the_chappy | (no subject)

Current Mood: in need of brain bleach

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After his chat with Chase (and a few shots of vodka), Ryan makes his way back to the flat. He's willing himself not to think about anything he just saw or discussed, hoping that eventually he'll convince himself that it never happened.

It's not working yet but he's going to keep believing. Unlocking the door, he steps into the flat. "Elaine?"

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Elaine headtilts. "How...odd. Why would they do that? Who was writing these stories?"

And why does he look so very concerned about it?

"As far as I could tell - I didn't look to closely - it was just random crazy people on the Internet. They're not from my universe so I don't know them or why they would do that," he finishes with a sigh.

Then, with a burst of annoyance, "Chase couldn't keep his mouth shut about them." In an grumpy mutter he continues, "I don't know why he had to share."

Elaine looks at him in concern. "They must have been very disturbing, to upset you so," she says gently, pressing her hand to his cheek. "I am sorry."

He almost feels a little silly to be this upset. They were just stories and it wasn't important what anyone else thought. It shouldn't bother him that much.

"It's all right," Ryan says with a slight smile, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "How are you?"

But sometimes those stories make you wonder about yourself, wondering if other people saw those sorts of...inaccuracies.

She smiles when he kisses her hand. "I am all right. I saw Michelle the other night. I made her smile with tales of our escapades--when we all went a little insane. It was worth the slight embarrassment to see her smile again."

"Yeah? How was she doing?" The only thing that made it easier for him when thinking about how ridiculous he'd been acting is to remember that pretty much everyone else had been acting the same way.

Which reminds him...

"Still terribly sad. It was hard to see her so. But she seems to be doing as well as can be expected."

Elaine wishes she could help more, but she knows she can't do any more than she already has.

He nods at this, remembering what it was like after Vicky died. "That's pretty much what Chris has said. I can't imagine what it's going to be like for her... raising a kid on her own."

The small comfort he had after his wife's death was that his children were grown, his youngest had been a teen in high school. They'd at least known their mother even if they didn't have enough time with her.

"She'll have help, but still...she'll have to tell them about their father, and what he was like. I can't imagine that will be easy." She leans her head against his shoulder.

"No, it won't. But, hopefully his family will help out and she'll have friends who knew him." He wraps an arm around Elaine, pulling her close.

"I didn't tell you about Jack and Chris, did I?"

Elaine smiles as she nestles comfortably against him. "No, I don't think you said anything about them lately. What did you want to tell me?"

He begins with a sigh, "A couple weeks ago, while on that chocolate that made us all act like idiots, they sort of got married."

Elaine picks up her head. "Got. Married? When did that happen? And...where?"

"On Halloween. They got married in the bar. It wasn't... official or anything, they didn't have ceremony. They just exchanged rings and vows."

He knows that doesn't make a lot of difference but since they weren't calling themselves married he had no idea what to call them either.

Well.

It's as married as most people get. In Elaine's world, as long as there was a witness, it was enough. Elaine lays her head back down on Ryan's chest.

"Have you spoken to them since? Are they going to...when they get back to Los Angeles?"

"Not anytime soon." That wasn't the answer Chris had given him, she'd just sputtered about for a bit.

But he knew his daughter well enough to read between the lines.

"They're moving in together first. Chris has plans for him to meet Ryan and Caiti."

"Ah. It sounds...serious." She's tentative. Elaine, however it came about, would be pleased.

However, she isn't so sure if Ryan will be, so she's cautious.

"It is."

He can tell she's not sure what to say, he's not sure either. Even with a few days to think about this, he still doesn't know how he really feels.

"I'm not angry." That much he does know.

"Well, that's good," she says, smiling a little. "If Chris is happy..."

But she knows it's not always that simple. "Are they taking things slowly, at least?"

It's a big step, after all.

"I think so." They'd have to, since Chris having a husband who was dead to the world a few months ago would be a bit of a shock to those who knew her.

"They're not going to tell anyone outside that they're married. They've decided to wait till they make it official."

Elaine smiles. "I think that is a wise decision on their parts. It will be difficult enough to start their new life, after all, without shocking the rest of the family."

She looks up at him. "How are you feeling about all of this?"

"I don't know," he confesses.

For a long time, at least since Chris and Jack got back together but maybe before that, he'd knew how they felt about each other.

"Jack's a good guy and he loves Chris, I know. And she loves him. I'm glad that she has that. But..."

It's never that simple.

"Jack has so many enemies. Here and outside. Even if he never goes back to CTU," which is a big if as far as Ryan's concerned, "he'll always have people after him and after Chris like they were after Kim and Teri. She will always be a target."

Elaine nods, smoothing her hand over his chest idly. "It'll always be a danger," she says softly.

"It certainly doesn't help."

She wishes, certainly, that things were different. "So...we'll just worry, then. And try not to, and fail miserably."

There isn't anything else to do, really.

This actually makes Ryan laugh - a little. There's nothing more he can do but worry and hope, frustrating as was.

Hugginh her close, he lays a kiss to her forehead. After a moment, "How have you been?"

It's not an idle question, he knows this time of year isn't an easy one for Elaine.

Elaine closes her eyes. "It has been...all right. The normal nightmares and such. It wasn't as bad as last year."

But then, lots of things were going on last year that aren't going on now.