Gift!Fic for lonely_streets
Jeanie,
Merry Christmas babe! Hope you have a fantastic day.
<3333333
Rachel
She wanted Jack/Chase this is -- sorta Jack/Chase. Inspired by the song "Noose".
Title: Decisions
Author: catch22girl
Spoilers: s4 Prequel
Summary: Post-s3. Chase goes to check on Jack.
Disclaimer: Not mine, characters belong to FOX and Real Time Productions.
At first glance, Jack seemed harmless. Less than six feet tall, close to slim build, looking almost overwhelmed by the environment.
Chase had been surprised at their first meeting. After all the stories he'd heard and Jack's reputation he expected to be working with a hybrid of Brad Pitt and Vin Diesel. Instead, he met him and thought 'I could probably take you in a fight'. At least until he looked into his eyes, felt the power in his handshake and knew that looks were deceiving. There was a kind of strength in his glare, a shaken but still confident demeanor and everyone treated him as someone very important.
Odd that he'd remember that now, sitting in his car outside of Jack's apartment and waiting for him to come home.
Fired. It was impossible to believe but Chloe had called him earlier with the news. He seemed okay, she said, but Kim would probably want you to check anyway. Typical Chloe comment since it completely ignored the fact that Jack hadn't really talked to either of them in months.
Chase sat in the car and told himself that he was concerned because it was Kim's father and his ex-boss but the truth was he just wanted to see him again.
Jack cut himself off, dealing with things alone and on his own terms. Chase had been busy trying to get his hand to work again, frustrated at the lack of progress and Kim had thrown herself into his rehabilitation, trying to forget about many things. He still traced the medical scars on his hand, and always failed to come up with a new conclusion - a different answer, a way that things could have ended better.
A giant SUV was pulling up. Chase stepped out of the car and watched Jack from the shadows. He wore a suit, looked healthier even at this distance and seemed stronger.
He was a few feet away from him when Jack turned around and Chase wasn't surprised to find a gun in his face.
"Why are you following me?" A warning, eyes narrowed, hand steady.
He put up his hand and stopped moving, "Jack."
Instant recognition. "Chase." He put away his gun and looked at him. "Do you want to come in?"
Following him inside and feeling awkward because they weren't partners anymore and Kim's dad didn't fit how he felt or their relationship.
"Beer?"
"Okay," Chase sat down and looked at the carpet, trying to hide the fact that he had no clue what he was doing.
Jack came back and handed him a beer, then took the seat across from him.
"How's the hand?"
"It's been better. I've tried -- "
"I know. I needed time alone to get my head straight."
"I heard. Kim's really relieved." Was it always this difficult to talk? Chase looked at the man sitting across from him. He appeared younger, more relaxed, and Chase had this uncomfortable feeling that he didn't know him.
"As I said, I needed some time alone. Look, I know why you're here and I'm fine."
"Are you?"
"Yeah. I wasn't at CTU my entire life and it was time for a change anyway."
"You're okay with being fired?" Chase didn't believe him.
"Would I have liked to leave on my own terms? Of course, but it was time to leave."
Chase glanced at him, tried to find a sign of regret or remorse but only saw a distant calm and it unnerved him. He could not believe he had ever desired this man. He never thought Jack would leave without a fight, could recover from his actions without guilt. At one time he'd wanted him, had imagined kissing him, had dreams that made him glad no could see his thoughts. He had woken up next to Kim and felt guilty but couldn't help his feelings. Now, he wasn't sure what he had been thinking.
All the dead bodies were just water under the bridge.
"I know that Kim's worried. But she doesn't have to worry. I'm okay," Jack continued.
"Have you talked to Chappelle's family?" Chase tried to get a reaction.
"Why would I?"
To apologize, to explain, to make amends? "I thought that you would."
Jack stared at him and after a moment looked down. "You know?"
"It wasn't hard to figure out."
Jack didn't look up, "I went to the funeral, it was expected of course and his family was there. I tried but I couldn't...Everyone thinks that I can survive anything and after everything that has happened I can't show them any other side. Any weakness. Standing there I wished that I could have waited a few more days to go into the program, because being high would have made it so much easier to handle. Then again, I killed him so I didn't deserve to be numb." His voice was different, more real, and Chase was seized by a fierce need to hold him. But he knew that he'd never let him and probably didn't want him to either, after all Jack's sexual exploits were well known.
Chase put down the glass bottle. "Are you staying in LA?" Nodding towards the suit, changing the subject because the dynamic was shifting in a way that made him even more uncomfortable.
"I'm thinking about DC."
"Great town."
Chase's phone rang. It was Kim. "Hey...no, I'm with your dad...." Looking at Jack as he spoke, trying to figure out if he should hand the phone over to him. Kim made the decision for him, asking for Jack.
"Do you want to talk to her?" Chase held out the phone and Jack took it, their fingers meeting briefly. Chase watched his face as he talked to Kim and knew that no matter how he felt he could never come between them. In an odd moment of clarity he knew that if he tried he'd be the one who wound up hurt and losing both of them.
He had made his decision the minute he kissed her and there was no other answer.
Merry Christmas babe! Hope you have a fantastic day.
<3333333
Rachel
She wanted Jack/Chase this is -- sorta Jack/Chase. Inspired by the song "Noose".
Title: Decisions
Author: catch22girl
Spoilers: s4 Prequel
Summary: Post-s3. Chase goes to check on Jack.
Disclaimer: Not mine, characters belong to FOX and Real Time Productions.
At first glance, Jack seemed harmless. Less than six feet tall, close to slim build, looking almost overwhelmed by the environment.
Chase had been surprised at their first meeting. After all the stories he'd heard and Jack's reputation he expected to be working with a hybrid of Brad Pitt and Vin Diesel. Instead, he met him and thought 'I could probably take you in a fight'. At least until he looked into his eyes, felt the power in his handshake and knew that looks were deceiving. There was a kind of strength in his glare, a shaken but still confident demeanor and everyone treated him as someone very important.
Odd that he'd remember that now, sitting in his car outside of Jack's apartment and waiting for him to come home.
Fired. It was impossible to believe but Chloe had called him earlier with the news. He seemed okay, she said, but Kim would probably want you to check anyway. Typical Chloe comment since it completely ignored the fact that Jack hadn't really talked to either of them in months.
Chase sat in the car and told himself that he was concerned because it was Kim's father and his ex-boss but the truth was he just wanted to see him again.
Jack cut himself off, dealing with things alone and on his own terms. Chase had been busy trying to get his hand to work again, frustrated at the lack of progress and Kim had thrown herself into his rehabilitation, trying to forget about many things. He still traced the medical scars on his hand, and always failed to come up with a new conclusion - a different answer, a way that things could have ended better.
A giant SUV was pulling up. Chase stepped out of the car and watched Jack from the shadows. He wore a suit, looked healthier even at this distance and seemed stronger.
He was a few feet away from him when Jack turned around and Chase wasn't surprised to find a gun in his face.
"Why are you following me?" A warning, eyes narrowed, hand steady.
He put up his hand and stopped moving, "Jack."
Instant recognition. "Chase." He put away his gun and looked at him. "Do you want to come in?"
Following him inside and feeling awkward because they weren't partners anymore and Kim's dad didn't fit how he felt or their relationship.
"Beer?"
"Okay," Chase sat down and looked at the carpet, trying to hide the fact that he had no clue what he was doing.
Jack came back and handed him a beer, then took the seat across from him.
"How's the hand?"
"It's been better. I've tried -- "
"I know. I needed time alone to get my head straight."
"I heard. Kim's really relieved." Was it always this difficult to talk? Chase looked at the man sitting across from him. He appeared younger, more relaxed, and Chase had this uncomfortable feeling that he didn't know him.
"As I said, I needed some time alone. Look, I know why you're here and I'm fine."
"Are you?"
"Yeah. I wasn't at CTU my entire life and it was time for a change anyway."
"You're okay with being fired?" Chase didn't believe him.
"Would I have liked to leave on my own terms? Of course, but it was time to leave."
Chase glanced at him, tried to find a sign of regret or remorse but only saw a distant calm and it unnerved him. He could not believe he had ever desired this man. He never thought Jack would leave without a fight, could recover from his actions without guilt. At one time he'd wanted him, had imagined kissing him, had dreams that made him glad no could see his thoughts. He had woken up next to Kim and felt guilty but couldn't help his feelings. Now, he wasn't sure what he had been thinking.
All the dead bodies were just water under the bridge.
"I know that Kim's worried. But she doesn't have to worry. I'm okay," Jack continued.
"Have you talked to Chappelle's family?" Chase tried to get a reaction.
"Why would I?"
To apologize, to explain, to make amends? "I thought that you would."
Jack stared at him and after a moment looked down. "You know?"
"It wasn't hard to figure out."
Jack didn't look up, "I went to the funeral, it was expected of course and his family was there. I tried but I couldn't...Everyone thinks that I can survive anything and after everything that has happened I can't show them any other side. Any weakness. Standing there I wished that I could have waited a few more days to go into the program, because being high would have made it so much easier to handle. Then again, I killed him so I didn't deserve to be numb." His voice was different, more real, and Chase was seized by a fierce need to hold him. But he knew that he'd never let him and probably didn't want him to either, after all Jack's sexual exploits were well known.
Chase put down the glass bottle. "Are you staying in LA?" Nodding towards the suit, changing the subject because the dynamic was shifting in a way that made him even more uncomfortable.
"I'm thinking about DC."
"Great town."
Chase's phone rang. It was Kim. "Hey...no, I'm with your dad...." Looking at Jack as he spoke, trying to figure out if he should hand the phone over to him. Kim made the decision for him, asking for Jack.
"Do you want to talk to her?" Chase held out the phone and Jack took it, their fingers meeting briefly. Chase watched his face as he talked to Kim and knew that no matter how he felt he could never come between them. In an odd moment of clarity he knew that if he tried he'd be the one who wound up hurt and losing both of them.
He had made his decision the minute he kissed her and there was no other answer.