Against the Grain

A/N: So this is it! Thanks so much for everyone who's been reading and reviewing so consistently. I appreciate it so so much. For those of you who are interested, I'll probably be starting to post the third part in this series sometime next week. Just word of warning, this chapter should probably be rated M/NC-17 or whatever for subject matter and one steamy little part I threw in there just for Tooth Fairy and Jurojin. Thanks again for sticking with me through this guys! I hope you enjoy it!

Epilogue

Tony wondered if he looked as weary as he felt when he finally followed Michelle's messy dark curls into the house. Bill had yelled – a lot – and Rick wasn't answering his phone calls. Bill knew the whole story but Rick only knew that Tony was the last person to see Alex leave and had neglected to tell him. Michelle wasn't happy either. Normally after a day like they'd just had where they were both tired and achy she would touch him lightly on the drive home, or rest her cheek against his shoulder on the way out the door. He knew why she was mad. She felt like had he just held off a few minutes on signing his testimony and told her what was going on she might've been able to get Alex's test results before it was a done deal.

He had a feeling even knowing her test results the choice Alex made wouldn't have been any different. It made him a little nauseous to think…she was pregnant. With what technically would've been his niece or nephew. It killed him that he'd (unknowingly or not) put an end to the entire thing in five seconds flat.

Michelle kicked off her heels and stretched her arms over her head, making a small noise when she did. Now she'd either profess that she was either going to bed immediately so she could be asleep before he had time to join her, taking a shower so he would be asleep when she finally did go to bed or going for a run. He knew Michelle needed time to cool off, but he hated the idea of her falling to pieces alone on the side of the road.

"I think I'm going to take a shower." She declared without looking at him.

Right…Tony thought. For the last few months she'd been running with Alex – said she pushed harder when she did. Running would be off the table for a few days at least. Again, his fault.

"Alright…"

When he heard the shower start Tony picked up his cell phone again. It rang twice and then clicked to a message, so his brother was obviously choosing not to answer his calls. He couldn't blame him really. Had Rick done to Tony what Rick thought Tony did to him Tony would've permanently disabled him. Had Rick done for Michelle what Tony had done for Alex Tony would've killed him. Quite literally.

And with everything that happened with Alex and Christensen…Tony shuddered, trying not to think about how Michelle might've handled the situation. He'd had to share her with far too many people in the last year and the idea of her willing let someone else touch her like that made him violently ill. The fact that Rick hadn't punched a hole in the wall – or Christensen – was a testament to his self-control. Tony had self control…just not when it came to his wife.

And he himself was the reason Alex might have to do that plus something a thousand times worse. God only knew what Jack would get her into.

Twice since Michelle had broken the news to him about Alex's "condition" he'd considered telling his brother everything. He knew he couldn't though; there was nothing Rick could do for her now and telling him would only make it worse for everyone involved. He had no idea what had happened in that building but he did know that neither Alex or Rick were in prison nor he had to consider that a win.

Despite the huge mess they were all in now Tony was certain of one thing – he'd find a way to bring her back if it was the last thing he did.

Claire Evans' eyes were red and puffy when she pulled back the door of her apartment. It was just before eleven and she started a little when she found Rick Almeida standing in front of her, hair dripping into his eyes and soaked to the bone. He'd been wandering around aimlessly from the moment he'd left CTU, trying to clear his head.

"Hi." Her voice was low.

"Hey." He bit his lip and wiped the water from his face. "How you holding up?"

"I'm sleeping at Bill's." She said simply, her voice distinct and decisive. She inclined her head to the bag beside the door.

"I was just leaving now. Karen's flying in from DC. I said I'd pick her up the airport."

Rick pursed his lips together solidly and nodded.

"Yeah alright…I'll get out of your hair."

"It's raining?" She blurted out as he started to pull away. Rick nodded quickly.

"Started like an hour ago. Be careful driving, alright? Traffic's a bitch right now."

"I will." Claire nodded, her expression softening a little. She took a step closer to him.

"Look…um…if you want to dry off a bit here or something…" her eyes flitted up towards his. "I mean, you know where we keep the spare key so…"

He exhaled softly and nodded.

"Thanks Claire."

She shrugged, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I should go. I don't want to be late."

When the door slammed behind Rick he hung his head a little, kicking off his shoes and his dripping jacket. He left the shoes at the door and tossed his jacket and jeans into the bathtub to dry. His cell phone with about fifteen missed calls (at least half of them being from Tony) rested on the counter. He had no intention of calling back.

The apartment wasn't big but it felt so empty right now. The only light on was the one from the hallway. He flipped the switch for the living room and surveyed the damage, noting the faint bloodstain where the man from before had lain. CTU had cleared out the body already.

All of that seemed so long ago. From the moment they'd grabbed him and Claire on their way outside, to the exchange, to the fire, everything seemed so far away.

He killed the light and made his way down the hallway to the bedrooms. He didn't know what he expected to see there, but a part of him hoped he'd find her asleep in the bed, ready to jump up and yell "psych!" as soon as he entered.

Her room was almost black and he didn't bother with the light this time, choosing instead to observe the rumpled sheets and blankets and the pillows that still held the slightest indication that someone's head had lain there before.

On the floor in a heap lay his crinkled dress shirt that she'd wrapped herself in when they'd crawled to bed. His hands shook a little as he bent down and picked it up, bringing it to his face. It was cold. Not like it had been when she had been wearing it. His warm breath heated the fabric, revealing the scent of her shampoo mingling with his cologne. His lip quivered and he gulped hard.

Not wanting to go searching through her drawers for any of his clothes, he pulled his slightly damp t-shirt over his head and disappeared back into the bathroom, dropping it into the tub as well. Beneath the cupboard he found a towel and dried his hair quickly. His entire body felt weak with exhaustion but his mind was still going a mile a minute. He didn't want to give himself time to think about anything.

He disappeared back into the bedroom, wondering how morbid what he was about to do was. Tony would tell him to sleep at their place if he wanted to, but he wouldn't sleep there…and he needed to sleep badly. This would all seem better in the morning…

Or worse. In the bright light of day it would become blatantly apparent that this whole thing wasn't some horrible nightmare. There would be no mess of blond hair on the pillow beside his when he rolled over and he wouldn't be able to reach out and curl an arm around her as he snuggled back down into another few minutes of sleep. It would be real.

The absolute last thing he needed right now was to be asleep in Tony and Michelle's spare room only to wake up and see them all happy and together and grateful they were still as they had been a day before. He didn't want Michelle to offer him coffee and a sympathetic expression only to catch a glimpse of her hand sifting gently through his brother's hair, or see Tony's fingertips press unconsciously down his wife's spine whenever she stood in arm's length. Maybe they meant well, but he didn't need that right now.

Sighing, Rick returned to her bedroom and shivered a little even though he didn't feel chilled. He dropped to the mattress exhaustively. The sheets were cold and he pulled the covers up to his chest, rolling over and burying his face into her pillow. Maybe it was his overactive imagination, but it still smelled like her.

Alex Evans had given up trying to relax a little and remained sitting rigidly in the orange, plastic chair that she'd been directed to by the receptionist. The walls of the room were a sterile white and the fluorescent lights were starting to hurt her eyes. She hadn't had a decent sleep since…well, since Rick had been in DC, so that probably wasn't helping.

Outdated magazines lay scattered on a small end table; a dish filled to the brim with condoms sat on the receptionist's desk, seemingly untouched. She felt that after something like this most people wouldn't be up for anything that required condoms in the near future. She focused on the little things, anything to drive her to distraction. People watching passed the time and she was good at reading people. She had to be. Especially now.

The room was filled with mostly women. Nine women, four men. They all looked exceptionally young (some even younger than Claire), save for one who wore a business suit and flawless makeup and crossed her legs purposefully. She had picked up a stylish magazine, Alex noticed, but she leafed through it too quickly to have actually seen or read anything and her top leg bounced mindlessly in time with her turning of the page. Her pristine exterior suggested this was merely an inconvenience; a blip on her radar that forced her to take a few hours off work and lose a few hours of sleep, but her eyes said otherwise. Her eyes gave away her conflict.

No one in the room looked happy or filled with relief; everyone looked like this was a last resort they hoped they'd never come to. These were scared teenagers or people from broken homes or bad relationships or people who didn't have the resources to deal with this…issue at this point in their life.

Some of the girls sat with their mothers, eyes red and puffy from crying. One mother looked particularly stern and it was easy to see the fury behind her expression. Her daughter was one of the ones who kept dabbing her eyes with a rolled up tissue. A shiny gold watch hung on the mother's wrist with a few small diamond studs around the face. They probably had money. She'd be the mother who kept the whole thing hush-hush to avoid people talking about what a disgrace her daughter was.

Another mother was crying and her daughter was the one soothing her. It didn't seem like a fair situation; the daughter shouldn't have to be the one holding it together for the mother. Sympathy was one thing but this wasn't right. This would be the mother who simply wanted nothing but what was best for her daughter but empathized too much. This was a mother who couldn't detach enough to be the rock when her daughter needed.

Alex's own mother had been a recurring thought these last few days. Now, Alex tried to place her in this room. She'd be the mother who rubbed her knee firmly but soothingly and told her everything was going to be fine; she would make everything fine.

Alex wouldn't have believed her, but it would've been nice to hear.

The men intrigued Alex the most though. One man was a kid really. He was young like the girl he was with. He looked nervous and uncomfortable but kept trying to soothe his companion's shattered nerves as best he could. The sweet, pimply-faced kid probably had never expected to be there. She had a feeling if they were a few years older and the same thing had happened he would be the one who wanted to be a daddy; he would be the guy who wanted to stick around with her when this was over. He cared.

Another man was older and sitting with the clear-cut most attractive girl in the room. Alex had two guesses who he was: either the concerned father or someone engaging in an affair with a much younger woman. Watching a little more closely, Alex decided it was probably the latter. There was no fatherly concern in his eyes for the well being of the young woman beside him, he just looked miffed and irritated like he'd been through this before and just wanted it over and done with. He wore a pinstriped suit and his salt and pepper hair was cropped close to his skull. A hand dipped into his pocket and his eyes angled downwards. She would've bet dollars to donuts he was checking his Blackberry to see if he was missing out on anything important, or to make sure the five grand he'd promised for her silence had been wired into her account.

And then there was Jack. Honestly, she'd told him not to bother coming. She could handle this herself. For a moment, Alex wondered what people thought of them, both looking stiff and rigid and not daring to fidget and Jack obviously much older than she. He could've been her father…he could've even been the father…

A thickness formed in the back of her throat and Alex ran her fingers through her hair abruptly, fighting the urge to try and place Rick in this room. The girl sitting with her strict mother shot Alex the smallest of watery smiles. Alex watched the girl's eyes land on her bruised face and touched her fingers to her cheekbone reflexively. She knew what the girl was thinking.

A nurse appeared at the entrance to the exam rooms.

"Alex Evans." She called clearly. Alex nodded and reached down a hand for her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Jack made to move but she shook her head briefly; she didn't want anyone there to see this…to see her do this.

It had been two weeks, seven hours and thirteen minutes since she'd disappeared and she, if possible, missed him a little more everyday. She wondered if Jack could tell where her head was as he watched her walk down the small hallway. If he could, she didn't care. She'd find something to take her mind off of Rick and everything would be fine. This was just her first step towards finding a way to keep functioning without him…

She really couldn't believe she was doing this.

"I went to the doctor today." Michelle stated casually as she entered the den. In the weeks since Alex disappeared and they left CTU for good a lot had changed. For starters, neither of them seemed in any immediate rush to get working again. Once the fallout from everything that day had been contained Tony and Michelle were relieved of their contracts. Rick was Director of CTU now and he seemed content to do as much paperwork and contend with as much bureaucracy as was required of him. Michelle could understand that – after the divorce was the only time working at Division had ever appealed to her. The long hours and the distraction from everything else that was going on made it almost necessary.

Now, working at Division or CTU or for anyone but themselves seemed anything but worth it.

Tony's eyes snapped away from the TV at her comment and he looked instantly worried.

"Is everything okay?"

"Mhmm…" she said slid onto the couch beside him, her eyes on the TV now while his hadn't left her. He'd been so out of it these last few weeks. He was constantly checking his phone for word from Jack or pressing Rick to at least have dinner with them. She hoped this might him something a little happier to ponder.

"She said I could stop the pill whenever we decided we were ready." Her head turned casually to face him and she watched his eyes bulge slightly.

"Huh…"

"Yeah…" she rubbed her arms a little, cutting the chill. His jaw shifted slightly as he observed her.

"Well, I'm ready." He stated simply. Her head tilted and she studied him for a few seconds.

"You are?"

"I was ready the first time we left CTU Michelle. Hell, I was ready if I ended up getting that job at Langley." He didn't sound the least bit accusatory. "It was you who wasn't - "

"I'm ready." She blurted out, biting back a grin when she saw the corners of his lips start to twitch.

"You are?"

She nodded eagerly, eyes watering slightly. They were actually doing this; after so many years they were actually getting ready to do this.

"Yeah…" the word came out softly and Tony cracked a smirk.

"Then why are we wasting time talking?"

Her grin escaped her lips and she laughed.

"No idea…you're going to have to be a little more vigilant if you want this to – "

She squealed when his hand slid around the back of her head and he pulled her mouth to his. Their bodies melded flush together and she brought her hands to his cheeks, her grin widening when she nipped at his bottom lip.

"Bed?" she suggested coyly, forehead still against his. Tony kissed the tip of her nose and somehow managed to get them both off the couch – with her in his arms – and move towards the bedroom.

"Let's make one thing clear, you are only here because I think you can be useful…" Jack's angry words resonated as she stepped off the train and into the cool night air. He'd cornered her on the way out the door saying she couldn't just disappear in the middle of the night by herself. She'd snorted defiantly saying she knew the city at least a thousand times better than him. Alex Evans didn't have an escort in Manhattan. This was her happy place. It might've been where everything started with her father, but the city still felt like it was hers. It made sense this was where it all ended. The last thing she would ever see of the life she knew was her home; the Empire State Building; Broadway; Central Park; Brooklyn Bridge; even the trek down to Yankee Stadium in rush hour had seemed worth it ... They were sights she never tired over no matter how many times she'd seen them. They were comforting. At least, they were supposed to be.

So how come they didn't feel comforting anymore? How come she'd spent the first sixteen years of her life in this city, walking these streets and she felt like a stranger here now? Why was she willing to give up every second she'd ever spent here if it meant she could steal just one more kiss from him before she left – a kiss she knew was the last one they'd ever get – or brush her fingers against his shoulder one more time. What she would give for the knowledge that their last time of everything was actually going to be their last time; she would've savored it, soaked up as much as she could. She would've spent less time trying to keep walls up and more time trying to…to love him.

She hated the way the words sounded in her head. It didn't seem like something she would say or feel or…

"You're strong, Alex. No one's doubting that…but I don't want you to be afraid to need something or someone…I don't want you to grow up and be afraid to feel anything because it'll just hurt you more in the end. Someone can't love you if you're always afraid to let them…"

Her mother's words made her throat tighten. She'd watched the video three times since leaving CTU that morning and every time it still made her ache uncontrollably.

Which brought her to where she was now.

Alex crossed the cobblestone path without making a sound, still wearing the same clothes from that afternoon. When she approached the site, she smoothed the hair in front of her eyes and tightened her fingers around the bouquet of lilies in her left hand. They were the kind you found on every street corner in the city for five bucks, but her mother loved lilies. White lilies to be precise.

It was hard to read the inscription in the starless night sky, but she'd memorized it years before. Once she knelt onto the cool, soft ground her fingers traced the outline of the chiseled letters, the words coming back to her.

She exhaled harshly, putting the flowers to the side for now and smoothing her hand across the top of the tombstone.

"I'm early, I know." She declared wryly. She used to think it was ridiculous every time she watched a movie and saw someone talking to a piece of rock mounted in the earth. Once her mom died her opinion changed entirely. She needed the connection, however feeble it was. She needed to believe her mother could hear her somehow.

"I don't think I'm going to make it for Christmas this year though, so I thought you'd forgive me." She bit her lip at her little. It was a morbid joke.

"A lot happened these last few months." She'd found her stride now and the words came easier.

"Claire's doing great…or she was anyway. We got an apartment downtown. She says she likes school but I think mostly she just likes having a million different people to hang out with."

The urgency dissipated from her words and she continued.

"Bill's married. It was a little weird at first… Karen's…" she shrugged. "I mean it's not that I don't like her it's just that she's away a lot. In D.C. And the thing is…I know he gets lonely and I know he misses her and it kinda makes me wonder why she would've married him if she didn't plan on being around more than a few days a week…It just doesn't seem fair."

The smallest of smiles formed on her face now.

"Rick took me to see Les Mis on my birthday…I thought of you the whole time. When he told me what we were doing I panicked a little because I knew I was going to bawl like a baby for the last half of the show." She snorted. "And I totally did and it was fine…and honestly I don't even know why I would ever worry about that stuff. I can't even think of one time in the entire time I've known him he hasn't reacted in exactly the right way to every thing I've ever done…even when I'm being a complete idiot…"

A soft laugh escaped her lips.

"And what I'm about to tell you now there's no way in hell I would ever be able to tell you to your face because you would absolutely annihilate me for it…" she shook her head with amusement. "We were sleeping together…only…we weren't. That's all we were supposed to be doing but that wasn't all it was. Everyone found out a few weeks ago and it was this huge ordeal…"

A wave of contentedness surprised her.

"You probably would've forgiven me once you got to know him though…he's pretty amazing in pretty much every way. This is gonna sound cheesy but…I learned all this crazy combat stuff at Langley and abroad and I can take care of myself if I have to but…but I think for the first time since dad started everything…I think I actually felt safe. When I was with him I never felt on edge and waiting for something to happen, I just felt…happy. I thought I was before with everything I was doing but I just felt accomplished; these last few months…I was really happy. "

She sighed heavily, the moisture rising in her eyes.

"And I did something a few hours ago that was just…" she shook her head abruptly.

"I don't think I've ever missed you more than I did today…" the words came out like a sob and her stomach clenched. Instead of trying to calm down, Alex allowed herself to cry for a few minutes without restraint. It was the first time she'd done anything of that nature since she'd left and she needed the release. Finally, her breathing grew normal again the sobs dissipated, a few loose tears falling down her cheeks.

She picked up the bouquet to her left.

"I don't think I'll get to come back here again…"

She exhaled firmly and squeezed her eyes shut.

"And I don't regret what I did…I just wish I didn't have to do it."

Wiping her eyes a final time, Alex rose slowly and brought her fingertips to her lips before touching them to the top of the tombstone.

"I love you." She said clearly, wishing the words had come as easily with Rick as they did now. It was probably better they hadn't though. Telling someone you loved them and then disappearing was probably the most selfish thing she could think of.

She sighed, stealing a final look at her mother's gravesite.

"Bye, Mom."

"Thoughts, Almeida?" Brad Hammond's voice interrupted Rick's reverie. He hadn't realized he'd zoned out until Bill nudged him gently under the table.

"Sorry?"

"If this new role is too much for you to handle I'm sure we can find someone more suited and more qualified…"

Rick bit his lip to keep from saying anything.

"I would hate to think any personal matters are interfering with the work."

"It's been a long month for all of us, Brad." Bill interrupted calmly, though his blood boiled. "CTU has been putting more work into the follow-up on the entire Christensen operation than any other agency. Cut him some slack."

"A lack of sleep is not an excuse for shoddy work."

"The work has been of the same quality it was when Tony or myself was submitting it." Bill insisted. "And I've reviewed all the paperwork before any of it has been sent to District. Are you questioning my qualifications now?"

"When the heads of CTU and Division in one of the largest cities in the country are having difficulty separating their personal and professional obligations I start to worry…"

"I'm fine." Rick insisted firmly, glancing at the page. "The timeline on this report is completely inaccurate, so maybe you should spend less time worrying about what's going on with us and more time worrying about your own people."

Rick's words quickened and Bill felt the anger rising in his voice. "Easy…" he warned under his breath.

Hammond surveyed them both with disdain.

"Fine. Why don't you take us through the timeline then, Almeida? Start from when Agent Evans seduced Christensen in the hotel room…"

Rick and Bill both tensed for a moment before Rick somehow managed to oblige through gritted teeth.

London was cloudy when their plane landed, but Alex figured she should probably get used to that. She'd been a daze the entire flight from JFK to Heathrow, wondering who in the world this 'partner' Jack spoke of was. Apparently he'd agreed to give them a place to stay until they got the go-ahead from Warrington. Knowing Jack, she wasn't sure what to expect from this so-called partner of his. All she knew was that he'd left the States months before and worked for MI-6 now.

Chase Edmunds knew within the first hour of meeting her that Alex Evans was different. Jack had warned him she had bite. Being a girl in a world of men – literally – left her no other option. She spoke very little when he was first introduced, sizing him up as he did her. Blond hair in loose waves hang on her shoulders and her high cheekbones were accented with yellowing bruises. Her blue eyes were electric, almost unnatural, and her pink mouth remained in a tight line the entire trip back to his apartment (he still hadn't really acquired the cockney slang in the nine months he'd been overseas). She was undoubtedly attractive. Attractive enough in faded jeans and bare-faced that he vaguely wondered what she might look like under better circumstances.

The call from Jack had surprised him to no end, but by now he knew better than to question anything Jack did. No matter what had happened with Kim, if Jack was willing to ask for his help Chase was willing to give it. Jack had his reasons. Jack always had his reasons.

Which brought him to where he was now: showing the stone-faced Alex Evans his new living space. (Jack had ducked out immediately saying he had things to take care of.) Chase hadn't lived by himself in so long he considered that even if she wasn't much of a talker, it'd be nice to have some company for a little while.

It wasn't until he'd shown Alex to her bed – Angie's bed, actually – that he got the first glimpse of something other than the hardness. She tossed her khaki jacket on the wingback chair, revealing a small tattoo on the back of her left shoulder slightly obscured by her shirt. He studied her small waist and defined arms as she surveyed the room.

"Nice tat." he tried cautiously.

She turned to stare at him briefly before answering.

"Nice pink room." She retorted; her voice wasn't low but it was slightly scratchy from exhaustion.

"What's it mean?" the corners of his lips twitched as he observed the foreign symbol more closely. Holding out his hand tentatively first, wary of startling her, he inched back the strap revealing the entire thing.

Instead of giving another smart response she answered.

"Our Special Ops team got them when I was in Russia a few years ago…" she blinked hard once, reminded yet again of Rick. Even in another country she couldn't escape him.

"'Strength'…" she said, lowering her voice a little and wondering if he would think it was lame. "It means 'strength'."

She'd softened slightly so he ran with it. He gesticulated to the surroundings.

"It's my daughter's…" he bit his lip, finally acknowledging her comment. "The room."

Alex studied the contents further, her fingertips grazing against the white and pink comforter.

"She's either under the age of six...has a slightly worrisome obsession with the color pink…or daddy picked out everything by himself."

Chase let out a laugh.

"She's four and I decorated it when I moved in. I wanted it to be ready when she came to visit."

Chase wondered if super-agent Alex Evans could pick up on what he was trying to hide. He missed Angie like crazy and he wanted to make up for not being around. The phone calls he got were far too infrequent and he ached for the days when he had a family…Kim and Angie and a house and someone to come home to.

"So…" he rubbed the back of his buzzed head, changing the subject. "Got any more tats?"

She raised her eyebrows, her mouth curving into the smallest of smirks.

"None that you'll ever see." Her eyes sparkled even brighter.

"Got any more pink rooms?"

He laughed again. She was funny. Sarcastic. He liked that.

"None that you'll ever see."

Michelle craned her head around instinctively when she heard the shower curtain pull back in time to see her husband's face press into her neck while his hands slid around her waist. His body warmed her in a way no stream of hot water ever could. She grinned and tilted her mouth against his.

"You're supposed to wake me for anything important." He grumbled teasingly. He smiled against her shoulder when he heard her laugh fill the bathroom.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't know me showering was conducive to me getting pregnant."

His hands caressed her belly and then one moved to her thigh. Her breaths started to come more quickly and she leaned back against him.

"You being naked is conducive to you getting pregnant." He retorted in a low voice, fingers trailing along her smooth inner thigh.

"Tony…" she twisted in his arms and spoke breathily into his neck as soon as his thumb slid between her legs and started fondling her gently. He wordlessly shushed her, finding her lips again with his mouth and feeling her moan into it. Her hands held onto the arm still wrapped around her waist as her legs started to quiver a little and he turned up the pressure.

"Tony…Tony, please…" she panted against him after a few minutes, eyes squinting shut as the tension started to rise within her. The spray of the shower cascaded over them and she let go of his arm long enough to brush some dripping hair out of her eyes. His lips returned to her earlobe as he kissed and licked his way down to her shoulder, sinking his teeth in gently. She groaned again when he slipped two fingers inside of her and started pumping, increasing his rhythm with each stroke as his thumb continued to circle against her. Before she knew it, the release overcame her and her head fell back against his shoulder. Tony grinned a little down at her and stole a soft kiss, his hand now caressing the top of her leg.

Abruptly, she spun around in his arms, burying her hands into his hair and slipping her tongue into his mouth as he pulled her close. She moaned when he pressed against her leg. Lips still rubbing against his, Michelle snaked her hand between their bodies. He grunted when her fingers started to teasingly work their way down his length, the slickness from the water increasing the friction.

She shivered when he whispered her name into her wet skin in warning. Her fingernails raked down his shoulders to the small of his back when she released him. He groaned again, pulling back enough to pin one of her legs against the wall of the shower, his face dripping on hers as his head moved in for another kiss.

"You good?" his voice was low and rough.

"Uh huh…" she nodded, her forehead resting against his.

"You sure?"

"Yes, Tony…" her hands dipped below his back and she pulled him against her more tightly. He groaned even louder, nibbling down her neck as his hips circled against hers. She was practically throbbing now.

"You really sure?"

It had to be killing him. It was killing her so it had to be killing him. Pushing him away a little she shrugged, having every intention of beating him at his own game.

"I guess…no rush, though. In fact, maybe we should just call it - "

She moaned when he growled against her, lifting her leg further as he slid hard inside her.

They both jolted when their bodies joined. He wasted no time pulling her legs around his hips and started moving, one hand resting against the wall for leverage. Michelle moaned, circling her arms around his neck and pulling him closer; her breasts sealed against his chests and the angled changed for the better.

He was panting heavily and she could feel the sweat starting to replace the hot water on his skin.

"How ya doin'?" he mumbled low against her ear. She just gasped in response and dropped her hands again, pulling him into her harder as their hips collided frantically.

"Come on, Michelle…gotta come for me…" he ordered; the inflection in his words told her he needed her to get there. Fast.

"I'm close…" she managed to assure him breathlessly. "I'm so close Tony…"

His thumb found her soft spot again and after a few firm flicks she cried out, coming apart in his arms and clinging to him with everything she had. Tony followed almost immediately afterwards, burying his head into her neck and moaning against her.

With a sigh Michelle dropped back to the ground, smoothing his hair back gently until he finally lifted his mouth to hers. Their lips nuzzled together and he sighed too.

"Good?"

She grinned and nodded. He looked about ready for a nap.

"It's weird, huh?" she blurted out suddenly. He kinked his jaw and studied her carefully.

"What is?"

"To think…" she bit her lip. "I don't know…that we just might've…" her hand caressed her stomach as he slipped out of her reluctantly.

Tony reached back and turned off the shower, kissing her neck.

"C'mon Mommy…" he teased, scooping her up in his arms. She squealed and gripped him tightly.

"I'm making you breakfast. You need to keep up your strength…"