A/N: Hello, fellow readers! I just wanted to give you a brief low down of how I wrote this story so as not to be confused. This story goes through Day 2 of 24 focusing on certain scenes of Tony and Michelle that I felt were relevant to their growth and connection. All events are in order but I took out some of the unimportant ones so if you haven't seen season two in a while, this is a good excuse to re-watch it. Then I will go into my ideal story after day two. I hope I stayed as true to the characters and that you enjoy this. And keep an eye out for me. I will be writing more, now that I graduated college and I am past my middle school fangirl writing style. Please Read and Review and Enjoy!
"Tony prepare for the next interview." George Mason said with a sigh. Tony rolled his eyes, he could feel the tension and fatigue settling in after the last interview. They had done seven in a row and Tony didn't think he could do anymore. Considering that they all gave about the same answers, they were all "dedicated" and "hardworking", he was getting bored of hearing the same old same old.
"Mr. Mason, Michelle Dessler is here for her interview." came a voice over the intercom.
"Alright send her in." Mason looked at Tony as to lighten up and Tony just gave out a huff. Then the door opened,
"Good afternoon, I am Michelle Dessler." Tony could hear the voice of a woman and he ignored it finding his hands very entertaining for the moment.
"I am George Mason. CTU Director and this is Anthony Almeida, my second in command." Mason introduced and was annoyed at seeing Tony being rude, he gave Tony a slight tap on the shoulder. Tony looked up and noticed that both of them were staring at him. He then looked at Michelle, and his breath caught. She was beautiful. "Tony would you use your Master's degree and come up with something to say to Michelle Dessler." Tony couldn't stop looking at her. She was smiling at him, and she seemed to feel the intensity of his eyes for she began to blush under his stare.
"Tony is fine." Tony managed to get out. He reached out for her hand, she took it instantly. And the moment they did both of them seemed to look at one another differently. They shook hands and let go, but the moment they both did they both regretted it.
"Smooth." Muttered Mason with a smile than he motioned for them all to sit, "Now Mrs. Dessler can you tell us about yourself and why we should consider you for the position." Michelle straightened her back ready to answer when she frowned slightly,
"It's Ms." She corrected. This caught Tony' attention, but he didn't dare show it.
"Excuse me?" Mason asked,
"I am not married." She said with a slight blush to her cheeks
"Not married huh," Mason cast a sideways gaze at Tony who completely avoided eye contact from either of them. "Well, I am sorry for assuming."
"Don't worry about it. Well, first things first." And then she began to list her qualifications. And Tony couldn't help but look up at her, she was overqualified. There was something about the way she talked that made him listen to her more than he had with any of the others. It wasn't because she was beautiful, no. It wasn't because her head was filled with curls and her eyes would glance back and forth between both men equally. It was because she carried herself in a way Tony hadn't seen in a long time. Confident. But with a hint of nervousness, that Tony found equally attractive. "And where CTU lacks in I want to help fix. I really want this job, it's something that I have always wanted to do. Helping people, saving lives, that's what really is important to me more than anything." She said the last part looking right at Tony. He felt an unusual feeling in his gut and he knew he was a goner. She couldn't be hired. Mason asked a few more questions and then he gathered her file up.
"Well I believe that is all the questions we have here. Unless you have anything to ask her Tony." Mason turned to Tony and he fought back a grin. Tony looked completely at lost for words, so much that all Tony could do was shake his head. "Well it was nice meeting you. We will call you later today if you received the position." Mason and Michelle rose and shook hands. "Tony will show you the way out." Mason offered. Tony's eyes opened widely and looked at Mason in disbelief. Michelle noticed and shook her head,
"It's quite alright, Mr. Almeida. I can find my own way out. Thank you both for the time and consideration." And with that Michelle gave one last look to both of them. Keeping her eyes on Tony a little longer before turning on her heels and leaving. Mason looked to Tony once the door was closed and slapped him over the head with Michelle's file. Tony looked at him in confusion and annoyance,
"What the hell George?" Tony asked rubbing his head,
"If you don't make a move on her, someone else in the office will. And I don't want to have to put up with high school drama of who likes who." Tony looked at Mason appalled.
"What the hell are you getting at George?"
"Michelle is the most qualified. Why don't you give her the good news?"
"Wait a second George we didn't even talk about it. What about the other candidates?"
"What about them? We both know they don't have her expertise, plus she is coming from Division. Which means she has worked and lived being under Ryan Chappelle. I say that's an accomplishment in itself. What more do you want?"
"I just think we should wait." Tony simply stated, earning a roll of the eyes from Mason.
"You find her attractive don't you." Mason simply concluded. Tony's face instantly went red,
"What?" Tony began pacing and scratching the side of his face, Mason noted only confirming his suspicion.
"Well do you?" Mason asked carefully.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Answer the question Almeida." Mason sighed,
"Well...yeah...but…" Tony began, his ability to speak failed.
"Good, she can be something for you to look at. Now go and stop her and tell her the good news. And for god's sake be charming about it." Mason ordered. Tony sighed and did as he was told. As he went to find her, he cursed himself internally. He knew that he could not go back to mixing professional and personal feelings. He would tell her that she got the job and that would be that. He wouldn't have to deal with her. Even though she would be filling the spot that would be directly under him. He knew he could handle keeping them apart, as long as he didn't make the same mistake as last time.
He exited into the parking lot only to find her searching her purse for what seemed to be her keys.
"Ms. Dessler!" Tony yelled. She looked up and gave him a small smile,
"Michelle, please." She simply said. He nodded and then leaned against her car,
"I just wanted to let you know that you uh-" he scratched the side of his face, "you uh you got the job." She looked up at him and her face broke out in a big grin. This made Tony smile in return as much as he tried to hide it. And without thinking, she gave him a hug,
"Thank you!" She exclaimed. Tony was barely aware of her million thank you's. He was too aware of how close they were, and how good she felt in his arms. Sensing his discomfort, she pulled away, "Oh I am sorry Mr. Almeida."
"Tony please." he stuck his hands in his pockets trying to calm himself down. She nodded and then looked at him wondering what he was going to say next, "Um, come in tomorrow at 9 and we will get you set up okay?" she nodded eagerly. He turned to walk away and he knew that something was affecting him. She was affecting him. He knew he was being an ass so he turned to face her, "Michelle." she looked up from the purse, "Congratulations. You really deserve it." was all he could muster out to say. She smiled and nodded in thanks. Then she got in her car and exited. Tony watched as she left and he couldn't help but smile, 'work just got more interesting' he thought as he walked back into the building. For the first time, he was waiting for tomorrow to come sooner.
The next day
"And these are the holding rooms." Tony concluded. Michelle looked at the holding rooms in concentration. As if she was trying to memorize all that he had said. He chuckled, "Don't worry you won't be in here much. It's mainly the timeout zone." Michelle laughed. Tony felt his ears perk up, he never thought he would hear a more beautiful laugh.
"Speaking from experience?" She joked slightly. Tony laughed back,
"Yeah don't get on Mason's bad side." He warned jokingly. She nodded.
"And what about your bad side?" she asked slowly,
"Don't worry I doubt you'll be on it." the moment he said that he regretted it. Had that been too forward? He looked up afraid to see her reaction. But was met only with her blushing, "Well that's the tour, I guess we should get back to work." She nodded. He watched her walk away and he knew he was a dead man. As his eyes went over her body, he gulped. Yes, he was a dead man for sure.
Hours passed and nothing major was happening, which made Tony thank the heavens. He looked up from his screen for the first time in two hours, only to notice that his desk was within viewing range of Michelle. His heart skipped a beat. He could look at her without her really noticing. He noticed she was typing away at the computer, concentration painted on her face. She tucked a curl behind her ear and bit the edge of the pen in her hand. Then she sighed and stretched, and for a split second she looked over at him. And for the moment, their eyes met. Tony tore his eyes away first and felt his face getting warm. She had caught him. He looked up at her once more and was surprised to see her talking with one of the IT guys who was now sitting on her desk.
"Yeah if you ever need a tour of the place I can give you one." Michelle fought to roll her eyes, Dean Cooke was a nice guy but not Michelle's type.
"Thank you, but I think I can find my way around."
"Well if you have any questions feel free to ask me." Dean smiled, and then place his hand on Michelle's hand that laid on the mouse. Tony watched the interaction and he began to feel something strange. Jealousy? He eyed Michelle's reaction as Dean walked away and he couldn't help but chuckle at seeing her subtly wipe the hand Dean touched against her skirt.
"Tony!" Mason yelled. Tony instantly snapped his gaze away from Michelle and looked up at the man heading his way, "Do you have the access codes for Langley?" Tony nodded. "Does Michelle have them?" Tony looked at her briefly and then shook his head. "Well make sure she does now." Tony sighed and walked over to Michelle, who smiled as he arrived at her station.
"Mason wants me to give you the codes to Langley right now." Tony informed sarcastically. Michelle nodded. And scooted to the side allowing Tony comfortable room to type them on her desktop. "Here you go."
"Thank you."
"Do you know how to get to the database, in case you need to coordinate with the other sites?"
"Isn't it the same as Division?"
"No, we use a different database. Here, I'll walk you through it." He gave her instructions and watched as she did each step. Then he noticed she was stuck, "Here it's on this page." He placed his hand on hers and guided the mouse to click on the right frame. The site launched and their hands remained connected. She looked up at him and their eyes remained on one another for what seemed like an eternity. Tony allowed himself to get a good look at her, her brown eyes, the few short curls that always remained loose, and her full lips. Tony now knew without a doubt she was even more gorgeous up close. Michelle did her own evaluation of Tony. She noticed that his hair was curly and that his brown eyes were very expressive. His dark stubble was showing and she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat. She glanced down at his hand on hers and unlike Deans' which felt odd and uncomfortable, his felt comforting. Like it belonged there. Tony looked down at their hands and pulled away, instantly missing the connection. "Let me know if you uh- have any other questions. I'll just be at my desk." Michelle nodded. She watched Tony head to his station and then she glanced down at her hand. Tony arrived at his desk and he couldn't believe what just had happened. He had done the same thing Dean did, he had subtly made a pass at Michelle. But no, he was just helping her, following orders. He gazed back at his screen, then slowly looked up at her. And he smiled. She didn't wipe her hand on her skirt. Now he knew he was a goner.
18 months later
"Tony tell you what. If I'm still here this time next year, take me out to the woodshed and shoot me. I was supposed to be in D.C. by now, not chasing little old ladies who set off metal detectors with their damn knitting needles." Mason said with a frustrated look.
"How about the morning of the 15th?" Tony asked taking a sip from his Cubs mug.
"That's fine." Mason began to saunter off to his office,
"Mr. Mason." Michelle called out to him, stopping him in his tracks, he turned to look at her
"What?"
"I just got off the phone with Eric Rayburns office at N.S.A." She informed coming up to him
"Yeah?"
"They have a request, sir. They want you to take care of it right away" She handed him a file, he took it and read the first few lines.
"This can't be right. Eileen, want to get me, Rayburn? I think he's up in Oregon with the president. Put it in my office." Mason quickly went up the stairs
"What was that about?" Tony asked as he and Michelle both watched Mason head up the stairs
"N.S.A. wants us to bring in Jack Bauer." Michelle said in surprise,
"What? What for?" Tony was beyond confused
"I don't know. That's all they said. Isn't Bauer inactive?" Michelle asked matching Tony's expression.
"Yeah, he's inactive." Tony stated. He had a feeling it was going to be a long day.
"Have you looked at your system in the last five minutes?" Michelle came up next to him, so close he could feel the heat radiating off her body,
"No what's up?"
"Langley issued an Information Flow Advisory. Something's going on. Whatever it is, it's going to be interagency" This piped up his interest, he sighed as he looked at the monitor,
"Alright, uh look- call Lindauer and Grothy and tell them they don't have the day off after all." he rose and found himself almost bumping to her. The close proximity was enough to make both of them catch their breath, "And um start filtering everything that comes in all right?" She nodded and headed back to her station. But not before tucking one of her loose curls behind her and shyly looking back at him. Only to find him eyeing her already. She never felt much desire for one man in her entire life.
"Order an evacuation now." Tony interrupted.
"We don't know if this guys-" Michelle began, fear filling her eyes,
"This is why N.S.A. wanted us to transfer our database. They knew we were being targeted. We have to evacuate now." Michelle knew that he was right. And she did as she was instructed. Tony watched her go and immediately started telling people what to do. Michelle watched him from the corner of her eye as she evacuated people. Then fear went through her whole body as she watched him run up the stairs and out of her sight. Then the explosions went off. Michelle covered her head and screamed. She could hear the fires forming around her, and the cries of pain and help from everyone around her. She felt cuts form along her arms and hands and she waited for the worst to be over. A couple minutes passed and everything began to get quiet except for pleading sounds from people and the groans. She looked up and surveyed her body. She could move everything. The pain hit her mainly in her hands, she looked down to see them cut up. She shrugged it off, she looked around and saw dust and debris everywhere. But her first thought was, Tony. She had to find him.
Tony knew it was risky going back for Paula but he couldn't just leave her. He felt the explosion knock the wind out of him. He could feel and hear everything falling apart. And just as it was loud it was quiet. He slowly rose and looked around, there were beams and pieces of the ceiling on the ground. He turned and saw two men near him, one of them was scratched up and the other was Luke, he got closer to him and began helping him. He looked around in search for one person only, Michelle. He had to find her. He didn't know what would become of him if he lost her.
"Tony! Tony?" Michelle found a man that looked like him, and all her emotions hit her. She had lost him. She had lost him before she could even tell him, what she thought of him. What she felt for him. She never felt so hopeless before in her entire life.
"Can I get some help over here? A little help?" The voice called out, Michelle knew that voice. She turned and saw him, he was alive. Injured, but not too bad. But he was alive.
"Tony!" She cried out, she didn't even care if her emotions were evident in her voice, she had to see it was really him.
"Michelle." he sighed in relief. He wanted nothing more than to just go and grab her and check her all over. Make sure she was ok, kiss her, tell her everything he felt for her. Everything he denied he felt for the last year and a half. But he knew it was not the time, "Look I need you to set up a triage and take Luke with you." He handed Luke off to Michelle.
"Here Luke I got you. It's Michelle." Michelle knew there would be time to tell him later, but as she looked at Luke, she knew she was one of the lucky ones.
"Tony!" Michelle called out making her way over to Tony. He pulled away from the EMT and met her halfway,
"What's up?" He looked at her, taking in that she was still alive, she placed her hand on his arm to steady himself
"Just got off the phone with Jack Bauer."
"Where is he?"
"He's on his way to see Wald. He wanted Mason to know."
"Yeah well, Mason's check out. Just get the information directly to N.S.A." he began to turn,
"Oh, and he asked about his daughter, Kim."
"Oh no." his eyes widen and he feared the worst,
"What?"
"She was on her way here. Look, can you check the security logs and see if she was in the building?" She nodded, he smiled gently then gently gave her arm a squeeze, "Thanks" and he went back to work. Michelle could barely contain herself, the touch was almost too much for her to handle.
"Why is Paula still here?" Michelle was beyond livid. She stalked over to his side
"It's Masons call."
"She has almost no chance of surviving if we don't get her to a hospital now." She didn't understand what was going on,
"Yeah, I know."
"I thought Mason wasn't even coming back." Michelle was beyond confused, and Tony wasn't helping either,
"Yeah well, he back. He's trying to revive Paula long enough so she can access the information she was sending to N.S.A."
"So, he's just going to let her die?" Michelle was in disbelief.
"I'm not so sure Mason made the wrong call. I mean Paula is the only person that can retrieve that information." He looked up at her and he felt all the guilt falling on to him. He knew he should remain objective but the events were starting to get to him. Michelle saw the stress it was putting on him, and she wanted to help him. As he hung his head down she felt a strange desire to comfort him. Comfort him in some way. She reached out to touch his back, held herself back for a moment then allowed herself to come in contact with him. She gently rubbed his back,
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Tony."
"It's just I am the one that brought her to CTU. I hired her. This job it's all she ever wanted to do. She never even got a chance to do it." He looked at her, and those brown eyes that were so expressive showed the pain he was going through. And it broke Michelle's heart.
"She did." Was all she could say, he allowed himself to look at her, take her in, he wanted to say so much more, to thank her, but he knew it wasn't the time.
"We should get back to work." Michelle nodded, knowing he was right. Tony watched her go, then looked toward Paula, he just wanted the day to end.
"Were you able to get anything else off that recording of Faheen?" Tony asked hopefully, he then fixed his expression when Michelle took off her headset and shook her head.
"It's 99% noise." She sighed, she was beginning to become frustrated,
"You Ok?" He asked concern etched in his voice, he eyed her carefully,
"Yeah just running on empty." She gave him a weak smile, then focused back to her screen.
"Why don't you get something to eat." He watched as she just shook her head,
"No, I'm fine." Tony sighed, he knew she wasn't. And he knew for as long as they had been working together that she would not admit her own personal defeat. This caused him to have the need to care for her and make sure she was doing okay. And considering the day's events, he knew she was lying. He took in her appearance, compared to most she was physically ok. Until his eyes caught something,
"Hey your neck is bleeding here." he touched it, allowing himself to enjoy the connection even if it was just for a fraction of a moment. She reached to touch it, their fingers lightly grazing one another's.
"It's somebody else's blood." It took all her strength to not begin to shut down. She could feel the tears forming, her breathy beginning to shake.
"Look, Michelle, why don't you take a few minutes. Get cleaned up and changed. You'll feel better." She shook her head, the emotions still fighting their way to the surface, it made Tony feel weak seeing her like this. "Hey." her eyes looked to him, "We're going to survive this day. Alright?" she nodded smiling softly. "Come on get changed." As she walked away Tony began to send a prayer up to the heavens that she was still alive. Because if she had been Paula, or Luke, who had just passed away, he wouldn't be able to continue.
"That was Barbara at the Warner office." Michelle informed,
"What'd they find?"
"Nothing yet. They're still going through the records, but Reza seems to be cooperating."
"This is driving me crazy. It just doesn't make sense that Syed Ali has a connection to this white bread family from Pasadena." Tony voiced, he was really at a loss
"So, you believe Bob Warner?" Michelle asked with doubt,
"Well, there is nothing in his profile or his behavior that suggests that he's involved with terrorists."
"I agree. But look at the facts, there is a paper trail between Warner Investments and Ali and Kate Warner was abducted for a reason." She had a point. He sighed,
"I know. Alright look, I want you to put together a list of all the managers and directors of Bob Warner's company. I want to widen the search a notch here."
"Good idea." He knew something was off, she seemed hesitant about something,
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, I was talking to Mason before and um-" Now he really knew something was off and it made him nervous, was something wrong?
"And-" Michelle knew it was now or never, she had to tell him. She had to find something that makes her happy and to not hold back. The moment Mason had said those words of advice to her, she only thought of Tony. And the million times she had thought of being with him. Getting to know him. Everything about him. Glancing at his brown eyes she took a deep breath,
"Look I know this is hardly the time, but I don't know how much time we have so. I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime…." She began, she watched as he immediately built his walls up and she feared she was making a mistake,
"Michelle." He stopped her.
"No, you don't have to say anything I just wanted you to know how I felt." She assured the fear of rejection was evident. But she rather knows, she had hoped she read the signs right from him.
"No Michelle. I feel the same. I've just been keeping my distance because of-" Tony knew he had to explain more but he couldn't mutter the name. The name that had caused so much hate, hurt and destruction in not only his life but in those around him. Sure, he cared for Nina, did he love her? No. Did he think he did? Yes, but that wasn't until Michelle came into his life. And now knowing the feelings he has had for her, they were never the same with Nina.
"Because of what happened between you and Nina?" She knew, and he grimaced when he heard her name. It wasn't just her name that made him wince, but it was the fact that Michelle knew her name. And for some reason that made him that much more protective of Michelle.
"Yeah."
"So, you think I just want you for your information?" Michelle decided to tease him, and she was rewarded with a caught off guard sheepish Tony. He smiled, surprised but turned on by her comment.
'So, what are you saying here, if we save L.A from a nuclear bomb than you and I can get together for dinner and a movie. Is that it?" He asked and hoped she would respond well to the suggestion. The thought of even having a chance with this woman made his heart thud harder and make his determination to end the day even greater.
"I'll get that list." Michelle assured, her cheeks filled with happiness.
"Yeah." he smiled back at her, then walked away. He knew if he stayed any longer he may have little self-control left.
"Yeah F.B.I. they want a representative at the mosque but they've got their wires crossed." He ignored her, he didn't care about the F.B.I., he knew he had to say something, anything, but he didn't know how he was never this nervous when speaking with a woman. But then again this was not your average woman,
"Look Michelle about what we were talking about before-" he began,
"Yeah, I am sorry I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that." Michelle felt the stupidity of the whole thing. She wished she hadn't have done it,
"Well No actually I'm glad you did." this surprised her, and she could swear she could hear her heart beating faster,
"You are?"
"Yeah. There's been something hanging between us since you started here." Tony commented. Hoping that it was true, that he hadn't been imagining it all. That she too had been feeling something for him as well,
"Yeah, yeah there has." she smiled slightly,
"I made a decision a while ago to keep personal and professional stuff separate but now I uh-" he knew she was hanging on to every word he was saying, and he knew he wasn't making things clear. And damn it if they were alone, he would pour out everything, but just looking at her. Seeing those eyes, made him nervous. And seeing those eyes made him smile, then the phone rang. Both of the cursed inside,
"Dessler. Alright, I'll tell him. There's a problem in room 7." Tony looked at her confused,
"Bob Warner?"
"Yeah, he's getting violent." Tony sighed and hustled off. Tony never felt so much annoyance and rage toward one man. That damn phone.
"Chappelle wants to see your report before you send it to the Pentagon." Tony came up to her gently, he knew she was annoyed,
"I'm ordering more data points. I need another 15 minutes." Michelle didn't even look at him, which made him upset inside, he didn't like to see her like this, he decided a gentler approach.
"Fine." He watched her move back and forth so quickly, "You alright?'
"Yeah, I am just a little tired. Like everyone else." she answered passively,
"No, I mean about before. I know it got tense between you and Carrie-"
"I can handle Carrie." Michelle stated with confidence,
"The truth is you don't have the training or the experience to read a guy like Ali. And that's my fault. I shouldn't have put you in that position" Michelle knew Tony was trying to protect her, but for now she didn't want it. She wanted him to listen to her.
"Doesn't mean we shouldn't press him harder."
"They'll take care of that at Guantanamo." Tony assured. But he knew Michelle was not budging,
"It may be too late."
"We're sending him now. I am heading over there right not to make sure the handoff goes as planned." He gave her a look as if to trust him,
"Okay." was all she could say before she walked off. She knew she was being cold toward him, but she couldn't help it. No one believed her. Not even him. The one person she thought would.
When Michelle got word that Jack had successfully escaped she had mixed feelings. On one hand, she knew that helping his was the right thing, on the other hand, she knew that she would eventually have to lie to Tony. And that was something she was not fully prepared to have to do. She had just hoped that she could help Jack without causing too much attention to herself and maybe Tony would not even notice. Then she had heard the word that Tony had been injured in an attempt to stop Jack. She grew more concerned for him and went to go and find him. Then she saw him, on crutches heading to his office,
"Tony, what did the doctor say?"
"They think I tore a ligament or something." Michelle sighed in relief, he moved into his desk and took a seat then looked at her, "Look uh Carrie said that she saw you talking to Jack right before he took Kate Warner out of C.T.U."
"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Michelle didn't know where this was going, she knew she would have to tread carefully.
"Well, it depends on what you were talking about. What were you talking about?" Tony tried his best to read her, he knew she wasn't at fault but he had to find out for himself.
"Are you interrogating me?"
"Did you help Jack take Kate Warner out of here?" He ignored her, something seemed off,
"Of course not. Is that what Carrie told you? That I am in collusion with Jack?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I don't know what to tell you. She doesn't know what she's talking about."
"Look, Michelle, it doesn't matter whether you think Jack is right or wrong. The fact is this is my command and what happens here is my responsibility." He gave her a look that he hoped she could read,
"I know that." Her voice wavered a bit, he made mental note of that.
"So, I need you to be honest with me now. Did you intentionally draw Agent Baker away from Kate Warner?" He trusted her, how could he not? They had grown closer as friends over the past year and a half. She had proven many times that he could trust her, even with his life. But now something made him question it, and he did not like it.
"No, I did not."
"So then why would Carrie tell me you did."
"Because she would like to see me out of here."
"Uh huh and why is that?"
"Because I don't like her and she knows it" Michelle sneered,
"You want to tell me about it?" He asked gently,
"No, not really."
"If you've got a problem that's interfering with your work-" He knew that was a poor response, but he was getting annoyed, he knew she was lying.
"It's not interfering with my work. It's not." She affirmed. Tony held eye contact with her, trying to process what was going on. But he knew he didn't have much to go on, and quite frankly he didn't know how much longer he could keep denying that she wasn't hiding something from him.
"Okay. Thanks." And he dismissed her. She left his office, shoulders slightly hunched as if she had done something wrong and was punished for it. She stole a look at him, she knew her chances of him trusting her again was slim. He wasn't stupid, and she knew he would find out the truth eventually. She would just have to hold off as long as she could. Tony looked at her as she sat and he began to worry, the familiar feeling was creeping back in. A feeling he despised. That he hadn't felt since another woman that lied to him, Nina.
"You always take a phone with you to the bathroom? Where's Jack?" Michelle knew she would have to keep lying. The intensity in Tony's eyes was something she hadn't seen directed toward her. She knew she was on his bad side,
"I don't know."
"Look Michelle you know we have been monitoring all communication coming in and out of this building all day. Now if you are breaking protocol-"
"I'm not."
"Alright. Then I'll ask again. Where's Jack?" Tony's voice showed the patience wearing thin,
"I. Don't. Know. But you have to call President Palmer you have to tell him not to act on the recording until Jack finishes the investigation."
"So, you have talked to Jack." Michelle noticed her slight slip and instantly pushed it aside
"I didn't say that." Michelle knew she had to walk away, but Tony instantly reached for and held her by the arm,
"Listen carefully Michelle, you don't work for Jack you work for me."
"Would you get past your ego for one-" She knew the moment she said it she would regret it. That it would hurt him, but she knew that was the only way it could get him off her,
"Ego? I got a job to do here. You don't like the way I'm doing it, that's your problem. But if you know anything about Jack Bauer, you better tell me about it right now." She thought long and hard, she could tell him everything, he would be mad, but he would get over it. But she knew she couldn't, and she knows the more she lied to him, the slimmer the chance would be to have a future with him. She turned her head and looked him dead in the eyes.
"I have no information. I am not helping Jack." No hint of sorrow, grief, regret or anything was in her voice. She remained completely neutral, Tony watched her and could easily tell she was lying. But he still didn't want to admit it to himself, she had become too important to him.
"I hope you're not lying to me."
Michelle dreaded what she had to do but she knew she had to do it. It was the right thing to do. If it were Mason or Chappelle she would happily have been able to say what she was going to tell Tony. But it was Tony. The man that caught her attention the moment he rose his head from his hands in the interview. And the man that helped her find the right database, just by touching her hand. She knew it was going to be harder than she thought, so here she was standing outside of his office. She looked in briefly and took a deep breath before entering.
"I know the rules. I know that I work for you, and if you fire me, I wouldn't blame you."
"This isn't about me firing Michelle. This agency is supposed to supporting the president of the United States and the rest of this country. Now if I can't account for our agent's actions then all we've got is chaos." He knew he was being harsh on her. And deep down she had prayed that she was right, for if she was wrong he knew he would have to fire her. And he didn't know if he had the heart to do it.
"Jack is in an impossible situation. All I was trying to do was help him get the proof that the Cyprus audio was a forgery." She was determined. He would give her that, but he still wouldn't believe it. But he also knew the jealousy that Jack might be right was guiding his attitude toward the whole thing.
"Yeah? Well, where's the proof? We don't have any proof. We don't have Jack. He doesn't want to be found." Michelle had no rebuttal. She just looked at him with those sad eyes, "What do you want from me, Michelle?" Michelle was at a loss, she couldn't tell what he was implying. If he meant professionally, she wanted to tell him, that she wanted him to listen to her, to trust that she was doing the right thing. To alert the President. To listen to his employees, but also that he was doing a good job given that he was just made director. But personally, she wanted to tell him that she wanted him, that nothing she was doing was going to change her feelings for him. That she wanted and hoped that this wouldn't change his feelings toward her. Instead, all she could say was,
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Her voice, that was what almost got him. He stood his ground, he knew he could handle her. Whatever she threw his way, but the moment she had said those words, he felt every wall he built start falling down. He scratched the side of his face, looked down then looked at her once more,
"Yeah well, you've said it. Now if you don't mind I got work to do, all right?" He sat down trying to focus on the papers in front of him, and once he heard her footsteps grow further away, he looked at her. He knew he couldn't stay mad at her for long, no matter what she did. It was Michelle. And as she glanced back at him one last time, she prayed that he would not be mad at her for long, she was finding it harder and harder to hurt him.
"Don't worry about it my sister works here." This man brushed off Tony, Tony sighed and looked at Michelle. He stayed close, something was telling him to be on alert.
"I've been in the middle of things right now." Carrie looked on annoyed, even shooting Michelle a glance for help, Danny just huffed at her,
"Is that right? Because I was just worried about you, that's all. I was hoping that maybe you would be worried about me too." Danny began to get worked up, Michelle knew she had to intervene,
"Danny stop it."
"Stop what? What now you're taking Carrie's side now?" He looked at Michelle as if she had four heads, completely annoyed with the possibility that she and Carrie were now friends.
"Of course, I am not taking her side. Just come to my station-" Michelle tried to assure him back then everything happened in a blur,
"Hey come here. I want to talk to you." Danny lunged for Carrie and within moments had his hands wrapped around her neck,
"Danny!" Carrie yelled. Tony immediately jumped in, slightly pushing Michelle away, as she tried her best to get him off, Carrie. Then the guards came to Tony's aid and they pulled him off and away from the women all the while Danny tried to fight them off.
"Get your hands off of me. Tell them I'm your brother Michelle. Michelle!" Michelle couldn't believe what was happening. She watched helplessly as her brother was dragged off. And medical was called to help Carrie. She could hear Tony asking her over and over again if Carrie was alright. She didn't care to hear her answer, she just couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Then she felt all eyes on her and she tried to hold the tears that were threatening to spill. Tony looked at her in concern and then noticed everyone watching, he snapped at them to get back to work and then tended to Carrie first.
Tony watched as the medical team assisted Carrie. He then looked toward the back to find Michelle viewing from afar. He tried to gauge her mood but could find that she was not doing so well. And as if on cue Michelle turned and quietly walked down the hall out of his sight. He knew he had to go to her, he had felt drawn to go to her. He told Carrie he would be right back then followed after her. He didn't have to look hard, he could hear sniffling coming from around the corner of the hallway, away from everyone.
"Michelle? Where are you going?" Michelle instantly tried to pull herself together the moment she heard his voice, she didn't need him to see her cry. She didn't want him to think she was weak, not now.
"Uh, I was just going over to IT. I am still trying to access the CPB software."
"IT's the other way." She looked away from him, silently cursing herself for coming up with a poor excuse, but then she felt her walls crumbling,
"I just- I just need a minute Tony." She couldn't stop the emotions in her voice, and this pulled at Tony's heart. He put his crutches to the side and leaned closer to her, the desire to protect her and reassure her took over,
"Hey, Carrie's going to be fine."
"Is she gonna- Is she gonna to press charges?"
"No, I don't think so." He honestly didn't care about Carrie and hearing her name when they were alone made internally cringe, he hated the woman just for making Michelle feel this way.
"It's all my fault. I should have seen it coming"
"It's family. Things happen. You can't see it coming" Michelle knew he was just trying to be reassuring, and she knew she would thank him later but for now, she just wanted to crawl in a hole and fall into the abyss.
"He's my brother. I mean his kids. Maybe I should have told him about the bomb." The images of all the people that they lost today, started running through her head, and she felt the tears beginning to escape more and more,
"It was a tough choice, but you made it. By the way, you were right."
"No nothing I've done today is right." The more she thought about everything that happened, the more she gave up on holding everything in, Tony sensed it and he felt conflicted,
"Michelle." He spoke her name so softly that he wasn't even sure he said it, but her tears were killing him,
"All these people here today, dead. And then this recording. I mean, I don't know if we're right about that I just- I can't do this anymore Tony I can't. I can't." And the dam broke. And Michelle let her tears fall, her emotions open and her desire for comfort and security to be expressed. Tony couldn't hold back either, he had to hold her. Had to make some sort of connection with her, he cared for her too much to allow her to cry on her own,
"Aw Michelle come here." He pulled her in his arms, and he was happy to feel her whole body pressed up against his. Michelle welcomed his embrace, feeling the need to have someone to hold on to. She never felt so safe and warm than in his arms,
"I'm so tired. And I'm so scared." She cried out, Tony held her that much tighter in response,
"It's okay. It's okay. Alright? It's fine." He pulled away but only to brush the curls away from her face and to look her in the eyes and assure her that he was there for her. She placed her hands on her shoulders, looking at him, collecting herself just a tad. He looked back at her, gently stroking her cheek, and he glanced down at her lips then back at her eyes. And Michelle knew she couldn't hold back, she had to have him. One emotion led to another and soon Michelle through caution to the wind and placed her lips on his. He was no longer her boss, no longer, the guy who was stealing looks at her, or the man she had to lie to, no he was the one that she wanted. The one that she needed comfort from, the only one she wanted comfort from. And the moment she felt his lips on hers, she couldn't have enough. They kissed intensely until reality caught up with her, and she realized what she had done, she pulled away
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." she apologized breathlessly but Tony didn't give a damn. He needed her too, so he pulled her back in. Hungrily he kissed her, upping the intensity, his hands had a mind of their own. Their bodies against one another and all that could be heard was the sounds of their lips fighting against one another. He could not believe he was kissing her, the woman of his dreams. He just couldn't get enough, he wanted more. Eventually, they pulled away, but Tony kept her close. He didn't dare let the contact falter. Their foreheads remained touching, and eye contact was never broken. He felt her hands on his shoulders, and the look in her eyes was begging for more. He was about to kiss her again when a voice called out.
"Tony. Chappelle's looking for you." It was Carrie.
"Yeah okay." Tony looked at Michelle, they both knew this was not good. But neither of regretted it. Tony stole a glance at Michelle, before walking away. Michelle tried to collect herself, she felt dizzy, and on cloud nine. Tony was an amazing kisser, and she wanted more, she was at a loss and needed more air. She knew she needed to get back to work but she allowed herself to think about the feeling of his lips on hers. And then a mental addition to how much she hated Carrie Turner.
Having Ryan Chappelle on his way was never a good sign. And Tony did not need his presence now, not with everything going on. The last thing he wanted was someone breathing down his neck as he does his job. As he hung up the phone he looked down at Michelle. Still relaying the kiss that they shared, one that was beyond mind-blowing. He needs to hear her voice and see how she was doing, so he dialed her station. She picked up instantly,
"Hey, have you heard anything about your brother yet?"
"Yeah, they sedated him. They said they would call me when he wakes up." there was a slight pause,
"How are you holding up?"
"Ok, you?"
"I'm ok." Hearing his voice, made Michelle feel a pang of guilt, maybe she shouldn't have kissed him,
"Listen um about what happened before- I'm sorry I shouldn't have-" Tony didn't want to hear it, couldn't hear it. He knew that they were off for a while but he needs to let her know that he still wanted what they had,
"No don't, don't. Don't be sorry. I'm not." She turned to look at him, seeing if he was for sure
"Really?"
"Really." She held back a smile, before she turned around, then whispered,
"What about Carrie?"
"Don't worry about Carrie." Tony said without concern, he didn't want to talk about her,
"No, I know her she's not going to let this go."
"Look it's none of her business. It's gonna be okay." He assured her, and he swore he could hear her smile.
They had almost gotten away with it if it hadn't been for Carrie. They had only hoped that Jack received the chopper and Alex Hewitt was on his way back to C.T.U. Tony was put into holding first, laughing to himself at the turn of events. Shortly after Michelle was brought in. Instinctively he glanced her over, making sure she was alright. Then shooting a glare at the guard for pushing her in like he did. She assured him he was fine. And silence fell between the two, as they waited. Both eager to know what was going on behind the walls keeping them in. Michelle couldn't stop moving, she was nervous, nervous about what their fate would be. But then she looked at Tony who had leaned himself against the table, and she felt a weird sense of calmness as if everything was going to be okay with him there. She slowly made her way over to him, not before stealing a glance at the security camera, then took a spot next to him,
"What do you think they'll charge us with?"
"They could push for treason if they wanted to." He didn't want to sugar coat it, he knew she was just as anxious as he was,
"You think they will?"
"Depends on how big of an example they want to make of us. "He looked at Michelle. His protective instinct came in and before he even thought about it, he came to the conclusion that she would not be at fault. That he would do everything he could to make sure she didn't go to jail. She didn't belong there. "Look, Michelle, no one can prove that you knew anything about what I was going to do to Chappelle. Now I am just going to tell them that you were helping Jack under my orders. Alright?" Michelle looked at him speechless. Most guys can't even promise to stay faithful, but here he was willing to sacrifice everything for her. And they hadn't even been on a date yet. Even though she would never let it happen, it filled her heart deeply,
"No."
"What do you mean no?" He was taken back by her rejection of his solution.
"I did what I thought was right. I still believe that. And I won't let you lie for me." She looked at him seriously. Tony didn't know what to say back. He was completely in awe of the woman next to him. He looked away, unable to think straight. Michelle knew that they were going to go down together. She wanted to let him know that it was going to be alright, but without the cameras seeing. So, she slowly moved her hand over to his and placed it on top. Tony didn't pull away, in fact, he intertwined his fingers with hers. And without the cameras noticing, they held hands, knowing that everything was going to be okay, for now.
"Hey." He greeted as Michelle came in, she smiled back
"Hey. The new shift is here. They've been brought up to speed. I was thinking I'd get my brother and head home." He had so much he wanted to say to her, so much he needed to say to her but he didn't know where to begin,
"Um, Michelle- there's a handful of people that made a big difference today. And you're one of them. You made some tough choices and went up against me, and I want you to know that you were right." She normally didn't care for praises but she knew he was genuine.
"Thanks." She smiled slightly,
"So why don't you go home and get some rest." He knew that it was a weak response. He felt he should say more, and she walked away saying nothing in return. He had to redeem himself, "Michelle-" she turned to look at him. Again, her beauty even after all these hours and everything that happened, she made him lost for words, so he settled with, "See you tomorrow." She seemed to understand the meaning. And she blushed slightly, and then slowly walked away, feeling like a teenager again with a crush again. Tony couldn't help but smile back, her smile was not only contagious but it was a smile that he knew for a fact he would see more often.
One Week Later
Michelle knew that eventually, this moment would come. She just didn't expect it with only just becoming second in command a week ago. Now here she was given all this information that she would need in order to help Jack in the field.
"Why me?" She asked cautiously,
"Because I trust you. And after what happened the day of the bomb. Well, I know you can handle just about anything. Especially something as simple as this." Simple. Michelle didn't like how the field assignment seemed simple to him. He was Jack Bauer, he had seen the worst of everything, so it made sense, but that didn't ease Michelle's nerves.
"Does Tony know?"
"No, he has just gotten back from his conference with D.O.D. So, I haven't informed him yet, why?"
"Nothing." Jack eyed her carefully, then the doors beeped open and Tony came walking in, briefcase in hand, and looking more less well rested. Michelle felt her heart skip a beat, one that Jack did not miss. "Alright well, you keep reading over the material. I am going to go update Tony. Excuse me." Michelle nodded. She watched as Tony bumped into Jack. They smiled at one another, exchange a slight hug and then a few words were exchanged. And soon enough they headed up to Tony's office. She honestly didn't know how he would react. They hadn't had spoken much concerning what had happened between them the day of the bomb. Both had been busy re-staffing and reconstructing CTU, not to mention the follow-ups with the attempt on the president's life. But the stealing looks and tension were still there. Michelle was anxious to get some alone time with Tony, she just hoped he would be fine with her on the assignment. She took a deep breath and looked back at the information.
"So, what's going on Jack?"
"I need your help. I need you to run tactical from here. We have a lead on Michael Goetzl."
"The gang leader?"
"Apparently he's been spotted locally. Exchanging government information to others at a high price. He's been selling them on his systems and we now have a lead on where he is hiding out. We need to go in and apprehend him before he vanishes again."
"Alright, what else do you need?'
"I'll need manpower here. And someone that is an expert with computers."
"Done. You can take Donald Larson with you."
"No, I need someone who can handle themselves out in the field and under pressure."
"Alright, who were you thinking?"
"I need Michelle." At the mention of her name Tony's eyes instantly darkened.
"No."
"What? Why?" Jack looked at him, that was not the response he was expecting.
"Anyone but her Jack."
"Why? We both know she will do fine. And I need someone who knows what they are doing out there. Not just some computer geek."
"No, you can take anyone else but her." Jack sighed, he decided to try a different approach.
"Tony think about it. We need her."
"I said no." Tony glanced down at her, and crossed his arms,
"Give me a reason." Jack reasoned, hoping to get to the bottom of his friend's unusual behavior.
"She stays here." Tony snarled snapping his attention away from Michelle and at Jack.
"Well, I've already told her of the assignment-"
"You what?!" Tony sprung up from his chair.
"She knows, and she has complied to do it."
"I'll kill you." Tony stepped forward. Jack raised his hands in defense, his interrogating skills kicking in, there was something more going on here,
"Relax Tony. Look I know she is your friend. And I know you two have been through a lot this past week. But you have to remain objective. You can't let your friendship with her get in the way." Jack watched as the emotions played across his friend's face. Tony began to pace and scratch the side of his face; his breathing became abnormal. "It is just friendship right Tony?" Tony said nothing, his fists clenching than unclenching. Jack noticed Tony glance down at Michelle again, and then he saw it, "Damn it, Tony. Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you messing around with her? With an employee? You know what happened last time." Tony instantly went red, Jack should thank his lucky stars that Tony did not have his gun on him.
"Just stop right their Jack. Not another word alright. You aren't putting her out there and that's final. Pick someone else." Jack rose, he wasn't having any more of it,
"No. I'm sorry Tony but whether you like it or not you know I am right. Don't have me bring Chappelle into this."
"No." Tony stated unwavering, Jack tried one more time,
"Tony I will swear to you that I will keep her safe. All she has to do is hack into their system and that's it."
"Not her."
"I am not going to argue about this anymore with you. We are leaving in ten minutes with her." Jack turned but Tony lost all constraints and he shoved Jack against the wall. All of C.T.U. looked up shocked at the sight before them. Michelle immediately ran up the stairs the moment she saw the two of them shoving one another. She ran into his office and placed herself between the two of them. Her eyes focusing only on trying to get Tony's attention. She placed her hands on his chest,
"Tony." It was as if a switch was made. He looked at her and instantly began to calm down.
"Whatever is going on between you two, fix it. We are leaving in ten minutes." Jack huffed, straightening himself out then exited, slamming the door behind him. Michelle looked at Tony, taking in his disheveled appearance.
"I am guessing he told you." Michelle began, Tony moved back to his desk while straightening his shirt,
"You aren't going." Michelle looked at him in dismay,
"What why?"
"Look I am not arguing with both of you on this. I made up my mind. You are needed here at C.T.U." He rubbed his hand through his hair, then leaned on his desk avoiding eye contact with her.
"Tony I am field certified, and Jack says he needs me out there." Michelle argued, unsure of where Tony's mindset was at.
"Jack is not your boss." He noted looking at her with an intensity that she only saw a few times since working with him.
"I know that. But he needs me-"
"He needs you? What about me? I need -" Michelle rose an eyebrow, Tony caught himself. Shaking his head, he ran his hand over his face, "Forget it. You are not going. End of discussion."
"Tony now is not the time to be jealous." Michelle snapped, she was becoming more and more annoyed with him.
"Jealous? You think I am jealous? Well, I am not I am just saying that C.T.U. needs you here." He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking everywhere but at her.
"C.T.U. needs me here or you need me here?" She watched as he battled with himself internally. She stepped closer to him, "What's this about Tony?" she asked softly, she could tell he was trying to say something, she gently grabbed his wrists. She guided his hands out of his pockets, he complied easily. Seeing him soften a little she placed her hands-on chest, "What is it?"
"I can't lose you." he whispered, he looked at her, and she could see he was trying not to let the fear show in them. But she could read his face, and she knew exactly what he was feeling,
"You are not going to lose me. Jack said-"
"I don't give a damn about what Jack said. It's the field. There are risks. And I don't want to risk your life." He pointed out, his voice cracking towards the end, Michelle moved her hands to his arms and gently rubbed them, hoping to calm him down more.
"It's my job and I am going to do it." She stated, knowing that two could play at being the most stubborn.
"Michelle-" His eyes darkened once more.
"Will you protect me from here?"
"Michelle-"
"Will you?" Tony looked at her eyes, and he couldn't say no. She had this effect on him that no one else had. She managed to calm him down in a matter of one touch. It was at that moment he knew Michelle had managed to become his one and only weakness.
"Yes." Was all he could say. Michelle gave him a small smile and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek,
"Thank you." And with that, she left. Leaving Tony feeling helpless and afraid of what was to come.
Michelle was gathering her equipment when she felt someone approaching. She turned to see Jack coming to her with a bulletproof vest.
"It was the smallest one I could find. You know just in case." Jack smiled weakly offering the vest to her. She smiled back and took it. Silence hung between them, "So um- you must be pretty special." This caught Michelle off guard,
"I'm sorry?"
"It's just that- I don't know what is going on between you and Tony. But I can tell you I have never seen him act like that before. So, you must be pretty special. At least to him, I mean."
"Oh that. Well, he also doesn't think I can do this."
"Michelle." He placed his hand on her arm, stopping her from putting on her vest to get her full attention, "I may not have known Tony for super long. But believe me when I tell you he has faith in you. He is just protective." He then grabbed the extra gun clips from beside her and then leaned in close to her, "But he's like that towards the people he loves." And with that, he left. Michelle thought for a moment, 'could Tony love me?', she thought long and hard about what Jack had said as she continued to put on her vest.
Jack gave the directions to the location and ordered his men to head out. He looked at Michelle as she put the last of the stuff in his van. Then she turned to him,
"You ready?" he asked, she nodded and was about to hop in when she heard her name being called. She turned to see Tony coming their way. Jack smiled to himself and gathered himself in the van giving them some privacy. Tony stopped in front of her, taking in her appearance. Pushing aside his protective nature and his doubts and concerns about the whole thing, she was still so beautiful. Even more so with the vest on and gun holster at her hip. She looked at him expecting him to say something, he scratched the side of his face and sighed,
"Michelle-" their eyes met and he was at a loss for words, the fear that she may not return helped him say what he wanted to say, "Please be careful. And um-" he couldn't finish his thoughts for the moment she bit her lip, anxiously waiting to hear what he had to say he lost it. And he couldn't help but pull her in for a kiss. He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her with enough emotion that he hoped she would understand what he couldn't say. She was surprised but kissed him back with as much passion as he gave. His hands went from her waist to the back of her neck, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. She placed her hands underneath his dress jacket then up to his chest, subconsciously looking for the usual three unbutton buttons on his shirt. And she was elated to find contact with just enough exposed skin to make her feel closer to him. When air was needed for both of them, Tony ended the kiss gently. "You are not allowed to die. That's an order." he breathed out, his voice breaking just a tad. She nodded. He then allowed her to break the embrace. He helped her into the van and then shot a look at Jack. "Keep her safe." Jack tilted his head in understanding and then started the engine. And before Tony knew it, they were out of the parking lot.