A/N: I'm dedicating this to the crystalkey because this was partially inspired by her BTVS/24 crossover story "Chloe O'Brian Vampire Slayer. It totally got me thinking of comparisons and combined with the promo for next week was born this fic.
Rated: M for language
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Jack Bauer is Buffy Summers. The constantly tormented hero always battling evil and saving the world. Audrey Raines is Angel—the conflicted, gorgeous love interest. The two move around each other—always wanting to be together, but never getting there.
And her…She's Xander Harris. The trusted sidekick who never gets to have sex with the hot main ass kicker.
Or at least she was Xander Harris….until this very moment.
You're the only person Jack and I trust.
Jack and her. No, there was no Jack and her at CTU. There was them when they were working for the Secretary of Defense or when they were together—that was a them. But this was her domain. In here, Jack trusted her first, before anyone.
Or at least he used to. Damn him for treating her this way.
Had Audrey spent 18 months watching his back? Protecting him at every waking hour? No, she was off boffing men in hotels and barely surviving her undying love for him. What-the-fuck-ever that was about.
Fine. He would never love her. She'd accepted that. So, let him love Audrey, hell let him fuck her, but to trust Audrey instead of her. It was the last straw.
Oh, she'd help him today, but that was it. She had stayed at the party way too long. She was not a pathetic follower in the cult of Jack Bauer. She'd get a better job—one that paid a lot and live happily ever after without conflicted heroic men that made her heart ache. She'd have a fling with a gorgeous pool boy and forget the man who made her body tremble and brought her soul to life.
She really missed being Xander Harris.
She heard her phone ring and answered with a huff, "What?"
"Chloe?"
"Yes, Jack it's me."
"Is Audrey there?"
She let out a breathe, and sarcastically replied, "No, if you want her, you should try her phone, not mine."
"No, I don't want her. I want you."
Her heart stopped at those words, before she remembered her righteous indignation.
"Do you and Audrey need me to do something else?"
"No, I need you to do something."
"Fine, what?"
"Keep an eye on Audrey and under no circumstances should you leave CTU with her or anyone else."
Huh,"Huh?"
"Stay at CTU until I get there. It's the safest place right now, but don't turn your back on Audrey or anyone else. We don't know who we can trust at this point."
"But….you're working with Audrey."
"I have no choice. I need her right now. She's my way of keeping you at CTU."
"So, you…you don't trust her." Damn her voice for cracking.
"Of course not. Maybe she's on our side, but I can't be certain, so until I can I want you to be careful."
"O—okay."
"Are you all right Chloe?" he asked.
She tried to contain her glee, but it spilled out, "I just...I thought you didn't trust me anymore."
She heard his sigh, "Chloe, Tony's dead, which means you are the only person I trust. I can't do this without you."
She breathed in fresh air, "You won't have to."
Silence for a moment, "I better go," he finally said. "I don't want Audrey finding us on the phone."
"Okay," she couldn't think of another word to use.
"And Chloe," he stopped for a moment, seemed to consider something, and then, "When this is all over, we need to talk."
"Talk?"
"Yeah."
"Is this a good talk or a bad talk?"
He chuckled, "Good, very good."
He disconnected the line and she sat their dumbstruck. She heard foot steps behind her and quickly put the phone away. When Audrey came into sight she was back to work.
"Anything happen while I was gone?" she asked/
"No, everything's fine." She hid a smile as she bent down to work.
Plans had changed. Move, over her pool boy, re-enter her main man who kicked everyone's ass. Xander Harris had left the building. As of now she was Cordelia Chase—the only woman with the goods to protect her man.
The team was back in place—and she was not the side kick.