A/N: Thanks for all the feedback! Keep it coming. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Things have to get complicated before they get better, right?
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Jack asked, walking into Heller's office.
"Yes," Heller said, indicating to Jack that he should sit. "I appreciate how hard you've been working lately, Jack."
"It's no problem," Jack replied.
"Well, I happened to be working late yesterday and realized that you were working even later. You also start earlier than anyone else."
"Is that a problem?" Jack asked.
"Yes. You need to have a life outside of this office. So, I've decided to hire a consultant temporarily until Audrey comes back. I don't want you working past six o'clock at the absolute latest. Understand?"
Jack considered arguing but knew it wouldn't get him anywhere. "Yes, sir."
"Her name is Cassandra Cavanaugh. She's from Homeland Security. She will be here soon. Make sure to show her around and catch her up to speed on your work."
Jack agreed and left Heller's office. He hated the idea of having to work with someone. He and Audrey had happened to work well together but he doubted that he would be that lucky again. He also hated that he would be done with his work sooner and have to go home where all he could think about was what Audrey was doing. Once Jack got to his office, the front desk called to tell him that his new co-worker was there. Jack walked down the hall, ready to pretend to be happy to see this woman.
As he approached the front desk, he saw Cassandra talking to the secretary. Jack couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. She was tall and thin with long straight brown hair.
"Hi," Jack greeted. "You must be Cassandra. I'm Jack Bauer."
"Nice to meet you, Jack," Cassandra said, shaking his hand.
"Let me show you around," Jack said, releasing her hand and turning back the way he had came. Cassandra smiled. She was here to work but when she saw the man coming down the hallway to greet her she just couldn't help but be attracted to him. She obviously didn't know him that well but she would be getting to know him pretty well during her time there since they'd be working together every day.
Jack showed her around, trying to ignore the fact that he found her to be a lot like Audrey. Beautiful, funny, professional. As they started to get down to business, he realized that they even worked well together, similar to how he and Audrey used to. He thought maybe working with someone new wasn't a terrible idea.
Over the course of the week, Jack and Cassandra spent a lot of time working together. Jack liked having her around to talk to. She was very talkative which he didn't mind since he wasn't particularly interested in sharing details about his life with her. Jack enjoyed listening to her talk about her life though since it gave him a chance to not think about work or Audrey.
It was a Friday night at six-thirty and Jack and Cassandra were still working. Heller knocked on Jack's office door causing both of them to look up from their work.
"Jack, I specifically told you not to stay here past six," Heller said. "I can't think of anything you're working on that can't wait until Monday. Both of you need to go home."
Heller walked out not waiting to hear their excuses or arguments. Jack sighed.
"Most bosses would appreciate the extra effort," Cassandra laughed. "Why doesn't he want you to stay so late?"
"He thinks I don't have a life," Jack said, closing the file in front of him and organizing his desk so that everything would be ready to go on Monday.
"Well, do you?" Cassandra asked.
"Yeah," Jack replied.
"Really? What do you do when you leave work? Do you have a girlfriend? Kids? A dog?"
"I have a daughter."
"How old is she?"
"Twenty-two."
"She lives with you?"
"No, she lives in LA."
"Well then maybe Secretary Heller is right," Cassandra said, smiling at him.
"What do you do that constitutes having a life?" Jack asked.
"I never claimed to have one," Cassandra joked. "Mostly I just work."
"Same," Jack said. Cassandra was still sitting with her work in front of her as Jack finished up.
"Are you actually leaving?" Cassandra asked.
"Secretary Heller told us to," Jack reminded her.
"Interesting," Cassandra commented. "From what I've heard about you it doesn't seem like you really listen to orders."
Of course Cassandra had done research on him. Jack expected nothing less since he had also tried to learn more about her when he found out that he would be working with her.
"Those were life and death situations. This is different," Jack told her. "And, I respect him."
"Fair enough," she said, grabbing her coat. They walked out together to the elevator.
"So, how do you like it here so far?" Jack asked.
"I like it," she said. "I almost don't want Audrey to come back."
Jack remained silent.
"Sorry. It was a joke because I really like working here. But, you're probably friends with her and want her to come back," Cassandra rambled, noticing how Jack seemed to be affected by her mentioning Audrey. Jack smiled at her but still stayed silent. He wanted Audrey to come back because he missed her more than anything. But, he also wasn't sure he could bear working next to her every day.
Cassandra continued. "So, what's she like? Why'd she leave? When is she coming back?"
"Her husband was injured and they're getting him help. I don't know when she'll be back. She may not even come back," Jack replied, trying to be unemotional as he spoke.
"You two were friends?"
"Yeah," Jack answered.
"Let me guess. She was your only friend here so now that she's gone you have no life which is why Secretary Heller is making you leave early," Cassandra said, as they exited the elevator into the parking garage.
"I have other friends," Jack replied.
"Okay, whatever you say," Cassandra said. She stopped since their cars were now in opposite directions. "Anyway, I also don't have many friends in the area so if you're looking for one, I'm in. Goodnight, Jack."
"How was physical therapy?" Audrey asked Paul as they ate lunch.
"I'm still having a lot of trouble," Paul said.
"I thought you said that you were going to be up walking soon," Audrey said.
"Yeah, the doctors say that but they just keep pushing it back."
"Are you going to be okay here alone?" Audrey asked. Her father had called her and asked if she could attend an event in New York City tonight and she agreed.
"Yes, of course," Paul ensured her. "And, I have lots of doctors I can call if I need anything."
"I should finish getting ready and packing," Audrey said, heading into her room. She put on a long navy blue dress and checked herself in the mirror. Tonight would be the first night she'd see Jack since their breakup. She was nervous about it but knew that eventually it would have to happen.
"Your car is here," Paul yelled to her from the other room. Heller had insisted on having one of his cars pick her up. Audrey came out of her room, putting on her heels.
"Okay, just call me if you need anything. I'll be back tomorrow morning," Audrey said. She gave Paul a quick kiss and left. Audrey got into the car and was surprised to see her dad in the seat next to her.
"Dad! What are you doing here?" She asked, giving him a hug.
"Well, I missed you and figured we could at least spend some time together during the car ride," Heller said.
"I missed you too."
"How are you doing?"
"Fine," Audrey shrugged. Heller looked at her skeptically. "I really don't want to talk about it."
"You bought a house with Paul. You must be working things out." Heller stated.
"To be honest, I have no clue what I'm doing," Audrey said. "Being around Paul has been nice but something's just not right."
"I'm guessing that something has to do with Jack?"
Audrey shrugged. "Jack doesn't want me and Paul does. I can be happy with him again. Right?"
"You could. So long as you're able to let go of your feelings for Jack."
Audrey sighed. That was easier said than done. Especially since she would have to see him every day once she moved back to D.C. Audrey changed the subject to work and had Heller fill her in on everything they were working on. He also told her about bringing in Cassandra to help out while Audrey is away.
They arrived slightly late to the party and as they were pulling up Heller received a phone call. He told Audrey to head in without him and that he would be in soon. Audrey decided that it would be best to find Jack and talk to him early so that she could stop feeling so worried about it. She wasn't really sure what she'd say but she hoped that the right words would come to her in the moment.
She saw him almost immediately despite the crowded room. He was at the bar ordering a drink. Just as she was approaching him, Jack turned around, carrying two drinks. Jack was surprised to see her.
"Audrey," he started, not knowing what to say. "What are you doing here?"
Jack immediately felt bad about his question. He realized that it came off as though he didn't want her to be there. He watched as Audrey turned red. Her eyes dropped from his and were trying to find a place to land. She was unnecessarily fixing her hair. Jack recognized that she was trying not to cry.
"I didn't mean it like that," Jack told her. "I just didn't know you were coming."
"Right," Audrey said, trying to regain some confidence. Audrey tried to figure out what to say. She didn't want to talk about their relationship in a room full of people. But, she knew that this was her chance to make sure that they could continue to work together effectively. Audrey cleared her throat. She indicated to the two drinks he was holding. "Rough day?"
Jack laughed, nervously. "Well, they aren't both for me."
As Audrey was about to ask who it was for, Cassandra approached them.
"You are so slow, Bauer," Cassandra teased, taking one of the drinks from Jack. Audrey immediately looked into Jack's eyes. She was hoping she wouldn't see anything in them. That the two of them were just friends. But, instead she saw guilt. Audrey's heart stood still for a moment. He was with this woman.
"You're Audrey Raines, right?" Cassandra asked, shaking her hand. "I'm Cassandra Cavanaugh. I've been working at DOD while you've been away."
Audrey put on her work face. "It's so nice to meet you."
"I've heard so much about you. It's nice to finally put a face to the name."
"Yeah, um, I should probably start talking with people," Audrey said. "It was nice meeting you."
Audrey walked away quickly and headed for the bathroom. She let a few tears fall at the thought of Jack being with someone else. Then she wiped them away and headed back out to the party and started talking with people. She was also attempting to stay away from Jack and Cassandra who were still talking.
After Audrey walked away, Cassandra took a sip of her drink and turned her attention towards Jack.
"That felt weird. She did not like me," Cassandra said.
"I'm sure she did. She just seemed focused on work," Jack lied.
"She probably thinks I'm stealing from her," Cassandra corrected him.
"What?" Jack asked. He could tell that Audrey had thought they were together. He wasn't going to correct her. She needed to move on.
"Because I'm doing her job while she's gone."
"Oh," Jack said.
"I should talk to her again. Let her know that I'm leaving as soon as she's back."
"No," Jack said, not wanting Audrey to have to talk to Cassandra. "Trust me. You should just leave her alone."
Cassandra agreed and they moved on to conversations with important people at the party. Jack was only half listening to the conversations. He couldn't help but look around for Audrey every chance he got. She looked absolutely stunning. He wanted to tell her that so he could see her smile again. She was smiling while talking to people but he knew the difference between her working smile and her real smile. He hadn't seen her give a real smile in a long time and he missed it. He saw her walking over to Pete. She hugged him and looked happy to see him. The hug wasn't long but he wished that he was the one embracing her.
"Hey! Long time no see," Pete said, hugging Audrey. "How are things going?"
"Stressful," Audrey said, happy that she was talking to a friend so that she could stop pretending to be happy for a moment. "How are you?"
"My life is just as exciting as the last time you saw me," Pete said sarcastically. He saw Audrey looking over at Jack. "Let's talk outside."
Pete took her outside to a bench. There were people out there but less than inside since it was a chilly night.
"Want to tell me what's been going on?" Pete asked.
"That depends. Is Jess here tonight?" Audrey asked. She wanted to talk but she was closer to Jess than Pete.
Pete laughed. "No. And, I don't think she'd want to talk to you anyway."
"Why not?"
"Why don't you talk first. Then I'll fill you in on what's going on here."
Audrey started telling him about everything that had happened. She told him about how Jack broke up with her and how she was slowly fixing things with Paul.
"How was it seeing him again today?" Pete asked.
Audrey started to cry. She had been holding it in. "Is he dating her?"
"Who? Cassandra?" Pete asked. "No. Not that he's mentioned. But, I think he likes her. She definitely likes him."
"Great," Audrey said, sarcastically.
"Well, didn't you say that you're with Paul now?"
Audrey shrugged. "I guess so."
Audrey sighed. Pete didn't need to say that it isn't fair for her to be mad about Jack being with someone else when she was with Paul. But, she couldn't bring herself to tell Pete that she felt like Paul was just a safe option. That she knew he would stick around and that she could be decently happy with him. It was easier than finding someone new and risking getting hurt again.
"So, how's everyone else?" Audrey asked. "Is Jess mad at me or something?"
"Well, our friend group has mostly disintegrated. Olivia hates Jack for breaking up with you and Jess hates Jack and you. Mostly just me, Jack, and Brian hang out."
"But, why does Jess suddenly hate us?"
Pete sighed. "Apparently, she tricked Jack into going on a lunch date with her and then asked him on a real date. To which he said no. She hates you because she thinks it's your fault that Jack can't move on."
"Well, apparently he can," Audrey said, referring to Cassandra. "Sorry, Pete."
"What for?" Pete asked.
"Oh please," Audrey said. "I know you love Jess."
"I do not," Pete insisted. "I go on dates with other people all the time."
"You're not fooling anyone," Audrey told him.
"Whatever," Pete said, defensively. "You're not fooling anyone by going back with Paul. We all know you love Jack and Paul is just the safe option. He has made you miserable for years but you're just going to overlook that."
"Wow," Audrey said, feeling hurt. "Thanks for the support."
"Sorry," Pete said. "But, as your friend, I think you're making a mistake by going back to him."
Audrey wasn't sure how to respond. She knew he was right that she loved Jack and would be happier with him. But, Paul was showing her that he wanted to make things better between them for their future. He was changing. She was sure of it.
She completed her rounds of mingling inside and managed to stay away from Jack. The room was clearing out and Audrey saw Jack across the room talking and laughing with Cassandra. Audrey couldn't stand being in the same room as them. She walked out and asked the driver to take her home rather than staying the night at the hotel she had booked.
She spent the car ride crying over Jack. She couldn't believe he liked Cassandra already. She decided that she had to get over him. He didn't want her and she would have to be okay with that. It was extremely late as the car approached her house. She wiped away her tears. Audrey walked into the house and saw that the light in Paul's room was still on. She knocked softly and went in.
"Hey," she said, seeing Paul sitting up in bed reading a book.
"Hey. I'm happy it's you. I was worried someone was breaking in. I can't do too much to defend myself," Paul said. "What are you doing back? I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow morning."
"I just missed you and wanted to come home tonight," Audrey told him.
"I missed you too," Paul said. "You look amazing by the way."
"Thank you," Audrey said, pulling her heels off. She walked over to Paul's bed and sat next to him on it. "What are you reading?"
Paul explained the plot of his book to her. Really, he was wondering why she was sitting in his bed with him. She rarely went into his room. As he told her more about the book he noticed that she was making herself comfortable.
"Tired?" Paul asked.
"Not really," she said, leaning over and kissing him. Paul was surprised but deepened the kiss. He decided to let her decide how far to take this. He didn't want to come on too strong again and risk her being angry with him.
Paul was happy as Audrey climbed on top of him, taking charge. She pulled his clothes off quickly. Paul's hands reached for the bottom of her dress and traveled up her thighs and took off the underwear she was wearing beneath her dress. Paul bunched up the material of Audrey's dress around her hips as Audrey lowered herself onto him. It didn't take Paul very long to finish. Once he did, he eased Audrey off of him and to the side. Paul was completely blown away by Audrey. She had done everything just the way he liked it. Quick. He had always hated how she wanted to draw it out with foreplay. This time it was perfect. He wasn't sure what he had done to convince her to have sex with him but he was happy she had finally caved.
Audrey immediately thought of Jack. Jack had always made sure that Audrey was satisfied during sex. She had forgotten that Paul never cared. She just wanted to be over Jack and thought this would help. She hoped sleeping with Paul would bring them closer together and put Jack into the back of her mind. But now Jack was the only thing she was thinking about. She knew she had to let go. She was going to put all of her efforts into making things work with Paul.