Epilogue

The cold October wind stung Kate's face. She stood against the rail on their cabin cruiser as it made its way quietly through the choppy waters of Puget Sound cradling the urn tenderly in her arms, with the same care she had held her sons when they were babies. Mason was at the helm piloting the boat effortlessly as Jack had taught him. Ryan was at her side; his arm around her waist, steadying her. Kim stood next to her looking off into the horizon. None of them spoke. Jack's English Springer Spaniel, Ranger, lay near them on the deck.

So much had happened in a week. Her entire life changed, turned upside down. Forty-two years of marriage had ended so abruptly, like scissors snipping a piece of thin ribbon; a long, perfect ribbon now severed. Everywhere she looked, she could see him. On the boat in the captain's chair, in their den, on the patio, at the cottage, in bed next to her, he was everywhere.

So much had changed in a week, even the weather. They had gotten out of bed last Saturday, the last day of September, to an unusually warm morning. She could still hear his voice. "It's going to be a beautiful day. Let's go out on the boat." He said.

"I can't, Sweetheart, Michelle and I are taking Carmen out for lunch for her birthday. Tony and Ryan are probably both free, call them."

Tony was more than happy to go out for the day. They would fish, drink a little beer. The Mariners were playing the Cubs in a day game; they could probably listen to it on the radio. After all these years, Tony was still a Cubs fan. Jack would pick him up around noon.

Before Jack had time to call Ryan, Mason called. He had the same idea. Laura and their daughters Katie and Jackie were going shopping and he and their son, Justin were planning a boy's day out. Jack invited them along.

Next Jack called Ryan to invite him and his eight year old twin sons, John and Anthony. They were glad to join them. Ryan would also call his brother-in-law, Ric and see if he also wanted to come along. This was shaping up to be a fun afternoon.

Jack called his favorite deli and ordered a tray of sandwiches. He would pick it up on the way to get Tony. He would also pick up sodas and a cold case of beer. "Don't make dinner, Sweetheart." He told Kate. "Call all of the girls and have them come over. I'll cook what we catch."

"What if you don't catch anything?" Kate teased him.

"Well, then I'll stop and buy salmon on the way home." He retorted. He kissed her and told her he loved her. He slowly made his way to the car relying heavily on his cane. Jack opened the back door and his dog Ranger jumped. There go my boys, Kate thought as she watched them go, always ready for an adventure.

Jack was now 82, and Kate still found him handsome and youthful in so many ways. He was having more and more difficulty walking though. That was the hardest thing for him. For many years after he was shot he walked largely unassisted but with a distinct limp. He always regretted that he couldn't play soccer or touch football or go skiing with his boys, but he was at every sporting event and coached their little league teams. They rode horses together and he taught them all about boating. He had always used a cane when they were in public places. It helped steady him if he was jostled. Now he used the cane around the house as well, and when they were out in public, he used a wheelchair. It was just easier that way. His difficulty in walking was one reason he loved the boat so much. He could sit in his captain's chair and steer or sit near the stern and fish. He didn't have to do a lot of walking. When he did have to walk, there were railings everywhere for him to steady himself.

It seemed to Kate that everything that happened after Jack left the house that morning was a blur. She called all "the girls" as Jack had directed and invited them for dinner. She and Michelle and Carmen went out for lunch and then came home to get ready for the dinner that Jack promised she didn't have to cook. Just in case the fish weren't biting today, Kate would make sure they had plenty of salad and bread and vegetables to go with the main course. She might even throw a couple of burgers on the grill. They figured the men would be home around 7 o'clock so they planned for a late dinner. In the mean time, they always had plenty to talk about.

It was about 5:30 when Michelle's phone rang. Tony didn't even say hello, she knew immediately by the sound of his voice that something was wrong. He was near tears. She hadn't remembered him crying since his mother died twenty years ago.

"Are you with Kate?" was all he asked.

"Yes, Honey, she's right here. Why? Tony, what's wrong? Where are you?" Kate's ears had perked up by now. A look of concern crossed her face.

"We're on our way to St. Michael's Hospital up in Edmunds. You need to meet us there."

"Tony, what's going on? Why are you going to the hospital?" Michelle was starting to panic.

"It's Jack, they think he had a heart attack. Just get here, Michelle." He pleaded.

Tony rarely panicked, his Marines training and CTU experience kept him on an even keel even in an emergency. Right now, his voice sounded ominous. Jack wasn't okay, she could tell. "We'll be there, Tony. It'll take us about a half hour. We'll leave right now."

Michelle's face was ashen as she turned to Kate. "Kate," she said as she touched Kate's hand, "Jack may have had a heart attack. He's being transported to the hospital in Edmunds. We need to go."

"Is he going to be okay? Did Tony say how bad it was?" Kate was stunned, her breathing rapid and shallow.

"Tony doesn't know anything right now." It was only a partial lie.

The drive to the hospital was like an eternity. Kate and Michelle were reminded of the flight to LA when Jack was shot. Kate tried to call both Mason and Ryan, but their phones went right to voice mail. She finally got a hold of Laura who was also on her way to the hospital. Laura had talked to Mason and had a few more details, but not many. It sounded like Jack had collapsed on the boat. Mason put out a distress call and the Harbor Master directed him to the nearest marina where they could dock the boat and emergency crews could land a helicopter to take Jack to the closest medical facility.

As they reached the hospital, Mason was waiting for Kate right outside of the emergency room doors. He rushed over to the car, opened the door and helped her out. "Mason, what's going on? Where's your father? What happened? What has the doctor said?" She peppered him with questions as he put his arm around her and led her inside to a waiting area. Ryan and Tony sat in the waiting room with Justin, John and Anthony. Ric had offered to pilot the boat back to their pier at the cottage and take care of Jack's dog.

"We don't know much yet, Mom. The doctors are with him right now. They're doing everything they can." Mason's tone was not encouraging.

"He was fine when he left home. What happened?" She was starting to fall apart now. Looking at the hopeless expressions on all of their faces, the gravity of the situation was becoming more and more evident.

Mason started, "He was fine for most of the trip. He looked good, he was in good spirits. We got to the place he likes to fish and we anchored. We all dropped our lines and ate lunch. He ate well, had a beer. Everything was fine. I noticed that he coughed several times along the way; nothing serious, just a little unusual for him. Then he got up to check on something. When he stood up, I noticed he was having trouble with balance, but that's not all that unusual for Dad. Ryan stood right up to help him and he reached for the railing, but the next thing we knew he was on the deck." Mason shook his head as if he was having trouble continuing.

Ryan took over. "I was right there when he fell. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. When I got to him, I knew something was wrong. His color was bad and he was unconscious. I checked for a pulse and couldn't find one. Then I realized that he wasn't breathing either. Ric and I started CPR right away. Mason put out a distress call. They directed us to the marina and when we got there the medics were waiting. They worked on him for a while on the boat, then they put him on the helicopter and brought him here."

"Has anyone called Kim?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, I had Laura call her." Mason answered. "I've already called one of our company's pilots. They're communicating with her. They'll get her here as soon as possible." As CEO, his call to a pilot would have sent them immediately into motion, much as his grandfather's call had done 42 years ago when Jack was shot.

"Oh, God" Kate whispered. She looked back and forth between her sons. She could see Jack in both of them. "We can't...we can't lose him. I'm not ready to lose him. Oh, God, this can't be happening!" Kate covered her face with her hands and doubled over in the chair. She wasn't really crying, but her agony was palpable. Mason pulled her to him, tears making wet paths from his eyes down his face. He hadn't let himself show any emotion until now. Ryan was sitting on the arm of the chair; he leaned forward and put his arms around both of them.

Within a few minutes of her arrival, a doctor came into the waiting room to talk to her. He was kind and soft spoken. He looked like a doctor should look, Kate thought. His hair was gray and cut short. He wore glasses with a thin silver wire frame that couldn't hide green eyes full of sadness. "Mrs. Bauer?" He asked as he walked into the room. Kate looked up expectantly. She was flanked by her sons whose hands she gripped tightly.

He walked over to her and pulled up a chair. The chair was so close their knees nearly touched. He spoke slowly and Kate hung on his every word. "Mrs. Bauer, my team and I have been working on your husband for a while now. He had a very serious heart attack. It damaged a large portion of his heart." Kate could feel tears slipping silently down her face. The doctor continued, "Right now, he's breathing on his own, but not well enough to survive very long. We can put him on a ventilator to keep him breathing if you like. We can also keep his heart beating with medications. I can't tell you for sure that he will improve enough to start breathing on his own at some point. It's possible, but there are no guarantees. One thing I can tell you is that if he starts breathing on his own and he lives, he will have severe heart failure. He will be very limited in his activity, maybe walking a few steps at a time before he is exhausted. He will require oxygen 24 hours a day or he will feel short of breath even at rest. He will also be on a number of drugs to maintain his heart. All of this is being complicated by the fact that he has only one kidney and that kidney is beginning to show signs of failure. We can start kidney dialysis to maintain the kidney if we have to." He stopped for a moment to let his words sink in.

"His kidney function has been deteriorating for the last couple of years. His doctor has been watching it. Jack always said that if it came down to dialysis, he didn't want to do it." Kate said numbly.

"Mrs. Bauer, my team will do whatever you ask us to do. We can keep him alive and transfer him to intensive care or we can do nothing more and let him go peacefully. You, your children, or whoever you like, can be there with him to the end. I hate to put this decision on your shoulders, but I have no choice. I'm sorry to do this to you."

"You think I should let him die, don't you?" Kate asked.

"No, I think you should do what you think is best for your husband. I know that sounds as if I am talking around the issue, but it's the best I can do. I have no right to make this decision."

Kate looked at her sons. "I've seen him in intensive care and on a ventilator before, it's not a sight I want to see again but I don't want him to die." She put her face in her hands again.

"Mom," Ryan spoke softly to her, "Dad loves his independence. I think he would be pretty unhappy not to be able to go and do what he wants." Ryan shook his head. "That's not Dad."

Kate looked at Mason. "Ryan's right. I love Dad, I don't want him to die. But I don't want to see him suffer in an intensive care unit only to have a poor quality of life when we finally get him home. And even with all of the extraordinary measures, he might still die, right doctor?"

The doctor nodded.

"Is he awake, doctor?" Kate asked.

"No, he hasn't regained consciousness. He may wake up for short periods of time. I can't say for sure. If it makes you feel better, he isn't in any pain."

"Without life support, how long will he live?"

"It's hard to say. At least a few hours, maybe as long as a day." He answered her patiently.

Kate looked away and blinked back tears. "What will the end be like? Will he know what is happening?"

"No, he will probably just drift off. His breathing will slow and eventually stop. He won't know what is going on. If his breathing becomes labored or uncomfortable, we can give him something to relax him."

Laura was talking quietly on the phone as she approached the group huddled around the doctor. "Mom, Kim is on the phone."

Kate took the phone. "Honey, are you on your way?"

"We'll be at the airport in about a half hour. The pilot said he'd be ready to go soon after we get there. How's Dad doing? What Laura is saying doesn't sound good."

"Oh, Honey, I don't know what to say. The doctor is here with us right now. Would you like to talk to him?" Kim indicated that she would and Kate handed the phone to the doctor. He patiently explained again everything that he had already told the family then returned the phone to Kate.

"Kate, I know this is your decision, but I just want to let you know that I don't think Dad would want to be kept alive only to be barely able to get out of bed in the morning. He's 82, Kate. He has had an incredible life. I want to remember him that way."

"We all feel the same way, Honey." Kate replied softly as tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Kim, I'm not ready for this."

"I know, Kate. Just try and hang in there. We'll be there soon."

They said goodbye and Kate returned the phone to Laura. Then she turned her attention to the doctor. She straightened a little and took a breath. She felt as if she was at a board of directors meeting; all eyes in the room were on her. As the de facto head of this gathering, she had to give her decision as she had at Warner Enterprises for all the years after she succeeded her father as CEO, but this decision was more important than any other that she had ever made. "I... we don't want him on life support, Doctor. He lived a life most people only fanaticize about and I'm not going to watch it end with machines breathing for him. That's not how Jack Bauer is supposed to die." She paused. "When can we see him?"

"You and your children can see him in the emergency room right now if you want. Then we'll have him moved to a private room upstairs. At that point, you can all be with him, stay with him as long as you like." He took her hands gently. "Mrs. Bauer, if it makes you feel any better. You made the right decision."

"Thank you, Doctor. I want to see him now." Kate told him.

"Of course," he said softly. He put his hand between her shoulder blades and directed her into the emergency room. Mason and Ryan followed silently.

Kate and her sons entered the room to find Jack lying peacefully in the bed. His eyes were closed and his face partially covered by an oxygen mask. "Can I take this off?" Kate asked as she touched the mask. "I'd like to kiss him."

The nurse, who was flitting and fussing around Jack, was obviously annoyed that the family was getting in the way of her work. "He needs that oxygen to breathe." She said with little compassion in her voice.

The doctor touched her arm to silence her. "Mrs. Bauer, he breathes more comfortably with the oxygen on, but you can take it off to kiss him. When we move him upstairs, I'll have them take the mask off and give him oxygen directly into his nose." He looked at the nurse. "Let's let the family have some time here while we arrange a private room upstairs." He directed her out of the room.

Kate lifted the oxygen mask off of Jack's face and kissed him gently. She replaced the mask and took his hand. "Hi Sweetie," she said as her voice cracked. "Jack, I'm here with you now, Honey. The boys are here, too." The two boys both spoke to him, Ryan held his hand. "Kim is on her way, Honey. She'll be here in a couple of hours."

Kate continued to talk to him telling him how much she loved him and reminding him how good their life together had been. She hoped for some response. She hoped he would squeeze her hand or open his eyes, but he just continued to sleep peacefully.

The nurse finally came in and told them that they were ready to transfer him to a room. Kate and her sons went back to the waiting room to get the rest of the family. Everyone stood to move upstairs. They all knew they had a long sleepless night ahead of them. Even Jack's grandchildren understood what was happening. John and Anthony wouldn't let go of Tony for fear something would happen to him as well.

Tony and Michelle approached Kate. "Kate," Tony said as he put his arms around her. "We know this is for the family, but we'd like to see Jack for a few minutes, if that's okay with you."

"Oh, Tony," she said, her eyes threatening to overflow with tears. "You are family. You've known Jack longer than I have. I want you two to be here with us. Don't go, please."

"It's going to be a long night, Kate. We thought it might be best if we took all of the kids back to our house." Michelle explained but she was greeted by a chorus of protests from the children.

"No, Grandma. We're not leaving." John announced. Anthony was standing next to him nodding.

Fourteen year old Justin spoke for all of them. "Grandma, we all understand what's happening, even the twins and they're only eight. We don't want to leave Grandpa. We want to be able to say goodbye to him. I don't want to get up tomorrow and be told that he's gone and know I didn't get to say goodbye. Please let us stay."

Kate hugged her oldest grandchild. "You guys all feel the same way?" They all nodded.

Michelle broke in, "If at any point any of you wants to leave, we're more than happy to take you home. Just say the word." The children all agreed but remained steadfast that they were staying.

The group moved to the private room where Jack had been transferred. They took turns sitting next to him and talking to him. Ric picked up Kim and her family at the airport and brought them to the hospital. The mood wasn't sad and there were few tears. Good memories were shared and Jack's life was celebrated quietly by the people who loved him the most. It was well after midnight when everyone started to settle back for the long night. Tony and Michelle sat close together on a sofa. Anthony slept across their laps with his head on Tony's chest. Katie and Jackie snuggled close to their mother and John curled up in Carmen's lap. Mason kept vigil sitting at the foot of his father's bed, his son Justin never more than a few feet away. Kim pulled a chair close to the head of the bed and stroked Jack's hair. Chase stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Ryan stood close to Kate who sat next to the bed, holding Jack's hand unable to take her eyes off of him. So many memories crossed her mind, so many loving moments, so many kisses and so many nights filled with love. She knew how fortunate she had been. She didn't know how she would live without him.

Jack died quietly the next morning. He had regained consciousness a couple of times during the night. Kate was dozing in a chair next to the bed when she felt him weakly squeeze her hand. She woke and moved to sit next to him on the bed.

He smiled slightly at her. "Hi, Honey," he whispered.

She smiled at him and stroked his face. "Hey, Sweetie," she replied trying to keep her voice steady. "How do you feel?"

"I'm tired, Kate."

"I know, Sweetheart. It's okay, you go to sleep, My Love. We'll be here for you if you need us." Kate said as tears filled her eyes.

"I love you, Kate" Jack said in a voice that was barely audible.

"I love you, too, Sweetheart." Kate said as her voice cracked and tears fell. Exhausted, she lay down next to him, feeling his warmth and the ebb and flow of his breathing.

A few feet away, Michelle pressed her face into Tony's chest sobbing silently. She was overwhelmed by the sadness of the moment as she watched Kate lying with Jack. The fear of losing her beloved Tony caught hold of her as if it would strangle her and she felt for a moment that she couldn't even breathe.

Kate eventually fell asleep against Jack. Ryan got a blanket and covered her. As the sun rose, Kate awakened and laid silently watching Jack's chest rise and fall. His breathing became slower and slower and more and more shallow until he simply did not take another breath. Kate counted the seconds that grew into minutes. Everyone was sitting up straight or standing, watching, hoping for Jack to take another breath. Kate finally closed her eyes and kissed his face.

The memorial service a week later was brief and moving. The little church just a few miles from the cottage that they attended nearly every Sunday was filled with friends and family all mourning the loss of a man they felt privileged to have known and loved. The immediate family then boarded the boat to take Jack's ashes to one of his favorite places as was his wish.

When Mason reached Jack's favorite fishing spot, Kate, Kim, Mason and Ryan all put a hand on the urn containing his ashes and turned it over. The ashes were picked up by the wind and dropped onto the surface of the water. They watched in silence as the ashes disappeared into the steely water. It was Kate who finally looked at Mason and said, "It's time to go home." Mason smiled at her and took his place in the captain's chair.

They returned to the cottage where the extended family waited. Everyone had dinner together and said their goodbyes. Kim and her family left to return to LA. Tony and Michelle were taking their daughter Lucy to the airport. She lived in Portland, Oregon with her husband and children and had come home to say goodbye to "Uncle Jack." Jack had been like a second father to all of the Almeida children and they would miss him almost as much as his own children.

Kate and Mason stood outside after saying goodbye to the last of the guests. Kate shivered against the wind. "It's cold out here, Mom. Let's go inside." Mason said as he reached for her arm.

"No, you go in. I need a couple of minutes by myself."

"Are you sure?" He asked. Kate nodded. "Okay, I'll be up at the house." He turned and walked away. Kate watched him; he was built exactly like Jack. Not real tall, but square and solid. If she didn't know better, she could have been watching Jack. His gait was just like Jack's had been before he was shot; each step measured and sure. She sighed and turned toward the water.

Gulls soared overhead riding on the strong autumn breeze, their white feathers contrasted with the gunmetal grey sky. They reminded her of Jack, free and independent. Jack could soar now, too. He was no longer encumbered by legs that didn't work like he wanted them to. I hope wherever you are, Jack, that you are running, she thought. He had been a long distance runner in high school and he always loved to run. For the last 42 years he had to be satisfied with riding a stationary bike or swimming for exercise. Now he could run again; that made Kate smile.

She looked out at the water. The two of them had spent so much time together at this cottage in the years since the boys had moved out and started lives and families of their own. They had walked on this beach, holding hands, kissing, watching the sunset. They had even made love here. Now she felt completely alone. The finality of it all hit her as they scattered his ashes over the water and watched the current wash them away.

Kate had kept her emotions closely in check throughout the week, but the façade was beginning to crumble. She felt the tears finally bubble to the surface and she suddenly felt an anger that had not been there earlier.

"Damn you, Jack!" She said out loud as she stomped a foot into the sand. Tears fell uncontrollably now. "DAMN YOU, JACK!" She screamed her hands clenched into fists and drawn up to her chest as if she was going to punch someone. She shouted it again, "Damn you, Jack! How could you do this to me?" She dropped to her knees in the sand crying her heart out, sobs wracking her entire body. She pounded the sand with her fists as she continued to curse the only man she had ever really loved.

Laura was in the kitchen cleaning up when she glanced through the window to the beach and caught sight of Kate. "Oh, no, Mason," she said as she grabbed his arm and pointed at the window. Mason took off running. When he reached Kate, he fell to his knees in the sand next to her and pulled her into his arms. She continued flailing, hitting his chest with her open palms.

"Goddamn him! Goddamn him, Mason. He promised me he would never leave me. He promised. How could he leave me like this? How could he do this to me?" She had stopped flailing, but continued to sob. "I love him. I love him so much!"

"I know, Mom. I know you love him. He knew it, too." He spoke gently, knowing there was nothing he could say or do to take away her pain. He could only hold her and let her know how much she was loved. Eventually her tears ran out and her sobs subsided and she rested limply in her son's arms.

The air was cold and Mason could feel her shiver. He took off his suit jacket and put it around her shoulders. It reminded her of the day she met Jack and he put his CTU jacket around her outside of Syed Ali's house after he saved her life. "Let's go back to the house, Mom." He helped her up and she didn't resist. She didn't have the strength to resist.

They had taken several steps toward the house, Mason's supportive arm around her shoulders, when he stopped and turned toward her. "Mom, there is something I've wanted to say to you for a long time. I'm not sure why I waited so long." Kate had a quizzical look on her face, but said nothing. "I want to thank you."

"Thank me for what, Mason?"

"For giving Dad a second chance." He paused. "Dad and I were standing here on the beach years ago. Laura and I were dating at the time and I was thinking about ending our relationship. I thought it was getting too serious and we were young, I wasn't ready for that. I told Dad I was going to break up with her. He look at me with that half squint he would get when he was really thinking hard about something and he said, 'Mase, you need to do what's right for you, but let me just give you something to think about. Basically, you know the story, I broke up with your mother once. What you don't know is how reluctant she was to take me back. I had hurt her so much that she saw afraid to give me another chance. I don't think she would have taken me back if she hadn't been pregnant with you. So before you break up with Laura, just be sure that you never want her back, because she might never be willing to take you back again.' Then he looked out at the water and said 'Look at what I almost lost. I don't know where I'd be right now without your mother.' It made me think. Obviously I didn't break up with Laura. But more than that, it made me appreciate you. If you hadn't given Dad another chance, my life would have been completely different. I know you would have been a good mother regardless, but you never would have had Ryan, I wouldn't have grown up as close to Dad. You and Dad were such a great example for me. You taught me how a marriage is supposed to work, how to love, how to compromise. You giving Dad a second chance was the greatest gift you could have given me and I just want to thank you."

Her face was red and puffy from crying, but she smiled at him. "You're welcome, it was my pleasure." She tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they walked back to the house.

Thanks to all of you who have read the entire story. I really had fun writing it. I had the idea for this piece but was hesitant to write it for a couple of reasons. First off, Kate was not my favorite character and it seemed that most people felt the same way. Second, any Jack relationship seemed doomed to failure. I couldn't imagine him suddenly becoming an attentive father and husband while he was at CTU. It was easy enough to have him leave CTU, but his whole attitude still had to change, which was why he had to be shot. (One reviewer asked why it was necessary for Jack to get hurt and speculated that it had something to do with the author's maternal instinct. In this case, Jack had to be hurt in order to reevaluate his life.) By the time I was finished, I found that I liked Kate a whole lot more than when I started out and I thought it was possible to make their relationship a success.

So thanks again for reading and to those of you who reviewed. Your reviews have been great and have really encouraged me. If you haven't reviewed, please, please, please, PLEASE click the submit review button and let me know that you have read the story. (I accept anonymous reviews.)