Who is Chloe O'Brian Chapter 5
Here we go, Chapter 5 Remember... reviews are love!
Hearing his phone ring, he groans as he rolls over. His eyes opening, he takes in the unfamiliar surroundings. Instantly awake, he sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as his hand finds his gun on his hip. Just as his fingers tighten around the butt of the gun, he remembers. ‘Chloe’. Looking behind him he sees the bed empty. Sighing he pulls his phone out of his pocket and answers.
“Bauer”
“Jack, it’s Bill, I’m just calling you to confirm the prisoner transfer has gone through. DOD wants you in debrief.”
Looking at his watch and groaning, “Bill, its 6 am.”
“Sorry Jack must be done. Orders came from Division.”
“Fine. 2 Hours.”
He hears the older man chuckle. “An hour Jack.”
Stretching his limbs as he stands, he mutters “Agreed” and closes the phone. Walking out of the bedroom, he instantly smells coffee and food. His stomach grumbling a reminder to him he hasn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday, he makes his way down the steps.
Stepping into the kitchen, he sees Chloe at the counter. An array of vegetables and bowl of eggs beside her, she’s quickly making quick work of an onion.
Leaning against the door frame, he watches as she works. The hand with the knife rapidly chopping as her other hand is flipping bacon in a skillet. He shakes her head amazed just as she peeks over her shoulder at him.
“Coffee’s done”
Walking over to the pot, he grabs a mug and pours himself a cup. Downing half of the hot liquid before topping off the mug, he looks at her and says “I didn’t know you cooked”
Smirking, she quickly pours the eggs she was whipping into the hot skillet with a sizzle.
“Apparently there was a lot you didn’t know about me Bauer”
With a grunt, Jack leans against the counter and watches her work. The smell of the food a pleasant surprise he hasn’t had in a while. Living alone he either orders out, or grabs food when he’s on the go. Occasionally he’ll have dinner with Bill and Karen, but that’s a bit more formal. Nothing like the hot, stomach filling, comfort food he sees in front of him.
Handing him a plate of bacon, she shoos him over to the table they were sitting at last night.
Following him over, she hands him a plate with an omelet and potatoes on it. Sitting, he leans in and inhales the aroma of the eggs. Picking up his fork, he digs in. The first bite bringing a moan of pleasure to his lips, he blushes when he catches Chloe watching him.
Raising her eyebrow, she tilts her head as she grabs a piece of bacon. “You don’t eat much do you Jack?”
“Don’t really get the chance. And really, Chloe, this is fantastic”
Shrugging, she watches him eat “Spinach and feta omelets. My favorite” She says as she begins eating herself.
“Where’d you learn to cook?” He asks in between forkfuls.
“When I went on the run, one of the odd jobs I had was as a line chef in a really bad diner in DC”
Laughing, he tries to imagine Chloe working in a hot kitchen. Shaking his head, he realizes she didn’t tell him how she escaped.
“How did you get away? From the safe house I mean?”
Looking down at her food, she says “I got out through a crawlspace in the bedroom. I waited there until I couldn’t hear any more gunfire. The next thing I knew, I smelled smoke. They had set the house on fire.”
“With you in it?” He asks shocked.
“I think they thought I was already dead. The shot I took was to the chest, but I was wearing a vest. The impact and the loss of air is what dropped me”
“How did you get out of the house?”
“When the fire got too hot to stay in the crawlspace, I kicked a board out of the back of the house. I crawled out through there. By that time, it was already night and I got away through the dark and smoke. “
“Harry knows you’re alive obviously.”
Nodding, she finishes her omelet. Taking a sip of her coffee, she says “I made my way to his house. It took me a few hours, but I made it. I snuck into his study and that’s where he found me the next morning. He told me due to the fire damage of the safe house, the report would read three bodies found. Since one of them was a woman..” Her breath hitched then. The same pain he saw last night crept back into her eyes.
With a deep breath she continued, “Since one of them was a woman, the report came back that Melinda De Bellis had died in a gas explosion.”
Covering her hand with his, he lightly brushed his thumb along the top. “I guess we both know what it’s like to play dead” He smiled at her. Seeing her smile in return he asked;
“How did you get to be at CTU?”
Instantly, her face clouded.
“Chloe? How did come to work at CTU?” He asked again. Confused by the way her body tenses and her face closes off.
“Someone helped you didn’t they? Someone at CTU helped you.” The words came rushing out of his mouth in amazement at his realization.
“That’s not my story to tell Jack”
“This is your story. Who helped you get into CTU Chloe?” His voice firm as his mind raced through the possibilities.
Pulling her hand from his, she said “One of Harry’s friends”
Looking at her quizzically, he mused “Harry only has two people he calls friends at CTU. One of them is me, and he sure as hell didn’t tell me about you.”
Watching his face as his mind tries to make sense of what she is saying, she pulls her hand away as she sees the realization wash over his features.
“Tony.” The name escaping his lips, as his eyes focus on hers seeing her glance away, he knows.
“It was Tony wasn’t it?”
Hearing his phone ring, he groans as he rolls over. His eyes opening, he takes in the unfamiliar surroundings. Instantly awake, he sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as his hand finds his gun on his hip. Just as his fingers tighten around the butt of the gun, he remembers. ‘Chloe’. Looking behind him he sees the bed empty. Sighing he pulls his phone out of his pocket and answers.
“Bauer”
“Jack, it’s Bill, I’m just calling you to confirm the prisoner transfer has gone through. DOD wants you in debrief.”
Looking at his watch and groaning, “Bill, its 6 am.”
“Sorry Jack must be done. Orders came from Division.”
“Fine. 2 Hours.”
He hears the older man chuckle. “An hour Jack.”
Stretching his limbs as he stands, he mutters “Agreed” and closes the phone. Walking out of the bedroom, he instantly smells coffee and food. His stomach grumbling a reminder to him he hasn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday, he makes his way down the steps.
Stepping into the kitchen, he sees Chloe at the counter. An array of vegetables and bowl of eggs beside her, she’s quickly making quick work of an onion.
Leaning against the door frame, he watches as she works. The hand with the knife rapidly chopping as her other hand is flipping bacon in a skillet. He shakes her head amazed just as she peeks over her shoulder at him.
“Coffee’s done”
Walking over to the pot, he grabs a mug and pours himself a cup. Downing half of the hot liquid before topping off the mug, he looks at her and says “I didn’t know you cooked”
Smirking, she quickly pours the eggs she was whipping into the hot skillet with a sizzle.
“Apparently there was a lot you didn’t know about me Bauer”
With a grunt, Jack leans against the counter and watches her work. The smell of the food a pleasant surprise he hasn’t had in a while. Living alone he either orders out, or grabs food when he’s on the go. Occasionally he’ll have dinner with Bill and Karen, but that’s a bit more formal. Nothing like the hot, stomach filling, comfort food he sees in front of him.
Handing him a plate of bacon, she shoos him over to the table they were sitting at last night.
Following him over, she hands him a plate with an omelet and potatoes on it. Sitting, he leans in and inhales the aroma of the eggs. Picking up his fork, he digs in. The first bite bringing a moan of pleasure to his lips, he blushes when he catches Chloe watching him.
Raising her eyebrow, she tilts her head as she grabs a piece of bacon. “You don’t eat much do you Jack?”
“Don’t really get the chance. And really, Chloe, this is fantastic”
Shrugging, she watches him eat “Spinach and feta omelets. My favorite” She says as she begins eating herself.
“Where’d you learn to cook?” He asks in between forkfuls.
“When I went on the run, one of the odd jobs I had was as a line chef in a really bad diner in DC”
Laughing, he tries to imagine Chloe working in a hot kitchen. Shaking his head, he realizes she didn’t tell him how she escaped.
“How did you get away? From the safe house I mean?”
Looking down at her food, she says “I got out through a crawlspace in the bedroom. I waited there until I couldn’t hear any more gunfire. The next thing I knew, I smelled smoke. They had set the house on fire.”
“With you in it?” He asks shocked.
“I think they thought I was already dead. The shot I took was to the chest, but I was wearing a vest. The impact and the loss of air is what dropped me”
“How did you get out of the house?”
“When the fire got too hot to stay in the crawlspace, I kicked a board out of the back of the house. I crawled out through there. By that time, it was already night and I got away through the dark and smoke. “
“Harry knows you’re alive obviously.”
Nodding, she finishes her omelet. Taking a sip of her coffee, she says “I made my way to his house. It took me a few hours, but I made it. I snuck into his study and that’s where he found me the next morning. He told me due to the fire damage of the safe house, the report would read three bodies found. Since one of them was a woman..” Her breath hitched then. The same pain he saw last night crept back into her eyes.
With a deep breath she continued, “Since one of them was a woman, the report came back that Melinda De Bellis had died in a gas explosion.”
Covering her hand with his, he lightly brushed his thumb along the top. “I guess we both know what it’s like to play dead” He smiled at her. Seeing her smile in return he asked;
“How did you get to be at CTU?”
Instantly, her face clouded.
“Chloe? How did come to work at CTU?” He asked again. Confused by the way her body tenses and her face closes off.
“Someone helped you didn’t they? Someone at CTU helped you.” The words came rushing out of his mouth in amazement at his realization.
“That’s not my story to tell Jack”
“This is your story. Who helped you get into CTU Chloe?” His voice firm as his mind raced through the possibilities.
Pulling her hand from his, she said “One of Harry’s friends”
Looking at her quizzically, he mused “Harry only has two people he calls friends at CTU. One of them is me, and he sure as hell didn’t tell me about you.”
Watching his face as his mind tries to make sense of what she is saying, she pulls her hand away as she sees the realization wash over his features.
“Tony.” The name escaping his lips, as his eyes focus on hers seeing her glance away, he knows.
“It was Tony wasn’t it?”