A/N: Ok, everyone, this is it…the final chapter! Thank you so much for reading this story and leaving reviews that made me very happy. I apologize for writing a short chapter but I've also been very busy. Will there be more J/C stories…yes! I just can't resist writing about them!

Chapter four: Doubt

Jack sat in his car parked outside Chloe's home. Before getting out, and exhausted of numerous thoughts inflicting mental torture since three weeks ago—that night when they desperately needed each other, Jack's head fell back against the top of the seat. He had known Chloe wasn't the same. At times it seemed she only pretended to be happy and lately he hadn't been blind to her distance. Now he had regrets about that night (not that he didn't want to be with Chloe), but maybe he pushed it too far, too soon. She wasn't ready, especially after what happened with Mike. What about himself? Jack thought he was ready after meeting Kate. He didn't want to make the same mistake with Chloe and yet a part of him felt this was different. That hadn't been the only thing troubling Jack. He needed to tell her something, and he had a feeling she wouldn't be thrilled to hear it.

Jack couldn't hide in his car all day and avoid the situation. It was then he decided to leave the SUV and headed toward her house. He knocked and sudden anxiety tugged at him.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?"

He breathed with relief when Chloe slowly opened the door and crossed tense arms against her white tank top.

"Jack?' Her hair limped down onto her shoulders.

Smiling sheepishly, he replied, "I needed to see you."

Silent, Chloe opened the door wider for him to come inside. He sat down on the futon and when she joined beside him, Jack mentally shoved himself to tell her what had been on his mind. He then was startled by Chloe's sudden interruption.

"I'm sorry. I know you think I've been acting kinda weird lately since that—night." She sighed and went on. "I wanna be with you, Jack but don't you think we're going too fast?"

Jack nodded. "You're right, we need more time."

Chloe studied him closely. His face was damp with sweat and he breathed erratically. "You're still going through withdrawals."

"Yes, and it's one of the reasons why we have to be careful. I need more time to get through this. I don't want to hurt you and…I'm sorry, Chloe. The last thing I want is to hurt you after everything that's happened."

Chloe knew he had been going through withdrawals again, but it seemed like he was struggling with another matter. By then, she grew alarmed. Her eyes narrowed. "It's not only the withdrawals…there's something else."

"Erin Driscoll has taken my place at CTU. I'm sure you know that."

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean you can't work there anymore."

Feeling like crap from the withdrawals and frustrated about everything, he sighed irritably. "Chloe," Jack snapped. "Erin fired me."

"What?" She halted, shocked at what he told her and continued on. "It's not fair. After everything you've done? If it weren't for you, who knows where those vials would be now? The heroin…it happened because you were undercover--,"

"No!" he snapped again. His face caved into his hands. Jack angrily wiped beads of sweat off his face and then he looked up at Chloe. "It happened because I wanted it." Chloe eyed him nervously, not knowing what to say after that. Jack waited for her response and then he went on. This time his voice was softer. "I had to tell you the truth because I want us to be honest with each other."

"I know," she said. "And it doesn't change the way I feel about you."

Relieved, Jack smiled and appreciated her understanding (what he loved about her). He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Chloe asked, "Where will you be working?"

Jack hesitated. It's the one thing he didn't want to tell her but he had no choice. "In DC; I'll be working for James Heller."

The worried expression crept back onto Chloe's face. "The Secretary of Defense?"

"Yeah," he barely uttered with a bit of disappointment—disappointed he would no longer work at CTU, and concerned at Chloe's evident worry in her voice. What he had been unaware of was that she hadn't been only concerned about him leaving, but James Heller had a daughter, a very beautiful daughter—Audrey Raines. Jack sensed Chloe's uneasiness and gently took her hands into his own. "I don't want you to worry about anything. I'll be in DC, but that doesn't mean we won't keep in touch or see each other."

Chloe's eyes fell away from him, burdened with sudden uncertainty. "I know you promised we'll keep in touch but--," she let out a deep sigh, frowned and met his gaze again. "Will you be there for me?"

He leaned closer, squeezing her hands tenderly. "Yes," Jack stated with confidence he hoped calmed her fears. "It doesn't matter where I am, I'll be there for you." Bauer pulled her into his arms and gave Chloe a snug embrace. He stopped to look at her with a smile. Again their lips parted, tasting more of each other and before it had gone any further, they broke away, holding one another instead.

"Chloe, I'm falling in love with you."

Overwhelmed with shock at what she never thought possible, frozen at what she heard him say, at the moment O'Brian could only offer an awkward smile; her eyes fell onto her lap. Jack lifted her chin so that they stared at one another again.

"I'm falling in love with you, too." She hugged Jack's face in her hands and then Chloe laid her forehead against his.

Since that day, Jack had two weeks to spend with Chloe and then came the morning when he had to leave for Washington. The Secret Service waited, parked in a black vehicle. Jack stepped out of his house with luggage in both hands. And as he approached the vehicle, he was startled by someone rushing out of another car.

"Jack!"

"Chloe?" he said, setting the luggage onto the ground.

She closed the space between them and smiled. A warm breeze fanned Chloe's blonde hair away from her face. "I had to see you before you left."

Jack circled his arms around O'Brian, pulling her tightly against him. He whispered in her ear. "I'll call you." Chloe tightened her embrace, not wanting to let go and when she peered up at him, his goodbye had been a brief kiss on her lips. Slowly, she let him go and watched as he picked up his luggage. He stepped backwards, keeping his eyes on her; then one of the Secret Service agents opened the car door. Chloe continued to watch him as he disappeared inside the vehicle, recalling what he promised…

"I'll call you."

The car started down the street. Chloe's cell phone chimed inside her pocketbook. She opened it, digging inside until grasping the phone in her hand. Her eyes still locked on the car, she paid no attention to who was calling.

"Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello?"

Another eerie silence until…click.

Puzzled, Chloe looked down at the phone and when she pressed one of the buttons to see who called, her eyes widened in horror at what she hadn't expected to see…Mike's number.

"No," she mumbled. "It can't be. You're dead." Chloe's eyes darted from the phone; then back to the Secret Service car she could still see but barely. There had to be a logical explanation. There had to be. Chloe tried to shrug it away and ignore her fear, but now, more than ever she had wished Jack didn't leave.

He was gone.

She stood there…bewildered, trembling.

And though he could not hear, she shouted…

"Jack!"

End

A/N: Now do you really think it's the end? Of course not, I'm writing a sequel!