Sabrina DeLane impatiently pushed an errant curl off her face and sighed.  She loved her nephew Nikolas deeply, but if she had to deal with just one more Cassadine cousin she would snap and begin dissecting people.

It was two days before Nikolas royal wedding to model Gia Campbell.  The young couple had decided against a traditional Russian orthodox wedding at the family’s estate in Greece.  They had chosen, instead, an American wedding ceremony that would incorporate several aspects of traditional Cassadine nuptials.

An entire morning of dealing with stuffy cousins and self-important business associates left Sabrina at the limits of her patience.  She determinedly made her way to Stefan’s study for a few moments of escape.

Stefan’s study was her older brother’s private haven.  It was off-limits to everyone except a chosen few.  If there was any chance for a moment’s peace in Wyndemere that day, Sabrina knew she would find it in Stefan’s study.

“I need a scotch,” she announced.

Stefan’s chair slowly spun around.  “Great minds think alike.  Would you like me to pour you one?”

Sabrina managed to nod.  She made her way to a nearby chair on legs that threatened not to support her weight.  “Wha-“ Sabrina cleared her throat and tried again to speak.  “What are you doing here, Jack?”

Jack Bauer’s lips curved into a quiet smile.  The sight before him was one that very few people got a chance to see – Doctor Sabrina DeLane Cassadine, speechless and flustered.  “Marcus Taggert asked me to tag along and kind of keep an eye on his sister’s safety.”  Jack handed Sabrina the scotch.  “There will be a lot of people in and out of here these next few days and Marc was worried.”

Sabrina took a sip of the scotch.  The fiery alcohol raced through her veins, calming her jangled nerves and slowing her racing pulse.

The two ex-lovers sat in companionable silence.  Even as CTU agent Jack Bauer took in every inch of Sabrina’s face, the beautiful doctor took the opportunity to retrace the handsome features she already knew so well.

“Why didn’t you and I work out, Jack?”

Jack shook his head.  “As direct as ever, huh, Bri?”  He put down his scotch.  “We didn’t work,” Jack shrugged, “because after growing up in a family that was anything but normal, you needed to believe in the white knight and the fairy tale.”

The subtle reference to her ex-husband Jasper Jacks made Sabrina wince.  “Even I wonder what I was thinking when I married Jax.”

“You just found out the hard way that you never needed anyone to save you.”

Sabrina gave the handsome agent a saucy smile.  She had recovered her equilibrium from seeing Jack so unexpectedly.  “I guess you’re going to tell me that’s one of the things you loved about me back then.”