Jenn (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} agentobrian) wrote in ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} chlack,@ 2007-07-11 12:16:00 |
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| Entry tags: | agentobrian, fic |
The low hum of computers and the chatter of busy analysts filled the air as yet another day was slowly winding down at CTU. This was the type of day that Chloe hated the most. No terrorists plotting to blow up the world, no fanatics threatening to kill the president, just hours of boring paperwork. She scowled as she read through the file she had just been sent by one of her analysts. Why does Division insist on hiring these idiots? She picked up her phone.
"CTU, Specter" the high-pitched on the other end said. Where do they find these idiots, junior high?
"Michael, it's Chloe."
"Yes, Ms. O'Brian?" Michael said nervously. Good, he should be nervous.
"Do you mind telling me why you just sent this file to me only halfway completed?"
"Ma'am?"
"The KT file you just sent to me marked as completed is missing half the data it's supposed to have." Chloe snapped.
She heard the clicking of keys as he checked the file. "But I thought the information I left out wasn't necessary for internal files."
Chloe was getting mad now. "It doesn't matter what you think is necessary, Michael. What matters is doing the job right the first time, so I don't have to waste my time cleaning up after you." She sent the file back to his inbox. "Now I just sent you back the file. Fix it and get it back to me in 10 minutes. And next time, do it right without me having to get on your case about it, or I'll find someone who can." She slammed down the phone in disgust. "Idiot!"
If I'd have known being Senior Analyst would mean dealing with complete idiots, I wouldn't have taken the job. She was still adjusting to being the top analyst in the unit, having taken over for Adam when he resigned following the death of his sister. Chloe had applied for the job at the last minute, almost on a whim, believing that she wouldn't get it. She had been thrilled when she was selected for the position. Now she was starting to second-guess her decision, dealing with the idiots under her.
"Chloe, are you all right?" Chloe jumped a little at the voice behind her. Jack was standing there with a concerned look on his face.
"Don't sneak up on me, Jack." Chloe sat back down. "I'm fine. Just dealing with the usual parade of morons Division keeps sending over here." She looked at him curiously. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off-duty today."
"I am, but Erin wanted to see me" he replied.
Chloe scowled at the mention of the current director of CTU. She and Driscoll had not gotten off to a great start. Driscoll had called a briefing her first day there, to demonstrate how things were going to be different under her command, and Chloe had remarked that they'd be better off doing some real work instead of listening to a bunch of back-slapping speeches. Driscoll had tried to get her fired, but Jack intervened, and Chloe was kept on. When Chloe had later applied to be Senior Analyst, Driscoll had tried to get one of her own people picked instead. Chloe eventually got the position after Driscoll was forced to back off, but the animosity between the 2 women remained.
"Good luck in there, Jack." Chloe told him.
"Thanks, Chloe." Jack said and walked away.
Chloe turned back to her computer and got back to work, quickly losing herself into her work. She looked up a few minutes later to see Jack coming out of his office, flanked by 2 security guards. What is he doing? She walked over to him. "Jack, what's going on?"
"Could you give us a minute, please?" Jack asked the guards standing next to him. They moved a short distance away, keeping a watchful eye on him.
"Chloe, I've been removed as Head of Field Ops."
Chloe was stunned. "What?"
"That's why Erin wanted to see me. She just fired me."
"How can she do that? After all you've done?"
"She told me she didn't want someone that was addicted to heroin working for her. She considered it a weakness." Jack replied glumly.
Chloe looked down at the floor, unable to meet Jack's eyes. This is all my fault. I'm responsible for Jack getting fired. If I hadn't said anything, he'd still be here.
"Chloe, what's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Jack, I'm sorry. I was the one that turned you in for using heroin. You're getting fired because of me." Chloe refused to look at him, refused to see the betrayal and anger she was sure he felt.
Jack was stunned at her confession that she busted him, but he quickly shook it off. "What are you sorry for? Chloe, if you hadn't have turned me in, I might never have gotten clean. If anything, I owe you for that."
Chloe looked at him, surprised to see not anger, but gratitude in his eyes. "But I got you fired."
"Chloe, listen to me. This might be the best thing for me right now. Ever since Teri was killed, my life's been a mess. Getting away from this job will allow me to put my life back together."
"Mr. Bauer?" One of the security guards interrupted.
"I understand. Good-bye, Jack."
"Good-bye, Chloe."
Chloe watched as Jack was escorted out of the building by security. I'll probably never see him again. But at least he has a chance to get away from this place. Her phone suddenly rang. "O'Brian" she answered.
"Chloe, I'd like to see you in my office now." She sure didn't waste any time.
"Fine." Chloe hung up and made her way to Driscoll's office, not even bothering to knock as she walked in and shut the door.
"Chloe, I know you're probably upset that I fired Jack Bauer." Driscoll said.
"Yes, I am, Ms. Driscoll. I think you're making a mistake firing the best field agent this office has."
"I can't have someone on my staff that's weak, Chloe. Weakness is not something I'm willing to tolerate. But that's not why I called you here. I want to know if you'll still be able to do your job. If you can't, then I want your letter of resignation on my desk within the hour."
"Look, Ms. Driscoll. Just because I think you made a mistake by firing Jack, that doesn't mean I can't do my job. I'm a professional." Chloe was getting irritated again. I do not need this aggravation now.
Driscoll looked at Chloe, watching for any signs of deception, but finding none. "That's all I need to know, Chloe. You can go back to work."
"Thanks" Chloe snapped and walked out of the office, sitting back down at her station. It was then she noticed something by her computer. It was a picture of her and Jack from the day he took her out to dinner after she had been named Senior Analyst. Thanks, Jack.
......
Chloe shifted uncomfortably for the 100th time, trying to find a position that would allow her even a shred of comfort, but failing miserably. She was still chained to the wall, and she had long ago lost track of time as she hung there, completely alone, the heavy metal collar around her neck just barely allowing her to breathe. The room was still pitch black, the only sound a steady dripping of water. Chloe struggled to block it out. She had gone without food or water for a while and she felt her will to resist slowly slipping away as the lack of fluids was taking a serious toll on her.
Without warning, the door to the room was slammed open, and Chloe cried out as a blinding light hit her sensitive eyes.
"Ready to reconsider, Chloe?" Chloe was still blinded by the light, but she recognized the voice. That's the bastard that's holding me here. She was suddenly filled with hatred as her will to survive returned full force. She closed her eyes as she was struck in the face. "How many times do I have to tell you, Chloe? Answer me when I speak to you."
"I'm not helping you" Chloe coughed out, her voice weakened by lack of water.
"Such a shame. You know, I thought you were much smarter than this." She still won't give in. If this didn't break her, what will? "Take her back to her cell" he said to the guards. They unlocked the chains holding Chloe and dragged her along the corridor back to her cell.
Chloe dragged herself to the hard wooden shelf she slept on and curled into a ball, looking up at the window, wishing not for the first time that the next day would never come. Jack, where are you? Help me.
"CTU, Specter" the high-pitched on the other end said. Where do they find these idiots, junior high?
"Michael, it's Chloe."
"Yes, Ms. O'Brian?" Michael said nervously. Good, he should be nervous.
"Do you mind telling me why you just sent this file to me only halfway completed?"
"Ma'am?"
"The KT file you just sent to me marked as completed is missing half the data it's supposed to have." Chloe snapped.
She heard the clicking of keys as he checked the file. "But I thought the information I left out wasn't necessary for internal files."
Chloe was getting mad now. "It doesn't matter what you think is necessary, Michael. What matters is doing the job right the first time, so I don't have to waste my time cleaning up after you." She sent the file back to his inbox. "Now I just sent you back the file. Fix it and get it back to me in 10 minutes. And next time, do it right without me having to get on your case about it, or I'll find someone who can." She slammed down the phone in disgust. "Idiot!"
If I'd have known being Senior Analyst would mean dealing with complete idiots, I wouldn't have taken the job. She was still adjusting to being the top analyst in the unit, having taken over for Adam when he resigned following the death of his sister. Chloe had applied for the job at the last minute, almost on a whim, believing that she wouldn't get it. She had been thrilled when she was selected for the position. Now she was starting to second-guess her decision, dealing with the idiots under her.
"Chloe, are you all right?" Chloe jumped a little at the voice behind her. Jack was standing there with a concerned look on his face.
"Don't sneak up on me, Jack." Chloe sat back down. "I'm fine. Just dealing with the usual parade of morons Division keeps sending over here." She looked at him curiously. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off-duty today."
"I am, but Erin wanted to see me" he replied.
Chloe scowled at the mention of the current director of CTU. She and Driscoll had not gotten off to a great start. Driscoll had called a briefing her first day there, to demonstrate how things were going to be different under her command, and Chloe had remarked that they'd be better off doing some real work instead of listening to a bunch of back-slapping speeches. Driscoll had tried to get her fired, but Jack intervened, and Chloe was kept on. When Chloe had later applied to be Senior Analyst, Driscoll had tried to get one of her own people picked instead. Chloe eventually got the position after Driscoll was forced to back off, but the animosity between the 2 women remained.
"Good luck in there, Jack." Chloe told him.
"Thanks, Chloe." Jack said and walked away.
Chloe turned back to her computer and got back to work, quickly losing herself into her work. She looked up a few minutes later to see Jack coming out of his office, flanked by 2 security guards. What is he doing? She walked over to him. "Jack, what's going on?"
"Could you give us a minute, please?" Jack asked the guards standing next to him. They moved a short distance away, keeping a watchful eye on him.
"Chloe, I've been removed as Head of Field Ops."
Chloe was stunned. "What?"
"That's why Erin wanted to see me. She just fired me."
"How can she do that? After all you've done?"
"She told me she didn't want someone that was addicted to heroin working for her. She considered it a weakness." Jack replied glumly.
Chloe looked down at the floor, unable to meet Jack's eyes. This is all my fault. I'm responsible for Jack getting fired. If I hadn't said anything, he'd still be here.
"Chloe, what's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Jack, I'm sorry. I was the one that turned you in for using heroin. You're getting fired because of me." Chloe refused to look at him, refused to see the betrayal and anger she was sure he felt.
Jack was stunned at her confession that she busted him, but he quickly shook it off. "What are you sorry for? Chloe, if you hadn't have turned me in, I might never have gotten clean. If anything, I owe you for that."
Chloe looked at him, surprised to see not anger, but gratitude in his eyes. "But I got you fired."
"Chloe, listen to me. This might be the best thing for me right now. Ever since Teri was killed, my life's been a mess. Getting away from this job will allow me to put my life back together."
"Mr. Bauer?" One of the security guards interrupted.
"I understand. Good-bye, Jack."
"Good-bye, Chloe."
Chloe watched as Jack was escorted out of the building by security. I'll probably never see him again. But at least he has a chance to get away from this place. Her phone suddenly rang. "O'Brian" she answered.
"Chloe, I'd like to see you in my office now." She sure didn't waste any time.
"Fine." Chloe hung up and made her way to Driscoll's office, not even bothering to knock as she walked in and shut the door.
"Chloe, I know you're probably upset that I fired Jack Bauer." Driscoll said.
"Yes, I am, Ms. Driscoll. I think you're making a mistake firing the best field agent this office has."
"I can't have someone on my staff that's weak, Chloe. Weakness is not something I'm willing to tolerate. But that's not why I called you here. I want to know if you'll still be able to do your job. If you can't, then I want your letter of resignation on my desk within the hour."
"Look, Ms. Driscoll. Just because I think you made a mistake by firing Jack, that doesn't mean I can't do my job. I'm a professional." Chloe was getting irritated again. I do not need this aggravation now.
Driscoll looked at Chloe, watching for any signs of deception, but finding none. "That's all I need to know, Chloe. You can go back to work."
"Thanks" Chloe snapped and walked out of the office, sitting back down at her station. It was then she noticed something by her computer. It was a picture of her and Jack from the day he took her out to dinner after she had been named Senior Analyst. Thanks, Jack.
......
Chloe shifted uncomfortably for the 100th time, trying to find a position that would allow her even a shred of comfort, but failing miserably. She was still chained to the wall, and she had long ago lost track of time as she hung there, completely alone, the heavy metal collar around her neck just barely allowing her to breathe. The room was still pitch black, the only sound a steady dripping of water. Chloe struggled to block it out. She had gone without food or water for a while and she felt her will to resist slowly slipping away as the lack of fluids was taking a serious toll on her.
Without warning, the door to the room was slammed open, and Chloe cried out as a blinding light hit her sensitive eyes.
"Ready to reconsider, Chloe?" Chloe was still blinded by the light, but she recognized the voice. That's the bastard that's holding me here. She was suddenly filled with hatred as her will to survive returned full force. She closed her eyes as she was struck in the face. "How many times do I have to tell you, Chloe? Answer me when I speak to you."
"I'm not helping you" Chloe coughed out, her voice weakened by lack of water.
"Such a shame. You know, I thought you were much smarter than this." She still won't give in. If this didn't break her, what will? "Take her back to her cell" he said to the guards. They unlocked the chains holding Chloe and dragged her along the corridor back to her cell.
Chloe dragged herself to the hard wooden shelf she slept on and curled into a ball, looking up at the window, wishing not for the first time that the next day would never come. Jack, where are you? Help me.
