Disclaimer: Unfortunately my take-over bid was unsuccessful so I still don't own the show '24' or its characters.
Setting: This epilogue takes place post Season 3 and covers Nina thoughts on Tony's treason charge. This chapter is written from Nina's POV, therefore like most single author accounts, it is coloured by Nina's own personal perspective and bias.
A/N: I must confess to having no personal experience with the prison system. All details have been taken from 'Prison Break', another Fox series I don't own but would highly recommend.
Opening her eyes, Nina took a moment to orientate herself and remember were she was. One week ago she had been moved from the death row cell, which she had occupied the last few months, to solitary confinement to await this day, her last. Glancing at her watch, she noted the time, 6am. She had always been an early riser; she liked to get a jump-start on the rest of the world. Adapting to the stark cells, the abysmal institutional food and the enclosed, rigid environment had been easy enough for a chameleon like Nina. It was the never-ending empty time that was the real trial, and it was that specific reason for which Nina was almost glad today was her last day in prison. For she was a person who had always worked hard and prided herself on her achievements, many extraordinary accomplishments that few people could boast and fewer still could understand.
For what must have been the millionth time Tony's words entered her head:
"You betrayed everyone you know, including me. You murdered Jack's wife. You helped terrorists smuggle a nuclear bomb into this country. You are helping to unleash a deadly virus into the general population. Help me understand this, what do you want, what is it you get out of being a mass murder"
His words had meant to shock her, to make her feel a sense of remorse for her actions. Yet to Nina, they marked the depth and breadth of her pursuits. While Tony could neither comprehend nor condone her exploits, even he was in awe of their magnitude. Of course, his need to understand stemmed from his desire to fathom how he could be so deceived about her. But Nina had no interest in attempting to explain concepts that he would never grasp. Tony saw things as good and bad, right and wrong and therefore limited himself to a monochromic world when there were hundreds of shades of grey out there. Nina's life was about pushing beyond the bounds of social norms while still blending into them. It was a challenge she had faced and successful fought until that eventful day when the Drazens declared war on Jack Bauer.
Once again, she considered what could have been. She remembered that moment when Jack Bauer held her at gunpoint, knowing her role in the adduction of Teri and Kim, but still unaware of her final treachery. If he had pulled the trigger she wouldn't have had to spend 18 months in jail before struggling to reintegrate into a world in which she no longer held a powerful position. Or if she had left CTU just a couple of minutes earlier, she could have made it to Munich where she could more easily have restarted her life. That was the problem with too much time, it made you to question and analyse each and every decision and action without the power to change any of them. Nina needed to focus on something different; her life and its direction were now a foregone conclusion.
She turned her thoughts back to Tony; had he gained any insight into her actions now that he too was a traitor? She had been astounded to hear the news of his arrest for treason and had immediately commissioned her lawyer to unearth the details. She had seen little point in him wasting time on appeals that would never succeed and she certainly had no interest in prolonging her misery. But Tony's story had given her something to mull over and amuse herself with during those long hours of prison time. She often speculated on how he was filling in the hours. Was he tormenting himself with the thoughts of never seeing his beloved wife? Or was he condemning himself for risking the lives of millions of innocent people to save one person, a federal agent who had struck Nina as anything but helpless. Just imagining Tony's internal conflict to justify his own actions against his personal beliefs, an exercise in futility, brought a smirk to Nina's face. She had been aware from their first meeting that Tony was an emotionally driven person, and had noted this weakness for future reference. When she lost Jack's favour, Tony had been simple for Nina to manipulate, and invaluable as a source of additional intel and support at CTU. And she could certainly see how he made an easy pawn in Saunders deadly game of cat and mouse.
Naturally her thoughts then progressed to the lovely Mrs Almeida. What had been her reaction to his sacrifice? Michelle loved her husband; their embrace upon her ensuring his rescue from Nina's hands had made that apparent. But it had been immediately evident to Nina that Michelle was poised, logic based woman. Was she upset over Tony's decision to risk the lives of millions, and their patriotic beliefs, to save her? Or was her anguish over his incarceration, and their forced separation, enough to overwhelm her reason. Nina couldn't help but ponder what Michelle would have done in the same situation. When Nina held Tony hostage, Michelle had ordered Jack to sacrifice Tony to allow for her recapture. Of course there was no way to know whether Michelle would be willing to go through such a course of action, nor could Nina determine if Jack would actually shoot Tony. However, her words indicated that Michelle was focused on the mission and aware that concessions were often required. She was definitely someone with whom Nina could relate, a thought that would categorically horrify the honour bound woman.
"Myers, breakfast" barked the guard as he pushed a tray through the slot in the door interrupting Nina's wondering thoughts.
"Doc Robins will be in shortly for your check-up" he added.
Without responding Nina collected the tray, musing on the irony that she had to be proclaimed as healthy enough to execute. Before devoting her full attention towards the procedures of her final day, she thought once again of Michelle and wondered which one of them had had the last laugh.
A/N: Apologies for the slightly depressing ending, unfortunately it is far too much work for one person to attempt to right the wrongs perpetuated against Tony and Michelle. To all those Michelle and Tony fans, take heart in the fact that they do eventually live happily ever after until death do they part. To all those Nina fans, I hope I didn't get your hopes up too high with Nina's temporary reprise.