The last year has changed Michelle more then she wants to admit. She and Tony have been married for three years when he went to jail for saving her life and had been pardoned by the president Palmer later. But still the year Tony had spent in jail has changed him to, but not as much as it has changed his beloved wife Michelle. He was worried and did not trust what he saw when he first saw her after he was released from jail.

"What is the matter with you sweetheart?" He pulled back from their embrace a little to look at her directly. "Tony what are you asking? I am just happy to have you back" She was pleading with him to stop asking. "Michelle don't lie to me. What is bothering you honey" "Tony stop it. Stop it now."

He knew that she would not talk to him if he pushed her too hard. Instead she would go back into her nutshell even more. So he decided to let it be until later. He planed to talk to her about it in the evening.

A few hours later. Tony and Michelle are at their house and they are preparing dinner when Tony starts to talk about her erratic behavior. "Michelle" "Tony I am fine." He steped closer to her and pulled her against him. "Michelle now it is only you and me. I want you to talk to me. What is the matter?" "Not now. I want to enjoy having you back." He looked at her closely and could see that she was fighting a battle. "Michelle I see that you want to enjoy having me back but you cannot because something is bothering you. Now what is the matter?" "Tony back off." "Sweetheart I see that something is bothering you. What is it?"

Michelle puts down the plate she is holding and goes into the living room, sits down and the couch, pulls her legs up to her body and puts her arms around her legs. At the view of what just happened. Tony realizes that Michelle's problems have to be even bigger then he had imagined and thought. He turned off the stove and took of his apron and followed her into the living-room, where he found her still sitting on the couch and not moving. When he stepped closer he noticed that she was sitting normal by now and that she was praying.

"Sweetheart" "Tony." She looks up at him cautiously. "What is the matter?" He talks quietly and soothing. "While you have been in prison a lot of things have happened and I did not tell you about them because I did not want to worry you too much. A few days after you were arrested, on November 15th, my mother called me very hysterical and told me to come by my grand-parents house, my father's side. When I came there my grand-parents Donald and Helen were dead. Murdered. They were 87 and 88 years old and died on 15th November 1999. The killer left a note letting me now he is going to stop when we get him.

"I´m so sorry honey."

"It is OK. Just hear me out. Only three months after that my grandparents were killed my parents Donald and Susan died on 3rd of February 2000 and again the killer left me a note telling me that he was not done yet. They were 64 and 62. After that I just hoped it was over but I was wrong. The killer killed again. This time he killed my mother´s parents on 30th of Mai 2000 at their house. Patrick and Caroline were 86 and 84. He also left a not at my grandparents house, letting me know that he will only stop when we get him. On August 28th 2000 I got notified by the police that my brother, his wife Charlotte, and their children Richard and Hailey have been murdered. They were 34, 34, 8 and 4. They are all in a family grave at the National Cemetery. I inherited all four houses, all four trailors and their money and life insurances. All together my grandparents life insurences both over each 50.000. My parents life insurance over 75.000 and the life insurances from my brother, his wife and their children all together over 150.000. All together 325.000 plus the Money from their accounts. If you add that it makes 350.000. I sold my grandparents trailors and the trailor my parents owned. I sold my grandparents trailors for each 15.000 and my parents trailor for 20.000. Now if you at that to the rest it make 400.000. I put the money on an extra bank account and I do not need money for the gardener at the Cemetery because I am taking care of the Grave myself. I kept the photo albums, the pictures and I kept the old furniture my grand-parents, parents and my brother had and put them in our house here. I also kept special clothes, toys other things and all the quilts they home-made. I sold the rest at a garage sale a month ago and emptied all houses and put them up for rent. Every house has renters by now. They are all next to each other on Heather Drive, North Hollywood. I pray to god that he stops murdering because I´m tired of it. I just want him to pay for what he has done and I want to start living a normal life again. I just want to have you and my life back."

"Sweetheart you have your life back and we will find the guy who did it. I promise you we will find him. I am so sorry that you had to go thru this all by yourself and that I could not be there for you and with you." "I was not alone Tony. Jack and Kate helped me out a lot. They took me on their vacation and I also spent a lot of time at their house after each murder and spent a lot of time talking with Jack and Kate. They helped me out a lot and they came by twice as week for dinner and I went to their place twice a week for dinner, too. And Jack called me at least once in the morning and once in the evening to make sure I am OK, even though we saw each other at the office every day. I feel even more comfortable with you back at my side and in your safe arms again."

While telling Tony what happened she did not shed one tear but now after she finished she went to the living-room window and started to sob and shake. When Tony saw that, he was on his feet in seconds and turned Michelle around so that she was facing him and wrapped his arms around her. She just leaned into him and sobbed onto his chest. After a few minutes her legs locked and Tony picked her up and carried her over to the couch. After about half an hour she started to calm down and her breathing soothed a little. After she realized what time it was she turned to Tony and said "I am hungry. Do you mind finishing dinner Tony?" "I will and you stay here and rest."

After dinner he was putting the dishes in the dishwasher and cleaning the kitchen and she was sitting on the sofa. When he entered the living-room she was watching the news on TV. He sat down next to her and kissed her on her temple. She returned the kiss and moments later they were passionately kissing and he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom and lay her on the bed. He helped her change her clothes and then got changed himself. After that he let himself down on the bed next to her and made an attempt to kiss her belly and to touch the triangle between her legs but she looked up and said. "Tony. Not now maybe later. This was long and exhausting. I just need some rest and a good night sleep." "OK sweetheart you just get comfortable I will stay here. I will be right here with you"

After he said that he could hear his wife breathing calm and when he looked he saw that she was sleeping. And he thought she might not have slept very well during the last year considering what happened to her family. It was only 8 p.m. and Tony decided to call Kate and Jack and talk to them even though he had called after he arrived home, just like he had called President Palmer and Chloe O´Brian.

"Bauer" "Jack it is Tony." "Hey Tony what can I do for you? How is Michelle?" "Michelle is sleeping. She told me what happened and that you and Kate took good care of here. I wanted to thank you for looking after her and taking care of here and taking her on vacation and having her over for dinner twice a week and calling her twice a day."

"Tony we just figured it is what she needed. I think she only ate when she was at our place or when we were at your place to eat dinner and when I ate lunch with her during lunch break at work every day. I made sure she ate her lunch every day." Tony was shocked that it seemed that way that Michelle only ate it Jack and Kate. "So she did not eat at home?" "I am sorry Tony but I am 100% sure she did not eat at home. You should have seen her some days. Tired, exhausted and unfed. She also did not sleep. But I made her sleep two hours a day on the couch in my office after lunch and I made her sleep hat our place after our shift twice a week until dinner was ready. That made four hours from 4 to 8 twice a week. When we were on vacation with her Kate and I gave her sleeping pills without her notice so she would sleep 8 hours a night and would get some rest. I hope that was OK with you."

"Sure as hell it is more than OK that you did that Jack. When you would have asked me I would have even given you permission to do the things you did, because I know how stubborn Michelle can be. But I still think she is keeping something from me except the murders of her whole family. Do you know what it is?"

"Tony I honestly do not know but I noticed that she was somehow different since August. It might just only be the anniversary of the murder of her brother and his family but it might be even more. Kate and I asked her if she was alright and she said it was just the anniversary that shook her up a little. I think it is true that these days in August are still hard on her like the anniversaries of the other murders. I do think there is more to it but I do not know what. I am sorry Tony."

"Thank you Jack I´m just happy she had you and Kate. I will see you soon and good night Jack."

"Night Tony"

Early the next morning Michelle is already in the kitchen making breakfast when Tony enters the kitchen and sees her there. "Morning Honey" "Morning Tony Breakfast is almost ready." He lightly kissed her temple and pulled her into a hug.

"Michelle I talked to Jack yesterday when you were already asleep. He said that he thinks that you are hiding something and quite frankly so am I. Michelle what are you hiding?" She looked at him shocked and did not know what to say. "Nothing" Tony does not believe a word of what Michelle says. But he decides to let it go for the moment because if he pushes her to much she will go back into her nutshell and shut him out completely. After the breakfast she goes into the bedroom to get something and empties the pockets of her jacket when Tony enters the bedroom and sees the piece of paper with the name of a man and his phone number on the table. At this moment Michelle notices Tony´s presence and sits down on the bed and starts to cry.

"Michelle what is the matter? Is this guy responsible for your mood?" He needed to know if someone hurt his wife. "I am sorry Tony I betrayed you." "What are you talking about?" He did not know what she was talking about. "I slept with him once about two months ago. At that point I still thought that you will stay in Jail for twenty years." He was surprised but he could also understand her. She was alone and needed someone. "Michelle. Look at me." He puts his hand under her chin and lifts it up. Michelle looks at him with tears in her eyes. "You had every right to be happy while I was in jail. You thought that I would be in jail for twenty years. I forgive you that you betrayed me because you did not know that Palmer would pardon me. So stop frowning over it we´re good. OK?"

"I am sorry Tony. How can you still love me?" She looked up at him with tearful eyes. "Michelle you had the right to be happy. You do not have to be sorry and I forgive do you hear me? And I will always love you so stop this now and let`s go to work." "Thank you for forgiving me." He noticed that she must have had a hard burden with this. "Sweetheart you are more than welcome. I love you." "Love you, too Tony."

While he drives Michelle to work she looks out of the window and knows that she has to tell him that she met him online and they met at a restaurant and that he followed her after that and that she did not sleep with him voluntarily but that he raped her. She also knows that she has to tell him that she thinks she is pregnant.

"Tony stop at the park over there, please." "Sure honey" He is not sure what she wants at the park but he is happy to comply. After he parked at the park Michelle gets out of the car and walks toward a bench and sits down on it. Tony follows her close behind. "Michelle what is the matter?" "I did not tell you the truth." "About what Michelle?" "About my affair." "What? What is it?" She must still be hiding something from him. He took her hand in his and waited for her to talk. "I met him online and we met once at a restaurant. He became intrusively and I left. After that he started to stalk me and one evening, about six weeks ago, when I came home with some errands and I went back to the car to get the rest I left the front door open and he must have sneaked in. When I went to bed a few hours later and I was asleep he came out of your closet and came into bed. He tied my hands to the head part of the bed tied my legs to the foot part of the bed. He then stood over me he held me gunpoint and I had to take him into my mouth. After that he sat down between my legs and began to penetrate me and then he hammered into me. He raped me Tony. He raped me the whole night and left in the morning after I had to make him breakfast. I am so sorry Tony."

Tony was surprised at what Michelle had been through and wrapped his arms around her and allowed her to cry into his chest. He was surprised how Michelle seemed to cope with the rape. But he was sure she was only holding up the facade.

"Michelle you need to tell Kate and Jack cause they think it is their fault that you haven´t felt well over the last few weeks." "Tony I cannot tell them. It is just too painful." She was afraid of talking about it with other people. "Michelle you have to, you owe them an explanation. They are worried sick." He knew that they had a right to know after everything they did for her in the past year. "I guess I owe them an explanation. Let´s go over to their place now. The earlier we get over with it the better."

Jack and Kate´s house. In the living-room. Tony is sitting next to Michelle one arm around her back and with the other hand holding her hand. Kate and Jack sitting across from them. "I know I owe you an explanation. I am sorry that I haven´t really been nice to you two over the past few weeks but there is something I have to tell you." She trails off and looks at Tony for encouragement and support.

"Michelle what is it?" "Kate please do not push her." Tony says. Then Michelle looks at Tony again and says. "Tony I cannot do this." Tony has his arm wrapped around Michelle. "Michelle I am going to tell them. OK?" Michelle nods. "Jack and Kate what Michelle wanted to tell you is that she has been raped six weeks ago by a guy she met over the internet. She only met him once and he became intrusively and she left. But he did not accept that and stalked her and then one day she returned home after buying stuff to wash the furniture she had inherited and to clean the houses and to work up the old furniture, he snuck in the house while she was unpacking the car and hid in my closet. He raped her the whole night and he is still on the loose. The murderer of her family is still on the loose, too."

"Oh my God Michelle I am so sorry and so is Jack right?" Jack nods. "Please do not tell anyone OK?" Michelle says. Kate and Jack nod. "Did you have a rape kit taken?" Jack asks Michelle. "Jack I did not report it, but I did a rape kit of my own and I have the samples at home. So we can compare it." Michelles answered. "Michelle do you want to report it now?" Tony asks his wife. "Yes, but I only want you three and me to know about the rape. Jack you were head of CTU and you know how this works. Can you run the investigation without anyone knowing?" Michelle asks concerned. "Yeah I can." Jack answered, and smile assuring at Michelle. "Thank you Jack" says Michelle.

About half a hour later Tony and Michelle are back in their car and on the way to CTU. Michelle still has not told Tony about her pregnancy. On the way to CTU Tony notices that Michelle is keeping something else from him and now he really starts to worry what else there could be that she is hiding from him. But he also knows that his wife has been through enough over the past year and that she really needs a break and some sleep. Knowing his questions could stress her he decides not to ask what else she is hiding and ask about it in the evening. Looking at Michelle again he noticed that she had folded her hands in her lap and was praying and that she was biting her lower lip, like she was going to shed a tear any minute. At that look Tony had enough and now really wanted to know what was going on. But he knew if he threw at her with questions she would definitely go back into her nutshell and would try to assure she was fine. That is why he had to talk to her carefully and sensitive not knowing what was behind her facade. After a few more minutes he stopped the car at the park where she had told him that she had met him online and that she had been raped and decided that it would be a good spot to let her tell the rest of her secrets. And he knew that it was not going to be easy to get the information out of his wife.

"Tony why are we stopping at the park?" "I need to talk to you." Michelle notices the worried look on Tony`s face. "Tony what is it? You are worrying me?" By that time he had already left the car and had walked around to the passenger side and had helped Michelle out of the car. They walked over to the same bench they sat on earlier that day and then Tony started to ask. "Michelle I know you think you can keep your secret from me but I am your husband I have not forgotten to read you and I have not forgotten to know when something is wrong with you. I know have hidden six secrets from me. Some of them for months and some of them for weeks. I have only been out a day and you were not able to keep the secrets from bee. So do not think you can lie to me and I still would believe you when you say you are OK. That is not true honey. So please tell me what is bothering you. You know I will do everything in my power to help you."

"Tony let it go!" "Sweetheart something is obviously bothering you and I want to know what. Michelle let your feelings out it will help you. What is your problem sweetheart?"

"I´m…" she trailed off in sobs. Tony put one arm around her back and with the other he held her had knowing that it would only help a little but he knew that that gesture would at least calm her down a little. He was still stroking Michelle`s back when she looked up at him. Her eyes were red from crying and he could see her insecurity, her fear, her pain and her being terrified in her eyes. He knew that is was nothing good what she was hiding.

"What is it Michelle?"

"I´m … I´m pregnant Tony." After that she started to sob uncontrollable and just leaned into the embrace Tony was offering. "It is his kid Tony."

That was all Tony needed to hear and he knew right away why Michelle did not talk to him. She was afraid of his reaction. "Michelle you are pregnant with our child and if you want to keep it or if you do not want to keep it is your decision. Whatever you decide I´m not going to be mad at you. You have to be comfortable with the decision."

"But it is not your child Tony." "If you decide to keep it I will look at it as my own and raise it as my own. If you really want to keep it we will raise it as our child Michelle." "Thank you Tony. I never planned on having an abortion or giving it up for adoption. I was just afraid of your reaction. But now I know that I had nothing to worry about."

About 7 months later Michelle was now 8 ½ months pregnant and her due date was very close by. Tony noticed that Michelle was worked up and not as relaxed as she should have been, when he returned home from work at CTU. Michelle was already on maternity leave, which had started four weeks ago. When he entered the living-room he saw a crying Michelle on the couch.

"Sweetheart what is the matter?" "He called me." Tony looked confused. "My rapist called me and told me that he knows that I am pregnant with his child and that he will sue me for his paternal rights." After that Tony had a bad feeling and whispered something in her ear. After that he searched the whole house. After two hours he returned with 20 microphones and 10 cameras. The guy was watching and listening to them.

"Michelle we will have the locks changed, a new alarm system installed and we will have our own surveillance which will only be turned on when we are not at home. And we will run all through CTU.

June 2001

Michelle had just given birth to her first child a daughter and both mother and baby where sleeping. The baby girl was sleeping in the hospital crib and Michelle was sleeping in the hospital bed. Tony sat on a chair next to Michelle`s bed. They had already decided on the name and the name tag was above the baby crib "Mary-Helen Caroline Almeida".

Michelle was still asleep when Jack and Kate entered and when they saw that Michelle was sleeping they left the room with Tony following them.

"Congratulations Tony from both of us." Jack said and Kate nodded.

"Thank you. Listen I need to ask you a favor. A week ago her rapist called her and told her he wants to sue her for paternal rights. We found 20 microphones and 10 cameras in our house. Do me a favor change all locks, install a security and videotape system, which will only be on when we are out of the house and make the house as safe as you can. Can you run the surveillance through CTU. At least until he is in jail. I do not want Michelle to be scared when she can go home in a few days." "I will do it as soon as I leave. I will make your house as safe as I can." When Tony reentered the room Michelle was starting to wake up."

"Hey sweetheart how are you feeling?" "Exhausted. Do you mind if I go back to sleep until she is hungry. Those 40 hours of labor have really exhausted me." "I will be right here. I am not going anywhere. Get some rest. I will wake you up when she is hungry." Michelle had already fallen asleep during the last sentence. When the doctors and nurses came to check on her and the baby and checked her blood pressure Tony was afraid they might wake her, but she slept so deep that she did not notice them while they did the blood pressure on her arm. When the baby started crying the nurse brought him a bottle of mother milk and they fed it to her and after that she fell asleep again and was now sleeping in her crib again.

When Michelle woke up she had slept for 5 hours straight the first time and for 12 hours straight the second time. Tony knew she really needed the sleep. After she had woken up she really looked a lot better and did not look as exhausted anymore and she did before. Michelle woke up a did not know if Tony was still there, because she was facing the wall so when she opened her eyes she started to panic and cried out for Tony. "Tony? Tony are you their?" Tony got up and went over to his wife.

"Sweetheart it is all right. I am right here. I am not going anywhere." "What about him?" "Jack is making our house safe. You have nothing more to worry about. The only thing you should worry about right now is to get your full strength back and be happy about our daughter." Tony was happy that he did not show up at the hospital and after a few days he went and registered the birth of the baby and put his name in as the fathers. Over the week Michelle and her daughter had spent in the hospital Jack and Tony had made the house to one of the safest places in Los Angeles.

When Tony finally took Michelle home she just enjoyed the fact that she did not have to go to work and that Tony had a few weeks of too, so they could enjoy their parenthood.

One day while Michelle was preparing the breakfast in the kitchen she saw her husband playing with their daughter and she realized that in his mind it was really his kid and she started to realize in her mind that it was really his kid. Not biological but judicial it was his daughter. Now she had her little family she always dreamed of. But on the other side she was still worried what her rapist might do, when he found out that Tony registered her as his daughter and not as his. She was afraid that he might hurt her little family and might even destroy it.

When Tony came to the kitchen-part of the room he saw that Michelle looked worried and he could also see pain and fear in her eyes and he knew immediately that he had to do something about the fact that the rapist was still on the run. "Michelle I think we need to talk." "Why Tony did something happen?" "No Michelle nothing happened." "What is it? Are you leaving us?" "Michelle I would never leave you and OUR daughter. I think you need to ease your mind." "I just want this to end Tony. Can´t you just put him away?" "Michelle I cannot just arrest him. I need his name and address and then I need a DNA sample to compare it." "Tony just do what you have to do and put this guy where he belongs."Michelle starts to cry and Tony walks over to her and put his free arm around her. With the other hand he is carrying his Mary-Helen Caroline in his other arm. When he notices that she is having a meltdown he put his 4 week old daughter on the blanket on the floor and picks up Michelle and carries her upstairs to bad. He lays her down on the bed and covers her up with the blanket. Michelle is asleep a minute later. Tony goes back downstairs to the kitchen picks up his daughter and cleans up the kitchen. After he has finished that the doorbell rings and he answers it and welcomes Jack and Kate. They sit down on the couches.

"Michelle is sleeping. She just had a little meltdown. This guy is really driving her crazy. I do not know how much longer she can stand that without total meltdown. Oh by the way I need to run some errands. Could you two stay here until I come back. I don´t want Michelle and Mary-Helen to be alone." "Sure Tony we will stay here. You go and run errands. Kate and I will take good care of your two ladies." "Thank you. I will be back soon."

About ten minutes later Michelle comes down the stairs and starts to worry when she only sees Jack, Kate and her daughter. "Jack where is Tony?" "He is running errands Michelle. He asked us to stay with you." "Oh my God I totally forgot our brunch appointment. I´m sorry." "Michelle it is OK. Jack and I are OK. Come sit down with us."