A/N: Aww, yay! I'm so glad you guys liked this story. It seriously made my week…The reason I started writing this is actually pretty funny…but anyways, this is the last chapter I planned on having for it. I might start working on something else post-season 3 later but probably not for a while as I have lots to come for my other story! So I'm really so glad you guys enjoyed this one and I hope this ending is appropriate…what can I say, I'm a sucker and I couldn't resist…Enjoy!

Breaths and Poetic Justice

Michelle was roused from her sleep. She fumbled with her phone and answered quietly, her voice still thick with tears, dully aware of the massiveness of her bed, one she'd never shared with her husband.

"Hello?"

"Michelle! It's Jack." He sounded anxious.

"Jack, what's going on?"

"President Palmer called Michelle…he's giving Tony the pardon."

Michelle heard the emotion in Jack's voice and yet still found herself disbelieving the words. Surely she was dreaming.

"He what?"

"He's freeing him Michelle. It'll be official tomorrow. He just called…Tony's getting released…"

Her arm hit the nightstand, hard, and her throbbing elbow told her it was no dream. Michelle was sick was disbelief. It was a cruel joke surely. But then, Jack would not do that to her, not when he knew how much she was suffering. Tears fell and Jack heard the sobs through the phone.

"Really Michelle, they're releasing him at noon tomorrow. President Palmer's going to be there personally…"

That made sense. Palmer could be there. He was in LA. It all made sense…

"Oh my god…"

"It's okay Michelle…its okay…" Jack calmed her. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay? From your house…we'll go down there together…" Your house. Their house... It would be their house again soon. A voice told her so. Their house, their bed...

"Alright…alright I'll be ready. I just have to get a flight out of here…" The words were not hers. Michelle had not thought them but they had come out just the same.

"At eleven okay?"

"Okay…th-thank you…"

"I'll see you in the morning Michelle."

The rest of the night Michelle was awake, going through the motions of packing her things, running to the airport to catch a 3am flight, but never really believing why she was doing this…Tony was being released…he was coming home.

She was long ready by the time Jack rang her doorbell, fussing unnecessarily with her clothing. Uncharacteristically, she flung her arms around Jack's neck when she pulled back the door.

"I can't…" she didn't know what say. Jack returned the hug. "Thank you so much…"

She pulled back and wiped her eyes. Jack patted her shoulder soothingly. "Let's go get him back…"

The car ride was the longest of Michelle's life, longer to than the one to the hospital after Tony had been shot. Jack would occasionally glance over and offer her a smile, which Michelle returned, she hadn't felt herself smile in a long time, and Jack hadn't seen her smile in a long time. It was good. He decided. Michelle and Tony deserved to be happy. Tony did not deserve prison and Michelle deserved her husband back. This was good.

Jack and Michelle were ushered into the prison, past security, being informed that President Palmer was expecting them. He waited patiently in the entrance way. He smiled at Jack when they walked in.

"Jack," they shook hands. "It's good to see you."

"Thank you Mr. President."

"I've spoken with Mr. Almeida already. He's collecting his belongings now."

Palmer's eyes finally rested on Michelle.

"This is Michelle Dessler." Jack informed Palmer.

Her words were hoarse with emotion when she finally did speak.

"Mr. President, I can't thank you en-"

"You're husband's already said enough for the both of you." Palmer assured her, hand resting on his shoulder. "He was no traitor."

Michelle nodded and looked at the floor, holding back tears, as she had done so many times for the past two months.

"In any case, thank you Mr. President. You have no idea how mu-" her words were breaking and Palmer squeezed her arm comfortingly.

"Almeida's almost ready." A guard called. "We'll need someone to fill in the paperwork."

Jack looked at Michelle. "I'll go…" he assured her, knowing Tony would not want Michelle to.

He left Michelle and Palmer standing together, Michelle waiting with baited breath.

"Tony…"

Jack saw his unnaturally thin frame pacing back and forth.

"Jack…I don't…" he shook his head in disbelief as Jack approached him. "Thank you." he extended a hand. They shook and Jack noticed his grip had lost some of its firmness.

"You never were a traitor Tony." Jack assured him before turning to the forms that required filling. They were sitting on a table as a guard oversaw their completion. Tony continued to pace back and forth, clearly unsure of what to do, how to act. In two months he'd found himself unable to remember how to function properly. How to stand still when there were no bars confining him…

Tony suddenly stopped pacing and Jack looked up, waiting for him to ask what he knew he was burning to.

"Where's – "

"Outside with President Palmer." Jack assured him. "I didn't think you'd want her doing this."

Tony shook his head. Michelle had dealt with enough of that since he was incarcerated.

"How is she?"

Jack sighed. "She'll be fine in about ten minutes."

"I…the last time she was here…she – "

"I know Tony; I've been keeping on eye on her."

"Thank you for that too."

Jack smiled and signed the bottom of the form, handing it to the guard.

"The warden just needs to verify these." The guard explained.

"You are aware President Palmer's standing outside." Jack told him, irritated.

The guard nodded. "Unfortunately we still have to follow procedure."

"I've been here for two months Jack, another few minutes won't matter."

Tony finally stopped pacing when the guard left and slumped in the chair.

"I'm nervous." He admitted.

Jack stared at him.

"To see her I mean." Tony still found himself unable to say Michelle's name, not until it could be used as a term of endearment towards her first. "It's been a long time since I wasn't…I mean…I don't like her seeing me like – "

"Trust me Tony; she just wants to see you. She doesn't care about anything else."

Tony swallowed hard. He was afraid when he saw Michelle he wouldn't be what she expected. Or that he wouldn't be able to hold it together when he finally had his arms around her…It was just too much to take.

They sat in silence for the remainder of the time.

"Mr. Almeida." The guard had returned. He was Mr. Almeida again. "You're free to go."

Tony stood in unison with Jack. His legs felt wobbly and he steadied himself with a hand against the table.

"C'mon Tony…" Jack quietly roused him from his reverie. "Let's go."

Walking down the hall was the longest walk of Tony's life. It seemed never ending and yet, at the same time, seemed to be over far too quickly.

He held back when they reached the heavy door.

"You ready?" Jack asked.

Tony took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah."

Michelle heard the door starting to open and immediately stopped speaking. Palmer had asked her something and she was in the process of responding, but had forgotten what to in an instant. Palmer took a step towards the side as Jack emerged from the door, followed by Tony.

Michelle's breathing grew shallow, still holding back sobs as the pair crossed the room towards her. Jack veered off to where Palmer was standing, while Tony streamlined to Michelle. He was still staring at the ground in front of him, though.

And then, he was standing there, a few feet away. Tony was still moving but he finally looked up, meeting her eyes. Michelle pursed her lips together, as the tears threatened to spill over her lids.

As the distance between them closed all of the memories came flooding back, neither attempting to suppress them any longer, neither feeling them too painful to think about anymore… They came back, accompanied by a wave of emotions, the memories they'd both been hearing in their heads for what seemed like forever... They crashed and collide inside each individual mind and the distance between them gradually vanished.

I'm so tired…I'm so scared…

We're gonna survive this day…

Tony was a few steps closer now. They would survive this day, everyday, all of this would soon be over…

I should be there with you.

You are.

Another step closer. Michelle could almost see the abrasions on his skin, the scar at the base of his throat…

I can't believe I almost lost you.

I almost lost you too. But we're still here.

Yes, that was right. They were still here, and they would be together again soon.

And suddenly Michelle found time moving far too slowly, that she couldn't wait any longer for him to reach her. She closed the distance between them in a few quick strides and threw her arms around his neck, mashing hard into his body and burying her face into his shoulder.

I won't give up on you…

Baby, you're alive…

Tony kissed the side of her face when he felt Michelle's tears through his shirt. She was there…he was holding her again…how he always had…

Michelle clung to him like nothing else, refusing to let anything in the world tear her from him now. She could cry for someone again. It was okay to lose her composure. She was home.

"Michelle…" he breathed softly. Saying the word felt right again. He rubbed slow circles against her back and lifted her off the ground, squeezing her even more tightly against him, ignoring the protests of his muscles.

Michelle could not speak, no matter how hard she tried. After months of holding back, months of having no shoulder to cry on…Tony was there.

"God, I love you." he choked. Michelle moved away as if finally realizing where they were and wiped her eyes. Tony's thumbs replaced her own fingers and he kissed her gently, resting his forehead against hers.

"Let's go home." He whispered to her. Michelle nodded and took a step back. After a few short goodbyes, and another round of thanks for Jack and President Palmer, Tony and Michelle left the prison, never looking back…

As they walked across the pavement, surrounded by inmates spending their few minutes outside for the day, Michelle glanced around, breathing, effortlessly, for the first time in months. The air felt good, fresh, and it no longer cut like a knife when it entered her lungs.

Tony's expression grew stoic as they continued to walk in the sunlight. His looked between the iron gates, looking for the faces of inmates who had dared breath a word behind his back, for the guards who had tormented him everyday for the past two months, for those who had called him 'traitor'…this, he decided, was poetic justice.

He wanted to slip his arm around Michelle as they continued to walk, but he couldn't, something was holding him back. He didn't know what but for some reason, he couldn't will himself to do it, and that hurt, for it was all he'd dreamed of being able to do again for the past two months…

Michelle noticed the change in his demeanor and eyed him carefully, wondering what he was thinking, what was tearing him up so badly. Prison…it must've been prison…being locked up. He must be uncomfortable, feel strange...feel like something was missing…

And then, Michelle realized what she had done, or rather, what she'd still to do. Before now he would've never needed the reassurance, he would've known without her ever needing to say a word... But today, now, he needed to hear her say it; he needed to hear the words. Michelle slipped her hand in his and held him from going any further... Tony was puzzled until she pulled him back towards her, the faintest hint of a smile on her face...

"Hey," she spoke softly and she drew him in, lips a few inches from his ear. Hey…the memory came back. Tony's heart skipped a beat.

"I love you." I love you. Reality fused with the echo now.

And Tony smiled. The first real smile Michelle had seen since he was taken away. She smiled back as she kissed him. The big smile she saved just for him…the kind of smile he could feel in the kiss…

When Michelle finally pulled away they continued to walk, arms around each other now, Michelle's chin resting in the crook of his neck...Tony couldn't resist pressing his lips against her temple when he saw the happy expression washing across of her face. He sighed, contentedly, as Michelle pressed against him more snugly...

I love you so much.