December 1997
One evening Michelle is looking at a picture which was taken a month before the attack, with the whole CTU team. Then she looks at two wedding picture of her wedding. One with Jack and Kim as whitnesses and one with Tony´s four grandparents and her four grandparents, Tony´s parents, his two brothers with their wives and three and five kids, her brother with wife and her mother.
Only moments later Tony returns home from the grocery store. After putting the groceries in the kitchen he enters the livingroom and sees his wife looking at the pictures. He sees at what pictures she is looking and he himself is a little sad, too. He could see that she was still hurting, even if she wasn´t looking at him. When she noticed him she turned around and saw him and he could see the still very deep pain she has. He knew he had to do something that would help her, because he could not see his wife being in so much agony and pain. Not if he can help it and change it. He walks up to her and places his hands on her hips. "Michelle it is hard I know. But you have to start letting go. We have to start living our own life. I am not asking you to forget them. I am asking you to open yourself to a new part of your life." She looked up at him and saw the love and compassion in his eyes. She knew he just wanted her to be happy. "Tony I need time. I am not quite ready yet. But I will get there Tony. I promise. I just need time." He nodded and gave her kiss to her temple. He pulled her into a hug hoping it would make her a little comfortable. He decided to not push the issue right now because she would block it off anyway. He figured that she really just needed time.
A few days later on Christmas morning Tony could see that the pain Michelle had was still too deep, for her to be happy and wanting to celebrate Christmas so he decided to call his parents and tell them that they would not be coming to the annual Christmas dinner. "Mom it´s Tony." "Tony!" "Mom Michelle and I will not be coming." "Why?" "I told you that CTU wss bombed and that we lost a lot of collegues and very good friends. Michelle still has not totally recovered. She needs time mom." "But you can still come." "No we cannot Mom. Michelle is in pain and agony. It is hard enough for her to get through our normal day even as we are not working and just relaxing. It is very hard for her. I cannot see her getting through those hours. She can hardly handle two to three hours just relaxing without crying her eyes out and taking a nap after." "Let me talk to her Tony." "No. How about you come to our house and we do it here. It would be easier on Michelle. She would have the possibility to be at a place she feels safe and can rest whenever she wants. Please Mom. Michelle needs to feels safe." "OK. I will pack the food and call your parents." "Thank you." An hour later Tony´s parents and brother´s arrive with their families. Tony has already informed Michelle and she has agreed. They are setting the table and Preparing the dinner when Michelle enters the kitchen and walks up to Tony. He sees her and pulls her into a hug. He can still see the pain in her eyes. "Are you OK sweetheart." "As OK as I will be Tony." She walks over to the livingroom and sits down aon the couch her legs next to her and covers herfeld with a blanket. Tony´s sister-in-law sits down next to her. "Are you OK Michelle?" "Yeah." "Are you sure?" Tony comes out of the kitchen and sees his sister-in-law asking Michelle and he sees that it is bothering Michelle. He says "if she said she is OK then she is OK." His sister-in-law remains seated. He then talks to Michelle. "You stay here and rest. I´ll take care of everything. Call me if you need me." "Yeah." She gets up and walks to the sideboard and looks at gets the three photos and sits down again. Tony is still standing next to the couch. "Michelle stop hurting yourself with that. We´ll go visit them later OK. Give me the pictures I´ll put them back." "Tony I just need these pictures. Please." "OK. But if it starts hurting to much put them back or call me." She then hears an ambulance going by their house and immediately grabs Tony´s hand. He notices her panic and says. "Michelle we are not at CTU. It is OK. Calm down." After two to three minuted Michelle has calmed down. "Sorry Tony I just thought that…" "It is OK. Relax I will call you when dinner is ready." He walks back to the kitchen.
After dinner they are sitting in the livingroom and Tony is sitting on the armrest of the sofa next to Michelle with his arm around your shoulder. He notices how Michelle is getting fidgetiy and rubs her back to calm her down. He knows that it is coming from the claustophobia. Tony gets up and leads Michelle to the dinningroom to calm her down a little. In the dinningroom Michelle starts talking. "I´m sorry Tony. I couldn´t stop it." "It is OK. That is why we did it here. So that you are comfortable." "Let´s go back. I do not want them to know." "OK I will not tell them" They go back to the livingroom, with Tony having one arm wrapped around Michelle´s shoulder and the other holding her hands. Tony´s mother asks "where have you been? everything OK with you Michelle?" Tony looks at Michelle with a questioning look and Michelle says. "Tony do not tell them. Please." "Michelle is fine. Nothing that is supposed to concern you. Michelle sits back down on the couch and Tony sits back down on the armrest next to Michelle with his arm on her back and with the other hand he is holding her hand. After a few more hours Tony´s family and Michelle´s brother and his family go home and leave Tony and Michelle alone. "Thank you for not telling them Tony." "I told you we are going to tell him when you are ready. Not before. They do not need to know. We ca handle it alone. I love you." "I love you too Tony. Take me to bed." He leads her to the master bedroom. He helps her get changed and both fall asleep soon.