Monday Morning (another week later), Pentagon
.
.
.
Audrey stepped into the Pentagon's bustling corridors with a lightness in her step she hadn't felt in weeks. The weight of the past month—the sleepless nights, the endless questions, and the unrelenting tension—seemed to have finally lifted. She found herself smiling again, an expression she hadn't allowed herself in far too long.
This Monday felt different. Better. Brighter. She didn't feel the weight of apprehension pressing down on her chest or the exhaustion that had seeped into her bones just a week ago. The past seven days had been a roller coaster, yes, but somehow, this Monday carried a quiet sense of calm.
As she walked toward her office, her thoughts drifted back to last Monday—a day she'd been too tired to process at the time. The entire office had felt tense, as if the air itself was thick with unspoken questions. She'd been anxious, too, fearing that the budget proposal she and Jack had worked so meticulously to revise might collapse under scrutiny. But it hadn't. Nobody had dared to challenge the changes they'd made, and Audrey knew why. The discrepancies they'd uncovered weren't defensible, not even by the most seasoned political operators.
Still, she'd felt watched. Every glance her way seemed more pointed, every passing colleague more curious. Was it paranoia? Or was it Janice? Audrey couldn't shake the feeling that her father's overly ambitious subordinate had ensured everyone knew the details of Jack's past. The whispers about the "heroin-addict-Cordilla-virus-guy" had probably reached half the building by the time the revised budget passed.
Last Tuesday, when the final approval came through, everything had changed. For the first time in weeks, Audrey had felt victorious. The silent, judgmental glances around the office no longer mattered. She'd wanted to throw them right back, to let everyone know she'd come out on top.
But then, the roller coaster had plunged again. Her father had told her he was seriously considering offering Jack a position at the Department of Defense. Audrey's stomach had twisted at the thought. She hadn't known how to respond, her mind racing with unspoken questions. Did she owe Jack her support? Could she even stand up for him without exposing more than she was willing to reveal?
How could she answer her father's inevitable questions? How close were they? What did she really know about him? Was it serious? The truth was, she didn't have answers to most of those questions herself. And it was that uncertainty—more than anything—that had kept her silent.
The guilt had gnawed at her all week, an incessant whisper in the back of her mind. Jack would have gone to the ends of the earth for her—she was certain of it. If the threat hanging over her had ever materialized while he was near, he would have grabbed the nearest gun and fought for her without a second thought. If she ever needed him, he would have dropped everything and come running. And he had. He would have also faced the scrutiny, the questions, the fallout—without hesitation. But when it was her turn to fight for him, she'd faltered. She had chosen self-preservation, and it left her feeling hollow for the better part of the week.
But then Friday came, and with it, relief. She'd casually asked her father about his decision before heading out for the weekend, her voice as nonchalant as she could make it. When he'd said he'd decided against offering Jack a position, it felt like a weight had been lifted. She'd still felt guilty, yes, but she also couldn't deny the sense of relief. The decision had been made. She didn't have to face Jack every day, didn't have to navigate the tension between them or confront the feelings she couldn't quite define. He was gone. He wouldn't return. If she didn't want to face the guilt about not having stood up for him, she just had to let go of the memory and be happy that he wouldn't return into her world.
By Friday night, life had started to feel easier. She'd even said yes to Paul when he invited her to dinner—a decision she still wasn't sure how she felt about.
Audrey had braced herself before meeting Paul, determined to keep things casual. It had been months since they'd spent any real time together, and their last attempt—a fundraiser in February—had ended in a fight. But this time, things felt different. They'd gotten along surprisingly well in their brief texts and phone calls during the week, and she wasn't entirely dreading the evening. At the very least, it was better than spending another night alone.
The dinner started awkwardly, as expected. Polite pleasantries filled the space where real conversation should have been. Neither of them wanted to say the wrong thing, to stir up old grievances. But eventually, they found the courage to broach heavier topics without spiraling into an argument.
Audrey had nearly choked on her wine when Paul asked if there had been anyone else in her life since their separation. She'd deflected, giving a vague, noncommittal answer, but Paul had pressed on, offering to go first.
He admitted to two women. One here in Washington—a single dinner date that went nowhere—and another woman in London, someone he'd seen for two months before ending things. He swore it was over, and Audrey believed him. Why would he even tell her about it, if it wasn't over?
And then he asked her again: Was there anyone in her life now?
No.
Had there been someone, ever since their separation?
Audrey hesitated. She didn't know how to answer. For a fleeting moment, she thought of Jack—the one night stand, of the late-night calls, the day in Seattle, the hours spent sitting beside him in her office. But was Jack in her life? Not really. Not anymore. Their connection had frayed over the past few weeks, slowly unraveling into silence.
In the end, she told Paul the truth—there had been someone. Just once.
Paul had pressed for details, and Audrey had given the simplest, most truthful answer she could manage: it was complicated.
Paul, ever cocksure, had smiled. She could see it in his face—the smug assumption that her fling hadn't lasted because her feelings for him were stronger. He couldn't have been more wrong, but she didn't correct him. The conversation ended without further damage, and by her third glass of wine, Paul had even convinced her to attend a business dinner with him the following evening.
Audrey pushed open the door to her office that Monday morning, shaking her head at the memory of her weekend. It had been strange, surreal even, but it had reminded her of something she'd nearly forgotten: Paul was still her husband. Technically, they were still married, still supposed to do things like that. And for the first time in months, they'd managed to spend two evenings together without tearing each other apart.
As she set her bag down and settled into her chair, Audrey allowed herself a moment to reflect. Life wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but for now, it felt manageable. And after the chaos her life had been during the past months, this felt almost good.
Her phone buzzed softly on the desk, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, half-expecting a message from Paul. But it wasn't. Her heart skipped slightly as she saw the name.
Jack.
The message was short, straightforward.
Audrey glanced at the message again: "Hey."
Such a simple word, yet it sent a ripple through her. It had been five days since she'd heard from him, and though she'd told herself she was fine with the silence, the truth hit her now, sharp and unrelenting. Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before she typed her reply.
"How are you?"
The tension settled in her chest almost immediately. Paul was still on her mind, lingering like a shadow she couldn't shake. The weekend with him had been unexpectedly… fine. But now, with Jack's message staring back at her, she couldn't ignore the undercurrent of guilt once again threading through her thoughts.
Her phone buzzed again.
"I'm back in LA."
Audrey exhaled. He'd finished his trip. In the nine days since she'd seen him in Washington, he'd probably flown from Washington down to the Keys and then all the way back to Los Angeles. She pictured him down there in the Keys—a solitary figure against the backdrop of sun-soaked beaches and endless skies. A single man on a lonely trip, just him and that single engine airplane he'd told her about.
Her mind wandered unbidden to darker places. A flash of him sitting at a bar, the easy charm she'd seen him wield when he chose to. Was he meeting someone? Picking up random women, getting closer to strangers in the way he hadn't gotten close to her in Seattle? The image stirred something uncomfortably close to jealousy, and she shook her head quickly, trying to dispel it. It didn't matter. She should actually be glad.
Why shouldn't he? He was single. He owed no one—least of all her—an explanation. Especially not when she'd spent the entire weekend with Paul, trying to find a shred of their former connection.
And after the flicker of jealousy came an unexpected rush of relief. Los Angeles. He was 2,000 miles away. A safe distance. Far enough that she didn't have to worry about him walking back into her life, disrupting the fragile balance she was trying to maintain. Her life was here, in Washington, where Paul had reminded her that they still shared a history—perhaps even a future. Anything with Jack was just a dream. A fleeting, impossible dream. And a small part of her brain told her that this wasn't even a dream. It could also be a nightmare.
Her fingers moved before she fully thought it through. But she had to answer something, she felt.
"Did you have a good flight?"
The response came quickly.
"Yes."
Then, another message followed.
"Do you have 10 minutes?"
Audrey's heart skipped. She knew exactly what that meant—a quick phone call. Her stomach tightened with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. She glanced at her office door, then stood and closed it quietly, ensuring her privacy before she pressed the call button.
Jack answered immediately.
"Hey," he said, his voice low and familiar.
Audrey had spent countless hours on the phone with him, enough to recognize the tension laced through his words. Something was off, and she felt her own shoulders stiffen in response.
"Hey," she replied softly. "What's going on?"
Audrey gripped her phone tightly, her heart pounding as Jack's voice filled her office. She'd been bracing for something—anything—but not for this.
"Your father just called me," Jack said, his tone careful, deliberate. "He offered me a job."
Audrey's breath caught. Her mind raced. Her father had made it clear on Friday that the offer was off the table. But now, it seemed, something had changed. Over the weekend, he must have reconsidered. She tried to process the shock, but her thoughts collided in a tangled mess of guilt and disbelief.
Jack hesitated, the pause stretching just long enough for her to catch the tension in his voice. "I haven't given him an answer yet. I wanted to talk to you first."
"To me?" Audrey managed, her voice tighter than she intended. She leaned back in her chair, pressing a hand to her temple. "Why?"
"Are you behind this?", Jack asked her. "Did you… intervene? Put in a good word for me?"
Audrey froze. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to say yes. It would have been easier. It would have erased the guilt gnawing at her, absolved her of the shame she felt for staying silent when it mattered most. But she couldn't lie to him. Not about this.
"No," she admitted quietly. "I didn't." Her voice softened, guilt laced in every word. "Jack, you earned this. You proved how valuable you are. Your work spoke for itself." Audrey took a deep breath. "He must have realized how much you could bring to the team."
Silence settled between them. Then Jack spoke again, his voice hesitant. "Wouldn't it be… weird for you? Working with me, I mean. After everything."
Audrey knew exactly what he meant. He didn't have to say it aloud. After the night they'd spent together, the intimate phone calls, the details he'd shared with her—the kind he rarely shared with anyone. And after the undeniable tension in Seattle, the pull between them that they'd barely escaped. All of it hovered unspoken between them, an unacknowledged truth.
Would it be weird? Yes, she thought immediately. It would be. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. Not when she'd spent the past week feeling like she'd let him down, failed him when he needed her most.
"Maybe," she said cautiously. "Maybe it would be a bit awkward at first, but I think we could manage. We could… just forget how well we know each other."
Her words felt hollow, even as she said them. How could she forget? But she couldn't let this opportunity slip through Jack's fingers. He deserved this. After everything she knew about him—everything he'd endured, all the losses and hardship—he deserved a life of peace. A job that reflected his worth. Respect.
She heard the faintest shift in his tone, a hint of relief. "You really think so?" he asked.
"Yes," she said firmly, holding on to the lie. "I do."
Jack exhaled audibly, his voice softer when he spoke again. "I asked Heller for two days to think about it. I haven't decided yet. I need to talk to Kim first. It would mean moving across the country, away from her. And…" He trailed off, his voice dropping. "I'm not sure if I even want a white-collar job."
"You deserve it," Audrey said gently. "A quieter job than the ones you've had in the past."
Jack laughed faintly, the sound tinged with something bittersweet. "You know, I felt… kind of alien in those offices. When I was there nine days ago."
"You'll get used to it," she encouraged him, her voice warm, steady.
"Maybe," he said, the word carrying a weight she couldn't quite define.
Before she could respond, a sharp knock echoed through her office door. Audrey flinched, glancing up quickly. "I have to go," she said hurriedly, lowering her voice. "Someone's here."
"Okay," Jack replied. "Thanks, Audrey."
"For what?"
"For…. everything." His voice was soft, and before she could reply, her door was already open and Janice asking something unimportant, compared to the phone call she'd just had.
When she was gone again, Audrey stared at her phone for a moment, her emotions swirling in a chaotic storm. Relief, guilt, hope, fear—all of it tangled together.
Would Jack take the job? And if he did, what would it mean for them?
.
.
.
Two more days passed, and the silence stretched longer than Audrey had expected—or wanted. She hadn't heard anything. Not from Jack. Not from her father. The last thing Heller had said to her about it was that the job offer was off the table. That had been last Friday. But sometime over the weekend, he'd clearly changed his mind.
Officially, Audrey didn't know. She couldn't know. Confronting him would mean exposing the fact that Jack had called her, that he'd talked to her about the job offer. And she didn't want to reveal that to her father—not their contact, not their conversations, not the lingering connection between them. It would just make him suspicious.
But still, the silence gnawed at her. Was it a test? Had her father always intended to offer Jack the job but wanted to see if she'd confront him about changing his mind? Was this some ploy to see if she'd expose her contact with Jack?
She hated the thought. She didn't want to believe her father would play games like that. But the uncertainty left her uneasy.
So, she waited.
Wednesday noon came—the deadline Jack had been given to decide about the job. Audrey half-expected a call or a message from him, but none came. Neither from Jack nor her father.
Thursday came and went in much the same way. The silence was maddening, but she told herself it didn't matter. Jack would make his decision, probably he already had, and her father would move forward, with or without her involvement. It was better this way. Safer. Maybe he'd said no? Turned down the job? Was that why her father hadn't mentioned it?
It wasn't until Thursday evening that her father finally brought up the subject again, casually, as if it were just another item on his long list of daily matters.
"Do you remember when we talked about Captain Bauer?" he asked as they walked down the hallway together, returning from a meeting in another part of the building.
"You mean the job you wanted to offer him?" she asked, keeping her tone neutral.
"Yes."
"You decided against it," she said, feigning disinterest.
"I reconsidered."
Audrey turned to him, schooling her expression into one of polite surprise. "What made you reconsider?"
Heller's voice was matter-of-fact, almost amused. "I was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last weekend."
Audrey made a mental note of that detail. Saturday night, while she and Paul had attended his business dinner, her father had been at one of Washington's most exclusive events. She hadn't even thought about his schedule that weekend, assuming it was the usual round of political engagements.
"I met David Palmer there," Heller continued.
Audrey froze mid-step. The name struck her, sharp and unexpected. David Palmer again. It was the second time now, and it felt too significant to ignore.
"So?" she asked, her tone carefully measured.
"I asked him about Bauer," her father said, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at his lips. "He said I'd be a damn fool if I didn't hire him."
Audrey felt her stomach twist. Palmer, the former president himself, thought her father would be foolish not to bring Jack onto the team? The weight of that statement hung heavy in the air. Of course, she also believed Jack was invaluable, but hearing it from someone like David Palmer—it was a validation far beyond anything she could have offered.
"Now that's a statement," she managed, forcing a small smile.
Heller nodded. "David told me how they met. They're not politically affiliated."
"Really?" Audrey asked, trying to sound casual, though her pulse quickened.
"Yes. They met because Bauer's wife and daughter got kidnapped in the wake of the attack on Palmer during the primaries. His daughter got free. His wife got killed."
Audrey felt a knot tighten in her stomach. The way her father recounted it—so factual, so detached—it felt like a blow. These weren't just facts to her. This was Jack's pain, his loss, his nightmare. This was Teri. The girl carrying the 'fracking kills' sign. The mother of his child. The love of his life. This was the blow that had sent him spiraling deeper and deeper into the abyss, going for one bad decision after another, until she'd dragged him into rehab fourteen weeks ago. This wasn't just another inevitable death, listed in some DoD files. And hearing it laid out like a cold summary only made it harder to bear.
She forced herself to stay composed, to play the game. To act the part of a senior Washington operative, cool and detached. "The question isn't how they met, but what happened ever since," she remarked, trying to deflect.
Heller chuckled lightly. "I like the way you think." He sighed, his tone softening. "David said he hasn't seen Jack since his wife's funeral."
"Sherry Palmer's funeral was five months ago. That's not really long ago.", she remarked.
"No, not Palmer's. Bauer's.", Heller corrected her.
Audrey's breath hitched. It wasn't Sherry Palmer's funeral, as she'd initially assumed. It was Teri's.
"What?" she asked, the word slipping out before she could stop herself. "Palmer attended…" She caught herself just in time, halting before Teri's name left her lips. "…Bauer's wife's funeral?" Sure, Palmer hadn't been President back then, but it still meant a lot.
"Yes," Heller confirmed. "A few years ago", he said. I double-checked with other sources, too. There's no political connection. They were only in contact during phases of national crisis. Everything else is just rumors."
Rumors. Audrey felt a chill run down her spine. She could guess where those rumors had originated — Janice. It would be just like her to dig up scraps of half-truths and present them in a way that sowed doubt and mistrust. Or maybe Janice simply didn't want Audrey to have someone like Jack on her side. Either way, the damage was done.
They reached the door to her office, and Audrey tried to sound as casual as possible as she asked the question that had been gnawing at her ever since Monday. "So… has he accepted the job?"
Her father gave her a brief, almost dismissive nod. "Yes, he has," he said, his tone as nonchalant as if he were commenting on the weather.
Audrey barely managed a polite smile as they parted ways. She waited until Heller had disappeared down the hallway before stepping into her office and shutting the door behind her. The moment the latch clicked, her composure shattered. She leaned against the door, her chest tight, her thoughts spiraling.
Jack was coming here. The knot in her stomach tightened as she tried to process what that meant—for him, for her, for both of them. How would they navigate this? How could they? The walls she'd built around herself were already cracking, and she wasn't sure how much longer they'd hold.
But one thing was certain: her life was about to get a lot more complicated.
.
.