This is my first story, I hope you like it, I do not own 24 or any of the characters.

Tony Almeida sat up slightly straighter when George Mason announced a new worker would be arriving shortly. Smothering a yawn he lifted his hand up to his head level before jumping straight into his question, waiting was for losers. "Who is it? The new worker, are they capable, I mean, this isn't exactly a coffee shop vacancy." George turned round and gave Tony an icy look, before returning his attention to the rest of the group. "Weirdly enough I was aware that this is a serious position, that's why when the worker applied I accepted her." George stabbed Tony again with his eyes but Tony barely noticed, his ears pricked up, the new worker was a woman? Tony opened his mouth to object but George stopped him, lifting his hand up in a casual gesture not that different to Tony's hand up motion. "Almeida, remind us all, who am I?" Tony rolled his eyes; George always did like to bring out the sarcasm card.
"Head of CTU sir." Tony said, leaning back in his chair.
"Well then damn, I must be superior to you, which means you don't argue, you're all free to return to work, except Tony, come up to my office, now."

Standing in the glass office that once belonged to Jack felt wrong to Tony; he had had many arguments with Jack in here, mainly about… Nina. Thinking her name broke the dam of memories that Tony's mind had decided to try and block from entering his minds eye. Tony flinched as one particular memory swam into view, Nina smiling cheekily, lying out on Tony's sofa, sipping a cup of coffee looking so damn demure and ladylike it was almost impossible to remember the pain she'd caused to everyone, including him. "Tony if you could kindly return back to earth I'd appreciate it." George's voice, laced with sarcasm and an underlying irritation seeped through the painful memories, making Tony almost happy for once to be hearing it, almost. "Tony! I was just saying that you will like the new worker, she's young, and pretty, she seems nice and I doubt she'll be another Nina." Tony flinched and knew George had noticed, in a far too Dad like motion for Tony to be physically comfortable with George clamped a hand down on Tony's shoulder, squeezing it before quickly withdrawing as if he was lying his palm on white hot coals, he continued "I understand if you would prefer not to be here when she arrives, and you are free to leave if you wish." Tony almost fell backwards in disbelief; he clutched the desk for support, staring at George. "Are you serious?" he was very tempted to add "You're actually trying to not be an asshole" but he managed to restrain himself. Then Tony thought a bit, did he really want to go? Most people would dream of getting permission to go home early, run a bath, and watch TV but Tony knew it would be wasted on his part, he'd be worried about the next terrorist threat, the next bomb, next demand, next encrypted code, and he made up his mind. "Thanks George but uh, I'm gonna stick around." He brought a hand up to his face and scratched the stubble on his cheek, it might be fun to see who George would count as young and pretty, how old is he anyway, Tony wondered, 60? The woman will either be some 50 year old with greying hair, or the typical image of the "perfect" girl, some young twenty year old with long hair, perfect figure, blue eyes, tons of makeup and not a speck of personality inside of her, bracing himself to meet this stunning beauty he followed George, who had been bewildered but happy by his decision to stay at CTU, to the main entrance.

Tony leant against the wall as George Mason smiled warmly for the first time ever and walked through the gate to greet the woman in the car park, the smile soon slid as he realised it was raining like Scotland out there and started half running across the tarmac. Tony pulled out his brown wrinkly wallet and started leafing through, sorting the tens from twenties and putting them in separate folds of the crinkly leather, he pulled a few old shop receipts, looked around, and then dropped them on the metal grate behind him, waiting for the woman to make her grand entrance so he could go back to his desk, where it was warm, and there were people to talk to. Tony nodded at the security guard. "She's coming through now." It was raining hard and the security guard was covered in droplets of water. George came back first, using an open file to guard his head from any rain that tried to dare invade his personal, bald head space. Then the woman came, wearing a rain coat with a hood which cloaked her face in shadow. Tony couldn't see much, what with the massive black shadow over the workers face and the extraordinarily bad lighting in this particular part of the CTU building so they walked down the dingy tunnel in an awkward silence until they reached the main, warm, well lit part of the building that Tony preferred. Playing the gentleman he held the door open for the woman, George slipped through as well, mouthing "thanks mate" through the vast grin sitting slap bang on the middle of his face. Tony walked through behind the women, watching the rhythm of her steps. They all stopped when they reached the main computer floor, the woman pulled down her hood and shook her head and shoulders, spraying minuscule particles of rainwater all over Tony's dry shirt, she froze staring at him. "I'm so sorry, I honestly didn't mean to do that, I'm Michelle Dessler." Tony couldn't answer her, he was to busy taking her in, wow.

Tony's eyes travelled up and down Michelle, still unable to properly see her. She was wearing a black skirt, purple blouse and the before mentioned raincoat with hood. Her face was heart shaped, with skin as smooth and white as milk. Her lips were pink in contrast with her white cheeks and they smiled nervously. A cap of tight brown red curls framed her face, bouncing on her slender shoulders, a few strands lay against her perfect skin, she pushed a strand from her eyes and Tony couldn't look away. Her eyes were big, and such a deep beautiful brown Tony felt his breath slowly escaping from him, the brown was similar to his own eyes, but it seemed richer, more alive, on her captivating face, he eyelashes were long and dark, her eyebrows arched and perfect, a pink tinge appeared on her previously white cheeks which gave her an angelic and radiant warmth, lighting her up from deep within, Michelle shuffled anxiously, switching from one foot to the other, slightly nervous of Tony's close scrutiny, he finally pulled himself back to Earth, though forcing his eyes from her face was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, Tony didn't know, but he had an idea that he might, just, survive without Nina, even knowing her betrayal, Michelle had proved that there could still be completely uncontained, uncontaminated beauty in the world, she was living proof.

Please tell me if I should keep on writing and what you think of this story, hope you liked it!