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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Story [24] Last Respects (Spoilers!!)

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by Lithiniel, Mar 9, 2009.

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  1. Lithiniel

    Lithiniel Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Author's note: Do not read any further if you didn't watch tonight's episode (3/9/09) and don't already know what happened!


    This is a speculative piece, following the events of this season's "day." It's told as a first person, present tense narrative from Jack Bauer's point of view. A little somber, a little sad, but I don't think it's really angsty. Also, it's sort of a stream of consciousness experiment. Enjoy!



    Last Respects


    National Cemetary, Arlington, Virginia. Thousands of uniform, white crosses dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. Some of the graves have flowers on them; most don?t. The sky is overcast. Overhead, thunder rumbles, as disconsolate as I am. I look at my watch. Two o?clock.

    Instinct keeps my eyes roving over the faces in the crowd, constantly looking for anything out of place. Amusing thought. Inappropriate. But true: the only thing out of place is the crowd. Only a few of us belong.

    I watch the priest read a liturgy, not really listening. Heard it more times than I care to remember. I?ll hear it more times before it?s my turn. My eyes carry my attention to Tony, standing off to the side. His hands are cuffed behind him. Armed agents flank him. They don?t know what I know. They don?t know what Tony can do. Think what they?ve been told is bull. They?re too relaxed, overconfident. Part of me regrets telling him to turn himself in. Part of me wants him to escape, any minute.

    Tony raises his gaze from the ground, catches my eye. Knows what I?m thinking. In spite of himself, the barest hint of a smirk appears, then vanishes with a shake of the head. No. He?s doing the right thing.

    The priest is finished now. Someone else takes the podium. Karen. His wife. I hear her words, but they don?t make sense. Not right now. It?s like she?s speaking another language. I catch a few words here and there, generic words often applied to anyone killed in the line of duty. Not generic this time. Sincere. Her voice breaks. Lightning leaps across the clouds.

    Raindrops pelt umbrellas, suddenly raised in a synchronous movement. I turn up the collar of my coat against the worst of it. The rain doesn?t bother me. Chloe and Morris huddle together near the casket. Rain mingles with the tears on Chloe?s cheeks. Morris tightens his arm around her shoulders.

    Finally, my eyes come to rest on the casket. I watch the rain bead up on top and roll down the sides. The last few days are a blur, but I remember the wake. A lot of awkwardness and drinking and uncomfortable silence. Karen asked me, then, to speak at the funeral. That was when it really hit home.

    I still don?t know what to say. There can be no doubt that Bill was a hero, but even that doesn?t begin to describe his courage. He served his country, and in doing so, he paid the ultimate price. Gave his life for mine, and I hope to whatever God there may be that my actions honored his sacrifice. Something happens to us, out there. We taunt Death in the preservation of Life. And so many times, we come out of it intact. We?re always aware that one day, we won?t be so lucky. We come to embrace the idea, over time. Those of us who still believe in what we do.

    But in our line of work, friends are few and far between. We have contacts and assets, we have the other agents we work with. Friends are a luxury most of us can?t afford. There was something about Bill, though. It wasn?t just that he refused to back down, that he would face any danger without complaint. It was that he had that truly rare quality in our field: trust. He inspired it in others. He accepted me for what I am, wasn?t afraid to trust in my judgment. Most of the time, anyway. Integrity, honesty, courage; those words aren?t enough.

    Karen beckons to me from the podium. She already knows how I feel; I don?t need to share anything with these people. Politicians, many of them. All of them were ready to throw him under the bus a week ago. They didn?t know him, and wouldn?t have cared if they did. The who
     
  2. Yodaminch

    Yodaminch Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2002
    Very nice. I was very upset with last night's episode because I found it to be an unnecessary sacrifice when there were other ways to accomplish the same goal. But if nothing else, it will motivate Jack for the rest of this season. Though I'd be lying if I didn't say I was hoping Bill would twitch and show signs of life somehow. Then that silent clock came. :_|

    I like the mention of the politicians. It's a perfect characterization of all of them. Also enjoyed Jack's opinion of who belonged at the funeral. It would actually be nice if the season ended with a funeral for Bill. They've never done that and it would be a perfect, yet somber way to end this season. :)
     
  3. brodiew

    brodiew Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 2005
    Sigh. This was wonderful testament to truly cool character. I have liked Bill since the day he entered CTU with Michelle. Tony wanted to create drama, but Bill set the record straight immediately.

    I still don?t know what to say. There can be no doubt that Bill was a hero, but even that doesn?t begin to describe his courage. He served his country, and in doing so, he paid the ultimate price. Gave his life for mine, and I hope to whatever God there may be that my actions honored his sacrifice.

    I liked Jack's voice in this as well. This is, indeed, what Bill did.

    But in our line of work, friends are few and far between. We have contacts and assets, we have the other agents we work with. Friends are a luxury most of us can?t afford. There was something about Bill, though. It wasn?t just that he refused to back down, that he would face any danger without complaint. It was that he had that truly rare quality in our field: trust. He inspired it in others. He accepted me for what I am, wasn?t afraid to trust in my judgment. Most of the time, anyway. Integrity, honesty, courage; those words aren?t enough.

    This was my favorite passage. I love Bill and Jack really pulled it together in this paragraph. Bill could be trusted. And he commanded respect as well as loyalty, which he gave as much as he received.

    I know my response sounds disjointed, but you really have written a great eulogy for a truly loved character. Thanks Lithiniel. [:D]
     
  4. Lithiniel

    Lithiniel Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2006
    yodaminch: Thank you for your wonderful response. :) I agree, I wanted so desperately for Bill to give a sign, any sign, that he wasn't quite dead. I waited, holding my breath, and then the clock...silence.

    As to the funeral, I figured it'd be packed, mostly with people who wanted to maintain their image. The sort of people who go to any funeral of a fallen soldier or law enforcement official. I didn't think Jack would take too kindly to that. He's straightforward, doesn't like political manueverings, and especially doesn't like politicians in general. Granted, he's committed to keeping them safe from harm, maybe even from knowing they're in any sort of danger. Doesn't mean he has to like them.

    A funeral for Bill would be a nice way to end it, but they haven't done it so far, and while Bill is one of my favorites -- probably in a lot of people's top 5, at least -- I don't see why they'd change now. I mean, even David Palmer didn't get a huge funeral thing.

    brodiew: When I first saw Bill Buchanan (in season 6, since that was the first season I actually watched) I said to myself, "EPIC WIN!" And yes, Tony is a bit of a drama queen. I think it's a lack of experience, honestly.

    As soon as the clock showed, without the noise, I knew I had to write this. I'm glad it came out as well as it did. I was actually almost as distraught as if I had actually known Bill Buchanan. (But then, 24 goes to a lot of effort to make the characters as realistic as possible, with triumphs and failures all their own -- and they're not afraid to share those with the viewing audience. So in a way, we all knew Bill Buchanan.) The only way that seemed appropriate was from Jack's POV. Tony's POV would also have been interesting, but he's already an emotional wreck. I don't think his thoughts would have been as clear as Jack's, because Bill was Tony's only real lifeline at that point.

    Anyway, I'm glad you guys enjoyed this. :D I had much fun writing it, and it makes me happy to entertain others.
     
  5. PrincessKira

    PrincessKira Jedi Master

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2004
    Very nice to see the kind of scene they'll never be able to fit into the regular 24 hrs. You did very well capturing Jack's "voice" - I could hear him as I read. I was sad to see Bill die for all the usual reasons - he was an awesome character - but mostly because that adds one more stone to the burden Jack already carries... the guilt you know he has to feel for people who died either saving his life or at his own hand (i.e. Ryan Chappelle). Thanks for posting this!
     
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