They drove the short way back to CTU in silence, past the barrier where the guard seemed confused to see them back so soon, and parked in the exact same spot as Michelle had been parked in before. The space where she had learned that Tony was alive; that there was still a future to look forward to.

She glanced at him as he turned off the engine, wondering if he realized. He probably didn't, she concluded, watching him lean back in his seat and squeeze his eyes closed. She reached for his hand and he turned his head and smiled at her; a little wearily, but happy all the same.

She returned the smile, kissed him lightly on the lips and then pulled back in order to get out of the car.

The normally drab, gray tarmac beneath her feet had acquired a warm orange glow from the light of the rising sun. Stretching and stifling a yawn, Michelle turned to regard the flaming sky.

"Isn't it beautiful..." she murmured, sensing Tony come up behind her even before she felt his arms wrapping gently around her waist.

"Yeah." He kissed the top of her head. "Remember our honeymoon, when we watched the sun come up over the sea?"

"You got me up at five AM."

"And you complained until we were out on the beach, and then you saw the sky and forgot you were mad at me at all."

"I wasn't really mad."

"I know."

They were silent for a moment, feeling the warmth from the sun grow as it climbed still higher.

"Can we move somewhere with a beach?" Michelle asked, almost dreamily.

"Sure. If you promise to lay on it in a skimpy bikini as much as possible."

Michelle laughed. "Yeah, I could probably do that." She grinned as a thought hit her. "You could be a lifeguard."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "And run around wearing nothing but a bright orange Speedo?"

She nodded. "You'd be like David Hasselhoff. But better looking."

"That wouldn't make you Pamela Anderson, would it? 'Cause she's just scary."

"Heh, no... I'd just be me."

"Well, good." Tony spun her around to face him, making her gasp slightly and giggle. "'Cause you're the one I love."

Michelle smiled. "I love you too," she said, before putting her arms around his neck and kissing him. For the fourth time in as many hours. Not that she'd been counting. And she certainly wasn't thinking about finding a convenient desk to ravish him on.

Well. Maybe just a little.

"So what about you?" Tony asked when they broke apart. "If you're not gonna join me in lifeguarding, what will you do?" He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger as he spoke.

"I dunno... I really hadn't given it much thought yet."

He nodded in response to the more serious turn in the conversation. "Look, uh, I don't want you to feel like I'm putting any pressure on you. You don't have to quit right away."

"Are you kidding?" Michelle smiled. "I don't wanna stay here a moment longer than I have to, not after everything that's happened today. Besides, I already have a plan for what we're gonna do right after I quit."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah... I thought about it when I was sitting in the car... when I thought you were dead. I was thinking about all the things that would never happen... But now they can."

"...Oh."

Sensing Tony's discomfort, she gave him a reassuring smile and ran her fingers over the back of his neck. "It's okay. You're okay; that's all that matters."

They kissed again, and broke away smiling.

"So what is this plan?" he asked.

"We're gonna take a roadtrip." She grinned.

"Uh-huh? To where?"

"To wherever. And hopefully... we'll wind up somewhere we like and just say 'hey, let's move here!' And otherwise, you know... we'll still have had fun."

Tony laughed. "Sounds great."

"You think so?"

"I do."

"Good." She smiled and they gazed at each other silently for a moment.

I do, he had said. She wondered if he had used those words intentionally; to make her think of their marriage, their wedding day, the day he had proposed...

It had been a morning very much like this one, outside CTU, standing by the car with the sun just peeking out from behind the skyscrapers on the horizon, after another of those hellish nights at the office. She had reached for the door, but he had grabbed her arm.

Wait.

She had looked at him, tired and with a splitting headache pounding through her skull, and had wondered what new disaster might have suddenly arisen to delay their getting home and finally getting some sleep...

Look, uh, I know this isn't the most romantic of places, but my plans for yesterday evening were shot all to hell, and so were my plans for last weekend, and for our day off, and after everything that's happened today I just can't stand not knowing any longer...

And he had gotten down on one knee, and her headache was forgotten, and then when she'd said yes and he'd picked her up and swung her around it was like all the bad things that had been happening just disappeared.

But now... bad things...

"Do you think Jack'll be okay?" she said quietly.

"He's Jack, Michelle; of course he'll be okay. He'll be lying around in a sombrero drinking tequila by tomorrow."

She nodded, though not without a split-second's hesitation. "You're right."

Brushing some of Michelle's hair back behind her ears, Tony nodded in return.

"And do you think... we'll be okay?" she asked, fighting the urge to look away from him.

"No."

What?

Looking at him in anxious confusion, Michelle saw him smile, and felt his arms encircle her waist more securely. "I think we're gonna be great," he said, and she could've killed him if it wasn't for the surge of happiness that suddenly coursed through her veins, giving her a smile to match his.

"You're evil," she said, poking him in the shoulder.

Tony grinned. "I know."

Michelle pulled away and took his hand. "C'mon," she said, leading him back towards CTU. "Let's get yesterday over with."

And the sun rose further in the sky.