of place she had felt.
When his hand touched air, Jack felt disappointment course through him. He was moving too quickly for her, he should have known better than to assume that she would simply take his hand in the middle of a crowded room, filled with the people they both had to work with every day.
Finding a break in the crowd, Jack entered what looked like the dining room and came to a stop, leaning against the wall in relief from the claustrophobia. It was only then that he realised she was no longer behind him.
"Looking for someone, Jack?"
Jack looked up. "Bill," he smiled tiredly, "have you seen Chloe?"
Bill returned the smile, a knowing look in his eyes. "No, Jack, I haven't. Is she here? I didn't think she was coming."
"Yeah, she's here."
Bill stood next to Jack, looking back at the lounge where people were starting to dance. "I don't know what I was thinking, agreeing to this."
"You and me both," sighed Jack, wincing as the music was raised another notch.
"She'll find you," Bill said suddenly.
"Sorry?"
He placed a hand on Jack's arm. "She'll find you, Jack."
An understanding passed between the two men, and Jack nodded sadly. "I hope so," he whispered, as Bill walked away. He almost collided with Chloe, who rounded the corner in a blur of red.
"Good to see you, Chloe," he greeted her, glancing quickly back towards Jack. His face lit up, and he had eyes only for Chloe, who was scowling at him furiously.
"Where were you?" She was flushed with the effort of elbowing her way through the crowd. She pushed her hair out of her eyes angrily; acutely aware of how stupid she must have looked. "Quit staring," she added, her eyes flashing.
"I was… never mind," he replied, trying not to smile. Perhaps without knowing it she had just admitted to him the one thing he had known all along, and he couldn't help but feel a relief of sorts wash over him. He held out his hand again. "I'm here now."
This time she took it, hesitantly slipping her small hand into his and holding on tight as they made their way in the direction of Milo's voice which had suddenly erupted from the kitchen.
The kitchen was filled with people, either milling around the open French windows at the far end or congregating at the mini bar which Chloe could not remember Milo having had the last time she had visited.
"Chloe! Glad you could make it!" Milo grabbed a bottle of a lethal looking pink coloured substance and shoved it in Chloe's face. "Have a drink."
"Haven't you just got water or something? I'm driving."
Under the circumstances, Chloe felt that a soda probably wasn't a good idea; she was wired enough as it was without adding sugar and caffeine to the mix.
"Water? Come on, Clo, this is a party. Have a drink!" He waved the bottle at her again, with such force that some of the contents sloshed out of the top and onto the floor. "You can always crash here tonight," Milo added, swaying as he took in the mess now seeping into the once cream carpet. "I knew carpet in the kitchen was a bad idea," he mused.
Chloe detached herself from Jack and reached out, removing the bottle from Milo's hand and placing it down firmly on the kitchen counter before he could do any more damage.
"I do not want to 'crash' here tonight," she told him, her eyes flicking between Milo and the floor in disgust. "I have a perfectly good apartment to go to, so if you don't mind…" She pushed past him and towards the sink. Eyeing the worktop suspiciously, Chloe found what she hoped was a clean glass and filled it with cold water.
Jack watched her from the doorway. He couldn't help it; a smile spread across his lips at the sight of Chloe determinedly drinking her water and refilling her glass.
"What?" she demanded, setting the glass back down once she had finished.
Milo looked from Chloe to Jack and back again, his brain not so addled by alcohol that he couldn't see the sparks flying between them.
"I think it's time for a little game," he declared, draining his bottle and reaching for another. As he left the kitchen, he winked at Jack, who stared after him in confusion.
"This is just getting better and better," muttered Chloe, wishing with all her heart that they could be somewhere else other than Milo's kitchen, just the two of them alone.
Jack had to admit that he wasn't exactly thrilled by whatever Milo had in mind. He'd worked with him in the past, and if he wasn't mistaken Milo still had the same… quirky… sense of humour.
Bill entered the kitchen just then, car keys in hand. "I think I might be off," he said, staring back out towards Milo who was deep in conversation with Nadia. "I will not let myself be responsible for whatever Milo has planned."
Jack couldn't help but feel disappointed at Bill's decision. "Well, if you're sure," he said. "But I could do with some back up here in case things get out of hand."
Bill laughed. "Are you telling me that you wouldn't be able to handle Milo? A drunken Milo, might I add?"
"He has a point," Chloe interjected, causing Jack to turn and mock glare at her.
Shouting started up in the lounge. The music was turned off, giving Milo centre stage.
"On second thoughts," muttered Bill, pocketing his keys.
It was clear from the noise that the entertainment, whatever it was, was about to start.
"Jack, Chloe, care to join us?"
Milo's voice was so loud that everyone turned to stare in at the spectators in the kitchen.
Before either could respond, Nadia appeared in front of them, grabbed their hands and led them back into the lounge, leaving Bill staring after them, shaking his head. Closer inspection told him a game of truth or dare had broken out among the younger members of CTU. Bill chose not to get involved, preferring instead to supervise from a distance in the safety of the kitchen.
Jack and Chloe found themselves seated apart from each other, almost at opposite ends of the room. While not wanting to be separated, neither of them voiced any opposition, instead sitting down silently on the carpeted floor.
Chloe wished she had worn something more appropriate. If she had known that she would be spending the evening on the floor of Milo's lounge… Chloe quickly pushed that thought out of her head. It didn't bear thinking about. She cast her eyes across the circle toward Jack, who looked as uncomfortable as she felt.
"Right, then!"
Milo appeared as if from nowhere in the middle of the circle, an empty bottle in his hand. Placing it haphazardly on the floor, he turned and addressed the group.
"I think we all know how to play," he told them, his eyes roving over the assortment of gathered agents. "I'll start by spinning the bottle, and if it lands on you, you get a choice of telling us a truth, or carrying out a dare. Which I will pick," he added unnecessarily.
"I think someone has aspirations to be the next CTU Director," laughed Nadia, holding out a hand to Milo.
"Bill, you better watch out, Milo's after your job!" yelled Craig, a burly field agent who had transferred from San Francisco two months previously.
Buchanan's voice drifted out from the kitchen as Milo unsteadily sat down next to Nadia.
"All he's going to get is a night in a holding room for drunken misconduct."
His tone was light, and everyone laughed at the seemingly out of character remark.
"Hey, come on!" Milo shouted indignantly, missing Bill's humour. "Let's start. I'll start."
The bottle spun awkwardly, hindered by the thick pile carpet. Yet there was no mistaking who it landed on.
Chloe's heart started thumping as all eyes in the room fixed on her.
Milo looked like he was in his element, grinning inanely as he asked, "Truth or dare, Chloe?"
She closed her eyes, counted to ten. Deciding she may as well get it over with, she replied, "Dare."
She sounded bored by the whole situation, but Jack had seen her hesitate, seen her mentally reasoning with herself. He didn't take his eyes off her while Milo conferred with Nadia, but she didn't once look in his direction.
"Okay, okay, I have it!" Milo held up his hand to silence the chatter that had started. "Chloe, I dare you to kiss Sam."
Chloe froze. Jack's head shot up in horror as he tried to work out who Sam was among the gaggle of geeky techs seated just a few feet away from him. He'd figured it would be a techie; none of the field agents were called Sam, or at least none he could remember.
He soon knew that he was right. A tall, blonde guy stood up, and it was clear from the look on his face that he had more than a passing interest in Chloe. The guy was practically salivating as he watched Chloe get nervously to her feet. Jack wanted to strangle him.
"Well, go on then!" someone shouted, and soon chants of 'encouragement' were echoing throughout the lounge. Jack found he couldn't look away, although his heart was screaming at him to avert his eyes. Chloe hadn't moved beyond standing up, and Jack could see she was steeling herself for what was to come. He almost shouted at her not to do it, but that wouldn't be fair. Why shouldn't she? It wasn't like he himself had expressed his feelings for her, told her how he really felt.
Sam was across the circle in a matter of seconds, his arms going quickly to Chloe's waist. She flinched at his touch and tried to pull back, but he was holding her too tight. Realising that resistance would be futile, she stopped struggling, anxious not to make a scene.
While others around him hooted and shrieked, Jack held back, quietly seething with anger. He didn't like how this guy was allowing his hands free reign across Chloe's body, didn't like how his lips were straying to her cheek, then the pulse point at her throat. It took more will power than he knew he had to stop himself from launching across the room and taking Sam in a headlock.
Chloe was having none of it, however. She angrily swatted his hands away, before turning and heading back to her space on the floor. A scowl on her face, she kept her eyes straight ahead, not daring to look at anyone, let alone Jack.
The wolf whistling continued for a good few minutes, with Milo making no attempt to ask for silence. Chloe bit back tears, feeling totally ashamed. She sat back, away from everyone else, a clear sign that she didn't want to talk to anyone.
"Chloe, come on, it's your go!"
She didn't move.
"Chloe!"
"Leave it, Milo." She looked up at the sound of Jack's voice, laced with irritation. He wasn't looking at her, which made Chloe feel even worse. "Does it matter whose go it is? Someone else can do it." Chloe realised he wasn't including himself in this.
"Fine. Okay, Sam, spin the bottle." Milo eyes once again darted between Jack and Chloe. The tension in the air was palpable, and the last thing he wanted to do was provoke Jack to do something stupid.
The game continued, the atmosphere gradually clearing. Jack found himself wondering why he was even there. The people either side of him had gradually edged away to form their own groups, but he didn't care about that. What bothered him the most was the fact that Chloe wasn't looking at him, hadn't looked at him since they had been dragged from the kitchen.
"Oh, no."
Jack realised then that everyone was staring at him. Milo looked terrified, and reached out a hand towards the middle of the circle. Jack's eyes were on him though, and he pulled back as though burnt.
"It's okay, Jack, I'll spin it again," he stuttered, keeping his hands by his sides.
Jack glared at him. "Leave it where it is."
Chloe watched intently as Milo grudgingly accepted Jack's decision. Evidently deciding in his confused mind that Jack was no longer angry with him, he asked boldly, "Truth or dare?"
"I don't care."
"Okay. A dare then."
Milo had obviously missed the warning note in Jack's voice, something Chloe had picked up on straight away.
Before he could come up with a suitable challenge, Craig's voice rose once again from Chloe's left.
"I dare you to kiss Chloe!"
His voice carried to the kitchen, and Bill almost fell off his seat in his haste to get to the door.
"Even I wouldn't have said that," muttered Milo, watching Jack warily. "Whatever happens now is not my fault."
Chloe blocked his voice out, focused solely on Jack, who was looking completely lost. She tried to read his eyes. The anger had faded from them, leaving something else, something Chloe had never seen before.
"No," Jack replied quietly. "I can't do it." His eyes never left hers as he spoke, and it was as though they were the only two people in the room. "I won't do it."
"Oh, come on!"
Milo shot a warning look in Craig's direction. He'd been on the receiving end of Jack's wrath enough times to know that when the field agent lost his already short temper, it wasn't going to be pretty.
"I said no." This time his answer was more pronounced, the edge returning to his voice.
Chloe felt a lump form in her throat. The game broke up soon after that, with people keen not to aggravate Jack further. Seeing her chance, Chloe stood up and walked quickly from the room. She marched straight past Bill without a word, and through the French windows into the garden.
Bill watched her pass, then walked into the lounge and over to Jack, who was on his feet and glancing wildly around the room.
Someone switched the music back on, and he almost had to shout to make himself heard.
"I'm off now Jack," he told him, removing his keys once more from his pocket. "I think we can safely say I am no longer needed." He raised his voice when he got no response. "I wasn't joking about having Milo put in holding. Just tell me and it's done." His face was serious, and Jack managed a small smile.
"She went that way," he added gently, nodding in the direction of the kitchen. Bill again placed a hand briefly on Jack's arm, before walking away to say his goodbyes to Milo.
Before Jack could move, he was distracted by a conversation that had struck up between Craig and Sam. Fists clenched, it wasn't until he heard Chloe's name that Jack lost it. He was across the room in a matter of seconds. The look on his face clearly said it all, but apparently this wasn't enough for Sam, who had his back to him. Craig had fallen silent, his eyes avoiding Jack's.
Realising that Craig was no longer listening, Sam turned round.
"You were saying?" Jack's voice was like venom, and he saw Sam flinch.
"Nothing."
He shot a final warning look at the two men, moving away before he lost control completely. He knew Chloe wouldn't want a scene.
Anxious now to get to her, Jack headed in the direction Bill had pointed. The kitchen was deserted, and Jack picked his way quickly through the empty bottles strewn across the floor. As he passed the sink, he caught sight of the glass Chloe had been drinking from earlier in the evening. Grabbing it, Jack filled it with water and continued out into the cool night air.
She was stood at the far end of the garden, staring up at the sky. Without knowing it, she had started shivering but made no move back towards the house.
Jack approached her slowly, wishing he had thought to bring his jacket out with him.
Wordlessly, he stopped in front of her. Chloe took her eyes away from the stars and looked at him. He could see tear tracks running down her cheeks, but she was too stubborn to wipe them away.
"Here, I brought this." Jack held the glass out, and Chloe took it, her hands shaking violently. Despite the coldness of the water, she took several sips, willing herself to calm down.
There didn't seem to be any words to convey what needed to be said.
"You can't stay out here, it's too cold," Jack said finally.
"I'm not going back in there."
"Chloe-"
"No, Jack. I can't. I'm just waiting out here till they've all gone, then I'm going to go."
"You could be waiting a long time," he commented, as music pounded out through the French windows.
She scowled at him through her tears. "Are you laughing at me?"
Her words shocked him. "I would never laugh at you. Chloe…" Jack reached out a hand and placed it on her arm, unable to bear being so near to her yet not touching her.
His touch was soothing, warm on her bare skin. Looking into his eyes, Chloe saw the powerful emotion she had seen earlier, only now it was more pronounced, transforming his eyes into two blue pools of sadness.
Love.
Jack stepped closer, took the glass out of her hand and set it down on the grass.
"I didn't want it to be as a dare," he told her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and letting his hand linger on her cheek.
Chloe could barely breathe. She couldn't remember who kissed who, only that his lips were on hers and she was feeling a rush of emotions that she had kept bottled up inside for too long, spilling out of her and into him with such force that he pulled her to him tightly, his hands running through her hair. She gasped as he brushed his lips against her cheek, before moving to her throat, reclaiming them as his own. Hot tears were landing on her face, mingling with her own, but he didn't stop. It was only when she cried out did he pull away, concerned.
"Chloe? What's wrong?" He released his grip slightly, tilting her chin up so that she was facing him.
She bit her lip. "That was real, wasn't it?"
"It was the truth," he replied, his thumb grazing her cheek in a slow, circular motion. He realised she had stopped shaking, her body relaxing against his, seeking the comfort they both needed.
It was what she needed to hear. "I keep thinking this is all a dream, and I'm going to wake up, and you'll be gone…"
"I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her forehead tenderly in reassurance. "Trust me."