Cinder-Chloe

"I don't understand, Jack. You have to go, as the new director of CTU people will expect you to be there. My father will be there and people expect me. I need an escort."

Jack forced back a groan as Audrey followed him around CTU. Tonight was the annual party thrown for CTU, District and Division. He had been carefully dodging her for the last week, but today Audrey had pinned him in his office and there had been no way to avoid it. In desperation he had just gotten up and walked away muttering something about needing to see Chloe, hoping to escape, but no such luck.

Finally, Jack decided he needed to cut Audrey off, "Listen, I just don't think going to the party together is a good idea."

He didn't even get the whole thought out because Audrey had begun talking over him again. Finally he thought of a way to stop her, "Audrey I can't take you, because I already have a date."

Audrey's eyebrow rose and she put on hand on her hip, "Who is your date?"

Jack thought of making a name up, but realized that Audrey would only find out the truth later tonight. Just then he glanced over and saw his savior walking towards him, "Chloe," he said without thinking.

"What?" Audrey said at the same time Chloe said, "Yeah."

"Chloe, I'm taking Chloe."

"Taking Chloe where?" Chloe asked, clearly confused.

"To the annual CTU party tonight." He looked at Chloe, the desperation clear in his eyes and she quickly caught on.

"Oh right, the party. Yeah, Jack and I are…going…uh together."

"Right," Jack said wanting to end this conversation, but Audrey quickly interjected before with, "Jack is this some kind of joke?"

He opened his mouth to spit back a retort, but Chloe beat him to it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe spat back and as Audrey turned away from him and toward Chloe he knew he had to interject before things got ugly.

"Audrey," he said firmly, "I asked Chloe to go with me and she agreed and that's it. I'm sorry."

Audrey huffed loudly, glared at Chloe, whose gave her a sarcastic smile in return, and then stomped away.

Chloe turned to Jack, "For the life of me I can't understand why you two every broke up." And then as if hearing it in her mind, "Sorry that was rude."

Jack turned completely toward her and smiled, "Well so was she. So, pick you up at seven-thirty."

"Pick me up for what?" Chloe questioned.

"The party we're going to tonight."

Chloe turned to him in confusion, but then laughed, "Yeah right, Jack, good one. You really had me going for a minute."

"I'm serious."

"Jack, that's not funny, so quit joking around," Chloe's tone made it obvious that she wanted this conversation over with as soon as possible.

"Chloe, I don't joke. You have to come with me to the party tonight."

Chloe moved from uncomfortable to horrified in five seconds flat, "Jack, are you insane? You want me to go to a party with all the bigwigs from CTU, District and Division in four hours."

"Yes."

Chloe took a deep breath and tried not to scream, "Let me repeat that slowly for you Jack. You want me, in four hours, to find a dress that won't break my budget, do something with my hair and make up and figure out a way not to embarrass myself completely."

"Exactly. So, seven-thirty?"

"No," Chloe moved into full on panic as she now realized he was completely serious and obviously seriously insane, "Not seven-thirty. Jack I do not do parties. You have to mingle and schmooze and dance, none of which I'm capable of doing."

Jack heaved a great sigh, "Chloe, it's a party. You can talk to some people, or not, you can schmooze, or not, and you certainly do not have to dance. All you have to do is go home, find something to wear and save me from spending the entire night with Audrey plastered to my side."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Couldn't you just find someone else to go with."

"I already told Audrey I was taking you."

"Tell her I'm sick, which I probably will be if you make me go."

"Chloe, don't you think you're exaggerating a little. It's a party, not a game of Russian roulette."

"There the same thing to me."

Jack was silent for a moment, because he could see, clearly, that she really felt that way. She was truly terrified of saying or doing something wrong.

"Listen, if you really don't want to go, I'll make up an excuse, but I really would like you to come with me. These things can be long and tedious and I'd love your company."

Chloe's shoulder dropped and Jack could see her slowly relenting.

"Please, Chlo."

Chloe cursed him for using her nickname. She'd hated being calling her 'Chloe' all her life, until Jack. Spenser had tried calling her 'Chlo' and she'd stopped answering him. But the way Jack said it made it seem to intimate, like they were the only two people in the room. Crap.

"Fine," she said, "I'll go, but I have to leave immediately to go shopping."

"Go ahead, everything's quiet here. I'll see you in a few hours." Jack shooed her away before she could change her mind, but she turned to him one last time and said, with all traces of sarcasm gone, "You better not change your mind and ditch me for Audrey when we get there."

Jack looked into her eyes and said, just as seriously, "I would never ditch you Chloe. I know the way I asked you was unconventional, but there's no one else I'd rather go with."

For a moment they smiled at each other and then Chloe turned and hurried out of CTU, she had three hours and forty-five minutes to knock Jack's socks off. Now, she just had to go home and figure out what that meant. She hoped to high heaven that the answer could be found on a computer.