Three Weeks Later
Chapter 2
Michelle awoke a few hours later to a darkened room. The radio still sounded softly in the background, but everything else was dark and depressing. She reached over and flicked on a table lamp next to the sofa and began, once again, to think about Tony and that regretful day three weeks earlier.
She had taken Nina's place in a strictly career manner of speaking. Not that she hadn't wished to take her place in other matters as well, Tony just seemed so far out of her reach. Never in a million years did she want to get involved with Jack Bauer...but Tony was a completely different matter. The day was awful. Threats and accusations from within as well as without. Then having to work with Carrie. What hurt the most was when Tony came after her for helping Jack. She knew, they all knew now, that she had been right to help him. If not, the US would be at war with three countries and the real terrorists would have accomplished their goal. Michelle sighed to herself. Tony had been downright cruel, even after he decided to help Jack out a little bit. Brushing at the lone tear that was coursing down her cheek, Michelle remembered how she had tried to apologize. *"What do you want from me, Michelle?"* If only he knew how much she had wanted to pour her heart and soul out right then. How desperately she wanted him to understand that she was just trying to do what was right and how that shouldn't affect the conversation they had had earlier. But she knew it did. Tony was still her boss and, even though, no, especially since she cared for him, he had to treat her the same way he would have treated another employee of CTU. Instead of laying her heart out on the table, she opted for "I'm sorry." Tony brushed her off, leaving her with a deeper wound than if she had actually handed him her heart and he refused it.
Michelle shook herself from her thoughts and headed for the kitchen. *You threw yourself at him, Michelle. He was just trying to comfort you and you came within seconds of sticking your tongue down his throat. Smooth move.* Sure, Tony had said he wasn't sorry about the kiss, but he could have just been trying to put her at ease. *Oh my gosh, I feel like such a slut. What kind of woman kisses her boss at work? I'll bet he thinks I'm too easy for him. Way to go, Michelle.* Pushing off the feel of his taut shoulders and thick hair under her hands and the taste of his lips on hers, Michelle reached into the cupboard under the sink and pulled out a bottle of Jose Cuervo. After finding a shot glass, she made her way back to the sofa. Turning on the TV, she poured herself a shot and slammed it. Before she could even reach the bottle to pour a second, her phone rang.
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Tony was exhausted when he reached home that night. He knew he should have stopped by to check on Jack, but he was ready to crawl right into bed. His stomach rumbled and he decided he needed to eat since he couldn't remember whether or not he had eaten breakfast or lunch that day. Realizing his kitchen was completely devoid of food, he decided to call ahead and pick up a pizza at the local pizza parlor. He knew it would be packed full of college students, but if he picked it up and took it home, he should be able to avoid the huge crowds. After calling in his order, he grabbed his wallet and keys from the side table where he had tossed them upon entering the house and walked out the door. As he turned the key in the ignition of his Chevy Avalanche, he grabbed his cell and searched for a number. When he had the right number, he hit the `call' button. After letting it ring for a few minutes, he hung up.
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Kate and Kim prepared a wonderful dinner for the three of them. After eating, Kim cleared the table and excused herself, saying that she and her friend Nikki were planning on heading out for a while.
"Take my car, Kim." Kate offered kindly.
"Are you sure?" Kim looked incredulous. "It's so nice."
"I'm sure. Have fun." Kate smiled and added "It gives me a chance to stay here until you get home."
Kim grinned. "I'll be late," she laughed as she kissed her dad on the forehead and hugged Kate goodbye.
Kim took the proffered keys and made her way to the black, thirty-five year edition, convertible Camaro that sat in the parking lot of the apartment complex. She started the car and headed across town to pick up her childhood friend Nikki. She and Nikki had been close through Elementary and Middle school. Once the two hit High school, though, their lives drifted apart. During the middle of their sophomore year, Nikki moved to Northern California until a few months before Terri Bauer was killed. After Kim lost her mother, she began to spend more time with Nikki who was raised by her father after losing her mother to surgery complications when Nikki was ten years old. Kim pulled up in front of a two-story house and blew the horn twice. Nikki came through the front door and let out a sharp whistle.
"What a ride! Kim, please tell me you didn't steal it?" Nikki's grin belied the severity of her question.
"of course not, it's Kate's" Kim smiled back at her friend.
"Who's Kate?"
"A woman my dad is seeing," Kim decided not to go into detail about how Kate and her father met and spent their first several hours together.
"Oh." Nikki changed the subject, "so? What are we gonna do on a Friday night in L.A. with a sweet ride like this?"
Kim laughed. "Well, I have another friend who needs help either getting a guy or getting over said guy. I thought she might need some cheering up."
"Fine by me."
"I'd better call her and see if she's up to it," Kim reached for her cell.
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Chapter 2
Michelle awoke a few hours later to a darkened room. The radio still sounded softly in the background, but everything else was dark and depressing. She reached over and flicked on a table lamp next to the sofa and began, once again, to think about Tony and that regretful day three weeks earlier.
She had taken Nina's place in a strictly career manner of speaking. Not that she hadn't wished to take her place in other matters as well, Tony just seemed so far out of her reach. Never in a million years did she want to get involved with Jack Bauer...but Tony was a completely different matter. The day was awful. Threats and accusations from within as well as without. Then having to work with Carrie. What hurt the most was when Tony came after her for helping Jack. She knew, they all knew now, that she had been right to help him. If not, the US would be at war with three countries and the real terrorists would have accomplished their goal. Michelle sighed to herself. Tony had been downright cruel, even after he decided to help Jack out a little bit. Brushing at the lone tear that was coursing down her cheek, Michelle remembered how she had tried to apologize. *"What do you want from me, Michelle?"* If only he knew how much she had wanted to pour her heart and soul out right then. How desperately she wanted him to understand that she was just trying to do what was right and how that shouldn't affect the conversation they had had earlier. But she knew it did. Tony was still her boss and, even though, no, especially since she cared for him, he had to treat her the same way he would have treated another employee of CTU. Instead of laying her heart out on the table, she opted for "I'm sorry." Tony brushed her off, leaving her with a deeper wound than if she had actually handed him her heart and he refused it.
Michelle shook herself from her thoughts and headed for the kitchen. *You threw yourself at him, Michelle. He was just trying to comfort you and you came within seconds of sticking your tongue down his throat. Smooth move.* Sure, Tony had said he wasn't sorry about the kiss, but he could have just been trying to put her at ease. *Oh my gosh, I feel like such a slut. What kind of woman kisses her boss at work? I'll bet he thinks I'm too easy for him. Way to go, Michelle.* Pushing off the feel of his taut shoulders and thick hair under her hands and the taste of his lips on hers, Michelle reached into the cupboard under the sink and pulled out a bottle of Jose Cuervo. After finding a shot glass, she made her way back to the sofa. Turning on the TV, she poured herself a shot and slammed it. Before she could even reach the bottle to pour a second, her phone rang.
************************************************************************
Tony was exhausted when he reached home that night. He knew he should have stopped by to check on Jack, but he was ready to crawl right into bed. His stomach rumbled and he decided he needed to eat since he couldn't remember whether or not he had eaten breakfast or lunch that day. Realizing his kitchen was completely devoid of food, he decided to call ahead and pick up a pizza at the local pizza parlor. He knew it would be packed full of college students, but if he picked it up and took it home, he should be able to avoid the huge crowds. After calling in his order, he grabbed his wallet and keys from the side table where he had tossed them upon entering the house and walked out the door. As he turned the key in the ignition of his Chevy Avalanche, he grabbed his cell and searched for a number. When he had the right number, he hit the `call' button. After letting it ring for a few minutes, he hung up.
************************************************************************
Kate and Kim prepared a wonderful dinner for the three of them. After eating, Kim cleared the table and excused herself, saying that she and her friend Nikki were planning on heading out for a while.
"Take my car, Kim." Kate offered kindly.
"Are you sure?" Kim looked incredulous. "It's so nice."
"I'm sure. Have fun." Kate smiled and added "It gives me a chance to stay here until you get home."
Kim grinned. "I'll be late," she laughed as she kissed her dad on the forehead and hugged Kate goodbye.
Kim took the proffered keys and made her way to the black, thirty-five year edition, convertible Camaro that sat in the parking lot of the apartment complex. She started the car and headed across town to pick up her childhood friend Nikki. She and Nikki had been close through Elementary and Middle school. Once the two hit High school, though, their lives drifted apart. During the middle of their sophomore year, Nikki moved to Northern California until a few months before Terri Bauer was killed. After Kim lost her mother, she began to spend more time with Nikki who was raised by her father after losing her mother to surgery complications when Nikki was ten years old. Kim pulled up in front of a two-story house and blew the horn twice. Nikki came through the front door and let out a sharp whistle.
"What a ride! Kim, please tell me you didn't steal it?" Nikki's grin belied the severity of her question.
"of course not, it's Kate's" Kim smiled back at her friend.
"Who's Kate?"
"A woman my dad is seeing," Kim decided not to go into detail about how Kate and her father met and spent their first several hours together.
"Oh." Nikki changed the subject, "so? What are we gonna do on a Friday night in L.A. with a sweet ride like this?"
Kim laughed. "Well, I have another friend who needs help either getting a guy or getting over said guy. I thought she might need some cheering up."
"Fine by me."
"I'd better call her and see if she's up to it," Kim reached for her cell.
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