Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters related to 24.
A/N: Alright guys I'm nervous about this next chapter…It's a lot longer than the last one, so I hope I didn't drag it out too much…I may end up going over this again in a few days and edit the whole thing and repost it…we'll see. Right now there are still a couple of parts I'm not entirely happy with but I can't seem to come up with a way to make them sound better…Thank you so much for all the reviews! I couldn't believe how many I got! I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope this one doesn't seem too disappointing in comparison…As always any reviews, good or bad, are greatly appreciated.
Chapter Two – Due Process
The two days of work left to get through until Friday night seemed the longest of Michelle's life. They were surprisingly uneventful, which she would've been grateful for, if it hadn't meant she couldn't stop anticipating her date with Tony. There was nothing to distract her from the incessant planning she was going through in her mind. As Friday drew to a close these now familiar thoughts came flooding through her brain at warp speed once again. She wasn't sure what to wear, or where they would be going for dinner. Tony hadn't exactly filled her in on the details, and she knew better than to ask. She'd just have to find something that would be appropriate for whatever he might choose. And then there was the movie, she wondered if they'd be able to agree on something. She wondered what they'd talk about. Would it be awkward? She hoped beyond all hope that it wouldn't be…A quick glance at the clock told her that Rob should be arriving any minute. She saw Tony working through the office window. Her thoughts couldn't stay away from him for long now. Would he kiss her goodnight? Would he expect her to invite him in afterwards? Should she? They were well past the official definition of a first date…they knew each other, they'd kissed, she'd even, (God forbid), showed emotion in front of him. The butterflies in her stomach picked up their pace. She'd been staring at Tony for the past week, knowing her eyes were drawn unintentionally towards his mouth every time he spoke to her. Any kiss from Tony was fine by her at this point, even if it was the type of kiss you gave your grandfather when you saw him at Thanksgiving…just as long as his lips touched hers…
"Michelle!" she felt someone poke her gently on the shoulder.
She shook her head and spun around. It was Rob.
"Took ya long enough…daydreaming a little?" He eyed her curiously as he tried to interpret the expression on her face. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," she pursed her lips. "Just thinking about something…"
"Well once you catch me up on the active protocols you can think about it as much as you want." Rob leaned against the desk and Michelle quickly went through what she'd been working on for the past nine hours.
"Great. I'm good to go." Michelle began furiously gathering up her belongings the second Rob spoke these words. Slightly startled at her eagerness to leave he managed a puzzled look. "Have a good weekend…" He called as Michelle scooped up her things and made her way to the locker room. "Hey ya, Tony." He added as a side note when Tony walked past him.
"Hey Rob." Tony replied submissively, looking up from the document he was carrying, and turning to Michelle who had just walked past him. He was banking on the fact that he had done so inconspicuously.
"You heading home?" He questioned with a slight hint of vehemence in his voice.
"Yeah." Michelle nodded. Tony mimicked her and glanced down at his watch quickly.
He lowered his voice when he finally did speak again. "I said 8, right?" Knowing full well he had.
Michelle fought hard to keep a straight face. "Uh huh."
Tony smiled and bit his lip. He looked like he was about to say something when Baker called his name from the other side of the bullpen. "Tony! Brad Hammond's on the phone for you."
Tony groaned and turned back to Michelle with an apologetic look. "I'm counting the seconds…"
He went to take the call, leaving Michelle standing with her mouth open unsure of what to do next. When she finally brought herself back to reality she hurried to grab her things and practically ran to her car, anxious to get started on the preparations for their big date.
In the time it took for Michelle to get home Tony had finished his phone conversation with Hammond. He was hurriedly filling out the status report for the end of the day. If he wanted everything to go as planned, (which he did…badly…), he'd have to be out of there by 6 at the absolute latest. In a lot of ways he was thankful to be working until the last possible second. He was nervous, so very nervous. Maybe that was why he'd spent the better part of the day following the bomb imagining a perfect way to ask Michelle out officially…And then grown frustrated when he couldn't think of something that would do her, and his ensuing feelings, justice.
The person he was around Michelle was totally different than who he was around everyone else. He was certain that no one would believe these two versions to be the same individual. Sure he could run CTU in the middle of a nuclear crisis and remain perfectly composed, but taking some girl on a date left him completely unhinged. It was at this train of thought that all logic fell apart. It wasn't just "some girl"…if it had been he probably wouldn't be going on this date at all. After Nina it took a lot to get him out on a date, especially with someone at work. No, this had never just been about "some girl"…it was about Michelle. He'd spent the last year avoiding any feelings he had as best he could, willing it to go away. Eventually, he'd given up. Any attempt was futile. He figured he could just admire her from a distance, prevent himself from getting hurt again. That would've been his safest bet. The irony of this all was that with Michelle he found himself throwing caution to the wind. Sure there was a good chance he'd fall too hard, too fast, once again, and dig himself into yet another hole he'd never be able to climb fully out of…but…he'd chance it. Despite the fact that in so many ways it scared the hell out of him, in so many more ways it was well worth the risk.
At last the status reports were finished and his watch read 6:01pm. Tony grabbed his briefcase and sped out the door without saying a word to anyone.
Michelle was standing, hair damp, wrapped in a towel, starring at her open closet. It was considerably cooler than it had been a few nights prior and she knew the movie theatre would be air-conditioned. She was trying to decide what her best choice for an outfit was. She pulled out a light blue sun dress she'd bought for her last vacation. It was linen and cut her off just above the knee. The straps tied at the back of the neck. She lay the dress on her bed, (knowing she'd probably freeze, but not wanting to have to bother carrying a sweater), and pulled out some dangly silver earrings and a chunky silver bracelet her parents had given her for her 19th birthday. It was her favorite bracelet because her dad had insisted that for once, he'd done the shopping. She threw the jewelry on top of the dress and turned to the mirror. Makeup was another problem. She settled on a few shades of brown on her eye and debated blush; she knew her cheeks would probably be red the whole night without it anyway. Once mascara and a rosy pink lip gloss had been applied she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and got dressed.
Her watch read 7:55. Taking in a nervous breath, Michelle grabbed her cell phone and started to make her way out into the living room. She sat down on the couch and bounced her purse restlessly on her knees. Unable to sit still she ran to her closet and grabbed the sandals she was planning on wearing, placing them beside the door. It took all of 30 seconds. She looked around her kitchen which was clean for once, and immediately regretted doing all of the dishes on her day off. She checked her watch again. 7:57. A horrible notion occurred to her at that very instant. What if something had happened to Tony? What if he showed up late, or didn't even show up at all? Michelle knew she was being completely irrational, it wasn't even 8 yet. It was just the uneasiness that came with the first date. The words hit her like a ton of bricks. It was her first date with Tony. Amidst all the meticulous preparation, and attention to details, the gravity of the situation had been completely overlooked in the past 3 hours. A squeal of anxiety and excitement threatened to escape her lips when the buzzer to her apartment went. She pressed down the intercom with a trembling finger.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Michelle."
There was no need to specify who "me" was. Michelle knew that voice…Oh how well she knew that voice…
"C'mon up." She buzzed him in and quickly scrambled to throw on her shoes. She was checking her appearance once more in the hall mirror when there was a knock at the door. Choking on the breath of air she'd just drawn in Michelle made her way to answer it. When she threw it open her tentative smile gave away every emotion that coursed through her. Tony was on the other side decked out in black from head to toe, with the top few buttons of his shirt open, as always. He was smiling back.
"Hey" he practically whispered.
"Hey" she managed to puff out.
"I…uh…I thought you might like these. Its cheesy I know but…"
He pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and shrugged slightly. Michelle beamed and took them from him. God, he looked so anxious. It was as if he was emulating all of the emotions Michelle was experiencing. They both felt the innate desire for this evening to go as flawlessly as possible. Michelle didn't know what to do or say. She wanted to put him at ease. She wasn't used to seeing Tony like this. She wanted to kiss him right then and there just so he'd stop starring at her like that, with those eyes…Instead she settled for a polite, predictable response to his gift.
"Thank you. They're beautiful." She offered a smile that was more than familiar to Tony now; he virtually thrived off of it. "Come on in, I'll just get a vase…"
She moved away from the door and allowed Tony to step into her apartment, closing it behind him.
Michelle returned with the flowers in a vase and water. She placed them on the hall table and Tony inched closer to her. Michelle felt the heat radiating off of him and swallowed hard.
"Speaking of things that are beautiful…" Smooth Almeida... The voice in his head mocked. Real smooth…
It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in. Michelle felt her cheeks turn crimson. She tried to hide her embarrassment as she faced him now.
"You look great." He finished, in hopes of repairing any damage his not-entirely clear comment had generated.
"So do you." she fumbled, unsure of what else to say.
"Ready, then?" he asked pulling back slightly and hoping to ease the jitters for both of them.
Michelle slung her purse over her shoulder. "Yup."
They exited her apartment and made their way to Tony's car that was parked against the curb just outside the building. He opened the door for her before making his way to the driver's side and climbing in. Michelle commented on the fact that his ankle seemed a lot better; he was barely limping at all now. Tony told Michelle that he had to make sure he healed quickly; otherwise he'd never be able to look Jack Bauer in the eye for the rest of his life.
"I already made reservations somewhere for dinner." He stated immediately as they sped onto the main road. Then, added in hopes of not sounding so controlling: "I hope you don't mind…you can pick the movie I promise..."
"I don't mind…" she said interjected simply.
They drove in a slightly awkward silence the rest of the way, taking in the significance of the situation, each in deep thought. When the car finally pulled to a stop after about 20 minutes Michelle looked around. They were at the boardwalk, at a restaurant Michelle had never been to before. It was sitting at the edge of the water; one side of the building gave the impression to be jutting out perceptibly over the ocean.
Michelle followed Tony to the door, which he held open for her again and stepped inside. She couldn't help but love the way he opened doors for her. It was as though he wasn't doing it to make a good impression, or just because they were on a "date". It seemed to be something that was done naturally, without a second thought as to who it was for, or the context under which it was done. She was more than confident he would do it for anyone, and this made her heart swell. It wasn't an act; it wasn't a way to "score points". It was purely Tony.
Tony gave his name to the waiter and Michelle glanced around as they were escorted to their table. The restaurant itself was not overly extravagant. It was simple, quaint. The lighting was low and there seemed to be a lull in the amount of customers at the present time, which Michelle was grateful for. The waiter stopped at a table right beside a window looking over the water. He pulled out Michelle's chair and she thanked him and sat down. When the waiter had handed them their menus he left and Tony spoke again.
"So what do you think?" he smiled, but even in the dim lighting Michelle could see the apprehension in his face.
She beamed reassuringly. "I think it was a good choice."
They perused the menus in silence and the waiter returned a few minutes later to take their drink orders. He offered them wine and Tony turned to look at Michelle before responding. She nodded her agreement so vigilantly it made him laugh. They could both use a glass of wine at this point…or two.
"Red or white?" The waiter queried.
Tony turned to Michelle. "Red?" he asked uncertainly.
It was her turn to laugh. "Exactly what I was thinking."
Tony selected a wine from the list the waiter gave him and turned back to Michelle. The first few minutes consisted of little or no talking except the usual: "What are you gonna have?"
When the waiter came back with their wine they placed their orders. Once they'd clinked glasses in a silent toast and taken a sip there was nothing more to distract them from conversation. This would be the real experiment.
"How was your day?" Michelle tested the waters, internally scolding herself for being so unoriginal.
"Busy. Division's still on about us helping Jack…you'd think they'd let it go after everything he did but…" Tony shook his head in disgust.
"You didn't tell me that." Michelle said quietly.
He shrugged "I'm taking care of it. Don't worry…"
"But it was more me than y – " Michelle began incredulously.
"Michelle." Tony interrupted firmly but then continued in a hushed voice. "I said don't worry…just trust me on this one."
He reached over and squeezed the hand that had been thumbing her napkin neurotically.
Michelle took another sip of her wine when Tony pulled away.
"So how's your brother?"
"Fine. He's over the shock of everything I guess. He…he's not too thrilled with me right now." She smiled weakly, tracing the shape of her wine glass with her ring finger. "I guess he thinks I let him down when he showed up the other day…"
Her voice trailed off. It was the closest to mentioning the kiss either of them had come.
"Michelle about what happened…" Tony began. "I know we haven't gotten much of a chance to talk about it really but…" He clanked his fork against his plate and began restlessly brushing bread crumbs off the pristine white table cloth. Michelle's heart fluttered. Tony forced himself to look at her again, and scratched the side of his face characteristically before continuing. "But I uh…I really am glad you kissed me." He concluded as the corners of his lips inadvertently arched into a small grin.
Michelle felt herself matching his expression without a thought. She leaned forward a little over the table before speaking. "For the record…" she said acutely. "I'm really glad you kissed me back." The apples of her cheeks glowed pink as she spoke.
And then, out of nowhere, they were both sitting there, grinning like a couple of 12 year olds who had just admitted they "liked" each other. The barrier between them was gone and everything was out in the open. Michelle felt liberated. Tony wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling at the present moment…possibly because he couldn't stop starring at the person in front of him now wearing that infectious grin of hers.
By the time the food arrived they had been chatting comfortably for over half an hour about the most uncomplicated of things. At the present moment they were swapping college stories and the date almost seemed like any other date.
Neither realized the sun had set until their plates had been cleared away, forcing them to look somewhere other than each other. They declined coffee and Michelle barely had time to notice Tony slip the waiter his credit card.
"Tony!" she said warningly.
He laughed at the frown she was wearing. "What?"
"You don't have to pay for me you know…"
"I know I don't have to. I want to. You're my date. Plus, we both know I make more money than you anyway…"
Michelle opened her mouth to argue but stopped midway, with her lips twitching, and conceded. "I guess that's one thing you can't hide when you're out with the boss…but still…" she emphasized the last word, not really sure where she was going with the comment.
"If it makes you feel better you can treat next time…" Tony bargained as the waiter left to go complete the transaction.
Michelle's mind took a few seconds to register that what she had heard hadn't been her imagination playing nasty tricks on her. She knew their date was going well but… she hadn't expected a comment like that. Not when the date wasn't even half over yet… "There's gonna be a next time?" her voice betrayed her eagerness.
"If I'm lucky…" Tony said turning back to her seriously.
Her cheeks grew warm and she barely inclined her head in agreement, still frozen in shock. "I'd like that." She managed to spit out; glad she'd decided to forgo the blush in the end.
"C'mon. We'd better go if we want to catch a movie…"
They rose and made their way out of the restaurant. As they crossed the parking lot Tony slipped Michelle's hand into his, caressing it gently. Michelle fought the urge to turn and look at him when he did this, but the shy smile she bore told Tony all he needed to know. He squeezed her hand a little more tightly as they continued to walk.
Michelle, as previously decided, picked the movie. She settled on some romantic comedy figuring that Tony might pick up on the vibe, (not that he wasn't doing well on his own)...When they approached the box office Tony had whipped out his cash before Michelle had even reached into her purse. Seeing her mouth open in protest once again he pressed an index finger against her lips to silence them.
"Next time." He promised and handed her a ticket. Michelle felt the blood rush to her lips towards the exact spot Tony's finger had touched them, and stumbled slightly as he took her hand again and led her inside the theatre. She wondered if that action had been some pre-conceived ploy concocted to stop the discussion over who should pay for what. Well if it was…she told herself. It sure as hell worked.
They slipped quietly into the back row, as the previews had already started. When the opening credits for their movie came on screen Michelle shuddered involuntarily from the cool air that hit her. Without taking his eyes of the screen Tony reached out a hand and began rubbing her bare arm. Michelle waited a few more minutes before edging up the armrest slowly and scooting closer to Tony. Tony chewed the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning stupidly when she did this.
The movie turned out to be a good choice. The theatre, including Tony and Michelle laughed frequently and "awed" at all the appropriate places. As it continued to play Tony continued to pull Michelle in closer to him, little by little. Once the first hour of it was over Michelle was curled up securely against Tony, head resting on his chest. (Something that she wouldn't have done had Tony not decided to move his hand to the back of her head and ease it down against him…) At one particularly emotional scene Tony saw Michelle biting her lip, choking back a few small tears of her own. When one finally escaped and fell on Tony's shirt he smiled and kissed the top of her head quickly.
The movie eventually ended and they headed back to Tony's car once again, holding hands the entire way. Much too quickly for either of them, the evening was over and they were back at Michelle's apartment. Michelle grabbed her keys out of her purse and stood silently at the door. She was internally debating with herself whether or not to invite Tony in when he made the decision for her.
"So do you have plans tomorrow?"
Michelle quickly went through her day. "Not really…"
"You think we're ready for date number two?"
She laughed. "What did you have in mind?"
Tony shrugged. "Ah…whatever... Doesn't make one bit of a difference to me…we've got all day though…if you want…"
Michelle nodded. "Sounds great."
"How about…1ish I'll pick you up?"
"Alright." Michelle waited a few seconds then continued. "Listen did you want to come in for coffee…or…?"
Tony lifted her chin and eyed her sincerely. "Michelle…" he said softly. "Tomorrow..." Tony wanted to make his position clear before he kissed her (which really meant while he was still capable of verbalizing a clear position). It wasn't something to debate. As much as he didn't want to admit it he wasn't ready for anything to happen with Michelle yet. For some reason he felt like it had to be perfect…She really didn't deserve anything less, and right now he didn't think he could count on himself to make that happen. They could take their time…After all; he wasn't anticipating going anywhere.
Michelle knew Tony was probably right, that it was probably better to take things slow. As much as she wanted something to happen with Tony she decided to let him lead in this case.
"K…" Michelle said quietly. God why couldn't he just kiss her? That would be enough for now. Just one little kiss…
Tony smiled. "Good…I guess I'd better let you get some sleep then…"
"Thanks again for everything tonight Tony. I had a great time."
Tony's hand had moved and his thumb was now gliding over her cheek. "Me too."
He hesitated a second before drawing Michelle in towards him, and pressing his lips delicately against hers for a very long, sensuous second. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Her lips curved into a soft smile, and Tony raised his free hand to the other side of her face and brought Michelle back in slowly for a deeper kiss. Michelle leaned slightly against her door and gasped into Tony's mouth as his hands moved from her face to her hair. Her own hands, still clutching her keys, were wrapped around his neck. A minute later Tony pulled back again. This time they were both breathing noticeably.
Tony sighed twirling a few loose strands of Michelle's hair around his fingers. He kissed her once more sweetly, before finally letting go.
"Night, Michelle."
"Night."
Michelle turned, placed her keys in the door and kept her eyes on Tony until the last possible second. He waited until he heard the deadbolt slide into place before making his way back towards the elevator.
As Tony walked away he realized how relieved he was that he'd made the decision to avoid anything too serious tonight before they'd kissed. Had he waited he might not have been able to decline as easily; watching Michelle close the door with him on the other side had been torture enough. He kept telling himself it was better this way…it would be worth it in the end. Yeah…rationalize it…He groaned. That makes it SO much better…
Michelle was resting against her door; eyes closed and head tilted back. The sheer simplicity of that date had probably been the best part about it. Dinner and a movie…what a cliché…and yet it couldn't have been better. She knew she'd be glad Tony hadn't come in, at least not tonight... She'd wait it out. See how things went, desperately praying they only got better. She made her way to the bathroom and changed into pajamas before washing her face and brushing her teeth. She crawled under her covers and snuggled against her fluffy pillow. That night she fell asleep with a big smile on her face.
Behest unknown to Michelle, across the city Tony was doing the same thing.
