Sunday
March 3, 2002
Los Angeles, California
Tony stretched and looked at the clock -- it was a little after nine A.M. He gently rolled over, so as not to wake Nina, and felt a sleepy smile come to his lips at the sight that greeted him. It was an unusually chilly morning and Nina had the covers pulled tightly over shoulders, her face was half-buried in the pillow.
They had gone out last night on a date -- a real date. Not meeting for lunch or just heading straight back to one of their apartments after work but dinner and even a little dancing. He hadn't been so sure on the dancing part, he had been told that he was a good dancer but he always felt so self-conscious. She had laughed at his shyness and kissed him gently on the lips before pulling him onto the dance floor. He loved watching Nina dance.
He loved Nina.
It was scary to be sure. The first time he worked with her, on Operation Proteus, he had been instantly captivated. Working side by side with her, day in day out those initial feelings deepened.
She was intelligent, beautiful and devoted to her work. He wasn't merely attracted to her, he admired her. But CTU, like most government agencies, had strict rules about "fraternization" and he hadn't been willing to jeopardize their careers and their friendship.
However, the past few months he had become closer to her as she gravitated towards Jack. It had been difficult watching the two of them together. Jack was married, albeit separated at the time, and he had decided to start an affair with one of his subordinates. It was stupid both professionally and personally but why should that stop him? Jack had the kind of ego that let him continue on any course he'd chosen regardless of the consequences.
Nina had never admitted to them having an affair but he had heard the gossip and more importantly he knew what he had seen between them. It had ended a few weeks ago as far as he could tell. Jack had probably gone back to his wife and Nina had suffered in silence. She was a class act for not retaliating or falling apart.
Two weeks ago, he had seen Nina at a bar a lot of the agents hung out at after work. While he was sometimes there to meet with the other agents she wasn't a regular at the after work get-togethers. He went over to talk to her, they had had a few drinks and wound up back at his place. He knew she didn't feel the same way he did so he hadn't expected it to be anything more than a one night stand but it turned into more. What, he wasn't sure exactly. He knew from the beginning it was probably just a rebound relationship, Nina probably still had feelings for Jack. She might just be using him to make Jack jealous and in the end he might get burned. But he couldn't say no to her.
And even though logic was telling him otherwise he couldn't believe that he was nothing more to her than a co-worker with benefits.
Last night had given him the hope their relationship could become more.
Of course, that could have its own set of problems. Last week they had run into George Mason while coming back from breakfast. Nina had put Mason in his place but he was sure that incident had made it into the CTU gossip mills. He was pretty sure that Jack knew, even though he hadn't let on -- yet.
He didn't like Jack and it wasn't just because of Nina, although watching him treat her like garbage didn't help.
He had joined the Marines when he turned 18 as a way to pay off college. His family wasn't poor but they weren't rich either and they didn't have the funds to support him. He had always been a shy, bookish kid. He could hold his own in sports but he wasn't an athlete -- he was never competitive enough for any of that. His father had been pleased when Tony told him he had enlisted, he thought it would be a great chance for him to "toughen up."
Life in the Marines hadn't been so bad. The food was horrid and boot camp was hell but other than that he enjoyed it. He liked the structure and the routine. He never had problems taking orders, unlike some of his fellow Marines who thought that they were above that and believed they didn't have to follow the rules. Some of them could coast by on the excuse of being intelligent and talented. But they were also arrogant and dismissive of those around them.
He hated putting up with all that macho bullshit. Not that he always rose above it but he tried to avoid pissing contests. It's why he didn't make a career out of the Marines - too many guys like Jack there. After he got out he decided he liked California better than Chicago, even if he did miss catching home games at Wrigley whenever he wanted. He worked in Silicon Valley for a while and while the pay was good it wasn't what he wanted to spend his life doing. When he was contacted by CTU recruiters he had jumped at the chance. It was an incredible honor to be asked to work there.
Even though he did have to put up with some egos at work, it was worth it. If he hadn't joined CTU he might never have met the woman he loved.
March 3, 2002
Los Angeles, California
Tony stretched and looked at the clock -- it was a little after nine A.M. He gently rolled over, so as not to wake Nina, and felt a sleepy smile come to his lips at the sight that greeted him. It was an unusually chilly morning and Nina had the covers pulled tightly over shoulders, her face was half-buried in the pillow.
They had gone out last night on a date -- a real date. Not meeting for lunch or just heading straight back to one of their apartments after work but dinner and even a little dancing. He hadn't been so sure on the dancing part, he had been told that he was a good dancer but he always felt so self-conscious. She had laughed at his shyness and kissed him gently on the lips before pulling him onto the dance floor. He loved watching Nina dance.
He loved Nina.
It was scary to be sure. The first time he worked with her, on Operation Proteus, he had been instantly captivated. Working side by side with her, day in day out those initial feelings deepened.
She was intelligent, beautiful and devoted to her work. He wasn't merely attracted to her, he admired her. But CTU, like most government agencies, had strict rules about "fraternization" and he hadn't been willing to jeopardize their careers and their friendship.
However, the past few months he had become closer to her as she gravitated towards Jack. It had been difficult watching the two of them together. Jack was married, albeit separated at the time, and he had decided to start an affair with one of his subordinates. It was stupid both professionally and personally but why should that stop him? Jack had the kind of ego that let him continue on any course he'd chosen regardless of the consequences.
Nina had never admitted to them having an affair but he had heard the gossip and more importantly he knew what he had seen between them. It had ended a few weeks ago as far as he could tell. Jack had probably gone back to his wife and Nina had suffered in silence. She was a class act for not retaliating or falling apart.
Two weeks ago, he had seen Nina at a bar a lot of the agents hung out at after work. While he was sometimes there to meet with the other agents she wasn't a regular at the after work get-togethers. He went over to talk to her, they had had a few drinks and wound up back at his place. He knew she didn't feel the same way he did so he hadn't expected it to be anything more than a one night stand but it turned into more. What, he wasn't sure exactly. He knew from the beginning it was probably just a rebound relationship, Nina probably still had feelings for Jack. She might just be using him to make Jack jealous and in the end he might get burned. But he couldn't say no to her.
And even though logic was telling him otherwise he couldn't believe that he was nothing more to her than a co-worker with benefits.
Last night had given him the hope their relationship could become more.
Of course, that could have its own set of problems. Last week they had run into George Mason while coming back from breakfast. Nina had put Mason in his place but he was sure that incident had made it into the CTU gossip mills. He was pretty sure that Jack knew, even though he hadn't let on -- yet.
He didn't like Jack and it wasn't just because of Nina, although watching him treat her like garbage didn't help.
He had joined the Marines when he turned 18 as a way to pay off college. His family wasn't poor but they weren't rich either and they didn't have the funds to support him. He had always been a shy, bookish kid. He could hold his own in sports but he wasn't an athlete -- he was never competitive enough for any of that. His father had been pleased when Tony told him he had enlisted, he thought it would be a great chance for him to "toughen up."
Life in the Marines hadn't been so bad. The food was horrid and boot camp was hell but other than that he enjoyed it. He liked the structure and the routine. He never had problems taking orders, unlike some of his fellow Marines who thought that they were above that and believed they didn't have to follow the rules. Some of them could coast by on the excuse of being intelligent and talented. But they were also arrogant and dismissive of those around them.
He hated putting up with all that macho bullshit. Not that he always rose above it but he tried to avoid pissing contests. It's why he didn't make a career out of the Marines - too many guys like Jack there. After he got out he decided he liked California better than Chicago, even if he did miss catching home games at Wrigley whenever he wanted. He worked in Silicon Valley for a while and while the pay was good it wasn't what he wanted to spend his life doing. When he was contacted by CTU recruiters he had jumped at the chance. It was an incredible honor to be asked to work there.
Even though he did have to put up with some egos at work, it was worth it. If he hadn't joined CTU he might never have met the woman he loved.