The days passed by and the dream never came again. The nightmares weren't as bad as they had been, but he never had the dream of Michelle holding him again. It tore at his heart but at least the nightmares were less painful now.

He finally found the courage to do something that he hadn't been able to do. He went to Michelle's grave. It was late and the shadows were long. He only dared to go at night. The cemetery gates were closed and locked, but he easily scaled the low stone wall and dropped to the ground on the other side. He knew where she was buried. He knew, but he could never bring himself to go to her… until now.

Walking amidst the rows of headstones, his head low and his collar turned up against the chill of the night, Tony slipped from shadow to shadow as silent as a wraith. Standing beneath a tree, he could see Michelle's stone. It was beautiful. He knew that Bill was the one that had taken care of the arrangements and, inside, he was grateful.

Slowly approaching the stone monument, his heart skipped a beat. Kneeling in front of the stone, his fingertips brushed across the smooth, cold surface, and he shuddered. Tony only read half the stone. The other half didn't matter to him. To the world he was dead, and that's the way he wanted it. When he was revived he had been told that everyone he'd known believed that he was dead, and that it was for the best. His body had been swapped with another, and that one had been cremated. So the body laying in the ground beside his wife was some unknown soul, but everyone thought it was him.

Simply thinking about someone else being with his wife, even in death, was enough to make him see red. Tony wanted to rip apart the earth and dig out this imposter. Who ever it was didn't deserve to be next to his Michelle. Only he should be there, laying with her in his arms for all of eternity. Sighing as his fingers traced the etching in the stone, Michelle Dessler Almeida, Loving wife, dearest of friends, taken long before her time. His breath catching in his chest, Tony lowered his head as he felt the tears burn his eyes.

Wife. Friend. Lover. Mother. No one had known she was pregnant. She had been late for her monthly cycle, and had bought a simple home test. The night before he lost her, she had taken the test and called him into the bathroom. He would never forget that moment. God she had looked so beautiful. Sitting on the edge of the tub, with that little white stick in her hand, her hair falling across her face, her eyes moist, she'd called his name softly. He'd walked into the bathroom and had seen her sitting there, and sank to his knees before her. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Showing him the test that she held, her hand shook. "Tony, I think I'm pregnant."

Those simple words, her voice so soft, it was almost like she was afraid to tell him, afraid of what he'd say or how he'd feel. Shock came first. Following fast on its heels however, was pride. Oh how his heart had swelled. Just thinking about holding their child in his arms had brought tears to his eyes. Taking the test from her hand, Tony had gently pulled her into his arms and held her. "Baby, I love you. I couldn't be happier."

She had pulled back enough to look in his eyes and see the truth of his words, and then she'd kissed him. Sliding off the edge of the tub to settle herself in his lap on the floor, she'd wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you happy, really?"

Reaching up to brush the hair from her face, he'd nodded. "Yeah Baby, I really am." She told him that she was going to make an appointment in the morning before she had to go to work. She made the appointment but she never kept it. Leaving him alone in the kitchen, she'd left for work. Getting into her car, it exploded. Tony's world had shattered in that moment.

Clenching his hand into a fist and driving it into the ground, Tony sagged forward and leaned his head against the tombstone. Closing his eyes as the tears fell, "I miss you, Baby. I miss you so much." Steeling his emotions and climbing to his feet, "I love you, Michelle. Always have. Always will." Leaving the way he had arrived, Tony slowly made his way through the city streets back to his apartment.

He didn't have the house anymore. The house was gone. His money was gone. His friends were gone. His life was gone. All he had left was this group that had saved his life, and a small apartment. Not a whole lot to brag about. Letting himself into the building, Tony headed for his door.

"You were out late."

Bowing his head to hide the curled lip, Tony turned slowly composing himself. "David. I needed some air. I couldn't sleep so I took a walk. Is that alright with you?" He knew he shouldn't push Emerson. The man was the reason why Tony was alive, but there were times when he really wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around David's throat and listen to him take his last breath. Tonight was no different.

Leaning against the doorframe of his own apartment, David narrowed his eyes. Cocking his head to the side, "Just remember, you're supposed to be dead."

Walking into his apartment, "Yeah, hard to forget." Shutting the door behind him, Tony crossed the small room in the dark and sprawled across his bed.

...

The following day brought much of the same. While David had him running around to do his bidding, Tony had his own agenda to fulfill. He wanted Wilson. Alan Wilson. From the time that Tony had been strong enough to work again, he had searched long and hard for those responsible for his wife's death. When he had stumbled upon a name, it had taken every ounce of raw determination to not simply go after the man and kill him on sight. Problem was, Tony had no choice but to wait. He had to bide his time, and he knew he'd only get one shot at the man. Alan didn't trust just anyone, and at that time, he really didn't trust Tony. Of course Alan didn't know that Tony knew he was behind Michelle's death because if he did, he would have known to have Tony removed… permanently.

So the days ran together, one into another. The days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months. While Tony played his role as the dutiful team member and compatriot to David, he ran his own show on the side. Tony used everyone around him to gain the information he needed to get closer to Alan. Funny thing was, not one of them was smart enough to realize that they were being played. Tony was good, he was smooth. He'd been hurt on the deepest of levels, and he was out for revenge. David knew it, and he drew on that fury, that anger, and watched as Tony silently fumed. David knew that it was only a matter of time before Tony snapped, and as far as he was concerned, so long as Tony was by his side, he wasn't all too worried about himself.

What bothered David was knowing that Tony had taken to disappearing at night and being gone sometimes for hours, and no one knowing where he was going or who he was seeing. This had started months ago and although at first it was only occasionally that Tony would take off without a word, David knew first hand that it had soon become a nightly ritual that Tony would disappear. So David finally had him followed.