He saw her standing right in front of him, and it was like Heaven brought to Earth.
He saw her, and he immediately felt safe. He immediately felt protected because his guardian angel was there, standing right in front of him, all tensed up and scowling like it was characteristically of hers, but she was there for him, like she had always been.
He held her in his arms for what seemed like an eternity, although an eternity didn't seem to be enough for him to soak her sweet essence. It wasn't enough for him to enjoy the smoothness, the softness of her skin as he rubbed the sides of her arms up and down with his rough, calloused hands, as if he were trying to make sure that she was real and not just another of his beautiful recurrent dreams.
He didn't want to let go of her, but he eventually did… partially; he still had his arms firmly wrapped around her small waist, as in a desperate and not so unconscious attempt to keep her there in his embrace forever.
"I thought I'd never see you again" she whispered as she framed his face with her warm hands and stroked his cold cheek with her thumb; her touch was so gentle, so placid, so mild, it caused him to close his blue eyes for a brief second as a physical reaction to all the good he was suddenly feeling. He sighed and allowed himself to enjoy that moment of peace and quietness.
That was, for Jack Bauer, the most peaceful and quietest moment in a very long time.
"So did I" he confessed breathless in a barely audible whisper "And the consideration of it killed me" he said those words before his brain had the time to properly process what was about to leave his lips.
They remained there, in silence, without breaking their embrace, just looking into one another's eyes as if they wanted to drown in there, as if they wanted to sink in those pools of blue.
For the first time in a long time, he felt he was home. He was there with the person he trusted the most, the one person he would have trusted his life to. The one person he more than once had trusted his life to. The one person who never disappoint him, not a in a million years; the person who would never betray him, abandon him or let him down.
Chloe O'Brian was Jack Bauer's Heaven brought to Earth.
To Jack Bauer, Chloe O'Brian was home.