A/N: This story takes place sometime after season five and for those of you who haven't seen the four-hour premiere I advise you not to read this. There are spoilers. I hope I got the characterization of Chloe down but I'm not too sure. This will most likely be Jack/Chloe and there will be some Spenser/Chloe tension. I hope you enjoy!

Family Crisis

Chloe woke up to the ring of her doorbell. She groaned softly before she placed her hand against her throbbing temple. Her eyes closed for a second and then opened again. It was still dark. It was…3 o'clock in the morning as a matter of fact. Chloe pulled her blanket over her head hoping that it was some sort of mistake or just a remnant of a dream. She desperately needed to sleep this hangover off. Just as she got comfortable, the doorbell rang again. Chloe stomped out of bed and hastily put on her bathrobe. Whoever it was, he had better have a good explanation.

Chloe unlocked the door and angrily pulled it open.

"What do you-Dad?" she said disbelievingly. She tried to remember the last time she had seen her father. Was it seven years ago? Maybe it had been six. Chloe frowned. Something was definitely wrong. Her father was shaking and she saw a glean of sweat on his balding head. He was a nervous wreck. The father she knew always had everything in control. A hurricane sweeping off their old barn hadn't even shaken his will.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?" her father asked.

Chloe moved away from the door and Kevin O'Brian walked into her apartment. Chloe locked the door and then led him to the couch in the small den.

"What's going on, Dad?" she asked her eyes narrowed. Kevin wiped his sweat away with his handkerchief and then struggled to put it back in his pocket with his trembling hands. Chloe crossed her arms.

"I'm in a bit of trouble," he said quietly looking up at his daughter. The invisible barrier around her was still standing strong and he supposed it was his fault. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I can see that. Why else would you come to me at an ungodly hour?"

Kevin sighed while Chloe grimly looked on. There was no way she was going to make this easy for him. As horrible it sounded, she needed to know that her father wasn't perfect and she secretly enjoyed every rare mistake he made.

"I've started to gamble. I won't go into detail but all you have to know is that I need money to pay these people back."

She stared at her father. She was expecting something bad but not this. Kevin O'Brian…gambling? Her father? Her workaholic father. She just couldn't see him so careless with his money. She sighed and closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Hangover, I forgot. She licked her lips and the action reminded her of her parched throat.

"How much?" she asked hoarsely.

"$600,000," he answered reluctantly. Chloe felt her knees give out and she lowered herself onto the couch. Holy shit. She let the moment sink in for a while before she spoke.

"How the hell did this happen? Does Sophie know?" she asked harshly. Kevin emitted a bitter laugh.

"Sophie doesn't even know that my company is going bankrupt or else she wouldn't be still married to me. And don't say I told you so."

"What-that you married a gold digger? I told you so."

"Chloe please. Do you have any money I can use? And then I'll get out of here. This people mean business and I don't want you to be in danger. I lost them a couple streets back but they'll find me eventually."

Chloe's head shot up at the word danger. This couldn't be happening. She looked around to make sure that Jack Bauer wasn't hidden in the dark corners of her apartment. Over the past few years she had connected the word "danger" to Jack but never to her father. What was she going to do?

"Dad, I don't have that kind of money! I don't own a company like you. Why didn't you take better care of that anyway? Isn't there someone else you can ask? Dad, I'm sorry but I-"

Kevin put up a hand stopping her in mid-talk.

"It's okay. I'll figure it out. I'm sorry for waking you up."

Kevin stood up from the couch and Chloe looked up at him. Suddenly, she saw him in a different light. He seemed more human in a way. However, she still saw that pride of his in midst of all the self-pity. Chloe stood up next to him unsure of what she could say. She didn't want to be inappropriately blunt but she had to start somewhere.

"Dad…I-"

The doorbell rang and Kevin tensed up immediately. Chloe moved to answer but her father grabbed her elbow forcefully in order to pull her back. He put his hand close to his lips telling her to be quiet. The doorbell rang again and for some reason the sound seemed awfully sinister. Kevin stood in front of her protectively and Chloe saw his arm slowly moving. She stepped out from behind him and nearly gasped when she saw the gun.

"A gun? Dad."

"Shut up, Chloe," he whispered.

Chloe jumped when she heard the banging on the door. Her heart started to thump and her hands trembled.

"Kevin O'Brian. We know you're in here. You don't want us to barge in on our own. We'll wake up the neighbors." It was a man's voice. Deep and harsh. Each word he uttered stroke a chill up her spine.

"Us? Who are they?" she whispered panicked. However, her father wasn't listening. Rather he was clicking the safety off and then aiming at the door. But he was no Jack Bauer. She could hear him take in deep breaths and he was sweating more profusely than ever. He had never killed a man before and Chloe didn't want to watch him do it.

"Five seconds before we knock down this door. Five…four…"

Kevin pushed Chloe away from him gently.

"Chloe hide!" he hissed.

"No."

"Chloe."

"I said no," she said curtly.

"Three…two...one…Damn it, Kevin."

After three hard kicks the door banged open and three men charged in with their weapons out. One man was completely bald, near his forties, Caucasian and about six foot tall. He was rugged and his muscles were well built. His aura about him made him look fearless. Somehow, Chloe knew he was the ringleader. His presence said it all. Kevin aimed his gun at him.

"Come now, Kevin. Put the gun down nice and easy. We both know you won't pull the trigger."

"What if I do?" Kevin asked with gritted teeth.

"Then these two," he motioned with a nod to the other men, " will kill her. Your daughter, I presume? Chloe O'Brian, no?"

Chloe willed her voice to be strong.

"What do you want?"

The man faced her with a feral smile.

"My money."

"Let her go. She has nothing to do with this," Kevin pleaded. The man smirked as the other men pointed their guns at her.

"She does now. Where's my money, O'Brian?"

Chloe clenched her fists.

"You can't do this. I'm with a federal agency. CTU. Counter Terrorist Unit. If I'm killed-"

"Ah, a federal agent, I see. Although I have to say you aren't the best I've ever seen. My gun should be in your hands by now." The man grinned.

"I work with computers," she mumbled defensively.

The man turned his attention to her father.

"Put the gun down! Or else they kill your daughter."

Seconds passed as Chloe held her breath unknowingly. Kevin slowly put the gun down on the floor and raised his hands up in the air.

For the first time in three years, Chloe wanted to cry.

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Jack shot up in his bed panting and sweating. Another dream had haunted his sleep. This time it had been about the day President Palmer and Michelle died. The day Chloe had drawn him out of hiding with her call for help. It had been hell and the last thing he wanted was to relive it in his dreams. He glanced at the clock. 3:27 am. Three more hours until he had to go to work.

After that trying day, Jack was asked to come back to CTU as assistant director of field ops. For an unknown reason even to himself, he said yes even though his brain told him that the job was everything he had tried to avoid, but his heart knew that he could never truly leave CTU permanently. So he worked under Curtis Manning but Curtis knew that Jack would make the better decisions and knew when to bite back his pride.

Jack lied back down again only to hear his cell phone ring.

"Bauer."

"Jack, it's Bill. We need you here."

Jack straightened up immediately.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'll explain it to you when you get here. Just hurry, Jack."

"I'll be there," Jack answered and hung up the phone. He hoped to God that today wouldn't be one of those days where everything went straight to hell. He started to wish that he slept a little earlier last night. Jack had a feeling he would need it.

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Chloe's eyes widened a little when she heard a cell phone ring, but stilled herself when the man looked over at her with a suspicious glare. She and her father were kneeling on the ground, gagged, with their hands tied behind their backs. The men were looking around her apartment when the phone rang. It wasn't hers. She knew that for sure. The man reached into the inside of his jacket and took out a ringing phone.

He walked away slightly but was still within hearing distance.

"Yeah?"

There was a pause.

"Is it done?" The man glanced at her and Chloe looked away quickly. "Yeah, I have her…No I don't want to get rid of him just yet. He's our leverage."

It was as if someone kicked her in the stomach. They didn't care about her father or the money at all. All they wanted was her.

"Will Bauer be a problem?" Chloe's breath hitched. "Good. Get rid of him somehow. He'll ruin everything…I'll call you later then." The man flicked the cell phone shut and sauntered mischievously in front of her. He placed his cold hands on her shoulders and slowly let the bathrobe slip a little. He smirked, tugged her chin playfully, and then walked away.

Oh my God.

A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review! Constructive criticism would be nice. Thanks for reading!