Authors note: I might have 1 or 2 more chapters coming for the ending. So what sort of ending do you guys want? Full of Audrey and Jack fluff or a depressing ending? Once again please review! Now for the story enjoy…

Chapter 8

3 hours 45 minutes later…..

Finally, the day was over. Russia and America were at peace. Josh was safe now with Marilyn, Cheng was in custody and his father was dead along with the nuke. Except there was one last place where Jack had to go. He thought as he trampled out of the water, signifying for Bill to go without him. Jack headed east down the coast, until he came to one house that had more happy memories than anywhere; James Heller's summer house, where he and Audrey had spent many nights having fun there and messing around. Jack stood in front of the neatly mowed lawn and array of flowers he had Audrey had sat in 3 years ago. It brought a smile to his face when he saw the tree they had made out under. But now it was different. Jack had come here for a purpose; to get this life back and there was no way Heller or anyone was going to stand in the way. Getting his gun from his waist and putting a silencer on. Jack walked up the pavement.

--

Inside the house Heller was sitting down in the living room with a large glass of whisky besides him. He had been thinking about the events of today. This morning he had woken up in the knowledge that his daughter was dead and now she was unconscious and less than 30 yards away.

The phone rang, distracting him from his thoughts.

--

Jack had heard the phone ring and stopped in the doorway to the house, listening to Heller's end of the conversation.

--

"James Heller"

"Oh, hi Susan, Yeah I'm fine, how are you?"

"No I didn't hear that CTU were under attack. Was anyone hurt?"

"One casualty, who"

"Milo Pressman, thank god I got Audrey out when I did."

"Yeah she is fine now, she's just resting"

"I know I still can't believe it is real either, but I' am glad that she is safe."

"I will, thank you, goodbye"

--

Hearing that Heller had finished the conversation. Jack closed the door, which made a loud noise as it shut. Damn it Jack thought to himself. As he entered the living room he found Heller with the phone in his hand about to call the police.

"Put it down" Jack snarled.

Looking startled to see who it was, Heller obeyed and replied "What Jack, have you come here to kill me?"

"That depends… where is Audrey?" Jack snarled

Heller looked at Jack, "I told you before you are not getting anywhere near my daughter."

Heller knew he had hit a nerve as Jack instantly flared up and shoved his gun to his head.

"You do not tell me what to do anymore, do you understand me?" Jack drew the gun closer to Heller's head. "I just watched my father die and I felt nothing" Jack paused "You know why?"

Heller painfully looked away, causing Jack to smirk, Heller knew what was coming.

"Yeah you know why, the man was already dead to me years ago. I admired you; I looked up to you like a father. You were the kind of man I wanted to be and you took advantage of that!"

Heller tried to calm Jack down "listen to me". But this only pushed Jack deeper into his anger.

"NO! You are going to listen to me". Jack walked away gathering his words, he said with a look of hurt on his face. "Earlier you said I was cursed, that anyone I touched ended up dead or in ruin. How dare you…. How dare you." Jack broke off. Preventing the tears which had formed in his eyes from falling, he swallowed hard and then continued; "The only thing I did. The only thing I have ever done is what you and others like you have asked of me".

Heller contemplated all of this, but what Jack said next took him back.

"Why didn't you try to get me out of China?" Jack asked plainly.

"I did try" Heller answered definitely.

"Not hard enough!" Jack yelled. "You had the political power. Was the timing not right? Was it to complicated? Or was I just and acceptable loss?"

Heller again tried to reason with Jack "I understand you're angry…"

Jack grew even more annoyed "Shut up" he hissed "you down understand anything about me! But I know you, I know why you are angry at me, it wasn't because Audrey went to china to save me, it was because when you told her not to, she went anyway. You'll never understand that kind of commitment, that kind of loyalty!"

Heller was finding it hard to control his own temper let alone Jacks. He replied simply "Your right Jack, it wasn't fair for me to put all this on you, to blame you for Audrey. I know the sacrifices you have made, I know this country owes you more than it will ever repay."

Jack was fed up with Heller; all he wanted was to see Audrey. "I'm not interested in what you think this country owes me. I want my life back and I want it now." Jack continued keeping his emotions under control, "Audrey is all I have left and you can't stop me. In case you forgotten, I'm very good at disappearing and if you send someone after us. I'll kill 'em-pretty good at that to" Jack retorted sarcastically.

This sent Heller over the edge. He had tried to reason with him, but all Jack wanted to do was fight. Heller looked Jack square in the eye.

"Simply getting your life back Jack won't change it; you know that you've tried it. Sooner or later you're going to get back in the game and my daughter is going to pay the price- like your wife did."

Jack took a step back shocked at what Heller had just said "You son of a bitch" Jack replied coldly. He could not believe that this was the man he had saved from the terrorist 3 years ago.

Heller realising he had over stepped the line said slowly "Jack I beg you, to stop for a moment and think. Jack you won't be able to take care of Audrey the way you want to"

Jack didn't care what the old man had to say anymore.

"Where is she?"

Heller looked at Jack, knowing he wasn't going to win.

"Take me to her now" Jack added.

Despite the conversation they just had, Heller reluctantly took Jack to her room.

Heller took Jack inside Audrey's room and then left them. Jack took a step in. His heart froze with pain as he took in the surroundings. There was Audrey, lying helplessly on the bed with wires coming from her, which were connected to a heart machine. Jack thought to himself, she still looks like an angel, with her now long blonde hair fanned out on the pillow. Jack took a step over to her. "Hey" he said as he sat down and took her hand into his, stoking it gently.

"Its me, I'm here"

There was no response. Jack released her hand and again looking around the room, he realised Heller was right. He couldn't look after Audrey how she deserved to be treated. It wouldn't be fair on her, he had been selfish. He knew what he had to do.

"I know that I promised to take care of you and protect you, but I'm at a crossroads right now. The best way… The only way to do that is to let you go."

Just saying the words broke his heart. There was no way that Jack wanted to let her go. He managed to stifle out another sentence; now tears were running down his cheeks "I hope one day you can understand that. I hope one day you will be able to forgive me"

Jack again looked at Audrey to see if she was even conscious but knew she was not. He lent forward and whispered to her "I love you with all my heart". Jack moved his head up to hers and kissed her forehead. Resting his head on hers, he finished "and I always will."

Jack sat back up. He didn't know what he was waiting for and he knew it was wishful thinking, hoping she would regain consciousness. Jack looked at her one more time; his hand traced her features on her face. He bent down, kissed her softly on the cheek and then stood up and started to walk out of the room.

--

Audrey had sworn she had heard Jack's voice whispering in her ear, telling her how much he loved her. She had felt his soft lips against her cheek and forehead. Her hand still felt warm where he had held it moments ago. Audrey found it hard to believe it was just a dream. She had heard him say something about letting her go. That was the last thing she wanted. She knew her dad was part of the reason why Jack had said those things. She hated her dad for it, if it were true. Her thoughts vanished when she heard a creak coming from the floor boards. Instantly Audrey knew it was Jack, she knew it wasn't her father because the footsteps were too heavy. The only other man that knew she was here was Jack. Her heart skipped a beat. She needed to wake up and tell him how much she loved him. She tried and tried to open her eyes but failed. When eventually her eyes opened.

--

Jack was walking out of the door when the floor boards had creaked. He had looked around to see if it had woken Audrey- but it hadn't. Jack walked past Heller avoiding his eye contact when he froze dead in his tracks. A low but clear mummer came from Audrey's room.

"Jack..?"

TO BE CONTINUED….