Author's Note: This drabble was written for the 9: Sociopath challenge on pysch30. I tried to explain why Chloe acts the way she does after Edgar dies.
They thought he was cold. Hell, they thought they were both cold. She wondered if that's why they got along so well, both of them frozen inside. Because when you were frozen no one could hurt you anymore.
She kept her arms protectively across her chest as she sat in the chair. But it didn't stop the water from leaking through her fingers as she melted. 'Stop it,' she screamed at herself. 'Stop it.' His hands were cold as he touched her. It trickled up her arms and began to chill her weeping heart.
'Edgar's dead. Jack said I can't afford to care. Go away Mr. Shrink. Can't you see Jack's refreezing me? I don't need to cry, I need him to make me cold again.' She gripped his hands tightly, but he was melting too. Under the intensity of his daughter's hatred, Jack Bauer was thawing.
She didn't have a choice then. Streams of water were running off Jack, water that needed to be solid if they were to survive this nightmare. "Everybody stop it. I'm working. See, I'm working." Her voice was thick and shook with emotions she'd never be able to express. Jack shut up and stopped melting.
And as her fingers flew across the keyboard, the leaking stopped. She froze again. The little ice princess, soldier's daughter, queen geek once more. The death of her friend was an inconvenience that had to be dealt with. After all, she couldn't be in two places at once and there was a lot to be done.
Jack stood next to her, his eyes on her screen. All business, all Jack. Simple life, simple rules, keep the distance between yourself and the others because distance kept you stable. The only sure in her world was the most dangerous in everyone else's. Jack Bauer was never wrong. He just needed help to prove it.
They said she was cold, and they were right. Because if she wasn't, who would he have?