I continued at a swift pace until I had caught up to Tony. I couldn't let him leave, I just couldn't. If they took him to jail, it would be real, and I wasn't ready to let him face this by himself. Tony looked back over his shoulder and saw me coming towards him. He stopped. The guards looked around, wondering what had made him stop and saw me coming towards them. They took a step away from Tony, not wanting to get in my way. I think if they had tried to keep me away from him I would have beat the living crap out of both of them, so it really was better for all of us for them just to give me access to my husband. I came right up to him, ignoring the stares of my fellow workers. They weren't accusatory, more interested, wondering. I stopped when I was right up against him, gently pulling on his shirt so that he was close to me.

"I'm sorry," he said, resting his forehead on mine.

"Don't baby. Don't be sorry," I said quietly.

"I'm glad you feel that way," he said, and then whispered softly in my ear, "because if I had a chance to do it again, I would do the same thing."

He had whispered but most people could hear him anyway. CTU had fallen almost silent. Most people were curiously glancing in our direction. Kim stood with Chase and her Dad, along with Brad who had followed me into the bullpen, and Adam and Chloe were over at the desks. But I didn't see them right then. My concentration was being absorbed only by the man in front of me. I felt a tear run down the side of my face. How was I going to live without this man? How? I put my arm on the good side of his neck as he played with the bottom of my shirt with his hands, still handcuffed together.

"I love you," I said, resting my forehead back onto his.

"I love you too baby," he said.

Right as we were about to kiss, Brad decided to jump in.

"That's enough," he said again. "

Fine," I said without taking my eyes off Tony's face, "then let me go with him."

"Let you, what?"

"Let me go with him," I repeated. "I don't need to be here, and as you are planning to take my husband away from me because he did what any loving husband would do then there is no reason I shouldn't get to be with him for awhile before I can only see him during visiting hours," I said cynically.

Brad could hear the disgust in my voice. He looked taken aback, as did many of my coworkers as I had just told off their boss's boss. I didn't take my eyes off Tony who smiled when I had finished and whispered to me,

"That's my girl."

"Well, you can't go with him. He is a prisoner and no special treatment will be taken because he is a former agent." I glanced at Brad, fire in my eyes.

But then Tony started whispering to me.

"Baby I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I only ever wanted us to be together, and if there was some way I could go back in time, I would be more careful with you, not let you get kidnapped in the first place. But I can't. And that's fine. I would much rather be spending my time at home with you but prison is a fine price to pay for you to be alive. I love you, and that thought will comfort me through the days that follow."

By this time I was a complete mess. There was so much sincerity in his voice, love in his eyes, and suddenly I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed to kiss him, to be with him, to spend every moment with him. I couldn't bare even the thought of being apart. "

How can you be sorry this is happening to me?" I managed to gasp out, "It's happening to you."

What I was saying didn't make any sense, but he understood me.

"We'll get through this," he said firmly, placing his hand on my face so that again a felt steal touch my neck.

"Enough," Brad said, "you've had plenty of time, get moving."

"Brad," Jack said suddenly, "If you don't let Tony go home with Michelle, even if its just temporary. Station guards around the house, set a trial date, whatever. But if you don't let the director of CTU go home with his wife after a 24 hour day to get some rest, then you can expect my resignation.

Brad barked a laugh.

"And mine," said Chase.

"Me too," chimed in Kim, glaring at Brad.

Adam stood up and said, "Mine as well."

Chloe stood up, and slowly all the other people around the desks stood up, giving their resignations as a protest. Brad simply stared. It seemed he could not believe his eyes. I was filled with so much appreciation at how loyal everybody was.

"Come on, Brad, you can't afford to lose all of us," Jack said, "Let the man kiss his wife."

There was a pause while everybody looked at Brad, waiting for his decision. I was truly touched by Jack's speech, and was silently praying for him to let it be okay. Tony, standing a few feet from me was biting his lip. Slowly, Brad took the key for the handcuffs from the guard. He considered for a second, looking around at all the standing agents, then he slowly, deliberately, placed it in Jack's outstretched hand. My heart leaped as I was filled with an overwhelming joy. Jack went behind Tony, the guards backing away, and released one hand from the handcuffs.