A/N – This chapter takes place shortly after Season Six

He was drunk, and his driving showed it. Speeding across Los Angeles in the middle of the night, Jack Bauer had no idea where he was heading, and no idea what he was doing. It was only when he ran a red light that his journey was brought to a swift and painful end, when a truck slammed straight into the side of his SUV.

Not knowing what had hit him, Jack was firstly preoccupied with the question of what had happened, before he became preoccupied with the question of where the hell he was. Los Angeles had been replaced by a dark field and a star-filled sky. Searching for signs of life other than himself, Jack noticed the nearby town, and began walking towards it. The only thing he was sure of at this point was who he was.

"We've got a male in his fourties, injured in a RTA!," the medic yelled as Jack was rushed into the ER. Seriously injured, with fractures on every limb and abrasions all over his worn-out body, Jack was in a deep coma.

As Jack wandered into Nueva Los Angeles, the sun was beginning to rise and, as he walked past one cottage, he stopped suddenly. Moving backwards before staring into a window, he saw her. Not sure whether it was an hallucination or a simple mistake, Jack went to the front door. Finding it unlocked, he rushed inside. As his eyes met hers, Jack recognised her, but had no idea what emotion he should, or could, feel.

"Nina," Jack whispered, shocked at the sight of her. He slowly walked over to her and gently brushed her cheek with his hand. Noticing the tears in her eyes, he became concerned.

"Jack, you're dead?," Nina spoke quietly, and Jack's face paled. He hadn't considered the possibility that he was dead. Even the most devout wanted to stay alive, and even the sight of a person he had killed himself didn't make him wonder if he was indeed dead. Looking at her sad face, he realised that she was also confused.

"Jack, you're transparent! Like a ghost!," Nina said. Jack took note of Nina';s pale but certainly not transparent skin, then looked down at his hand, as well as the floor through his hand. Nina looked thoughtful for a minute, before realising why Jack was transparent.

"You can't be dead! You must be alive, Jack. Try and wake up!," Nina urged him, but Jack's thoughts had turned to another woman. Shaking his head, he turned to leave, and Nina didn't need to ask.

"She's a few doors down, Jack, the one with the blue door," Nina informed him, and she couldn't help but smile as he thanked her whilst walking out of her house. She had seen and heard of people in Jack's situation before. People in deep comas who were hanging onto life. Usually, the Afterlifers could convince the person to return to the Living World, but there were some who had chosen to stay in the Afterlife, and it was apparent when the person died, because their skin would return to normal.

Teri's door was locked, so Jack knocked a couple of times. For the first time in years, Jack truly feel happiness as he was reunited with her. As she noticed him, she embraced him tightly, but Jack could sense the frown on her face.

"You're in a coma, Jack, and I know you want to stay here with me, but you should wake up and live out the rest of your life," Teri mumbled. Although she too would love for Jack to stay, she didn't want to be the cause of his death.

"I need you, Teri," Jack spoke in a whisper. Teri moved back and looked at him. She saw the pain in his eyes.

"I need you too, Jack, but not yet. Please go back, Jack, I'll be waiting for you," she promised him, before kissing him on the lips. It seemed like their very first kiss, like they were childhood sweethearts once more.

Bill Buchanan and Chloe O'Brian were at Jack's bedside. Chloe's face was stained with tears, although she had managed not to vocalise her sorrow. Bill was looking at Jack's damaged face, and he wondered if Jack had the strength, or the will, to fight.

"What do the doctors think?," Chloe asked Bill.

"They say the next 24 hours will be critical, and that unless he wakes up or shows any sign of improvement soon, he could die," Bill responded with a solemn voice. He watched as Chloe's lips quivered, her eyes staring at Jack's face. Wiping away a tear from his eyes, he wondered if Morris had had any luck contacting Kim Bauer.

Some of the former friends, co-workers and foes of Jack stared at him as he walked down the street with Teri. He noticed them, and he wondered just how wonderful the place must be if even the worst terrorists were living alongside former federal agents. He didn't have much faith in god anymore, and he wasn't sure whether this was the work of god or just a natural progression, a new world.

"How do I go back, Teri?," Jack asked her. A part of him hoped that it was too late, but another part of him knew that he had unfinished business, that his time wasn't up yet.

"Fight, Jack. Fight to live," Teri replied.

Nina watched as Jack and Teri passed by. She had been surprised by his reaction to her when he had seen her, and a part of her had almost expected his hand to wrap around her neck or even for a gun to come out of nowhere. She had seen just how weary he was, and from what she had been told of Jack after her death, she was surprised that he hadn't come to the Afterlife sooner.

Morris was now at the hospital with Chloe and Jack. He hadn't been able to find Kim, and he felt like he had let Jack down. He frowned as he saw the extent of Jack's injuried and, as a former alcoholic, knew that he had once come close to being in that exact situation. Squeezing Chloe's hand gently as he sat down next to her, he smiled as he looked into her watery blue eyes.

"He's gonna be OK, Chloe, you know he will," Morris told her, confident that he would indeed pull through. Since he had first met Jack, he had seen the guy do and go through stuff that any other person would never experience in a thousand lifetimes.

"Morris, I've never seen him so bad," Chloe replied. Even after his months of torture in a Chinese prison Jack hadn't been so beaten up. Worried that her friend had finally entered his final days, she couldn't bear to lose him.

"Teri, I'm gonna miss you, you know that?," Jack whispered. He felt almost as if a whole new life force was flowing into him, and he knew that he was going to wake up soon.

"I'll miss you too, Jack, but when your time is up, I'll be here," Teri promised. They sahred one final kiss before Jack would go back.

Chloe was asleep in her chair when the machines began to react. Waking up suddenly but with n o idea of what the machines were doing, she quickly woke Bill and Morris. They watched as Jack began to cough, before slowly opening his eyes, much to the trio's delight.

"Welcome back, Jack!," Chloe said, before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.