24-Mistlesnow-Jack/Chloe
Title:Mistlesnow
Fandom:24
Characters:Jack/Chloe
Table:4
Prompt:43. Angel
Word Count:1122
Rating:R
Summary:Jack and Chloe get caught
Author's Notes:Thanks to Lisa and Scoob for the betas.
Chloe dropped Jack’s hand as soon as they pulled onto the tree lined street.
“We’re still in the car,” he pointed out, a bemused expression on his face. “I don’t think anyone can see us. Unless Nadia’s some kind of bionic woman and you forgot to mention it.”
“We’re taking a big risk even coming together,” Chloe muttered.
“I told you,” he explained, “we just say that since we live in the neighborhood and we knew that parking at the school would be crowded we decided to take one car. And it made no sense for me to take you home after Angela’s program,” he added, pulling to stop at the curb, “before coming here.”
“I think you want to get caught.”
“Maybe I do,” he counted. “Would it be so awful, everyone finding out about us?”
“After Christmas,” she insisted.
“And New Years.”
“Right.”
“And then you’ll decide Valentine’s Day. And then Easter. And then Halloween, and then we’ll be here again.”
“You’re making fun of me.”
Jack’s protest was interrupted by Angela’s excited taps on the car window.
“Aunt Chloe, Aunt Chloe!” the little girl explained, throwing herself at Chloe as soon as the car door opened.
“Hi baby girl,” Chloe said, lifting the girl up.
“Did you hear me sing?”
Chloe nodded.
“You were the best, prettiest angel up there,” Jack said, stepping out the car and following them up the walkway to the front door.
“Mommy and I made cookies,” Angela said as they walked into the house, each surface decorated for the holidays. “Wanna see?” The girl jumped out of Chloe’s arms and took them both by the hands, pulling them into the kitchen.
After taking a frosted sugar cookie from the girl she scampered off, leaving Jack and Chloe alone in the kitchen.
“You have some frosting,” Jack said softly, backing Chloe into one of the countertops and touching her nose, then kissing it.
“Jack,” she protested.
“Nobody’s here,” he said, capturing her lips with his. “Nobody’s around. Nobody’s paying any attention to us.”
“Grandpa Jack?” Angela asked curiously from the doorway.
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"You know about secrets, right?" Jack asked Angela.
The little girl nodded.
"And I bet you're really good at keeping secrets too," he murmured.
She nodded more eagerly.
"Especially now," he added. "At Christmas time. Like, if daddy told you what he got your mommy for Christmas, I bet you could keep it a secret, couldn't you?"
"Yes," she answered brightly.
"I need for you to keep what you saw me and your Aunt Chloe doing a secret."
"You were kissing."
"Yes," he said, feeling Chloe's glare even though she was standing behind him.
"Was that second base?" the little girl inquired.
"You know about bases?" he asked, frowning.
"Daddy told me. And then mommy yelled at him."
”I bet she did,” Jack said. “So, you’ll just keep what happened a secret then?”
“Is it a present?”
“Is what a present sweetheart?”
“You kissing and Chloe and going to baseball games with her.”
“Um. Yes.”
The little girl squirmed in her chair. “Who’s present?”
“It’s a surprise. For everybody. And surprises are the best presents.”
“I want a doll house. And a mermaid.”
“Those are really nice choices too, and I know you’ve been a good girl, so I’m sure Santa will bring them to you.”
“Can I go play now?”
Jack nodded. “Remember what we talked about.”
The little girl nodded seriously.
“See,” he said, turning to face Chloe, “everything’s fine.”
“This is your version of everything’s fine? Everything is a mess.”
“She’s not gonna tell anybody.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “She’s five.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“You’re sleeping on the couch,” Chloe muttered.
“You’ll see,” Jack said, opening the door that lead to the main part of the house. “It will all be fine.”
88888888888
Chloe avoided him during the party, always staying on the opposite of the room, moving away from him every time he tried to get closer.
It was driving him crazy.
He was so busy watching Chloe that he barely noticed Angela crawling into Kim’s lap, snuggling up there.
“I know what you’re present is,” the little girl informed her mother.
“You better not tell me,” Kim murmured, holding the girl close. “You have to keep it a surprise.”
“I know a really good surprise.”
Kim smiled. “Yeah? You just know all kinds of stuff, you’re very smart.”
“What’s mistlesnow?”
“Mistletoe? It’s a kind of flower, sort of. You hang it up at Christmas, and then whoever’s standing under it has to kiss.”
“Where’s our mistletoe?”
“We don’t have any. It gives your father too many ideas.”
“Grandpa Jack’s a liar.”
Kim frowned, Jack stiffened, and Chloe paled.
“Why would you think that?” Kim asked curiously.
“He said he had to kiss Aunt Chloe because of the mistlesnow.”
“Kitchen,” Chase muttered. “Now.”
Kim sat Angela down on the floor. “Why don’t you show Aunt Nadia the tree in your room,” she suggested, following her husband.
“What the hell is going on?” Chase demanded the moment the four adults were in the kitchen. Chloe stood by the door, away from Jack, her arms wrapped around her body protectively.
“Nothing,” Jack muttered.
“Here’s the thing about my kid,” Chase said, pacing the room. “She’s smart. She’s like her Aunt Chloe. She notices things. She knows things.”
Jack sighed. “Chloe and I have been dating.”
“For how long?” Kim asked softly.
“A few months. I was going to tell you.”
“Don’t you think,” Chase interrupted, “after everything she’s put up with, that Chloe deserves to be a little bit more than your dirty little secret.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Jack protested.
“Really,” Chase shot back, “because that’s exactly what it looks like.”
“You don’t know everything,” Chloe muttered. “It was me. I wouldn’t let him tell you.”
“Why not?” Chase asked, searching her face.
She shrugged.
“I don’t even know,” Jack murmured.
“Because I was afraid. I thought…I don’t know. It’s stupid,” Chloe muttered.
“Tell me,” Jack said, his eyes locked on hers.
“I thought if we told people…if it wasn’t a secret anymore…then it’s real and then the real world comes back like it always does and I just wasn’t ready for it to be over.”
Jack closed the space between them, cradling her face in his hands. “Listen to me,” he said softly. “I won’t let anything ruin this. I’ve waited too long to be happy again. Nothing will take me away from you. Do you hear me? Nothing.” He kissed her softly. “I love you Chloe.”
Kim tugged on Chase’s hand, pulling him out of the kitchen.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I think we should give them a minute,” she murmured, “and go find some mistlesnow.”
Fandom:24
Characters:Jack/Chloe
Table:4
Prompt:43. Angel
Word Count:1122
Rating:R
Summary:Jack and Chloe get caught
Author's Notes:Thanks to Lisa and Scoob for the betas.
Chloe dropped Jack’s hand as soon as they pulled onto the tree lined street.
“We’re still in the car,” he pointed out, a bemused expression on his face. “I don’t think anyone can see us. Unless Nadia’s some kind of bionic woman and you forgot to mention it.”
“We’re taking a big risk even coming together,” Chloe muttered.
“I told you,” he explained, “we just say that since we live in the neighborhood and we knew that parking at the school would be crowded we decided to take one car. And it made no sense for me to take you home after Angela’s program,” he added, pulling to stop at the curb, “before coming here.”
“I think you want to get caught.”
“Maybe I do,” he counted. “Would it be so awful, everyone finding out about us?”
“After Christmas,” she insisted.
“And New Years.”
“Right.”
“And then you’ll decide Valentine’s Day. And then Easter. And then Halloween, and then we’ll be here again.”
“You’re making fun of me.”
Jack’s protest was interrupted by Angela’s excited taps on the car window.
“Aunt Chloe, Aunt Chloe!” the little girl explained, throwing herself at Chloe as soon as the car door opened.
“Hi baby girl,” Chloe said, lifting the girl up.
“Did you hear me sing?”
Chloe nodded.
“You were the best, prettiest angel up there,” Jack said, stepping out the car and following them up the walkway to the front door.
“Mommy and I made cookies,” Angela said as they walked into the house, each surface decorated for the holidays. “Wanna see?” The girl jumped out of Chloe’s arms and took them both by the hands, pulling them into the kitchen.
After taking a frosted sugar cookie from the girl she scampered off, leaving Jack and Chloe alone in the kitchen.
“You have some frosting,” Jack said softly, backing Chloe into one of the countertops and touching her nose, then kissing it.
“Jack,” she protested.
“Nobody’s here,” he said, capturing her lips with his. “Nobody’s around. Nobody’s paying any attention to us.”
“Grandpa Jack?” Angela asked curiously from the doorway.
888888888888
"You know about secrets, right?" Jack asked Angela.
The little girl nodded.
"And I bet you're really good at keeping secrets too," he murmured.
She nodded more eagerly.
"Especially now," he added. "At Christmas time. Like, if daddy told you what he got your mommy for Christmas, I bet you could keep it a secret, couldn't you?"
"Yes," she answered brightly.
"I need for you to keep what you saw me and your Aunt Chloe doing a secret."
"You were kissing."
"Yes," he said, feeling Chloe's glare even though she was standing behind him.
"Was that second base?" the little girl inquired.
"You know about bases?" he asked, frowning.
"Daddy told me. And then mommy yelled at him."
”I bet she did,” Jack said. “So, you’ll just keep what happened a secret then?”
“Is it a present?”
“Is what a present sweetheart?”
“You kissing and Chloe and going to baseball games with her.”
“Um. Yes.”
The little girl squirmed in her chair. “Who’s present?”
“It’s a surprise. For everybody. And surprises are the best presents.”
“I want a doll house. And a mermaid.”
“Those are really nice choices too, and I know you’ve been a good girl, so I’m sure Santa will bring them to you.”
“Can I go play now?”
Jack nodded. “Remember what we talked about.”
The little girl nodded seriously.
“See,” he said, turning to face Chloe, “everything’s fine.”
“This is your version of everything’s fine? Everything is a mess.”
“She’s not gonna tell anybody.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “She’s five.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“You’re sleeping on the couch,” Chloe muttered.
“You’ll see,” Jack said, opening the door that lead to the main part of the house. “It will all be fine.”
88888888888
Chloe avoided him during the party, always staying on the opposite of the room, moving away from him every time he tried to get closer.
It was driving him crazy.
He was so busy watching Chloe that he barely noticed Angela crawling into Kim’s lap, snuggling up there.
“I know what you’re present is,” the little girl informed her mother.
“You better not tell me,” Kim murmured, holding the girl close. “You have to keep it a surprise.”
“I know a really good surprise.”
Kim smiled. “Yeah? You just know all kinds of stuff, you’re very smart.”
“What’s mistlesnow?”
“Mistletoe? It’s a kind of flower, sort of. You hang it up at Christmas, and then whoever’s standing under it has to kiss.”
“Where’s our mistletoe?”
“We don’t have any. It gives your father too many ideas.”
“Grandpa Jack’s a liar.”
Kim frowned, Jack stiffened, and Chloe paled.
“Why would you think that?” Kim asked curiously.
“He said he had to kiss Aunt Chloe because of the mistlesnow.”
“Kitchen,” Chase muttered. “Now.”
Kim sat Angela down on the floor. “Why don’t you show Aunt Nadia the tree in your room,” she suggested, following her husband.
“What the hell is going on?” Chase demanded the moment the four adults were in the kitchen. Chloe stood by the door, away from Jack, her arms wrapped around her body protectively.
“Nothing,” Jack muttered.
“Here’s the thing about my kid,” Chase said, pacing the room. “She’s smart. She’s like her Aunt Chloe. She notices things. She knows things.”
Jack sighed. “Chloe and I have been dating.”
“For how long?” Kim asked softly.
“A few months. I was going to tell you.”
“Don’t you think,” Chase interrupted, “after everything she’s put up with, that Chloe deserves to be a little bit more than your dirty little secret.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Jack protested.
“Really,” Chase shot back, “because that’s exactly what it looks like.”
“You don’t know everything,” Chloe muttered. “It was me. I wouldn’t let him tell you.”
“Why not?” Chase asked, searching her face.
She shrugged.
“I don’t even know,” Jack murmured.
“Because I was afraid. I thought…I don’t know. It’s stupid,” Chloe muttered.
“Tell me,” Jack said, his eyes locked on hers.
“I thought if we told people…if it wasn’t a secret anymore…then it’s real and then the real world comes back like it always does and I just wasn’t ready for it to be over.”
Jack closed the space between them, cradling her face in his hands. “Listen to me,” he said softly. “I won’t let anything ruin this. I’ve waited too long to be happy again. Nothing will take me away from you. Do you hear me? Nothing.” He kissed her softly. “I love you Chloe.”
Kim tugged on Chase’s hand, pulling him out of the kitchen.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I think we should give them a minute,” she murmured, “and go find some mistlesnow.”