Notes and disclaimers in part one :)
Thanks for all the feedback.
Jack knelt next to the gurney Michelle was sitting on. "Michelle, listen to me...."
Michelle shook her head pushing away the paramedic who was trying to bandage her shoulder. "I'm not going, Jack."
"We don't have time to argue about this."Jack replied as he met the younger woman's gaze. "You're going back to CTU."
Michelle's eye's flared. "No. I can help. Yusuf will listen to me."
Jack sighed and ran a hand along the back of his neck. "Tony wants you safe. I told him....."
"I am safe."Michelle interupted her gaze turned pleading. "Jack, I'm surrounded by the LAPD plus you're here. I can help with whatever plan you have to end this."
The ringing of his cell phone interupted whatever reply Jack was going to make. Standing Jack removed the phone from his pocket and stepped away from Dessler.
"Bauer."
"Jack, it's Tony. We need to talk to Palmer and arrange a way for Auda to get home."
"Understood."
Almeida glanced briefly at Yusuf before continuing. "Auda's only other demand is that the President make a public statement that the recording is a fake and that the US doesn't believe that Ali's country is involved with the bomb."
"I'll contact the President. Do you need anything else?"
Tony nodded. "Some food, water and a portable tv so Auda can watch the statement."
"You'll have it in under twenty minutes."Jack promised as he waved one of the LAPD officers over.
"Thanks Jack."Tony replied then after a pause he asked. "How's Michelle?"
Jack glanced back at Michelle who was watching him closely. "She's fine,Tony. Paramedics are taking care of her now."
"Good."Tony replied his voice a mixture of relief and weariness.
"I'll let you know as soon as I talk to the President."Bauer acknowledged.
"Okay."Almeida as he ended the conversation and tossed the phone on the floor. "Jack's going to contact the President. You should have your press conference in an hour."
Yusuf nodded as he leaned back against a nearby wall
**********
Jack turned to the LAPD officer. "Get some water and sandwiches and send them up to the house. Also send somebody to find a portable tv."
"Yes,Sir."The officer replied before turning to leave.
Michelle snagged Jack's arm with her hand as she jumped off the gurney. "Jack, what's going on?"
"I was just about to ask that."Ryan Chappelle stated as he approached the pair. "Ms. Dessler glad to see you're safe."
Michelle's eyes narrowed sharply but she forced herself to remember that the man was her boss. "Thank you, Sir."
Chappelle nodded and turned back to Bauer. "Jack, what's this I hear about you bothering the President?"
Jack gritted his teeth. "The President has offered his help in ending this hostage situation."
Chappelle leaned back against one of the cars. "The President's a busy man, Jack. And as far as I can see the hostage in question is safe."
Michelle stepped forward. "No, Sir. Tony traded himself for me. That's the only reason I'm out."
Chappelle met her gaze. "That was a noble move on Almeida's part but a mute one. I gave him every chance to resolve this and he's abused it. Almeida's fate is his own now. Leave this to the LAPD, Jack. I want you and Dessler back at CTU now."
Michelle took several steps forward but Jack placed a restraining hand on her arm silencing her.
"With all due respect, Sir."Jack stated angerily. "That's not going to happen. Tony Almeida is one of the finest agents CTU has ever had. You can abandon him if you want to but Michelle and I and everybody else here is staying until both Tony and Auda walk out of that house."
"You'll both be facing disiplinary actions."Chappelle replied curtly.
"Divison will be hearing from me."Michelle said angerily not caring any more about her job. "I'll be sure to tell them how willing you were to sacrifice Tony."
"It's your choice, Ms. Dessler."Chappelle replied as he turned and began to walk away. "I'll see to it that the three of you never work for CTU in any form."
Michelle started to go after Chappelle still angry. But her body was starting to feel the affects of the draining day and she stumbled under a dizzy spell.
Jack quickly reached over and steadied her. "Let him go, Michelle. Chappelle hasn't won anything. We're still going ahead with our plan. Everything will be alrlight, I promise."
Seeing that Michelle was still pale and shaky Jack led her to a nearby car and opened the driver's side door. "Here, sit down."
Michelle slowly sat down her head resting in her hands. "I'm okay, Jack."
Bauer shook his head his expression tender. "No you're not. You've been through a hell of a day and it's only natural to feel what you're feeling. Sit here for a few minutes I'll have one of the officers bring over some food. I'm going to go call Palmer."
"Jack?"Michelle called after him causing Bauer to pause.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Jack nodded. "Get some rest. I'll keep you in the loop."
Michelle nodded and rested her head against the driver's seat.
Thanks for all the feedback.
Jack knelt next to the gurney Michelle was sitting on. "Michelle, listen to me...."
Michelle shook her head pushing away the paramedic who was trying to bandage her shoulder. "I'm not going, Jack."
"We don't have time to argue about this."Jack replied as he met the younger woman's gaze. "You're going back to CTU."
Michelle's eye's flared. "No. I can help. Yusuf will listen to me."
Jack sighed and ran a hand along the back of his neck. "Tony wants you safe. I told him....."
"I am safe."Michelle interupted her gaze turned pleading. "Jack, I'm surrounded by the LAPD plus you're here. I can help with whatever plan you have to end this."
The ringing of his cell phone interupted whatever reply Jack was going to make. Standing Jack removed the phone from his pocket and stepped away from Dessler.
"Bauer."
"Jack, it's Tony. We need to talk to Palmer and arrange a way for Auda to get home."
"Understood."
Almeida glanced briefly at Yusuf before continuing. "Auda's only other demand is that the President make a public statement that the recording is a fake and that the US doesn't believe that Ali's country is involved with the bomb."
"I'll contact the President. Do you need anything else?"
Tony nodded. "Some food, water and a portable tv so Auda can watch the statement."
"You'll have it in under twenty minutes."Jack promised as he waved one of the LAPD officers over.
"Thanks Jack."Tony replied then after a pause he asked. "How's Michelle?"
Jack glanced back at Michelle who was watching him closely. "She's fine,Tony. Paramedics are taking care of her now."
"Good."Tony replied his voice a mixture of relief and weariness.
"I'll let you know as soon as I talk to the President."Bauer acknowledged.
"Okay."Almeida as he ended the conversation and tossed the phone on the floor. "Jack's going to contact the President. You should have your press conference in an hour."
Yusuf nodded as he leaned back against a nearby wall
**********
Jack turned to the LAPD officer. "Get some water and sandwiches and send them up to the house. Also send somebody to find a portable tv."
"Yes,Sir."The officer replied before turning to leave.
Michelle snagged Jack's arm with her hand as she jumped off the gurney. "Jack, what's going on?"
"I was just about to ask that."Ryan Chappelle stated as he approached the pair. "Ms. Dessler glad to see you're safe."
Michelle's eyes narrowed sharply but she forced herself to remember that the man was her boss. "Thank you, Sir."
Chappelle nodded and turned back to Bauer. "Jack, what's this I hear about you bothering the President?"
Jack gritted his teeth. "The President has offered his help in ending this hostage situation."
Chappelle leaned back against one of the cars. "The President's a busy man, Jack. And as far as I can see the hostage in question is safe."
Michelle stepped forward. "No, Sir. Tony traded himself for me. That's the only reason I'm out."
Chappelle met her gaze. "That was a noble move on Almeida's part but a mute one. I gave him every chance to resolve this and he's abused it. Almeida's fate is his own now. Leave this to the LAPD, Jack. I want you and Dessler back at CTU now."
Michelle took several steps forward but Jack placed a restraining hand on her arm silencing her.
"With all due respect, Sir."Jack stated angerily. "That's not going to happen. Tony Almeida is one of the finest agents CTU has ever had. You can abandon him if you want to but Michelle and I and everybody else here is staying until both Tony and Auda walk out of that house."
"You'll both be facing disiplinary actions."Chappelle replied curtly.
"Divison will be hearing from me."Michelle said angerily not caring any more about her job. "I'll be sure to tell them how willing you were to sacrifice Tony."
"It's your choice, Ms. Dessler."Chappelle replied as he turned and began to walk away. "I'll see to it that the three of you never work for CTU in any form."
Michelle started to go after Chappelle still angry. But her body was starting to feel the affects of the draining day and she stumbled under a dizzy spell.
Jack quickly reached over and steadied her. "Let him go, Michelle. Chappelle hasn't won anything. We're still going ahead with our plan. Everything will be alrlight, I promise."
Seeing that Michelle was still pale and shaky Jack led her to a nearby car and opened the driver's side door. "Here, sit down."
Michelle slowly sat down her head resting in her hands. "I'm okay, Jack."
Bauer shook his head his expression tender. "No you're not. You've been through a hell of a day and it's only natural to feel what you're feeling. Sit here for a few minutes I'll have one of the officers bring over some food. I'm going to go call Palmer."
"Jack?"Michelle called after him causing Bauer to pause.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Jack nodded. "Get some rest. I'll keep you in the loop."
Michelle nodded and rested her head against the driver's seat.
