There's something familiar about that slack-jawed, poofy-haired kid. Ashing his cigarette (because he still has a thing about not smoking around kids even if they are in a bar), Ryan walks over to him. "Hi."
It is, in that nagging way that familiar-but-not-quite-idenitfiable gestures are. With a nod towards the window, he asks, "Is that the first time you've seen that?"
"Is it really dangerous?" Chase asks, his voice hushed. It looks dangerous as hell. Like it could suddenly push past the glass and vaporize them all on the spot, without warning.
Her face fell slightly as she rather irritably asked. Her tone of voice indicated that this was indeed a bad thing. She did not suppose that most parents warned their children against wandering into extra-dimensional spaces, but really, it ought to be good sense.
"I didn't mean to. I'm supposed to be in my room."
She reminds him of his teacher, which is the only reason he's being so polite instead of instantly getting defensive. Anyone who didn't look about to smack him with a ruler would be getting a rant about how he can go wherever he wants as long as his room gets clean eventually, SO THERE.
Kim notices the dark haired boy and is glad she's not drinking anything when she realizes he looks very familiar - like someone she's seen in a picture, like a picture she has a home and --
She prays she's wrong when she calls out his name, "Chase?"
Chase jumps at the sound of his name, tearing his gaze from the window. "Did my dad send you?" he asks worriedly. He knows he's supposed to be cleaning his room, but he'd ended up here instead, and he can't think how else this lady would know his name.
Kim swallows and tries to think of an explanation. A younger version of Behrooz had been in the bar, this is simply a younger version of her husband-to-be, nothing malicious here.
At least she hopes that's what going on and there's really no way to check.
"No, I've never met your dad," she attempts a smile, trying to make him less worried. "How did you get here?"
"I dunno." He relaxes a little once he realizes that his dad has nothing to do with this, but still, if everyone keeps asking him where his parents are, it must be a big deal that he's here alone.
"I got sent to my room, but...then I came in here instead." It sounds kind of stupid when he says it out loud. He's suddenly rather self-conscious about sounding stupid. He even forgets to ask how she knows his name.
Beware the Chia Pet Hair! IT WILL CONSUME YOUR SOUUUUUUUL.
"Nope," says Chase, not even looking away from the window. "They're back at home."
He doesn't think this can be any worse than the time he got separated from his mom at the supermarket. He'd found her eventually, after spending an enjoyable half hour reading the Nickelodeon magazines, and come out of the ordeal none the worse for the wear, so he isn't afraid of being on his own.
Chase scrutinizes the guy. Short (for a grownup, although he's still about twice Chase's height), blond, gruff-looking...
He saunters closer, hiding his nervousness. "Are you Jack Bauer?" he asks, resisting the urge to fidget with his arms like he usually does when he's anxious.
"Chloe told me I should talk to you, sir." Chase is not this respectful to all grownups, as his conversation with Chloe is a testament to, but Jack reminds him just the tiniest bit of his dad, and anyone who can save the world from a nuclear bomb is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
He breaks eye contact and stares at the floor. "She said--she said you saved the country from a bomb. I think that's really cool."
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"Hi," he says, fidgeting anxiously and cradling one arm to his chest. The nervous gesture might be a familiar one.
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"Is it really dangerous?" Chase asks, his voice hushed. It looks dangerous as hell. Like it could suddenly push past the glass and vaporize them all on the spot, without warning.
Which makes it the most awesome thing EVER.
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"Where are your parents, Child?"
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"At home?" he offers innocently. Which is true! Really! It's just that he's supposed to be at home, too, and he's...not.
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"Then you have wandered here alone?"
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"I didn't mean to. I'm supposed to be in my room."
She reminds him of his teacher, which is the only reason he's being so polite instead of instantly getting defensive. Anyone who didn't look about to smack him with a ruler would be getting a rant about how he can go wherever he wants as long as his room gets clean eventually, SO THERE.
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She prays she's wrong when she calls out his name, "Chase?"
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...but wow, is she pretty.
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At least she hopes that's what going on and there's really no way to check.
"No, I've never met your dad," she attempts a smile, trying to make him less worried. "How did you get here?"
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"I got sent to my room, but...then I came in here instead." It sounds kind of stupid when he says it out loud. He's suddenly rather self-conscious about sounding stupid. He even forgets to ask how she knows his name.
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Thirty-year-old Chase Edmunds.
Surely- No. That's just silly.
Chloe stares at the boy for a minute before deciding that he is very much an unaccompanied minor. She approaches slowly.
"Um. Kid? My name is Chloe O'Brian. Are your parents around?" She holds up her hands to show she's not going to hurt the kid.
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"Nope," says Chase, not even looking away from the window. "They're back at home."
He doesn't think this can be any worse than the time he got separated from his mom at the supermarket. He'd found her eventually, after spending an enjoyable half hour reading the Nickelodeon magazines, and come out of the ordeal none the worse for the wear, so he isn't afraid of being on his own.
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"This is clearly some sort of violation. Follow me. We have to have a talk with Bar regarding this situation."
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"I'm not supposed to go anywhere with strangers," he deadpans.
Hey, if it's going to get drilled into his head by his teachers at every opportunity, he might as well use it to his advantage when he can.
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"Hey," he says, as they make eye contact.
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He saunters closer, hiding his nervousness. "Are you Jack Bauer?" he asks, resisting the urge to fidget with his arms like he usually does when he's anxious.
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He breaks eye contact and stares at the floor. "She said--she said you saved the country from a bomb. I think that's really cool."
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