Note: Well this is it... last chapter sniffles I don't want it to end! I love bringing you guys chapters every day :) I'll write a sequel eventually, but for now... It's shorter, but I didn't want to end up overdoing it either...

CHAPTER EIGHT

Back in the tech room, things remained as they'd been. "So..." Chloe asked. "What have you guys been up to?" Michelle smiled as best she could at Chloe's efforts.

"I work in a hotel. Tony's a swim coach."

"That's nice," she nodded. There was a pause. "They'll get us out of here safe."

"I know," Michelle breathed.

"Sorry we got you into this."

"Don't worry about it."

"Should make an interesting story to tell him or her when they're all grown up." That got a laugh out of Michelle before another contraction came along. Chloe gave her hand to grasp.

Outside, Tony was packing up supplies. "You can't go in there alone," Stone protested.

"Fine, then give me backup," Tony turned to face him. Again, Stone needed a moment. Eventually, he turned and signaled four agents over.

"Have a plan of entry?" Stone asked.

"There are some places we can get through without being found." Stone nodded. A few minutes later, Tony and the other four headed around the building. He wasn't going to lose his family to Russo.

Coming in through the parking garage, Tony sent two agents to take one side, and the other two on the other side. They were to handle the main area. From what Stone had told him, he had a few places in mind where Michelle might be, and finding her was always to be his primary task. Taking an underground tunnel, he got on his way.

In a room somewhere above him, things were moving along in more ways than one. One of Russo's men was searching to see if there was in fact anyone that hadn't been accounted for. And in the tech room...

"I don't think I can hang on much longer... It's going to happen..." Michelle spoke between labored breaths.

"Figures the one thing they don't have here are drugs," Chloe sighed as Michelle let out another cry. "Okay..." she wiped sweat from her forehead, going to the pile of supplies. "Got to get ready in case..." she blinked to herself at the thought of having to possibly deliver the baby herself.

"I want Tony... I need him," Michelle sort of whimpered, losing the last of her composure.

"I can't do anything about that," Chloe sighed.

A moment later, they could hear a sort of metallic scratching. Chloe startled, crawling over by Michelle, brandishing the flashlight, ready to lash out on whatever came. A panel lifted from the deceptive not-so-uniform ground, landing aside with a thud. Both women jumped, looking on in anxiety until they saw it wasn't one of Russo's people.

"Tony!" Michelle heaved. He climbed through from his tunnel, approaching her as Chloe took a step back. "You're here..." she cried tears of joy, taking his hands. He kissed her, sweat be damned, squeezing her hands back.

"What were you thinking?" he cried back, not so much angry but relieved. "It's happening?" he pulled back. She nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here. Just need to take care of a couple things. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded again. After another kiss, he stood to return to the tunnel though he would have rather stayed. Before leaving, he gave Chloe a gun.

"Great..." she sighed. "Hurry up. And, uh... good luck," she spoke, then gave a nodding smile.

"Yeah," he breathed.

Before he got to the ladder though, they heard the doors to the room rattling. Tony stepped forward, silenced gun at the ready. When Russo's man got the door open, he didn't have time to react before he was shot down.

"I'll be right back," Tony told his wife before heading out. When he got to where the hostages were, he found his backup had already engaged. It was faster than he would have thought and the hostiles were handled. Russo was wounded, but alive. This time, he wouldn't get away.

Curtis came up to him. "Did you get to her?"

"Just in time. Get medical up here though, it's happening..." he spoke before doubling back to return to her, knowing Curtis would understand. Back at her side, Tony looked to Chloe. "Thank you for taking care of her."

"Sure," she nodded. "I'm gonna get some air, leave you be." She headed out. Shortly after, one of the CTU doctors came in.

"How close?" Tony asked him.

"Almost there," he spoke, examining her. "Let's get her to the clinic."

"It figures it'd happen here..." she laughed, "Everything else did." He laughed back.

They got to the clinic, and shortly thereafter, the room was flooded with the healthy first cries of the baby girl. "You have yourself a daughter," the doctor announced. Leaning temple to temple, Tony and Michelle looked on smiling as they saw her.

Eventually, they were left alone to marvel at her, their little angel. "She's perfect," Michelle declared.

"She's got your eyes," he smiled.

"Your ears," she traced them gently.

"Hey you three." They looked up.

"Liz..." Michelle sighed in relief.

"Heard you came to my rescue."

"Well that was the plan. Come here." Liz walked up, melting in smiles seeing the newborn.

"Hey Action Girl," she greeted her. "Does she have a name?"

"We're still working on that," Michelle explained.

"Well you let me know," she gave a side hug. "Auntie Liz has to go now," she whispered to the little one.

"What ARE we going to name you?" Michelle turned back to her daughter. How incredible was that? Her daughter... their daughter... She was like the victory prize after a long fight. "Victoria..." she suddenly found herself whispering. She looked up to Tony. He came to sit at her side.

"Victoria..." he repeated. "Sounds good." Reaching in, he picked her up. "Hey Victoria..." he shook her tiny fist. Michelle could only beam, watching him hold her. She knew that he would protect them, knew it now more than ever.

Before returning to San Diego, they took the opportunity to visit their parents, siblings. The new Almeida was a bit hit. At last, hours later, they arrived home as a family for the first time. Michelle was exhausted, soon went to bed. Tony stayed up with Victoria for a while longer, watching her sleep soundly.

This was their arrival into a new part of their lives... a new part of their new lives. There remained fears, teasing at joy, trying to disrupt it. But it would always be a factor. It was all part of it, normal. With his wife and his daughter, it didn't look as frightening.

THE END