Everynight I save you-24-Jack/Chloe
Title:Everynight I save you
Fandom:24
Characters:Jack/Chloe
Table:4
Prompt:48. Drown
Word Count:732
Rating:PG13
Summary:Chloe has trouble sleeping.
Author's Notes:Thanks to Lisa for beta.
Jack studied Chloe’s face as she settled into the seat across from him at the diner. She sipped the coffee he ordered for her absently, studying the menu even though he knew she must know it by heart after meeting him there so many times. He frowned at how pale she was, at the dark circles under her eyes.
“Is Molly not sleeping?” he asked when she looked up at him.
“Molly’s fine,” she answered, looking away from him again.
“You look tired.”
“Well I’m not sleeping. Molly’s sleeping like…like a baby.”
He smiled reassuringly at her while they ordered. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I’ve never been that great at it, Jack.”
“It hasn’t been this bad before.”
“I didn’t have a baby before.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
She sighed. “Nightmares.”
“You’ve been having nightmares?”
She nodded.
“About what?”
She shrugged.
“Chloe.”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed.”
“Well I am.”
Jack frowned. “Maybe I can help.”
“How?”
“It might help if you told me.”
“No,” she said firmly.
“Then I’ll figure something out.”
8888888
She didn’t know what Jack’s idea of figuring things out was going to be, but she wasn’t totally surprised when he showed up at her house after dark, after she’d gotten Molly to sleep.
“This is about earlier,” she said in lieu of a greeting, opening the door for him and walking to the back of the house.
“I want to help you.”
“Are you some kind of magic sleep doctor now?”
“Not exactly. But I do know a lot about sleeping poorly and having nightmares.”
“Yeah, I guess you do,” she said softly.
“So I’m going to cure you.”
“Do you really even think that’s possible?”
“I’ve been lead to believe that when we’re working together, anything’s possible.”
She sighed, curling her legs under her body on the couch. “So what do I have to do?”
“Are you going to tell me what you’re dreaming about?”
“No.”
“Then we’ll have to do things the hard way.”
“The hard way?”
He nodded. “We have to go to bed.”
She flushed. “Jack.”
“I’ll sleep in bed with you, see if it helps.”
“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Trust me, it’s in the top ten.”
“Should I be proud?”
“You should have your head examined.”
He sighed. “I’m not budging on this.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“Possibly.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just go home Jack.”
“No. I’m not leaving. Let me help you.”
“You can’t.”
“I can try. If this doesn’t work, I’ll figure something else out.”
“We can’t just go straight to plan B?”
“No.”
She sighed. “Then let’s go to bed.”
88888888
It took her hours to fall asleep, knowing that he was next to her. She could feel him, feel his body, every time she moved, his leg against hers, their arms brushing.
In the middle of the night she started screaming, thrashing in the bed. He held her against his chest, doing his best to soothe her.
“Chloe,” he said, “Chloe, wake up. You’re safe.”
She pulled away from him as soon as her eyes opened, wrapping the blankets around her body.
“Chloe talk to me.”
She shook her head.
“You have to tell me what you’re dreaming about.”
“No.”
“Chloe, please.”
She shook her head.
“Chloe, you were screaming my name. Tell me what’s going on.”
She closed her eyes. “They’re about you, Jack. My dreams,” she whispered. “They’re about you.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“What?” she asked, opening her eyes, staring at him in confusion. “No, Jack, of course not.”
“Then what aren’t you telling me?”
“In my dreams you’re drowning and I can’t save you, I keep trying.”
He sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry about me.”
“I always worry about you.”
“Why?”
“Because I care about you and Molly more than almost anyone in this world.”
“Jack,” she whispered.
He reached out, cupping her face. “You mean so much to me, Chloe. Don’t you know that by now?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“Please tell me you know,” he said softly.
“I know,” she whispered.
“Good,” he said, inching closer to her slowly before pressing his lips softly against hers. “I don’t want you to have any more nightmares,” he said after pulling away. “You’ll always be able to save me.”
Fandom:24
Characters:Jack/Chloe
Table:4
Prompt:48. Drown
Word Count:732
Rating:PG13
Summary:Chloe has trouble sleeping.
Author's Notes:Thanks to Lisa for beta.
Jack studied Chloe’s face as she settled into the seat across from him at the diner. She sipped the coffee he ordered for her absently, studying the menu even though he knew she must know it by heart after meeting him there so many times. He frowned at how pale she was, at the dark circles under her eyes.
“Is Molly not sleeping?” he asked when she looked up at him.
“Molly’s fine,” she answered, looking away from him again.
“You look tired.”
“Well I’m not sleeping. Molly’s sleeping like…like a baby.”
He smiled reassuringly at her while they ordered. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I’ve never been that great at it, Jack.”
“It hasn’t been this bad before.”
“I didn’t have a baby before.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
She sighed. “Nightmares.”
“You’ve been having nightmares?”
She nodded.
“About what?”
She shrugged.
“Chloe.”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed.”
“Well I am.”
Jack frowned. “Maybe I can help.”
“How?”
“It might help if you told me.”
“No,” she said firmly.
“Then I’ll figure something out.”
8888888
She didn’t know what Jack’s idea of figuring things out was going to be, but she wasn’t totally surprised when he showed up at her house after dark, after she’d gotten Molly to sleep.
“This is about earlier,” she said in lieu of a greeting, opening the door for him and walking to the back of the house.
“I want to help you.”
“Are you some kind of magic sleep doctor now?”
“Not exactly. But I do know a lot about sleeping poorly and having nightmares.”
“Yeah, I guess you do,” she said softly.
“So I’m going to cure you.”
“Do you really even think that’s possible?”
“I’ve been lead to believe that when we’re working together, anything’s possible.”
She sighed, curling her legs under her body on the couch. “So what do I have to do?”
“Are you going to tell me what you’re dreaming about?”
“No.”
“Then we’ll have to do things the hard way.”
“The hard way?”
He nodded. “We have to go to bed.”
She flushed. “Jack.”
“I’ll sleep in bed with you, see if it helps.”
“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Trust me, it’s in the top ten.”
“Should I be proud?”
“You should have your head examined.”
He sighed. “I’m not budging on this.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“Possibly.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just go home Jack.”
“No. I’m not leaving. Let me help you.”
“You can’t.”
“I can try. If this doesn’t work, I’ll figure something else out.”
“We can’t just go straight to plan B?”
“No.”
She sighed. “Then let’s go to bed.”
88888888
It took her hours to fall asleep, knowing that he was next to her. She could feel him, feel his body, every time she moved, his leg against hers, their arms brushing.
In the middle of the night she started screaming, thrashing in the bed. He held her against his chest, doing his best to soothe her.
“Chloe,” he said, “Chloe, wake up. You’re safe.”
She pulled away from him as soon as her eyes opened, wrapping the blankets around her body.
“Chloe talk to me.”
She shook her head.
“You have to tell me what you’re dreaming about.”
“No.”
“Chloe, please.”
She shook her head.
“Chloe, you were screaming my name. Tell me what’s going on.”
She closed her eyes. “They’re about you, Jack. My dreams,” she whispered. “They’re about you.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“What?” she asked, opening her eyes, staring at him in confusion. “No, Jack, of course not.”
“Then what aren’t you telling me?”
“In my dreams you’re drowning and I can’t save you, I keep trying.”
He sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry about me.”
“I always worry about you.”
“Why?”
“Because I care about you and Molly more than almost anyone in this world.”
“Jack,” she whispered.
He reached out, cupping her face. “You mean so much to me, Chloe. Don’t you know that by now?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“Please tell me you know,” he said softly.
“I know,” she whispered.
“Good,” he said, inching closer to her slowly before pressing his lips softly against hers. “I don’t want you to have any more nightmares,” he said after pulling away. “You’ll always be able to save me.”