OOM: Back Home?

[geeky_agent]

She didn't leave a note.

This worried her enough to make her pause but not to stop her from going through that door. The brief thought that she might wind up trapped in some other world wasn't enough to overcome her curiosity. She needed to know.

So, Chris went through the door with only the clothes on her back and the hope in her heart that she was going home.

What she found on the other side was a bathroom that wasn't her own nor even one she recognized. She stared into the room, panic rooting her to the spot as she looked at the unfamiliar room, stark white and uninviting. She looked around the room, hoping for something that would tell her where she was. Frantically, she racked her mind, wondering what she should do.

Then it hit her and she laughed. Relief overwhelmed her and she leaned back on the closet door, trying to catch her breath.

She was in the hotel in D.C. There was a conference she was going to attend the next day and she had just arrived here, had walked into the bathroom and had found Milliways where she spent the past few days.

She was home.

“Thank God.” All the nightmare scenarios and worries she'd carried around the past couple of days evaporated. Nothing had gone wrong. That Jack had gone home, he'd saved Teri and went on to live a life different from the one laid out for him.

It's done. She had no regrets, as far as she could see, there had been no alternatives and everything had worked out for her. Hopefully, everything had worked out for Jack as well.

Chris turned off the bathroom light as she moved into the bedroom. Her suitcase and purse were near the bed, right where she had left them and that made her smile. Home. The television was still on, turned to some 24-hour news channel where the talking heads were currently blathering about sports.

”With his third home run for the night, Perrota dominated the playing field and the Cubs had this game in the bag. If they continue like this, they could reach the pennant.”

Her smile turned wistful as she half-listened to the program. It seemed somehow both appropriate and cruel that the Cubs might finally win the World Series and Tony wouldn't be able to see it. All that talk of the century-long curse being overcome and sometimes it made her angry they couldn't get their act together the year before. Other times, Chris liked to believe that Tony was in the outfield, rigging the games to help his favorite team along.

“And here's Kathy Holloway who is going to tell us the latest news in the 2012 Election.”

Seated on the bed, Chris opened her purse, looking for her PDA. Jack had a new number and at the moment she wanted nothing more than to hear his voice. Everything was as it should but she needed to be sure, she needed that comfort.

"The Palmer campaign hit a high note with the address in Richmond today.”

With one hand on her PDA, the other grasped behind her as she tried to grab the remote control on the night table. The television was too loud and she didn't want to think about politics or David Palmer's campaign. She managed to turn her PDA on and turned around to grab the remote before she looking at the small screen with a sense of relief.

Remember 202-489-3924

Call Caiti there. Not her cell. Dead battery.

Just as she left it. With a smile edging up the corners of her mouth, she clicked to her address book and looked for Jack's number. She set the hotel phone on the bed and dialed the number in front of her, eager to hear his voice and know that everything was all right...

"The number you have dialed is currently available. Please --"

Chris stared at the phone in confusion, she hung up quickly then dialed the same number only to get the same message. She tried not to panic as she dialed her home phone number.

Instead of Jack's voice, she was greeted by the automated voice of her answering machine.

"Jack, if you're there - pick up please." She waited a few seconds though she new he wasn't going to pick up the phone. "Jack -- just call me as soon as you get this, ok? I love you. Bye."

She hung up the phone, hands shaking, and began pacing around the room. After several minutes of this, wherein she debated calling again and leaving another message, she hurried to the pantry closet.

Please, let it be there.

It was. She stepped through the door and went back to Milliways. If she had to wait, she'd rather be around people she knew.

---

"Every man on that transport died. Harry didn't save them -- because you weren't there to save Harry."

He wasn't here.

As soon as she arrived back in Milliways, she ran up to her room, hoping she'd find Jack there. He wasn't.

She went back down to the bar and around the look, looking for him. He wasn't anywhere to be found. Finally, not quite ready to go back to her room and certainly not ready to go back to her hotel room, she went to her dad's flat and asked if they'd seen him.

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

They hadn't.

Back in their room, she stares at the television and wonders why she's started watching this movie and why she can't stop. Elaine had given her a thermos of soup after she refused their offer of food by saying she'd grab something at the bar. There'd been something else, something about the bar adding stuff to the food but she hadn't been paying attention. Chris doubted she'd have much of an appetite anytime soon. Even now, she's holding the thermos in her hands more for the warmth than out of any intention of eating.

It wasn't helping.

"Mary, it's George. Don't you know me? What's happened to us?"

She stood up and walked over to the dresser, pulling out one of Jack's sweaters and slipping it on. The bar had provided her with winter clothes of her own but his clothes seemed warmer, somehow.

Comments

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

It's probably no help to her that someone out in the hallway is humming "Deck the Halls", even less of a help that they're doing so very off-key.

The door to room 24 opens, a six-foot, rustling lump of bundled plastic entering the room first, followed by a not-quite-six foot bundled-up man as well as one very small, rather exciteable dog. The dog immediately runs into the room, tripping over its own paws, to yap at Chris' feet.

Jack looks toward the TV and makes a face. "You're not watching It's a Wonderful Life, are you?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris startles at the sound of the door opening, the only sound she can make is a a strangled laugh.

It's him. It's him. It's him.

Barely pausing to set the thermos down, she runs over to where he is, hugging. "Jack, I-I..." she pulls away, smiling at him. "I missed you. I didn't know if you were coming back or if it would be you..."

Her voice trails off as she dimly realizes he may not have a clue to what she's talking about here.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He drops his load as she comes over and hugs him, wrapping his arms around her. And no, he doesn't really know what the hell she's talking about, at least for a few minutes.

"If I was--" Suddenly it dawns on him, and his brow unfurrows, a small, caring smile coming to his face. "You mean you met the...younger version of me that was here?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"Yes." She pulls away just enough so she can look up at for a moment but still keeps her arms wrapped around him.

"I met him and I told him about what was going to happen. With Nina and everything."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"And so you weren't sure if things would change for us, and if I was the same Jack." He pulls her close again, holding her tightly. "No, sweetheart, nothing's changed."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She relaxes in his arms, just concentrating on the way it felt to be in his arms. After a few moments, Chris asks, "So you don't remember coming in the bar at an earlier time or anything?"

If nothing had changed, then he wouldn't. That Jack had gone on to live another life, one she'd likely never know about.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head. "No. Though if I hd come in earlier...wouldn't I have remembered it before now?"

He has the feeling he doesn't want to think about that too hard or it'll make his brain hurt.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighs, "I don't know. I was jst worried. After everything that's happened in the past, I didn't know what to expect."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"I can understand that," he says, stroking her hair, "I probably would have been pretty worried too. When did you get here?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"A few days ago. Thursday, I think? He left the next day, judging by the notes he left."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Have you checked to see if any time is passing for you outside?" he asks, smiling a little as a thought comes to him.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"It's not. Or not that quickly. I went back earlier today to see if anything had changed." Noticing the smile, she gives him a curious look. "Why?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's almost Christmas in here, and I was thinking that if we weren't going to miss time outside, we could hang around Milliways for a couple days, maybe make up for one of those Christmases we missed. Besides it's Christmas for your Dad and Elaine." He nods toward thr green plastic bundle he'd dropped and which Coco is sniffing at the moment. "And I kind of already got a Christmas tree."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I'd like that," she says, smiling brightly at him. After the past few days, it'd be nice to spend some time with him and family.

Even if the time difference between here and outside was enough to hurt her head.

Chris pulls away from him to look at the tree. "It's nice. We'll need ornaments though and I don't think I have any at home."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"I've got some back at our place; I could go get them once this thing's up. Bar can probably provide anything else we need," he says, picking up the tree. Considering it's an artificial tree and it looks like the stand folds out of the "trunk", that shouldn't take long. "How's the conference going, by the way?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"It's ok," she says, still feeling a little dazed. Here she'd been wondering if she was going to see him again and if he'd remember her. Now, he was back and they were talking about Christmas plans.

"Better than I expected really," she adds, muting the sound as the movie comes to and end.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Jack folds the stand out of the trunk, setting it up in the corner. It's already wired with LED lights, so he plugs it in and ta-da. Instant Christmas.

"Not as many boring speakers?" he asks, as he clips the bindings holding the branches in.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

The lit tree earns a smile from her.

"No. A few actually had something useful to say. Surprisingly enough."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"That's got to be a first," he says, turning off the overhead light so that the tree lights stand out more. Walking over to the couch, he takes a seat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris curls up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He bends to kiss her on the temple, pulling her closer. "So am I, sweetheart. I wouldn't want to miss another Christmas with you, even if it's only in here."

Staring at the tree lights for a moment, he asks, softly, "So you told the other version of me everything that happens on the day of the primaries?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I had to." She still feels uneasy about that and she wants to know what's happened even though she doubts she ever will.

"He met Nina first," there's a note of anger in her voice when Chris says her name, "and she had him believing her version of events."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"What did she tell him?" he asks, stifling a groan. Of course, and a younger version of him wouldn't know she wasn't to be trusted. Hell, to a younger version of him, she'd be about the only one he'd think he could trust.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"Well, it was pretty close to the truth. She told him that there was a mole and there would be problems on Super Tuesday. She just told him that my dad was the mole," Chris says wryly.

It's not at all rational, but she was rather annoyed with that Jack for believing Nina.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Your dad?" Even with the animosity between himself and Ryan, he can't see himself entirely believing that. Ryan had always been too by-the-book. "I don't think I can see that, even with how we got along at the time."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"She had him pretty convinced." Chris wondered about how some of that convincing had gone after what she'd seen between Jack and Nina.

"So, I had to tell him the truth. Things were going to change anyway." With a shrug, she adds, "I might have told him even if Nina didn't say anything."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Even though there was a chance that things would change for you, too," he says, softly.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Another shrug and she focuses on her hands. "I know you're not a big fan of messing with the future but... I don't think I could see him and not tell him."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Like I said...I'm not sure I could have not told me either." Not that it would have been an easy decision. Telling himself about what would happen... It would save Teri, but at the same time, he does love Chris. Asking him to decide whether to tell himself what was going to happen would be like choosing between Teri and Chris, and he's not sure he could make that decision. Or no, maybe he could, but then getting Teri back would be kind of bittersweet in that instance, because he knew he'd be hurting Chris. He couldn't let Teri die again, though, couldn't let Kim lose her mother again.

He shakes off the thought; it doesn't matter, it's not a decision he's had to make. Nothing's changed for him, he just has to choose the road he goes down from here on in.

"You did the right thing, sweetheart."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She nods at this, wondering what Jack's thinking right now. Does he wish things had changed? She can't imagine how he couldn't and doesn't ask.

"I don't know what changed his mind. From the note he left, I think he believed me but... it didn't seem that way after we spoke."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Kim said she talked to him, that he askes about it specifically. He probably saw her after talking to you, and when she confirmed your story..."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"That makes sense," she says, nodding her head. "I told him as much as I could but after what Nina said about my dad, I don't think it helped that much."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, though if he went to Kim and asked her to clarify it, he must have at least started to doubt Nina's story. If he was certain she wad right he wouldn't have asked." He sighs, leaning his head against hers. "Still... Back then I trusted Nina more than anyone else at CTU. It might not have been a case of believing that your Dad did it as much as not being able to not believe her."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I could tell." Knowing what would happen, it was painful to see how much trust Jack had in Nina.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, hopefully the other version of me learned that lesson a little more easily." His mouth narrows slightly. "I still haven't seen her for myself."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She turns to him with a look of surprise. "Nina? Really?"

After a moment, Chris adds, "Maybe that's a good thing."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, probably. Though it would be better if she wasn't here, period." He gives her a grim smile. "Think I'd get coal in my stocking if I asked Santa that Nina get fed to the shark for Christmas?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Her smile is equally grim. "Considering some of the bar's inhabitants, you might get that wish."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Well maybe I'll get lucky and there really is a Santa. Somehow, Santa Claus walking in here wouldn't suprise me, actually."

He shifts a little, so he can lean into the corner of the couch, lying back a little more. "Speaking of Santa, is there anything you'd particularly like him to bring for Milliways Christmas?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"There was that... person last year," she mentions.

She smiles at this, the action now genuine and happy. "I already got what I wanted."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He grins. "And I already have anything I would have asked for. Well, almost. There are a couple people I wish were here."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"Me too," she says softly, hugging him.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He hugs her back, quiet for a moment before he adds, "But then I'm not sure any of them would take kindly to being tied up, tossed in Santa's sack and brought in here."

The flippancy in his tone probably doesn't quite ring true, but he doesn't want to get maudlin, thinking about who he wishes was here.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

No, it doesn't but she's not going to point that out now. "Probably not. There's not that much space in there to begin with so I don't think it would be comfortable."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Not to mention that the people we know would be likely to escape and kick Santa's ass."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"And then we'd have to cancel Christmas."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Didn't the Grinch try that, and it didn't work?" He bends to kiss her cheek this time. "I don't care if Santa doesn't show up; I've already got my present. And in May, too."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"Merry random day in May, then," she says, before kissing him on the lips.