A/N: Thank you Jaudreylover24 and amacma for the reviews!

When Chloe arrived with Morris and the GP, all they did was ask questions, bewildered by the small, old house he'd asked them to come to. But seeing Tony cradling an almost unrecognisable Michelle in his arms silenced them rather quickly. Jack explained quietly that they'd both been tortured and that Tony had escaped, but Michelle hadn't. Jack explained to the doctor what had likely been done to Michelle based on her appearance and whatever he'd seen in the hostiles' arsenal. There could be more to it, but Michelle was in no position to explain that right now. At least, not in detail.

In any case, Michelle needed to be taken care of and reminded that things would be okay, even if she couldn't see Tony's eyes staring back at her, trying so desperately to affirm that.

Before the doctor looked at her, Tony wanted to give her time to feel comfortable. There was a small bathtub in the house that they wiped down and disinfected. Tony peeled the dirty, torn hospital gown off her body, and she was quick to cover herself with her arms. Then, he slowly allowed the tepid, gentle stream to run over her back. She inhaled sharply, and he could see raw skin there, so he reduced the pressure as much as necessary, even though she was shivering from the cold, hugging her knees to her chest. The water turned pink from all the grime and blood as it drained. Tony hushed Michelle as she cried, using a cloth to clean some of the older bloodstains, revealing skin paler than he'd ever seen on her. He also tried his hardest to brush and detangle her hair, profusely apologising as she winced. At this moment, Tony was ever-so-slightly grateful that she couldn't see him right now because it meant he could let the tears fall silently down his face without upsetting her further. Although, she could probably still tell he was crying from the shakiness in his voice as he reassured her.

When he helped her out of the tub, he quickly wrapped her in a towel. Again, her arms crept around his back, squeezing him tightly. He just wanted to hold her. She needed him right now. He didn't want to have to tell her that she needed to be examined by the doctor, that she would have to find it in herself to trust somebody else when right now she was more vulnerable than ever. He placed a hand under her chin to lift her head and cupped her cheeks, looking into her eyes. Her hands reached up to mirror his actions, and for just that brief moment, it was like she was looking at him properly.

"The doctor has to take a look at you."

Her face twisted, and she pressed her face into his chest again. She could barely form coherent sentences, but he didn't need them to know how hard this would be. He made out the word 'home' and a plea for him to take her there.

"I know, baby. I know…" He said weakly, rubbing between her shoulder blades. "But I need you to do this for me first, okay? Please."

After some more hesitation, she gave him a small nod, still not letting go of him. He felt his fingers come away sticky with blood and noticed that several of the wounds on her back were still bleeding a little. They would have to disinfect them before they were wrapped, and he cringed at the thought of how much that would hurt.

"Sweetheart…" He said softly. "You're still bleeding on your back. The doctor's going to need to disinfect it."

Michelle grimaced, letting Tony slowly pivot her so her arms were wrapped over his shoulders. As the first drop of the antiseptic touched her skin, she howled out in pain. Tony had to squeeze her so she could stay still. The doctor tried to work as fast as she could, and it took every ounce of strength in Tony not to stop her, no matter how desperately Michelle screamed and begged him to.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" He whispered again and again, feeling her nails dig into his skin. She heaved against him, whimpering.

The doctor then took the time to carefully check any remaining wounds and scars on the front of her body. Tony sat back, putting Michelle between his legs so her head was against his collarbone. He had to keep echoing to her what the doctor was doing so she wasn't startled by her. Despite his efforts, she still became overwhelmed, so Tony gave in to her request to stop and take a break. Every touch on her skin was a flash of pain, a reminder of each beating, of each instance where they wanted her to talk, but she refused. Michelle turned to bury his face against his shoulder, moving her hands over his face, grounding herself in his presence. It broke Tony's heart knowing that no matter how much he told her, part of her still couldn't trust him without seeing him.

"You're okay… you're with me…" He said, over and over again, holding her tightly to him.

"You can't sedate her?" Tony mouthed to the doctor, not wanting Michelle to hear. This would be easier and less intense for her if she was asleep.

She shook her head, pointing at a series of track marks on Michelle's arm. "I can't tell if she's been drugged without a blood test. If they did, a sedative could interact dangerously."

He nodded glumly.

As they tried again, Tony was surprised to see Michelle's eyes twitch as the doctor moved a small torch over her face.

The doctor smiled slightly. "The fact that you're still reacting to that is good."

"Can you do anything about it now?" Tony asked.

She shook her head. "I'll need to refer you to a specialised surgeon to repair the broken iris and see the extent of the damage." She then pressed her lips together. "It's hard to tell when we don't know what happened. If it was physical trauma, a chemical burn, light exposure…"

Michelle made a small noise as the doctor said 'light'. They both looked at her expectantly, and she cleared her throat. She explained in short fragments that they used to shine bright light into her eyes and force her eyelids open. Over time, she stopped being able to distinguish shapes. She could only tell if it was light or dark around her.

"That could mean the effect is reversible, although I can't guarantee anything."

As the doctor said this, Tony could feel the release of some of the tension in Michelle's body against his, her heart rate slowing a little.

But when the doctor very quietly, very calmly, asked Michelle to spread her legs, she shook her head vehemently, and her breath hitched. He asked her very quietly if they assaulted her in that way, but she shook her head, to both his relief and confusion.

"I never let them," Michelle said quietly, and he recalled how fiercely she'd fought him off before realising it was him. She went on to explain that they only ever hurt her physically. They gave up on anything that might mentally affect her, including drugging her, because they knew she wouldn't be able to tell them anything if she wasn't lucid. Still, that didn't stop them from trying on occasion, so she'd had to keep her guard up.

It seemed too good to be true that they'd been somewhat considerate in their torture. But if these people had been paid by Logan or people associated with him, they would have been professionals. Professionals who knew how to make people talk without destroying them mentally so it wouldn't affect their memory. They'd likely been ex-federal agents or private military contractors. Tony had come to that conclusion during his own torture. They hadn't just been random street thugs trying to control her. No, they'd had a job: to keep her alive and well enough to extract information from her for years. Tony wondered whether blinding her had been an accident or intentional, a fear tactic to control her and prevent her escape.

However, for the sake of her health, the doctor would still need to verify her claims in case they assaulted her while she was unconscious.

"It's going to be okay…" He whispered. "Trust me, please? She won't hurt you."

It took a few more tearful tries, but eventually, she stopped squeezing her knees together and let the doctor examine her. Her hand gripped Tony's so tightly that her knuckles turned white, but it was all over soon enough. True to her word, there was no sign of sexual assault, to their relief. The doctor concluded that she'd need some antibiotics and painkillers, but other than that, she would be physically okay. As for her mental well-being, the doctor hoped that with some rest and being taken care of by someone she trusted, she would be able to feel safe, even if the loss of sight was frightening in the meantime. She gave them both referrals for therapists. Otherwise, the doctor could come to them. No hospitals. Nothing overwhelming.

Michelle simply needed to be home.

The clothes Chloe had brought from CTU looked the right size, but Tony was still surprised to see how loose they were on her. When he pulled the sweatshirt over her head, he tucked a hair behind her ear, and the corners of her lips upturned.

"Thank you…" He whispered. "I know that was really hard for you."

He carried her out to where Jack, Chloe and Morris stood in the hall. Michelle asked him to go home again, not having forgotten what he'd promised her. Tony then made a hesitant face. Since he'd stayed legally dead for his safety, he hadn't been able to access any of their bank accounts. The house they'd moved to after leaving CTU had been sold as stated by their wills. Over the past year, he'd moved from apartment to apartment, never able to find a home without her. He hadn't been able to sleep knowing she was out there somewhere. It had been so hard being apart. They'd done it once by their own choice, and he and Michelle had vowed never to do it again when they'd gotten back together, no matter what. And with leaving CTU, they'd believed the chance of something so shattering happening to them again was slim. Slim, but not zero, as they'd now learnt. Tony wanted nothing more than to press reset and take them both back to that terrible morning. But he couldn't. He wanted to give her a home and a place to feel safe, but he couldn't right now, and it was killing him.

"You can stay with us." Morris offered. "We have a spare bedroom and bathroom."

"Thank you," Tony said gratefully.

Chloe could only stand there, her lips pressed together, and tears welled in her eyes. "I just... I can't believe you're both alive. And that Logan..." She frowned. "Logan's gotten away with this the whole time."

Hearing her say that reminded Tony that it wasn't all over yet. They had to be certain that all of Logan's associates had either been arrested or killed. Only then could they say they were safe. Michelle was their best hope of having complete details, but they couldn't ask her now. She was on the verge of falling asleep from exhaustion, her arms around his neck as they walked outside. Jack noticed the tiny trails of blood from Tony's neck, and he realised Michelle's grip was so fierce she'd broken skin. Tony explained to her quietly that they were going to Chloe and Morris' house. She was a little surprised to hear his name mentioned, and only then did Tony recall they'd been divorced. It was nice to hear that they'd made it work again, too.

In the meantime, Jack would stay there to aid with the investigation. He would selectively call people in, starting with Aaron Pierce, Bill, and Karen, when she got back from DC. Tony thanked him and knew undoubtedly that if anybody could resolve this efficiently and with assurance, it was him. He could tell Jack was doing this out of guilt, too, but Tony affirmed that he'd never regretted helping him go into hiding. All he asked now was for his help in keeping him and Michelle safe.

As Chloe and Morris drove them both home in silence, all Tony could think about was the other uncertainty of their future. Yes, he should be incredibly grateful that they were both alive after everything, even if they'd lost the baby. But it had been confronting to see Michelle so helplessly dependent on him. It wasn't just about the loss of her sight, although he knew that having that restored might help her feel less afraid. He was still thinking about how long it had taken for her to recognise him. The tremor in her voice. The way that even in sleep, she was gripping him fiercely. People didn't just 'recover' from torture. It could take days, weeks, months... and maybe some things just wouldn't be the same.

"We're here," Chloe said, stopping him from spiralling further.

The spare room had already been made up. Morris and Chloe showed them around. After laying Michelle on the bed and covering her with a blanket, Tony took the chance to freshen up and grabbed a CTU t-shirt and sweatpants from the bag of assorted clothes they'd brought. When he came back into the bedroom, he paused and pursed his lips as he looked at Michelle. She was here. She was really here. No matter how much it hurt to see her afraid and in pain... the shock and relief of her being alive still hadn't worn off.

As he got into bed beside her, half-drawing the curtains to prevent the mid-morning daylight from disturbing them too much, Michelle stirred at the feeling of the mattress creaking. She uttered his name, and he stroked her hair, confirming he was there.

"Don't go," Michelle whispered. "Please."

He tried to fight back the tears forming in the corners of his eyes again.

"I'm not going anywhere," Tony replied quietly.

Despite how much he wanted to hug her, he reminded himself that it might still alarm her to feel that without warning. Instead, Tony let Michelle find her way over to him with her hands, and he wrapped his arms around her as she curled up against his body.

"You're with me, now."