(no subject)

[geeky_agent]

June 18, 2011

Chris didn't know why she was here.

It was almost five and still hot out, the gentle breeze making the heat bearable. Her dress suit was some light wool-silk blend that had left her cold in the office but was a comfort while standing under the afternoon sun.

She'd come from work, a meeting at Division and she'd been sent to represent District while the Director was out of town. On her way to work, she had passed by the cemetery where Jack was "buried".

Chris had never visited his grave before and wasn't sure why she was doing so now, she wasn't any closer to Jack here than she was at CTU. Perhaps, less so.

With a sigh, she laid the bouquets down. Both small, simple and white, one at Teri's grave and one at Jack's.

I miss you.

Comments

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He's not sure why he's here.

As soon as he'd walked out the door and realized where he was, he'd intended to leave L.A. first thing, get out of town before he could risk anyone he knew spotting him. Ten million people or not, he'd had weirder coincidences happen, and he's too paranoid to believe that they won't.

But when he'd called Amtrak he found that he'd missed the last train, and the next Greyhound bus didn't leave for another five hours. Suddenly, he had so much time to fill, so much time to hide out, avoid notice. Staying at Union Station wasn't an option--too busy, and he wanted to arrive and get on the bus that would take him to Sacramento with minutes to spare.

Somehow, this is the only thing he can think of doing: visiting Teri. The fact that he's going to see his name on a gravestone as well was something he'd pushed out of his mind. Even though he'd always wanted to be cremated--something that had come in handy in the end--when Teri had died he'd bought a double plot. He didn't want to be separated from her.

That's how he ends up walking down a gravelled path in the late afternoon light, the heat of the day radiating off the path. He's still familiar with the route to Teri's grave even though it's been a couple years since he was here.

But as he approaches, he spots someone standing near the site, and he ducks under the shade of a tree a short distance away. As he watches the woman, he realizes two things. One, that she's standing about where he remembers Teri grave to be, and two, that there's something very familiar about her.

It only takes a second for him to take in her hair, her stance, the way she carries herself and recognise her. When the revelation comes, it steals his breath away with shock, with the sheer unexpectedness of it.

Chris.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She kneels by the graves for a few moments longer, trying to pray but it still feels odd to her. The cemetery would be closing soon and she was sure the groundskeeper was waiting to lock up.

Chris pulls her purse strap up and stands. She looks around, expecting to see the groundskeeper after having the odd feeling of someone being nearby.

But that's not who she sees and she almost can't believe who it is. For a moment, Chris honestly believes she's seeing things and walks closer to confirm that, no, she's not.

"Jack?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He knows he should leave before she sees him but he can't move. He just wants to see her again, though it's like seeing beutiful pictures of a place you can't visit; pleasure and pain wrapped into one. He's missed her so much for so long that he can't tear himself away.

And then suddenly it's too late, she's turned and seen him; recognised him despite his lame attempt at a disguise.

He takes a step forward, then another, wanting to run over to her but uncertain that he should. He's suddenly feeling even more exposed, and he stays under the shade of the tree.

"Hi, Chris," he says softly.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She knew she had missed him but underestimated how much till he was standing in front of her. It was almost physical, different from the times before because she didn't know when or how she'd see him again. Chris wants to hug him but stops short of doing so, not sure what was appropriate in this situation.

Chris folds her arms and looks around nervously. "What are you doing in L.A.?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He glances down, stuffing his hands in his pockets, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. Looking up at her again, his mouth tilts into a wry smile.

"Got dropped off here by the Door for some reason."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"That's strange."

She realizes that he's here for a reason and it's not to see her. Chris wonders if Jack had a chance to see Teri while she was in the bar but doesn't ask. Instead she moves a little to the side, folding her arms as she does.

"The cemetery is closing, the groundskeeper will be coming around soon."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," he says softly, glancing over her shoulder at Teri's headstone, then back at her. He wants Chris to stay, wants to talk to her though he knows it probably isn't a good idea. He's a little uncertain of how to make that clear, though, when he's not sure if she'd rather just leave.

"Yeah, just...give me a minute," he says, finally, slowly walking past her.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"All right," she says with a slight nod. Chris feels almost pathetically relieved that he asked her to wait, though she's uncertain why he asked.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He nods back and continues walking toward Teri's headstone, carefully keeping his eyes away from the stone next to hers. Feeling a little self-conscious, he reaches out and touches Teri's headstone for a moment.

Part of him still isn't exactly sure if she was really there, in that warehouse, or if it was some delirious fantasy of his own. After everything he's seen in the bar, though...he finds it hard not to believe.

He crouches for a moment, running his fingers along her name, etched into the stone. "Thank you, Teri," he whispers. She had given him hope when he had none, and he wishes he could thank her to her face.

Standing again, he finally forces himself to look at the next stone over, feeling a kind of shiver run up his back as he looks at the lettering.

John Patrick "Jack" Bauer, Nov. 29, 1967-Apr. 25, 2010.

For a moment he jsut starres at it, trying to internalise the thought that that's his name on that stone, his birthdate and supposed deathdate. But it just isn't sinking in, not quite, though the sight is still giving him the willies.

Finally he turns his back on the graves, and starts walking back to where Chris is standing.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She glances away briefly, more because of nerves than anything else. After so long of not seeing him, not having even seen a picture of him, she wants to drink in the sight of him.

Not sure what to say or where to even begin, Chris asks, "Are you all right?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He gives her a weak smile, his stomach doing a flip-flop as he looks into her eyes. "Yeah. How are you? What are you doing in L.A.?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I live here now," she says, smiling back automatically. "I'm working at CTU again."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Really?" he asks, a little surprised. "What kind of work are you doing there?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She notices the surprise in his tone. "I'm working at District. Assistant to the Director."

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches site of the groundskeeper picking up stray papers as he slowly made his way towards them.

"Have you had anything to eat yet?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head, watching the groundskeeper from behind his sunglasses. "Not yet. What made you decide to go back to CTU?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I wanted to do something more than help people manage their money," she says, shrugging slightly.

With a quick glance to the groundskeeper she adds, almost hesistatingly, "I haven't had dinner yet, I was thinking of getting something."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He nods, a long moment falling between them before he asks, "Did you want to join me for dinner?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She smiles nervously, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. If he hadn't asked, she would have.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Okay," he says, smiling a little himself, though he's not sure just why he's prolonging this. Nothing's changed; there's no more chance of a future now than there ever was. Why he's determined to cause himself more pain by having her so close but miles away, he's not sure. The only thing he's sure of is that right now he can't walk away from her. Somehow a year apart hasn't made this any easier.

They pass through the gates and Jack stops on the sidewalk outside the cemetery, looking up and down the street. There are a couple cars parked at the curb, and he's not sure which one is hers.

"So where to?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris glances away for a moment, looking into her bag for her keys.

"I don't know, do you think we should go to a restaraunt?" She's not sure how much time Jack spent in the area or whether he'd be recognized.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that might be a problem. While Jack knows that the chances of running into someone that knows him are slim, that was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen. Hell, he hadn't expected to run into Chris that day, so Murphy's Law was already fully in effect.

"Yeah, maybe we should get some takeout and eat somewhere where we're less likely to run into people." The beach, a park, anywhere that might be less busy at this time of day and where they could have some cover.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris walks towards the black car parked across the street. "That works."

She bites her lip, wondering if she should offer but it's the most practical choice. "We could go back to my place. To eat," Chris adds quickly.

It difficult but she manages not to wince at that.

"Is there anything you have a taste for?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Soooo many ways he could answer that, and yes, they do pass through his mind. He doesn't smile, though, at the thought; it's the kind of thing he can't have that he's thinking of.

"Not particularly. At this point I'm not really picky," he says, following her toward the car.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

The double meaning in her words hits her a few seconds later. It doesn't look like Jack had noticed so she doesn't react.

"Phil's pizza is nearby, I could make a call," she says, unlocking the car doors.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Sure, that sounds fine," he says, climbing in and doing up his seatbelt.

Truth be told, pizza was a treat outside thr bar. Most of the time he couldn't be bothered doing anything elaborate for dinner and so he just ended up dumping something in a pot or shoving something in the oven without much fuss.

"How's your family doing?" he asks after a moment.