Well, it's been a while, but here's the next chapter. I think I'm going to fail my target of finishing this story before I go back to school - only four days left :c( - but I've half-written the next chapter, so it shouldn't be that long until an update. Only two chapters left! I've been working quite a bit, but that's good for you because I'm buying myself a laptop! So I'll be able to update even quicker!

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Fight the Past

"You made up your mind to leave it all behind

now you're forced to fight it out

You fall away from your past

But it's following you" – Fall Away

It was another day from hell. Terrorists were trying to blow up Los Angeles, and I was stuck in my office, marking papers. I was too blind for fieldwork, and had never been technical minded enough to understand CTU's complex computer system. I'd already heard that one of my recruits whom Nadia had employed was dead, killed by friendly fire.

"Mr Doyle?"

I looked up to see a field ops assistant standing in my doorway.

"Yes?" I snapped.

"Agent Hawley would appreciate your input on field operations planning," the messenger said stiffly. He was young, and apparently nervous at speaking to me – a grim man with half an eye missing and a penchant for sarcastic comments.

I got up and motioned for him to lead the way. Owen Hawley was the new director of field ops and not a man I liked particularly, probably for that very reason. It must be getting very bad if they were coming to me for advice.

It turned out that the situation wasn't very good at all, and even I couldn't blame Owen for calling upon extra assistance. A woman with previous experience of the terrorists was being brought in from a local prison and I was working on a contingency plan with Owen, in case the current mission – to capture several of the ringleaders – failed.

I was so preoccupied that I didn't notice the prisoner being brought in until Nadia came over to tell us that she was ready for interrogation.

"Why was she in prison?" I asked as the three of us headed to where the woman was being held.

"Got close to people, mainly government officials, and then sold information onto the highest bidder."

It reminded me ominously of someone else I knew, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. Besides, the last I heard she was in a Denver prison, not an LA one.

So, walking into the observation room, I was almost entirely unprepared to see my ex-girlfriend staring at me through all the cameras.

"Mike? Are you ok?" Nadia asked upon noticing my expression.

"Yeah. Fine."

If they didn't already know and Owen could get the information out of her, there was no reason to enlighten them about my past with Gemma Krowsky.

Owen was scowling as he re-entered the observation room; an expression mirrored by me.

"Get the president on the phone," he ordered.

"Wait! You're not seriously going to give her a pardon?" I asked incredulously.

"What choice do we have? We do in every other case like this," Nadia reminded me.

I shook my head in denial.

"No. Let me try."

"What difference will that make?"

"I… came across her. Back in Denver. She knows me."

Owen shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

Gemma was visibly shocked when I entered. Hardly surprising – she'd last seen me two years ago when she was led out of CTU-Denver in handcuffs, begging me pitifully for forgiveness. I grimly surveyed her as she was now.

"M-Mike?" she stuttered.

I said nothing.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. What happened to Denver prison. Not comfy enough for you?"

"I-I was transferred. P-please, make sure I get th-that pardon."

"And why would I do that?"

"I c-can't survive in p-prison, Mike. You know h-how shy I am, and everyone's so strong and t-tough in there – "

"I don't know anything about you anymore. Everything you ever told me was a lie. You betrayed me," I continued, forgetting the presence of Nadia and Owen in the next room, watching me, "and there's no way in hell I'm going to let you walk free after that. So, here's how it is. You're going to tell me everything I want to know, unless you want a repeat of Denver."

She shrank back in the chair she was shackled to.

"M-Mike, please – "

"Shut up!" I roared. "Who is Alexander Marshall?"

"The-the pardon – "

Without warning I reached out and grabbed her by the neck, as I had done to Nadia all those months ago.

"No games with me, Gemma. Answer, or things are going to get very unpleasant."

"N-no, I want a pardon."

I was surprised at her resolve – she must really hate prison life – but didn't show it. Instead, I tightened my grip. She began to choke.

"M-Mike," she managed to gasp out. "I-I'm sorry… please"

"Sorry?" I replied scathingly. "Well, that makes it all better. I loved you, and you pretended to love me back, and the whole time you were using me."

"I… did… l-love you. I-I still do…"

"Well, tough. 'Cause you are going to be useful to us for once in miserable life, and then you're going back to being locked up.

She said nothing this time.

"Alexander Marshall – who is he?"

Again, she didn't reply. That was when I realised her eyes were closed and her breathing was infrequent and shallow.

"Agent Doyle, stand down!" I heard Owen repeat through the speakers as security guards pulled my hand away from her neck. "Someone get a medic!" he yelled, bursting into the room.

Nadia stared at me from the doorway. She looked confused… and scared.

Next chapter: Nadia confronts Doyle about his past.

Yes, Angry Doyle had a reappearance in this chapter - hope he wasn't too bad. The full explanation of Doyle's past will come next time.

Review please! Last chapter will list and be dedicated to all reviewers! Thanks for the movie/college advice - it's for another story I'm writing. As 24 is based in the US, I would prefer to use the correct terminology.