okay...i love this story. fantastic, completely all-around amazing. :D you're an excellent writer, i love ALL of your stories :)

Beautiful. No words.

Good story, would have liked it better if it was from the perspective of someone other than Bauer,but that's because I can't abide his character, not to do with your work. If anything it goes to show how well written it is, as it evokes the same opinion of Jack that have of him in the show.

All of his negative traits are here, his self righteous nature, the way he lectures Tony about being in a relationship with someone and that he shouldn't be allowed to do, so is typical of him. That’s what he wants and he lays down the law and demands it be the case-

"I won't stand by and let this happen, Tony, I refuse to–"

That really shows how very much this is a part of Bauer's character. He knows it is not against actual protocol but decides that it shouldn't be permitted because *he* says so. It's typical of the self righteous streak that defines him, and how he truly has a misplaced, skewed sense of entitlement. The warped sense of entitlement also appears in the part where he catches them cuddling in a corridor and only restrains himself from whining about it at the last second. In terms for the show, this character streak is apparent with regards to the Mexico mission, where Bauer had insisted that Michelle wasn’t to be trusted and told Tony he wasn’t allowed to talk to her anymore, for several months prior to day three. Also his snivelling lectures to Tony about sacrificing Michelle during the kidnapping arc are another great example. So it’s apparent that these traits that are so very obvious in the show have been carried over well into the story here.

Another part that totally nails his character is this-

“He had Michelle's blood on his hands and he knew it. If he hadn't involved them in his

escape from the authorities five years ago, she would still be alive”

Amen to that! In fact, if he had put some intelligent thought into the Chinese Consulate operation in the first place, rather than taking the crashing in there, bull in a china shop approach like the arrogant gung-ho thug that he is, there would likely have been no cause to fake his death at all. When it boils down to it, he and he alone is ultimately to blame for what happened to her.

In a nutshell, Bauer, to me at least, is just a pious prick who has his head up his own arse and has done for years now.

Again, I’d like to reiterate, these (brutal) criticisms of Jack are only with regards to the character himself and what I think of him. It is not by any means a disparagement of your work. In fact it’s a testament to the excellence of your characterization that the story has garnered the same reaction from me as the actual show does.

I do love the T/M scenes in and of themselves though, they really capture the warmth, intimacy and outright passion that defines them. The way that they’re are so obviously besotted with each other, the intensity of their connection to each other just electrifies the atmosphere whenever they’re around.

I think that, irrespective of his reaction to it, the way Jack can see that there is something deeply intimate going on, really does reflect this –

“He'd never seen Tony Almeida look at anyone like that before – not at Nina, and not at the girl with the freckles in IT he'd dated before her. It was a look of shameless abandon, a depth of passion so profound”

That is exactly what makes them so good, what makes their chemistry together so intense when watching them together on screen. Their love,passion,longing and need for each other is obvious in even the most subtle of body language and nuances. Anyone can see it just by looking at them together, it’s just that consuming of them, it is apparent in everything they do.

The scene where they are at home is wonderful; it is warm, intimate and loving, just as you would expect them to be at home together. It really shows just how grounded and content they make each other, something that is very apparent on the show in season three. There is such tenderness to the part where Tony just wants to let Michelle sleep, I think it really shows the dynamic between them, it really shows how he cares for her wellbeing so much.

The way that she is sleeping too, covered in a blanket, wearing his jersey it’s apparent that it was probably him that covered her and that he had been snuggled up with her just before answering the door (well, I would be if I were him lol). The scene really demonstrates that despite everything they really did have a good and happy life together for those three years, it shows just what made them so great on the show, through their relationship, they were much more humanized that any other characters. They were, to a great many people, far more engaging than the likes of Jack, Chloe or even Palmer. I think that aspect of what it was they brought to the show is shown well in this scene, being purely domestic it’s much more “real” than say, a scene with Bauer being in the field, something that was very much true of their interactions with one another on the show.

So, yeah, great story. But next time, something with a much happier ending if possible? (and Bauer-free would be even better)

Yay, you're writing again! Long time no see, so to speak!

I loved it. I love the outside perspective, and how Jack just keeps comparing and contrasting Tony (and Tony and Michelle) over the years. Just that look at them, yeah I love it.

I also love the acknowledgement of the little niggling, subtle jealousy Jack has for the stable, healthy relationship that he sees in Tony and Michelle.

Great job! Glad you're back!

Kay, I must've hit something I wasn't supposed to.

Anyway, I was just going to say I love that Tony comes across as a guy with actual principles instead of just this monster that totally shut down after his wife died. Even coldhearted, terrorist Tony still has some sense of conviction and right and wrong and that really comes across in this.

So yeah, loved it and I'm so glad you got something written.

It's my turn now isn't it? Eff.

Wow. I loved it. Seriously. The entire thought process was just so...very, very Jack. The entire thing basically broke my heart. I love Jack's perspective of their relationship. There are some great one-liners in here that really sum it up perfectly.

"After this moment Jack shouldn't have been surprised when Tony committed treason to save her, and he shouldn't have believed Tony would fight for anything anymore when she was gone – except if it had something to do with her death." - That's basically just it, isn't it? And that's what I kept waiting for all of season 7. Tony's motives for things like this have always been about Michelle and up until that last episode things weren't really clicking and it all kind of built up to that one, final scene with Tony. When it comes to Tony, it's always about Michelle. Which is pretty freaking romantic even though I'm all depressed now. Haha.

"At least Tony did something about it. He didn't just waste away wishing for death like Jack had; he didn't just wait for revenge to be handed to him on a silver platter, in the form of a gun and a bleeding body on the floor. He'd decided he couldn't live with his wife's murderer still breathing, and stayed true to this conviction from start to finish." And I love that. I love that Jack recognizes that even though it's not "right". Tony's never really been about right and wrong in the conventional sense and I love that even though Jack knows he can't let Tony get off for it he can at least understand the motivation and the conviction he had in doing it. He's not just

totally loved this!bless Tony he's cute man! all ur fics are brill love reading them! :D

Beautiful- I absolutely loved it. The justification for Tony's actions have been explored a lot, but this is just so completely utterly perfect especially as told from Jack's POV. I just wish we'd seen a moment of understanding like this on the show, or even some mention of Tony or Michelle in this season- it is as if they never existed! But yes, I completely and utterly loved this story.

Damn good job.

Very moving and beautifully written. Not many fics deal with the insight into their characters through someone else. Good idea!