I'm really just not feelin this one, but I needed it in here. I've decided that maybe angst just isn't my thing. I don't know. Please review.
Ellie had been home from school for forty-five minutes when she got the phone call. She was a senior, so she got out a little bit earlier than the rest of the school, and she had been sitting at the table doing calculus homework when the phone rang.
She reached over her binders to where it was sitting. "Hello?"
"Ellie? It's Jack Bauer." Ellie did a double take. She wasn't expecting that.
"Hi Jack, is Michelle okay?" she asked rather nervously.
Jack paused. "Well... could you come down here? I can explain it and... Michelle needs a ride home."
"What is it? Is she hurt?" Ellie sounded almost panicked.
"No, just-"
"She and Tony drove together this morning, why does she need a ride?"
"Ellie. Can I explain once you're here, please?" Jack was pleading at this point.
Ellie paused. "Yeah. I'll be there in twenty minutes or so."
Ellie got there in eighteen minutes- she sped. She almost ran into CTU, and Jack met her just past security. That's when he told her.
"Where is she?" Ellie asked Jack, fighting tears.
Jack tilted his head and nodded toward a room down the hall. "You ready to go get her?"
Ellie nodded.
When she entered the room, she saw Michelle, looking hardly even alive. "Chelle?" she said cautiously, sitting down next to her sister. "Chelle, it's me, I'm here."
Michelle didn't look up.
The whole way home, Michelle didn't say a word. Ellie followed her up the front steps, in the entry, through the living room and up the stairs, then paused as Michelle headed down the hall towards the master bedroom, unsure whether or not her sister wanted her there. Michelle stopped in front of the door, but didn't go in, and finally sat down with her back to the door, crying.
"I can't go in there," Ellie heard through the tears.
The two sat at the end of the hall for hours- no words being spoken, just their arms around each other and tears running down their faces. When Michelle finally fell asleep, Ellie called Kerry, who promised to be on the next flight to LA.
Ellie wasn't sure quite when it happened, but eventually, Michelle started smiling again. The possibility of Ellie going back to New York with Kerry had been discussed, but after talking to Michelle, they decided that Michelle needed Ellie more than ever right now.
Michelle acted like everything was fine- she put on her professional mask and went about her day. But Ellie still heard her crying at night sometimes. The walls were thin.