Michelle's apartment was a cozy one. It wasn't too big but it suited her needs perfectly. A living room decorated with warm tones led into the bright, cheery kitchen. She wouldn't have decorated it so nicely without her friend who came from out of town appauled at the bareness of the white walls and beige couches. Michelle remembers the weekend vividly...

Jessica had come from Washington,D.C. where she and Michelle met at DARPA. They had a lot in common from general interests to a Los Angeles upbringing. Though Michelle didn't spend a lot of time in D.C. before moving back to Los Angeles, they were instant friends. They worked through 9-11 together and beat the anthrax scare but division was calling Michelle, an offer she couldn't resist.

After spending about a year at her moms house in her old pretty pink bedroom, Michelle finally got a place of her own. After the year she had, it was much deserved. It took all she had inside to not put in for a transfer to anywhere far, far away from the chaos Danny dragged into her life. But she stuck it out and she finally got her "girls" weekend.

Jessica came to help move in the apartment and then they would go on a mini road trip to Las Vegas with another girl from LA. But it didn't go as planned. Looking back as she brushed her uncontrollable hair, it was now turning out better.

At the time it was a bummer that Michelle had been transferred that Friday to the Counter Terrorist Unit Los Angeles. She had to be there right away which meant no Las Vegas. Leaving the house that morning she handed Jessica a credit card and told her to put the apartment together.

According to her inside sources at division, CTU had been shorthanded for about 9 months now after the second in command was uncovered as a mole. They had been making do with the computer analyst/protocol manager filling in as second in command, but the job was getting too hard to handle and it was obvious this guy had taken on too much. Some sources even suggested he was sleeping with the mole at the time of her uncovering (no punn intended ;) Whatever was going on didn't change the fact that CTU offered better pay and suprisingly less hours. Michelle was sold.

It didn't look as big from the outside as she had thought it would but the inside was how she had pictured it. Open, spacious, dark, desks. After dealing with some paperwork at the front desk she posed for a picture that was pasted onto an ID badge along with a magnetic stripe that gave her access to most doors and a temporary level 2 clearance.

"Right this way, Ms. Dessler" the guard said with an indicative tone

She was led through a hallway and to two durable glass doors that made this cool latching sound when opened and closed.

"Thanks Brian" said a man walking very casually towards them.

The guard left leaving Michelle with this man.

"Michelle Dessler?"

"Yes."

"I'm George Mason, Director of CTU"

"Yes, we talked briefly this morning"

"Yep" he said leading her into the building. "ok so there's the conference room to your right, holding rooms down that hallway, bathrooms further down that hallway, locker rooms a little further, and a small kitchen is just past the conference room but I'm not your mother so clean up after yourself."

"Yes sir. I can do that"

"Good, but can you cook "

"I dont often"

"Ah, no one does. If you can use a microwave, a coffee pot, and a trashcan, you're set"

"And what about computers?" she said with a small grin. She was going to like this boss, she could tell.

"Not my forte. that's where this man right... here comes in"

"What's that?" a nice-looking 30ish man said turning around

"This is our new third." George said.

Michelle hadn't really thought of what a huge promotion this was. She was third in command!

"Hi. I'm Tony Almeida" he said in a whispery voice

"Michelle Dessler" she said suprised at what this person had turned out to be. When she heard sleeping with the mole she thought mid- 40's, mid-life crisis ish, not charming and all together sexy.

"Let me show you the system over here" he said leading her to an empty desk.

They went through the program and she was given a higher security clearance.

"Meetings every half hour unless you hear differently over there and i'm sure George has introduced you to the kitchen."

"Yes, he has"

"Good. Then if you have any questions just let me know. Welcome to CTU."

"Thanks" she said as he walked off.

The day was rather uneventful. An arrest here, protocol there. She got back to her apartment around 5:30 where the professional painters were wrapping things up.

"wha...What is this?" michelle said shocked.

"you said put it together!"

"yes, i did say that didn't i?" Michelle said, realizing her fault of leaving a credit card with a girl and an open day to shop.

"here let me show you everything!" Jessica said, thrilled.

The living room was a warm red, the kitchen a light blue, her bedroom a warm beige/copper color and one of the extra rooms a light purple dubbed the "girls hangout". it was certainly cute...and wet. they ordered food and watched a movie in the only room not painted.

"ok so anything eventful happen at this new job?" Jessica said interested.

"well the guy that i'm helping out is not like what we had talked about at all. he's really nice and whoa fine." she laughed. Michelle wasn't really in the habit of scoping out men. She was too busy with school and work to ever give a guy a second thought. "it's obvious he was hurt by that woman. he's not standoffish, he just keeps his distance."

"aww. a vulnerable man." Jessica said with a hint of sarcasm.

"laugh now, but i think he might open up."

"uh-oh, Michelle's in love"

"shut up. i didn't say open up to me. At some point he has to let his guard down.."

"and you'll be standing there ready"

"ya know what, im done talking about this!" Michelle said half joking. "put the movie in"

"yes, ma'am"

as Michelle slid her left shoe back on and grabbed her keys to run back to the car she smiled. He let his guard down...