Fic: Seventeen Hours (PG) - 24

[allisnow]

Title: Seventeen Hours
Author: allisnow
Rating: PG
Characters: Renee Walker
Warnings: Mild language
Summary: Renee might revel in his hatred, if he was still alive to hate her a week, a month, a year from now. A Day 7/12am-1am vignette.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing, don't sue :D

Some part of Renee (a part not merely in the back of her mind but forcibly excluded from her mind altogether) is goddamned terrified right now. Biological weapons somewhere inside Starkwood, Larry with his head in the sights of two dozen commandos… militants… terrorists? Almeida rescued and then betrayed, a call from the inside, everything happening so fast. If she was in her right mind, she would be terrified.

Good thing she’s got something better to fall back on.

The chaos and the action are terrible, necessitating hasty decisions and terrible pressure on the rest of the staff, but in a way they are also a godsend. If she had a moment to sit down and think, she would probably do the unthinkable.

She would probably sit down and call Jack’s daughter.

He would hate her for it. Hate her. He had seen that in his eyes when she’d pressed him, seen it, in retrospect, between the lines of every statement in his file. His anger would be implacable and impossible to overcome. It might be worth it, though, feeling his hate. She might revel in it, if he was still alive to hate her a week, a month, a year from now.

He might be right. It’s really none of her business, technically and professionally and logically speaking, what happens to this man after this crisis is over, after this day that began almost seventeen hours ago finally comes to an end (if it ever does). As long as he lives long enough to ID the containers… that should be all she cares about.

But it isn’t.

Seventeen hours. Less. Is that all it’s been? She can’t remember having so many conflicting feelings for one person in the space of one day. She won’t catalog them, can’t list them, but they’re there and they’re dizzying and the only one she has time or space for right now is caring. Despite what he might think (and what she might want and what Larry might like) she does care about him, and for him, and if there is a treatment out there that could save his life it seems certifiably insane to ignore it, to not even consider it, to not consider this the perfect time to let bygones be bygones between father and daughter.

She wonders what Kim (yes, she knows the name, saw it in the report, although with so much else running through her mind she’s not sure how she still remembers it) might have done to deserve Jack’s apathy. Then she realizes – no, wrong angle. What might he have done to earn hers?

Renee watches him slink away, his grimace mistakable as a frustrated scowl. Almost mistakable. He reaches for another dose. It hasn’t been that long since the last one. Too soon.

She bites her tongue.

Not her place. None of her business.

She cares. She shouldn’t. Can’t.

Interest revulsion awe anger compassion disappointment approval offense frustration sympathy loathing intimidation attraction understanding disgust liking anguish pride terror confusion satisfaction hatred concern distress indignance betrayal caring her heart is breaking as she watches the needle pierce his skin.

And all in seventeen hours.

Fin

Comments

[marinw.livejournal.com]

She can’t remember having so many conflicting feelings for one person in the space of one day.

So good! That describes her feelings perfectly.

I predict that Renee or Chloe will call Kim. Jack is being SO stupid about this. He will fight for evreyone's life except his own.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

So good! That describes her feelings perfectly.

Thanks :)

I predict that Renee or Chloe

I miss Chloe!

will call Kim. Jack is being SO stupid about this. He will fight for evreyone's life except his own.

I think that that would be the dramatic route, especially if it was Renee because they just don't have the background that Jack and Chloe do. But it looks like next week will be very rough for Jack, and I wonder if he might see or experience something that will make him change his mind. It would definitely be a more important moment for his character.

I'm just thinking way too much about this.

[leigh57.livejournal.com]

"Interest revulsion awe anger compassion disappointment approval offense frustration sympathy loathing intimidation attraction understanding disgust liking anguish pride terror confusion satisfaction hatred concern distress indignance betrayal caring her heart is breaking as she watches the needle pierce his skin.

And all in seventeen hours."

I love that part. Almost all of my fun from last night's ep was in watching Renee's eyes while they followed Jack all over the place. Nice job of working out what's possibly going on in there.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

I love that part.

Thanks! It was fun brainstorming, thinking back through all the things Renee might have felt towards Jack :)

Almost all of my fun from last night's ep was in watching Renee's eyes while they followed Jack all over the place.

Yes! Me too!

[mulefa.livejournal.com]

Loved it :)

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[anniefan32.livejournal.com]

Great! I think you've got Renee's emotions spot on!

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I really love Renee.

[anniefan32.livejournal.com]

Oh I am...OBSESSED with Renee. She is such a strong woman, yet warm at heart. I really think she will call Kim, and that will set up some extremely emotional scenes if she calls Kim in and when Jack finds out. But anyway...I love how you get inside her head and down to the stuff that we only imagine. I think you hit it perfectly!

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have to admit that, while I've watched other seasons of 24, this is the first season it's really grabbed me, and I think it has a lot to do with Renee's character.

[anniefan32.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of people feel that way because of how they developed Renee's character. She allows the audience to see Jack and understand him without having to have seen other seasons. She is a great new character (not just because Annie Wershing is amazing) that we have never had before. I have been a fan since day1, but never have I been so captivated by a single character, other than Jack, since Michelle (and her relationship with Tony). Renee is definately a great character, and I'm so glad you think so too, and can provide these for people like me =D

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of people feel that way because of how they developed Renee's character. She allows the audience to see Jack and understand him without having to have seen other seasons.

Yup. This kind of character is used a lot in long-running tv shows, so the audience can kind of rediscover a beloved character through the eyes of someone else in their universe. And instead of being petty or blinded by politics or self-righteous, Renee is a good balance -- she is justifiably uneasy with what she sees, and yet she also realizes that it's necessary. Makes sense that people can relate to her.

Maybe a little too much sometimes ;) I saw a fan on the FOX 24 forum demanding WHY Renee didn't give Jack a hug in the ep before last ;)

PS Posting some Renee icons to my lj!

[anniefan32.livejournal.com]

Yes, she is definately a great balance. I think quite a few people fall into the category of relating slightly too much, including me...I admit I watch way too much television, but 24 is the only show I am truly addicted to/obsessed with. In fact, I know exactly which post in the forum you are talking about. I even took part in the discussion *looks down in shame* I've even joined a "Pro Renee Fan Club" in the forum. It's nice to get a break from that and read a refreshing fic though =D

Yes! I will be checking those icons out! I am extremely new to lj, so I'm not quite sure how everything works. If I snag any of your icons, how do I give you credit for them?

[ga-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. I think you did a wonderful job expressing what we were seeing last night.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was kind of an anticlimactic episode overall but there was some good meaty character stuff.

[roseandheather.livejournal.com]

I love this. This is my first season of 24 (I was drawn in when I found out Cherry Jones would be playing the President) and I fell in love with the show almost immediately, and Renee in particular. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this comm, as it seems to be a haven for good Jack/Renee writers. Great story!