Miss Independant-24-Chloe/Jack
Title:Miss Independant
Fandom:24
Characters:Jack/Chloe
Table:4
Prompt:78. Dependant
Word Count:856
Rating:PG13
Summary:Chloe needs Jack
Author's Notes:Thanks to Lisa for the beta
Chloe hesitated, before knocking on the floor, raising her hand and then dropping it. Eventually the door opened anyway, Jack smiling at her with a bemused expression.
“I gave you fifteen minutes, then thought I’d see if you needed anything,” he murmured.
She smiled weakly. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He frowned, studying her intently. “Is something wrong?”
She bit down on her lips, standing awkwardly in his hallway.
“We should sit down,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her through the house the airy, open room in the back and pulling her down on the couch next to him. “Talk to me.”
“I have to get my wisdom teeth out,” she muttered.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “Well, you’ve given birth, so I think you can probably handle the pain.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“What are you worried about?”
She sighed. “They’d said I’d need help, I need someone to help me with Emma for a few days.”
“Okay. So I’ll come and stay with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. You need my help, and after all the things you’ve done for me…”
“You don’t owe me anything, Jack.”
“You’re not asking for much, Chloe. It will be nice, spending time with Emma.”
She nodded. “Okay then.”
888888888
Jack was waiting when the nurse came to get him, attempting to flip through a magazine.
“She’s almost ready to go,” the woman explained, leading him down the hall. “She needs to rest, and we’ve given her some pain medication, she has a prescription for more, you’ll want to take it to the pharmacy and pick it up for her.”
Jack nodded, stepping into the room where Chloe was waiting, her eyes closed. “It all went okay?” he asked softly.
The woman nodded. “Just make sure she takes it easy.”
“Yeah,” Jack said with a smile. “She’ll love that.”
He slowly helped a groggy Chloe to her feet, letting her lean against him as they walked to the car. He lifted her into the passenger’s seat, fastening her seatbelt.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
She nodded tiredly.
He drove silently across town, hurrying out of the car when he got to Nadia’s house to collect Emma. He bundled her down in her car seat, smiling at her, kissing her tiny hands. “Let’s go take care of your mommy, okay?”
The baby giggled and Jack got back in the car, driving them home. He got Chloe and Emma inside and settled Chloe in bed, telling her he’d be right back. He carried Emma back to the car and drove to the pharmacy, bouncing her in his arms as he waited for Chloe’s prescription to be filled.
“We’re gonna take good care of your mommy, aren’t we?” he murmured as Emma snuggled down on his chest. “Yes, we’re going to take good care of her.”
888888
“How are you feeling?” Jack asked softly.
Chloe shrugged. “Not great,” she admitted.
“Do you feel like eating?”
She nodded slowly. He led her to the table, placing the food before her before going to get Emma. Chloe watched him carry her around the kitchen, cooing and talking to her while he got her bottle ready. He carried her to the chair then, holding her in his lap while she drank the bottle, finishing and giving Chloe a gummy smile.
Chloe smiled too, tears threatening to roll down her swollen cheeks.
8888888
“I think I can probably go back home tomorrow,” Chloe said softly.
Jack frowned. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“I think it’s probably for the best. Emma can get back to her routine.”
“Sure, right.”
“So we’ll leave in the morning.”
“Or you could stay for part of the day. Ease back into it. You should still be careful, I don’t want you pushing yourself too much.”
She smiled weakly. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay, Jack. I just can’t get used to it.”
He swallowed. “I guess I deserved that.”
“What?” she asked. “Oh, Jack.” She sighed. “It isn’t about you. Morris is gone, I’ve just gotten used to taking care of Emma on my own. And it’s hard, it’s so much harder than I ever expected, and I know that if I get used to having someone, it will be that much harder to go back.” She blinked at her tears. “You’re the only person I could let myself trust, let myself lean on.”
“I’m going to miss having the two of you here,” he said softly. “Taking care of both of you, I’ve felt better than I have in years. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend we were a family.” He reached out, softly stroking her face. “I could almost pretend I didn’t lose my chance with you.”
Chloe leaned forward, slowly, barely daring to press her lips against his. “Who said you missed it?” she whispered when she pulled back.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, pressing feather soft kisses to her lips, her eyes, her cheeks. “Stay. Please.”
She nodded. “We can stay forever.”
Fandom:24
Characters:Jack/Chloe
Table:4
Prompt:78. Dependant
Word Count:856
Rating:PG13
Summary:Chloe needs Jack
Author's Notes:Thanks to Lisa for the beta
Chloe hesitated, before knocking on the floor, raising her hand and then dropping it. Eventually the door opened anyway, Jack smiling at her with a bemused expression.
“I gave you fifteen minutes, then thought I’d see if you needed anything,” he murmured.
She smiled weakly. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He frowned, studying her intently. “Is something wrong?”
She bit down on her lips, standing awkwardly in his hallway.
“We should sit down,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her through the house the airy, open room in the back and pulling her down on the couch next to him. “Talk to me.”
“I have to get my wisdom teeth out,” she muttered.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “Well, you’ve given birth, so I think you can probably handle the pain.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“What are you worried about?”
She sighed. “They’d said I’d need help, I need someone to help me with Emma for a few days.”
“Okay. So I’ll come and stay with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. You need my help, and after all the things you’ve done for me…”
“You don’t owe me anything, Jack.”
“You’re not asking for much, Chloe. It will be nice, spending time with Emma.”
She nodded. “Okay then.”
888888888
Jack was waiting when the nurse came to get him, attempting to flip through a magazine.
“She’s almost ready to go,” the woman explained, leading him down the hall. “She needs to rest, and we’ve given her some pain medication, she has a prescription for more, you’ll want to take it to the pharmacy and pick it up for her.”
Jack nodded, stepping into the room where Chloe was waiting, her eyes closed. “It all went okay?” he asked softly.
The woman nodded. “Just make sure she takes it easy.”
“Yeah,” Jack said with a smile. “She’ll love that.”
He slowly helped a groggy Chloe to her feet, letting her lean against him as they walked to the car. He lifted her into the passenger’s seat, fastening her seatbelt.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
She nodded tiredly.
He drove silently across town, hurrying out of the car when he got to Nadia’s house to collect Emma. He bundled her down in her car seat, smiling at her, kissing her tiny hands. “Let’s go take care of your mommy, okay?”
The baby giggled and Jack got back in the car, driving them home. He got Chloe and Emma inside and settled Chloe in bed, telling her he’d be right back. He carried Emma back to the car and drove to the pharmacy, bouncing her in his arms as he waited for Chloe’s prescription to be filled.
“We’re gonna take good care of your mommy, aren’t we?” he murmured as Emma snuggled down on his chest. “Yes, we’re going to take good care of her.”
888888
“How are you feeling?” Jack asked softly.
Chloe shrugged. “Not great,” she admitted.
“Do you feel like eating?”
She nodded slowly. He led her to the table, placing the food before her before going to get Emma. Chloe watched him carry her around the kitchen, cooing and talking to her while he got her bottle ready. He carried her to the chair then, holding her in his lap while she drank the bottle, finishing and giving Chloe a gummy smile.
Chloe smiled too, tears threatening to roll down her swollen cheeks.
8888888
“I think I can probably go back home tomorrow,” Chloe said softly.
Jack frowned. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“I think it’s probably for the best. Emma can get back to her routine.”
“Sure, right.”
“So we’ll leave in the morning.”
“Or you could stay for part of the day. Ease back into it. You should still be careful, I don’t want you pushing yourself too much.”
She smiled weakly. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay, Jack. I just can’t get used to it.”
He swallowed. “I guess I deserved that.”
“What?” she asked. “Oh, Jack.” She sighed. “It isn’t about you. Morris is gone, I’ve just gotten used to taking care of Emma on my own. And it’s hard, it’s so much harder than I ever expected, and I know that if I get used to having someone, it will be that much harder to go back.” She blinked at her tears. “You’re the only person I could let myself trust, let myself lean on.”
“I’m going to miss having the two of you here,” he said softly. “Taking care of both of you, I’ve felt better than I have in years. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend we were a family.” He reached out, softly stroking her face. “I could almost pretend I didn’t lose my chance with you.”
Chloe leaned forward, slowly, barely daring to press her lips against his. “Who said you missed it?” she whispered when she pulled back.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, pressing feather soft kisses to her lips, her eyes, her cheeks. “Stay. Please.”
She nodded. “We can stay forever.”