A new dream had formed in his mind, taking place in their home. The house did not have the same aura of peace and safety that he had come to rely on in reality. Instead, there was a feeling of unease floating around. He was alone in the house, although they always had guns hidden in various places for protection. The first sign that something was wrong was when he was sure he heard movement in the living room. He had moved with care towards the room, only for an unknown person to punch him. Groaning as he fell to the floor, he looked up and realised that Jack had found them. He thought of the nearest hidden gun as he tried getting back up, but Jack was quicker. He grabbed Alex by the neck and squeezed hard. The last thing Alex felt was a knife slipping between his ribs to puncture his heart. Neither had said anything, but no words had been necessary. Jack had only one desire, to ensure that Alex Myers was no more.
It had been a couple of years since they had settled in Newport News, Virginia. They had settled well into their new lives as Zachary Clarke and Mary Lynn Sutherland. The names had been easy to adopt, but their histories were hard to let go of. The couple lived in a small but comfortable house in the suburbs. Surrounding it was a large garden that housed both flowers and a couple of old trees.
This latest dream was one of many that Alex often had even now, although they had begun to lose their effect. Kim was still asleep, a ray of sunshine illuminating her dyed brown hair. Making sure not to wake her, he climbed out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to make some coffee. Although the dream showed Jack attacking him in his own home, Alex felt happy and safe. The FBI had given them regular updates on his whereabouts. Those had ended a few months earlier after the news they had received about him.
Has there been any of those days since we left CTU? I remember so many long days and incidents, but three stand out. Nina's involvement in all three is a big reason why. How different those days might have been if she wasn't.
As Alex placed two hot cups of coffee on the table, he saw a half-awake Kim walk into the kitchen. Wrapping his arms around her, they kissed before smiling at each other.
"Good morning, Mary Lynn," Alex said. It was a morning habit of theirs that they had used to remember their new names. By this point, it wasn't very necessary but they did it anyway.
"Good morning, Zachary," Kim replied. They never brought up their old names so that they wouldn't make any mistakes. Mary Lynn had an office job that was far more peaceful than working at CTU. Zachary worked at a small computer repair shop run by a local family. They had worked out personal histories for themselves under their new names. Zachary was from a small town in Missouri who had wanted to live on the East Coast. Mary Lynn was from San Francisco and had wanted somewhere smaller to live. Both of them were only children and their collective parents were now all deceased. It wasn't far from the truth, now that Nina was dead. The news from the FBI, that Jack had also died, had caused conflicting emotions. Both found the news upsetting, yet a sense of relief lingered. Still, they had wanted him to accept their relationship and now he never would be able to.
"What time do we need to be at the airport?" Kim asked. It was the middle of summer, so it was likely to be busy at both ends of the flight. They had decided to visit Los Angeles, to see old friends and re-connect with their old selves for a while. Moving back was not an option for either of them. They had grown to love Newport News and planned to settle down there.
"It's eight now, we need to leave for twelve," Alex replied. He was looking forward to the trip and seeing old friends once more. There was an unspoken agreement not to go anywhere near CTU, the place where both of Kim's parents had died. Although they knew about Jack's death, they had no idea of the cause or of the events leading up to it. Alex felt a little uneasy about that, but he had decided that he didn't need to know the specifics. Jack was unable to go after them now.
"Remember to use birth names with everyone," Alex reminded her, not wanting to leave any clues. Kim smiled and nodded, it felt good to have a chance to be Kim Bauer again, even if it was only for a week. It re-connected her to her parents.
Later on that day, Tony and Michelle were at home in Los Angeles and waiting for Chloe. All three were looking forward to seeing their old friends again. Jack, whose so-called death was still believed by Alex and Kim, was nowhere near LA. Still, if they were to suspect anything they would be out of there as soon as they could
"I hope they're living good lives," Michelle said. Whilst she understood why Jack felt the way he did, she had felt angry at him for forcing the pair to flee Los Angeles.
"Got to be with no CTU around," Tony replied. He had known the pair for years and knew how the agency had affected them ever since the day Teri died. As for their relationship, he hoped that Jack would one day accept it. He felt that Alex was perfect for Kim despite being Nina's brother.
"Hey," Chloe said as she poked her head around the open front door. She was looking forward to seeing Alex and Kim again and had been one of the last to see them before they left CTU. Never a believer in the kidnapping theory, she had been more than happy to see the charge thrown out.
A while later, Alex and Kim were stood across the street and looking at Tony and Michelle's house. Having arrived in LA, they had taken their luggage to a hotel and here they were. Soon they would be meeting three of their old friends for the first time since they had fled the city.
I hope this goes well and I'm sure it will. This could be an important step in getting back to who we are.
Feeling that they were both ready, they crossed over and approached the front door. Knocking, it was seconds before voices came from inside and they were growing louder. The door was flung open before they were both embraced by three very happy people. They were both back with three of the closest friends they had.
"It's good to see you both again. I'm glad you felt safe enough to do this," Michelle spoke as the quintet all sat down. Alex had initiated contact after talking with Kim. He had gone to one of the few public phone boxes left in Newport News and arranged it all. All five of them had been looking forward to reuniting ever since.
"Do you know how my father died?" Kim asked. Whilst she didn't want to dwell too much on his death, she wanted to know how he had died. That detail was not one shared with them.
"He got shot whilst doing his job," Tony replied. Kim knew that it was one of the most likely causes of her father's death. She could only hope that it was quick and painless.
"We tried talking to him about your relationship, but he was stubborn," Michelle spoke. After the FBI had given them protection, Jack had grown ever more obsessed with finding them. Even when he was in rehab, he had tried to keep up to date with any information he could get about Alex and Kim. Not that there was much for him to find out, as people he knew reported sightings in almost every American state. Michelle decided not to let them know about this obsession, it wouldn't help matters.
"Kim came with me of her own free will, but I still feel guilt for keeping her away from him," Alex said. He had never wanted to separate the two, and sometimes it felt like he had actually kidnapped her. Chloe listened as she suppressed a rising urge to let them know he was alive. Even if it meant that they would immediately leave and head back home. Instead, she decided to say something else.
"He said something to me once. That even though he didn't approve of the relationship, he knew that you would at least keep Kim safe," she spoke. She declined to let them know that he had said that during one of her trips into the desert after his fake death.
Hours later, as Alex and Kim entered their hotel room, they knew they had no regrets about coming to LA. Connecting once more with close friends, they were sure the week would be an enjoyable one.