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Angel's babe
Author of 28 Stories |
Disclaimer: If I owned 24, Tony would still be alive.
Spoilers: Season #5
Summary: My take on Tony's death, and a possible storyline for season #6. It starts off when he woke up in CTU medical
Author's notes:
1. I was annoyed at the way the wrote Tony's death, and this is how I deal with it.
2. "" Dialogue, '' thoughts
3. Italics are used in flashbacks
4. C.O.S. Change of Scenery
chapter is only a re-imagining of what happened in that episode in order to set up what will happen. Also; Some pieces of dialogue are from the actual episode.
6.8888, means I've just changed points of view, and am with a different character.
Title: Rebirth
He stared at the ceiling, and instantly knew where he was; a building he had every intention of never again setting foot in, a building that gave him his life; and in one single horrific moment that morning, a building that took it away: CTU. With every breath he took, he hated it more- he had given it 10 years of his life, including some of his best, and some of his worst. It was less than 2 years ago, that he and Michelle had agreed to leave it behind them and chart a new course together. They'd started a business, and had children; twins a boy and a girl. His heart broke with the knowledge that they might be motherless now, and likely fatherless too; for if she was dead a piece of him had died with her. His ears perked up, as a nurse entered the room:
"Oh good, you're awake, the doctor will be glad to hear about that." She remarked, as she busied herself checking her vitals, and then left the room. He cleared his throat:
"I need to know about my wife, Michelle Dessler, is she here?" His voice was hoarse.
"The doctor will be into examine you." The nurse answered, and walked out the door. 'I'd forgotten that everybody in this building had a certificate in stonewalling' Tony wryly thought to himself.
His kids; now there was some small thing to be happy about. His aunt had taken them home with her to Florida, so they hadn't been around that morning. He remembered when Michelle had told him she was pregnant; marveled when at one of their first ultrasounds they heard two heartbeats. Then at the end, after nearly a day of labour, she presented him with two beautiful babies; one a boy named: Jonathan Edward Almedia- Jack for short, and a second; a girl named: Kylla Elaine Almedia. Tony couldn't stop grinning for months afterwards; his admiration and love for Michelle grew with every passing day. Tony heard the door open again; it was the doctor:
"Good to see you've awakened Mr. Almedia; your vitals are strong, you should be able to go home in a few days."
"What about Michelle?" He asked, wondering if there was a slight chance that she had survived, but was taken to a hospital closer to their house. The question hung in the air unanswered, as the doctor waffled between telling him, and not.
"Is she…" Tony didn't want to even finish the question, he didn't want to face the answer. Finally the doctor gulped, and spoke in a voice full of compassion:
"She didn't make it sir."
Tony looked away from the doctor, careful to show no emotion; and the doctor finished his exam in silence then left the room. Tony couldn't believe it: his worst nightmare had come true.
"Edgar's on tracing Bierko's cell phone, and trying to track the canisters. Chloe's searching the databases for the suspects you encountered at the mall; she's got that nearly finished. Kim's arrived, and she's waiting for you upstairs in the conference room. She doesn't know about you yet…" Audrey left off, and studied him for a moment. He had stopped moving, and was staring up at the conference room, and one glance confirmed Kim's presence. Jack shrugged once to bring himself back to reality.
"Sounds good, is there anything else?" Jack asked, eager to get this conversation with his daughter over with.
"They're setting up an interrogation room for Henderson. Johnson will be in on it." Jack nodded, and continued to stare up at the room. Audrey intuitively picked up on the issue:
"She'll be shocked and angry if you just walk in like this. But she'll also be happy; she gets a second chance with you." She attempted to comfort him with a smile. Jack looked at her with a question in his eyes.
"It might be best if I told her, that way it could cushion the blow." She voiced what he was thinking. Jack was relieved and mouthed a thank you, while wondering how it was he was so lucky to have found her. Jack walked over to Chloe's workstation drawing curious gazes as he walked-, which he duly ignored.
For her part, Audrey made her way up the stairs towards the conference room, where Kim sat waiting.
So here she was waiting for Audrey, and ignoring Barry's attempts at calming her down by asking her to go through the various breathing exercises. She stopped her pacing and sat in a chair, as in her last circuit of the room she noticed a female figure climbing up the stairs, and enter the room.
"I'm Audrey Raines, I was a friend of your father." Audrey put her hand out to shake the young woman's hand.
"Kimberly Bauer. This is my psychologist Barry Williamson." Kim indicated Barry sitting in the room. Audrey looked at him, and grew suspicious, making a mental note to look him up later. She also silently commended Kim for seeking help after her time at CTU; she needed it, after so much heartache. And now, with the shock she's about to get.
"I need to speak to you about him. In private." Audrey looked pointedly in Barry's direction, who made eye contact with Kim.
"You can say something about him in front of Barry- he won't tell anyone." Kim responded.
"Doctor-Patient confidentiality." Barry muttered and was quiet. Audrey glanced between the two and suspected there was more to it than that.
"It is about your father; Kim, there's no easy way to say this- he's alive."
"How? Why? He can't be, he isn't." Kim rambled.
She vividly remembered the sick feeling, as Tony showed up at her door, remembered just sinking into a chair, numbly, as he told her about his death- that he'd been buried already. She remembered, how the tears finally came when he gave her the dog tags; she had put them on a chain around her neck, and reached up and fingered them now out of comfort. She couldn't believe, that just as she had righted her life; it was being turned upside down again. There was a heavy silence in the room.
Audrey spoke in a controlled manner:
"I can't imagine what you must be going through right now, and I won't pretend to. I just ask that you do one thing; hear him out. Listen to his reasons why, and keep in mind that he loves you."
Kim stared sightlessly straight ahead of her, saying nothing. She blinked, as the door opened and Jack walked in, and looked pointedly at Barry. Audrey brushed past Jack on her way out and whispered: he's a psychologist; I'll look into his background. Jack nodded imperceptibly, and turned towards his daughter.
"This place has taken everyone I have ever loved. My mother was killed here, my father destroyed by this place; and eventually so was my relationship. This place broke me, I never wanted to see it again; I never wanted to think of the people here. I got wondering this afternoon what Audrey wanted to say to me; what could she say to bring him back, and I came up with nothing. I get here, and she tells me the one thing I knew to be in my wildest dreams: you're alive. Then, all the hate for this place, all the sadness, and disappointment that I worked so hard to forget, came back to me." Kim's voice intensified as she finished.
Jack stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, mentally recoiling under his daughter's fury. He was silent as he carefully chose his words, turning his glance on Barry:
"Could you give us a minute, I'd like to speak to my daughter alone." Barry didn't move, and turned to Kim for guidance that looked hopeful that he would stay,
"Please, I'd like a minute alone, and for that to happen; you need to leave the room." Jack explained his look getting more menacing. Barry sat back, and waited. Jack looked at his daughter pleadingly,
"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of him; he's a trained professional." Kim said. Jack gave Barry a look of disgust.
"Doctor-patient confidentiality, I swear none of it will leave this room." Barry affirmed.
"I'm not your patient, and I don't trust you; so I am giving you two choices. One you leave now of your own accord, and can wait downstairs while I have this talk with my daughter, or two: I can with a word to the staff have you taken into custody for trespassing, then proceed to make your life a living hell." Jack said, his frustration showing in his tone. Barry, in response got up and left of his own accord.
Kim had begun pacing again, and ended up at the window looking down on the back corridor of CTU. Jack stepped further into the room, and tried to touch Kim, who recoiled. She turned back around to face him. She sat down again on one side of the table; he took the other.
"There were people after me, that wouldn't stop until I was dead, they would use everyone that ever meant anything to me in my life; you, Audrey, Tony, Secretary Heller. I didn't know who they were, so the only way to stay safe- the only way to keep you safe was if I disappeared for a while. Too all accept four people I was dead. I couldn't have any contact with anyone from CTU, or anyone in my old life. I thought of you everyday, I nearly called you more than once." Jack started explaining.
"Chase left me. He took Angela back to her mother's, and then took a field job with the New York office. I couldn't take another person in my life being swallowed up in this. I didn't give up much of a fight, and once he left I had nobody. For the longest time, I was depressed; my life was a mess, so I started seeing a psychologist, and gradually have rebuilt my life." Kim replied. Jack reached for her hand, as Kim pulled it off the table, and stared straight ahead.
"I can't do this right now. I don't even want to be here; I thought… I don't even know what I thought was going to happen, all I know is I can't do this." Kim was uncertain. Jack heard the door open behind him, and twisted to see Audrey re-enter and stand behind him. He stood up, and the emergency alarm began to sound.
"I was just coming to get you- our systems are all showing a foreign substance in the air ducts."
Jack rose, and Kim followed walking slightly behind the pair.
"Where are the safe areas?" Jack asked Audrey
"Safe areas are the briefing room, Bill's office, a room in CTU medical, and a holding room."
"Give 15 minutes for evacuation, and begin sealing off those areas; anyone downstairs is in the briefing room, anyone upstairs, in Bill's office. Move Henderson into the quarantine in CTU medical with Tony." Jack gave his orders.
"Tony's asking to speak with you." Audrey added.
"Tell him, I'll be into see him after we stop this latest threat." Jack answered, and moved briskly stopping in the middle of the room:
"Listen up everybody; the air inside CTU has been compromised. I need all non-essential staff to exit the building quickly. "
"Jack we only have 10 minutes." Chloe mentioned to her friend.
"All essential staff, I need in the briefing room." Jack instructed.
"Mr. Almedia, we need to move you. Can you walk?" the nurse asked him.
Tony thought about for a moment, and then responded by gingerly sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up and pulled his intravenous pole towards him, then waited.
"Were you able to get a message through to Agent Bauer?" Tony asked anxiously.
"No. Go to your right- it's the second door." Tony moved slowly to respond, the nurse walking beside him. She heaved the door open, and he entered making himself comfortable. The nurse moved past him to stand at the head of a stretcher and checked the vitals of the person laying on it.
"Heartbeat's good, blood-pressure's stable." The nurse confirmed. A third figure leaned over the stretcher:
"Who are working for?" He was greeted with silence. The door opened and the doctor entered, and re-checked the vitals.
"Another dose is pushing it."
"He's not responding to my questions." Johnson responded. Tony pushed himself to his feet to get a better look at the figure on the stretcher.
"He won't respond; He's trained not to." Tony spoke up, recognizing the man immediately.
"You know who…" Johnson began; Tony cut him off:
"Christopher Henderson." Tony allowed the anger to seethe through his system. He's the man that took my life from me; he doesn't deserve to get off so easily; Michelle was in pain before she died, and he deserves to suffer for that,' he thought to himself.
"I need to speak with Agent Bauer." Tony insisted.
"Give him five more minutes Jack." Chloe urged her friend. Jack looked, and saw the worry etched in her features. Edgar Styles, her fellow technician had gone to check on a malfunctioning server, and hadn't reappeared yet.
"Chloe I can't, the room has already been sealed." Jack said.
"Jack?" The phone on the table sparked to life. Jack moved to the table and spoke:
"We've been hit." Bill stated.
"We believe that one of Bierko's men was able to get in, and plant a canister of the cintox nerve gas on the premises. We're getting a signature from it off the ventilation system." Jack explained.
"Yeah, I'm reading that there are four safe areas: my office, the briefing room, a room inside CTU medical, and a holding room. The signal I'm getting is from the utility room, near the air conditioning vent." Bill replied.
"That would make sense. In order to be sure, I'd like to see the blueprints of the building, and detailed schematics of the heating and ventilation systems."
"I'll right, I'll send them to your screen; let me know when you have something." Bill said, and hung up the phone.
8888888888
For the first time since Chloe had started her job, her mind was only partly on the tasks in front of her. She knew they needed her; she was the only one in the room with the expertise, and knowledge on CTU's computer system. But, only part of her mind was here; the other part was silently willing Edgar to walk in the door; or hoping with all her might, he was some place safe. She blinked, as she saw a movement lumbering towards the room. She knew in an instant, it was Edgar.
"He's senior staff, we should let him in." Chloe said, moving towards the door. Jack moved to intercept her:
"If he's out there, he's infected. Letting him in here, would put us at risk." Jack told her. Audrey had moved and drew some of the blinds. Chloe looked past Jack, transfixed by the sight of Edgar, who had suddenly stopped in his tracks, and fell.
"No, no. We should've let him in; we should've taken that risk." Chloe said, her voice breaking. She didn't speak for another five minutes.
Barry glanced at Jack:
"I'm going to try and talk to her. You said yourself; you need her focused on the task at hand. I'll help her to do that." Jack's look was cold as he noted his daughter's hand on the doctor's back, and considered his response:
"Go for it."
Barry walked over to where Chloe was seated, and bent down, taking her hands in his:
"My name's Barry, I'm a psychologist. I know it's rough, having seen what you have; but you have a job to do, people relying on you. Under normal circumstances, I'd schedule a session with you you'd come to my office; but these aren't normal circumstances. So to calm down, I just need you to breathe. Take deep breath in…. now out. In and out," Barry explained. Chloe blinked herself out of the trance:
"This 'breathing' crap doesn't help very much. All it does is force you to do something you already do instinctively- it's completely unnecessary. If you want to do something to help me, get out of my way and let me do my job." Chloe told him. Barry straightened up; taken aback by Chloe's bluntness; and moved back to the corner near Kim.
The phone beeped again, and Jack answered pressing one button.
"Jack I think I may have a possible solution for you. Lynn McGill, and a security guard are trapped in the holding room. Now according to schematics, that is the closest point to the utility room…"
"We have to ask him to physically go in there, deactivate the gas, then back to the room. They'll both be infected." Jack instantly took in the ramifications, and instantly knew there was no way around them.
"Is he willing to do this?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, he says that as it was his key card that the terrorist used to enter CTU, he feels responsible." Bill answered.
"Dumbass" Chloe muttered.
"What was that Chloe?" Bill asked.
"She said we'll ask once, we've got a plan; just to make sure." Jack neatly covered for his friend.
"Good idea. Let me know, when you have the plan in place." Bill chuckled, and hung up.
"He won't tell you anything. He's trained on how to use his system in order to counteract the drugs. He'll just wait us out." Tony kept his voice low, and tone cold.
Johnson was resigned: "What he's protecting, can't be worth dying for right?"
Tony responded with bitter laughter, and was silent. He considered the man on the stretcher, and how easy it would be to end it right there. All he would need to do is pick up a pillow and he would fulfill his need for vengeance, sate this overwhelming anger. But he knew full well it wouldn't bring his Michelle back; it wouldn't give their children a mother back. The phone beeped, and Tony picked it up.
"Almedia." He answered.
"Tony…" Jack's voice called out his friend's name in surprise.
"Yeah Jack." His voice was heavy.
"The threat's past, we're starting to re-open CTU." Jack informed him, Tony put his hand over the receiver; and repeated the information to the doctor, and he put the receiver back to his ear.
Jack recognized his tone immediately, he knew the inner war being waged within Tony right now; he knew how it would likely end with Christopher Henderson's death.
"Don't do it Tony; it isn't worth it." Jack simply told his friend.
"It isn't worth it to get justice, it isn't worth it to get revenge; to feel satisfied? Wasn't it all worth it for you? Didn't you feel just a little bit satisfied when you shot Nina three times?"
"Yes. But it doesn't last; and when it goes away you're left with a new guilt; of doing the last thing she would have wanted you to." Jack spoke from experience. Tony gulped:
"You're right. I need to talk to you Jack."
"I'll be right down." They hung up the phone. Tony walked back over to Henderson, a new determination filling him. The doctor read his vitals:
"He's somehow used the drug to push himself into a comatose state; there's no telling when he'll wake up from it." Tony took the needle from the stand where Johnson was sitting, and flicked the syringe to make sure it's full. He turned back to Henderson:
"You don't get to die without answering my question; what secret is worth killing my wife to keep it safe?" Tony held the needle close to his neck. Henderson reached up and began struggling, eventually grabbing the needle away and managing to jab Tony with it. The doctor sprang into action, to be knocked out by Henderson himself, who ran out the door, and down the hall leaving a trail of security guards in his wake. Jack arrived to chaos, and seeing his friend didn't notice Henderson had escaped. He checked for a pulse on Tony, and found a weak one; so he began doing CPR, and eventually revived him. Tony looked up at his friend, and allowed Jack to help back to the chair where he sat and caught his breath. Jack advised Bill that a lockdown would be the best bet to catch a missing prisoner, and then focused his attention on Tony.
"I was going to kill him Jack. I had every intention of killing him, but in the end… I just couldn't bring myself to do it." He said, his voice full of fatigue. Jack was unsure of how to continue.
"I know, this is going to sound empty; but I truly am sorry about Michelle. She was, one of a kind." Jack said.
"Our kids- my twins are beautiful Jack. A little boy, we called Jonathan Edward- she insisted on it, so we could nickname him Jack. And Kylla is as captivating as her mother. She's got golden-brown curls, small ears- dainty like Michelle. It was incredible, holding those babies in my arms the first time I…" Tony smiled, then quickly sobered, as a thought suddenly occurred to him:
"It isn't safe for me here right now. Henderson is going to try to kill me again; and honestly Jack- I don't know if I could perform a job properly now anyway. I think it best if I disappeared for a while."
Jack was stunned; Tony was never the cut-and-run type. He always stayed and fought whatever battles needed fighting. It was something Jack admired about his friend. But there was some truth to what he said, and it showed clear thinking that Tony would think of it much less say it.
"You'll need fake ID, passport- work documents, drivers license, and enough money to support the three of you. It might take Chloe; a couple hours." Jack supported his idea.
"I don't want Chloe in on this one. I only want you to know. And I'll be traveling alone. I'll do the ID, and all the information; I just need to get into the network, which shouldn't be a problem since I still have level 6 access to it. I should have it done in about a half hour or so." Jack glanced sideways at his friend, and read the resolution in his eyes; there would be no going back for Tony. But still, Jack felt compelled to share some of the lessons he'd learned:
"Your life will be one of lies and deceit. You can never be yourself; even when you meet someone; and as hard as this is to believe, it will happen. You will always be looking over your shoulder wondering whom you can trust and whom you can't. It will become the greatest regret of your life that were never there to watch your kids grow up; never there to hold them when they cried- bandage their scrapes, or something as simple as sing them to sleep or teach them to ride a bike."
Tony took a deep breath with a tear in his eye. He knew what leaving his kids meant; knew what heartache that would be for him- knowing that they would be alive; and he would be alive- but they could never meet.
"My kids are at my aunt's house in Florida, she'll take care of them; that's one of the plans Michelle and I made, if either of us ever…" Tony replied.
"I'll see you in a half-hour." Jack made the effort to keep his voice resolute. He drew the blinds against the hallway, then opened the door and left. Jack turned to the security guard:
"This room is to be treated as a crime scene. Nobody is to go in, or leave until I get back."
Tony made his way over to the desk along one side of the room, and sat down on the computer. He quickly went over his plan to disappear as he called up the documents, and made them out. He convinced himself with the mantra: 'it will keep the kids safe and it will keep me safe. I have to do it; for them.' He repeated it over, and over until he actually did start believing it. He pressed print, then careful to leave no trace, logged out of the network. The easy part was done, and now comes the hard part. Jack returned to his friend and asked:
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
Tony nodded.
"Alright; lay down. I have a syringe full of sedative; enough to make your heart slow down, but not stop beating, and a second syringe full of adrenaline to wake you up." Jack explained, as Tony lay down in the bag, and Jack quickly jabbed him with the first needle.
He saw his friend's eyes close, and waited for his breath to slow before zipping up the bag. Jack picked the body bag up and heaved the door open; and did a quick check to make sure the hallway was clear, proceeded towards the Emergency exit at the end of it. Finding the non-descript navy blue car, he opened the back seat and placed Tony inside, opening the zipper, halfway and jabbing him with the second needle. He got into the driver's seat, reached over and placed the faked identification documents in the glove compartment, then drove off the lot. By the time Jack was halfway to the station; Tony had sat up, and taken the bag off. Jack parked the car in a deserted section of the lot, and sat for a moment looking through his rearview mirror at his friend. Tony opened the door after a few moments and got out, and stopped beside Jack's window:
"I'm lost without her Jack. I think- no I know I need to just be lost for a while." Tony told him, his voice betraying his sadness. Jack reached over and got out the packet with his cash, ID, and a cell-phone.
"The cell is encrypted, and has two numbers programmed into it;my cell phone number,and Audrey's cell phone number. If you needed to get a hold of us for any reason don't hesitate to call." Jack informed his friend. Tony nodded.
"Keep track of my kids Jack. They'd like to meet you." Tony told his friend, smiling at how many stories he and Michelle had to them of their Uncle Jack. Tony started walking towards the train station
"Take care Tony." Jack called out. Tony continued walking away, afraid that if he stopped he would lose all of his willpower and wouldn't be able to leave. Jack re-started the car, and drove back to CTU; already back to normal; he had a threat to stop.
Thanks for reading,
-A.B.
