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This is just a little fanfic that I thought up (or actually, dreamed up - I woke up in the middle of the night last Tuesday and realized that I was essentially scripting this out in my sleep). It’s a little one-shot about what was going on with Jack and Audrey during the three minutes in between when Jack gave Henderson the tape and the end of the 12 AM episode, while Heller is at the retreat about to get the president to resign when Henderson calls.

It’s from Jack’s POV, and I am not all that happy with it…I feel like it may be a little trite, but I figure there’s not much Jack/Audrey fluff (or that many Jack/Audrey stories period) so I decided to post it for those who, like me, feel that there are not enough Jack/Audrey fics out there. So enjoy, and if you get a chance I’d love to get feedback.

Audrey winces in pain as I pick her up and carry her to the side of the room, where I can lean her against the wall.

I can feel the blood continue to spill as I carry her. The rope I used to tie her arm must not have been sufficient. She is trying to restrain her moaning but I can tell she’s in a lot of pain. I help her sit down against a wall, then kneel down in front of her.

“I’m going to see if there’s a first aid kit in the police car I stole,” I explain. “I’ll be right back, I promise. Just hang on a second, alright?”

She nods slightly, her hands trembling.

As I leave I hear her wince in pain.

“Stay with me, please” I yell to her as I run out to the police car and start fumbling around for a first aid kit.

I retrieve the kit as fast as I can and run back toward the building.

I run back inside and kneel down on the ground facing her and gently lift her arm so I can look at it. I expect her to yelp in pain but she doesn’t. I look up and see that her eyes are closed, and she looks like she’s losing consciousness.

“Audrey,” I urge, kissing her and breathing into her mouth to try to keep her conscious. She stirs a little and moans weakly.

“Audrey, please, stay with me,” I plead, more terrified of losing her by the second.

“Jack?” she asks softly.

“It’s me, sweetie. I’m right here.”

She manages to open her eyes a little and reaches up to touch my face with her good arm.

“Jack, I just want you to know…I never stopped…”

“Shh,” I cut her off. I can see that every word is a struggle for her, and I don’t want her to waste any energy.

“Audrey, please,” I beg. I know what she’s going to say and I don’t want her to say it. Not now, not like this. “Don’t do this. Don’t say goodbye. We’re going to get through this, I promise.”

She shakes her head slightly and looks at me apologetically, as if to tell me she doesn’t think she can make it.

“Audrey, listen to me,” I say more forcefully than I intended to. “I had to bury the woman I loved once and I have no intention of doing that again, do you understand me?”

She opens her mouth to respond but either doesn’t have the strength or can’t find the words.

It’s at that moment that I make a critical decision. Earlier this morning, I promised President Logan that I would disappear again after this was all over. I had every intention of keeping that promise even after I found out about Logan’s role in today’s events, because I believed that was what was best for this country. But now I look at Audrey and I silently vow that if she pulls through this I’ll never leave her again.

“Do you remember the last night we spent together, before I had to disappear?” I ask her suddenly.

She stares at me for a second, as if she’s struggling to process, then nods slowly, smiling ever so slightly.

“I want you to focus on that night while I do this, alright? I want you to close your eyes and think about us laying on the beach together. I want you to imagine yourself cuddled up next to me on the ferris wheel on the Pier watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, because when this is over I’m going to take you back there, and then I’m going to take you out for that anniversary dinner we never got to have.”

She looks at me wistfully, as if she wants to believe me but can’t under the circumstances.

“You’re going to get through this, I promise,” I continue. “And I’m going to be right by your side, not just tonight but every night. When this is over, we’re going to have a chance to start over, and you can sleep in my arms every night and wake up next to me every day for the rest of your life if that’s what you want. You’ve just got to get through this, because I can’t lose you again…I can’t,” I plead, my voice beginning to crack.

My words must be getting through even though she is still fighting to stay with it, because she grips my arm tightly and gives me a look that seems like she’s silently pleading with me to help her through this.

I need to tighten the tourniquet on her arm to stop the bleeding, so I wrap my arm around her and look her in the eye.

“This is going to hurt,” I warn, waiting for her to silently acknowledge me before continuing. She screams in pain when I tighten it. I keep holding onto her arm, mostly to apply pressure to the wound but I guess I’m also clinging to her, as if holding onto her tightly enough will make it so she can’t leave me. As I sit there gripping her arm and looking into her eyes I see her slowly regain a little color in her face. I feel the flow of blood begin to ease, and when I look in her eyes, I know she’s going to make it, and more importantly, I know she knows now that she’s going to make it. I keep holding onto her arm, promising myself that I’m never going to let her go.