Epilogue
6 Weeks later
"You sit down out here and I'll be right back with breakfast," Jack told Audrey as he helped her sit down at the bistro table on their sunny patio. He brought a second chair closer and faced it toward Audrey, carefully raised her leg and propped it on the chair. "Comfortable?" he asked.
"You're going to spoil me," she said with a smile.
"I certainly hope so," he returned as he kissed the top of her head.
Audrey watched Jack go back into the house. Piper, the English Springer Spaniel that Jack had given her as a gift upon her arrival in England, sat on the flagstone patio next to her. She had only had him for two weeks and he was already overly protective of her. It reminded her of how Jack treated her and she wondered if Jack's protectiveness had simply rubbed off on the animal.
As she looked up at the pale October sky, it struck Audrey, as it did every morning, that she had never been happier in her entire life. Not as a child at home with her parents. Not as a young single experiencing the world on her own for the first time. Not during her eight year marriage to Paul Raines. No, she had never been as happy as she was living in the English countryside in an old Victorian house. Who would have thought that just six weeks earlier she was bound and gagged and lying the back of a Hummer fearing for her life and Jack's as well.
The six weeks hadn't been easy. The first couple of days were particularly anxiety filled as she waited, unable to leave her hospital bed, for word on Jack's condition. Her father and Chloe and Tony and Michelle provided constant updates, but it wasn't like sitting next to him and holding his hand and whispering words of encouragement to him. By the third day, he was improving. The doctors had reduced the level of sedation and he was starting to wake up. When he did, Audrey's name was the first word he spoke. Within hours of that, Jack was sitting up in a chair and he insisted on being taken to Audrey's room to see her. She thought the single best surprise she had ever had was when Tony pushed Jack's wheelchair through her door. She had laughed and cried at the same time, amazed and grateful that he was doing so well.
Jack recovered quickly over the next week or so and the decision was made to transport him to England. Although he wasn't quite fully recovered, any additional medical care could be arranged in England. Maintaining the anonymity of two people even within an agency such as CTU was a difficult task and the sooner they could get either or both of them out, the more likely it was that their identities could be kept a secret. Audrey, on the other hand, was no where near ready for travel at that point. She had required two additional surgeries to fully repair her fractured femur and, although she was healing nicely, the doctors didn't want her moved just yet. So after a quick marriage ceremony, performed in her hospital room by the CTU chaplain, Audrey and Jack said tearful goodbyes and Audrey remained behind waiting impatiently for the doctors to agree that she was ready for the long trip.
That day finally came almost a month to the day after she had been kidnapped. The two rather mirthless doctors who, though seemingly devoid of personality, had taken expert care of Audrey, had just completed the task of removing and replacing the cast on her leg when one of them unexpectedly smiled. "What do you think, Tom? Is she ready for a trip to England?"
The other doctor smiled as well. "I think so. She'll need to avoid the usual tourist spots for a while," he said making a weak attempt at humor. "But I think it's safe to move her."
Audrey was so excited that she could barely contain herself. They explained that they had been in contact with doctors in England who would assume her care once she arrived. They had agreed that she would need to stay in the cast for about another two weeks but after that she could have it removed and replaced with a brace. Once that happened, she could begin physical therapy and take the first steps, literally and figuratively, toward a new life. It was a bittersweet moment for Audrey. She wanted to be with Jack more than she could even explain, but at the same time, leaving the US and her identity behind would be permanent. With the decision final, Bill released a statement to the press that Audrey Raines' injuries inflicted by Graem Bauer as she attempted to escape capture, were critical and, despite all efforts of the CTU medical team, resulted in her death. Jim Heller, who had been by her side from the moment she was brought to CTU, now appeared in public briefly in the role of grieving father. His office, believing the story to be true, released a statement from Heller thanking the public for their support and asking for privacy. He had asked Charles Logan for and had been granted a three month leave of absence from his duties. That would allow time for the story to die down after which he could return to work.
It was late at night when Jack met Audrey at the same military airbase where he himself had arrived a couple of weeks earlier. The military flight wasn't on anyone's log. MI6 had arranged it. Only a few covert agents, including the flight crew, knew the purpose of the flight or who they were ferrying into the UK. As soon as the plane taxied to the terminal and came to a stop, Jack was permitted out onto the tarmac. The fight crew left the plane and Jack boarded to help Audrey off. Her heart pounded as she watched through the window as Jack ran up the steps to the plane. He was out of her line of sight for a second before he stepped into the plane and hurried to her. They kissed happily and pulled each other into a deep embrace. Jack finally loosened his grip and backed off slightly so he could look at Audrey.
"Wow!" he laughed. "I never imagined you as a brunette."
"Do you like it?" Audrey asked anxiously. Her hair had been cut into a short, shaggy style and dyed light brown with blond highlights.
"I love it. You look great," Jack told her as he kissed her again. "Come on. Let's get out of here. It's time to go home."
Home! With Jack! Audrey's heart soared. Nothing in the world could have made her happier. It didn't matter that the logistics of getting her home, wearing a cast that immobilized her entire left leg, were difficult. She didn't care. It was worth it. Two large, young MI6 agents carefully loaded her onto a stretcher and carried her down from the plane to the tarmac where a medical van waited for her. The drive to their home was just over an hour and it included some uncomfortably bumpy roads. Again, Audrey didn't care. She squeezed Jack's hand and tried hard not to grimace but each time the young MI6 agent who had been drafted as a driver apologized anyway. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher," he would say almost sheepishly. And Audrey would dismiss it, saying that she was fine and, at the same time, reveling in hearing someone say her new name. Pamela Fletcher. Mrs. Alex Fletcher. She had said the name to herself a thousand times in her mind, but she couldn't help but smile when someone else said it.
The sun was just rising when they finally reached their home. It was an old Victorian house painted a sunny yellow and trimmed in white. Two chimneys poked through the roof and big trees shaded the entire property. Audrey fell in love with it the moment she saw it. The driver helped Jack carry Audrey up onto the huge front porch, but Jack insisted on carrying her over the threshold himself and dismissed the driver.
"Should you be doing this?" Audrey protested. "You haven't completely recovered from your own injuries. I'm not sure your doctor would approve."
"To hell with my doctor!" Jack told her in no uncertain terms. "I am carrying my wife over the threshold or we'll be doomed to bad luck forever."
"I think we're safe," Audrey laughed. "I'm not sure our luck can get worse."
Jack managed to carry her in and set her down on the sofa just a little harder than he had planned. "I'm sorry," he whispered seeing a vague wave of pain cloud Audrey's eyes. "I guess I'm not quite back in shape and that cast adds more weight than I thought it would."
"Tell me about it!" Audrey said with a roll of her eyes. "When they take it off I'll instantly lose 20 pounds!"
"With the cast or without it," Jack started. "I'm just happy to see you. I love you and I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you, too," Audrey said leaning awkwardly into him for yet another embrace.
"It's over, sweetheart. All of the bad is behind us. We get to start over. I know how much you hated to leave your father, but this is our chance to finally be together."
"I know. I'll miss my dad, but this is what I want. I want to be with you, Jack."
He touched her lips gently. "No, not Jack. Don't ever say that. Not even when it's just the two of us. If you do it when we're alone, you're going to slip some day when we're out in public and we can't afford that. You have to get used to calling me Alex."
"I know and I will. I promise," Audrey told him sincerely. "We've been given an incredible chance to start over and I promise you that I won't screw that up. This is my dream come true. I've wanted to have this chance to start over from the first moment that Bill told me that you were dead. All I've wanted was to be able to tell you what a mistake I'd made and to start again."
Audrey spent the next couple of weeks enjoying the early autumn weather and catching up on her reading and trying to ignore the fact that she was largely a prisoner to a wheelchair and the first floor of her house. But things were looking up on this particular morning. This was the first day in six weeks that she hadn't had a bulky cast keeping her from moving. At an appointment with the doctor the day before, he had removed the cast as promised and replaced it with a brace. She still couldn't put any weight on her leg, but she was allowed to move around using crutches and it made her feel as if she had been freed from a cage.
Jack walked out onto the patio with a tray loaded with a pot of coffee, orange juice, scones and fresh fruit. He set the tray on the table and began pouring two cups of coffee.
"You know," Audrey started. "If this MI6 gig doesn't work out, I can hire you out as a butler. I'm sure some rich, old woman would love to have a handsome butler to serve all of her meals." Audrey loved to tease Jack about the domestic skills he had acquired since she had been wheelchair bound.
"If that's what it took to support us, I'd do it in a second," Jack told her sincerely. "But I'm only working as your butler because the fringe benefits are incredible," he whispered into her ear just before he placed a long, deep kiss on her mouth.
"Either stop now or plan on helping me right back upstairs," Audrey told Jack as their lips parted but their faces remained close.
"Maybe we better hold that thought for a few hours. The IT specialist I've been working with is coming over today to put in some more equipment," Jack said as he sat down in the chair next to Audrey's. "Oh, that reminds me," he said as he stood back up. "You have to see this." Jack walked back into the house and came back with his notebook computer. "Wait till you see this," he said as he opened the computer and set it up. Audrey watched as he clicked the mouse and moved the cursor and within seconds the image he was looking for was in front of her.
"Oh, look at him!" Audrey cooed. "He's already getting so big! Look at how much hair he has!" she exclaimed as she looked at the picture of two week old Jack Bauer Almeida. "He's precious. They must be so thrilled."
Jack and Tony communicated regularly on a secure line. Tony and Michelle continued to run their computer business, but through Jack, arrangements had been made for Tony to freelance for MI6. He provided some expertise that they were looking for and the job gave Tony the chance to be part of the intelligence community, something that he had really missed. Michelle had been reluctant about the arrangement at first, but she understood that Tony, like Jack, could never fully walk away from that life. It would call him back regardless, so it was best to agree to his participation on a limited basis.
"You have to see the next picture. Tony looks like he hasn't slept in a week," Jack laughed.
"Don't laugh," Audrey warned him. "That might be you someday."
"Yeah, I know," Jack returned. "You have to get better before we're going to worry about that."
Audrey nodded in agreement. "I don't think we need for me to have a baby before I can walk again," she said as she clicked the mouse to see the next picture. "The two of them look so happy, but poor Michelle doesn't look like she's sleeping too well either."
Jack looked at his watch. "It's almost 2:30 in the morning in North Carolina, for their sakes I sure hope their sleeping now."
Tony and Michelle were sleeping. And little Jack had been asleep for almost two full hours, a nearly unheard of accomplishment for the two week old. Michelle lay curled on her side facing Tony who had become very restless as a nightmare crossed his sleep deprived brain. He turned to the left and then to the right as images filled his head.
"Michelle," he said in a mumbling, sleepy voice. "Michelle, don't so this."
Tony thrashed sharply to his left bumping into Michelle and waking her. "Tony? Are you alright?" she asked as she opened her eyes.
Tony didn't answer; he was still asleep. "Michelle!" he said again. His voice was still sleepy, but the tone had become more urgent.
"Tony, it's okay. I'm right here. You're dreaming. Wake up, honey," Michelle cooed gently.
"Michelle!" Tony screamed and sat bolt upright. "Michelle!"
Michelle grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard to awaken him. "I'm here, Tony! It's okay!"
Tony opened his eyes. It took a second for recognition to set in, but as it did, Tony pulled Michelle into a tight embrace. "You alive!" he gasped. "Thank God! You're not hurt."
"Tony, you were dreaming. I'm fine," Michelle said calmly trying to extricate herself from Tony's arms. "Let go, honey. You're hurting me."
Tony relaxed a bit until he remembered their baby in the next room. "My God! Jack!" he cried and with that, launched himself off the bed and ran to the nursery.
Michelle was behind him. "Tony, Jack is fine. He's sleeping. Leave him alone!"
Tony turned on the light in the nursery and leaned over the crib. He put his hand near the baby's face and finally allowed himself to breathe when he felt Jack's warm breath on his hand. "Oh, thank God!" he panted. "He's okay." Tony reached into the crib to pick up his young son, but Michelle's hands grasped his wrists to prevent him from touching the child.
"Are you out of your mind? He's been asleep for two hours. That's a record for him. Don't you dare wake that baby up!" she hissed in a quiet but angry voice. "Now turn off the light and let's get out of here before he hears us."
Tony nodded, flicked off the light switch and followed Michelle out of the room.
"Tell me what's wrong. What kind of dream were you having?"
Tony ignored her questions and went back to their bedroom. He picked up the remote control for the television and turned on a 24 hour news channel.
"Tony, what is going on?" Michelle asked again.
Tony raised a hand to silence her while he watched.
"It's 2:30 in the morning. Why are you watching the news?"
"Because I need to make sure it didn't happen."
"What didn't happen?"
"I dreamed that David Palmer was assassinated," Tony said nervously. "I need to know that it didn't really happen."
"Oh, Tony," Michelle said gently as she sat next to him on the bed. "If David Palmer had been assassinated, that would be the only story on the news right now. Look, they're talking about the weather. David Palmer is fine."
"You're right. I guess it was just a dream," Tony conceded as he turned off the television.
"That must have been some nightmare," Michelle commented. "Why did you think Jack and I had been hurt?"
"It was crazy. I dreamed that we were in our old house in LA. We were eating breakfast and watching the news when we heard that David Palmer had been assassinated in LA. You wanted to go to CTU to help in the investigation and I didn't. I said that if Bill needed us, he'd call us. You disagreed and decided to go without me. I asked you not to go, but you walked out of the house. At first I was mad, but then I decided to go with you. I picked up my phone. I don't know who I was calling, but I think I had to cancel an appointment with a client. Right about then there was this huge explosion. I ran outside yelling for you and your car was on fire. I kept screaming your name and I was running through the debris trying to find you. I finally found you under a door and I got it off of you and I was feeling for a pulse. I couldn't find a pulse. Oh, honey," he said as he draw her into his arms. "I was so scared. I was so afraid that I lost you. When I woke up and realized that you were okay, I panicked and thought maybe something had happened to the baby. I'm sorry I went so crazy. It's just that I can't imagine losing either one of you. I don't know how I would go on."
Michelle kissed his cheek. "You're not going to lose either one of us, Tony. I'm not going anywhere. We're nowhere near LA. We're safe here. Your CTU days are behind you and the work you're doing for MI6 is all computer related. The bad guys aren't coming after you any more."
"I know. Thank God for that. When Jack decided to escape and Chase and I had to go after him, leaving you at the safe house was the hardest thing I ever did. Knowing that little Jack was going to be born in a couple of weeks and I was putting my ass on the line and might not come back just scared the hell out of me."
"If you want to know the truth, it scared me, too. I tried not to show it, but I was scared. The whole time you were gone, I just kept praying that you'd come back to me. But it's over now. We need to put all of that behind us."
"I know. You're right," Tony said leaning in to kiss Michelle's face. "Let's go back to sleep."
"Sounds good to me," Michelle agreed climbing between the covers and curling up on her side. "I'm exhausted."
Tony lay down beside her and turned off the light. They were just drifting off to sleep when they heard little Jack start to cry.
"Ugh!" Michelle exclaimed. "I knew it was too good to be true."
"But he slept over two hours this time, Michelle. That's good for him."
"I know, but it's not long enough for me!" Michelle said as she stood up and put on her bathrobe. "I'll take care of him," she offered. "You've already had a rough night. Maybe you should get some sleep."
"Yeah, maybe sleep deprivation causes nightmares," Tony laughed. "Because we haven't had much sleep lately and that was the worst nightmare I've had in my entire life!"
THE END!
Hey, hope you didn't mind my silly ending. I thought the story could use some levity and I also thought that writing off season 5 (especially episode 1) as a bad dream was the best thing I could do for it. Now I can really pretend that it never happened.
Thanks for reading and, as always, I'm begging for reviews. I love reviews! Don't disappoint me, PLEASE!
