The promise he should have kept
A/N: This is my first ever 24 fan fiction. It is set in season one when Jack thinks Kim is dead.
Disclaimer: I do not own 24, or Dr. Seuss's books.
This was the greatest pain he had ever felt. His knees began shaking, shaking so bad that he couldn't stand, and he slowly sunk down to the ground, heart heavy as lead. "Oh Kim….." He whispered in agony. He had broken many of the promises he had made to her in the past, and now he had broken the only one of any real importance. Because he had broken that promise, Kim Bauer, little "Kimmie" (as he called her when she was young), his beautiful daughter was dead. She was dead, and it was all his fault. As a father, he realized with bitterness, he was a failure. Blinking away tears he remembered the fateful night he made the one promise he should have kept.
Her scream had awoken him, and made his blood run ice cold. He had been having such a pleasant dream too. He and Terri were at a seaside hotel, standing on the balcony in each other's arms, watching the sun set, as Kim sat nearby, playing with her toys. Terri turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you so much." She leaned in to kiss him again, when a high pitched screech of hit his ears.
He was up in a flash, rushing towards Kim's bedroom, dreading he would find his five year old daughter's bloodied and mangled body. To Jack's immense relief all he found was a shaking sobbing Kim, the scream obviously caused from nothing more than a nightmare.
"Oh, Kim," He whispered sitting on the edge of her bed, and wrapping his arms around her. "What's wrong sweetheart?"
"Daddy, Daddy it was terrible! There was a bad man, with a gun, and, and he had Mommy and me, and he, and he…." Her little voice trailed off and she burst into sobs, clinging tightly to her father.
"SSH, Kimmie, it's okay, it's okay honey. It was only a dream. I'm here now." He whispered soothingly, rocking her back and forth, stroking her mop of curly blonde hair.
Moments passed, and Kim began to drift off to sleep in her father's embrace. When Jack noticed this, he gently woke her. "Okay Kim," he whispered softly. "You should get back to bed now." He tucked her back under the soft purple covers, and picked her missing transitional object, a small brown teddy bear named Mr. Snuffles, off the floor, tucking it under his daughters arm with a fatherly smile.
"Daddy?" Kim whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Can you read me 'One fish two fish'?"
"Sure sweetie." Jack said with a grin, but sighed inwardly, did the little munchkin ever sleep? He reached over to the bed side table, and retrieved her favourite book.
"My teeth are gold, my feet are cold, I have a fish I like to hold." He looked over at Kim, and beamed. She had fallen into a peaceful sleep, a bright smile on her face. He kissed her forehead and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes.
"I love you Kim, and I promise I will never let anyone hurt you." He stroked her hair, then got up and went to the door. He watched her sleep for a moment, then clicked off the light, and headed back to his room.
He remembered that night now, as if it had just happened. He could hear his own voice ringing in his ears, promising to protect her. He sighed heavily, and buried his face in his arms. All the times he let her down, all the missed birthdays, games, and graduations flashed through his mind.
""I'm sorry Kim, I'm so sorry." He had let her down again, and this time, it had cost him her life.
A/N: Wow, this thing took me months to type out (I write all my rough drafts in notebooks)! This was my first fic for this incredibly addictive show, so please go easy.