Edgar frowned. "Chloe, where's the data from Dina Araz's interrogation? Michelle said she's filed it, but I can't find it anywhere."

She rolled her eyes. "It's under the Kappa database. You should know that."

"That's where I'm looking!"

"What?" Chloe then went to said database, prepared to tell Edgar to get his eyes checked, only to confirm his claim. "Yeah, you're right. It's not there." She then tried to search for the file using the established naming convention — she hoped that had been done right, at least — and found it in an unlikely spot. "It's under the old folder on the S Drive. That's weird. We haven't put interrogation data in there in years."

"Maybe Michelle is just behind on protocol since she doesn't work here anymore."

She squinted at him. "Edgar, Michelle works at Division. She's the one who sets these protocols."

Jack happened to be standing near her desk, so Chloe called out to him.

"I think something's up with Michelle."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"She's doing everything with old protocols. I think having Tony here is making her slip up."

"That's not like her," Jack said, glancing up at Driscoll's old office. Michelle always maintained her objectivity with Tony around. But then again, working with an ex was a little different from working with a spouse. "I'll go talk to her."

"Thanks."

Jack walked up the stairs but must have done so quietly because Michelle jumped a little when he knocked on the door.

"Are you alright?"

She looked at him funnily. "We're in the middle of a nuclear crisis, Jack. I don't really think this is the time."

He laughed through his nose. "I meant are you alright with Tony being here," he clarified. He noticed that Michelle seemed to react to the mere mention of Tony's name, so he made an effort to keep his voice level. He didn't want her to think he was reprimanding or criticising her. He was just concerned and wanted to check in. "Chloe told me you've been doing things on old protocol. You filed Dina Araz's interrogation data in the wrong spot."

Knowing Michelle, she would likely apologise and maybe take a breather if she had to, then get right back to work. But Jack was confused to watch her cheek twitch in anger. Her demeanour had been cold today, but this was downright unusual.

"I'm not going to say anything to anyone," he reassured. "I just wanted to let you know so it doesn't happen again."

"Jack, it's fine," she said shortly. "I made a mistake, and I'll fix it."

He walked closer to the desk and could tell that she was far more stressed than she was letting on. She didn't look at him, maintaining a tense silence, and Jack had to wonder how much the divorce had affected her, too. He might have known about Tony's coping mechanisms, but that didn't mean she hadn't had her own. She tended to work her way through stress. She had done so while Tony was in prison, so it made sense that she might also use that strategy today.

"Look, nobody would blame you or think any less of you if you let Bill take charge here. It's not like you knew Tony was at CTU-"

"I'm okay, Jack," Michelle insisted in a tone that Jack would later realise was a warning.

"I just don't want it to get in the way of your work or anybody else's," Jack explained. "It can be hard working with someone you used to be involved with."

She was unreadable. "I realise you're probably thinking about what you and Nina went through, but Tony and I will be fine. We just have to get through today."

Jack sighed, feeling like he could back off. Michelle clearly had everything under control and was trying to get on with her work. At the same time, he couldn't ignore that she was trying to mask her pain. Tony hadn't been particularly nice to her when she'd arrived.

"For the record, Tony wasn't drunk when I called him today."

"Yet," she muttered.

He didn't know why he bringing up the past, knowing it would only further detract from finding Marwan. But, for some reason, he felt a need to diffuse here and create some understanding.

"He- I know he's hurt you, and you had every right to walk away from him. But he was just trying to push you away because he couldn't deal with-"

"Yeah, Jack, I know," Michelle snapped, standing from her desk and meeting his gaze. "But let me guess, you're going to tell me he wasn't the bad guy? That he was no better than you or me?" For a second, Jack swore something in her eyes had changed, just for a moment, shifting from dark brown to an icy blue. But he hadn't noticed that because he was too occupied with what she had just said. He could still hear her words. It was like they had echoed off the glass, but she hadn't spoken loudly enough for that to be possible. Still, he wasn't doubting himself. There was a small chance her choice of phrasing was a total coincidence. At the same time, there had been intent in her expression. Michelle didn't say things she didn't mean. So, how could she have possibly known that?

"What… what did you just say?"

He could see a flicker of guilt on her face. It was like she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have, furthering his suspicion.

"Jack, I don't have time for this-"

"What did you just say?" Jack repeated firmly.

His mind recalled something from Nina's file: an association she'd had with a very strange and vaguely known group. They hadn't been a gang or criminal organisation. The words 'occult' and 'witchcraft' had come up, but the description had been otherwise scarce. Jack had tried to see if it was all some kind of code but never found anything to confirm. The only time he had thought of it since was when Chloe had told him that a lot of people had left CTU in the weeks following Nina's death. Apparently, people had believed something in CTU had changed. Nobody dared to go down to Tech 3. It wasn't safe, they'd said. It felt off, they'd said. Jack assumed it had been a collective avoidance response to the tragedies that had happened that day, a desperation to distance themselves from CTU — something he empathised with all too well.

Right now, though, Jack was more than willing to consider that those people had been right to leave because there was no way, no way, that Michelle could have just said that.

"I don't understand why you're fixating on this," she dismissed. "We have work to do-"

Jack grabbed her wrist, and she looked at him with nothing but fury, again, something he'd never seen from her.

"Jack, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"How do you know about that?" he demanded. "I… I said that to…"

If he had been surprised by the sharpness of her reaction to his questions, he was astounded by the way she stopped fighting him, relaxing in his grip, and, if he wasn't mistaken, laughing, despite his confrontation. Michelle turned to him with a smirk that was very uncharacteristic of her, but undeniably characteristic of Nina. It was strange. All of her mannerisms suddenly reminded him of Nina in some way. It was as though she'd studied her intensely, but even then, that wasn't enough to describe it. She wasn't copying her; she was her in every way possible except her outward appearance.

"Alright, you got me," she conceded flatly.

Jack felt his blood run cold. "Nina…" he uttered, feeling a heaviness fall over the room, knowing it was her even though he didn't understand why. "What did you do to Michelle? How… how is this possible?"

She looked at him innocently. "I'm just borrowing her for a while, Jack. Don't worry; I can run CTU. I have done this before."

He needed to warn Tony, and he needed to do it now. Even if Tony wanted nothing to do with Michelle, he was certain that he didn't want her to get hurt. At the same time, he couldn't leave her alone now, not for a second, when she knew every entrance and exit to CTU and had access to all kinds of resources.

Nina scoffed. "Oh, I'd like to see you try to explain this to Tony."

His eyes widened. Could she read his mind?

She snickered. "Seems like I still know you as well as always."

He'd never felt this blindsided in his life. What was he supposed to do here? How was he supposed to have any control over this?

"You should probably get back to work, Jack," she said with a sneer.

But what he did know was that he wasn't going to let Nina hurt anybody. Not again.