Loving Him

I don't own any of this stuff or anything that has to do with the show and all of this happens after Day...whatever the last one was. I'm making no money off of this story. Please review. I have a really slashy angsty 24 fic that I'm working on so these are just kind of my little stories to warm me up.

Warning: Mention of a past attempted rape.


Chloe finished up the last of her work and shed a tear or two for Jack since her willingness to keep his secret demanded her grief. She walked to her car and drove home, wondering why she bothered. She knew that the place would be empty and lonely. She pushed her sorrow away and went inside her apartment.

Her nightgown was still on the floor and she picked it up absently before going to take a shower. As the warm water cascaded over her she reached for her shampoo. She frowned when she noticed the cap was open. She was fairly strict about keeping her things closed so that no water got into them when she showered again. She shrugged and washed her hair.

After toweling off she slipped her nightgown on and went to her bedroom. She felt a leather clad hand fasten over her mouth and a strong arm wrap around her waist. She struggled briefly, but then went limp and started sobbing.

"Shhhh....I'm not going to hurt you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He let her go.

She turned around and stared in shock. "Jack? What...you're supposed to be dead! You can't just go walking around town when you're dead!" She crossed her arms over her chest to try and hide her trembling. "What if I had a gun and just wasted you right in my bedroom. How would I explain that to my landlord?"

Jack smiled, warmed by her willingness to bitch at him even now. He frowned, though, when he saw her condition. "Chloe, what's wrong? I really spooked you, didn't I?" He reached out a hand to caress her arm in comfort and was alarmed when she pulled away as if she'd been burned.

"Don't touch me! You can't just come in here and do that and then think that it's okay. You scared me and I just need some time to convince myself that I don't hate you."

He nodded. "Okay....fair enough. Can we sit down and talk about this?"

She sighed. "You break into my home, accost me, and expect me to...wait a minute. Did you take a shower?"

He nodded again. "Yes, I did. I hope you didn't mind, but-" He stopped when she took both of her hands and shoved against his chest.

"You know...when I go to someone else's house and use their things I tend to leave them how I found them. Some agent you are...if I were some evil grrr spy I would have known you were here. You left my shampoo bottle open."

"Oh. I guess I didn't think-"

"That's right! You didn't think! I've been through a lot in the last 24 hours and I don't need this, Jack!"

"I can go. I just trusted you and-"

"Well I don't trust you! You can't just waltz in and make me think that some guy is trying to rape me again and get away with it." She sat down on the bed and looked at the floor.

"Okay okay...I wasn't very smart with that. I know that you're a single woman living alone and that wasn't the best way to...Chloe...did you say again?"

Her breath caught as she realized what she said. Her lower lip trembled and she cursed the tears that fell from her eyes. It took every ounce of willpower she had left not to flinch when he sat next to her. "Don't, Jack. Don't act like you feel sorry for me."

"Chloe, look at me." He waited until she reluctantly did. "This day started out with your friend in trouble and me trying to help you. You're my friend. I adore you and I'd do anything for you. Don't doubt that. I don't feel sorry for you, but I am concerned. Tell me what happened."

She shook her head. "Why? It's over now."

"When did this happen?"

She shrugged. "Remember the day you cut off Chase's hand?"

He raised an eyebrow at how casually she mentioned it. "Yeah...what about it?"

"That was another long day...and I came home and took a shower and started to crawl into bed. I guess people in the city were still in panic mode and someone had broken into my place because they knew that I worked for the government in some capacity. He was wearing gloves..."

She glanced at his hands and Jack felt immediately guilty. He removed them and sat them on the bedside table. "Chloe...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I will listen to you, though."

She nodded, relieved to finally be able to talk about it. "He put his hand around my mouth and threw me onto the bed. He started yelling at me about the terrorist attacks and wanted to know why I didn't warn my neighbors. I thought I recognized him, but I couldn't be sure. Obviously he lived in the building." She took a deep breath and continued. "Anyway, I was ready for a fight. I was cranky and tired and I really didn't get near the respect I deserved after all of that." She looked pointedly at Jack.

He smiled slightly. "You're the best in your field, Chloe. I can't believe that nobody told you that." He knew she was fishing for a compliment. She tended to do that once in awhile. He couldn't blame her. She really didn't hear how good she was often enough.

"So...I was prepared when his fist collided with my face." She ignored Jack's quick intake of breath. "He turned me so that I was bent over the bed and he shoved my nightgown up. At least he tried to. It got in his way and he ripped it most of the way. Then he just....pulled my panties off. They just fell apart like they were made of paper." She began to cry. "I told him no. I told him that I would do anything as long as he didn't do that, but he started tugging on his pants. He said he'd make me pay for leaving them all to die."

Jack desperately wanted to pull her close, but didn't know if it would scare her so he sat and silently listened.

"I don't know what I was thinking, but I brought my leg up hard and hit him between the legs. It wasn't too hard, but hard enough that I was able to scramble across the bed to the other side. When he jumped after me I made it around the bed and to the kitchen. I got a knife and was about to turn when he was there suddenly. He fought with me and I just let out a scream. I think it startled him and he slapped me really hard. At that point I just held onto my terror and kept screaming. He kept hitting me, but I didn't stop. He ran out when I started laughing between my screams."

He looked at her in amazement. "That was brave. He could have killed you."

She nodded. "That's what I thought was so funny. It just came to me that he could kill me and I was contemplating just giving in to the rape."

"What? I always thought that women would rather die than be raped."

"You're kidding, right? No woman wants to be raped, but I can survive being raped. I can't survive being murdered. Survival is what it's all about and sometimes being raped is a means to survive." She shrugged. "Anyway, I locked my door and went to bed. When I woke up I started looking into who had done this to me. I found out all of the information that I could and put it in a notebook."

Jack noticed her gaze fell on her bedside table and the drawer within. "And what did you do with that information?"

"Nothing. It's a big building. I don't see him often and, to be honest, I'm scared."

His eyes widened in shock. "Wait... you're telling me that he's in this building? That all of this happened...here?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't going to let him scare me out of my home. I rearranged furniture and painted and did what I needed to make it look different. It helped a little."

"And then I come in here and do that to you and bring it all back..."

She stood and started to pace. "Yeah, this is all about you." She rolled her eyes and snorted in mock disgust.

He grinned, enjoying her honesty. "Good point. Come and sit down."

She looked up at him and then complied. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I had to see you...to thank you for helping me escape. You put a lot on the line. And...I never got the chance to tell you how proud I was of you when you blew that guy away earlier."

She smiled. "Really? That was pretty exciting."

"Chloe, I was so scared. When I heard you on the other end of that phone screaming...it just..." He gently caressed her cheek with his hand. He wondered if this was where the bastard had hit her. "It scared me. I didn't want to lose you."

She leaned into his palm and sighed happily. "You won't lose me. I'm not turning my back on you." She noticed the hungry look in his eyes and closed hers. Her lips parted slightly, inviting him to lose himself in her.

He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close and gently kissed her lips. He stayed like that for a few moments, just marvelling at her softness. He felt so tough and invincible earlier, but now that he was holding her he just felt awkward and clumsy. She was so delicate and it occured to him that he might break her if he wasn't careful.

She moved her hands to his chest and lightly stroked him through his tee shirt. She moaned slightly and that was enough for him to begin exploring her mouth with his tongue. He didn't take too much notice when she stiffened in his arms. She relaxed quickly and began exploring as well.

She didn't know when or how it had happened, but she found herself on her back with Jack leaning over her, still kissing her deeply. She had only wanted to kiss him, but now she found that there was more that she wanted to do with her ex boss. As if reading her mind, Jack stopped kissing her and looked down into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

She smiled softly. "You're the only man I know that's strong enough to clear out these ghosts." She pulled him back down and kissed him again. She felt rough hands snake under her nightgown to run up and down her sides. The sensation of her silky skin against his rough and scratchy palms made her shiver in delight. She knew that this man was powerful. His hands were used to create such horrible pain, but they were also capable of creating such exquisite pleasure.

He pulled away again and lifted her arms above her head and then slid the gown up and off of her. He gasped at the sight of her lying before him in only her panties. He traced the edge of the blue silk that curved sensuously below her belly button. He pulled his own shirt off and went for his jeans snap. He stopped when he saw her trembling. "Chloe, what is it?" He looked down at himself and realized that this was probably bringing back another memory. "Do you want to do this part?"

She looked at him in confusion. "What? You mean..."

He nodded. "You're in control, okay? What do you want me to do to you? Just tell me."

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Well...what do you like?"

"Jack...I don't know." The seriousness in her eyes told him that her words were much more loaded than he had originally thought.


TBC....

More smut in the next chapter. I promise...if I get a review or two. :-)