This chapter leaves off the day after the last one. Please review.

It was still fairly early and she was sitting alone in the break room, thank God for that. He didn't have to find the courage to wish her good morning, being sure that, considering the night's events, it would be sheer mocking. Still, he didn't want to startle her, so he cleared his throat loudly, uttering a quiet "Hi.".

She raised her head and acknowledged his presence by a nod and that was it. Still, it was more than he expected.

"Coffee?" She asked casually and her question as well as her careless tone caught Tony off balance.

"Uhm, yeah, sure." He replied and watched as she got up and opened a cupboard drawing a mug like her own.

She finished pouring the hot dark liquid into his cup, her movements calm and deliberate. As she passed the coffee into his hands, Tony couldn't help but notice she acted as if the previous night hadn't happen at all. He didn't know whether it was a good or a bad sign.

He finally cleared his throat; it was now or never. "Listen Michelle…" he started but was abruptly stopped by her hand quickly rising to the air in a gesture of silence.

"What I said to you and the form I used was in no way how I should have handled the situation. I guess my nerves just exploded, but that is not an excuse for the scene I blew yesterday." He could see he caught her full attention now. "I won't say I'm sorry, because I know it won't do the trick…"

"You see…" Tony tried to choose his words with care. "I got worried. I know you can take care of yourself, but I can't help it. I just feel like I owe you an apology…" The moment he caught a glimpse of her face he saw the wrong realization dawn upon her.

"Please, don't feel obligated to apologize just because were sleeping together."

"…That's not what I…" he wanted to protest but she didn't let him.

"Look, we have to get the next shift up to speed in about 15 minutes and though I would really enjoy the talk, I still need to update my system before I go." She quickly sprung to her feet and off she went, the sound of her feet reverberating through the halls.

He was never in a position like this before. They fought loudly, they fought fiercely. She would always scream back into his face, they both would, until they yelled themselves to a solution and then they would make up in form of the best sex ever possible. But not this time, she wouldn't say what was on her mind; he wanted her to tell him he was an ass for yelling at her.

3 hours earlier…

"What the fuck did you think you were doing Michelle?!"

She didn't reply. She couldn't. There was no way she could explain to him.

"I'm…I'm sorry Tony…I didn't want to scare any of you, I just…"

"You just what?!"

"…I…" she was stammering now, "…just couldn't let him get away this time. I shouldn't have gone out by myself" Her eyes were pleading with him, asking for understanding she already knew she wouldn't find this time.

"Your damn right; for Christ's sake!"

She was shifting nervously in her place chewing on her bottom lip, looking more miserable than Tony ever saw her before, but right now he didn't give a damn.

"Where the fuck were you trying to pull?!"

"I wasn't trying to do anything. I told you…" She stammered anew, her eyes blinking for a few times, her tongue nervously licking her bottom lip.

"Stop LYING to me!! What you think you don't need anyone else with you, you can just do it all on your own?! That's bullshit Michelle." He screamed unexpectedly; and Michelle as well as Jack flinched at his aggressive demeanor, this was not a pleasant car ride for either of them.

"Keep your voice down Tony!" hissed Michelle who didn't like this night conversation.

He shot her a deadly stare. "No Michelle, I won't shut up! I want answers!"

"And you better start talking quickly Michelle." He added menacingly.

Michelle knew she screwed up and she knew Tony had all the right to be angry with her, but she was not a child. They were equals and interrogations like this were not part of their relationship. She would not discuss her feelings or intentions with him, at least not like this and not in front of Jack. She kept silent, her jaw set tight stubbornly.

What was she supposed to tell him? That if she knew that animals was out there a minute longer she would have to scream at the top of her lungs to release the tension that gripped her whole being? What did he want to hear? That she wouldn't sleep because she knew nightmares of that mother lying dead would come and haunt her sleep? Blood was roaring in her ears, her breathing slow, but still too elaborate. She closed up.

"I'm waiting Michelle…" He continued in a warning tone.

No answer.

"Fine. Do you have any fucking idea how much you could have endangered yourself? How could you just go off on your own go off on your own? God knows where without telling any of us?" Michelle still kept silent, but her shoulders slumped a little.

"Do you have ANY freaking idea how much you could have endangered not just your ass, but all of us?!"

"I know. And I am sorry." Michelle uttered quietly, her eyes still burning a hole into the dashboard of the car. The fact she refused to look at him directly appeared to infuriate Tony even more.

"What if they caught you?! What if they followed you?! You could have lead them directly to us all!"

"I think that's enough Tony" Jack cut through strongly but Tony wasn't paying any attention to his words.

"Do you have any idea whatsoever what you may have done?! You could have got us all killed!!"

"I know and I said I was sorry!" Michelle finally answered loudly and eloquently enough, her eyes rising to meet his at last. "It was a short-circuit reaction and I swear it won't happen again."

"I don't care about your promises Michelle!" He shouted oblivious to the fact the woman in front of him was starting to shake uncontrollably.

"That's enough Tony!" Jack interjected.

Finally they pulled into the parking lot, Jack the first out of the car.

Tony looked over at Michelle, really looking this time. All it took was a single tear to roll down her cheek.

His head wrenched away, like her tears were acid poison.

"Michelle, I'm sorry." He seemed to crumple in on himself. Fury evaporated, at least for a few moments, to be replaced by a kind of empty despair. "Please don't cry, Michelle. I'm sorry."

But his words had no affect on her. She reached for the door, not even bothering to look back at the regret on his face.

And now, after 2 hours of prepping, 7 impossibly long hours outside of CTU, and 3 hours of not talking to her he was here.

Watching through the glass windows while Michelle spoke to one of the IT techs about the mission the night before and the new protocols put in place. He knew she wanted space, didn't take much to see that. But watching her walk out without him he knew he had to try, otherwise he was spending the night alone. No making fun when she tried to help with dinner, no movie on the couch together, and no makeup sex pushing her up against the nearest wall while she mewed in his neck.

"Michelle" he yelled, coming up behind her in the parking garage.

She looked like she might ignore him, but after a few seconds turned around, arms across her chest defensively, ready to get into it once more.

"I know it's the last thing you want to hear right now, but I'm sorry. Maybe we could go get some coffee, or some food?"

Michelle thought for a moment, "Actually, I think I'm going to go home."

Tony straightened up and looked at her. He hesitated before asking, "Are you sure?" She nodded without saying anything.

"Oh…yeah ok."

Well that went…fuck.