Disclaimer: I don't own any of the 24 characters because if I did, Tony and Michelle's story would've ended with season 4. All the other characters that don't appear in 24 are my own creation. Any similarity to either other fictitious characters or real people is pure coincidence. None of my ideas are based on the works of other, any similarity is also coincidence.
Author note: I would like to thank a friend of mine for all the help with this story, without his beta reading and encouragement this story never would've seen the light of day.
Setting: Michelle is sitting in the car outside of the prison. Almost 8 months passed since the events of season 3.
Michelle didn't expect this day to happen so soon even though to her the past months seemed like a century. Today was the day when Tony would be getting out of prison and even though it wouldn't be until 4pm, she had been waiting since the early morning. Michelle couldn't wait to see him and have him back in her arms even though she didn't know if that's what would happen. That was one of the reasons why Michelle had come so early, she kept hoping that by her being there something would change and the events of last 3 months wouldn't be the same.
Closing her eyes, Michelle started to think about everything that had happened.
The first thought that came to her mind was the nightmare that kept waking her up. Each time it did the empty side of their bed made her realize it was reality and she would cry herself back to sleep.
That nightmare was the day Tony went to prison.
The minute her memories came back to her, it seemed like it was all happening in that moment again.
The trial was short; it was really just a hearing to determine the length of his sentence. Tony was found guilty of treason and sent to prison for 20 years. Jack had immediately objected to that decision but at that point he couldn't do anything. All he and Michelle could do was watch helplessly while Tony was led away.
Tony and Michelle were given a few minutes alone in one of the courthouse's holding rooms to say goodbye. Michelle came in first and sat down, feeling as though she would collapse. She was crying and couldn't think straight or believe what just happened. Her husband was going away; they won't be together for next 20 years.
A few moments later Tony came in, still handcuffed. The guard that was with him removed the handcuffs and the moment he did, Tony hurried to Michelle and knelt down in front of her. Placing his arms around her waist, he pulled her as close to him as he could.
Michelle hugged him tightly burying her face in his neck, crying even harder.
Caressing her back, Tony tried to calm down his wife. He kept saying that everything would be okay. Through a stream of tears, with her face still buried in his neck, she asked how it could possibly be okay.
"You'll see, as long as you're alive and well, I'll be fine and one day something will happen that will make everything else right, just be patient and you'll see," he said.
"I won't be alright until I'm back with you, I can't live without you and I don't know how I will survive one day away from you. It would be better if I had died," Michelle replied.
On that Tony moved away from her slightly, took her face in his hands, wiped her tears away with his thumbs, and kissed her deeply and passionately.
When their lips separated Tony looked into her eyes.
"I don't want to hear that kind of talk again; the only thing that will keep me going is knowing that you're out there alive and well. You are my life, and as long as you're okay, I'm okay." he said before kissing her again.
His kisses and words calmed Michelle down for a moment. She tried to smile but couldn't; she just looked at him and kept caressing his face. Tony still had her face cupped in his hands and they looked deeply in each other's eyes for a few moments before hugging again. They remained hugged, without saying anything else, until Jack came to the door and told them it's time. Michelle remained sitting because she didn't trust her legs. Tony got up; kissed the top of her head and said, "I love you baby, I love you more than anything. Remember that no matter what happens, my love for you will never change, no matter what future brings."
Michelle started crying again before saying, "I love you too, more than my life; I will always love you, no matter what."
Tony kissed the top of her head again and caressed her face before walking over to Jack and telling him, "take care of Michelle with your life, make sure nothing happens to her."
"I will and I'll find a way to get you out of prison" Jack replied.
"I know you will try," Tony said, "but the most important thing to me is Michelle and her safety. Nothing else matters."
Jack assured him that he'd take care of her and they hugged.
The guard came into the room, placed the cuffs back on Tony's hands and then took him away. Tony looked back one more time and whispered "I love you" to Michelle who just sat there looking hypnotized. When the doors closed she began sobbing. Jack took Michelle home and gave her a strong sedative to help her sleep…
Those memories brought tears to Michelle's eyes. She wiped them away and looked outside the window and then looked down on her watch, still 4 hours to go.
Everyday of the first four months of Tony's imprisonment was the same for Michelle; she lived from one visit to another. Michelle wasn't allowed to see Tony during the first month, those were the rules of the prison. She thought she'd die during that time. Up to that point Tony and Michelle hadn't been apart for more than a day since the beginning of their relationship which began a day after the nuclear bomb day.
Thankfully Jack had some connections in that prison so he was able to put Tony in a cell that was separated from others. Jack made sure he wasn't mixed with other prisoners because most of them either resented Tony for being a traitor or were in there thanks to him; both Jack and Michelle were afraid for Tony's life and Michelle was very grateful that Jack had these strings he could pull. Jack also made sure that the guard watching Tony was a friend he trusted not to harm Tony in any way. Not all guards were that way, some felt the same anger as some prisoners because Tony was considered a traitor and Jack wasn't sure they wouldn't harm him. For now Tony was safe and that thought comforted Michelle a bit.
During the first two weeks all Michelle did was sit in their empty house, looking at their things, and thinking of the life they shared together and lost. It was hard for her not to cry with all the memories that surrounded her. When Tony went to prison, CTU sent his things to their home; she placed the box next to the door, where it remained. Michelle didn't move a single thing, she left everything exactly the way Tony left it the day before that horrible event, even the TV-guide they left on the coffee table the prior night.
Tony and Michelle didn't find anything interesting on the TV so they went to bed early, but they didn't sleep very much.
Tears came to her eyes once more and she wiped them again. The thought of their last night together brought on some happy memories and Michelle was worried that they were their last.
That night Michelle was worried if she would get the job at Langley. She wanted it for multiple reasons, but the biggest one was the fact that working with Tony was something she loved more than anything. Her job was even more special to her because she could do it side-by-side with her husband; it was part of their relationship and the more time passed, the more they loved it.
Michelle didn't care about her job, that move was too big for him to miss, she would go with him no matter what. Being a housewife for a while didn't bother her so long as they were together, because she had other ideas on her mind in that case. But the thought of not being able to work with him anymore saddened her because it meant they would be apart for most of the day and being together was another big plus of working in the same office.
Tony knew that, he loved it as much as she did for the same reasons. He made his decision long ago but he didn't tell it to Michelle yet. He decided to wait until they heard from Langley because it all depended on their answer and Tony knew she'd object to his decision if the answer was no. Tony had talked about it with Michelle so many times by that point and told her everything would work out, that people at Langley would be stupid not to take her. However, Tony knew his wife and he knew she would keep worrying about it so he decided to keep her mind occupied with other things and keep her relaxed, especially that night, the night before they would find out. Since there was nothing on the TV, he told Michelle that he had other ways of distracting her from Langley. Tony smiled, got up, lifted his wife off the couch, and carried her to their bed. They made love for hours.
Michelle's eyes were filled with tears again. The thought of not getting the job at Langley for both of those reasons worried her for weeks and now that seemed so insignificant to her. Since it happened, all Michelle could think about was, if she had known that night what would happen the following day, she would've taken Tony and hid with him where they could never be found.
Their house was on the beach; Tony built it for them on their favorite spot. The little cove was a spot they came to on the first date Tony was able to walk completely without crutches, two weeks after the nuclear bomb day. It was his favorite spot, where he'd come to relax; Michelle was the first person he brought there. She fell in love with it the second she saw it, they even spent the night there, talking and looking at the stars. A month later when Tony heard the spot was being sold he bought it immediately and built their dream house.
Spending nights on the back porch, which had great view of on the ocean, was something Tony and Michelle enjoyed. They had a deckchair for two on it and would snuggle up close and talk late into the night. On many summer nights, they would sleep on it or on the beach right below. The night Tony went to prison, Michelle closed the curtains and didn't set foot outside again.
Jack kept his promise to Tony, he came to visit Michelle everyday during those two weeks she spent inside the house. Jack was worried about her, she didn't talk much and didn't let him open the curtains even though she normally loved the sun and the view before and kept them opened all the time. All she did was ask about Tony. Jack told her that Tony wanted her to be happy and live her life; he wouldn't want her cooped up inside the house. Michelle said that she can't do anything at the moment, but told Jack she'd think about it.
Soon after that conversation Michelle decided to go back to work. She was still distressed by the whole situation but thought Jack might have a point and that working could distract her from her dark thoughts. Michelle had so many in her mind that she desperately needed something to divert her attention, at least for a few hours a day.
Even though part of her still loved it, Michelle hated her job because it separated her from the only thing that really mattered to her, her husband. Michelle didn't feel like finding a new one, not yet anyway. She didn't care where she worked as long as it kept her busy. Her job wasn't a big part of her life anymore; it was just something to help the time pass by faster. One thing Michelle knew however was that she wanted to get out of CTU-Los Angeles.
When Michelle decided to go back to work she called Division and requested a reassignment from CTU. Fortunately no one wanted to lose her so Michelle was transferred to Division.
Thankfully Hammond was no longer there; he had been implicated in some shady business and was shipped to CTU-Juneau which also happened to be where Carrie was stationed shortly after the nuclear bomb.
Michelle was happy to hear that because she felt like she'd choke him if he ever appeared in front of her eyes. Division offered her a promotion butit required Michelle to attend two months of job training in Seattle. At first Michelle refused because she didn't want to be apart from her husband for that long but the offer remained opened.
The next few weeks went by faster; there was a lot of work to be done and Michelle was glad because it kept her busy. She would spend 14 hours a day working; the rest of the day she felt as miserable, finding it hard to eat or sleep
Another thing Jack arranged was a separated room for Tony and Michelle when she visited the prison. A guard would watch them from outside but they still had more privacy than they would under normal circumstances.
When the day of her first visit came, Michelle couldn't wait to see her husband and have him hold her.
When the doors opened and Tony came in, Michelle froze; she thought she was dreaming. Tony just stood there for a few seconds looking at her before they hugged and both started crying. Fifteen minutes later they separated only so much to be able to look at one other. Tony looked at his wife, measuring her. He saw how sad she was, and how weak she looked. Tony asked her if she was eating or sleeping at all, Michelle wanted to lie to him but couldn't.
"I'm trying," she said, "but it's hard. You know I can't sleep without you and you spoiled me with your cooking. Gina is trying, she comes once a day, everyday, but you know I like your cooking better." Michelle smiled a bit, Tony did too, but he didn't find it funny.
"I'm worried about you; you're ruining yourself like this. Baby, you'll become ill, you can't do this to yourself. I'm glad to hear Gina is there for you, so you at least eat one meal a day, but that's not enough. You look like you haven't closed your eyes in ages. Baby, you have to sleep, please. Michelle, please promise me you'll start sleeping more and eating when Gina isn't making you," Tony said.
"I don't expect you to jump for joy but I can't look at you like this. I hardly recognize you. You were always strong and look at you now. Baby, you look so weak and tired. You know how much I love you and how worried I am about you as it is, if not for anything else, do it for me, please sweetheart."
"I promise I'll try. I don't want to be like this, I don't recognize myself either.
I was never like this before; you know that the best. But I feel like a truck ran over me. I don't feel like smiling or being happy; I have no reason to. With everything that happened in the past month and a half and with you in here… I just can't help feeling and acting like this. I keep thinking about you, about that hotel and…" She stopped herself from going further, her eyes filling with tears even more, biting her lower lip. She took a deep breath.
"I just can't live my life like nothing happened. I know how much you want me to be happy and calm and I promise you, sweetheart, I'll do my best to make that happen. I promise to be stronger for you, for both of us. It will take me longer without you by my side, comforting me, but I promise I'll do it." Michelle said looking into his eyes and smiling a bit, assuring him that she will do her best.
That calmed Tony down a bit. Even though, it was hurting him to see how much Michelle was suffering and he knew she was hiding most of it from him. Tony hated the whole situation, he loved his wife more than anything else and he wasn't able to be there for her in the moments when she needed him the most.
But Tony knew she's a strong woman; she was one of the strongest people he ever met, if not the strongest. He also knew how much she loves him and that's why he was certain she would try her best and in time get better; that was the only thing he could've hoped for at that point.
Tony promised himself that he'd make sure she's calmer and a bit happier during these visits. He needed her as much as she needed him but he couldn't burden her with even more problems when she had so many on her mind already.
The rest of the visit they spent kissing and holding each other as close as possible. When the visiting time was over, they had hard time letting go of each other, but the guard took Tony away and Michelle left feeling all alone again.
Michelle wanted to tell her husband everything that was going on in her mind, Tony was the only person she could really talk to, who would listen to her, understand her and find the right words to comfort her. He knew how to make her feel better in a second. Tony was her strength as she was his; but she couldn't tell him, not while he was in prison. She wanted those visits to be as happy as they could be under the circumstances. Michelle didn't really care what happened to her, but she wanted to calm him down; the last thing she wanted was for her husband to worry about her even more than he already was. After that visit Michelle decided to do her best to make sure Tony wasn't as worried about her. She decided to try eating and sleeping and at least appear stronger in front of him for the time being until she, hopefully, starts feeling better.
The next months passed mostly the same way.
Even though Michelle was still feeling miserable, the work kept her busy and it helped to keep her mind off of everything for at least part of each day.
No matter how strong Michelle was, everything that was going on in her life and in her mind kept her awake at night, and didn't let her be as strong as she used to be or wanted to be. But Michelle decided not to let anyone see how miserable she still was.
During the time of her husband's imprisonment, Michelle cried more than in her entire life. She didn't smile or socialize with her co-workers; she felt as though she didn't recognize herself. At work everyone thought she was cold and rigid because no one really knew her and didn't see how much she was still hurting, but she didn't really care what they thought. In front of those who knew her, Michelle kept her façade and tried acting a bit more like her old self so they wouldn't know what's going on. Michelle didn't let anyone know including Jack and Tony. She decided to let everyone think that she's doing better than she actually was; only she knew what was in her mind and heart and how much it all still hurt. Even though she was mostly miserable about her husband and his state worried and saddened her, the other things on her mind didn't let her mind be at peace.
Aside from nightmares about Tony, Michelle suffered from nightmares about the Chandler Plaza Hotel. She couldn't get out of her mind all those people dying in front of her eyes. Michelle kept feeling guilty about being the one who took CTU team inside in the first place and being the one among the few who survived. On top of that was Tony's imprisonment, it all merged into one big nightmare that tortured her. Even though she wasn't really guilty of either of those things, she couldn't help feeling guilty about it. Both kept Michelle awake at night and prevented her from living in any kind of peace.
Michelle tried eating and sleeping more so Tony wouldn't worry as much, but it wasn't going well. She would barely eat anything aside from the meal Gina would force her to eat and even in front of her she acted like she's eating with more of an appetite because Michelle knew Gina would tell Tony, but in time Michelle managed to force herself to eat something aside from that meal. It wasn't easy, but she did it.
Sleeping, however, was a different story. No matter how hard she tried, Michelle couldn't sleep for more than few hours.
She would take some sleeping pills the night before the visit to help her sleep so Tony wouldn't notice how miserable she still was about the whole situation.
Even though Michelle didn't look as tired, Tony wasn't convinced. He could see that she wasn't any better. Tony didn't say anything though because he saw she's trying and he thought she'll get better and better in time.
Tony asked her to tell him about her day and Michelle told him that the work is keeping her busy. He was glad she was working because he thought she needed other things on her mind. Michelle smiled a bit and said "You're always on my mind and in my heart, but the work is helping. The long hours without you by my side seem to go by a little bit faster, though not nearly fast enough."
Michelle, however, didn't tell him about the promotion she was offered, it wasn't an option anymore. She had no intention of leaving for two months and not seeing him. The only time Michelle was really happy was when she was with her husband and she didn't want to give that up, no matter what.
Three months ago, however, things changed. The day before the visit Michelle received a phone call from prison, it was Tony, the moment she heard his voice she froze, scared that something happened to him because he had never called before. Tony sounded tired; he said that nothing was wrong but his tone was clearly different.
"I don't want to see you; I don't want you to come to the prison anymore."
Michelle couldn't believe her ears, "Why? What's wrong, did something happen?"
"No, I just don't want to see you anymore. I want to be able to survive this whole thing and seeing you is making it very hard. It reminds me of what I lost and I can't deal with it anymore. I can't keep seeing you and you can't keep living from one visit to another either. We both need some distance."
"I don't, all I need is you…" Michelle replied.
"No Michelle, you have your life, your work, and things that will keep you going even though it sounds hard right now. I know you'll be fine and I want you to be. I want you to be happy and keep going, live your life. I don't blame you for anything; nothing will make me happier than knowing you're okay. But I need to be away from you because I can't keep being reminded of my past and you are the constant reminder of it. I love you and because I want to keep you and the life we had in a good memory, I can't see you anymore."
"Tony, please, don't talk like this…"
"Michelle, I know you love me, and if you do, you'll respect my wishes, please, just stay away from me, let me try to find some peace in all of this…" he said before hanging up.
Michelle remained shocked; she couldn't believe what just happened; none of it sounded real to her. She knew him far too well, better than she knew herself. Michelle knew something was wrong, but couldn't do anything about it. She thought that something bad was happening to him and he wanted to protect her from it. The only way Tony could do that was to keep her away from him and it scared her more than anything. However, Michelle also couldn't keep his words blocked away. What if the things he said were true? What if he really needed to be away from her? What if the only thing her visits brought him was pain and misery? What if she never sees him again? Those thoughts made her cry like never before. It felt as though she lost him for good, even more than she already had, and even though she hated to think that his words were true, she liked them better than the alternative.
Michelle didn't call or even try to visit him and Tony didn't call her. A month passed since their last phone call; she kept hoping that he would change his mind and call her, tell her that he wanted to see her, but that didn't happen. Jack still visited her every day, they became like brother and sister and his company helped a lot. Jack still had contact with Tony and went to see him every now and then. Michelle kept her façade though, in front of Jack she pretended that she was better than she actually was because she knew Jack tells Tony everything about her. She knew it would calm her husband if he thought she's doing what he told her to do. Somehow she knew that Tony still asked about her even though Jack said he didn't. At least she hoped he did…
Each time he visited Tony, Michelle asked Jack how her husband was and Jack told her that he seemed to be more and more in peace.
That calmed Michelle down even though it made her sad because it meant that she was wrong and all the bad things she thought and Tony told her were true, but at least he was okay. Michelle kept thinking that something was wrong though because Jack's answers were short. He didn't provide many details about Tony. Jack would only say that he was fine and he seemed to be at peace. She found it strange because before all of this happened he would tell her everything in detail, but she tried to dismiss the concerns as figments of her imagination.
During that month the idea of going to Seattle sounded better. Since Tony didn't want to see her, Michelle thought that going there might do her some good although she didn't think it would, it might do him some. If Tony heard that she left and kept going like he told her she needed to do, maybe it would make him even more at peace. Even though her heart was breaking, Michelle wanted that more than anything else.
Also Michelle needed to get out of their house. She still had not changed a single thing. The curtains were still closed, all the things were in the exact same spot they were 4 months ago, and the box with his things was still by the door. Looking at it all was hurting her and Michelle couldn't take it anymore and decided to go to Seattle for her training. The next day she accepted the offer.
Michelle called Jack and told him that she would be going to Seattle in two days. Jack had news too. He had accepted a position with Secretary of Defense Heller in Washington D.C.
"I'll miss you, during the past 5 months you became like a brother to me. Your company helped me a lot." Michelle said. "I'm even more scared for Tony now.
I don't know how he'll react to all of this, plus he'll remain completely alone."
"Tony already knows about D.C. and he's fine with it," Jack replied.
"I want to tell Tony that I'm leaving but I don't know how. You know we haven't spoken in a month and I don't even know if he will even talk to me," Michelle said.
"I'll call Tony for you and make him talk to you. Also, I want you to know I won't give up trying to find a way to get Tony out of prison. I already spoke to President Palmer about it and things might change soon. I'll probably see him in a month or so in D.C. and we'll talk about it again. I won't make you any promises but I think something will happen then," Jack told her.
"Thank you for everything you're doing for my husband. I feel so helpless but I don't know what to do or how to help him. There's nothing I can do to get him out of there and even my visits didn't help, and…" she paused to stop herself from crying. "Thank you Jack, if anyone can get him out it's you."
"You know he's like a brother to me and he's the only friend I have left. I'd do anything for him. Plus you became my friend over the years and during these last few months you've become like a sister to me. I'd do anything to help you both; just like you both do everything you can to help me."
"Thank you again, Jack, you're like a brother to us both; both you and Kim are our family. I'm glad you're going to D.C. even though I'll miss you. I hope you'll be happy there and find some peace too."
"Thank you, I hope you'll find some peace in Seattle too. It might do you some good to be away from it all. I'll make sure Tony calls you tomorrow. We'll talk soon; I'll call you from D.C. Have a safe trip."
"Thanks Jack, talk to you soon."
Jack kept his promise, the next day, while she was packing the phone rang.
Michelle couldn't open her mouth for a second when she heard Tony's voice. All she managed to say was "Hi." His voice was cold; he said that he couldn't stay for long, that Jack told him she had something important to tell him. Michelle's eyes filled with tears and her voice was trembling while she was telling him about Seattle. When she finished, Michelle said "I don't want to go, I want to see you; I miss you so much."
"Michelle… I'm happy for you, you should go. I've been much better during the last month, the distance will do us both even more good" Tony said before finishing with "Good luck" and hanging up.
Michelle remained shocked even more; she couldn't believe how cold his voice was and even though Tony hid it well, something told her things may not be the way they seem. Even though her instinct might be right there was still nothing she could do about it.
The next day Michelle flew to Seattle.
The two months went by fast as she kept her distance from almost everyone. Michelle was completely detached, cold, and didn't socialize or become friends with any of them. None of her co-workers really knew her, even less than those at Division did. No one knew how much Michelle was actually suffering and how different she was before all of this happened so they gave her a nickname, The Ice Queen.
Because the work required them spend a lot of time together, Michelle became friends with her mentor Bill Buchanan. Bill was a lonely man, his wife left him because of the job and because of it he had only a few friends. They talked a lot and were able to share their misery, even though she didn't let him in much.
Bill was a good man and Michelle was grateful to have him for a friend and to have someone to talk to.
Tony didn't leave Michelle's mind for a second; she was as miserable as before, even more because of the distance between them. Michelle missed him so much it hurt. She called Jack a lot and asked him about her husband; the only thing Jack would tell her is that he's fine and that still worried her.
A few days before her training was over Michelle got a phone call she didn't expect. Jack told her President Palmer would pardon Tony. He said it's not for sure yet, but that he firmly believes that Palmer will do it and that Tony will be a free man in two weeks.
Michelle felt like her heart would jump out even though she didn't know if they would be together and how it would all turn out. She was so happy to know that Tony would soon be a free man like he should be and that is all that mattered.
"Do you want to be the one to tell Tony?" Jack asked.
"Yes, I want to tell him more than anything.
I want to hear his voice, I miss him so much. This time apart has only made me realize even more how much I love him, but I don't know if he'll want to talk to me. We haven't talked in two months."
"I'll make him talk to you even if he tries to refuse. I'll arrange it all in a week and you'll be able to talk to your husband then," Jack said. "Don't worry, Michelle, everything will be okay."
"Thank you Jack, I hope I'll hear from you soon," Michelle replied.
A week later Michelle was back home in Los Angeles and sitting by the phone feeling as though she was on needles; she couldn't wait to hear his voice. Jack called her the day before and confirmed it. If everything went as planned Tony would get out of prison in a week. When the phone rang Michelle nearly jumped out of her skin.
On the other line she heard "Jack?"
"No Tony, it's me, Michelle, please don't hang up baby."
"What do you want Michelle, I thought you were in Seattle?"
"No, I came back a week ago. Tony, I have some good news for you… If everything goes as planned President Palmer will pardon you. You'll be a free man in a week. Honey, you'll be coming home."
There was nothing but silence on the line.
"Tony, did you hear what I said?"
"Yeah, I heard, thanks for telling me Michelle, I have to go now. Bye."
Before Michelle could respond, he hung up.
Michelle got out of the car, feeling too anxious to sit anymore. The thoughts of their last conversation upset her too much. She started walking around, never even feeling the rain falling on her.
Now when Tony was coming out, Michelle kept hoping that her instinct was right and he was trying to protect her but that what he tried to protect her from wasn't too bad. The last thing Michelle wanted was for her husband to suffer.
She kept hoping she'd have him back, but even more she hoped the last 3 months were at least somewhat peaceful for him. Each time Michelle asked Jack about Tony, his answers were short, and that made her worry. Michelle couldn't make Jack talk and she knew there was a lot he wasn't telling her because Tony asked him not to, and that scared her, a lot.
Michelle's eyes were filled with tears again as she paced around the car thinking about everything. Her mind was racing and all she could think about was how much she didn't want to lose him.
No matter what happened during the last 3 months, no matter what made them separate, she hoped that their love was stronger than anything and that in the end they would be together again.
A few minutes later the rain stopped falling and the gate of the prison opened. Michelle turned around and there he was.