third part of the prequel

and since this was a roleplay (therefore, only limited editing possible):

Michelle: neromaguire; Jack: JackAddict

The Almeida residence

It was dark in the house apart from a lamp giving soft light in a corner of the lounge. Michelle sat curled up on a sofa. It was quiet; apart from her breathing, no sound broke the silence.

Suddenly, there was a ring at the door. She raised her eyes for a moment, they were wet and teary. It was evident she had been sitting like this for a while. Slowly, she placed her feet on the floor and walked to the door, answering it.

"Hey.", a deep voice greeted her from the other side of the doorframe.

"Hey Jack.", she answered and moved to the side, letting him pass.

Jack looked around, but didn't see much in the almost complete darkness surrounding him. He took off his jacket, placing it on a rack and followed Michelle inside.

"Want me to get you anything?", she uttered in a low voice as she heads towards the kitchen.

"No, I'm fine, thanks.", Jack replied. "Michelle. How are you holding up?", he asked straightforwardly.

She gave a loud sigh, then stopped and turned back to the lounge, letting herself drop onto an armchair wordlessly, then burying her head in her hands. "Jack... I...", she paused. "I don't know if I can do this much longer. I... I just can't."

"Hey, it's OK.", he tried comforting her. "Tell me everything.", he added, sitting down on the couch opposite her.

There was a long pause before she began talking. "Jack, these last few months... They've been hell and it does not seem to get any better. I never know where he is, he'll leave in the morning or at any given time and won't be back until late at night or for days in a row. I wait around, worried sick that something might happen to him, and when he finally gets back, he won't say word one about where he's been. There might be some small talk and at some point, he'll go angry and leave again. He's trying to drown his misery in whatever booze he can find but he won't do anything to overcome the pain or try to live a normal life again, let alone find a job he can keep for longer than a day." She paused, feeling bad about bringing this to Jack, but not knowing what else she could have done. "I won't even pretend to understand what he must have gone through but I would like to understand, if only he'd let me in on it. But I can't... I can't go on like this. He keeps shutting me out of his life and it's killing me." A sob escaped her as she wiped away a tear from her cheek. "I can't seem to get through to him and I don't know what to do." She finished and fell silent.

Michelle stared across the room at Jack, her gaze constantly flicking down at her hands, her knees pulled up to her chest. These last few months had been so hard on her, and on Tony more so. She wanted to scream inside, she was so hurt. She knew Tony had trouble talking about his feelings, but he had changed since he got out of prison, he was pushing everyone away, even her, and this hurt her so much.

Sitting on a sofa opposite her, Jack felt how tense she was, how devastated, how sad, staring at the floor in front of her. Tony and Michelle, it had become an expression to him, an undisputable fact. Jack had always known their love for each other was strong, but sometimes relationships just take so much more. Michelle had had a hard time since Tony got out of prison and Tony had become bitter and angry, unwilling to take his life into his own hands again, unable to take control. For months, Michelle had tried to cope with Tony's wasting away, but it had been hard. And now the time had come when she didn't know what to do, how to go on.

With an audible sigh, Jack stood up from the sofa and approached her slowly. He remembered the time after Operation Nightfall. He had gone through the same kind of feelings then. Just like Tony. Closing up emotionally. Pushing Teri away. They had almost divorced back then. He was able to relate to Tony's emotional state and Michelle had known that. That is why she had called him.

"Michelle. Believe me, I understand how you're feeling. The two of you have been through a lot and I know it's not easy.", he said.

Michelle half cringed from the approaching Jack, she wanted to be alone with her feelings but she had called him after all. She might want to be alone but she didn't want to push everyone away like Tony was. She gave no reply.

"Is there anything that I can do?" Jack asked as he crouched in front of her, gently placing his hands on her knees.

She waited before slowly raising her head. She looked up at him, nodding. "Yes, there is, Jack."

She took hold of his hands and looked up into his eyes. She looked into Jack's eyes and reflecting back in them was her desperation.

"Talk some sense into him Jack, make him realize what he's doing, and how much damage it is causing, please!" She clutched tightly onto his hands and by the time she finished saying those words, a single tear rolled down the smooth flesh of her cheek.

Jack nodded slightly. "You know I will do what I can."

But he knew it would be hard. He and Tony had been friends for years, it was sad for Jack to see Tony's and Michelle's marriage fall apart, and yet he felt he should stay out of this. But the hurt in Michelle's eyes was telling him that he couldn't. "I'll do what I can, Michelle, but you have to give him some time. I know it's hard on both of you, but you can work it out."

She gave a half nod, Jack was right but it didn''t make her feel any better. "I know Jack, but... I just want the old Tony back, the Tony that I loved." She pauses, closing her eyes and swallowed hard, holding back the small sob that had almost escaped her, "I want the Tony back that loved me! I need that Tony back."

Jack sighed, whispering. "I know."

And yet he knew that Tony was gone forever. And once again, he was confirmed in his sight of things. This job - well, the job they used to have - kills love, destroys relationships, makes feelings almost impossible to bear. Whether it's the job getting in the way of the feelings or the other way around, he didn't know. Either way, he felt anger. Disappointment, that it had happened again. "I'll try.", he softly said to her. He had wanted them to prove him wrong. He wanted them to make it. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

She wiped away her tears. Now standing, she embraced Jack. "Thank you Jack," she said half through sobs.

"It's okay.", Jack whispered, as she finally let go. Jack took her hands into his and tried to give her a reassuring look. "Things are going to be alright again.", He was not sure how this would work out. He knew he had to do something, but he didn't know how. He turned to leave, and as he reached the door, he heard a soft voice from behind him utter:

"I need him to still love me Jack... Does he still love me?" The question was simple, even though she did not expect a simple answer. She wasn't even sure if she expected an answer at all.

Jack briefly closed his eyes before slowly turning around to face Michelle and looking up from the floor, his eyes finding hers. She had sat back down onto the sofa, looking at him. He answered nothing for a few long seconds, just looking at her. He was sure that Tony used to love her. He probably still did. But what Tony was doing now wasn't making it easier to see underneath the shell. "I believe he does." Jack says, even if only to soothe Michelle's mind. And maybe his own, too.

And with that, he exited the room. A few seconds later the outside door was pulled to and an engine revealed him leaving.

Michelle remained where she was. She knew in her heart that this might be the last possible way to pull her husband back together. If Jack failed... but she didn't end that thought. Wearily, she let herself lay sidewards on the sofa, closing her eyes while waiting for Tony to come home.