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Josh was relieved when he entered the room again that it looked like they had both calmed down a little. Tony had covered her up as much as possible so that just the wound was showing.

"How are you feeling Michelle?"

"Really sore on my side and a bit hazy."

"That's the injection I gave you. At anytime through this if the pain becomes too much you need to stop me and let me know, I want to keep you as comfortable as possible, ok?"

She nodded her head. "Thanks Josh. Thank you for looking after me."

He spoke as he had Tony help roll her on her side a little so he could begin cleaning the area and giving her local anaesthetic. "Do you mind if I ask what happened tonight?"

Tony was surprised when Michelle spoke up first. "We have been trying to track this man David for months and months now. He was spotted at this bar and I had to go in undercover and try and get him to talk to me...or get as much information out of him as soon as possible. I got talking to him straight away but he assumed; or maybe it is how he treats all women that I was a hooker or something and so he was just vulgar in the way he spoke to me. I was trying to pretend like I want to get to know someone a little better before anything happens but he wasn't too interested in talking."

"But how did it get so out of control in a public bar?"

Tony took this one. "Chelle excused herself to go to the bathroom and I followed her so we could touch base. David had said he wants Michelle to accompany him to a lunch on Sunday and Chelle was trying to check with me if there was anything else she should be asking before he left. As we were in the hallway I slipped my arm around Chelle's shoulder and David happened to come around the hall right at that time and he just lost it." Tony picked up Michelle's hand. "I am so sorry, that was really stupid of me to do. I really fucked it up..."

"No you didn't Tony! Please don't talk like that. You were trying to comfort me because I was feeling so violated."

Tony shook his head, he didn't think he would ever forgive himself for being the reason why everything turned so nasty. "Anyways, we tried to make out that we were old friends that had just bumped into each other but he is a psycho and had 2 of his friends start punching me whilst he dragged Michelle into the bathrooms."

Josh could feel the biggest lump in his throat as he imagined what they were describing. "I am so sorry. How you both do this, I'll never know." He lowered his voice a little. "Is that when he assaulted you Michelle? In the bathroom?"

Tony wiped the tears from her cheeks as she spoke. He was happy she was finally dropping her guard and talking. His Dad always had a way of making people feel comfortable around him. However what she said next upset him beyond belief.

"Yeah. I had just completed my 3rd defence course with CTU for this type of scenario...along with all my other training. I should have been able to defend myself. I was so scared of blowing my cover but on the other hand I didn't know how far I was prepared to let this continue. He rammed me against the wall which is when I got this cut and from there I just turned to jelly. He was screaming at me and telling me what he expected whilst he was hurting me and I just took it..."

Tony couldn't let her continue, "Baby, you had no choice, the guy was twice my size, you were amazing..."

"No I wasn't Tony. I'm sure CTU wonders what the hell the point of putting me through all those training courses was for when I screwed it up so badly. I am disappointed in myself and I am embarrassed for Chappelle or any of them to know what happened in that bathroom. It's not good enough. Other than blowing my cover, everything else I did was wrong and weak..."

"STOP IT! I won't have you speak about yourself like this. Everyone is going to think how incredible and brave you were. Do you think less of me for getting punched by those other assholes?"

"No but that's different..."

Josh couldn't afford for Michelle to get to upset so he stopped them. "Hey hey...it sounds like you were both in an impossible situation. You should be proud of yourselves. Do you mind me asking though Michelle why you wouldn't go to the hospital and tried to hide how seriously hurt you were?"

Michelle looked at Tony and then back up at Josh. "Am I stoned?"

The both smiled a little, "Yeah, you have had some pretty strong stuff..."

"I don't know what I should be saying or not, I can't think straight."

"Maybe that's a good thing Michelle, maybe you need help in having your guard let down so you can talk and tell us how you are really feeling."

"But you won't tell anyone right?"

Tony took her hand and squeezed it. "Nothing leaves this room sweetheart."

"Josh I felt ashamed of myself and embarrassed. I know everyone at CTU and I can't imagine them seeing me like this or even picturing what happened to me. It's one thing to have a black eye but it's a completely different story for my colleagues to see me like this." She took a huge breath. "And I knew how angry Tony was. He knew I wasn't up to going on the mission. He warned me and did everything he could to stop me from going in but I went anyway and look what happened. I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me after you knew how he had touched me and kissed me. I can't...I can't..." She couldn't get anymore out before she really burst into tears and started sobbing.

Tony literally felt ill to his stomach. He stroked the side of her head, "If only I had been man enough to tell you how I really feel about you before all this happened then you might have felt more comfortable talking to me. Then you would have known I don't care about anything other than you being ok. Nothing he could have done would change the way I feel about you. And I am sorry that I didn't think about the situation at CTU. I should have been more sensitive to the fact that you were sitting in a room full of men expecting you to have to talk about all this. I don't know what is wrong with me. I am so sorry..."

"It's not your fault Tony. It's the job. I'm expected to get results, I am supposed to be able to handle things like this without falling apart." Her voice began to rise as she became more and more frustrated, "NOW look at what has happened. Your poor family is having to deal with this when you all have enough stuff of your own to worry about. You asked me to help you with your sister tonight and you ended up getting dragged into all this. I am so sorry. I should have just gone home..."

Tony was hurting beyond belief. He didn't know how to respond yet, luckily his Dad did. "You are seriously hurt Michelle, you could never have just gone home and dealt with this on your own. I am so happy that you are letting me look after you. Trust me, I know how much you mean to Tony and I'll never be able to thank you enough for how much you have been a shining light in his life over the last year. Nina took something from my son...did you know the first time I saw Tony smile again after all of that was when he was telling me a story about you?"

Tony cringed at just even hearing her name and he could see Michelle's eyes open wide.

"I'll never be able to be live up to her you know..."

Tony sat up, rage filled his body. "WHAT? What the fuck do you mean by that?"

Josh tried to tell Tony to calm down but it was useless. He cursed at himself for bringing her up.

"You know exactly what I mean!"

Tony was dumbfounded. "No I don't know, I have no idea what the hell you mean. Why the hell would you even think about being able to live up to her? A murderer...a..."

"I don't mean that Tony, of course I don't mean what she did. Just forget it..."

"Like hell..."

As Josh began to stitch the cut, Michelle let out a sob in pain. This was turning into a disaster. She should be calm, not in the middle of what was turning into a huge argument. She still hadn't spoken and Tony pushed her again, "What the fuck do you mean?"

"I can't do this now, it's not fair, I can't think straight, I feel like I can't think properly about what I am meant to say..."

Tony's voice was booming, loud enough for the rest of the house to hear. "Well good as far as I am concerned because now maybe I'll get the truth."

Josh shot Tony a look to tell him to calm down. "That's not fair Tony."

"No what's not fair is that somehow in Michelle's mind she has got some twisted thoughts of comparison with Nina, like there is anything good in the woman that destroyed everything!"

Michelle tried to sit up but Josh had to gently hold her down. He spoke quietly to her, "You can't move Chelle."

Michelle felt so trapped and lost she didn't know what to do with herself. "People talk you know Tony. You know I have been told 3 times by 3 different people that you loved...before you all knew who she really was...how capable she was. That she was this incredible fucking super agent that was amazing in the field. That you loved that about her, that she was so strong and good at what she did. That's the kind of woman you want and yet here I am, the first time I have to go into the field with you as my boss and I fuck it all up and let you all down."

Her words literally pushed him over the edge. He had no idea that people had spoken to Michelle like that. He had no idea that she thought any of those things and every single thing was so completely wrong it made him furious. He kicked the bedside table and then slammed his hand into the wall, going straight through the plaster board. Josh had never seen his son like this and he immediately ran over to him and grabbed him to stop. He shouted at him to calm down and to stop and they actually struggled for a few moments.

Michelle got the fright of her life seeing him like that. She wasn't sure if she had hit the nail on the head and that's why Tony had responded like that or if in her stoned out state she had said something she wasn't aware of. She had only repeated what she had been told and admitted to something she had felt for a long time. They caught eye contact and all she could see was rage and she thought he looked angrier at her then he ever had been before. In fact, she had never seen him lose it like that. She had to leave or else she was only going to upset him even more. As Tony continually swore and their backs were turned as he tried to tell his dad he was ok, he would stop, she rolled her body off the bed and took a couple steps to reach for a top. She felt the cut tear in her movement and she howled in pain.

Both men turned at the sound of Michelle's almighty scream. Josh just about had a heart attack seeing her up off the bed and he saw that the stitch he had been halfway through had not only torn but the cut had widened. Tony saw it as well and they both rushed over to her. She put her hand out in front of her to stop them from coming any closer to her.

Josh put his hands up in the air. He could not believe what was happening. "Michelle, do not move another inch. That cut is tearing and...please god, Iisten to me, I need you back on that bed."

She shook her head no and tried to hold the top over her chest to cover herself. She felt trapped. She had no idea what she was going to do. She felt like she was in hell.

The sight of Michelle like that snapped Tony back to reality. "I'm sorry Chelle, I am so sorry I lost it like that and just scared the hell out of you. It is just that absolutely NONE of that is true...couldn't be further from the truth and I had no idea that anyone had ever spoken to you about Nina like that or that you thought any of those things. It makes me want to be sick finding out that you have thought all of that for all this time. We have a lot to talk about but first I am going to pick you up and put you back on the bed..."

"No...no, I'm scared, nothing is making sense and..."

Tony couldn't wait any longer, he thought she was going to pass out as her body stumbled so he walked straight to her and picked her up. He took her by surprise but she had absolutely no energy in her to fight him. She could hear him telling her how sorry he was and she could also hear Josh telling him what to do. As soon as she was on the bed, Josh knelt beside her and looked at the wound. It was a mess, it had really torn and he knew that the situation had just crossed the line and it would be completely irresponsible for him to even contemplate trying to treat this here. He pulled his cell out of his pocket.

"I'm sorry but I have to call an ambulance. No arguments, not a word. This is serious."

Michelle's heart dropped and she watched as tears rans down Tony's cheek. He looked so defeated. Neither one of them argued, they listened as Josh called in for an ambulance. When he hung up he showed Tony exactly how to hold the towel on the wound and how much pressure to apply as he went to tell Shelley and Jo what was going on and to make sure the hallway was clear for the ambulance officers to get the stretcher through. He also wanted to give Tony a minute alone with Michelle before everything kicked off. His heart sank for them. They were going through a hell that was unexplainable and he felt so incredibly sorry for them.

Tony put his mouth to her ear and spoke softly. "I am so so sorry Chelle. I think everything that has happened over the last couple days and all this just tipped me over the edge and I lost it. I...god...what can I do?"

"I'm scared Tony, really scared. I shouldn't have said anything..."

"Hey hey...we clearly have so much to talk about but before everyone gets here I need to tell you something and I need you to hear me. Please please hear and believe what I am telling you. I never loved Nina. Never. Yes I cared for her but it wasn't a healthy relationship and it was never going to go anywhere. I dislike so many things about her and our relationship before I found out who she really was. People at work don't know what the hell they are talking about but they know nothing. You are the best at what you do, CTU would be a mess without you and I have never trusted anyone in my life more than I do you. You are the most capable, incredible agent I know and I admire you. I look up to you and I learn from you every day. My feelings for you are so real, I now know that I never knew what love really was until I met you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Please, I know that I just really lost it, I hate myself for how I just responded to all that and now what it has done to you but please don't shut me out." He started to cry heavily and she could feel his tears landing on her neck. "Please don't hate me, please give me another chance...please, I love you so much."

His words made her sob. Even in this darkest moment, hearing Tony tell her all that made her feel like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. An expectation of spending all this time believing she had to be something more than she was had just been relieved for her. "I love you Tony. I could never hate you. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

He looked a little relieved but panic was still written all across his face. "What can I do sweetheart? What do you need right now?"

"Don't leave my side. I am so scared. I' m so confused and I don't feel like I can handle this. I am in so much pain. Can you help me cover up a bit? I don't want to be completely exposed in front of everyone."

"I'm not going anywhere sweetheart, I promise I won't leave your side and I'll help you get through this." He reached for a t-shirt with his other hand. He wasn't able to get it on her though without using his other hand. "I need Dad's help to get this on you baby, is that ok? He has already seen and..."

She nodded her head and he called for his Dad. When Josh came back in the room he was relieved to see them so close. "Dad, can you help me pull this top on Chelle so she isn't so exposed to everyone going out there?"

"Of course." Together they both helped Michelle get her arms through the sleeves and over her head. She cried in pain as they moved her and they both continued to say they were sorry. Michelle asked for more pain relief but Josh said he now had to wait for the ambulance officers but that they would be here any second.

"Can Tony come in the ambulance with me?"

"Yes for sure and Shelley, Jo and I will follow you in the car. We will be right behind you. I am having you taken to my hospital Michelle where my most trusted colleague is going to look after you."

"Did I just undo everything you had done? Is it really bad?"

Josh had to be honest with Michelle. "What happened was not your fault. It was unfortunate and the whole situation was completely out of control. I should have put my foot down and taken you to the hospital right at the start. I just didn't realise how much pain you were both in, what you had been through and emotionally how complex everything is for you both right now. I think they will put you under a general anaesthetic Michelle to fix that wound and x-ray your ribs."

She nodded her head and thanked him. He leant down and kissed her on the forehead. "I promise you, things will only get better form here and we are all here to look after you."

They all heard the ambulance arrive and Shelley directing them down the hall to the bedroom. Tony and Michelle just stared and watched each other. They were both in shock over what had just happened and was happening. There was so much to say yet they didn't even know where to start. Tony had never felt so raw in his life. He was stunned at his reaction to everything, stunned at what people had been saying about him, stunned at how Michelle had been thinking something so completely wrong about him for so long, stunned that it had all been exposed the way it had, stunned that the woman he loved was in so much pain and injured and still completely stunned that they had finally confessed their love for one another. All of that added onto the 24 hours they had just survived at work and he wondered how he was still functioning.

He held Michelle's hand as they gave her a green stick to inhale for the pain whilst they loaded her onto the stretcher. She went completely quiet and let and Tony and Josh answer all the questions, before she knew it she was being loaded into the ambulance and they were on their way to the hospital. It was comforting that Tony made sure he was in her sight the entire time and every chance he could he took her hand in his or stroked her hair. She felt the drugs really kick in and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, she felt herself begin to drift off to sleep.

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