A/N: Again, I'm very grateful for the reviews and it's your feedback that has been encouraging me to continue this story. The next chapter will be the last but for now, I hope you enjoy this one. While working on it I've been exhausted and sick with a cold so I hope it's good.

Chapter three: Lost

Jack stood above the casket surrounded by numerous flowers. They were cradled gently in the warm sunlight; a light breeze rocked them every now and again. When Bauer tried leaving, he could not.

Frozen.

Numb.

Disbelief.

"Why?"

Jack stared unblinking at the casket, but when he could no longer fight the reflex to blink, he squeezed his eyes again as tears threatened to peek out from the corners.

"Chloe," he said to himself, "I never thought I would lose you."

Jack bowed his head. His eyes remained shut. He was exhausted…tired of the tragedies. Losing Teri, his feelings for Nina Myers and her unexpected betrayal; and now Chloe. The 'tough-in-control-Jack' everyone had known him to be, but inside he didn't know how much more he could take.

"Jack?"

As if shoved out of a trance, his eyes snapped open at a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Michelle Dessler walking up to him.

"Michelle," he said sadly.

She reached out and comforted him with a brief squeeze on his arm. "Jack, I know you think you didn't do enough for Chloe but you did."

"I could've done more. I knew she was being harassed."

"Don't do this to yourself."

Jack looked down at the casket again. His facial muscles tightened angrily.

Michelle tilted her head toward him, trying to get his attention. "Jack?"

Bauer ignored her and insisted on gazing stone-faced at the casket.

"Jack?"

Bauer woke with a start in the chair he was sitting in. He looked around in confusion at the hospital room. The fog had cleared and he realized the voice wasn't Michelle calling him but Chloe who lay in the bed beside him. "Chloe?"

"I was watching you," she said groggily. "Bad dream?"

Jack stared at her for a moment; then he nodded.

"You should go home and rest."

"No, I'm okay."

"You're not okay, Jack. It's because of me you're here and having bad dreams."

He leaned closer to her. "Don't blame yourself. What happened wasn't your fault and I want to be here."

Chloe looked away from him and stared out into the open space ahead. She frowned and for a moment it seemed she wanted to cry. Instead, she sighed and pursed her lips. "I don't know what I was thinking. I really believed Mike loved me, even when he acted like a moron, I still believed him. I was so stupid."

"You're not stupid," said Jack soothingly.

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave Jack a 'how-could-I-forget' expression. "You thought the same thing about Nina. You believed she cared about you and look what happened. I want you to know I still feel bad about that."

As usual, Jack found himself caught by surprise at her awkward bluntness, but instead of being annoyed, he let it go and smiled. Yes, he smiled…happy to see her alive. "I'm glad to know you care."

"I've always felt bad about that and--," she hesitated and nervously looked away from him.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?" she said, gazing at the window.

"I care about you, too."

She gave him her attention again. "I thought you didn't like me. Everyone else at CTU doesn't like me."

"Chloe, you're one of the few people I can trust. What do you think that means?"

She didn't expect that answer. Brief silence wedged between them until Chloe broke the silence. "I never thought you would, well…trust me."

"I do," said Jack sincerely.

She managed to smile despite the morphine hitting her again. "Thanks for your help," O'Brian told him, her voice slurred. "I would be dead right now if you didn't come." Chloe's eyes were half-closed.

"Get some rest," said Jack. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She slowly nodded and then sleep had silenced her. Jack stayed for a while, watching her sleep. He never saw her sleep and a contented smile grew in the corners of his lips. It pleased him to see her sleeping peacefully, to know that she was indeed safe.

Jack was there with Chloe in the hospital until the day she was released. O'Brian appreciated every moment he had spent with her. She voiced her appreciation to him but wanted Jack to know more. And every time Chloe tried to muster the courage to tell him how she really felt, again she feared making a fool out of herself. It's been a month now since she had been in the hospital. Inside her bedroom, the June sun welcomed Chloe with its warmth, as if comforting her, and yet she still felt a chill. The room had been quite warm but inwardly she shivered.

Chloe stood in front of a long oval cherry wood mirror. She gazed back at the reflection of silky lavender shorts and nothing else on but a lavender bra. Her expression morphed from fear, anger to repulsion at the scars on her arm and on her left side. And though Mike was dead, she seethed at the thought of him.

I hate you! Look at what you've done to me!

She continued to watch herself and then…

"Chloe."

O'Brian flinched at the cryptic whisper of Mike's voice. Her eyes looked around frightfully until they halted at the bathroom.

The bathroom.

Suddenly, Chloe grabbed her phone off the lamp table and ran out of the bedroom. Outside near the stairs, she fell back against the wall. Nausea rolled in her stomach at the memories of what happened. Fighting from losing her lunch, she breathed deeply and calmed down. Once the nausea passed, Chloe dialed a familiar number. It rang a few times and just when she feared no answer…

"Bauer."

"Jack."

"Chloe? Are you all right?"

"I need to talk to you about something, but not on the phone. Can you come over?"

"Okay. I'll be there."

Inside the foyer, Chloe stopped at another mirror where she finished buttoning her pink floral gray cardigan. Her eyes darted up to the necklace she often wore. It was lopsided, most likely from rushing nervously and then she straightened it. Instead of wearing her blonde hair tied back, she added some hair gel and let it free, flowing down in loose waves onto her shoulders. The voices viciously assaulted her again…

What are you doing? Jack doesn't care about you in that way. Why would he want you? Think about it…Teri was beautiful and so was Nina. And don't forget Kate Warner. If you wanna make a fool out of yourself, then go ahead. Mike already tricked you. And now you're thinking Jack is interested? Of all people, Chloe, of all people…Jack?

"Stop it!" she yelled at her reflection of a woman whom no matter what she did or how smart she was, Chloe still felt empty. Lost. She spun around when hearing Jack's vehicle outside the house. Opening the door, he stood there, taking off his sunglasses and smiling. She stared at him for a moment. Something she had often done at CTU when he hadn't noticed. Chloe took in every detail…from his blue eyes she always admired to the short sleeve Henley shirt of the same color and denim jeans. She greeted him with a smile of her own. "Come in."

Once he was inside, she motioned her hand toward the burgundy futon sofa where Jack sat down.

"Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

She noted his surprised expression. "What?" said Chloe, as if she hadn't known.

"You look different."

"It's my hair. I wanted to do something different and so--," she shrugged, not knowing what to say next.

"It's—nice."

Sensing a bit of uneasiness in his voice, Chloe didn't know whether to accept his compliment as a positive or negative. "You really like it?"

"Yeah," he answered, smiling this time. "It looks great."

Excited at his reply, but not wanting to act giddy, she simply said, "Thanks," and sat beside him. "I was wondering…is it possible you'll still keep your job at CTU? You know, after what they found out about the heroin? I mean, how long is this investigation going to take?"

"I don't know," he said, uncomfortable again. His eyes fell briefly to the floor. Puzzled, he looked up at Chloe. "You didn't ask me over here to discuss my future at CTU. On the phone, whatever you wanted to talk about sounded urgent."

Chloe bit her bottom lip and could not hide the fear that tormented her since leaving the hospital.

He leaned closer to her. "What's wrong?"

Flustered, Chloe breathed and decided to tell him the truth. "When I left the hospital and coming back here, I thought I would be okay. I was for a while but then it hit me—everything that happened. Sometimes I can't sleep in my room and I'll sleep down here. Jack, he's dead but I'm still afraid."

"I know," Jack answered softly. He then pulled her into his soothing embrace. Bauer held her for a while until breaking away from the hug. "If you want, I can stay here tonight."

Stunned at his suggestion, her lips parted a little. Chloe struggled with the words that were momentarily frozen in her mind; and not wanting to keep him wondering if what he had said was or wasn't a good idea, she had to quickly say something. "You've done enough for me, Jack. I've already ruined your time to be alone. I know that's what you needed after--,"

"Chloe," he cut in. "It's okay. I don't mind."

Silenced by his persistence, she allowed him to stay with a nod.

Jack didn't need to open the futon; it had been wide enough for him to sleep comfortably. As he lay upon it, he suddenly sensed he wasn't alone. He perked his head up and looked around to see Chloe standing beneath the arch that led out into the hall. Jack wondered how long she stood there watching him.

"Good night," she said, smiling awkwardly.

"Good night," he replied and when she had gone upstairs, Jack rested his head back onto the futon. He enjoyed the time spent with her while they ate dinner and they even laughed together, something he desperately needed after so much he had endured over the past years. While she ate, Bauer found himself stealing a quick glance at Chloe. He couldn't stop thinking about how she looked with her hair wavy and untied. She was not only very intelligent, but beautiful outside and inwardly. Sleep came with its powerful persuasion. Unable to resist, he drifted off into a deep slumber.

The memories…they would not stop, battering Jack relentlessly. Nina, when he shot her and made sure she was dead. Killing Chappelle…something he unfortunately had to live with for the rest of his life. The heroin that numbed the pain. The times he had been captured and tortured viciously. Teri…she would be safe at CTU. Instead of coming back to hold her in her arms again, he held her lifeless body. Their unborn child he would never know. So many dead people; their faces he tried to forget but they persisted in haunting him…

Jack bolted upright from the futon. He cried out. His face damp with beads of hot sweat, and his chest rose and fell with each frantic breath he took. Tired of the nightmares, the loneliness and lost in what felt like hell, he leapt from the cushions, ran into the dimly-lit hall and inside another bathroom on the first floor.

Jack's scream had jolted Chloe out of a peaceful sleep she didn't get much of since the traumatic event. Immediately she swung a satin pink robe around her form barely naked except for the lavender bra and panties. O'Brian rushed downstairs and when she noticed Jack wasn't sleeping on the futon, she wondered where he could be until hearing water running inside the bathroom. Chloe headed toward the half closed door and hesitated. She decided to knock but her fist stopped midway.

"Jack?"

No answer and then came a harried reply, "Yeah?"

"You okay? Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Chloe slowly opened the door. Her eyes wide with profound concern at the agent sitting on the beige marbled floor. His head lay against the wall and from what she saw; water had been splashed on his face. "Jack!" Chloe knelt beside him. He trembled and smudged some tears from beneath his eyes.

"More bad dreams?"

He nodded.

Chloe absent-mindedly circled her arms around Jack. And when she felt him tighten his embrace around her, she suddenly realized what she had done without thinking. Uncomfortable, she broke away from the hug. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? About what?"

"I shouldn't have hugged you like that."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

Bauer reached out and lightly caressed her hair. She flinched at his touch.

"Jack," she whispered.

He laid his forehead against hers. "I need you."

Shaking, she told him, "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?" Jack brushed his fingers along her neck and down to her cleavage.

"Because," she whispered again. Distracted by his gentle touch, she shut her eyes and shivered.

"Chloe," he said softly while gazing at her lips. "I want to be with you."

It was useless. Although it frightened Chloe to fall in love again, she could no longer deny her feelings for him. "I wanna be with you, too."

Their lips played with each other…inching closer, pulling back until they both gave in to the kiss that for months had only been a fantasy. Jack liked what he tasted and had taken more of her lips into his own.

"Is this really happening?" Chloe thought. "Oh God, Oh God." She allowed him to untie her robe and this time his lips hungrily explored her neck and teasingly kissed their way down to her cleavage. Chloe slid her fingers through the back of his blonde hair and pushed his face closer against her breasts. When he looked up at her and she gazed into his eyes, Chloe knew where he wanted to go…

The bedroom.

It wasn't pitch darkness. Chloe could still see Jack as a shadow in the brilliant moonlight peering through the window. She felt his lips taking their time and exploring along her naked body. As his lips slid down below her navel, Chloe shuddered, passionately grasping his hands. Her eyes rolled shut. Her thoughts halted. She would be quiet. She would be still…and let him love her.

Chloe's eyes fluttered open and instead of the moon, she had been greeted by sunlight peeking through white laced curtains. Jack lay behind her, cradling O'Brian in his arms. He stirred and when she turned to face him, he was awake.

Jack smiled. "Good morning."

Chloe snuggled closer. Smiling back, she said, "Good morning."

He tenderly brushed back strands of her hair and kissed Chloe's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel--," Chloe paused, staring at him in disbelief. She then went on to say, "I feel great!"

"Yeah?"

Her face perked with a wide grin while she nodded.

Jack glided his fingers along her cheek. "Me, too." Bauer's lips begged for hers again and they kissed ardently. Tired of the loneliness, stress from working at CTU, feeling lost; they needed each other once more. But Chloe, overwhelmed with sudden reluctance had pulled away from his kiss.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need to use the bathroom." Holding the sheet against her body (at the same time, not wanting him to see her scars), Chloe grabbed her robe and quickly tied it around her petite form. She stood, walking barefoot toward the bathroom. Her hand reached for the knob and hesitated. Chloe's fingers quivered.

"I—I can't." She shook her head then screaming, "I can't!" Chloe ran back to Jack and snuggled into his arms again.

"Chloe, it's okay," he whispered soothingly. "I know you're still afraid and it won't be easy. You need time before you can go back in there."

She clung onto him. It wasn't only because of her fear of what happened in the bathroom. Yes, she needed to use it, and it was also the place where she needed to think for a while. Bauer couldn't see the worry and regret on her face.

"Jack," she said to herself. "I love you, but last night…we're going too fast. Are you sure you wanna be with me? Are you?"

TBC