Jack sat in complete and utter shock. He sinks onto the coach and tries to regain control of himself, and the situation.
"Uh, Chloe, I'm not sure why you think that, uh," he stops again, more nervous than when he's faced off against armed terrorists and then finally spits it out, "I can't be the father Chloe. We've never had sex with each other."
At first Chloe's expression is incredulous, but it quickly changes to anger, "You son of a bitch. How could you say that? I know that neither of us were in control that night with all the drugs in our system, but you can't just pretend it didn't happen, because hello, consequences kind of staring you in the face," she finished and gestured at her belly again. Then she burst out crying.
Jack was on his feet and over to her side in a second, "Okay, I'm sorry, just calm down and we'll talk this through. Find out what is really going on."
Her face wet, her breath coming in short gasps and she still managed to yell at him, "What's going on is you're a complete jerk? I know that I'm not exactly your ideal pick for mother of your child and believe me I never asked for this, but it happened and playing dumb isn't just insulting, it's cruel."
"Chloe," Jack began and led her over to the coach so she could sit. He kneeled in front of her and tried to get her to look at him, "Chloe, I'm sorry I reacted so badly. I didn't mean to upset you, but I have to be honest, I don't know what you're talking about."
Something about the earnestness in his voice made her look up, "You really mean it, don't you. You don't remember the last assignment we went on before you left."
Jack's brow furrowed as he concentrated on bringing up the memory. It was harder than it should have been. "Yeah, it was a nightclub. We were trying to recover some information. I broke you in to download it. You did, we left and….and. Well we must of come back to CTU."
"But you don't remember doing that?"
"No, I…no it's just not there." He stopped for a moment and looked up at her now dry face, her eyes huge, worry and sadness in them, "We didn't come back to CTU did we?"
"Not right away, no. We, well I'm pretty sure they drugged us. Some kind of date rape thing, but we didn't pass out. It just made us extremely, uh, horny. We didn't really start to feel it until we were on the road. Then we started to get dizzy, me first and then you. You pulled over. We were going to get call CTU and have someone come for us, but before we could it just kind of, got out of control. One second we were trying to call for help and then, well, we were naked."
Jack nodded for a moment. He didn't remember it, but hearing her recount it made him feel it, somewhere in the deep recess of his mind. He could feel the truth in it in his bones. Not that he would ever have doubted her.
"What happened then? Why don't I remember coming back?"
"They must have given you more, or your body reacted worse because I had to drive us back. Curtis helped me get you in and Bill kept everything quiet. They are the only ones who know."
"You didn't tell Kim." He knew that over the last two years she and Kim talked on a regular basis. It was actually Chloe that helped him rebuild his relationship with his daughter.
"I haven't seen her. I told her that I had news, but, I wanted to wait until I told you. I didn't know if you wanted to tell anyone it was, you know, yours."
"Chloe," he said in a shocked voice, "Did you think I was just going to abandon you and our baby?"
"No," she said and refused to shiver at the way he said 'our baby,' "But you were gone for six months. By the time I got the drug out of my system you were gone and no idea I was pregnant. And know I realize you didn't even remember we were together, so I just want you to know I am prepared to raise the baby alone. I mean I could have taken the morning after pill, but I decided not to."
"Why? I'm not upset that you didn't, I'm just wondering," he rushed to assure her that it wasn't an attack on her decision, "You've never seemed interested in kids."
"I wasn't. It took me nearly three months to even get used to the idea. I just, I don't know. The doctor here gave me the pills, but I just couldn't do it. I've never felt anything like it before. It was like my body overpowered my mind and refused to let me do it."
"Sounds more like your heart overpowered you."
Chloe shrugged, embarrassed by her admission, "Anyway, I mean it; you don't have to be involved."
"Chlo," he whispered and took her hand, "I'm still in shock over all this. It's going to take a while to set in, but I can tell you right now that there is no way you are going to do this alone. I am going to be there for you and this baby. For right now we'll just concentrate on we'll deal with the rest as it come."
Chloe smiled, a real smile, the ones she only let a few selected people see, "Okay."
He smiled at how unaffected she tried to sound and how relieved her voice was underneath.
"I should go and de-brief and then maybe we could get something to eat and talk some more."
"Sounds good," she said, "Just don't take took long," she patted her stomach, "Baby Bauer is always hungry."
"Baby Bauer?"
Chloe's face turned instantly, totally red. That was her secret name for the baby. She never told anyone and knows Jack heard and it was horribly embarrassing. "I mean…"
"No, I like it. Better than calling the baby it anyway." Both laughed and then he moved back towards the door. He stopped again and turned back, "Chloe, I'm glad you decided not to take that pill. I know the last few months must have been hard, and scary, but I'm back now and I'm not going anywhere."
Sitting back in her chair Chloe let herself cry for a moment before muttering about hormones and getting back to work.