Kate Warner stood in her underwear, staring dully at the dress hanging in front of her. The part of her mind that could think at all wondered how the hell things had gotten to this point.
Jack Bauer. She should never have fallen for him. She shouldn't have even seen him after that single, horrible day. But he'd called her; he'd wanted to thank her again for her help. He did thank her, sweetly, and that day she'd gotten lost in the way he looked at her. She liked the way he was with her. There was a tenderness in him that was at odds with the tough, implacable man she knew he was at work. She liked the dichotomy. She liked knowing that he could relax with her.
She'd fallen in love with him.
And then everything fell apart.
She closed her eyes, fingering the soft material of the dress. She'd lost him months ago. She tried to tell herself that. He'd withdrawn. Not just from her, but from life. He'd smiled less and less, and even when he did, there was a shadow in his eyes. Eventually he became hard, even with her. Especially with her, she thought. She'd suspected... a lot of things, honestly. She tried to ignore it, tried to be what he needed, but it wasn't enough. When he left for Mexico, she knew it was over.
Over.
The word reverberated in her head as she slowly unzipped the dress. It shouldn't have been over, not like this. God, not like this. There was so much she wanted to tell him. To ask him. She'd never gotten a chance to say her piece, to yell and rant and rave the way she wanted to. To yell at him for breaking her heart. To ask him why. To find out if he'd ever loved her.
To beg him to come back, because dammit, she still loved him.
She felt tears slide down her cheeks as she stepped into the dress. The black fabric swallowed her, covering her pale skin. She'd always liked the dress. She had a feeling she'd hate it from now on.
She couldn't tell Jack any of the things she wanted to. Couldn't ask him any questions. She was left with one opportunity, one chance to tell him one thing. Only one thing.
Goodbye.