It was more like a power nap then anything else. After 30 minutes they both began to stir. He couldn't believe he was still lying on top of her. "Shit Chelle, I must be crushing you."

She put her arms around his back so he couldn't move. "It's perfect Tony, I love being covered by you." He smiled, she was so in love with his smile. He started to kiss her neck and nibble on her ear.

"Crap.....its 4..." Tony lifted his body up with his arms.

Michelle wasn't sure what was going on, "so...."

"I've got the final job interview at 5, remember?" Tony looked down at Michelle. She was nodding her head at him and saying 'ok'. He could see the lost look in her eyes as she thought about her own situation. He felt guilty even bringing up his interview. He wondered how he was going to make all this ok for Michelle.

"Chelle...."

She turned her neck so she was looking back up at him.

"We are going to get through this baby, we will find you something 10 times better than CTU." He winked at her and then kissed her tenderly on the lips.

Tony's phone ringing broke them apart. Tony pulled himself off Michelle and grabbed his phone from his pants. It was Jack...

"What the fuck is going on Tony? They just told us about Michelle."

"What did they say?"

Jack stumbled on his words which was uncommon for him. "You don't want to know Tony, Hammond has a major pole up his ass at the moment."

"Jack, I want to know – what did they say?"

Michelle was listening now too. It wasn't hard to figure out what they were talking about.

Jack cleared his throat. "They said that she had resigned after refusing a transfer because her job here was no longer an option for her. When one of the girls asked why and that's when Hammond told her that Michelle had decided to break the rules by sleeping with her boss. It was like he was making an example of her. Just about everybody had a go at him and Chappelle about it Tony.....everyone feels horrible for you guys."

"Son of a bitch.....I'll fucking kill him."

Michelle was very anxious now to know what had been said. The home rang and so Michelle answered it for Tony. It was the people that Tony was supposed to have his interview with in an hour. Michelle asked them to hold. Tony told Jack to hold and swapped phones. Michelle listened to him thank the man a few times before confirming a date that was over 3 weeks away. He hung up the phone and went back to Jack, he walked over to Michelle who was sitting on the bed and stroked her hair as he told Jack he was back – and then he told him to hold again. He covered the mouth piece and leant down to Michelle's ear.

"How do you feel about going to dinner with a few people? Jack, the guys that were here the other night, and any of your friends."

"Ok, sure."

Tony told Jack that they would see them there and then hung up.

"What did the job people say Tony?"

A huge smile spread across his face and he pulled Michelle in close. "They said I got the job and don't need to go in. The other guy they were deciding between pulled out so they want me to have it."

Michelle hugged him tightly, "I'm so proud of you Tony. Congratulations! Wow.....how exciting! We need to celebrate tonight."

Tony kissed her on the forehead. "The best part Chelle is....I don't start for like 3 and a half weeks. I'll leave CTU straight away – we can have heaps of time together."

"That's great Tony – I am so happy for you. You are going to be great at this."

Tony picked his cell back up again, "want to call some friends and see who feels like meeting up for some dinner and a couple drinks?"

Tony called a couple of his friends from his cell phone while Michelle used his home phone to call hers. She was excited for them all to meet. In the end Michelle got hold of 4 girls that could come and so could Tony's friends Chris and Ben plus his brother Jeff was going to come too.

Tony wrapped his arms around Michelle's waist from behind. She asked the question he had hoped she had forgotten to ask. "Umm, what did they say at work? I know it must have been bad because of your reaction."

He ran his stubble across her neck and kissed her softly. "Don't worry about it sweetheart."

Michelle turned her body so she was facing him. She could see how much he wanted to avoid this conversation. "I want to know Tony, please?"

He tucked one of her curls behind her ear. "I'd rather not Michelle. Just don't worry about it."

"I am worried, come on Tony – you would want to know as well."

He did not look happy at all about having to tell her. "Just remember Chelle, Hammond is a jerk and everyone thinks that. He told everyone you left after your job there was no longer an option and you refused a transfer..."

Michelle looked relieved. "Well that's not bad, why were you worried about that?"

"Michelle....someone then asked why you couldn't do your normal job and that's when Hammond made a smart-ass comment saying how you decided to break the rules by sleeping with your boss."

Michelle's eyes dropped. "Did everyone hear him say that?"

Tony's voice was quiet, "I think so."

Tony watched as Michelle dropped her arms and walked into the bathroom, and then into the living room and study – she was pacing the apartment. Tony followed her, "Chelle you can't let him get to you like this, everyone knows he is an arsehole."

"It doesn't matter Tony that he was being a jerk – what matters is that now that's what they are all going to think of me. They don't know how serious we are about each other, it just looks like I am a slut or something. No doubt people are going to say I did it to get promoted or something."

"Everyone there knows you better than that Michelle, plus Jack is setting the record straight."

Michelle felt so angry. In just one day she had gone from having a very important respected position to being unemployed and all her ex workmates were told it is because she slept with her boss. She could have caught him out on a technicality – She and Tony had only just slept together for the first time....after she was fired. She really felt like she didn't deserve to be treated the way she had been. She turned around and faced Tony, she threw her hands up in the air as she began to speak..

"This is just fucking great. First they force me into resignation and now they make all my colleagues think badly of me. How could Hammond say that without mentioning that we were actually in a relationship? I was good at that job you know Tony – I worked really hard. I don't want people thinking I just got drunk or something one night....or even that you were using me. They all probably think it was you that asked for me to have to leave. This is all just stupid.....God I'm so pissed about the whole thing now."

Tony felt guilty and worried. Michelle was angrier than she had been before – was she starting to regret her decision? He couldn't believe how much worse it seemed to make things that he had been her boss – had everyone forgotten he was only her boss for a week before all this? He wished he had just made something up instead of telling her the truth.

"It is none of their business Michelle. They can think what they want about me – I know the truth...."

"That's because you are still at work – obviously it is me that was wrong in this situation. You know what is almost even funny about all this?! We hadn't even had sex yet."

"I know you copped everything because of us Chelle – it is completely unfair that nothing happened to me. I should have just quit on the spot – especially now with this other job. What can I do Chelle?"

Michelle didn't think she was angry at Tony and she didn't mean to direct her anger at him but she didn't know how else to deal with it. "Nothing.....there is nothing you can do."

Tony's cell rang and he answered it – more just to give himself a minute to think of a response to her. It was Hammond.

"Almeida, its Brad Hammond."

"What do you want?"

Hammond had expected Tony to be kurt with him so he brushed it aside. "We need to know what day you were going to come back to work. I know we gave you a week off but now with Michelle gone we are in trouble...."

Tony had to laugh. "And you really think I am going to help you deal with this mess?"

Hammond was losing his patience. "You don't have a choice, it is your job. I want you in by Thursday."

Tony's moment had come, "Not going to happen. I was going to give my 2 weeks notice but after hearing how you described Michelle's departure to the rest of the staff you have lost any chance of me doing the right thing by you. I feel sorry for you Brad, having to say shit like that to hurt other people." Once he had started he realised he could have gone off forever – he had years worth of gripes for this guy.

"Are you really going to throw your career away over this girl Tony? I shouldn't have said what I said – I apologise for that. We need you here Tony. This thing with Michelle is going to pass..."

"This thing? This thing? God, you really have no clue do you? What I have with Michelle is serious – I will be with her forever. If you need me.....you should have thought of that before you treated me and Michelle with no respect today."

Brad hung up on Tony in frustration. He already regretting his actions with Michelle, now there was another reason too. He had lost his two best agents in one day.

Tony walked back to Michelle. "I quit Chelle – I told Hammond where to go. I'm not even going to go back in."

Michelle was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, she looked up at him. "That's great Tony – now you can just concentrate on your new job."

He sat down in front of her and reached out and touched her cheek. "I should have been more careful with 'us' Michelle – instead of announcing it to Jack and anyone else I could. Hammond has known for ages that I like you, he even made a comment about it the day we slept here. I should have known what the consequences were better."

"If you had known Tony, would you do things differently?"

Tony had a couple different answers to this question. He sat cross-legged and put his hand on her knee. "On one hand yes and on the other no..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'd have to say 'yes' I'd change things when I see what all of this is doing to you. I mean it has cost you far too much. I hate seeing you upset......our relationship should be making you happy."

He could see her bottom lip quivering. He continued...

"On the other hand, I'd have to say 'no' I wouldn't change a thing. Michelle I know it has only been like 4 or 5 days that we have actually been together but they have been enough to change my life forever. You have opened my eyes to how happy I can really be, you have made me feel so special – so wanted and loved. I wouldn't have even had the courage to go for this new job without you. You make me want to be the best person I can be."

He brushed his thumb over her lips and then across her cheek into her hair. She looked up at him – when their eyes finally locked he attempted to give her a small smile before he continued.

"God, I look at you Michelle and you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen. You literally make my heart race and my go weak. When I kiss you I get the biggest butterflies in my stomach, even when I am just imagining being with you my stomach goes crazy. I just never knew how unbelievably incredible things could be when you are with someone who you are deeply in love with and so insanely attracted too. It is the most powerful feeling in the world and it completely consumes my entire body.

Obviously I wish all this shit with CTU never happened – I couldn't be sorrier that it did. I want you though Michelle – I'll do anything in the world to keep you. I know you are angry right now Chelle......I need to know if you are regretting things happening between us."

Michelle wiped her eyes, they were watery. "I haven't regretted 'us' for a second Tony. How could I?! You are my perfect man. It's not about you Tony – I feel so stroppy because of how easily they let me go. The way they handled things made me feel like I am so easily replaced. I also hate Hammonds comment – to anyone else it sounds like it was just a one of thing and then you have had me leave the office. I don't want people thinking it was just nothing, that we are nothing. I guess I'm not use to my sex life being talked about so openly – especially to work people, I could have handled it better if it was with friends."

Tony felt a little relieved but even angrier at Hammond then he was before. "Chelle I can fix that – I will have Jack clear it up with everyone exactly what happened. I promise you that everyone who heard what Hammond said will be told about us. You don't need to worry about that....ok?"

That really did make Michelle feel a lot better. "Ok, thanks Tony."

"The reason Hammond was calling me sweetheart was because they were so screwed with you gone that they wanted me to come back to work instead of taking the week off. I could tell he regretted the whole thing Michelle – he did apologise for what he said as well. You know Chelle this could turn out really good for you – maybe you could look into the Pentagon position you mentioned earlier.....or something like that."

Michelle let out a little chuckle, "you mean a 'safer' job......you did say you didn't like me working there!"

He smiled seeing her laughing again and back to her usual funny self. "That's right – only 'safe' jobs for you.......it is time for you to start thinking that way instead...."

"What do you mean?"

Tony held her hand in his. "Well you know maybe its time when you are looking at new jobs that you keep.....you know.....the whole marriage and kids thing in mind."

"I can do that.....it is a lot easier to do you know when you have someone you can picture it all with."

Tony sat up and knelt on his knees so he could then lean in and kiss Michelle passionately. He pressed her against the wall and pushed his tongue into her mouth. She grabbed at his chest and he started to groan loudly. When his knees got sore from kneeling on them he slid his hands under her and picked her up. He carried her to the bathroom.