Disclaimer: I do not own 24, it belongs to Fox.
Author's note: I know this is kind of cheesy, but I needed some closure (yes, even after almost 5 months) and it was begging to be written. Enjoy and please review. This is only my second fanfic, so it would make my day.
Life in a Flash
They say that before you die your entire life flashes before your eyes. As Tony Almeida lay on the sterile, unforgiving floor of the CTU medical clinic, he was about to discover whether or not this was true
The chemicals coursed through his veins like fire, but he was numb. Nothing could hurt him now. Michelle – the woman that meant more to him than anything else in the world – was gone. Forever.
He closed his eyes and was barricaded by memories, each on lasting a second, but imprinted on his heart for eternity.
The first day she walked into CTU, confident and businesslike. He had watched her from a distance, afraid to get to close, still tainted by the betrayal of a former love.
Their first date, comfortable and easygoing, as they were already past the point of no return; they knew they were meant to be together. The relationship moved fast – within weeks, she was practically living at his apartment and had already secured a place in his heart.
The day he proposed, got down on one knee and heard the answer that made him the happiest man in the world and all his wildest dreams come true: a simple, whispered "yes."
Their wedding day, when, voice thick with emotion, he had looked into her eyes and promised to love and protect her forever.
The day when keeping that promise had ruined him, doing everything he could to save her life, he had sacrificed himself.
The night she left him, his emotions blunted by alcohol, his words hard and unfeeling.
The day he opened the mailbox to see a fat envelope filled with divorce papers. He signed them because he wanted to give her whatever she needed to move on with her life, protecting her from him and a broken heart.
The day he got a second chance, only to come so close to losing her again.
Their second wedding day, when they had looked toward a happier future, and he had repeated his promise, the promise that he had never broken.
The previous night, when they had fought over a silly nothing, only to seek refuge in each others arms, for what they had was too precious to lose.
At that moment, cradled in Jack's arms, he felt the last of his strength ebb away. He probably could have held on for a little bit more, but he no longer had a reason to.
There was a truth engrained in his soul, one that would remain long after his body was gone: he loved her. Loved her with every ounce of his being and every fibre of his heart. She was his everything, as necessary for his survival as air.
So, it was really no surprise that the last fleeting thought that crossed his fading mind was of her. Or that it was her hand he reached out for when he slipped away into the darkness.
On that cold, hard floor, Tony had indeed seen his life flash before his eyes. His life was Michelle.