Disclaimer: Jack and Audrey are not mine, they belong to the creators of 24. I‘m just borrowing to play. :)

-Audrey giggled as she tried to open the door to her hotel room.

"You have to see the suite they reserved for me, Jack. It's amazing what special treatment you get when you're the daughter of the Secretary of Defense!"

They were on a business trip in Boston with her father. Since they were trying to keep their relationship a secret, they had avoided the usual dinner parties and decided to check out some clubs in the city. Crowds and darkness were the perfect place to stay unnoticed, at least in theory. With a beautiful woman like Audrey at your side you cause quite a stir, no matter where. She looked absolutely stunning tonight in her ruby colored blouse, short, black leather skirt and high heels. At the office she wore her dark blonde hair tied back but tonight it was loose, shimmering in the light and flowing in waves over her shoulders.

Jack still couldn't believe they made it past the desk in the entrance hall unnoticed. They had to be a bit more careful next time.

Jack watched in amusement as Audrey struggled to put the magnetic card into the slot. Both of them had a few drinks already, not enough to be really drunk, but obviously enough to make the entry into Audrey's hotel room a bit difficult. Eventually she was successful. Still laughing, she grabbed Jack‘s hand and stumbled through the open door.

The happiness she radiated was irresistible. Jack looked around and had to agree, the suite was amazing. It was the size of an apartment with a wide living room and a bedroom of similar size. Through the open door, he glimpsed a white marble Jacuzzi with gold fixtures, surrounded by large mirrors. He wasn't sure what to think of the furniture though. The oversized bed, shaped like a heart, looked a bit over the top.

"It looks like the honeymoon suite," Jack remarked, while Audrey put her bag on the big comfortable looking sofa, that filled almost half of the expensively styled living room.

"It is," Audrey said with a mischievous grin that promised him a night he wouldn't forget.

Jack‘s gaze fell on a trolley table near the couch. An assortment of bottles, two glasses and a variety of delicious looking finger-food covered the top.

"Looks like someone is prepared for tonight," Jack concluded from the evidence.

"Well, some people might appreciate the impulsiveness of a quickie, but in my opinion there‘s nothing better than a well-prepared date," she smiled impishly.

Jack still couldn't believe they'd finally taken the first step last week, after months of light flirting. He hadn't dared to take it further before, since Audrey was just separated and not divorced. He'd been there. He knew separation did not mean the end of a marriage and he didn't know her well enough to judge the state of her relationship with her husband.

They had been on a tight schedule to finish the presentation for Audrey‘s father that day, which resulted in working late hours that left them alone in the office. After they‘d put the last touches on the presentation, they‘d decided to celebrate with a glass of sparkling wine from the cantina. From that point on the evening had taken on a life of it's own. It ended with both of them in the janitor’s closet, one of the few rooms that lacked a security camera, having the afore-mentioned quickie. Thank god Audrey‘s friend Susanne always had a few condoms in her desk-drawer or the whole adventure would have run into a dead end, before it had even started.

"You seemed to enjoy yourself in the closet," Jack teased.

"Really?" Audrey responded with an innocent smile and a dreamy look in her eyes. "Well, tonight we will do it my way," she added resolutely.

"First of all, no sparkling wine but the real thing," she held up a bottle of expensive Dom Perignon. "Delicious food brought by the room-service for a midnight snack and most importantly - a real bed," she waved her free hand toward the bedroom.

Jack eyed the heart-shaped bed disparaging. "I think it‘s debatable, if this can be called a bed. It looks more like a cheesy love nest," he said dryly.

"I know," Audrey‘s sigh was tinged with amusement as she fiddled with the bottle of champagne. "That‘s the downside when you check in late into a booked out hotel. With the conference going on in the city, the honeymoon suite was the only room available that was bigger than a closet, which we already had," Audrey grinned. "I think it will fulfil our needs just perfectly."

Her remark brought a smile to his face.

"Oh, a smile on Jack Bauer‘s face! Where‘s my camera, I need picture proof!" she joked and then added in a softer voice: "You need to do that more often. It suits you."

"Well, I can try," he said, a bit embarrassed but still keeping the smile.

Sometimes he wondered what it was that made Audrey so special. Was it the light-hearted cheerfulness she spread wherever she went that had captured his heart or the simple fact that she treated him without prejudice, without judging his past? He was glad she knew only the basics from his files and had never asked for details. The details he wanted to leave behind, which had no place in this new life. She was attracted to the Jack Bauer of the here and now, not the person he used to be.

"Very good. Now, all I need is a miracle to get the cork out of this bottle," Audrey muttered in frustration. She turned back toward the little trolley table. "This stuff is so expensive, they should sell it with a remote control."

Jack watched her try to open the bottle with the cork-screw. When it was obvious that she wasn‘t making any progress he silently stepped up behind her. He could smell the faint scent of hibiscus from her perfume, when he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Shall I give it a try?"

Audrey‘d been so engrossed in the task of opening the bottle that she jerked a bit in surprise when she heard his soft voice so close. She turned around to look at him. They stood close, very close, their faces only inches away from each other.

Jack saw nothing but her beautifully shaped eyes, the straight bridge of her nose and her full lips. All he had to do was lean forward and kiss her. Just the thought of it sent flashes of arousal through his body. Then the moment was gone, Audrey took a step back and held up the bottle.

"Your turn."

Mesmerized by the moment, it took Jack a second to figure out what she was talking about. Then he remembered and took the champagne out of her hand. With a few swift moves the bottle was open and Jack poured the golden liquid into the long stemmed glasses.

"You need to show me that trick one day," Audrey said, when he gave her one of the glasses.

"I would love to do that," Jack answered while he raised his glass. "To a perfect evening."

"To a perfect night," she corrected and let her glass clink against his.

After a few sips, the urge to kiss her grew unbearable. He couldn't wait any longer. She must have read his intentions on his face, because she started to smile invitingly. Jack took the glass out of her hand and put both back on the tray. Then he grabbed her and drew her close to him. The smile vanished and her face got all serious. Only the fiery gleam in her eyes revealed Audrey‘s true emotions.

One of his hands had slid under her blouse and lay on her back, touching her soft skin, while he pushed the other up into her long hair. He could feel her arms locked around him. They stood like this for a few seconds, just staring at each other. Her strained breathing and slightly parted lips radiated impatience as she waited for him to make the first move.

Jack pulled her closer and when their lips finally met, he closed his eyes and pushed his tongue gently inside her mouth. She responded equally, both their tongues entangled for a moment, carefully exploring. He felt her tongue flicker over his lips and teeth. Small sounds of pleasure escaped her throat, which encouraged him lean into the kiss even more. Finally he pulled back a bit to gently nip at her lower lip, his teeth scraping over the soft flesh.

When Audrey broke the kiss to catch her breath, Jack cupped her face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes, cherishing the moment, while he caressed her cheeks. Then their lips locked again and he lost himself in another deep kiss.

---

Jack‘s eyes snapped open.

He stared into a pitch black darkness. Beneath him he could feel the hard floor pressing against his body. What had happened?

All he could hear was his ragged breathing and a few lonely drops of water, falling from the ceiling in an unsteady rhythm. The oppressive silence threatened to suffocate him, reaching deep into his soul and clenching his heart in an iron fist.

He remembered.

Jack was still in his cell, a tiny windowless room on a freighter bound for China.

A sob of desperation escaped his mouth.

The stifling heat in the room was exhausting and the weak air circulation made the humid air stale and hard to breath. Jack wiped his hand over his sweaty face and the scratchy stubble of his unshaved skin. Carefully, he licked his dry lips. They had already cracked from dehydration.

He didn‘t know how long he‘d been here. Without a watch or a window it was hard to tell. A freighter needed around 20 days from L.A. to China. How much time was left until they arrived?

After his disillusioning meeting with Cheng they‘d thrown him in here and he hadn‘t seen a living soul since. He still didn‘t know why he was here, why they didn‘t kill him or what his ‚value‘ was. There was no doubt that his knowledge could be of great interest for any foreign government. He‘d been a high ranking agent at CTU and the assistant to the Secretary of Defense after all. So far no one had asked him a single question, though.

They tried to weaken him first with sensory deprivation. Isolation. Darkness, lack of nutritional, regular food and water. He could easily think of at least five to ten more efficient and faster methods to reach their goal. These were the easiest to accomplish, though, since they didn't seem to have the proper equipment at hand.

Jack knew how to withstand sensory deprivation for a long period of time. As long as they stuck to the basic methods, there was a good chance they would not succeed. He just had to concentrate and focus.

The ever present darkness lay heavy on his mind but maybe it was for the better that he couldn‘t see the room he was held prisoner in. The stench alone was already telling him enough. He wished they‘d given him a cell with a toilet and a sink. It looked like this was a luxury they were unable or unwilling to provide. This was a freighter, not a liner. They‘d thrown him into a storage room with a solid metal door. To make sure there was no way out was much more important than his sanitary preferences.

It was quite obvious that the kidnapping hadn't been planned carefully. More like an impromptu operation, carried out quickly when they'd learned about his return to L.A.

Jack was dead tired but he forced himself to stand. Walking around the room as often as possible was necessary to keep his manoeuvrability. He was still wearing his now dirty jeans from the day they‘d kidnapped him, which clung to his sore skin from the thick humid air and his own sweat. His shoes, socks and watch were gone, his shirt was hanging in shreds from his body. Despite its ragged state, he‘d decided to keep it on. Laying on the dirty floor with his bare back wasn‘t a very inviting thought.

He stretched a bit to loosen his stiff muscles. The beating he‘d received from the Chinese thugs when they brought him onto the ship had been fast, hard and efficient. It‘s only purpose to break his will to fight back. It had worked. For now. He felt tired and exhausted but he knew this would change. All he needed was time to recover. Jack noted with satisfaction, that the bruises on his body were slowly starting to subside.

While he carefully circled the room, feeling his way through the constant night, his mind started to drift. To Audrey, like so often before. Back to his longings for her and the crushing guilt he wasn‘t able to shed. He could not forgive himself for all the pain he‘d caused her. It wasn’t just her either. Everyone he allowed to get close got hurt. Because of him, the things he did. His job had cost his beloved Teri‘s life, Claudia‘s life, it had driven Kim away and it nearly had destroyed Diane‘s little family. The greater good came with a very high price.

Once he‘d thought he could break the circle of violence his life had become. He‘d let Audrey into his heart, in the hopes that she would be able to guide him into a new life. What a fool he had been.

President Palmer, Paul, Michelle, Tony. It just never stopped.

For all the death and pain he’d caused to those he loved, he maybe deserved to be here and nowhere else. He deserved to be locked up in this hole until he died.

Jack felt the seeds of desperation slowly grabbing hold of his mind.

He knew this place allowed him way too much time to think, to examine his feelings and dwell on the past. Such was the main purpose of isolation. The temptation to believe he deserved this, to embrace it as his truth, sometimes became almost overwhelming. Giving up. Ending it right here. Dying. So easy.

Lies. Self-imposed lies. They want you to believe it. As soon as you do, you lose, his inner voice screamed at him.

The sirens of eternal peace were singing their song again and outside this room the Chinese were just waiting for him to succumb.

Not that they would let him die in here but they knew they could do whatever they want to his mind, as soon as he‘d crossed his breaking point and stopped fighting.

It was all just a matter of time and they had plenty of it.

I can’t give in!, he reminded himself with all the stubbornness he could muster.

The overwhelming wish to make it right with Audrey was Jack’s focus. To get his chance one day, no matter when, had turned into an obsession. He’d lost a lot but there was still one thing left worth fighting for. His love for Audrey.

It had been incredibly hard to leave her all these months ago. To not tell her that he had to fake his own death because Cummings man had been ordered to kill him. He’d lost her for so long and he’d never thought he would ever see her again. When he’d been forced to come out of hiding and they met at CTU, it looked like he would get his second chance with Audrey.

The moment he actually started believing it, was the moment before his chance was destroyed.

"I’ll be right back." A promise spoken in earnest, a promise he wasn’t able to keep. He’d failed her. Broken her heart. Not once but twice.

Jack rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes to stop the tears that started to fill them. There was no way he would allow himself to lose his composure.

He wished he could‘ve made that phone call how far-fetched his silly request to Cheng had been. At least Audrey and CTU would know he was alive. His captor wasn't that stupid however, and didn't take any chances.

After just five rounds of walking, exhaustion took hold and Jack’s legs started to shake from weakness.

Jack pressed his hand against the steel wall to steady himself. It was warm and moist like the rest of his small cell. He could feel the metal vibrating softly from the ship‘s engines under his fingertips. He wondered if his prison was located close to the boiler-room, which would explain the uncomfortable high temperature.

He blinked a few drops of sweat out of his eyes and shook is head to shy away the dizziness. When it didn‘t help Jack sank to his knees, one hand still braced against the wall for balance, the other pressed to his forehead. He felt a wave of nausea churn in his stomach and he tasted bile in his mouth. It took all his strength to fight back the urge to throw up.

The weak state of his body worried him.

The only explanation he had was that they did something with the food they shoved into the room through a small hatch in the door at irregular intervals. Maybe some kind of drug. The Chinese knew him, they wanted to make sure there was no way for him to get out.

He had two options. Caving in and eating the drugged food, or starving to death. He wondered if they would even let him refuse to eat. There were plenty of ways to force-feed a prisoner.

The sickness in his stomach didn't go away, so he lay down again and rolled onto his back, trying to relax.

It was hard to calm down his busy mind. His thoughts circled to the open question of why no one had started to interrogate him yet. Did they want to wait until they reached China? Why? What would happen to him there? What did Cheng plan to do with him once they reached their destination?

They hadn‘t gotten to him through official channels, despite the fact that they had every right to do so. The mission at the Chinese Consulate eighteen months ago had gone awry and he‘d already agreed to take full responsibility for what happened. It didn‘t matter who caused the death of the consul, entering foreign soil without permission and kidnapping one of their citizens was a criminal act and someone had to pay for it.

But they didn‘t use official channels. They just snatched him right out from under the eyes of the Secret Service and disappeared. Very much like he had planned to do with Lee at the consulate, if Agent Bern hadn‘t messed the mission up, when someone exposed his face to the security cameras.

Would they even bother to put him into one of their cruel labour camps under these circumstances? Or would they just let him disappear, once he‘d finally lost his value?

Stop it, he reprimanded himself. Such thoughts only played into their hands. Extended sensory deprivation resulted in extreme anxiety and depression. He could not let himself succumb to any of this. Dwelling on questions he had no answers for was just a waste of time. He had to keep his mind clear and alert.

"They can torture you, they can starve you, but don't let them touch you," one of his older, more experienced comrades at Delta had once told him. "Go to your safe place, stay there and wait until the time comes. It's the only place in your mind that's just yours and yours alone. Fill it with good memories that strengthen your spirit. They may be able to break your body but don't let them break your mind. That's your only chance for survival."

He‘d been in his mid-twenties and still inexperienced, when he‘d gotten this advice and he hadn‘t taken it very seriously. He‘d wondered why he should use such cheap and silly tricks. It didn‘t take long to learn the cold hard truth and he‘d fallen back on it more than once since then.

A place where guilt and self-doubt were not able to reach his thoughts. A place that reminded him why he would not give up.

His safe place.

He couldn't wait to go back and so he closed his eyes.

A faint smile crossed Jack's face when he allowed the memories to enter his mind again.

For a moment there was nothing. He sank deeper into his mind, trying to let go of reality. Then, so very soft, he felt the touch of Audrey's lips on his own.

---

"Maybe we could continue the evening in the Jacuzzi?" she asked, while she trailed soft kisses over his bare neck and shoulders.

"Too far away," Jack managed to get out, then he flipped her around and pressed her against the wall. "Maybe later."

His lips touched hers and he lost himself in the sensation of her skin on his. All coherent thought vaporized in the heat of the moment, burning the memory of his cold reality out of his mind.

~end~