This was supposed to be a one chapter piece- it wasn't actually a story, just me playing, but midgewood58 wanted to know why Michelle was shot. This chapter doesn't really fit with the other one (I'm currently in happy mode, and didn't want to write a load of depressing stuff), but hopefully explains why Michelle was shot. It also doesn't make sense, but I hate Carrie so there you go. So this ones for midgewood58.

Set just before.

Tony was stood at the edge of her station, making faces at her as she tried frantically to finish up. "You're not helping you know." She told him, trying to appear annoyed, although she was actually just as excited as he was.

He'd been preparing a surprise for her forever, it was going to be her first birthday as Mrs. Michelle Almeida. She knew he was planning something big, and frankly couldn't wait until she could leave this place and spend and entire weekend alone with her husband.

But if she didn't do her job properly, they wouldn't leave her alone. Adam was completely unable to deal with anyone else, and Chloe would spend the entire weekend on the phone whining about everything she could.

So ignoring his attempts at distracting her, and ignoring the glances she was being shot from Kim as his fingers made there way through her hair, she force herself to finish the protocols required for her to leave.

Eventually, she finished the ridiculously tedious transfer codes and forms that would enable her to leave Adam in command whilst they were gone. Technically, these were Tony's job, but he was so bad at getting these things right that she hadn't given him the chance to make a mistake with them. This weekend was going to be perfect, nothing was going to get in the way. They had barely had any time off since they got married, and she needed to spend some actual time with him.

As she collected her stuff, Tony slung his arm about her waist. She regarded him for a second, this was a move completely out of character for him, he was wary of flaunting their relationship in the office. He shot her a reassuring look that said, 'Who cares, we're married.' Knowing perfectly well what he meant, she sighed and leant herself against him as they left CTU.

In fact, he was just as excited as she was. He'd missed her, despite the fact they'd been together every day at work and home, he'd barely had a chance to speak to her.

They managed to make it to the car before they got called back. Jack, looking exhausted and irritated, ran after them calling Michelle's name.

Somehow managing not to sound annoyed, she pulled herself out of Tony's grasp to deal with Jack.

Tony rolled his eyes as Jack drew her away, obviously trying to exclude him from the discussion. He climbed into the car, this was likely to take a while. Jack was entirely incapable of operating the new system that Michelle had installed, and refused to ask Chloe for help.

This amused him slightly. Whether he admitted it or not, there was still a lingering dislike for Jack Bauer that years of pain and a shared betrayal had not been unable to wipe away. So flicking through the radio, looking for nothing in particular, he found himself smiling.

It had taken less time than Tony had expected, Michelle was in the car after a few minutes. She looked annoyed, sighing softly as she stared out of the window.

"What's wrong?" He was going to kill Jack if he'd upset her.

"Nothing... Jack's got another top secret mission. I've been doing background checks for him, he couldn't find them on his system. I swear, unless it's a gun, he can't operate it."

Tony smiled at this, Jack annoyed her as much as he annoyed him, she was just better at hiding it than he was. "What mission?"

"The usual, evil terrorists threatening to blow up bits of LA." She smiled sadly, it wasn't an answer but they both understood.

Watching them drive off, Carrie Turner felt a smile spread across her face. She made no effort to repress it as she strolled into CTU. Hammond had installed her to cover for Tony, but knowing that her duration as CTU director would be much longer than that, she had no qualms about spreading her stuff across Tony's desk.

Tomorrow, Michelle would be dead, Tony would be broken, and she would be perfectly happy. So knocking the photo of Michelle off his desk, her desk now, she smiled a contented smile and relaxed into the chair.