AN: Well, here goes my first 24 fic. This will be very much Tony/Michelle ... it will follow season four from Tony's point of view. If you want, consider this a prologue because it is shorter than any other chapter - only 15 minutes instead of an hour. Hope you enjoy!
Never Without You
Chapter 1 – To Remember
1:45 – 2:00 PM
1:45:00
Tony Almeida pulled open the refrigerator, grabbed a beer, popped it open, and sat back on the couch all in one lazy motion. However, his mind was not on the shrieks of the soccer game that were filtering through the speakers of his TV. He was much more focused on an incident earlier that day that had him bothered.
It wasn't a very big incident. It didn't even come close to the magnitude of some of the other things that had happened today. After all, he did like to keep up to date with what was happening with national security (probably a result of being Director of CTU for three years). He knew the Secretary of Defense Heller and his daughter were kidnapped earlier today. That did not particularly bother him. He happened to know that Jack Bauer was on that case and that was enough to reassure him of any worries there.
No, the incident that was worrying Tony Almeida was much more simple and less life changing. It was simply another event in a chain of events that were all attempting to force him to realize something he did not want to admit.
The actual event in question had occurred when he woke up. He had awoken with his arm slung around a woman, her curled against him, and her hair in his mouth.
It was this last that was the real cause of the issue. He had been catapulted back in time with those strands of hair to a year and a half ago. Before the virus. When it had been Michelle he was waking up next to with her curly hair perpetually in his mouth.
Damn it. It had been six months since he had last seen her! He gulped some beer. Six months should have been more than enough time to get over Michelle. More than enough time to stop mistaking his girlfriend for his wife. Ex-wife. He finished off the can of beer but refrained from getting another.
The problem with this incident was not necessarily that he had mistaken Jen for Michelle though. That was a logical mistake. After all, he had only been sleeping with Jen for a matter of months and he had spent years with Michelle.
The problem was that when he had woken up and thought Michelle was in his arms, he had experienced a moment of pure bliss that was only comparable to times before the virus. What had happened to getting over her? Hadn't she ruined his life enough?
The thought made him feel guilty immediately. She hadn't asked him to become a traitor for her. She hadn't asked him to turn to the bottle for comfort. She had tried to help and he had refused her. He closed his eyes and pushed the memories away with a grimace.
As he opened his eyes, he saw Jen come out of their bedroom and sit down next to him. Her hand slid up his arm seductively but he ignored her, focusing on the game and pretending he didn't wish she were Michelle. Jen slumped next to him, rolling her eyes at his aloof behavior. It looked like she was about to say something when the phone rang.
Saved by a call. Tony let it ring three times before picking it up and answering with an impatient, "Yeah?"
It had taken five months after prison to stop from answering the phone with a business-like, "Almeida" and even now he had to discipline himself to prevent from slipping. It was so easy to slip back to what had been.
As though to prove this, it took three words to launch him back to that life he was trying to forget. "Tony? It's Jack."
His first reaction was an insane urge to laugh. As though he didn't recognize Jack Bauer's voice. As though they hadn't worked together for so many years. As though Jack wasn't one of the only people Tony truly trusted. As though … as though they were back at CTU getting through another of those days. The last thought filtered through slowly and Tony frowned at it, wondering what had brought it on.
"Tony?" Jack repeated, urgently. And Tony knew what had inspired him to think back to those days. It was the stress in Jack's voice. The rushed pressure they both knew so well. He closed his eyes and, for an instant, felt like he could turn around and direct Chloe to bring up satellite images and order Adam to leave him alone before turning to Michelle for some much needed emotional support. Like he could send in attack teams to help out Jack, turn around briefly and see all those familiar faces at CTU. He shook his head impatiently and the memories evaporated like the unsubstantial mist they had become.
"Yeah?" Tony repeated. He would never admit that his voice had broken. The memories longed to pour out, wanted release somehow. "What do you want Jack?"
"Help."
"Help." Tony repeated blankly.
"We're surrounded by the hostiles that tried to kidnap Heller and his daughter earlier today. Actually, I'm with Audrey Raines right now." Jack continued, "I need back-up."
"What do you want me to do Jack? I can't exactly order in an attack team anymore …"
"I know that. I thought you could come."
"Why are you calling me?" Tony asked. He didn't want to go. Didn't want to be drawn back into that world. "Aren't you working for the Secretary now? Can't you call in someone over there?"
"No, they don't have anyone trained in Field Ops."
"Then what are you doing in the field, Jack? That's not part of your job."
Jack sighed, knowing Tony wouldn't be happy with this next bit. "I'm actually currently helping out at CTU."
Tony had known subconsciously. Jack was always drawn back to CTU. He couldn't escape it. Tony was resolute; he would not go back there. "So why aren't you calling them?" His voice was cold.
"They are compromised. You're the only person I can trust, Tony."
Tony closed his eyes. He couldn't refuse. Jack had saved his life too many times, not least of which was getting him a presidential pardon for treason charges. "I don't want to hear the details. Where are you?"
"Felsted Security. Do you –"
"I know where it is. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Jack hesitated on the other end before saying, "It's good to hear your voice again, Tony."
In a moment that had become rare lately, Tony was absolutely honest when he said, "You too, Jack."
Then he hung up the phone with an unexpected reluctance. He didn't want to lose this newfound connection to the past. Shocking, but the memories felt good after being suppressed for so long.
He turned to Jen who was looking at him curiously. Not surprising. She didn't know much about his past. He had seen no reason to tell her, didn't want her to know. That hadn't changed with this new development. He didn't have to make excuses to her, didn't have to explain himself. That was why he was in this relationship, because she didn't ask for anything emotional. He kept it brief. "I have to go. I'll be back later."
"Sure," she replied, annoyed with him now. Tony found that he didn't really care.
He turned to go into their bedroom and changed into the first set of clothes he could find. Then he stopped and bit his lip. He lost the speed he had had while dressing as he pulled down a box from the very top of their closet. He pulled off the beat-up lid and stared at the gun inside.
Jack had given it to him after he had been pardoned. Technically it was illegal for him to own a gun, but it wasn't like Jack or he cared for the law much by that point.
That had been the last time he had seen Jack. There at the federal prison with a pardon signed by President Palmer and this gun. "Just in case," he had said, "because you never know when the next crisis will be. And they'll need you. They always do."
He had thrown it in here … or perhaps Michelle had. Those months after his release from prison were muddled and clouded by drink and misery. And now … he picked it up with an odd reverence. This was tangible. This was real, a real connection to what seemed like another life. He hefted the gun and an unexpected smile came to his lips. Though it was more of a smirk, it was the closest he had come to a smile in a long time.
Tony shoved the gun half in a pocket and covered it with his shirt before walking out. He passed a mirror and looked at himself curiously. Strange. He had a glow, a purpose in his eyes and his gait. There was something there that had been missing since he had been fired from CTU. This was what he lived for.
And with the thought, he left the house and got into his car. Felsted Security …
1:56:46
Tony ran. The adrenaline surged with a wildly familiar fear. He could hear gunshots.
He allowed himself a brief moment to wonder what in the world Jack had gotten himself into before pushing on. He could see the open garage now. There was silence, and he prayed he wasn't too late.
He turned in the open door and reacted to the sight of about five hostiles without direction from his conscious self. He opened fire with an accuracy that, though rusty, was deadly.
The rush of power filled him as the gun recoiled in his hands and he fired again to take out the last hostile. It felt odd while completely natural for him to yell out, "Jack!"
"Tony!" Was the response in Jack's familiar voice.
Good. Tony was filled with a pleasant sensation he hadn't had since the virus, the feeling one got after saving someone else's life. Then he shoved it away bitterly. This same CTU he kept thinking of with such nostalgia was the same place that had ripped his life apart. That had torn him away from Michelle.
He faced Jack with that thought in his head. He managed to keep from showing much emotion at seeing Jack again and faced his introduction to Audrey Raines with the bitter sentiments still flowing though. Audrey looked at him curiously and looked at Jack as though for confirmation of something.
Tony could tell Jack had told her about him and wondered what Jack had said. Had Jack spoken about Michelle? About how his life had fallen apart?
Pushing away the questions, Tony interrupted their silent looks to say, "We need to go. They might have backup somewhere."
Jack looked at him and nodded, though there was something stilted about it all. Too much baggage. Too much they couldn't talk about because they didn't know how to begin. Tony could tell Jack wanted to talk about Michelle, but couldn't broach the subject. There was too much history that had been forgotten for too long.
Tony led them to his car, unlocking the door manually and letting them in. It didn't particularly matter to him what they thought of his battered, dusty car. Or at least he told himself that.
Jack offered Audrey the front seat, which caused Tony to raise an eyebrow, though he knew better than to intrude by asking. He remembered Kate Warner before deciding it was none of his business and that he didn't really care anyway.
He pulled away from Felsted Security as Jack took out his cell phone and pressed one number, speed dial probably. Tony turned his attention to Audrey and felt a flash of sympathy when he saw a tear roll down her cheek. Days like this had a tendency to overwhelm, especially when you aren't used to them.
He had a flash of memory back to so many years ago when Michelle was undergoing her first day like this at CTU. When she had ended up crying on his shoulder after her brother was sedated. When she had said she couldn't go on. And then when she had kissed him …
He shut off the line of thought. No. No more memories. He was going to stop dwelling on the past and forget the memories.
Tony might have turned the car around and left right then if he had known how many memories this day was going to bring back.
2:00:00
AN: Please review just to tell me what you thought! Updates should be along pretty soon.