Michelle walked up the stairs to Tony's office. Some new person who had obviously just been placed in CTU spotted her opening the door.
"You can't go in there," she said in an annoying voice.
'Another one in Hammond's pocket,' Michelle thought bitterly to herself. She turned around and stared at the girl.
"Let me give you some advice. Stay out of this. This is none of your business."
"That is Tony Almeida's office. He is in custody because he's a traitor, so stay out of his office," she said in an almost superior tone.
This girl obviously had no idea that Michelle was Tony's wife.
"Listen, whatever Division's told you, you spread that crap about Tony, his staff will make absolute hell for you."
With that she walked threw the door and into Tony's office. Adam was sitting on one of the desks nearby, laughing slightly as he saw the shocked look on Jenny's face, having seen the whole thing.
"Who does she think she is," she asked Adam.
"Michelle? Oh, you don't want to mess with her. She's Tony's wife and one hell of an agent. I'd keep out of her way."
He laughed as Jenny's face turned pale white upon realizing that she had just been talking to Tony's wife. Inside Michelle had sat down at his desk and took the picture from the desk. She stared at it for a minute before opening the back of the frame and removing it. She then opened his bottom drawer and took out a box the size of a shoe box. Opening the lid with shaking hands, she revealed a few pictures along with a few pieces of paper. The first picture was one of her on their honeymoon. The next was of them kissing on their wedding day. Even in her distress she recognized how handsome he had looked. The last was a picture of them hugging each other so tight that there cheeks were pushed together, both grinning stupidly at the camera. The first piece of paper was the note he had asked for. The second seemed to be a note he had been working on, the looks of it being for her birthday. She read what he had written. He had clearly been working on it hard because there were lots of smudges where he had erased and cross-outs where he had put other words. It wasn't completely finished, but as she read what he had already written tears streamed down her face. On the back of the paper were lists of possible presents and places he could take her for her birthday. Grabbing the two pictures he had asked for and the note, folding them and putting them into her pocket, she took the paper with her birthday stuff on it and began to walk out. She threw the door up and walked down the stairs, tears still streaming down her face but a fury burning in her heart. She flung the door of the observation room for the interrogation room Tony was in open. Everybody stopped what they were doing and stared at her tear stained furious face.
"Does this look like the note of a traitor Brad? Does it you son of a bitch?" she yelled at him, holding the note in her fist in his face.
She slammed her hand onto the table, opening her fist so that note laid under her stinging hand. She walked to the door to the interrogation room. Hammond picked up the paper and looked at it.
"Mr. Hammond?" said Chloe uncertainly.
"What is it?" asked Kim.
He read the note out loud.
"To my beautiful wife,
Happy Birthday! I'm so happy that you were born! Michelle, you got to know that I love you so much. You are so beautiful, smart, and loving. Everyday I wake up happy because you are next to me. I came alive when I met you. You transformed what I thought was love. I really had no idea what that was, until I fell in love with you. Michelle, I have always been in love with you. I always mocked the idea of love at first sight; that was before I laid eyes on you. You were the most stunning thing I had ever seen; you still are. Like I said at our wedding, when I got to know you first professionally, then as a friend, then with us dating, I fell even more in love with you then I thought was possible. You are my life, my world."
The letter stopped. It was obviously not done, something that he had in the works. Hammond sighed. Kim, Chloe and the guys from Federal were silent. Michelle had had a reason to be furious.
Michelle's fury dissolved as she stepped in, closing the door and sinking onto the floor. Tony rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her. She sobbed uncontrollably.
"Sweetheart?" he said, "What is it?"
The concern was evident in his voice.
"In the box," she gasped, "The birthday letter."
He pulled her close.
"Shit. I forgot that was in there. I should have known that it would upset you right now. This is all my fault."
He shook his head, still holding her close.
"No Tony no. That was the most beautiful thing I've read since you read me your vows. You are the most wonderful man."
Her crying stopped as she said this last sentence, staring into his eyes. But the tears came back as she remembered that no matter how wonderful he was, he was probably not coming back to her for some time.
"Tony you have to know that you are my life. I love you so much. God I can't imagine this. How can they be doing this to you? To us?"
He held her close.
"I don't know honey," he said quietly.
He hated seeing her like this. He stood up and helped her up. They walked over to the chairs at the table and sat down, holding hands. Michelle had stopped crying. They looked into each other's eyes.
"Here," she said, pulling the folded pictures and paper out of her pocket and handing it to him, although covering it with her hand so that the people behind the mirror couldn't see what it was.
"Thanks," he said, as Hammond walked in, followed by one of the guards, Michelle glaring at him.
"Tony, whatever it is, give it here."
"Look Brad it's none of your business."
"You know it is Tony; now let me see it."
Tony reluctantly handed the folded pictures and paper to Hammond. The second he realized that it was just some pictures and what looked like from first glance a love note, he handed it back, already feeling bad about the note that Michelle had furiously shoved in his face. He handed it back.
"That's fine," he said, exiting the room, the guard in tow.
Hammond became aware that he was slowly warming to the idea of a reduced sentence, and he reminded himself that no matter how much Tony loved Michelle, he, as both of their superiors, had to stay strong. Tony had broken the law, and he was going to pay.
Hope you enjoyed!!! :)