She's back, and even after everything, you stay. You go back to her, even though every part of you is screaming not to.

It had been months since you and Carol had any sort of contact, and now, out of the blue, she writes to you, wanting to meet up.

You sat there, barely keeping it together as she talked on about whatever. She was so... vulnerable. She was usually this mysterious, glamorous woman, but now... Now she was so frail, so broken.. You didn't exactly know how to feel about it.

You had to stay strong, you couldn't give in. You had grown so much as a person, you couldn't just collapse back into her arms like nothing happened. That wasn't an option. But oh... The look in her eyes. The sadness, the longing, the desperation. It almost broke you. And when she said those hell bending words, "I love you", Jesus it was hard to stay strong.

And Jack, God Jack. Of course he had to ruin everything. It had been so long and this was the time he just had to see you.

You couldn't focus at Phil's party. Carol was the only thing on your mind. So of course, you went back to her. How could you not? You went to the Oak Room where she said she would be, pushing through all of the guests.

There she was, sitting with presumably work friends. Oh God, and when she looked at you, you stopped dead in your tracks. You couldn't do anything but just stand there, staring at her as she wore that familiar smirk.

How did this happen?