Disenchanted

A/N: Last part! Thanks sosososososososo much to everyone who's been reading this story of mine. I really appreciate it more than you could possibly imagine. This part turned out way longer than I expected it to, but I think it works and makes all the points I was trying to make. It takes place a few weeks after the last part.

Epilogue Part II

The look on Tony's face when he saw a somewhat windswept Alex step into his brother's apartment was nothing short of relief. For the last two weeks Tony had been alternating between days at CTU and days at home. Rick had asked for his help while Bill was refitted for his previous role at Division and he couldn't say no. Michelle told him to go.

Tony smiled as Alex fell onto the cushion beside him. She rested her head against his chest and curled an arm across his stomach as his own hand moved to the middle of her back and gave it a few firm pats. She sighed exhaustively and closed her eyes.

"Hey Tony…" she drawled belatedly. He chuckled softly.

"Hi Al." he mocked. She grinned, opening her eyes again and glancing at the TV.

"Where's the missus?"

"Shower." He indicated to the soft sound of running water down the hallway.

"Any better?"

Tony hesitated, knowing she would probably pick up on the hidden meaning of his response. The truth of the matter was that this little pre-dinner cuddle was the most intimate contact he'd had with anyone in a long time, with the exception of the occasional kiss goodnight or good morning or 'hi, honey how was your day' from his wife and those hadn't exactly seemed natural.

He felt Alex exhale against him and tapped his index finger against the side of her cheek.

"I think she's got more energy now. She's been moving around a lot more…"

Alex shot him a look that suggested that hadn't been the type of progress she was questioning him about. Tony bit his lip.

"She's still not talking."

Alex lowered her head back to his chest and considered his comment carefully.

"You want me to try?" she suggested after a few minutes. Michelle had adamantly refused the counseling Bill had suggested and Tony had encouraged and she still wouldn't talk to anyone. Alex still planned on giving it a go though, despite Tony's hints that if Michelle didn't want to talk about it Michelle wouldn't talk about it.

"You can try." He mumbled hoarsely. "I don't think it'll do much good."

"It might." She snuggled a little closer. "I have ways."

Tony laughed and she relaxed a little. It was only too obvious how worried he was about Michelle's lack of interest…particularly in him. On the surface she seemed fine, but anyone who knew her at all knew better, and he knew her better than anyone.

Alex waited a few seconds before groaning loudly at the TV, as if just noticing what they were watching.

"How badly are your boys getting creamed?" she snickered as Tony walloped her affectionately across the back of the head. He pointed out that 'his boys' were up by 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th.

Alex rolled her eyes and settled her focus on the game, throwing in a few offhand comments for good measure.

"Rick'll be sorry his missed this."

She snorted. "Are you kidding me? The TV in the break room is set on ESPN permanently. In fact I have this theory that you rigged it like that way back when you started at CTu...y'know…right after baseball made the switch from radio to television…"

She shrieked when his fingers dug into her sides and tried to wrestle free without much real effort. He finally stopped tickling her, snickering when she muttered profanities under her breath.

"So I guess the odds of converting you to a Cubs fan are pretty slim…"

"About as good as the odds of converting you to a Yankee."

The face he made was priceless and Alex laughed loudly just as Michelle entered the room with wet hair, a pair of sweats and one of Tony's old t-shirts on.

"Hey." Michelle smiled brightly, observing they're slightly reclined position with amusement.

"How was Division?"

"Awful…and now your husband is making me watch this crap…" she responded good naturedly. Tony pinched her again warningly and she rolled her eyes.

"You look good." Michelle commented gently, seating herself in the loveseat opposite them. Alex smiled.

"I was gonna say the same thing. How are you feeling?"

"Better." Michelle replied earnestly and then added with a pair of raised eyebrows at Tony. "Hungry."

Tony cocked an eyebrow sarcastically, his eyes suggesting he wasn't as relaxed as that. Alex seized the cue immediately.

"I have an idea… Michelle and I can go grab some dinner and you can finish your game… Rick'll be home soon anyway."

Alex had lifted her head enough to see Tony's eyes widen. To say he'd been slightly paranoid since Michelle's rescue would've (understandably) been an understatement. It was part of the reason Alex had an inkling it might be good to get her out of the house.

Her blonde locks brushed against his cheek as she sat up completely.

" 'kay?"

Both Michelle and Alex saw him hesitate. Michelle hadn't said anything. The truth was it would be a nice change to get a little air and a little time to herself. She'd felt somewhat smothered the past few weeks, which hadn't been helped by the fact that she still hadn't told him the whole truth. It was hard to be around Tony constantly when they both knew she was hiding something from him.

He nodded, mumbling a fine. Alex's face brightened and she inclined her head towards the hallway, ordering Michelle to go get dressed.

Alex leaned over and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Trust me." She told him earnestly before following Michelle into the spare bedroom.

It was a warm night, without the humidity that came with summer. The mid-May sea air was nothing short of refreshing and Michelle relished in the freedom that came with strolling down the Santa Monica Pier. Unlike Tony the few times they'd gone out, Alex seemed perfectly relaxed. She smiled easily when she caught Michelle studying her and Michelle smiled back, pleased to see her bruises were almost gone completely. The sun had already set when they walked leisurely down the road back towards Alex's car after dinner. Michelle had forgotten how much she'd always enjoyed Alex's company – how the twelve years between them seemed barely noticeable most of the time.

They were halfway across the parking lot when Alex threw her for a loop.

"You drive stick, right?" she asked innocuously. The BMW 330ci they had taken was technically hers (a gift from her very wealthy grandparents for her 16th birthday) but her sister was the one who drove it now. Michelle turned to stare at her, wondering what she was getting at.

"Yeah…I learned years ago…why - ?"

She barely had time to think fast when Alex tossed her keys directly at her chest. Michelle caught them, a sense of dread overcoming her. She hadn't been behind the wheel of a car since…

"Alex, I don't think I can." Michelle told her quietly, her eyes on the ground. Alex kept walking, as if she refused to entertain such ludicrous.

"Of course you can."

"I haven't driven since…"

Alex's hand wrapped around her elbow and they stood motionless in the middle of the parking lot.

"Michelle…" she gritted her teeth. "I know it sucks and I know it's scary and you probably don't feel ready yet but…if you don't do this they win." She told her flatly. "It's like any terrorist…if you let them stop you from living the way you used because you're afraid they win. So you just…you bite the bullet and you do it once and the next time it doesn't seem so scary anymore."

She watched Michelle take a deep breath, her eyes closed and her fingers tightened around the keys.

"Alright."

Michelle was shaking like a madwoman when she slid into the driver's seat. Alex's hand curled around her shoulder reassuringly while she fought to repress the images of what had happened that day. She'd already relived them a million times and she needed to learn to live with them. She didn't want to be completely derailed anymore.

Michelle exhaled deeply and nodded, pushing the key into the ignition. Her fingers twitched before twisting.

She flinched as the car roared to life beneath her. When the engine hummed gently she started breathing again. Alex's hand had moved to her back and rubbed a few circles into it.

"Okay?"

Michelle licked her chapped lips and inclined her head softly.

"Yeah." She gasped, feeling like she'd just run a marathon. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Michelle moved her hands to the wheel and she took her time to feel the texture beneath her palms. Her right hand moved to the gear shift and her left foot teased the clutch, getting a feel for the pedals. She sighed and turned to Alex.

"Where to?"

"So when'd you get so smart?" Michelle accelerated onto the PCH, shifting gears easily and revving the engine slightly. The car handled the curves without much effort. It felt good, she had to admit; they had the roof down, the stereo was on, and Alex had her head tilted back against the headrest, eyes closed. The sound of the Pacific Ocean resonated in the background.

"What do you mean?"

"This was your plan all along."

"Partly." The girl opened her eyes. "Let's just say I'm experienced in repression."

Michelle laughed dryly.

"Svenski likes to try and break you emotionally." Alex stated innocuously, as if the conversation were about the weather. Michelle took her eyes off the road briefly to gauge her expression.

"That's his thing…" she shrugged. "Makes sense really; you can train someone to tolerate physical pain but emotional…how can you protect yourself against that?" she bit her lip. "I mean…people don't just stop feeling. No matter how tough the person is they're still human. It's pretty smart actually...and it's why he's such a bastard."

Alex watched Michelle's face change when her ramblings finished and her eyes grew cloudy. Alex reached over and covered her hand on the gearshift.

"Pull over." She indicated to the side of the road, overlooking the ocean.

"I'm okay." Michelle assured her quietly, obviously not.

"Pull over." Alex repeated firmly. Michelle obliged, putting the car in park and shutting off the engine. They stared out at the ocean for a long time.

It was a few minutes before Alex finally broke the silence.

"I know they raped you, Michelle."

Michelle heart started to pound in her chest and a cold sweat overcame her.

"W-what?"

Alex turned to look directly at her and cocked her head to one side.

"Right?" she didn't sound accusatory, but she wanted confirmation.

She watched carefully as the tears pooled in Michelle's eyes, threatening to spill over. Her jaw clenched and she kept her eyes on the ocean, speaking finally after a minute.

"Right." Her voice cracked and Alex's hand was immediately on her arm. Alex swore heavily under her breath, as her fingers tightened. A few loose tears slipped out of Michelle's eyes and she wiped them away quickly with her free hand. Alex bit her lip, throwing her door open and pushing outside of the car. Michelle watched through watery eyes as she smoothed her hands over the railing and swayed forward on the balls of her feet, eyes on the horizon and the black water below.

Michelle stiffed a sob with the back of her hand, feeling the cool breeze against her tear-stained cheeks. Her breath rattled in her chest, and she stopped fighting the emotion that had welled up inside her. Thoughts of what had happened – thoughts she'd been fighting against for the last two weeks – finally overwhelmed her and she fumbled with her seatbelt, shoving it to the side letting her head fall to her hands.

She had thoughts of them hovering over her…thoughts of them sliding her pants down her hips and pushing into her. She heard Svenski telling them to go easy – they needed her to be able to talk – and she remembered biting down on her lip to keep from saying anything as it transpired. It didn't happen a lot, but once was enough; alone in that little room she'd never felt the same afterwards…

Alex winced when she heard Michelle whimper from the car, but stayed against the railing. If it were her, she'd want the time to breakdown without an audience…

She shuddered when a memory came flooding back but she ignored it. This wasn't about her.

Michelle let herself cry for a good ten minutes before attempting to calm herself down. Alex picked up on the subtle change in the rhythm of her sobs and took a few tentative steps back towards the car. She stepped up to the driver's side door and pulled it open, crouching down to bring her eye level with Michelle.

"I haven't told him yet." Michelle's voice trembled as she spoke. Alex nodded softly.

"I know he knows something happened I just…" she shook her head. "How am I supposed to tell my husband that…" she shuddered. It was a rhetorical question, which was good because Alex didn't have an answer.

"He loves you though." She said it simply and matter-of-factly because for the past six months all she'd done was witness exactly how much Tony loved Michelle. It was heartbreaking and sweet and kind of amazing really.

Michelle nodded, her sobs had turned to sniffles now.

"I know. It's still a hard thing to say though."

Alex bit her lip. "Michelle…you can't move past something if you're still trying to deny it happened…"

Michelle finally met Alex's gaze and she nodded definitively.

"You're right. I have to tell him."

Alex indicated for Michelle to move over and slid into the driver's seat. She took her time moving the seat back while Michelle fumbled to get buckled in, her hands still shaking slightly.

They were quiet for the rest of the drive back to the city, but Michelle felt more at peace with herself than she had since her capture. She managed to quiet the anxiety that was bubbling up inside her at the thought of going home and telling Tony well… everything. She knew she had to do it tonight or risk losing her nerve and she sensed that Alex might've known this too as she sped down the highway, accelerating whenever possible. It was like a race to keep Michelle's nerves from getting the best of her…

She would do it tonight though. She needed to.

They found Tony and Rick watching the post-game on ESPN with the volume up full blast. Michelle had to stifle a laugh. They'd probably turned it up during the game so they could hear the broadcasters over their shouting and hadn't realized how deafening it was now.

Alex slid into the cushion of the loveseat Rick's feet had been on and shot him a look of mock annoyance when he nudged her gently with his toes.

"How was your girlie thing?"

Half her mouth kinked upwards into a grin.

"Good."

"What'd you do?"

"Usual. Pillow fights in our underwear…lathered each other in oil and wrestled…"

She laughed easily when he used a little more force when he shoved his foot into her a final time, before bringing his feet to rest in her lap. Michelle had finally entered the room and moved onto the couch beside Tony. She kissed his cheek briefly and left her body leaning against his. The gesture was intimate enough to merit Tony shooting Alex a raised eyebrow.

"How was the game?" Michelle asked, her attention was on Rick but her fingers were squeezing Tony's knee.

"We won."

Michelle met Alex's eyes and Alex seized the cue. She nudged Rick's foot with her elbow.

"Wanna go see that movie?"

Rick frowned at her and glanced at his watch. It was almost eleven and he hadn't had an early night in over a week. Neither had she.

"Now?"

"Yeah. We can see a late showing…" she jingled her keys in front of his eyes like one might to a child. "You can even drive."

"Can we wait until we've had a decent amount of…" his eyes followed her subtle inflections and he took the hint.

"Actually, now works."

Tony obviously realized something was up, but kept his face neutral. Rick rose exhaustively to his feet, grabbing Alex's extended hand and pulling her up behind him.

"I'll be back later." He told Tony and Michelle as he slipped his shoes on and grabbed his own keys. Alex called a Night guys as she pulled open the apartment door and Rick followed her into the hallway.

"So uh…" Tony glanced sideways at Michelle as he reached for the remote. "What's up?"

Michelle twisted more on the couch and he did the same so that they were facing each other. She observed him carefully for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"I just uh…" she sighed. "I know the last little while has been crazy and I know I haven't talked much about what happened but…" she felt the anxiety bubble up in the pit of her stomach.

"I mean, I can talk now if you want."

Tony brought a hand to his face, clawing aimlessly at the opposite cheek before nodding a little.

Michelle took his affirmation and ran with it, knowing if she backed down know she'd lose the bravado she'd worked up on the ride back home. She'd been toying with two possible ways of breaking the news the Tony – the blunt way Alex had called her out on what had happened, or a more delicate but deceptively more painful admission. In the end, she decided on something between the two.

"Honey listen…" she pushed her hair behind her ears. "When I was…when I was captured they did things to try and get me to talk."

He said nothing, but she saw the anger form behind his eyes. His arm tensed under her fingers and she sighed.

"They…raped me." She probably didn't need to state it so harshly for him to realize what she was getting it, but in a way it was cathartic; it was her final admission of what happened.

She saw the vein on the side of his neck pulsing slightly beneath his skin and his jaw clenched. The room crackled with tension and you could've heard a pin drop.

"I uh…" she hadn't realized until know she'd started to tear up, and now they were falling down her cheeks. Michelle had honestly hoped her breakdown in the car might've helped her keep it together for this conversation. It was hard enough to watch him take the news without her coming apart.

"I'm sorry."

He stared at her incredulously, finally speaking.

"For what?"

She took a deep breath. "For not saying anything sooner…for…" she bit back a sob. "For not trying harder to…"

She'd lost her words completely when he pulled her into his arms. He was shaking slightly beneath her, but he eased her cheek against his chest and enveloped her in a vice grip.

"Don't apologize for what…" he gritted his teeth. "For what they did to you."

She nodded against him, his shirt wet now. She'd half-expected him to shout profanities…maybe even punch a pillow. That would come later. Now he just looked…her throat tightened. He looked like he'd failed her.

"I didn't know how to tell you." She admitted sadly. He brushed his lips against her forehead.

"I'm glad you did anyway." He managed to keep his voice steady. "Damn it, Michelle I…" he nuzzled his face against her hair. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shoulda - "

"There wasn't anything you could've done." She told him earnestly, her hand cupping his cheek. "And I'm fine." There was a brief pause as he processed this.

"Okay?" She kissed him softly.

He nodded solemnly, his own eyes prickling slightly. "Okay."

She leaned against him, relieved she'd stopped crying again and content to feel more than hear the soft thud of his heart beneath her.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" he asked after a few minutes of nothing. She shook her head a little and closed her eyes.

"I just need some time. I'll be fine."

" 'kay." He tightened his hold on her further and eased them into a reclined position on the couch. His hand was on her back to keep her from falling off and the other rested beneath her head. He used one finger to push an errant curl out of her eyes and she sighed a little, more content than she'd been in months.

"I love you, y'know…" He told her, completely serious. She kissed him gently.

"I love you too."

She'd been all smiles all night and he couldn't have been happier about that. It was the point of the entire evening. He watched with a slight smirk on the corner of his lips and a slight twinge in the pit of his stomach as her heels (Michelle's actually) clipped beside him on the sidewalk. She was a little wobbly and had kicked them off in the theatre when they had taken their seats. To tell the truth, he enjoyed the slight-awkwardness more than anything else about her appearance. It reminded him that beneath it all was still Alex.

She did look amazing and he'd told her so when he first saw her. Her strapless black dress flared slightly at the knee and in her hand she swung a small gold bag that matched her jewelry (her sister's really). The dress was one Claire had picked out for her at Barney's upon him mentioning the plan. The look was elegant and classic with little hints of Alex thrown in; like when her soft, straightened blonde hair tousled slightly in the night air and occasionally revealed the small tattoo on the back of her left shoulder; the smoky makeup she wore only served to intensify her eyes, and there was a long scar on the inside of her left arm from her father's attack a month before. He'd caught himself running his thumb along it more than once during the show.

She stumbled a little when a bunch of guys – young, late teens probably –bumped past them on the street and caused her to reach for his outstretched hand to keep herself from falling. He didn't give it back, tugging her across the street in the direction of his car.

"So did you die of boredom?" she interrupted his thoughts. He chuckled softly.

"It wasn't so bad."

"Just…remember our deal about never mentioning a certain something again…"

"That wasn't the first time I've seen you cry, Al."

"Yeah well…almost getting your head blown off by Russian insurgents is a little more traumatic than Les Miserables..."

He glanced at her carefully, feeling a little anxiety now. He hadn't wanted to upset her, but Claire had insisted it was her all-time favorite.

"But…still a good choice?" he waited to see her expression.

Her mouth softened and her eyes brimmed slightly with moisture.

"Like… a month before she died mom took Claire and me to see it. We used to go to shows all the time and Claire always hated the depressing ones but…" she shrugged to finish her sentence.

"It was a perfect choice. Thank you."

His anxiety dissipated and he squeezed her hand gently in response.

They walked silently for a few minutes. She spoke again when they entered the parking lot.

"Do I get a hint where we're going?"

"Nope."

"You're just full of surprises tonight, aren't you?"

"You have no idea how hard it was to pull this off without telling you."

She laughed and he edged her slightly closer, his hand dropping hers as he slung his arm across her shoulders.

"I'm surprised you haven't blindfolded me yet." She mumbled against his ear. Her shoes brought her within an inch or two of his height and her breath was hot on his neck. She smelled good too.

"I considered it. Believe me."

"So where are we going now?"

"You'll see."

"Rick…"

"Trust me."

She sighed melodramatically.

"Fine."

Michelle was sitting on the bed, her legs tucked beneath her and her back against some pillows. She reached up a hand to remove her hair and shook out her curls.

Tony looked a little anxious when he settled onto his side of the bed, his shirt half-unbuttoned. He rubbed the side of his cheek and bit his lip, observing her carefully.

"Honey are you sure you wanna…"

She smiled, bringing herself up to her knees and reaching out a hand to pull his own away from his face.

"I'm sure." She brought his hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss against his palm. He moved his fingers, brushing the hair out of her eyes and shifting slightly closer to her on the bed. Michelle shuffled closer to him and cupped his face between her hands, moving her lips to his.

It was soft, both their mouths remaining closed for the first few seconds as they adjusted to each other. In some ways it felt like dating all over again, both of them seeking reassurance from the other.

It was Michelle who opened her mouth, bringing his top lip between hers and suckling gently. A soft groan emitted from the base of his throat and his hands moved around her tentatively at first. When her hands slid through his hair and then to the base of his throat he pulled her waist more tightly against him and tapped his tongue to her bottom lip. His stomach tightened when he felt her grin against him, her tongue dipping into his mouth briefly as she moved her fingers to the collar of his shirt and slid beneath it. His bare skin felt hot to touch and any nerves she'd felt initially were replaced with a different kind of fluttering when his hands connected with skin and moved up her back. The kisses between them grew slightly more frantic and she felt one hand glide down slowly, almost teasingly, to her legs and lift them out from beneath her easing them back against the mattress.

"What time's Rick coming back?" she asked breathlessly when he pulled away to remove his shirt. Tony chuckled softly, nuzzling the crook of her neck.

"I dunno…late."

"Mhm…" Michelle groaned when his hands caressed her stomach. "We need to get our own place…I feel like I'm fifteen."

"Who were you doin' this with when you were fifteen?" Tony teased as he shifted against her. Taking her chin between his thumb and index finger and tilting her mouth against his.

"You're sure, right?" he panted breathlessly.

She nodded eagerly, pushing her tongue into his mouth again and moaning a little louder this time. Tony groaned aloud now, his hands going to the waist of her jeans and cautiously undoing the button and then zipper. All the while, he half-expected her to ask him to stop, but she didn't. He had her jeans on the floor in no time and stood briefly to remove his slacks, getting hard at just the thought of being this close to her again. He'd managed to keep his hormones at bay up until this point, feeling guilty every time he fantasized about this. The last six months almost killed her and he had no right to put any sort of pressure on her… Hell, if she told him flat out 'Tony, I can't ever have sex with you again after what happened' he probably wouldn't have even been phased by it. He was just too damn happy to have her back.

Of course, now that she actually wanted him back in this way he was finding it very hard to keep it together.

She placed her hand on his cheek, when he got her shirt over her head and smothered his lips over her stomach. The muscles in her legs tensed slightly when his palms moved across them, but it was enough for him to notice. He retreated back up her body, unhooking her bra. He had to contain the urge that bubbled up inside him when his hands moved to her cool breasts and massaged gently. She gasped, arching into him. His mouth dropped, his tongue circling her nipple once, twice, before he latched onto it. She breathed his name when his mouth moved to her other breast and one hand slid beneath her back, tugging her closer as he nipped at her soft skin.

When his hands returned to her stomach she tensed again and his mouth trailed up her neck and to her mouth.

"Michelle if you don't…" he whispered against her.

"I do." She gasped. "I want to." Her hands moved to his, bringing them back the waistband of her underwear.

He kissed her softly as he slowly removed her last article of clothing.

"You know if you left now you could still catch Sheryl before she has to go to the airport." Alex remarked smoothly when he checked his phone for what seemed like the thousandth time. An old flame from his days at Langley had called the previous night saying she was in town until Saturday afternoon and to call her at her hotel.

"I wasn't checking for messages." He informed her, his eyes on the dark ocean that glistened beneath the moonlight. They'd been relatively quiet since they'd arrived, soaking up the sounds of the waves lapping gently onto the beach and the occasional gust of wind. Sheryl had called twice and texted him three times since he'd left work that evening, but his thoughts were as far from her as possible in that moment.

"I was checking the time."

"Got somewhere you need to be?" she teased, nudging him in the side.

"Nope." He leaned over and reached into the small gym bag he'd grabbed from the backseat of his car at the last minute. Her eyes widened in surprise when he unveiled a bottle of champagne and two plastic flutes. He handed her the glasses and rose from their blanket, shaking the bottle slightly and popping the cork. It foamed at the neck and champagne spilled onto the ground below. She was practically glowing when he sat back down next to her and filled both glasses.

"It is now, officially, after midnight." Her cheeks flamed. He grinned and tapped the rim of his glass to hers, leaning in and lowering his voice slightly.

"Happy Birthday, Al."

She smiled widely and managed a soft, but sincere thanks before tilting the sweet liquid against her lips. Alex was grateful for the way it helped dissolve the lump that had formed in the back of her throat.

He could feel she was still tense as he tugged gently on her bottom lip before pulling away from her mouth and kissing his way between her breasts. They were spending a lot of time on foreplay, keeping his attentions above the waist. She said something he couldn't quite place when his mouth closed again, but could tell it wasn't in protest by the way she pressed into him and her hands found his back as he moved further down to her stomach with a few wet kisses. She groaned when his mouth reached the top of her thigh, her legs shifting slightly when he brushed his lips against a small scar right above her knee. His palm smoothed across her other leg, sliding across her silky skin before dipping both hands between them and easing her legs apart. He felt her muscles contract almost instantly and pulled back, moving towards her chest, neck and finally her mouth as he settled between her legs. An arm rested on either side of her and he slowly moved his hips against hers, shifting his knees so they rested between her hers.

"Still good?" Tony asked softly, a hand brushing the hair back from her face. Her eyes whipped open and she nodded briefly.

"Mhm…" Michelle's hands slid slowly up and down his sides. "I'm good."

He looked skeptical.

"Hey…" she touched his cheek with one finger and his eyes met hers. "I love you."

He sighed heavily and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

She kissed him back. "Good. Let's get this show on the road."

Tony laughed softly and nodded against her body as he moved back down it.

"Let me know if you want to stop."

She laughed breathlessly when he brushed his lips across her inner thigh.

"Will do…"

"You thought of everything, didn't you?"

Rick smirked. "I wanted it to be memorable."

"I can tell…since you're passing up sex to sit on the beach and freeze our asses off."

He laughed and turned to face her, eyes serious.

"Hey…I didn't tell you what I had planned for after this." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

To her credit, she lasted a good ten seconds before bursting into hysterics and shoving him affectionately. Her heart may have fluttered slightly when the words were first said, but it meant nothing. They joked like this all the time and he looked at her like that all the time. It meant nothing. He was her best friend.

"In your dreams." She snorted, reveling in the warmth his jacket provided when the wind picked up.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Their lovemaking was definitely more tentative than they were used to, with a few teasing remarks thrown in courtesy of a panting Michelle to try and lessen the tension. She whimpered when his mouth first touched to her core and his hands pinned hers to the mattress. Her fingers ran through his hair and the heat pooled inside her as it occurred to her how long it'd been since they last did this…

She came hard – harder than she might've expected herself to for the first time since – and collapsed back on the mattress. He had an expression on his face that was mostly tender, with the subtlest hint of arrogance about it that very few people would've been able to pick up on. He pushed his tongue between her lips and she groaned into his mouth as he rubbed his body against hers.

"Ready?"

"Mhm…"

"Sure?"

"Yes."

He made a point of staying particular focused on her facial expression when she finally wrapped her hand around him and he eased into her. He saw no indication she was in any pain and moved a little deeper as she adjusted to him. She kissed him boldly and started moving against him and he ignored the sickening weight in the pit of his stomach as it occurred to him that someone else had done this to her – abused her like this. He gulped hard, focusing on where they were in that moment. He'd dwelled on the entire situation for the last week and now he just wanted to be with his wife.

She tried hard not to think about the last time someone had done this to her and how different the circumstances had been then. She knew he could feel how tense she was. He moved slowly at first, giving her time to get used to the sensations as he ran his tongue over her collarbone. She clung to him when they picked up the pace and her nails raked slightly down his back and shoulders. He groaned into her skin and she fought back tears, unsure as to why they'd chosen now to form. He wasn't hurting her in the least and she had a feeling it had less to do with what happened those six months than it did with how good he felt inside her.

This orgasm was more subdued than it had ever been with him before…but she'd been more nervous than she'd ever been with him before too. When he finally stopped moving against her his face buried against her shoulder and she sighed happily, feeling some sort of sense of accomplishment as a few tears finally slipped out of her eyes. He moved his lips to hers and brushed their noses together as one hand wiped her cheeks.

"Michelle…"

"I'm okay…" she choked out. "Honestly…I'm great."

He bit his lip uncertainly and rolled onto his back, his arms engulfing her as she brushed her damp cheeks against him. He pulled the blankets over their naked forms and she snuggled in deeper.

"Don't move, 'kay?" her words came out smushed against his chest. He nodded, his fingers combing through her hair as he fought the stinging in his own eyes.

" 'Kay."

The sun poking over the horizon was what finally made him check the time again. They'd been sitting on the beach for what hadn't felt like very long, but apparently was. Alex had curled her knees and shivered slightly a few times and he'd asked her if she wanted to go inside but she declined, filling both their glasses repeatedly until the bottle was empty. It was one of those nights where you talked about everything; funny anecdotes the other person had heard a hundred times before; recalling things you'd done together each of you adding your own point of view; sad stories that only came out when the mood was right, usually with a little more detail than the time before and with a little more ease... They talked about things they hadn't found the time to tell each other – like that she was planning on getting an apartment with Claire downtown and that he thought he was being selfish asking Tony to stick around at CTU for a few more weeks. She was happily buzzed and he was just happy.

"What time's it?" she mumbled, sounding a little drowsy now as she tilted her head against his warm shoulder. Her body was chilled even with his jacket on and he curled an arm around her.

"Almost six." He nudged her teasingly. "Wanna stay for the sunrise?"

"We don't see enough of those?" she teased back, really not wanting to go anywhere. He laughed.

"Not on the beach, slightly drunk on your birthday."

She grinned against his shirt, legs tucked slightly beneath her. "Sounds like a plan."

His hand reached across his body to rub her chilled calves vigorously.

"So…as far as birthday's go…where does this fall?"

She tilted her head towards him, pretending to consider this seriously.

"Oh…top fifteen for sure…"

She shrieked when he tickled her to the blanket below and laughed loudly when he pulled away, mumbling Jerk under his breath.

Michelle reached for him as soon as he returned back to bed, her arms circling around his torso as she pressed back against his chest.

"Hey…" she sighed sleepily as he kissed the top of her head.

"Hey." He brushed his hand across her sleep-warmed skin. "Rick's not back yet."

He felt her smile against him.

"That's what you went to check?"

"Yeah well uh…I was a little worried he might've heard you the fourth time you – Michelle!" he pretended to be severely wounded when she smacked his stomach. After round one they'd dozed in and out of sleep for a few minutes before she finally gave up and straddled his hips, pressing a kiss to his throat. For Michelle it seemed to get easier each time and the nerves were completely gone now. This was just as it'd always been.

She pressed against, reaching over to suckle on his lower lip.

"Wanna make it an even five?"

"Five's not an even number, Michelle." He informed her flatly. She rolled her eyes and then started to pull away.

"Alright…fine, it doesn't matter to – mhm!" she squealed when he tackled her beneath him.

It was a quarter to seven when they finally left, him promising to stop off and get her one of her yuppie coffees before taking her home. She watched with amusement at the looks they received when they stepped into Starbucks still in evening clothes and looking completely disheveled. The latte he pressed into her hands warmed her from the inside out, and she couldn't help wishing the night had just begun.

When they reached her door she hugged him fiercely for longer than was necessary and thanked him again for everything, after telling him for the thousandth time he was crazy to spend so much on her. An instant before he pulled away she pressed her cheek against his.

"Best. Birthday. Ever."

It was eight-thirty when Rick finally stumbled in the door to find a very drowsy Tony leaning over the coffeemaker in a t-shirt and boxers. Michelle had fallen asleep a few minutes before, and both Tony and Rick were supposed to be at CTU for nine. That probably wouldn't be happening.

Rick wordlessly went straight for the coffee pot and poured himself a mug as they greeted each other tiredly.

"How was it?" Tony grumbled, taking a sip of his own.

Rick smiled slightly to himself. "Great. She's so happy…" he groaned a little, envious of Alex asleep in bed right at that moment.

"It's gonna be a long day…"

Tony grinned and nodded and Rick raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why do you look like crap?"

Tony shrugged innocuously. "Didn't sleep much."

Rick studied the slightly smug expression on his face and groaned even louder as he put the pieces together.

"Do I wanna ask why?"

Tony snorted. "Probably not."

Rick rolled his eyes. Today was going to be a long day for the both of them.