Chapter 2-Avoiding Issues

I don't tell Bill about Jack at first. I check the footage over and over, just to be sure. Audrey must've seen me looking at the footage, because she walked over to me and put her hands on her hips.

"Chloe, do you have any results yet?" she demanded, emphasizing 'results'.

I murmur a 'yes', but I don't think she hears me. She looks over my shoulder and gasps.

"Bill! I have something!" she cries.

I feel like ringing her neck. She doesn't have something I have something.

"Are you sure?" Bill asks.

"Yes! Positive!"

Bill ran over. "Okay, what?"

"Well…" Audrey starts.

"I tried all the big Chinese government names, and cracked it." I interject.

"Uh, Chloe, I think Audrey was speaking. You shouldn't interject like that, it's not polite." Bill says.

"Thanks, Bill," Audrey nods.

"Yeah, thanks."

I love sarcasm.

"Like Chloe was saying, I tried all the big Chinese government names and finally cracked it. Then I zoomed in and saw that Jack was there!"

"No Audrey, you didn't zoom in, I did,"

"Whatever, same thing. We're all on the same team. But we don't have time to argue, we need to send Curtis and a team out to go save Jack!"

"Words spoken by a true leader," I say, glaring at her.

God in heaven, if there's a way you can get her off my case and out of CTU, out of LA…

Bill calls Curtis and instructs him to lead a team out to the harbor and another team in a helicopter to go overseas.

"Chloe, I need the number of the boat!"

"Cargo ship to China number 36578221," I reply.

When Curtis heads out of CTU, I whisper, "hurry." He nods and smiles, and I just keep my frown.

Two hours of endless search and rescue later…

"Listen up, everybody!" Bill yells out to the remaining people left at CTU. "Curtis just called back and confirmed that they have Jack and will be here shortly!"

"Oh thank God!" Audrey says, letting out a breath.

I'm not thanking God; He didn't 'take care' of Audrey.

I walk into the women's bathroom and see Audrey wearing some showy black dress, fixing her hair.

"What are you doing?" I ask, which comes out more like a demand.

"Getting ready for Jack, duh!" she replies.

"Yeah, but wouldn't you save that kind of stuff for when you two are alone, and not at CTU?"

I mentally beat myself for giving her a potential idea.

"Nope," she replies, walking out of the bathroom, sticking her chest out.

I follow her and just in time to see Jack walk in arm in arm with Curtis. Jack smiles when he sees me, although I don't know why. I guess it's because Audrey's in front of me. He limps past Audrey and comes over to me.

"Thank you, Chloe, for finding me," he manages to choke out.

He puts his arms around me, and I manage to return the embrace.

"Hey, Jack, I'm the one who found you," Audrey says, poking Jack's shoulder.

"No, I know you didn't Audrey, you're not smart enough."

"Well I am your girlfriend!"

"Yeah, about that, can I talk to you?"

Audrey nods and follows Jack to the break room. I wait a while, anxious to hear what Jack had to say to Audrey. A few minutes later, Audrey comes out of the break room sobbing.

"Audrey…?" I ask, reaching for her arm.

"No, forget it," she says in between sobs, "I don't wanna hear anything from you!"

"Figures you wouldn't," I mumble as she storms off, probably in search of Bill.

I turn to the break room to see Jack sitting on a couch with his head hung.

"Jack, what is it?" I ask in the sweetest voice I could ever put on.

"I just broke up with Audrey."

I make a face. "Why?"

"It just…wouldn't have worked. I guess it seemed more real when I was convinced."

"But now you're not?"

He shakes his head. "With everything that's happened today, I realize that I can't trust Audrey."

"Well, you were the one who lied to her and everyone for eighteen months,"

"Yeah, but that was to save my ass from actually getting killed."

I smile with almost every muscle in my mouth.

"Chloe, has anyone told that you've got a beautiful smile?" he asks.

I roll my eyes. "Jack, please, I appreciate it, but I'm not the best at taking compliments."

"I can tell,"

"So…why can't you trust Audrey?"

"She's…I don't know…just not trustworthy. But you know who I can and did trust?"

I put little thought into the question. "Tony?"

He chuckles and shakes his head. "You,"

Well duh! I should've seen that one coming.

"Oh…right,"

He smiles. "And I realize that I can trust you with my life, you put your job and life on the line for me…"

Oh great, the conversation's getting awkward and he's focusing on me now…

"Uh, Jack, shouldn't you go to medical? I think after what the Chinese did to you…yeah, you should go,"

"Okay," he nods, gets up and leaves.

Chloe O'Brian, you've just avoided what could've turned into something intimate! Great job; give yourself a pat on the back! The man you love…you two alone…in the break room…JESUS CHLOE!