Title: Faithfully Yours
Author: MichelleBA
Summary: The lives of Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler, together and apart, through the good and bad.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler or any of the other mentioned "24" characters or things. (Lyrics by Daughtry)
Chapter 21
Michelle's mind was completely blank. As the cab speed through the rainy streets Michelle found that she couldn't even complete a thought. She handed the cab driver the money and headed into her house using the hide-a-key she had forgotten about in what seemed like a millisecond. Before she knew it she was sitting on her bed. The image of Tony with that girl kept flashing through her mind.
'I told him I loved him'
Her first thought since she had looked through the front door. She had been so afraid, afraid that when she told him she loved him, he wouldn't love her back. That had seemed like the worst possible thing that could happen.
It wasn't.
This was worse…the worst in fact…he had been…well… 'Had he slept with her?' she wondered. She immediately began analyzing in her mind the scene 'She was young and pretty… only wearing a towel…in his house…he didn't think I'd be there…Carrie said that if I- stop – since when does Carrie have any influence? She was wrong…maybe, what if he wasn't with her? Who else could it has been? His mother? Probably not. What other woman would he be that close to? Her head was spinning…it was her fault…he let her in…let him get close enough to hurt her like this.
(Meanwhile)
He knew exactly what she was thinking and he couldn't blame her. 'Man that must've looked bad' He had been holding her chin up, she was in a towel, Michelle had never met her… she looked mortified. The look on her face was burnt into his brain. He had promised to stop the hurt…not cause it.
"Was that your girlfriend or something?" she asked.
"Something" he muttered deep in thought as he headed to his room. He headed over to his dresser and tossed her some sweatpants and a t-shirt.
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend," she said.
"I was trying," he said turning around.
"To impress her?" Gina asked trying desperately to understand.
"To help her trust me." He sat on his bed and dropped his head into his hands. "She's been through so much."
Gina sat down next to him on the bed.
"She hasn't deserved it either; she let me in. She was telling me things she'd never told other people."
She nodded her head signaling she was listening.
"She usually is in a good mood, but deep down I know she's hurting but even through that I see a glimmer of who she really is."
Gina smiled a little.
"Through the heartache and crying I can see it in her eyes… she's not a sad person in general, she's not one of those train wrecks that always has issues…. she's not like that…she's lighthearted, funny and cute… but now I pretty much destroyed that"
"Call her" Gina said reaching the phone.
"I don't even know what to say yet… give me a minute"
"Just say what you mean"
Tony took the phone and dialed her number. He listened hopefully to the ringing…until he got her answering machine. He tried four times with no answer. "I have to fix this" he said slipping on his jacket "Help yourself to anything, I'll be back soon I promise"
"I just need a place to stay, we'll talk later," she said.
"Ok" he said heading to the car.
Well I was moving at the speed of sound.
Head-spinning, couldn't find my way around, and
Didn't know that I was going down.
Yeah, yeah.
Where I've been, well it's all a blur.
What I was looking for, I'm not sure.
Too late and didn't see it coming.
Yeah, yeah.
Somehow, I couldn't stop myself.
I just wanted to know how it felt.
Too strong, I couldn't hold on.
Yeah, yeah.
Now I'm just tryin' to make some sense
Out of how and why this happened.
Where we're heading, there's just no knowing.
Yeah, yeah.
And then I crashed into you,
And I went up in flames.
Could've been the death of me,
But then you breathed your breath in me.
And I crashed into you,
Like a runaway train.
You will consume me,
But I can't walk away.
From your face, your eyes
Are burning to me.
You saved me, you gave me
Just what I need.
Oh, just what I need.
And then I crashed into you,
And then I crashed into you,
And then I crashed into you,
And then I crashed into you,
And I crashed into you,
Like a runaway train.
You will consume me,
But I can't walk away.
She heard a knock at the door. She headed over wiped her eye and opened it. "Michelle-"
He said her name and it made her want to cry but she didn't she stood there at stared at him.
"She's my sister Gina" he said not knowing how else to break it to her then his mouth started moving fast as he nervously blurted "Honestly… she was having some problem and she was all wet and I told her to take a shower cause I didn't want her to get sick and-"
She stepped forward and fell into his arms. "Thank you" she whispered as she fought back her tears. "I'm so sorry, I just need my keys…and Carrie said-"
"It's ok," he said holding her.
"I should've trusted you it's just… men in my life… it's my fault"
"It's not"
"Come in" she offered
"It's not your fault… it's natural for you to have a hard time trusting men.. and it's not just you… the only reason I didn't lunge at you the first second I saw you was because I immediately didn't trust you"
"Why?"
"Because you were a woman…from my job… that was pretty…well gorgeous, but-"
A half-smile appeared on her face and she turned a little red. "So it's ok?" she asked becoming more serious.
"It's perfectly ok," he said hugging her.
After they broke apart Michelle asked "So your sister's in town.
"Yeah, well she doesn't live too far, but she's busy with college and I don't see her too often.
"So did you know she was coming?"
"No this was just as much a surprise to me as it was to you"
"I think I was more surprised"
"Wait until you hear why she came" he said with a smile.
Sorry that was kinda short, the next one will make up for it :)