A/N: Thanks so so much to everyone who reviewed. My apologies for the delay with the last chapter but Christmas was crazy-hectic! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Two - Dates
Michelle, determined to walk of her own accord, entered the house first that evening. Tony chuckled at her independent attitude, loving that she couldn't deny how much she needed him right now. He was worried about her, especially about her potential concussion, but at least that meant he could spend the night taking care of her. He loved that as well. Michelle forced into being coddled was, as far as Tony was concerned, the icing on top of the cake of what would've otherwise been a horrible day.
"Tony I'm perfectly fine..." Michelle chastised as he attempted to steady her while she closed the front door.
Choosing not to respond to her protests, Tony slid an arm around her waist and moved into the den, easing her onto the couch. He kissed her quickly before placing the remote on her lap and drawing a blanket over her shoulders.
"Tired?" he asked, seeing her yawn now.
"A little..." she conceded, yawning again.
He sat himself against an armrest, ensconcing Michelle in his protective embrace and shifting her into his lap. Michelle leaned against his shoulder, eyes closed, willing sleep to finally overtake her. It'd been a long night and an even longer day.
"Food first, or sleep?" he asked.
"Sleep..." she mumbled, already halfway there. Tony played with a few pieces of hair wanting to unwind after the stress of the day, and finding himself more soothed by this simple act than all the therapy in the world.
"C'mon then...let's go to bed."
Reluctantly, Michelle dragged herself off the couch and they made their way to her incredibly comfortable bed.
She changed tiredly, pulling on nothing but an oversized t-shirt, as Tony did the same. Michelle had practically dozed off by the time the alarm was set for a few hours later.
She reached for him as the weight of the mattress shifted, holding out a hand in his direction. With nothing but some quiet breathing between them, Tony nuzzled against Michelle's cheek and kissed her forehead.
"You did good, sweetheart." he sighed into her.
She hugged him firmly, reluctant to let go.
"But the next time you go out there..." he barely whispered aloud, unsure of how far from consciousness she was at this point. "Will be over my dead body..."
Two hours later, Michelle was being shaken awake. She'd heard the alarm but was reluctant to obey it.
"How do you feel?" he asked when her eyes blinked open.
"Like I got hit with a Mack truck." she complained, referring to her throbbing temples and aching muscles.
Tony chuckled and re-adjusted his position so their bodies were molded together once again, as they had been while she slept.
"Food now?" he whined, rumbling stomach giving away his desires.
"Mhm k..." she mumbled and snuggled on top of him once more.
Laughing a little, Tony shifted her off of him. "I gotta get up then..."
He slid himself from the covers and repositioned them over Michelle, promising whatever he was making would be ready in a few minutes.
Michelle groaned and rolled over the second the door closed, it was probably best she get up for a little while anyway.
"What are you making?" she called to Tony's back as he faced the stove.
"Soup."
With a small sigh, Michelle slipped her arm around his waist and leaned into his chest. Tony ran his fingers up and down her back a few times.
"I think I changed my mind..." she mumbled, tickling his skin through the t-shirt with her warm breaths. "Can we just do this all night instead?"
"That reminds me..." Tony stirred the soup and Michelle leaned over to look at him.
"We have a day off together soon."
"How'd you swing that?" she raised an eyebrow.
"I scheduled it and Chappelle said nothing...I think he figures he's gonna have to start giving us them eventually...and not just by unfortunate coincidence..."
Michelle beamed, excited at the prospect of an entire day to themselves...together.
"What day?"
"A week Saturday..."
She cuddled against him, feeling what might be deemed as a little too clingy, but rather enjoying it. No matter how things had looked to everyone else, Michelle had been scared...With the day beginning to wind down, and what was left of the adrenaline beginning to wear off, Michelle had that allowance. Nauseous, shaken up, and still quite terrified, she was completely absorbed in the secure feeling of Tony's arms around her. She felt safe.
As she wrapped her second arm around him, Michelle planted a few light kisses against Tony's shoulder blade. Fingers trailed up and down her legs, making Michelle rock back and forth, in sync with the movements, and close her eyes. A minute or two later a bowl was nudged into her hands and Tony sent her back to the couch, promising to join her in a minute.
"So you wanna talk about what happened?" Tony hesitated to ask as soon as he'd returned their bowls to the dishwasher and was seated beside Michelle once again.
She winced, the memory coming back to her.
"It's not a big deal..." she decided.
Tony frowned and confirmedhis grip with relaxed, circular caresses, willing the gestures to abscond the tension from her body.
"You're cold..." he arbitrarily commented.
"I'm always cold..." She told him blandly, sidestepping the reference he was making to her goosebumps. She wasn't cold this time.
Tony chuckled softly before pulling a blanket over them, placing her head against his chest.
"It's scary..." he stated easily as his fingers moved to trace Michelle's cheeks. She looked up and blushed.
"No matter how many times you do it...it's still a weird feeling...A million things can happen and you can't control any of it, all you can do is react." he squeezed her reassuringly, suggesting that was exactly what worried him when she went out there.
Michelle picked up on that. "I guess I was scared..." she admitted, pulling his arms around her even more tightly.
"I mean...when Marlow had that gun on me...I didn't know what to do...I couldn't think of anything and I..." she trailed off, the emotion apparent in her voice.
"It's not what you're used to...Jack shouldn't have put you in that situation..."
"I kept thinking I screwed up...We've been working on catching Marlow for weeks and it could've been my mistake that made us - "
"But it wasn't..." Tony cut her off, tilting her chin upward. "Everything worked out anyway and even if it hadn't...I'm just glad you're alright."
The lay silently for a few minutes, Michelle enjoying the feeling of Tony's chest moving up and down with each breath, and allowing herself to be soothed into a dreamy state by it.
"Michelle..." Tony brought her back to reality. "I know I overreacted when I was with - "
"I would've been the same..." she assured him, kissing the back of his hand and closing her eyes again. "It's worse when it's not you...I mean when you went to the warehouse...I was a mess." she gave a pathetic smile and Tony laughed quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair, glad to feel her starting to relax against him.
Tony, as tired as he was, did not take Michelle back to bed after she fell back asleep so he too could rest. Instead, he set the alarm on his cell phone for two hours and readjusted his grip on his beloved fiancé, enveloping himself in the soft sensation of her engulfed in, and sheltered by him.
Her hair brushed across his nose when she moved a little. The shampoo she had used was his favourite. The scent bathed his face and Tony buried even further into a few loose curls, luxuriating in the fact that he could still do this and worried about what might happen to him if he allowed his mind to wander and effectively analyze how close he had come to losing her.
I was scared out of my mind sweetheart...he wordlessly conveyed to her sleeping form as he took the time to examine and caress every contour of her face. Her cheeks were slightly warm and she was a little flushed from the heat caused by the close quarters. Tony was grateful for this. The pinkish hue indicated that she was still his to protect in every way he knew how...that he could still hold her like this while her soft breaths resonated against his bare arm.
Never again...he promised her with conviction, reaffirming his grip.
It was Friday night two weeks later and Tony had sent Michelle into her bedroom to get changed.
"What am I getting changed for?" she asked with a hint of amusement. She had a feeling there was some sort of outing planned since they had the entire next day off.
He placed a hand on each shoulder, gently steering her in the direction of the bedroom.
"We're going out." he stated blatantly, confirming Michelle's suspicions.
"Where?" she asked, head cocked slightly to one side, a small smirk playing across her mouth.
"Dinner and a movie..." he began sifting through the pile of mail they'd picked up on the way back to her apartment, trying to remain casual.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Michelle's face light up, and her smile widen, as she realized the significance of such an event.
"Why?" The mere prospect of an entire night out was something Michelle would never question, but she asked it anyway.
He shrugged, still not meeting her excited gaze.
"Just because..."
She bit her lip before skidding down the hall to get ready while Tony chuckles followed her the entire way.
Soon afterwards, the couple was seated at an overcrowded steakhouse a few blocks away from the theater. Michelle wiped her palms against the back her jeans as the hostess led them to a table. Tony glanced around as they settled in their booth, waiting to be served.
"Not exactly romantic..." he rolled his eyes, referring to the loud, ear-splitting guitar riff that echoed through the room, and the cheap, wooden tables and benches covered in graffiti. Not to mention the peanut shell laden floor, and the fact that Tony was pretty sure he'd seen one of the waitresses on a street corner late one night, dressed much more promiscuously. The poor lighting bathed Michelle in a dull, orange colouring that, in his opinion, did not do justice to how gorgeous she really looked.
She smiled at his comment, grabbing one hand as she leaned in for a kiss, assuring him that she was quite content with wherever they went.
A waitress approached just as they broke apart. The waitress, a young woman somewhere in her early 20s, shot Michelle an irritated look as though they had kept her waiting for hours instead of a couple of seconds.
"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked in an obviously fake sweet voice.
The woman clicked her heel impatiently while they ordered, insinuating she had somewhere better to be, before heading off towards the bar.
Michelle snapped her menu open briskly.
"There goes her tip..." she scathed, causing Tony to smirk and shake his head.
"This is fun..." Michelle smiled as their meals arrived.
"Yeah well...I'm trying not to think about Monday..." Tony complained, suddenly remembering his week's worth of breakfast meetings at District that were to start.
Michelle took his hand, smoothing circles in his palm gently.
"So don't...Relax...we still have tomorrow off..."
"That's true." Tony smirked as he took a sip of his drink. "And in case you're wondering, I'm planning on holding you prisoner in bed all day..."
Michelle laughed, enthralled at the prospect, but decided to tease him for a little longer.
"I have things to do sweetheart..."
"I'm sure you do..." Tony told her seriously. "But I'm prepared to use force if you try to resist..."
She laughed again, feeling as if she'd died and gone to heaven. Tony like this...joking, sweet, relaxed, and considerate was as close to perfect as he would ever come. Either way, he was perfect for her, and Michelle couldn't help but feel a new burst of giddiness every time she glanced at the ring on her hand. She loved him...so very very much, and hoped he knew that. He reached for her finger to toy with the golden band, as if knowing what she'd been thinking about. Michelle had a sinking suspicion he did.
Check paid, Tony laced an arm around her waist as they walked outside.
"I love nights like this." she commented as they broke the embrace and crossed the street towards the movies. Tony found her hand and squeezed.
"Me too." He agreed as they headed inside towards the box office line. As they tried to decide on a movie, fingertips glided every so slightly under the t-shirt Michelle had on. Grinning, she leaned in further against Tony as he kissed the top of her head. Chin now resting against his shoulder, Michelle glanced behind them, scanning the crowd for nothing in particular. Her eyes widened with familiarity when Jack walked through the entrance way.
He smiled, noticing her immediately and Michelle smiled back as he made his way over towards them, accompanied by none other than Kate Warner.
"Hey guys," Tony turned around and loosened his hold on Michelle.
"Hey Jack... Ms. Warner..."
Michelle found this whole situation entertaining as she watched both Tony and Jack fumble with the awkwardness of seeing each other outside of work, both in such vulnerable positions. Kate was smiling politely between them all, clinging to Jack's hand reflexively and running her fingers up and down his arm.
"Kate...please." she corrected, extending her free hand to Tony. The situation was definitely unusual. Neither could remember the last time someone they'd been investigating had been seen outside of work.
Kate, with the perfect understanding of social convention and propriety, turned to Michelle and once again extended her hand.
"Michelle Dessler." Michelle returned the formality. "I don't think we were ever introduced when you were at CTU."
Kate laughed. "There definitely wasn't much time for that...It's nice to meet you."
Jack and Tony looked on, bewildered at how easily the women managed to converse after just meeting.
"Tony..." Michelle turned back to him after a few minutes of small talk. "If you're just waiting in line I'm going to the washroom now..."
"I'll go with you." Kate decided and the women headed off together.
Tony had no idea what the hell he was supposed to talk to Jack about for the entire time Michelle was gone. The odd comment here or there in the office was one thing, but an actual conversation about nothing work related didn't exactly fly with either of them.
"Taking advantage of your day off?"
Tony chuckled ironically, releasing some of the awkwardness as he did. "Yeah...while we can..."
Jack laughed and there was an eerie silence.
They'd succeeded in killing an entire five seconds.
"What are you guys seeing?" Tony asked, staring at the light-up board with all the show times.
"We were still trying to decide in the car." Jack finished lamely. "What about you?"
"Michelle left it up to me..."
More silence.
"Kim doing alright?"
"Yeah, she's taking some college classes now. She loves it...and well...it takes her mind off of everything that's happened in the past couple of years."
Again, silence.
Finally, Tony came up with a brilliant idea.
"Did you see the new budgets for CTU?"
Jack shook his head. "I was gonna go over them tomorrow, why?"
"They're pretty much cutting out any money we could've used for the new systems upgrades. It takes long enough to configure the satellite imagery as is..."
Scowling, Jack shook his heads. "After all the results the office produces you'd think DOD could spare a little extra cash..."
Tony nodded, bitter at the prospect of the poor budget, but secretly relieved at the same time. Now this was something they had in common.
"So how are the plans going?" Kate asked, reaching across Michelle to the soap and inclining her head towards the diamond glittering in the fluorescent lights of the bathroom.
Michelle laughed as she rinsed her hands under the tap.
"What plans?" she rolled her eyes dryly.
Kate smiled. "Not much time for that I guess..."
"Not really...When we get home from work we're too exhausted to even think about it...and days off don't exactly leave us with much time..."
"It definitely gets crazy..." Kate agreed. "And I'm sure it's even worse for you two..."
Michelle shrugged as reached for a paper towel, drying her hands before slipping her ring back in place.
"You should think about hiring someone..." Kate suggested as she dried her own hands. "It'd probably make everything a lot easier."
"I was thinking about that actually...It's expensive but there just really aren't enough hours in the day for us to do this by ourselves..."
Kate smiled and fumbled in her purse for a small pot of cream, lathering it over her hands before offering some to Michelle.
"I could give you the name of someone." Kate offered.
Michelle hesitated, knowing someone the Warner family could afford wasn't likely to be in their price range.
"A friend from school..." she explained. "She could probably work something out for you if you'd like. She's always insisting she owes me favours anyway."
Michelle smiled.
"I could look into it for you..."
A little floored by Kate's friendliness, considering the circumstances under which their paths had crossed, Michelle beamed.
"I'd really appreciate it."
Kate laughed. "After seeing the days your office has...I'm sure you would."
Michelle laughed too and Kate dug into her purse once again.
"I'll call her on Monday and let you know." She took out her cell phone. "Why don't you give me your number...?"
Information exchanged, the women left the washroom with Kate promising to give Michelle a call on Monday night.
"Ready?" Tony asked as Michelle and Kate returned. Michelle nodded.
"I guess I'll see you at District then Jack..."
"Yeah, enjoy your night guys..."
"Take care, Kate."
"You too...I'll talk to you soon Michelle..."
"Night."
"Kate mentioned hiring a wedding planner..." Michelle ventured once they'd settled inside the theater. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"A what?"
Michelle giggled a little at how clueless he was.
"They plan weddings..."
Eyes rolling, he smirked. "Yeah I picked up on that much...It sounds expensive."
"I know but we've barely even thought about anything...At this rate we'll be fifty before we even get married! This way someone organizes everything -"
"And I just have to show up?"
Michelle grinned. "Something like that. Kate said she'd call me when she talked to her friend...I have some money saved anyway and I'm sure my dad can help a bit and -"
Tony silenced her with a gentle hand squeeze.
"Whatever you want, sweetheart."
"We have to pick a date." Michelle decided after a few minutes. "Otherwise nothing's going to get done -"
"Shh, Michelle...the movie's starting."
She frowned at the rapid change of subject and Tony caught it before the lights dimmed.
"We'll figure it out tomorrow; we've got all day, alright?"
"Okay..." she turned her eyes back towards the screen.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek, forcing Michelle to smile unconvincingly as the previews began to play.
Tony glanced over again about fifteen minutes into the movie. Michelle was sitting legs crossed, nibbling on the end of her nail. Her foot was tapping continually against the vacant chair in front of them.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "For someone who's been working 14 hour shifts for the past week...you've sure got a lot of energy."
She threw him an exasperated look as he took her hand away from her mouth and tucked it away nicely in his.
"You alright?"
"Mhm..." she nodded, indicating back to the screen but her thoughts really elsewhere.
The idea of beginning preparations for the wedding had been brought up so suddenly Michelle was now feeling a little overwhelmed by it. Maybe she'd never been one of those people who'd been debating every last detail of the event since they were twelve...but it was still her wedding after all...She was entitled to a little neurosis, girly-girl or not.
In truth, it worried her that she'd been so ignorant of how much went into a wedding, that she'd waited a month before even considering any such preparations, and probably still wouldn't have, had Kate not mentioned it to her. Was the idea of puffy dresses and flowers by the barrel so disdainful that Michelle would refuse to allow herself to enjoy these conventions for one day?
"Hey," Tony whispered again, regaining her attention.
She looked at him blankly.
He kissed her. "Listen to your own advice...Relax...it's our night off..." He pushed back the armrest separating them and pulled Michelle against his shoulder.
They watched the rest of the movie comfortably, making not to concern themselves with anything but each other...At least for the night anyway.
Morning dawned in a crisp, uneventful manner. Some dew clung to blades of grass in the early hours and the sun basked the entire city in its mid-winters light.
Michelle and Tony knew none of this; they were both still fast asleep.
At nine, Michelle awoke, feeling as if she'd slept away most of the day by the simple fact that the sun had now almost fully risen in the sky and she wasn't creeping into the shower in the dull light of early dawn. With a sigh, she flopped back on her pillow and glanced over at Tony, laughing at how his half-open mouth was partially smushed by his own.
She debated waking Tony, or showering first, and in the end decided on the latter. He'd probably try to coerce her into a joint shower once he was awake and Michelle wasn't sure how much she felt like that right now.
The last night had been entirely enjoyable, and when they finally did fall asleep she was completely content, to say the least. Just now, she wanted a little time to herself, and hoped she was right in assuming he wouldn't take the notion too personally. They had all day together anyway.
Michelle stripped down to nothing and jumped underneath the hot water cascade that had begun steaming up the bathroom already. It felt good and she found herself truly relaxed once again, wondering how she had become so irrational about the wedding the night before.
The thing that had been beginning to concern her was that Tony didn't exactly seem interested in getting the preparations underway. Sure, they joked about it now and again but he always seemed to avoid any of the actual planning in some way, shape, or form. Perhaps he was beginning to have doubts, or maybe even rethink everything - .
No, never.
Tony didn't do something unless he was sure.
Maybe it was she who was unsure - .
No. She shook her head vigorously from side to side, splattering shampoo over the tiled walls. She berated herself for being so silly. Pre-marital nerves were one, thing but actually considering that she might be reevaluating her decision was entirely different.
She wasn't having doubts. She loved him too much.
When she emerged from the bathroom to change, Tony was still asleep. Hoping he stayed that way for at least a few more minutes, she decided to capitalize on such a rare opportunity of being awake first.
She would make him breakfast.
Well, not breakfast, just coffee. But she would make him the coffee he liked for a change. The really strong kind that made Michelle crinkle her nose in disgust. The first time he noticed, she hadn't even realized she'd done so. Tony had laughed and put on a fresh pot, insisting that as cute as she was when she made that face, he couldn't allow her to jeopardize a good breakfast for the sake of his coffee.
She'd find him a paper too...to go with the coffee. He never had a moment to read everything he wanted to in the mornings, and would sacrifice his alone time with the sports section without hesitation if it meant a little more conversation with herself.
She really did love him.
Who wouldn't, after all?
Perhaps there would be a game on today he'd like to watch...Maybe she could watch it with him...
He'd like that too...In fact he'd probably love it. Tony deserved a chance to unwind. While both their shifts were equally grueling, Michelle never had to put up with the extra hours of office politics or deal with the rest of the chain of command.
Giddy now, as her plan began to formulate, Michelle bounded downstairs for a paper and began setting to work on making the coffee. Not even the smell had roused Tony and she smiled contentedly to herself, knowing how much he needed a day like today.
Michelle poured an exceptionally large mug and a smaller, sugar-filled one for her, and tucked the paper neatly under her arm before returning to the bedroom. She placed everything on the bedside table and crawled on top of him.
"Mmph..." Tony groaned when he felt her weight settle against him.
"Hi honey," she snaked both arms underneath his waist and planted a few feathery kisses against everywhere she could reach before leaning on his chest.
"Morning..." He mumbled eyes still barely open. His hand began running up and down her back and Michelle sighed, momentarily forgetting what she was there for.
"How'd you sleep?"
He yawned and returned the embrace.
"Like a log..." his lids peeled back to reveal a glazed expression.
She tilted her lips downward again and kissed the tip of his nose before wiggling onto the floor and holding out the piping hot mug that was starting become a little too warm for her hands.
"I made your coffee."
Tony propped his pillow up against the headboard and sat up before reaching to relieve her of the mug. As the exchange took place, Tony's unoccupied fingers locked around Michelle's extended wrist and pulled her towards him.
Their mouths met in what Michelle expected to be a brief kiss, only to find herself pleasantly surprised when Tony's tongue tapped her bottom lip open and deepened the contact.
"Mhmm..." she pulled back after a few seconds. "Drink your coffee before it gets cold..."
Tony grinned. "They invented microwaves for a reason..." he slyly teased, whilst encircling an arm around her hips and dragging her across the bed before rolling on top.
"You smell like coffee..." he mumbled, sucking hard on her neck
"I told you that stuff was strong..."
A minute passed where all forms of intelligible conversation stopped.
"C'mon sweetheart..." Michelle finally gasped. "I slaved over a hot stove and-"
This made Tony prop himself against his elbows so he could stare at Michelle, starting to smirk.
"I'm sorry, you what?"
"Fine..." she rolled her eyes. "I poured water in a machine and added coffee beans to a filter...it's the thought that counts anyway."
Laughing, Tony sat them both up and reached for their "breakfast" while Michelle adjusted the height of her pillow.
Tony had just unrolled the newspaper and was getting comfortable when he remembered something. He glanced over at Michelle who sat, legs crossed, sipping her coffee, watching patiently for him to hand her the sections he had no desire to read.
She eyed him curiously when he stopped moving.
"What's wrong?"
Tony shook his head and let the paper fall from his hands.
"First things first..." he told her, reaching into the bedside table and retrieving a pen and pad of paper.
"So what day were you thinking?" he asked seriously, poised to write.
Michelle beamed.
"August is still eight months away Michelle, that's plenty of time...If we push it back to September Lisa and Amy will both be in school and it'll be that much harder to get everyone to LA..."
"Alright...you're right. August gives us plenty of time."
"So...August 25th..."
Michelle grinned. "Yeah."
Tony's expression mirrored hers.
"It's a date."
Suddenly, Michelle was embarrassed...Embarrassed that she, even for one second, doubted Tony and his commitment to her. While the mental pep-talk she'd given herself in the shower assuaged any such worries, she still felt silly for even thinking things like that. It was Tony after all...
"You done?" she asked, lifting his now cold mug from his lap. Tony nodded and she set both, along with the paper, on the night stand, placed each of her own legs snugly against each of Tony's thighs and cupped his face in both hands.
"I love you so much." she told him before fusing their lips together and sliding them further down the bed.
Tony groaned deeply when her hands carefully pressed their way against his naked chest before returning back to the centre and starting all over again. Each time they circled back they trailed a little bit lower and dug in a little more firmly, increasing the volume and frequency of the sounds they both now made.
The morning wore on, and neither found reason to abandon the cozy confines of the bedroom. Tony, for the life of him, couldn't recall the last time they'd spent an entire morning devoted to nothing but sex, cuddling, and a few carefree conversations about anything and everything but that which was work related. At one point he dozed off again for an early afternoon catnap, making Michelle laugh. She drew the blankets over any exposed areas of skin, before resting her cheek against him and holding his body tightly while her own lids began to droop.
Days off really were the best.
