Well, this is the end:( Sorry you have had to wait longer than I would have liked. Thank you to everyone who has commented; I've really enjoyed writing this!!

Jess :)

Mutual Purposes- Epilogue

The bar Bill had chosen was quiet, low-key. He himself did not want to attract a lot of attention, and knew that his team would be reluctant to gather in a more prominent place after everything they had been through. He was the first to arrive; he'd known that too would be the case and he sat alone at a table, sipping infrequently at his beer. The people around him were very much like himself; older, tired after the stress of a day's work, looking to relax before heading home. Unlike him, though, they had not just dealt with a terrorist threat, and Bill felt all the more tired, and older, for it.

He hadn't taken any time off, despite Division's recommendations. They had offered to send someone down from San Fransisco, or even Las Vegas, to cover, but he'd declined. He needed to work to take his mind off of everything that had happened, despite the fact that what had happened had occured right under his nose, in the very building he come close to calling home. Division weren't happy with his decision but he'd proved to them within a few days that he was still functioning, on the outside at least, at full capacity.

Curtis had stayed on without question, as Bill had known he would. He'd offered them all the chance to leave, hand in their resignation then and there, but none of them had taken it. Not Jack, who had been through more in a few short years than anyone should have to go through in a lifetime; not Chloe, who'd almost found herself framed for treason. Tony and Michelle had taken a short break. He didn't blame them. They too had suffered just as much as anyone else from Audrey's actions. But they had come back. He and Tony were on much better terms, which made dealing with the aftermath so much more easier.

Bill heard the door to the bar open; looking up, he saw Curtis looking uncertainly around. Raising a hand, Bill motioned for him to come on over. Smiling, the younger man shrugged out of his coat and made his way across the room. "Hey," he offered, sitting down next to the Director and reaching for the drink Bill had bought him in advance. "Is it just us so far?" he asked, taking in his surroundings.

"Yes. But I'm early."

"Then so am I." Curtis smiled again. "This is a nice place. Where did you find it?"

"I've been coming here for a few years," Bill replied. "I find it helps me after a day at CTU."

Silently, Curtis marvelled at his boss's ability to deal so calmly with what had happened, with what continued to happen every day at CTU. He knew that Bill was blaming himself just as much as the rest of them were. In truth, they all knew there was little they could have done to stop, or even foresee, what Audrey was doing.

"You said you'd buy us a drink, and you meant it!"

Bill stood up to greet Tony as he and Michelle approached the table. "Good to see you both," he told them sincerely, nodding to the drinks already waiting on the table. He and Tony shook hands and Curtis did not miss the smile that flickered across Michelle's face. "Of course I meant it," Bill chided. "It's the least I could do."

In spite of the frivolity, there was a cloud hanging over the table. While no one particularly wanted to talk about Audrey, or Mark Russell, the matter needed to be addressed. Bill sat down once more and regarded his team. As he thought of a suitable way of broaching the subject, Michelle asked, "Have you heard anything about Audrey?"

He offered her a grateful smile. "I was just about to tell you that I spoke with Secretary Heller yesterday morning." He paused. "I guess I should wait for Jack and Chloe?"

Tony looked at his watch. "What time did you tell them we were meeting?"

"Seven thirty."

"Go ahead," Tony said finally. "This needs to be said and I'm sure Jack will find out if he wants to." What wasn't mentioned was the fact that maybe Jack didn't want, or even need, to know what was about to be said. Bill sighed. "Okay. I spoke with Secretary Heller and he told me that Audrey has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her both by us and the White House."

"That's hardly going to help her case," Tony muttered after a few minutes of silence. "What about Russell?"

"He's pleaded guilty, even implicated Audrey in his testimony but she won't change her plea."

"What does Heller think of all this?"

Buchanan chose his words carefully. "He knows she needs help, Tony. He's not going to employ some hot shot lawyer and try and get her a lighter sentence. You saw him back at CTU; he's serious about this. She'll pay for what she's done." For the first time since the ordeal, Bill allowed some conviction and anger to filter into his voice. "I for one am not going to sit back quietly if she goes free."

"She won't," Michelle reassured him. "If need be, we'll all fly over to testify. I know we already gave statements but we'll do it again. All of us."

Bill felt his earlier pride return, and smiled. "I know you would. I hope it doesn't have to come to that."

He didn't get out of the car straightaway, needing the time to sort through his thoughts before facing his friends.

He was already running half an hour late but he knew they'd wait for him. And although he'd seen them only hours earlier at work, he knew this was going to be different. While they were at CTU, there was sufficient activity to keep them from mentioning what had happened. Now it would haunt, if not dominate, their conversation for the evening, no matter how good Bill's intentions were to take their minds off of it once and for all.

Three months had passed since he'd watched the woman he once thought he'd loved led from the building and into a waiting military vehicle. He'd wanted nothing more than to just walk out and not look back, but he couldn't keep running. If anything, Audrey's actions had shown him that he had something, and someone, he needed to stay for, even if the person in question did not need him.

Because she didn't, really. As soon as the debrief had finished she'd been the first to leave the room, the first to the locker room and the first out to the parking lot. He'd watched her drive away and had almost driven after her if it hadn't been for Tony at his side, telling him to leave her alone and give her some time to think.

Everyday he made himself go to work, made himself help Bill liaise with Washington, made himself give a statement to Division. If it meant he could see Chloe, be near her, then that was all he wanted. He kept telling himself that it didn't matter that she didn't want to be with him. He couldn't blame her for not wanting to be with him. He was a mess, could hardly provide her with the protection and love she deserved and that he so desperately wanted to give her. She in turn was hurting; he could see it in the way she walked, the way she averted her eyes from him every time she saw him, the way she left any room that he entered. He'd hurt her: after she'd told him that she didn't want to be hurt again it was the one thing he had succeeded in doing.

But he watched over her. From his office he would keep an eye to the comm. station, and any time he found himself down on the floor he would stand so that he could see her. If nothing else, he was going to make sure that nothing and no one ever hurt her again.

Jack finally pushed the car door open and stepped out into the cool night air, shutting and locking the vehicle behind him. The bar wasn't one he'd been to before, but he could see why Bill had chosen it. As he walked towards the welcoming warmth of the building, he passed both Tony's and Curtis's cars; he assumed that Bill had parked at the other end of the lot. Not knowing if Chloe was going to be there or not was eating at him but he pushed ahead and stepped into the bar, scanning the room for a familiar face. Tony saw him first and stood up, waving him over. Slipping his car keys into his jeans pocket, Jack managed a small smile and headed over.

"I already got you a drink, but I don't know how cold it is..." Bill informed him, gesturing to one of two remaining bottles of beer. "I should have waited, sorry."

"No, no, it's fine." Jack sat down next to Curtis and picked up the bottle, not taking a sip but merely holding it and staring into its murky contents. He knew the rest of them were exchanging worried glances but he chose to ignore it. Deciding that it was best to get it over with, he said, "I heard she's pleading not guilty."

Rather than ask him how he knew this, Bill merely nodded. "Yes, I was just saying. But there won't be any need for any of us to go over and act as witnesses; Secretary Heller has cleared all that. Pulled in a favour." He added the last words as an afterthought; no one needed to ask to which favour he was referring. "The good news is though that she's going to go away for a long time for what she did to us... to you."

"She hurt us all," Jack muttered, pushing his drink away. He wanted to tell them how sorry he was, but just didn't have it in him.

Sensing his friend's unease, Tony moved to change the subject. He turned to Michelle, who Jack now noticed had barely touched her beer. She smiled and nodded. "We're having a baby," Tony said finally, barely able to contain his excitement. "We wanted to wait and be sure before we told you all, but Michelle tells me it's safe, so..."

"That's fantastic news!" Curtis shouted, slapping Tony on the back. "Damn time we had some good news around here."

"I'm so happy for you," Bill murmured, reaching across the table and squeezing Michelle's hand. "Both of you."

Jack stood up and walked round to Tony's side of the table. Tony too stood and they shared a quick hug before Michelle got to her feet. "Congratulations," Jack whispered hoarsely, kissing her cheek. "You both deserve it."

"You've already been picked as godfather," Tony warned him, taking his seat once more.

"Poor kid," Curtis muttered, earning himself a half-hearted glare.

"Let me buy you a lemonade or something?" Bill offered, reaching for his wallet. Michelle shook her head. "Really, it's fine. But thank you."

The mood had lifted considerably since Tony's announcement, and inspite of his earlier promise to himself Jack found he was starting to relax for the first time in a long time. The fact that Chloe wasn't there was playing on his mind but he'd decided that it was probably for the best. He knew how much she hated social gatherings, even if it involved people she knew and worked with. Curtis had long since finished of both his and Chloe's beers and was now sipping at a tall glass of coke.

Bill and Tony had just launched into an animated discussion of the Cubs baseball team when Jack felt a presence behind him. The door to the bar had opened once more and none of them had paid it much attention but this time he felt compelled to turn around.

Chloe stood awkwardly just beside the main bar, looking nervously around and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. She was wearing a simple white linen skirt and white shirt, with a pale blue camisole underneath. He thought she looked beautiful; the way her wayward hair was tumbling around her shoulders and the way she clutched at her somewhat oversized purse. But then her eyes met his and he looked away sharply. He heard her footsteps approaching the table and then she was sitting down between Bill and Tony, bringing the increasingly loud conversation to a halt.

"Well thank God for that," sighed Curtis. "I had no idea you were such a closet baseball fan, Bill."

"Our place of work hardly encourages that sort of behaviour, Curtis."

Tony laughed. "I disagree. I brought the mug in, remember?"

All the while Chloe kept her eyes on the table, smiling briefly at Michelle and picking at her fingernails. "Sorry I'm so late," she said quietly.

"It's okay," Tony reassured her. "You missed our news, though. Michelle and I are pregnant."

Curtis raised his eyebrows. "You too, Tony?"

"Well, you know what I mean," he muttered with mock impatience. "Here, let me buy you a drink, Chloe. Are you driving?" He was already on his feet and taking money out of his wallet.

She shook her head. "I took a cab. You don't have to-"

"I insist. One white wine it is then?"

"Okay."

Jack knew that the light hearted mood was just making her feel worse, making her feel as though she had to conform to some sort of standard. He himself was finding it difficult to keep up a front. He offered her a reassuring smile, his way of telling her that he understood. To his relief, she smiled back.

Several hours and many empty glasses later, Bill assumed control of the situation and headed over to the bar to pay the cheque. Tony and Michelle stood and began slipping on their coats while Curtis gathered the glasses into a more manageable collection in the centre of the table. "This was a really great night," he mused. "We should do this again."

"Definitely," Michelle agreed. "We could make it a weekly thing or something? And next time someone else pays!"

"I like the sound of that," Bill replied, appearing beside them once more and reaching for his own coat. He turned to Chloe. "Let me drive you home."

"No, Mr Buchanan, it's fine," she told him, hovering just outside the small circle. "I'll call a cab." She stepped towards the door. "Thank you, though. I'll... see you in work," she said quickly, hurrying away before Bill could protest. Jack watched her go, whatever glimmer of hope he thought he'd felt earlier in the evening sinking fast. The door swung slowly closed behind her but still he continued to watch, some part of his mind telling him that she may turn around and come back. He should have offered her a lift first, he should have-

"She'll come round," Tony offered, appearing suddenly beside him. Dragging his eyes away from the door, Jack looked at his friend. "She just needs time."

"I hurt her."

"No. You didn't. Audrey did."

Jack just shrugged. "Yeah." He glanced around to see that the rest of them were heading towards the parking lot, the bill apparently settled and the glasses already cleared away. They were the last ones to leave; the bartender shut the door somewhat finally behind them. Tony rejoined Michelle and took her hand in his. "Thanks again, Bill, I think we all needed this." He looked briefly over at Jack, then back towards the Director. "We'll see you in the morning."

They walked away, quickly followed by Curtis. Bill nodded towards his own car. "Well, that's me," he said, apparently reluctant to walk away for fear of what Jack might do if left alone. "Are you going to be okay, Jack?"

He knew the other man was referring to more than the forthcoming drive home. "I don't know Bill," he said honestly. "I hope so."

"If you need any time off work-"

"I don't."

"Okay." He smiled. "Well, goodnight."

"Night, Bill."

Chloe didn't know how long she'd been walking. She told herself that as soon as she reached a landmark, somewhere familiar, she would eventually stop and call a cab. She'd wanted to accept the offer of a lift but she knew she couldn't be around any of them for much longer without embarrassing herself. All day she'd thought about not going, telling Michelle she was ill or deliberately staying late at work but a part of her wanted to go, wanted to get it over with so perhaps they could all move on and forget about what Audrey had done to them. If they'd talked about the case she didn't know; she'd been late for that very reason, not needing to see the haunted look that filled Jack's eyes knowing that her own were a mirror image.

She cursed herself for not taking her car; at the time, a cab had seemed like a good idea. The plan had been to drink as much as was humanly possible but now here she was, stone cold sober and wandering the streets of the city alone. She hadn't passed a 'landmark' since she'd left the bar. The nearest building, she thought ironically as she leaned against a wall to catch her breath, was CTU.

Chloe pulled her thin shirt tighter around her and cursed herself aloud for being so stupid, so stubborn.

"Need a ride?"

Looking up, she saw a guy leering at her through the window of a rusted junk heap excuse of a car. Mustering all the energy she could find, she replied, "No," in what she hoped was her most withering tone. She didn't start to panic until the guy brought the car to a stop, in the middle of the road, and began opening the door. "I think you do," he told her.

"Really, I don't." Normally she would have been able to handle someone like him but not that night, when her mind was elsewhere and her heels were so impractical. Chloe stayed rooted to the spot, thinking that maybe now was a good time to reach into her purse for her cell phone to call a cab. Or not, because then she would be vulnerable and he would seize on that and take advantage- She amazed even herself at her ability to analyse the situation so calmly. Taking a breath, she turned away from him and continued on. Footsteps started up behind her but she kept a steady pace, holding her head high and trying to stop her shoulders from shaking.

Another car pulled into the street and Chloe gave in, doubling her efforts. Behind, the guy broke into what sounded like a run, no doubt spurred on by the idea of someone else beating him to it.

And then suddenly, the footsteps were gone. Silence filled her ears and she almost paused but made herself keep walking. Perhaps it was a trick and he was just waiting for her to turn back. Chloe reached the end of the street and began to cross the road, relieved as she saw an all night store loom in front of her. She pulled her phone out of her bag and began dialling the number for the cab company.

"Chloe."

She'd been so caught up in the thought of finally getting home that she'd missed the car that was now idling in front of her, effectively blocking her path across the road. Cell phone forgotten, she looked up frantically, again cursing herself for becoming so easy a target. The driver called her name once more and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Jack," she whispered, immediately calmed. "What-"

"Let me take you home."

"Did you follow me?"

"No."

"You must have done." She could feel herself becoming angry, upset. Lashing out was what she did best. "I'm calling a cab," she repeated.

"This is the main road back into the city. I wasn't following you."

"Oh." She'd known he was telling the truth but hearing him rationalise it in such a way made her feel stupid, as though she'd overreacted the way she usually did. "Well, I'm still calling a cab."

"I can get you home faster than a cab."

Sighing, she pocketed her phone and stalked around to the passenger side, saying nothing as she slammed the door shut and clipped on her seat belt. "Thank you," he said quietly.

As he drove she stared down at her hands. The silence between them wasn't right; they'd never been about awkwardness, or struggling to make conversation. She hated how Audrey had changed her, had made her afraid to speak her mind. She knew Jack too was hurting; even though he wasn't looking at her she could tell from the way he gripped the steering wheel that he was battling with an inner demon. He had to fight it alone, but it didn't stop her from wanting to reach out to him.

"I hate this," he said suddenly, almost inaudibly. "I hate what she's done."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I should have known, I should have seen it coming-"

She shook her head. "No. If anything, I should have noticed the changes on the system-"

"No, Chloe."

"Fine. It wasn't anyone's fault, Jack. She was just..." Chloe trailed off, not sure how to finish her sentence without causing the man beside her any more pain. "It's over," she added quietly. "I wish it hadn't happened but it did and now we have to just try and move on." She held her breath, biting anxiously down on her lip for fear of his reaction. To her surprise, he smiled. "I've missed you."

She shrugged. "I've been right here."

He had nothing to say to that, focussing instead on the road in front of them, hands gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"That guy back there."

Jack shrugged. "It's fine."

Chloe sighed. "You know, I don't think I want to go home. My apartment is... well, anyway, I think we need to talk."

"You do?" He couldn't help but feel a nuance of hope at her words, hope that was soon crushed. "I meant what I said before, Jack. But I think we just, you know, have to talk about what she's done. It might make us feel better." Her voice lacked conviction; he knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was him. "You don't have to try and help me, Chloe," he muttered, continuing on in the direction of her apartment. "I know what she did, talking about it doesn't change anything. You think I haven't gone over it again and again in my mind, trying to figure out what went wrong?"

She scowled. "Fine. Just drop me here. I'll walk. I was only trying to help," she added.

"I don't need your help."

Jack regretted the words as soon as he'd spoken them; from the corner of his eye he saw the colour drain from her cheeks, saw her eyes lose their sparkle. She turned away from him and began rummaging in her purse for her keys. "I said I'll walk," she repeated, her voice cold.

"You are not walking-"

"Stop the damn car, Jack!"

To her surprise he did as asked, bringing the vehicle to an abrupt halt just half a block away from her apartment. Calmly, Chloe unfastened her seat belt and stepped out of the car. She heard Jack do the same, rushing to keep up with her. "Chloe, please... stop. Chloe!" She carried on walking, key poised for when she eventually reached the front door. "Chloe," he called again, this time quieter. "Please. I don't want to be alone anymore."

She froze, her resolve rapidly weakening. "It's okay, Jack. You don't have to apologise for what you said- I know I deserved it. Just go home. Thanks for the lift."

"Chloe-"

"Go home, Jack." She resumed her pace towards her apartment building, gradually disappearing from view as her small figure was dwarfed by the buildings on either side of the street. He stayed where he was, unable to move, unable to comprehend how he had just hurt her and let her walk away from him again. Pain was making it difficult to breathe, difficult to see. He turned, almost stumbled back to the car, holding on to the door frame as though it was the only real thing he had left. With shaking hands he reached for the steering wheel, somehow managing to put the car into reverse and backing slowly away towards the main road. He swallowed angrily against the lump in his throat, forcing himself to pull it together. He'd almost made it when she appeared in the headlights. She was heading his way, saying something but over the sound of the engine he couldn't hear her.

Chloe stepped up beside the car and motioned for him to wind down the window. He did so, looking at her expectantly but she didn't speak, just reached in and shut off the ignition, pulling the keys out as she did so. His eyes searched hers only to find that this time he couldn't read them, and that scared him. He tried to say her name but the words wouldn't form in his mouth. The door opened and she held out her hand to him. "I don't want to be alone, either."

She led him back up the street and into her apartment building, her hand not leaving his. Silently, she unlocked her front door and stepped inside, not bothering to switch on the light. The door immediately to the right opened out onto the lounge, and that was where she took him next, sitting down slowly on the couch and pulling him down beside her.

She held him while he cried, his face buried in her hair while she rubbed his back in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. Her own tears refused to fall but she was sure that they would, given time. She hadn't cried since that day, when she'd been trapped in a holding room and fearing that she had lost him for good. Biting her lip, she hugged him tighter, not letting go even as his sobs subsided and his breathing returned to normal.

Slowly, Jack lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. Chloe swallowed nervously and removed her arms from around his waist. "Are you okay now?"

He offered her a small smile. "I'm better than I was," he said honestly.

Chloe got to her feet. "Oh, good, well I'm just-"

Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him until she was sat on his lap. He reached out and ran his fingers over cheek towards her mouth, tracing the outline of her lips and the curve of her chin. Again he tried to speak but again he couldn't, finding that he didn't need to. She understood.

It was Chloe who initiated the kiss, brushing her lips gently across his. This time he was able to pull her closer, his arms like an iron vice around her waist as she tilted her head and became more insistent. He realised she was murmuring something and he pulled back, curious. "What's wrong?"

"I said, I love you." She blushed furiously. "Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay."

"Oh."

"I love you, too. I was just scared. Scared of hurting you."

"You couldn't do that if you tried, Jack." She frowned. "You love me too?" But he didn't respond, choosing instead to pull her close and rest his forehead against hers. She scowled. "Well, that's okay too. Not that you asked but-"

He silenced her with a quick kiss. "I thought I'd lost you, Chloe O'Brian." The look she gave him in return told him that he didn't need to worry; her leaving him was no longer an option. Nothing and no one was ever going to hurt him again.