Thought I was finished, didn't you? So did I! I really had no intention of writing this, but a review from twentyfourrocks suggested that I write an epilogue set shortly after the end of the story. I thought it over and this is what I came up with. Let me know how you like it. If it isn't well received, I can always delete it and let the story end as I originally wrote it.

Epilogue

"Okay, Mason, blow out the candles," Kate directed as the loud, off-key chorus of "Happy Birthday" ended.

Mason drew a deep breath and blew out the eleven candles that illuminated the chocolate cake. Everyone clapped and the children all called for the next piece as Kate cut the cake and served the first piece to Mason.

December 31st was one of the best days of the year in the Bauer household. In many ways it was even better than Christmas. While Christmas was a quiet celebration filled with family and presents, New Years Eve was one big party. Not only did they celebrate the New Year, but it was Mason's birthday, and wedding anniversaries for both Jack and Kate as well as Kate's father Bob and his wife Grace.

The parties started early. Bob and Grace celebrated their anniversary by hosting a breakfast around 9 o'clock for all of their family and friends at their home on Puget Sound. The party lost steam around 1 o'clock and it was time to get ready for the next one. By four, guests were filtering in for cocktails and appetizers to celebrate Jack and Kate's anniversary. Finally, around 7 o'clock Mason's friends came to celebrate his birthday. By 9:30 the friends were gone and all that was left was the family: Bob and Grace, Jack and Kate and their sons and the Almeida's, who were just considered part of the family. Most years Kim and Chase and their children were there, but they had decided to celebrate with Chase's family this year.

The exhausted parents agreed to let the children stay up until midnight but they had to get into their pajamas and be ready for bed right after ringing in the New Year. Even Carmen was staying up this year and she couldn't have been more excited. She had never been allowed to stay up before and the other children teased her about it. This year she made up her mind that she was going to stay up. She thought up all of the important reasons that she should be allowed to stay up and put them together into a speech that she had rehearsed in front of her dolls and teddy bears for days. That morning as she got dressed she presented the idea to her mother.

"Mother," she said in her most adult voice, "I'd like to stay up 'til midnight tonight."

"Oh, Carmen, you're too little to stay up that late. You'll be exhausted by then."

"I can sleep in tomorrow morning," she told Michelle. She was proud of herself for anticipating her mother's answer.

"I don't know, Carmen. Lucy and Rico didn't stay up until midnight before they were six. You're only four."

"But I'm closer to five than I am to four," she told Michelle. "And, I did stop sucking my thumb this year. Daddy says that makes me a big girl. Big girls get to stay up until midnight."

The four-year-old was rapidly wearing Michelle down and it wasn't even 8 o'clock in the morning. "I'm not sure about this. I'll tell you what. Daddy is in his den; go ask him. If he says 'yes' then it's okay with me."

"Okay," Carmen said brightly. This is easy, she thought. Tony was a push over and she knew it. All she had to do was bat her eyelashes a little bit and he couldn't resist her.

Michelle smiled as Carmen left the room. There's nothing Tony hates more than tired, cranky kids. He won't agree to this in a million years, she thought.

Carmen made her way happily into the den where Tony was sitting at his desk reading the morning paper. "Hi, Dad," she said again trying to sound very adult.

"Hi, Sweetie," he said glancing in her direction.

"I'd like to talk with you for a minute, Dad," she said. Oh, this is going well. I sound very grown up, she thought.

Tony frowned slightly. This was definitely unusual behavior for Carmen. She never said things like 'I'd like to talk to you for a minute, Dad.' He thought for a moment before responding. "Come up on my lap and we'll talk," he said as he reached for her.

Carmen stepped back out of his reach. "That's okay, I'll just stand here." Sitting on his lap didn't seem very grown up to Carmen.

"Okay," said Tony trying to play along. "If you prefer to stand, that's fine." He sat back in his chair looking very serious.

"Dad," she started, "I would like to stay up until midnight tonight."

"Oh," Tony said with a smile. "Is that what this is all about? Honey, you're too little to stay up until midnight."

Carmen was undaunted. "I'm not little anymore. I'm almost five and I don't suck my thumb. I've been a very good girl this year, even Santa Claus said so, and I think it's time that I stay up with the rest of the family."

Tony practically bit a gash in his cheek to keep from laughing. "You put up a strong argument," he said running a finger thoughtfully across his lower lip. "Let me take this under consideration and discuss it with your mother and we'll get back to you in an hour. Would that be satisfactory?"

Carmen looked utterly confused. She had no idea what he just said, but she was sure that he hadn't said "no" and that was good. "What time is it now?" she asked.

Tony pointed to the clock on his desk. "It's 8:05. When the little hand gets up here to 9 and the big hand is on the 5 just like it is now, that will be one hour. You'll have your answer by then."

Carmen considered the offer for a moment. It seemed the best she was going to get and her dad was a lot harder to negotiate with than she had expected. She had even batted her eyelashes at him and he hadn't budged. Batting her eyelashes always got her more dessert and usually worked when she wanted another story before bed. This was serious stuff if he wasn't succumbing to batting eyelashes. "I'll see you then," she said and strode off to find the other kids.

After a brief discussion with Michelle, Tony called Carmen into his den. "Carmen," he said in a businesslike tone. "Your mother and I have discussed your request and we've decided that you may stay up until midnight. If you fall asleep before that, we aren't waking you up. We'll just put you in bed for the night. That's our final offer."

"Oh, Daddy! Thank you," squealed Carmen suddenly forgetting the grown up persona she was affecting. "You're the best," she said as she kissed his cheek. "I'll be really good and I won't fall asleep for a minute."

Tony smiled as Carmen dashed from the room to tell Rico and Lucy. She won't make it past 8:30 let alone stay awake until midnight, he thought with amusement. His smile vanished quickly as Rico and Lucy came into the room with a chorus of complaints.

"We never got to stay up until midnight when we were her age!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yeah, why does she get preferential treatment?" Rico demanded.

"Carmen made a deal. If she falls asleep before midnight, that's it. I'll put her in bed. If she can stay awake, then apparently she's old enough to stay up that late," Tony explained.

"You never offered us that deal," Rico complained.

"And you never asked," Tony countered. "Look, Carmen took the initiative to come in here and ask the question. She had a decent argument in her favor. Your mom and I discussed it and we agreed that she could stay up under certain conditions. She agreed to our conditions. Discussion over. Now get ready. We have to leave for Bob and Grace's house in a few minutes. We've got a lot of partying to do today."

The day passed at the speed of light and nearly 15 hours later the Bauer and Almeida families were glued to the television to watch the count down to the New Year. They had just eaten Mason's birthday cake and now they were going to ring in the New Year. Tony and Michelle were amazed to see Carmen wide eyed and perched on Rico's lap for her first New Year's Eve celebration. Kate poured sparkling grape juice into champagne glasses for the children while Jack poured real champagne for the adults. They finished just in time to count down the last 10 seconds of what had been an extremely eventful year.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!" the children shouted.

"Seven!"

"Six!" They were all on our feet now and huddled near the television.

"Five!"

"Four!" By now the adults had joined in, too.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted as they emptied champagne glasses and began exchanging hugs all around.

The adults shared kisses with their spouses while the five children were jumping up and down and high-fiving all around.

"Happy New Year, Sweetheart," Tony said to Michelle.

"Happy New Year," she said in return. "Let's hope this one is better than the last."

"Amen to that," Tony agreed. "I love you, Michelle."

"I love you, too," she returned with a smile.

Their children were now crowded around them. Tony and Michelle took time to hug each one individually and extend the New Year's greeting.

Tony hugged Rico first. He felt as though his son had grown a head taller this year both physically and emotionally. He was still a fun-loving, jovial boy, but he seemed to take life more seriously and he was more likely to take on responsibility. Both Tony and Michelle sensed the change in their oldest child and were both sad to see him leaving his childhood behind and, at the same time, happy to see him growing up so nicely.

Lucy found her father's arms next. Tony pulled her to him more tightly than he had in New Year's past. He was grateful that this New Year would include her because for at least a few days during the last year that hadn't been assured. She spent almost four weeks in the hospital and had endured a second surgery to stop bleeding and to drain an abscess. She also needed surgery on her broken wrist and leg. Once she came home from the hospital, she continued with physical therapy and had to be tutored at home for a few weeks. She finally was able to go back to school around the first of November. The progress she had made in the last few weeks amazed Tony and Michelle. She had regained strength and mobility so well that the doctor had cleared her to join an indoor soccer league in January. Tony tried not to coddle her. He knew she was fully recovered but the scared parent in him couldn't help but worry about her just a little more than he had before. Just that morning when they were leaving the house he had pulled her scarf higher up around her chin to protect her from the cold. It was a habit that he was going to have to break but for the moment he hugged her just a little tighter and thanked God once again that she was here, in his arms, at this moment.

Michelle was holding Carmen when Tony finally let go of Lucy. He took his youngest child in his arms. Although he loved watching Rico and Lucy grow up, Tony hated to see another year pass knowing that with it Carmen would grow a year older as well. Something about her innocence touched his heartstrings like no child he had ever met. She had been robbed of some of that innocence, but what remained was sincere and precious.

"Happy New Year, Daddy!" she said as she kissed him.

"Happy New Year, Sweetie," he said in return. "Did you like staying up until midnight?"

"It was great. I can't wait to do it next year. I'm not even a little bit tired," she told him as she tried desperately to stifle a yawn.

"Oh, you're not? Well, I'm sorry. The deal was that you have to go to bed right after midnight. Make sure you've said 'Happy New Year' to everyone then I'll tuck you in bed. Deal?"

"I guess," Carmen said as Tony put her down on the floor.

Just a few feet away Jack and Kate had spent the first few moments of the New Year going through the very same ritual as Tony and Michelle had. First they shared a kiss and wished each other a Happy New Year.

"This year, Jack, can you promise me that you'll avoid any situation that could end up with you getting shot?" Kate asked with an amused smile on her face.

"Kate, you take all of the fun out of a perfectly good year," he teased back. He could joke about it now, but getting shot back in August had really unnerved him for a while. For years when he was in the Army and with CTU, being in the middle of a gunfight was all in a day's work. Now that he had restarted his life as a businessman with a new family, the incident had been more traumatic than he would have imagined. He was able to work through it but had spent more than a few sleepless nights considering how close he had come to dying.

Mason and Ryan crowded in and put their arms around their parents as they both shouted, "Group hug!"

Jack and Kate laughed as they put their arms around their sons. Kate looked at Mason who stood next to Jack. He was a full head shorter than his father, but looked exactly like him. His hair, his eyes, the shape of his face, Mason was Jack through and through. He had Jack's love for adventure, but the events of the August past had changed his attitude toward his father's previous career. Being a spy no longer held the excitement it once had now that he had seen first hand that the results could be deadly. A few weeks after the incident, Jack started noticing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in both Mason and Ryan. Having suffered silently through the same condition after his mission in Kosovo, Jack was well versed on the symptoms. He and Kate immediately put the boys in counseling and were relieved to see that the condition resolved after a couple of months. Kate had been particularly worried about Ryan. He was more like her and had a more difficult time dealing with all he had been through than Mason had, but at this point he could talk about it easily and was no longer having nightmares.

"According to my watch, it's 12:15," Jack announced, "and that's everyone's bedtime."

The children howled protests but the adults would hear none of it. Jack and Tony herded the kids up the stairs and to their bedrooms. Ten minutes later all five children were tucked into beds. Mason and Rico were still trying to negotiate a deal to stay up later but Carmen's head had barely hit the pillow before she was asleep. Jack and Tony closed the bedroom doors and made their way quietly down the hall to their own bedrooms.

Tony stepped into the bedroom he and Michelle always used when they spent the night at the Warner's home on Puget Sound. It was smaller than some of the bedrooms but it faced the water and they particularly liked the room in the summer when they could open the French doors onto the balcony and enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the water. Tonight the room would be shut tight against a cold wind.

"Happy New Year, Sweetheart," Michelle said in low, sexy whisper. She was wearing a black lace negligee with thin straps and a V-neckline that plunged between her breasts and down to an inch or so above her navel. The soft material curved over her hips and down her legs. The lace hem touched the tops of her bare feet. In her hand she held a glass of champagne. She sipped the contents of the glass and then licked her lips seductively.

Tony nearly growled in excitement. He crossed the floor in just a few steps and took his beautiful wife in his arms. The kissed passionately; the kisses neither slow nor hurried and Michelle started to open the buttons on Tony's shirt. He guided her to the bed and lowered her to it. Soon the lights were out and they were naked under the satin sheets making love and drinking champagne.

Two rooms away Jack and Kate were playing out a similar scene in one of the larger bedrooms. Jack stoked the fire in the marble fireplace and poured the champagne while Kate was in the attached bathroom getting ready for bed. She emerged from the bathroom in a short, lacy navy blue nightgown with a matching robe. They didn't make it to the bed, but made love on the chaise in front of the fireplace.

An hour later both couples were curled up in their beds exhausted from the long, busy day and the intense lovemaking. In the smaller room, Tony and Michelle were curled up on their sides; his front against her back. Tony's arm was around her and their fingers were entwined. By her slow, steady breathing, Tony knew that Michelle was sound asleep. He lay there in the darkness, nestled under the sheet and the down comforter amazed that life could be this good. They had been through a difficult year, but it was over and the result was a better, stronger union. Some marriages would have dissolved under the stress, but they were better for it. Tony pressed a kiss into Michelle's hair and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

After making love in front of the fire, Kate and Jack made their way to bed. Jack was stretched out on his back while Kate lay on her side with her head propped on Jack's chest. The room was warm from the fire, so the covers were pulled only up to their waists. Jack stroked Kate's back tenderly. He had meant it sincerely the day he was shot when he reminded Kate that he had told her early in their relationship not to fall in love with him. Eleven years after they were married and nearly 14 years since they first met, he still couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to have found Kate and that she had, against his best advice, fallen in love with him. He had been floundering under the weight of guilt over Teri's death, a heroin addiction and the work at CTU that was slowly draining the life from him. Kate saved him. She gave him two precious sons and her constant love. She gave him his life back in a way that was far better than it had ever been in the past. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her a little closer to him. In her sleep, Kate sighed and stretched and settled back into a sound sleep.

The New Year was barely an hour old but to the Bauers and the Almeidas it held much promise: the promise of love and family, of friendship and laughter and endless adventure. What more could they ask of this year to come?