A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so much time to update this fic. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I put on a new chapter! I had almost completely lost the mood of this story altogether. But now I think I'm good. I'll do my best to update more regularly.

Dedicated to: Slug's bay, kiefer4ever and my two best friends, Jessica G. and Jessica L. Big thanks to you both for the recommendations, suggestions and for putting up with me and my incessant insecurity about my writing!

Disclaimer: I don't own 24 nor the lyrics of You're still beautiful to me, by Bryan Adams.

This chapter is set the day Tony was released from prison.

Chapter 4: You're still beautiful to me

He simply couldn't grow tired of this smooth feeling on his face. In the yard it was only lighting, not warmth. Now he was fully seizing the opportunity to feel the sunrays heating his head. There were also all those other sensations that he had not idea he could one day miss so much. It has been such a long time since he's been able to see the horizon for example. For 6 months the end of the world had never been farther than 400 feet. Looking through the windshield at the long desert road ahead, he began to understand the full meaning of freedom. Tony Almeida grinned, the mix of those simple beautiful things filling him with incredible joy.

Jack took out his eyes from the highway and glanced at Tony. A little smile slowly appeared as he witnessed his friend's revival. This single moment made all these months of lobbying and effort worthwhile. Once the aftermath of the biothreat had passed, Jack dedicated himself to get Tony out of Federal. There were numerous obstacles to overcome. The president was not really one of them, he had rapidly recognized that Tony could not be hold responsible for what he had done, considering the circumstances. The real problem was the general opinion. For the public, Tony Almeida was a traitor, someone who should have honored their trust and didn't. It had taken a while for the real story behind Saunders' escape to come out. He and Michelle had worked side by side on this, never giving up. Their perseverance had paid off, but regret was still lingering. They wished it hadn't taken them so long to accomplish that. They had managed to get the pardon in time (it had been one of the last actions of Palmer) but they were still sorry that Tony had to go through this imprisonment.

If Jack had looked just a second more, he would have seen the face of his companion change radically. There was a shadow of pain on his previously luminous face. He was basically having a new emotion every minute. After the amazement of liberation came the exhilaration and now was the time for the brutally clear reality to hit him. "What am I supposed to do now? This road isn't going to continue forever. Eventually I'll have to come out of this car and enter the house. Being here is pretty easy, but after that? I haven't seen her in 6 months. God knows what happened to her during that time, how she felt. I missed all this time and I can't get it back. I have no clue how it'll be. There is no way it'll be as before, no matter how hard I pray for it." The pressure was enormous at that point. Michelle was all he had thought about during his jail time. However he had refused to see her and to read her letters, convinced that she would not get him a pardon in time. He had just wanted to spare her more hurt. Now that she had got him out, he feared he had made the wrong choice. What if in a way she had moved on, like he had asked her to do? Somehow her feelings for him would not be the same, that was certain. Even if he did know that she was presently at home, waiting for him to arrive, it was not the thing that was scaring him. He was desperately hoping that she would be welcoming him with that look of love he was used to but he had the growing feeling that there would more be reproach in her eyes. Reproach for having not trusted her enough to know that she would do everything necessary to bring him out.

He began to recognize the neighbourhood and he felt his hands grow moist. One more turn and that's it, it'll be the street. The car pulled in the driveway and stopped. He found himself unable to move, his stomach in knots. He witnessed motionlessly Jack picking up his stuff from the back seat and taking it into the house. It was the sight of brown curls that made him react first. His eyes locked on the front door, he slowly got out of the car and started to walk uncertainly toward his home. Home, at last… with her… He didn't even notice Jack going back to his car. The door was ajar so he pushed it slowly. Michelle was standing in the hall, hands folded. Not a word was spoken as he was gazing at her, carefully taking in all the small details. The dress she was wearing, that flowing light blue gown he had bought her for her birthday and that she so seldom wore because she found it so fragile, the way the sun was making her hair shine, the contradictory look on her face as she was trying to smile and fight back pearly tears at the same time…

He held out a hand, cupping the side of her face with it as he brought her into a tight embrace. He buried his face in the soft curls, the sweet scent of which finally making him realize that he was back. He pulled away, just enough to be able to capture her lips with his. The kiss then shared seemed to make all the hurt, the wait and the loneliness fade away, now only memories of a forgettable past. He picked her up in his arms, carrying her towards their bedroom. He felt her tears wet the neck of his shirt as she was now unable to contain this wave of emotion. He delicately put her on the bed, neatly done as if it hadn't been slept in for months. As he was looking at her, sobbing uncontrollably in her hands, he tried to say something to ease her pain but his tightened throat wouldn't allow it. Instead he just took off his shoes and lay besides her, hugging her as hard as he could. He kept her in his arms for as long as the crying lasted, then he tilted her head up. He looked deep in her eyes and saw that the feared look was nowhere in them. She tried to talk but was stopped by his kiss that carried all the love that he wasn't able to express otherwise at the moment. He moved his lips to her cheeks, still burning from those tears he felt guilty for, to her collarbone that still had the softest skin… He went up again to her mouth, already missing the taste of it. How did I survive without this?


Turn out the lights and close the door
Put your head on the pillow let me keep ya warm
I wanna run my hands across your face
Ya lyin' beside ya' still the perfect place

We're still goin' strong
So glad that you came along
Ya babe in every way
You're still beautiful to me
I just - have ta say -
You're still beautiful to me
(it's bin a long time baby)

Lay back baby - close your eyes
Let me do everything your heart desires
When I think of the years makin' love to you
There still ain't nothin' I'd rather do

There's somethin' I can't deny
You sure know how ta move this guy
Ya babe in every way -
You're still beautiful to me
I just - have ta say -
You're still beautiful to me - can't ya see

Still feels good - still runs deep
When you get close babe - I still get weak
Cuz in these arms - is where you belong
We're still goin' strong - so glad that you came along
Hey babe you're still number one
Oh can't ya see - you're still beautiful to me
You'll always be so beautiful to me
Ya babe in every way - you're still beautiful to me

Hours had been spent in endless caresses and touching. He had discovered her all over again, finding himself incredibly moved by some tiny details, a recent bruise he didn't know the origin of or a beauty spot that he had forgotten about on her hip. Now Tony was resting, his wife nestled in his arms, just like it used to be; yet a longing was remaining. For the first time in months, he voiced her name, desperately eager all of the sudden to hear her speak. When she didn't reply, he realized that she had fallen asleep. It doesn't matter; from now on I'll be there. I can start to make up for all those lost words.