They ended up at a bar after dinner with most of the same group that had been there the other night. It was Ben's birthday and so as a last minute celebration everyone decided to take him out for a few drinks.

Tony hadn't found a ring that was good enough. He figured he'd go searching again over the next couple of days. It had to be perfect. He couldn't decide how or when he wanted to propose to her. He wanted her to meet his parents, which would mean going to New York for a few days. It was all happening so quickly but he didn't care, all he cared about was being with Michelle. What was the point in waiting when he knew she was the only one for him? He searched the room for her and of course he found her on the dance floor. Michelle had had a few drinks, her face lit up when she saw him. He walked basically straight into her forcing her body to press up against the wall behind her. He grinned at her shocked face. "Tony..."

Their faces were only inches apart. "Yes Chelle..."

She licked her lips. "Don't start something you can't finish..."

Tony tucked a curl behind her ear. "What makes you think I can't finish?"

"Well....unless you are going to let me remove all your clothes right here then I don't think you can finish what you just started with me."

Tony laughed, he could tell she was a little tipsy because of what she was saying, and he loved it. He nibbled on her ear seductively before whispering in it. "Are you turned on Chelle?"

He half expected her to crack a joke so she took him by surprise when she was brutally honest. "Yes...yes I am Almeida."

She had just turned the table on him, he felt like he was putty in her hands now, he'd do anything for her. "What do you want me to do Michelle?"

"Well what were you thinking when you pinned me against the wall?"

Tony kissed her passionately for a moment, just to tease her. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about but now I just really need to take you home..."

Michelle put her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as passionately but this time she carried it on a little longer. Tony deepened the kiss and held her tighter, he didn't want it to end. When Michelle went to pull back he didn't let her, instead he intensified it and pushed his body up against hers. He didn't care at this point where they were or who could see. Everyone there was a good friend of either of them anyways and all he could concentrate on was her.

Eventually she was able to pull back a tiny bit, just enough to talk. He kept kissing her cheek and neck as she spoke. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

His words were broken as he continued to plant kisses on her. "Don't worry about that right now..."

"But now I'm all intrigued Almeida."

Tony ran his hand down her side. "Yeah but I'm all intrigued by you now.....it's your fault you know..."

"How is this my fault?"

Tony looked her up and down. "Chelle, look at you! You can't wear a top like that and expect me to control myself around you. That's just not fair..."

They both laughed. Michelle cupped the side of his face. "Well I did wear it just for you..."

"So what do you say? We've already been here a couple hours – can I take you home now?"

Michelle kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Of course you can."

They walked back into his apartment full of boxes. Michelle tripped on her clothes strewn across his floor and took a nose dive straight in to the pile. "Shit!" She stayed laughing at herself. Tony watched adoringly. "Are you ok Chelle? Want me to clear you a path?"

"No you can't....it will mix my system up!"

Tony looked at the mess all over the floor and laughed. "This is a system? You have got to be kidding me?" He started taking his jacket off, "women..."

Michelle mimicked him, "women!!"

He turned around and caught her out. "Right, that's it..." He walked straight over to her, picked her up throwing her over his shoulder and walked her to the bed where he put her down and climbed right up on top of her. She squealed the entire way, and then laughed as he tried to look at her seriously as he pinned her arms above her head. He kissed along her clavicle.

Michelle completely let him take control. "Wow, if this is me getting in trouble....I'm going to have to mimic you as often as possible. What else annoying can I do?"

Tony couldn't keep a straight face anymore after hearing her say that. They both laughed. He kept her hands pinned with just one of his hands and used the other to roughly run up and down the tight black top she was wearing. They stopped laughing but kept eye contact and traded smiles. His hand began to trail up and down her thighs as well. "God, you are sexy. I can't keep my hands off you Chelle. All I can think about is being with you..."

"I have absolutely no problems with that Tony. All I want is you....over and over and over and over again."

Her hand pressed into her firmer. "I'll never know how I managed to keep my hands off you for like a year. "

"It seems we are making up for lost time now..."

Tony's home phone rang. He reached across and answered it. It was his parents phoning to see if he had spoken to Michelle yet about coming to New York to meet them. He grinned at their eagerness to meet her, he knew they would think she was so perfect. He told them he was just about to and that he would call them back shortly with details.

When he hung up the phone and looked back at her Michelle thought he looked nervous. "Who was that? Is something wrong Tony?"

"That was my parents." Tony was nervous, he so badly hoped she would want to go. "They were checking about this thing I wanted to talk to you about..."

He had Michelle's full attention, she couldn't for the life of her imagine what he wanted to discuss. "This sounds important Tony."

Tony sat up and pulled her with him. "They want....I want you to meet them Chelle."

"Aren't they in..."

Tony stood up as he spoke. "New York. So I was wondering if I could take you there for a couple days or so?"

"Do they want this?"

"Michelle they were just phoning then to check if I had asked you yet or not. They are dying to meet you."

"What about you Tony?"

"I want you to so much. I need them to meet you, I hate them not knowing for themselves just how amazing you are."

Michelle bit her lip and put her head down. She felt overwhelmed at hearing this. She couldn't believe that not only did they want to meet her but enough for her and Tony to make an actual trip across country to do so. It made her feel so special, she had never had something like this happen before. She knew if her Dad was alive how much she would want him to meet Tony. She just hoped they would like her, she had no doubt her Dad would have loved Tony.

Michelle hadn't spoken in a few minutes, she was lost in her thoughts. Tony was studying her but her silence had begun to freak him out. He waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention. "I'm sorry Chelle, I understand why you wouldn't want to..."

Michelle cut him off. "What? Why wouldn't I want to?"

Tony rubbed the side of his face. "You hadn't spoken in forever, I figured it just wasn't something you wanted."

Michelle grabbed his hand. "Wow...no, I'm sorry – I was just taking it all in. I'd love to meet your parents Tony. I can't believe they want to meet me.....that you want me to meet them."

"I'm so relieved, I'm so excited Michelle. You guys are all going to get along so well. You sure Chelle?"

Michelle waived her hand in front of her face, she was very emotional. She cried happy tears a little as she spoke. "Of course. I just hope they like me. I hope they think I'm good enough for you..."

Tony grabbed her hand and stopped her waiving it in front of her face, he then cupped her face by putting his hands on both her cheeks and wiping under eyes with his thumbs. "They already think the world of you Chelle. After how good you have been to me, Jeff and Emily – they just want to be able to meet you themselves."

Michelle sniffled. "I wish my Dad and you could have met you Tony..."

Tony kissed her forehead. "I wish I could have too sweetheart. He is watching over you though Chelle – he knows what's going on."

Tony wanted to wait to see what Michelle said next. If she wanted to talk about her Dad he didn't want to go changing the subject. She smiled at him and within moments she had moved off the subject again.

"When are we going Tony?"

"As soon as possible. Have you got anything on here in the next week? What do you think?"

"I'm all yours Tony. I'm free as a bird. I'd go tomorrow if you wanted me too."

Tony chuckled a little but then stopped and looked at Michelle like he had a big idea. "Why don't we go tomorrow? We could get a flight after lunch?"

"Ummm ok....sure. Fine with me but you better check with your parents and make sure we can even get on a flight so soon."

Tony grabbed his phone and dialled straight away. He was just like an excited 12 year old, his eyes were all lit up and he couldn't sit still. He called his parents and ran the idea past them – they were ecstatic so he hung up quickly and called the airline. Michelle grabbed her credit card out and told Tony to put the tickets on it but he refused to even look at it, instead he used his own. "I'm taking you beautiful."

Within 10 minutes Tony had booked them on an early afternoon flight and given his parents the details. His parents phoned Jeff to see if he and Emily could also make it out for a couple days so that the whole family could be together. He could come the day after next which worked out nicely giving Michelle and Tony the first night alone with his parents.

"Tony do they know what happened with CTU? I don't want them to think I am not working by choice..."

"They sure do Michelle. Would you stop worrying please?"

Her next question had slipped out of her mouth before she realised. She didn't even know where exactly it had come from. "Did your parents or brother meet Nina?"

Tony's shoulders dropped and he looked so confused. "Why are you asking that?"

"I don't know, it kinda just came out."

Tony let out a heavy sigh and trailed his forefinger down the side of his face. "Obviously it must have come from somewhere."

"Are you angry Tony?"

"I hate that you even think of her. I hate that you even think about the fact that I was with that woman – mostly I wish you would stop putting yourself in the same context as her, you've done it since we got together."

"She was still your last girlfriend Tony – you know a lot about my last partner. I don't even know how long you guys were together."

Tony snapped. He hated being caught off guard, which was exactly what had happened with this conversation. Tony thought Michelle was insecure about Nina for some reason – he just couldn't figure out why. He didn't mean to be so rough on her. "Yeah I know he beat the shit out of you – I'm sure there is heaps more about him I should know! We were only together barely 2 months, less then that. You don't need to know anything else about Nina."

Michelle was hurt. She had a good reason to compare herself to Nina. Before she and Tony had gotten together she heard a couple other workers discussing Tony and Nina and they were saying how smitten he was with her. How deeply he must have fallen for her because of the way he acted around her. Yet Tony always acted as if there was barely anything between them and he brushed off his feelings for her as if he hadn't really cared. He was always so protective of even discussing Nina – it made Michelle feel as though there was more to it all. "Look how defensive you are Tony. You know all I asked was if she had met your parents."

"Of course I'm defensive – honestly Michelle I wish you were never even told that I was with her. Let me ask you something.....did Mark get to meet your Dad?"

"That's not really relative considering Dad isn't here to meet you...."

"Just answer it Michelle..."

Michelle was surprised at how angry Tony was and was even more surprised at herself for snapping back at him. "No he didn't Tony. I lost Dad long before Mark came along. I thought you wanted nothing but honesty between us? How could you say you wish I didn't know about Nina?"

Tony paced back and forth. He felt horrible for bringing up her Dad like that – he had no right to do that. Finally he let loose on Michelle, admitting why he felt about all this the way he did. "Ok, have you stopped to think Michelle that basically everything you know about Nina is from other people – not me? You got to tell me about Mark, you got to pick and choose what you wanted me to know. I don't even know how much you know about Nina – obviously a lot of wrong things or you wouldn't be so worried."

"That's because you don't talk about it Tony. Most things I've picked up from the way you act – not from what you have said or anyone else."

"I had to force you to tell me about Mark Michelle. Trust me, I've picked up a lot about that from the way you act as well. How would you feel had I heard all about what happened between you two from someone else?"

"Like what Tony? What have you picked up?" She couldn't believe this was happening after such a perfect night.

"That a part of you still thinks it was ok for him to hit you...."

Michelle couldn't stand for him to continue one more word. She started crying. "Please don't Tony, don't say anything more. Please, please no more."

Tony backed off straight away, he didn't say a single word. "Ok, ok....I'm sorry Chelle." Her reaction made him realise how much pain she still carried around with her from Mark. A lot more than anything he carried from Nina. He felt guilty for all the times he had felt sorry for himself over what had happened – they were such different situations but Michelle had been physically hurt over and over, he could only imagine how that must have made her feel. He took a deep breath and made sure his voice was very gentle. She was still crying, he stepped towards her. "I was out of line Michelle with a lot of things I said, I'm sorry. Do you want to talk to me about Mark, I think you still need to work through some things and I want to be here for you."

Michelle blurted out to Tony something she had been keeping inside, only it was about Nina not Mark. "When I started at CTU and then also not long before we got together I heard people talking about you and Nina. They were saying how smitten you were with her. How obvious it was how much you loved her, especially by the way you acted around her. Yet then you act to me like what you guys had was so 'nothing'. So different to how other people thought of you guys. I admit I am defensive over Mark, ok? He scares me. Why are you so funny about Nina and me?"

Tony shook his head, scratched his face and rolled his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Michelle people are just saying what they thought was true. I can understand why they thought that. I'm ashamed to admit it but there was so many reasons why Nina and I were the way we were. Some of me was trying to get at Jack, some of me was swept up in this new life at CTU. Some of me saw it as a way to keep Nina and Jack at bay with each other. And of course some of me was attracted to her, I was lonely, she was too and we helped each other out in that way. At the time I didn't think I deserved to be treated any better. I am fiercely loyal Michelle and many people at CTU saw me stick by Nina's side, often when I wasn't 100 sure myself. I also stuck by Jack because I thought he was right, which meant sticking by Nina.

I can't help it if people think they know how I felt. I barely knew though – after being with you I know how miserable I was which makes it almost ironic that people could have thought I was so happy.

Michelle I was in a relationship with someone that was using me to manipulate CTU every which way she wanted to commit terrorist acts. The betrayal of that is so hard to swallow. I feel sick when I think that I slept with someone that was capable of doing what she did. I feel embarrassed and ashamed over what happened.

I really hate the idea that you look at me and know I was in a relationship with someone like that. Sometimes it makes me feel less about myself. She never met my parents, I would never have even dreamed of introducing her, not the way our relationship was going. So many people got hurt in some way or another by Nina and what she did, I get so defensive with you because I've never wanted to have to add you to that list. I know I've compared you both but only in how dramatically different you are – because so many times already you have blown me away for the way you treat me and it makes me think about how after Nina I am so lucky to have found you. Michelle, I love you, I care for you more than anything in this world – I want to be able to leave Nina in the past, she doesn't deserve another thought."

Michelle was sitting with her knees up under her chin leaning against the wall. She lifted her head and caught eye contact with him. "Thanks for opening up and being honest with me Tony. I am so sorry for what's happened to you – I wish I could take it all away for you. You are so precious, I just don't understand how someone could have done that to you."

Tony stood up, walked over and crouched down in front of her. "Did it all make sense?" Michelle nodded so he continued. "Chelle you have taken so much of the pain away for me just by being you. Having you in my life has been my biggest saving grace."

Kneeling down in front of Michelle like that after everything that had happened really cemented in Tony's mind how much he wanted her in his life forever. To a degree that she would never even realise, she was the smile on his face and had been for a long time now. He gently stroked her hair for a moment so she would look up at him again. "I am so sorry things just got out of control sweetheart. Obviously we hit a raw nerve with each other but it doesn't excuse me being so rough on you."

"I'm sorry too baby. I'm sorry I started all this, it fell out of my mouth before I even knew it. I wish now I'd asked you directly about Nina a long time ago."

Tony smiled for her. "I wish it hadn't taken me until now to really be able to see the bigger picture about everything that's happened. Come here beautiful."

He pulled her into a tight hug, they stayed crouched on the ground. After a few moments Tony kissed her neck and spoke gently into her ear. "I think we really need to talk more about Mark Chelle."

"I'm not very good at facing any of that. I will talk Tony – what ever you want to know but do you think we could leave it for now? I've really had enough for right now."

Tony kissed her neck again. "Of course sweetie. Are you ok? What do you want me to do?"

Michelle sucked on his ear lobe. "I'm ok if you are. All I want is to be close to you."

"You got it." Tony moved forward pushing Michelle back so she was sitting against the wall. He knelt on his knees in between her legs which were straight out on the ground and leaned in as close as possible to her. He pressed his lips against hers, she pulled down on his bottom lip enough that she could slip her tongue deeply into his mouth.

She wanted him so much, her desire to be with him stronger than ever. Michelle wanted him to know right now how much he was turning her on. She had him pull his top off and then she ran her hand across his lower stomach, letting her fingers just slip inside the top of his pants. Michelle felt his stomach muscles flinch and then tense up so she did it again.

Tony pulled her pants off and then used his tongue to kiss her neck and shoulders. They had both begun to breathe in shallow pants. Tony slipped his hand inside her underwear and grunted loudly. She couldn't help but rest her head back against the wall and close her eyes. He was incredible with her. Tony was watching her face intensely. "Honey, look at me. I want to be able to look into your eyes." She did as he asked and they had tight contact. "God your body is amazing. I love you so much Michelle."

"Tony I love you so much, you make me feel so amazing." They kissed passionately for a long time. Michelle stopped for a moment. "Tony, swap positions with me."

"But I'm not done with you..."

Michelle began to push him back and to the side. "Trust me..."

Tony pulled back from Michelle, they both paused for a moment to catch their breath. As he settled himself against the wall Michelle removed the rest of his clothing. When Tony realised what she was about to do he gave her a very cheeky grin. "I love how you think..."

She sat on his lap and they began to make love slowly. They couldn't take their eyes off each other, they didn't kiss, and instead they just lost themselves in each other eyes and how they felt. Michelle's arms were around his neck and his were gripped to her waist.

They stayed like that a long time after they had finished. They were as close to one another as possible and neither was interested in letting the moment end. They kissed, stroked one another's hair and hugged tightly. When it was getting to the point they were going to fall asleep Tony had a suggestion. "Do you feel like showering honey and then I'll wrap you up in my arms under the covers so we can get some sleep? Big day tomorrow."

"That sounds perfect Tony."

PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE....THANKS!!