"Jingle Bells, Audrey smells, hiccup Jack hiccup laid an egg… CTU hiccup has lost….hiccup….something….and…..hiccup."
"Chloe?" Curtis asks as he enters Jack's office at CTU.
"Hey, Curtis," she calls, "I'm drunk."
"I can see that. Why are you drunk?"
"Well, it's Christmas and I'm alone and pathetic and Jack's marrying Audrey. I mean I know he doesn't love me. I know that Curtis. I'm not crazy. I'm me and Jack's Jack and men like Jack don't fall for me. But why Audrey? She's whiny and irritating and she hates me. She said I was pathetic and in love with Jack and pathetic. And she's right. The fucking bitch it right."
Tirade finished she collapses onto the desk in sobs.
"Okay," Curtis says, "We're going home."
"No, I hate my home. It's not even a home. It's a studio fucking crap apartment by myself with no one to spend Christmas with."
"Well then we'll go to my home and I'll sober you up and we'll have dinner. Does that sound better?"
Chloe nods a little, "Am I pathetic Curtis?"
He smiles at her, "Not at all. I'd pick you over Audrey any day of the week."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
He picks her up in his arms and heads for the door where he runs right into Jack.
"Curtis, what's going on? What's wrong with Chloe?" there is clear worry in his tone.
"Nothing Jack, she's just not feeling great so I'm going to take her home."
"Curtis, why are we stopping?" Chloe asks from where she has rested her head against his chest, "You're supposed to be taking me home with you?"
Curtis chuckles nervously under Jack's glare, "That's not what it sounds like."
"It sounds like Chloe's drunk and you're taking advantage."
"JACK!!! When did you get here? You're supposed to be having Christmas with your fiancée," Chloe turns back to Curtis and whispers loudly, "Don't tell him what I said about her. He'll be upset."
"What the hell is going on?" Jack asks more irritated this time.
"Well apparently Chloe was feeling a little upset, you know Christmas alone and all. I'm just going to take her home and let her sober up."
"I'll take her."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I don't really care, Curtis. I said I'll take care of her."
"Well I do care. She's upset and she's saying things she would never normally say and I'm not going to let her be embarrassed. Now, go home to your fiancée and leave it alone."
Jack stops and takes a breath, "I don't have a fiancée. Just….just let me take care of Chloe."
Curtis sighs and hands the now sleeping Chloe over, "Whatever she says tonight, if you're not going to do something about it then you better forget all about it."
Jack nods and whispers to Chloe as he carries her out of CTU.
&&&&&&
When she wakes up Jack is smiling down at her, wastebasket in one hand, cold compress in the other.
She grabs the basket and feels his hand hold back her hair as she pukes.
"Oh no! No! No! No more alcohol I promise!"
"I'll get rid of it all," he promises as he rubs her back soothingly, "You want to take a shower?"
She nods and he helps her to the bathroom. When she comes back out in the t-shirt and jogging pants he left for her she realizes what day it is, "Where's Audrey?"
"She left."
"On Christmas. Where did she go? Her Dad's?"
"Maybe, I don't really know," he turns towards her, "I broke off the engagement."
"You…..I don't understand."
"I should never have agreed to marry her. I never even really asked her, it just kind of happened. And as it got to be more and more of a reality I realized I didn't want it at all. And that's really all your fault."
"My…..what the hell did I do?" she demands.
"Well for starters you made me fall in love with you."
"I did not make you….what?"
He kisses her softly, then deepens it, "I love you Chloe. And you love me back. So Merry Christmas to us," he says as he kisses her again.