Here's the next part. Thanks to everyone who keeps reviewing. Congratulations to Jesse and Toxichi-BK-JA, who got the fill-in-the-blanks right or pretty close. I bolded the sentences that were in the fill-in-the-blanks and underlined the answers.
Also, for those who did not notice, I put up a prequel to this story, that will show Jack struggling with his emotions about the Tony situation and hopefully help explain how they've gotten to the point where Jack isn't as cold towards Tony as some people think he should be. I've gotten that very valid criticism from a few readers, but keep in mind that Jack has an agenda here, and he believes appealing to Tony's better angels is the best way to get him to cooperate. Beyond that, I think this is realistic because Jack seemed more heartbroken than angry about what happened to Tony, and I think it's reasonable that he would be conflicted and even sympathetic in spite of everything Tony did to him because he understands the pain that drove Tony to where he is. After the dust settles, I could see Jack still wanting to help Tony in spite of everything because he blames himself for Michelle's death and he still believes the man he once knew is there somewhere. Hopefully the prequel will explain all of that a little better. In the meantime, enjoy this update and keep reviewing!
"Whoa, Jack, this isn't what we talked about," Tony complains after Jack finishes explaining the mission.
"I know. I know this is more dangerous than what you initially suggested, but I figured you'd still want…"
"I don't care if it's dangerous," Tony interrupts.
"Then what's the problem?" Jack asks, sounding mildly irritated.
Tony hesitates for a moment, not proud of what he is about to say. "When I worked with Cardiff on Emerson's crew, we were pretty rough. If someone got in the way they didn't hesitate to eliminate them…and I was no different," he admits, looking ashamed. "As it is, Cardiff's going to be suspicious when I call him, and he's probably going to suspect that I'm working with you guys in exchange for some sort of deal. If I bring a CTU agent with me, he's going to want me to kill him to prove my loyalty, and if I so much as hesitate for a second it'll blow my cover."
"We've accounted for that. I told you before, you're going to pretend to use Agent Ortiz as leverage against his fiancée, Dana."
"Yeah, but what if he doesn't buy it?" Tony snaps.
Jack sighs. "You know the rules, Tony. You do everything you can to keep Agent Ortiz safe, but you have to consider him expendable and he knows that. I'd be lying if I said I was completely comfortable with this, but this was the way he wanted to play it. He's in charge of CTU field ops, so it's his call. I'm just here to advise."
Tony raises an eyebrow. "Uh huh," he says skeptically, thinking to himself "see how long that lasts."
"You don't believe me, do you?" Jack asks.
Tony shakes his head. "Sorry, Jack, I've known you too long."
"Kim risked her life to save mine, Tony," Jack explains softly. "She gave me a second chance at life and I am not going to repay her by throwing it away. I'm just helping out in an advisory capacity until this crisis is over, and then I get to go back to being a grandfather." "Oh yeah, how's Teri doing? She must be what, like two years old by now?"
"Almost two-and-a-half," Jack says with a smile.
"You got a picture of her?" Tony asks eagerly.
"Yeah," Jack says hesitantly.
"Can I see it?" Tony prompts. Jack hesitates, but eventually takes out a little photo from his wallet and shows it to Tony.
Tony looks at the photo wistfully, his sad smile masking the tears he is fighting.
"She's adorable, Jack," he says wistfully.
Jack looks at Tony's expression and his heart breaks.
"I'm so sorry, Tony," he says softly. "I'm sorry you never got the chance to be a father."
"Look, it's not your fault, alright?" Tony says adamantly.
"Yeah," Jack says, not sounding fully convinced.
An awkward silence hangs for a minute, until Jack breaks the silence and returns to the matter at hand.
"Listen, I understand your concerns about this operation," Jack continues. "But I still think this is the best chance we have to get to Cardiff and figure out who he's working for and what their end game is. And if you can help us do that, you can help save potentially thousands of lives, including my family. So I need to know right now if you think you can do it."
Tony considers for a moment. "Yeah," he says, his voice growing more resolute. "I can do it."
"Good," Jack says encouragingly. "Agent Ortiz is on his way here now…in the meantime, you need to get checked out by medical and get searched for contraband before they can temporarily release you. Agent Walker is making the arrangements with the warden now."
"Hold on a second. What the hell is Agent Walker doing here?" Tony asks, looking anguished.
"She's on loan from the FBI to help get CTU New York back up and running."
"That's not what I meant. I meant what is she doing here? Look, it was pretty obvious that Larry was more than just a coworker to her."
"Yeah," Jack says uncomfortably, his tone indicating that this is a bit of a sensitive subject.
"And you really think it's a good idea for her to have to deal with me?"
"It's her job, Tony," Jack says unconvincingly. "I know it makes you uncomfortable, but you're just going to have to deal with it."
"This isn't about me, Jack," Tony insists. "She shouldn't be here and we both know it. You of all people should understand that."
Jack sighs. Part of him knows Tony is right. "To be perfectly honest, I agree with you. It would have been easier for both of us if she hadn't decided to come with me today. But I believe that she is capable of putting her feelings aside and doing her job, and I need to know if you are."
Tony sighs. "I don't know," he admits.
"Tony, take it from me," Jack says softly. "You have to face the consequences of what you did before you can move on and start over. I know that you're trying to make up for what you did before and I respect that, but I can tell you from experience that no matter what you do from this point forward, you're never going to be able to make peace with yourself unless you learn to deal with the past. I know what happened with the woman from Texas, and I understand that you weren't ready, but you can't hide from the past forever."
"Yeah, I know," Tony says glumly. "I just thought I'd have a lot more time before I had to deal with it."
Jack's phone rings before he can say more.
"It's Director Hastings," he tells Tony. "Do you have any more questions or concerns, or can I tell him we're a go?"
Tony takes a deep breath, trying to look confident despite how scared he is. "Tell him we're a go," he replies. "Tell him I'm in."
Jack taps him on the arm for encouragement before leaving the room to take the call.
Hope you enjoyed this part. More will be up soon. In the meantime, here are a few more fill-in-the-blanks for next time:
1. "The people who killed ______ tried to kill me too."
2. "I know you admire _____ a lot, but I don't think he's using the soundest judgment here."
3. "You do this my way, or Almeida won't be the only one we ______."