Chapter Text
Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes have both heard and dealt with the other on a few occasions through the years, before their own worlds fully collided on that terrible and fateful day. Their path crossed at conferences, and in a handful of meetings. Both of them had a reputation in their field, so they heard others' opinions about each other too.
Mr. Buchanan has been advised by people who have also came across Ms. Hayes, that she was a ruthless, stuck-up bureaucrat, often expressed in much cruder terms and scattered with language that were often more about her gender than her actions, which didn’t go unnoticed by him.
Karen gathered from higher ranking officials that they thought Bill to be too weak and incompetent to lead CTU and keep Jack Bauer, along with the other agents, under control. However, when she heard from those who worked directly with or under him, they usually only had good things to say about him.
In their limited personal experience with each other they couldn’t verify the validity of those opinions. They couldn’t confirm nor deny the accusations, for in their own contact they both had a positive impression of the other, but they didn’t have any insight into the way the other personally managed their own organization or department. To Karen he came across each time as a very serious, well informed man, whose calm demeanor and excellent manners made him stand out from all the men she usually encountered. Adding to it his physical appearance, she had the fleeting thought that whoever was the object of his affections must be one lucky woman. Working in a man dominated field, really working with men in general, she thought indignantly, unfortunately meant that someone was always trying to undermine her, question her or bypass her authority, not to mention the unwanted sexual advances or the verbal harassment she was often subjected to, so sadly his politeness was rather the exception than the rule. To Bill she seemed to be someone very precise and professional, although a little closed off, a bit secretive, yet very much intriguing at the same time, which awakened a curiosity in him towards her, having the sense that there was more to her then first met the eye. They each dealt with so many people on a regular basis, and none of their encounters appeared to hold significant weight at the time, just another one amidst the hundreds of exchanges they both had weekly, that they hadn't wasted many thoughts on each other before that ominous day.
Neither Bill Buchanan nor Karen Hayes had any inkling what kind of day awaited them, when they woke up on the morning of President Palmer’s assassinaton, not even after learning about the incident and bracing themselves for the potential ramifications and effect it could bring to their day and field of work. They hadn't envisioned, nor were they able to prepare themselves for everything the next twenty four hours would bring them professionally, but more importantly, personally. They had no clue how the day would change their entire lives profoundly and in an unexpected way.
Ms. Hayes followed the reports from the beginning of the day about what was going on at CTU, what they were doing to manage the crisis. Things didn't look to be going that well, in fact as the day wore on, they only seemed to get worse, culminating with the direct attack on CTU. The early reports showed 40% loss of their personnel, while the terrorists were still at large, seeking harm with many more canisters of chemicals at their disposal. The reports seemed to indicate that Bill Buchanan’s critics were right in labeling him too weak to be a good Director. It didn’t make Karen question her impression of him as a nice person, however he was probably too nice to be an effective leader, she determined. She saw the best course of action to take was bringing a team over to CTU, where she would personally manage the operation. The Vice President strongly agreed and told her to go ahead.
She had ambition for certain, after all for the past twenty years her career has been the one thing she prioritized more than any other aspect of life. She did see taking over CTU as another challenge and a potential step up professionally, a chance to show off what she was capable of, however it wasn't the biggest driving force behind her actions. More than anything, she wanted LA and the country to be safe again. That was more important to her, than who made it happen. First and foremost she always tried to do the right thing. The tricky part was to know who was the best person to lead in these circumstances. If it was right to take over CTU and let go Mr. Buchanan, or if he should be allowed to keep leading at least until the crisis was over, whether holding him to account could wait till then. It wasn’t lost on her how awful it would be to be in Mr. Buchanan’s shoes, at the same time she didn’t have much sympathy for any leader who was not strong enough to stand up and take charge when the moment called for it. Seeing the reports and the horrific events that had already taken place that day, she was confident, taking matters into her own hand was the right thing to do. Besides, she had the orders to carry it out.
When Mr. Buchanan received a call from Ms. Hayes informing him she was on her way over, he suspected there was something more going on then he was aware of. He did request some personnel from Homeland in the wake of the attack to be able to keep functioning, but there was no need for Karen Hayes to come over personally. The news perplexed him and evoke a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Bill Buchanan had dealt with so many obstacles already that day by the time Ms. Hayes arrived from Homeland. He has witnessed more trauma in one day than most people experienced in their entire lives. However with many canisters of Sentox still in the hands of terrorists and Bierko free, there was much to tackle and not a second to waste. Every single person, as Director most of all him, needed to focus on keeping the operations going to apprehend the perpetrators. When the danger was averted, it could be argued what was whose fault, but not before. He tried not to spend his energy on mulling over the possible reason for Karen’s presence, even though she and the surveys seemed more like a nuisance, when they were still in the middle of an active crisis, than help. Then a proficiency evaluation showed up on his screen and the suspicions her appearance caused in him seemed to suggest that what he prayed to avoid was indeed the reality. The only way to learn the truth was to confront Karen about it. He was trying to keep himself in check and remain polite with her. She was evasive at first, but he demanded her to admit to the fact that she was there to shut the place down. Finally she told him Homeland was absorbing CTU. He was angry, tired, sad, frustrated and he would've been many other things if he had stopped and reflected on everything that he had to be a part of during the day. He knew his remaining team felt the same way. Being sidelined after what they and their dead colleagues gave in service of the greater good, felt like a slap in the face. Regardless it appeared that he had no say in the matter, however he vowed to himself to challenge the order, as soon as the crisis was over. Karen asked him to keep the news of the transition between them for the time being and he obliged. At least they agreed on one thing, that operating as smoothly as possible to dissolve this current threat was all of their top priority at the moment.
Bill was obviously bothered every time someone came in and tried to take control over
of the organization under his leadership. He already experienced it once earlier in the day, when Lynn Mcgill, sent over by Division, relieved him of his Directorial duties. While his disdain for Mr. Mcgill was palpable to everyone, no matter how much he tried to resent Ms. Hayes for doing the same thing, he couldn’t.
Every time he looked at her and into her eyes a pleasant feeling spread inside him.
While Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes were discussing the future of CTU, a manhunt was underway. When it was revealed that Chloe gave Jack the WET list without their authorization, Karen exploded and Bill knew she had reason to. However much he believed in his team and the necessity of maintaining CTU’s autonomy, he had to admit they did just undermine his argument for it. Karen was furious, she couldn’t believe the audacity of Mr. Bauer and she felt affirmed in the decision to take over. It was clear that what she heard was true, Bill Buchanan was too weak to have control over his subordinates and CTU operations, even if he seemed strong enough earlier to demand the truth about the takeover and to express his disagreement with it.
Not long after, Jack revealed that he got Collette Stenger and he didn’t actually let the German Intelligence get ahold of the WET list. Bill was proud and not that surprised. What he thought minutes ago to be undermining his argument, now supported it. Karen was relieved to be spared of the fallout from something she didn’t consent to, but her fury at the CTU members for bypassing her authority didn’t lessen, as she was the one who had to answer for all of their actions.
None of them expected Collette Stenger to name Audrey Raines as her source. Bill believed in her innocence, but they had already uncovered a mole at the White House that day and they had no time to waste, her interrogation was the required next step. However Karen didn’t think a simple questioning was aggressive enough and time was of the essence, so she ordered a medical interrogation. That wasn't what Jack or Bill had in mind. They tried to persuade her. Bill saw she was set on it, so he asked her to give Jack the opportunity to speak to her alone before they went ahead with the torture. He knew the pressure she was under, knew the weight of responsibility, because usually it was him in her shoes having to make those decisions, and Miles Papazian just reminded her of the repercussions she would have to face if Ms. Raines turned out to be guilty and she hadn't taken an aggressive enough approach, while Jack reminded her if she went ahead with her plan she would make an enemy out of Secretary Heller. He also knew that Karen didn't know Audrey personally, she was practically a stranger to her and hadn't worked with her closely like he and Jack, so she didn't have any experience to fall back on that would warrant trust. Bill saw the battle she was fighting inside.
After Jack questioned Audrey not much has changed, although Bill and Jack were affirmed in their belief of her innocence, Karen wasn’t convinced and asked Bill to send in Burke. That was a thankless task, but as the news of the absorption was still private they had to keep up the appearance of him being still incharge. He dutifully did it, despite his strong disagreement with it, while she observed the commotion that ensued from the office upstairs. As Audrey was under medical interrogation, Bill, Jack and Chloe didn’t stay idle. They managed to prove that Collette Stenger lied and they were able to identify the distribution center quickly, where Bierko was planting the nerve gas. They were in a time crunch. It was intense and excruciating as they all watched Jack, Curtis and their team attempt to stop the attack, while keeping in communication with them to provide assistance. Karen felt her heart throbbing in her throat as she prayed for the success of the mission. Since ordering Audrey’s interrogation, it felt like things sped up and she followed as members of CTU frantically worked together to avert another catastrophe, everyone pitching in what they could. Their dedication and focus was something she had to admire, however it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t succed in stopping the release in time. They learned that Jack managed to blow up the pipeline as they ran out of other options. Karen thought that never before did seconds ticked by any slower as they waited to learn if it was enough to keep the poison out of the system and whether everyone was okay. As soon as Chloe confirmed the number she was on her way to alert the White House, while the others were still waiting with bated breath to learn if Jack made it out alright or not.
Karen Hayes briefed the White House and tried to stall the absorption of CTU by Homeland. She recognized the magnitude of what the CTU team managed to accomplish, and while she agreed it didn’t erase the earlier mistakes, it did overshadow them. She knew it made justifying the absorption harder, and she preferred to avoid an unnecessary battle which she believed they were going to lose anyway. Given just what all of them had been through during the day or in the last couple of hours and the fact that they were still in the middle of an active search, she was apprehensive that the transition would cause more harm than good, but the Vice President didn't seem to share her concerns. The bureaucratic hoops that he suggested she had to jump were not easy either. She didn’t revel in doing the dirty work, on the contrary, nevertheless she knew she had no authority to override Vice President Gardner, rather her job was to carry out his orders. Now she hadn’t only heard about how loyal Bill Buchanan’s people were, she saw the trust between him and his team up close. From the past few hours at his side, she also knew Mr. Buchanan would fight the order with everything he has got. She had to admit she was personally impressed too, not just objectively looking from the outside world’s view. CTU did just manage to save a lot of lives, and she didn't have much hand in it, conversely to Bill, Jack, Chloe and their team. She knew if she was in Bill’s shoes she wouldn’t let go without a fight either.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when Jack finally appeared from the blast. Not long after Bill was called by him on his cell phone. Bauer told him things were not over and he was going to pursue Henderson. He also told him he was scared, as someone very powerful was behind everything that happened, but they had no clue yet who. After the call Bill finally told Audrey that Homeland was taking over CTU. Audrey didn’t want to believe it. They couldn’t do it, she reasoned, not after what was just accomplished by them and with the search for Henderson still underway. Bill added that Karen was taking orders from the Vice President, and he wanted it to happen. They concluded it didn’t make any sense to them.
Soon the people from Homeland arrived and Karen Hayes announced the unitwide backslash protocol. Upon hearing it, Bill felt his stomach drop. He harboured some hope until that very moment that they wouldn't go through with it. This wasn't just a job for him, it was also about his country and the people who counted on his leadership, they were at risk losing their jobs too. He was certain that despite their missteps during the day, no one would have achieved a flawless or even just a simply better outcome. As he was reassuring Chloe, he was informed by Mr. Papazian that Ms. Raines signed a document putting the blame on him for the day’s failures. After everything that happened - how they have worked together, how he vouched for her innocence, and the conversation they shared just a short time ago - he couldn't fathom how she could have arrived at that choice. The whole thing felt like a gut punch, a betrayal on so many levels. It was also the millionth thing that day that he didn't see coming out of the left field and made very little sense to him.
Making Audrey sign the papers blaming Bill Buchanan made Karen’s conscience deep down uneasy. She did her best to shove the doubts, the disgust and her personal feelings about the matter to the back of her mind. Thanks to the countless opportunities to practice throughout her career, she was good at least keeping up a front in front of the outside world.
On his way home jobless, Bill’s mind couldn't quiet. It was on the ongoing operations, trying to piece everything together, wondering who was behind all of it. He was also thinking about the future, what he could possibly do to reverse everything now, with the papers signed by Audrey squarely putting the blame on him, also trying to figure out why she decided to go along with it. All the while memories from the dozen traumatic events of the day flashed before him.
After the takeover things didn’t seem to progress as well, the new personnel were still trying to catch up on CTU’s protocol, and Karen Hayes has been questioning the necessity of the takeover. Realizing how little she and the people coming in from Homeland knew about how to operate CTU and seeing some of the obstacles Bill Buchanan’s team managed to overcome, made her doubt that anyone, even her and her team, could’ve done any better under the same circumstances. She was just telling Miles about it, when she received a call from the President himself, asking her to arrest Jack Bauer and make him priority one instead of Henderson, based on unspecified evidence. He even asked her to keep the origin of the warrant secret. If things were strange before, it was even more perplexing now. Her suspicions that something was off, as nothing that happened added up, has been growing with every questionable order she received.
When Jack called Bill for his help, then later told him about President Logan’s role in David Palmer’s assassination, he was as surprised as anyone. The President’s insistence of personally handling Jack Bauer’s arrest through the military raised Karen’s concerns even more, so much so that she decided to call and ask around from his chief of staff Mike Novick. An hour went by and she still hadn’t heard about Jack, while Chloe managed to escape from CTU. Her mind was troubled, she couldn’t figure out what was wrong, what she was missing. She tried to shut up the voice of doubt and guilt inside her head, but even though their takeover was completed two hours ahead of schedule she just couldn't feel at ease. This wasn't her territory, maybe if Mr. Buchanan stayed he would have figured out what was not adding up. Then Shari said something about Jack’s innocence and President Logan being involved in David Palmer’s death. It was outrageous, but it also seemed to connect the dots, when nothing else appeared to.
The next surprise was finding out, while trying to track down Mr. Bauer, that Chloe was working from Bill Buchanan’s house. There was a tactical team less than seven minutes away from them, which Miles redirected with her blessing. But after the first shock upon such a piece of information her mind raced to come up with a reason why Mr. Buchanan would aid someone against the government. Although her opinion have been varying on him as a leader of CTU, she couldn't deny the trustworthiness he exuded and the goodness of his character, which along with the oddness of the orders coming from the White House, led her to be more inclined to believe that President Logan was guilty, then that Bill Buchanan would knowingly and deliberately work against the government without any good reason. Not for the first time during that night she felt her heart throbbing in her throat. This was a very dangerous game. She decided to call Mike Novick again and ask around, and although he didn’t have much information, what he shared was enough proof for Karen in the circumstances. She searched for Bill’s home number and dialed, the tightening feeling in her throat not letting up. Bill was surprised by her call, and her warning to get Chloe out of there. Karen admitted that she might have made a mistake earlier. Mr. Buchanan was relieved and proud to have her on their side, being impressed that as he had sensed she was very much capable of thinking for herself, figuring things out and taking action as needed. A few minutes later, when the tac team was a block away from his house, she called again to make sure they got out. There was no time for him to get away, but Karen was ready to covertly aid Chloe herself in the search for that recording. Bill knew with certainty that she could be trusted.
Bill and Karen both played their part in the charade in bringing him into CTU. Although Karen’s confidence that what Bill and his people have been saying and doing was true, has been growing with every minute that passed, she still had to be cautious. Neither Bill and the others, nor she herself have heard the recording personally, they were betting on Jack’s judgement in which she still didn't have full confidence. She was well aware if they blew it or the recording turned out to be something else then they believed it to be, her career would be over and she could be brought up on charges. The consequences were enormous, and it terrified her. The responsibility was still hers and she tried to cling to some form of control. After bringing Bill in and finally being alone, Bill started talking, eager to do everything they could to help Jack, pressured by the knowledge of how little time they had to secure the evidence in order to protect the country from its own President. Karen told him to shut up, before disabling the surveillance cameras in the room, making sure no one would discover what they were up to. He was taken aback for a moment by her sharpness.
He really did understand the delicate position she was in, and how much was at stake for her personally, and how scared and cautious it made her, but they didn't have time to dwell on that, they had to take action and put aside everything else. She received a call from the White House on speaker, which meant Bill too heard the whole conversation. They looked at each other stunned, appalled and afraid at how far President Logan was willing to go to take down Jack Bauer. It took little time for Karen to see that she had to let Bill out of holding, uncuff him and allow him to work together with her freely. The call they just had certainly underscored Bill’s point and seemed further proof of Logan’s culpability.
As they exited the holding room together on their way to do what each of them could to help Bauer, Bill stopped Karen and expressed his appreciation, acknowledging how she was putting everything on the line. He felt compelled to make her aware of his gratitude, and hoped to boost her spirits under the pressure. It was something unexpected for her. She wasn't sure she had such an encounter like this before in her line of work. It spoke volumes about Mr. Buchanan, about the kind of person and leader he was. Though she verbally brushed it off, telling him the recording better be everything they thought it was, it touched her immensely deep down, it was exactly the encouragement she needed to keep going despite the doubts and the fear she battled. The sincerity in his eyes struck her, but there was no space to analyze them, so by sheer will she stopped that train of her thoughts.
The clock was ticking, Logan had ordered the military to shoot down the plane, which meant they had to look for options where Jack could land it before that. They were on the line with him as he and the copilot attempted the landing while also being locked in the missile range of an F/A-18. It was tense and nerve wrecking. Bill and Karen have been exchanging glances all night, upon hearing every new piece of information, checking for the other’s reaction, often silently communicating about what decisions to make and who would take which task between the two of them. Karen could hardly breathe. They pulled off the landing. Soon after Curtis secured Jack along with the recording and they were on their way back to CTU.
Contrary to how the day started Karen had gained new admiration and respect for Jack, Chloe, Bill and the rest of their team. However she didn't know what to do with Miles. He has been her right hand man for years and she knew he didn't deserve to be kept out of the loop. At the same time she knew he would just try to talk her out of what she felt compelled to do. That he would only repeat out loud the reasons and doubts why she shouldn't do it. Her desire to do the right thing, to leave no stone unturned in the protection of the country was stronger. Nevertheless her resolve to aid the others didn't mean that Miles wouldn't pry. She has been watching Bill Buchanan operate with the utmost trust in his people, and saw how important it was especially in times of crisis, which encouraged her to tell the truth to Miles, however difficult and risky it seemed. Even though Bill and Chloe questioned her decision, as there was no love lost between them and Miles, she felt she owed it to him.
Telling him went as she feared, he reacted the way she imagined he would. She kept reminding herself that he has been nothing, but loyal to her, he wasn't going to jeopardize their mission.
They all allowed themselves to believe the end was near, when they discovered something happened to the evidence. Bill and Karen have already fallen into a rhythm and while Chloe tried to figure out what could be done, they silently communicated through eye contact, agreeing that he would go and take the call with the Attorney General, while she would stay to get to the bottom of the issue. They realized Miles was the only one who accessed the room, when he shouldn't have. It didn’t sink in immediately for Karen what her wingman committed deliberately, she was distracted by having to stop Jack from harming him. After Jack finally let go of his suffocating grip on Mr. Papazian’s neck, Miles squeaked out he was transferred and Jack finished for him “to the White House”, that’s when it finally hit her. She felt nauseous, the disappointment and hurt written all over her face. The magnitude of his actions rushed onto her. She just gave him her vote of confidence. He destroyed something for which Jack risked his and other people’s lives. He also personally betrayed her, which hurt her deeply, but what she found to be the worst was that he chose to be disloyal to their country and revealed himself to be a spineless, deceitful, amoral man. She didn’t have enough control to keep herself from giving him a literal slap in his face. Regrettably it turned out that things were far from over. They got worse yet, before they got any better. The President called again and they learned that Bierko managed to escape, when his transfer caravan was ambushed. They also learned that another nerve gas attack was imminent.
At the beginning of the evening it was Jack and Bill in agreement trying to reason with Karen. Now it was Bill and Karen on the same side persuading Jack, as they worked together to prevent another catastrophe. They were discussing the details of the operation involving Henderson, and Bill informed Karen he put Curtis Manning in command of the tactical team if she agreed, when she looked into his eyes, put her hands on his arm and told him she trusted his judgment. Those few words and that small gesture was a testament to how far they have come overnight and it meant a lot to Bill. He was well aware that she didn’t just walk around tossing out such words carelessly.
The truth was Karen Hayes felt much more confident, secure and at ease by Bill Buchanan’s presence. It grounded her and made her feel like someone was having her back. Although she was still in charge and the ultimate responsibility still laid with her, she felt the burden was shared by him. It felt like there was an understanding between them. As the one who has been the director of CTU up until now, Bill knew, unlike anyone else, what it was like to carry the burden of that awesome responsibility, how it felt, the snap decision making it required in the time of crisis etc. She always liked working alone and being in charge independently, so it was strange to discover how much she enjoyed their cooperation,this power sharing dynamic between the two of them. What made their sudden and unusual partnership work so well was the strength of their characters, that both of them put the interest of the country first above all else, that they each cared most about doing the right thing, willing to make personal sacrifices and ready to accept the consequences of their decisions. By the time they were working on Bierko again, a rare kind of mutual trust developed between them, thanks to the intense and dangerous situations they have navigated through together, especially conspiring in secret to expose President Logan, in the past couple of hours.
Being in the trenches together, sharing the power, even if not in equal measure, in such a high stake situation bonded them together. They brainstormed together, each of them bringing their own expertise, experience and knowledge to the table. They conferred and debated with each other about every update and contingency plan. They followed the missions on the screens, giving assistance when they could, often being helpless in the last minutes, waiting with bated breath whether they would be successful at averting another tragedy, hoping that every team member made it out okay and praying they managed to capture the perpetrators.
As the night went on, Bill Buchanan found himself automatically looking for Karen's reaction, searching her gaze to see how the latest piece of information affected her and what she thought of the next proposed actions. He enjoyed how they split the tasks between them and saw their effectiveness. Following each such assignment they completed separately, they would come back together to report to each other, then plan for the next move. He never questioned her abilities, but as time went on he recognized more and more of her attributes. He saw her intent, her principles, her strength, her rationality, her thoughtfulness and her ability to correct course.
While they had been compromised earlier in the day and he was locked alone in his office, as members of his staff were dying, some of them in front of his eyes, and they were all in danger of losing their lives, the burden he felt as the director of CTU was unbearable and utterly lonely. Now there were two of them who felt and carried that weight, and he found the saying 'a burden shared is a burden halved' couldn't be truer.
When the launch sequence was cancelled Karen let out another huge breath of relief, feeling like she could breathe once again. She felt the endless hours and the unprecedented amount of stress getting to her. She really hoped there were no more disasters waiting for them, at least not for some time, that they all could go home and get some sleep, then start the recovery process. Although there were hardly any guarantees for that, and for as long as they had no evidence against Logan, he presented a constant danger to all of them.
Soon she got a call from Homeland ordering her to Washington. Logan knew they were onto him and he had demonstrated how far he was willing to go. It was meager consolation, but it did feel nice to be able to share it with Bill, to be able to tell someone and commiserate together. He told her he was probably going to be next. Albeit their minds were heavy, they couldn't dwell on it long. They still had a lot of work left to do and Chloe interrupted them.
While they were busy dealing with the aftermath of the ship incident, filing reports and everything else, unbeknownst to them Jack set out to secure evidence against the President. They were kept out of the loop right up until Chloe was on the line with the Attorney General. Once again Bill and Karen ended up looking at each other as they heard the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Logan. They knew about the President’s role in David Palmer’s assassinaton, but it was still shocking to hear him admit to it and furthermore confirming his connection to the terrorists. Even though they already knew that President Logan had engaged in criminal activity, they were still caught off guard by the turn of events as they felt the gravity of the moment. They were also stunned by Chloe and Jack, - although Karen more so than Bill, who had some previous experience with their under the radar tricks -, how they managed to acquire the audio behind their backs, without their help. Karen knew every citizen, including her, owed them a great debt of gratitude for that act.
The crisis was finally truly over. Although the recuperation and rebuilding could start now, it was going to be a lengthy process. For as always it’s easier to destroy, then to build.
Shortly before seven am she was ready to leave CTU and Bill Buchanan was waiting for her in the bullpen to walk her out. She caught him staring ahead with a sorrowful expression. As they moved together they speculated about what was going to happen now that the truth was revealed about the President. Bill told Ms. Hayes with his voice and eyes full of regret, that he expected Hal Grodon to be sworn in as President soon, which meant this was probably the last time he ever saw the place.
Karen knew her moment came. Her mind has been heavy with guilt for her own conduct. For the way she barged in and behaved. For coming after his job. She has learned so much in the last few hours, most of all about how little she knew when she marched in and how she underestimated Mr. Buchanan along with his team. Before coming in and taking over, she didn't spend a lot of time thinking about Bill Buchanan, however her opinion has been evolving throughout the day and now it has been cemented. There was no person she admired or respected more than him. As the time for her to leave CTU approached, she realized she didn't want to go. It felt so good to be in Bill’s company and to work with him, she wished it wouldn’t have to end.
She told him he would be back, if she had anything to do with it, and she will. Her voice was airy and unconsciously flirty. They were staring into each other's eyes, and although they have been looking at each other all night, it was different now, with the emergency warded off, the stress, the adrenalin, the chaos, the buzzing around them dissolving. Bill didn’t expect her to be insisting on his return, and so fiercely too. He got lost in her eyes for a moment, the only thought in his head was how beautiful the woman in front of him was. He was in awe. Then she continued speaking. She apologized for being condescending and tactless when she came in to save the day. Hearing Karen’s characterization of her own behavior, Bill’s facial expression said ‘you could say that, but it doesn't matter’ followed by a tiny smile, which Karen found extremely attractive.
He was impressed beyond belief. He hadn't come across a lot of people in their business who admitted fault and said sorry on their own violation. Bill told her there was no need to apologize, he acknowledged that there were mistakes made and she was right to come in with a firm hand. She didn't have any specific idea about how he should react to her admission, still his humble and gracious words were unexpected.
Karen tried to think of something to say to prolong their connection, but her mind came up blank. Her eyes travelled between his eyes and lips. She had no rational explanation to what was going on with herself, why she felt an inexplicable pull towards the man in front of her, but she had enough self awareness to get herself together, say goodbye and walk away before she embarrassed herself.
Bill was looking back at her and anticipated what she wanted to say as she opened her mouth to speak, but she seemed to think better of it as no sound followed. The way she was peering up at him with those intense gorgeous green eyes that slipped down to his lips for a moment, caused desire to flood him. He felt like everything had been building up and the way she moved her tongue and flirted with him shattered his professional composure at last. Thoughts wondering about how the touch of her lips and the brush of her tongue against his would feel, briefly entered his head. From the beginning of the evening he felt the strengthening of an electrifying tension between them. Just because they didn't agree on the approach of a problem and their goals weren't completely aligned, it didn't mean they resented each other, rather they quickly learned to respect the other's point of view and the virtues they each brought to the table. It probably helped that they have a few things in common. They are intellectual equals, around the same age, in similar leadership positions, constantly being surrounded by younger subordinates. He actually enjoyed her company and he didn't want to lose the connection he felt.
As she excused herself and turned away, something snapped inside him, compelling him to act and try to say something that would extend, prolong their association with each other. He only had split seconds. The truth was he has been thinking about some way to keep in touch with her, creating an opportunity to get to know her, but he wasn’t sure it would be appropriate, or if she would be open to it, whether it be for work or personal reasons, after all the band on her ring finger didn’t go unnoticed by him. Nonetheless he didn't have more time to mull on that. He called after her and she turned. He took a deep breath and tentatively said that he was thinking about getting breakfast, the message behind it clear. When she told him regrettably that she had to go over to Division for one last briefing, the disappointment was written all over his face. Karen saw his expression fall and her insides constricted, her heart aching for any kind of disappointment she was causing him. She realized his offer was the best answer to what she was longing for, but hadn’t found a way to articulate earlier, a chance at a connection with him that would go beyond this day. She felt the need to assure him she wasn't making an excuse, that she in fact welcomed his offer. Her voice softened, her eyes gently looking into his, as she proposed a raincheck.
The heaviness that settled on Bill's chest just moments ago, immediately lifted. He accepted her counter-offer and a wide grin broke out on his face. Karen found it incredibly cute along with the momentary shyness that overcame him. She mirrored his joyful smile with one of her own. She knew she had to keep moving and turn away, because if she kept her eyes on him a second longer, she would have been in danger of uncharacteristically and inappropriately throwing herself at him and never making it to her next briefing.
From the outside it appeared as if they quickly moved on to their next tasks, that last conversation they shared with all of its promises for the future immediately forgotten. The truth was, from that moment on, they were never far from each others' minds.
While on her way to Division Karen’s heart and mind battled each other as she processed what just happened between her and Bill, where they stood now and how they got there. The voice of reason inside her said that one invitation for breakfast didn't mean anything. When are they going to speak or see each other again? They didn't even agree to anything specific and she couldn't tell what his intentions were exactly. They were still almost strangers, only having spent a few hours together working, without talking about personal stuff. What were the chances that something meaningful and lasting would come out of this? Her heart however leapt at every thought of Bill, at each fresh memory of them working as a team, at how much she enjoyed it and how good it made her feel, despite everything that was going on around them. The whispers of her heart argued. There were never this much potential with someone for her, that although it was just a few hours they spent at each other's side, it was something unique, and that short time was so intense, so challenging that they have learnt more and seen to the deepest core of each other, then most people get to through years of relationship. That this wasn't an accident, a fantasy or a trap, but might just be the one she has been waiting for all along. That last fleeting thought was something frightening and she classified it as irrational, crazy, foolish and abnormal, trying to shut it down, drown it out, push it away and deny it to herself. Yet she couldn't help the excitement and anticipation that filled her when she thought about seeing him again, spending time with him and getting to know him.
Meanwhile Bill gave Chloe a photo of her and Edgar that he found, packed up his staff and looked around one last time, before heading out. Though Karen told him she would make sure to get his job back, his fate remained uncertain. As he sat in the car his thoughts wandered back to her, reliving the joys of working with her and getting to observe her. However a call from a distressed Audrey interrupted him, notifying him that Jack has gone missing. She asked for his help, to use some CTU resources to search for him, but he had to remind her that he was currently out of his job and had no authority over the matter. He promised to do everything in his current power to aid her in finding Jack. After getting home, following a few phone calls to some people he knew personally in relevant powerful positions and with adequate resources, he finally collapsed onto his bed and succumbed to sleep. It was no small feat for his mind to quiet with everything that went down in the last twenty four hours, but pure exhaustion took over, bringing a much needed end to a seemingly endless day.