(no subject)

[chelleuncurled]

Michelle's sitting on a beach. She feels the sand beneath her fingers and looks out into clear blue water. She recognizes the beach as being on one of the islands where she and Tony spent their honeymoon.

She shivers and slides her arms into a jacket. A large black jacket with a CTU seal and which still smells like Tony. She listens to the waves and hears someone coming from a few yards away.

"There you are." It's Bill and she buries her nose deeper into the jacket sleeve, hugging it around herself.

"Here I am," she mumbles.

"Do you know how many crises you're missing? How many lives are at stake while you take this vacation?"

"It's not my choice. Can't argue with the universe."

The sky turns dark above the ocean.

"You know you have to go back eventually."

"I know."

"Michelle, I think you should go inside and say goodbye to Tony and then we should leave."

Further up the beach is her townhouse.

"But I don't want to leave. It's nice here."

"Is it Michelle? Look out at the water."

She peers out and sees a shark fin and it is travelling towards the beach. More than one and as she stares they begin to bleed.

"What's hurting them?"

She turns her head but Bill's already walking away, a small trail of blood following him.

The sky is black above her and the stars feel malevolent. Without thinking she runs into the townhouse, touching her own face to make sure that she is still safe.

Tony's here, she knows, because she senses his presence and she needs to warn him about the approaching sharks in case he goes swimming later.

She walks up the stairs to their bedroom and opens the door. Bright light shines through the curtains and she no longer smells the sea.

"Tony, you need to watch out for the sharks." She says. There's no response.

She waits another moment and sighs. "You have to talk to me eventually."

"Tony," she sighs and reaches out to shake him awake. He's wearing a hospital gown and there's a heart monitor turned towards the bed and she can't see it from here. She tries to wake him again, but his skin feels frozen and she is aware of a steady single tone.

"I'm sorry Michelle, there was nothing we could do. We all tried though." Jack tells her and she is suddenly aware that the room is full of people.

Bill's at the door of the room, dressed in a suit, perfectly groomed as always. "Now can you leave, Michelle?"

She still hears the tone.

Michelle opens her eyes and is relieved to discover silence. It's not morning yet and she has a feeling she's going to have trouble going back to sleep.