Sorry it has been so long. I was going to not finish this story beacuse I wasn't sure if anyone was still reading it or not but I got a few mails sent to me asking to continue so I thought I would give it a go. I am working on getting them back to a happy place but it needs to be done right. Hopefully everything the characters are going through shows how strong the bond is between Michelle and Tony for the years to come.
I hope you like this, it is so hard to write. Please for adults only and of course I don't own 24 etc...
Jess had locked herself in her bedroom for the last hour whilst Charlie and Natalie spoke with Joanne. Charlie was happy to give her some space and he needed a chance for himself and Natalie to talk to Joanne and try and learn some ways to get their family through everything that was happening. Shortly though he planned on getting Jess out her to speak with her as well and then he would wake Tony and Michelle. As much as Michelle didn't want to speak to anyone anymore about everything he knew he had to make her. There was no way she could go through all this without getting some proper help. He knew it was going to be a fight but he was prepared to put his foot down and demand that this was part of her being treated under his care at home.
He was about to go and get Jess when he heard her swearing and yelling on the phone. She was in an out-right fight with someone and was hurling abuse left right and centre. As he made his way to the door he heard her ask the person on the phone repeatedly 'how could you do that? how could you have been so stupid?'. He wondered what the hell was going on. He knocked on the door as he pushed it open.
Jess dropped the phone at the sight of her Dad and then picked it up and snapped it shut. They stared at each other for a moment. "You didn't even say goodbye..."
She kept her head down, he could see how deeply she was breathing and her fists were clenched tight. "I've messed up Dad."
"What do you mean?"
She shook her head over and over. Fear was written all across her face and Charlie knew this was serious, whatever it was. He pushed her again, "It's ok Jess, you can talk to me. We can fix what ever has happened but I can't help you if I don't know what is wrong?"
She sighed. "You said that I could have my friend Kate visit right?"
"Yeah..." His heart started to race as his mind already knew this was heading in a bad direction.
"I am so sorry Dad. I didn't think it through. I didn't think...I thought our friends would be on my side..."
"What do you mean by 'our friends'?"
Her head was still concentrated on the floor. "Sam and me. We have a pile of mutual friends Dad...we did date for awhile."
Charlie sat on the end of the bed. It hit him like a ton of bricks as he thought about all the people and connections Sam had to Jess and his family. "What's going on Jess? Who were you fighting with and what are you so worried about?"
"Kate has spoken to a few of our friends. Telling them what has happened...what Sam did and why I have basically been out of contact..."
Charlie could feel the frustration setting in. "Yes but Kate doesn't know where we are or anything like that right?"
Jess burst into tears. "Kind of...not exactly..."
"What the hell does that mean Jess? Either she does or she doesn't..."
"You said she could come and see me..."
"I also said it would be arranged that she would be picked up and bought here, that you were not to tell anyone where we are."
"I didn't tell her exactly, I don't even know the bloody address of where we are but...but...she knows the area we are in, she knows enough Dad for someone to figure it out..."
"Who is going to figure it out? Just be straight with me Jess, no games, I need to know what I am dealing with."
Jess turned her head away from her Dad, not wanting to see the look in his eyes. "Dad, I got into a massive fight with Kate. I found out she had told a pile of our friends what had happened even though I told her I didn't want anyone else to know but she did. Now some of those friends have been in contact with Sam's friends. I have no idea who knows what..."
Charlie couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had everything just been undone? Where they now another open target to Sam? His blood was boiling.
Jess started to wail. "I thought I could trust her, she is my best friend! I needed to talk to someone. I needed to talk to my best friend about what is happening. I just can't believe she couldn't keep her mouth shut. I told her how important it was she not breathe a word and yet it feels like the whole thing has turned into some major gossip session for everyone. I hate them..."
Charlie tried to keep his temper under control. He reminded himself over and over how young Jess was, how traumatic all this was on her and how understandable it was that she had spoken to her best friend about everything. That was normal. He could get that but now he knew they were probably completely exposed. He walked over and hugged Jess. "It is going to be ok. I am going to need you to come out and talk to Tony and I and tell us everything you have told Kate so we know what we are dealing with..."
"I am so sorry Dad, I was so stupid...I just thought I was talking to my best friend."
"Jess, it will be ok. Your friends will never understand how complex and dangerous this situation is. Especially those that have been friends with Sam would have trouble even believing what he has done. I am not surprised your group of friends is going crazy over this information...however we need to get it under control..."
"How could she do this to me? I am so humiliated. I never want to see anyone again."
Charlie hugged her tighter, "I'm sorry sweetheart. She clearly hasn't taken it seriously. You just never know how people are going to react to situations."
"Tony and Michelle are going to hate me...I can't believe..."
"Don't say that Jess. They love you and they will understand." He took her hand and started to lead her out of the bedroom. "Come on, let's get this started with."
Charlie opened the door to Tony and Michelle's room and as he asked them both to come out to the lounge of they could, one of their agents Johnson also appeared at the door saying that he had Michelle's brother Danny on the phone for her. She said she would take the call and then join them in a few minutes.
Tony kissed her on the forehead and told her to call for him when she was ready and he would come and help her out. She nodded her head and kissed him back.
Jess sat in silence as Charlie explained the situation to Tony. He could see Tony was furious but like him was trying to keep his temper under control for Jess's sake. He couldn't blame her for wanting to talk to her friend about what she was going through and it wasn't her fault her friend couldn't keep her mouth shut. Once Charlie said everything they knew, they both asked Jess to tell them everything she could remember telling Kate about where they were and what was happening.
Johnson barged through the door, not even bothering to knock. "Tony, I have Ryan Chappelle on the line for you, it is urgent."
Tony grabbed the phone. "Ryan?"
"Tony are you with Michelle?"
"No...why? What's wrong?"
"The man that Sam was speaking to in those transcripts has contacted the office. He had just spoken with Sam and he has said that Sam has completely lost the plot since hearing about Ashley and is scared to death of going to jail. He ranted to this man, Levi, about all the different ideas he had for 'silencing Michelle and Jess so they couldn't testify so he wouldn't have to go to jail. Levi doesn't want Sam to ever know that he contacted us but he also wanted to warn us that he thinks Sam is willing to do anything to get out of this situation...he seems very disturbed by the things that Sam had said to him..."
Tony sighed. "Like what? What do you mean?"
"I've taken a statement from him that I could send over but I don't really think Michelle or any of you for that matter really needs to read it, there is no need to upset everyone even more, however I do think we need to ramp up security around you and..."
Tony interrupted him and explained what had just happened with Jess and her friend. After going through the whole situation a couple of times Ryan informed Tony that he would be over soon with a team and that he felt it was best that they moved the family again to another secure location. Tony agreed and told him that he would get everyone ready.
Charlie had been sitting next to Charlie listening the whole time. About half way through the conversation he had sent Jess off with Natalie to another room. He didn't want her hearing everything and getting more panicked than she already was. Once he hung up the phone he turned to his Dad and sighed. They both just stared at each other for a few moments before Tony broke the silence. "I can't believe we have to move again. There is only so much of this that Chelle can handle...and Jess and Mom."
"I know but nothing is more important than keeping the girls safe. If there is even just the slightest chance Sam has a way of figuring out where we are or anything then we just have to move – no more chances."
"Do you think Chelle is up for this?"
Charlie scrunched his face as he thought about it. "I can give her medication to help with the moving around, I just want to keep a close eye on her blood pressure because that has been jumping all over the place when she is upset..."
He didn't have a chance to finish before Tony's phone went, it was Ryan again.
Tony could hear Ryan sigh before he even started speaking. "What's wrong Ryan?"
"You know we are monitoring all the calls coming in and out and I've just heard what Michelle's brother Danny has said to Michelle..."
"What?"
"Tony, I know from the scene Danny caused in the office that night that he is a little off the rails but do you know much about his relationship with Michelle?"
"A bit yeah...why?" Tony didn't like the sound of this. "What's going on?"
"He has just abused the absolute hell out of Michelle. It is hard to understand what he is saying half the time but it sounds like his wife, or ex-wife has received some threats which we need to follow up on..."
"Threats from who?"
"Someone looking for Michelle, obviously it wasn't Sam but clearly someone helping Sam..."
"You have a trace on Danny's phone right to hear what calls he has received?"
"Yeah and I have Chloe on that now but from what I understand the ex-wife has received the calls and then called Danny and gone nuts at him that his sister is putting their children in a dangerous position. So Danny has just gone off his rocket and Michelle..."
"Oh My God..."
"Sorry to say it Tony but the guy is an arsehole. The way he just spoke to his sister...after everything Michelle has been through, it was disgusting. He blamed her for everything and told her she deserved everything she got...he sounded drunk and I have no idea how much of the story you guys have told him but he just blasted Michelle like I have never heard before..."
"That fucking prick. I need to go Ryan and see how she is..."
"She won't be good...I'm going to put a ban on letting Danny call through to Michelle for awhile until you guys work this thing through. If he calls again, I'll let you know and you can decide what you want to do."
"Thanks Ryan."
Tony slammed the phone shut. He dropped his head as he explained to Charlie what Ryan had just told him. Charlie didn't know much about Danny so Tony had to explain as much as he knew. The whole time he was speaking he was also trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation.
Charlie felt sick. "Dammit, I hate to think how this is going to affect Michelle and how she is already feeling about herself."
"Exactly! Her own fucking brother blaming her and telling her it is her fault and she deserves what she happened...I want to kick the day light out of him."
Charlie could see Tony's fist clenching and his whole body puffing up and he could see how enraged he was. He tried to calm him down a little bit before they went into Michelle. He made him take some deep breaths but Tony was impatient and didn't want to wait any longer to see Michelle. As they made their way down the hall to the room, they passed Jess who had just come out of the room.
"I told Michelle what happened with my friends..."
"What? Jess...
"I'm sorry but this was my fault and I should have to help...besides, I needed Chelle to really understand and hear it from me that I didn't mean to cause more trouble or problems."
Charlie hugged Jess. He was proud that his daughter was trying to take responsibility for her actions but he felt bad that she even had to feel this way in the first place. She shouldn't have to feel guilty for talking to her best friend about what she had been through. "I love you Jess. How did Chelle seem?"
"Distracted. She barely reacted at all to what I told her. I couldn't tell if she was so pissed at me she could barely speak or if she was scared and was trying not to show it. I told her how sorry I was but she kept just telling me she understood and it would be ok." Jess looked at them both. "She's not herself. I mean I know she's not at the moment anyway with everything that is happening but something seemed different."
"It is alright Jess, we will check on her. Why don't you go back and chat to Joanne again for a little bit, she is with your mother and then you will need to start getting your things together because it looks like we are going to move to another place."
Jess just nodded her head and went back down the hall. Charlie turned to Tony. "Before all this, I wanted you and Michelle to talk to Joanne, now even more than ever I want Michelle to."
Tony nodded his head but Charlie could tell it was going to be hard to even get Tony to open up and talk to Joanne, never mind Michelle. His heart felt heavy as he thought about everything. They pushed the door open to find Michelle out of the bed throwing clothes into her bag. She had her back to them and was using one hand on the counter to steady herself. She was so lost in thought she didn't even hear them come into the door.
Tony walked straight up to her and slid his arm across her shoulder. "Sweetheart..."
She turned and looked up at him, her eyes were watery. She gave them both a quick glance and then went straight back to packing. "We need to go..."
Tony used his hands to stop her. "We will, we are organizing to move now baby but I don't want you packing, I can take care of it. Come hop back on the bed and rest with me."
Charlie watched as her eyes darted all over the place trying to figure out what to do. Jess was right; Michelle seemed completely out of whack. Before she had time to come up with another answer he told her he needed to check her blood pressure and give her another shot.
Michelle half nodded her head and then sat on the end of the bed. Tony sat next to her with his arm around her and Charlie got everything out. Tony watched Michelle, waiting for her to tell him about Danny. He so desperately wanted her to tell him, to lean on him but she didn't. She looked like she had no intention on saying anything at this point. Was she trying to be strong? Did she feel like she couldn't tell him? He knew that she must be absolutely heartbroken and that thought made him feel sick to his stomach. She stared at the floor for awhile before finally speaking with a very flat voice, "Where are we going now?"
"I'm not sure yet sweetheart. Ryan is working up a couple options for us now. He is on his way over shortly."
She nodded her head and then turned her attention to Charlie. "Can I take a shower? I really need one."
Charlie was in the middle of taking her blood pressure now. "It wasn't that long ago that you were under the water before Chelle..."
"Yeah but I didn't get to wash my hair or anything. Please Charlie?"
He did her blood pressure again, not believing that it could actually be as high as the first reading was telling him. "Joanne is here waiting to speak to you and Tony, maybe after that?"
She shook her head. "I'm not talking to Joanne...or anyone."
"You have to Chelle. As part of my treating you, I need you and Tony to talk to her. After what happened before...after everything, you need to speak to someone."
"What more could you possibly want me to say? I've already said more than I ever wanted to and you can't seriously expect me to have to repeat all that?"
"Chelle..."
"Seriously Charlie, do you really expect me to have to repeat all that?"
"You don't have to talk o Joanne about details, it's not like that. I just want you to talk to her about how you are feeling." He stopped when he got the 2nd reading. Her blood pressure was through the roof. "Holy shit."
Tony lifted his head. "What?"
"Michelle your blood pressure is dangerously high." He looked at Tony, "I need to have someone get some medication from the hospital for me."
Tony stood up. "Ok, write down what you need and I'll give it to Johnson to organize."
"Ok, but I need it immediately." He scribbled down what he needed and handed it to Tony. Tony ran out the door to give it to Johnson. Charlie stood and stared at Michelle for a moment. Now he was unsure of what to do. Her blood pressure was so high he couldn't afford to upset her anymore than she already was and risk it getting worse. On the other hand, he knew that if she kept going the way she was, keeping everything bottled up it would probably only get worse anyways. Michelle broke his train of thought.
"Charlie, I told you and Tony everything just before even though I never ever wanted to do that. I've done everything you have asked me to do. Please, just let me wash my hair and shower?"
Tony walked back in and closed the door behind him. "It will be here shortly. I'll help Chelle in the shower Dad if she can have one. Maybe it will help?"
Charlie sighed. "Alright but pain injection first. That means Tony you can't let go of Michelle the whole time, you know how strong these injections are and..."
"Thank you Charlie but I don't need an injection for pain."
Even Tony said, 'WHAT?' in disbelief at the same time as Charlie. It couldn't be more obvious how much pain she was in right now. She could barely move. Charlie tilted his head and looked at her. "What are you talking about? You are pale Chelle, you can barely move and your blood pressure is dangerously high, you need an injection for pain."
She shook her head. "I can't have one right now."
"Why not?"
"I just can't."
They all stood there in a standoff for a moment whilst they men tried to figure out what was going on.
"No shower then Chelle..." He felt terrible as soon as he said it, it felt like he was talking to her as though she was a child but he was completely confused.
"What? You are not going to let me shower just because I don't want the medication?"
Tony put his arm around her. "Why can't you have the shot baby?"
"Because they make me feel funny and I don't have control over what I say or do..." She stopped herself from saying anymore.
That was enough for both Charlie and Tony to figure out what was going on. She was scared if she had the injection she would let her guard down and tell them what had happened with Danny. Tony tried to keep his voice very gentle. "Baby, it is just us. It doesn't matter what you say. All that matters is that you feel better. You have had plenty of them."
Her body began to sway she was so unsteady. Suddenly she raised her voice at both of them. "You can't force me! I can shower if I want to shower and if I don't want to talk to Joanne then I don't have to. I am over all of it. I can make decisions for myself too you know!"
The fact that she had become so defensive gave away everything. Tony didn't mean to but it just slipped from his mouth. He could feel himself getting so flustered and worked up. "We already know about what Danny said..."
Michelle took a step back from them both, "You what?"
Tony shook his head in disappointment in himself for blurting it out like that. He tried to soften his voice again. "Baby, they are monitoring all the calls going in and out..."
"But that was a private call between me and my brother, CTU...NO ONE had any right to listen into that call!"
"They are listening to every call at the moment..."
Michelle snapped. "So you listen to that call but not the calls Jess has been making to her friends!""
Charlie felt terrible. He could see how worked up she was getting and he was really worried about her blood pressure. He had to give her the injection.
"Chelle, they are listening to Jess's calls as well. It was the calls between her friend Kate the other friends that is the problem. And Jess came to us as soon as she realized what it all meant, if she hadn't then CTU you would have been coming to us as soon as they had heard the call anyway."
The tension in the room became so thick you could cut it with a knife. Just like that, they had all come into a stand-off. Emotions were high and clearly a lot was a stake. Charlie and Tony didn't miss the anger in Michelle's voice when she made the comment about Jess. Obviously she felt angry and betrayed by the information being leaked.
Charlie was edging himself closer to Michelle. He had an injection ready to give to her. He tried to keep his voice calm. "Jess didn't mean to do the wrong thing Chelle. She thought she was confiding in her best friend over what she had just been through. She is devastated right now and has just had a huge fight with her friend over what has happened. The last thing I want is for you to feel betrayed by Jess or us..."
Michelle dropped her head and turned away from them back to her bag. "I don't. I understand this isn't Jess's fault. It's just...it's just...nobody had a right to listen into that phone call."
Tony couldn't help it. His voice boomed through the room. "NO...Danny had no fucking right to speak to you the way he did. He is a fucking..."
"He had every right Tony. God, he is worried about his children, my niece and nephew! Because of me they are all scared..."
"Scared? You think Danny and his ex-wife feeling a little bit 'scared' right now even comes fucking close to what you have been through? What you are dealing with? And NONE of that is the point, I'll fucking kill him for laying blame on you and for what he said..."
Michelle burst into tears. She had no idea what to do. She had been struggling so much with trying to believe Tony and Charlie when they tried to convince her none of this was her fault but her brother had taken that all away when he had directly told her she deserved everything she got. He had been so drunk it was hard to understand a lot of what he had said but nothing had been more clear then how angry he was with her. That his ex-wife was upset with him because she had received a threatening phone call from someone trying to find Michelle and now she was scared and had taken that out on Danny. Danny had told Michelle that she had just screwed up any chance he might of had to get back together with his wife and in her state she had believed every word he said and taken it to heart. I felt like every where she looked she was failing people, upsetting people and she just couldn't handle it anymore.
"He was right to say what he said..." She could barely get the words out.
Charlie was edging closer to her. "See Chelle, this is why I need you to talk to Joanne. She can help with all of this."
"I've got nothing more to say. Every time I open my mouth things just get worse." She lost her balance and stumbled to the side. When she couldn't catch herself on anything straight away she fell to the ground.
Charlie just missed catching Michelle by an inch. She looked so shocked and didn't move. He knelt down beside her asking if she was ok. She couldn't do this anymore. She just didn't have the strength. She looked at them both and yelled at them. "I can't do this anymore. You both don't understand...you don't get it..."
As she was yelling at them, Charlie took the injection and gave it to her in her thigh, through her clothes. He had no choice and he felt sick to his stomach as she looked at him when she realised what he had done as though he had just betrayed her. He told her he was sorry but he knew she wasn't hearing it.
There was silence for a moment as she sat stunned that she had been given the injection and now felt defeated. Tony tried to pull her body into his on the floor but she was resisting. "What don't we understand baby? Tell me, what don't I understand? What do I need to do?"
Michelle pulled out of his grip and got herself up and to the other side of the room whilst she still could. "You don't understand that this isn't over. Sam isn't going to stop until he gets what he wants. He's won! Do you get that? He has won!" She started making her way to the bathroom as she yelled at them...
Charlie ran in front of Michelle and Tony stayed behind her. Charlie was yelling now as well. "How has he won Chelle? You and Jess are safe and he will never be able to touch you again."
"Because I give up! I can't keep fighting him. He won't stop because he can't handle the thought of going to jail and it is never going to end. I don't know how to deal with all of this and I am so tired and sick of watching everyone I love in so much pain." She walked straight into Charlie trying to push him out of her way so she could get into the bathroom. He held her as she struggled.
"STOP! Just fucking stop! Everyone just stop!" They all turned to see Jess standing in the doorway screaming at them. Her voice had shocked them all into stopping and staring at her,
Charlie didn't know what to do. He wanted to go to Jess but he wanted to stay holding Michelle, not letting her lock herself in the bathroom. Tony put his arms up. "OK, OK...sorry Jess we..."
"No, look at you all. Look at what this is doing to everyone. All because of ex boyfriend and because I couldn't keep my mouth shut..."
Charlie's voice was choked with tears, "This is not your fault Jess..."
Natalie was trying to hold Jess but she was pulling out of her mom's grasp. "Stop saying that when you know damn well it is my fault. I'm not kid, you can't trick me into believe this situation is something it isn't. Even now, we have to move again because I screwed up and said too much to my friend, I am the one that is...that is..." Her words were high pitched and you could barely understand what she said as she became more and more hysterical. "Look at what this has done to everyone. Because I was too scared, Michelle got raped and beaten to a pulp by Sam...do you all get that? Look at the hell you are going through Chelle because you protected me. You are scared to death, you are in so much pain and you feel like you are alone in this because none of us can get our heads around what happened to you. And you Tony...you keep trying to make me feel like none of this is my fault and you are trying to be so strong to get Chelle through this but you are scared to death as well. And you are so angry. Your blood is boiling at the thought of what someone has done to the woman you are so deeply in love with and it is like you are just waiting for Michelle to give up and leave." She turned and stared at her Dad, "And Dad, it is killing you trying to get us all through this. I'd never seen you cry or swear before and the last week I've never seen you so sad it just kills me. You want to fix all this and take it all away from us but you can't and you don't know how to handle that. I can't bare the look of pain in mom's eyes anymore when she looks at us all...pain that not one of us knows how to make go away. And the only fucking reason there is pain is because of me. Michelle, you should never have done what you did to protect me. You are the most amazing person I know and I still can't believe someone would ever go through what you did for me but it wasn't worth it."
Charlie's heart was breaking as he listened to his daughter screaming at them all hysterically. Everybody was silent as they listened to her. Even Joanne had come from the other end of the house by now and was standing in the door way. He was surprised when it was Michelle that spoke up first. "It wasn't your fault Jess and how can you ever say that it wasn't worth it? How dare you say that?"
"Because it's true. You shouldn't have done what you did. If you had just let Sam take me, this whole situation would be so different. I could have handled being with him again and he wouldn't have hurt me the way he did you. YOU did the wrong thing...you shouldn't have done what you did!"
Tony was yelling at Jess now, telling her to shut up. Joanne and Natalie were trying to get her to calm down, the room was hysterical and then it was all broken by the quiet sound of Michelle's broken voice. "That's what you really think? All this...and..." She took a deep breath, "that's what you really think?" She didn't wait for an answer, she pushed past Charlie into the bathroom.
It felt like the world was closing in on Michelle. She stared at the shower. She was so tempted to lock the door and try to have a shower, she would do anything for a shower but she knew that all that would do is upset everyone even more and she would barely get in before they all burst in and pulled her out. So she stood in the bathroom listening to the commotion of everything in the next room. There had been silence for a few moments after she had spoken and then it was like everybody spoke at once. Tony was yelling and so was Jess. Michelle wasn't sure how it happened but after a little while she could tell that Jess had been taken to a different room by Joanne and Natalie. She could tell that Tony was crying, not just crying but actually sobbing and Charlie was comforting him. She wanted to go to him and hold him but it was like she couldn't move. Her body wouldn't allow it. She played Jess's words over and over in her head but she still came to the same conclusion, she didn't care what Jess thought, she was glad she had done what she had. She would never have been able to live with herself if she hadn't tried to protect Jess.
Tony appeared in the doorway. "I love you so much Chelle. I want to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you. You are so special to me. .."
She collapsed into his arms, "I love you more than anything in the world Tony. You are my everything."
"I'm so sorry."
Michelle stood back a little. "No don't be. Jess can hate me, she can believe whatever she wants but I know in my heart that I did what I had to do in that situation. I might think all of this is hard but if I had just stood back and done nothing, it would all be even harder right now."
Tony was smiling at her in an adoring way and shaking his head. "Jess doesn't hate you, she loves you more than you understand, and she just can't stand the pain. She feels guilty."
Charlie came and stood next to Tony. Michelle looked at them both. "Do you guys think I did the wrong thing?"
Charlie had tears running down his cheeks. "You can't ask that Chelle. There is no answer for that. I owe you everything for protecting my daughter but I can't measure that against what has happened to you."
Tony leaned down and kissed her. "You are the bravest person I know...and the strongest. Forget Danny, forget Jess, forget everything for a minute and just tell me...will you keep trying? For me? Even though you want to give up, even though you think you can't handle anymore, will you keep hanging in there for me? For our baby?"
When she looked at him, she didn't have to even think about that. "Of course I will. I promised you I wasn't going anywhere and I meant it. I need you Tony and I feel so terrified right now but I know without a doubt that all I want is you...me and you together."
He pulled her back into the kiss. She ran her hands up through his hair and down the side of his cheek. For a moment it felt like there was nothing in the world wrong. Somehow, this man always managed to bring her back to a good place. She could feel his hands running down her back to the top of her thighs and then back up again. He ran his lips to her neck and kissed her there and then all around her ear. As he did this she held him even tighter and whispered how much she loved him. Charlie stepped back and grabbed the door handle and started pulling it closed. "I'm going to leave you both, Tony help Chelle have her shower...just don't let go because she is still very unsteady for the injection. Call me when you are finished." He pulled it closed behind them.
Tony watched the door close and then trailed his thumb down her cheek and gave her a tiny little grin. "Ya think we can try and forget the rest of the world for a few minutes and just hold each other?"
Michelle shed a happy tear and smiled. "Already forgotten." She pulled him down to her lips by the back of his head. He slowly walked her back up against the wall. They kissed for a long time, barley stopping for air and their hands explored every inch of each other. He whispered into her ear, "God, I want to make love to you."
"I need you Tony...I want to be that close to you."
They rested their foreheads against each other and stared into one another's eyes. "It is too soon baby, we are not allowed and I'll hurt you."
Michelle let out a little wince, "I don't even care, it is worth it."
Tony had never wanted anything more. He was desperate to be that close to Michelle again. It felt like it had been so long and he thought about it all day every day. He loved her too much though to jeopardise her recovery, to rush her or potentially hurt her. He knew how incredibly emotional it was going to be when they were able to make love again. It took every ounce of will power he had to not just take her completely but instead he whispered whilst kissing her, "Baby it is going to be so incredible when we can make love again but it is also going to be so emotional and I need you to be physically 100 percent better. As much as it is killing me to wait, I will not risk anything or rush you. And I am never going to hurt you..."
"Do you know how much it means to me that you respect me like that Tony? That you care and even think that way? You never cease to amaze me and how truly special you are."
He rubbed his nose with hers and gave her a cheeky grin. "Doesn't mean we can't get up to trouble in other ways though?"
She laughed. "I am all for getting into trouble." She ran her hand down to his belt, "God, I have missed you so much..."
As he kissed her and explored her body with his hands as much as he tried to shut out the rest of the world he was very aware that he had a very short window of time before the injection really kicked in and she would become very hazy and unstable. He also couldn't just block out what had just happened and how Michelle must be feeling inside. He allowed himself to enjoy the few moments they had, keeping one eye open to watch her and make sure she was ok.
As she kissed down his neck and stomach she could feel herself coming unstable. She tried to lean against the wall a little more support, desperate to let this moment with Tony last as long as possible but with every passing second her vision was becoming blurry and she was having a harder time standing up. She could tell by now that Tony was holding most of her weight. He whispered into her ear how much he loved her, how beautiful she was and they stopped for a few moments as he ran his hand gently across her stomach and they spoke about their baby. It was still hard for them to believe that they were going to have a baby. At times like this Tony was so grateful as he knew that the baby was giving Michelle and himself that extra bit of strength to keep trying to get through all this.
When it got to the point that he was holding all of her weight and her eyes were opening and closing he told her they should get in the shower. She agreed and let him help her undress. As he watched her state get worse and worse he decided it would be safer if they sat down in the bath. Michelle went along with anything he suggested, she would do anything as long as she got to get under the water. Once he had her sitting in his arms in the bath he washed her hair and she held on to him tightly. They hadn't spoken now for a few minutes but it felt so intimate and special and he let his mind wonder for a few minutes into the future and what it would be like once all of this was behind them and he and Michelle were able to get on with their lives together.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of Michelle's hand grasping his knee tightly. "I don't feel good Tony."
Her voice was shaky and her back slumped into his body hard. He made sure he had a tight grip on her. "I'll get out and into bed ok baby."
She nodded her head. He had to find a way of getting her out of the bath. He was pissed at himself for not getting her out sooner. His Dad had warned him she wasn't going to last long. He managed to get them both out of the bath and wrap a towel around her. She could barely stand and so he had her sit on the floor in the towel. He knelt beside her and lifted her chin with his finger. Her face had gone pale and her eyes were barely open. "Baby can you look at me?"
"I'm trying. I don't feel right."
"I know sweetheart. I need to get you back into a t-shirt and into bed." He started to dry them both. "Sorry baby, I should have got you back into bed quicker. I just..."
"You listened to what Danny said to me?"
His heart skipped a beat. He had no idea in this world how he could repair the damage Danny would have caused by speaking to her like that. It made him feel sick. "No sweetheart, I didn't listen to what he said, Ryan told me some of what was said..."
There was a knock on the door. "Tony? Are you about done? Michelle's blood pressure medication is here and I need to give it to her straight away."
Tony knew he was going to need his Dad's help to get her back up and into the bed. He grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over her. "Come in Dad, I need your help."
Charlie walked in to see Michelle slumped on the floor, staring intently at Tony with tears falling down her now incredibly pale cheeks. "Oh my God. Chelle?"
Tony stepped to the other side of her and knelt down ready to pick her up. "I know Dad, I know...she just seemed to go downhill really quick."
Michelle switched her attention to Charlie. She was confused, he looked at her back like he knew there was something between them at the moment that needed to be resolved but they didn't know where to start. "Is Jess ok?" Her voice was flat.
Charlie knelt beside her as well. "No Chelle she isn't. She is unbelievably sorry for the way she spoke to you and for what she said. She is extremely confused and guilty at the moment."
"I don't care if Jess forever believes I did the wrong thing. I couldn't let that happen to her Charlie. I promised her, I promised Tony and I promised myself that I would do what I had to, to make sure she didn't have to go through that..."
"She knows that deep down inside Chelle, she just feels so guilty and is trying to find a way to work through it. I am so sorry for what happened before..."
Michelle waved her hand slightly and slowly shook her head. "You know my brother has always been a mess, even before we lost my Dad. I try to look after him and be there for him but I can never do the right thing in his eyes. He hates me right now. He is the only one with the guts to say it to my face though that I deserved what I got. I'll give him that much. But you...Jess...it actually hurts even more to feel like I am letting you guys down or that you are so angry with me..."
Charlie felt blind sighted; he didn't know how to register everything she had said or even how to come up with any kind of rational or reasonable answer. "You will talk to me Chelle. I will not let you continue to think the way you do. It is you that is angry at me, not the other way around..."
"What for?"
"You are angry that I gave you the injection and you are frustrated that I am forcing you to talk about what has happened to either us or Joanne."
"What else do you want to know Charlie? What the hell else am I supposed to be talking to you all about? Go on, just ask me and I will tell you..."
Tony sat there shocked that his Dad and Michelle were heading into a stand-off. He let it happen though because he wanted to hear what was said.
"Talking to us or Joanne doesn't have to be about recounting everything that happened, it is about helping you deal with your emotions and how you are feeling about this. When your brother spoke to you like that, you should have been able to open up to Tony at least straight away and feel like you had someone to lean on instead of going through it yourself..."
"It's not that easy! That's my brother! Would you, if you were in my position feel comfortable repeating how your family thinks you are scum. That you deserve everything that happened, that it is your fault. I already knew all that! I already feel those things about myself at the moment and to have him validate it for me was enough, I didn't need anyone else joining in on that one..."
"Joining in? We are on YOUR side here Michelle. Your brother makes me sick for the way he spoke to you and I tell you, nobody better let me near him any time soon. This is where you are not understanding, you are carrying guilt that you shouldn't be. It is my job to help you work through that. That's Tony's job, my job, all of our job. To make you hear what we are saying and to start believing it. Can't you see that the more you talk to us, the more we understand and then the more we can all heal and work through this...?"
"What do you want to know?"
"Those cigarette burns were used to..." He stopped when he saw Michelle's head spin around and look him dead in the eye. He continued, "That bruise on your thigh is not from a hand it is from a..." Michelle stopped him from finishing by yelling at him to stop. He saw her look on her face drop like he never had before and he heard Tony yell his name in question.
Michelle glared at him. "How do you know that?"
"Because I am a doctor Michelle."
Tony's voice boomed. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Michelle's voice came alive. "Don't! Stop it! Stop it! Don't say another word!" She burst into tears and began to try and pick herself up from the floor. Tony instinctively went to help her but Charlie held his hand up over her head to stop Tony.
Charlie hated what he was doing, but he also knew what he was doing. He needed Michelle to not only know that he had been able to piece together what had happened to her and therefore could understand it and he needed her to hit a point of letting it out instead of guarding every word she said.
Michelle, to his surprise managed to stand up, hunched but on her feet. Charlie rose with her. He had to put his hand across on Tony's chest to stop him from holding Michelle. He knew his son was torn and didn't totally understand what was happening but he didn't have time to explain it.
"Look at me Chelle."
She shook her head and she went from crying to sobbing. She kept her head down, "Stop it! Don't say it Charlie. STOP!" She went to try to push past him and he caught her in his arms. She tried to push him away and he pulled her back into his arms. She pushed away again and he just continued to do the same thing over and over. The harder she fought, the calmer he stayed. He spoke assertively but gently. "I won't, I won't. Stop fighting me Chelle."
Tony stood there in shock. He had never seen anything like this before. He could see what his Dad was doing. His heart shattered watching Michelle in so much pain but he knew that maybe, just maybe his Dad was actually really going to get somewhere with this.
Michelle was losing energy and as she gave Charlie another push in the chest away from her she begged him again to not think it and to not say it. He was finally able to put his hand on her cheek and force her to look at him. "I'm not saying it Chelle. I love you. Tony loves you. We all love you. You are safe."
She was hysterical. "You know how it all went, you can picture it. What are you thinking of me?"
"HOW amazing and brave you are!" He continued to hold her face as he repeated his words over and over. "See Chelle, it doesn't matter what I know, I love you. Trust in me Chelle. You are brave, you are strong and we are going to get you through this."
She finally raised her eyes and looked at him. He held her gaze and let his words sink in. She finally gave in and collapsed into his arms and started to wail. This is exactly what he had been hoping would happen. This is what she needed. She gripped him tighter and he held her tighter back. "You are not alone, I understand and we will get you through this. Let it all out Chelle. For once, let it out."
They stood like this for a long time. Michelle crying into Charlie's arms with Tony standing behind her rubbing her back. Charlie felt relieved on the inside that this was happening. He only just could make out what she was saying, "How long have you known how things happened?"
Charlie made sure to hold her tighter as he spoke. "The first time I ever saw the bruise on your thigh I knew there was a lot more force behind it then just a hand. From the report Joanne gave me helped me to understand a little more but also Chelle, I could tell from your behaviour. It is my job to understand things like this."
"I hate him Charlie. I hate him. Why did he do this? Why did this happen?"
Charlie took some deep breaths as he tried to find words. "I don't know Chelle. He is unstable. A monster and I am just so very sorry that he did this to you."
"I'm so angry; please don't make me talk to Joanne or anyone else. You get it, you understand it, isn't it enough that you and Tony already know so much?"
Charlie took a deep breath. "But you are not really talking to us Chelle. We are forcing everything out of you. Even when we think we have all the information we find out that you are still holding back."
Tony jumped in. "You need to stop trying to protect us from what happened to you baby. Don't you trust us?"
Michelle didn't move out of Charlie's arms, her head was now buried in his shoulder as she tried to hide her face from them. "It has nothing to do with trust, I just don't understand what good can come from you being even more hurt than you are now." Her voice started to trail off, "And if I am so disgusted and ashamed of what happened, I don't even want to know what you will think..."
Tony rubbed her back harder. He so badly wanted to take her from his Dad's arms into his but he knew they were getting somewhere and he wasn't going to make any moves that might change it. "All I think is how much I love you and how brave you were."
Charlie could tell how fast her breathing was and he was now basically taking all of her weight, he wanted to get her lying down. "Can we take you into the bedroom Chelle? Get you on the bed so you can rest..."
She shook her head, "But we have to go. We are not safe here anymore, we need to leave."
"We are. We are getting everything organized right now but I want you to rest until we have to move ok?"
She nodded her head slightly. When Charlie went to pull back a little so either he or Tony could pick her up and carry her into the bedroom she kept her grip tight on him, like she never wanted to let go. He looked at Tony who could tell from his expression he wasn't sure how to handle this. Tony stepped in closer and wrapped his arms around her so she would feel it. Slowly, Charlie turned Michelle's body into Tony's arms. At the last possible second, she moved her head from Charlie's shoulder straight into Tony's chest. She pushed it hard and he could tell she was not only fighting back tears but almost scared to look up at them. They took their time, knowing how fragile she was right now.
Once Michelle was in Tony's arms Charlie stepped back. He was about to start leading the way into the bedroom but the sight of the two of them together like that made him hesitate. She looked so small in his arms and as he picked her up gently, she still kept her face covered. He could her muffled cries and he tried to work out exactly where they went from here. He had broken Michelle down, he had forced her into this place and he knew he was responsible for getting her out of it. He wished for a moment that he could erase all the training Michelle had ever had and make her just like any other person, he hated that clearly the career she was in had forced her into believing she had to be so strong and brave all of the time. She had forgotten how to really open up and let people in. Now, when she needed help the most she was trying to use the strength she needed on the job to get her through this situation.
Tony nodded at him that he was ready and so Charlie turned and headed back for the bed. He could hear Michelle telling Tony again that they had to leave; they couldn't stay here like sitting ducks. Tony tried to reassure her that they would be leaving as soon as possible but Charlie could hear in his son's voice how scared and nervous he was as well. Tony also seemed a little in shock over what had just happened and Charlie knew he was itching to ask questions. Once Tony laid Michelle on the bed, she covered her face with her hands and Charlie watched as he immediately ran his hand down to the bruise on her thigh and then begin to inspect it, as though he was hoping the answer to what had happened was going to jump out at him.
Charlie leaned over Michelle and gently moved her hands away from her face. "Don't try and hide Chelle." She kept her eyes from meeting with his.
Tony's fingers were still tracing the bruise as he finally looked up at his Dad, "Where to from here Dad? Feels like we take one step forward and 2 back."
"I know it feels like that Tony but I promise you, all of this was not a step back. Actually it was a huge step forward..."
Michelle's voice sounded tired and defeated, "How do you figure that?"
Charlie looked at them both. They looked so tired and worn out. Tony was a little harder to read, most likely because he was still fuming about everything but also very worried about Michelle and scared. "Because what just happened Chelle was big progress..."
She didn't let him finish, "Why? Because Jess finally said how she really feels, my brother said how he feels and you let me know that you know a lot more than I realised? That once again I've broken down..."
Charlie could hear the anger in her voice at everything that had happened. The last thing they needed was for her to feel isolated or like everyone was ganging up on her. Unfortunately Tony beat him to responding to her and his voice sounded just as defensive. "Jess doesn't know what the hell she thinks at the moment, your brother is a fucking idiot and it is about time you...Fuck Chelle...were you ever going to tell me how bad he assaulted you?"
"You know what happened Tony!"
"I sure as hell didn't know he used some kind of weapon or something on you. I don't know whatever the hell it is that Dad has figured out but it must be pretty bad for you to get so upset at the thought he might say it out loud..."
Charlie shook his head. This was not how he intended for this to go. He should have known Tony wasn't going to let it go, he should have spoken to Tony privately first.
"Just forget it please!"
"No, I am not going to forget it. How the hell am I supposed to look after you when I don't know what I am dealing with?"
Michelle had tears running down her cheeks and she started to sit up a little. "Fine...fine. He had some kind of black army knife with a thick base. He rammed that into my thigh repeatedly. After he burnt me with the cigarettes he used the base of the knife to push into the burn. He ran the knife down my face as he threatened to slice me up if I didn't do what he wanted. Is that what you want to hear Tony? Does that help? Does that make all this easier for you?"
Tony's body sunk into the bed and he felt like he had been hit by a truck. His eyes glazed over as despair and anger flooded his system.
Charlie hadn't realised that Sam had used a knife on her. He had figured out it was an object that had caused the damage but now hearing that a knife had been used changed things. Before Tony had a chance to respond he jumped in, "Where did he touch you with the blade Chelle?"
She looked up at him confused, "What?"
"I mean, did he ever run the blade over an open wound, like your stomach?"
Michelle shook her head and looked down. "I don't know..."
"Think, this is really important. God knows how dirty that knife could have been. You could get an infection...anything. Even if there was the slightest bit of rust on that knife it opens up a whole new set of possibilities that we need to take precautions for and check. I need you to try and..."
Michelle's cries turned into sobs. "I don't know Charlie! I can't remember every single detail and exactly how it all happened. I wasn't taking notes, I was trying to get the hell out of there. I remember it being on my face, my stomach and my thighs but I am sorry, I am not just saying this but I honestly don't remember everywhere the knife touched me..."
Tony crawled up the bed and grabbed Michelle as she was speaking and pulled her into his arms. "It's ok, its ok baby...we can work it out from there, right Dad?" He looked up at his Dad and gave him a look as if to say that they had pushed her enough and they needed to stop upsetting her even more.
"Right...that's enough for me to work with..."
Michelle held Tony tightly but she looked unsure of what to do. "I don't want to think about it anymore...I can't think about it anymore, it makes me feels so sick and dirty..." She stopped talking when she caught Joanne slowly opening the door.
Joanne looked nervous but tried to keep her voice even and calm. "I thought I would check on you all. Jess is doing a lot better, although very upset at her outburst."
Charlie stood up tall, he wasn't sure how to handle this. He did a quick glance at Tony and Michelle. Words word never be able to describe how he felt when he saw the looks on their faces, their eyes said everything. "Umm, I'm glad Jess has settled down. Thank you for helping..."
"Not a problem, that is what I am here for." She trained her eyes on Michelle and Tony. "And how are you doing Michelle?"
Without a beat, "I'm fine." The she looked to Charlie, she used her eyes to beg him not to make her do this. Tony held her tightly and also looked to his Dad, he was unsure of what to do.
Charlie could feel everyone in the room staring at him. He felt like he should force Michelle and Tony to talk to Joanne. If he wasn't so emotionally attached to them, that is exactly what he would be doing right now however he didn't know if he could even bare the thought of Michelle going through it all again. He cleared his throat, knelt down so he was eye lever with her. "Chelle, do you think that maybe you would want to try giving this a go?"
She shook her head slightly but didn't respond yet. She wanted to respect Charlie and follow his orders as her doctor, without him she would be stuck scared to death in a hospital but she simply didn't think she was capable right now of talking to Joanne. Not to mention, Charlie and Tony were the only people in the world she trusted with this knowledge, no one else.
Before Michelle had a chance to respond, Joanne started to walk closer to the bed. "I know that you don't think you need to talk about the ordeal you have been through Michelle. I understand how emotionally draining everything has been but it would make you feel so much better to even make a start at opening up and working your way through this."
"I have. I've told Tony and Charlie what happened."
"Yes and that is great but that is your fiancé and his father. Sometimes it can be the most freeing feeling to speak to someone that is not so emotionally involved..."
Tony sat back a little but pulled Michelle into his arms as she spoke. "Yeah and I know that is what I would be saying if I was in your position but it's not like that. Charlie isn't just my fiancés father...he is...he has become..." She stopped and took a couple deep breaths. "Charlie has also been my doctor almost since the very start of this. You don't understand how much trust we have had to build with each other to get through this and Tony...he is the reason why I am getting through this. There isn't one thing I could tell anybody else that I couldn't tell Tony. And Tony gets all this, he deals with horrific situations at work every day and he knows how to handle..."
Joanne interrupted her, which neither Tony nor Charlie was too happy about. "I understand that you and Tony have very unique jobs, however Tony does not deal with his fiancé being brutally assaulted every day. This is very different. I don't mean to upset anyone by saying this but Tony also needs an outlet..."
Tony's voice was assertive. "No, no I don't. As long as Chelle is talking to me and I can see that she is ok then I am ok. As long as my Dad tells me that physically she is getting better than I am ok."
Joanne looked frustrated. She turned to Charlie. "We spoke about this earlier Charlie, I know that you were very keen for both Michelle and Tony to speak with me. It is very clear to me that a lot of walls are being put up here. This whole family is on one huge rollercoaster and with each passing hour things become more difficult and it becomes more obvious the help that is needed." She motioned her hands towards Michelle but kept looking at Tony. She tried to soften her tone, "Over the past few days Michelle has only revealed details about her attack when forced or "helped" with medication. Even I know that Michelle didn't tell me the whole truth about what happened to her in the clinic, that was clear from her injuries. I dread to think how much more horrible things Michelle was subjected to that we don't know about yet." She turned and looked at Michelle. "It is so completely normal for you to be responding the way you have Michelle and for you to feel the way you do but until the whole truth comes out this is going to be very hard for you to put behind you. I have been working with Jess to put the pieces together of what happened and with so many unanswered questions..."
Michelle cut her off, her voice sounding panicked, "You haven't told Jess anything have you?"
Joanne seemed shocked and taken off guard. "What do you mean?"
"I mean everything that was said in the clinic, the examination all of that...that was supposed to be confidential, please tell me you have not repeated any of that?"
"I haven't broken any patient confidentiality here Michelle but I am trying to help a young girl that is desperately trying to make sense of a situation. Jess has asked me and I have not told her anything but I can..."
Michelle was getting very defensive and pissed off with Joanne. "The last thing Jess needs is to know every little thing that happened. She has been through enough..."
"You can't protect her from..."
"YES, YES I can. Why the hell do you think I did what I did in the first place? I didn't allow Jess in that room so because I was trying to spare her from having to witness something like that. I know she has been through hell and I will do everything in the world I can to help her but I don't understand how her knowing every bit of the sexual abuse is going to help her healing process." Michelle sat up a little, her voice growing more and more frustrated and angry, "You were not there, you have no idea what Jess and I went through together. We thought we were going to die, we worked together to get out of that situation and she was so amazing and strong...she gave me strength. You can't take all of that away from us over some stupid little details."
Charlie and Tony thought that Joanne would be stuck for words, they sure as hell were. Instead she fired right back. "You were both the victims here Michelle. You may have protected Jess and saved her but no one was able to protect you and..."
Michelle went to kneel up but lost her balance and Tony had to sit up behind her and wrap his arms around her. None of them had noticed that Jess and Natalie were now in the doorway. Michelle let loose. "How dare you say that? Fuck! This just proves you don't understand! What the hell do you mean no one was able to protect me? This whole damn family did! Jess was so brave, bracer than you are giving credit for. She blew me away the entire time. She ran back with me when bullets were being fired. She helped me push the brake lights out of the trunk; she held me and gave me the strength to get through the whole fucking thing. I did what I did because I love her. She is a sister to me and I didn't want her having to go through what I did but she was the reason I got through it. And Tony...he had my back the whole time, just like the rest of this family. Tony wouldn't stop even when he had been shot. He never gave up on us and over and over he risked his life for mine so don't you go saying no one was able to protect me."
Jess pushed the door wide open and came flying across the rooms onto the bed and into Michelle's arms. It all happened so quick that she took everyone by surprise and almost pushed Tony and Michelle over in the process but Tony was able to keep them steady. She hugged Michelle tightly. "I am so sorry for what I said before. Do you really mean what you just said? About me being brave and giving you strength?"
Michelle had tears in her eyes. "More than you will ever know Jess. That's what I have been trying to get you to understand this whole time. We were a team out there together. We got put in a shitty situation but because we stuck together like we did, we are both still here. Look at the way you tried to get up when Ashley was firing at us? You have more guts than most the people on our tactical teams."
Jess just looked Michelle dead in the eyes. "Thank you. I'll never be able to say it enough but thank you. We were a team. You showed me how to be brave Chelle."
Michelle gave her a cheeky grin. "It's in your Almeida blood, trust me!"
Both Charlie and Tony were still stunned by everything. Tony was proud beyond belief at the way Michelle had stood up for herself and his sister. He was proud of Jess. He squeezed them both tighter, scared if he opened his mouth right this second he would burst into tears. After a few moments, Jess pulled herself off them both and sat at the end of the bed. They all stared at one another.
Finally Michelle looked up. "Charlie, I did make a promise to you when you got me out of the hospital that I would do as you asked. I'm sorry I am being a difficult patient. If YOU want me to do this then I will for you because the last thing I want to do is make you feel like I am not respecting that promise I made."
Charlie could have burst into tears on the spot. He couldn't help it, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and spoke quietly to her. "But you really are not up for it are you? Be honest..."
She shook her head and then pulled him down closer so that when she whispered only he and Tony would be able to hear. "Not at the moment. I honestly don't feel capable of it. I am really sore, I think I am bleeding a bit and I am so drained."
Charlie gave her a wink and put his hand on Tony's shoulder as he looked up at Joanne. "I think we will give this a miss for now Joanne. I appreciate everything you have done, however I am going to respect Tony and Michelle's decision right now and give them some time to recover and rest."
Joanne nodded her head. "I understand. I am available on the phone when you need me."
They all thanked her as she walked out. Michelle sunk back into the bed, relief washed across her face and Charlie instantly knew he had made the right call. Tony leant down and kissed Michelle on the lips. "Wow sweetheart, you told her. I was speechless..."
"You speechless?" She gave him a tiny grin and the other laughed.
He smiled and bit his bottom lip. "Yeah so that is telling you something. I swear you just continue to blow me away with how strong you are."
"I wouldn't have had the guts to do it if I didn't know you were right there with me."
He kissed her again and pulled her back into his arms. "Is it possible for me to feel like I just continually keep falling deeper and deeper in love with you?"
Natalie and Charlie looked at each other and smiled. Seeing their son like this was such a wonderful feeling. The fact that he spoke to Michelle like that and in front of them was amazing. This time a year ago they felt like it was a battle just for him to tell them how his day was or how he was feeling. Michelle made him such a happier person and they loved that. Michelle and Tony were too caught up with each other to notice the looks but Jess could see and found herself nodding in agreement, although nothing had even been said out loud. When Natalie and Charlie saw that, the 3 of them all laughed.
They enjoyed each other's company for a few more moments before Charlie told the girls he needed to exam Michelle and that he would come join them for a movie in a few minutes. Natalie gave Michelle a hug and kiss before she left and told her how much she loved her. Just before Natalie was out of the room Michelle stopped her and called her back over. She sounded serious and Natalie looked at everyone wondering what this could be. She sat on the bed and Michelle took her hand.
"Umm Natalie...I know this is weird timing and all that but in the past few weeks you have been the best mom, the only mom I have ever had. I know you have so much on your plate and you are so busy. I was wondering if you would..." She got too nervous and stopped. This was hard and she didn't think she could handle a rejection.
Natalie egged her on, "What is it dear? Anything?"
Michelle just blurted it out so fast it took all of them a few seconds to register what she had said. "Can you help me with the wedding? Like can you do all the 'mom' stuff? Like planning, dress shopping...will you help me? Will you be a part of it with me cause I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else?" Michelle looked so nervous when she stopped speaking she dropped her head.
Natalie laughed. She lifted Michelle's chin. "You Michelle are going to have the most fabulous wedding and I would be honoured to help you out in every way possible. I cam already picture it now, days and days of shopping and lunches...we are going to make this the most special day ever for you. I would love to and you have no idea how happy you have just made me by asking."
Michelle sighed in relief. "Wow, thank you."
"No, thank you! Now hurry up and get better so we can get on with all this. How about I pop out to the shops," She turned and gave Tony a grin "with an agent...and pick up some magazines and books for us to start working through and looking at?"
Jess perked up. "Can I come mom? I can help you pick."
Michelle smiled. "You had better because as my maid of honour you had better know what is going on."
The room fell silent. Jess had tears streaming down her face but a smile so large it was infectious to everyone in the room. "Did you just say what I think you said? You want me to be your maid of honour?"
"It would be an honour to have you next to me. So will you?"
"HELL YES!" She ran over and gave Michelle another huge hug. Of course now it took Charlie another 15 minutes to get the girls out of the room because they all started to discuss everything and were so excited. He hated to break up this special moment but Michelle was fading fast, he was concerned about her comment about bleeding before and he needed to make sure she was ok.
With Tony's help, he got the girls set up with Johnson to go to the store and then he came back to Michelle. She was getting very pale and looked frustrated that she couldn't get comfortable. "Ok time for a check of everything..."
"And some pain stuff?"
He smiled, "Yes, let's do that first."
Tony went to help Michelle by pulling her tracksuits pants down for the injection but she stopped him. "What's wrong?"
He couldn't believe it when she immediately became extremely vulnerable and upset. "Baby?"
Charlie sat next to her. "The bleeding Chelle?"
She just nodded her head. Tony put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "Sweetheart, I love you. What can I do? What is going to make this the most comfortable for you?"
"Can you guys please give me the injection with lots of sedatives and give it enough time to work and then I know you are going to have to do whatever you need to do but can you just wait until the injection kicks in completely?"
Charlie nodded his head. "Of course. Now, we've basically just kicked Joanne's ass out of here and you need an examination..."
"No Joanne...and I know I need an examination, I can tell something isn't quite right." There was silence from all 3 of them as they thought about what this meant. Tony was fine with it, he didn't care as long as Michelle got checked and the help she needed and from who she felt comfortable with. Charlie was already in doctor mode so all he needed to know was that Michelle understood what this meant and was ok with it.
"You understand what I will need to do right Michelle? From this moment there is only your fiancé and Dr. Almeida in the room."
She nodded her head, she seemed confident with her decision, just very vulnerable and nervous about what it meant but she knew she would feel that way with anyone. "Yes. You really stuck up for me before Charlie, even though I know you wanted me to talk to Joanne. You stuck up for me. I trust you more than anyone." She grabbed Tony's hand. "You're not going anywhere right?"
He kissed her sweetly on the lips. "Won't leave your side for a second."
Charlie nodded his head and then kind of smiled. "I didn't really like the way she spoke to you just then anyway Michelle. She is very good at what she does but I don't think she is the right person for you or this situation. Most importantly, the trust goes both ways. I want you better but the 3 of us are going to have to keep talking and working out the best ways to handle each hurdle that comes along."
As Charlie rolled Michelle to the side to give her the injection in her bottom, Tony went out to remind the other agent at the house that Ryan Chappelle should be here shortly. He told him they couldn't be disturbed for awhile so to txt him when Ryan had arrived and Tony would come out when he was ready. He rushed back into the room, climbed on the bed and pulled her back into his arms.
They talked about baby names for a few minutes as the drugs started to work. Tony loved it, he got to hold her, kiss her and she spent the whole time trailing her hand through his hair and down his arm. Once it got to the point her eyes were almost closed and her hand stopped moving they knew it was time. Tony looked up at Charlie. "I think they are working, thanks Dad. Now what do we do?"
Charlie ran his finger over Michelle's eye. "You still with us Chelle? I need you a little awake for this?"
She nodded her head and raised her hand a tiny but in a thumbs up shape.
Charlie took a deep breath. Michelle turned her head to the side again and tucked it into Tony's shoulder. Charlie hated how vulnerable, nervous and exposed she must be feeling. "Let's start with the easy stuff, your stomach..."
Thanks for reading. I hope you liked this chapter, even though it was drama and pretty sad. You know I'll get them to a happy place...
Please if you have read this, take the time to review and let me know what you think, I really appreciate it:) THANKS!