Chapter 12: Change of Heart

8:47am

Kate sat in the back of a Warner Enterprises limousine on her way to the federal prison. She tried to read, but couldn't concentrate. So she tried to sleep, but found she couldn't relax. She sighed and looked out of the window as the California coast passed on her left. Damn it, Marie! she thought, if it weren't for you my life would be so much simpler. I would never have met Jack, he couldn't have broken my heart and I certainly wouldn't be seven weeks away from having his child. On top of it all, I wouldn't be going to a federal prison to visit you.

10:30am

"Hey, Marie, need a change of pace?" Called the corrections officer as he approached Marie's death row cell. "You got a visitor."

"Tell my father I'm refusing to see him." She said without moving from her position on her cot.

"It's not your father. It's a woman, Kathryn Warner." He read the name from the note he had been given by his superior.

"Kate? She's never bothered to show up before. This ought to be good for a few laughs." Marie stood and walked over to an opening in the bars. She turned around and put her hands behind her back. The officer reached through, cuffed her and then opened the cell.

Marie was escorted to a room with a chair and table placed in front of a glass partition. There was an opening in the glass covered with a wire mesh screen so the visitor and prisoner could talk. Kate was already seated on the other side of the glass. Her jacket was placed strategically across her lap in an attempt to hide her pregnancy. She knew it was unlikely that Marie wouldn't notice, but it was a subject she wanted to avoid if at all possible.

"Well, Kate, isn't it sweet of you to show up once in three years. I assume you're here to say your final goodbye to me so when I'm dead you can have a clear conscience that at least you visited me once." Her tone oozed with sarcasm.

"Stop it, Marie. I'm here for Dad, not for my conscience."

Marie ignored her. "You've picked up weight." She said studying Kate's face. Kate tried not to show any emotion, but averted her eyes downward involuntarily. Marie followed her gaze. "Move the jacket."

Kate stared at her unmoving. Marie stood to peer over the table and a slow, almost evil grin began to appear on her face. "You're pregnant." Marie laughed, but there was no humor in her laughter. "Well, isn't that interesting. Knocked up by your federal agent, I presume." Marie looked at Kate's left hand resting on top of her jacket. "And by the looks of it, the son of a bitch didn't have the decency to marry you."

"No, Marie, it's me who doesn't want to get married, not Jack."

"Oh, Dad must be loving this! You're about to have the bastard child of the man who put me in prison."

"It's not Jack's fault you're here. It's your own."

Again Marie ignored Kate's response. "I almost wish I could be there when you explain to junior there that mommy and daddy met when daddy shot your Aunt Marie in the arm and arrested her."

"You've got your facts a little twisted, Marie." Kate said her anger rising. "I met Jack when he stopped Syed Ali's henchman from killing me. And Jack only shot you because you were pointing a gun in my face."

Neither spoke for a few moments. "Look, Marie," Kate finally said in a calmer voice. "I'm here to ask you to let Marcus Youngwood file an appeal. It would mean the world to Dad if he thought everything possible had been done for you." She paused. "He was a wonderful father to you, Marie and you know it. At least let him feel like he did his best for you."

Kate stopped and composed herself. She could feel the emotion welling up inside of her and would not give Marie the satisfaction of crying in front of her. "I guess I've said all I came here to say. I am truly sorry this is how we have to say our last goodbye, Marie." Kate stood, put on her jacket and turned to leave.

As she reached for the door handle, she heard Marie's voice, now soft and trembling, "Don't go, Katie, please. I'm scared."

Kate turned to see Marie behind the glass partition sobbing painfully. Gone was the hard ass terrorist moll act, Kate's baby sister had returned. "Katie, please" she begged. "I don't want to die."

Kate melted as she sat back down in the chair. "Marie, you don't have to die. Marcus can file an appeal. He's got it all ready to go; he can file on Monday.

"No, Kate," Marie was calming down. "If I have to spend my life in a 6 x 6 cell, I might as well die. I'm just so sorry for all the pain I've caused. I hate myself so much. I've hurt so many people, Dad and you, Reza's family, the families of those agents. I don't know what I thought I was going to accomplish. Katie, I'm so sorry." She wiped tears from her face.

"Why do you keep telling Dad that you want to die for you cause? Why haven't you told him this? This idea that you've turned in to some fanatic is driving him crazy."

"I didn't mean to hurt him. I thought it would be easier for him if I convinced him I really was bad and I wasn't worth loving or trying to save."

"He can't stop loving you, Marie. He's your father. Now he thinks he was a failure as a father; that he didn't teach you right from wrong. That's killing him. Please Marie, talk to him, tell him what you told me. I think it would be a little easier for him that way."

Marie eventually agreed to talk to their father, but would not agree to an appeal. The hour visit was coming quickly to an end. "Kate," Marie said not able to look at her. "I don't want either you or Dad here for the execution. I don't want you to go through that. I'd like to have my body donated to science." She wiped away tears as she spoke. "Who knows, maybe they can analyze my brain and figure out what went wrong. Maybe they can keep someone else from doing the same thing."

The door behind Kate opened and an officer stepped in. "You have five minutes Ms. Warner." He warned Kate.

"I guess I have to go, Marie. I love you. I'm so sorry about everything." Kate stood to leave, her hand resting on her abdomen. The baby had moved very little while she was here, as if he knew the situation demanded her full attention.

"Kate," Marie called after her. "Why won't you marry Jack Bauer?"

"I don't know. I just haven't made up my mind yet, I guess."

"He loves you, Kate. I could tell."

"How could you tell?" Kate queried her.

"At my trial, the way he looked at you, I could tell. When he was on the stand testifying, sometimes he looked at the lawyer or the jury, but most of the time he was looking right at you. It was like he was trying to give you support and tell you how much he loved you all the way from the witness stand. That was when I really started hating myself. Reza loved me that way, I could see it in his eyes, and I killed him anyway. I should have realized how lucky I was and accepted his love and lived happily ever after." Again she wiped away tears. "Not everybody is lucky enough to find that kind of love, Kate. Don't let that slip away. I ruined my life, wasted it. You should go and live happily ever after. That's what I want for you."

The corrections officer now stood along side of Kate. "I'm sorry, you have to go now, Ms. Warner." He held the door for her. She stepped toward it, but kept looking back at Marie until she saw her stand and another officer handcuff her and escort her out. Kate closed her eyes for a second taking in the finality of the moment. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She walked silently to the parking lot where the limousine driver was waiting patiently for her. When he saw her, he jumped out and opened the door. She thanked him and dropped onto the back seat mentally exhausted from the ordeal.

1:52pm

The ride back to LA from the federal prison was torture for Kate. The magnificent scenery of the California coast, a view Kate had always marveled at, passed without her even caring. She called her father to let him know how the visit with Marie went. He seemed a little happier, more relaxed. At least Marie would let him visit again.

In the last three years, Marie had become someone Kate didn't even know. In a matter of hours, Marie had gone from being Kate's beloved little sister, who was about to be married in a fairy tale wedding, to being a murderer who was aiding terrorists. She had always been such a soft, sweet person. Her white-blond hair and constant giggling had made her an irresistible child. She didn't excel in academics the way Kate had, but she was an average student and had lots of friends. When Kate thought about it, though, Marie had always had a penchant for hanging around with the wrong people. Kate had often intervened and kept Marie away from the "bad kids" at school. Instead, she would let Marie hang out with her friends and do things with them or she would introduce her to "nicer" people.

Even though Marie was only a few years younger than she, Kate had never considered her to be "grown up". She was still a child in Kate's mind. That is, until she pointed the gun at her and threatened to kill her. Kate shuddered. She tried to tell herself that Marie would never have pulled the trigger, but the truth was, had Jack not shot her, Marie probably would have killed Kate.

When Kate first saw her today, she was shocked by how old Marie had become. Even at her trial she looked like a little girl. Now she was old. And the most amazing part was that she was telling Kate things that she should have already known. She was telling Kate that Jack loved her. Marie didn't really even know Jack. This was the man who had shot her and screamed at her in the hanger at Norton Airfield and testified against her at her trial. But Marie understood how much he loved Kate.

For the nearly two hour drive, Marie's words swirled in her head like a tornado: "He loves you, Kate", "You should go and live happily ever after", "Not everybody is lucky enough to find that kind of love". It wouldn't stop; over and over she heard the words.

They soon became a jumble with so many other voices. Now Michelle spoke to her, "sometimes you have to listen to your heart" and her father "I think he's very motivated to make a relationship work". Jack's voice was the clearest, "Kate, I love you. You don't have to say anything; I just want you to know how I feel."

She had the driver drop her off at UCLA Medical Center so she could see Jack. It took all of her self control not to run through the hospital door and through the lobby to the elevator. All she wanted was to see Jack. She wanted to see him so badly. She carefully controlled her breathing and her pace so she didn't look so frantic. It seemed to take forever to get to the12th floor.

Kate got off of the elevator at the 12th floor and rushed to Jack's room. She hoped he was there and not at therapy. She hoped he was alone. She didn't want to share him with Kim or Chase or Tony or anyone else right now. She knocked on the door but didn't wait for him to answer before entering.

She opened the door and found him sitting up in bed reading the newspaper. He wore a wine colored bathrobe over a hospital gown. The color was so rich against his light skin and hair. He looked up as she entered. "Hi, Sweetheart," he said and smiled.

"Oh, Jack," was all she could manage before dissolving into great heaving sobs. He reached for her as she climbed on the bed beside him. She curled into the same position she was in the day before when she fell asleep in his arms. Again Jack winced as she put pressure on his right side, but this time she was too upset to notice. He shifted slightly so he would be more comfortable. Kate buried her face in his neck and cried while Jack wrapped his arms around her. "Hold me, Jack. Please, hold me." She begged.

"I'm holding you, Sweetheart." He said softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"Hold me tighter. I can't feel you!" she sobbed. She could barely get her breath she was crying so hard.

"Honey, if I hold you much tighter, I'll crush you." Some stray hairs now wet with tears had plastered themselves against her cheek. Jack reached over and pushed them away and tucked them along with others that hung in her face behind her ear. "Kate, is this all about you seeing Marie today?"

Kate didn't answer; she didn't even hear him. "Jack, tell me you still love me. Tell me I haven't driven you away. Tell me you still want to be part of my life." Each sentence was punctuated repeatedly by sobs.

He lifted her face so he could look in her eyes. "I love you with all of my heart. I will never stop loving you. I don't think you could ever drive me away. Of course I want to be part of your life." He kissed her forehead. "Kate, take some deep breaths and try to relax. This isn't healthy for you or the baby." He could feel the baby, who was probably just responding to the adrenaline rushing through Kate's system, kicking furiously.

She nodded and tried to regain some control. Jack stroked her back and kissed her hair and whispered reassuring words as she began to calm down. Her sobs slowed and became less violent. After lying still for a while, Jack again lifted Kate's face. He smiled at her and wiped tears off of her cheeks. "Are you okay?" he asked tenderly.

Kate put her hand behind his head and pulled his face down to hers. She closed her eyes and began kissing him. Soon they were kissing passionately; mouths open and tongues probing. Gone were the friendly kisses where their lips barely brushed. They were replaced by deep, wet kisses shared by two people who desperately loved each other; two people who time and fate had separated and now brought back together. They both moaned softly. Jack held her face in his hands, caressing it gently; never wanting to let go. Kate ran her hands through his hair and across his back.

They both pulled away breathlessly as they heard a knock on the door. Kate slipped off the bed and straightened her ruffled hair. Her face was still red and puffy from crying. Jack's nurse entered and announced that it was time for him to go to physical therapy.

"Could this be postponed or could I just refuse to go right now?" he asked. He was looking at Kate and although she tried to look away from the nurse, it was obvious her that Kate had been crying. The nurse looked at Kate and wondered what their relationship was. Several of the nurses had talked and no one could figure it out. The nurses in the intensive care unit were pretty sure that the baby she was carrying was his. They knew the two weren't married; the next of kin listed on Jack's chart was his daughter. At times she appeared to be his girlfriend and she had spent countless hours with Jack and with his daughter when he was in intensive care. At other times they appeared to be little more than friends.

"They have a schedule they have to keep, so you can't really postpone." She told him. "You can refuse, if you like, but I'd hate to see you do that. You've been making so much progress, Mr. Bauer."

"Jack," Kate said, "you need to go to therapy. You have to get better. I need you to help me take care of the baby. I can't do it by myself. I thought I could, but I was wrong. I need you to be there, to help me."

He leaned over and kissed her. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Are you going to be alright? You can go back to your dad's if you like."

"I'll be fine. I'm hungry and there's a deli across the street that I like. I'll get something to eat and maybe stop at the newsstand and get a couple of magazines. I'll just come back here and wait for you then."

"I'll be looking forward to it." He said as he smiled at her.

Kate watched as the nurse helped Jack get out of bed. She gave him very little assistance as he steadied himself and took a wobbly step toward the wheel chair. "Soon you'll be running the hundred yard dash." She said as she wheeled him out of the room.

4:05pm

Jack was thrilled to get back in his room after almost two hours of physical therapy and find Kate waiting for him. He was exhausted and when his nurse offered to help him back in to bed, he would have loved to say yes, but he and Kate had so much to talk about.

Kate looked up from her book as he came through the door. She smiled the most genuine smile he had seen from her since she told him she was pregnant. All of her other smiles had seemed guarded as if she was afraid to really let herself be happy.

Jack thanked the nurse and took control of the wheelchair. He rolled it over so their knees were nearly touching. As the nurse left and closed the door behind them, Jack leaned toward Kate and took her face in his hands. He kissed her softly.

"I brought you a treat." She smiled like a little girl who was pleased with herself. "Here," she handed him a Styrofoam container from the deli. "It's your favorite."

He opened it to reveal a large piece of carrot cake. "Thank you, Sweetheart. That is my favorite." He leaned forward and kissed her again. "Are you going to help me eat it?"

Her eyes lit up. "I'd love to." She said as she picked up a plastic fork and some napkins from the table next to her. "Do you know what the best part of being pregnant is?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I can eat anything I want and no one thinks I'm getting fat. They just think the baby is growing."

Jack smiled as he put the fork into the cake and fed a piece of it to her. He hadn't seen her this animated since long before he broke up with her. The conversation waned as they ate the cake. Jack set the empty container on the table along with the fork and napkins.

"Sweetheart, tell me what happened here earlier. Yesterday you were upset that you had slept next to me for a couple of hours and today you're kissing me like we're lovers."

"Which one of those moods did you like better?" Kate asked smiling impishly.

"Well, if I get to choose, I'll take the second one." He smiled. "Kate, I'm serious. What's going on?"

"I've finally come to my senses, Jack. I want to be part of your life, if you'll still have me. I want us to be together, to raise our child together, maybe have more kids, I don't know." She was smiling, her eyes dancing in the late afternoon sun that came through the window. "Jack, I love you so much. I can't believe how I've been acting."

"Oh, Sweetheart," Jack whispered as he pulled her face to his. They kissed deeply. "From the moment I met you, this is all I ever wanted. Even when I was leaving you, I knew I'd never be happy without you. I pushed myself so hard for the last few months just trying to forget you and it didn't work." He paused to gather his thoughts. "This is all so sudden. I thought it was going to take months or even years to get you to trust me again. What changed?"

"Believe it or not, it was Marie. She told me that she could tell how much you loved me at her trial. Then she said I would be crazy to let a love like that slip away. I guess I finally realized that I was making a mistake." They sat and just stared at each other for a few minutes. Then Kate continued, "When I get back to Seattle on Monday, I'll start looking for someone to replace me there. Then, I can move back from Seattle and we can get a place here for the three of us."

"I thought you liked Seattle."

"I do, but you're here. I want to be with you, remember."

"So, what's stopping me from moving to Seattle? I don't have a job here anymore."

"You would do that?" She phrased it as a question. "But Kim is here. You've lived you whole life near LA."

"Kim has Chase now, and Angela. They're doing great. I'm sure they'll get married soon. Maybe I need a change. Maybe leaving Los Angeles would be a good thing for me, for us. We can really start over in Seattle. It certainly worked for Tony and Michelle."

Oh, God! She loved this man. "That would be wonderful. I think you'll like Seattle."

They talked late into the evening. They talked about the months that they had been apart. They had so much catching up to do. Jack told Kate all about his heroin addiction and his month in drug rehab. She knew the basics of the story, but he filled in details that horrified her. She couldn't believe he had hidden the addiction from her for the last six months that they lived together. Jack admitted that he was practically living a double life for much of the time he was with CTU. It was a relief to have that behind him.

Jack eventually got back into bed. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, but he didn't want to sleep. He didn't want to miss a minute with Kate. Kate climbed onto the bed beside him as she had done before.

"Kate, I have a favor to ask you." Jack said to her. "I know that I haven't been there for you for most of your pregnancy and I probably don't deserve any favors, but I'm going to ask. Feel free to say no."

"What is it, Jack?" She asked.

"I know you picked out a name for a baby boy, but I'd like to ask you to reconsider his middle name." He paused as if what he had to say next was not easy to say. "If George Mason hadn't flown the plane with the bomb on it for me, we never would have had a chance to have a relationship or a baby. I'd like to name the baby Robert Mason."

"Jack, I think that's a beautiful tribute. I like it."

After a long, slow good night kiss, she promised him she would be back in the morning and she would spend the whole day with him. The day after that was Sunday. She would see him for a few hours, but she was flying back to Seattle that afternoon so she could be back at work Monday morning. After that, she wasn't sure when she would get back to see him. She had missed so much work while he was sick that she was miles behind. Thanksgiving had been late this year, so Christmas was coming up in only three weeks. She assured him that they would talk on the phone every day and they would spend Christmas together. Neither of them knew how they would ever manage to wait the three weeks until Christmas. This was like revisiting their childhoods when Christmas always seemed a million years away.