Ever since the kiss in the corridor Michelle had known Tony was the one. The months that they had been together had been the best of her life. Tony was so sweet and caring. She had never had anyone who made her feel as safe as he did. It was tough finding time to spend together between rebuilding CTU and the extra workload due to loss of personnel.
But the time they did spend together was amazing. He would take her out to all the romantic spots in LA. But her favorite times were when they would leave work together, rent a movie, and go back to his place. They would lie on the couch together and he would hold her. She felt so safe lying in his arms. He would whisper the sweetest things into her ears and tell her how much he loved her. They would frequently end up falling asleep together on the sofa. The first few times it happened she would wake up around two in the morning. She would quietly gather her things, kiss Tony on the cheek and whisper an I love you as he groggily woke up. He would tell her she could stay but she couldn't go to work the next day with the outfit from the night before.
After about a month Michelle had fallen asleep on the couch so at 11 o' clock at night he scooped her up in his arms and laid her in his bed. She woke up and looked at him. She tried to argue, told him she had to go home, that she needed her stuff. And then he stepped to the right revealing a new business outfit, panty hoses, and heels. Then he pulled a basket off the floor with her favorite shampoo and soap, he had put a razor and toothbrush in as well.
"See now you have no reason to leave."
She couldn't help but smile at this memory. That night had been so special. They had decided to take things slow, and Tony had been so understanding. In addition to her outfit and toiletries Tony had bought her pajamas, a purple silk top and bottom; very modest. This had made her smile. That first night she stayed over, they just laid in bed together. No sex, they just held each other. It was that night that Michelle knew she could never live, at least never fully without Tony.
As she reached the ICU the memory faded as she saw Tony lying in the hospital bed unconscious. She went in found a chair and pulled it up next to his bed. His face looked pale but peaceful. His shoulder was all wrapped up and he had a pinstriped hospital robe on.
Tears began streaming down her face and she found herself grabbing his limp hand. As she looked down, she noticed that he still had on his wedding band. This brought the memory of the day he proposed back to her.
They had been dating for eight months and it had been wonderful. Tony had made plans to take her dancing one Saturday night. She had picked out a black dress to wear; it was strapless and flared at the bottom. She had pulled her curls back and left a few down because she knew that Tony liked them. He had picked her up, he was in a black suit with a white button up shirt. He had left the top few buttons undone, which made him look sexy she had thought.
They were headed to dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse and about ten minutes before they arrived Tony's phone rang. She heard him arguing with the person on the other end, he seemed flustered and after about a minute hung up the phone. He explained to her that Chapelle needed him to check out a lead that had come in.
"I'm so sorry baby." He had looked so pained. He grabbed her hand and held it in his, stroking it as they drove.
The car ride was filled with small talk, she remembered how disappointed she had been, how close she was to tears because CTU had once again messed up their plans. They were headed towards the coast of L.A. and after twenty minutes they arrived at a house bordering the beach.
Tony parked in the driveway and got out of the car and came around to her side and opened the door. He asked her to come with him and they both approached the door. When they reached the front porch Tony knocked on the door. When no one answered he opened the door. As he moved aside Michelle held her breath, on the ground were hundreds of white rose petals. Then on top of the white petals was a path of red petals and candles were lit everywhere. She began to cry, it was such a shock and she was so touched.
Tony took her hand and led her along the path of red roses. It led out to the deck where there were more candles and petals. Michelle was still in shock as Tony led her off the deck onto the beach where he had set up a blanket with champagne and a picnic basket. They sat down and he poured her a glass and pulled out their favorite meal-Chinese. Whenever they could they would order out from the local Chinese restaurant and feed each other with chopsticks; often ending up missing each other's mouths and just getting messy.
"Tony this is wonderful."
He put his hand on her lips and she stared into his eyes. As she looked into his eyes she saw an intensity and love that gave her peace and made her feel so safe. Tony pushed play on a small CD player and Tony Bennett began to play. He grabbed her hand, pulled her up, and held her in his arms and began to dance with her. She was in heaven and could have stayed this way forever. They danced like this for several songs.
Tony then suggested that they walk along the beach, she agreed and wrapped her arm around his. They walked in silence just taking in the touch of the other. Tony soon offered her his jacket because she was getting chilly. A few minutes later Tony stopped walking and put his hand on her hips. He was looking into her eyes and she felt weak in the knees. He put his hand on her cheek and brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her tenderly. Then he pointed behind her and told her to look in that direction. She didn't see anything and when she turned around Tony was on one knee holding a black velvet box. The ring was beautiful, a gold band with a solitaire diamond. She started to cry and she bent down on eye level with him.
"Michelle, you are my life. I can't imagine how I ever lived my life without you, the thought of you fills my heart with happiness and when I'm holding you I'm holding my world. Michelle Dessler will you be my wife?"
She couldn't stop the flow of tears that was coming from her eyes. His words made her feel more loved than ever. She knew that her life with Tony would be perfect. As she composed herself, she looked into Tony's eyes and started nodding her head.
"Yes, yes of course Tony. I can't tell you how happy you have made me." She leaned in and kissed him. They shared a passionate kiss and knew in that moment that there was no one else for them.
Up until now Michelle had been so in awe of this romantic night that she hadn't thought about where they were. While in his arms she asked him where they were and he told her that it was their new home. Michelle couldn't breath, "You bought this for us?" Tony nodded and took her hand. They walked back towards the house hand in hand. When they nearly reached the stairs Tony swept her up in his arms and walked her up to the living room. Michelle looked around marveled at the beauty of the house. There were wooden floors and it overlooked the ocean. She didn't have long to admire the house for Tony quickly picked her up again and took them upstairs to their new bedroom.