A/N: No editing whatsoever on this. Sorry. Well this is the epilogue! (And a very angsty ending to this one.)
He stopped the bio weapon. He did it. But it seems that every time he has a success, he slips through the cracks again. And this time, he won't be coming back. No matter if we find him again, he is lost to the world in about six hours.
Jack will never cease to amaze me. He pulled a gun on me. His turn. I shoved one in his face yesterday as well. What goes around, comes around. These terrorists don't understand that he's dying. Why torture him anymore? He let Tony escape to save Kim. Kim is out of danger now, but Jack is still captured. As I'm thinking about this, I want to punch a wall. A brick wall. I feel so angry. So sad. All confused inside.
I don't think I've ever loved like this before. Maybe because Jack is a unique case. And he is my perfect match. There's just no other way to describe it. And I'm going to lose him. Again, I feel like strangling something. Someone. The people that did this to him--to the country. They took something from him that he will not be getting back. It sounds selfish, but they also took someone from me.
Who am I? I am Renee Walker, FBI. That's what I think. But the truth? Who am I? I hardly know. I think I lost myself.
The raid. Concentrate. I have to think about the raid. We isolated Jack's location at a compound south of D.C. And we're on our way. We're coming for you Jack. Don't give up. I can hear the helicopter blades whirring above my head. I just wish they could spin faster. Jack's life could be hanging in the balance. Either that, or he is already dead.
"Thirty seconds." I hear the call from the pilot and repeat softly, "Thirty seconds..." Who knew that thirty seconds could last a life time? That's what it seems like. In thirty seconds, you can see a commercial on TV. But in thirty seconds, you can lose your life. The ceiling caves in. A car runs a red light and t-bones you in the intersection. Your doctor tells you that you have a terminal illness. Funny, how we take thirty seconds for granted, and waste it watching that commercial when you could be telling that someone how much you love them. Thirty seconds.
"We're going in in ten!" I shout over the helicopter's whirring. Ten seconds..."Nine! Eight! Seven!" I take a deep breath. "Six, five, four..." Then I stop. I take the megaphone that someone hands to me and say, "FBI! You're surrounded!" It has begun.
The fall down from the helicopter is terrifying. Not that I'm afraid of heights. I also have done it so many times before, grabbing the rope and sliding. No, the only thing that terrifies me is what I might find on ground zero. Once my feet land on solid ground, I whip out my gun, searching the grounds.
A bullet whizzing by my head brings my mind out of the fog. I load and fire, methodically. One down, there always seemed one more. Bullets are flying everywhere. I jump on a passing SUV and fire again. Finally, I see him, running for cover behind a truck. I roll of the truck and start towards his position, firing until I'm out of sight. I turn around and run to him. He is trying to say something, but his words are snuffed out by a piece of duct tape covering his mouth.
I kneel down beside him and quickly rip the tape off his mouth. He says quickly, "Stay away from me. I'm wired with C4 and Tony has the detonator." I pull open his jacket and begin to dismantle the bomb. I say quietly, "There was no chance I was going to leave you here with explosives, Jack." He looks at me. He doesn't respond to my statement but says instead, "Tony's been playing both sides all along. You have to find him. He's trying to kill the man behind this conspiracy." I nod and keep unwiring the explosives. He shouts, "Didn't you hear me? You have to go get him." I look up, momentarily stopping. I want to tell him that I love him, and that's why I can't leave. But I stop. I cannot say things that will only make both of us ache more. I guess both of us have built walls to keep our true selves from showing through.
Finally, the lights blank out on the parcel attached to his body. He sighs, beginning to untie it as he runs toward the action. I am dazed for a moment, but I quickly follow behind him. I guess that's Jack Bauer for you. I think only one thing is on his mind now: finding Tony. He runs with a limp now, pain etched across his face. I want to tell him that he should sit down; his part in this is done. I want to tell him lots of things, but I am lost for words. I wonder if he feels the same.
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Alan Wilson. I want to tear that man's head off his shoulders and burn the body. Put his head on a stake in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Something drastic, though possibly not along those lines. I hated his smirk when I stormed off. There won't be any material evidence. But shouldn't his being there be evidence enough? He'll walk away scotch free, leaving Larry dead, leaving Bill dead, and letting Jack deteriorate slowly of a biological attack.
Jack. He's sitting down now on the stretcher, a few rays of sunlight streaking across his face. He looks so peaceful now. There seems to be a weird mechanism in our brain that keeps us going if there is a crisis. Even though Jack was in pain, he was able to function only because there were innocent lives at stake. But, his final mission complete, though peaceful, he looks so tired and weak. I notice the subtle creases of pain on his face as I approach.
I swallow the knot of anger and sadness in my throat. But Jack somehow knows what I'm feeling. He asks, "What happened?" My eyes water a little. I reply, "He's denying everything, saying we don't have proof. I don't know what to do."
He sighs, glancing away from me. Then he says, "I can't tell you what to do. I guess the only advice I can give.." He looks up at me and continues, "Try and make choices that you can live with."
I take a deep breath and then say, "How can I live with this?" My voice shudders involuntarily. Jack puts a hand on my cheek, as a tear falls down onto it. He says nothing. I quickly put all my thoughts into one single action. One gesture that could say more than words. I put my hand on his heart. His eyes light up, remembering. He will always remember. Then, he reaches into his pocket and slips a piece of paper in between my fingers as they rest on his chest. I feel something circling inside, a passionate feeling that I cannot describe.
He smiles. I feel it too.
The medics pull the stretcher away. I watch him until he is out of sight, inside the ambulance. That's when it hits me. He's never coming back. I collapse to the ground, head in my hands. I cry. I don't know how long. I just know that there's a hole ripped inside my heart that will never be repaired.
I suddenly remember the piece of paper in my hands. Jack gave it to me. My hands tremble as I open the paper.
Remember me only if it brings you a smile.
If the memory brings you pain, then forget.
I can almost hear his voice whispering those words to me. I cannot forget. I will never forget. The words are written lightly in pencil, but many more words have been scratched out or erased. I look closer and see something that takes my breath away. A faint mark is left on the paper where he erased these words: I love you.
"Agent Walker?" Someone asks. I crumple the paper and stand up. I nod to the person. I should know who he is, but all I can think of is what I've lost. But I give him a fake smile and follow the agent towards a waiting car to take me back to headquarters. Nothing ever works out the way it should. And I can't even live up to his want. I have to remember, even if it kills me.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the story! Thank you for reading. Anyway, upcoming projects include a deathfic 24 collection and something I call a "webfic". Stay tuned for more stories! If you have any requests, feel free to pm. :3
-Alice Esther Yesmin...