A/N- Thanks guys for the great reviews! All right, here comes Chapter Seven! The lyrics are from Fiona Apple's "Shadowboxer"-usual disclaimers apply.

Counting the Cost

~*~

Chapter Seven

Set Your Spell

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~*Oh, your gaze is dangerous

And you fill your space so sweet

If I let you get too close

You'll set your spell on me

So I just want to say

Just in case I don't come through

I was on to every play

I just wanted you~*

A month had passed since Kim had been released from the hospital. She was still not back at work, under doctor's orders to wait and make sure no unknown side effects of the antidote would kick in.

Jack wasn't working either- so this was working out quite nicely.

He brought her breakfast in the morning, opening her door.

"Hey, dad." She said sleepily, rolling over.

"Morning, sweetheart. Still feeling good?"

"Just tired- but that's normal, right?"

"I'm sure it is."

"Ooh, bacon!" Kim smiled, taking a big bite.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better." Jack smiled.

"Thanks to you." Kim said, continuing to stuff her face.

Jack looked down at his feet. He didn't deserve the credit for this. But facing up to who did deserve it meant facing up to what had happened between them before she'd left. And he just couldn't do it. The dreams about her had finally stopped. He was trying to just let it go.

Suddenly, the phone rang in her room. Kim looked at her dad expectantly.

"You gonna get that?" She asked.

Jack nodded, picking it up.

"Jack Bauer."

"Jack, it's Tony."

He sighed.

"What is it, Tony?"

"You need to come back to work. Everyone's really worried."

"I told you I never working for you people again. Not after you nearly killed my daughter."

"Jack, Kim's fine!"

"Because I broke the law to save her!" Jack practically shouted. Kim looked up from her breakfast with surprise.

"What are you talking about, Jack?"

"Nothing. Forget it. I'm not coming back."

"We can't just let someone who knows as much as you just quit. You know that."

"What are you going to do, Tony? Send a hit man?" Jack laughed harshly.

"Jack, don't belittle this. You need to come back. Kim needs to come back as soon as she can. Or else we might be forced to take action."

"Is this supposed to worry me?"

"Jack, what is your problem? Where the hell have you been?"

"I did what I had to do to save my daughter!" Jack said angrily.

"Which was?"

"It doesn't matter now. It's done."

"What are you trying to hide?"

"What possible reason would I have for telling you anything? Just drop it, Tony!" Jack said, his voice growing louder with aggravation as Kim looked on wide-eyed.

There was a long silence on the other end.

"Jack, you didn't…" Tony sounded almost as if he couldn't finish the sentence.

"I didn't what?" Jack sighed in frustration.

"You couldn't have contacted her. Please tell me you didn't ask for her help." Tony sounded horrified.

"I don't know what you're talking about. This conversation's over." Jack hung up the phone abruptly.

Kim looked up at him, swallowing hard.

"Dad, you did something illegal to get the antidote?"

"Sweetie, please don't worry about this. Whatever I did doesn't matter. It's over. And you're alive. And that's all that matters." Jack sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Why don't you want to tell me?" Kim said, her blue eyes wide and innocent.

"Kimberly, let it go." Jack said, his voice not as kind.

Kim just nodded, going back to her bacon.

~*~

That night, long after Kim had fallen asleep, Jack was nodding off on the couch when his ringing cell phone jerked him out of a strange almost-sleeping state.

"Hello?" He practically mumbled into the phone.

"Jack, I thought I told you I was an even $400 for the whole night." He heard a familiar, mocking voice on the other end.

"Why are you calling here? How'd you get this number?"

"Well, so much for post-sex awkwardness." She said.

"Nina, why are you calling here?"

"How's Kim?"

"She's…better," Jack paused, sighing, "Thank you. For your help."

"Gratitude from Jack Bauer? I think hell just froze over."

Jack didn't say anything.

"So-are you back with CTU yet?"

"I told you I'm not working for them ever again."

"Yeah, but I kind of thought you were just taking a little hiatus so you could play with the bad kids for awhile."

"No. I meant it."

"Well, that's good."

"Nina…why did you leave?"

"I don't know, Jack. I figured our little story had pretty much played out that night- five times."

"So where are you now?"

"Around."

"So why'd you call? Just to catch up?" Jack said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"No, actually. I need to see you."

"Why's that?"

"Just trust me. It's important."

"Nina, I don't think-"

"No, it's not that, Jack. Although that does sound pretty damn tempting, I have something that I'm just dying to talk to you about."

Jack noticed her voice sounded a little strange. Like she was getting upset.

"What's going on, Nina?" He asked a little nervously.

"Don't get all worked up, Jack."

There was a long silence.

Jack sighed in annoyance.

"Are you ever going to tell me? Or just leave me in suspense?"

"Fine, Jack. You really want to know what this is about?"

"Yes!"

"I'm pregnant."

~*~

A/N- Please review! Chapter Eight to come shortly!