Title: Plastic Ring Proposals

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida

Word Count: 1,431

Rating: PG-13

Summary: They're making things right. Post-Season 4.

Author's Notes: I LOVE YOU, FEATHERJEAN ! And thus, I bring you a happy fic to make you happy.

Once the shipping containers, railroad ties, and all other indications of the train yard, including Jack Bauer, had been left behind, the silence that had befallen became more of a distraction than a comfort. Just like before, she didn't quite know how to reach out and end the hush. What if too much had changed? What if they couldn't do it, make it right between them?

Turning away from the passing scenery, from the few people already making their way to work all without knowing how close it all came to ending, she instead chose to watch him. He looked tired, worn, beat up from his time as a hostage, but he was beautiful. He was Tony.

He was hers, and she wasn't letting go.

She stretched her hand across the space between them, taking his from where it was idly perched on his thigh. Her thumb smoothed across his knuckles, taking special care not to hurt the two that had been scraped, and he turned his hand over, offering her his palm. Greedily, she locked their fingers together.

"Tony?"

"Mm?"

"Nobody expects us back at CTU."

He nodded slowly. "Where do you want to go instead?"

"Anywhere."

Surprised, Tony's eyes darted to hers. Sure, they'd joked hundreds of times about saying forget it and running off, but they'd never actually done it. When they were first dating, it would have been completely inappropriate - they fought so hard to prove that their relationship wouldn't get in the way of their jobs, even though, ultimately it had – and once they were married, it was simply out of the question; the office wouldn't function if they were both gone.

"You sure?"

Pulling his hand over to her, she raised it to her lips and nodded. "They've got everything under control. I'm sure security has orders not to even let us back in until we've slept," she trailed off, realizing that she was making excuses when all she really had to do was tell him the truth. "I need you to myself," she admitted softly, biting her lip to try and control her emotions.

"Hey, don't, don't. Don't cry. We'll just get some breakfast somewhere and then we can go home. We don't have to go in again until someone comes to drag us back. Okay?"

Nodding, she took a deep breath. She felt his fingers tighten around hers and drew his arm further across her lap.

"He'll be okay, don't you think?" she asked softly, needing to change the subject.

Tony nodded, making a turn into a familiar shopping center and finding a parking space in front of the bakery they always went to when they were hungry, late for work and didn't care about being later. After using his left hand to put the car in park and turn off the engine, he turned to face her. Her eyes slid closed when he trailed a finger down her cheek.

"You coming in with me?"

"Of course."

It was a good thing she'd gone in with him, because when he reached into his wallet to get some money, all he pulled out was the dog-eared picture of them she had no idea he still carried everywhere. All of his credit cards, even his ID, were gone, too.

"Guess she put it on the other guy to make it more convincing," he muttered, thumbing their photo thoughtfully. Lacking anything to say, and not particularly wanting to talk about it, she squeezed his waist before reaching into her purse, pulling out some cash and handing it to him silently. He took it without argument, kissing her temple and holding her tighter in assurance that he really was still there.

"Never liked the picture on my license anyway," he murmured flippantly. "Made me look like a sleaze."

Her laugh was clouded with a sob, despite feeling nothing but elation that they were both there. He seemed to accept it, knowing she would eventually be okay. Touching her chin with his index finger, he raised her face so he could see her eyes.

"Hey, everything's okay."

She nodded, feeling her lips tremble again anyway. He shook his head, covering her mouth with his, offering her his warmth and calming her nerves just as it always had.

"Okay, we got a plain on honey whole wheat, and a whipped on blueberry for Tony?"

Tony pulled away reluctantly, signaling that the order was their. His hand smoothed her frizzing hair against her back while he paid for their breakfast and waited for his change. As they started to leave, she held the bag closed with one fist while he took her other hand, walking just slightly behind her. She saw his head jerk to one side as she pushed the door open, doing her best not to protest too loudly when he pulled away.

"Where're you going?"

"I'm just gonna grab some more napkins, sweetheart. If you wanna, you can wait for me in the car. It'll just take a second, promise." He pecked her mouth lightly, turning and running back inside.

Instead of going to the car, she remained rooted to the spot, telling herself that one day she'd be able to let him out of her sight again, even if that day didn't come for a good fifty years. She watched his back as he reached around a small child to grab a handful of napkins and walk toward the door. She was utterly confused when he stopped again; digging in his pocket and stooping down for something she couldn't see. After a few seconds she saw his dark head bob in satisfaction before he pushed the door open.

"Ready?" she asked quietly, reaching out for his arm.

"Almost." He patted her hand gently. "There's something I need to say first."

The familiar pangs of dread returned. This was where he told her it couldn't be like it used to be, or that before he jumped into anything, he wanted to be sure that she wouldn't pack up and walk out on him again.

He must have read her mind, or her face, because he shook his head emphatically, palming her cheeks and dropping a kiss on her lips.

"No, no, nothing bad, sweetheart. Nothing bad."

Her relief became shock when he sank slowly onto one knee, splaying the foot she knew was injured out behind him. His hand was shaking as he reached into his CTU jacket pocket and pulled out a plastic globe, popping the top before she could scrutinize it too much. He stuck his finger inside, fishing out the contents and hiding them quickly in his palm. She saw his head dip and then he looked up at her. His eyes were so gentle, so open, the way he'd been for so long; it made her legs wobble just a little.

"If we're going to do this, I wanna do it right. I love you, and I wanna be with you. We've come this far, why not a little bit farther? Marry me, Michelle?"

It was a simple proposal, an honest proposal, but after everything, it was beautiful.

Even the ring was beautiful.

She laughed, wiping her tears away with the hand still holding their bag of bagels. His final stop had been to the toy machines at the front. His prize had satisfied him well enough on the first try, and after looking at it, she could see why. It may have been yellow and plastic, but it was a heart and he was giving it to her. Without shame and without reserve.

"Tony-"

"If you don't want to, you don't have to say anything right now. I know the day's been rough, and I still owe you a lot of-"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

She nodded, not even bothering to halt her tears this time. "Yes. Now give me my ring." She thrust her hand in front of him.

He bit his lip, taking her fingers and kissing each of her knuckles before placing the ring at the top of her finger and slipping it downward.

"I wanted the purple one, since I know it's your favorite color."

She shook her head. "It's beautiful," she whispered, helping him to his feet and throwing her arms around his neck, holding the back of his head and kissing him over and over again.

"I love you so much," she whispered, curling her hand into a fist and feeling the gentle press of his ring once more on her finger.

"Even after a plastic ring proposal?"

She shook her head, holding him tighter. "Especially after."

Et fini.