the fine art of survival

by loading_username

Summary:

It was ridiculous how much Jack had come to mean to him in just a few years. If someone had told Jim back then that he would grow to care for that stubborn pain in the ass as more than a mere colleague, he would have laughed.

Chapter 1: Mike November

Summary:

Mike didn't give much thought to the kind of sick shit they already must have put Jack through, just like he was ignoring the real possibility Chavez's rescue mission failed.

Mike was out of his seat the second the first sound of possible disturbances reached him. He ignored the pull on his shoulder as he rushed out of the tiny office at the back of the hangar. The base's commanding officer reacted only a few seconds later, and Mike could hear the man's footsteps as he ran behind him.

He ignored the pain and exhaustion as he pushed himself to move faster, his heart beating fast against his ribcage.

Mike was worried about Jack, of course he was. Being needed alive by bad guys seldom meant being needed in one piece, and since he was pretty much the person responsible for the shitstorm that just hit their little operation, they must hate him pretty badly over there. He didn't give much thought to the kind of sick shit they already must have put Jack through, just like he was ignoring the very real possibility Chavez's rescue mission failed. And if that wasn't enough, there was the little detail of needing to get the hell out of this shithole if they wanted to stay alive-

But, at the moment, Mike's main concern was stopping some trigger-happy local from possibly shooting Jack or Chavez when they were so damn close to getting out.

The lack of gunfire so far was certainly making him feel just a little hopeful.

A few officers were running in the direction of the checkpoint Mike and Somsak almost crashed hours ago, so he followed them. He was still too far away when he saw a flash of color among the dozens of officers as they surrounded some beat-up car outside the gate, their guns raised and ready for use. Surely they were all on high alert after his appearence.

"Fuck," Mike panted. Running around certainly hadn't gotten any easier. He resisted the urge to just drop to the ground and just fucking rest, and instead kept running. The fact whoever was in the damn car hadn't started shooting yet was another good sight, but Mike knew better than to assume anything. He ignored everything around him and focused on the car.

"They're with me!" Mike yelled as soon as he caught a glimpse of Chavez through the windshield.

A command in a foreign language was shouted behind him, and from mouth-to-mouth the order reached the officers outside the gate, who slowly lowered their weapons but remained on high alert. Mike actually sighed in relief when he saw the last gun go down.

Only once that current crisis was dealt with did Mike turn his attention back to the dark shape he spied on the passage side of the car. He assumed it must be Jack, but with the figure leaning on the dashboard with their head bowed, there was no way to be sure.

Mike slowly came to a stop when he realized the figure still wasn't moving. Surely Chavez wouldn't have brought back a body, would he? Shit, he totally would have-

Except that made no fucking sense. Why take him if they were just going to kill him? Unless Jack did what he always did, which was refusing to do what he was told him to do. He could have pissed off the wrong person; he was rather good at that too. Or maybe Chavez's rescue had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Goddammit. Mike should have gone with him. He should have ignored Chavez's perfectly reasonable plan and refuse to back down. Two men were always better than one even if one of them was injured.

Before he could fully lose his shit, Mike saw Chavez move closer to the figure, and a moment later, it finally moved. Thank fuck.

Mike's ragged breathing caught in his throat the second he met Jack's hazy gaze. There was dried blood on his face, and he frankly looked like hell, but Mike still found the corner of his lips quirking into a smile that for once went unanswered, prompting him to keep moving forward.

His gaze went to Chavez as the man exited the vehicle, and when their gazes met he received a solemn nod from the other agent.

"Glad you could make it, guys!" Mike shouted as soon as he crossed the gate, finally reaching the car and the officers still surrounding it. He was happy to notice Chavez seemed alright. He liked the guy.

"So you're still alive, huh?" Chavez called back with the flash of a tired but genuine smile.

"Yep. Somsak and I are best pals now."

"Nice."

There was none of the quips he was used to hearing from Jack. Mike's smile was wiped from his face as his attention went back to the other man.

Jack finally moved to get out of the car after a moment, so he studied him. His movements were careful and slow, his hands never letting go of the door that supported him. There was a dark cloth over his hunched shoulder, his long legs unsteady as he shuffled forward.

Mike's hands curled into firsts as he watched Jack's body keep moving out of sheer willpower. A quick look at Chavez's face assured him whoever was physically responsible had already been dealt with, but a part of him was glad that there were still other bastards who needed to pay for this whole fucking mess, and Mike was more than willing to make them.

He didn't do feelings, at least not the way normal people did. It was one of the many things his former line of work taught him; to keep his composure and never ever give them anything, but that didn't mean he felt nothing. Of course he was worried about Jack and relieved to see him back. Sure, he was a little worse for wear, but he was conscious and he was on his feet, and that was a lot more than could be said about most people who went through similar situations.

"Good to see you're still alive, man," Mike commented good-natured the moment Jack reached his side.

"Don't."

"Stop."

The double warning stopped Mike just before he made contact, his hand hovering above Jack's back for a second or two before he lowered it without a word. He didn't need to imagine the kind of damage hidden under that damn blanket and the rest of Jack's clothes. Mike knew. He fucking knew.

"Right." Mike cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing. "You ready to go home?"

Jack let out a deep and weary exhale. It felt like he was only now letting himself believe getting out of this damn country alive was a possibility.

"I am," he croaked. The barely audible words were followed by the smallest of quirks at the corner of Jack's mouth.

In that second, Mike knew Jack was going to be alright. He wasn't all there yet, and he definitely needed medical attention and a ton of fucking rest, but there was a little spark back in his eyes. It was a faltering and faint thing, nothing like the fire he was used to seeing there, but it was there all the same.

"Alright then," Mike said with a grin as he reached out to help him. "Let's go home."

Notes:

This was posted pretty much right after I wrote it, so there will be some edits later, I just know it. And, please suspend your disbelief and let's pretend Jack and Chavez had to go to the air base too.

Now, I must admit I have mixed feelings about season 4, but I love the characters, and I love the dynamics between them, so here I am, writing about them. I didn't want to get into the medical side of things because of reasons, but I wanted the 'what happened after the big rescue' to be addressed a little. Also, am I the only one who misses the way they handled hurt!Jack in the first season? I sure hope not.

I kind of want to write something similar with Greer and Cathy, but I have no clear ideas yet and I'm terrible at staying focused on one idea for long, so we'll see how that goes. I make no promises. Also, no disrespect was meant to the countries where the action takes place, but I figured Mike and the others must be sick of them and just about ready to get the hell out of there.

This is unbetaed and I'm not a native speaker, so please feel free to point out any mistake you may find.

Chapter 2: Jim Greer

Summary:

It was ridiculous how much Jack had come to mean to him in just a few years. If someone had told Jim back then that he would grow to care for that stubborn pain in the ass as more than a mere colleague, he would have laughed.

James Greer didn't hesitate to get on a plane to Maryland after learning Jack and company were coming back.

There were five bombs remotely controlled on their way or already in the USA, a sinister plot that seemed to involve everyone around them, information from a dead man they couldn't fucking decode, a former CIA lieutenant in custody but refusing to cooperate, and too many damn pieces of the damn puzzle still missing. So yeah, maybe he should have stayed in Washington trying to figure shit out, but that hadn't stopped Jim from looking Elizabeth straight in the eye as he told her the Acting Deputy Director was flying off to Maryland to meet with Jack. 

Jim was sure he wouldn't have gotten anywhere even if he stayed anyway. He'd already unraveled a good bit of the convoluted mess Miller and company had crafted, but if he kept at it, he would probably have just lost it and ended up punching that dirty shit Tuttle, or even yelled at Elizabeth about the damn deal she made with that crocked dipshit, all for useless information.

Hell, Jim would have been tempted to make the same stupid decisions if he had been in Elizabeth's place, but that didn't stop him from being absolutely pissed. He wanted Jack back safe as much as she did, but he knew better than to think that was the only way.

She should have waited. And she should have trusted Jack and his people.

Jim looked up at the cloudy sky, hands tucked deep in his coat pockets against the cold. He couldn't see the plane yet, but Jim knew it had to be close. It already had been too damn long.

He knew Jack was alive and whole, but that was it. He didn't even get to speak to him when Mike called, so Jim was eager to see him with his own two eyes and make sure he was okay. Or as okay as he could be after whatever happened.

Jack hadn't been missing for long, but Jim knew first-hand the kind of damage that could be caused by being caught in the wrong hands for any amount of time, and not all of it was always physical.

Jim couldn't forget it was he who dragged Jack all but kicking and screaming away from his boring safe desk and back into the real ugly world. And yeah, Jack was a grown man, and it had been his decision to stay in the field after that first mission, but he still felt responsible for the guy. Hell, Jack saved his damn life at the risk of his own in Venezuela, and now that it was Jack who was in need of saving, Jim had been stuck back here, unable to do a damn thing to help. He couldn't even do his fucking part to find the bombs.

So Jim didn't care about what he should or shouldn't do. He was right where he needed to be, making sure that pain in the ass was gonna be alright.

And, on a more selfish note, Jim had to admit he was also hoping for a chance to borrow Jack's brilliant brain for a bit there so they could figure this shit out once and for all.

Movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn to see Cathy approach. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself while her tired eyes searched the sky for any signs of an arriving aircraft. Neither said anything as they stood side by side, watching and waiting.

Jim called her after Jack was rescued, of course, and they shared a brief conversation when he first arrived at the Air Base, which consisted of him asking how she was, assuring her people back in Washington were still working to make sense of the information from the drive, and an introduction to Chao Fah's widow and daughter. Neither had been in the mood for further interaction, so that had been it.

He hadn't gotten the chance to get to know Cathy as well as he would have liked, but Jim felt impressed by how well she was handling this whole ordeal. Jim didn't doubt Cathy was terrified and worried and even in pain, but she was holding it together better than anyone thrown head-first into this life could be expected to. Cathy had every right to go home the moment she came back safe and sound, but she chose to stay here and help in any way she could.

It was obvious she was good for Jack, so Jim only hoped she would be willing to stick around after all this shit was over.

Jim knew he couldn't even begin to make comparisons, but he was reminded of his own marriage anyway, and how all the risks involved in this job were one of the reasons it fell apart- and his ex was never put in danger and used against him like Cathy was used against Jack. That alone was reason enough to end any relationship, no matter how good or solid it was.

"They're here," Cathy murmured, prompting Jim to raise his gaze. Sure enough, there it was; a little dot in the sky that looked nothing like an aircraft from this distance.

After waiting so long, it felt like the descent and landing took no time at all. Soon enough, the cargo ramp was being lowered, and Jim watched the three men appear a moment later. He saw Mike first, looking a little worse for wear but still flashing a grin. Chavez looked tired as well, but unlike Mike, he seemed ready to get back to work in a second.

The moment Jim caught his first glimpse of Jack, walking and moving on his own, he released a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. Jim winced in sympathy when he saw his face, but it was the guarded way Jack held himself and the stiffness of his movements that made his stomach drop. Jim had expected something like it- hell, he'd been dreading something worse- but that didn't make it any easier to witness.

He had a sudden flashback to the naive but brilliant and stubborn kid who stood up to his new boss because he knew he was right. It felt like a lifetime away, that time when Jack claimed to be nothing but an analyst who didn't belong in the field.

Jim had been so busy staring at Jack that he didn't see Cathy move. Still, he wasn't surprised when she appeared at Jack's side and wrapped her arms around him. He averted his eyes, giving them the privacy they deserved.

Now that Jim could see his prayers had been answered he took a moment to look upward and offered another silent thank you. 

It was ridiculous how much Jack had come to mean to him in just a few years. If someone had told Jim back then that he would grow to care for that stubborn pain in the ass as more than a mere colleague, he would have laughed.

"How's he?" He asked, turning to Mike and Chavez as they reached his side.

The men shared a silent look. "It wasn't as bad as it could have been," Mike started after a moment, "he'll be okay. But we need to make sure he gets checked out before we get out of here."

"You too," Chavez cut in.

Jim stared at Mike, eyebrows raised in silent question.

"I'm fine," Mike aborted a shrug with a wince. "It was just a through and through in the shoulder, and I even got the banana leaves treatment to patch it up."

Chavez snorted in response, so Jim assumed he was responsible for said treatment. Before Jim could question them further, he noticed that Jack and Cathy were approaching. There were deep lines of pain etched in Jack's face, but his gaze was clear and sharp. He still had an arm around Cathy, and though the position looked anything but comfortable, Jim understood.

"How're you doing?"

"I've been better," Jack replied, the corner of his lips twitching upward for a split-second. 

It didn't answer the question, but Jim accepted it anyway. He would get an answer soon enough, and besides, he appreciated at least being spared the 'I'm fine' bullshit.

"Want to get us up to speed?"

"I will," Jim agreed easily under the weight of four pairs of eager eyes. "Once you two get checked out."

Jack frowned. "We don't have time for this." 

"Sure we do."

He opened his mouth to protest further, but Cathy's gentle hand on his arm stopped him.

"Come," Cathy prodded in a soft but firm tone. "The sooner you do this the sooner you can go back to saving the world."

Jack hesitated for a moment longer, even if it was clear to everyone around that he didn't have a choice.

Jim met Jack's halfhearted glare without bothering to hide his smirk.

Jack was too tired to be stubborn, so it wasn't long before he let himself be guided to the hangar by Cathy, his three colleagues silently following behind. 

Notes:

I'm sorry it took so long to post this chapter, and sorry the ending sucks too. That was one of the reasons it took me so long to finish this. Endings are my kryptonite. I know I hinted the possibility of a chapter from Cathy's POV as well, and while I'm not going to say it wouldn't happen, it is very unlikely at this point.

Thank you so much to the people who read the first chapter and took the time to leave kudos and comments. I hope you enjoyed this second chapter as well!