Kim laughed as the man handed her a gigantic brown bear. Holding it in front of her chest, she had to crane her neck around the stuffed animal so that she could see where she was going.

"I can't believe you won me a teddy bear."

"I think that qualifies as more than just a teddy bear."

She laughed again. "I think you're right."

Milo smiled at her, enjoying the sound of her laughter. Their first date was going incredibly well, and he couldn't believe how much fun he was having. Never in a million years would he have guessed that he would go out with Kim Bauer. But to his surprise, they had a lot in common. There were no awkward silences as they tried to find something to talk about. They discussed movies and music. They laughed at some of the people they saw milling around the carnival. Most importantly, they just enjoyed each other's company. Milo found himself being thankful that just a couple days ago they had been fighting for their lives. If Jack had never called him, he never would have found out that he and Kim were such a perfect fit.

"So what did you and my dad talk about?" she asked suddenly, as though she could read his mind.

"The usual."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Milo laughed. "He threatened me. Told me that if I broke your heart, he would have to break my neck. And then he told me that he really didn't want to do that, since he actually kinda likes me."

Kim rolled her eyes. "My dad is such a dork."

"Yeah, but he cares about you. He just wants you to be happy. And I'm way better than that Barry guy."

"You never even met Barry."

"Yeah, but I've heard about him."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "From who?"

"Your dad. Chloe. Chloe really hated him."

She grimaced. "Yeah, he tried to "council" her after she watched Edgar die."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Dad wasn't too happy with that, either. He doesn't like it when anybody interferes with Chloe."

"That's because your dad is head over heels in love with our snarky little computer nerd."

She rolled her eyes again. "Tell me about it. But at least now they've admitted it."

They walked on then, Kim trying to ignore the tiredness that seeped through to her bones. She still didn't feel fully recuperated from their ordeal. Milo had told her that their date could wait until she felt better, but she had found herself really looking forward to going out with him. For now, they were taking things slow, but she liked where they were headed; she felt comfortable with Milo in a way that she hadn't with anybody else since Chase. He probably couldn't rescue her from terrorists, but he would try. And he held her tightly whenever they embraced, letting her know that she was safe with him no matter what she said or did.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked, and Kim was surprised at the lingering fear she heard at the edge of his voice.

Shifting the bear so that one of her arms was free, she reached over and placed her hand in his.

"I'm having a great time."

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Nadia fumed as she parked her car in the lot behind Tony's building. Their nightmarish ordeal had ended two days ago, and she hadn't heard from him since. She figured that he needed to rest, that he was probably passed out in bed. But her patience was wearing thin, and she had paced her apartment restlessly before finally giving in and grabbing her keys.

She practically ran up the three flights to his apartment, pausing outside of his door in a brief moment of hesitation. But then she remembered how he had held her after Cheng was killed, and her resolve strengthened once again. Emboldened, she knocked loudly.

The door opened, and she found herself staring at Tony. He looked at her in surprise, as though she were the last person he expected to see. They stood there for a minute, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Nadia decided that they were being ridiculous.

"I'm sick of waiting for you," she said.

She stepped into the apartment then, bringing her body right up against his. Wordlessly, she took his face in her hands and kissed him softly. Almost immediately, Tony raised his hands and tangled them in her hair, pulling her closer. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, groaning as her hands slid down to rest on his waist. Bringing his own hands down, he wrapped one arm around her while the other flailed around until he found the door.

Without breaking their kiss, he pulled her further into the apartment and swung the door shut.

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Jack sat on a chair in the kitchen, his forearms resting on his thighs as he watched Chloe do the dishes. She had been staying with him since their harrowing adventure had ended, seeing as how her house had been destroyed. That morning was the first time they had woken up and stayed up. Once that got home after their visit to the hospital, they had both crashed in Jack's bed, sleeping for the better part of two days. He had finally decided that they needed to get up and came downstairs to make them breakfast. In return, Chloe had insisted that she do the dishes.

"Don't," she said suddenly.

He looked at her in confusion.

"Don't what?"

"I know you're staring at my leg. I don't want you beating yourself up with guilt. I'm fine, and it wasn't your fault anyway."

"I wasn't feeling guilty."

She looked at him in surprise.

"You always feel guilty."

He shook his head.

"Not anymore."

She turned around and leaned back on the counter.

"What were you doing then?"

He looked at her for a moment before answering.

"Thanking God that you're alive. That I didn't lose you."

She gave him a small smile before pushing away from the counter and walking towards him. Standing between his legs, she held his head against her stomach and ran her fingers through his short hair. His hands came up to rest on her hips as he breathed her in.

"I'm glad I didn't lose you either," she said quietly.

"I love you," he murmured against the skin where her tank top had ridden up.

A smile grew on Chloe's face before she could stop it.

"I love you too."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to say it."

"It's okay, Jack. I-"

Her words were cut off as Jack's lips trailed across her stomach. He kissed her skin slowly, his tongue snaking out and his hands taking a firmer grip on her waist.

"Jack," she breathed.

"Shhh," he whispered against her, tickling her stomach.

He pressed his lips against her more firmly as his fingers tugged her shirt up a little more. Then his hands drifted lower and toyed with the drawstring of her sweatpants. Chloe tried to speak, but her brain refused to function as he continued to kiss her. She closed her eyes and gasped as his fingers hooked the waistband of her pants and began to move them slowly down her legs, taking her underwear with them. As he pulled them lower, his mouth moved down as well, causing her to grab the kitchen table next to her, her legs threatening to give way.

Jack pressed his fingers into her skin, steadying her. His mouth moved even lower, his tongue dragging through her dark curls. Her breathing grew more erratic as he reached her core. His tongue darted out, tasting her over and over again as she moaned his name, unable to stop the responses of her body. She bucked against him, one hand still tangled in his hair and holding his head against her. His teeth grazed her clit and she cried out, begging him to touch her even more. Jack complied, bringing one hand around and thrusting two fingers up inside of her. Chloe moaned, jerking against him, feeling her orgasm building. His tongue and fingers moving against her, her cries grew louder as she called his name over and over again. Then she came, her body shuddering as she felt herself let go.

She sagged against him, and Jack pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Brushing the hair out of her face, he kissed her lips gently.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"That was amazing," she whispered, nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck.

"I was hoping you'd like it," he smiled.

Chloe shifted to get into a more comfortable position, but pulled back slightly when she felt his erection pressing into her thigh. She pushed herself up until she could turn and straddle him. Then she ground her hips against his, eliciting a throaty groan from him.

"I think it's time to take care of you," she murmured as she nipped at his earlobe.

"Upstairs?" he suggested.

"What's wrong with kitchen floor?" she asked coyly, grinding her hips again.

"Absolutely nothing," he breathed, sliding out of the chair and pinning her to the floor.