BOUND

In hindsight, it was probably wasn't the greatest idea to take ten days off consecutively, not to mention actually leave the country. With both their jobs, emergencies were highly likely, the fact that they would both be unreachable for over a week was a risk and they knew it, but a risk they were willing to take nonetheless.

The proposal had been spontaneous; she figured the wedding should be as well. It was New Year's Day, and after they awoke, they silently began to make love-something they had neglected to do the night before, instead choosing to simply pass out after the evening's festivities. Afterwards, lying side by side, he stared at her with such intensity that for a moment she feared what he was thinking. But when he opened his beautiful mouth, his words were anything but nerve-racking.

He told her that the past eight months of his life had been better than any year he'd ever lived. And that wanted to wake up every January 1st feeling the exact same way, then he asked her to marry him. She was surprised at the emotion that came over her in that moment, and smiling a watery smile she could only nod her answer.

It didn't take her long, only a few days, to decide she didn't want a wedding. What she really wanted was a marriage. Both of them had done the white wedding before, back when they were younger. Instead they decided to head up to Montreal and elope in an old cathedral. Then they would head down to Ottawa for Winterlude. He promised it would be romantic, fun, and unique; and it was.

The ten days were exactly what they both had needed. However, it was upon their return that things turned dark. When they got home both Bill and Karen had an additional two days off to rest before heading back to the grindstone. But three hours after returning home and Karen was itching to get back to the office.

"I'm just going to drop by and check in," she promised, picking up briefcase and swiping her keys off the hall table. "I swear I'll be back in two hours for dinner." As she kissed him and left the house, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

But forty five minutes later, he got the call.

"Bill," her voice was shaking. "You better get to CTU straight away."

When he burst into CTU not twenty five minutes later, his staff looked shocked to see him. Shocked and scared.

"I want updates from every department on my desk in five minutes," he barked before racing up to his office.

His fury worked and within three minutes he had reports from every team leader. The results: not good. While he had been away, CTU was successful in infiltrating a terrorist cell that they had been tracking for months. Unfortunately, that was where the success had ended. The arrests had gone badly, interrogations even worse, and he didn't even want to think about the disastrous paperwork because of it all. The bottom line: CTU was in shambles without him, without Jack, and now-apparently-without Audrey.

Taking a deep breath he dove into the endless mess and began prioritizing and delegating the work. The Boss was back and everyone couldn't have been more thankful.

He had been so invested in work that he didn't even hear her come into his office two hours later.

"Hey," she said softly.

He looked up from his desk; his eyes tired and face drawn back.

"Hi. Thank you for calling and warning me. This is a mess."

She nodded. "I know."

"I've completely restructured the teams. I've got six people doing interrogations right now but I think the damage has already been done. Those suspects know that we've dropped the ball and they're going to use that to their advantage. It'll be a miracle if we can get anything out of them now."

"I have eight people," he scoffed, his voice getting louder. "Eight people trying to clean up the paperwork but that will be useless unless we get something out of the interrogations. I have two tact teams looking into the extensive damage that was caused during apprehension. For Christ's sake, what the hell happened here?!"

She winced and a look of guilt passed over her face. He saw it and instantly reprimanded himself. It wasn't her fault, if anything she saved him.

"I'm sorry," he quietly breathed. Sitting next to her on the couch he took her hands in his. "I don't regret going away to get married. I don't. What I regret is that I can't take time off without my staff completely fucking up. I love you and that was the best vacation I've ever had. "

She gave him a wry smile. "Aren't I supposed to be comforting you?"

"That depends; do you have more bad news for me?"

Sighing she moved off the couch and away from him. It would be easier to tell him without the warmth of his body and the gentle touch of his hands comforting her.

"Bill," she began in her 'work' voice, but seeing the pain etched across his face she softened.

"Bill, you have to let him go. I know that this cell has been CTU's top priority for three months now. And you had a lot riding on the successful apprehension and interrogation of Abu Fayed."

"But things have changed," she sat back down across from him. "The arrest was disastrous and CTU's been interrogating him for four days now and you've got nothing to show for it."

It was his turn to wince at her harsh words. Sharp and to the point-that was his Karen.

"At this point you can't even be sure that Fayed is as involved as you think he is."

"OH, he's involved, Karen. That I know."

"Fine then, prove it." She sat back and folded her arms over her chest.

"I can't," he muttered and began pacing the room. "Where is this pressure coming from Karen?"

Sighing she got up to stand behind him as he looked out the windows of his office down into the pen.

"Division," she whispered. "And Homeland. Division is claiming that you have nothing legally to hold him with, and they're right. He's already been held far longer than the law would allow for. God forbid any human rights groups found out. They'd have a field day..." she trailed off.

"And Homeland doesn't think that it's worth CTU's time. Most of these guys are low to mid level crime; they aren't worth the time and efforts of a federal agency. There are bigger fish to fry-"

"He is a big fish, damn it."

Circling her arms around his waist she placed a soft kiss on the back of his neck.

"C'mon Bill, just let him go. Let him go, finish the up the reports, give them to me, and I'll blue file them over at Homeland. This way CTU can start to pull itself back together, we can go home, and we can all put this behind us, hm?" She kissed his neck again, feeling that his defences were weakening.

"Alright. Call it in. I'm going to tell everyone party's over-Dad's home."

It was nearly midnight and CTU had quieted down considerably. Bill had sent home all the unnecessary staff and kept only his core team for the remainder of the evening. They had ended the interrogations, cleaned up most of the files and reports, and properly arrested and jailed those apprehended with criminal records. Unfortunately for Bill, Fayed was not one of them.

Karen watched as her husband stood in front of Fayed, papers in hand, and her heart broke. She believed Bill when he said that Fayed was guilty, and capable, of more than what they could currently convict him with. But with pressure coming down on her from Homeland's superiors to force Bill to release Fayed, not to mention the disaster they found CTU to be in, it all created for one distressing mess.

She wished it could have ended differently, but ultimately he had no choice and she knew it. What she didn't know what was that mess was far from over, and it would only be a matter of months before it would resurface to haunt them both. Only that time, it would be her hands that were tied, she would have no choice and she could only pray that he knew it too.