A/N – This is pretty much just a oneshot consisting mostly of a letter my OC Alex Myers has sent to Teri Bauer (the grandchild one). It's set 25 years after Day Seven, so Teri is now aged about 26 and Alex is now aged about 63.
It was early morning in Los Angeles, and a sleepy Teri had managed to drag herself out of bed. She had decided to keep well away from the more dangerous jobs that her mother and grandfather had once had, and had worked hard through many years of college in order to become a doctor at one of Los Angeles' best hospitals. Picking up the small pile of mail which was covering the floor behind the front door, she leafed through them. Finding most of them to be bills, she put them on the nearby table for closer reading when she had finished her shift. The last one, however, seemed more personal. Her name and address had been handwritten, and she could see that the letter had come from Chicago. As she was fairly sure she knew noone who lived there, she wondered why the letter had been sent. Carefully opening the envelope, in much the same way her mother had always opened mail, she she took out the single piece of paper that she found inside. The note was handwritten, and she could tell that the neat, patient writing meant that it probably came from an older person. She took the letter with her into her car and, sitting down inside, she began to read.
Dear Teri,
Although we haven't met for some years now, I knew you back when you were a little child. You knew me as Alex, as your mother's friend, and I still keep in touch with her. I've heard all about you, and I think your grandfather would be proud. I remember the day that Jack died, and I felt a whole range of emotions that day. I'm glad that he died peacefully with his family by his side, and not in one of the many terrible ways that we lost so many good friends and colleagues when we worked at CTU.
As you are aware, you were named after your maternal grandmother, Teri Bauer. I knew her for a few hours on the day she died, and I still remember her well. I don't think your mother would have told you this, but the woman who killed your grandmother was my sister, and ever since I have felt guilty. Firstly, because I could have stopped Teri from walking down that corridor in search of Nina, and secondly because I didn't even know my own sister. The years after that were spent working closely with your grandfather at CTU, and our friendship was turbulent – there are even times when we both considered the other an enemy, but I assure you that your grandfather and I were close friends by the time of his death a few years ago. Eventually, your grandfather killed Nina, and at the time I was furious with him because she might have had information that could have saved hundreds of innocent lives, but eventually I understood why Jack killed her, and that if he hadn't killed her, she might have killed him one day.
I remember the day that your mother announced her engagement to your father, and like every one who knew her, I was happy for her, and when she found out she was pregnant, she was probably the happiest she had been in a long time. Your mother went through a lot during those years, and it was fantastic to see her so happy. She is a strong person, much like yourself and your grandfather, and I'm sure your grandmother would be so proud of her daughter.
As for myself and Sarah, we're quite happily living near to Chicago, and our children still live close by. I suppose this is obvious, but I would much prefer it if my sister – the real one, not the monster that killed your grandmother – was still here. I know she would be a great aunt if she was. You're always welcome to come and visit us someday.
Alex
Folding the letter carefully in two, Teri placed it in her pocket. Promising herself that she would take the first opportunity to visit Alex and Sarah in Chicago, she put her seatbelt on. Driving off, she knew that she was making her mother, her father, her grandfather and her grandmother proud.