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Chapter 11: Pillow Talk and Football

2:17am

Kate was sleeping soundly when a warm, wet nose nudged her hand. Without even opening her eyes she shifted positions so she could pet Riley. "Dog, you are shameless! Do you really need to be petted so badly that you couldn't wait until morning?"

Riley was Bob's 13 year old Dalmatian who loved to be the center of attention. Next to Bob, Kate was Riley's favorite human and she hadn't paid much attention to him when she arrived earlier. She guessed this was just Riley's way of exacting revenge on her for ignoring him.

"Well, now that I'm awake I have to go to the bathroom. Oh the joys of pregnancy, going to the bathroom five times a night!" Kate said to Riley as she labored to get out of bed. Riley wagged his tail happily thinking Kate was getting up with him.

As she returned from the bathroom with Riley close at her heels, Kate noticed that lights were on downstairs. "I guess Dad fell asleep on the couch again." Kate said as Riley bounded down the stairs.

Instead of finding her father asleep, she found him sitting in his den in a huge leather chair cradling a large snifter of brandy and staring out into space. He was brought back to reality by the sound of Riley's collar jingling as he entered the room.

"Kate, what are you doing up?" Bob asked as she followed Riley into the den.

"Riley wanted attention. What are you doing up?"

"I don't know. I just couldn't sleep."

"It doesn't look like you tried." Kate said noting that Bob had made no effort to get ready for bed; he was still wearing the clothes he had on when Kate got home. "What's wrong, Dad?"

"Honey, you have enough on your plate right now. Let me deal with this."

"Dad, I unload on you all the time. If something is wrong, tell me." Kate sat down so he would know that she wasn't leaving until he opened up.

"It's Marie." He started. "The execution order had been signed."

Kate gasped. She knew that her sister would eventually be executed but having the order signed gave it a finality that she wasn't ready for. "Oh my God, what's the date?"

"February 1st unless an appeal is filed and she continues to refuse to allow Marcus to file any appeals. You've heard it all before, Kate. She keeps saying it is better to die for her cause, but all you have to do is look in her eyes and you know she doesn't mean it. I was there yesterday. She said goodbye to me, told me she didn't want me to come back." He paused. "I don't know what to do. When the death sentence was handed down, I never thought it would happen. I just assumed that it would be appealed for years and eventually the sentence would be reduced to life in prison. It never occurred to me that she would refuse to appeal. I never thought she would die." Tears were collecting in his eyes. "I know she killed Reza and those two federal agents and she helped bring the nuclear bomb onto US soil, and I will never forgive her for any of it. But, God help me, I don't think I can stand to watch my baby die."

"Oh, Dad," Kate put her arms around him and tried to comfort him. She had come to hate Marie over the last three years. There were still nights when she closed her eyes and could see Marie holding the gun to her head. If Jack hadn't shot her in the arm, Kate was sure that Marie would have killed her. She sat through Marie's trial, which was mercifully brief since the evidence against her was overwhelming, only to support her father. If it hadn't been for him, Kate wouldn't have gone near that federal courthouse. She had been perfectly satisfied with the death sentence; Marie deserved it. Now she wasn't so sure. Now that Marie was really going to die, it wasn't abstract any more. It wasn't someone else's sister sitting on death row, it was hers.

"Dad, would you like me to go and talk to her?" Kate offered.

"I don't know if it will do any good, but it would make me feel better. I'd like to know we gave her every chance." They agreed that Kate would go to the prison on Friday morning to see Marie. Bob kissed Kate's forehead. "Thanks, Honey. Now you need to get some sleep." As he watched Kate walk away, Bob shook his head at the irony of the situation. One of his daughters was about to die, while the other was about to bring a new life into the world. If it weren't for Marie's crimes, Kate would have never met Jack.

Kate got back into bed knowing that trying to sleep was pointless. She had too much on her mind. Now she had to think about both Jack and Marie. What was she going to say to Jack tomorrow? How could she possibly explain that kiss? Wow, she thought, what a kiss! It wasn't the most intense kiss they had ever shared, but it was powerful, almost electrified. She could feel herself tingle as Jack put his hand on the back of her head. She wanted it to last longer. How could she continue to resist his attempts to rekindle their relationship? Why was she still so reluctant to start over? She knew she wanted him back in her life; she never wanted him to leave in the first place. But there was a part of her that was so afraid to take him back.

And if talking to Jack was going to be hard, what in the world was she going to say to Marie? She hadn't gone to see Marie since she saw her at CTU after she was arrested. Kate barely looked at her during the trial. Every time she thought of Marie, all she could see was the gun Marie held to her head or the bitter look she gave Jack while he was interrogating her. This wasn't Kate's little sister. This was someone Kate didn't even recognize.

9:10am

Jack was back in bed, staring out into space, after another grueling physical therapy session. This one was shorter than most, though. He was livid when the nurse woke him up at 7:30 for breakfast and said she would take him to therapy at 8:00. It's Thanksgiving, he said, don't I get a break? Yes, she told him, only one therapy session today instead of two.

He had been less than cooperative in therapy. He still worked hard, but complained about it the whole time. Then, in typical Jack fashion, he apologized repeatedly to the therapist. What happened, she asked him, you were in a great mood yesterday.

What happened? He thought. What happened? The most beautiful, desirable woman in the world walked into my room, acted like she was happy to see me, got pissed off when I told her I'd quit the job that had ruined our relationship in the first place, and then she had the audacity to give me one of the most sensual kisses I've ever had. Now, after hardly sleeping all night, I've got some perky therapist who actually thinks I give a damn if I ever walk again!

Kate knocked softly and waited for Jack to respond before she entered. "Good morning," she said quietly.

"Hi Sweetheart," Jack replied without enthusiasm as he raised the head of the bed with the remote control so he was in a sitting position. "You look tired, Babe."

"So do you" she answered succinctly.

Jack moved over in the bed to make room for Kate to sit on the edge. As she sat, they both leaned forward and kissed lightly. "Did the baby keep you up?" Jack asked as he allowed his hand to rest on Kate's belly.

"No," she answered. "My dad and I were up talking about Marie." Kate went on to explain that the execution order had been signed and that Marie was refusing appeals. "I'm going to see her tomorrow."

"Kate, do you think that's a good idea? It's taken you a long time to come to grips with what Marie did and that she tried to kill you. Do you think you should open up those old wounds? Especially now, Honey, this is just such a vulnerable time for you." He was genuinely concerned at how seeing Marie again would affect Kate.

"Jack, I'm not sure this is any of your concern." Kate said with more irritation in her voice than she intended. She knew that it was lack of sleep that was doing the talking. "I'm a big girl now. I'll decide whether I go to see my sister or not. I've been perfectly capable of taking care of myself to this point. I've been pretty vulnerable for the last seven months and I've managed to keep it all together. I'm doing this as a favor to my father. He's always been there for me, now he needs me. I can certainly do this one thing for him." She glared at him.

"Sweetheart, I never said you weren't capable of taking care of yourself and I know your father had been good to you. It's just..." he sighed and gave up. "Never mind. Let's not fight." He sat forward and put his hands on her shoulders. "Kate, come here." She leaned toward him and they wrapped their arms around each other. "I love you so much, Kate." Jack whispered. "I just don't want anything to hurt you." They clung silently to each other for a long time. It felt so good to be held, Kate thought. She always felt warm and safe in Jack's arms and she never wanted that to end.

Eventually Kate's back started to hurt from the awkward position they were in. She began to pull away and stretch to take the tension away from her lower back muscles. "Here, turn this way." Jack directed her so that her back was to him and then he pulled her toward him. He tucked an extra pillow beneath the small of her back. "This should be more comfortable."

Kate was now lying in a partially reclined position next to Jack on the bed. They both laughed. The bed was made for one person, not almost three. "This may not work." Jack said through a big smile.

"Yes, it will," Kate assured him. She kicked off her shoes and let them fall to the floor. Then she rolled part way onto her side toward him allowing her abdomen to rest against him. She felt him wince as he reached for his side.

"Oh, Honey," she said as a look of concern crossed her face and she moved to take any weight off of him. "I'm sorry. Does that hurt?"

"That incision is still a little sore." He said. The painful expression cleared quickly and he relaxed. "Shift a little to the left and it'll be fine." She did that and bent her top knee so that her leg rested on Jack's thigh. It was still a tight fit, but it worked. More importantly, they both enjoyed the warmth and closeness.

Jack had one arm around Kate's shoulders and the other gently on top of her abdomen where he could feel the baby move and kick inside of her. "What is she doing in there, dancing Swan Lake?" Jack asked with a smile on his face.

"Who is she?" Kate asked.

"The baby," Jack responded.

"What makes you think it's a girl?" Kate questioned him.

"Is it a boy?" Jack asked. "You told me you didn't want to know ahead of time."

"Well," Kate lowered her eyes and smiled, a little embarrassed, "I don't know officially, but mothers know these things. I've known the baby was a boy from the second that I knew I was pregnant. What makes you so sure it's a girl?"

"I've spent the last 20 years trying to figure out how to raise a daughter. Now that I know, I was hoping to put the knowledge to good use. I screwed up the first time; I'd like a second chance."

"You didn't screw up. Kim is a lovely person. You did a beautiful job raising her."

"No, Teri did a beautiful job raising her. I was too busy playing 'Rambo' to contribute much to her upbringing." He paused. "It will be different this time, Kate, I swear. Whether we have a son or a daughter, I'll be there for them and for you."

"You know Kate," Jack said to her. "You never told me your due date."

"January 12th" Kate told him, "about seven more weeks."

"Have you picked out a name for our son?" He asked her playfully.

"Yes, I have. His name is Robert John. Is that okay?"

"I like it." He told her. "What if our son is a daughter? Do you have a contingency plan just in case no one told the baby she was supposed to be a boy?"

"Yes, I have a name for a girl, too. She would be Elizabeth Rose, after my mother."

"That's a pretty name. Let's hope she's as pretty as her mother." He pressed a kiss into her hair.

Kate smiled and laid her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and reveled in the warmth of Jack's body. Slowly, without realizing it, she drifted off to sleep. Jack lay very still listening as her breathing deepened and slowed. As she slept, Kate snuggled closer nuzzling her head into his chest and reaching her arm across his body to hold him. In her sleep, her subconscious allowed her to do what her wakeful conscious would not. He kissed the top of her head and let himself fall asleep as well.

11:04am

Kate was still sleeping almost two hours later and Jack was getting stiff from lying in the same position. He hated to wake her, but had to move. He shifted as carefully as possible, but jostled Kate just enough to wake her. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes, not sure for a second where she was. Realization that she was sleeping in Jack's arms seemed to hit her all at once. She sat up as quickly as she could and got off of the bed.

"How... how long was I sleeping?" Kate asked as she tried to straighten her hair and clothes.

"About two hours," he answered.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean for that to happen. I...I guess... I guess I was just so tired from last night, I couldn't help myself."

"Kate, relax, it's not a problem. You were tired, you fell asleep. Why are you upset?"

"I came to keep you company and instead I fell asleep. It... it just wasn't what I planned." She was lying and Jack knew it. She was upset with herself because, yet again, she had allowed herself to get close to Jack, to enjoy his warmth, to start thinking about a life with him. Her heart wanted it all so much, but her head kept telling her to stay away.

"Honey," he whispered as he took her hand, "we were fully clothed, nothing happened. We both slept. It was harmless, Kate. You didn't talk in your sleep or make any vows you wouldn't want to keep. Kate, why are you so afraid of getting close to me again?

Kate was saved from answering by a knock at the door. "Come in," Jack called.

The door opened and Tony and Michelle entered the room. "Hey you two, hope we're not interrupting anything." Tony said with a smile on his face. He crossed the room and gave Jack a hug. They were close enough friends to do so without embarrassment. "You look great, Jack." He said sincerely.

Michelle was right behind him. She hugged and kissed Jack and agreed with Tony that Jack looked much better than he had when they had seen him for just a few minutes in the intensive care unit three days after he was shot.

"You guys are here earlier than I expected." Jack told them. "I thought you were coming in for the football game at one o'clock."

"We thought we would stop by a little early so we would get a chance to visit before everyone else gets here." Michelle explained.

Tony turned to Kate, "Is your dad joining us?" He asked.

"As far as I know he's planning to." Kate answered.

"Call him and tell him not to eat first." Tony told her. "We have got a ton of food coming. My dad is sending it over around 12:30. I already talked to your nurse, she said we can set it up in the solarium down the hall. We just can't be too loud."

Tony's parents owned a restaurant and his father was the executive chef. The Almeidas considered Jack nothing short of a saint after he not only helped Tony get Michelle back safely from Stephen Saunders, but then kept Tony from serving any jail time. Tony's father considered this a small way of showing his family's appreciation to Jack

3:42pm

It was late afternoon and the impromptu party was in full swing. The nurses had asked the group to keep the noise down twice already but gave up after several other patients and some of the doctors joined in the festivities. Tony's father had sent an unbelievable spread that included all kinds of appetizers, a 28 pound turkey stuffed with oyster dressing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with pecans and apricots, cranberries cooked with port wine, a vegetable compote and a dozen different kinds of pies. Everyone will full to the point of bursting. Jack, who had only been eating solid food for the last four days, had to be very careful not to overeat.

Tony was being teased mercilessly as the Detroit Lions beat up on his beloved Chicago Bears. "Even in football my teams keep getting beaten!" He lamented. He was taking the good natured ribbing and giving it back just as quickly. Jack looked around and was immediately struck by how lucky he was. He was surrounded by so many friends; his daughter was here and so was Kate. Kate could say what she wanted, but she was falling in love with him again, he could feel it. He just needed to give her time.

Kate sat at the other end of the room watching the group of friends. Chase and Kim sat holding hands and laughing with the others. Michelle sat on the arm of Tony's chair with her hand on his shoulder. He periodically looked back as her to say something or maybe just to smile at her. They looked so happy together. Her father and Jack both seemed very animated this afternoon. It had been a long time since she could describe either of them as animated. She knew that Jack had to be getting tired, he had been out of bed since around 11:30 this morning, but he didn't seem effected by it.

Michelle noticed Kate sitting alone and looking pensive. She whispered something into Tony's ear and he nodded and smiled at her, then she picked up her soda and sat down next to Kate.

"You look awfully deep in thought, Kate. What's the matter?"

"I don't know, Michelle." Kate answered truthfully. "I can't explain it. Just being here, being near Jack." She shook her head. "When Jack left me, I promised myself I would move on. I loved him, but I would move on, you know, start over. I was not going to let Jack back into my life. I reconsidered a little when I found out I was pregnant, but after a few weeks, I made the decision. Even if Jack was a part of the baby's life, he wasn't going to be part of mine. I never stopped loving him, but I was determined that he wasn't going to have the chance to hurt me again. Now, I'm so confused. This morning I fell asleep on the bed in his arms. It felt so good, Michelle. My head is telling me to get the hell out of here, but my heart just won't let me."

"Sometimes you have to listen to your heart, Kate." Michelle said gently. She stared at the floor and continued speaking. "About a year ago, Tony and I were having a lot of problems. We were arguing constantly. My head kept telling me that our marriage was never going to work and that I should cut my losses and get out, but my heart told me I simply wasn't whole without him. Every time I tried to tell him that I thought we should separate, my heart stopped me. Then he started looking at the job in Virginia and I got this glimmer of hope that everything would be alright. About the same time, our whole world crashed down around us and everything changed. Look at us now, we've never been happier. I look at him sitting over there and all I can think is how incredibly lucky I am to have him." She smiled. "I could have left him and where would I be right now? I don't think it's likely that I would be this happy."

"So, you're telling me to go back to Jack, right?"

"All I'm telling you is that sometimes you have to listen to your heart. You're a different person than you were eight months ago; so is Jack. You've both been through a lot. Jack has had a lot of time recently to do some soul searching. He came very close to dying and I don't think you can do that without changing a little inside. Give it time, Kate. See what happens, but don't shut him down without a chance just because that's how you decided it should be months ago."

They both looked up as Jack wheeled over toward them. "You two okay?" He asked.

"Fine," Michelle answered. "Girl talk." She squeezed Kate's hand, winked at Jack and moved back over near Tony.

"Kate, are you alright? I'm worried about you."

She smiled and looked at his eyes. They were warm pools right now. She had seen his eyes look cold and icy, uninviting. They were icy when he was interrogating Marie. They were icy when he was taking down those rednecks at her house later that same night. But they were never icy when they looked at her. Even when he was getting into the plane carrying the nuke and he took that long last look at her, even when he was breaking up with her, his eyes had that warm shimmer. "I'm a little tired and I have a long day tomorrow with going to see Marie. Do you mind if I leave now?"

"No, no, that's fine. I don't want you to tire yourself out. Are you too tired to drive? I'm sure your dad would take you home."

"Oh, no, I can drive. Let Dad stay. I haven't seen him enjoy himself this much in a long time."

"Okay, as long as you're alright. With going to see Marie tomorrow, you don't have to stop here, Sweetheart. I understand."

"Well, let's wait and see. I'll decide tomorrow, but I promise that I'll talk to you. Okay?"

"That's fine." He smiled at her. "Kate, I love you." He pressed a forefinger against her lips. "You don't have to say anything; I just want you to know how I feel." Kate leaned toward him and kissed him lightly on the lips and left for the night.