Chapter 1
He had dressed himself, shaved, made himself at least appear to be more than just a shell of a man. But he could still feel the disgusting humidity of the place where he was kept, smell its putrid stench, feel the insects crawling over him. Jack had to remind himself that he was home. Or at least, Los Angeles. But this semblance of bliss wasn't going to last, he was sure. Truth be told, he didn't know what to believe. First he thought he'd be imprisoned in China forever. Then a simple phone call and a blindfolded plane ride had changed that. Then he thought he was being sentenced to death by Abu Fayed. That had changed too. He'd ended up working with Curtis and Assad throughout the day. There'd been some initial hiccups given Curtis and Assad's previous relationship, but thankfully Jack and Michelle had been able to talk him down. With Jack holding him at gunpoint and Michelle's voice in his comm, telling him that having once been in the same position, she knew that killing him wouldn't solve anything. Somehow hearing it from her had given him the will to lower the gun from Assad's head, and surrender. Seeing the bomb detonate in Valencia seconds later, it brought him back to reality. Curtis had realised that Assad's information was the only thing with any power to stop more of those bombs being detonated.
Eventually, they managed to expose the involvement of BXJ Technologies, and track down all of the remaining nukes. Facing his family again had been no easy feat, given how many years and how much had happened since then. His father had been arrested for Graem's murder, among other things. Marilyn and Josh had been taken to a safe-house. Everything seemed to have worked out.
So right now it seemed that aside from the remaining clean-up and aftermath of the bomb detonation, it was over.
Jack took a minute to notice the dynamic of CTU. To see how it had changed over the last two years. It was an exercise for his memory too. For so long he'd been screaming and trying to pry the vicious hallucinations and images from his mind, he'd forgotten that there was important information somewhere in there. Bill was running a tight ship it seemed, a wedding band on his finger. Michelle appeared to be second-in-command. A little more put-together than the last memory he had of her. No, scratch that. Much more put-together. At this moment she almost looked like the person she was before the day that destroyed everything. Edgar was still at his desk, with a slightly greater edge of confidence than before. Curtis he'd seen and worked with, not so different there. There were new faces around the place too. Milo Pressman, who he'd last seen as a scrawny fresh-out-of-college analyst was now sharper, more mature-looking. He noticed Milo's eyes continuously flitting over to the woman he believed to be named Nadia. When he was intently staring at his screen, she would do the same. It hurt him just a little bit to think of Tony and Michelle, how CTU had brought them together in such a similar way. Morris O'Brian, who he hadn't seen since Chloe's funeral, was waving his hands around about something, but only gave Jack a look of sympathy when they made eye-contact, not the sheer hatred he was expecting. Time had healed some wounds, he supposed. Chloe's absence however still stuck out like a sore thumb to him.
But he couldn't figure out where Audrey was? Had she moved back to DC with her father? Was she on her way? Was she even able to fly to LA, given the bomb?
Michelle came in to the medical ward where he sat, the strong-faced, authoritative mask she'd worn all day finally softening. It was just the two of them.
He stood up, and she threw her arms around him, sniffling.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay…" His voice was still a little cracked. He'd gone from two years of silence to half a day of screaming and yelling, after all.
"No, it's not. It shouldn't have taken this long. It shouldn't have taken a terrorist to get you home." She sounded as though she were blaming herself.
"I did what I had to do, Michelle." He whispered. "It's not yours or anybody else's fault except my own." Jack pulled back from the hug to look at her tear-stained eyes. "I'm here now, it's all over."
She sighed, sitting down across from him. Jack noticed that she still appeared sad. Not just exhausted or relieved or emotionally drained, but sad, as though she were holding something back. Every time Michelle met his gaze, she looked away, as if she were trying to say something, but couldn't bring herself to.
"Michelle…something happened, didn't it?" He said, softly. "Something you're not telling me."
Her eyes squeezed shut. Before she could try opening her mouth, the comm in her ear beeped. Jack couldn't hear the other side.
"O-okay, Nadia, thanks."
Straightening her skirt, she stood. Turning, she prepared to leave, but hesitated. Looking back at him, she extended her hand.
"Just…" She took in a large breath. "Just come with me."
Michelle lead him down the hall, slightly renovated but nonetheless structured the same as it always had been. Two guards stepped aside to let them both in. It wasn't the interrogation room he expected. No, not one bit. It was painted a soft yellow, with toys, and a plush rug. Not the cold, hard, menacing cell it once was. A crib was at the centre. She walked towards it, and the demeanour in her voice became so gentle, so caring. He stood still near the closed door, watching her. As Michelle lifted the baby up, Jack noticed the details becoming apparent as she walked towards him.
He was blonde with bright, blue eyes. Maybe around a year old. The onesie was candy-striped. The baby smiled at him. Jack couldn't help but smile back. Michelle murmured something to him and he giggled. A sound so blissful, so happy. A sound Jack never thought he'd hear again. With her free hand, Michelle wiped another tear under her eye. They were standing closer now. He squirmed, reaching out towards him. Jack indicated with his own that he was happy to hold him. Looking closer, he could see so much more of his features. The nose, the ten, tiny fingers, the facial expressions.
Then it hit him like a truck. His face contorted, absolutely bewildered.
"He's…" He started.
"He's yours, Jack." Her voice broke as she nodded. "Yours and Audrey's."
"Oh my god…" His voice fell, looking more intently, holding the baby even more securely, feeling the right to protect him consume him. Memories came back to him piece by piece. The dinner Michelle had booked for the two of them a few weeks before he'd been taken. How quickly it had escalated, how quickly those old feelings had resurfaced, leading them to rekindle their intimacy in the back of Audrey's car. "Where is she? Where's Audrey, Michelle?" The panic in his voice grew, so overwhelmed with emotion, with shock, with fear.
Michelle looked away, running a hand through her hair. "S-she's missing, Jack. She went looking for you, about half a year ago, we've lost all contact with her since."
His face screwed up in pain, looking down at his son again, who had become distracted, gripping the fabric on Jack's shirt. "She left him?"
Her head tilted in a so-so motion. "She…she was at her breaking point, I think. Y-you see, when she found out…" Michelle sniffled again. "It was only a few days after you were taken. A-and I think between trying to avoid bringing up the fear of miscarrying from what had happened with Paul, and her faith in CTU…she was so happy. Maybe that second part was my fault, maybe I made it seem to her that it would be easy getting you out. But she made every damn effort to be as optimistic as she could. She was…" A small laugh escaped her. "She was glowing throughout the pregnancy. I-I helped her as much as I could. I held her hand in labour, I was there with her right after, always at her place or mine." Michelle winced. "But then the postpartum hit a few months later…"
She woke up to the sound of him crying. It was strange. Audrey was always up before her, miraculously happy and full of energy despite everything going on around her. Although lately that hadn't been the case. Getting up and going into the nursery, she noticed nobody was there. Michelle was quick to pick him up, gently cooing. She called Audrey's name a few times. Even Major barked a few times, as though he were looking for her too. Walking into the living room, she noticed a large envelope on the coffee table. A sticky note was attached.
"Take care of him for me."
Quickly, she set him in the high chair and opened the papers fervidly. Enclosed were legal documents. Everything that someone would write if they were giving somebody custody of their child.
"Oh god…no…"
She assumed the worst. Of course she did. After all, Michelle was in a reasonably similar position not so long ago.
But a few calls to Secretary Heller later, and apparently she'd booked herself a flight to China. A relief, knowing she was alive at least. She'd tried to get in contact with her as soon as possible, trying to talk some sense into her.
Audrey had never answered the phone.
Jack sighed, still trying to keep a straight face so his son wouldn't know any better. His mind was taking him back to when he held Kim the first time. That memory was immediately replaced by the sound of her voice on the phone. The sound of her telling him she couldn't have him in her life anymore.
"I-it's a lot to take in, I know. But…but everyone's been supportive. He hasn't been deprived of love, I've made sure of that. A-and I've checked in on Kim too. She's okay…"
His lips pursed as he nodded. "H-his name?"
She smiled crookedly. "James…after…"
"Her father." He finished.
"His middle name is Anthony…" Michelle's eyes crinkled. "Told me it was after the man who saved her life."
Jack realised he could still remember that day like it was yesterday. When he didn't know who or what to trust anymore, Tony had been the only one to pull through. For him and for Audrey.
They sat for a while, watching him play with his toys on the floor, an occasional question being asked between them. For a moment, they almost forgot they were still in CTU.
Michelle's cell suddenly buzzed. She stepped towards the door, walking out into the hallway.
"Dessler."
"Don't let him leave." The voice was female, familiar, but slightly modulated.
Her eyebrows knitted. "What? Who-?"
"Cheng Zhi is still being debriefed at CTU, yes? Do not let him leave. There are agents from the consulate coming for his arrest. He'll try and make a run for it."
Tears of confusion welled in her eyes again. "A-Audrey?"
The voice became less serious, more kind. "I-I'll be there soon, I'll explain everything, but for now, just stall Cheng and do not let him leave."
