Climbing Uphill by Maria Overlook
Category: 24
Genre(s): Romance
Rating: M for sexual scenes in later chapters and pretty strong language
Extended Summary: After Jack and I broke up, it didn't take me very long to get back on my feet and move on with my life. Of course, Jack wasn't about to accept that, so I had to give him a piece of my mind. Let's just say he couldn't accept that, either. ((Audrey's POV, MAJOR season 4 spoilers. Goes with Sara Chappelle's story by the same title.))
Authoress's Notes: The lovely Sara Chappelle started out with this same story, but told from Jack's POV. Then I had the idea to write the same story from Audrey's POV, and we titled them both 'Climbing Uphill.' I strongly, strongly suggest that you also read her story—in fact, there's not much point reading one and not the other. Still, you don't have to read them in any particular order, although it's likely that we'll be updating at the same time. So you won't get anything too much ahead of time. There's also a rather surprising couple that features quite centrally in this fic that you'll be introduced to in chapter 2. Whether you love it or hate it, it was all Sara's idea.
Strike that, fix it: once I had the idea to do Audrey's half, I came up with almost all of Audrey's lines and had a say in the scenes. Still, this is more Sara's story than it is mine.
Anyway, I've done my usual rambling for quite long enough. So here's chapter one of Climbing Uphill.
I had been thinking about breaking up with Jack Bauer for a while now. Ever since the day I saw him torture Paul, I haven't been able to think of anything but the murderous, cold glare in Jack's eyes as he cruelly thrust the end of a ripped electric cord into Paul's chest. I began to see Jack as a man who would do anything for his job and not care who it harmed. And then it hit me:
I didn't love him the way I used to.
I had considered breaking up with him, but I'd been afraid to go through with it until yesterday. I didn't want to leave Jack. My life was shit before I married Paul, and now that I was dating Jack things had gotten so much better. I believed that everything was going to be perfect. Until I looked in, of all places... his sock drawer.
There was a silver box, not tiny but small enough to fit in a pocket, hidden deep underneath all the piles of socks and other such garments. Inside, I found a coiled-up piece of rubber, a couple of syringes, and a few vials of something that I recognized from my college roommate's purse as heroin.
I couldn't believe it. Jack had never even told me that he was addicted to heroin, let alone that he kept it in our sock drawer. How could he have hidden something like this from me? I knew what it was like to have a dark past full of secrets. I knew what it was like to do something that you know you shouldn't, but do it anyway because you needed the escape. And Jack knew that I knew about escapes like that.
"So why exactly did you bring me here?"
I sighed. There was no good way to break it to him. Jack pulled me closer, and I looked over his shoulder at the old oak tree that stood solidly behind us. It reminded me of all the conversations and romantic moments we'd shared under its branches, but those had to end now. With another mournful sigh, I slipped out of his embrace and took a step back, gazing at him with a mixture of sorrow and fear.
"Audrey?" he inquired, and I felt my heart start to break. "Is something wrong?" I suddenly realized that this was probably the last time Jack's voice would ever be so gentle and loving to me.
"Everything's wrong," I replied softly, trying to stay composed so he wouldn't see how much I wanted to cry. "I can't... I can't do this, Jack." It was too late. The tears spilled over my lashes and poured down my cheeks, leaving trails of mascara behind them. "I just don't love you the way I used to. Please don't be angry, but... Jack, I love you, but I can't be with you..." I knew that I had just contradicted myself, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to throw myself into his arms and sob, but that was the one action that was out of the question. Instead, I turned away and crossed my arms over my chest, wiping silent tears from my face.
"Why not?" My already fragile heart nearly shattered. "Why couldn't you be with someone you love, and who loves you back? Unless that person did something to make you hate them in some corner of your heart? What happened to us, Audrey?"
"I..." I couldn't tell him about the heroin. He would kill me. "When you tortured him..." The words brought the same terror to my soul that had been there the day Jack 'extracted information' from Paul, and I revolved slowly on the spot to look at him once more. I saw the comprehension dawning in his soul, and knew that the fear in my eyes had betrayed me. I couldn't stay there anymore. "Goodbye, Jack, and good luck." Trying hard not to run, I made my way towards the other side of the park as quickly as I could. I didn't look back.
I stood in front of my closet just an hour later, my fingers just grasping the plain wooden handle. Was I really about to do this? Could I really go back to that, even if it was only for a short while? James had said that I could work for a few nights and not be under contract, since I was a 'treasured former employee,' and a few nights was really all I needed. I didn't even worry about what James would do to me. I just craved the exhilaration, the excitement of the crowd, the rush of joy!
This must have been what it was like for Jack... with the heroin. Still, I knew that what I was about to do wasn't going to destroy me the way drugs would. And if you looked at it broadly, it was just another form of dancing...
I resolutely opened the closet and pushed back the plain skirts and jackets that hung there, extracting a gold outfit that was still in near-perfect condition. I lightly brushed off the slightest bit of dust that still clung to the sequins and smiled as I heldit up against my body. Tonight, I would be able to have fun.
Yay... chapter one finished! I know that this was really, really incredibly short, but the others will be better. Actually, I should tell y'all now that this story will be much shorter than my usual ones. Still, I think... I hope you'll enjoy it all the same. It'll make for quicker updates. Sara Chappelle's chapter 1 should be up soon...
Hasta luego,
.Maria Overlook.