One Night- Chapter Four

Chloe could tell from the way Jack's eyes instantly left hers that he had not been expecting this response, nor was it the right thing to say. Berating herself, she watched as a shadow fell over him, blotting out his previously lighter mood.

"Jack, I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it," Chloe said quietly, starting to panic as his eyes closed, almost as though blocking out an invisible pain. "I was stupid to have asked," she added, more to herself than to Jack.

After what seemed like hours, Jack opened his eyes and turned back to her.

"I brought it up, Chloe."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have asked you the same thing. I mean, it's obvious that after what you've been through, you might not be happy, and it's none of my business. Oh, God, I'm rambling." She stood up and began pacing, her distress clear.

"Chloe, sit down."

"I can't. I'll be fine in a minute."

"Chloe-"

Jack's sentence was cut short by a loud bang, followed by darkness descending over the room. He was rendered temporarily blind, unable to see Chloe despite her being only a few feet from him.

He heard the lounge door open to his left, and footsteps disappearing down the blackened hallway. Moments later Chloe returned, the candles in her hands casting a yellow glow on her pale face. Jack took the candle she offered him, and waited while she closed the door.

After placing her candle down on the coffee table, Chloe perched on the edge of the sofa. Grabbing a cushion, she held it tightly to her chest, willing herself warm. She still couldn't bring herself to look at Jack, who she knew was looking at her with concern all over his face.

"You're cold."

"No."

"Chloe, please talk to me," he almost pleaded, hating to see her beat herself up about something that in reality, she'd had no control over. "I'm the one that shouldn't have brought it up, please don't do this."

Her head snapped up with a start. "Do what?" she bit out.

"Don't feel bad. Please… I hate seeing you like this."

"Well, it's my own stupid fault for not watching what I say before I open my mouth. And for leaving that drive lying on my desk. Maybe if I hadn't been so forgetful we wouldn't be here right now, and that would be better for both of us."

She heard the smile as he said, "I don't think so, Chloe."

"What?"

"I… I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be right now."

"Really?" Chloe allowed herself to revel in his words, although deep down she knew he was referring to the fact that he was simply grateful not to have to walk home in the rain.

"Yes, really."

"Oh. Well, I don't usually do much in the evenings so this is a change. A good change." She felt the blush rise once more up her cheeks, astounded at how awkward she was finding what should have been a simple evening.

But, her mind argued, things stopped being simple the minute you invited Jack Bauer into your house.

Ignoring her inner demons, Chloe tucked her feet up under her once more and relaxed into the plush upholstery of the sofa. She could feel her eyes beginning to close; not out of tiredness but out of the sense of calm that had flooded her at Jack's words.

"So… um, what do you do, usually?"

Chloe opened her eyes somewhat reluctantly. Jack had placed his candle next to hers, and now the twin flames bobbed slowly in the draught coming in under the door.

"In the evenings? Not much," she replied truthfully, and Jack thought he heard a hint of regret in her voice. "I just… well, upgrade stuff on my laptop… sometimes I sort through some files I didn't have a chance to do at CTU." Chloe wondered if Jack had noticed that she hadn't answered his question regarding her happiness. She noted with a sense of irony that she now was providing the answer, albeit inadvertently.

"I see."

"Not very exciting, I know," she muttered, self-deprecatingly.

"It's alright. You like it, then it's okay."

"I wish I had other things though, like…" Chloe trailed off, not allowing herself to finish the sentence.

"It would be nice to come home to someone, wouldn't it?" Jack's voice seemed far away; Chloe wasn't sure if he was referring to himself or finishing the sentence for her. It was slightly unnerving.

A silence followed his words, although it was a different sort of silence to the awkwardness of before. Something, a line, had been crossed, although what that meant neither of them dared to admit.

"Yes," Chloe replied finally. "Yes, I guess it would." She had decided she had nothing to lose by telling him; perhaps he would assume she was merely sympathising with him, that that wasn't in fact what she had been going to say before her brain kicked in and told her to shut up.

"What do you normally do?" she asked finally, when she received no response.

"I try not to be at home too much," Jack replied. He was now mirroring her position on the sofa, his already damp clothes doing little against the cold that was now seeping into the room. "Most nights I just drive around. I don't sleep well."

"Nor do I," replied Chloe, her heart aching at the image of Jack, lost and alone, driving the streets of Los Angeles into the small hours of the morning. She was pleased to have been able to provide him with some comfort, if only for one evening.

Jack smiled. "Then I guess you won't mind if you hear me pacing around in the middle of the night. It's sort of a habit."

"Promise me you won't go out walking," Chloe told him, only half joking.

"I won't," Jack replied sincerely. "You have my word."

The conversation brought Chloe's mind round to the inescapable dilemma of where Jack was going to sleep. As she watched him, illuminated only by the weak glow of the candles, his eyes drifted shut and he leaned his head against the back of the couch.

"I don't have a spare room, Jack," she said quietly, not wanting to disturb him but needing to get this part of the evening over with as quickly as possible.

"Hmm?"

"I don't have a spare room."

His eyes flickered open. "It's okay, I'll take the couch. Don't want you giving up your bed for me."

Chloe crossed her arms over chest, mock angry. "I wasn't going to, don't worry."

She thought she saw a smile play across his lips. "I wasn't expecting you to. Besides, this is quite comfortable. I sleep on the couch at home."

"Don't you have a bed?" she squeaked, before she could stop herself.

"Yeah. I just don't use it."

With every word he said, Chloe felt progressively worse. Despite not intending to, he was doing a great job of making her feel bad for him.

"Don't," he said, as though reading her thoughts. "Don't feel bad for me."

"I can't help it," she replied, scowling. "You're painting quite a picture."

"Sorry." He laughed tiredly. "I don't want pity, Chloe. God knows I don't deserve it, least of all from you."

"There you go ag- what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"What?" Jack replied sleepily.

Chloe shook her head, realising that once again, she had been over-analysing the situation. "Nothing. Never mind. I wish this damn electricity would come back on," she muttered.

As she spoke, she watched first one, then the other candle flicker and go out.

"Dammit!" Chloe stood to relight the candles, but Jack grabbed her arm. "Ow. What?"

"Leave them. We're okay like this."

"You might be. I'm not." When it was clear he wasn't letting her leave, Chloe sat slowly back down on the edge of the couch. "I don't like the dark," she whispered. "I don't like not being able to see anything. I can hardly see you. Please, let me go and get the matches."

"You don't like the dark?" Jack's voice sounded from her left, much closer than it had been minutes ago.

"No, okay? Don't make me say it again. It's not funny." Despite herself, Chloe heard her voice crack and tears collect behind her eyes for the third time that evening.

"I'm not laughing." Jack stood up, turned to where he believed Chloe to be, and held out his hand. "I'll come with you. Here, take my hand."

Somewhat timidly, Chloe reached out until her fingers brushed against his, holding on tighter than necessary as she picked herself up from the sofa. She followed behind Jack as he led them out of the lounge and down the hall into the kitchen, where she had left the matches on the table. Releasing his hand, Chloe felt around until her hand connected with the small cardboard box, and she gripped it tightly.

"Got them," she announced. The kitchen was eerily silent behind her. "Jack?" she called warily.

"I'm here, Chloe." She felt his hand slip into hers again, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. Come on, let's go back. Watch your step." He guided her back the way they had come, making sure she was settled on the couch before retaking his seat next to her. He watched as she relit the candles, her hands shaking.

"It's a stupid fear, I know," she sighed, reclaiming her cushion and once again holding it against her chest. "Kids are scared of the dark, not fully grown women, right?"

"We all have our weaknesses, Chloe," he told her, understanding like no-one else could.

"It's a stupid weakness."

"Nothing about you is stupid."

"Please, Jack, you don't have to cheer me up, okay? I already feel ridiculous for telling you."

"Why?" he asked softly.

"Because… because I've never admitted it to anyone. Remember that time last month when we had a power cut at CTU? I got trapped in tech one because the doors sealed themselves shut. It was a good two hours before Mr Buchanan found me. No-one seemed to realise I had even gone," she added sadly.

"I did."

"Sorry?"

"I knew you'd gone. I knew where you were. I told them to take a team to tech one, pry the doors open, but Milo was adamant that no-one was in there." Jack sounded angry at the memory. "I nearly kicked his ass once they found you," he added.

Chloe couldn't help but smile at his protectiveness. "How did you know?"

"I saw you leave your station," he told her simply, and once again Chloe's heart was crushed. Of course that's how he knew, her brain mocked, why, how else did you expect him to know? Did you expect him to say he'd been watching you all day from his office, just like you watch him?

"Oh right. Well, anyway, it wasn't much fun in there, and ever since I've had this fear of the dark. So there you go. That's why I'm scared of the dark."

"You don't need to be scared tonight," he told her, and she thought she heard his voice shake ever so slightly.

"With a bit of luck the lights will come on in a minute," Chloe agreed.

"That's not what I meant," Jack whispered, but his words were lost as Chloe got her wish and light once again flooded the lounge.

"Thank God!" Chloe leaned over and blew out the candles, the black slivers of smoke rising up and gradually disappearing. She turned her eyes to the wall clock hanging above the TV. "It's ten thirty. Seems later," she mused, standing and clearing away her dishes. "I'm going to get another drink, would you like one?"

"All that coffee's not going to help you sleep," Jack countered, but followed her into the kitchen.

"I'm immune to caffeine," she told him lightly. "Trust me, it doesn't affect me any more."

"You said you don't sleep."

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"No, I'm just concerned, that's all."

"Well, you don't need to be," she retorted, struggling with the lid on the coffee. "I'm fine, I've looked after myself long enough." The lid finally came loose, sending coffee beans spilling out onto the floor. "Great, now look what you made me do."

"I didn't do that," Jack smiled, as Chloe scowled at the mess surrounding her feet. "Here, let me help you clear it up."

She waved him away. "No, no, it's okay. You've tidied up enough for me tonight." She knelt down and began scooping up the granules into her hands. "Maybe it was a sign I shouldn't have another coffee."

"I would say so. You'll sleep better for it," Jack told her, crouching down and helping despite the determined glare she sent in his direction.

"I doubt it. I told you, coffee isn't the problem." Chloe paused. She looked up to see Jack gazing at her intently. "It's something else."