Author's Note - This story takes place on Day Two. Again, Alex Myers and CTU Chicago are my own characters, and most of the rest belong to Fox. You don't have to read the stories for Day One and the aftermath before reading this, but if you do, the Day One story is called "A Day In the Life Of Alex Myers" and the story dealing with the aftermath of Day One is called "The Wreckage Of Your Silent Reverie". In this story, I'm going to change the story more than I did with the one for Day One, because Alex needs something to do.

Los Angeles, 8:00am

Walking into CTU, Alex Myers was deep in thought. These thoughts were of a rather mundane nature, such as what he was going to do that night, it being a Saturday and Sunday a day off, and this pensive state would have lasted until he had reached his workstation if it he hadn't accidentally collided with a CTU employee. As he was bout to apologise, he didn't recognise the short woman he had bumped into.

"Hey, I'm sorry, that was my fault", he said to her. She shook her head and tried hard not to blush.

"That's OK, I'm just a little busy. I'm Paula, Paula Schaeffer", she replied, holding out her hand. Shaking it, Alex smiled at her.

"Hi Paula, I'm Alex Myers. You new around here?", he queried.

"Yeah, just started today. I don't want to sound too dorky, but it's been kind of an ambition of mine to work here", she stated, hoping that her attempts to deny all dorkiness had succeeded.

"You'll like it around here, Paula. Good luck", Alex replied, as they started to move back onto their respective paths. Alex watched as she walked quickly towards Tony Almeida and George Mason.

A few minutes later, Paula had left Tony and George, and was replaced by Michelle Dessler, who looked anxious. Handing Mason a piece of paper, they talked in hushed tones, as if the information was top secret, and as George went back to his office, Tony immediately sought answers from Michelle.

"They want Jack Bauer", she told him, his face failing to hide the shock.

"What? What do they want with Jack?", he asked. Jack had been inactive since the murder of his wife by Nina Myers just 18 months ago, and Tony wasn't sure if Jack was ready to come back to work or not, but deep down he knew that if NSA were asking specifically for Bauer, then it had to be something that he was an expert in. Wondering whether Jack's undying loyalty to his country would be able to overcome his grief at losing his wife, Tony shook his head, and felt that he had no choice.

Standing in the unrelenting Los Angeles sunshine, Jack Bauer looked nothing like the man he was a year and a half ago. His hair was unkempt and he was now sporting a scruffy blond beard, and it was obvious that he didn't really consider personal hygiene a priority. Climbing into his silver SUV, he looked at himself in the mirror and sighed.

"Alex, we've received some information and it looks like we're going to need to bring Jack Bauer in", Tony stated, getting straight top the point. He recognised the look of shock on Alex's face that he himself had worn just minutes before.

"Need to bring Jack in? Is he even fit to work?", Alex enquired. He had last seen Jack a month ago, and from what he had seen, unless Jack had improved dramatically in a matter of weeks, he was in no state to come back to work.

"We got some intel from NSA, and they asked for him. Specifically", Tony replied. Like Alex, he had his reservations about bringing Jack Bauer back so soon, but both of them were secretly glad that Jack would be given this little push, and hoped that it would help him get back to his old self.

Jack was sat in his car, outside the home of Gary and Carla Matheson. His daughter, Kim, was their daughter's au pair, and he smiled as he watched Kim play with Megan in the front garden, as it reminded him of old memories of Teri playing with Kim. The blissful silence was broken by his cell.

"Bauer", he stated flatly. Even though he hadn't been a CTU agent for months, old habits died hard for people like Jack.

"Hello Mr Bauer, I'm from George Mason's office at CTU. They've requested your help, sir", the young woman's voice at the other end of the phone spoke in a soft tone.

"I don't work for CTU anymore, George knows that", Jack replied, slightly pissed at hearing from CTU. They had ruined his life, and his daughter's life, and now they wanted his help? Before the woman had a chance to answer, he told her that he was busy and hung up.

Kim noticed him as he walked up to the house, and she couldn't help but feel both happy and angry at seeing her father again. Asking Megan to play in the back garden, she looked at her father and smiled slightly.

"Dad, what are you doing here?", she queried. She really didn't want to speak to him, and part of her hoped that he felt the same way, at least for the time being.

"I just came by to say hello. I miss you, Kim", Jack replied, his eyes filled with pain as he looked at his daughter, the most precious person in the world to him.

"I miss you too, Dad, but every time I see you... I think of mom", Kim said, trying hard not to cry. She missed her mother terribly and the events of their final day together had badly affected her. She knew that her mother would never come back and she knew that she shouldn't blame her father for what happened, but it was the easier way to do things for her.

Thoughts of Teri had been stuck in Alex's mind for quite some time now, and he remembered the events of that terrible night. He felt so guilty for what had happened to Teri. Not only had they failed to look after her and keep her safe, it had been his own sister who had murdered her. He glanced over at the corridor down which Teri went to her untimely and unjust death, and wished that so many of the events of that day had just never happened.

Tony sighed as he put the phone down. He knew that Jack would be at home, but he also knew that Jack would not just forget about everything and come rushing back to CTU to help them.

Jack was lying on the sofa, his arms curled around a picture of his wife and daughter. His eyes were filled with tears and he felt so lonely without Teri, without Kim. As the phone rang again, he groaned to himself and expected yet another call from CTU. However, when he heard the word President, he was shook out of his depression and reluctantly picked up the phone.

Alex listened as Mason informed CTU of a major threat to Los Angeles, a nuclear threat. This was something much bigger than he had ever faced during his career as a CTU agent, and by looking around the office, he could see that everyone else pretty much felt the same way. He wondered if this was why they had wanted Jack so badly. Minutes later, it was as if a ghost had just walked into CTU. The ghost of Jack Bauer.

"Hey, Jack, good to see you", Tony greeted Jack, trying his best to sound friendly and encouraging to his friend and former colleague.

"Where's George?", Jack enquired, as he looked around the office, old memories flooding back. Memories of previous threats, of Jamey, of Nina, of Walsh. Memories of that damned day, and memories of the aftermath.

"He's in the conference room", Tony replied, as Jack moved towards the room.

As Jack entered the conference room, George couldn't help but smile a little and turned to the group of agents inside the room.

"Jack. Everyone, Jack Bauer", he introduced Jack to the room, relieved that he had the chance to do so. he knew that Jack would be a massive asset to CTU during the threat, and hoped that Jack could focus on the task at hand.

"What am I doing here, George?", Jack asked, making his displeasure known.

"There's a rogue nuclear weapon here in Los Angeles Jack. Intel says it's going off today", George explained.

"How good is the intel?", Jack enquired.

"Very good. NSA did the groundwork. They have high leads on regional cells that could be connected to today's attack", George stated and, almost as soon as he had finished talking, Jack turned and left the room quickly, with George following close behind. As Jack dialled a number on his cell phone, George called after him.

"Where ya going Jack? Jack!". Deciding to ignore George, Jack listened for Kim to respond.

"Hello?", Kim spoke, not knowing who was calling her.

"Honey, listen to me", Jack urged her.

"Dad, I told you, I'm not ready", Kim sighed as she replied to her father.

"Kim this is not about us......They called me back to CTU and gave me some information. Kim you have to leave Los Angeles now", Jack spoke, his voice beginning to show signs of fear and panic.

"Dad no, if you're going back to work fine but I don't want to hear it", Kim told him, almost ready to just hang up.

"Kim I'm not going back to work", was Jack's last sentence before Kim hung up. He tried to call her back, but got only her voice mail. As he walked towards the entrance quickly, Tony tried to stop him, but Jack was beginning to get angry. He was panicked and just wanted to make sure his daughter was safe, and couldn't care less what CTU thought or what CTU wanted from him.

"Listen Jack, the reason you were called in is because it's a background match. You're the only one who can run with this", Tony explained as he tried to keep up with Jack.

"I don't care. Look I trusted everyone at CTU to protect my wife and I lost her", Jack replied as he neared the door.

"I know Jack. I was there", Tony said. He was full of sympathy for Jack, but he knew just how much they needed Jack's help.

"I can't lose my daughter Tony. I'm sorry", Jack said sincerely as he left the building.

As he got back into his car, ready to go to the Matheson's house and pick up Kim, he noticed a young woman and her son walking by. Realising just how much was at stake, and just how many lives could be lost due to the nuke, he climbed back out of his car and slammed the door shut. Walking back into CTU, he spoke loudly and clearly, with determination clear in his voice.

"Here's the deal, I want Knoll or Grothy to pick up my daughter and take her a safe distance away", Jack stated, and Mason was more than happy to agree to this.

"Tell me about the regional cells", Jack asked, ready to get started. A part of him was glad to have the opportunity, whilst another part was asking himself if he was really up to the job.

"The most promising one is headed by Joseph Wald", Michelle told him, and Jack's attention was caught instantly by the mention of Wald.

"Yeah Wald's been linked to a terror group named Second Wave. You did time with him didn't you?", George explained.

Whilst Jack and George waited for the arrival of a witness by the name of Marshall Goren, Alex decided to talk to Jack.

"Hello Jack, it's good to see you again", he said.

"Good to see you again as well, Alex. Shame about the circumstances", Jack replied.

"You're making the right choice you know, Jack? Helping us with the threat", Alex told him.

"I hope so", was Jack's response.

Minutes later, and Jack, George and Goren were alone in the conference room. Jack was disgusted by the creature that was called Marshall, and tried hard to control himself as he read from Goren's rap sheet.

"Yeah, hey look I already made my deal. I testify against Wald and I walk", Goren smirked, knowing that he was getting a get out of jail free card. However, Jack was not willing to let him play it. He whipped out his gun and fired one shot straight into Goren's heart, killing him instantly, much to Mason's horror.

"OH GOD........JACK ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!", Mason yelled, and he was beginning to wonder if Jack was fit enough to be anywhere near CTU.

"YOU WANNA FIND THIS BOMB, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE!", Jack shouted back, his voice full of determination.

"Killing a witness?", George asked, wondering if Jack had indeed lost his mind.

"That's the thing about people like you George, you don't want to get your hands dirty. I'd start rolling up your sleeves....I'm gonna need a hacksaw."

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