Something To Die For

Summary: Set after season seven. Jack Bauer gets called in for bodyguard duty, and gets the shock of a lifetime when he finds out not only who he's guarding, but who he is guarding them from.

A/N: This is my first try at a 24 chaptered fic. I've written two one-shots though. I'm a little unsure about the storyline and how I've captured the characters, so if you want me to continue this please Review and tell me to continue it.

Chapter One

"Jack."

The smile slowly crossed his lips as he started to come to consciousness. His granddaughter sat atop his chest, his ringing cell phone was clutched in his hand.

"Why do you have grandpa's phone?"

"Cuz it's ringing."

"Well, can I have it so I can answer it?"

Teri smiled broadly at him, before shaking her head. She handed him the phone, and watched intently as he answered it.

"Bauer."

"Jack, this is Brian Hastings with CTU. We have a urgent matter and could use your help and experience."

"I'm sorry Mr. Hastings, but I no longer work for the government. I'm retired."

"I understand that Jack. This is a time sensitive case, and we could use someone with years of experience."

"I don't know. You'll have to give me more details on the case."

"I'd be glad to, if you could come in and sit down with me, I'll explain everything you need to know."

"I'm sorry Mr. Hastings, but I'm watching my granddaughter right now. I can't come in."

"Let me call you back in just a minute Jack. I'll see if I can't work something out."

"Okay."

With that he hung up the phone, and peered at Teri from his spot on the couch. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep on the job.

"What did you do while I was sleeping?"

"I watched cartoons. I was good Jack."

"I thought we discussed that. Your supposed to call me grandpa."

"But you don't look much like a grandpa."

"I have to agree with you there."

He smiled at the little girl. Picking her up, he resituated himself so that he was sitting upright untead of laying on his back. Fearful he might drift off again, and not knowing what Teri might find to get into. He groaned when his phone started to ring again. Why, even after he had retired would they call to bother him, to drag him back into something that he didn't want or need to be apart of.

"Bauer."

"Jack, it's Chloe."

"Hey Chloe. I heard your working at the New York branch of CTU now."

"Yeah Jack, listen I'm sending all the information on that case to your phone. If your going to help out, Hastings wants you to call his direct line to his office. The number is in the information I'm sending you."

"Yeah, okay. Give me a bit to look through it."

"Jack, can I just say something?"

"Of course Chloe."

"I know that all you want right now is to be with Kim and your family, but I really think it's in your best interest to help us out. I can't go into details over the phone obviously, but trust me Jack."

"I do trust you Chloe, you know that. I'll look over the information and I'll get back with Hastings. I won't make any promises though."

"Understood. See you soon Jack."

Jack couldn't help but smiling at Chloe's persistence. She'd been like that as long as he's known her, and that has been for more years than he can count on one hand. He opened the file that Chloe sent him. Bracing himself, he read through the information.

Former FBI agent in dangerous situation. Former cover busted, agent is no longer safe. Witness Protection turned down, but agent needs to be kept safe until testifying against Russian Mafia.

Jack shook his head, clearing his train of thought. At first look he thought that maybe they were talking about Renee Walker. He ran a hand over his face at just the mere thought of what he had done to her. Not that it was by choice, and not that he meant to do it. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that he had unwittingly broken her. She had lost her job interrogating Alan Wilson. He also knew of her attempted suicides. He had tried to call her. He had wanted nothing more than to help her. He felt to blame for where she was, how low she had fallen. As far as he knew though, which wasn't much if he really admitted to himself, she didn't have anything to do with the Russian Mafia.

"Teri. Do you think I should help out my old friends? Should I help them catch bad guys?"

"Yeah!"

"I thought you'd say something like that."

He groaned. Could he really sit by and not help out someone that needed it so dearly? Could he live with himself if something happened to this person and he could have possibly prevented. He knew he wouldn't have been able to. Grabbing his phone, he dialed Kim's number, hoping she wasn't busy at the moment.

"Dad? Is Teri okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. But something's come up---I'm---needed."

He knew he didn't have to say anything more, that she would understand. He just hoped that she would understand that he had to do this. That he couldn't just sit there and possibly let this person die. Not if he might be able to help them, to stop their enviable death happen.

"Okay. I'm not busy, I'm on my way to get Teri."

"Your upset. I've upset you."

He could feel his chest tighten at the thought. Since Kim went against his wishes and went ahead with the experimental treatment and saved his life, he had been pretty much walking a tightrope when it came to his former job. He knew that she hated what he did, if not only because he was constantly putting himself in danger, but because it was because of his job that he wasn't around much when she was growing up. That because of his job, her mother had died. That because of his job, she too had nearly been killed more than once.

"No daddy. Of course you haven't. I know what helping people means to you. I'm sure that if they've called you, and that if your willing to go in that it must be important. I know that if you don't do this that you'll regret it. It's who you are, retired or not. I'll be there in ten minutes. I love you daddy."

"I love you too baby girl."

He smiled into the phone, before hanging up. Now came the fun part. Calling this Hastings, agreeing to help out. He would make no promises and as soon as his job was done he was gone, done for good. Looking over the information just a bit more, he found Hastings number, and punched it into his keypad and hit send. He waited for three rings before Hastings picked up.

"Hastings."

"Yeah, it's Jack."

"Chloe said you should be calling soon. I wasn't so sure, you seemed very non-commital, but she was right."

"Yeah, me and Chloe go way back. Look this is the deal. I'm going to help you out. As soon as my job is done, I'm gone. You hear me. No more phone calls. I'm retired, and the only reason I'm doing this is because of Chloe. Because she intrigued me, and because I trust her. If she says I need to do something, I do it. When this job is done, so am I."

"Yeah, I hear you Jack. When can you get here?"

"My daughter is on her way to pick up my granddaughter. As soon as she gets here I'll be on my way. Within the hour."

"We'll be awaiting your arrival Jack."

Sitting in the metal incased room at CTU was uncomfortable. Twitching in her seat, she stood up and paced back and forth. She caught her reflection in the two way window. She looked drawn, her skin was a pasty white color. Almost the same color that you turn when you die. Shutting her eyes, trying to hide from the images of death that haunted her. A sweat broke out on her brow and she wiped it away. She would overcome this, maybe not today, or tomorrow but eventually she would be okay again. She'd been dealt a bad hand, but she'd find her way again. A low knock on the door signaled that one of the agents was there to check up on her. Groaning she sat back down in her chair. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, especially not any CTU agent who thought they knew what she was going through. The door opened, the agent in front of her was a different man than the one that was here just a few hours earlier. This one was a bit younger, and hadn't quite gotten that dead in the eyes look yet.

"I'm Agent Ortiz. I'll be guarding your room until your bodyguard arrives. This guy is the best guy for the job. Trust me, your life is definitely safe with him. He'll make sure that you make it to the courtroom at three."

Agent Ortiz stopped and looked at his watch.

"Only a few more hours, then all this nastiness is over with. Just hang in there."

He nodded, stopped and looked down the hallway. He left, and she could hear the low whispers of Agent Ortiz and someone else. It sounded like a woman's voice, the voice sounded somewhat familiar. She wished she could place it. She waited patiently to find out exactly what the hell was going on. Finally Agent Ortiz re-emerged.

"There is someone who'd like to talk to you. She's an analysis here, says she's an old friend. Chloe O' Brian?"

"Oh, of course."

A weak smile crossed her features, and even though she was happy to finally talk to someone she knew, she could feel just how fake the smile seemed. She quickly let it drop from her mouth, not wanting Chloe to think that she wasn't happy to see her.

"Chloe."

This time her smile was a little more genuine. When you felt as dead inside as she did, smiling, feelings of joy, or well even pain for that matter just were missing. She walked the short distance between her and Chloe and hugged her.

"Thank god. A familiar face. I thought I was going to lose my mind there for a moment."

"Don't worry Renee. Everything is going to be okay. We have a 'specialist' coming in to protect you. I know that they keep calling him a bodyguard, but trust me, he's more of a specialist. You'll be plenty safe."

"Well Chloe, if you give him a seal of approval, then I'll believe it. So, what's his name? He been an Agent for a while? Maybe I've heard of him."

"Well. I'm not allowed to tell you ahead of time. Hastings rule. I can say that he's not technically an agent, but he has been at this a while."

"Not an agent?"

"It's a long story Renee. I can't really give out any details. Hastings is paranoid. He'll be here soon though."

"Good, then can I leave this awful room?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll be able to. I think that they'll move you to a safe house when he arrives."

"Good. A girl could lose her sanity in this room."

"I believe that."

Chloe smiled softly at her, and then pressed a finger to her ear piece.

"He's here. I have to go meet him out front, I'll bring him straight to you. First thing, with or without Hastings approval."

Her words made Renee believe that there was something more going on than just some old, possibly retired agent watching her back until she gave her testimony against Vladimir Laitanan, while undercover in his small part in the Russian Mafia.

"Jack, hurry. If Hastings sees us it's too late. I want to introduce you to the agent you'll be protecting."

"Wait, what?"

"Your 'watching' over the agent until she testify's later today. She refused witness protection, but one attempt has already been made against her life."

"Yeah, alright, where to?"

"Interrogation room one."

Jack followed Chloe down the corridor, and came to a stop when he saw a young agent guarding the door.

"Chloe, Hastings is going to blow a gasket."

"I know Cole, just trust me, it's best this way. Hastings will see that."

Jack knew that Chloe had something up her sleeve, what that was he wasn't sure.

"I'm just going in to let her know you're here. She's a bit--skittish."

"Wonderful."

This was going to be just an absolute wonderful day. Watching over a skittish former FBI agent, that was wanted dead by the Russian Mafia.

"Come on."

He hadn't even noticed when the door had re-opened. He walked the short distance to the door and stepped inside. He thought that his world had tilted on it's axis. Here standing in front of him was Renee Walker. He could see what he had truly done to her, and hated himself even more.

"Renee."

His voice was no louder than a breath. Her eyes wide, almost like she had seen a ghost from her past. Though in many ways that was a true statement. Jack hadn't seen her since he got taken away on a gurney. He had been dying, and gave her the best advice that he could. She had been there for him every since he had found out he was dying. The best he could do for her before he died was give her advice that hopefully would help her live with whatever choice she made.

"Jack."

Her voice was also no louder than a whisper. It was like her best dream had finally come true. She rushed forward, throwing caution to the wind, and flinging herself into his arms. Chloe was right, she was safe now. Jack Bauer would keep her safe, this much she did believe.